Starrcade (1983)

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Starrcade (1983)
Details
Promotion National Wrestling Alliance[1]
Date November 24, 1983[2]
Venue Greensboro Coliseum[2]
City Greensboro, North Carolina[3]
Attendance 15,447[4]

Starrcade '83: Flare for the Gold was the first annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) banner. It took place on November 24, 1983 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The main event was a steel cage match between Ric Flair and Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Their feud began after Race won the title in June, and saw Race attempt to put Flair out of professional wrestling. Their feud continued briefly after the event. The event also included a match featuring Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood against Jack and Jerry Brisco for the NWA World Tag Team Championship and a Dog Collar match between Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine.[2][5]

Contents

[edit] Report

[edit] Background

Harley Race, in his seventh reign as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion
Harley Race, in his seventh reign as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion

Starrcade was headlined by the feud between Ric Flair and Harley Race over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. On June 10, Race defeated Flair to win the title for a seventh time. To avoid losing the title, Race offered a $25,000 bounty to have Flair put out of professional wrestling. On August 31, Bob Orton, Jr. and Dick Slater attacked Flair and inflicted what appeared to be a severe neck injury with an aided piledriver. They collected the bounty from Race, and Flair soon announced his retirement from professional wrestling. The retirement, however, was a ruse, and Flair eventually returned on September 21 by attacking Orton and Slater with a baseball bat. Flair was awarded a rematch for the title at Starrcade.[6][7]

Jim Crockett Promotions was awarded the title match between Flair and Race by the NWA Board of Directors, and Starrcade was created to feature the match, as well as to end other major feuds across its territory.[6] The event was arranged to be broadcast on closed-circuit television in arenas around the promotion's regular tour stops to allow more fans to view it. It drew 30,000 viewers in closed-circuit locations throughout the territory, and broadcasting on closed-circuit television was popularized by its use for the event.[3][5]

[edit] Event

The first match was between The Assassins (#1 and #2) and the team of Rufus R. Jones and Bugsy McGraw.[1] The match started with McGraw and Jones in control over The Assassins until #1 performed an eye rake to Jones. After repeated attacks by #2, Jones fought back with a headbutt. McGraw tagged in and attacked both of The Assassins. McGraw performed an atomic drop to #2, and #1 tagged in, undetected by McGraw. McGraw performed a back body drop to #2, and #1 performed a roll-up from behind, pinning him to win the match. The second match was between the team of Johnny Weaver and Scott McGhee, and the team of Kevin Sullivan and Mark Lewin (accompanied by Gary Hart). The match started back and forth until Sullivan and Lewin gained the advantage over McGhee. McGhee and Weaver fought back when Weaver performed a bulldog to Sullivan. Weaver attempted another bulldog, but Sullivan shoved him into the corner. Lewin performed a diving knee drop to Weaver's left arm as Hart and Sullivan held onto him. Lewin then pinned Weaver to win the match. After the match, McGhee attacked Lewin, Sullivan and Hart, but was soon beat down. Sullivan and Lewin attacked and lacerated McGhee's forehead with a foreign object from Hart. Angelo Mosca attempted to help, but was also attacked.

Other on-screen talent
Role: Name:
Commentator Bob Caudle[8]
Gordon Solie[8]
Interviewer Barbara Clarey[8]
Tony Schiavone[8]
Referee Sonny Fargo
Stu Shwartz
Tommy Young
Ring announcer Tom Miller

The third match was between Carlos Colon and Abdullah the Butcher. The match started with Abdullah dominating Colon with the use of a weapon. Colon fought back with punches and used Abdullah's weapon on him. Abdullah knocked down the referee, and Colon applied the figure four leglock. Hugo Savinovich entered the ring and hit Colon with a foreign object, allowing Abdullah to pin Colon and win the match. The fourth match was between the team of Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood, and the team of Dick Slater and Bob Orton, Jr. Youngblood had the early advantage over Slater until Slater performed a Russian legsweep. Slater and Orton then dominated Youngblood and McDaniel until Slater accidentally hit Orton. Youngblood performed dropkicks to Slater and Orton, but they double-teamed him. They placed Youngblood on the top turnbuckle, and Orton performed a superplex. He then pinned Youngblood to win the match. After the match, Slater and Orton beat down McDaniel, and attacked his left arm with a diving knee drop.

