NWA Starrcade 1983 Review

Starrcade 1983 Review
March 12, 2012 (edited March 6, 2021)
By Ryan Porzl 

Event: Starrcade 1983
Tagline: A Flair For The Gold
Date: November 24, 1983
Location: Greensboro, North Carolina 
Arena: Greensboro Coliseum
Attendance: 15,447
Announcers: Gordon Solie & Bob Caudle
Interviewers: Tony Schiavone & Barbara Clarey
Broadcast: Closed Circuit Television
Live or Tape: Live

The Assassins (w/Paul Jones) vs. Rufus R. Jones and Bugsy McGraw- The Assassins are Jody Hamilton (father of referee Nick Patrick) and Hercules Hernandez. Hamilton is best known as part of the Assassins tag team for decades with a variety of partners portraying Assassin #2 with the original one being a guy named Tom Renesto. After his career ended, Hamilton ran WCW's Power Plant training school during the 90s which helped train future legends like Kevin Nash, The Big Show, Diamond Dallas Page, and Goldberg and also ran the short lived WWE developmental Deep South Wrestling in the 2000s. Hercules originally gained success in Mid-South Wrestling and several NWA territories like Central States Wrestling and Championship Wrestling from Florida while later gaining success in New Japan but is best known for his 1985-1992 run in the WWF. Jones was a successful mainstay in the Carolinas for Jim Crockett and in Central States Wrestling from the 1960s-1980s while McGraw achieved success in promotions such as Championship Wrestling from Florida and World Class in Texas. Jones and McGraw previously held the NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship earlier in the year. The Assassins' manager is "Number One" Paul Jones who originally had a big career as a wrestler mostly in Championship Wrestling from Florida and in Jim Crockett Promotions in the Carolinas during the 1960s to early 1980s before back problems saw him become a manager where he led "Paul Jones' Army".

McGraw and #1 start with a tie up. McGraw whips #1 off the ropes but #1 gets a shoulder block. McGraw comes back with a hip toss but misses an elbow. #1 misses an elbow and McGraw gets a bodyslam and 1 bails to regroup. Back in, 1 gets a knee but McGraw comes back a bionic elbow. Slugfest which McGraw wins and #1 tags #2. #2 gets a shoulder block but gets caught in a bodyslam and McGraw follows with a hip toss. Tag to Jones who jives and jabs. Punch to the stomach gets #2. Hip toss and Jones works the arm. Tag to McGraw and #2 gets him in the Assassins corner and tags #1. McGraw fights out of the corner but #1 starts working over the arm. McGraw comes back with elbows and tags Jones. Jones works over the arm with headbutts. #1 tries to fight out of it but hurts his hand punching Jones' head. Jones hits a few thrusts to the throat and works over #1 in the corner. #1 comes back with eye rakes and tags #2. #2 continues the eye raking but Jones gets a headbutt and both tag out. McGraw cleans house with punches and bionic elbows. All four men in the ring but #1 gets thrown out. McGraw gets an atomic drop. McGraw whips #2 to the ropes with #1 blind tagging in and McGraw gets a back body drop but #1 sneaks in and rolls ups McGraw with a schoolboy to win at 8:11.

Thoughts: * Ok opener with McGraw probably having the more memorable stuff which doesn't say much. The NWA/WCW armwork stuff was on full display and amounted to nothing. The finish was interesting in that the blind tag was kind of cool but then to do just a schoolboy was weird but this was 1983.

Solie and Caudle welcome us to the show

Tony Schiavone is in the dressing room telling us they'll interview the wrestlers before and after the matches. I think Piper has a New Japan shirt.

Kevin Sullivan and Mark Lewin (w/Gary Hart) vs. Johnny Weaver and Scott McGhee- Sullivan & Lewin are no strangers to one another. When both were wrestling in Championship Wrestling from Florida, Lewin was a member of Sullivan's cult as the Purple Haze. Sullivan is of course best known for his work in the southern United States for Championship Wrestling from Florida and Southeastern Championship Wrestling during the 1970s and 1980s largely portraying a Satanic cult leader. He later gained success working for ECW in the early 90s and working for NWA/WCW both on and off camera first as a wrestler then as a booker from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Lewin originally gained fame as part of a pretty boy tag team with another wrestler named Don Curtis where they had success in the WWE (then NWA Capital Wrestling) before eventually developing his "Maniac" heel persona. Lewin worked all the NWA territories from the 1960s to the 1980s while achieving his biggest success in World Class and the Australian World Championship Wrestling where he also booked. Weaver is a longtime mainstay in the Carolinas for Crockett and also worked in Championship Wrestling from Florida while having booked and announced for Crockett during and after his in-ring career. McGhee was an up and comer at the time having achieved most of his success in Championship Wrestling from Florida as well as stints in Pacific Northwest Wrestling and Southeastern Championship Wrestling winning titles in each promotion before suffering a stroke in 1988 which forced him to retire. Hart was a legendary manager and booker who started in the 60s as a middle of the road wrestler before becoming a successful and legendary manager from the late 60s to late 80s where he mostly worked in World Class, Jim Crockett Promotions, and Championship Wrestling from Florida. He also was a famous booker for World Class on and off from 1976-1988 where he was mostly responsible for creating the company's biggest angle in the Von Erichs vs. The Fabulous Freebirds.

