Story: Woooo! The Nature Boy has his own special collection, a multi era look at the career of a true pro wrestling legend, Ric Flair. Flair was one of the top performers in the wrestling business for decades, winning world championships everywhere he went and becoming a pop culture icon. He was also able to break through into the mainstream, which doesn’t happen for a lot of wrestlers, but Flair would indeed be a pop culture icon. The Nature Boy has wrestled nearly every notable performer that was active during his career and always found ways to keep the fans entertained, even as he adjusted his in ring work as his career progressed. This was a fun trip down memory lane and whether you’re a fan or this is your introduction, The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection is like riding Space Mountain.

Entertainment Value: This collection doesn’t trace Flair’s roots to their start, but instead picks up during his Flair for the Gold campaign, which culminated with a clash with then champion Harley Race. I would have liked more about his early days, especially his days with Verne Gagne, but this was a landmark of his career to battle Race, so it isn’t a terrible starting point. The bonus features in this chapter offers some fun stuff, with Race putting a bounty on Flair, the NWA press conference, a number of promo interviews and some of the footage used to build the hype for the match. Seeing more of the build adds a lot to the atmosphere of the match, to be sure. The next chapter is the Starrcade 85 match with Dusty Rhodes, a fun match that is supplemented by several promo back and forths, including Rhodes’ classic Hard Times interview. Then we move on to a televised title match between Flair and Barry Windham, with some bonus Four Horsement segments as a bonus. Ricky Steamboat is up next, with two of his matches with The Nature Boy, a bonus tag team match, and some promos to build the feud.

The hardcore legend Terry Funk is Flair’s next challenge, with their Clash of the Champions IX battle, as well as numerous segments used during their feud. I was glad the scene with Funk using a plastic bag to choke out Flair made the cut, as that adds so much to the emotion of the rivalry. I love Funk’s in ring and on the mic abilities, so I had a lot of fun with this chapter. You also learn about the infamous plane crash Flair was in, get a look back on the Four Horsemen as a faction, and a “day in life of” segment about the Four Horsemen. Ric’s big Royal Rumble win is shown in its entirety, backed up by a bonus match with Flair’s WWF television debut, promo interviews, and hype segments. The Rumble win is a lot of fun and holds up well, with a host of colorful, classic wrestlers involved and the post match interview with Flair is hilarious. Next Flair battles his old rival Sting, with their Clash of the Champions XXVII match on tap, as well as three segments that were used around the match. The final element is a look back at a special night in Greenville, with bonuses that include Flair’s match in the WWWF at Madison Square Garden, a match against Triple H from the Greenville show, and promo interviews.