|Date: November 27, 1986
|Venues: Greensboro Coliseum Complex & Omni Coliseum |Cities: Greensboro, North Carolina & Atlanta, Georgia
|Attendance: 30,000 (combined)
|tweet me: @BastionBlogger
Tom Miller welcomes us to the show, we get the American National Anthem and then Tony Schiavone and Rick Stewart say hello before throwing to Bob Caudle and Johnny Weaver.
Tim Horner & Nelson Royal vs. Don & Rocky Kernodle
Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these four men.
Starrcade PPV Record: Rocky Kernodle is the only man to have fought at a Starrcade before, he was wrestling as Keith Larson then and he lost his previous match.
Match: Tim Horner and Rocky Kernodle kick off the match and they look like generic create-a-wrestlers. They start the match in quick fashion though with plenty of counters. Don Kernodle tags in and hits a powerslam on Horner for a two count. Nelson Royal tags in, he’s usually one to tag with Sam Houston. He looks about 80. The pace slows down with Royal and Don Kernodle in the ring. It’s back and forth between the two veterans and Royal tags Horner back in. Nelson Royal applies a sleeper to Don Kernodle but Don tags in Rocky who comes in off the top rope with a sunset flip for a near fall. Ricky misses with a cross body and Nelson tags in Tim Horner. Horner takes control but he and Rocky knock each other out. Rocky and Don Kernodle have only been used as jobbers as of late so I’d be surprised if they get the victory. Rocky hits a gorilla press slam on Horner for a near fall. Rocky then looks to roll up Horner but Horner rolls through and gets the three!
Result: Tim Horner and Nelson Royal win by pinfall.
Review: Not the most exciting way to kick off the biggest show of the year but it wasn’t as terrible as some of the matches from this time. It had a fast pace to it and was back and forth. Rocky Kernodle actually looked the most impressive man in the match but it looks as though they’re pushing Tim Horner. A good PPV debut for him.
Rating: 3.75/10
Brad Armstrong vs. Jimmy Garvin
Background: A lot of these matches were seemingly made out of nowhere. Two talented performers in this match but no real build.
Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match for these two men, it’s a PPV debut for Brad Armstrong.
Starrcade PPV Record: Both men wrestle at Starrcade for the first time tonight.
Match: Jimmy Garvin has Precious in his corner. If you know me then you’re know I’m a big Jimmy Garvin guy but I also like the look of Brad Armstrong. It’s a fiery start to the match with both men trying to take control. Brad takes control but slowing down the pace as he does so. The two men exchange armbars and leglocks. Precious gets up on the apron to distract the referee and allow Garvin to cheat. The pace picks up every so often, usually with Brad Armstrong but then we go back to the submissions. Garvin nearly wins the match a couple of times but the referee notices the hands on the tights. Garvin hits a side suplex which is probably the highlight of the match so far. Jimmy throws Armstrong out of the ring and Precious gets in his face. This match could go to the 15 minute time limit. This referee has the worst haircut I’ve ever seen. Garvin dominates the closing stages of the match but can’t keep Armstrong down. The bell rings, the time limis is up.
Result: Time limit draw.
Review: This was a slow match. The last five minutes were better than the opening ten but it wasn’t a match I’d ever want to see again. They obviously thought that because they were going 15 minutes they needed a slow pace so not to tire themselves out. But it was too slow and struggled to keep my attention. They’d have had a better match if there was a winner in half the time. I like both men but this didn’t work.
Rating: 2.75/10
Baron Von Raschke & Hector Guerrero vs. The Barbarian & Shaska Whatley
Background: Baron Von Raschke recently split from Paul Jones’ army and was beaten down by Shaska Whatley, The Barbarian, Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez. Tonight Baron Von Raschke takes on his former stablemates with his random tag team partner of Hector Guerrero.
Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams.
Starrcade PPV Record: The Barbarian is 0-1 at Starrcade, everyone else wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.