Sullivan and McGhee start with Sullivan getting a waistlock takedown but can't keep McGhee down. McGhee runs the ropes and hits a dropkick. Another dropkick and Sullivan tags Lewin. Lewin misses a few elbows but gets a headlock and tags Sullivan as McGhee escapes the headlock. McGhee gets his own headlock and tags Weaver. Weaver gets a headlock but Sullivan whips him off and they criss-cross with nothing happening. Tag to Lewin and Weaver works the arm and tags McGhee. McGhee goes for a wristlock but Lewin reverses into his own but McGhee climbs on top of Lewin and drops his leg over Lewin's arm to break it which was pretty cool. Lewin grabs McGhee and tags Sullivan who gets a snapmare and kicks the stomach and knees the arm. Tag to Lewin who continues the arm work. Tag to Sullivan who gets a knee and works the arm. Tag to Lewin, who continues the arm work. False tag to Weaver but the ref didn't see so it doesn't count. Behind the refs back, Sullivan hits a high knee. Sullivan tries the enter but the ref won't allow that and Lewin comes back in. Finally, consistence. Lewin gets a front facelock and tags Sullivan as McGhee tries to fight back but Sullivan gets a headbutt and tags Lewin. Lewin gets a trapezius hold and sends McGhee back to his corner and tags Sullivan. McGhee rams Sullivan into the turnbuckle and finally gets the hot tag to Weaver. Weaver cleans house and hits a bulldog on Sullivan but Lewin breaks the count at 2. Waver tries another bulldog but Sullivan shoves him into the corner and tags Lewin. Lewins works over Weaver and tags Sullivan. Sullivan works over the arm and tags Lewin who continues the arm work. McGhee tries to come in but gets stopped by the referee which allows Sullivan and Hart to hold Weaver by his arms and Lewin comes off with a top rope knee drop on the arm to finish at 6:43. Afterwards, heel beatdown takes place with Angelo Mosca trying to help Weaver and McGhee but gets taking out as well but he eventually recovers and chases them off. McGhee bleeds really well.

Thoughts: ** Better than I remember it as it was decent. McGhee has some good moves and played the babyface-in-peril very well while everyone else did good. Again, not the biggest fan of the arm work but it did lead to the finish so that's good. The finish was a bit strange that a diving knee to the arm would be enough but whatever. Weaver taking the pinfall loss was the right move as he was pretty much at nearing the end of his career.

Barbara Clarey interviews several fans with all of them saying Flair will win.

Tony Schiavone interviews Harley Race, The Briscos, and Greg Valentine. Race says on any given day, the last place he like to be is Greensboro, North Carolina facing the situation he's got to face tonight. He says he's been talking with his friends who are knowledgeable about Ric Flair's short comings and he's getting insights into Ric Flair over the last few weeks. He tells Flair that he knows where he hurts and he's going for all those spots. Short but solid promo and nice bit with Race trying to scout for weaknesses.

Carlos Colon vs. Abdullah The Butcher- Colon is the father of Carlito & Primo Colon and the uncle of Epico Colon who all gained fame in the WWE and is the co-founder of the WWC promotion in Puerto Rico where he was the top star for decades. Abdullah is a pioneer in hardcore/death match type wrestling and famous for his bloody brawls and matches usually involving a fork. According to Solie, this match is happening cause it was banned in Puerto Rico. I want to point out that even in 1983, Abdullah is still over 40 and you thought Terry Funk was old.

Tie up to start with Abdullah getting Colon into the corner and hits him with a foreign object behind the ref's back. Abdullah continues to hammer away with punches and headbutts. Clothesline and an elbow drop get 2. Abdullah continues to work over Colon until Colon begins to comeback with punches and a foreign object. Abdullah is bleeding and Colon starts biting. Colon continues to use Abdullah's weapon against him and hits a knee. Punch and a knee drop Abdullah. Leg Drop and an elbow drop get two as Colon lands on the referee. Abdullah goes for the elbow drop but accidentally hits the ref. Colon hits a dropkick and applies the Figure Four Leglock but Hugo Savinovich (future WWE Spanish Announcer) comes and nails Colon. The referee recovers and Abdullah to get the win at 4:30.

Thoughts: 1/2* Not much to say as it was a short punch/kick match that wasn't anything special thought Abdullah bled well but I would expect that.

Tony Schiavone interviews Angelo Mosca with a bloody Scott McGhee near him. Mosca has his arm taped due to earlier and Schiavone asks if he'll be able to referee. Mosca yells even if he has one arm, he would referee tonight and then mentions "that boy" he saw out there tonight (Scott McGhee) brought tears to his eyes as he saw the crimson red. He said it reminded him of a 21 year old boy that is his son. Mosca tells Lewin he felt the wrath of the spike but all it did was get his latin blood in an uproar. He said as he carried McGhee back, he thought there's no place in the NWA or professional wrestling for these acts. Mosca says he's done a lot of vicious acts but he's not a malicious man and tells Lewin blood is thicker than water. Schiavone than asks about the main event to which Mosca says he's trained with Flair and never seen anyone more ready. He says Flair has the attitude and aptitude to be world's champion. Mosca says Race is tough but believes in his heart that Flair will prevail. Ok passionate promo though I don't get why nobody has tried to clean up McGhee.

