WCW 1998: Empire Falls

WCW Starrcade 1997

Sunday, Week 4, December 1997

MCI Center; Washington, D.C.

Once the video concludes, the pay-per-view commentary lineup of Tony Schiavone, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, and "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes welcomes us to the long-awaited Starrcade 1997!

Schiavone: Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, live from the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., we have for you the most consequential card in the history of World Championship Wrestling, Starrcade 1997, as five contests here tonight pit WCW against the New World Order. And "Dream," it all leads to the showdown seventeen months in the making.

Rhodes: You got that right, Toneh, babeh, and inside that big steel cage, I hope we see Sting knock Hogan right in the mush and take the Dubya See Dubya title back right here tonight!

Heenan: I hope so too, Dusty, because if Hogan walks out of here with the belt tonight, it might just be the end of WCW as we know it. And I'll tell ya what, I'm scared. I'm real scared. Sting has to stop Hogan and Bischoff or we are in big trouble.
 

Rating: 76 (B-; video); 80 (B; commentary)



 vs.  
"The Total Package" Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell

For our first contest of the evening, nWo faced off against WCW as Bagwell sought the biggest victory of his singles career thus far. The match opened with a test of strength as Bagwell flexed his muscles. Buff slid away from the attempts by Luger to engage, and eventually gained the early momentum with an "accidental" eye poke. Referee Billy Silverman repeatedly warned Bagwell (and the crew of Scott Norton, Konnan, and Vincent at ringside) to keep it clean. However, any time Luger would start to gather some strength and fight his way back into the match, some combination of an outside distraction or a Bagwell quasi-legal maneuver would cut him off. Throughout the match, Buff riled up the crowd by posing like Luger, and at one point calling for the Torture Rack - but Lex did not allow him to lift him into the finishing maneuver and bounced off the ropes for a big forearm! A few moments later, Luger lifted Buff up into his version of the Rack! It was at that point that the nWo members at ringside had seen enough, and they converged on Lex with a group assault! Silverman had no choice but to call for a disqualification to open up Starrcade.

With a four-on-one attack favoring the New World Order, Lex finds himself in significant trouble. Bagwell, selling a back injury, calls for the other three men to lift up Luger as he returns to posing. He slaps Luger across the face and again signals for the Torture Rack, but before he can attempt it, the crowd beings to buzz...

Rhodes: Ohhh baby, here he eeez! Go get 'em!

Schiavone: Oh my goodness, here comes Diamond Dallas!

Heenan: Yes! Page looks like he's been shot out of a cannon!

Diamond Dallas Page slides into the ring and lays fists to the nWo crew! Bagwell slides out of the ring immediately as Vincent catches a clothesline and Scott "Flash" Norton walks right into a Diamond Cutter! Vincent gets a Diamond Cutter as well, but Konnan barely escapes and slides out of the ring! He and Bagwell retreat backstage as Konnan motions for the US Title belt. Page lifts Luger to his feet as the two beckon for another fight!

Rating: 65 (C; match); 82 (B; save)

 vs. 
Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)

Malenko looked to capture the WCW Cruiserweight belt for the fourth time as he continued his off-and-on rivalry with the current champion, Eddy Guerrero. Throughout the course of the match, we saw much of what makes these two some of the brightest prospects in wrestling. Impressive chain wrestling early on led to a stalemate, with a frustrated Guerrero sliding outside the ring and banging on the apron after a dropkick sent him through the ropes. Eddy took his time getting back in the ring and when Malenko got impatient and tried to grab him by the hair, Eddy dropped down to the floor and pulled Malenko out. While Eddy controlled some of the match using his superior patience and elusiveness, late in the contest Malenko was able to avoid a Missile Dropkick and tried to cinch in the Texas Cloverleaf in the middle of the ring! Guerrero pulled and scratched and clawed his way over near the ropes in the corner. After a scrum, Eddy pulled Malenko head first into the second turnbuckle and rolled him up. In the blink of an eye, referee Nick Patrick slid into position to make the count - without seeing Guerrero's arm cradling the middle rope for support! Patrick made the three count and Eddy retained!

Rating: 69 (C+)

We head back to the commentary table as the team discusses Eddy's questionable victory.

Heenan: What a match between two great competitors, and it's great to see Guerrero put away Malenko for good!

Schiavone: For good, Brain? Even you saw what was going on down there - Eddy ruined a great match by holding the ropes and if I'm Dean Malenko, I'm upset with Nick Patrick for bumbling that call there.

Rhodes: You can be upset all ya want, Tony Schiavone, but da fact'a'da'matta eez that Eddy Guerrero is walkin' outta heah with that Cruiserweight gold wrapped around his waist, and Dean Malenko is goin' home empteh handed!

