Post by RKOwnage on Aug 24, 2020 17:01:08 GMT 1
Starrcade 1997 Preview
Sunday, Week 4, December 1997
MCI Center; Washington, D.C.
In perhaps the most consequential pay-per-view event in World Championship Wrestling history, we have nine huge matchups, many of which could determine the future of WCW moving forward! Tune in this Sunday and end 1997 with us as we bear witness to the following clashes:
vs. 
Steel Cage Match
"The Man They Call" Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c)
This battle has been brewing since that fateful night at Bash at the Beach '96 when Hulk Hogan revealed himself as the third member of the New World Order. For over a year, Sting has lurked in the rafters, silently assessing the state of World Championship Wrestling. After a series of loyalty tests with the likes of Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and many others, Sting drew the battle lines against Hollywood Hogan. For months, Sting declined JJ Dillon's offers to pit Sting against various members of the nWo including Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and indicated that he wanted one man and one man only - Hollywood Hogan himself. After defending WCW from attacks over the months since the inception of the nWo, Sting will meet Hogan inside a steel cage at Starrcade! The soul of the wrestling world is at stake - will Sting reclaim the nWo Championship for WCW or will Hogan's reign of terror continue with WCW's greatest hero vanquished?
vs. 
Six-Man Tag Match
Larry Zbyszko & The Steiner Brothers w/Ted DiBiase vs. Eric Bischoff & The Outsiders
The Steiner Brothers have been one of the foremost guardians of WCW throughout the nWo era and have been a thorn in the side of The Outsiders for months. Frustrated with the nWo's constant attacks on the commentary table, "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko called out Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff, threatening to take down the "New World Odor" himself! The nWo retorted with their typical smarminess, mocking Zbyszko and The Steiners, but when former New World Order member Ted DiBiase announced he would take The Steiners to war against the organization he helped found, this rivalry kicked up a notch. Adding more fuel to the fire, the team of Scott Hall and Syxx dropped the Tag Team Championships to The Steiners back in October, and ever since then, The Outsiders have claimed that they never lost the belts, actually appearing with their own Tag Team belts in the process. A cluster of rivalries comes to a head at Starrcade as these six men take each other on in tag team action!
vs. 
The Giant & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Elizabeth
If you've been paying attention to World Championship Wrestling even heading back through 1995, you know that there is no love lost between "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. And, when Curt Hennig feigned a friendship with Flair only to turn on The Four Horsemen at Fall Brawl's War Games, Flair kicked off months of bad blood with Hennig as well, costing him the United States Championship against Diamond Dallas Page earlier this month on Nitro. Also, fed up with the antics of his former stable, The Giant, despite a broken hand, has been doing the most to make the nWo's lives hell. Giant has made it to Starrcade in the face of nWo attacks and a no-contact order from JJ Dillon, but will he be medically cleared to help Flair take on Savage and Hennig?
vs. 
Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael
Bill Goldberg has torn through the WCW roster like a bull in a china shop, remaining undefeated since his debut in September. However, Mongo has repeatedly referred to Goldberg as a "never was," referencing his career in the National Football League. These two were scheduled to face off at World War 3, but Goldberg was found laid out backstage with a lead pipe by McMichael himself. After weeks of posturing and brawling, these two bruisers finally meet in the ring at Starrcade!
vs. 
Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan
As noted above, Diamond Dallas Page was aided by Ric Flair in capturing the United States Heavyweight Championship from Curt Hennig. Page has been one of the most prominent thorns in the nWo's side, defeating the likes of Randy Savage and Scott Hall as a staunch WCW defender. In order to reclaim the belt for the nWo, Hogan and Bischoff have chosen Konnan as the nWo's representative. Can Konnan pick up the win of his career thus far or will Page continue his roll through the New World Order?
vs. 
Gauntlet Match
Chris Benoit vs. Raven's Flock
Since June, the sadistic Raven has been an enigmatic part of the WCW roster, appearing at ringside with his "Flock," a group of misanthropic misfits coalescing around Raven's teachings. After seeking to induct former WCW Tag Team Champion Scotty Riggs into the group and meeting resistance, Raven eventually defeated him in singles competition and Riggs decided to join The Flock. Seeing a talented competitor and good person be indoctrinated by Raven, "The Crippler" Chris Benoit pleaded with Riggs to reconsider, but Riggs assaulted him and allowed The Flock to beat him down. Over the ensuing weeks, Benoit went up against a number of Flock members and challenged Raven to a match at Starrcade. Raven ultimately accepted Benoit's challenge, but due to a clause in his contract, Raven need only wrestle under his own rules - in this case, Raven mandated that the Starrcade contest be a Gauntlet Match pitting Benoit against The Flock! Will Benoit even be able to make it to Raven with the odds this stacked against him? And if so, will he be able to give Raven any form of comeuppance after battling through six other men?
vs. 
Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)
This one is pretty simple. Guerrero has traded the Cruiserweight belt with the likes of Rey Mysterio Jr. and Chris Jericho over the past few months, but has never faced a technician the likes of Dean Malenko for that belt. Having fended off Mysterio in a rematch at Halloween Havoc, Guerrero seeks to defend against his toughest challenge to date. On the other hand, Malenko looks to take the Cruiserweight Championship from Eddy just as he defeated Guerrero for the United States Championship back at Uncensored earlier this year. Can Eddy escape the clutches of the Texas Cloverleaf, or will "The Iceman" claim a second championship at the expense of Guerrero?
vs. 
Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline Moore vs. The Faces of Fear w/Jimmy Hart
Two teams of athletic heavy hitters will go blow-for-blow in this one. This feud goes back a couple of months and has culminated in a Savate Kick to Jacqueline Moore earlier this month. Jacqueline has pledged to be back in the fold this Sunday, and Harlem Heat has told Jimmy Hart to watch out. Meng in particular has been an unstoppable force of late, even coming back after having a wooden chair smashed over his head to lock in the Tongan Death Grip on Booker T. Which team will land the finishing blow at Starrcade, and will the involvement of Jacqueline or Jimmy Hart play a role?
vs. 
"The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell
These two have made potshots at each other for a few weeks leading up to the event and Buff Bagwell has staked his claim as the one true "Total Package." Luger doesn't appear to be worried about the upstart nWo member, however, and has said that he would make Bagwell "his bitch" at Starrcade. Can Bagwell claim a career defining victory this Sunday or will "The Total Package" prove that he is the one and only man deserving of that moniker?
______________________________________________________
Starrcade 1997 Quick Preview
nWo Heavyweight Championship
Steel Cage Match
Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c)
Six-Man Tag Match
Larry Zbyszko & The Steiner Brothers w/Ted DiBiase vs. Eric Bischoff & The Outsiders
The Giant & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Elizabeth
Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan
Gauntlet Match
"The Crippler" Chris Benoit vs. Raven's Flock
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)
Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline Moore vs. The Faces of Fear w/Jimmy Hart
"The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell
Bonus Questions
How many titles will change hands?
Will anyone turn against the nWo or join the nWo?
How many finishes will involve interference or distractions?
Which match will open the show?
Which match will be match of the night?
In perhaps the most consequential pay-per-view event in World Championship Wrestling history, we have nine huge matchups, many of which could determine the future of WCW moving forward! Tune in this Sunday and end 1997 with us as we bear witness to the following clashes:
vs. Steel Cage Match
"The Man They Call" Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c)
This battle has been brewing since that fateful night at Bash at the Beach '96 when Hulk Hogan revealed himself as the third member of the New World Order. For over a year, Sting has lurked in the rafters, silently assessing the state of World Championship Wrestling. After a series of loyalty tests with the likes of Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and many others, Sting drew the battle lines against Hollywood Hogan. For months, Sting declined JJ Dillon's offers to pit Sting against various members of the nWo including Scott Hall and Kevin Nash and indicated that he wanted one man and one man only - Hollywood Hogan himself. After defending WCW from attacks over the months since the inception of the nWo, Sting will meet Hogan inside a steel cage at Starrcade! The soul of the wrestling world is at stake - will Sting reclaim the nWo Championship for WCW or will Hogan's reign of terror continue with WCW's greatest hero vanquished?
vs. Six-Man Tag Match
Larry Zbyszko & The Steiner Brothers w/Ted DiBiase vs. Eric Bischoff & The Outsiders
The Steiner Brothers have been one of the foremost guardians of WCW throughout the nWo era and have been a thorn in the side of The Outsiders for months. Frustrated with the nWo's constant attacks on the commentary table, "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko called out Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff, threatening to take down the "New World Odor" himself! The nWo retorted with their typical smarminess, mocking Zbyszko and The Steiners, but when former New World Order member Ted DiBiase announced he would take The Steiners to war against the organization he helped found, this rivalry kicked up a notch. Adding more fuel to the fire, the team of Scott Hall and Syxx dropped the Tag Team Championships to The Steiners back in October, and ever since then, The Outsiders have claimed that they never lost the belts, actually appearing with their own Tag Team belts in the process. A cluster of rivalries comes to a head at Starrcade as these six men take each other on in tag team action!
