Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 35: Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 6/17/96)

A lot of brawling early. Flair cheats to win as usual. Flair has Woman, Liz, and Deborah McMichael, as usual. It’s the formula you guys know and love with these guys. Can’t believe it’s the same divorce story though.

Savage changes it up dumping champagne on Flair, then a weak bottle shot. It all should have been left out for my money. Just looked hokey. Crowd is behind them when they get to the ring though. Flair does his classic stooging and bumps well here. Savage takes his double ax handle from the top into the steel rail just before a second commercial break.

We come back to Flair working his ass off getting the heat on Savage. Both guys are moving well. Maybe I have a bias from watching the “Flair Formula” in it’s heyday or from being in love w/ their Mania 8 match, but I’m a little bored during this one. It’s not quite the style of work that draws me in unless it’s done at Flair’s 80s run level.

Macho’s comeback is pretty awesome, and then Flair cuts it off. A miscommunication has Flair taking his bump off the top by himself. Flair w/ some object nails Savage. Near fall is pretty cool. Ref bump and we get Macho domination. I take no issue w/ the huge effort from both men. Macho hits to big elbows. He pile drives the interfering Benoit, tosses Arn Anderson, but Mongo gets him with the Halliburton brief case. Flair gets the pin. The end actually works for the match and the time frame of the feud, though we know how Mongo turned out. 3 stars and 6/10.