|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
40 Reviews
|
Average Customer Review
Share your thoughts with other customers
Create your own review
|
|
Most Helpful First | Newest First
|
|
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Offical List,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
Disc 1
Starrcade December 29, 1996 - The Match of the Decade "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan Starrcade December 13, 1989 - Iron Man Singles Tournament Sting vs. The Great Muta Starrcade December 28, 1992 - Unified World Tag Team Championship Barry Windham / Brian Pillman vs. Ricky Steamboat / Shane Douglas Starrcade December 27, 1998 - WCW World Heavyweight Championship Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash Starrcade December 29, 1991 BattleBowl Starrcade December 27, 1993 - 2 out of 3 Falls for the WCW United States Championship Dustin Rhodes vs. Stunning Steve Austin Disc 2 Starrcade November 26, 1987 - NWA World Tag Team Championship Road Warriors vs. Arn Anderson / Tully Blanchard Alternate Commentary: Todd Grisham / Road Warrior Animal Starrcade December 29, 1996 Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jushin Thunder Liger Starrcade November 26, 1987 - Scaffold Match Rock `n Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express Starrcade December 26, 1988 - NWA World Heavyweight Championship Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger Starrcade December 27, 1995 Eddie Guerrero vs. Shinjiro Ootani Starrcade December 26, 1988 - NWA World Tag Team Championship Dusty Rhodes / Sting vs. Road Warriors Starrcade December 28, 1992 - King of Cable Tournament Final Sting vs. Big Van Vader Starrcade November 24, 1983 - NWA World Tag Team Championship Brisco Brothers vs. Jay Youngblood / Ricky Steamboat Starrcade November 28, 1985 - NWA World Heavyweight Championship Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair Starrcade December 28, 1997 - WCW Cruiserweight Championship Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko Disc 3 Starrcade December 13, 1989 - Iron Man Tag Team Tournament Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers Starrcade December 17, 2000 - Ladder Match for a Contract for the World Cruiserweight Championship 3 Count vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs. Jung Dragons Starrcade December 13, 1989 - Iron Man Singles Tournament Sting vs. Ric Flair Starrcade November 24, 1983 - Dog Collar Match Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper Starrcade November 27, 1986 - Scaffold Match Road Warriors vs. The Midnight Express Alternate Commentary: Todd Grisham / Road Warrior Animal Starrcade December 28, 1997 - WCW World Heavyweight Championship Sting vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan Starrcade November 24, 1983 - Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Ric Flair vs. Harley Race Starrcade November 28, 1985 - Steel Cage "I Quit Match" for the NWA United States Championship Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard Starrcade December 27, 1993 - WCW World Heavyweight Championship - Ric Flair's Career Is On the Line Ric Flair vs. Vader Looks awesome, but why are they out of order?
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Release with only one Bad Quality,
By Scotty M. "Little Nose" (Georgia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
Starrcade, the event that led to the birth of many ppv's that people has ever witnessed including Wrestlemania. This is a great release & it was good to see WWE pay repects to NWA/WCW's grandness stage of all time. This 3 disc set holds 25 matches from Starrcade's past along with a short documentary on the event's heritage. All of the matches are in their entirety but entrances for the most part are not. Although there are a few entraces that are still intact. Including Sting's from '97 & a couple a Flair's. But don't expect any entrances from the likes of Goldberg, Kevin Nash, and Hollywood Hogan. Nevertheless, still a near perfect set.
