Post by Leo on Feb 5, 2023 10:44:38 GMT -5
WCW Starrcade Night One for 2.4.23
Live from the State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona
Pre-show
Tyson Kidd defeated Griff Garrison by pinfall at 5:16 via fisherman’s neckbreaker. Garrison came to the ring wearing dark glasses and chugging Gatorade, appearing very hungover.
SoCal Val is in the back with “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff and his manager, Col. Robert Fuller. “Magnum TA has never won the big one and that’s something that can’t be said about me anymore. I destroyed the has-been Hulk Hogan and I’ll vanquish the never-will-be Magnum TA tonight. He eliminated me from the Terrific Tussle. Tossing me over the top rope when I’m not looking is a lot different than pinning my shoulders to the mat for the one-two-three or making me submit. I’ll admit that Magnum is pretty good in the ring, but he’s not wonderful.”
COMMERCIAL
The American Males (Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Scotty Riggs) defeated ReDRagon (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly) by pinfall of Bagwell on Fish at 11:24 via Blockbuster.
During the post-match celebration, the music changes and out struts Melina. She’s the new hotness in WCW and she’s looking for two good men to benefit from her hands-on management. Bagwell and Riggs look at each other and then point at themselves with big smiles. Oh, wait…she’s already got a tag team. Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro jump into the ring out of nowhere and attack the American Males and beat them down.
SoCal Val has Magnum TA in the back. “Many have said I am a man of destiny. That the WCW World Title has been my right and I’ve just not been able to claim it yet. Paul Orndorff talks a good game and he wrestles a good one too, but there is one very important thing he needs to realize. I’m not Hulk Hogan. I’m Magnum TA. I’ve paid the cost to be the boss and tonight, I cash in and become the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion.”
COMMERCIAL
The Nitro Girls are dancing in the ring. Larry Zbyszko comes out and yells for the music to be cut. He’s supposed to have his match with a handpicked mystery opponent by Shane McMahon on night two of Starrcade, but screw that. He wants the match right here, right now. These people came to see wrestling, not these floozies shaking their assets in the ring. Why don’t they go outside and do that for $20 bucks a pop, because that’s exactly what they were found doing before becoming Nitro Girls. AC Jazz takes exception to this, steps up and slaps Zbyszko in the face. He grabs her by the shoulders, but then new music starts and Shane McMahon walks out.
The Nitro Girls are not in-ring wrestlers. They’re employees of WCW and Zbyszko can’t be laying hands on them. McMahon needs to get security involved. And, oh yeah, the new security chief is Larry’s opponent…“The Lethal Weapon” Steve Blackman.
Blackman in a yellow shirt with security written on the back marches to the ring, slides into the ring and starts trading hands with Zbyszko.
Steve Blackman defeated Larry Zbyszko by pinfall at 8:18 via scissors kick. Blackman exits with the Nitro Girls surrounding him.
Main Show
vs.
Music City Mayhem Match
Musical instruments are allowed as weapons
Honky Tonk Man vs. Disco Inferno
Referee: Aubrey Edwards
The ring is filled with different types of musical instruments. HTM enters first and grabs a guitar. He tries to nail Disco with it as he enters, but he ducks under it while grabbing a trombone and using the slide to trip Honky. Trombone assisted elbow drop and he covers for two. Disco grabs a couple maracas, shakes them, then slams them on either side of HTM’s head. Honky rolls to the floor and Disco follows with a cello. He misses a shot with it and it splinters on the steel ring steps. Honky grabs the broken neck of the cello and uses that to jab Disco in the throat.
Back in the ring, Honky gives Disco a backdrop through a drum set. Honky lines up another guitar shot, but Disco shoves a xylophone into his gut to cut him off. Disco squeezes Honky’s head into an accordion while playing. DDT onto the xylophone for a two count. Honky shoves out of the chartbuster. Disco falls over the smashed drum kit. He comes up to finally take the guitar shot. Shake, Rattle and Roll. Disco gets a shoulder up. HTM argues the count with Edwards, then turns right around into the Chartbuster.
