WCW Starrcade 1997 (Version II)

Original Airdate: December 28, 1997

From Washington, D.C.; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Dusty Rhodes

Opening WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Dean Malenko: They start with some basic reversals, but a pissed off Malenko turns it into fists in short order. They skuffle into the corner, and Dean lands a leg lariat for two. Brainbuster sets up mounted punches, and a reversal sequence ends in Malenko powerbombing him for two. Whiplash follows for two, as Guerrero seems determined to give himself a concussion. Pinfall reversal sequence ends Malenko delivering a powerslam for two, so Eddie bails. He manages to grab control on the way back inside, and a bootrake leads to a seated dropkick. Suplex, but Malenko blocks, and dumps the champion front-first across the top rope. Dean with a clothesline for two, and a snapmare sets up a headscissors hold. Eddie gets into the ropes, so Dean delivers a pop-up flapjack, and Guerrero begs off, but Malenko shows no mercy with a dropkick. Eddie bails, looking for something to turn the tide back as he comes back in, but Dean has him scouted. Malenko lands another dropkick, so Guerrero tries blitzing him in the corner, but Malenko blocks a tornado DDT. Malenko with a side suplex for two, but a vertical version ends in Eddie snapping his neck across the top rope. Guerrero goes to work on the leg for a bit, and he delivers a powerbomb for two. Victory cradle, but Malenko counters with a wheelbarrow suplex for two, and a reversal sequence ends in the challenger landing a backbreaker for two. Malenko takes him upstairs, and they do a reversal sequence that kind of falls apart, with both guys crashing down. Dean is up with an Oklahoma roll for two, and another powerbomb finds the mark. Guerrero swipes at the bad leg to buy time, and he dives with a missile dropkick to the knee. That cripples Malenko long enough to set up the flying frogsplash, and Guerrero retains at 14:54. This was okay, though it felt like they were just kind of calling it all on the fly, without any real direction. And there’s nothing wrong with calling a match in the ring as a style, but it shouldn’t look like what it is. ** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¼)

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Ray Traylor and The Steiner Brothers v Randy Savage, Scott Norton, Vincent: This seems like kind of a weird way to use a bunch of these guys, not to mention tie up the tag champions. And Savage wasn’t even scheduled here, the nWo subbing him in for Konnan at the last moment. What is this, 1993 WWF? Scott Steiner starts with the Macho Man, as Tony makes a hilarious claim that the Steiner’s are the most level headed guys in the sport. Literally nothing happens for the first minute and a half, until they finally start measuring each other. Scott dominates, so Norton takes a cheap shot from the apron, and Macho drops Scotty across the top rope. That allows the nWo to triple team, and Norton tags in to Samaon drop him. Backbreaker follows, and it’s back to Savage for a flying axehandle. Backdrop, but Steiner counters with a butterfly powerbomb, and he adds a press-slam. That draws the heels in, but the babyfaces cut them off, and clean house. Dust settles on Rick Steiner powerslamming Norton for two, and he passes to Ray to unload on Norton with uppercuts. Over to Vincent, but Ray drops him with a spinebuster right away, so Vincent goes to the eyes. Ray quickly fights him off, however, and a side slam allows the tag to Scotty Steiner for a belly-to-belly suplex. The babyfaces work Vincent over, until Traylor misses a splash, and Norton tags in. The nWo work him over, but Vincent screws it up, and Rick gets the tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Vincent draws the short straw, of course, getting to take all the Steiner’s big moves. Savage saves him from a pinfall attempt, so Scott decides to give Savage a rana off the top, but Norton saves with an electric chair. That sets Macho up for the flying elbowdrop, and that’s it for Scotty at 10:24. This was watchable enough, though putting two heels in a row over on the biggest blowoff show of the year is exactly the sort of booking that makes people cite this card as the start of WCW’s downfall. Apparently, the babyfaces were supposed to go over, but when Konnan no-showed the event due to a legitimate family emergency, the only way they could convince Savage to sub in was to change the booking to him going over. Inmates running the asylum. * (Original rating: ½*)