Match: The bell rings and both Barbarian and Whatley attack Guerrero before all four men go at it. Hector Guerrero and Shaska Whatley officially kick off the match and it’s all Guerrero. Whatley and Barbarian soon take control and make quick tags. Hector hits a dive to the outside on Barbarian and it gets a huge pop. Johnny Weaver has never seen anything like that before. Shaska and Barbarian go back to dominating Guerrero. Guerrero makes the hot tag to Von Raschke by spitting in Whatley’s face and then flying over to his partner. The Baron fires up on both opponents before applying the claw to Shaska but Barbarian breaks it up. All four men get involved, Whatley misses with a splash in the corner and Baron hits an elbow drop for the three. A tight three count. Shaska and Barbarian attack Von Raschke after the match, Barbarian hitting his top rope headbutt before Hector Guerrero clears the ring.
Result: Baron Von Raschke and Hector Guerrero win the match by pinfall.
Review: This was the best match of the night so far. Hector Guerrero was really impressive and had a fast, high flying style. His suicide dive was impressive. The Barbarian and Shaska Whatley worked perfectly as heels. Baron Von Raschke wasn’t in the match much but he did get the winning pinfall. Revenge for the Baron tonight.
Rating: 5.5/10
Johnny Weaver is hoping to get an interview with Dusty Rhodes but Dusty wants to be left alone.
Ivan Koloff & Krusher Kruschev (c) vs. The Kansas Jayhawks (Bobby Jaggers & Dutch Mantell) – No disqualification match for the United States Tag Team Championships
Background: Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev recently won the United States Tag Team Championships by defeating the Kansas Jayhawks in the final of a tournament. Tonight the Jayhawks get a shot at the champions.
Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams on PPV.
Starrcade PPV Record: Ivan Koloff is 1-1, Krusher Kruschev is 1-0. The Kansas Jayhawks wrestle at Starrcade for the first time tonight.
Match: Ivan Koloff and Dutch Mantell kick off the match and Dutch takes control before tagging in Jaggers. It’s a fast paced start to the match with some quick tags from the challengers. Krusher Kruschev tags in and takes control for his team. The Jayhawks use heel tactics to double team Krusher. I”t’s a back and forth match and because of it being a no disqualification match there isn’t much in the way of wrestling holds. The fight goes to the outside where Ivan Koloff smashes Dutch Mantell into the barricade. The Russians take control from here, hitting plenty of double team moves. Bobby Jaggers tags in and picks up the pace, hitting clotheslines on both opponents. All four men go at it with Dutch and Koloff battling to the outside. Ivan grabs his chain and goes to the top but Mantell whips him with his huge whip. He then whips Kruschev before throwing him out of the ring. Kruschev picks up his chain, hits Mantell with it and then nails Jaggers with it. Koloff pins Jaggers and gets the 3!
Result: Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev retain the US Tag Team Championships by pinfall.
Review: This was a good match. It had a good pace throughout and was back and forth for the most part. I liked the finish, I like The Russians winning and overall it was a really solid tag team match.
Rating: 6/10
Wahoo McDaniel vs. Rick Rude – Indian Strap match
Previous PPV matches: This is a PPV debut for Rick Rude so no previous PPV matches.
Starrcade PPV Record: Wahoo McDaniel is 1-2, Rick Rude makes his Starrcade debut.
Match: Paul Jones is in the corner of Rick Rude for this one. Wahoo McDaniel walks out to the Starrcade theme music. Wahoo takes early control, using the strap to his advantage. Ric Rude lays in some hard right hands, busting rick Rude open. Rude shows off his power, slamming the bigger McDaniel. He then drags McDaniel to two of the turnbuckles but that’s as far as he goes. Wahoo fights back and drags Rude to three of the turnbuckles before Rick kicks him down to the mat. Rude is busted open too. Rude comes off the top with a big knee drop and then attempts a second but Wahoo pulls him down. McDaniel then drags Rude to three of the turnbuckles, Paul Jones gets up on the apron, Wahoo hammers him off and then Rude makes the mistake of nailing McDaniel from behind which sends him into the final turnbuckle for the victory! After the match Rick Rude and Paul Jones beat down Wahoo McDaniel until Hector Guerrero and Baron Von Raschke make the save.
Result: Wahoo McDaniel wins.