Winner: Disco Inferno by pinfall at 9:54.
SoCal Val has “Superstar” Billy Graham in the back. “Tonight, Bruno Sammartino is going to relive the recurring nightmare. He’s going to lose yet another title belt to the man with the power, the man of the hour, the man too sweet to be sour, I lift barbell plates, I eat T-bone steaks and I’m sweeter than a chocolate cake. I’m the women’s pet and the men’s regret. What you see is what you get and what you don’t see is better yet.”
Vs.
The Smiths (Davey Boy and Harry) vs. The Pillmans (Brian and Brian Jr.)
Referee: Joey Marella
The heels jump the faces at the start and beat them down in opposite corners. They try to whip the Pillmans into each other, but they do-si-do in the center of the ring and hit flying crossbodies onto the Smiths. The seniors go to the floor while the juniors are in the ring. Davey Boy slings Pillman Sr. back first into the ring steps and then uses a running knee to sandwich his head into the steps. In the ring, Harry gets a scoop powerslam on Brian Jr. Northern lights suplex for two. Tag to Davey Boy and they do a double team stalling suplex. Davey Boy yells at Harry that they should have held him longer. But, this allows Brian Jr. to get a schoolboy rollup for two. Brian Jr. comes up into a discus lariat. Davey Boy yells at Harry for allowing the school boy to happen. However, this allows Pillman Sr. to tag his son and come in. Davey Boy turns and is surprised to see Brian Sr. coming at him with a flying head scissors. Davey Boy backs into the corner and Brian Sr. gets a step up enzuigiri. Monkey flip out of the corner. Spinning wheel kick. Suplex. He tags his son and slingshots him in for a splash for two.
Davey Boy reverses a whip and and knocks Brian Jr. down with a shoulder block. Choke lift and he throws Pillman Jr. into the corner. He talks with Marella. Harry just stands there and Davey Boy yells at him about not cheap shotting Brian Jr. He then rolls out of the way and dives to tag Brian Sr. He tries a tornado DDT, but Davey Boy blocks and pitches Pillman across the ring. He tags Harry and says ‘finish this or don’t bother coming home tonight.’ Davey Boy then leaves the apron and stands halfway up the aisle watching. Harry gets a series of arm drags and finishes with a big boot for two. He goes for the running power slam, but Brian Sr. slips out of the back. Harry turns into a standing dropkick. Brian gets the tornado DDT. Tag to Brian Jr. and it’s a double team Air Pillman hitting Harry in the front and back leading to the pin.
Winner: The Pillmans by pinfall of Brian Jr. over Harry at 12:02.
Davey Boy shrugs and says to the camera ‘tough love can be really tough sometimes.’ He walks off leaving his son in the ring.
SoCal Val has Bruno Sammartino in the back. “I heard Billy Graham back here just a little bit ago and it’s nothing we haven’t heard from him before. He’s really a broken record, he really is. He beat me once for a world title and that was very hard for me to live with. It took me a long time to overcome that. I admit that. A lot of people say I was never the same. A lot of people said my career went into decline after that. But, I believe in second chances. I believe that in life and wrestling, you can have a second act if you really want it. Well, I was on top of the mountain twice and the best plays have three acts. That’s where I’m at right now. WCW has renewed my career when I thought I was going to retire. And I can’t promise a win here tonight, but I can promise the Superstar won’t crush my spirit again.”
vs.
Tessa Blanchard vs. Ember Moon
Referee: Aubrey Edwards
Brawling around the ring to start. Moon pulls Blanchard into a knee to the gut. Gutwrench suplex. She does a handspring into a bounce into the ropes into a standing moonsault that eats knees. Blanchard with a suplex into a gut drop on the top rope. Double rising knee lift knocks Moon to the floor. Blanchard with a crossbody from the top rope to the outside. Snap suplex on the floor. She rolls Moon back into the ring and gets a slingshot splash back in for a two count.
