Round 3: Quadrant 4 Matchup 1

[The Hoov]

Stone Cold is the greatest of all time. Flair had a big impact on the business, but Austin saved wrestling from falling into obscurity and made it cool for the mainstream audience. Flair is awesome, but Stone Cold is just the better man, despite not having held the title as many times. Remember, a lot of Flair's reigns came from WCW and WCW sucked :-D

 

[Keith]

Ric Flair is one of the greatest wrestlers and champions of all time. I think because of Austins impact in one of wrestlings most sucessful periods and what a talent he was, it is close, but I think you have to judge it on the overall talent, and like someone said Flair could have a great match with even limtied talent and thats what puts him ahead of Stone Cold for me.

 

[Kingslayer]

Ric Flair has made a lot of outlandish statements in his career.

And Austin being better than him is not one of them.

Well, I hope you people are happy. Flair's going to win and this tournament just lost its credibility. Have fun voting for people like Flair who made less impact in 40 years than Austin did in 1.

Pathetic. Whoever wins this tournament is a farce.

 

[Slim]

And Austin being better than him is not one of them.

Well, I hope you people are happy. Flair's going to win and this tournament just lost its credibility. Have fun voting for people like Flair who made less impact in 40 years than Austin did in 1.

Pathetic. Whoever wins this tournament is a farce.

Looks like for you it was Austin or bust. Face it... Flair just had it. Flair was a better champion.

 

[Kingslayer]

Flair booking his own title reigns doesn't make him a better champion, give me a fucking break. Flair is nobody. Do you even know what "it" is? Austin drew more money than anybody in the history of the business during his prime. That's "it", not being the guy who holds the most titles but still has zero name recognition to anybody that doesn't watch wrestling.

What is this competition REALLY about? Who's the best at mismanaging their money and ending up a broke has been that has to work for glorified Indy promotions like TNA in his 60's? Because if that's what it's about then Flair wins in a breeze.

 

[PHX]

You're really shitting on Flair's legacy which considering he fits your mold of guys who are great on the mic (if you think he sucks on the mic then I don't know what to say) is surprising. And also you always go on about titles that matter and don't matter and flair one of the most meaningful titles in the history of wrestling and probably the most notorious champion who has held the NWA title. Don't see what present day Flair has to do with his legacy as a world champion either. He pretty much made his legacy in the 80's and if you weren't a fan of the 80's I can understand that but to say Flair was nobody? Come on seriously.

 

[Slim]

to measure money worth... really? You have to look at the different eras of wrestling to fully understand that in the 90s era when Austin reigned... wrestling was at its peak. And it wasn't at its peak just because Austin was champion. That peak started in '96 with Scott Hall showing up on Nitro and Nash showing up Hogan going heel and the n.W.o. Thats when wrestling really started to become so cool that everybody was talking it in school, shirts were running rampant everywhere. Not in the 80's, not in the 70's when Flair had his glory days. They didn't have the merchandise then that they do now. They didn't have the main stream attention then that they did during Austin's era so yeah of course Austin is going to draw in a lot more money than Flair did.

But to base your pick off of money making... no. Flair had "it" other wise he wouldn't be widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. The guy has gone for 30 years strong. Yeah Austin suffered a freak accident which cut his career short. I'm not looking to take anything away from Austin at all as the guy definitely has his place in history as being influential. But to completely discredit Flair shows that you have no respect for the business or any opinion other than your own. So game over.

 

[Kingslayer]

You're really shitting on Flair's legacy which considering he fits your mold of guys who are great on the mic (if you think he sucks on the mic then I don't know what to say) is surprising. And also you always go on about titles that matter and don't matter and flair one of the most meaningful titles in the history of wrestling and probably the most notorious champion who has held the NWA title. Don't see what present day Flair has to do with his legacy as a world champion either. He pretty much made his legacy in the 80's and if you weren't a fan of the 80's I can understand that but to say Flair was nobody? Come on seriously.

I'm shitting on his legacy because I have no choice. I like Flair but I'm not just gonna sit here and take Austin losing this competition lying down. It's completely ridiculous. And yeah, I go on about how the title is all that matters, but having more titles doesn't make you better than somebody else. And on that matter anyway, Austin would probably have surpassed Flair's 16 title reigns if he didn't have to retire because of career threatening injuries.

 

[PHX]

Well unless someone else comes in and gives in a deciding vote looks like you won't have to worry about Austin not being in as both of them will. I can agree he shouldn't just top Austin cause he had had all those title reigns but wasn't like Flair just had a bunch of reigns that no one remembers or gives a shit about at the same time.

 

[Kingslayer]

Oh, I don't doubt that somebody else will come in and place another misinformed vote for Flair in. It's bound to happen. Plus, even if they both make it, Flair will just end up winning the final somehow. You people will make sure of that because Flair is the IWC golden boy.

 

[PHX]

I very well doubt Ric Flair is held in a higher regard by the IWC than Austin. I'd be pretty stunned if that was the case.

 

[The New F'n Show]

Flair is not a IWC Golden Boy because of his last few years more people hate him then like him but saying he shouldn't be in the discussion for G.O.A.T. is a joke. I will not take anything away from Austin and would have NO problem with him winning the whole tournament that's not my argument. My argument is Flair drew Money, Wrestling wasn't Global or hell even National when he was a champion but the 12-13 state Region he was in would have killed to see Flair in action. The guy was gold on the mic, great and making stars, and could put on a good match with a broomstick (see Luger, Lex and Rhodes, Dusty). As far as Flair booking his own regins? What? That didn't happen the NWA put the belt on him and then in WCW Dusty and company put the belt on him. Ole put the belt on him as well because he knew he drew. This is a horrible argument.

 

[The Hoov]

I don't take anything away from Flair as I'm a big Flair fan, but having 16 reigns hardly means you're the best. That means you lost it 15 times haha. What my point is, Stone Cold Steve Austin defined an era of wrestling. Everyone says Rock was on par is kidding themselves because Austin was clearly the bigger star AT THAT TIME. Around 00-02 Rock broke out and became huge in his own right but Austin WAS the Attitude Era, the most revered, celebrated, discussed, and profitable times for pro wrestling. And who was champion most of the time from 1997-1999? Stone Cold. 2 years may not be much, but dissect those two years and there's been more growth in those two years then the last 8 years. And who's shoulders does that fall on? Austin. The Champion of that time and, in my honest opinion, The Greatest of All-Time. Flair has said it. McMahon has said it. HBK has said it. Hogan might not say it but he's thinking it. Austin is the man.

Plus, what was Flair's old saying? "To be The Man, You Gotta Beat The Man" If my memory serves me right Austin beat Flair in a match on RAW in 2002

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Stunning Steve lost several times to Flair in the early 90s so don't get ahead of yourself there.

 

[The Hoov]

But was Stunning Steve Austin a World Champion? No. But Stone Cold Steve Austin was. WCW made Austin a jobber because WCW was stupid.