Is it time to recognise the phantom title changes that occurred involving Ric Flair? Amazingly, that decision now sits with one man.
With John Cena seemingly on a mission to surpass the record number of world title reigns, and in the process, relegate the great Ric Flair to second-place, there remains the issue that not all of Flair’s reigns as the man on top have been counted.
Phantom title changes involving the NWA World Heavyweight Championship occurred on at least five occasions where Flair lost the belt at live events or international shows, but the title change was never officially recognised by the NWA or the decision was later reversed.
Here are the phantom changes involving Flair.
Ric Flair vs. Jack Veneno (1982)
Date: August 29, 1982
Location: Dominican Republic
Opponent: Jack Veneno
What Happened?
Flair lost the title to Dominican wrestling legend Jack Veneno, but the title change was never officially recognised. Reports suggest Veneno refused to drop the belt back, leading to a technical ruling that Flair remained champion.
Ric Flair vs. Carlos Colón (1983)
Date: January 6, 1983
Location: Puerto Rico
Opponent: Carlos Colón
What Happened?
Flair allegedly lost the title to Puerto Rican star Carlos Colón, but the NWA never acknowledged it, and Flair was officially recognised as champion throughout this period.
Ric Flair vs. Harley Race (1984)
Date: March 21, 1984
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Opponent: Harley Race
What Happened?
Race was billed as defeating Flair for the NWA World Title, but this was only done for local promotional purposes. The result was never acknowledged outside of New Zealand, and Flair continued as champion.
Ric Flair vs. Victor Jovica (1984)
Date: March 1984
Location: Trinidad and Tobago
Opponent: Victor Jovica
What Happened?
Flair lost to Jovica, but the title change was never officially recognised by the NWA. Like other regional switches, this was done to boost ticket sales locally.
Ric Flair vs. Tatsumi Fujinami (1991)
Date: March 21, 1991
Location: Tokyo Dome, Japan
Opponent: Tatsumi Fujinami
What Happened?
Fujinami pinned Flair in a match where he was recognised as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, but in Japan, the NWA World Heavyweight Title was also at stake. Fujinami was declared the champion in Japan, but WCW later announced that Flair never lost the title due to controversial rule differences. Flair “regained” the belt at SuperBrawl I on May 19, 1991.
These phantom title changes were often used for regional promotional purposes, but the NWA (and later WCW) ensured Flair’s official lineage remained intact.
Officially, Ric Flair is recognised as only a 16-time world champion across the NWA, WCW, and WWF/WWE. However, if we included the phantom title changes, the record Cena is now chasing (and will no doubt get at some point) takes another five steps away from being out of his reach – as it should be.
Officially Recognised Title Reigns
Flair’s 16 world title wins come in the form of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (9 times), WCW World Heavyweight Championship (7 times), and WWF Championship (2 times)
(Two of the NWA and WCW reigns overlap due to lineage changes.)
If we count the five phantom switches and the changes are recognised by the governing body responsible for the title, Flair would be a 21-time world champion across NWA, WCW, WWF, and WWE.
And so, we come to the big question – who could officially recognise these reigns and throw a spanner into the WWE’s works?
Well, one man has that decision to make.
“What’s a boy supposed to do?”
That’s right, Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins owns the right to the National Wrestling Alliance, and with that comes the title lineages. He could, if he so chose to, recognise the phantom title switches that would elevate Flair’s number of world title reigns to an incredible 21.
And en route, he could bestow the honour of being NWA World Champion to Jack Veneno, Carlos Colon, and Victor Jovica, whilst also adding to the legacy of both Harley Race and Tatsumi Fujinami
Is it that easy?
Well, is anything ever that easy?
Governing bodies in wrestling have occasionally revised or acknowledged past title reigns that were previously unrecognised. A great example of this is the WWE recognising Antonio Inoki’s 1979 WWF Championship reign in Japan (though still considers Bob Backlund’s reign “uninterrupted” in official lineage).
So, there’s a precedent for organisations revisiting history.
A lot of it comes down to whether Corgan would actually want to go down this path. Since he acquired the NWA in 2017, he has tried to restore its credibility, particularly by treating the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with more prestige. Recognising five additional title changes involving Ric Flair could elevate the NWA’s historical importance by increasing the number of “official” world title matches in its history.
