The match where Naitch pinned him after his knee buckled was post-Horseman years but also Flair had his feet on the ropes, lets not forget that. It wasnt a clean pin. Not a burial to me, he had only been in WCW about a year. I don't see where you go with Luger as the champ at that point, because the classic Flair-Steamboat title matches happened right after that. I do believe he would have eventually beaten Ric Flair in 1991/2 if he had never left for WWF.
The reason why NWA, never caught up to the cavernous void in draw to the wwf.
is, simply they never developed a real baby face superstar with the look by having him go over in that era.
Luger was that guy at that point who was the golden boy.
Especially after the void and loss of magnum.
Who if he never has the car crash could have equaled hogun on the opposite channel
Lex was the one principal in the entire industry who could have immediately filled that void.
If it was not tampered with and booked in perception to be as big a company changing move as hogun beating sheik.
To the point flair had already made himself into the best villain in arguable tv history not named Larry bird.
So, NWA having flair lose to luger would not have buried flair.
Plus there was always a way for flair to rebuild himself as a heel via the us title being the place maker for the number contender.
Including the fact the us title cosmetically was one of the best title of all time as well.
So just in visual perception NWA would have still kept flair a mainstay and eventually if luger had went over.
You could always book the loss and redue the chase angle the long way.
Even after flair could have cheated after reacquiring the title.
Plus, showcasing the promo after the match of lex not ever getting a rematch as well.
So, luger could have been booked and more babyfaces could have been elevated after luger with a number of different looks and aesthetics.
after luger could have been used to draw with the bland rerun type booking of the wwf.
Plus, if all else failed you could have restrapped luger with the us title the long way and changed the completion of starrcade to rival mania with the implied aesthetic of the babyface always wins.
To the point that if luger would have won against flair exactly then.
You could have continued to feed him tune up matches just like hogun would get, before the title was reserved for ppv and snme later on.
The fact NWA did not understand that rocky III changed everything.
is also why they lost the initial ability to garner a similar draw as the wwf.
When they were clearly far and away the better quality product and show.
Complete with a well booked rogues gallery of villains the wwf never had and would have easily lapped the wwf and possibly even got their own late night show like snme, too.
The adult content of the villain wins aesthetic never transistioned to an early am morning to afternoon show.
All because they lacked the golden boy gateway babyface star like hogun.
If people are not aware hogun was a Billy graham complete ripoff in every aspect as hogun in interview to sell the match.
Luger although not as adept had higher booking and quality principals in place to fill the gap at that particular time.
Plus, the NWA contingent was due a baby face win in the level at least in perception comparable to hogun in lex.
Also, were you cognitive at all back then?
Art Barr