Barbara Clarey interviews more fans

Bob Orton and Dick Slater vs. Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood- The story here is Orton and Slater injured Flair's neck a few months earlier and collected a $25,000 bounty from Harley Race so Wahoo and Youngblood want to avenge Flair. Orton is, of course, the father of Randy Orton. Both Orton and Slater achieved success in a variety of NWA territories as singles and were a legendary tag team for Georgia Championship Wrestling and Southeastern Championship Wrestling. McDaniel is a legendary Native American wrestler who also achieved success as a football player for the NFL in the 60s and was a big star in many NWA territories but is mostly known for his work in Jim Crockett Promotions, World Class, and the AWA. Youngblood is a member of the Romero wrestling family alongside father Ricky and brothers Jay and Chris. Like his brothers, he adopted a Native American gimmick and had some singles success but is mostly known as team with Chris as The Youngbloods/Renegade Warriors in WWC, World Class, All Japan, and later NWA/WCW.

Awkward beginning as ring announcer Tom Miller tries to welcome Dusty Rhodes right before the match but mic goes dead for a bit. Wahoo and Slater start with a tieup and trade chops. Slater gets a flair flip in the corner. Back in, Wahoo takes Slater down and works the arm. Tag to Mark who hits a leg drop on Slater's arm. Mark continues to work over the arm. Slater whips Mark off but misses a chop and Mark gets a bodyslam. Slater takes Mark down and jackknife pins for 2. Slater gets a hammerlock but Mark reverses into his own. Slater grabs the leg from behind to break the hold but gets kicked off and goes over the top rope. Orton tries to argue Mark knock him over the top (which was illegal at the time in the NWA) but referee: Tommy Young doesn't believe it and think Slater's momentum sent him over the top. Slater and Mark go for a test of strength but Slater instead hits a russian leg sweep for 2. Tag to Orton who hits a high knee into the back. Backbreaker follows and Orton just throws Mark to the canvas.

Orton gets a snapmare but misses an elbow drop. Mark chases Orton out of the ring and back in. Tag to Slater but after regrouping, Orton stays in anyway. Orton gets a headlock but gets whipped to the ropes. They criss-cross but Orton grabs Mark and nails a backbreaker with Slater coming in and dropping an elbow. Slater grinds his boot into Mark's face. Slater gets some jabs and a gutwrench suplex for 2. Slater throws Mark through the ropes, allowing Orton to get a few stomps on Mark and drops him back first on the barricade. Back in the ring, Slater hits a headbutt and stomp. Tag to Orton, who applies a chinlock but Mark escapees and hits a shoulder block but runs into a big boot. Orton gets the chinlock again. Tag to Slater as Mark gets an armdrag on Orton but is blocked from making a tag to Wahoo. Slater hits a headbutt, elbow, and a suplex for 2. Piledriver is blocked as Mark back body drops Slater off.

Mark hits a shoulder block but both fall. Tags to Orton and Wahoo. Wahoo cleans house on both Orton and Slater. Wahoo hits an inverted atomic drop and a tomahawk chop. Bodyslam and elbow drop get 2. Another pin but Orton gets his foot on the rope. Wahoo gets a stomp to the face and Orton tags Slater and holds Wahoo down for Slater. Slater pins for 2. Leg Drop and a tag to Orton. Double team elbow and Knee Drop without the knee pad get 2. Tag to Slater who climbs the top rope and goes for a bionic elbow but Wahoo moves out of the way and Slater hits Orton by mistake. Wahoo nails an Atomic drop and Slater goes to the corner where he takes some shots from Mark. Tag to Mark. Double team chops and a leg drop from Mark as Orton knees Wahoo out of the ring. Tag to Orton but Mark hits a dropkick. Dropkick to Slater and two more to Orton. Mark whips Orton to the ropes and goes for a dropkick but Slater grabs Orton and Mark misses. Orton hits the superplex to finish at 14:48. Afterwards Orton and Slater attack Wahoo and injure his arm.

Thoughts: ***1/2 Good and fun tag match with a good crowd. Everyone looked good, the Slater and Orton team showed their chemistry and why people appreciate them, Mark did good as the babyface in peril, and Wahoo was good doing the hot comeback. The aftermath was solid as it furthers the Race/Flair drama as Race's guys beat up a friend of Flair.

