WCW Starrcade 1990 Review!

 

Hello and welcome to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet that is more cringe-inducing than one of those NWA-TNA Weekly PPVs! It is time for WCW Starrcade 1990, the culmination of The Black Scorpion angle, Sting defends his NWA Championship against his intense rivalry. We also have Doom vs The Horsemen for the NWA Tag Team Championships while The Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Team Tournament will be running throughout the card which excites me as much as a three hour RAW.

 

Beautiful Bobby Eaton vs The Z-Man

Zenk grabs the wristlock, Eaton pulls the hair but Zenk lands shoulder blocks. Diving crossbody for two, make it two crossbodies for two. Scoop slam and Eaton sells that slam, they lock-up and Eaton has the hammerlock. Zenk reverses, Eaton backs Zenk to the corner and lands that great right hand. Shoulder block from Eaton, lock-up with Eaton landing an elbow to Zenk. Make it two, Zenk lands a drop toehold but Eaton kicks off Zenk. Zenk lands on his feet and lands a dropkick for two, arm-bar from Zenk. Eaton reverses the hold and lands a fist to the head, Eaton cannot suplex Zenk into the ring. Eaton is suplexed onto the ramp, Zenk lands a crossbody to the ramp leaping over the top rope. Eaton is rocked, Eaton wants a break in the ring.

 

Lock-up, Zenk brings Eaton to the corner and lands a right hand. Whip to the opposite buckle, Eaton blocks with an elbow. Running bulldog and Alabama Jam from Eaton. Eaton misses a corner monkey flip though, Zenk whips Eaton. Back body-drop and dropkick for two, Zenk whips Eaton again but lowers the head. Swinging neck-breaker from Eaton, Eaton climbs high again. Zenk is up quick and superkicks Eaton, Zenk climbs high. Missile dropkick misses as Eaton ducks that shit, small package from Eaton for the win.

 

Simplistic but I do like to see Eaton win, Zenk is nothing special and never has but Eaton still takes time to give Zenk some big moments like that suplex to the ramp. Crowd is with Eaton all the way though, they ever wanted to see The Midnight Express leave and they will always be behind Bobby Eaton.

 

Winner: Bobby Eaton over The Z-Man via Small Package!

 

Colonel DeKlerk & Sgt. Krueger vs The Steiner Brothers

South Africa vs The USA, Rick and Krueger to start this match. Krueger lands a slam and elbow drop before Rick lands a Steinerline. Irish whip but Krueger kicks Rick in the face before a double Steinerline. DeKlerk lands a scoop slam and spinning heel kick, Rick is on the floor. Tope con hilo does not work for DeKlerk as Rick slams him, tag to Scott who lands scoop slams. Tilt-a-whirl slam, Frankensteiner for the win. Thanks for coming, brief!

 

Winners: The Steiner Brothers over DeKlerk & Krueger via Frankensteiner!

 

Gentlemen Chris Adams & Norman Smiley vs Rey Mysterio Sr. & Konnan

The man who popularized the superkick and Smiley who would be tearing it up in shoot-style promotions in Japan against two big stars in Mexico in Konnan and Rey Mysterio Sr. Smiley arm-drags both Mexicans before eating a double clothesline, we have double dropkicks by The British Team. Mysterio and Adams reset the match, smack to the face of Adams. Knee to the ribs from Adams, Superkick from Adams sends Mysterio to the floor. Konnan comes into the match, Smiley comes into the match too. Arm-drag from Konnan, head-scissors from the corner. Smiley lands a fisherman suplex for two, forearms from Smiley. Mysterio helps the backslide with a dropkick, quite competitive. Adams snap-mares into a reverse chin-lock, we have a breakdown of the match with Smiley sending Mysterio to the floor. Superkick on Konnan with a German suplex by Smiley for two, tag to Adams. Adams is legal now, hammerlock hold before a tag to Smiley, Smiley and Konnan trade holds before a tag to Adams. Clothesline by Adams, tag again. Adams is wiped out by the Mexicans, double back-drop on Smiley. Smiley is in the tree of woe, reverse suplex on his head and a jacknife cover from Konnan for the win.

