Ric Flair spoke about which of his numerous legendary opponents was his absolute favourite to work with.
Speaking in a 2017 interview with ESPN, Ric Flair named Dusty Rhodes as his all-time favourite opponent, reflecting on a rivalry that defined major stretches of both men’s careers. Flair said his chemistry with Rhodes was unmatched.
“Back then it was Dusty Rhodes. The Dream was something else and we drew money wrestling each other for 20 years. That Great American Bash, we’d leave for 46 days and go from one side of the country to the other and, of course, the last week we’d just park ourselves in Vegas, fly the private jet to Seattle back to Vegas, Portland back to Vegas, Albuquerque back to Vegas, L.A. back to Vegas, Frisco back to Vegas, so you could imagine how we felt flying home to stop in Kansas City to catch one more show.”
Flair explained that their dynamic, Rhodes as the beloved everyman and Flair as the brash, wealthy champion, created a formula that worked in every territory they visited. He credited Rhodes with elevating him as a performer and helping cement his status at the top of the industry.
Who Else Did Ric Flair Have Legendary Feuds With?
Ric Flair’s career was shaped by several major rivalries beyond his battles with Dusty Rhodes, with Ricky Steamboat often cited as his most celebrated in-ring counterpart. Their trilogy of matches in 1989, particularly the bouts at Chi-Town Rumble, Clash of the Champions VI and WrestleWar, are still regarded as technical classics that showcased both men at their peak.
Flair also had defining feuds with Harley Race, culminating in their steel-cage match at Starrcade 1983, and later with Sting, whose rise in the late ’80s and early ’90s paralleled Flair’s own dominance.
