Starrcade (1996)

Infobox wrestling event
name=Starrcade (1996)


promotion=World Championship Wrestlingcite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/47846 |title=The Furious Flashbacks – WCW Starrcade ’96 |first=Arnold |last=Furious |date=2006-12-25 |publisher=411mania |accessdate=2008-06-07 ]
date=December 29 1996
venue=Nashville Municipal Auditorium
city=Nashville, Tennessee
attendance=9,030
lastevent=World War 3 (1996)
nextevent=Souled Out (1997)

Starrcade (1996) was the fourteenth annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view event. It was the ninth Starrcade event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and it took place on December 29 1996 from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The event featured the New World Order (nWo) stable, which formed in July.

The main event was between Hollywood Hogan and Roddy Piper. Piper returned to WCW earlier in the year to oppose the nWo, and challenge Hogan to determine who the bigger icon was. [cite web |url=http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/wrestlingyears.html |title=Wrestling History |publisher=Pro Wrestling Illustrated |accessdate=2008-05-23 ] Other matches featured Lex Luger and The Giant, Diamond Dallas Page and Eddie Guerrero for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, The Outsiders and the Faces of Fear for the WCW World Tag Team Championship, and The Ultimate Dragon and Dean Malenko to unify the J-Crown Championship and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

Background

The main feud heading into Starrcade was between Roddy Piper and Hollywood Hogan. At Bash at the Beach, Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash formed the New World Order (nWo), a group of rebels who terrorized, and aimed to take over World Championship Wrestling. [cite video |date2=2004-02-03 |title=The Monday Night War: WWE Raw vs. WCW Nitro |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408001/ |medium=DVD |publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment |accessdate=2008-06-02 ] Since then, the group increased in members and power, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Piper returned to WCW at Halloween Havoc, and confronted Hogan. Piper claimed to be a bigger icon than Hogan, and challenged him to a match. [cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/hall_of_fame/47139 |title=411’s Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2007: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper |first=Larry |last=Csonka |date=2007-01-16 |publisher=411mania |accessdate=2008-06-07 ] [cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/piper.html |title=Rowdy Roddy Piper |first=John |last=Milner |date=2005-03-22 |publisher=SLAM! Sports |accessdate=2008-06-07 ] However, the making of their match was repeatedly delayed, and Piper accused WCW Executive Vice President Eric Bischoff of secretly working for the nWo. This was revealed to be true as the nWo came out, attacked Piper, and declared their alliance with Bischoff. The match between Piper and Hogan was made for Starrcade.cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/39672 |title=That Was Then 5.27.06: The New World Order In 1996 |first=Stuart |last=Carapola |date=2006-05-27 |publisher=411mania |accessdate=2008-06-07 ]

Event

The first match was between The Ultimate Dragon and Dean Malenko to unify the J-Crown Championship and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. The match started back and forth, with both exchanging holds. The Ultimate Dragon gained the advantage with the single leg Boston crab and the STF. Malenko fought back with suplexes, and applied the ankle lock. He then targeted the left leg of The Ultimate Dragon. They then went back and forth until The Ultimate Dragon missed a moonsault, and Malenko applied the Texas cloverleaf. After Malenko performed a brainbuster, they exchanged holds, and The Ultimate Dragon pinned Malenko with a bridging tiger suplex to win the match, and unify the titles. The second match was between Akira Hokuto (accompanied by Sonny Onoo and Kensuke Sasaki) and Madusa for the WCW Women's Championship. The match started back and forth. Hokuto applied the double choke, and performed a Northern Lights suplex. Madusa performed a tornado DDT and a powerbomb. After Hokuto performed a superplex, Madusa sent her outside with a dropkick. Onoo came in, and hit Madusa with a pole. Hokuto pinned Madusa after a missile dropkick and a Northern Lights Bomb to win the match and the title.

The third match was between Jushin Liger and Rey Mysterio, Jr. Liger had the early advantage with a delayed vertical suplex and a powerbomb. Mysterio performed a headscissors takedown, but Liger performed a suplex off the apron. They then went back and forth. Mysterio performed an springboard moonsault and a springboard legdrop. Liger fought back with a diving headbutt. Liger pinned Mysterio after a Liger Bomb to win the match. The fourth match was a No Disqualification match between Chris Benoit and Jeff Jarrett. The match started back and forth until Benoit performed a belly to back suplex, and applied the sleeper hold. Jarrett fought back with a belly to back suplex, and a belly to belly suplex. Arn Anderson came down as Jarrett performed a back body drop. Jarrett and Benoit exchanged attacks as Kevin Sullivan came down. Sullivan hit Benoit with a wooden chair as Anderson performed a DDT to Jarrett. Jarrett then pinned Benoit to win the match.