Steve McMichael v Bill Goldberg: Brawl in the aisle to start, dominated by Goldberg. Mongo gets control as they head inside, and he delivers a sloppy sidewalk slam for two. Goldberg fires back with a jumping shoulderblock for two, and they spill to the outside, where Goldberg tries putting him through a table, but Steve blocks. The table is very obviously pre-cut, with the angle (leaning against the post) giving us a clear shot of the cut. Mongo tries a flying axehandle on the way back in, but Bill blocks, and puts him in a grapevine. Goldberg with a sloppy spear for two, so he tries slamming Steve over the top, but Mongo topples him for two. Goldberg responds with a dropkick to knock McMichael over the top, and Steve takes a bump through the table when Bill knocks him off of the apron (inspiring an ‘ECW’ chant from the crowd). Back in, Steve goes for the tombstone, but his back is messed up from the table bump, and Goldberg is able to block. That allows Bill the Jackhammer at 5:59 (6:49 total). Putting these two together was a recipe for disaster, and thankfully it was relatively short, because this was a sloppy mess. -¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Raven's Rules Match: Chris Benoit v Perry Saturn: Saturn is subbing for Raven here (Raven kayfabe refusing to wrestle), since we haven’t seen enough bait-and-switches yet tonight, I guess. Saturn tries attacking as Benoit cuts a promo on Raven, but Chris blocks him with a chop, then takes him into the corner for a bunch more. Saturn tries grabbing a sleeper, but Benoit uses a jawbreaker to quickly escape, and he unloads in the corner again. He’s just blasting Saturn with those shots, wow. Saturn comes back with an overhead suplex, and he pounds Benoit in the corner, but gets caught in a corkscrew legwhip. Cue a distraction from Kidman, and the action spills to the outside. The Flock attack him out there, and inside, Saturn works him over in surprisingly dull fashion. Brainbuster gets Perry two, so he works a chinlock, but Benoit escapes with a sunset flip for two. Clothesline follows, but both guys end up down off of it. Chris throws kicks as they stagger to a vertical base, but Saturn quickly puts him back down for a bootchoke. Sitout brainbuster sets up a dive, but he takes too long getting to the top, and Benoit shoves him to the outside. Baseball slide, but Saturn dodges. Benoit stays focused by putting him in the Crippler Crossface on the floor, but the Flock immediately dive onto him to break it up. That allows Saturn to try a springboard moonsault press, but Benoit dodges, and he takes his crew out instead. Inside, Chris snap suplexes him to set up the flying headbutt drop, so the Flock runs in before he can cover. Benoit fights them off one by one, so Raven himself comes in, and drills him with a DDT. That allows Perry the rings of Saturn, giving the heels four straight wins in a row at 10:54. This was quite decent at points, but also surprisingly boring at others. Also, more perplexing booking, as they didn’t deliver the advertised match, and then jobbed the babyface on top of things. * ½ (Original rating: ¾*)

Lex Luger v Buff Bagwell: Lots of posturing to start, and Bagwell gets control first, pounding Lex around the ring. He tries a hiptoss, but Luger reverses, and delivers a bodyslam, followed by a press-slam. Clothesline sends Buff over the top, so he decides to walk out on the bout, but Vincent comes out to talk him down. Bagwell gets fired up, but Lex sends him into the rail to quiet him down, and he pounds Buff on the way back inside. Vincent distracts him to allow Bagwell to turn the tide, and he works Lex over. Lex escapes a sleeper with a side suplex, so Bagwell tries a splash, but Luger lifts his knees to block. Comeback time, so Vincent goes to the top to interfere, but Lex rocket launches him into Buff. The referee gets bumped as Lex continues making his comeback, and there’s no one around to call for the bell as he puts Bagwell in the torture rack. That allows Randy Savage to run in, but Luger fights him off, so Scott Norton comes in to knock Lex out himself, and Bagwell scores the cheap pin at 16:35. Another match, another heel going over. Considering all of their TV matches leading up to this were terrible, giving them that much time was really dumb booking. And they couldn’t even let Lex get the win? DUD (Original rating: DUD)

WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Diamond Dallas Page: Page is subbing for Ric Flair, but this one they at least had the decency to announce in advance of the event. Page hooks a schoolboy for two right away, frustrating the champion. Hennig responds by bailing to do some stalling, breaking the momentum, and he pokes Page in the eyes on the way back into the ring. Hennig puts the boots to him, and a snapmare sets up a chinlock, but Page immediately counters to a hammerlock. Curt quickly fights to a vertical base, but gets caught in a mat-based side-headlock, taking him back to square one. Hennig fights back to a vertical base, and he uses chops in the corner, but Page reverses a cross corner whip on him, and goes back to the headlock. Hennig forces a criss cross, but loses when DDP uses a matslam, and a big right hand sends Curt over the top. Page goes to drag him back in, but Hennig snaps his throat across the top rope to block, turning the tide. Hennig goes to work on Page’s taped up ribs, and they spill to the outside, where DDP eats the steps. Or, well, his ribs eat the steps, more accurately. Ribs, eating things… what a country! Hennig with a clothesline for two on the way back in, so he goes to a chinlock, using the ropes for leverage along the way. Page fights free to trigger a slugfest, and Hennig takes a spill over the top as Page gets fired up. Dallas dives after him with a plancha, but Hennig blocks the Diamond Cutter on the way back in, and Curt hooks a leveraged pin for two. He argues the count, allowing Page another schoolboy for two, and a small package is worth two. Hennig throws a clothesline for two, allowing him to try the fisherman suplex, but Page blocks. He tries for the Cutter, but Hennig blocks, and they stagger up for another slugfest - this one ending in both men going down. Page is up first, and he wins a criss cross by floating over in the Cutter at 10:53. This was pretty decent, with both guys working hard throughout. And, finally, a babyface goes over! And luckily it was completely clean, without even a hint of controversy to cast the shadow of a Dusty Finish over it. ** (Original rating: ½*)

