Rants

GAB ’91 if Flair had stayed

By Scott Keith on August 19, 2023



Hi Scott,

I apologize in advance to you (and the livers of all the BOD'ers out there) for what is essentially a Luger question, but I don't think it's ever actually been asked or discussed here or elsewhere in the past 30 years.

Here goes–what happens at the 1991 Great American Bash if Flair and Herd don't have their final blowup and the Luger vs. Flair “Legend vs. Legacy” main event actually goes forward? I have to think this is the match where Luger *finally* goes over Flair after coming so close in 1988 and the first half of 1990. That was where the TV was going, and having Luger choke again would have killed off the character once and for all. Does anyone know what the specific plan was for Luger to win? A rollup? Figure 4 reversal? Do they actually have Ric submit to the Torture Rack?

Also, if Flair sticks around, does Luger stay face for the rematches? Or do they do a double turn? Flair probably needed a little freshening up, even if he had just been a face in the latter half of 89.

And finally, where does that leave Sting with Luger as champ? He's the No. 2 face behind either Luger or Flair no matter what happens. It seems like a waste to have him in the midcard but after he failed to draw as champ the previous year, it's kind of hard to book him as a main eventer while also keeping Luger strong. He probably winds up challenging the winner of Luger/Flair in early 92, but he would almost certainly have to have been de-pushed for awhile to give Luger a fair shot at carrying the company, right?

Far as I know the plan was the same as they did with Windham. Luger turns heel and wins with the piledriver and then Flair gets phased out and turned into a tag team wrestler. Can’t see that it would have affected Sting that much to be honest.

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