Once upon a time, Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair was considered a dream match, a match nobody thought would ever happen. In the 1980s, Flair was the man in the NWA while Hogan was the man in WWF. It was always a question upon wrestling fans of the day, who was better: Hogan or Flair?
Hulk Hogan And Ric Flair Were Finally In the Same Company Together
When both legends finally found themselves in the same company, WWF, fans were overjoyed that the match could finally happen. But for some reason, it didn’t. WWF never had any real interest in booking this dream match, a match that would no doubt do big business. WWF did Hogan vs. Flair for a couple of inconsequential house shows and there were rumors it was a plan for WrestleMania 8, but nothing ever happened on TV.
That changed in 1994 when both men had since joined WCW. WCW immediately made the dream match reality as Hogan and Flair battled over many PPVs. Their matches were generally always successful, moving the needle at a time when WCW desperately needed it. This was true all the way up to 1999 when the two legends would clash once more at Superbrawl IX. Because of Hogan vs. Flair, the PPV received a monster buy rate of 485,000, the third-highest buy rate in WCW history. So a year later in 2000, when WCW was struggling, it was no surprise they would go back to the dream match once more.
In 2000, however, the WCW landscape was different. Hulk Hogan had shaken off the nWo and was now back to the classic red and yellow Hulkamania character, with Jimmy Hart as his manager once again. While Ric Flair was in a tag team with Lex Luger called Team Package. (No, seriously.)
When Team Package attacked Jimmy Hart backstage, an incensed Hulk Hogan would challenge Ric Flair to a match. But not just any match…
A Yapapi Indian Strap Match!
What does Yapapi mean? Well, either Hogan made up the word or he was referencing the Yavapai Native American tribe and just messed up the name, that doesn’t explain why they wouldn’t correct the name of the tribe in the following weeks of promos, however.
And boy, these promos are something special.
The Yapapi Indian Strap Match Made No Sense
After Flair had attacked Jimmy Hart, a furious Hogan would tell a story of riding with Hart in a “slow-rolling coffin” and that Hart with his last breath had yelled “Yapapi!” Which Hogan had taken to mean that he should challenge Ric Flair to a Yapapi Indian Strap Match, brother!
Hogan is completely insane in these promos, talking about “glazing” down into Flair's eyes, putting him in the right “strapation” so he can strap Flair so badly that his skin will bubble and burn. Flair’s skin will turn into raw, pink meat all the while Hogan’s eyes will turn back in his head and smoke will come out of his nose…
There were weeks of this madness. They rival an Ultimate Warrior promo for complete nonsensicalness. And the match itself was just as crazy.
The match at Uncensored 2000 was the main event. For the record, a Yapapi Indian Strap Match is no different from a regular Strap Match; there are no pinfalls, both men are strapped to each other, and they need to touch all 4 corners to win. Although both men attempted pinfalls pretty early in the match, which the ref counted, much to the dismay of the commentary team.
There was a bunch of interference in the match because of course there was. Jimmy Hart, who Hogan had since christened the Strapmaster, would come down to strap Flair. Flair's partner Lex Luger was also interfering on Flair's behalf.
Hogan ended up winning in the strangest way possible. He touched 3 corners, then hit the leg drop for the 1, 2, 3. The bell rings, and Hogan is declared the winner! Then Hogan touches the fourth turnbuckle to win the match again, I suppose.
Remember when we said that Hogan and Flair gave WCW its 3rd highest buy rate just a year before this match? Well this PPV got just 10% of that — WCW had lost 90% of its audience in just one year!
WCW in 2000 was a sorry state but, if nothing else, the promos leading up to this match are worth watching for the pure hilarity of it all. It was pure 80s goofiness at a time when wrestling fans were crying out for more realism. None of it made much sense, but at least it was funny. Not much else in WCW at this time was funny.
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