THIS MONTH IN NWA HISTORY: THE MIDNIGHT RIDER
For much of the 1980s, Dusty Rhodes was in hot pursuit of Ric Flair’s National Wrestling Alliance World’s title.
In 1982, though, “The Nature Boy” faced a new contender! Soon after Rhodes was suspended, The Midnight Rider emerged to challenge Flair.
On Feb. 9, 1982, the mysterious wrestler — suspected to be Rhodes under a mask — pinned “The Nature Boy” to briefly win “The Ten Pounds of Gold.” When Rider refused to unmask afterward, NWA stripped him of the title (Top). Flair resumed as champ, the victory stricken from the records.
The Midnight Rider
Feb. 9, 1982
The feud between Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair for the National Wrestling Alliance World’s Heavyweight Championship virtually defines both Hall of Famers’ careers.
Rhodes’ second reign atop NWA ended at the hands of “The Nature Boy.” Flair defeated him Sept. 17, 1981, to claim the first of his eventual 16 World championships.
Soon after, NWA’s Florida territory suspended “The American Dream” active competition. Almost immediately Rhodes’ wrestling obligations were assumed by a shadowy newcomer : The Midnight Rider.
While many adamantly insisted this mysterious masked marauder was Rhodes, none could prove it definitively. Eventually the Rider earned a shot at Flair’s NWA World’s Title.
On February 9, 1982, the desperado pinned Flair to seemingly become NWA champion. Sadly, the party was short-lived. When The Rider refused to reveal his identity per NWA policy of the era, then-NWA President Bob Geigel stripped him of the title, nullified the victory and reinstated Flair as champ.
Just before Rhodes returned, The Rider rode off into the sunset. He did reemerge years later to avenge an again suspended “Dream” in Jim Crockett Promotions.
The Flair/Dusty rivalry reared its head far more often than The Rider. During the 1986 Great American Bash, Dusty finally downed “Naitch” to regain the strap.
As with The Rider years before, Dusty had little time to celebrate. Just two weeks later, Flair ended Rhodes’ third and final NWA championship run.
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