 

Some interesting sequences in there, they looked really nice in there when flowing around but the interest died down fast and by the time it was over, any goodwill they had built up was wasted, Konnan did drill Smiley with a nice looking finish though.

 

Winners: Team Mexico over Team Britain via Reverse Suplex!

 

Jack Victory & Rip Morgan vs The Great Muta & Mr. Saito

Is it a nice bit of continuity that Morgan is still supporting New Zealand long after The Sheepherders have left the company? Anyways, Muta is back and I cannot help but think how they fucked Muta at Starrcade 1989 and how it fizzled out for him in The States but things were much better in NJPW so things turned out just fine. Victory who I have seen in a multitude of gimmicks starts with Muta, side headlock by Victory. Shoulder block by Victory, Muta tries the O’Connor roll but it does not work. Dropkick and diving shoulder block from Muta, Muta tags in Saito. Morgan and Saito are n, Morgan clubs Saito. Irish whip and lariat by Saito, snap suplex by Saito.

 

Morgan kicks low, tag to Victory. Jabs by Victory, Saito looks for the Fujiwara armbar. Chops rock Victory, hip-toss across the ring. Morgan and Muta reset, shoulder block by Morgan but Muta lands a spinning sole butt. Snap-mare into the Flashing Elbow, Muta looks for a single leg crab but tags in Saito. Victory stops the sharpshooter, Victory nails Saito from the apron. Belly to back suplex by Morgan for two, Saito is tossed to the floor. Victory sends Saito into the ring-post, double elbow drop from The New Zealanders but Morgan misses a diving leg drop.

 

Right hands by Muta, handspring elbow drop and massive chops all around. We have a brawl in the ring, the double team does not work on Saito. Muta lands the bridging German suplex for the win.

 

Winners: Team Japan over Team New Zealand via German Suplex!

 

Troy Montour & Bull Johnson vs Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov

Bull and Zangiev start, Zangiev wants the arm as Zangiev ties up Bull in a bow & arrow, Zangiev escapes the hold of Bull. Another lock-up, bearhug from Zangiev and a disgusting looking belly to belly suplex on Bull. Side headlock from Zangiev, Bull lands a double chop. Tag to Troy and in comes Salman, clean breaks all around. Belly to belly suplex from Salman for the win.

 

Winners: Team Russia over Team Canada via Belly to Belly Suplex!

 

Michael Wallstreet W/ Alexandra York vs Terry Taylor

Taylor goes after Wallstreet, roll-ups and crossbodies for two. Dropkick with Wallstreet on the floor, side headlock from Taylor. Roll from Wallstreet for two, shoulder block from Taylor. Leapfrogs but Taylor lands the clothesline for two, Wallstreet is stalling like a professional. Arm-bars by Wallstreet who uses the hair to gain control, suplex from Wallstreet and a missed elbow drop. Clothesline from Wallstreet, abdominal stretch with a handful of ropes from Wallstreet. Wallstreet misses the dropkick, right hands by Taylor. Back body-drop by Taylor, jaw-breaker from Taylor. Scoop slam and knee-drop for two, atomic drop and belly to back suplex from Taylor for two.

 

Taylor calls for the Five-Arm, it lands but Wallstreet places his foot on the ropes. Wallstreet walks into a right hand, side headlock by Taylor but we have a beautiful Stun-Gun from Wallstreet and lands The Wallstreet Clash for the win!

 

Very average, never been a fan of either man when I have seen them inside of that ring. I heard many a thing about Taylor but I am yet to see something that has blown me away, definitely confident in his abilities but not on the level which he believes himself to be at, Wallstreet is garbage as always.

 

Winner: Michael Wallstreet over Terry Taylor via Wallstreet Crash!

 

Skyscrapers vs Motor City Madman & The Cat

Spivey is back and still shit, Sid and Spivey screw up a back drop immediately, why is Sid wrestling in singlets now? Corner shoulder blocks and a Powerbomb and this match is over. Why even bother?

 

Winners: Skyscrapers over Team Cat via Powerbomb!

