Starrcade '94

Legacy Review

Starrcade '94: Triple Threat

December 27, 1994 from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, TN

Commentary: Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

The "triple threat" in the title doesn't refer to a triple threat match but instead, according to WCW at least, the three "main events" on this show involving Hogan, Sting and Vader. The Honky Tonk Man is shown in the opeing video as challenging for the TV title but that's the only time you'll see him on this show. After commentary's intro we get video of Randy Savage's full promo from weekly TV. Savage made his WCW debut earlier in the month, referenced his history with Hogan and said he'll be at Starrcade to either shake Hogan's hand or slap him in the mouth. We get a glimpse of "Santa Claus" in the audience, who's clearly Dave Sullivan but commentary plays dumb. After that commentary cues up video of PWI's '94 year end awards presentation, where Hulk Hogan was named wrestler of the year in an absolute travesty considering the incredible year Bret Hart had over in WWF that year, the best year of overall and consistent match quality in my opinion since Ric Flair's insanely awesome 1989. Turner probably blew half a year's worth of WCW's budget to have PWI's awards go the way they wanted.

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Vader (w/Harley Race) def "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) in 12:06- Commentary talks about Vader winning the #1 contender's match back at Fall Brawl and speculated he's going after the US title to make the powers stop putting him on the back burner. At least they finally remembered that. It's actually not a bad storyline recovery. Vader charges at Duggan on the ramp during Duggan's entrance and it's on. The mask is already off. Vader gets the worst of it on the floor and Duggan uses the time to give Race some shots. Nice to see Race can still do the flip over the top rope. More brawling on the floor. The bell never rang but ref Nick Patrick is acting like the match is official so we roll with it. Vader gets whipped sternum first into the guardrail. Back in Duggan hits mounted punches and clotheslines Vader back 360 to the floor. They go "speed", both duck clotheslines, and Duggan hits a CROSSBODY for 2. What? Duggan slams Vader and gets some more near falls. Continued brawling from Duggan as Vader can't get it going. Finally Vader gets an eye poke to try to get some breathing room. Slugfest. Vader rings Duggan's bell. Duggan gets back in control with more punchy clothesliney offense. He really goes out of his comfort zone to try a falling back elbow off the second rope and Vader easily dodges it. A clothesline to the back of Duggan's head sends him to the floor and into the guardrail. Back in Vader hits an elbow to the gut and short punches to Duggan's ribs. Vader bomb! Cover, Duggan gets a foot on the rope. Vader goes up again. Duggan kicks him in the leg to drop him. Tackle from Vader and Race chokes Duggan. Another slugfest. Vader goes up top. VADERSAULT! Duggan dodges it! Vader gets back up with an avalanche. He goes for another one and Duggan clotheslines him. More Duggan punches and a double ax handle. He gets in the 3 point stance. Clothesline! Race breaks the pin up. Duggan powerslams Vader off the second rope. Cover and Race distracts again. Duggan grabs the ref and cuts off Vader's attempted ambush. Another 3 point stance. Vader dodges and Duggan runs into his own 2x4 that Race is holding up. Wheelbarrow slam, which I guess is Vader's new finisher now, and Vader gets the pin and the title! Decent. Vader did his thing, but Duggan looked more motivated than usual, almost Mid-South Duggan except being a lot more physically limited. **1/2

The Three Faces of Fear cut a promo. They have a tombstone for Hulkamania. Undertaker is on the phone with his lawyers for a gimmick infringement lawsuit.

 