The parties groan as they're interrupted by the music of the New World Order. Surprisingly, it's just Scott Hall, who makes his way down to the ring in street clothes. He grabs a microphone as the camera pans the crowd and we see many WCW fans booing Hall, but many nWo fans cheering him.

Hall: Hey yo...I know that you all here in Washington D.C. came here to see Starrcade...but I'm here to find out just how many of you are here to see the en...Dubya...oh. We got a lot of nWo matches here tonight - you already saw Lex Loogie get his butt kicked by Buff "The Stuff"...pretty soon you get to see that Diamond Does Dallas get his belt jacked by Konnan, then you're gonna watch "The Macho Mang" and Curt Hennig finally put Ric Flair in the ground right next to that toothless coward Giant. And after that, you're gonna see me, Eric, and Big Kev finish off The Einsteiners and that "Living Loser" Larry Zbyszko--

The crowd is abuzz as Hall's promo is interrupted by the arrival of The Giant, who comes stomping down the aisle!

Heenan: Oh no Tony, look, Giant still has that cast on his right arm. This isn't good, he didn't get cleared for the match tonight, did he?

Schiavone: I haven't received word one way or the other from the medical team, Bobby, but if he's still unable to compete, that does not bode well for WCW.

The Giant steps in the ring with a mic of his own as Hall makes faces and immature gestures at him, mocking the cast on his hand. He starts to speak, then simply drops the mic and clocks Hall over the head with the cast! Hall covers up and gets back to his feet - cast to the head again! The crowd explodes as Giant roars and tears the cast off! He raises his massive hand in the air and grabs Hall by the neck for a big Chokeslam! Hall lays prone in the ring as it looks like The Giant is ready for later tonight!

Rating: 86 (B+)




 vs. 
Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan

With the tension between these two already high after the previous showdown in the Luger/Bagwell match, the United States belt only added intrigue. With the nWo, including Bagwell, at ringside in Konnan's corner, Page spent much of the early going trying to avoid being grabbed from the outside. Adding to Diamond Dallas's problems though was the fact that Konnan was a dangerous competitor in his own right as well as a former United States Heavyweight Champion. Page's resiliency kept him in this one, as he endured a variety of submission maneuvers but did not let himself get far enough into Konnan's clutches for him to lock in the Tequila Sunrise. On the other hand, any time DDP gathered some momentum with a swinging neckbreaker or a Russian leg sweep, the nWo would make their presence felt from the outside in spite of the repeated admonitions by referee Randy Anderson, allowing Konnan to return with a chop block or German suplex and regain control.

About eleven minutes in, Scott Norton got up on the apron and the crowd erupted as Page surprised him with a Diamond Cutter, slamming Norton's neck into the apron and ricocheting him back to the floor! Chaos ensued as Anderson tried to hold Vincent back and Bagwell grabbed the US belt from ringside. He slid in the ring waiting for Page, who had knocked Vincent from the apron and was posing for the audience, to turn around, but before he could, he was intercepted by "The Total Package" Lex Luger, who slid in the ring! Turning his sights to Lex, Bagwell swung the belt, but Luger ducked, hit the opposite ropes, and landed a big forearm! Page and Luger looked at each other and nodded as Page put up the diamond sign and Lex signaled for the Rack! Luger lifted up the prone Bagwell and locked him in the Torture Rack right as Konnan stumbled to his feet right into the Diamond Cutter! The crowd chanted along with Randy Anderson's count – 1, 2, 3! Diamond Dallas Page retains!

Rhodes: Lexth. Luguh. And Diamond. Dallas! Dubya See Dubya in full effect right heah, Toneh!

Schiavone: You've got that right, Dream! Luger pays Diamond Dallas back for his help earlier tonight and World Championship Wrestling keeps the United States Heavyweight belt!

Rating: 82 (B)

Mean Gene: Ladies and gentlemen, I am here with a longtime wrestling great, "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko and the WCW World Tag Team Champions, The Steiner Brothers, and Larry, you've been looking to get your hands on Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff for a long time – tonight, you get to do it liiiive on pay-per-view!

Zbyszko: You know Gene, let me take a minute to send a message to Eric Bischoff. Didn't it dawn on you, you little weasel, that Scott Hall didn't want to accept my one-on-one challenge because he knows I'm gonna take him on a one-way ticket to LarryLand? I've been doing this for almost twenty-five years, Eric. I was trained by the greatest World Heavyweight Champion this business has ever seen, Bruno Sammartino. I've wrestled in the Tokyo Dome, I've wrestled at Shea Stadium, I've been in Steel Cage matches, Texas Death matches, and I've been in War Games. But out of all those great moments in my career, all the championships, all the accolades – I've never wanted anything more than I've wanted to choke you out in that ring tonight, Bischoff!

Okerlund moves the mic over to Scott Steiner as Rick begins barking.