 

The Fabulous Freebirds W/ Lil’ Richard vs Tommy Rich & Ricky Morton W/ Robert Gibson

The Freebirds injured the leg of Gibson so there’s heat to this one despite the poor booking of Freebirds and the makeshift team of Rich & Morton. Morton hip-tosses both Freebirds before both babyfaces land dropkicks on the heels. Il’ Richard eats a dropkick too, Hayes chops before Morton lands an inverted atomic drop and sends Hayes to the floor. Gibson lands a right hand before Morton sends Hayes into the ring-post, eye-rake by Hayes. Snap-mare and Hayes misses the knee-drop, double figure four leglocks in the ring. Garvin wants Rich, side headlock by Garvin. Rich brings Richard into the ring, a few spanking blows before Hayes is bounced around by the babyfaces. Hayes and Rich are in, left-hand by Hayes.

 

Rich back-drops his way out of the DDT, Morton and Garvin are in. Right hand and knee-lift by Morton, Garvin eye-rakes Morton. O’Connor roll by Morton but Hayes lands a bulldog, Hayes wants Lil-Richard to get involved. Gibson smashes his crutch over Lil’ Richard’s back, Lil’ Richard smacks into Garvin who wants to kill Richard but Morton gets the roll up for the win. Lil’ Richard is laid out with a double DDT!

 

It ended quick enough, that is a good thing. All these acts feel washed up to me, I think their time has well and truly past in being relevant in the current climate of WCW. I wonder how much longer I will be seeing Freebirds and Ricky Morton on my screen in WCW.

 

Winners: Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich over The Fabulous Freebirds via Roll-Up!

 

(Semi-Final Tag Team Tournament Match) The Steiner Brothers vs Konnan & Rey Mysterio

Konnan takes down Rick to start us off, Indian Death-lock hold from Konnan before Steiner escapes the hold. Powerslam from Scott, Assisted Bulldog from The Steiners. This is not their finish, they do this for fun which is baffling. Mysterio and Scott to start, takedown by Scott but Mysterio has a guillotine. Exploder suplex from Scott, snap-mare into a reverse chin-lock. Tag to Rick, shoulder block by Mysterio, make it two. Rick lands a powerbomb for the win. These tournament matches are as flat as you can be.

 

Winners: Team USA over Team Mexico via Powerbomb!

 

Salman Hashimikov & Victor Zangiev vs Mr. Saito & The Great Muta

Muta and Zangiev to begin, nice mat wrestling to begin. Zangiev wants the belly to belly, Zangiev connects with the move before Saito swaps with Muta. Zangiev works the arm, Saito has the side headlock. Tag to Salman, Muta and Saman are in now. Belly to belly suplex on Muta, super dangerous looking manoeuvre. Salman slams down Muta, Saito makes the save. Saito and Zangiev comes in, massive lariat and Saito Suplex for the win. Garbage streak continues!

 

Winners: Team Japan over Team Russia via Saito Suplex!

 

(NWA United States Championship Texas Lariat Match) Stan Hansen © vs Lex Luger

Luger looks for revenge in a bullrope match where you must touch all 4 corners, a concept of match that is not my thing. I think I have seen a decent one with Wahoo during my time covering these PPVs but in general, the match concept sucks. Hansen looks disgusting with the tobacco dripping down his chest, Luger tees off to start and lands a massive elbow. Luger looks intense, scoop slam and elbow to the face. Hansen goes to using the rope, Luger is whipped across the back again and again. Hansen has Luger on the floor, chair-shot to the back of the head.

 

Back in the ring, Luger slugs it out with Hansen and a massive headbutt. Luger touches three corners before a belly to back suplex from Hansen, Hansen ties the rope around Lugers neck and begins to touch the buckles. Luger survives, Hansen is being hanged around the ropes, Hansen sends Luger into the ring-post. Hansen touches three corners before Luger lands a murderous clothesline, Hansen pulls Luger down by the hair and begins choking The Total Package. Knees to the head from Luger, Luger kicks Hansen to the floor. Luger clubs Hansen around the ring, Luger throws Hansen back into the ring. Three leg drops from Luger, Luger proceeds to touch 3 corners but the referee is wiped out and does not see Luger touch the 4 corners. Hansen takes off his boot and attacks Luger, Hansen starts touching corners with a new referee in the ring. Lariat by Hansen and Hansen reaches the 4^th corner! Randy Anderson is back up and says Luger won the match and Luger is your new champion!

