Few rivalries have endured, evolved, and defined eras quite like Sting and Ric Flair. Spanning over three decades, their story began at the height of the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions, carried WCW through its peak, and even bookended Sting’s career in his retirement match, with Ric Flair by his side.
More than just adversaries, Ric Flair and Sting helped shape each other’s legacies while carrying the industry forward.
“Stinger, you may have the people on your side — but you don’t have what it takes to walk that aisle like the Nature Boy!”
For more than three decades, the Nature Boy and the Icon walked with or against each other time and time again.
“Flair, you’ve been on top too long. Tonight, it’s not about limousines and jet planes — it’s about heart.”
Sting and Ric Flair – Their Legendary Rivalry
A Clash of Generations
By 1987, Ric Flair was already an established megastar. The self-proclaimed “kiss-stealing, wheeling-dealing” NWA World Heavyweight Champion was synonymous with the Four Horsemen and the Mid-Atlantic region.
Meanwhile, a young powerhouse named Steve Borden, repackaged as the energetic, painted-up Sting, was quickly winning over fans with his charisma, athleticism, and explosive offense. Flair noticed.
In a 2015 interview with Sports Illustrated, Flair recalled:
“I told Dusty [Rhodes], ‘That’s your guy right there. Give him to me, and I’ll make him a star.’”
(SI.com)
Sting himself has often credited Flair with putting him on the map. Speaking to The Ringer in 2022, he said:
“Ric didn’t have to do what he did for me. He gave me the rub. He didn’t just beat me — he made me look like a main eventer.”
(The Ringer)
Clash of Champions – The Match That Made Sting
On March 27, 1988, WCW aired Clash of the Champions I on TBS, head-to-head with WWF’s WrestleMania IV. The main event was Flair defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Sting in Greensboro, North Carolina.
What followed was a 45-minute time-limit draw that elevated Sting to a legitimate main-eventer. Sting matched Flair step-for-step in front of a hot crowd, showing he could hang with the very best.
The match earned Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s Match of the Year (1988) and still stands as a classic example of how to make a star without a decisive finish.
In a WWE.com interview, Sting reflected:
“That match changed my life. If it wasn’t for Ric Flair, you might not even know the name Sting today.”
(WWE.com)
After their landmark Clash of the Champions I match in March 1988, Sting spent the next year chasing Ric Flair and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
By this point, Flair was firmly established as the greatest heel champion of the era — a man who always found a way to keep the gold, thanks to his skill, his cunning, and the backup of the Four Horsemen.
Meanwhile, Sting’s star was rising fast. His popularity with fans, particularly younger audiences and families, made him an ideal face-of-the-company figure.
Dusty Rhodes, then a booker for Jim Crockett Promotions, saw the potential and continued positioning Sting in high-profile matches against Flair.
From Partners to Rivals Again
In early 1989, Sting was positioned alongside Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen as a sort of honorary ally. This unusual pairing came during the Chi-Town Rumble in February 1989, where Sting teamed with Flair against the Road Warriors for the NWA Tag Team Titles — a match they lost. Even as allies, there were signs of tension. Flair, as champion, already saw Sting as a future threat.
Later that year, Flair dropped the world title to Ricky Steamboat, freeing Sting up to continue climbing the ranks. Flair regained the title from Steamboat at WrestleWar 1989 in May, reestablishing himself as the man to beat. Around this time, Sting began pursuing singles gold more seriously.
The Horsemen Betrayal of Sting
By early 1990, Sting was officially brought into the Four Horsemen as a full-fledged member. WCW used this to set up a betrayal storyline.
Sting won a chance to face Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Title at WrestleWar 1990 by winning a steel cage match at Starrcade 1989.
On Clash of the Champions X: Texas Shootout, held February 6, 1990, Flair and the Horsemen turned on Sting after he refused to give up his guaranteed title shot against Flair.
The attack was brutal and written to explain a legitimate knee injury Sting suffered while trying to interfere in the main event cage match later that night. Sting tore his ACL during the angle, forcing him to miss several months of action.
The betrayal and injury added heat to the feud and delayed the planned title match, but it also gave Sting a dramatic comeback story that fans could rally behind.
Sting reflected on this chapter of his career in a WWE.com retrospective, saying:
“The Horsemen turning on me was a real turning point. It was like being knighted as a top guy because you knew if you were working against Ric, you’d made it.”
(WWE.com)
The Great American Bash 1990: Sting’s First World Title Win
After months of recovery and a series of vignettes hyping his return, Sting came back in the summer of 1990 to challenge Flair at The Great American Bash on July 7, 1990, in Baltimore, Maryland.
This was one of the biggest matches in WCW history to that point, billed as a passing-of-the-torch moment. The Horsemen were at ringside trying to interfere, but Sting fought them off and ultimately pinned Flair clean with an inside cradle to win his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
The win established Sting as the face of WCW heading into the 1990s. Flair, meanwhile, delivered exactly what was expected of him: he made Sting look like a world-class competitor in a competitive, credible match.
