What's up kids!   Welcome to the second edition of WWI Fantasy Fights!   I hope everyone enjoyed the Angle-Hart matchup - I know I had a good time writing it.   Don't forget to shoot me an email or a comment on the message boards for any ideas you have about future installments!   I'll be including people's ideas in the column.

On a side note, I wanted to take a second to say how cool it is that CM Punk won the World Heavyweight Title last Monday.   Punk could and should have a very bright future in WWE.   He's unique, skilled both in the ring and on the mic, and the kids love him.   And really at a time when WWE fans need someone to look up to, you're not gonna find a more reliable choice than CM Punk - after all, he'll never get suspended for a Wellness violation, will he?   Anyway, kudos to Punk - enjoy your title run, and let's hope it's the first of many!

This edition of Fantasy Fights will pit the man considered to be the very best in today's wrestling world against the man many feel is the greatest wrestler of all-time.   What would happen if the "Nature Boy" took on the "American Dragon"?   Who would win between a 1987 Ric Flair and a 2008 Bryan Danielson?   Sit back and enjoy the action!

Ric Flair

Stands 6'1" tall and weights 243 pounds....Former 16-time World Champion, including the NWA, WCW, and WWE World Titles....Voted by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the #1 wrestler of the PWI Years....Was THE NWA wrestler of the 1980s, and enjoyed continued success in the 90s as well....Widely considered the greatest wrestler to ever set foot in the ring....Three best moves: Figure Four Leglock, knife-edge chop, knee-breaker....Biggest strength: nearly unparalleled stamina....Biggest weakness: predictable offense

Bryan Danielson

Stands 5'10" and weights 185 pounds....Former Ring of Honor World Champion....Recognized as one of the "founding fathers" of ROH....Considered arguably the best technical wrestler currently in the industry....Voted Most Outstanding Wrestler of 2006 & 2007 by Wrestling Observer....Three best moves: Cattle Mutilation, cross-face chicken wing, repeated elbows to the head....Biggest strength: technical ability....Biggest weakness: easily overpowered

The Four Three Horsemen

It was official - Ole Anderson had been violently kicked out of the Four Horsemen.   His interests had strayed too far from the group for comfort.   He had ceased putting the group before himself and it was time for him to be replaced.   Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard sent him packing with a savage beating in front of a nationwide audience.

Now to find a suitable replacement.   A young powerhouse named Lex Luger had courted the organization for months with the hope of becoming a full-fledged member.   The rest of the group lobbied for Luger's induction, but somehow he didn't seem to fit in with Ric Flair's image of what a Horsemen should be.  

"Come on, Ric," urged Arn Anderson, "the guy's a blue chipper.   Look at the muscles on him.   We get him in the group, he'll be the Enforcer, not me."   JJ Dillon agreed.   "You take the wrestling ability of you three guys and add the brute strength of Luger, and no one will be able to touch us."

"I just don't see him as a Horseman, guys," Flair replied.   "Arn, Tully and I are the best damn wrestlers in the world.   Luger's just a big meathead.   I want someone who's gonna give the rest of us a run for our money in that ring.   Someone who's gonna push us to want to be even better than we are."

The four of them dicussed their options.   Outside of Luger, the NWA didn't have many suitable choices to offer.   Magnum TA had the in-ring skills but his future was in doubt after a serious motorcycle accident a few months earlier, Dusty was too old and out of shape, Nikita Koloff didn't fit in, Ronnie Garvin was tough as nails but couldn't stand the Horsemen, and Barry Windham had the stuff but was just too damn nice a guy for the group.   "He'll never work as a Horseman," chimed Tully.

"I think we're gonna have to look outside the NWA, fellas," JJ said.

