-RIP Bret Wolverton and Kerwin Silfies.
-Today we take a look at Starrcade 1995 from WCW.
-Starrcade 1995 was shown on PPV on December 27, 1995 from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN. There were 8,200 in attendance and the show did 75,000 buys.
-Intro. This is for the World Cup of Wrestling. Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Dusty Rhodes welcome us to Starrcade. They talk about what we are going to see.
-Chris Benoit vs. Jushin Liger with Sonny Onoo: Benoit starts out pushing Liger.. Benoit with a shoulder block. Liger with some arm drags. Benoit goes out and Liger hits a dive. Test of strength. Liger with a flying headscissors. Benoit with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Back and forth. Benoit goes out again. Benoit gets Liger down. Benoit with a clothesline. Benoit with a modified crab. Benoit chops Liger. They battle in a corner. Benoit with a German suplex for a couple of two counts. Liger with a bow and arrow. Into a reverse crossface. Into a modified Camel clutch. Benoit drops back to break the hold. They trade holds and counters. Benoit hits a superplex. He slams Liger down. He misses the diving headbutt. Liger hits a cannonball and a powerbomb for a two count. Liger hits a brain buster for a two count. Benoit comes back with a shot. He hits a series of German suplexes. He powerbombs Liger and hits the flying headbutt. Kevin Sullivan comes to ringside. He gets up on the apron. This gets the ick factor with the benefit of hindsight. This distracts Benoit, allowing Liger to get a roll up to win.
-Mean Gene Okerlund talks to Eddie Guerrero. He says what happened to Chris Benoit was wrong and that he is honored to be chosen to be a representative for WCW.
-Koji Kanemoto with Sonny Onoo vs. Alex Wright: Slow to start They have a feeling out process. Wright with an arm bar. They circle each other. Kanemoto with a leg takedown. He works on Wright's arm. They trade wrist locks. Wright with an arm drag. Wright with some shoulder blocks. They spill to the outside. Wright with a sliding dropkick. Wright with a suicide dive. Wright with a snap mare. He follows it up with a sleeper. Kanemoto gets to his feet and breaks the hold. He chops Wright in the corner. He hits some elbows to Wright. He hits a spin wheel kick. Kanemoto puts Wright on the ropes. He dropkicks Wright to the outside and hits a suicide dive on Wright. They battle to the outside. Kanemoto hits the moonsault, but doesn't cover. Wright hits a German suplex for a two count. Wright with a scoop slam. He hits a fall away splash, but Kanemoto has his leg on the ropes. Double dropkick, and both men are down. Wright with a reverse crossbody for a two count. Kanemoto with a 360 spin leg drop for a two count. Wright hits a dropkick as Kanemoto was coming off the top rope. Wright hits a superplex for a two count. Kanemoto hits Snake Eyes and a double pick rollover to get the pin.
-Mean Gene talks to Sonny Onoo. He is ecstatic that New Japan is winning. Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk about what has happened so far.
-Masahiro Chono with Sonny Onoo vs. Lex Luger with Jimmy Hart: Luger gets a great ovation when he comes out, which surprised me. I guess it's a root for the home team moment. The bell rings, and they circle each other. Luger attacks Chono. He gets a side headlock. He hits a shoulder block. Luger with a press slam. Luger keeps the attack up. Chono comes back with a flying forearm and a kick. Luger knocked outside. He regroups with Hart. Chono comes out as well. Both get back in. Test of strength. Luger runs Chono into a turnbuckle. Chono reverses a suplex. He beats Luger down in a corner. They trade blows. Chono with a sleeper. Chono gets the STF on. Luger gets out. Chono with an inverted atomic drop. Chono hits the mafia kick. Chono goes up top and comes off, but Luger hits a back elbow and gets the Torture Rack on. Chono gives up and WCW gets it's first win.
-Mean Gene talks to Sting. He says it's 2-1 and they are coming on strong. Mean Gene says that Kensuke Sasaki took the US title from Sting. Sting says that he's out for revenge. He then talks about the Triangle match coming up. He says things are getting edgy.
-Johnny B. Badd with Kimberly vs. Mr. Saito with Sonny Onoo: Onoo tries to put Kimberly down, but she gets the better of him. Badd and Saito trade blows. Saito with a modified choke and sleeper. Badd gets out. They trade shots. They chop each other hard. Badd ran into a turnbuckle. Saito chokes Badd on a turnbuckle. Onoo chokes Badd with the Japanese flag. Saito with a belly to back suplex. He gets a two count. He then gets a series of two counts. He and Onoo choke Badd again. Saito with a side Russian leg sweep. Badd comes back with a knee lift. He hits a double ax handle. Badd with a sunset flip for a two count. Badd knocks Saito down. Badd with a suplex. Saito throws Badd over the top rope to get disqualified. Saito goes after Kimberly, but Badd takes him out.
