Rebooking Starrcade 94

[spaldoni]

I was always disappointed in Starrcade 94 so I'll try and rebook it. This would be the first WCW encounter between Flair and Hogan. Also a few months before Starrcade, Sting is brutally attacked by Vader during a Sting/Arn Anderson match. Arn joins in the attack. Sting is out of action for awhile then comes back and issues a challenge to Vader and Arn at Starrcade. Sting says he has a mystery partner.

Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan- World Title Bout

Sting and Randy Savage(mystery partner) vs Vader/Arn Anderson

Steve Austin vs Fly'n Brian- US Title bout

Johnny B Badd vs Paul Orndorf- TV Title bout

Hacksaw Duggan vs Lord Steven Regal

Dustin Rhodes, Nasty Boys, Brutus Beefcake vs Dick Slater, Bunkhouse Buck, Blacktop Bully, Meng- Steel Cage Bout

Avalanche w/Kevin Sullivan vs Big Bubba Rogers- Last Man Standing

Bobby Eaton vs Alex Wright

Harlem Heat vs Armstrongs(Heels with Col. Rob Parker

 

[The Brain]

I don’t remember the Starrcade 94 card well enough to rebook the whole thing. I’ll just focus on the main event. Hogan vs. Flair would have been fine if it were the first match between the two in WCW. The problem was Hogan debuted six months earlier and WCW wanted the big match right away. It could be argued that they should have built the match and waited for Starrcade but I could see why they wanted to do it earlier. Regardless, the actual main event for Starrcade 94 was terrible. Brutus Beefcake main eventing a major pay per view in 1994? Really? I’ve always been one to stick up for guys like Hogan and Triple H when others say they used their influence and sacrificed big money matches to work with their friends instead. Even I can’t defend Hogan here. That main event was so weak it was pathetic. Nobody gave a damn about Beefcake at that point. I could see WCW doing that angle if they were desperate and didn’t have anything else to do but they had a perfectly logical big money match that should have obviously been the main event of Starrcade 94.

Hulk Hogan vs. Vader. How much more obvious could it get? Not doing Hogan vs. Vader at Starrcade 94 would have been like not doing Hogan vs. Savage at WrestleMania V. Vader was the dominant force in WCW for the past couple years and could have been viewed as a serious threat to knock off Hogan as the Hulkster was invading his territory. Just looking at Vader made him an ideal opponent for Hogan but the fact that he could move a hell of a lot better than the behemoths Hogan made his name slaying in the WWF made Vader even more dangerous. Vince would have salivating over Hogan vs. Vader if he had Vader during the Hulkamania years. Oh by the way, Vader won a number one contender’s match at Fall Brawl in September and here we were at the biggest show of the year three months later and Vader still hadn’t received his title shot. Logic would tell you when Vader earned the title shot at Fall Brawl he would get the match at Halloween Havoc. Instead they went with Hogan vs. Flair in a big blow off. That was fine as it allowed Vader to be saved for an even bigger show. Passing him up for Beefcake was inexcusable.

To be fair Vader did get his shot at Hogan at Superbrawl, another three months later and a full six months after winning the number one contender’s match. Maybe it was just me since I wasn’t a big WCW guy but by the time Superbrawl came around it seemed Vader had lost his momentum and was no longer a threat. It was too little too late. I guess three months shouldn’t make a big difference but when WCW passed up Vader for Beefcake at Starrcade it told me they no longer valued Vader like that had before and it was hard for me to care about him as much.

 

[Makaveli31]

Hogan clearly wanted to establish himself as THE MAN in "enemy territory" and didn't waste anytime putting himself over Flair at Bash, Clash, and Havoc '94. Making himself look strong in the process. I've "heard" that Beefcake was actually a late sub for someone they were supposed to bring in but plans fell through. I forget who it was supposed to be. If I research it I will probably find it but I think Beefcake wasn't supposed to be there.

 

[The IWC Butcher]

I was always disappointed in Starrcade 94 so I'll try and rebook it. This would be the first WCW encounter between Flair and Hogan. Also a few months before Starrcade, Sting is brutally attacked by Vader during a Sting/Arn Anderson match. Arn joins in the attack. Sting is out of action for awhile then comes back and issues a challenge to Vader and Arn at Starrcade. Sting says he has a mystery partner.

