Starrcade (1987)

Starrcade (1987)
Tagline(s)	Chi-Town Heat
Information
Promotion	National Wrestling Alliance[1]
Date	November 26, 1987[1]
Attendance	8,000[1]
Venue	UIC Pavilion[1]
City	Chicago, Illinois[1]
Pay-per-view chronology
Starrcade (1986) Starrcade (1987) Bunkhouse Stampede
Starrcade chronology
Starrcade (1986) Starrcade (1987) Starrcade (1988)

Starrcade '87 was the fifth annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance banner. It took place on November 26, 1987 from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first NWA event to be broadcast live on pay-per-view.^{[note 1]} This was the first major JCP event to feature wrestlers from the Universal Wrestling Federation, which was purchased by JCP shortly before the event.^[1][2]

The main event was a steel cage match between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. After the event, Flair feuded with Sting. The event also included a steel cage match between Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship, a match between The Road Warriors and the team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship, and a match between Nikita Koloff and Terry Taylor to unify the NWA World Television Championship and the UWF World Television Championship.^[2]

Background

Ron Garvin as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion

Starrcade was headlined by the match between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The booking committee wanted to end Flair's reign as the champion, but their top preferences of who to be the new champion could not be chosen due to the circumstances. Garvin was chosen instead, and he defeated Flair to win the title on September 25.^[3] He was not well accepted as the champion by fans.^[1][4]

Jim Crockett Promotions had previously only broadcast Starrcade on closed-circuit television while the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a competitor, had started to broadcast events on pay-per-view in 1985 with WrestleMania, and was very successful.^[5] The 1987 Starrcade was the first pay-per-view event of the National Wrestling Alliance. To compete with Starrcade, the WWF introduced the Survivor Series event, and held it on the same night as Starrcade. The WWF also limited the amount of pay-per-view providers that would carry Starrcade by not allowing providers to carry WrestleMania IV if they did not carry Survivor Series exclusively. Only a small amount of providers carried Starrcade, and it drew a 3.30 buy rate while Survivor Series drew a 7.0 buy rate.^[1][4]

Event

The first match was between the team of Eddie Gilbert, Rick Steiner and Larry Zbyszko and the team of Sting, Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin. Sting, Hayes and Garvin had the early advantage until Zbyszko performed a front powerslam to Garvin. Zbyszko, Gilbert and Steiner dominated Garvin until Sting tagged in. Sting fought off Zbyszko, Gilbert and Steiner until Zbyszko performed an eye rake. Sting was dominated until Hayes and Gilbert tagged in. All wrestlers came in, and Hayes, Sting and Garvin performed mounted punches. Zbyszko, Gilbert and Steiner had the advantage after Gilbert performed an axe handle to Hayes. Hayes fought back with the small package on Gilbert. As Hayes had Gilbert in the sunset flip, the match ended in a time-limit draw.

The second match was between Barry Windham and Steve Williams for the UWF Heavyweight Championship. The match started back and forth until Williams applied the side headlock. Windham failed to break the hold with several throws. After breaking the hold, Williams attempted to jump over Windham, but Windham's head hit Williams' groin. Williams recuperated, and Windham leaped at Williams. Williams avoided it, and Windham fell outside the ring. After Windham came back into the ring, Williams pinned Windham with an Oklahoma roll to win the match, and retain the title.

The third match was a Skywalkers match between The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) (accompanied by Jim Cornette and Big Bubba Rogers) and The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson). The match started with Rogers attacking Morton, as Gibson was double-teamed on the scaffold. Rogers attempted to climb the scaffold, but Morton attacked him, Lane and Eaton with Cornette's tennis racket. Eaton fought back by throwing powder at Morton and Gibson. The teams went back and forth until Lane climbed under the scaffold. Morton followed Lane, and pushed him off. Morton and Gibson then attacked Eaton until he fell, and The Rock 'n' Roll Express won the match.

The fourth match was between Nikita Koloff and Terry Taylor (accompanied by Eddie Gilbert) to unify the NWA World Television Championship and the UWF World Television Championship. The match started with Koloff targeting Taylor's left arm. Taylor gained the advantage by sending Koloff's head into the guard rail outside. Taylor then targeted Koloff's left arm and shoulder with the use of the ringpost. Gilbert attacked Koloff's left knee with a steel chair, and Taylor applied the figure four leglock. After Taylor accidentally knocked Gilbert off the apron, Koloff performed a Russian Sickle, and pinned Taylor to unify the titles.

The fifth match was between The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal) and the team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. The Road Warriors had the early advantage. As Hawk had Blanchard in the gorilla press, Anderson attacked Hawk's left knee. Anderson and Blanchard targeted the knee with the use of the ringpost and a steel chair. Anderson attempted a seated senton, but Hawk raised his knees, and hit Anderson's groin. The Road Warriors gained the advantage, and Blanchard knocked the referee outside the ring. Animal sent Anderson outside the ring with a back body drop, and performed a Doomsday Device on Anderson with Hawk. Animal then pinned Anderson with replacement referee Earl Hebner counting the pin. The original referee (Tommy Young) reversed the decision, and the Road Warriors were disqualified for Animal sending Anderson outside the ring. Anderson and Blanchard won the match, and retained the title.

Ric Flair, after winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time

The sixth match was a steel cage match between Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger (accompanied by James J. Dillon) for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship. Johnny Weaver held the key to the cage. Rhodes would be suspended for ninety days if he lost. The match started back and forth until Luger sent Rhodes' head into the cage, and grinded his head against it. Luger attacked Rhodes' left arm until Rhodes fought back, and applied the sleeper hold. Dillon attacked Weaver with a steel chair, and took the key. As the referee attempted to stop Dillon from unlocking the door, Luger ran into him, and Dillon threw in the chair. Luger attempted to pick it up, and Rhodes performed a DDT on the chair. Rhodes then pinned him to win the match and the title.

The main event was between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Garvin had the advantage with forehand chops, mounted punches and the Garvin Stomp. After they exchanged chops, Flair performed a low blow and an inverted atomic drop. Flair targeted the left leg, and applied the figure four leglock after a shin breaker. Garvin fought back after blocking Flair's attempts to send his head into the cage. Garvin attacked Flair using the cage, and applied the figure four leglock. Garvin performed a diving crossbody, and continued to attack Flair using the cage. As Garvin performed mounted punches, Flair countered with an inverted atomic drop. Flair then reversed an Irish whip, sent Garvin's head into the cage, and pinned him to win the match and the title.^[1][6]

Aftermath

Ron Garvin's reign as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion lasted for two months, and he never regained the title again. Ric Flair was in his fifth reign as the champion, and would remain the champion for over a year.^[3] In early 1988, Sting, who was rising to stardom, challenged Flair to a match at the first Clash of Champions. Flair accepted, and fought Sting for 45 minutes to a time-limit draw. The event was very successful, and the match made Sting a huge star.^[7][8] Sting continued to wrestle in many matches against Flair, as well as the other members of the Four Horsemen, and their rivalry continued for over ten years.^[9]

After Starrcade was outperformed by Survivor Series, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) continued to compete. When JCP chose to hold the Bunkhouse Stampede pay-per-view event in January 1988, the WWF created the Royal Rumble event, a television special, and held it on the same night as Bunkhouse Stampede. In return, JCP created the first Clash of Champions, also a television special, and held it on the same night as WrestleMania IV. Clash of Champions was a success, and drew a large cable rating.^[4][10]

Results

Notes

References

External links

• Starrcade 1987 review at 411mania
• Starrcade 1987 review at The Powerdriver Review