-My Vacation.
-Today we look at Starrcade '93 from WCW.
-My Starrcade '93 story.
-Starrcade '93 was shown on PPV on December 27, 1993 from Independence Arena in Charlotte, NC. There were 8,200 in attendance.
-Intro showing highlights of Ric Flair's career and Vader injuring wrestlers.
-Tony Schiavone welcomes us to Starrcade. They talk about the main event. This is also Jesse's last great stand in WCW. They show Vader and Harley Race arriving at the arena and having a workout.
-Mean Gene Okerlund is shown at Ric Flair's house. First appearance to my knowledge of Flair's wife at the time, Beth since SC 83, sons David and Reid, and Ashley, the future Charlotte. Reid-Shut the door, I'm freezing. Bless you Reid. This was well done by Mean Gene, Ric Flair, and the whole family. Gene and Ric talk about Vader as they head to the arena.
-2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Alexander Bagwell with Teddy Long vs. Paul Roma and Paul Orndorff with the Assassin. Gary Juster presents the manager of the year award to Long. They start to brawl as soon as the heels get to the ring. Faces with the advantage. Double team to Orndorff. Heels regroup with the Assassin. Bagwell and Roma start. Roma with the early advantage. Bagwell comes back with a crossbody for a two count. Back and forth. Scorpio tagged in. He gets a wrist lock on and tags Bagwell in. Bagwell with a hammerlock. He drives Roma shoulder first into the buckle. Bagwell with an arm bar for a two count. Roma with a scoop slam and Orndorff tagged in. Bagwell with a wrist lock to Orndorff and Scorpio tagged in. He picks the wrist lock up. Into an arm bar. Orndorff comes back. He kicks Scorpio out to the ramp. Scorpio comes back with a flurry of moves to Orndorff. In an arm and headscissors. Bagwell tagged in and gets a splash for a two count. Roma tagged in and Roma gets an arm bar on. Bagwell with an atomic drop. Bagwell with an arm bar and Scorpio tagged in. He gets a two count. Scorpio works on the wrist. Orndorff tagged in. He works over Bagwell, who had also tagged in. Bagwell with a sleeper on. Referee Nick Patrick tied up with Scorpio and Roma hits Bagwell from behind. Roma in with no tag made. Roma gets a two count. Orndorff tagged in. Orndorff with a belly to back suplex. Roma tagged in and gets an underhook suplex for a two count. Roma misses the big splash. Orndorff and Scorpio tagged in. Scorpio with a shoulder tackle. Scorpio goes up top and hits a fist drop. It's pandemonium. Bagwell and Roma fighting on the outside. Assassin gets on the apron, and Scorpio hits him. Assassin loads his mask. He hits Scorpio with it, and Orndorff gets the pin.
-Ric Flair and Mean Gene talk in the limo about what Flair has to do.
-Awesome Kong with King Kong vs. The Shockmaster: Both Kongs attack Shockmaster as he gets in the ring. Double Irish whip to Shockmaster. King Kong with a splash, even though it's supposed to be Awesome Kong. Shockmaster with a clothesline. He then gets a body press on. Then a scoop slam and pin.
-Tony and Jesse talk about the Boss taking on Rick Rude. Then, as Jesse says, more popular than Bill Clinton in Charlotte as Ric Flair arrives to the arena.
-WCW TV Championship Match. Lord Steven Regal with Sir William vs. Ricky Steamboat: Jesse says he would be impressed if Steamboat could run on water like the lizard on TV, and Tony has no idea what he is talking about. Regal and William are out, and the crown hates them. Tony tells Jesse about Boxing Day. The bell rings, and Regal doesn't want to lock up. Steamboat trying to force him to wrestle. Regal is taking his time. They lock up. Regal forces Steamboat down. They get tied up in the ropes. Referee Nick Patrick separates them. They circle each other. Steamboat favoring an arm. Regal works on that arm. Regal with a wrist lock. Steamboat comes back. They trade wrist locks. Regal with a side headlock. Steamboat with a series of covers for two counts. They circle each other. Steamboat with a side headlock. He gets Regal down again for a two count. Regal comes back with a leg lock. Steamboat kicking at Regal trying to get him off. Steamboat slams Regal down. Steamboat with a top rope chop. Steamboat with an arm bar. Regal pushes off, and Steamboat comes back with a shoulder block. Five minutes left. Steamboat with an arm bar. Steamboat working on the arm. Steamboat with a hammerlock. Regal tries to get out. Regal with blows to Steamboat. Three minutes left. They fight to the outside. Steamboat takes off after Sir William, only to get hit with a dropkick from Regal. Two minutes left. Back in, Regal gets a rear chin lock on. Steamboat up, and Regal hits a back elbow. Steamboat comes back with arm drags and a cover. Regal bridges out. Steamboat with a butterfly suplex. He gets a two count. They go outside again. Steamboat runs Regal and William into each other and throws Regal in. 40 seconds left. Regal guillotined on the top rope. Regal ducks a Steamboat crossbody attempt. Steamboat with a bridge, but time expires.