"Das Wunderkind" Alex Wright def Jean-Paul Levesque in 14:03- The future Triple H makes his PPV debut, his only PPV appearance before leaving WCW. On the other side Wright was a highly touted prospect from Germany, only 18 years old and poised for a sizeable push. No reaction for either guy from the crowd, especially Wright. As was his gimmick Wright dances in the ring during his entrance and I immediately think of Shepard's famously awful dancing in Mass Effect. That gets a very small high pitched pop. Levesque plays some lockup games and bows. The next lockup he does an armdrag and bows again. Wright cartwheels out of an arm wringer, hits a dropkick and flying headscissors. Levesque recovers in the corner and Wright leapfrogs over the ref! That gets absolutely no reaction from anyone, especially commentary, which is hilarious. Wright outwrestles Levesque again, they have an obvious miscommunication, and Wright hits another dropkick and armdrag. Commentary talks about Levesque teaming with Steven Regal, which was the plan before Trips left. They do a long sequence of mat wrestling, which is technically sound but also gets the crowd restless for something to happen as they're not invested in either of these guys. Levesque headstands out of a headscissors and punches Wright in the mouth, escalating things and getting the crowd marginally back into it. Levesque stomps away. Spinning heel kick. Snap suplex for 2. Wright tries a crossbody but Levesque dodges and Wright splats on the mat. Wright gets a sunset flip. After a very long fight Levesque punches out. Powerslam for 2. Long setup by Levesque that only leads to the dreaded CHINLOCK. Heenan: "Levesque will be a superstar from '95 on". Yup. Just not for WCW. A Wright comeback attempt is cut off with a dropkick. Tiltawhirl backbreaker. Wright dodges an elbow off the top rope. European uppercuts and a diving back elbow from Wright. Back and forth with good intensity. Midring collision. Wright moonsaults over Levesque in the corner and rolls him up for 3. Solid training match. I don't think either of these guys were PPV ready but I suppose you've got to learn sometime. *3/4

Ad for the next Clash of the Champions, which will be at Caesar's Palace Las Vegas on January 25.

 

WCW World Television Championship: Johnny B Badd (c) def Arn Anderson (w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng) in 12:11- Honky Tonk Man's music starts then stops, then Arn comes out. Commentary is confused. Honky and Bischoff didn't get along from day one and Honky was already gone from the company after barely two months. Good thing you've got a plug and play old pro like Arn to throw in at the last second. Arn complains about Badd's closed fists before the bell even rings. Lockup. Arn hits a shoulderblock and brags. Hair pull takedowns from Arn. Hammerlock exchange. Arn gets a fireman's carry takedown. Badd counters with a headscissors. Arn lifts Badd up, carries him across the ring, places him on the top rope and walks away. Mind games. Badd hits a Japanese armdrag. A dropkick sends Arn to the floor. Badd starts laying in the gold gloves punches. Arn World's Greatest Spinebuster outta nowhere! No cover. What, is that just a transition move now? Arn goes into some typical heel offense and hooks on an abdominal stretch with rope leverage. Badd gets a sunset flip. Arn counters out. They have a leverage fight on the mat. Arn lets go and drops an elbow for 2. Arn sleeper. Badd slips out. Badd sleeper. Arn jawbreakers out. Badd flying headscissors and back elbow for 2. He hits the sunset flip off the top for 2. Arn blocks a monkey flip, stacks Badd up and tries to get a leverage pin but the ref catches him. Badd rolls him up and gets a 3 count. Serviceable thrown together match. **

More PWI awards footage with the Nasty Boys winning tag team of the year. Turner paid for that one too and I'd complain about it, but tag team wrestling in general was in such a sorry state in '94 it's hard to think of anyone more deserving, and the Nastys were part of a couple of genre defining hardcore brawls in the spring.

 