Tony Schiavone interviews Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Jay Youngblood. Schiavone brings up having talked with Race and Race saying he has something for Flair. Flair says he hopes Race is prepared for the match of a lifetime because he, Steamboat, and Youngblood sit there knowing in a few moments that they'll be climbing in the ring with all the marbles on the line. He says he's prepared himself physically and mentally and be ready for anything. Flair then shakes Youngblood and Steamboat's hand while wishing them good luck and saying it's their night. Youngblood says he and the people watching know Flair is the deserving world champion and says Flair has proven what the Flair for the Gold means. He then says his and Steamboat's match against Jack and Jerry Brisco is the biggest of their lives. Steamboat says they're going for the gold for an unprecedented fifth time, they're mentally prepared, and tells the Briscos they'll see their inevitable end real soon. Good promo from Flair as I usually enjoy his mellow stuff more. Youngblood was ok but didn't come off confident as a talker. Steamboat was short but sweet.

Barbara Clarey interviews Dusty Rhodes but they are having audio problems. I know this is 1983 but come on, how can they have these audio problems?

NWA Television Championship vs. Mask: The Great Kabuki (c) (w/Gary Hart) vs. Charlie Brown- Charlie Brown is Jimmy Valiant with a mask on and no, it has nothing to do with the Peanuts Charlie Brown as the name is short for "Charlie Brown from Outta Town". The feud here is Valiant lost a loser leave town match to Kabuki and returned under a mask as Charlie Brown. And people think 21st Century wrestling was silly while acting like old school stuff was serious. The Great Kabuki is a legendary Japanese Wrestler who achieved success in his native Japan for companies like JWA and All Japan but probably achieved his biggest fame in America where he wrestled almost all the NWA territories and won championships in each one though is perhaps best known for his run in World Class. As The Great Kabuki, Kabuki was one of the first wrestlers to use a Kabuki demon like gimmick who spat Asian mist. He would inspire many others including The Great Muta. Jimmy Valiant was a journeyman who competed in a variety of wrestling promotions from the 1960s to 1980s mostly as part of the Valiant Brothers with fictional brother Johnny winning many tag titles. By this point, he shed the "Handsome Jimmy" gimmick and was the annoying "Boogie Woogie Man". During this time, Valiant was not only annoying but one of my picks for the top 3 worst wrestlers of the 1980s along with Junkyard Dog and George Steele as they were guaranteed to have the worst matches on the show. Weird stipulation as Kabuki's TV Title is only on the line for the first 15 minutes while Charlie Brown's mask in on the line throughout the whole match.

Brawl to start both in the ring and out. Brown whips Kabuki into the guardrail. Kabuki goes to the guardrail again. Brown gets a chair, hits Kabuki with it, and chokes Kabuki while Hart protests. Kabuki gets crotched on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Brown stomps on the crotch while Hart is arguing with the ref. Brown works over Kabuki and applies a sleeper. Kabuki eventually escapes by applying a claw on Brown. Kabuki misses a chop and Brown goes back to the sleeper but Hart gets Kabuki's foot on the rope to break the hold. Kabuki comes back with several thrust kicks and chops. Kabuki goes back to the claw but Brown fights out and gets a back body drop. Another back body drop but Kabuki comes back with another thrust kick. Kabuki jumps off the second rope goes back to the claw. Brown eventually fights out and whips Kabuki into the corner but still feels the effects of the claw allowing Kabuki to nail him with a kick.

Kabuki jumps off the top rope and once again goes for the claw. Brown's shoulders go down for 2. Kabuki eventually lets go and hits a top rope chop for 2. Another chop and Kabuki tries to rip off the mask but the ref won't let him. Kabuki continues to work over Brown with kicks and chops until Brown makes the comeback. Kabuki misses a kick in the corner and Brown drops the elbow to win the title at 10:35. After the match, Brown gets the title and Hart has a temper tantrum.

Thoughts: 1/2* Lousy and boring match although Kabuki's offense was alright but limited. The crowd was really into it which I don't get since Valiant sucks but I don't get what crowds saw in The Bushwhackers or The New Day later on. The chair spot didn't make sense and should've been a disqualification. Brown selling, at times, looked like shit with the occasional drunk staggering and convulsing. Brown's title reign didn't amount to much as Valiant's "loser leaves" suspension ended by January 1984 and he vacated the title while returning to his normal persona.

Solie and Caudle talk about the event.

Tony Schiavone interviews Harley Race, Bob Orton, and Dick Slater. Schiavone brings up Orton and Slater collecting the bounty Race put out on Flair but tells Orton that Flair is still here tonight at Starrcade. Orton says Flair did comeback and it was with help from Wahoo McDaniel and Harley Race is the world champion seven times. He brings up they collected the bounty and if not for McDaniel, they put Flair back in the hospital. Orton says the cold hard fact is Flair's got his match but like he said, Race is a seven time world champion and with the information he got from him and Slater, he shouldn't have any problem beating Flair like they did McDaniel. Slater says Flair is not out of the hot water yet as Race is a seven times champion and has been involved in many of the toughest matches now has to go into a cage match. He says that Jim Crockett and the National Wrestling Alliance did this because they thought Race, Orton, and Slater would conspire to put Flair out again. He says Flair's still not out of the water as he still has to wrestle Race and Race won't take it easily. Race says he knows Flair is watching and says he's with the two men who know him better than he knows himself. He says Flair will remember these three faces when they face each other and he's going for the neck. He says his ballgame is going for the neck and the elimination of Ric Flair. Solid promos from all three but I don't know why we needed another Race promo.

