THIRTY-TWO YEARS AGO ON THIS DAY - STARRCADE '86 GREENSBORO, ATLANTA, AND KANSAS CITY
Thirty-two years ago on Thanksgiving day (on that year Thanksgiving was on November 27), Starrcade '86 took place in the dual venues of the Omni in Atlanta and the traditional Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro. It was the second of two years that JCP split the event between two cities with alternating matches in each locations closed-circuited back to the other. What is often forgotten is that Kansas City, KS was the third city that year to be a part of Starrcade '86, hosting live matches at Memorial Hall and then presenting the entire closed circuit telecast.
It was 10 years ago last month that Dave Millican and I photographed the original 1973 NWA "ten pounds of gold" title belt in Charlotte, which led to my first book a year or so later.
Thank you, Dave, I could not have done it without your knowledge and support. -DB
Author Mike Rickard (michaelrickard.com) has written a nice new review about our book "Ten Pounds of Gold."
Book Review: "Ten Pounds of Gold"-A Fun and Fact-Filled Look at the NWA World Heavyweight Championship November 26, 2018, Michael Rickard
It’s been said that you should write what you know, and wrestling fan/historian/author Dick Bourne has shown this with his various books dedicated to the legendary territory, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP was one of many promotions during the heyday of the National Wrestling Alliance, and like all NWA territories, it featured appearances by the NWA Heavyweight Champion. Now, in the book, Ten Pounds of Gold (2nd Edition): A Close Look at the NWA World Championship Belt, Bourne explores an important period in the title’s storied history. --> Click here for the full review.
Mike is the author of "Wrestling's Greatest Moments", the autobiographical "Laughing all the Way to the Bank (Robbery)" and the new novel "Flunky: Pawns and Kings" (which has a loose wrestling connection as well.) His website and blog are located at MichaelRickard.com.
We appreciate Mike's enthusiastic support of our book projects.
It was the first Starrcade outside the traditional Mid-Atlantic territory, as Jim Crockett Promotions moved Starrcade to Chicago that year. It was also the company's first ever pay-per-view event.
But it was shut out of the majority of cable systems by the WWE, the effects of which were felt in the company's business in 1988 and helped lead to the sale of the company to Ted Turner in late 1988.
It would prove to be the last Thanksgiving show under the Jim Crockett Promotions banner and the last Starrcade for the family promotion as well.
Relive the memories of the first Starrcade outside of the traditional Mid-Atlantic territory, thirty-one years ago today! Visit our Starrcade '87 page on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway archive site.
It is
called "the Granddaddy of The All" and is generally recognized as the
first "Super Card" that ushered in the modern era of super card
pay-per-events.
Before there was Wrestlemania, there was Starrcade.
The
first Starrcade was in 1983 and was sub-titled "A Flare for the Gold"
and featured the area's favorite son "Nature Boy" Ric Flair regaining
the NWA world title from Harley Race. It was Flair's second World
championship of what would become 16 World titles over the next two
decades.
What do Swede Hanson, Pat O'Connor, the Missouri Mauler, Johnny Weaver, Jerry Brisco, Dory Funk, Jr., Wahoo McDaniel, Rufus R. Jones, Ricky Steamboat, Paul Jones, Ivan Koloff, Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, and Nikita Koloff have in common? They all failed in their bid to capture the NWA World Heavyweight championship on a Jim Crockett Promotions card on a Thanksgiving night. Only Ric Flair was successful in capturing the "ten pounds of gold" on Thanksgiving, and he did it twice. See the list of all those Thanksgiving title matches on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway.
As the years pass, it's natural for the smaller details to fade from memory on any good story. When folks talk about the build-up to Starrcade '85 all these 30+ years later, the story usually begins with Ric Flair and the Andersons turning on Dusty Rhodes in the cage in the Omni on 9/29. That's the angle they think of when they remember all the things that led up to the big world title match at Starrcade.
But the story began much earlier. You see, Dusty Rhodes needed to be the number one babyface and he had to have more than just the number one heel do bad things to him to set up his biggest match of the year. He needed someone the fans were beginning to love as much or more than him to turn on him. He needed more than evil deeds; he needed selfish betrayal.
Ric Flair had somewhat of a dual personality in the spring and summer of 1985 on Atlanta TV. For a majority of the time that Flair had been NWA world champion since September of 1981, he remained the most popular wrestler imaginable in his home territory of the Mid-Atlantic area, while wrestling straight heel as defending NWA world champion in every other territory in the NWA. When Jim Crockett Promotions acquired the wrestling TV time on Superstation WTBS, Flair maintained his heel persona on the national broadcast, while staying the babyface in the Mid-Atlantic area (even though many Mid-Atlantic fans were seeing the Superstation cable broadcasts, too.)
In the early months of Jim Crockett Promotion on the Superstation, Flair feuded with Magnum T.A. But in the home area of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, the company prepared for the first Great American Bash at Memorial Stadium in Charlotte with mega-babyface Flair defending the honor of America and his world title against the rising "Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff.