Ric Flair vs Hulk Hogan- World Title Bout

Sting and Randy Savage(mystery partner) vs Vader/Arn Anderson

Steve Austin vs Fly'n Brian- US Title bout

Johnny B Badd vs Paul Orndorf- TV Title bout

Hacksaw Duggan vs Lord Steven Regal

Dustin Rhodes, Nasty Boys, Brutus Beefcake vs Dick Slater, Bunkhouse Buck, Blacktop Bully, Meng- Steel Cage Bout

Avalanche w/Kevin Sullivan vs Big Bubba Rogers- Last Man Standing

Bobby Eaton vs Alex Wright

Harlem Heat vs Armstrongs(Heels with Col. Rob Parker

I like this card so I'm adding you to my booking team in our virtual / fantasy wrestling world -

Except I'm pulling the Armstrongs and adding Hogan's Buddies the Nasty Boys for the Tag Team straps -

Opening with Harlem Heat Vs Nasties - Heat win clean and become new tag team champs, great way to kick off a PPV

2. Bobby Eaton squashes Alex Wright - Alabama Jam from the top - I wikipedia 'd this PPV and it was from Nashville in front of 8,200 Tennessee fans (talk about Hogan drawing power huh?!?) Southern Bobby represents the south here.

3. Hacksaw beats Regal, hits him with the 2 x 4, ref doesn't see it... Hey it's in Hogan's contract gotta throw him a bone...sorry William we will make it upnto you, we"ll have you win the US Title from Duggan next year bc our new VP of Programming makes Austin job in 0:08 seconds then gets fired... Ou'll get a Rick Rude US title run.

4. Paul Orndorf wins the TV Title via piledriver on the TV Title belt on Johnny B Badd..after match Orndorf piledrives Johnny on the exposed concrete floor, writing off the Badd character forever, never to be heard of or spoken of...Orndorf becomes an instant baby face in the proceeds, sells a ton on Mr Wonderful t-shirts.....

5. Steve Austin vs Brian Pillman - 2 out of three falls...these guys go 30 minutes with a classic... Austin fall one, Pillman fall two, and Austin gets the third fall via hangman's top rope throw move he did... I tell Hogan after the match these guys are the future!!!!! He says "I don't think Austin is a main event guy that can lace up my boot straps" ...Hogan proceeds to convince Bischoff to put the US strap on Duggan... Overriding my booking power....

6. Sting & Randy go over Vadar & Anderson... Vadar leaves the match towards the end...Anderson looks confused (possible baby face turn)....

Leading to Hogan Vs Flair for the title - Main Event- Upset with Hogan convincing Bischoff to give Duggan a US title run, I make an emergency change to the main event - finding a one time PPV card subject to change clause in Hogan's contract -

Avalanche, Beefcake, and the rest of Hogan's buddies come down only to eat some solid Hogan punches... Sting Savage run out... A rocus insues, all guys clean out of match back to Hogan Flair...and Vadar shows up destroys Hogan...Vadar bomb off second rope on Hogan's knee in a chair... Arn Anderson runs down gets in Vadars face only to turn around and give Hogan a double A spine buster... Flair goes into his tights and gets the brass knucks... Clocks Hogan, Hogan is busted open... Flair pins Hogan one, two, three...Flairs wins in Flair country (kind of) setting up Super Brawl!

Note I would be fired for having Hogan lose immediately after the PPV.. Being replaced by Bischoff and Sullivan and thus Flair and Hogan wrestling a no contest double pin, title is held up at Clash setting up the Tower of Doom at Super Brawl for the belt and Yes you can predict this Hogan overcoming Vadar, Flair, Beefcake, Anderson, Savage, Sting, and the Shark!!!!!!!

