Storylines
The event featured wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and Narrative thread, storylines. Wrestlers portrayed Heel (professional wrestling), villains, Face (professional wrestling), heroes, or Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Tweener, less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. The main Feud (professional wrestling), feud heading into Starrcade was between Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, Hollywood Hogan. At Bash at the Beach (1996), Bash at the Beach, Hogan, Scott Hall (wrestler), Scott Hall and Kevin Nash formed the New World Order (professional wrestling), New World Order (nWo), a group of rebels who terrorized, and aimed to take over World Championship Wrestling. Since then, the group increased in members and power, winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Piper returned to WCW at Halloween Havoc#1996, Halloween Havoc, and confronted Hogan. Piper claimed to be as big an icon as Hogan and wanted Hogan to admit it. After Hogan did, he insulted Piper when Piper was on his way out of the ring, implying Piper was going to use the women's bathroom. The show went off the air while they were arguing in the ring. In the following weeks, Eric Bischoff claimed that he attempted to get in touch with Piper regarding a match, but said that Piper was not interested since he had said his piece. Finally, Piper showed up on ''Nitro'' and accused WCW Executive Vice President Eric Bischoff of secretly working for the nWo. This was revealed to be true as the nWo came out, attacked Piper, and declared their alliance with Bischoff. The match between Piper and Hogan was made for Starrcade.Event
The first match was between Ultimo Dragon, Ultimate Dragon and Dean Malenko to Championship unification, unify the J-Crown, J-Crown Championship and the WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007), WCW Cruiserweight Championship. The match started back and forth, with both exchanging holds. Ultimo Dragon gained the advantage with the Boston crab#Single leg Boston crab, single leg Boston crab and the Professional wrestling holds#STF, STF. Malenko fought back with suplexes, and applied the Professional wrestling holds#Ankle lock, ankle lock. He then targeted the left leg of Ultimo Dragon. They then went back and forth until Ultimo Dragon missed a moonsault, and Malenko applied the Professional wrestling holds#Cloverleaf, Texas cloverleaf. After Malenko performed a brainbuster, they exchanged holds, and Ultimo Dragon pinned Malenko with a bridging Suplex#Tiger suplex, tiger suplex to win the match, and unify the two titles. The second match was between Akira Hokuto (accompanied by Sonny Onoo and Kensuke Sasaki) and Debrah Miceli, Madusa for the WCW Women's Championship. The match started back and forth. Hokuto applied the Professional wrestling holds#Double choke, double choke, and performed a Suplex#Northern Lights suplex, Northern Lights suplex. Madusa performed a DDT (professional wrestling)#Tornado DDT, tornado DDT and a powerbomb. After Hokuto performed a Suplex#Superplex, superplex, Madusa sent her outside with a dropkick. Onoo came in, and hit Madusa with a pole. Hokuto pinned Madusa after a Dropkick#Missile dropkick, missile dropkick and a Brainbuster#Scoop brainbuster (Northern Lights Bomb), Northern Lights Bomb to win the match and the title. The third match was between Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. Liger had the early advantage with a Suplex#Delayed vertical suplex, delayed vertical suplex and a powerbomb. Mysterio performed a Professional wrestling throws#Headscissors takedown, headscissors takedown, but Liger performed a suplex off the apron. They then went back and forth. Mysterio performed a Moonsault#Springboard moonsault, springboard moonsault and a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Springboard legdrop, springboard legdrop. Liger fought back with a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Diving headbutt, diving headbutt. Liger pinned Mysterio after a Powerbomb#Sit-Out Powerbomb, Liger Bomb to win the match. The fourth match was a Professional wrestling match types#No Disqualification match/No Holds Barred match, No Disqualification match between Chris Benoit and Jeff Jarrett. The match started back and forth until Benoit performed a Suplex#Belly to back suplex, belly to back suplex, and applied the Professional wrestling holds#Sleeper hold, sleeper hold. Jarrett fought back with a belly to back suplex, and a Suplex#Belly-to-belly suplex, belly to belly suplex. Arn Anderson came down as Jarrett performed a Professional wrestling throws#Back body drop, back body drop. Jarrett and Benoit exchanged attacks as Kevin Sullivan (wrestler), Kevin Sullivan came down. Sullivan hit Benoit with a Folding chair, wooden chair as Anderson performed a DDT (professional wrestling), DDT to Jarrett. Jarrett then pinned Benoit to win the match. The fifth match was between The Outsiders (professional wrestling), The Outsiders (Scott Hall (wrestler), Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) and The Faces of Fear (Tonga Fifita, Meng and The Barbarian (wrestler), The Barbarian) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship. Nick Patrick (referee), Nick Patrick, the referee, was biased towards The Outsiders. The match started back and forth until the Faces of Fear double-teamed Nash. Nash fought back after The Barbarian missed a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Diving elbow drop, diving elbow drop. The Outsiders dominated The Barbarian until the Faces of Fear double-teamed Hall. After performing a Professional wrestling attacks#Big boot, big boot, The Barbarian applied the Professional wrestling holds#Shoulder claw, nerve hold on Hall. Hall fought out with a belly to back suplex, and Nash tagged