Jumping neckbreaker and Blanchard goes up top for the Magnum, but Moon side steps it and Blanchard wipes out. Whip to the corner into the handspring Stinger Splash, followed by a monkey flip out of the corner. Moon leaps to the top and goes for the Eclipse, but Blanchard dodges. Moon comes up into a superkick. Slingshot belly to belly suplex gets two. Blanchard sets up the Buzzsaw, but Moon twists around into a kick to the gut to bend Blanchard over. Pedigree for two. Butterfly suplex for two. Moon back up top, but Blanchard shakes the ropes so she crotches herself. Blanchard goes for a superplex, but Moon blocks and shoves her off top and nails the Eclipse for the victory.
Winner: Ember Moon by pinfall at 10:01.
SoCal Val has Jake Roberts in the back. “In just a few minutes, my little brother is going to learn the true definition of pain. In just a few minutes, my little brother is going to learn the true definition of fear. In just a few minutes, my little brother is going to learn the true definition of betrayal. He was always naive and that’s one thing that always disgusted me about him. As the older brother, it was my job to teach my baby brother about the world. I tried, but he never learned. The world is cold, the world is harsh, the world is dark, bitter and cruel. And all those words describe me too. You’ll find that to be true tonight, baby brother, trust me.”
vs.
Snake Pit Match
Must throw your opponent into a box of snakes and shut the lid
Jake “The Snake” Roberts vs. “Grizzled” Sam Houston
Referee: Joey Marella
This is basically a casket match with the casket filled with snakes. Roberts offers a handshake to his brother and Houston takes it. Jake goes for a short-arm clothesline, but Houston ducks it because he expected it. He rocks Roberts with a series of punches. He gets the old Dusty Rhodes flip flop and fly. He backs Jake into the corner and goes for the bulldog already, but Roberts blocks and turns it into an atomic throw. Jake with a swinging knee lift to set-up a gutbuster. He tells Marella to open the lid and he tries to throw Houston in, but he holds onto the ropes. Roberts beats him down. He pulls Sam off the ropes and slings him to the opposite strands. Houston ducks a clothesline and gets a flying crossbody coming the other way. Houston with a big backdrop and Roberts lands on the apron and almost bounces into the crate.
Roberts goes to the floor and gets a chair. Rockin’ Robin comes out and begs Roberts to stop this madness. He acts like he’s going to put the chair down, but then he nails his sister with it. Houston nails Jake in the back with a double axe handle off the apron. Bulldog on the floor onto the chair. He checks on his sister. Houston then goes back to Roberts, but he comes up with the chair to catch Roberts in the throat. DDT on the chair. Jake says that’s it. He throws Houston into the casket, but then Robin jumps on Jake’s back, so he can’t close the lid. Roberts flips her over his head and she lands in the casket and then closes it.
Winner: Jake Roberts by putting his opponent in the snake crate and closing the lid at 8:48.
SoCal Val is in the back with the Powers of Fear and their manager “Number One” Paul Jones. “Tonight, my Powers of Fear will dominate the dominators. We’ll walk out of Starrcade still holding onto the WCW Trios Titles and as the new WCW World Tag Team Champions. Bobby Lashley, for weeks, I’ve been telling you how Junkyard Dog and Tony Atlas have been holding you down. You say it’s mind games. You say I’m targeting you as the weak link and I’ve been wrong. I say I see the truth and I’ve been telling you every chance I get out of the kindness of my own heart. Tonight, we’ll see if you believe the truth or will continue to live in lies.”
vs.
WCW Gulf Coast Title
Bruno Sammartino © vs. “Superstar” Billy Graham
Referee: Tommy Young
Lockup to start and Graham shoves him down. He flexes to the crowd and draws boos. They lockup again and Sammartino shoves him off and then flexes, mocking Graham, to cheers. They lockup again and Sammartino gets a hammerlock. Graham drops down and snap mares Sammartino over into a chinlock. Sammartino squirms away. They circle each other and go to lock up, but Graham cheap shots Sammartino and beats him around the ring with kicks and punches. Graham beats Sammartino down in the corner and gets a face wash. He taunts the fans. He goes to pull Bruno up, who fights back with several punches to the gut. They fight over a suplex with Bruno nailing it. Graham comes up into an airplane spin. Sammartino lets him down and he falls out of the ring.