At this same time, the company was in the early stages of making plans for the biggest show of the year that was more than a half year away - - Starrcade. Booker Dusty Rhodes knew he wanted to end up challenging Flair for the world title, but he didn't want a repeat of the situation he had the previous Thanksgiving at Starrcade '84 where he and Flair met both as babyfaces in the main event of that show.
Dusty needed more than a simple angle where the heel carried out some dastardly deed to set up the match. With Flair still hugely popular in the Mid-Atlantic area, and riding the successful program there with Nikita Koloff, Dusty devised the ingenious plan to add betrayal into the mix heading towards Starrcade '85.
He allowed the Mid-Atlantic Flair/Nikita feud to also play out on Atlanta TV, and planned a series of three main events between the two in Atlanta.
On 8/11/85, Flair defended the NWA title against Nikita at the Omni, with the match ending in a double count-out. A return match was set for 9/1 with the title on the line again but this time in a lumberjack match, with wrestlers surrounding the ring to make sure the combatants stayed in the ring.
The day before that rematch, on the 8/31/85 World Championship Wrestling show, Dusty shot an angle that was every bit as important as the big turn in the cage to come later, because it laid the foundation for the turn in the cage to have maximum impact. yet sadly, that small angle is largely forgotten in this story.
On that Saturday's show, Ivan and Nikita continued to run down Flair and the U.S.A. until Flair had had enough. During Nikita's TV match, with Ivan at the podium doing commentary with Tony Schiavone, Flair interrupted and challenged Ivan Koloff. Nikita saw what was happening, left the ring and jumped Flair from behind and through him in the ring. Nikita had the upper hand until Flair ducked a clothesline and nailed Nikita with a flying forearm. As he applied the figure four, Ivan hit the ring and the two Koloffs started to do a major number on Flair as the TV studio crowd was in an uproar.
Then the nearly unthinkable happened. Dusty Rhodes hit the ring to make the save. Dusty cleared the ring and then helped Ric to his feet. If you watch the angle carefully, you will notice that Flair gently pulled way from Rhodes as he was trying to help him up, and didn't really acknowledge his assistance. As Flair lit into a crazy promo on Nikita, Rhodes left the studio unnoticed.
Dusty Rhodes takes Ric Flair's hand after Flair had been attacked by the Koloffs
On its face, the angle was to add heat for the Flair/Nikita rematch at the Omni the following night. It certainly did that, but it also served the larger purpose as a subtle beginning to what would be the Flair turn on Dusty a month later in the cage.
The following night 9/1 in the Omni, Ivan and Khrusher Khrushchev, who were part of the contingent of lumberjacks at ringside, repeatedly attacked Flair during the match. The match ended again in a no contest, resulting in a third match between the two being set for 9/29, this final confrontation to take place inside a steel cage.
The following Saturday on World Championship Wrestling, Flair warned Dusty in unmistakable terms to stay out of his business, referring to the previous week's events on TV where Rhodes had saved him from the Koloffs' attack - -
"Dusty Rhodes, don't ever make the mistake of sticking your nose in my business. If I'm down and out, I'll get up and take care of myself. ... don't think you can walk into that ring and give me a hand or try to help me out and ease the tension in our relationship."
It didn't seem odd or out of place at all. Flair and Rhodes had feuded for years, and although Flair had become increasingly popular on the Superstation as of late, he still maintained that heel edge, cutting masterful promos where he would crack on both babyfaces and heels all at the same time in the same interview. It was beautiful to behold. Dusty had been warned. It was subtle, and yet direct at the same time.
Apparently, though, not direct enough for Dusty to get the message.
Fast forward to the infamous cage match of 9/29/85. Flair, with a sold out Omni behind him, finally turned back the challenge of the "Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff. But when the cage door was unlocked, Ivan Koloff and Khrusher Khrushchev hit the ring and three began to pummel Flair. The crowd didn't like it, but suddenly their boos turned into a loud roar as the "American Dream" hit the ring, throwing those famous elbows and sending the Russians running. The Omni came unglued.
With the Russians dispatched, Dusty turned to help Ric to his feet just as he did four weeks earlier on the Superstation. Except this time Ric pointed at Rhodes from the mat and shouted angrily, "I told you not to interfere in my business!" As Dusty stood confused at Ric's reaction, he failed to notice Ole and Arn Anderson entering the cage door behind him. The Andersons attacked Rhodes. Ric got to his feet, paused for a moment, and then went over to the cage door, pulled the chain back through, and padlocked it shut.
If you watch this carefully, you will notice fans at ringside within the camera shot screaming at Flair and pointing to the Andersons pounding Rhodes as if to implore the champ to return the favor and help Rhodes out. But instead, Ric went and joined his cousins and the three put an epic beatdown on the Dream.
You know the rest. As the Andersons held Rhodes, Flair leapt from the top turnbuckle onto Dusty's leg, badly injuring the ankle.
