Shane  Doulgas VS. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair: A Long Time Coming - The Match
Pt. 6

The crowd is waiting with anticipation as they know that the match for the ECW and WWF World Titles is about to take place. Read the words of Joey Styles and Jim Ross.

STYLES:  You know, I can't help but get goosebumps about this match.  I am a die-hard ECW worker.  I have watched Douglas' career really take form here in Extreme Championship Wrestling.  On four different occassions, he has held the ECW Championship.  He won a one night tournament to be crown the ECW champion for the first time several years ago.  Since then, he has won the title from such men as Sabu, Bam Bam Bigelow and The Rock.  But to say that this is the biggest match of his life is an understatement.

ROSS:  Well, I have had the privilege of seeing "Nature Boy" Ric Flair for a number of years now. The first match that I had the privelege of calling that involved Flair was WarGames I when The Four Horsemen--who was then comprised of Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Lex Luger--took on Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff, and The Road Warriors in Atlanta, GA.  Though his team lost that night, I was amazed at the amount of punishment that Flair withstood in that match and even more amazed at how he kept coming back for more.  I have also seen Shane Douglas since his early days in the now defunct UWF when he won his first title---The UWF World TV Title---and since then I have seen him go from a scientific, pretty boy wrestler to a real grizzled veteran who has been loved and hated by the fans but respected nonetheless.  Both of these men are at the top of their game now.  Flair, of course, is the more experienced of the two but Douglas has gained much needed experience as well so this will be a evenly fought contest.

At this point, the music of 2001: A Space Oddessy is heard and that can only mean one thing.  The World Wrestling Federation Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair is on his way down and joining him is 40 ladies that line the aisle (use your imagination here) from every shade, color, and race you can imagine!!  Flair lets out his traditional "WHOO" and even hi-five some fans as he enters the ring for this all-important WWF VS. ECW title bout.

In contrast, Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers" fires up and out comes "The Franchise" Shane Douglas along with his wife, Francine (who is very decked out in a white sequence dress), he hits the ring and acknowledges the crowd briefly but you can look into the man's eyes and see that he is focused on business.

After introductions and instructions are made, Douglas and Flair remove their robes and meet in the center of the ring. Neither man are looking away from the other as they begin to circle each other.  Flair let's out another "WHOO" to Shane.  Douglas responds with "the finger."  Flair is a little stunned but not too surprised as the two lock up.  Flair pushes Douglas into the ropes and gives a clean break.  The two lock up again and Shane pushes Flair into the corner, Flair lets out a "WHOO" again and gets a slap for his trouble!  This fires Flair up and the two lock up again.  Ric pushes Douglas into a corner and puts a knee into the mid-section, followed by one of his trademark chops!  Douglas crumps in the corner as Flair lifts him up and nails him with a right to the chin.  Flair then connects with another chop and tries to whip Douglas out but Shane turns it on him by reversing the whip into an arm-twist, pulling Flair forward, and into a clothesline!  "The Franchise" quickly gets on top of Flair and pounds him with right hands to the head.  Flair reverses it on Douglas and gives him the same treatment!  The two roll to the outside and trade fists and chops around the ringside area.

STYLES:  I'll tell ya, this is a far cry from what I expected!! You would expect a classic wrestling match from these two.  Instead, they are just going for it.

ROSS:  This is a surprise!!  They are saying to hell with the "feeling out process", they are going for it!

Meanwhile, Douglas turned it up by ramming Flair's head into the ringpost.  Shane follows that up with a piledriver on the floor!  Douglas quickly throws Ric back into the ring and tries a pin for a two count.  Flair is now busted open as Douglas goes to work on that cut.  Flair manages to roll outside again to get some temporary distance.  Shane, trying to take advantage, picks up the steel steps to slam them onto Flair.  Unknown to Douglas, Flair gets a steel chair and nails the stairs with them, causing them to his Shane in the face and fall on top of him!  "Slick" Ric is now pounding the steps (and "The Franchise") with the chair like a railroad spike.  Flair is now fired up as Douglas is now bleeding from the face as well.  Flair takes Douglas and rams the head into the safety guardrail on the outside.  The ref, who could've counted both men out by now, is only following both men as Flair bites "The Franchise" on that cut!!  Flair now throws Douglas back into the ring and now has a more serious look on his face.  Flair nails Douglas with rights and lefts mixed with some hard chops in the corner as Shane is in trouble.  Francine has a worried look on her face as her husband is in dire straits.  Flair give her an eye as he throws another chop but this time, "The Franchise" fights back with a chop of his own!  They are now trading chops on each other as both men's chests are becoming "beet" red.  Douglas ends the stalemate by grabbing a headlock.......and mulekicking Flair below the belt!  Flair goes down quickly as Douglas locks in Flair's finisher, the figure four leglock!  The fans are now standing to see if Flair will quit or tap out.  Flair is resisting but the pain is eched on his face.  After about one minute in the hold, Flair made it to the ropes but the pain is still there. Douglas tries to follow up the advantage but the ref decides to hold Shane back.  This give "The Dirtiest Player In The Game" time to go into his tights and pull out some "brass knuckles."  As Douglas reaches for Flair, Ric nailed him with them and Shane fell back into the ref, knocking him out.

Flair now sees opportunity as he drops his patened knee into the groin of Douglas!!  This move brought Francine from the floor and into the ring. Flair looks as if he is going to strike Francine but instead he steals a kiss from her.  "Slick" Ric stands there and laughs as his actions but the "queen of extreme" isn't amussed at all. She tries to strike Flair but Flair blocks the slap.  By this time, Douglas is up and sees what is going on.  He turns Flair around and decks him!  Shane is now on top of Flair pounding him!!  Suddenly, there is an eruption as The Four Horsemen (Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson and Barry Windham) hit the ring.  Tully and Arn are all over Douglas as Windham holds Francine hostage.  Flair is up on his feet as Blanchard and Anderson hold Douglas for Flair's blow.  Ric comes off the ropes.......and into Windham's "lariat" clothesline!!  Windham is now attacking the Horsemen!  "Buff" Bagwell also hits the ring and comes over the top rope with his "Blockbuster" neckbreaker on Blanchard while Windham takes over on Anderson. The fight goes to the outside as Flair regains his feet, not knowing what to make of the situation.  Meanwhile, Douglas is on his feet and sees opportunity as he get Flair from behind and executes his "Pittsburg Plunge" (fisherman's buster) on Flair!!  The ref is now back and counts down Flair for the win!!  Douglas now has both the ECW and WWF World titles!!  Meanwhile, Windham and Bagwell have laid out both Blanchard and Anderson.  They bring Blanchard back into the ring and do a number on him.  The brutalize him with the title belts and leave him busted open like a tomato!  Douglas now has the mic:

DOUGLAS:  Now, what you see before you is the new "clique" on the block!!   Shane Douglas, Barry Windham, and "Buff" Bagwell.  The day of The Four Horsemen and the nWo are now history.  I have the titles, I have the most beautiful woman in wrestling with me, we have the best physical speciman in wrestling (refering to Bagwell--who poses for the camera) and the best technician in wrestling (refering to Windham).  You have the leader of The Triple Threat and the best of The Horsemen and the nWo!!  Now we form A "Revolution", a nation unto ourselves and God help those that stand in our way!!  By the way, Triple H, congraulations on your title win tonight but let me tell you, your belt is next!!

With that, the "Revolution" leave the ring as EMT's hit the ring to check on the scattered remains of Flair, Blanchard and Anderson as this PPV ends in shocking fashion.

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