Flair vs Martel AWA/NWA title unification part one

A very rare match featuring NWA World Champion Ric Flair fighting AWA World Champion Rick Martel in Japan.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Ric
• Flair
• Rick
• Martel
• AWA
• NWA
• unification
• title
• match

[darthchaosofrspw]

Who's that old guy at 0:09? Tally Ho Blears?

[sondog42]

Yep.

[sondog42]

I think there's a match on the tube here with Harley Race fighting Bob Backlund in a unification title match. The quality is poor, and there is no sound, but that's the only other unification title match i've found.

[VolumedMusicMan]

thank god vince doesn't own this!

[Buckeyecat2002]

Martel ranks among the best ever, in skill and experience and being a ring tactition. WWE turned him into a cartoon character, like so many others, down playing his real ability to wrestle.

[mmscott9]

@peterp21 Bob Backlund faced Nick Bockwinkel in 1979. Haven't been able to find a video of it.

[peterp21]

So I've seen the AWA/NWA unification match(es) and WWF/NWA unification match(es) but did WWF/AWA ever have a unification match?

[jdbankshot]

this is absolutely priceless... two of the best ever in-ring performers at their best in a part of the world that really gets wrestling...y'all hear the pop from the crowd .30secs into the match just cuz they were actually wrestling...? magical.

[marsharent]

slow moving but very deliberate and technical wrestling. Martel was great, he was hugely entertaining as the Model but never really got his due

[whycantihavemyownuse]

@Buckeyecat2002 And that's the truth this is how i remember Rick Martel

[blaknyte08]

When I 1st heard of this match in the mags I thought it was made up bcuz they said it was 1)in japan and 2)no American media was allowed 2 report on it. I said"hmmmmm...how convenient". Glad 2 c it actually took place. Glad 2 b able 2 c it now

[seancarletonzero]

Some fools on a wrestling forum were actually disagreeing when I said Martel is a legend. Can you believe that shit?!

[81carlos]

WOOOOOOOOO!!!!! This was better than most Wrestlemania matches I've seen. If Vince ever got another World champion to put up their title against his and on top of that have the event in Japan where matches are much more stiff and the crowd much more knowledgeable he'd be the man.

[81carlos]

WOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[81carlos]

@Buckeyecat2002 Martel was good in the beginning of his run in WWE when he and Tito Santana won the World tag straps and held them for half a year. But went downhill as "The Model" after. Even WcW had enough respect for him to let him win the World TV title when he was older.