The Nasty Boys def Harlem Heat (w/Sister Sherri) by DQ in 17:49- Sherri was paired with Harlem Heat at the last Clash, a partnership that would move the perennial undercard team to the top of the tag division. In fact, thanks to the magic of pretaping the match where they beat the not booked tonight Stars & Stripes for the tag titles, the first of their record 10 title wins, had already been taped back at the start of the month but wouldn't air on TV until halfway through January. And that's not even close to the craziest pretaping title change those belts will see over the coming months. This is also a rematch from the last Clash. All four guys go nose to nose in the ring and the brawl is on. After a long stall we reset with Booker and Sags. Booker hits a flying forearm and elbow drop for 2. Sags scoops Booker up running and powerslams him. All four guys are in again. Both heels get avalanched. This time the Nastys follow Heat to the floor and the brawl continues. Booker is whipped into a clothesline on the entrance aisle. Sherri gets knocked off the apron as everyone slowly gets back in the ring. Knobbs is hit from behind and goes 360 to the floor. Back in Ray and Knobbs completely lose their place and fumble around awkwardly like a couple of middle schoolers at a school dance. Ray gets pummeled in the face corner. Both heels take Knobbs' arm slam and Booker gets his arm worked over. Commentary is shocked that the Nastys both have a game plan and are using wrestling holds. Ray distracts Sags and Booker dropkicks him in the back, sending him to the floor. Ray and Sags go all the way up the aisle with Ray hitting a bicycle kick. Ray cinches Sags up for a suplex and drops him on the rail legs first. That looked ugly. Booker heel kick on Sags in the ring. Ray hooks on the Nerve Hold of Time Killing +1. Booker gives Sags the scissors kick, which wasn't a finisher yet. He's slow to cover and Sags kicks out. Sags stays in peril with more scintillating rest holds. Both Ray and Booker hook on bear hugs as the match starts to feel like it's slowing down time itself. Sags gets a boot up in the corner and clotheslines Booker with a 360 sell. I think that literally woke the crowd up, and I mean literally. The arena employees were almost passing out pillows. Ray runs in to prevent the tag. Sags double DDT and tag to Knobbs. Knobbs cleans house. One last DONNYBROOK. Sherri gets a can of Farrah Fawcett out of her bag, has a lot of trouble figuring out which end is up, and accidentally gives her own man a couple of squirts. Sags hits an elbow off the top. As he's covering Sherri gives him a splash off the top for a cheap DQ. That was a hell of a long way to go to get to that finish. Long and uneventful. 1/2*

More PWI award footage, with Sting winning most popular wrestler. That one I could believe being legit. Surprised Hogan didn't demand to win that one too.

 

Mr. T def Kevin Sullivan in 3:50- I pity the fool that books Mr. T to wrestle in 1994. How many matches had T had since his WWF appearances in '85-'86? That'd be zero. T was the guest ref in the main event of the last Clash and got into it with Sullivan so here we are. T's in his ref stripes pajamas and nightcap again. Fortunately he loses the cap before the bell. T dodges and gets a hiptoss. "Santa" comes back out and with the camera focused on him we miss a good minute of the match, not like that's a great loss. T hits a headbutt and a bunch of gut punches along with corner whips. Sullivan uses T's tights to pull him down to the floor. They do an extended brawl on the floor, complete with a cameraman getting taken out and even T laying on him for a good while. Jimmy Hart runs out and puts his megaphone into "Santa's" bag. Commentary just figured out it's Evad. When the wrestlers get back in the ring Hart distracts the ref, Evad whacks Kevin with the megaphone stuffed bag, and T covers for the pin. After the bell Kevin attacks his brother, piledrives him in the ring and whips him with his giant Santa belt. DUD

Ad for Superbrawl V on February 19. Heenan's already started drinking in preparation. If you don't get that joke now you will when I do that review. We cut to Hogan and Hart in the back with Mean Gene. Mostly standard fare for the era Hogan stuff. He snaps at Hart and Okerlund for cutting him off before he was done. Wonder if that was legit or not. Then Hogan says he's "shooting with the world" and says everyone knows the personal issues between he and Savage were never resolved. Oh yes, the era of the work shoot shooty work is coming. Hogan also says he's willing to throw the rulebook out the window to deal with the Faces of Fear.

 