-Tony and Jesse talk about Ric Flair.
-Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce vs. Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne: Payne and Pierce start as Jesse and Tony talk about a Hooter girl at ringside and say Charlotte is the Hooter capital of the world and this has gone off the rails. Pierce with a side headlock. Payne pushes off, and we get a double shoulder block. Pierce goes back to the side headlock. Payne pushes off and Pierce with a brutal looking shoulder block. Back and forth. Payne with a scoop slam. Slazenger and Cactus both tagged in. They lock up. Cactus runs Slazenger into the corner. Slazenger comes back with a corner whip. Jack with a back elbow. Jack with an arm bar DDT. Double clothesline by the faces. Payne tagged in. He misses a corner charge and Slazenger hits a modified bulldog. Pierce tagged in. Payne was a sunset flip for a two count. Payne with a belly to back suplex. Cactus Jack tagged in. All four men in and brawling. Cactus clotheslines Pierce out. Jack slingshots Slazenger out. Payne backdrops Cactus Jack onto Slazenger. Pierce goes up top, but gets caught coming off by a blow from Payne. He gets the Payne Killer on. Slazenger breaks it up. Payne with a double clothesline. Jack tagged in. Slazenger grabs Cactus Jack for Pierce to hit. Jack ducks and Slazenger clotheslined outside by Pierce. Jack hits the double arm DDT to get the pin.
-Mean Gene talks about the WCW hotline and then brings out Kyle Petty. He talks about his father recently retiring and the possibility of Ric Flair retiring.
-2/3 Falls Match for the WCW United States Championship. Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin with Col. Rob Parker: Austin and Parker booed when they came out. Rhodes gets a good ovation when he comes out. First Fall: They circle each other. Rhodes with a takedown. They lock up and Austin with a go behind. Rhodes reverses. Austin gets to the ropes and they break. Rhodes with a headscissors. Austin with a side headlock. Rhodes with an elbow, and Austin bails out to regroup with Parker. Austin attacks Rhodes. Rhodes gets Austin down. Austin rolls out again. Back in, Rhodes with a side headlock. He gets Austin down. Austin pushes off and Rhodes with a shoulder block. Back and forth. Austin attacks Rhodes with an elbow on the apron. They battle out on the floor. Rhodes catapults Austin over the barricade. Back in, Rhodes takes Austin down and gets a side headlock. Austin goes on offense. He gets a two count. He chokes Rhodes on the middle rope. Rhodes comes back with a right hand. Austin with a big elbow. Austin throws Rhodes out. Rhodes comes back with a sunset flip for a two count. Back and forth. They trade shots. Austin with a belly to back suplex. Shoulder block by Rhodes and both men down. Austin falls on Rhodes by holding the ropes on a Rhodes scoop slam attempt and gets a two count. Austin misses a fist drop. Rhodes with flip, flop, and fly. Rhodes with a clothesline. Rhodes with a power slam to get a two count. Parker up on the apron. Rhodes throws Austin into Parker, and Austin goes over the top, and Rhodes is disqualified. 2nd Fall: Rhodes goes out and attacks Austin right away instead of having a rest period. Officials come out and take Parker away. Rest period, and Austin is busted open. Rhodes comes out after Austin. The lights go out, and they put a spotlight on the ring as Rhodes goes up top. He hits Austin with a fist drop and a suplex. A spotlight is on the ring. He gets a two count. Rhodes with a corner whip and a clothesline. The lights come back on. Rhodes with corner mounted punches. Austin slams Rhodes down and gets the pin with a handful of tights. Winner and new US Champion.