The fifth match was a Title vs. Mask match between Charlie Brown and The Great Kabuki (accompanied by Gary Hart). Kabuki's NWA Television Championship was defended in the first fifteen minutes, and Brown's mask was defended for the entire match. The match started with Brown having the advantage with the use of the ringpost and a steel chair. Brown applied the sleeper hold, but Kabuki fought back and applied the clawhold. Kabuki missed a kick in the corner, and Brown pinned him after an elbow drop to win the match and the title. The sixth match was a Dog Collar match between Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine. The match started back and forth, with Valentine targeting Piper's injured left ear. Piper gained the advantage until Valentine choked Piper with the chain and targeted his left ear. This caused Piper to have trouble standing. The match went back and forth until Valentine performed an elbow strike from the turnbuckles and an elbow drop. Valentine climbed the turnbuckles again, but Piper pulled him down. After delivering punches with the chain, Piper pinned Valentine with the chain wrapped around his legs. After the match, Valentine attacked Piper and choked him with the chain.

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

The seventh match was between the team of Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat, and the team of Jack and Jerry Brisco for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. The match started back and forth until Jack performed a double underhook suplex to Steamboat. The Briscos had the advantage until Jerry complained to and shoved the referee after a near-fall. The referee shoved Jerry down, and Youngblood and Steamboat gained the advantage. Youngblood pinned Jerry after an aided splash to win the title. After the match, the Briscos attacked Youngblood, Steamboat and the referee until they eventually fought back.

The main event was a steel cage match between Ric Flair and Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match began with Flair having the advantage with the side headlock. Race fought back by targeting Flair's head and neck. Race performed a piledriver, and sent Flair's head into the cage. Flair fought back by reversing an Irish whip into the corner. Flair performed a piledriver and a double underhook suplex, and sent Race's head into the cage. After a belly to back suplex, Flair applied the figure four leglock. Race broke the hold by rolling into the ropes, and fought back with a diving headbutt. As Race applied the side headlock, Flair sent Race's head into the referee's head. Flair then performed a diving crossbody, and pinned Race to win the match and the title.[6][8]

[edit] Aftermath

After Starrcade, Ric Flair and Harley Race continued to wrestle each other in many matches in early 1984. On March 21, Race won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Flair, but lost it back to Flair two days after. Race would not win the title again,[9] and his loss to Flair at Starrcade was seen as the torch-passing from Race to Flair.[8][10] Flair largely credited Race for igniting his career. The match also secured Flair as the long-term champion,[5][6] and Flair continued his success, winning the title a total of ten times, the record for the most reigns as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion.[9] At the end of Starrcade, Dusty Rhodes made a challenge to Flair for the title. This led to their title match at the following year's Starrcade.[11]

[edit] Results

Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.

[edit] See also

Professional wrestling
Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Furious, Arnold (2007-12-28). The Furious Flashbacks – NWA Starrcade ’83. 411mania. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  2. ^ a b c "Flair defeats Race for wrestling title", Greensboro Daily News, 1983-11-25, p. D3. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 
  3. ^ a b Wrestling History. Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Retrieved on 2008-05-23.
  4. ^ "Flair defeats Race for wrestling title", Greensboro Daily News, 1983-11-25, p. D3. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. "A sellout crowd of 15,447 was on hand for the night's competition." 
  5. ^ a b c Molinaro, John (1999-12-17). Starrcade, the original "super card". SLAM! Sports. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  6. ^ a b c d (2003-11-18). The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection [DVD]. World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  7. ^ Ric Flair: Now and Always 'The Man'. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Adamson, Matt (2008-01-17). Going Old School: Starrcade '83. 411mania. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  9. ^ a b World Heavyweight Championship. National Wrestling Alliance. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  10. ^ Harley Race. Kayfabe Memories. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
  11. ^ Adamson, Matt (2008-01-26). Going Old School: Starrcade '84. 411mania. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.

[edit] External links

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