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. 

The stars of Starrcade

My Stars of Starrcade
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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WWE is bringing back Starrcade this evening for a house show in North Carolina. And I just listened to the Starrcade 1987 What Happened When podcast with Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson. So it's put me in the mood to write about this iconic event presented by Jim Crockett Promotions and later WCW. 

I was always a WWF guy, but I did watch other companies obviously. Starrcade to me was always a big deal but was never really the same after Ric Flair left. Even after returning to WCW, Starrcade had lost its original luster. It may have been because of all the former WWF guys who had come to the company too and the Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Nikita Koloff, Rock 'n Roll Express, etc. era had passed us.

My senior year in high school Starrcade '90 came to St. Louis. My buddy Jim and I attended the event which was headlined by Sting and The Black Scorpion in the steel cage. That night was the reveal that Flair was the Scorpion, which most of us figured out when they announced "Nature Boy" was out of the tag team title match with Arn Anderson against Doom. But I digress. Now for a look at who I thought were the Stars of Starrcade.

Flair vs. Lex Lugar: Starrcade 1988
Courtesy: WWE

As I mentioned, I never really felt like Starrcade was the same after that event in '90. Ric Flair had long become the face of the pay per view. He was the main event for Starrcades '83 through '90. He beat Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that first year and went on to defend it or win it each year that followed (90 is the exception when he was Black Scorpion he lost to Sting). 

After Flair headed to the WWF in the summer of 1991, WCW's product suffered (at least in my 1-2-3 cents). It was clear at that year's Starrcade when a new concept was introduced: Battle Bowl. I didn't hate the idea of Battle Bowl but would have rather seen it at an event other than Starrcade. It drug down the heritage of the show.

Flair vs. Rhodes: Starrcade 1985
Courtesy: WWE

Without Dusty Rhodes, there may be no Starrcade. He was booking for JCP at the time the concept was born. He's credited with being one of the forces behind Starrcade. However, I found it interesting Dusty didn't wrestle on the first Starrcade card. Of course in the years that followed, he became a big part of the show. In 1984 and 85, Rhodes battled Flair for the championship. Naitch won in 84 when the special guest referee Joe Frazier stopped the match due to Dusty's bleeding. A year later, it appeared Rhodes won the gold, but the decision would change and Rhodes won via disqualification instead (a 'Dusty finish' if you will).

My third and final star of Starrcade is probably an unexpected one, but it's Tony Schiavone. With the exception of Starrcade '89 when he was with WWF, Schiavone was a part of each Starrcade either as a host, an interviewer or a commentator. He was the voice for wrestling below the Mason Dixon line as they say on his podcast. I definitely did not appreciate the work Tony did when he was doing it back then. Years later as I look back and rewatch shows and listen to his stories about the way things were, I respect him even more.

There are plenty of other names who were stars of the show. Sting comes to mind immediately, along with Lex Luger. The two of them had quite a bit of staying power with the product. The Rock 'n Roll Express, Midnight Express and Road Warriors all deserve shout outs too along with the Steiner Brothers, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Tully Blanchard. Of course managers JJ Dillon, Paul Ellering and Jim Cornette are part of that discussion too.

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Boo Blog: Halloween Havoc: King of WCW PPV

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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My mind is blown as I write this blog. On the Halloween Havoc 97 episode of What Happened When with Tony Schiavone, he made the statement that Halloween Havoc was a bigger event for WCW than Starrcade. I found this hard to believe. For more than 30 years I've compared Starrcade to the WWE's WrestleMania event. Havoc I would have ranked third or fourth, putting it more in line with Royal Rumble or Survivor Series.

But boy was I wrong. I hopped online and did some research, pulling buy rate numbers that had been listed on several websites, so I'm not comparing apples to oranges, at least I don't think I am. Of the 12 years that Halloween Havoc and Starrcade ran, Havoc actually won the buy rate battle. Six times fans chose Havoc over Starrcade. Five times Starrcade won and in 1990 it was a tie. That was an interesting year because Ric Flair was no longer champion or challenger at either event. I know he was technically in the main event at Starrcade as the Black Scorpion, but you get my point. 

The biggest difference in events was in 1997 (assuming I've done my math right). Starrcade that year earned a 1.90 to Halloween Havoc's 1.10. The difference: Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper was the main event of Havoc, while Starrcade saw the much-anticipated return of Sting as he faced Hogan. 