 

[donfryeismyhero]

Hogan clearly wanted to establish himself as THE MAN in "enemy territory" and didn't waste anytime putting himself over Flair at Bash, Clash, and Havoc '94. Making himself look strong in the process. I've "heard" that Beefcake was actually a late sub for someone they were supposed to bring in but plans fell through. I forget who it was supposed to be. If I research it I will probably find it but I think Beefcake wasn't supposed to be there.

Sid Vicious perhaps? He's the only big name free agent I can think of from that time period that would of made sense. The Brain is on the money though. It should have been Big Van Vader. He was the #1 heel in WCW & arguably the #1 heel in all of North American wrestling at that time. A huge big man who was very athletic in comparison to most from that era. Perhaps, the reason why they went with The Barber over Vader was because Hulk was struggling to get over in WCW. Hogan was a WWF guy & many WCW loyalist, especially in the southern "rasslin" belt as Hogan has referred to it in the past despised Hogan. Vader was a WCW guy who made his name in the states working for Turner & would of most likely despite being a heel been received more positively then Hulk. Anyways, here's how I would of booked that card.

Alex Wright vs HHH as the opening match up

Arn Anderson vs Sting for the TV strap.

Stars & Stripes vs Harlem Heat vs The Nasty Boys for the tag belts.

Flyin' Brian vs Stunning Steve

Johnny B. Badd & Dustin Rhodes vs Taskmaster & Avalanche

Hacksaw Duggan vs Vader for the US title & #1 contenders match

Hogan vs Flair in a Steel Cage career vs career WCW title match in what should of been an obvious match up to do to one up McMahon & do what he couldn't setting up that match up at WCW's version of WrestleMania. After Hogan goes over Flair, the Dungeon of Doom makes their way to ringside to attack Hulkster, Sting comes to his aid only for Vader to interject himself into the equation. Then out of nowhere, Savage shows up & sides with the babyfaces to somewhat even up the odds.

 

[FlairFan2003]

Vader, STing, and Flair were the three legit Main Event guys WCW had who could draw with or without Hogan. Austin wasnt quite there yet (and Hogan and Bischoff didnt like him anyways), Rick Rude by then was injured and his career finished...Randy Savage and Lex Luger had not returned yet.

Obviuously we know Flair wasnt around...booking this as the Main Event would require major re-booking of WCW's previous shows as well. I understand why they went with Flair-Hogan out of the gate at The Bash and why they milked it for The Clash Of Champions. You couldnt very well also stage the Havoc match and expect people would want to see them again so soon at Starrcade, especially since Hogan booked the fued so one sided, WCW fans were already tuning out because they wanted Flair to win and WWE fans lost interest once it became clear Hogan would dominate. About the only way you make this match work at Starrcade 94 is if somehow (BIG SOMEHOW) you can keep Hogan interesting for six months without a one on one match vs Flair (almost impossible, who would he battle) or if you made this the third match in the series, having let Flair go over (and regain the title) in some impressive fashion in match #2. Starrcade then would have been "The Rubber Match". I would have waited till Havoc for the 2nd World Title Match and let Flair win, albeit in a NO DQ match where his cheating tactics would be fair game, just to give Hogan a small out in the loss (forget the syrupy injury angle from Clash, too cheesey). Have Hogan suffer the injury in a tag match vs Flair after his Title win and make the Starrcade Match contested in a Cage under "I Quit" Rules... Hogan couldnt beat him healthy in a NO DQ match, could he take him injured in I Quit match ? Then I'd let Hogan win.

 

[spaldoni]

I like this card so I'm adding you to my booking team in our virtual / fantasy wrestling world -

Except I'm pulling the Armstrongs and adding Hogan's Buddies the Nasty Boys for the Tag Team straps -

Opening with Harlem Heat Vs Nasties - Heat win clean and become new tag team champs, great way to kick off a PPV

2. Bobby Eaton squashes Alex Wright - Alabama Jam from the top - I wikipedia 'd this PPV and it was from Nashville in front of 8,200 Tennessee fans (talk about Hogan drawing power huh?!?) Southern Bobby represents the south here.

3. Hacksaw beats Regal, hits him with the 2 x 4, ref doesn't see it... Hey it's in Hogan's contract gotta throw him a bone...sorry William we will make it upnto you, we"ll have you win the US Title from Duggan next year bc our new VP of Programming makes Austin job in 0:08 seconds then gets fired... Ou'll get a Rick Rude US title run.