Control of Monday Nitro Match: Larry Zbyszko v Eric Bischoff: Bret Hart is the special guest referee for this one, and if Zbyszko wins, he gets a match with Scott Hall at Souled Out, in addition to saving Nitro. This is Larry’s first televised match since dropping the TV title to Steven Regal in June 1994, and Eric’s first match, ever. Bret, of course, last wrestled about a month ago - when he lost a world title in the most infamous finish in wrestling history - so he’s just refereeing. Lots of posturing to start, with ample stalling from Bischoff. Well, Larry really would have no place to complain about that. Eric lands a roundhouse kick once they finally engage, and Zbyszko goes down off of it. It fires him up, however, and he charges Bischoff - tackling him down, and grinding his face into the mat. Sleeper looks to polish him off, but Bret deems it a choke, and breaks it up. Zbyszko stays focused with a headscissors hold, but Hart again says it’s a choke, and intervenes. They’re just wasting zero time in having no idea how to book Bret, I see. Larry with a bodyslam to set up a standing figure four, but Bischoff has the ropes. Larry stomps the knee as he releases, and Eric wisely bails, going to the outside to strategize with Hall. Zbyszko doesn’t give him much of a breather, however, following to the outside to post Eric, as Hart gets in his face again. Zbyszko ignores him, and sends Eric into the steps, but another intervention from Bret allows Bischoff to strike Zbyszko down. Eric unloads on him, but Larry absorbs shot after shot, until Eric tires himself out. That allows Zbyszko to come back with a vertical suplex, and a swinging neckbreaker follows. Tree of woe, so Hall tries to interfere, but Zbyszko decks him. That triggers more protests from Hart, and as he argues with Larry, Hall loads Eric’s boot. Eric goes for a big kick, but the weapon goes flying out, though Zbyszko sells it like it was still there. Bret responds by flat out decking Bischoff (for no adequately explored reason), so Hall comes in, but Bret dispatches him (drawing the biggest reaction of the night thus far). Meanwhile, Zbyszko recovers from… nothing… and chokes Eric down until Bret awards him the win by DQ at 11:10. Yes, he couldn’t even get a real win, it had to be a DQ. But, I’ll take what I can get with this show. This was pretty bad, with neither guy looking good out there, perplexing booking throughout, and a big botch for the big spot. And then the idiots actually replay the kick with the weapon flying out! -¾* (Original rating: -*)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Sting: I know the story is that Hogan was upset that Sting didn’t ‘look good’ enough for the match (as if he wasn’t taking it seriously enough), but honestly, he looks completely fine. Sting is super cautious in the early going, but gets suckered into a cheap shot during a test-of-strength, and Hulk pounds him. Hulk with a cross corner clothesline, and Sting is taking a lot of abuse here. Like, every time he’s shown up on TV over the last year, he dismantles the entire nWo with ease, but now he’s selling clotheslines and punches like he’s an enhancement guy. Sting fights back with a dropkick to knock Hulk to the outside, and Sting… just stands there. Just stands there looking like he’s going to cry, no less. Hulk comes back in on his own schedule, but loses a criss cross, and a pair of dropkicks send Hollywood over the top. Sting, again, fails to do anything about it, and just leaves Hulk to his own devices. And his devices are stalling. Hulk walking around an insulting half the front row while in the middle of a match against the guy he’s supposedly terrified of (and while that guy just stands there and does nothing) is some more perplexing booking. Inside, Sting works a standing side-headlock, but Hulk forces a criss cross, and clotheslines him. And Sting sells it like he’s been shot, since I guess no one in this promotion understands their character. Hulk with a vertical suplex, but Sting immediately no-sells, thank God. He looks for a comeback, but Hulk goes to the eyes to quickly stop him, and he dumps the challenger to the outside. Hogan beats on him out there, so Sting tries a Stinger Splash on the rail, but misses. Hulk with an inverted atomic drop on the way back inside, and the big boot sets up the legdrop for the pin at 11:17. The idea is that the referee fast counted to screw Sting out of the title, but in reality it was a perfectly normal count, and that completely didn’t play. Bret Hart (still hanging around at ringside) refuses to allow the bell to ring, despite the assigned official actively declaring Hogan the winner. Bret responds by decking him, and he chases Hogan back into the ring. Stinger Splash connects, drawing in Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell. Really? It’s the biggest match ever, and those are the only two guys in the gang who show up? Was Vincent too busy? Anyway, Sting fights them off, and the Scorpion Deathlock finishes at 12:52. Oh man. What was that? Another bit of odd booking, not only the finish, but throughout, with Sting looking really weak. Oh, and let’s not let that finish off that easily, though. What a mess… first Hogan beats Sting completely clean. Then Bret Hart overrules a completely clean win just because he feels like it. Then the nWo don’t even bother making a play to save, aside from two of the lowest ranked members. This was confusing, poorly booked, and showed a complete lack of understanding of the angle and the characters involved. Poor Bret Hart… one of the greatest minds in professional wrestling, and a guy who truly understood (and cared about) his character, and he winds up becoming involved in two of the most infamous finishes in history within weeks. -½* (Original rating: DUD )

BUExperience: What a terrible show. What a disappointing show. What an odd show. 

On paper, this should have been WCW’s crowning achievement. The result of nineteen months of booking, with Sting vanquishing the nWo, and the babyfaces finally going over big.

Instead, it was a night filled with terrible wrestling (including three matches in negative stars), mind boggling booking, and general confusion. 

I’ll say it again, what an odd show. It bears repeating. Forget about all the stuff mentioned above, even on paper, it’s the biggest show of the year, and only three titles are being defended? Top stars like Randy Savage, Rey Mysterio Jr, Scott Hall, and tons of others aren’t even booked? Bait-and-switches galore, substitutions out the wazoo… this was a mess.

DUD