A vexed Graham grabs a chair and throws it into the ring. As Young clears it, Graham nails a low blow to Graham from behind. Atomic drop is followed by a clothesline to the back of the head. Whip to the ropes and Graham gets a polish hammer and drops for a two count. Graham works a bear hug for a good bit, but Sammartino comes back with punches and breaks. Sammartino with a backdrop and he goes to a stump puller. He eventually lets that go and gets his own bearhug. Graham gets his arms in between Sammartino’s and pries them apart to break. But, Sammartino nails a headbutt. Graham turns around and Sammartino gets a back suplex. Swinging knee lift. He goes for a piledriver, but Graham backdrops out. Both men down.
Graham with a trapezes hold. He then pulls Sammartino up into a full nelson, rag dolls him a bit, and then gets a full nelson slam. A second rope knee drop misses. Sammartino with three knee drops to the leg. He goes into a single leg crab, but Graham makes the ropes. Sammartino goes to pick him up, but Graham pokes him in the eye where Young can’t see it. Body slam. Falling headbutt. Graham goes for a piledriver, but Sammartino backdrops out and both men are down again. They fight over a suplex and Graham finally gets a delay one. Body slam. Graham hits the diving knee drop this time. One…two…thr…shoulder up. Graham goes to the full nelson. Sammartino walks to the corner and flips over to break. He shoves Graham into the ropes and gets an O’Connor Roll. Graham reverses and hooks the tights, but Young sees it and shoves him over. One…two…thr…they break off. Graham with a blatant punt to the balls. Young gets on Graham, who tosses him in frustration. That draws a disqualification. Graham steals the Gulf Coast Title and walks off with it.
Winner: Bruno Sammartino by disqualification at 20:44.
SoCal Val has the Dominators of Junkyard Dog, Tony Atlas and Bobby Lashley. JYD talks first. “Paul Jones, you’ve been trying to break us apart, but you can’t. The Dominators are just as strong as this chain I wear around my neck. There’s not a weak link in it. There’s not a weak link in us and tonight, we’ll be the WCW Trios and WCW Tag Team champions.”
Lashley then speaks. “Paul Jones, you beg me to finally see the truth tonight. I’ve seen it all along. They say the truth will set you free. It will tonight.”
Vs.
Women’s Money in the Bank Match
Mickie James-Aldis vs. Madusa Micelli vs. Sara Del Rey vs. Taya Valkyrie vs. Molly Holly vs. Lady Frost
All the ladies pair off at the start. James with Frost, Valkyrie with Micelli and Holly with Del Rey. Mostly just wild brawling for the first portion. James ducks a Sling Blade from Frost and she takes out Valkyrie. James gets the ladder and smashes Frost in the back with it. Del Rey and Holly do a double team dropkick into the ladder to knock James over. Micelli tries a German suplex on Holly, but she fights it. Valkyrie comes up behind Micelli and German suplexes both ladies. Del Rey sets up the ladder and climbs, but Frost gets under her and gives her an electric chair drop off. James climbs, but Taya goes up behind her and gives her a full nelson suplex off the ladder that folds her up like an accordion. Molly goes up one side and Sara up the other. They fight on top, until Micelli tips the ladder over and they fall into the ropes. Medusa sets up the ladder and climbs. Valkyrie shows her strength by picking up the ladder and just moving it out of the way. Micelli with a twisting splash off the ladder, but Valkyrie catches her and gives a fallaway slam.