-SuperBrawl ad. Mean Gene talks to Jimmy Hart and Lex Luger. Gene asks them what's up with Kevin Sullivan, and Hart says don't worry about it. Luger talks about the triangle match. He says he's coming after Randy Savage and will be alone for the Triangle match.
-Shinjiro Otani with Sonny Onoo vs. Eddie Guerrero: An Eddie chant goes out. They circle each other. Guerrero with a side headlock. Otani with an arm lock. They trade moves and counters. Otani ties Guerrero up in the ropes. Guerrero comes back. Guerrero with a snap mare. Otani comes back with a leg lock. More back and forth. Guerrero with a headscissors takeover. He follows it up with a dropkick. Guerrero gets a half crab on. Otani gets to the ropes. Guerrero with a powerbomb for a two count. Guerrero with a brainbuster for a two count. Guerrero with a corner clothesline. He misses a second one when Otani moves and Otani hits a springboard dropkick and a plancha to Guerrero on the outside. Otani with a big dropkick. Otani chokes Guerrero on the ropes. Otani with a camel clutch. Guerrero with a side salto for a two count. Otani with a German suplex for a two count. Guerrero with a top rope hurricanrana for a two count. Guerrero with a powerbomb for another two count. Otani with a leg submission. Guerrero gets to the ropes. Otani finally breaks. Otani spills through the ropes. Guerrero comes out after Otani. He hits a springboard crossbody to Otani. Otani suplexes Guerrero back in. He springboard dropkicks Guerrero. Guerrero fights out of a full nelson. They exchange roll ups. Otani gets the pin on the exchange.
-Mean Gene talks to Randy Savage. He says his focus is on Tensan and not the triangle match. He is intense here. He says he's in the zone.
-Tensan with Sonny Onoo vs. Randy Savage: Savage gets a tremendous ovation when he comes out. The bell rings. They circle each other. They lock up and vie for position. They get to the ropes and break. Another tie up and break. Tensan beats down Savage. He chokes Savage in the corner. Tensan with a front face lock. He then chops Savage down in the corner. Savage tries to get away. Tensan with a spin heel kick. He continues the beat down. Savage falls to the outside and Tensan follows. He drops Savage down on the barricade. He throws Savage back in. Tensan with a fall away slam and a headbutt for a two count. He misses the moonsault. Savage with a clothesline. He tries to suplex Tensan and drops him on the top rope. Savage hits the elbow drop and gets the pin. It's now tied 3-3. Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk about what just happened.
-Mean Gene talks to Ric Flair. He talks about the World Cup and the WCW Championship. He says Sting and Luger have to beat him. He says he will be the World's Champion by the end of the night.
-Match 7. Kensuke Sasaki with Sonny Onoo vs. Sting: Sasaki is the current US champion, and had won the belt from Sting. Sting comes out with the US flag. The crowd absolutely loves Sting. Sasaki attacks Sting right away. He runs Sting into several corners. Sasaki with a slam and a rear chin lock. Sting fights back. Sting hits the Stinger Splash. Sasaki comes back with a bulldog. Sting hits a bulldog and clotheslines Sasaki to the outside. Sasaki regroups with Onoo. Back and forth. Sasaki with a power slam. Sasaki hits a brainbuster. Sasaki stomps Sting. Sasaki with an arm bar as the crowd chants USA. Sasaki with an arm drag takedown. Sasaki puts the Scorpion Death Lock on Sting. Sting powers out. Sasaki with a leg drag. Sting comes back with a dropkick. Sting pushes off. He comes back and goes for the Scorpion. He gets it on. He pulls Sasaki to the middle and he gives up. The crowd goes wild. The other wrestlers come out to congratulate Sting. Mean Gene comes to the ring for the presentation of the World Cup of Wrestling. Sting says he did it for WCW and the USA.
-Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk about what happened. Flashback to what led to the Triangle Match. Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair vs. Sting: Luger out first. Flair out next. He gets a big ovation. Sting out last, and he is intense. Sting and Flair start. Flair tries to intimidate Sting. They lock up and break. Back and forth. Sting with the early advantage. He goes for the Scorpion, but Flair gets to the ropes and goes out to regroup. Flair with a hammerlock. Sting fights to get out. Flair has his feet on the ropes, but gets caught. Flair attacks Sting. Flair hits a corner whip. Sting fights back and unloads on Flair. Flair begs off. Sting with corner mounted punches. Sting hits a bulldog. Flair rolls out, and Sting follows. They fight out of the ring. Flair begs off. Flair sidesteps a dropkick attempt. He goads Luger and drops a knee on Sting. Back and forth. Flair beats Sting down. He lures Luger in to throw Sting outside while referee Nick Patrick deals with Luger. Flair drops a knee on Sting for a series of two counts. Flair stomps Sting. He then suplexes Sting. Sting comes back. Sting slams Flair and hits a superplex. He starts to cover, but Luger comes in. Flair comes back and tags Luger in. Flair bails out, and Luger follows. He brings Flair back in. They trade shots. Luger with a shoulder block, and he slams Flair again. Luger with corner mounted punches. He drops a knee on Flair and gets a two count. Flair with an eye poke. Flair clips Luger's knee. Flair continues the attack on the leg. Flair hits Luger's knee with a chair. He continues the assault on the leg. He taunts Sting. Flair gets the figure four on. Flair grabs the ropes for leverage. He slaps Luger, who comes back and turns the move over. Flair breaks the hold. Luger suplexes Flair in from the apron and gets a two count. Luger slams Flair off of a turnbuckle. They trade shots. Flair challenges both Sting and Luger and then tags Sting in. Luger and Sting just stare at each other. They shake hands and the crowd boos. They lock up and drive to a corner. They break clean. Another lock up and break. Luger attacks Sting and runs him into a turnbuckle. Sting with corner mounted punches. Luger backs away. Luger with elbows to Sting. They trade blows. Luger comes out of the corner with a clothesline to Sting. Luger drops Sting on the top rope. They fight outside. Sting with a crossbody off the top rope for a two count. Sting goes for a splash, but Luger gets his knees-up. Luger up and dropping elbows on Sting. He gets some two counts. Sting comes back. He goes to put the Death Lock on, but Luger gets to the ropes and low blows Sting. He hits an inverted atomic drop on Sting. They trade two counts. Sting hits a suplex. Sting with a bulldog to Luger. He misses a Stinger Splash. Luger gets the Torture Rack on, but Sting's leg hits Nick Patrick and knocks him down. Flair comes in and clips Luger's leg. He throws both out and revives Patrick. He counts them out, and Flair wins. The crowd is livid at that. Jimmy Hart comes out to confront Flair. Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk about everything that has happened. We then go into our next bout.
-Michael Buffer makes the introductions. WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match. Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair: Hart is still out in Flair's corner. The bell rings, and they go at it. Flair attacks Savage in the corner. Back and forth. Savage knocks Flair down. Paul Orndorff comes down with a neck collar on. He stares at Flair. Savage with corner mounted punches. Flair comes back with an atomic drop. Savage runs Flair into a turnbuckle. He sends Flair up and over in the corner, so TASIYDAH. Savage comes off the top, and Flair catches him with a shot. Security sends Orndorff to the back as Flair and Savage battle to the outside, and Savage is ran into a barricade. He attacks Savage's injured arm and chops Savage. Hart also attacks Savage. Flair with a hammerlock back in the ring and uses the ropes for leverage. Flair attacks the injured arm. He drops knees on the arm. Savage tries to fight back. He knocks Flair down. Flair comes back with a sleeper. Savage drops out of the move and gets a close two count. Flair with a corner whip and a series of clotheslines. Savage with a slam, but Flair catches him as he comes off. Hart gets up on the apron to distract referee Randy Anderson. Hart throws Flair his megaphone, but Savage gets it and hits Flair with it. Savage goes up top. He hits the elbow drop, but Hart is still distracting Anderson. Brian Pillman and Chris Benoit come down. Savage throws them into each other. Flair is busted open. Arn Anderson comes down and hits Savage, and Flair covers him to get the pin and once again become the World Champion. Some people in the crowd cheer. Pillman attacks Savage. The Horsemen and Hart leave the ring as Anderson checks on Savage. Tony, Bobby, and Dusty talk about what just happened and about 1996 coming up and sign off from Nashville. End Credits.
-After the main event WCW held one additional match, taping it for a later broadcast. The match saw WCW United States Champion Kensuke Sasaki wrestle against The One Man Gang. At the end of the match the 400-plus pound One Man Gang landed a splash on Sasaki and covered him for the pinfall. While Sasaki kicked out of the pinfall, referee Randy Eller still made the three-count to give victory to the One Man Gang. After the bell rang, the One Man Gang celebrated with the title belt. Moments later, however, the mistake was pointed out by another official, and the match was restarted. Sasaki then pinned Gang to retain the title. Parts of the match were later shown on WCW Saturday Night but they ended after One Man Gang was declared the new champion. WCW never acknowledged that the match was restarted, choosing to recognize the One Man Gang as champion instead.
-Final Thoughts: An interesting show. The World Cup stuff was confusing and dragged. The end was good.