Scott: Yeeeeah that's right LARRY, and ya know what, HALL and NASH, Ricky and I beatchu fifty times in the past and we'll beat you another fifty times whenever you wanna! But just because Bischoff keeps politicking and running you through—running us through the RINGER, we are the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF WCW! So, OUTSIDERS, get ready for A FIGHT! RIGHT RICK?

Rick: YEEEEEAHHH – I keep gettin' PUNCHED AND KICKED and me and my brother are NEVER GONNA STOP because we're the TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! Come to the DOG POUND – WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! OUUU! OUU! OUUU! LET'S DO IT AGEAAIIN!

Mean Gene: Well you heard it straight from the horse's—or should I say the gremlin's—mouth, ladies and gentlemen! The Steiners and Larry take on The Outsiders and Eric Bischoff, and I can't wait! Back to you, Tony, Dream, Bobby!

Rating: 84 (B+)



  vs.  
Harlem Heat vs. The Faces of Fear

Next up was a hard-hitting slugfest between two of the top tag teams in professional wrestling. With Jacqueline Moore back in Harlem Heat's corner doing her best to keep Jimmy Hart in check, the multi-time World Tag Team Champions were able to fully focus on their opponents. Early on, Meng ducked a shuffling side kick from Booker and landed a forearm to the back of his head, gaining early control by the Faces with Hart's shrill voice blaring at ringside in support of his team. The Faces spent much of the match tagging in and out and isolating Booker from his brother with powerful deliberate tag team maneuvers, from bearhugs to elbow strikes through to illegal moves like choking behind referee Nick Patrick's back.

After a few minutes, Booker was able to sneak away from the grasp and make the hot tag to Stevie Ray, who came in like a house of fire! His momentum bought Booker the time to get to his feet and defend Stevie against the oncoming assaults. A few minutes later, with Booker and The Barbarian as the legal men, Jimmy Hart got up on the apron, but Jacqueline pulled him off to the floor! With Jacqueline yelling and taunting the injured Hart, Meng reached through the ropes and grabbed her by the hair! Moore was in clear danger, but outside of the view of the referee, Stevie Ray lined up a field goal kick to Meng's crotch from behind! Meng has shown his ability to withstand a lot of damage, but not even he could walk away from that one. Barbarian spun around and went after Stevie Ray, but caught a side kick to the gut by Booker! Barbarian doubles over – Scissors Kick! He rolls onto his back, Booker to the top rope – Harlem Hangover! He makes the cover – 1, 2, 3! Harlem Heat is victorious!

Heenan: I didn't think anyone was gonna be able to take out Meng and The Barbarian but Harlem Heat did it! The big man flew off the top rope with that legdrop and it's gonna be a party all night isn't it Tony?

Schiavone: I bet it will be, Brain, but what I do know is that you and I won't be invited. Dusty's got a chance though.

Tony transitions out to a quick reminder to call the WCW Hotline! We see Eddy Guerrero in the back answering calls and telling fans that he's the greatest cruiserweight in the business today, dripping with arrogance (and sweat).

  vs.  

Ric Flair and The Giant vs. Randy Savage and Curt Hennig

Next up was a big time WCW vs. nWo matchup as four of the biggest stars in professional wrestling stepped into the same ring. The Giant got a big ovation as he again displayed his fully healed hand for the crowd by raising it in the air with a primal yell. Throughout the match, Savage and Hennig tried to keep away from The Giant as much as possible, and they took a very similar tack to what The Faces of Fear had done in the prior matchup. Hennig tried to lock in the Figure Four on Flair at one point, but Ric wouldn't let it happen. We got a hot tag to The Giant, who came in and landed clotheslines and bodyslams on both opponents. Pumped up, he then collided with Savage with a massive running dropkick, knocking him through the ropes! Giant got the crowd going as Randy and Curt regrouped along the outside of the ring with Elizabeth and Rick Rude. Rude discussed strategy as Elizabeth looked concerned, and the huddle broke with Nick Patrick at a count of five.

Rhodes: Da Giant's a house'a'fire right now, but Toneh, I know that Ricky Rude got his boys prepared heah tonight. This one's faahh from ovuh.

When Hennig, the legal man, got back in the ring, he tried to use his speed and technical prowess to take The Giant down by his tree trunk legs, which didn't work. The Giant used hip thrusts to take the wind out of Hennig and backed him into the corner, where he delivered heavy blows to the chest area. Tagging Flair, Giant scoop slammed Hennig and told Ric to go to the top rope. Confused, Flair did so, and Giant bodyslammed Flair from the top rope right onto Hennig for a big pop from the crowd! Savage entered the ring and tried to get to Flair, but he was scolded by Patrick. As Randy continued to try to interfere, he was grabbed from the outside by Giant and pulled to the floor! A scuffle ensued on the outside as Hennig used the fracas to land a poke to Flair's eye and lock in the Figure Four Leglock! With "The Nature Boy" refusing to give up, Hennig to continued to apply pressure and "The Macho Man" continued his brawl with Giant by biting his injured hand to escape a Chokeslam attempt! As Giant recovered, he was hit with a big chop block from behind by Randy.