 

The match concept is dull as always, Luger and Hansen don’t really seem to gel with one another. The finish is another twist of the same thing that happens in every one of these matches, someone touches 4 times but there is always a complication. Never straight forward, the match could be considered a success though as the fans pop huge when Anderson raises Luger’s hand so mission accomplished.

 

Winner: Lex Luger over Stan Hansen via Touching All 4 Buckles!

 

(NWA World Tag Team Championships Match) Doom © vs The Four Horsemen

Street Fight time, Windham is subbing for Ric Flair who is not here due to injury. We start hot with some serious brawling, chairs and belts are being used. Anderson and Simmons are brawling on the ramp, Windham and Reed are ringside. Windham is a bloody mess and sporting short hair due to the Sting incident at Halloween Havoc. Windham belly to back suplexes Reed on the floor, Anderson is whipping Reed with his belt. Reed is being kept out of the ring as The Horsemen batter Simmons, Simmons is attacked with a belt and chair to the head. Simmons is bleeding, Reed is bleeding. Simmons spinebusters the life out of Windham, close two as Windham rakes the eyes.

 

Reed climbs high, running high knee and stinging jabs by Reed. Anderson is bleeding too, great colour from all four. Simmons military presses Anderson, Simmons is climbing high. Low blow by Windham, Windham wants the superplex and it connects! Reed is up high, Diving Shoulder Block on Anderson with Windham making the save. DDT by Windham, Simmons pops a chair off the head of Anderson for two. Reed has Windham, piledriver for Widham. Simmons is battering Anderson, close two. Reed is sent to the floor, Teddy Long checks on Reed. Windham has Simmons, Anderson dives off into a clothesline from Simmons. Small package but we do not know who wins as there was a double pin in the middle of the ring. Match is called a draw!

 

This was a bloody spectacle which I am a huge fan of it, they all get colour and bring the pain, it’s stiff with plenty of action, weapon shots and the hatred can be felt from all of the 4 competitors in the ring. Perfect before the finish, the match should have continued but they call it a draw which sours the experience, this should have been Doom reigning supreme or The Horsemen being setup for the eventual match with The Steiners, all you needed was a clean finish.

 

It's A Draw!

 

(Final Match Tag Team Tournament) The Great Muta & Mr. Saito vs The Steiner Brothers

Scott and Muta to start, eye-rake and kicks by Muta. Enzuigiri rocks Scott, Scott reverses the Irish whip and mule kicks into a single leg Boston crab. In comes Rick, kicks and spinning sole butt by Muta. Steinerline in response and tag to Saito, Saito clubs Rick. Fist to the head, throat thrusts from Saito. Irish whip but Rick ducks the clothesline and lands a dropkick, Steinerline. Muta and Scott reset, shoulder thrusts and handspring elbow from Muta. Scott catches Muta with a boot and a belly to belly suplex for two, Saito made the save. Saito tags in, chops by Saito. Scott comes back, elbow to the face of Saito and tag to Rick. Right hands by Rick, Saito lands a Saito Suplex. Shoulder block with both men going down, tag to Muta. Snap-mare into the Flashing Elbow, Muta throws Rick to the floor.

 

Rick is sent shoulder-first into the ring-post, Muta smashes Rick in the face with the ring-bell. Saito comes in with a massive chop, choke from Saito. Scott tries to come in, the referee is enforcing the rules. Rick lands a Steinerline on Muta, tag to Scott. Back body-drop from Scott, Tiger-Bomb on Muta. Saito makes the save, Muta uses his knee to crush Scott. Saito lands a massive elbow to the face, Saito Suplex for two. Spike piledriver and a kick to Rick, Saito applies the sleeper but Rick blind-tagged in and lands a diving sunset flip off the top rope for the win.

 

Well it was better than any other tournament match by default, I am disappointed that we did not see more big nasty lariats and fun stuff from The Steiners but there were a lock to win this since the start, I thought the tournament was a terrible idea and the booking throughout the night proves me right but I just can’t help but wonder how this managed to happen at Starrcade.

