Some of the angles that Jim Crockett Promotions put out were some of the greatest of all time. Either that, or they stank up wrestling history for the next decade or so. In this months column, I would like to take a look at some of the angles that made JCP.

The return of Ricky Steamboat in early 1989. Eddie Gilbert had a problem with the remaining Horsemen, Ric Flair and Barry Windham. Gilbert does the classic "I've got somebody that I know you CANT beat!" routine. (And at THIS point, I'm thinking along the lines of a Sting or a newly turned babyface Rick Steiner, brother, was I surprised).

The match was signed... Gilbert and Mr. X against Flair and Windham. Jim Ross was no selling the identity of "Hot Stuff's" tag partner like there was no tommorow. With Gilbert in the ring, staring down Windham and Flair, "Sirus" started blaring over the P.A. system, and out walked Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, with the confidence of a former king determined to regain his throne. Steamboat did just that, with a flying body press off the top rope, pinning Flair and setting up a match for The Chi-Town Rumble in February of 1989. Flair was so livid after the match, he fired Horsemen manager, James J. Dillon.

Flair and Steamboat rocked and socked JCP throughout early 1989, including a 54 minute classic in New Orleans, LA. at a Clash of Champions. Then came the angle that set the pace for the rest of the year. After defeating The Dragon in Nashville at WRESTLEWAR 89, Flair was being interviewed and one of the judges for the match, former NWA World Champion, Terry Funk entered the ring and requested a match with Flair. Flair shrugged it off and told Funk he wasn't even rated, while Funk said he was just kidding. As Flair turned to leave, Terry Funk knocked hell out of him, and proceeded to beat Nature Boy Ric Flair senseless and injure his neck with a piledriver on the judges' table.

This callous act set up Terry Funk in Ric Flair's role as the promotion's top "heel" and Flair, for the first time in MANY years, would be receiving the cheers of the fans as the top "babyface" in the area (C'MON!!! Flair SHOOK HANDS with Steamboat after he beat him, OF COURSE HE WAS TURNING FACE!!)

In Flair's first match back, he defeated Terry Funk at the Great American Bash in a bloodfest. Terry and Ric enlisted the young lions at the time, The Great Muta and Sting, to ensure this feud would continue to get hotter and hotter. A classic angle during this time frame came when Terry Funk placed a plastic bag over Ric Flair's head and tried to "end his life..." costing Funk a hundred grand, which Flair paid for him, just to get him back in the ring. In the very first Halloween Havoc card, Flair and Sting defeated Funk and Muta in a THUNDERDOME match, an extremely large cage, with the top flowing with electricity.

Manager of greats, Gary Hart, brought in Kendo Nagasaki (The Dragon Master, who walked to the ring backwards, btw...) to form J-TEX with Funk and Muta.  Flair enlisted Sting and a rookie that had paid his dues in Calgary by the name of Flyin Brian Pillman. Lex Luger had turned "heel" against Ricky Steamboat, and joined in the war, by smashing a trophy presented to Ric Flair.

Flair and Funk wrestled at a Clash of Champions in an "I QUIT" match. Funk swore he would take Flair out and promised if he didn't, he would shake Flair's hand. Funk DIDN'T take Flair out and DID shake Flair's hand and concede that Flair was the better man, which caused Gary Hart to turn on Funk.  Terry Funk went to the broadcast team, while Flair brought in Ole and Arn Anderson, to reform the Horsemen with newest member Sting. Sting won a four man , round robin tournament at Starrcade '89 to become the IRON MAN, by defeating Flair. Arn and Ole are about to attack Sting, but hesitate... instead giving the four fingers up sign of the Horsemen. This alliance will only last about two months, however, as Flair and The Andersons turn on Sting in February 1990 at the Clash of Champions.

For me, these were the highlights of 1989. While there were other angles, none lived up to the ones mentioned above.