Sting def Avalanche (w/Kevin Sullivan) by DQ in 15:26- Like other recent acquisitions, Avalanche's music is straddling the "sounds like his WWF music but not enough to get sued" line. Very slow crowd playing start. Avalanche does the Quake jumps in the middle of the ring. Wonder if that could get WCW sued? Jawing and a lot of shoving. Finally they lock up with Avalanche backing Sting into the corner and hitting some clubbing blows, one of which completely misses. I'm sure the top turnbuckle is bruised after that one. Sting dodges and does some kicks to Avalanche's hamstring. Knucklelock test of strength with Avalanche winning. Sloooooooow Avalanche offense follows. Sting hits some more hammy kicks but there's no follow up. Sting tries a slam and of course it doesn't go well. Avalanche slam and elbow drop for 2. Legdrop. He squashes Sting in the corner Andre the Giant style. Multiple chokes. Sting with a desperation eye rake and yet more hammy kicks. He's staying consistent to his strategy at least. Avalanche falls out to the floor. Reset with an Avalanche headlock. Yes, I know, thrilling. Sting punches Avalanche's hammy to get out. Again, consistent psychology in this match if nothing else. Avalanche kills a running Sting with a clothesline. Powerslam. He tosses Sting around a bit. Big chop and bear hug. Avalanche backs Sting into the corner. Sting jumps on his back with a sleeper! Avalanche backs him into the corner but Sting keeps hooking it back on. Finally Avalanche falls into the ropes. Another slam try and Avalanche falls on Sting for 2. Another powerslam and Avalanche does the stomps to set up the big finish. Then he inexplicably turns around to pose. Sting hits a clothesline. Chop off the top rope. Dropkick. Avalanche and the ref do an obvious setup in the corner and a Stinger splash squashes the ref. Sting gets the body slam and hooks on the Scorpion Death Lock. Sullivan comes in and Sting cuts him off. Avalanche uses Sullivan to squash Sting. Quake splash! Hogan runs out with a chair and chases the heels off. Backup ref Randy Anderson comes out, calls for the bell and gives the match to Sting by DQ. Why not. 1/2*

One last PWI awards clip with Jimmy Hart winning manager of the year. Another one I'm sure Turner stuffed the ballot boxes for. With money. We need a recount.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) (w/Jimmy Hart) def The Butcher in 12:07- It's difficult to see this as anything other than Hogan politicking his best friend into the main event at a major PPV over the heads of the rest of the roster. Hogan still has the chair as he comes out. Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel is in the ring calming Hogan down as Buffer goes through his endless intros. When he announces Hogan, Hogan's music starts up again? The hell? And there's moar pyro. Ref Nick Patrick kicks Sullivan and Avalanche out from ringside before the match starts. Hogan easily wins the first lockups. Butcher gets a thrust to the throat. The fight goes to the floor. Butcher gives Hogan a rail shot and does a lot of back rakes. Lots and lots of back rakes. He chokes Hogan with a mic cord. Hart takes a chair away from Butcher. Hogan comes from behind and gives him an atomic drop. Hogan grabs a chair and whacks Butcher's back. No DQ. He runs the chair into Butcher's head. Still no DQ. Guess we're going with the "it's on the floor so anything goes" theory. Back in Butcher catches Hogan with a high knee, the most athletic thing he does the whole match. More choking. Butcher powerslam. Hogan dodges an elbow off the second rope and does a mini hulk up. Clothesline city and mounted punches. Hogan telegraphs a backdrop and Butcher counters. Time for the Nerve Pinch of Match Killing +2. Eventually Hogan powers out. Butcher hits a double chop to the throat and puts on his sleeper. After a bit Hogan drops. They do the arm drops. On the third Hogan's arm goes about three quarters down. Butcher lets go thinking he's won. Hogan pops right back up, looks, and lays down again, obviously playing possum. Butcher covers him, because the rules say in order to start a full Hulk Up Hogan has to kick out of a pin. And here it is. Point, punches, Sullivan and Avalanche interrupt. Hogan fights both of them off, killing whatever credibility they had in this feud, hits the legdrop and it's over. An absolute utter trash main event for what was nominally still the biggest show of the year. 1/4* and I feel like I'm being generous

After the bell everyone stands off and Randy Savage finally makes his way in. He teases joining the FOF, then attacks them. Hogan and Savage fight everyone off. have a long celebration and shake hands. After that we go back to the locker room. Hogan's promo is interrupted by Vader! He's the long standing #1 contender and the US champ now, and he demands his world title shot. Bockwinkel hedges and Mean Gene acts like his whole life flashed in front of him as we close the show.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- An almost serviceable first half, but the second half was one of the worst runs of matches there's ever been on a major PPV. 1994 as a whole was very much a tale of two halves for WCW. The first half, with Ric Flair on top on screen and booking behind the scenes, was pretty successful despite the loss to career ending injury of two hall of famers in the span of a couple of months (Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat). Then Hogan came in midyear and everything changed. Kevin Sullivan took over the book with Hogan wielding a lot of influence, lots of Hogan's ex-WWF friends were brought in at the expense of some WCW stalwarts, and the overall product took a turn for the worse. Sad to say, 1995 is not going to be much better.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D-