Barbara Clarey tries to interview Dusty Rhodes again and thankfully no audio problems this time. She brings up everyone wants to know who will win the main event while Rhodes wants to challenge. Rhodes says they're in the biggest event in history and that he, two time world champion, has been to every big event in the last six, seven years. He says he's been partying but he's here to challenge the winner hoping to be three time world champion. He then describes both before saying he can handle the winner and goes out on a limb predicting Race will win and says he's coming for him. Entertaining promo from Rhodes.

Dog Collar Match: Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine- The feud here is Valentine and Piper exchanged the NWA United States Championship several times with the last match resulting in Valentine injuring Piper's ear back in May. Valentine is the NWA United States Champion but the belt isn't on the line. A dog collar match is when both competitors have dog collars wrapped around their necks and are connected to a big chain.

Tug-o-war to start with both eventually pulling the chain to get closer to each other and Piper grabs enough to whip Valentine in the face. The two grab the chain again with Valentine trying to whip Piper but misses two times until hitting the back on the third attempt. The two walk to the middle and engage in a brief slugfest. Back to the tug-o-war until Piper grabs enough chain to whip Valentine in the leg. Piper traps Valentine in the corner and punches away. Piper then wraps the chain around his fist and punches Valentine and pushes it into Valentine's forehead. Piper pulls Valentine to him and hits him with a punch. Valentine gets tangled with the chain and Piper crotches him with it. Valentine comes back by hitting Piper with several elbows and forces him into the corner. Valentine wraps the chain around his fist and punches Piper several times and then goes for Piper's ear. Valentine gets a snapmare and wraps the chain around Piper's eyes and pulls back.

Valentine tries to corner Piper but Piper fights out by hitting Valentine with the chain to the eyes and hits a knee. Piper then wraps the chain around Valentine's head and pulls. Piper wraps the chain around the post and chokes Valentine in the corner. Piper then slugs away at Valentine in the corner and then pulls him into a punch and Valentine's busted open. Valentine comes back with a choke but Piper rolls out of the ring with Valentine following. The two whip each other with the chain and Piper pulls Valentine onto the apron. The ref gets involved which allows Valentine to hit the ear with the chain and hits the ref as well. Back to ringside, Valentine pushes Piper ear first into the ring post. Valentine then rams Piper into several ringside chairs. Piper's ear is now a bloody mess. Back in Valentine chokes Piper with the chain and once again wraps it around his fist and starts punching. Valentines continues to work over Piper in the apron.

Valentine attempts a suplex but Piper wraps the chain around his fist and punches Valentine in the stomach. Valentine comes back with more punches as Piper tries to fight back but can barely stand. Elbow drop gets 2. Another gets 2. Piper comes back by pulling Valentine down with the chain and starts hammering away and the crowd loves it. Piper whips Valentine numerous times and drops a chain wrapped fist. Valentine goes back to the ear and a slugfest takes place which Piper wins. Valentine comes back with a choke, clothesline, and drops a knee. Valentine goes for a pin but gets 1. Another gets 1. Another gets 2. Another gets 2. Valentine drops another knee and a chain wrapped fist. Valentine goes for the pin but gets 1. The two fight over a suplex which Piper wins and they're both down. Valentine whips Piper to the corner and applies the sleeper hold. The ref checks the arm but Piper remains conscious. Piper wraps the chain around his fist and punch Valentine which breaks the hold. Valentine nails a second rope bionic elbow and an elbow drop.

Valentine climbs the turnbuckles but Piper pulls him off and punches hims several times with the chain. Piper wraps the chain around Valentine's legs and gets the pin at 16:08. After the match, Valentine attacks and chokes Piper with the chain until the refs get Valentine back to the locker room which allows Piper to celebrate his victory.

Thoughts: **** Awesome match. Brutal, bloody, and at times creative. This is what you expect from a match like this. I liked the ways the collar was used including the finish. The match was occasionally slow so I don't know how many fans will be into it like I was but I liked it. The crowd was into it which helped. Sadly, this match proved so brutal that Piper's eardrum was broken and lost 50% of his hearing but sometimes you have to sacrifice for your art. This, of course, was it for both Piper and Valentine as both jumped to the WWF by the new year but not before Valentine lost the United States Championship to Slater.

Solie and Caudle talk about the match and the possible damage to Piper's ear.

Tony Schiavone interviews Ric Flair and a hurt Wahoo McDaniel. Schiavone brings up being in the locker room with Race, Orton, and Slater and they seem like happy men. Flair says they should be happy today because the next day and next they won't be because what they did to Wahoo, they'll have to face him in the future. He then tells Race he wants Race to get in the ring and do everything to keep him from winning the heavyweight championship cause that's the man he is. Flair says Race is a heck of a man but thanks to McDaniel, Steamboat, and Youngblood, he's prepared before telling Wahoo if he needs anything from him that he can count on him. Wahoo says he knows Flair is ready as he's wrestled him, with him, and trained with him. He says they were jogging when they were sore. He says he will bet all money on Flair as he's going to see it and see history as the title comes back to Charlotte and says Flair is ready. Another solid promo but again doesn't feel necessary. I get building anticipation but it felt like overkill.

