Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin & Sting vs. Eddie Gilbert, Rick Steiner & Larry Zbyszko

Background: There isn’t really much background to this feud but in UWF Michael Hayes and Eddie Gilbert have a long running rivalry. Sting also used to be a part of Eddie Gilberts group so is looking for revenge against Gilbert.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first ever match between these six men.

Starrcade PPV Record: Jimmy Garvin drew his previous Starrcade match. Everyone else wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: Precious is at ringside for Jimmy Garvin whilst Babydoll is in the corner of Larry Zbyszko. Sting and Rick Steiner kick off the match where Steiner gets the first blow in but Sting fires back, knocking Steiner out of the ring and then hitting a dive over the top. All six men then get into it. Jimmy Garvin tags in and the babyfaces lead a fast pace. Michael Hayes is soon legal, laying into Zbyszko before Larry tags out to Eddie Gilbert. The crowd are really hot for all three babyfaces. Jimmy Garvin gets the first near fall of the night on Rick Steiner. Zbyszko finally takes control for his team against Jimmy Garvin. Garvin drew with Brad Armstrong at last years event after going 15 minutes. Steiner, Gilbert and Zbyszko make quick tags to stop Garvin rom making a hot tag. He does finally make the hot tag to Sting who takes on all three opponents until the numbers become too much. Gilbert throws Sting over the top but the referee didn’t see it. We’re told there are only three minutes left on the time limit as Rick Steiner lays into Sting. With two minutes remaining Sting tags in Michael Hayes. Hayes picks up the pace and all six men are in. Hayes hits a big bulldog on Zbyszko and hooks the leg but the foot is on the rope. Gilbert attacks Hayes from behind with one minute to go. Steiner hits a belly to belly suplex for a two count. Gilbert tags in and Hayes hits a sunset flip in a spot that should have got a three count but the referee is too slow and this match is a time limit draw!

Result: Time limit draw.

Review: This was a good match that suffered with a poor finish. I would have preferred to see something more decisive. The babyfaces should have won. But the match had a lot of energy and was the right match to open up and get the crowd going.

Rating: 6.75/10

Dr Death Steve Williams (c) vs. Barry Windham – UWF Championship match

Background: Barry Windham was announced as the number one contender to the Universal Wrestling Federation Championship, a title that Dr Death won from Bubba Rogers at The Great American Bash. Williams and Windham are friends so it’ll be interesting to see if that remains following this match.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two babyfaces.

Starrcade PPV Record: Both men wrestle at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match with Barry Windham being the quicker of the two and Williams being the stronger. The crowd get a little frustrated as the two men mat wrestle. Windham hits a suplex but the match continues to be back and forth. Plenty of “boring” chants in response to the cautious nature of the match. Windham accidentally hits a low blow as he doesn’t duck a leap frog. Williams ducks a cross body and Windham goes flying out of the ring. Barry then gets back into the ring and Dr Death rolls him up for the three. Wow, it’s over.

Result: Dr Death Steve Williams wins by pinfall.

Review: This was really not good. And the crowd didn’t like it either. It was short, it was slow, there was no chemistry, the finish came out of nowhere. It was really bad.

Rating: 1.5/10

The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) – Skywalkers Match

Background: This rivalry has raged on for years with the tag team titles going back and forth between them. It feels like the biggest tag team rivalry over the past few years and finally it comes to a head in the most dangerous match of all.

Previous PPV matches: These two men have wrestled twice at major events before, both on the 1987 Great American Bash tour and the Rock N Roll Express won both of those by disqualification.

Starrcade PPV Record: The Rock N Roll Express are 2-0 at Starrcade, Bobby Eaton is 0-2 and Stan Lane wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: All four men star climbing the scaffold. Except for Ricky Morton who gets attacked by Big Bubba in the ring. That leaves Robert Gibson atop the scaffold and he gets attacked by Bobby and Stan! Ricky fights back, taking out Bubba and then Jim Cornette with his tennis racket before climbing to the top of the scaffold. Morton lays into both opponents with the tennis racket. These matches are so tense. Eaton throws powder in the eyes of Ricky Morton. All four men continues to battle on top of the scaffold. Stan Lane starts to climb down as Bobby Eaton smashes Robert Gibson with the racket. Lane attempts to monkey bar across the scaffold but with help from Ricky Morton he drops down to the mat below. That means Bobby Eaton is left on his own. Eaton soon finds himself hanging from the scaffold and he is kicked down by Robert and Ricky to end the match. Big Bubba then climbs up and goes toe to toe with Ricky Morton. Morton hits a low blow and escapes with Robert Gibson.

