What are Flair's "disputed world titles"

[Rollermacka]

I've read that Flair claims to be a 21 time world champion but I've also read only 12 of Flair's world title reigns actually counted. Flair is recognized as a 16 time world champion, does anyone know what the disputed world titles are?

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

I know WCW didn't recognize his WWF ones, so there is two.

WWE doesn't recognize his two reigns as the WCW International Championship as World title reigns.

7 WCW
2 WWE
7 NWA
2 WCW International.
At least 3 disputed reigns from (belts being held up below)

21.

There are also disputes of when he dropped the title to Carlos Colon, T. Fujinami, Held up with Ricky Steamboat in 1994 etc.

[James Steele]

I believe there were a few times on international tours in Japan, Australia, etc that he dropped the belt and won it back before the end of the tour that the NWA never officially accepted.

[CSL]

I've always heard 16 titles with 2 "disputed" NWA title wins, never heard anything above 18

[Tom Guycott]

Well, Dusty Rhodes beat Flair 25,000 times in a row!

Some of those had to be championship matches where Flair was losing to Dusty and winning them back in a round-robin fashion from another opponent. I would assume all of those are disputed as well.

[DLVH84]

Here's all the controversy in order...

1. During Ric Flair's first reign on February 9, 1982 in Miami, FL, The Midnight Rider (yes, Dusty Rhodes in a mask) defeated Flair to win the title. However, at the time, the NWA forbid masked wrestlers to be their World Heavyweight Champion (it wouldn't be until 2006 when Abyss became the NWA's first masked World Champion). However, Dusty Rhodes was still suspended in the Florida territory at the time, so he chose the mask over the title, so Flair remained champion and his first reign intact.

2. Also during Flair's first reign in September 1982, during a tour of the Dominican Republic, he lost the title to Jack Veneno in Santo Domingo. However, as Veneno refused to defend the title outside his country, the title was returned to Flair days later and his first reign intact.

3. On January 6, 1983 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Flair lost the title in a title vs. title match to WWC World Heavyweight Champion Carlos Colon, who after the match, rechristened his title the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. Although Colon lost the title back to Flair in Miami on January 23, both reigns are not recognized by the NWA.

4. On March 21, 1984 in Wellington, New Zealand, Harley Race defeated Flair to win the NWA World title, but Flair regained the title two days later in Kallang, Singapore. Both reigns were not recognized by the NWA until 1993.

5. On March 21, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Flair to win the NWA World title. At the time, the NWA and WCW World titles were separate, but both were represented by one belt. Furthermore, WCW had erased all mention of the NWA titles and still recognized Flair as the WCW World Champion and had the physical belt. On May 19, 1991 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Flair pinned Fujinami to retain his WCW World title and regain the NWA World title. Originally not recognized in the U.S. until 1993.

6. On July 18, 1993, Flair defeated Barry Windham to win the NWA World title on July 18, 1993 in Biloxi, Mississippi. However, on September 1, 1993, Flair was stripped of the NWA World title, as WCW withdrew from the NWA, due to the break in kayfabe at the WCW Disney tapings and WCW's refusal to allow the NWA World Champion to defend the title in other NWA territories at the time (including the future Extreme Championship Wrestling). Therefore, as of September 1, 1993, Flair was recognized as the WCW International World Heavyweight Champion, making him the first holder of that title.

7. On April 17, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois, Ric Flair, as WCW World Heavyweight Champion, wrestled Ricky Steamboat, and the match ended in a double-pin, forcing the title to be held up. Four days later in Atlanta, Georgia, Flair defeated Steamboat in a rematch to regain the title, adding Flair. The rematch would air on the May 14, 1994 edition of WCW Saturday Night.

8. On June 23, 1994, in Charleston, South Carolina, Flair defeated Sting to regain the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship, unifying it with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. From that point on, the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship was abandoned and the Big Gold Belt represented the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

9. On May 29, 2000, Kevin Nash, who had won the title from Jeff Jarrett nearly the week before, gave the title to Flair, who was stripped of the title by Vince Russo the week before, giving Flair another reign, before losing the title the same night to Jarrett.

[Shisen Kopf]

Your missing one DLVH, when Flair got wasted in 1980 something he left his belt at the hotel and the cleaning lady put it on making here NWA champ. He went back to the room and got it back so that counts.

[DLVH84]

Flair didn't win his first World title until 1981. Nice try, though.

[Shisen Kopf]

Reread, I said 1980 something meaning anytime in the 80s. And that did happen.

[Rollermacka]

Here's all the controversy in order...

1. During Ric Flair's first reign on February 9, 1982 in Miami, FL, The Midnight Rider (yes, Dusty Rhodes in a mask) defeated Flair to win the title. However, at the time, the NWA forbid masked wrestlers to be their World Heavyweight Champion (it wouldn't be until 2006 when Abyss became the NWA's first masked World Champion). However, Dusty Rhodes was still suspended in the Florida territory at the time, so he chose the mask over the title, so Flair remained champion and his first reign intact.