Best in the World

Bryan Danielson chopped away at the chest of ROH Champion Nigel McGuinness.   The blows left grotesque welts on the Champ's chest and sent him reeling off the turnbuckles.   After 25 minutes of back and forth action, Danielson took him down with a fireman's carry, rolled him over, and applied his signature move, Cattle Mutilation (a bridging grounded double chickenwing submission hold).   The maneuver tore at Nigel's shoulder joints with brutal precision.   Nigel made the motion to tap out, but the move held his hands just slightly too high off the mat to make contact with it.   Danielson released the hold, thinking he had won the match and the Title, but referee Todd Sinclair waved him off.   Danielson argued with the official long enough for McGuinness to produce from his trunks a set of brass knuckles.   One loaded punch later, Danielson was declared the winner by disqualification, robbing him of a Championship win.  

Later that night, Danielson stormed into ROH President Cary Silkin's office.   "What the hell was that??   Nigel tapped out and everyone saw it!   Who cares if his hand didn't actually touch the mat, he gave up!"   Silkin did his best to placate his top star, but upheld Sinclair's officiating according to ROH regulations.   "Sinclair did his job, Bryan.  We can't have titles changing hands without either a verbal submission or a physical tap-out.   There's nothing I can do about this match, but you won by DQ so you're entitled to a rematch."

Danielson replied, "The ROH belt is damn near worthless nowadays.   McGuinness hasn't won a straight-up match in months.   He either gets himself disqualified or wins by completely bulls--- means night after night.   Are you gonna do something about it or just let Nigel continue to flush your belt down the crapper?"

"I'll take your comments under advisement, Bryan."

Scouting the Prospects

Flair and Dillon had acquired stacks of videotapes from various wrestling promotions around the globe.   After narrowing the field a bit, they invited Arn and Tully over to Flair's home theater to watch some of the highlights.   Dillon popped in a Stampede Wrestling tape of Owen Hart that impressed the whole group.   Flair followed it up with a tape of AWA youngster Curt Hennig.   Dillon put in a Memphis tape of CWA's favorite son Jeff Jarrett.   Flair introduced a New Japan clip of The Pegasus Kid, aka Chris Benoit.   Dillon showed another AWA clip of the Midnight Rockers.   "Both of these kids have something," noted Arn.  

After hours of viewing and discussion, the choices were narrowed down to Hennig and Benoit.   Flair and Dillon voted for Hennig, citing his technical skills coupled with his natural charisma.   Arn and Tully disagreed, favoring Benoit's leathery toughness.   Flair's doorbell rang and Dillon left to room to answer it.   He returned a minute later with one final tape in his hand.

"Guys, that was my assistant at the door.   He just got a hold of this tape from one of his contacts in Philly and said we really oughta take a look at it."

"Oh for chrissake, we've been here for five hours," complained Tully.   "Can there really be anything better than Benoit on there?"

"Throw it in, JJ," said Flair.   The four men were thunderstruck by the sheer athleticism, killer instinct, and innate magnetism they saw on this particular tape, labeled Ring of Honor: Driven.

"Hey JJ," Flair said quietly, eyes glued to the 15-foot projection screen, "tell your assistant to call this Danielson kid."

The American Horseman?

Bryan Danielson was flown into Charlotte, NC on Flair's private jet, after which he was picked up in one of Flair's 6 limousines and brought to the Flair mansion.   JJ Dillon greeted him at the front door and escorted him upstairs to Flair's conference room.   Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, and Ric Flair sat around the conference table, all wearing $10,000 suits.   NWA President Jim Crockett jr. stood at the back of the room, a 75-page contract in hand.   Flair stood up to greet Danielson and shook his hand.   Arn whispered to Tully, "Kinda short, isn't he?"

The meeting lasted just under two hours, and at the end of it, Danielson was offered a full one-fifth partnership in Four Horsemen Inc., an immediate guaranteed contract to wrestle for the NWA, a small percentage of NWA pay-per-view revenue, and a one-million dollar signing bonus out of Flair's own pocket.

Flair remarked, "Kid, if you're even a tenth as good as I think you're gonna be, when I'm done with wrestling you're gonna have my spot in the company."