Meanwhile, in the ring, Hennig found himself tipping to the side – Flair slowly used his momentum to reverse the pressure! Curt was screaming in pain and trying to crawl to the ropes. With Patrick's attention occupied, Rude furtively grabbed the hammer used for the ring bell and handed it to Savage. Randy slammed Giant's hand into the steel steps and then lined him up and drove the hammer directly into the injured bone! The Giant howled in pain as Savage ran up the steps, climbed to the top, and landed a huge Flying Elbow onto the back of Flair, breaking the hold! As Patrick escorted "The Macho Man" out of the ring, Hennig and Flair made it up to their knees, but before Flair fully made it to his feet, Hennig quickly struck with a kick to the gut and the Hennig Plex! Patrick in for the count – 1, 2, 3!

Schiavone: It's obviously bad for WCW that Hennig and Savage got the win here, but Dream, what's worse is the way they did it and another possible injury to that massive right hand of The Giant. And again, "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair finds himself on the losing end against Curt Hennig.

Rhodes: Toneh, I've been in the ring with "Da Macho Man," I've been in the ring with Curt, and those cats will do anytheeen to ween and that's why it's a shame they ended up in the en Dubya oh!

Heenan: That's right Dream, I know both of those guys very well also, and man, I really wish they were on our side. Flair and The Giant are great competitors but what it really takes is chemistry, smarts, and doing what you gotta do to win. A big loss for WCW.

Rating: 70 (C+; Hotline); 75 (B-; match)

Next, The Flock hopped the ringside railing as the music of "The Crippler" Chris Benoit hit, signaling the long-awaited Gauntlet Match. Benoit kicked off against Kidman, who, despite his more reserved attitude as of late, still found a way to give the Horseman trouble with high-impact maneuvers. However, Kidman came up empty on a Missile Dropkick and Benoit forced him to submit to the Crippler Crossface. With Lodi shouting insults at Benoit from ringside, Raven maintained his stoic posture and Sick Boy entered the fray. Despite his superior power, Sick Boy found himself on the wrong end of a series of German Suplexes which were enough for a bridging pinfall.

Then, Riggs slid in the ring and the two faced off. After all, Benoit's Flock feud began when he implored Riggs to rethink joining Raven. A nice little technical match ensued, but when Riggs went for a Fisherman's Suplex, Benoit slipped out and locked in the Crippler Crossface again, forcing Riggs to tap out! Lodi, whose yapping had continued for a few minutes, yelled at Benoit again, but Raven grabbed him by the hair and tossed him in the ring! Benoit capitalized immediately with a Dragon Suplex! He hit the top rope and landed a Flying Headbutt for a quick win! A split second later, Hammer slid in the ring behind Benoit and cracked him in the back of the head with a running boot! He jumped in and put the boots to Benoit, but Randy Anderson tried to get the match under control and ring the bell. Hammer shoved him aside and choked Benoit on the ground. As he put the boots to Benoit, Anderson tried to get Hammer away to start the contest, but Hammer shoved him back again. This was too much for the official – Randy Anderson disqualified Hammer! Hammer was irate, but the Television Champion Saturn rolled into the ring and talked him down.

 vs. 
Chris Benoit vs. Saturn

With Benoit winded and wounded, the last man he wanted to see in that ring was the dangerous Saturn. Saturn showed off a lot of his versatility here, picking apart his downed foe, but he wasn't quite able to lock in the Rings of Saturn because Benoit continued to fight back. The two traded suplexes and technical maneuvers until Saturn finally landed a snap Powerbomb. Benoit kicked out, however, leaving Saturn frustrated. Saturn picked Benoit up and went for a Death Valley Driver, but Benoit slid off his back, grabbed his arm and twisted him up into an Oklahoma roll! As quickly as a lightning strike, Benoit found his way from defeat to victory over the Television Champion!

Schiavone: Oh my goodness! That's the first time Saturn has been pinned in WCW! Benoit only has one man left to face!