The fifth match was between The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) and the Faces of Fear (Meng and The Barbarian) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Nick Patrick, the referee, was biased towards The Outsiders. The match started back and forth until the Faces of Fear double-teamed Nash. Nash fought back after The Barbarian missed a diving elbow drop. The Outsiders dominated The Barbarian until the Faces of Fear double-teamed Hall. After performing a big boot, The Barbarian applied the nerve hold on Hall. Hall fought out with a belly to back suplex, and Nash tagged in. Nash pinned The Barbarian after a big boot and a Jackknife Powerbomb. The sixth match was between Diamond Dallas Page and Eddie Guerrero for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship. After starting back and forth, Guerrero gained the advantage with a slingshot senton, and applied the armbar. Guerrero performed mounted punches, but Page dropped him on the top turnbuckle. Page had the advantage, and applied the abdominal stretch. They then went back and forth as Hall, Nash and Syxx came down. Hall performed an Outsider's Edge on Page, and Guerrero pinned him after a frog splash to win the match and the title. After the match, Hall, Nash and Syxx beat down Guerrero.

The seventh match was between The Giant and Lex Luger. The match began with Luger delivering punches, and The Giant pushing off Luger. The Giant dominated Luger after performing a clothesline. Luger fought back with kicks after The Giant missed a body avalanche. The Giant continued to attack, but missed a dropkick. Luger performed clotheslines, a hangman's neckbreaker and a scoop slam. Luger then applied the Torture Rack, but Syxx came down, and performed a spin kick to Luger. Sting came down, and left a baseball bat in the ring. Luger performed a low blow to The Giant, and pinned him after several attacks with the bat to win the match. The main event was between Hollywood Hogan (accompanied by Ted DiBiase) and Roddy Piper. The match started back and forth. After Piper performed a clothesline and kicks, Hogan left the ring. Piper followed, and sent Hogan's head into the guard rail. Piper then whipped and choked Hogan with a belt. DiBiase distracted Piper, and Hogan fought back, sending Piper's head into the guard rail. Hogan kicked Piper's hip, and applied the abdominal stretch. They exchanged attacks, and The Giant came down. He attempted to perform a chokeslam to Piper, but Piper bit his nose. Piper then applied the sleeper hold on Hogan, causing him to pass out, and won the match.

Aftermath

After Starrcade, The Giant was removed from the New World Order (nWo) for failing to help Hogan win his match. The Giant was also unhappy with how he was never given a match for Hollywood Hogan's WCW World Heavyweight Championship despite winning the World War 3 battle royal. At Souled Out, The Giant faced Hogan for the title, but the match ended with nWo members beating down The Giant. [cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/52310 |title=The Island of Misfit Shows: nWo Souled Out (1997) |first=Louis |last=Izzo |date=2007-05-08 |publisher=411mania |accessdate=2008-06-07 ] Roddy Piper continued his feud with Hogan after, and they faced each other at SuperBrawl VII for the title. Randy Savage interfered, helping Hogan win the match, and their feud ended. [cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/columns/40919 |title=That Was Then 6.03.06: The New World Order In 1997 |first=Stuart |last=Carapola |date=2006-06-03 |publisher=411mania |accessdate=2008-06-07 ] Throughout 1997, WCW surrounded Sting, whose character was changed to become an avenger, frequently seen observing from the rafters. The storyline was built towards his match with Hogan for the title at the following Starrcade. [cite book |last=Bischoff |first=Eric |authorlink=Eric Bischoff |coauthors=Roberts, Jeremy |title=Controversy Creates Cash |date=2006-10-17 |publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment |isbn=141652729X |pages=pp. 236-239 ] [cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Bios/sting.html |title=Sting |first=John |last=Milner |coauthors=Urena, Steve |date=2004-11-04 |publisher=SLAM! Sports |accessdate=2008-06-07 ]

Results

ee also

*New World Order (professional wrestling)
*Starrcade
*World Championship Wrestling

References

External links

* [http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/47846 Starrcade 1996 review at 411mania]