Result: The Rock N Roll Express win the match.

Review: This was a fun match. There is that added element of danger with these scaffold matches and you’re never quite sure what will happen. The Rock N Roll Express win the match much to the crowds enjoyment. Bobby and Stan have to drop a long way and last year Jim Cornette blew out his knee dropping from that fall. I do like these matches though. A big win for Ricky and Robert.

Rating: 6.5/10

Nikita Koloff (c) vs. Terry Taylor (c) – NWA Television Championship vs. UWF Television Championship unification match

Background: With Jim Crockett buying out UWF he has taken on a lot of wrestlers and a lot more titles. One of these title sis the UWF Television Championship held by Terry Taylor. Taylor, and his friend Eddie Gilbert think there is one room for one Television title and they went as far as to steal Nikita’s title. After tonight there will only be one Television Championship as the two titles with be unified.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

Starrcade PPV Record: Nikita Koloff is 1-1-1, Terry Taylor is 0-1.

Match: Eddie Gilbert is in the corner of Terry Taylor. Terry hits an arm drag in the opening moments of the match but Nikita Koloff no-sells. Koloff uses his strength to knock down Taylor and bully him around the ring. Nikita uses lots of wrestling holds, armbars and hammerlocks, out-wrestling Terry Taylor. Taylor takes control with a rake of the eyes but misses with an elbow drop allowing Koloff to go back to the armbar. Nikita looks for the Russian Sickle clothesline but Taylor ducks it and Koloff bounces into the corner. Terry Taylor takes the fight to the outside, smashing Nikita off the barricade and ringpost. Terry works the arm of Nikita and Eddie Gilbert soon gets involved too, smashing Koloff’s arm off the ring apron. Both men exchange pinfalls but there’s no finish yet. Taylor keeps control with help from Eddie Gilbert. We don’t see it but we’re told that Eddie hits Nikita with a chair to the knee. Taylor then locks on a figure four but Nikita breaks out. Eddie Gilbert then gets involved again but this time Terry Taylor accidentally knocks him off the apron. Nikita hits the Russian Sickle and gets the 3!

Result: Nikita Koloff wins the unified Television Championship by pinfall.

Review: This match was decent enough. It was a back and forth match, following a similar structure we see in the modern day. Plenty of heel tactics and involvement from Eddie Gilbert. Nikita Koloff won in the end, we’re yet to see a heel win tonight. I like Nikita winning, he’s a great champion. I like how this match went to the outside, we haven’t seen too much of that so far tonight. I’m not sure about Terry Taylor as a heel, I think he’ll turn on Eddie Gilbert soon and have a babyface run. I actually wouldn’t mind seeing Nikita turn heel.

Rating: 6/10

Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (c) vs. The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) – NWA Tag Team Championship match

Background: Arn and Tully won the tag team championships from The Rock N Roll Express a couple of months ago. They now to defend against the number one contenders, The Road Warriors who are wrestling tonight in their hometown of Chicago.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match between this combination of teams.

Starrcade PPV Record: Arn Anderson is 1-1, Tully Blanchard is 2-1, Animal and Hawk are 1-0.

Match: Arn Anderson and Hawk kick off the match. Hawk shows off his awesome strength in the early going. Paul Ellering and JJ Dillon get in each others face outside the ring. Tully tags in and keeps trying to run away but both Animal and Hawk make sure that doesn’t happen. It’s all Animal and Hawk in the early going. Hawk spits his chewing gum out in the direction of JJ Dillon. He then clotheslines both Arn and Tully down as they attempt a double team. Animal impressively presses Anderson and Hawk tries the same on Tully but Anderson chop blocks Hawk. This allows Tully to take control for the first time in this match. Blanchard applies a figure four but Hawk breaks it up. Hawk makes a hot tag to Animal and all hell breaks loose with all four men. Tully barges the referee out of the ring, that didn’t look like an accident. Animal back body drops Anderson over the top before The Road Warriors hit their double clothesline off the top for the win! But the initial referee Tommy Young says that Arn and Tully win by disqualification because of Animal sending Anderson over the top rope!