This was everything Bryan Danielson had strived for.   He was tired of busting his ass to steal the show night after night only to be second on the card to a weak, cowardly champion like Nigel McGuinness.   He was sick of delivering Match of the Year-caliber performances that only a few thousand people would ever see.   Here in the NWA he'd be able to wrestle in front of a nationwide crowd who had never seen anything like him before, and be paid the monumental sums of money he knew he deserved.   Danielson signed the contract to officially become the fourth Horseman.

A Rousing Start

The three Horsemen arrived at the Atlanta Omni and immediately stormed the ring.   Flair took the mic and informed the capacity crowd that they were in for a major event.   "Tonight, in this very ring, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard will unveil their newest partner.   The fourth Horseman.   The man who will take this organization into the next millennium.   He may not be a familiar face to many of you, but rest assured, before the night is over, this man will be a household name!   I give you, the newest member of the Four Horsemen.....'American Dragon' Bryan Danielson!!!"

The stunned arena rose to their feet as Danielson made his way down the aisle, to the strains of Europe's "The Final Countdown".   Vegas odds lay the smart money on Lex Luger as the newest Horsemen acquisition, so the sight of the comparatively diminutive Danielson was quite contrary to their expectations.   The overall reaction was fairly lukewarm, which was to be expected; Danielson was after all an independent wrestler up until now.   But Flair's prediction for the night would come true, ironically enough thanks to Lex Luger himself.

As Danielson took the mic to deliver his first-ever NWA promo, Luger appeared at the top of the ramp, his own microphone in hand.

"What the hell is going on guys?   I was under the very strong impression that I was hand-picked as the newest Horseman.   I've been an associate of the group for the past two months and you guys know as well as I do that I deserve that spot!"   Luger approached the ring and continued.   "I mean, seriously, look at this little punk.   What are you, four-foot-two?   Has anyone here ever heard of Bryan Whatsyourname?   Ric, Arn, Tully, JJ, you must know that you're making a huge mistake.   This is Horsemen material??"

Flair took the mic: "Lex, I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but we came to this decision after quite a lot of thought.   Bryan Danielson has what it takes to be a Horseman, and just like all these people, you are gonna see exactly why tonight.   He'll give us all a little demonstration of just what he's capable of.   Tonight you'll see Bryan Danielson take on Jimmy Garv---"

"NO WAY!!" screamed Luger.   "Not a chance am I gonna sit here while you guys spoonfeed him a chump like Jimmy Garvin!   You want everyone to see what he's made of, put him in the ring against me - 'The Total Package.'   Let's see if he's really got what it takes.   Then once I break him in half you can all come to your senses and make me the fourth Horseman!"

Danielson, finally given the chance to speak, said simply, "If I don't see you after the match, Lex; enjoy your stay at the hospital."

The match was booked fifth on the card, two slots below the main event.   Luger spent the first three minutes trying to catch the slippery Danielson.   Finally Luger connected with a clothesline that knocked the wind out of the Dragon.   Luger gloated and postured for the crowd, then bent down to pick Danielson up.   As Luger reached for him, Danielson wrapped his legs around Luger's massive right arm and took him to the mat.   Danielson pounced on Luger, tying him up in a crossface chickenwing.   Luger rolled back and forth, trying to wiggle free of the hold but Danielson held on like a python, wrenching Luger's muscular shoulder.   Thirty seconds and one separated shoulder later, Luger submitted to the hold.   The crowd stood in shocked silence for a moment, then slowly got to its feet and began applauding.

Flair, Anderson and Blanchard came to the ring and lifted Danielson on their shoulders.   A loud "Horsemen" chant echoed through the arena.