It could also further establish Ric Flair’s legacy within the NWA, as most of his world title reigns came from that organisation.
On the flip side, it could also be construed as rewriting history for convenience, which some wrestling purists may criticise.
And then, of course, there are external forces he may have to deal with, and the more public perception of the move.
Really, WWE has control over Flair’s official record. They own most of the footage and trademarks related to Flair’s legacy, and would likely reject any attempt to increase his world title count beyond 16 (a number they have heavily marketed). They have the television hours, the eyes on screens, and the attention of the wrestling world. If they say it’s 16, then to most, it is 16.
The other factor we have to take into consideration is whether Flair would acknowledge the additional reigns, himself? Flair himself has always embraced the “16-time” number – often adding it to his autograph at signings (except on mine, where I specifically asked him to add “21x”, and he was very happy to do it. He has also occasionally referenced the phantom reigns in interviews. If the NWA made it official, would he recognise it or defer to WWE’s stance?
As always, it depends on who pays him
Realistically, if the NWA did retroactively recognise these reigns, it would likely only apply within NWA’s official history and not be acknowledged by WWE. This means Flair’s “official” world title count could remain 16 in WWE but be 21 in the NWA’s records and amongst the more hardcore base of wrestling fans, similar to how NJPW counts the Fujinami win but WCW didn’t.
Yes, the NWA could retroactively acknowledge these phantom reigns, but it wouldn’t change Flair’s official WWE-recognised total of 16. It would, however, cement his NWA legacy further, and it’s possible Corgan might do it if he felt it would benefit his company’s brand.
And how could he do that?
Well, as much as money talks when it comes to Flair, there is always something else that drives him.
Ego.
Put me in Corgan’s shoes, running the NWA, I’d absolutely recognise Ric Flair’s phantom reigns, but I’d do so in such a way that it strategically benefits the NWA without clashing too much with WWE’s narrative.
Here’s how I’d go about it.
I’d make this an event, not just a press release. I’d invite Ric Flair to an NWA show and present him with an official “21-time NWA World Champion” plaque or belt. Hell, his son-in-law owns the Big Gold Belt – bring it, Conrad!
Invite him to the ring, and have him cut a promo about how “the NWA was where real world champions were made” and how “politics kept some of my reigns out of the history books, but not anymore.”Have him talk up the history, the magnitude, and the importance of the accolade to him, and his family.
And then, you also have a bit of a trump card to play. Invite the families of Jack Veneno, Harley Race, and fly in Tatsumi Fujinami, Victor Jovica, Carlos Colon and their respective families to honour the wrestlers who will now be officially recognised as world champions. You telling me Colon and Jovica wouldn’t jump at the chance? Fujinami possibly less-so, but a commemorative title belt (and maybe a bit of coin for their appearance) as well as the adulation of their families as they are officially recognised as world champions by one of the biggest-ever organisations in the business? Having them present at the ceremony provides more authenticity to the revision, even if they are the veritable undercard to the main event – elevating the amount of Flair’s title reigns.
This is one genuine aspect of wrestling history that WWE does not own. This is something they can only control on their programming and according to their own marketing department. In effect, what they say and think does matter, but only to an extent. It’s like the NBA commenting on the Euro League – thanks… but we have our own competition, here. The WWE may never budge from “16-time world champion” because it’s an effective marketing tool that they’ve already invested so much in. But that’s fine; I wouldn’t say Flair is a “21-time WWE Champion.” I’d say “21-time World Champion,” which is factually accurate in our revised history.
This allows WWE to ignore it if they want, but fans and historians will still discuss it.
Of course, some WWE loyalists and wrestling purists might push back, saying “history is history.” But wrestling has always had fluid storytelling. If WWE can recognise a mythical “undefeated” Andre the Giant or treat Bruno Sammartino’s reign like an unbeaten streak despite losing non-title matches, then the NWA can reclaim its own history. They can write their own history any way they damn-well like!
Would this make the NWA a top promotion again?
No. Not even the most deluded amongst us would even entertain the thought.
Would it remind people that the NWA once controlled wrestling’s most important title?
Absolutely, it would.
And it would remind them that o matter how many more times they throw the title at John Cena, or even Randy Orton, wrestling has a history and a legacy that they cannot control and manipulate, no matter how hard they try.
21 times The Man?
Do it, Billy.