Saturn got to his feet in shock as an exhausted, out-of-breath Benoit grabbed his head in the corner and flashed a toothless grin. Angered, Saturn attacked and put the boots to "The Crippler," who only had one opponent left. Despite Anderson's efforts, Saturn locked in the Rings of Saturn as Benoit's final opponent rose from his chair at ringside and entered the fray.

 vs. 
Chris Benoit vs. Raven

Raven dragged Saturn off of Benoit and told him to leave. Saturn left the ring as Raven sat in the opposite corner waiting for Benoit to get to his feet, staring. Benoit, doubled over, huffing and puffing, beckoned for Raven to "come get some, bitch." Raven slowly got to his feet and Benoit charged. A scuffle ensued and Benoit grabbed Raven's arm, but didn't quite have the strength to bring him down into the Crossface. Raven grabbed the rope and then grabbed the head of "The Crippler" and dropped him with a DDT! Anderson made the count – 1, 2, no! Benoit kicked out! Raven showed the slightest bit of annoyance, but anyone viewing the match could see where it was headed. Benoit was broken down, beaten, and spent, having been through more than a handful of matches against vicious competitors (and Lodi). Raven blew a lone clump of hair out of his eyes and grabbed Benoit by the head. He landed one more DDT and Randy Anderson made the count for a Raven victory.

Rhodes: We saw a heckuvalotta heart outta Chris Benoit takin' on the whole Flock like dat, Toneh, but it just wasn't enough.

Heenan: And not only was it not enough, Dream, but Chris Benoit's gonna wake up tomorrow morning feeling like he got hit by a truck on I-95. He took a beating. And this Raven has so much control over his Flock. It's scary.

Schiavone: That's correct, Brain, and despite Benoit's resilience and fight, he came up short against the cult of personality Raven. And uh, speaking of personality, we're headed backstage to hear from Steve "Mongo" McMichael as he prepares to take on Bill Goldberg here tonight. Gene?

Rating: 86 (B+; Benoit vs. Flock angle); 65 (C; Benoit vs. Saturn); 82 (B; Saturn attack); 75 (B-; Benoit vs. Raven)

Mean Gene: Thank you Tony, and please welcome a man who never has a shortage of words for his opponents, and of course I mean the former Chicago Bear defensive tackle, the Super Bowl Champion, the former United States Heavyweight Champion, Steve "Mongo" McMichael. Mongo, you've committed some heinous acts recently, attacking Goldberg with a lead pipe on multiple occasions. Just truly sickening acts that have no place in World Championship Wrestling. I have a question for you: Are you afraid of Bill Goldberg?

Mongo: Am I hwat? Are ya pullin' my leg, Gene, you said it yourself – I'm a part of the greatest football team of all time, way better than these Washington Redskin marks out here in DC! I used to beat up on bigger, badder guys than Goldberg in my sleep every Sunday baby! I lined up against the best of the best – John Hannah, Mike Munchak, Russ Grimm, all of 'em – and as soon as that ball was snapped, BOOM, on your back lookin' up at Mongo! And I'm a part of the greatest team in professional wrestling history – The Four…Horsemen. WOO! I opened the door in WCW for guys like Goldberg, and he has the gall to walk in here and act like he's worth a damn. He couldn't even make it with the Atlanta Falcons, Gene. You have any idea how hard it is to get cut by the Falcons?

Mean Gene: Steve, you gotta give Bill Goldberg some credit; he's undefeated here in World Championship Wrestling.

Mongo: Well guess what, Gene, not for long, baby! This ain't the NFL anymore, this is professional wrestling, and the NFL was my world, but now that ring is my world. And Goldberg – tonight you're gonna get a whuppin' and you're gonna find out why you should never have crossed Mongo, baby! And you're gonna take it like a man and you're gonna like it! And if ya DON'T!

Mongo uses his right hand, Super Bowl ring gleaming, to reveal the very same lead pipe under his Chicago Bears starter jacket. He laughs and walks off.

Rating: 50 (D+)

   vs.   
The Steiner Brothers and Larry Zbyszko vs. The Outsiders and Eric Bischoff

After the nWo deliberately and smugly made its way to the ring with their opponents salivating. Bischoff, clad in a martial arts outfit, agreed to start the match against Larry, but tagged in Kevin Nash instead. Nash and Zbyszko locked up, and despite the grit shown by the former AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Nash's pure power was too much to overcome early on. He swatted away any attempts by Larry to take control, mocking him all the while. At one point, after a few minutes of Hall working him over and tagging Nash back in, Kevin held Larry's arms back and allowed Bischoff to slap him and insult him. After tossing Zbyszko to the ground, Nash turned and made the "Wolfpac" hand signal to Hall, but as he was doing so, Larry landed a desperation chop block to the big man! Nash went down to a knee and Larry stunned him with a running knee to the shoulder, buying him enough time to tag in "The Dog-Faced Gremlin."

Rick jumped in like a house of fire with a double-leg takedown to the massive Nash! Kevin covered up as Hall jumped in to stop the barrage of fists. Scott came in from the other corner and swung at Hall, who ducked it and slid out of the ring! With the Steiners beckoning for Hall or Bischoff to get in the ring, Nash was able to recover as he tossed Scott through the ropes and landed a boot to the back of Rick's head, regaining control.