4. Paul Orndorf wins the TV Title via piledriver on the TV Title belt on Johnny B Badd..after match Orndorf piledrives Johnny on the exposed concrete floor, writing off the Badd character forever, never to be heard of or spoken of...Orndorf becomes an instant baby face in the proceeds, sells a ton on Mr Wonderful t-shirts.....

5. Steve Austin vs Brian Pillman - 2 out of three falls...these guys go 30 minutes with a classic... Austin fall one, Pillman fall two, and Austin gets the third fall via hangman's top rope throw move he did... I tell Hogan after the match these guys are the future!!!!! He says "I don't think Austin is a main event guy that can lace up my boot straps" ...Hogan proceeds to convince Bischoff to put the US strap on Duggan... Overriding my booking power....

6. Sting & Randy go over Vadar & Anderson... Vadar leaves the match towards the end...Anderson looks confused (possible baby face turn)....

Leading to Hogan Vs Flair for the title - Main Event- Upset with Hogan convincing Bischoff to give Duggan a US title run, I make an emergency change to the main event - finding a one time PPV card subject to change clause in Hogan's contract -

Avalanche, Beefcake, and the rest of Hogan's buddies come down only to eat some solid Hogan punches... Sting Savage run out... A rocus insues, all guys clean out of match back to Hogan Flair...and Vadar shows up destroys Hogan...Vadar bomb off second rope on Hogan's knee in a chair... Arn Anderson runs down gets in Vadars face only to turn around and give Hogan a double A spine buster... Flair goes into his tights and gets the brass knucks... Clocks Hogan, Hogan is busted open... Flair pins Hogan one, two, three...Flairs wins in Flair country (kind of) setting up Super Brawl!

Note I would be fired for having Hogan lose immediately after the PPV.. Being replaced by Bischoff and Sullivan and thus Flair and Hogan wrestling a no contest double pin, title is held up at Clash setting up the Tower of Doom at Super Brawl for the belt and Yes you can predict this Hogan overcoming Vadar, Flair, Beefcake, Anderson, Savage, Sting, and the Shark!!!!!!!

Thanks for the compliment and I really liked what you did with the card. The Eaton and Orndorf segments were great and the Arn story was classic Arn Anderson. I think if Starrcade went down like this, 95 would of been a great year for WCW. Hogan losing would of actually helped him with the WCW fans.

 

[spaldoni]

Hogan clearly wanted to establish himself as THE MAN in "enemy territory" and didn't waste anytime putting himself over Flair at Bash, Clash, and Havoc '94. Making himself look strong in the process. I've "heard" that Beefcake was actually a late sub for someone they were supposed to bring in but plans fell through. I forget who it was supposed to be. If I research it I will probably find it but I think Beefcake wasn't supposed to be there.

I have read it was suppose to be Mr. Perfect. That would of been pretty cool.

 

[justtxyank]

It was in fact Curt Hennig. It was basically a done deal with one of the wrestling mags at the time even running a cover story about what Hennig was going to be doing in WCW with Flair.

I'll also point out that while fans often say Starrcade was WCW's Wrestlemania, the company did not feel that way by this time. December ppvs draw relatively poorly compared to the other shows and Bischoff has stated that the biggest ppv in his mind was Halloween Havoc.

As for the rebook, you included an Austin match when he was already out injured with the knee. Starrcade 94 was not a good show obviously, but it was a case of a lot of things going wrong behind the scenes that it hurt the ability to put on a good show. WCW didn't have a bunch of stars that could just be moved in and out of matches at this point.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

They must've been planning Brutus Beefcake in advance since they had him do his heel turn at Halloween Havoc; two months before Starrcade.

These were the sad days of WCW. You had a steady stream of WWF also-rans coming in clinging to Hogan's coattails, and it was just sickening. Duggan? Beefcake? John Tenta? MR FRIGGIN T??

Give me a break, Terry.

Assuming you let Halloween Havoc stand, your clear Main Event for Starrcade is Hogan Vs. Vader.

