Legacy Review
Starrcade '84
"The Million Dollar Challenge"November 22, 1984 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
Commentary: Gordon Solie and Bob Caudle
They start out by showing a clip of Flair winning the previous year. There's lights on the tops of all the barricades around the ring. That's a neat idea that didn't last.
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Denny Brown def Mike Davis (c) in 5:38- Like New Japan, the NWA has a Junior Heavyweight division. Unlike New Japan, it's never been prominently featured, the title has rarely been defended on major shows, and the title history is a mess of territory disputes, including with New Japan. The original Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask IV, and Jushin Liger have all held this title at one point. Brown, in all fairness, is a glorified jobber. Davis was semi-well known in the Florida territory as a Kevin Sullivan henchman, and elsewhere in the south as a member of the Rock 'N' Roll RPMs tag team, basically Rock 'N' Roll Express wannabes. He was also a jobber on WCW Saturday Night during the mid '90s. Hey, it's Earl Freaking Hebner in his pre-WWF years! A fan close to the hard camera shouts "Ring the bell!". Brown shows off some basic mat wrestling for a while. Davis is breathing louder than anyone I've ever heard in a wrestling ring. Is he blown up or is he just being dramatic? Brown is working kinda fast, Davis is working super slow. But there's no meat on the bones. It feels like an exhibition, or a training school match. Davis gets a belly to back suplay (Solie's on the call, gotta do that), and all four shoulders are down. Brown gets his shoulder up as Hebner hits 3 and gets the shock win. Such a shock that the ring announcer initially announced that Davis retained and then has to correct himself. They have the Code of Honor handshake afterward. *1/4
Brian Adias def Mr. Ito in 4:00- Adias was a family friend of the Von Erichs and did most of his work in WCCW. Mr. Ito is better known as Umanosuke Ueda and was at this point a veteran of over 20 years. He's been cited as an influence by modern Japanese stars such as Toru Yano and EVIL. Adias is wrongly called Adidas here, a mistake that would float through much of the rest of his career. He also gets a big high pitched (re:female) pop, Randy Orton style. Caudle says that the whole arena is still buzzing about the last match. Nice try Bob, they've all forgotten it already, unless they're making fun of the ring announcer's Lillian Botch. Adi(d)as twirls Ito in the airplane spin and that's enough to get the pin. Meh. 3/4*
Tony Schiavone is backstage to give us "all access" again like last year, but the news here is he shaved the mustache!
NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship: Jesse Barr (c) def Mike Graham in 11:43- After the inaugural Starrcade was a showcase for Jim Crockett's Mid-Atlantic territory, Dusty managed to get more of his Florida compatriots featured on this show. Barr was one of the bigger heels in the Florida territory. He was also associated with the Funks, and would go with the Funks to the WWF a couple of years after this as Jimmy Jack Funk. After a mini-push he would settle into a jobber role. In 1987 he made the mistake of getting into a legit backstage fight with Haku and, well, you can imagine how that went for him. WWF fired him after Haku was done with him. Graham is the son of legendary Florida promoter and former NWA president Eddie Graham, but unlike a lot of less talented promoter's sons in the '80s (*cough*Erik Watts*cough*), he never got a serious push and mostly floated around territories. Graham looks like a low rent Magnum TA. They work a long sequence with a wristlock where Graham tries to babyface fire his way out but Barr keeps pulling hair to keep him in. Unlike the first two matches there's a modicum of heat here. A long test of strength spot with more cheating. The story here is pretty simple: Barr will not stop cheating and Graham is trying to find a way around it. He finally catches Barr in a knee breaker and puts a figure four on, but Barr gets to the ropes. There's a pointless ref bump, unless you like seeing people smash into Hebner. Barr rolls up Graham close to the ropes and puts his feet up on the middle buckle to get the cheap pin. They picked the pace up nicely in the closing stretch and the match is very sound from a psychological standpoint, there just wasn't anything in it to get it above decent. **1/4
Elimination Tag Team Match: Assassin #1 & Buzz Tyler def The Zambuie Express (w/Paul Jones) in 5:26- Assassin #1 is Fat Assassin from last year's show, face turned. Tyler had just turned face after a big feud with Wahoo McDaniel to help Assassin with his fight against Paul Jones' Army (the stable's actual name). I once read Jones called the "Mike Adamle of managers", and I don't think I could put it any better. Sometimes his wrestlers would quit on him mid-feud. The Zambuie Express are Muslim militants wearing camo. Really. They're also big guys, coming in at 720 pounds combined. Have to admit, the crowd is pretty hot for this one. It's a donnybrook to start but the faces clear the ring. They do some not at all interesting stuff, leading to Tyler and Muhammad getting counted out, and Assassin pinning Akeem to get the win. But, commentary didn't notice the countout and don't realize the match is over until all the wrestlers have left the ring. Oy vey. Next. 1/2*
In the year between last year's Starrcade and this one Solie's learned to pronounce Tony's name. Either that or he doesn't think Tony's a phony anymore.