in. Nash pinned The Barbarian after a big boot and a Powerbomb#Release Powerbomb, Jackknife Powerbomb. The sixth match was between Diamond Dallas Page and Eddie Guerrero in the final match of a tournament for the WWE United States Championship, WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, which had been vacated after the nWo refused to return the belt after stealing it from then-reigning champion Ric Flair. After starting back and forth, Guerrero gained the advantage with a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Slingshot, slingshot Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Senton, senton, and applied the Professional wrestling holds#Armbar, armbar. Guerrero performed Professional wrestling attacks#Mounted punches, mounted punches, but Page dropped him on the top turnbuckle. Page had the advantage, and applied the Professional wrestling holds#Abdominal stretch, abdominal stretch. They then went back and forth until Hall, Nash and Sean Waltman, Syxx came down. The Outsiders, who had been interfering in Page's matches for several weeks to help him win and join the nWo, interfered against Page this time. Hall performed an Powerbomb#Crucifix Powerbomb, Outsider's Edge on Page, and Guerrero pinned him after a Professional wrestling aerial techniques#Frog splash, frog splash to win the match and the title. After the match, Hall, Nash and Syxx beat down Guerrero and stole the title belt again. The seventh match was between Big Show, The Giant and Lex Luger. The match began with Luger delivering punches, and The Giant pushing off Luger. The Giant dominated Luger after performing a Professional wrestling attacks#Clothesline, clothesline. Luger fought back with kicks after The Giant missed a Professional wrestling attacks#Body avalanche, body avalanche. The Giant continued to attack, but missed a dropkick. Luger performed clotheslines, a Neckbreaker#Shoulder neckbreaker, hangman's neckbreaker and a Professional wrestling throws#Scoop slam, scoop slam. Luger then applied the Backbreaker#Argentine backbreaker rack, Torture Rack, but Syxx came down, and performed a Professional wrestling attacks#Spin kick, spin kick to Luger. Sting (wrestler), Sting came down, and left a baseball bat in the ring. Luger performed a Professional wrestling attacks#Low blow, low blow to The Giant, and pinned him after several attacks with the bat to win the match. The Card (sports)#Main event, main event was between Hulk Hogan, Hollywood Hogan (accompanied by Ted DiBiase) and Roddy Piper. The match started back and forth. After Piper performed a clothesline and kicks, Hogan left the ring. Piper followed, and sent Hogan's head into the guard rail. Piper then whipped and choked Hogan with a Belt (clothing), belt. DiBiase distracted Piper, and Hogan fought back, sending Piper's head into the guard rail. Hogan kicked Piper's hip, and applied the abdominal stretch. They exchanged attacks, and The Giant came down. He attempted to perform a chokeslam to Piper. At this point, a fan interrupted the finale by jumping the safety barrier and hitting Ted DiBiase. The Giant was confused by the event and continued to hold Roddy in the chokeslam position. Hogan and referee Randy Anderson ran over and subdued the fan, by kicking him several times in the ring corner until security arrived. After the incident was over, the match continued and Piper reversed the chokeslam hold by Professional wrestling attacks#Biting, biting The Giant on the nose. Piper then applied the sleeper hold on Hogan, causing him to pass out, and won the match.Aftermath
After Starrcade, Big Show, The Giant was removed from the New World Order (professional wrestling), New World Order (nWo) for failing to help Hogan win his match. The Giant was also unhappy with how he was never given a match for Hulk Hogan, Hollywood Hogan's WCW World Heavyweight Championship despite winning the Battle royal (professional wrestling)#World War 3, World War 3 battle royal. At Souled Out (1997), Souled Out, The Giant faced Hogan for the title, but the match ended with nWo members beating down The Giant. Roddy Piper continued his Feud (professional wrestling), feud with Hogan after, and they faced each other at SuperBrawl VII for the title. Randy Savage interfered, helping Hogan win the match, and their feud ended. Throughout 1997, WCW seemed to revolve around Sting (wrestler), Sting, whose character was changed to become an avenger, frequently seen observing from the rafters. The storyline was built towards his match with Hogan for the title at the following Starrcade (1997), Starrcade.Reception
WCW earned $113,040 in ticket sales with an attendance of 9,030. The pay-per-view received a buyrate of 0.95, which is the equivalent of approximately 380,000 buys. The event was released on VHS in the United States on April 15, 1997 by Warner Home Video. Arnold Furious of 411Mania gave the event a rating of 6.5 [Average], stating, "This is a great show until the nWo stuff kicks in. While a few months beforehand it was fresh and different now it was getting irritating. While it was nice that they let some of the cruisers go and have fun in the early going (Malenko-Dragon & Liger-Mysterio) you have to think that was because they weren’t deemed important enough for the nWo to care about them. Once the show got into the more important matches the nWo was everywhere and had their fingers in every pie including DDP-Guerrero, which had nothing to do with them at all. A couple of good cruiserweight matches doesn’t make a show great as anyone who watches TNA will testify but it makes the show passable enough to get a mild thumbs up. I’d watch most of the last two matches on fast forward though because they suck."Results
Women's Championship Tournament
United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament
References
External links