Fresh Tactics

In the ensuing weeks having Danielson on board seemed to energize the other Horsemen.   His consummate technical style inspired the others to step up their game in unprecedented fashion.   Previously known for their dirty tactics and gang-style assaults on all of the NWA's babyface wrestlers, suddenly rulebreaking tactics became unnecessary.   It became a game of one-upmanship.   Danielson defeated Ronnie Garvin cleanly with a half-crab, which pushed Tully and Arn in their untainted victory over Dusty Rhodes and Nikita Koloff, which prompted Flair to pull out all the stops in his dazzling win over Barry Windham.

A month later, Tully and Arn wrestled circles around the Rock & Roll Express on their way to the NWA World Tag Team Championship.   Later that evening, Danielson sent Nikita Koloff to the emergency room with two pulled hamstrings and became the US Champion.   Flair followed up the Horsemen dominance with a five-star title defense against Road Warrior Animal.

Now with all the major titles around their waists, the Four Horsemen became a truly unstoppable outfit.   Flair got exactly what he had been looking for in a partner - an absolute athlete who would add prestige to the group while making them more feared than they had ever been.   Feared not because of the 4-on-1 attacks they had been known for, but because they simply could not be bested in a wrestling ring.   Danielson had regained a sense of professional satisfaction.   By jumping to the NWA he would be pitted against the very best the sport had to offer, and with an unrelenting string of victories he would position himself to eventually wrestle for the greatest prize in the sport - the NWA World Championship.   Sure, that title was currently held by his ally and de facto boss, but the NWA Champion was nothing if not a gladiator.   He was confident that in the spirit of competition Flair would one day grant him a title match, and it would be the most incredible wrestling match the sport had ever witnessed.

All for One?

The Horsemen reigned dominant for the next six months.   They had gone undefeated since Danielson's induction, and decimated the NWA roster.   Over the summer, in a new concept match called WarGames, they destroyed the team of Dusty, Nikita and the Road Warriors.   Twice.   Flair put Jimmy Garvin on the shelf with a broken leg, courtesy of the Figure Four.   Tully and Arn bested the Midnight Express to add the US Tag Team Titles to their resume.   Danielson gave newcomer Sting a Horsemen welcome with a 21-minute submission victory.   And so it went.

They had beaten everyone there was to beat.   They had become too good for their own good.   Jim Crockett came to the Horsemen after a Norfolk, VA house show one September night and suggested a radical idea for the NWA's first-ever pay-per-view event, Starrcade '87.   Without a legitimate challenger to any of the Horsemen's titles, the show would need to showcase the Four Horsemen like no other card before it.   Crockett's idea was this: a one-night round-robin tournament pitting the Four Horsemen against each other in singles competition.   Each Horsemen would wrestle three matches against his three respective partners, earning points for each bout won.   The winner would be declared the NWA World Champion.

Anderson and Danielson were on board.   Anderson remarked, "I love it, Jimmy.   We get to see who's the best of the best!"   Flair and Tully, who valued group solidarity above all else, hated the idea.   "Wait, so I have to basically defend the belt three times in one night, and even if no one pins me I could still conceivably lose?" complained Flair.

JJ Dillon was put in the awkward position of being the tie-breaker.   His decision however was based on the enormous gate the show would draw, plus the record pay-per-view buyrates it was likely to garner.   "Guys, I think this could be a great thing for the Horsemen.   It'll prove that we are exactly what we say we are, and that is pure, unrivaled athletes.   We'll give that audience the best damn night of wrestling they'll ever see.   Plus look at it this way: you all get paid triple for one night of work!"

The decision was made.   Starrcade '87 would be held on November 26th at Houston's Astrodome, and would be entitled Best of the Best.

To encourage amity between each of the competitors, they insisted on training together as a team, just as they always did.   Starrcade would be about the ultimate wrestling contest, nothing more.   There would be no bad blood, no personal animosity between the Four Horsemen.   They were consummate professionals and refused to let the collective be splintered by any bickering or flaring emotions.   They would go out in front of 60,000 people and find out who was the best wrestler in the world.   When it was all over, they would resume their worldwide dominance of the sport.