Barbara Clarey interviews "Pride of the USA" Don Kernodle. Kernodle was a longtime mainstay for Crockett having specialized in tag team wrestling with the likes of Sgt. Slaughter and later Ivan Koloff. Kernodle says The Briscos are a great brother team but Steamboat and Youngblood are a great team as he's wrestled both teams. He wishes the best for the Tag Title participants and wants to see a great match. Clarey asks about the main event. Kernodle says he knows Flair and knows he's in great shape so he hopes Flair wins the title. Short and to the point.

NWA World Tag Team Championship: The Brisco Brothers (c) vs. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood- Angelo Mosca is the special referee and the match has the stipulation of the belts being able to change hands on a disqualification. The Briscos are Jack and Jerry who were successful amateur wrestlers before becoming pro wrestling legends. As a team, they're one of the all time greats having won many tag team championships in various NWA territories. Outside of the team, Jack is a former 2 time NWA World Heavyweight Champion during the 1970s and is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Jerry is probably best known for his work behind the scenes in the WWF/E from the 1980s to 2020s and as an on-screen stooge of Vince McMahon during the Attitude Era. Jay is a member of the Romero wrestling family who also has a Native American gimmick. Jay was a successful journeyman in many NWA territories including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, All-Star Wrestling in Vancouver, Western States Sports in Amarillo, Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto, and Championship Wrestling from Florida but achieved his lasting fame in Crockett with his team with Steamboat as they're a legendary team who held the World Tag Team Championship four times at this point and the Mid Atlantic Tag Team Championship once together. This match sees them attempt a supposed record fifth reign. I say supposed because The Minnesota Wrecking Crew of Gene and Ole Anderson held the belts seven times. Jay is a sad case in many ways, not only his early death in 1985 at 30 due a combination of pancreatitis, sepsis, kidney failure, and a series of heart attacks but the fact he's become a forgotten legend who really doesn't get enough notice. Mosca is a former football player from the CFL before becoming a wrestler from the 1960s-1980s where he traveled the NWA territories and won many championships. The story here is The Briscos turned on Steamboat and Jay beginning a rivalry where they exchanged the tag team titles during the summer and fall.

Steamboat and Jack start off with a tie up to the corner but Steamboat breaks it. Jack gets a headlock but Steamboat whips him off and Jack runs the ropes with Steamboat leapfrogging twice and goes for a chop but Jack holds on to the ropes. Jack gets a wristlock and tags Jerry who hits it with a double ax handle and applies the wristlock only for Steamboat to escape with a drop toe hold. Tag to Jack who applies a hammerlock but Steamboat floats over and hits an arm drag. Tag to Jerry and two tie up in the corner but Jerry doesn't give a clean break and instead nails Steamboat with forearms. Jerry continues to work over Steamboat in the corner until Steamboat rams him into the turnbuckle. Steamboat gets a headlock and tags Jay who gets a headlock take down. Jay gets Jerry in the corner and briefly works over him. Jay starts working on the arm. Jerry hits a bodyslam but Jay continues to hold on to the arm and gets several near falls.

Tag to Steamboat, who nails a top rope chop on the arm. Tag to Jay who hits a top rope double ax handle on the arm and pins for 1. Jay nails Jack preventing a tag. Jay rams Jerry's head in the turnbuckle and tags Steamboat. Jerry comes back with a kick and rams Steamboat's head into Jack's knee. Tag to Jack who gets a hot shot on Steamboat. Jack follows with a snapmare, knee drop, and hooks the chinlock. Steamboat escapes and hits a shoulder block then runs the ropes but Jack catches him with a back body drop. Tag to Jerry who hits a butterfly suplex for 2. Several more pin attempts but they all get 2. Hip toss and Jerry applies a keylock. Steamboat muscles out and drops Jerry back first. Tags to Jack and Jay with Jay cleaning house. They fight for a suplex which Jack wins. Tag to Jerry and the Briscos hit a double team tackle. Jerry covers but Jay gets his foot on the rope. Another suplex gets 2. Abdominal stretch pin gets 2. Jerry starts complaining about the count and pushes Angelo Mosca and Mosca pushes back. Jay with a chop and tags Steamboat. Steamboat hits a top rope fist drop. Steamboat hits 2 chops and tags Jay. Double team chop. Tag to Steamboat and Jerry gets hit with an assisted dropkick. Tag to Jay as Steamboat press slams Jay onto Jerry for the win and a record fifth title reign at 13:00. After the match, the Briscos attack the new champions and Mosca but are eventually chased off.

Thoughts: ***1/2 Good and fun technical match. Like Orton/Slater, this was a good showcase for these two teams and they showed why they deserved the hype so I recommend it if you're interesting in either team. There was technical wrestling, good double teams, and once again, a good crowd. Anyway, this was the last hurrah for the Steamboat/Youngblood team as they broke up and vacated the titles at Christmas when Steamboat briefly retired.