2. Also during Flair's first reign in September 1982, during a tour of the Dominican Republic, he lost the title to Jack Veneno in Santo Domingo. However, as Veneno refused to defend the title outside his country, the title was returned to Flair days later and his first reign intact.

3. On January 6, 1983 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Flair lost the title in a title vs. title match to WWC World Heavyweight Champion Carlos Colon, who after the match, rechristened his title the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship. Although Colon lost the title back to Flair in Miami on January 23, both reigns are not recognized by the NWA.

4. On March 21, 1984 in Wellington, New Zealand, Harley Race defeated Flair to win the NWA World title, but Flair regained the title two days later in Kallang, Singapore. Both reigns were not recognized by the NWA until 1993.

5. On March 21, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan, Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Flair to win the NWA World title. At the time, the NWA and WCW World titles were separate, but both were represented by one belt. Furthermore, WCW had erased all mention of the NWA titles and still recognized Flair as the WCW World Champion and had the physical belt. On May 19, 1991 in St. Petersburg, Florida, Flair pinned Fujinami to retain his WCW World title and regain the NWA World title. Originally not recognized in the U.S. until 1993.

6. On July 18, 1993, Flair defeated Barry Windham to win the NWA World title on July 18, 1993 in Biloxi, Mississippi. However, on September 1, 1993, Flair was stripped of the NWA World title, as WCW withdrew from the NWA, due to the break in kayfabe at the WCW Disney tapings and WCW's refusal to allow the NWA World Champion to defend the title in other NWA territories at the time (including the future Extreme Championship Wrestling). Therefore, as of September 1, 1993, Flair was recognized as the WCW International World Heavyweight Champion, making him the first holder of that title.

7. On April 17, 1994, in Chicago, Illinois, Ric Flair, as WCW World Heavyweight Champion, wrestled Ricky Steamboat, and the match ended in a double-pin, forcing the title to be held up. Four days later in Atlanta, Georgia, Flair defeated Steamboat in a rematch to regain the title, adding Flair. The rematch would air on the May 14, 1994 edition of WCW Saturday Night.

8. On June 23, 1994, in Charleston, South Carolina, Flair defeated Sting to regain the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship, unifying it with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. From that point on, the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship was abandoned and the Big Gold Belt represented the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

9. On May 29, 2000, Kevin Nash, who had won the title from Jeff Jarrett nearly the week before, gave the title to Flair, who was stripped of the title by Vince Russo the week before, giving Flair another reign, before losing the title the same night to Jarrett.

So then I guess the WCW International Championship/ WCW Championship would be the equivelent of the WWE championship/ World Heavyweight Championship today?

[DLVH84]

So then I guess the WCW International Championship/ WCW Championship would be the equivelent of the WWE championship/ World Heavyweight Championship today?

Pretty much. Only difference is WWE is preventing what is down the road inevitable: unifying the belts once and for all.

[Shisen Kopf]

They'll unify the belts at Rasslemania XXX. Fact. Cena vs Ryback. Woooo!

[DLVH84]

Well, Shisen, I do hope they unify the belts and finally have one undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

[Tom Guycott]

Your missing one DLVH, when Flair got wasted in 1980 something he left his belt at the hotel and the cleaning lady put it on making here NWA champ. He went back to the room and got it back so that counts.

Flair didn't win his first World title until 1981. Nice try, though.

Reread, I said 1980 something meaning anytime in the 80s. And that did happen.

It may have happened. And she likely pinned him for longer than a 3 count... but I don't think "going on Space Mountain" counts as an NWA sanctioned match, and thus, left off the record books legitimately.

[#1-norm-fan]

What Shisen failed to mention was that the cleaning lady was actually "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin.

[SlickyTrickyDamon]

What Shisen failed to mention was that the cleaning lady was actually "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin.

:y:

[Curd]

It may have happened. And she likely pinned him for longer than a 3 count... but I don't think "going on Space Mountain" counts as an NWA sanctioned match, and thus, left off the record books legitimately.

Not to mention, it would have had to be a "falls count anywhere" match in addition to the sanction, and so Ric was pretty much ironclad whenever outside an NWA ring (never losing the title by count out, for instance).

[Curd]

I am glad that he retired before marrying Jackie Beems... NWA/TNA/Impact! probably would have held a title match between Ric and the Beemer, and although it would have probably been booked to be a count out win for Jackie, she probably would have shot on Ric and had the ref count the pinfall... thereby forcing the NWA Midsouth / Wildside / etc. promoter to declare post-match that the match was actually non-title. Of course, being the gentleman he is, Flair would not shoot back but let the crimson be beaten outta him. Don't be such a gent, Ric!