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship: "Ragin' Bull" Manny Fernandez def Black Bart (c) (w/JJ Dillon) in 7:35- Yes, there really was such a thing. It lasted less than 10 years and was never regularly defended. In fact, if you look at the Wikipedia page of the title's history it's mostly blank spots. Fernandez was also one half of the World Tag Team champs with Dusty. Bart was a perennial lower midcarder but he worked for almost every major company in the '80s and early '90s: Mid-Atlantic, Mid-South, WCCW, UWF, USWA Memphis, WWF, GWF, WCW, and NJPW. I've always liked how Dillon's wrestlers are announced as "James J Dillon proudly presents". Fernandez tosses his sombrero into the crowd and Caudle says that was a $200 sombrero. Oh, if only Heenan was on this show. "That was a $200 sombrero, Monsoon! Do you have any idea how many months rent that will pay in this hick town for the humanoid that caught it? They might not get out of here alive!" Both guys have their fists taped up but there's no visible knucks. It's also no time limit and no DQ. As you'd expect from the stip, it's a punchfest. Bart has a weird philosophy on bumping. It's not straight down, it's stop, pause, think, drop. Fernandez gets busted open. They go outside and Fernandez hits Bart with a jumping punch off the apron. Bart ducks his head under the ring to blade. Bart hits a low blow (no DQ!). Bart tells Dillon to give him his rope, but while his back is turned Fernandez rolls him up for the pin. Living proof that lots of blood does not a good match make. Also the hardcore brass knuckles match ended with a rollup. *1/2
They take a mini intermission here and hype up the TV title match, the most built match on the card outside the main event. Steamboat cuts a promo telling how hurt he is from attacks by Dillon's crew in great detail, then says he hopes Tully isn't listening, but *then* starts to address Tully directly! Lots of wayward stumbling through the whole thing too. Steamer didn't really learn promos until his first WWF run and even then he was only adequate. After a bit of vamping they go to Tony with Tully and Dillon. Tully claims he's been carrying Steamboat in all their matches. Well, I don't think anyone's ever carried Steamboat in a match, but Tully's definitely carrying these promos. He also says it's his DESTINY to eventually win the world title. Thank you, Mr. Del Rio.
Tuxedo Street Fight Loser Leaves Town Match: Paul Jones (w/Karim Muhammed) def Jimmy Valiant (w/Assassin #1) in 4:35- That's what you call a mouthful of a stip. Valiant is in another Loser Leaves Town match. I have a feeling I know how this is going. Huge pop for Valiant. He might not bring much to the table wrestling ability wise, but he was popular. Jones tries to run away, but Valiant grabs him and immediately starts choking him with a piece of rope. Then Valiant uses that piece of rope to tie Jones to the top rope. By the neck. Another one for the "things you'll never see today" list. While Jones is trapped Valiant beats him up, makes him eat the flower off his tux, and strips him down to his unmentionables. What a bully. While Muhammed distracts Valiant Jones gets loose and hits him from behind, but Valiant shrugs it off and locks in a sleeper. Jones is also bleeding. The ref gets 3 arm drops, but instead of calling for the bell he goes over to give Muhammed grief. Valiant punches at Muhammed but gets the ref instead. Both the seconds start fighting, and in the confusion JJ Dillon runs in and waffles Valiant with an international object. Dillon pulls Jones on top, the ref recovers and counts the three. This would lead to the return of Valiant's masked Charlie Brown From Outta Town persona. The best thing I can say about this is the crowd was into it. DUD
Tony is in the back with Flair. I'd say persona wise Flair is up to about 70% FLAIR. He's close. In another year's time he'll be just about there.
NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship: Ron Bass (c) (w/JJ Dillon) def Dick Slater by DQ in 9:12- Bass is probably best known for his only semi-memorable WWF moment, cutting up Brutus Beefcake's face with a spur before Beefcake's scheduled Intercontinental title match with The Honky Tonk Man at Summerslam '88, opening the door for The Ultimate Warrior. Slater is coming off a run with the US title earlier in the year. Commentary puts Slater over as a "loose cannon" Pillman/Ambrose type character that never really knows what he's doing, he just does it. The first few minutes of the match Slater barely bothers with Bass, he keeps jumping out to go after Dillon. Bold strategy Cotton. Slater tries to stomp Bass while they're in the ropes but the ref physically stops him, allowing Bass to get the edge. Slater gets Bass in the corner and starts punching him. The ref tries to get a rope break, but Slater pushes him out of the ring. Dillon runs in and gets bodyslammed for his trouble. Slater goes to pin Bass but the ref comes back in, calls it off, and awards the match to Bass by DQ. Fugly. Slater was capable of good matches, but he was much better as a heel. 3/4*
The grudge match involving the evil Ruskies is next, so we get this weird placement of the National Anthem. Even weirder is the slow, somber solo trumpet version of it.
Ivan & Nikita Koloff def Ole Anderson & Keith Larson (w/Don Kernodle) in 15:28- Kernodle and Ivan were tag team champs earlier in the year, and when Ivan's nephew Nikita showed up Kernodle helped to train him. After Ivan and Kernodle dropped the belts to Dusty and Fernandez, the Koloffs thanked Kernodle for all his help in true Soviet manner by kicking him to the curb. Larson is Kernodle's "brother", and Ole is involved because reasons. Nikita is greener than....what's something green in Russian culture? Greener than that. But he's got The Look, and he would develop into a solid wrestler. The faces jump before the bell and isolate Ivan. Lots of quick tags and working the arm because Ole's in there. Ole cranks on his armbars so hard you'd think he was taking Ivan's arm off. Ref Tommy Young slides in to count a pin and slides a good five feet and almost out of the ring. Young might be the best ref in the history of the business. Just watch him during a match, he's always busy but not distracting. Ivan gets an eye rake on Ole in and finally tags out to Nikita. Nikita's pretty much got one move right now, the bear hug. Ole is in it forever, gets out, then gets back in again. Finally he's able to power out and get the hot tag to Larson. Donnybrook! Nikita sneaks around outside and takes out Kernodle, and while Young is admonishing him for that Ivan whacks Larson with his chain and gets the pin. The heels continue to beat on Larson after the match until Kernodle makes the save. While the faces were in control it was building up to something pretty decent (Ole could have a decent tag match in his sleep), but after that it became the bear hug fest and not much else. *3/4
NWA World Television Championship: Tully Blanchard (c) def Ricky Steamboat in 13:17- Blanchard had made a habit of taking advantage of the time limit, so this match had what was called the "no run" rule, meaning that if the ref decided Tully was needlessly stalling he could award the match and title to Steamboat. The DQ rule was also waived, meaning Tully could lose the title on a DQ. The personal feud between these two had gotten so heated they agreed to one more stip: both men put $10,000 of their own money up, making an extra $20,000 prize for the winner. Two minutes into the match, it's already by far the best thing on the show. It's full of fire, stiff and high paced. Steamboat is favoring the ribs from the start and commentary wonders if he came back too soon. Tully sees the target and goes after it. Steamboat counters by trying to wrap Tully up in holds. Tully gets out of a chinlock by wrapping himself over the ropes and punching Steamboat in the ribs. Tully starts keeping his distance and looking for an opening for the ribs, and commentary wonders if he's getting close to the point where the ref could call it stalling. Tully spits in Steamboat's face to rile him up. Mission accomplished. Steamboat unloads with offense, and does a nice Triple H style mist spit right back at Tully's face. Tully's busted open. Steamboat hits big moves like a powerslam and slingshot suplay but can't put Tully away. He knocks Tully out and tries to belly to back suplay him back in, but Tully gets knucks out of his trunks and nails Steamboat with them. Steamboat fights off a superplay attempt and nails a huge big splash off the top, but still only gets 2. Steamboat does a sunset flip, but while the ref is split second distracted Tully gets the knucks out again, whacks Steamboat, and gets the 3. These guys had tremendous chemistry and were working hard to save the show. On the negative side, the whole story about Steamboat's ribs ended up going nowhere, and the culmination of months of chasing by Steamboat was him losing at the biggest show of the year. Perhaps not coincidentally, Steamboat left Crockett for his first WWF run very soon after this. ***1/2