vs. The Giant & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Elizabeth
If you've been paying attention to World Championship Wrestling even heading back through 1995, you know that there is no love lost between "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. And, when Curt Hennig feigned a friendship with Flair only to turn on The Four Horsemen at Fall Brawl's War Games, Flair kicked off months of bad blood with Hennig as well, costing him the United States Championship against Diamond Dallas Page earlier this month on Nitro. Also, fed up with the antics of his former stable, The Giant, despite a broken hand, has been doing the most to make the nWo's lives hell. Giant has made it to Starrcade in the face of nWo attacks and a no-contact order from JJ Dillon, but will he be medically cleared to help Flair take on Savage and Hennig?
vs. Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael
Bill Goldberg has torn through the WCW roster like a bull in a china shop, remaining undefeated since his debut in September. However, Mongo has repeatedly referred to Goldberg as a "never was," referencing his career in the National Football League. These two were scheduled to face off at World War 3, but Goldberg was found laid out backstage with a lead pipe by McMichael himself. After weeks of posturing and brawling, these two bruisers finally meet in the ring at Starrcade!
vs. Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan
As noted above, Diamond Dallas Page was aided by Ric Flair in capturing the United States Heavyweight Championship from Curt Hennig. Page has been one of the most prominent thorns in the nWo's side, defeating the likes of Randy Savage and Scott Hall as a staunch WCW defender. In order to reclaim the belt for the nWo, Hogan and Bischoff have chosen Konnan as the nWo's representative. Can Konnan pick up the win of his career thus far or will Page continue his roll through the New World Order?
vs. Gauntlet Match
Chris Benoit vs. Raven's Flock
Since June, the sadistic Raven has been an enigmatic part of the WCW roster, appearing at ringside with his "Flock," a group of misanthropic misfits coalescing around Raven's teachings. After seeking to induct former WCW Tag Team Champion Scotty Riggs into the group and meeting resistance, Raven eventually defeated him in singles competition and Riggs decided to join The Flock. Seeing a talented competitor and good person be indoctrinated by Raven, "The Crippler" Chris Benoit pleaded with Riggs to reconsider, but Riggs assaulted him and allowed The Flock to beat him down. Over the ensuing weeks, Benoit went up against a number of Flock members and challenged Raven to a match at Starrcade. Raven ultimately accepted Benoit's challenge, but due to a clause in his contract, Raven need only wrestle under his own rules - in this case, Raven mandated that the Starrcade contest be a Gauntlet Match pitting Benoit against The Flock! Will Benoit even be able to make it to Raven with the odds this stacked against him? And if so, will he be able to give Raven any form of comeuppance after battling through six other men?
vs. Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)
This one is pretty simple. Guerrero has traded the Cruiserweight belt with the likes of Rey Mysterio Jr. and Chris Jericho over the past few months, but has never faced a technician the likes of Dean Malenko for that belt. Having fended off Mysterio in a rematch at Halloween Havoc, Guerrero seeks to defend against his toughest challenge to date. On the other hand, Malenko looks to take the Cruiserweight Championship from Eddy just as he defeated Guerrero for the United States Championship back at Uncensored earlier this year. Can Eddy escape the clutches of the Texas Cloverleaf, or will "The Iceman" claim a second championship at the expense of Guerrero?
vs. Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline Moore vs. The Faces of Fear w/Jimmy Hart
Two teams of athletic heavy hitters will go blow-for-blow in this one. This feud goes back a couple of months and has culminated in a Savate Kick to Jacqueline Moore earlier this month. Jacqueline has pledged to be back in the fold this Sunday, and Harlem Heat has told Jimmy Hart to watch out. Meng in particular has been an unstoppable force of late, even coming back after having a wooden chair smashed over his head to lock in the Tongan Death Grip on Booker T. Which team will land the finishing blow at Starrcade, and will the involvement of Jacqueline or Jimmy Hart play a role?
vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell
These two have made potshots at each other for a few weeks leading up to the event and Buff Bagwell has staked his claim as the one true "Total Package." Luger doesn't appear to be worried about the upstart nWo member, however, and has said that he would make Bagwell "his bitch" at Starrcade. Can Bagwell claim a career defining victory this Sunday or will "The Total Package" prove that he is the one and only man deserving of that moniker?
______________________________________________________
Starrcade 1997 Quick Preview
nWo Heavyweight Championship
Steel Cage Match
Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c)
Six-Man Tag Match
Larry Zbyszko & The Steiner Brothers w/Ted DiBiase vs. Eric Bischoff & The Outsiders
The Giant & "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs. "Macho Man" Randy Savage & Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Elizabeth
Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan
Gauntlet Match
"The Crippler" Chris Benoit vs. Raven's Flock
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)
Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline Moore vs. The Faces of Fear w/Jimmy Hart
"The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell
Bonus Questions
How many titles will change hands?
Will anyone turn against the nWo or join the nWo?
How many finishes will involve interference or distractions?
Which match will open the show?
Which match will be match of the night?