Later on, with Zbyszko locking up with Hall, referee Nick Patrick was tending to a fight along the outside between Kevin Nash, Rick Steiner, and Ted DiBiase over one of the tag team belts and missed a clear low blow to Larry! Hall lifted Zbyszko up for the Outsider's Edge and landed it! Instead of going for the cover, however, he turned to see Eric Bischoff, his arm outstretched for a tag! Hall tagged him in and he taunted Larry with various taekwondo poses. Zbyszko, groggy, pulled himself up to his feet and ducked a roundhouse kick! The crowd exploded as Larry landed a double-leg takedown on Bischoff and went to work! Unfortunately, his roll ended relatively quickly as Nash slid back in the ring and grabbed Larry from behind with a sidewalk slam! Scott Steiner and Scott Hall locked up along the outside as Nash lifted Zbyszko up – Jackknife Powerbomb!

Right at that moment, Scott Hall down on the outside, each Steiner brother slid in the ring holding a WCW Tag Team Title belt. With Patrick warning them of a disqualification, Nash and Bischoff backed off. Suddenly, Bischoff started yelling at them to "do it!" and to "just hit me!" Scott Steiner took some steps up, and instead of swinging the belt at Bischoff or Nash, he turned and cracked his brother Rick in the side of the head! Patrick gasped as Scott Steiner stood over his brother's prone body with DiBiase screaming in disbelief from ringside! In the meantime, with garbage being thrown in the ring, Nash grabbed Zbyszko by the hair and lifted him to a knee for Bischoff to blast him in the head with a roundhouse kick! The formalities dispensed with, Eric grinned as he pinned the lifeless body of Larry Zbyszko for the win!

Heenan: Ohhhh my goodness, not Scotty Steiner too! Please, no!

Rhodes: It sure do look like it, Bobbeh, don’t it now.

After the match, Eric motions to the back. Vincent makes his way down to the ring with a black shirt in hand. He slides in the ring and gives the shirt to Bischoff while smiling and waving at a bewildered DiBiase, who tends to Rick Steiner. Obnoxiously, Bischoff holds out a new World order shirt for Scott Steiner, who accepts! He hugs Hall and Nash and spits in the direction of his brother and DiBiase, kicking his feet backward as if to push dirt on the two! Scott grabs both title belts, as well as the belts held by The Outsiders, and walks out with the nWo.

Schiavone: The New World Order has done it again, turning one of our own against us. Scott Steiner has been a flag bearer for World Championship Wrestling for the last year and change, and now, like Bagwell, like Konnan, like Hennig, he’s a member of the nWo.

Heenan: I always said that Rick could use a knock to the head to shake the cobwebs loose, but not like this. This is bad, Tony.

Rating: 72 (B-; match); 85 (B+; Scott turn)



 vs. 
Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael

Two goliaths went head to head in the next contest, as Goldberg sought to extend his undefeated streak against McMichael. It was an ugly, knock-down, drag-out slugfest from start to finish. Neither side seemed fazed by the clubbing blows of the other, and about six minutes in, Mongo began to get frustrated by the resilience of the newcomer. After dropping Goldberg with a swinging neckbreaker and covering for two, McMichael walked over to his jacket in the corner, muttering to himself. Looking into the camera, McMichael's eyes widened as he proclaimed that it was "time to ring the bell, baby." He unsheathed the lead pipe from the jacket and cackled. As Mongo walked back toward the prone Goldberg, Bill caught him from out of nowhere with a huge Spear, sending the pipe flying! Goldberg then let out a roar and smacked himself in the head a couple of times. As Mongo stumbled up to his feet, Goldberg kicked him in the gut and delivered a huge Jackhammer! Randy Anderson slid over – 1, 2, 3!

Rhodes: This Goldberg sure looks big time, don't he Tony? Mongo ain't no little man and he chucked him like a shotput, babeh!

Schiavone: That's absolutely right, Dream – it's gonna take a special athlete or a special amount of luck to take down Bill Goldberg! But up next…is the moment we've all been waiting for. Over a year in the making…it's Hollywood Hogan…it's Sting…for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Let’s take it back to the ring.

Rating: 38 (D-)

Standing in the ring for our main event is none other than the greatest announcer in combat sports history, Michael Buffer.

Buffer: Llllllladies and gentlemen, it is time for the WCW Starrcade 1997…main event! The main event tonight is for the WCW Heavyweight Championship of the world! And it will be inside the massive steel cage structure hanging precariously…above the ring. Are…you…rrrrrready?

The crowd is feverish with excitement for the main event and the noise bubbles to a crescendo.

Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen, llllllllet’s get ready to rumble!!

