A video recently posted to YouTube features Ric Flair in his prime in the mid-1980’s as the Unbeatable Champion. We didn’t often get to see the Nature Boy on the weekly television program, so it was always a turn-on to see him strutting to the ring with that huge gold belt around his waist.
I was always excited to see him slap on the Figure 4 Leglock and Flair never disappointed.
Flair’s victim is the ultimate muscle-jobber, Curtis Thompson, wearing a pair of snug white jobber trunks.
Check out the ease and grace with which Flair snaps his jobber down to the mat, then flexing his bicep as he forces Thompson’s face into his armpit. Flair was a blond god.
It seems Flair was feuding with body-builder Lex Luger who had recently used his dreaded “Human Torture Rack” to punish the champion.
The purpose of this rare appearance by Flair where he easily man-handles this muscleman is to show us that he can dominate strong men, that he belongs in the ring with Luger and can match his power.
If Flair can handle Curtis Thompson, even tossing his powerful ass out of the ring like a pussy, then clearly he has a chance against big swole Lex Luger (who, we might otherwise suspect, ought to break pudgy Ric Flair into pieces.)
Meanwhile Flair’s manager, James J. Dillon, adds a homo-erotic tone by watching the action from ringside while holding his man’s belt.
The commentators add to Flair’s reputation for dominance (and sex appeal) by describing him as “the greatest wrestler in the world“:
“Many things make Flair great… When Ric Flair gets into a ring, he takes charge!”
“He dictates the pace, no doubt… He is taking charge of every situation.”
I know that not every wrestling fan gets off on Ric Flair, but I sure do (especially the cocky, dominant Flair from this era in his career.)
His smooth cat-like moves, his flowing platinum hair, his total arrogance that makes you want to slap that smug grin off his face — Flair was total sex in tight green spandex.
And Curtis Thompson was such a submissive muscle-bitch, never taking control while forgetting all about the power and strength he had cultivated in his upper body. He is wonderfully inept and helpless in this match, allowing Flair to tear him down brick by brick for our viewing pleasure.
Check out Flair putting that swole body on display in this Delayed Vertical Suplex, holding Thompson in a vulnerable suspended position so we can get a good look, then crashing him down to the mat when Flair is good and ready to deliver the punishment.
And then the moment I waited for — the Figure 4 Leglock. Flair is in a rough mood, really violently humping Thompson’s leg to break it.
The muscle-jobber convulses in agony to make the point that this painful move would utterly destroy any strong man — including Lex Luger.
It has become popular at sporting events such as Hockey or Football games for the fans to shout “Whooo!” just like Ric Flair when the home team is winning. Some non-wrestling fans in the audience will complain about the noise — Oh no, here they go again with the Whooo!
However, given my man-crush on Flair, I always find it somewhat arousing, to hear his patented “Whooo!” echoing in the crowd, to think that so many other guys know about Flair and want to emulate him and his cocky victory call. I wonder if they too got off on watching Flair rassle, and maybe they’re a bit turned on when they mimic him.
I’m with you: Flair at this point in his career was hot. His matches with Ricky Steamboat were classic hard-fought matches, with both men vocal in their howls of pain (especially Steamboat). And the WWC’s stable of hot jobbers were fodder for little more than Flair breaking a sweat and sadistically enjoying their destruction. We’re lucky to have so much great vintage pro wrestling available on YouTube and other sources.
Wrestling Arsenal is a great site, by the way, with great links. Keep up the good work!
With the exception of Buddy Rogers, nobody could apply the Figure Four as well as Flair. His grinding and pulling were so relentless. And when the opponent submitted, it was as if he was saying, “I promise never to dare to wrestle you again.” So hot! So talented.
While I was never really into Flair in and of himself, I could always appreciate him for putting the hurt on a jobber–or even on non-official jobbers like Jim Neidhart and Val Venis. For a lover of jobbers–and Curtis Thompson–this beatdown is particularly beautiful!
i never understood the allure or the stardom of ric flair. never.
Curtis Thompson should thank Flair for this opportunity to shine as a marvelous jobber.