Top 5 Vader Matches

1.Vader vs Ric Flair - Starrcade 1993

Ric Flair attacks Vader outside the ring at Starrcade 1993

Vader had never wrestled someone with the in-ring capabilities of a Ric Flair, a technician of the highest degree. The two men would meet at Starrcade 1993, in what would go down in wrestling lore as one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time.

Vader was seen by many to be as unbeatable a world champion as anyone in history. Not many prognosticators gave Ric Flair much of a chance. Flair was a great in-ring wrestler; but, was older than Vader and vastly undersized. He would also have difficulty matching & withstanding Vader's in-ring brutality.

Flair; however, didn't doubt himself and with the utmost confidence, put his own career on the line. The premise behind the feud only added to the intrigue of the match. This could have been Flair's last hurrah and Flair fans, knowing what lay ahead for their wrestling idol, were anxious heading into Starrcade 1993.

As the match got off to a start, Vader quickly took advantage of his superior size and strength and early on, it looked like he would be the clear winner; but, Flair hung around refusing to give up. Vader grew more and more fatigued and even outside interference from Harley Race couldn't help defeat a motivated Flair, who was determined to not die easy.

Fatigued from taking chop after chop, Vader would eventually let his guard down and ever the opportunist, Flair would capitalize. Eventually, Vader would miss a high-risk moonsault and Flair would begin to work on Vader's knee.

Inevitably Vader would end up in Flair's famous figure four leglock, causing the 460-pound big man to favour his knee for the rest of the match. Eventually, Flair rolled Vader up for the pinfall victory and an inspirational 11th world championship.

The match is considered to be one of the greatest for both men & we rank it as Vader's very best. Even the notoriously fastidious Dave Meltzer gave the bout 4.5 stars and called the bout Flair's most memorable world title win.

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