The music of the New World Order hits as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan slowly saunters out to the ring. Hogan has brought the whole gang with him, as just about the entire nWo – Scott Steiner included – make their way down with him.

Buffer: Coming to the ring, standing six feet, seven inches tall, he weighs 274 and one-half pounds…he is one of, if not the greatest professional wrestler in the history of the sport and one of the most recognizable stars in the world…he is the man who in the summer of 1996, changed the course of wrestling forever…he is the leader of the New World Order. Tonight, he steps in the ring seeking to call storm clouds over WCW and continue the nWo rule with an iron fist. Ladies and gentlemen, the self-proclaimed New World Order Heavyweight Champion… “Hollywood” …Hulk… Hooooooooogan!

Once the entire procession enters the ring, Eric Bischoff snatches the microphone from Buffer and hands it to the champion, who peers up into the rafters.

Hogan: Sting! Come on down here and meet your maker, you coward! You wanna know something, brother, get on down here right now so I can finally show you what it means to be the greatest wrestler in the history of professional wrestling, jack, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!

It may not be Sting, but “The Total Package” Lex Luger comes out to the aisleway with a microphone himself!

Luger: Yanno what, Hogan, I’m not here to mince words. You brought your whole crew to the ring, well guess what – Sting has been the standard bearer around these parts for the last decade, and when you’re the best at what you do, a whole lot of people in that dressing room respect you. And we think that actions speak louder than words. A year ago, we were split. WCW was split. It took a leader to set us straight and, through his actions, bring us together. And that man…was Sting. So if this is how you wanna play it, you better be ready.

At that moment, emerging from the back is the entire WCW brigade, including Diamond Dallas Page, The Giant, “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, and Harlem Heat!

Rhodes: Oooooooh heah we go!

Schiavone: Yes! Lex Luger’s brought the cavalry! WCW is here!

Heenan: This is all great, but where the heck is Sting?!

Hogan and the New World Order begin to panic as the entire place erupts for the clash! The WCW team hits the ring and are met in the aisleway by Konnan, Vincent, and Scott Norton! The Giant clubs Vincent; Ray Traylor and Stevie Ray knock Norton to the ground; and Konnan receives a low blow from Flair! The WCW team advances as the rest of the nWo squad slides outside the ring! A massive brawl continues all along the outside of the ring, with Luger doing his best to get his hands on Hogan or Bischoff. In doing so, though, Luger runs into a huge right hand from Kevin Nash along the outside.

Rhodes: Come awn, Dubya See Dubya! Give it to ‘eem!

Amidst the fracas, flying trash, and a cavalcade of WCW officials trying to break up the chaos, Hogan slides into the ring with the championship belt. He calls for the cage to be brought down around him and it slowly descends. Once it’s locked into place, and Hogan feels safe, the lights go out with only Hogan and Nick Patrick in the ring.

(only the first 1:10)

With the final lightning strike, the lights spring back on, and none other than “The Man They Call” Sting descends from the rafters! Hogan is absolutely spooked as he crawls into the corner of the cage cradling the title belt. Sting stands, staring. Hogan pleads for mercy as Patrick calls for the bell, the chaos continuing along the outside of the ring to the back!

Schiavone: It’s on! Sting! Hogan! Starrcade 1997! Here we go!

Rating: 89 (A; Hogan entrance); 86 (B+; WCW/nWo brawl); 85 (B+; Sting entrance)




 vs. 
Steel Cage Match
"The Man They Call" Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan

With the bell rung and ringside mostly cleared, all that remained was Hogan clutching the title belt and Sting clutching his trusty baseball bat. Sting raised the bat at Hogan, but after a dramatic moment, tossed it aside and removed his trenchcoat. In response, Hogan pulled himself to his feet tentatively and handed the belt to Patrick, but then shoved Patrick towards Sting and climbed up the turnbuckle to escape the cage! After an initial stumble, Sting strode over and grabbed Hogan by the back, Hogan screaming "no! no!" After a couple of hammer fists to Hogan's back, Sting landed a back suplex sending the champion crashing to the mat and writhing in pain!

Along the outside, the brawl had spilled back into the ringside area as Randy Savage and Ric Flair went at it back down the aisle. In the ring, though, Hogan used this distraction to crawl over to Sting's bat and catch him in the gut with it! Sting doubled over and Hogan landed another bat blow to the back! Suddenly re-finding his arrogant demeanor, Hogan removed the white belt from his trunks and began to lash the prone Sting on the back with it, taunting him all the while. Once he was satisfied, Hogan grabbed The Stinger by the hair and lifted him up to his knees, insulting him and telling him he'll "never be Hollywood, brother." Sting, however, pushed him off and stumbled to his feet! The two traded shots in the middle of the ring, with Sting clearly gaining a second wind.

