GOAT champion: Austin vs Flair vs Hogan

[Based God]

He was linearly the last NWA champion.

I guess if we forget the 30 or so different NWA Champions after him.

 

[Wariowokecancel]

Wut

Ric beats Fujinama. Ric got fucked by Herd. Took the Big Gold Belt. Legal bullshit. Then unified with WWF at Rumble 92. Then more bullshit. Chono gets it without a fight with Flair. End of linear title.

 

[Wariowokecancel]

I guess if we forget the 30 or so different NWA Champions after him.

Tell me who Chono beat for the belt?

 

[Based God]

Ric beats Fujinama. Ric got fucked by Herd. Took the Big Gold Belt. Legal bullshit. Then unified with WWF at Rumble 92. Then more bullshit. Chono gets it without a fight with Flair. End of linear title.

Tell me who Chono beat for the belt?

By that logic Ric Flair was never lineal NWA Champion because Buddy Rogers broke the original lineage because Lou Thesz didn't actually beat Rogers 2 out of 3 falls as the match was stipulated and Rogers was still the real NWA Champion when he became WWWF Champion. The lineage then broke again because Inoki vacated the WWF Championship and Bob Backlund won a tournament to become new WWF Champion and never beat Inoki. So Ric didn't even become lineal champion when he won the WWF Championship lol

 

[Wariowokecancel]

By that logic Ric Flair was never lineal NWA Champion because Buddy Rogers broke the original lineage because Lou Thesz didn't actually beat Rogers 2 out of 3 falls as the match was stipulated and Rogers was still the real NWA Champion when he became WWWF Champion. The lineage then broke again because Inoki vacated the WWF Championship and Bob Backlund won a tournament to become new WWF Champion and never beat Inoki. So Ric didn't even become lineal champion when he won the WWF Championship lol

Mate, if the line didn’t go via Thesz because Rogers got fucked then Ric unified with the CWC ->(then WWWF-> WWF) in 1991. Again it went via a match. Then he got stripped.

 

[Based God]

Mate, if the line didn’t go via Thesz because Rogers got fucked then Ric unified with the CWC ->(then WWWF-> WWF) in 1991. Again it went via a match. Then he got stripped.

By your own logic the real lineage died with Inoki in 1979 because the next champion Backlund never beat Inoki for the belt. If you can say no NWA Champions after Flair are lineal champions, then no champions after Inoki can be lineal champions, it's the same exact logic.

If we use lineage only goes through matches with previous champions logic, no company in wrestling (except AEW), boxing, or MMA has a single real champion and they haven't for decades.

Take an example of boxing, who still recognizes lineal champions, if the previous lineal champion can't compete, you can re-start lineage through a fight between the top 2 ranked guys in a division, or through a tournament. Many lineal champions retire as lineal champion, so they restart lineage with the best guys.

Ric Flair quit the company, thus couldn't compete, so NWA ranked the best guys as the people competing in the G1 Climax. Chono won the G1 Climax, thus became lineal champion.

Christian would have a bigger gripe for being the last lineal NWA Champion than Ric Flair does, Christian was still competing in the company and defending when the NWA stripped him due to NWA leaving TNA, Christian didn't even go anywhere lol

 

[My Spot]

Flair was stripped when he joined the WWF. His fault. So yeah, the "real" final NWA champion would indeed be Christian.

 

[The Elemental O]

But are they better than Sammartino or Thesz?

 

[Hitman81]

But are they better than Sammartino or Thesz?

If it happened before I was born it doesn't count.

 

[nonoob]

Rick Flair IS ABSOLUTELY the ALL TIME Fedor of Wrestling.

 

[deezy]

Rick Flair IS ABSOLUTELY the ALL TIME Fedor of Wrestling.

Got exposed when he left his territory?

 

[Batjester]

Got exposed when he left his territory?

 

[mmadeewana]

Hulk Hogan drew despite not being that good in ring and cutting cringe scripted promos.

 

[Crawler89]

listen to who the greats speak of.

Austin, Bret, Shawn...they always say Ric.

 

[deezy]

Bret called Flair a spot guy who just did the same shit every match lol.

 

[Batjester]

Bret called Flair a spot guy who just did the same shit every match lol.

He's not entirely wrong.

 

[Thrawn33]

He's not entirely wrong.

He's not wrong at all.

As for GOAT status:

#1 Hogan - no question, the icon. Even non wresting fans knew who he was.... and remember kids 24/7 social media, multiple live TV shows and a PPV every month did not exist during Hogan's rise to greatness.

2 vs 3 is going to rustle some Jimmies so I'll handle that in a later post in this thread

 

[El Dandy]

Austin saved WWE. GOAT in my book.

 

[Strychnine]

Man..

Ya'll some amateurs up in here!

The greatest, The greatest,, and THE GREATEST (and 2-Cold Scorpio). In PYONGYANG, NORTH KOREA. The LARGEST wrestling attendance on the planet.

EVER.

190,000 people showed to watch Inoki-Sama and Flair get it on.

Largest wrestling attendance | Guinness World Records

Hogan pussied out.

FACTS.

Collision In Korea - Wrestling's Bizarre Political Game in a Land of War (prowrestlingstories.com)

 

[deezy]

Austin saved the WWF.....but Hogan brought the business 2 boom periods.

And what exactly has Flair done? His notoriety today is off other people who are major stars being fans of his.

Let's say a top rapper today was a fan of El DeBarge, doesn't mean El DeBarge was bigger than Michael Jackson.