Review: This wasn’t an all time classic. It was what we’ve come to expect from a Wahoo McDaniel match, a slow pace and plenty of blood. He never loses Indian strap matches so it was a predictable finish but I would have preferred to have seen Rick Rude win.
Rating: 3/10
Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev are backstage and they hope Nikita Koloff loses tonight against Ric Flair. They want revenge on Dusty Rhodes for poisoning Nikita’s mind. Krusher tells Nikita that if he wins the title tonight then he wants the first shot at the title. They both look forward to the bunkhouse stampede.
Sam Houston (c) vs. Bull Dundee – Central States Championship match
Previous PPV matches: It’s an NWA PPV debut for Bill Dundee tonight so no previous matches,
Starrcade PPV Record: Sam Houston is 0-1, Bill Dundee wrestles his first Starrcade match tonight.
Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match which pits Sam Houstons speed against Bill Dundee’s technical ability. Houston hits head-scissor takedowns, hiptosses and dropkicks. Sam looks for a bulldog but Dundee counters. Dundee takes the fight to the outside but Houston atomic drops him over the barricade. Back in the ring snd Dundee hits s big splash off the top for a near fall. Dundee hits some jabs and gets a near fall. Bill Dundee then walks across the top rope and hits a double axe handle for a two count. The challenger dominates the match for a long time. Houston fires up with the crowd behind him. Bill Dundee looks to apply a leglock but Houston kicks him off, kicking Dundee into the referee. Houstons boot comes off too so Dundee leathers him with it but the referee sees it and calls for the bell.
Result: Sam Houston retains the Central States Championship by disqualification.
Review: This match wasn’t terrible. It was a mix of styles with a varying pace. Sam Houston was definitely over with the crowd. I’m not sure ho much heat Bill Dundee has. I wasn’t interested in the title that was on the line either.
Rating: 3.5/10
Jimmy Valiant vs. Paul Jones – Paul Jones vs. Big Mama’s hair, with Manny Fernandez locked in a shark cage
Background: This rivalry has been going on for year. At The Great American Bash earlier this year Paul Jones defeated Jimmy Valiant which meant Valiant had to have his head shaved bald. Valiant thought it was all over until Big Mama offered to put her hair on the line if he was to get beaten by Jones again. but if Jimmy wins then he finally gets to shave Paul Jones bald.
Previous PPV matches: This is the 4th PPV match between these two men. Paul Jones has won 2 of the previous 3 and Jimmy Valiant won the other.
Starrcade PPV Record: Jimmy Valiant is 2-1, Paul Jones is 1-0.
Match: Manny Fernandez refuses to go in the shark cage until the babyface locker room pours out and Wahoo McDaniel chops him into the cage. It is all Jimmy Valiant in the early going as Manny Fernandez watches from his suspended cage. Behind the referees back Paul Jones nails Jimmy with a foreign object. Valiant is busted open but he doesn’t give up. Jones hits him again with the foreign object and against Valiant kicks out of the pinfall. Jimmy counters an Indian deathlock and fires up. He applies a sleeper and Jones pulls out his foreign object. Valiant manages to get it out of his hands, nail it with him in front of the referee and pin him for the three!
Result: Jimmy Valiant wins by pinfall.
Review: This was the standard match we’ve come to expect from these two men. I can’t actually believe how long this rivalry has been going on for and how many times we’ve seen it on major shows now. Jimmy Valiant finally gets the victory though and surely this has to be the end of this rivalry. It wasn’t a bad match, if anything it was a bit short.
Rating: 3.75/10
After the match Jimmy Valiant shaves Paul Jones head. Rick Rude and Manny Fernandez then attack Jimmy Valiant and hit a double DDT onto a chair.
Nelson Royal tells us all about the Bunkhouse Stampede.
With the Crockett Cup 1987 not too far away we’re shown some highlights from last years event.
Ronnie Garvin vs. Big Bubba – Louisville Street Fight
Background: Big Bubba, who has been serving as the bodyguard to Jim Cornette, attacked Ronnie Garvin along with the Midnight Express. Big Bubba would dive off the top rope with a huge splash. Tonight the two men meet in what is Big Bubba’s PPV debut.
Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match for Big Bubba so no previous matches between the two.
Starrcade PPV Record: Ronnie Garvin is 1-0 having wrestled as Miss Atlanta Lively at last years event.
Match: Big Bubba has Jim Cornette in his corner. Ronnie Garvin his some of his trademark right hands but can’t knock Bubba down. It takes a few but one finally knocks Bubba out of the ring. bubba uses his power to out-muscle Garvin but Garvin uses his brain and throws a drink in the face of his opponent but laying in right hands much to the delight of the crowd. Bubba fights back and hits Garvin with a right hand full of coins. Garvin is busted open now. The rules to this are similar to a last man standing match with the idea to knock your opponent down for a count of 10. Garvin pulls some rope out of his boot and wraps it round Bubba. The two men fight to the outside where Jim Cornette screams at his man. Bubba heads to the top but Garvin throws him down to the mat. Bubba throws Garvin into the referee then Garvin hits the big man with a piledriver. Jim Cornette nails Garvin with his tennis racket. The referee gets up and counts to 10, counting both men out. It’s announced that the first man to his feet will win the match, Ronnie gets up but Bubba distracts the referee which allows Cornette to nail Garvin with his tennis racket. Big Bubba gets up and is declared the winner!
Result: Big Bubba wins.
Review: This was a fun match. Definitely one of the better matches so far tonight. These two men had chemistry. I like Garvin against the bigger man, he’s tough enough that you know he’s got a chance. This is a huge win for Big Bubba tonight though in his PPV debut. I’m surprised at the result, I thought Garvin would take it. Big Bubba could be a big player going forward.
Rating: 6.5/10
Dusty Rhodes (c) vs. Tully Blanchard – First Blood match for the Television Championship
Previous PPV matches: These two men met at The Great American Bash 1875 and that night Dusty beat Tully Blanchard.
Starrcade PPV Record: Both men are 1-1 at Starrcade events. I am counting Dusty’s match against Ric Flair at Starrcade 85 as a win because as far as the night was concerned, he won.
Match: JJ Dillon is in the corner of Tully Blanchard for this one. Dillon puts some protective head gear on Blanchard but referee Earl Hebner tells him to take it off. Dillon then puts vaseline on the face of Tully but Hebner rubs it off! Dusty then takes a couple of shots at JJ, busting him open! There’s plenty of showboating from Dusty Rhodes in the early going. It’s a cagey start to the match with Blanchard attempting to avoid any blow from Rhodes. Dusty takes control early, picking away at Tully who keeps trying to escape. JJ Dillon gets involved, tripping Dusty. The referee gets taken out in the process. Rhodes then picks up JJ’s show, considers hitting Tully with it and then decides against it, hitting a bionic elbow instead and then a flurry of right hands. Blanchard is bleeding but the referee is down. Dillons wipes away the blood and hands Tully some coins which he nails Dusty with! The referee wakes up and sees Dusty bleeding so calls for the bell!
Result: Tully Blanchard wins the Television Championship.
Review: This was a cagey match, not the top quality we could get between the two men but still a decent match. The psychology was good and worked perfectly considering the stipulation. Tully Blanchard gets the win thanks to a boatload of cheating. Dusty loses but he doesn’t come out of this looking weak. An enjoyable match between these two men.
Rating: 6.5/10
The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) vs. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) – Scaffold match
Background: The Midnight Express put Animal on the shelf, attacking and injuring him following a match. Since then the Road Warriors have vowed revenge and came up with the scaffold match, a match where a structure looms over the ring and will inevitably come into play at some point. To win the match you have to throw both of your opponents off the scaffold.
Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two teams.
Starrcade PPV Record: The Midnight Express are 0-1, The Road Warriors wrestle at this event for the first time tonight.
