What Could've Made Ric Flair And Ricky Steamboat's Feud Even Better

The rivalry between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat is often cited as one of the greatest of not only their generation, but all of pro wrestling. Flair and Steamboat have often looked back at their trilogy of matches, with both men admitting that their feud was a crucial part of their careers. However, could their clash have been any better?

One man who was there for all three of the matches was the legendary Jim Ross, and while he also recalls the rivalry as an amazing clash, praising Flair and Steamboat's effort and professionalism, he had a specific issue with their second match in particular. 

"The Superdome [in New Orleans] was a lousy site for the second match between those guys. That stadium seated at the time around 65,000 fans, and we only had around 5-6,000 fans," Ross recalled during an interview with "SportingNews.com." "That does affect your perception and magnitude of everything that night. I loved the match, but the surroundings were a little different."

Ross' critique here had nothing to do with either Flair or Steamboat, but highlights an important issue with the presentation of their clash. Naturally, in 1989, pro wrestling was far bigger in WWE than the NWA, but putting a wrestling match in a 65,000 capacity stadium instead of a smaller one has made the audience seem smaller than it was in pictures. Because of this, the clear way that this legendary feud could've been better was if NWA paid more attention to the presentation of the match, especially for modern fans who look back at the feud today. Despite this, Ross still praised the crowd. "I found myself immersed in what Ricky and 'Naitch' were doing. It all worked out well. They're classics." (Per SportingNews).