Looking back on Starrcade 1990

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's hard to believe how fast time flies. Twenty-eight years ago today (Dec. 16) Starrcade 1990 went down. I'm talking about it today because it was the first (and only) WCW pay-per-view event I ever attended. It was my senior year of high school and my buddy Jim Horrom and I decided to get tickets when the show was announced.

The event was at the historic Kiel Auditorium. I'd witnessed several other WWF house shows in that building prior to Starrcade. It was a different vibe though. As I try to remember back on that night, things seemed brighter. Obviously, this would be because of the fact it was the first time I'd attended a show that was going to be televised.

Courtesy: WWE

Sting was the WCW World Champion, having beat Ric Flair months earlier for the big gold belt. By this point, Sting was feuding with the mysterious Black Scorpion, a figure from the champ's past who continued to torment him with mind games. Flair had moved on to team with Arn Anderson against Doom for the WCW Tag Team Titles. In fact, the two teams were set to clash in a St. Louis Street Fight that night. But either prior to the show or during the event, it was announced Flair was unable to wrestle that night. A chorus of boos erupted at the news, but in my mind, I instantly knew Flair was under the mask of the Scorpion.

I was not wrong in that assessment. In the main event, Flair was in fact revealed to be the Black Scorpion. It was a bit of a letdown. Up until that point, I really didn't have an idea of who the mystery man would be or who I even wanted for that matter. 

Despite that bit of disappointment, the night was still a lot of fun. We saw several wrestlers we'd never seen before with the International Tag Team Tournament. I wish I knew then what I know now as I would have taken pictures of the show. I'll always have a special place for Starrcade 90 though. 

Flashback Friday: A Black December



The Black Scorpion

Turn back the clock 20 years for this week's Flashback.  It was December 16, 1990.  I was a senior in high school and ready to attend my very first wrestling pay per view.  Sure I had attended house shows before, but this was the first time I'd actually be a part of the live audience. 

Starrcade 90 was being held at the Kiel Center in downtown St. Louis.  My friend Jim and I were wrestling fans and got tickets for the show.  Since it was our first PPV, we really weren't sure what to expect.

The card was stacked.  There was an international tag team tournament in memory of former NWA Champion Pat O'Connor.  That tournament featured a Rey Mysterio, Sr. on Team Mexico.  He and Konnan lost to the Steiner Brothers in the semi finals.  The Steiners would go on to win the tourney.

The event was to feature a tag team title match Doom vs. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in a St. Louis Street Fight.  But prior to the match, they announced Flair was hurt and wouldn't be competiting.  As soon as they said that, they pretty much revealed the identity of the Black Scorpion, the guy who had been tormenting world champ Sting for several months.  More on that later.

Barry Windham ended up replacing Flair in the tag match and going to a no contest with Doom.  How does that happen in a street fight?  I always thought there were no rules in such matches.

Lex Luger also regained the U.S. title from Stan Hansen in a less than eventful match.  It was a Texas Lariat match.  Of course it was something that would favor the heel champion, so naturally he's the one to lose.

One thing that stood out to me that night was how over Sid and Dan Spivey, the Skyscrapers were.  The crowd went nuts when they came out and destroyed the Big Cat (Mr. Hughes) and the Motor City Madman.  

Back to the main event now.  Black Scorpion has been threatening Sting and making challenges in the months leading up to this match, which was to be held in a steel cage.  If you were a fan back then, you remember the cheesy promos featuring the Scorpion as he performed different magic tricks to get Sting riled up.  He turned a fan into a tiger at one show.  He made another vanish in thin air. 

St. Louis wrestling legend Dick the Bruiser reffed the main event.  It was your basic back and forth cage match.  I think by the time we got to the match even Stevie Wonder could see that the Scorpion was Flair. 

Of course it would only take about month before Flair would regain the title, which was now the WCW World Title.  The NWA affiliation was dropped around the time of Starrcade.  I can't even remember now if it had already happened or not.  And about six months later Flair would end up in the WWF. 

On that night back in December 1990, I never imagined that would happen.  It was the first of many pay per view events I would end up attending in my life as a wrestling fan.  But it was my one and only WCW/NWA event.