Starrcade

The stadium sold out in record time.   Pay-per-view outlets across the country sold millions of dollars worth of buys weeks in advance.   In lieu of traditional undercard matches, The Rolling Stones performed a 30-minute set.  

The tournament rules were as follows: each wrestler would earn 20 points for a pinfall or submission, 15 for a countout victory, 10 for a win by disqualification, and 5 for a draw.   Matches would have a 30-minute time limit, so the pace would have to be relatively fast.   Whoever earned the most points at the end of the night would be declared the NWA Champion.   Match order was chosen at random.   Given the Horsemen's penchant for run-in interference, only the two active wrestlers would be allowed inside the ring barricade during each match.

Match 1 :Ric Flair vs. Tully Blanchard - Flair took an early lead with an inside cradle after 17 minutes.  RF - 20

Match 2 : Arn Anderson vs. Bryan Danielson - Anderson utilized his superior strength to wear down Danielson and avoided the Dragon's submission offense on his way to a 15-minute pinfall victory.   AA - 20

Match 3 : Tully Blanchard vs. Bryan Danielson - Danielson rebounded with a surprise 8-minute submission over Blanchard.   Tully suffered a dislocated right shoulder as the result of a fujiwar armbar.   BD - 20

Match 4 : Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson - Two best friends put on a brilliant matchup that spilled onto the arena floor.   At the 22-minute mark, Anderson beat Flair into the ring by half a second to avoid being counted out and earn 15 points.   AA - 35

Match 5 : Arn Anderson vs. Tully Blanchard - The tag team champions were up next.   JJ Dillon recommended Tully forfeit the match in light of his injured shoulder and inability to win the tournament at this stage of the game.   Tully flatly stated, "That ain't what this night's about, JJ.   I'm goin' out there and take my lumps like a Horseman."   Tully's shoulder had been popped back in and heavily bandaged during the previous matchup, and he was ready for a fight.   After a thrilling 24-minute battle, Tully countered an Anderson spinebuster attempt with a lightning-fast DDT for his only win of the night.   After the match, Anderson whispered into Tully's ear, "Dammit Tully, why'd ya hafta stand up like a man?   I coulda won this whole thing!"   TB - 20

The Finals

The standings after five matches were: Arn Anderson - 35, Ric Flair, Bryan Danielson, and Tully Blanchard - 20 each.   A pinfall or submission would clinch the tournament for either Flair or Danielson, a countout would necessitate a tie-breaker, and a disqualification or draw would give the tournament and the Championship to Arn Anderson.

Ric Flair and Bryan Danielson stood across the ring from each other as the ring announcements were made.   They had each already been in two grueling matches, but each of them felt as though they had just gotten warmed up.   Neither one of them was a stranger to a 60-minute marathon, and given the time constraints both men were prepared to go balls-to-the-wall for a solid half-hour.   As far as they were concerned, there would be a winner.   Wrestling to a 30-minute draw was not an option.

Flair sized up his young protege.   Tonight he would prove to everyone, particularly himself, that he was still just as ravenous, just as edgy a champion as he had been 6 years earlier when he first won the strap.

Danielson stared across the ring at his opponent, focused and stoic.   Tonight he would defeat his mentor and lead the Four Horsemen into the next decade.   Tonight would be the beginning of the Danielson Era.

At the bell the two men locked up with unbridled vigor.   There was no personal issue between the two, but on this night the NWA World Title carried more importance than any partnership.   Danielson took Flair down with a swift side headlock.   Flair kicked out of the move and pounced to his feet.   Danielson bounced of the ropes, shoulder-rolled, and snatched Flair's left leg.   He spun to the mat and clamped on a leg lace.   Flair fought the twisting pain through his leg, rolled on his stomach, and snapped his legs together for a head-scissor.   Danielson put all his weight on his head and sprung out of the move.   Almost the very instant he landed on his feet he rocked Flair with a crouching dropkick.   Flair rolled backwards and slumped in the corner of the ring.