Flair spoke about that night years later in an interview with Sports Illustrated, saying:
“That was Sting’s night. He earned it, and I had no problem doing what needed to be done. He was the guy everyone believed in.”
(SI.com)
Why This Chapter Worked
The 1989–1990 portion of Flair and Sting’s rivalry worked so well because it combined classic wrestling elements: These included Flair as the veteran heel champion who always found ways to retain his belt, often thanks to his allies, and Sting as the fiery young challenger who kept coming back, even after betrayal and injury.
Their feud was the centerpiece of WCW programming during this time and proved Sting could carry the top babyface role.
The 1989–1990 feud cemented both men’s places in history: Flair was an already an established star, reinforced his role as the ultimate measuring stick. Sting became WCW’s main star, a position he would hold for over a decade.
Their matches during this period remain highly regarded among fans and are often cited in “best of” lists for WCW.
Speaking on Wooooo Nation Uncensored, Flair said:
“I told Sting back then, and I’ll say it now — there’s no shame in losing to me, and I was proud to lose to him. He earned every bit of it.”
(Wooooo Nation)
The feud between Ric Flair and Sting over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from 1989–1990 represents one of the best-booked and most significant storylines of that era.
From uneasy allies to bitter rivals, their story featured betrayal, injury, redemption, and finally Sting’s emotional title win.
It’s no exaggeration to say this chapter of their rivalry made Sting a star while further enhancing Flair’s reputation as the ultimate ring general.
The Rivalry Evolves
Throughout the ’90s, Flair and Sting’s paths repeatedly crossed. In 1991, Flair defeated Sting to regain the WCW World Title before leaving for the WWF later that year.
In 1994, Flair returned to WCW and rekindled their rivalry. In 1995, they headlined the first-ever WCW Monday Nitro, bringing their feud to national cable television.
By then, Sting had evolved into WCW’s franchise player, while Flair was still its most celebrated villain. Even as the NWO storyline began to dominate WCW in 1996, the history between Flair and Sting always loomed large.
Later Years: Nitro’s Final Night, TNA and Beyond
When WCW folded in 2001, the company’s final Monday Nitro broadcast on March 26th, 2001, fittingly ended with Sting and Ric Flair facing off one last time on the stage they helped build.
By this point, WCW was being sold to Vince McMahon, and the company was on its last legs. But for one night, Flair and Sting rekindled their rivalry to close the final chapter of WCW’s story.
In the main event, the two legends wrestled for just under eight minutes. The match wasn’t about titles or rankings — it was about history. Flair wore a black T-shirt over his gear, visibly self-conscious about his shape compared to his prime.
Sting, still agile and sharp, carried the pace before defeating Flair clean with his trademark Scorpion Deathlock.
March 26, 2001, would be WCW’s final Monday Nitro Finale, and Sting would defeat Ric Flair via submission in Panama City Beach, Florida.
The post-match moment was poignant. Sting extended his hand, and Flair — his greatest rival — shook it. They embraced in the ring as fans chanted, “Thank you.”
In a 2015 interview with WWE.com, Sting said:
“We knew WCW was done. It just felt right to finish it with Ric. It started with him for me, and it ended with him.”
(WWE.com)
Flair reflected years later in ESPN:
“That night hurt because it was the end of WCW, but having Sting there made it easier. We made each other.”
(ESPN)
For fans, the match symbolized the passing of an era. WCW, once a juggernaut, was closing its doors — and the two men most responsible for its success shared the ring one final time.
After Nitro, Sting opted not to sign with WWE, while Flair returned to WWE later that year to continue his in-ring and on-screen career.
Why Their Final WCW Match Mattered
The decision to put Sting and Flair in the last Nitro main event was deliberate. WCW’s creative team wanted to honor the two wrestlers who, more than anyone, carried the company through its highest and lowest points.
“I didn’t care about winning or losing that night. It was just about being there with Ric and closing the book the right way.”
-Sting in 2022 (The Ringer)
Ric Flair echoed that sentiment:
“I was out of shape, the company was done, but I still wanted to go out there and give the people something special with Sting.”
(SI.com)
For many fans, this match remains a bittersweet memory — the symbolic end of WCW, and the final chapter (at the time) of a rivalry that defined an era.
TNA – Total Nonstop Adversaries
Nearly a decade after WCW’s demise, Ric Flair and Sting crossed paths again — this time in TNA Wrestling (now known as Impact Wrestling).
Ric Flair debuted in TNA on January 4th, 2010, the same night Hulk Hogan officially joined the company. Flair came in as a mentor and manager for young stars like AJ Styles, helping align Styles with the “Nature Boy” persona and forming the stable known as Fortune.
By this time, Sting was already a cornerstone of TNA. He’d been with the company off and on since 2003, feuding with stars like Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe.
As one of TNA’s most iconic figures, he was used in a similar role to his WCW days — a respected veteran who could still headline.