Kevin Sullivan never forms the Dungeon of Doom, and instead merges with Col. Parker's Stud Stable which becomes Terry Funk, Bunkhouse Buck, Arn Anderson, Kevin Sullivan and The Great Muta (who is brought over from New Japan to help fill out the overwhelmingly pitiful roster WCW had at the time.)

Of course, they set their sights first on Sting.

Sting Vs. The Great Muta

No Disqualification Tag Team Title Match:
The Nasty Boys Vs. Terry Funk and Arn Anderson (Funk and Anderson win the titles)

U.S. Title Match
Dustin Rhodes Vs. Meng

The Harlem Heat Vs. Pretty Wonderful (Harlem Heat turn face at some point prior to this.)

World TV Title Match:
Johnny B. Badd Vs. Bunkhouse Buck

Really, things were abysmal at the time. But I think getting rid of the Dungeon of Doom and getting some better workers, even for a short time, would make for some good times.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

To be fair Vader did get his shot at Hogan at Superbrawl, another three months later and a full six months after winning the number one contender’s match. Maybe it was just me since I wasn’t a big WCW guy but by the time Superbrawl came around it seemed Vader had lost his momentum and was no longer a threat. It was too little too late. I guess three months shouldn’t make a big difference but when WCW passed up Vader for Beefcake at Starrcade it told me they no longer valued Vader like that had before and it was hard for me to care about him as much.

It could just be me, but often in the mid-late 90s it seemed like Bischoff put more emphasis on SuperBrawl than Starrcade as their "big one". Saving Vader for SuperBrawl V is one example. Having the actual blowoff to NWO/Hogan/Sting at SuperBrawl VIII is another example. Maybe these are just two examples of poorly timed blowoffs. But I wouldn't be surprised if Bischoff sometimes looked past Starrcade towards SuperBrawl as their "WrestleMania". Roman numerals and all.

As for rebooking it, I agree. Hogan vs Vader in the main event is the obvious choice and would have been as big as they could get. Certainly much bigger than what they ended up with. I also like the idea of Sting bringing in Savage as a mystery partner, since he debuted in WCW around the same time anyways. Would have been a bigger moment for his debut as well.

 

[justtxyank]

It could just be me, but often in the mid-late 90s it seemed like Bischoff put more emphasis on SuperBrawl than Starrcade as their "big one". Saving Vader for SuperBrawl V is one example. Having the actual blowoff to NWO/Hogan/Sting at SuperBrawl VIII is another example. Maybe these are just two examples of poorly timed blowoffs. But I wouldn't be surprised if Bischoff sometimes looked past Starrcade towards SuperBrawl as their "WrestleMania". Roman numerals and all.

As for rebooking it, I agree. Hogan vs Vader in the main event is the obvious choice and would have been as big as they could get. Certainly much bigger than what they ended up with. I also like the idea of Sting bringing in Savage as a mystery partner, since he debuted in WCW around the same time anyways. Would have been a bigger moment for his debut as well.

Bischoff has said as much. December ppvs did lower buys allegedly and house show attendance was down in December. He found they were more successful in October with Halloween Havoc and with Superbrawl.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

I'm not against booking Hogan vs. Flair (seriously Hogan vs. Brutus The Barber Beefcake as the main event of Starrcade?) but in order to do that I would have to go back and re-book the 6 months of WCW so I'm not going to go with that match, I will go with a match that I think the most people would have wanted to see and that was Hogan vs. Vader. I remember this period of WCW pretty well and I can honestly say this was the match I was waiting to watch.

Vader is just the perfect opponent for Hogan at the time, a monster heel who can move like your average wrestler, he also recently beat Sting in their final match so he would have been ideal.

Everything else in WCW really didn't matter much outside of Hogan at the time so you can really make whatever undercard you want and get away from it so that doesn't really matter. Since Savage recently debuted a few weeks earlier I would give him his first match against a solid mid card talent like Arn Anderson to help establish him but otherwise it didn't really matter what the matches underneath were.

Side note: I find it hilarious HHH lost to Alex Wright at this event.