-Tony and Jesse talk about Rick Rude and the Boss.
-WCW International World Championship Match. Rick Rude vs. The Boss: Boss is of course the Big Boss Man. Rude does his pre match routine. Michael Buffer makes the introductions. The bell rings, and they are face to face. They yell at each other. They circle each other. They lock up and vie for position. Rude covers up in the corner. Boss spits on Rude. Another lock up and drive to the corner. Referee Randy Anderson separates them. Boss yells at Rude and tells Rude to bring it. They lock up and drive to the corner again. Rude with some forearms. Rude with a throat thrust. He chokes the Boss on the top rope. The Boss with a backdrop and a big boot. Boss with a backbreaker. Boss with a corner whip and a pair of shots. The Boss with a slam for a one count. They go to the outside and Boss with a slam. Boss hangs Rude upside down on the ropes. The Boss punches Rude. Rude finally rolls off. Boss throws Rude in. Boss with a bear hug. Rude fading. He bites Boss to get out. They trade shots. Rude gets caught coming off the top. Rude gets the pin with the sunset flip.
-SuperBrawl IV ad.
-WCW World Tag Team Championship Match. The Nasty Boys Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags with Missy Hyatt vs. Sting and Road Warrior Hawk: Missy's outfit is perfect here. I can't do it justice. You have to seek it out. Sting and Knobbs start. Knobbs stalling instead of locking up. They lock up and drive to a corner. Break clean. Sting with an arm drag. Knobbs attacks Sting. Sting comes back with a flurry of offense. Nasty Boys rollout to regroup. Hawk throws Sting on the Nasty Boys at ringside. Sags tagged in and wants Hawk. Hawk tagged in. They brawl in the corner. Nasty Boys double team Hawk. Hawk comes back with a double clothesline, and Nasty Boys roll out again. Sags gets back in, and Hawk beats him down. Hawk with a shoulder block and Sags rolls out again. Hawk follows. Sags back in and catches Hawk's foot and Hawk hits an enziguri. Sting tagged in. Double back elbow to Sags. Knobbs tagged in. Sting with a wrist lock and tags Hawk back in. Hawk works on the arm. and Sting tagged back in. Sting gets Knobbs down with an arm bar. Hawk tagged in and went for a corner whip. Knobbs moves and Hawk crashes to the outside. Sags with a double ax handle and a chair shot to Hawk on the outside. Sags holds Hawk, and Hyatt slaps him. Hawk goes after them, and Knobbs attacks him from behind. Nasty Boys quick tagging and keep Hawk in their corner. Sags with a falling headbutt as an LOD chant goes out. Sags with an arm bar. Nasty Boys keep Hawk in their corner. Knobbs in and picks the arm bar up. Hyatt antagonizes Hawk. Hawk gets to his feet and breaks the hold, but collapses to the mat. Sting tagged in, but referee Nick Patrick didn't see it. Hawk clotheslines both Nasty Boys. Sting tagged in and hits a double clothesline. He cleans house. He clotheslines the Nasty Boys out to the ramp, and the Nasty Boys and Missy go to leave. Sting and Hawk come and grab the Nasty Boys and throw them in. Sting tries to splash Knobbs, who gets his knees-up at the last second. Knobbs with a scoop slam. Knobbs with a second rope leg drop or butt drop, hard to tell what he was going for, but it was botched. Nick Patrick checks on Sting. Knobbs drops a leg on Sting and gets a two count. Sting thrown outside and into a barricade. Missy whips Sting with her whip. Hawk comes and checks on Sting. Knobbs gets Sting in and gets a two count. Sags tagged in and gets an abdominal stretch on. Crowd comes to life to cheer Sting. Knobbs in and picks the stretch up. Ten minutes left. Knobbs with a corner charge, but Sting gets a boot up and a sunset flip for a two count. Sags in and drops an elbow. He gets a two count. Sags with a pump handle slam. Knobbs in and gets a camel clutch on. Sting fighting to get to the corner. Knobbs with a suplex for a two count. Knobbs with a chin lock. Hawk breaks it up. Sags tagged in. He beats on Sting before Knobbs tagged back in. Knobbs goes back to the abdominal stretch. Sting reverses out. Sags tagged in. Five minutes left. Nasty Boys are quick tagging. Knobbs with a scoop slam. He hits a big splash and an elbow drop. Sting gets his boot up on a second splash attempts. Sags knocks Hawk off the apron before Sting could tag him, and the Nasty Boys double team Sting. Knobbs slams Sting. Hawk clotheslines Knobbs out. Three minutes left. Hawk tagged in. Hawk cleans house and gets a two count. All four men in now. Sting with a Stinger Splash and goes for the Scorpion Death Lock. Missy gets on the apron. Sting comes over to her. Knobbs goes to hit Sting, but hits Missy instead. Two minutes left. Sting gets a roll up for a two count. Hawk and Sting do the Doomsday Device on Knobbs. Sting goes to cover, but Missy comes in and jumps on Sting. The bell rings. Hawk and Sting win by DQ.