Booker Rhodes used the betrayal to turn Flair heel in the Mid-Altlantic area as well, as the Crockett syndicated shows the entire Omni cage angle. Ric was now a full fledged heel everywhere. Dusty was out of action for a little over a month. TV followed his rehab along with his doctor Joseph Estwanik. When he made his return on 11/3 in the Omni in an undercard match against Mike Davis, he proved the ankle was well, and Jim Crockett signed the NWA world title match between Rhodes and Flair for Starrcade '85.
The angle in the cage in Atlanta was hot and resulted in a near riot at the Omni, as fans at one point rushed ringside and braced the cage door to prevent the Andersons and Flair from being able to exit the ring.
But what made that angle work so well and what made that crowd riot was the betrayal - - not the attack. The weeks leading up to that betrayal are what are often overlooked today as we look back on that famous build to Starrcade '85.
Whatever you think of Dusty Rhodes as a storyteller and how this particular story played out in the end, you have to admit he hit this part of the story out of the ballpark.
Added: YouTube video - - WTBS 8/31/85
Thanks to Scott Anderson for sending us the link.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the Mid-Atlantic Gateway! We are thankful for all of you, and thankful for the fact you join us to help keep the memories of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions alive.
Thirty-four years ago today, Thanksgiving night, November 22, 1984 - - Jim Crockett Promotions returned to the Greensboro Coliseum for what would be its second annual Thanksgiving tradition: Starrcade.
Not only was the show a sellout in Greensboro, it was beamed to multiple closed circuit locations across the territory and in a few locations outside of the territory.
Ad for Columbia SC Township Auditorium, Closed Circuit (CCTV) Location for Starrcade '84
Advance Ticket Sales Brochure
Program Cover
Video Promo
Advance Event Newspaper Ad
Newspaper Ad
Newspaper Result
Promotional Starrcade Cash
Ticket Stubs
T-Shirt Logo
Newspaper Article
More video!
WWE STARRCADE
Last year, the WWE brought Starrcade back to the Greensboro Coliseum for a night of nostalgia which by and large was a huge hits for the fans. Given the event's success and positive response from fans, especially locally, some speculated that the WWE might make it an annual tradition back in Greensboro or in perhaps in Atlanta, and perhaps as WWE Network special.
Well, yes and no. The WWE is bringing back Starrcade again this year as a special presentation on the WWE Network except - - - - - - - - it's in Cincinnati, Ohio.
I can hear Stone Cold Steve Austin now. WHAT???? And the WWE will wonder why there won't be any buzz about this event this year.
Starrcade, if you are going to go to the trouble to bring it back as a nostalgic attraction at all, needs to be in the old traditional Mid-Atlantic/JCP territory. Sure, Starrcade continued as a Ted Turner WCW event for over a decade, and in places like Nashville and Washington D.C. and occasionally even in a traditional Crockett city.
But if you are going to bring back the nostalgic aspect of Starrcade, it needs to be here. In Greensboro. Just like they did last year so wonderfully.
STARRCADE REFLECTIONS
Over the next few days we'll be taking a look back at some of the Crockett Starrcades on the actual date anniversary of those big shows. Along with your turkey and pumpkin pie, I hope you'll feast on these great memories of Thanksgiving events from years ago:
November 22 - Starrcade '84 The Million Dollar Challenge
November 24 - Starrcade '83 A Flare for the Gold
November 26 - Starrcade '87 Chi-Town heat
November 27 - Starrcade '86 Night of the Skywalkers
November 28 - Starrcade '85 The Gathering
THANKSGIVING WRESTLING REFLECTIONS
And don't forget, wrestling was a Thanksgiving tradition in Greensboro and Norfolk long before Starrcade. Take a look back at 20 years of JCP Thanksgiving events from 1967-1987 on our Thanksgiving Tradition page on the old Mid-Atlantic Gateway Archive website.
Plus check out these old posts on Thanksgiving and Starrcade traditions:
The Forgotten Prelude to Starrcade '85
When most folks think of events leading to the Flair/Rhodes main event at Starrcade '85, they think of Flair and the Andersons turning on Dusty in the cage at the Omni. However, it got it's start much earlier than that. Read about an angle and an important part of that story largely forgotten in the saga of Starrcade '85.
Thanksgiving Retro: Greensboro and Norfolk 1975
A look back at a huge night of action in the Mid-Atlantic territory featuring NWA champion Jack Brisco, U.S. champion Terry Funk, Wahoo McDaniel, Paul Jones, Andre the Giant, Superstar Billy Graham, Gene and Ole Anderson and so many more!
A Second Look at WWE Starrcade (2017)
I was skeptical at first. Then I took a second look once it was over, and I saw things in a different light. WWE's Starrcade in Greensboro 2017.
Thirty-two years ago on Thanksgiving day (on that year Thanksgiving was on November 27), Starrcade '86 took place in the dual venues of the Omni in Atlanta and the traditional Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro. It was the second of two years that JCP split the event between two cities with alternating matches in each locations closed-circuited back to the other. What is often forgotten is that Kansas City, KS was the third city that year to be a part of Starrcade '86, hosting live matches at Memorial Hall and then presenting the entire closed circuit telecast. 