Solie and Caudle run the credits and the behind the scenes people who helped bring Starrcade to us.
Caudle tells us were in intermission as they set up the cage

Tony Schiavone interviews Charlie Brown. Brown kisses Schiavone and says we're going to do it. He tells his brothers and sisters he did it for them as this belt goes back to the people. Brown says he did it for Jimmy Valiant. Roddy Piper is second and shows his bloody ear while asking Valentine if that's the best they can do. He says Valentine wanted to take his hearing but he still has one more ear to go. He says he beat Valentine fair and square and claims the United States Title is next but really the WWF was next for him. Finally, Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood with Youngblood saying winning the first time is one of the greatest feelings in the world but the fifth time is unprecedented and then says they're not closeted champions and they will prove it this year, next year, or the year after and how they'll keep proving they're #1. Steamboat says what makes a great tag team combination is the ability to adapt to various styles and that they've defeated all different combinations. He says they may not be the biggest in the world but they can adapt. Steamboat says they're in great shape and they know what it's takes to be a wrestling tag team combination and come home with the gold. Brown's promo sucked but the others were good though they don't age well since Piper left shortly after this while Steamboat and Youngblood broke up a month later.

Solie and Caudle talk about the tag team title match, talk about the new tag team champions, Piper/Valentine, Colon/Abdullah, and preview the main event.

Barbara interviews Rhodes again with some fans who think Flair will win while Rhodes says the winner will have to meet him and hypes Starrcade. Whatever.

Solie and Caudle talk about the cage match.

We get the national anthem from some guy named James "Tiny" Weeks. Surprised the anthem was now but it was alright.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship/Steel Cage: Harley Race (c) vs. Ric Flair- The feud here is Race regained the title for the seventh time against Flair back on June 10th. From there, he issued a $25,000 bounty on Flair's career which saw Orton and Slater collect by injuring Flair's neck on a spike piledriver. Former NWA World Champion Gene Kiniski is the special guest referee. Kiniski previously held the championship from 1966-1969 and ended Lou Thesz's final reign as NWA World Champion. While Flair won the title once before, this was clearly his coming out party as he has Also Sprach Zarathustra as his theme which is nothing surprising but also special lighting, fog machine, and a firework. Flair is obviously the favorite of the crowd giving the show is in his home state. Man, Race's robe is ugly, not sure if it's Christmas colors in red and green or red and blue but I think it's blue.

Tie up to start with no one winning. Flair gets a headlock takedown, Race tries to turn it into a pin but doesn't get it, and Flair lets go. Tie up again with Race getting a punch. Flair comes back with a chop, elbow, and a headlock. Race gets Flair into the ropes and hits a knee and gets admonished by Kiniski. Flair gets a knee of his own, a snapmare, and hooks a chinlock. Race whips Flair into the ropes and nails a high knee. He then drops a headbutt but misses. Flair hits a chop but Race kicks out before 1. Side headlock takedown. Race's shoulders are down for 1. They're down again for 1. Race turns the headlock into a pin for 1. Race eventually escapes the headlock and hits a suplex for 1. Elbow drop misses and Flair attempts a bodyslam but Race falls on top for 2. Race drops a few knees and chokes Flair until Kiniski pulls him off. Flair gets rammed to the turnbuckle and knocked to the canvas with a punch. Race drops another knee and chokes again with it. Piledriver and elbow get 2.

Race drops an elbow on the back of the neck. Swinging Neckbreaker gets 2. Flair gets rammed into the fence and Flair starts bleeding. Powerslam gets 2. Flair tries to come back but Race headbutts him and then drops a headbutt. Flair gets thrown to the fence again and again. Race tries to work over Flair in the corner but Kiniski grabs him to try to separate them. Flair takes advantage with a punch. Flair starts working Race over in the corner until Kiniski grabs him allowing Race to hit another headbutt. Flair reverses an irish whip and Race goes into the fence. Race gets thrown into the fence. Flair hits a snapmare and drops a knee. Now Race is bleeding. Piledriver gets 2 as Race gets his foot on the rope. Butterfly Suplex gets 2. Race gets rammed into the fence 2 times and Kiniski admonishes Flair. Race comes back with a headbutt to the stomach and rakes Flair across the fence. Flair gets thrown into the fence again but comes back with a chop for 2. Flair drops an elbow and gets some mounted punches.
Belly to back suplex and Flair applies the Figure Four Leglock but Race reaches the ropes. Another headbutt puts Race back on offense. Race tries a suplex but Flair falls on top for 2. Race hits a second rope headbutt for 2. Suplex gets 2. Race drops a knee and starts choking Flair until Kiniski pulls Race off with his hair. Suplex is blocked and Flair gets his own but misses an elbow drop. Race goes for a headlock but accidentally headbutts Kiniski for some reason. They fight into the corner but Flair fights out and hits a fucked up diving high crossbody for the win at 23:38 to regain the title. After the match, all the wrestlers run in to congratulate Flair. Flair then thanks the fans.