-Mean Gene talks about the hotline.
-Main Event for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Vader with Harley Race vs. Ric Flair: Title vs. Career. Vader and Race out first. Vader tells Jesse to get comfortable because he's going to hurt Flair slowly. Massive ovation when Flair comes out. Michael Buffer makes the introductions. Flair gets another pop when he is introduced. The bell rings, and they face each other. They circle each other as a Flair chant goes out. They lock up and drive to a corner. Vader pushes off. Another lock up and push off. Flair rolls out and Vader follows. Flair gets back in the ring. Vader pounds on Flair and gets a hold on Flair's wrist. He follows it up with a clothesline. Flair chops Vader in the corner, and Vader throws Flair across the ring. Flair rolls out again. He gets back in, and Vader beats Flair down in the corner. He follows it up with a delayed press slam. Flair rolls out again, and Vader follows. Flair dropped throat first onto the barricade. They fight out at ringside. Flair runs Vader into a ring post to the delight of the crowd. Race attacks Flair and throws Flair back in. Vader slams Flair on the apron. Flair suplexed back in the ring. Vader beats Flair down in the corner again. Flair corner whipped, and he goes up and over and lands on the ramp. Vader with an Irish whip and a clothesline. He beats Flair down in the corner again. Vader with a slam for a two count. He hits a second rope clothesline. Vader with a snap mare, but misses a splash when Flair moves. Flair hits a top rope shot so TASIYDAH. Flair with a second top rope chop, and Flair attacks Vader. A third chop from the top rope. Drink the top shelf stuff folks. The crowd comes to life on that. Vader comes back with a clothesline. Flair is bleeding from the mouth. He puts Flair on the top rope. He superplexes Flair. Vader drops an elbow on Flair. Flair rolls away from an elbow drop. Vader knocks Flair down again. He throws Flair down. Race attacks Flair again. Flair gets back in the ring. Back and forth. Vader with a corner splash. Flair gets Vader down to the crowds' delight. Flair bashes Vader's leg against the ring post and hits it with a chair. Flair beating Vader down on the outside. They trade blows. Race tied up with the referee, and Flair hits Vader with another chair. They get back in the ring. Flair continues the beating. He gets Vader down and bites him. Flair attacks the leg setting up for the figure four. Vader pushes off a figure four attempt. Vader misses a Vader bomb. Flair gets the figure four on. The crowd goes wild. Race gets up on the apron. Vader gets to the ropes. Vader gets a boot up on a Flair charge. Vader drops an elbow on Flair. Vader misses a moonsault. Flair with a cover for a two count. Race goes up top for a headbutt, but hits Vader when Flair moves. Referee Randy Anderson pushes Race out. Flair chops Vader. Vader pushes Flair down. Flair with a take down to get the pin. New World Champion, and the crowd goes wild as fireworks go off. Flair puts the title on and walks down the aisle as the crowd cheers. Flair has had quite a year in 1993.
-Tony and Jesse talk about what happened. Eric Bischoff tries to interview Vader, who is destroying his locker room. Flair comes back out to thank the crowd.
-Mean Gene talks to Flair, who has his family there with him. Flair says he's overwhelmed by the support. Beth says she is delighted. Gene talks to Sting, who says Flair is the greatest of all time. Ricky Steamboat says history has been made. Flair says he is very fortunate, and they sign off from Charlotte.
-Final Thoughts: This was an amazing show and a return to form after several years of lackluster Starrcades.