Lady Frost uses the ladder for a Sling Blade onto Valkyrie. James with a Mick Kick on Frost. She uses the ladder for a step up moonsault onto Frost. Del Rey pulls James up with a waistlock and gives her a German suplex into the ladder. Del Rey grabs the ladder, but Holly drop kicks it into her and Del Rey falls to the floor. Holly sets up the ladder and climbs, but Valkyrie pulls her off by the seat of her tights. Valkyrie climbs and Molly pulls her off. Molly climbs again and Taya pulls her off. The two friends and tag partners go nose to nose and they start fighting. This allows James to climb, but Micelli gets under her with a powerbomb off the ladder. James bounces to the floor. Valkyrie gives Molly the Road to Valhalla off the ladder. Micelli and Valkyrie brawl through the ropes and to the floor. Frost with a suicide dive onto them. Holly recovers and does the Molly-Go-Round off the ladder to everyone on the floor, except for Frost who dove out of the way. She gets back into the ring, climbs and claims the briefcase. The underdog nobody gave a chance to pulls it off.
Winner: Lady Frost by briefcase claim at 15:50.
SoCal Val is in the back with Billy Graham who is holding the WCW Gulf Coast Title belt. “This is my title. Bruno Sammartino will need to pry it out of my cold dead hands. Everyone saw how Tommy Young, that crooked, dirty referee, was cheating for Sammartino. He was obviously paid off, daddy. When I hit my deadly diving knee drop that was a clear three count, but Young counted the longest two count ever in wrestling history, jack. And when I reversed that O’Connor roll and had it clean as a whistle, text book as can be, jack, he rolls it over in front of God and everybody to see. Like Popeye says ‘I had all I can stands and I couldn’t stands no more.’ There was no way Tommy Young was going to let me win, but I took what was mine and possession is nine-tenths of the law, brother.”
Vs.
WCW World Tag Team and Trios Titles both on the line
The Dominators (Junkyard Dog, Bobby Lashley and Tony Atlas) vs. Powers of Fear (Meng, Barbarian and Warlord) with “Number One” Paul Jones
Referee: Joey Marella
JYD misses a clothesline and Meng gets a thrust kick. It gets a two count. Meng with a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. He works a series of chops to drive JYD into the heel corner. Lashley tries to get into the ring and this allows JYD to get beaten in the corner. Meng with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Tongan Death Grip. JYD struggles up and breaks the hold. Lashley tries to run in again and this allows Barbarian to run in and change places with Meng. Warlord claps his hands together to sound like a tag. Atlas yells at Lashley asking what he’s doing. Barbarian with an abdominal stretch, JYD hip tosses out. Lashley runs in again and this allows Warlord to come in and Meng claps his hands together this time. Atlas really tears into Lashley now, who just blasts Atlas with a right hand and he falls to the floor. Lashley takes a walk as the fans boo. Tag to Barbarian and the Powers of Pain get their running power slam and diving headbutt combo for the win and now they have all the title belts.
Winner: Powers of Fear by pinfall of Barbarian on JYD at 11:32.
SoCal Val has Bobby Lashley in the back. “I said the truth would set me free tonight and it has. I came into WCW as a hired gun. Junkyard Dog said I came in to help him out when Tony Atlas was injured out of the kindness of my heart. That was a lie, I did it for the paycheck and gold around my waist. I’ve been pretty much a mercenary the last year or so in the UWA. Well, the mercenary is moving on once more. Where I’m going next, you’ll have to wait and see, but wherever I go, I will dominate.”
vs.
WCW Women’s Title Match
“The Queen” Charlotte Flair © vs. Kamille Kaine
Referee: Aubrey Edwards
Flair jaws at Kaine to start and she doesn’t say a word. Flair pushes Kaine in the chest, Kaine pushes back, then they start trading chops with the fans wooing. Kaine lays in several chops in a row and drives Flair into the near corner. Flair reverses a whip and gets a high knee into the far corner. Hair pull snap mare into a chinlock. Kaine powers out and they go into the ropes. Kaine goes for a running spear, but Flair drops to her back and rolls to the floor. She points to her head about how smart she is, but then turns around into a suicide dive. Kain drives Flair’s back into the apron with a series of shoulder thrusts. Flair reverses a whip and Kaine posts her shoulder. Flair breaks the count and then stretches the arm to rub the shoulder into the post more. Back into the ring, Flair gets a shoulder breaker for a two count.