Thoughts: **1/2 Decent match but like many of Flair's famous matches it's very overrated. My biggest complaints were the slow as molasses pace, repetitive offense specifically Race's headbutts, the screwed up finish where Flair was supposed to dive into Race and Race would trip over Kiniski but instead Flair jumped too far to the left with Race barely catching him and missing Kiniski. Speaking of Kiniski, his ref job was annoying as he got involved after every fucking move. Another issue was the fact this is supposed to be no disqualification but Kiniski was still enforcing rules like choking, rope breaks, and closed fist. Why? What's stopping them? To be fair, there were some good as Race targeted the neck like he said he would and did a good job while Flair didn't do his usual match while the crowd was again into it.

Solie and Caudle talk about the World Championship and the future Tony Schiavone interviews Ric Flair and announces a new world heavyweight champion before telling Flair it started at his house months ago and here we are, the world's champion. Flair says it started before that and he doesn't know how to say thank you to Steamboat, Youngblood, Wahoo, Rufus R. Jones, Jim Crockett, and to all the people out there to stand behind him when he was down and out. Steamboat comes in and they shake hands. Steamboat says Flair did it with Flair saying he couldn't have done it without him but Steamboat says Flair always had it and just needed a little drive. Flair thanks him, Steamboat says he owes him, and Flair says anytime. The babyfaces then pour champagne on Flair as Dusty comes in and shakes Flair's hand. He says there's still one more dream to fill and mentions they going to face each other soon. Steamboat proposes a toast. Nice segment to celebrate Flair's victory. I know many have criticized Rhodes' moment as they accuse him of making it about himself but I didn't see that as he issued the challenge tonight plus the segment aged well as Flair and Rhodes would battle for the next few years. Not to mention, it's no different than Flair confronting Kerry Von Erich after his title loss a few months later and declared he be back.

Solie and Caudle talk about the recent interview

Barbara Clarey interviews Harley Race and apologizes. Race says what can he say except he did it seven times and there's nothing on God's Green Earth that stands in his way of doing it eight times. He says he's been there and done it all before telling Flair this is his night of glory, the night was arranged for him. He says he's not packing in it up, going it away, and hiding. He says he's going to hound him as Flair drove him insane for six months and assures that Flair will live through hell until he meets him again. Solid promo but again, doesn't age well as with the exception of a two day reign in March 1984, The Harley Race era was over and he was phased out of the main event after this. I know Race wouldn't say he's given up but he did pack it in to an extent.

Solie and Caudle talk about the Race interview

Tony Schiavone interviews Flair, Ricky Steamboat, and Jay Youngblood on their title victories. Flair says they don't know where to begin as this was a dream the three of them had. He says in life you try to achieve goals and you try to be the best at what you do day in and day out. Flair says in their sport, what symbolizes you as the best are championship trophies and they worked hard for them but doesn't want to say they'll be there tomorrow cause there's a lot of guys who are the best at any given night. He says they like to think they're the best tonight and Steamboat will let him drink a beer and celebrate because he's not training for a few days. Flair says everyone at Starrcade wouldn't be here without the people and then congratulates Steamboat and Youngblood for doing what no one in professional wrestling has done and that's win these titles for a fifth time. Steamboat thanks Flair and says everyone knows it's a long night, the training periods have been very very long, and the hours and sweat they put in and the many times they thought they got something down with a move or hold and it wouldn't come around until you keep plugging at it. He says they came tonight, they set their minds on going home as champions and they have. Steamboat thanks everyone as does Youngblood. A nice way to end the show with the babyface's hard work having paid off.

Solie and Caudle look forward for Starrcade 84 before wrapping things up

Final Thoughts
Starrcade '83 is like the the first Wrestlemania and that it's recommended for historical purposes but not much else. There were a few good matches but the Piper/Valentine and Tag Team Championship matches are the only ones worth going out of your way to see while the Orton/Slater/Wahoo/Mark match was good. I suppose I can say you should seek out Race/Flair because even though I found it overrated, I know many love it so maybe you will too. The event does have historical moments behind it as it is the first Starrcade but more than that as it was the last big match for Piper and Valentine before they went to New York, the last hurrah for the Steamboat and Jay Youngblood team before they broke up, Jay's last huge moment of his career before his death in 1985, the end of the Harley Race era, and the beginning of the Ric Flair era which dominated NWA/WCW for nearly the next decade.

Recommended

Starrcade 1983 Facts-
The only Starrcade to have a TV Title match where the TV Title was on the line for the first 15 minutes.

Last Starrcade to feature Harley Race until 1991.

The only Starrcade to have a dog collar match.

The first of three Starrcades where Flair was in a steel cage match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The other two were in 1987 and 1990 (as the Black Scorpion). He was the challenger in all 3 matches.

First of five Starrcades in which Ric Flair challenged for a World Championship and the first time he challenged for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. He later challenged for the NWA Championship in 1987 and 1990 (as the Black Scorpion) and then the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 1993 and 1995.

Last Starrcade to feature Roddy Piper until 1996.

Last Starrcade not to feature a Dusty Rhodes match until 1989

The only Starrcade Harley Race appeared at as a wrestler. Later appearances featured Race as a manager.