Match: Hawk and Animal immediately climb up the scaffolding as they make their entrance and stand high above the ring. I’m looking forward to this match, I hope it doesn’t disappoint. Loverboy Dennis and Beautiful bobby are reluctant to climb the scaffold but after a short while they make the climb. The bell rings and the two teams start to go at it on the metal that bridges the scaffolding. Condrey throws some powder in the eyes of Hawk and Bobby Eaton does the same to Animal. Hawk is the first man to teeter over the edge. Bobby Eaton nearly falls trying to pull Animal down. Hawk busts Condrey open and Bobby is cut by Animal. Hawk and Dennis Condrey battle below the bridge on the scaffolding itself whilst Animal and Bobby Eaton fight on top of the bridge. Paul Ellering and Jim Cornette watch from below. Hawk kicks Dennis Condrey down and Animal then kicks Bobby Eaton down as he tries to escape!
Result: The Road Warriors win.
Review: I really enjoyed this. It was every bit as tense as I thought it would be. It was a really hard match to execute for the four men involved and they made a spectacle out of it. It wasn’t a wrestling classic but I thought it was great. It was nuts and unlike anything I’ve seen before. The Road Warriors win and how are these men not tag team champions yet? Put the belts on them already!
Rating: 8/10
After the match Paul Ellering chases Jim Cornette up the scaffolding. Cornette is cornered by Animal and ends up hanging off the bridge before dropping and doing some serious damage to his knee.
We see some highlights from The Great American Bash tour earlier this year.
The credits role to acknowledge all of the hard work that has gone into this show.
The Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) (c) vs. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson) – Cage match for the NWA World Tag Team Championship
Previous PPV matches: These two teams previously fought to a draw at The Great American Bash earlier this year.
Starrcade PPV Record: The Rock & Roll Express are 1-0, Arn Anderson is 1-0 and Ole Anderson is 1-1.
Match: Robert Gibson starts the match against Ole Anderson. Gibson uses his speed to avoid the assault from Ole before he tags out to Arn. There’s quick tags between the Andersons in the early going but not because they’re on top. Ricky Morton tags in to a big pop. There’s lots of quick tags between both teams. The Andersons take control and take it in turns to lay into Robert Gibson. Ricky Morton makes a hot tag but can’t gain the advantage for his team. Ricky Morton is busted open and Ole rubs his face against the chainlink. The Andersons continue to double team Ricky Morton, keeping him away from Robert Gibson. Blood runs down the face of Morton. Arn hits one of his trademark spinebusters to Ricky Morton for a near fall. Ole then comes off the top with a flying kneedrop. Morton gets a few right hands in but can’t make the tag to his partner. All hell breaks loose with all four men, Ole scoops Morton up but Gibson hits a dropkick causing Morton to fall on Ole and the referee counts the 3!
Result: The Rock & Roll Express retain the tag team championships by pinfall.
Review: Well this was a good match, dominated by The Minnesota Wrecking Crew. The biggest shock for me was that Ricky Morton didn’t make the hot tag to Robert Gibson! Maybe Gibson was carrying an injury so couldn’t get involved. This one was all about the beating that Morton took. The Rock & Roll Express retain the titles tonight and I did wonder whether The Andersons would win and go on to feud with The Road Warriors. Obviously not. A good win for Ricky & Robert.
Rating: 6.5/10
Ric Flair (c) vs. Nikita Koloff – World Heavyweight Championship match
Background: Nikita Koloff recently sided with Dusty Rhodes in his war against The Four Horseman and as a result of also being United States Champion he has earned himself a shot against Ric Flair in the main event of Starrcade!
Previous PPV matches: Ric Flair beat Nikita Koloff back at The Great American Bash 85.
Starrcade PPV Record: Ric Flair is 2-1, Nikita Koloff is 1-1.
Match: Ric Flair makes his entrance first and then there’s a tribute video to Magnum TA who was supposed to be in the main event tonight. Nikita Koloff is out next to a mixed reaction. For the first half of this match Nikita Koloff is dominate. He throws Ric Flair around, hits him with powerslam and applies bear hugs. He misses with a big clothesline and goes tumbling over the top rope which changes the course of the match and allows Ric Flair to take control. Flair works the legs of Koloff and cheats behind the referees back when he can. The fight goes to the outside where Flair throws Koloff into the scaffold busting the challenger open. Koloff seems to get more angry and takes control of the match again. It’s an interesting dynamic when the heel champion is the smaller underdog. Koloff smashes Flair into the scaffolding and Ric gives himself one of the most blatant blade jobs of the night. Koloff and Flair collide in the ring and the referee eats it too and goes tumbling to the outside. Nikita hits the Russian sickle but the referee is down. A second referee comes out but Koloff accidentally knocks him down with s clothesline. The original referee comes back in the ring but Nikita pushes him away. He tries to break them up again but this time Flair shoves him away. The referee calls for the bell! The heel locker room empties and they all go for Koloff until the babyfaces comes out and even up the odds.