When Havoc debuted in 1989, the event had a 1.77 to Starrcade's 1.30. Not only was the event new, but that was the year they tweaked Starrcade for the first time and went with the Iron Man and Iron Team Tournament. Those were the only matches on the card, featuring Sting, Flair, Lex Luger, The Great Muta, The Road Warriors, The Steiner Brothers, Doom and The Wild Samons. I actually loved the concept, but in my 1-2-3 cents it probably hurt the company's biggest event of the year. 

There could be a few things that hurt Starrcade with the fans. WWF in 1987 introduced Survivor Series on the same night (Thanksgiving). This lead to Crockett Promotions to moving its event to December the following year after five years of happening on Thanksgiving night. The two years the event went without Flair, they changed it to Battle Bowl: Lethal Lottery. That was an idea that sounded good but was poorly executed.

While Havoc didn't necessarily dominate Starrcade in any particular year, as I just sit and think of the past events for each, the Havoc main events stand out more to me. I credit that to the silliness tied in with the event, but they could get away with that because of the Halloween theme. Between Spin the Wheel Make the Deal in '92, Southern Fried Abby in '91 and the "death by Monster Truck" by the Giant followed up by the debut of the Yeti in '95 it's hard to deny the pay per view's impact on the business.

It's still hard for me to consider that Halloween Havoc was more over than Starrcade. But I get it. It just took nearly two decades for it to finally sink in and accept. This further leads to my desire to see Halloween Havoc as a WWE event.

Cody Rhodes vs. WWE

Cody Rhodes enters ROH
Courtesy: George Tahinos

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm going to start this blog off by stating for the record I am a fan of Cody Rhodes. I enjoyed every incarnation of the man in his time in WWE. From his first break teaming with Bob Holly to Legacy to "Dashing" Cody to Rhodes-Scholars and even Stardust (even though I know he hated it). In my 1-2-3 cents, he was one of the most undervalued members of the roster and I'm happy for the success he's found on the independent scene and as the current Ring of Honor champion. It's also my 1-2-3 cents that his wife Brandi (Eden in WWE) was also grossly misused and should have had a larger role in the company. 

Now that you know where I'm coming from, let me move forward. WWE announced this week it's bringing back the Starrcade brand for the first time since acquiring WCW. The last Starrcade event was in December 2000. The title will be a part of an event planned for Thanksgiving weekend, involving SmackDown Live talent. Legends like Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and The Rock 'n Roll Express are also scheduled to appear.

Dusty vs. Ric Flair
Courtesy: WWE

The announcement of the event drew some criticism from Cody and Brandi, mostly being upset that Dusty Rhodes, who helped create Starrcade, wasn't credited and that Dustin (Goldust) Rhodes isn't scheduled to have a match on the show at this point. I understand Cody's emotional attachment to the situation, but I disagree with his point of view. Of course, if I was in his shoes, I might think differently, but I'd like to think that I wouldn't. Also, I don't disagree with him on everything. 

Tag champs
Courtesy: WWE

He's right, it would be nice if WWE included Goldust on the card. However, if they don't, I understand. Goldy is on the Raw brand and this is a SmackDown Live event. Also, Michael Hayes has extended an invitation to Cody to team with Dustin on the show. That would be amazing and I'd love to see them face the Hardy Boyz (I know they're Raw too), but what the hell... 

In my 1-2-3 cents, WWE doesn't have to give credit to the creator or innovator of each concept they present. Dusty was mentioned in the article for his involvement, but not as one of the creative forces behind it. To that point, I don't know that WWE mentions Pat Patterson every year at the Royal Rumble and I couldn't tell you officially who should be recognized for Hell in a Cell, Survivor Series or King of the Ring.

Dusty Rhodes statue unveiling
Courtesy: WWE

WWE has done a lot to honor the American Dream's legacy. There's a life-size statue of Dusty that was unveiled at WrestleMania Axxess a couple years ago. In 2016, there was a tag team tournament in the Dream's honor. There are a lot of Legends, Hall of Famers and contributors to the success of the business that don't get the credit they deserve. I really don't believe WWE is trying to squash the legacy of the Dream or take anything away from what he did for wrestling.

My hope is that one day Cody finds what he's looking for on the indy scene and is able to once again put his talents on display on the global stage of WWE. I respect what he, Dustin and their father have done and continue to do for the betterment of professional wrestling (and sports entertainment).

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.