Even though the documentary portion is pretty short (about 10 minutes shy of a hour) it covers enough to let people know how special & historic Starrcade came to be. You will hear from superstars who were actually a part of Starrcade. Including Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Arn Anderson, Magnum T.A., Tully Blanchard, Road Warrior Animal, Brisco Brothers, Roddy Piper, & others. The documentary goes straight forward & doesn't stop for a match. The superstars speak on matters dealing with Starrcade. Such as the event's birth, growth, popularity, issues, & different angles surrounding Starrcade. Oh and to note out, there are no special bonus extra's on this set whatsoever. Just a brief documentary and 25 matches picked by the fans is all you get. Just to clear up some confusion, the order of the match selection is how the fans voted for them. I hope that helps you. Disc 1 (25) Match of the Decade 12.19.96 Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Me personally, I think WCW really hyped up this match way too much. Hogan just formed the nWo & Piper was the one who everybody expected to stop them. Nothing we haven't already seen from these. Just a good brawl. Nothing special. 3.5/5 (24) Ironman Single's Tournament 12.13.89 Sting vs. the Great Muta Very good match. Some nice chain wrestling. Good offense by both men. A very solid match. 4.5/5 (23) Unified Tag Team Championship 12.28.92 Barry Windham & Brian Pillman vs. Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas Awesome tag bout. Windham looked very good. One of the bests tag team matches I've ever seen. 5/5 (22) WCW Heavyweight Championship 12.27.98 Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash I fully agree with what Arn Anderson said about Goldberg's streak. It went on for way too long & this defeat really hurt Goldberg. A little bit of a good big man match. Didn't really care for the ending though. 3.75/5 (21) BattleBowl Match 12.29.91 I really enjoyed this match. Vader & Steamboat had a nice brawl on the outside. But it did however dragged on for little bit too long. Steve Austin & Sting has a good showing. The final two put on a very good one on one match. 4/5 (20) 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the U.S. Championship 12.27.93 Stunning Steve Austin vs. Dustin Rhodes This is a match in my book that gets better the more times you watch it. I thought this was a very good match. Pretty good offense by Rhodes in this one. 4.5/5 Disc 2 (19) NWA Tag Team Championship 11.26.87 Road Warriors vs. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson Very good tag match. The Road Warriors just dominates Arn & Tully with their freakish strength. Solid tag match but with a BS ending. 4.5/5 (18) 12.29.96 Rey Mysterio vs. Jushin Liger Even though Piper & Hogan was the main event, these two great cruiserweights stole the show. Great cruiserweight action with some good wrestling. Awesome match. 4.75/5 [Also available on Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man] (17) Scaffold Match 11.26.87 Midnight Express vs. Rock 'n Roll Express Not a big fan of these matches. The suspense is there but nothing in my eyes that caught my attention. 3.5/5 (16) NWA World Heavyweight Championship 12.26.88 Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair Good match. Much better then I expected it to be. Some very good wrestling from both men. Good powerhouse moves by Luger. 4.5/5 (15) 12.27.95 Eddie Guerrero vs. Shinjiro Otani Starrcade '95 like few other Starrcades were hosting a joint production of the New Japan vs. WCW. Great aerial moves by both Eddie & Otani. Great back and forth competition. Just a terrific match. 4.75/5 [Also available on The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero] (14) NWA Tag Team Championship 12.26.88 Dusty Rhodes & Sting vs. Road Warriors Another good tag bout. A good back and forth match up between the two teams. All four looked really good in the ring. Great match. I really enjoyed this one a lot. 5/5 (13) King of Cable Tournament Finals 12.28.92 Sting vs. Vader I have always thought that Sting & Big Van Vader made an awesome pairing and this match was no exception. Sting takes some hard blows by Vader in this one. I thought the ending fitted in very well. I liked it. Very good big man vs. smaller man contest. 4.5/5 (12) NWA Tag Team Championship 11.24.83 Brisco Brothers vs. Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat Good offensive exchanges by both teams. A very good all around contest. 4.25/5 (11) NWA World Heavyweight Championship 11.28.85 Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes Great match. One of the bests in not only Flair's career but in Dusty's as well. Dusty works on the leg of Flair's for quite some time. The Horsemen would interfere. But still a tremendous match. 5/5 [Also available on Ric Flair: The Ultimate Collection] (10) WCW Cruiserweight Championship 12.28.97 Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko Malenko and Eddie has had way better matches then this. But a pretty good match nevertheless though. 4.25/5 [Also available on The Legacy of Eddie Guerrero] Disc 3 (9) Ironman Tag Team Tournament Match 12.13.89 Steiner Brothers vs. Road Warriors A very good first one on one meeting from these two legendary teams. But I kind of expected a little bit more. Still a good match but the ending is what made the match. 