 

Winners: The Steiner Brothers over Team Japan via Diving Sunset Flip!

 

(NWA World Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Match) Sting © vs The Black Scorpion

Dick The Bruiser is the referee, lots of Black Scorpions come to the ring before we have a spaceship deliver the actual Black Scorpion. Clean break from Scorpion, side headlock from Sting. Belly to back suplex by Scorpion, Sting dodges the elbow drop. Right hands by Scorpion, forearms to the ribs and clubbing blows. Sting blocks the cage, hip-toss and clothesline from Sting. Scorpion lands a clothesline after a whip to the corner, snap-mare into a head-scissors. Forearm shots and a headlock punch from Scorpion, Irish whip to the buckle and is there a camera man sitting on the freaking cage? What is going on, inverted atomic drop from Scorpion.

 

Corner clothesline by Scorpion, snap-mare into a cover for two. Scorpion rakes the eyes, measured right hand. Lefts and rights, Sting is taking a beating here. Shoulder block by Scorpion, military press slam by Sting. Clothesline rocks Scorpion, Sting lands another before missing a Stinger Splash against the cage. Choke from Scorpion, Sting is whipped to the buckle but the champion reverses with a boot. Suplex from Sting for two, side headlock from the champion. Rights and lefts from The Stinger, choke in the corner. Eye-poke from Scorpion, Scorpion steps all over the head of Sting. Sting is rocked off he cage, this is brutal from Scorpion. Piledriver from Scorpion, Sting has his foot on the ropes to survive.

 

Neck-vice from Scorpion, Sting escapes the hold and fires back with big right hands. Sting is sent into the cage, Scorpion lands more rights before Sting fires up with a face-buster. Stinger Splash in the corner, Scorpion Death-Lock in the middle of the ring. Scorpion makes it to the ropes, Sting sends Scorpion into the cage. Knee by Scorpion, Scorpion is on the top rope. Sting crotches Scorpion, right hand by Sting. Scorpion meets the cage, military press into the cage wall. Flying clothesline by Sting, Diving Crossbody for the win. In come the other Scorpions, Dick The Bruiser and Sting are clearing the ring. Scorpion tries climbing away from the ring, The Horsemen are here. Anderson DDTs Sting on the chair, Anderson batters Sting with the chair. Zenk and Ricky Morton and other babyfaces are trying to save Sting, The Steiners make the save and Ric Flair has been revealed as The Scorpion.

 

Imagine Sting wrestling Flair with Flair not having any charisma and not being allowed to be Ric Flair? You have this match, Flair is as bland as bland can be and Flair was never one for having magnificent offense to begin with so when you strip all of Ric Flair away from Ric Flair, you just have nothing and this bland man works with Sting. No real tension, no rhythm and no interest from me, they almost blow the big reveal at the end because they are running out of time but this is dreadful for a Starrcade main event, Sting’s championship run has been desperate and I have to wonder what they were smoking in Atlanta at the time because this is awful!

 

Winner: Sting over The Black Scorpion via Diving Crossbody!

 

That was WCW’s Starrcade 1990, a very boring PPV from WCW. The Pat O’Connor Tag Team Memorial Tournament is a wonderful idea but the representatives of each country were awful, the matches were short and communication mishaps were present in many of the matches. Probably should have had the premier teams of WCW in there because all this amounted to was putting The Steiners. The Skyscrapers’ reunion was rather pointless, Wallstreet is still the same old wrestler no matter the gimmick. Doom vs The Horsemen was the only time I was enjoying myself on this card but after doing a double count-out at Halloween Havoc, I thought we would have a definitive answer to who The Steiners would chase for the tag team championships but no, we have a draw because we are not saving the pay-off to this angle for OUR BIGGEST SHOW OF THE YEAR because that would be dumb right? The main event is one of the most boring matches I have seen main event a show in a long time, hamstringing Ric Flair so that Ric Flair cannot be Ric Flair is one of the worst decisions of all-time. 1991 comes up next, I am hoping for some serious changes in the company, acts like Freebirds or Morton need a new edge or need to leave. More Steiners and Doom please, more Vader and more new feuds and stars please! Thanks for reading and remember: there’s always another night!