NWA United States Championship: Wahoo McDaniel (c) def Superstar Billy Graham in 4:18- Welcome to the *ahem* grizzled veteran match on the card. Wahoo was a star in multiple NWA territories throughout the '60s, '70s and early '80s and was on his record 5th US title reign. Graham was WWWF Champion under Vince Sr. for about a year in the late '70s, serving as the heel champion in between Bruno Sammartino's last reign and Bob Backlund's first. Graham was also one of the first true "body guys" in wrestling, becoming famous for his chiseled physique. Graham is in his "kung fu" phase here. Wahoo is unusually technically the heel, but both guys take shortcuts. Graham uses a kung fu hair pull. Wahoo gets out of the corner with a Greco Roman eye thumbing. Graham works a full nelson for a while but Wahoo gets out. Wahoo hits Graham with a chop as Graham is coming off the ropes, Graham takes his only bump of the entire match, and Wahoo stacks him up for a pin. Bleh. 1/2*
Tony interviews some personae importante for the world title match. Guest ref Joe Frazier drops a foreshadowing bomb by saying he won't be afraid to stop the match if he has to. And one of the guest judges for the match in case it goes to a time limit draw is....Kyle Petty? It's so early in his career he hasn't won a race yet. How can you judge a world title match if you haven't even won a race? Sadly, he cuts a better promo than Steamboat.
Million Dollar Challenge Match for the NWA World's Heavyweight Championship: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) def "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes in 12:12- As mentioned, famous boxer Smokin' Joe Frazier is your special guest referee. The winner gets both the title and a cool million bucks. Dusty tries to out-robe Flair and fails miserably. Flair is on his gradual heel turn but is still getting face pops. Dusty takes control early. Here come the chops! They save an almost botched leapfrog spot when Dusty stops and gives Flair time to get all the way up. Flair hits the kneedrop and Frazier gives a seriously fast two count. He actually hit three times but Dusty's shoulder was clearly up. Flair lets out a WOOOOOOOOOOO and goes for another knee but Dusty rolls out of it and puts on his figure four. Flair gets the ropes but Dusty fights off all of Flair's comeback attempts and lays in his chops. Flair Flop! Flair Flip! Dusty tries to suplay Flair back in, but Fazier gets right in there and tries to physically stop him. Dusty says "Screw you, boxing guy" and does it anyway. That looked legit on Frazier's part. Did anyone coach him on how to ref a wrestling match beforehand? At least he's slowed his count down. Flair locks in a sleeper but Dusty rolls him out. They fight outside, leading to Flair posting Dusty face first. Dusty gets busted open hardaway over his eye and there's blood everywhere. After he gets back in Frazier stops everything to check the eye but lets it go. Flair starts pounding away at it, so Frazier looks again, consults one of the non-Kyle Petty judges at ringside, and calls the match for Flair. On a regular show that's questionable booking. On your biggest show of the year, it's almost unforgivable. Dusty tries to kill Frazier but some faces come out from the locker room to stop him. I feel pretty comfortable in saying that thanks to the horrible finish cutting it short this is the worst match from Flair's mid-late '80s peak years there is. It's probably literally the only one that doesn't at least hit 3 stars. **1/4
OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- What a horrible slog. After the success of Starrcade '83, the follow up is bogged down by very questionable booking, and a card filled with mediocre talent producing lackluster matches. The show was plagued with technical problems too, mostly commentary often not knowing when a match ended, and the ring announcer getting results wrong or a couple of times not announcing a result at all. From here on the NWA and Crockett would be much more selective as to what talent they booked from outside territories for Starrcade. Still, much better days were ahead. Tully/Steamboat is worth a look, but that's pretty much it.
OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D