4/5 (8) #1 Cruiserweight Title Contendership Ladder Match 12.17.00 3 Count vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs. Jung Dragons One of the best ladder matches I have ever seen. This was totally a complete different ladder match then what we have seen from Edge & Christian, Hardys, & Dudleys earlier in the year in the then WWF. The three teams did some crazy things with those ladders. A great match. 5/5 [Also available on The Ladder Match] (7) Ironman Singles Tournament Match 12.13.89 Sting vs. Ric Flair Another great battle from Sting & Flair. Especially with this being Flair's & Sting's second match of the night. Some good offensive exchanges. And the time limit really played a significant role in the match which added more. A very good end to the match. Terrific match. 5/5 (6) Dog Collar Steel Chain Match 11.24.83 "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine Just a straight up fight. The chain came into play many, many times. A very bloody bout. 4.25/5 (5) Scaffold Match 11.27.86 Road Warriors vs. Midnight Express Once again this kind of match didn't catch my attention but a better match then the other from disc 2. The ending is defiantely something to see. 4/5 (4) WCW Heavyweight Championship 12.28.97 Sting vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan I have no idea why this match was voted in. The match didn't suck persay but the BS ending really didn't cut it for me. It really hurt the match more then what it was already. And that was bad! 2.5/5 (3) Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship 11.22.83 Ric Flair vs. Harley Race This is the match that Flair regained his World Heavyweight title. Race & Flair used the cage pretty good. Both gets bloody. Possibably their best match against one another in their careers. A classic match all the way. 5/5 [Also available on Ric Flair: The Ultimate Collection] (2) Steel Cage I Quit Match for the NWA U.S. Championship 11.28.85 Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum T.A. This was a harsh and brutal match to watch. The cage came into play many times. Both men were just doing anything & everything to one another. Brutal & bloody match with a brutal & bloody end. 5/5 [Also available on Bloodbath: The Most Incredible Steel Cage Matches] (1) WCW Heavyweight Championship 12.27.93 Ric Flair vs. Vader Vader was just dominate & whelling on Flair. While Flair was throwing out his rule book and pulling off moves you rarely see from Flair. Defiantley a match for the ages. One of the bests in WCW & classic as well. 5/5 Overall I was very pleased with this release. WWE did a good job and so did the fans. Props to WWE for releasing this set. I highly recommend getting this in the near future.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"WrestleMania" Before WrestleMania,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
What WrestleMania is to WWE or how Bound For Glory is to TNA in this current era of wrestling, that's what Starrcade was to the NWA/WCW. This was their mega show, their "Super Bowl", their ultimate show. Around 25 years later, WWE did the right thing in celebrating the legacy this event has left with this Essental collection.
The documentry stars by covering the idea behind the idea & setup of the Starrcade event with Thanksgiving Day being the top drawing wrestling to day of the year along with the importance of having the event in Greensbrough, NC. Brief history behind the Dog Collar match between Roddy Piper & Greg Valentine along with the main event between Ric Flair & Harley Race were covered before going into how successful the event was to the point where they made a heavy amount of money off the presale for the 1984 event. The concept behind Starrcade '85 being held at different arenas (a concept WWE copied for WrestleMania III months later) was talked about before heavily discussion the role of Magnum T.A. in Starrcade's history from the violent "I Quit" match with Tully Blanchard to how he effected the 1986 edition. The records that Starrcade '86 set along with stories from the Scaffold Match with Road Warriors/Midnight Express were discussed as well. The story behind the setup of Starrcade '87, what effect Vince McMahon had on the event, and how it played a part in the future of Jim Crockett Promotions was heavily discussed. The formation of WCW & the changes to the event such as new concepts along with Eric Bischoff's influnce of Starrcade was heavily talked about before the documentry closed out on various views regarding Goldberg's streak ending at the '98 event, why Starrcade lost it's special appeal over the years, and the legacy it left behind. Along with this documentry comes two hidden extras in Flair showing his name written on the Wall Of Fame and a Dusty Rhodes promo for Starrcade '83. Along with this short documentry are the Top 25 Starrcade matches as voted by the fans... 1996: Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hogan - This was different than their past WWF matches in that they did a great job of actually wrestling here instead of just wild fighting & brawling. This was one of both men's best matches in their WCW career...and the last good quality Starrcade main event that lived up to the hype it had. [The Roddy Piper Story] 1989: Sting vs. The Great Muta - I enjoyed their Great American Bash match from months earlier better as this as it was just average with both men going back & forth but missing that intensity their entire feud throughout 1989 had. This was one I felt shouldn't have been voted on here. 1992: WCW Tag Team Champions Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas vs. Barry Windham & Brian Pillman - The background here was Steamboat & Douglas looking for revenge against Windham for their locker room attack the month before that resulted in seeing them being more aggressive than usual throughout the match to the point where you saw from them with them using closed fist, chairs, and brawling on the floor at various times. 