Flair vs Race: Science & Violence

During the Mid Atlantic era 1978 -1984 there were a few matchups that could pack the fans in at MLG. Ric Flair vs Harley Race surely ranks near the top. Their six bouts in Toronto, all over the NWA title, are long remembered by the fans for both their science- and violence. 

At the time of the first match-up in Nov 1980 Race was World champ and Flair was the most popular star in Toronto. He was coming off successful feuds against old tag partner Greg Valentine as well as Hossein the Arab/The Iron Sheik, whom he had just chased to the dressing room to end their latest bout. 

Flair won the NWA title from Dusty Rhodes in Oct 1981 and appeared here as champ for the 50th Anniversary card held in November. They pack 16.000 in for that one and the next time the two match-up was another special card. A double World title card featuring both the NWA and AWA titles. AWA champ Nick Bockwinkel defended against our Canadian champ Angelo Mosca while Flair and Race had another hard fought battle that was action from start to finish. 

The main photos were taken at that bout. In the sequence the battle rages from the ring to the ramp and Race catches Flair with a piledriver after turning the tables on champ Flair. The last pic of the sequence shows Flair being restrained by Ron Ritchie and Johnny Weaver from going down the ramp after Race.

In the summer of 1983 Jack Tunney had recently taken over for Uncle Frank and took a risk promoting two big shows at Exhibition Stadium. They were packed with title bouts and topped by Race vs Flair. Both cards. 

The last matchup takes place in early 1984, just months before Jack aligns with the WWF. That card stood as the last great turnout of the NWA days.

11/16/1980 NWA Title - Harley Race D/COR Ric Flair est 14,000 not reported
11/15/1981 NWA Title - Ric Flair W Harley Race Att: 16,000 
04/25/1982 NWA Title - Ric Flair D/COR Harley Race Att: 11,000 
07/10/1983 NWA Title - Harley Race W/DQ Ric Flair Att: 20,000 est
07/24/1983 NWA Title - Harley Race W/DQ Ric Flair Att: 14,000 est
02/12/1984 NWA Title - Ric Flair W Harley Race Att:17,700

More on the 50th Anniversary card at 50th Anniversary Card
The 83 Ex shows are covered a bit at Open Air Wrestling in Toronto

-AC and photos, nostalgia by...

*Results are from the paper where available, estimated in person, and bulletins of the day

Top Drawing Matches 1978-1984

In continuation of Gary Will's Top-drawing-matches-year-by-year-1929-1977

We get a lot of inquiries about attendance. In Toronto there were eras when attendance looked to be honestly reported by the office or MLG* In others it appears the reporter doing the write-up either estimated or went by what he was told by the office, and other times when there were no figures reported at all.
*Maple Leaf Gardens as a whole was covered in different eras breaking down attendance for different sports and events.

Those times when it was reported we could assume they were mostly correct or close, especially if we were there. Still there were a lot of 10,000 and 12,000 and 15,000 even type numbers not reflective of an actual attendance figure.

From what was reported- and what I have available -the following were the best drawing cards of each year 1978-1984. Some were reported in the paper, others in the bulletins. If you can add or correct please do. MLG unless noted.

02/05 1978 Att: 11,000
AWA TITLE: Nick Bockwinkel W Chief Jay Strongbow
Angelo Mosca WDQ Chief Peter Maivia
Ken Patera DCOR Dusty Rhodes
The Crusaders W Chris Tolos/Dan Johnston
Mil Mascaras WP Terry Yorkston
Stan Stasiak D Waldo Von Erich
Sweet Daddy Siki D The Wildman
Butcher Vachon D Duncan MacTavish
Lord Alfred Hayes WP Steve Bolus

12/30 1979 Att: 14,000+
WWWF TITLE: Bob Backlund WP Pat Patterson
Jimmy Snuka/Ray Stevens W Ric Flair/Dewey Robertson
Andre the Giant W Destroyer/Brute Bernard
Johnny Weaver WSleep Frank Monte
Billy Red Lyons WP John Bonello
Sweet Daddy Siki WP John Forsythe

02/10 1980 Att: 16,973
CANADIAN TITLE: Dewey Robertson W Destroyer
US TITLE: Jimmy Snuka LDQ Ric Flair
TEXAS STREET FIGHT: Blackjack Mulligan W Big John Studd
Pedro Morales W Brute Bernard
Blue Demons W Klondike Bill/Nick DeCarlo
Chris Tolos W Ricky Johnson

11/15/1981 Att: 16,000 [50th Anniversary Show]
NWA TITLE: Ric Flair W Harley Race
Andre the Giant DDQ Killer Kahn
CANADIAN TITLE: John Studd LCOR Angelo Mosca
TV TITLE: Outlaw Ron Bass W Mike Miller
Johnny Weaver W Charlie Fulton
Tony Parisi/Mike Davis W Doug Vines/Izzy Slapowitz

08/22 1982 Att: 15,119 
WWF TITLE, STEEL CAGE: Bobby Backlund W Jimmy Snuka
Andre the Giant WP Big John Studd
MID-ATLANTIC TAG TEAM TITLE, 2/3 FALLS: Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood W Pvt. Kernodle/Pvt. Nelson to win title
Paul Jones W Mysterious Ninja
Johnny Weaver W Alec Girard
Tony Parisi WP Ken Timbs

07/10 1983 Att: 20,000 + [Night of Champions @ Exhibition Stadium}
NWA TITLE: Harley Race WDQ Ric Flair
CANADIAN TITLE: Angelo Mosca W One Man Gang
US TITLE: Greg Valentine DCOR Wahoo McDaniel
TV TITLE: Great Kabuki W Jimmy Valiant
NWA TAG TEAM TITLE: Ricky Steamboat/Jay Youngblood W Dory Funk Jr/Jake Roberts
WOMEN'S TITLE: Fabulous Moolah W Princess Victoria
Johnny Weaver/Mike Rotundo W Alec Girard/Tim Gerrard
Sgt. Jacques Goulet/Kelly Kiniski W Bob Marcus/Joe Marcus
Nick DeCarlo/Billy Ryan W The Executioner/Mike Armstrong
* few different attendances reported 14,000-20,000

02/12 1984 Att: 17,700 
NWA TITLE:STEEL CAGE; Ric Flair W Harley Race
Jimmy Valiant/Dusty Rhodes WCOR Assassins
Terry Kay/Rudy Kay W Johnny Weaver/Billy Red Lyons
NORTH AMERICAN TITLE: Leo Burke W Vinny Valentino
Buddy Hart W J.J. Dillon
Swede Hanson W John Bonello
Kurt Von Hess D Joe Marcus

July 1984 marks the end of the NWA days in Toronto. The Feb 12 1984 card still held the top spot through the year.

In July 1985 they hit 18,000 at MLG for the first time in 22 years with a Hulk Hogan vs John Studd main, pretty much full to the rafters. We may look at the WWF years in a future post.