Their time together in TNA wasn’t as groundbreaking as their WCW days, but it was significant as a nostalgic callback and a rare late-career continuation of their historic rivalry.
The storyline played heavily on their history, portraying Flair as still bitter that Sting had outshined him in WCW’s later years and Sting as obsessed with protecting TNA from the mistakes of WCW.
In a TNA Impact promo segment in 2011, Sting addressed Flair directly:
“You’ve been trying to end me for 20 years, Ric. And every time you try, I just keep coming back. You’ll never kill the Icon.”
Flair, for his part, responded with trademark arrogance:
“You’re living off what we did 20 years ago, Stinger. And I made you then, just like I’ll break you now.
The Past Resurfaces
When Flair arrived, his presence inevitably led to confrontations with Sting. In interviews, Flair admitted he specifically requested to work with Sting in TNA because of their shared history. Speaking on Wooooo Nation Uncensored, Flair said:
“When I went to TNA, I told them, ‘If I’m gonna wrestle, it better be against Sting. He’s the only guy I trust at this stage of my career.’”
(Wooooo Nation)
The storyline that followed involved Sting accusing Flair and Hogan of undermining TNA’s integrity and holding down younger talent, while Flair and Hogan painted Sting as a bitter, paranoid veteran who couldn’t let go of the past.
Even though neither man was at his athletic peak, the emotional connection between Flair and Sting made their TNA feud resonate. It gave closure to fans who never got to see a proper send-off to their rivalry when WCW folded.
In many ways, it set the stage for their later, full-circle moment at Sting’s retirement in AEW in 2024, where Flair stood at his side one last time.
Why Their TNA Run Mattered
While their physical abilities were clearly diminished compared to their prime, seeing Flair and Sting in the ring together again was a meaningful moment for long-time fans of WCW.
TNA capitalized on the nostalgia while also using their star power to help attract attention during a competitive time for the company.
Neither man stayed with TNA much longer after their feud wrapped up. Sting remained with TNA until 2014, while Flair left in 2012. Looking back, both men spoke fondly of working together again.
Speaking to The Ringer in 2022, Sting said:
“We both knew it wasn’t going to be Clash of the Champions all over again, but it was still special. There’s a trust with Ric that you don’t get with just anyone.”
(The Ringer)
Flair told SI.com:
“Even when we were in our 50s and 60s, we could still tell a story. That’s what people wanted — the story of Ric Flair and Sting.”
(SI.com)
In TNA, they even renewed their rivalry in a series of matches between 2010–2011, proving their chemistry never faded despite both being past their physical primes.
Speaking on Wooooo Nation Uncensored in 2021, Flair said:
“Every time I got in the ring with Sting, even in TNA, it felt special. The guy always brought out the best in me.”
(Wooooo Nation)
Sting’s Retirement: Flair’s Final Gift
On March 3, 2024, Sting wrestled his final match at AEW Revolution in Greensboro, NC — the same city where his rivalry with Flair began.
In a fitting tribute, Flair accompanied Sting to the ring as his manager for the night. Afterward, Sting gave an emotional speech thanking Ric Flair:
“There would be no Sting without Ric Flair. That’s just the truth. He made me, and tonight he was there for me again.”
(ESPN)
Flair, visibly emotional, told reporters after the event:
“It felt like coming full circle. Seeing him go out on top was one of the proudest moments of my career.”
(SI.com)
Life After Wrestling
After retiring from in-ring competition in 2008, Ric Flair remained in the public eye, working as a manager, signing endorsements, and appearing for WWE and AEW in special roles.
His influence over generations of talent — from Triple H to Charlotte Flair — cements his spot as one of wrestling’s all-time greats.
Following Sting’s WWE stint from 2014–2015, Sting signed with AEW in 2020 for a memorable final chapter to his career.
His work mentoring younger stars and his retirement match at age 64 showcased his enduring popularity and professionalism.
The Flair–Sting rivalry became a cornerstone of WCW’s success. Their 1988 Clash of the Champions match drew a massive TV audience, helping establish WCW as a legitimate competitor to WWF. Their rematches over the years kept fans invested in WCW’s homegrown stars.
Flair and Sting symbolized two distinct archetypes: the flashy veteran and the fiery underdog. Their feud set the standard for how to build and sustain a rivalry over decades.
Modern wrestlers often cite both men as inspirations. Seth Rollins called Sting his “childhood hero”, while Randy Orton and others have cited Flair as their blueprint for success.
When Sting and Ric Flair stepped into the ring on WCW’s last night, it wasn’t about championships or ratings. It was about respect, history, and closure.
From the Greensboro Coliseum in 1988 to Panama City Beach in 2001 — and again at AEW Revolution in 2024 — their careers were forever intertwined.
Sting summed it up perfectly in his retirement speech:
“It all started with Ric Flair… and it’s only right it ended with him too.”
(ESPN)
Their final Nitro match gave fans one last glimpse of the magic that made them icons, and remains one of the most emotional moments in wrestling history.