Flair with a superkick to the shoulder. She throws Kaine into the corner and then does a corner foot choke. Kaine slumps down and Flair stomps the shoulder. Flair with a carpet muncher. She struts and woos. She goes for the Queen’s Boot in the corner, but she misses. Kaine comes up with several chops. Roundhouse kicks sets up a rolling fireman’s carry slam for two. Kaine wants the spear, but Flair goes back out to the floor. Kaine with a baseball slide this time that sends Flair into the ring wall. Kaine with a roaring elbow and then she throws Flair back into the ring. Kaine up top and she flies into…a superkick from Flair. Charlotte with her feet on the ropes and she wins with a Flair Pin.
Winner: Charlotte Flair by pinfall at 14:32.
Post match, Flair is celebrating with the title and turns around into a spear by Kaine. She picks up the title belt and looks at it before dropping it onto Flair.
We get a hype package for night two before cutting back to the ring. Bob Holly is standing in the ring holding something covered with a cloth. Crash Holly is standing behind him with a smug grin on his face. Bob says he’s been talking about making his own opportunities and creating his own niche in WCW and this is how he’s going to do it. He removes the cloth to reveal the old Continental Championship Wrestling Wild Card Title, which has long been discontinued. Bob said he’s claimed, it’s his and he’s going to defend it whenever he wants in whatever type of match he wants. Tonight it’s going to be a smack your stupid cousin upside the head match. Crash gets this ‘wait…what’ look on his face, before Bob comes around and decks him with the title belt. He then covers him and counts his own pinfall.
A camera sneaks a shot of Shane McMahon talking on the phone. He’s telling someone to come to Starrcade tomorrow night and they’re talk about a contract. McMahon will send a limo for him. WCW is absolutely the right place for a talent of his magnitude.
vs.
WCW World Heavyweight Title
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff © with Col. Robert Fuller vs. Magnum TA
Referee: Tommy Young
Lockup to start with Magnum getting a rear waistlock. Orndorff with a standing switch. They struggle in that hold for a few seconds until Magnum switches back and fires off a German suplex. Orndorff quickly to his feet and backs off. They lock up again. Orndorff with the waistlock, but Magnum reaches down to grab the leg to upend Paul and drops an elbow to the knee. He works a leg grapevine on the mat. Orndorff breaks by gouging the face. Young warns him. Orndorff backs Magnum into the corner and gets three shoulder thrusts. Magnum reverses a whip to the opposite corner and charges into a back elbow. Orndorff with a second rope fist drop. He signals for the piledriver already, but Magnum comes up with several punches to the gut. They fight over a backslide, which Orndorff gets, but Magnum flips out to his feet and Orndorff turns into a standing dropkick. He goes to the floor to talk with Fuller. Magnum goes out after and Orndorff shoves Fuller into Magnum and gets back into the ring. Magnum follows and Orndorff attacks him as he does.
Orndorff goes for a power slam, but Magnum slips out the back and shoves Orndorff into the near corner. Magnum with the 10 count punches in the corner. He brings Paul out with a gutwrench and hits a backbreaker in the middle of the ring. He sits Orndorff up and drives several knees to the small of the back. Abdominal stretch. Fuller jumps up on the apron and Young tells him to get down. This allows Orndorff to poke Magnum in the eye and break with a hip toss. Orndorff with a back suplex. Jumping elbow drop. Orndorff lines up the piledriver and Magnum backdrops out. He nails a fisherman’s suplex for two. Fallaway slam for two. Orndorff elbows out of a belly to belly suplex attempt. Orndorff with a roaring elbow and a Shining Wizard Knee for two. He goes back to the piledriver and Magnum backdrops out again. Orndorff with a running power slam for two. Bridging German suplex for two. Orndorff is starting to get frustrated. He throws Magnum to the floor and jaws with Young. Fuller comes over and puts the boots to Magnum and he bashes his head into the side of the ring apron. Orndorff is totally cool with taking the count out win, but Magnum struggles back into the ring at nine. Orndorff with a brain buster. Magnum seems out of it and he eats the piledriver.
Winner: Paul Orndorff by pinfall at 17:50.