Ric Flair took to task the idea that certain power moves are often used as transitional moves instead of finishing matches.
During his decades in the wrestling business, Ric Flair has witnessed the evolution of finishing moves and their impact in matches. While he was known as being the master of the Figure Four, he’s also seen and taken his fair share of power moves throughout his career.
On the latest episode of his To Be the Man podcast (available early via AdFreeShows), Ric Flair discussed finishing moves in wrestling and the inconsistency with which some moves are used as transitional moves vs. actual finishers.
“Well, I think they [submission & high impact moves] both work [as a finish]. But the problem is with the high impact moves, one TV show, one company, it’ll be a finish, the other company it will be a false finish. Or it can even be in the same show. I’ve seen it, I’m sure you have. I could point it out to you if I had a couple minutes to think about it.”
“But some of these moves are so big, they have to be the [finish] I mean, they don’t have to be, but in my opinion, some of them are so big, they have to be the finish. But what do I know? I’m not stirring anything up.”
Continuing, Ric Flair used the example of Kevin Nash’s powerbomb as a high impact move, but also says that he sees some moves nowadays that seem to have even more power behind them.
“But I’m saying you know, I mean, as an example, how does anybody kick out of a powerbomb from Kevin Nash I mean, I’m thinking back are some big moves, right? I mean, God, I mean, but that’s about as big a move six foot 11, athletic, strong, you know, gifted athlete giving you a powerbomb. Who kicks out of that? I don’t even know if anybody has but I mean, there’s stuff now, though, that looks even more impactful than that.
“But that is a really, I’ve taken every bump there is in the world, those power bombs from a big tall guy, as careful as they might be will knock your dick in the dirt.”
Elsewhere on the podcast, Ric Flair named AJ Styles as one of the top five wrestlers competing today.
If you use any quotes from this transcription, please credit To Be the Man and link back to this article with a h/t to Inside the Ropes.