WWE HOFer Ric Flair Calls This In-Ring Rival 'The Greatest Babyface Of All Time'

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair has stepped into the ring with some of the greatest names in the industry, and had rivalries with many of them. However, the one rival perhaps most associated with Flair is Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, with many fans recalling their classic trilogy of matches. In an interview on "Games With Names," Flair shared why he has so much respect for Steamboat to this day.

"I had the best chemistry with him of anybody I've wrestled," he stated, noting that Steamboat stands out above others like Sting, Lex Luger, and Harley Race. "He and I just had that chemistry. We never talked before the match. He trusted me to just talk our way through it. ... To me, he's arguably the greatest babyface of all time."

Flair also added that Shawn Michaels would also be in the conversation for one of the greatest babyfaces of all time, but expressed that HBK could also be a very good at being a heel. "Ricky? There's nothing bad about Ricky Steamboat. Just the nicest guy in the world," he said.

"The Nature Boy" then noted that his match against Steamboat at WCW Chi-Town Rumble set the bar very high for what their rivalry could produce. "We had three. It was this one, and the hour draw, and then Nashville afterwards. But this? What makes this different ... [is] we never stopped for 30 minutes. He let me smack the s**t out of him!" Flair further expressed that the Chi-Town Rumble is his favorite match, and that it could be considered one of the greatest matches of all time.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Games With Names" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.