Anderson and Blanchard watched intently backstage on a monitor.   They had a $500 bet on the winner.   Anderson liked Flair, Tully thought Danielson's youthful resolve would be too much for his old pal.

Ten minutes into the match, Flair had mounted a comeback, targeting Danielson's left knee.   A chopblock turned the tide, and Flair had been working the knee ever since.   Danielson countered a kneebreaker into a sunset flip pin, which Flair escaped at two.   Flair somersaulted back to his feet and dropped a crisp elbow into the tender part of Danielson's thigh.   A softball-sized welt would emerge an hour later.   Danielson kicked Flair off, crawled to his feet, and crunched Flair's jaw with a forearm smash.   Flair tumbled through the ropes and Danielson collapsed to the mat to catch a breath.

At the count of eight, Flair regained his feet and Danielson abruptly rocketed over the top rope on top of him.   Referee Tommy Young restarted the count as the two men pounded each other with stiff shots.   Arn Anderson began counting along with the official, the outside hope of winning the Title becoming a greater possibility with each passing second.

Flair ripped through Danielson's body with a knife-edge chop and tossed him back into the ring.   Danielson punched Flair in the kneecap and suplexed him back over the ropes.

At the twenty-two minute mark, following a series of reversals, Danielson pinned Flair's arm over his head and hammered him with a series of elbow smashes.   Flair's vision jiggled randomly as the shots thundered across his face.   The referee hovered over Flair, soliciting a possible submission.   Flair shook off the blows and lunged toward the ropes.   Danielson was pulled off him.

Flair ducked a clothesline, swung around behind Danielson, and folded the Dragon's knee under him with a crippling kick.   Danielson crumpled to the mat and Flair slapped on the Figure Four.   Danielson bellowed as shards of pain stabbed at his joints.   Flair clamped down to apply more pressure.   Danielson writhed toward the ropes and Flair leaned back, pulling him away.  

After withstanding three full minutes in the hold, his knee torn to shreds, Danielson twisted his straight leg, bridged up, and to the utter disbelief of everyone in the building, arched into a standing position, tipping Flair over.   Flair froze, slackjawed, and in this moment grasped the extent to which he had been overmatched.   In one swift motion, Danielson lurched out of the hold, landed on Flair's back, and pinwheeled over Flair's head, slapping on Cattle Mutilation.   Flair fought the splitting pain for 45 seconds before clearly yelling, "I GIVE UP!"  

There was no doubt of the outcome.   Ric Flair had submitted to Danielson's finishing move.   Bryan Danielson was declared the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion after 28 thrilling minutes.

Flair reached his feet first, pulled Danielson up, and raised his hand.   Dillon, Anderson and Blanchard joined them seconds later, and all Four Horsemen and their manager hoisted their arms and their collective title belts in celebration.   Starrcade '87 faded to black with the image of the unbreakable unit standing victorious.

Aftermath

One week later Flair, Anderson and Blanchard attacked Danielson in a parking lot outside a TV taping in Greensboro.   The assault was videotaped and replayed for weeks, accompanied by the headline "Horsemen Strike Back".   Danielson remained NWA Champion for the better part of a year, fighting gallantly against his three former partners.   But they soon returned to gang form, double and triple-teaming the Champ and wearing him down for the Starrcade '88 rematch with Flair.   In the end, Flair regained the belt with a roll of quarters stashed in his boot.   The infraction would have been spotted by the referee were it not for outside interference courtesy of the newest Horseman, Barry Windham.  

Danielson took time off to heal nagging injuries and returned to Ring of Honor, where he won the ROH World Title in his first match back.   He would keep it for a record five years.

Thanks for reading this week!   Send me some feedback at fights@worldwrestlinginsanity.com, or at the Forums.   Let me know what matchups you'd like to see in future columns too, your pick might just end up being the next Fantasy Fight!