In 1989, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Ric “The Dragon” Steamboat made history after delivering one of the most popular trilogies of its era. Nearly 40 years later, Flair still fondly remembers his rivalry with Steamboat. who he considers the greatest babyface of all time. Few rivalries today can match Flair v. Steamboat, however, according to AEW commentator Tony Schiavone, one match at AEW All In. London reminded him of a legendary rivalry.
“I think in a lot of ways, the match that Will Ospreay had with Kenny Omega recently at Wembley, for me, almost parallels the great matches that Ric Flair had with Ricky Steamboat,” he said during the interview.Battleground Podcast:“.
Although Flair and Steamboat met in the ring many times, their pay-per-view feud from January to May 1989 is what stands out in fans’ memories. Steamboat won the first two main event matches, including a two-out-of-three fall match in April, before Flair won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleWar.
Meanwhile, Omega and Ospreay have had four singles matches: one in PWG in 2015, two in NJPW in 2023 and most recently in AEW. As it stands, the two are 2-2 in the competition.
Ospreay vs. Omega was not only praised by Schiavone in AEW, but also by the Young Bucks. who commented on the experience of watching the match from ringside and placed the fight at the top of the matches they had the opportunity to watch live.
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