7 unexpected hardcore combatants

Ric Flair vs. Big Show - ECW, July 11, 2006

Ric Flair may have been known as The Dirtiest Player in the Game, but that was for his mastery of cheating in the ring. Barbed wire and thumbtacks didn’t really mesh with thousand-dollar suits.

The Nature Boy got a crash course in hardcore when he ventured into ECW in July 2006. Challenging ECW Champion Big Show in an Extreme Rules Match, Flair was busted open early, not by a weapon, but by the massive hands of The World’s Largest Athlete.

Get the full story behind the 2006 ECW relaunch | Watch crazy Ric Flair interviews

The WWE Universe was in shock as Flair got extreme, using a barbed wire bat to gain the upper hand. The Nature Boy turned the giant into a pincushion after dumping thumbtacks on the canvas, but that also spelled the end for Flair. The giant went into a rage, trapping Flair in the Colossal Clutch to retain his title. Big Show tossed Flair into the tacks like a ragdoll as the audience cringed, though they had gained even more respect for the 16-time World Champion.