In this Starrcade 1987 review, Ric Flair challenges Ronnie Garvin for the NWA World title in a Steel Cage Match.
Apparently Vince McMahon wanted to squash the NWA on Thanksgiving night in 1987, as he ran Survivor Series head-to-head with this event. He even threatened cable companies not to run Starrcade, or else they’d be left out of the WrestleMania IV viewing party. Classic, Vinnie Mac.
Which show won the battle? Let’s find out.
- Date: November 26, 1987
- Location: Chicago, IL
ANNOUNCE BOOTH: Tony Schiavone is sporting a beautiful mustache and Jim Ross is sitting beside him trying not to laugh.
Sting, Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin, Michael PS Hayes vs. Eddie Gilbert, Rick Steiner, Larry Zbyszko
The lighting is absolutely atrocious. But that’s no shocker given the time period and company. Sting sends this crowd into a frenzy almost immediately by flying over the top and nailing Steiner on the floor. That was awesome. And even a blind man could tell you Sting was a star here.
This is essentially a showcase for Sting to do his thing. It’s a lock of back and forth, and the ring announcer continues to remind us that the 15-minute time limit is getting closer and closer to expiring.
The crowd erupts as Hayes goes for the pin on Zbyszko late, but we get the classic foot on the ropes. The countdown continues and after a couple of near falls, we get Hayes pinning Gilbert at the buzzer but the ref for some reason doesn’t count the three.
Wait that’s right. Because the match has to be a draw at 15:00. This wasn’t great.
BACKSTAGE: Missy Hyatt speaks and no one listens. But hey she was hot.
Barry Windham vs. (c) Steve Williams – UWF Title
Reminder that this was when they were doing the UWF crossover stuff. The UWF was not in great shape at this time. Jim Ross was hyping up the Oklahoma football team even back in 1987. Some things never change.
Schiavone says this could be one of the greatest scientific matches of all time. I’m going to put that theory to the test at the end of this match.
Well it’s not looking good early, Tony. Especially when Williams goes to jump over Windham and instead gets headbutted directly in the testicles before falling to the mat in pain. Williams legitimately gets up and holds his balls for about a minute and the crowd is in full-on hate mode at this point. Williams is clearly injured.
A few minutes later Williams gets the pin at 6:50 in one of the worst matches I’ve ever seen. Schiavone was just a little bit off on his earlier prediction. Just a little. They even turn the lights off after the match and nonchalantly announce Williams as the winner. Brutal.
Midnight Express vs. Rock N Roll Express – Skywalkers Match
This is of course a scaffold match. Big Bubba Rogers (Big Bossman later) is in here beating the hell out of Ricky Morton in the ring. Meanwhile the Midnight Express destroy Gibson until Morton makes it up with tennis racket in hand.
Can we all agree that a scaffold match is one of the dumbest concepts in wrestling history? I get the suspense but it’s just stupid. Gibson and Eaton are busted wide open but unfortunately JR doesn’t yell about crimson masks.
Lane is the first to fall and then Morton and Gibson beat up Eaton with the tennis racket to send him down as well. Rock N Roll with the win at 10:23.
Big Bubba goes up on the scaffold after the match and Morton escapes as always to leave him up there looking like a buffoon. Didn’t hate the match. But didn’t think it was all that great.
BACKSTAGE: Freebirds interview. Garvin at one point says “it’s not my fault.” GARVIN WAS FORESHADOWING THE GENE SNITSKY DEBUT NEARLY 20 YEARS BEFOREHAND. Incredible. Williams then gets interview time and says he’ll go 210% to keep his UWF title. Well unless he gets headbutted in the scrotum.
(c)Terry Taylor vs. (c) Nikita Koloff – Unification Match for NWA TV Title
Champion vs. champion match here. Taylor had the UWF TV title while Koloff had the NWA one.
So let’s just say this: the match has some slow spots, but overall, it is simply outstanding. Koloff was always one of my favorites due to his general badassness, and it was no different in this match. An incredible back and forth match that has the hot payoff of Koloff unifying the belts.
Well done on all fronts. Crowd ate it up with a spoon.
The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) vs. (c) The Brain Busters (w/JJ Dillon) – NWA Tag Team Titles
Road Warriors vs. Brain Busters in 1987? SIGN ME UP. The match starts with the level of heat that you’d expect from a hometown match for Hawk and Animal.
At one point Animal goes full shoulder press mode and starts pressing Arn above his head. That was a neat visual. Kids, this was also back in the day when there was no padding outside the ring. So when these dudes hit the floor, they really hit the floor. Even the referee takes a floor bump. Straight up mayhem.
After ther ref bump, the Road Warriors hit the Doomsday Device and win the titles at 13:27 as the crowd LOSES THEIR MINDS.
But wait. Tommy Young (the original referee) overturns the Earl Hebner (who came in when Young was out on the floor) decision and DQ’s the Warriors for throwing their opponent over the top rope. DUSTY FINISH AT ITS FINEST. Crowd goes apeshit.
Good match, but as always, the Dusty finish leaves a lot to be desired.
BACKSTAGE: Nikita Koloff basically says that he’s a badass. “To be the only TV champion, make my heart feel good.” So true. JJ Dillon then gets interview time, and he hypes up his belief in Ric Flair and Lex Luger and also discusses his hatred for Dusty Rhodes.
Dusty Rhodes vs. (c) Lex Luger (w/JJ Dillon) – Steel Cage Match for U.S. Heavyweight Title
If Dusty loses, he gets a 90-day vacation and can’t wrestle anywhere in the world. Sounds like a decent deal to me.
Lots of rest hold work early on. AND THEN BUSINESS PICKS UP BECAUSE DUSTY RHODES IS BUSTED WIDE OPEN. Who saw that coming? Luger eventually goes for the Torture Rack but Dusty uses the cage to get out of it. The crowd picks it up a notch and Dusty tries to escape the armbar but it doesn’t work. This is seriously the longest armbar spot in wrestling history.
We get the inevitable Dusty comeback and he tries to take control. Meanwhile on the outside, Dillon knocks out the key keeper Johnny Weaver and throws a chair into the ring. Chase for the chair! Dusty hits a DDT on Luger on the chair and we have a new champion at 16:28.
JR hypes this up as though Dusty just achieved world peace. This match was painfully slow and not very good.
Ric Flair vs. (c) Ron Garvin – Steel Cage Match for World Heavyweight Title
My goodness was Flair so ridiculously good. Garvin chops the holy hell out of Flair early in the match, and the entire arena is chanting “Garvin sucks.” He’s your babyface. Go figure. How could anyone with a brain possibly cheer against Flair?
He locks on the Figure Four and you’d think it was Hulk Hogan locking it on Sgt. Slaughter at WrestleMania VII. The people love Flair and hate Garvin. Chicago rules.
Flair goes into the cage multiple times and now he’s bleeding like a stuck pig after Garvin rakes his head all over the steel. The crowd goes mild as Garvin locks on a Figure Four of his own.
They eventually brawl on the top rope and Flair racks himself. We then get a couple of quick near falls and the crowd is anxious. Quick ref bump on Tommy Young and Flair sends Garvin head first into the cage and scores the pinfall to win the title for the fifth time at 17:38. Decent match with the right and inevitable winner.
SHOW SUMMARY
Some fine matches on this PPV, but also some horrendous ones. Taylor vs. Koloff was surprisingly the best thing on show, with the tag title and heavyweight title matches not too far behind.
The overall winner on Thanksgiving in 1987? The WWF. Survivor Series was a better show from top to bottom.
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