Result: Double disqualification.
Review: This was a pretty decent main event. I felt like a main event and the psychology was decent but it was a hard match to balance with Flair being the heel champion but also the underdog. I like Nikita Koloff, I’m not sure about him as a babyface yet though. Ric is the man and once again he leaves Starrcade as world champion. I guess this rivalry will continue!
Rating: 7/10
And that was Starrcade 1986. It didn’t feel like a terrible show, there was some real high spots but a few bad matches. The opener could have been a dark match to be honest with Tim Horner and Nelson Royal beating the Kernodles. Tim Horner is the guy made to look good coming out of this match and it wasn’t a terrible match but it wasn’t good. Brad Armstrong and Jimmy Garvin had a really disappointing match. The 15 minute time limit draw wasn’t a good idea in hindsight, it was too long a match and they struggled to make it entertaining. A shame because I like both men. Baron Von Raschke and his random tag team partner of Hector Guerrero beat Shaska Whatley and The Barbarian in an average match but it saw Von Raschke get revenge against the men that turned on him. The Russians beat The Kansas Jayhawks in a match that could have gone either way. The Russians are mainstays in Crockett Promotions and I think this rivalry may continue.
Wahoo McDaniel beat Rick Rude in a poor match. Rick Rude is capable of so much more than we saw tonight and I’d like to see him get a big push into the United States Championship division. Wahoo just won’t lose the Indian strap matches. Sam Houston beat Bill Dundee to retain a never before seen title. Hard to care about this match. Jimmy Valiant beat Paul Jones and shaved his head in one of the moments of the night. This has to put an end to this feud which has raged on for years. Valiant finally gets the win. Big Bubba Rogers beat Ronnie Garvin surprisingly. I didn’t see Bubba winning this one but it really puts him over. Garvin is one of the top babyfaces on the roster so should really be protected. Tully Blanchard then beat Dusty Rhodes to regain the Television Championship. I liked this match, it was decent and it had a creative finish. The referee saw Dusty bleeding first and so he lost the match. I’d like to see Dusty in a rivalry with someone besides Ric Flair or Tully Blanchard, he seems to be involved with them all the time. Tully is above the TV title but I don’t mind seeing him with gold.
The Road Warriors beat The Midnight Express in a match I really enjoyed. The scaffold stipulation added so much to this match and you couldn’t look away for a second. The Road Warriors were the right winners and surely it’s only a matter of time until they’re tag team champions. There was a nasty bump at the end with Jim Cornette falling from the scaffolding. I think Bubba was supposed to catch him there but he didn’t. The Rock & Roll Express and Minnesota Wrecking Crew followed the scaffold match and they put on a decent show. Ricky was dominated for most of the match and then got the fall at the end which was a little strange. The hot tag always get a huge pop but we didn’t get it in this match. I expected a title change tonight and the Andersons to be used as transitional champions to get the belts on The Road Warriors but I was wrong tonight. And in the main event Ric Flair and Nikita Koloff wrestled to a draw. I’m not sure why it needed to be a draw but it keeps the rivalry going. And it keeps the title on Flair. A good main event.
Overall Rating: 52.29/100 (ranked 3rd out of 6 NAWA/WCW PPVs reviewed so far)
Match Of The Night: The Road Warriors vs. The Midnight Express
Worst Match Of The Night: Brad Armstrong vs. Jimmy Garvin
Surprise Of The Night: Big Bubba Rogers beats Ronnie Garvin
Worst Booking Of The Night: 15 minute time limit between Brad Armstrong and Jimmy Garvin
Superstar Of The Night: The Road Warriors
Starrcade 86 Will Be Remembered For: The scaffold match
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