The crowd's energy built behind Sting's blows and he continued to mount a comeback, blocking Hogan's punches and landing right hands of his own. An Irish whip into the corner led to a huge Stinger Splash! Sting hit the opposite corner again and landed another Stinger Splash! Hogan crumpled over onto the ropes and Sting grabbed his head – the crowd popped as Sting slammed Hogan's head into the steel! They could feel it now – Sting had all the momentum as Hogan bounced back toward the center of the ring. Sting grabbed the stumbling Hogan and lifted him for a huge Gorilla press slam!

Meanwhile, a thud of steel steps reverberated through the arena as "The Macho Man" sent Flair careening into them! As Sting picked up Hogan for the Scorpion Death Drop, Savage started pulling at the cage door! Realizing it was chained shut, Randy shoved aside multiple officials and grabbed the bolt cutters from ringside and started working at the lock. Sting had thrown Hogan aside and focused on the Savage's attempted entry. From the other side, Sting started to kick the door so that Savage could be pulled off of it by the officials, but to no avail, as most of the untrained WCW staff was scared of Savage's deranged manner. All of a sudden, Savage was intercepted by a man in street clothes who began to lay into him…

Heenan: Oh my goodness, Tony, look! What?! Is that—is that…?

Rhodes: IT EEEEZ! 

Schiavone: It's Bret "The Hitman" Hart! Bret Hart is here at Starrcade, and he's here for WCW!!!

Even Sting couldn't believe his eyes as the legendary Bret "The Hitman" Hart brawled with "The Macho Man" around the outside! He had clearly taken his mind away from the task at hand though, as a wobbly Hogan stood behind him brandishing the nWo Championship belt and beckoning for Sting to turn around. As "The Stinger" turned to face Hogan, "Hollywood" advanced and looked to hit him with the title, but Sting ducked! The belt dropped between them and Sting delivered a kick to the gut! He grabbed Hogan by the head and twisted him around – Scorpion Death Drop onto the title belt!

In the aisleway, Bret and Randy continued their scrum until Bret was able to land a snap suplex onto the ground! He took the opportunity to cinch in his famous Sharpshooter! Savage writhed on the ground as Bret faced the ring…where Sting had grabbed the legs of Hogan! He slid his right leg through, turned Hogan over – Scorpion Death Lock! Savage on the outside, Hogan on the inside, screaming in pain to the same devastating submission hold! The end was, at this point, a matter of "when, not if," and despite his frantic, desperate reaching for the ropes, Hogan knew it as well. After a few more seconds, Hogan submitted to Sting! Nick Patrick called for the bell! Sting became the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion!

As soon as the bell rings, the cage raises and Sting collapses to his knees. Patrick picks up the championship belt from the ground and hands it to him. Bret enters the ring and the two megastars face off. Bret offers a hand out, and Sting tentatively accepts the handshake! Bret turns to his side and lifts Sting's hand up in victory! As "The Hitman" leaves, the beaten, battered stars of WCW begin to walk down from various parts of the arena. Hogan and Savage, tails between their legs, leave as everyone from Lex Luger to The Giant to Psychosis to Dean Malenko to Ted DiBiase to The Barbarian hits the ring to celebrate! With Sting on their shoulders, the roster of WCW acknowledges the plain fact that after a year and a half of martial law by the insurgent New World Order, WCW has claimed the ultimate victory at Starrcade!

Rating: 80 (B; match); 88 (B+; celebration)

Overall Show Rating: 82 (B).  This show increased our popularity in 29 regions.
Backstage Notes: After the show, Eric Bischoff praised Sting for a good performance, told Bret Hart he put in a great performance, and pointed out Hulk Hogan as a good example. All three men were pleased with Eric's comments.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
WCW Starrcade 1997 Quick Results

Lex Luger (DQ) vs. Buff Bagwell

WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Dean Malenko vs. Eddy Guerrero (c)

WCW United States Championship
Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Konnan

Harlem Heat w/Jacqueline Moore vs. The Faces of Fear w/Jimmy Hart

Ric Flair & The Giant vs. Randy Savage & Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Elizabeth

Gauntlet Match
Chris Benoit vs. The Flock

Six-Man Tag Match
The Steiner Brothers & Larry Zbyszko w/Ted DiBiase vs. The Outsiders & Eric Bischoff

Bill Goldberg vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael

WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Steel Cage Match
Sting vs. "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan (c)

Bonus Questions

How many titles will change hands? One, the World Heavyweight Championship

Will anyone join or turn against the nWo? Yes, Scott Steiner

How many finishes will involve interference or distractions? Three, Luger/Bagwell, DDP/Konnan, and Harlem Heat/Faces of Fear

Which match will open the show? Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell

Which match will be match of the night? DDP vs. Konnan