Result: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard retain the tag team championships by disqualification.

Review: This was a good match but not a great one. I did think it was too early for Arn and Tully to drop but at some point the Road Warriors have to win the titles. There was some good action in this one and some solid tag team wrestling from both teams. This feud is far from over and I’m here for the next chapter.

Rating: 6.75/10

Lex Luger (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes – Steel Cage match for the United States Championship

Background: Lex Luger won the United States Championship on the Great American Bash tour from Nikita Koloff. Since then Lex has targeted Dusty knowing that if he beats Rhodes it would cement his legacy. Rhodes has won every NWA Championship except the United States title so looks to complete the collection tonight.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

Starrcade PPV Record: Dusty Rhodes is 1-2, Lex Luger makes his Starrcade debut tonight.

Match: If Dusty Rhodes loses this match then he cannot wrestle in the NWA for 90 days. Johnny Weaves holds the key to the cage. This is a huge match for a relative newcomer in Lex Luger. We get some posing from both men in the early going. Dusty hits some if his trademark jabs and a bionic elbow. Rhodes then looks for the “Weaverlock”, the sleeperhold that Johnny Weaver had taught Dusty but Luger breaks out. Dusty’s offence is more mat-based from here, applying armbars and hammerlocks, really slowing down the pace of the match. It’s not long before Dusty is bleeding as Luger takes control. Luger works a slow pace too, hitting an elbow drop for a two count. Rhodes hits a dropkick but hurts himself so Lex hits a backbreaker then then looks for the torture rack but Dusty manages to escape. Dusty gets frustrated, pushing the referee away as Luger applies an armbar. Rhodes then fires up with jabs and a DDT for a near fall. Dusty applies the Weaverlock but on the outside JJ Dillon knocks out Johnny Weaver with a chair and then throws the chair in the ring. Dusty DDT’s Luger on the chair and pins him for the win!

Result: Dusty Rhodes wins the United States Championship by pinfall.

Review: It’s another big babyface win tonight and it’s Dusty Rhodes who wins the United States Championship tonight. I think I would have preferred to have seen Lex Luger win this one and I’m hopeful that Luger will win the title back. This was a good match as I expected it would be. The finish was good and you wonder if there will be any backlash between Lex Luger and JJ Dillon. There was blood as you’d expect from Dusty Rhodes but none for Luger. I wouldn’t be surprised to see another match between these two men down the line.

Rating: 7/10

Ron Garvin (c) vs. Ric Flair – Steel Cage match for the World’s Heavyweight Championship match

Background: Ronnie Garvin beat Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship a few short months ago. When Starrcade was announced the main event was quickly confirmed to be Ronnie Garvin defending his title against the former champion.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

Starrcade PPV Record: Ronnie Garvin is 1-1, Ric Flair is 2-1-1.

Match: Ron Garvin gets a mixed reaction as he is announced. Ron Garvin gets the first few big shots in despite a couple of trademark chops from Ric Flair. A “Garvin sucks” chant breaks out. I can’t help but think that Garvin is over-achieving by being in this Starrcade main event. Ronnie hits the Garvin Stomp, stomping away at all of Flair’s limbs. Flair hits a low blow to reverse the momentum and then targets the knee of the champion. Ric applies the figure four but Garvin won’t submit so Flair goes back to work on his knee. Garvin fights back, rubbing Flair’s face into the cage and busting him open. You knew there’d be blood from Flair. Ronnie Garvin then applies a figure four and Flair sells like he always does. Flair won’t submit so Ronnie goes up top and hits a cross body for a near fall. Both men fight on the top rope until Garvin crotches Flair. Garvin then looks for a sunset flip but Flair sits down, holding on to the top rope which the referee sees. Flair sends Ronnie into the referee but Garvin lays Flair out with a big right hand. The referee gets up and counts the two. Flair sends Garvin into the cage and pins him for the three! Ric Flair wins and gets a huge cheer!

Result: Ric Flair wins the World Heavyweight Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a good match, probably the best of the night. Ric Flair wins the World Heavyweight Championship which was the right call and gets cheered like a babyface. It was back and forth but Ric Flair just elevates any match he’s involved with. He’s been World Champion for the majority of the past 6 years and it’s strange seeing anyone else with the title.

Rating: 7.25/10