1998: No Disqualification Match: WCW Champion Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash - Goldberg's streak was at 173-0 going into this match with both pulling out some surprize offense including both applying a series of submission moves at one point (Kevin Nash doing a submission!?!). If you can get past the ending with Disco Infernio (WTF!?!), Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Hall doing his impression of "The Mountie," it was a nice big man power match between both guys. [nWo: Back In Black] 1991: BattleBowl - This was a new concept attempted for Starrcade as it was a double ring battle royal featuring the winners of the previous "Lethal Lottery" tag matches. The rules were than you had to be thrown into ring two (you were safe if you went outside the ring on any of the other 3 sides) and then thrown out of ring two to be eliminated and when it came down to the final one man in both rings, whoever threw the other guy over the top rope would win. This was a cluster that was hard to follow until it down down towards the end but some highlights were the fights between Vader & Steamboat on the rampway, Rhodes & Anderson, and Sting & Rude. The real highlight here was the showdown between the final two men that resembled the Royal Rumble ending between HBK & Undertaker in '07. 1993: 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: United States Champion Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin - This was very disappointing for it having a "2 out of 3 falls" stipulation but it was a good wrestling match for those only used to see these guys wrestling style under their later personas as "Stone Cold" & "Goldust" but this certainly wasn't one of the greatest Starrcade matches of all time. 1987: NWA Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs. Road Warriors - In their hometown of Chicago, the Warriors were after the Tag Team titles. This a clash of power in the Warriors vs. the wrestling technicians of the Horsemen with great storytelling by both teams. [Road Warriors] 1996: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jushin Thunder Liger - This was a match where they kept trying to outdo each other by doing the same moves to each other at various times. This was more of a ground based match as the high flyin' didn't come into effect into the end. [Also available on "Rey Mysterio: Biggest Little Man"] 1987: Scaffold Match: Rock `N Roll Express vs. Midnight Express - Eventhough this is the weakest match in their feud due to the setup of the match, this match was more "entertaining" than the previous years scaffold match as we saw Big Bubba get involved along with various weapons used like parts from the scaffold itself & Cornette's own tennis racket. 1988: NWA Champion Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger - This had a special stipuation in that Flair would lose the belt if he got disqualified. I thought that this was possibly their most competitve match they've ever had as it wasn't the typical Luger/Flair match that involved a heavy amount of stalling & heel tactics as they went 30 mins. full of action here. [Legends Of Wrestling: Ric Flair & Sgt. Slaughter] 1996: Eddie Guerrero vs. Shinjiro Ootani - This was part of Starrcade '95 where WCW had a "Best Of 7 Series" against New Japan Pro Wrestling. This was one of the best (if not THE BEST) matches in the series as they worked so well with each other. This match was full of quick moves including some that were heavily stiff like Eddie's powerbomb & brainbuster along with Otani doing a flying dropkick right to the back of Eddie's head. [Legacy Of Eddie Guerrero] 1988: NWA Tag Team Champions Road Warriors vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sting - This was during the Road Warriors' heel run which didn't get over well concidering how the fans were still cheering for the Warriors as well as Dusty & Sting. It was a good match but nothing really special or memorable. [The Dusty Rhodes Story] 1992: Sting vs. Big Van Vader - Aside from Flair, Sting's best opposition came in the form of Vader as I never recall them having a bad match but this was their best one. This was the finals of a tournament to crown the (pointless) "King Of Cable" & told the story of Vader being the dominate monster against Sting who was able to overcome Vader with his quickness & even suprizing Vader with some of his power like the reverse suplex that knocked off his headgear/mask. 1983: NWA Tag Team Champions Brisco Brothers vs. Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat - A pure classic old school tag team match between four great workers...nothing else needs to be said. [Most Powerful Families In Wrestling] 1985: NWA Champion Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes - Dusty was out for revenge against Flair for breaking his ankle months earlier. Flair & Rhodes just had that natural chemistry of charisma & wrestling skills to always have your attention towards the match as it was "an ankle for ankle." The ending was the classic defination of the insider term, "Dusty Finish." [Ultimate Ric Flair Collection] 1996: WCW Crusierweight Champion Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko - Despite Sting vs. Hogan being the main event draw here, this was the best wrestling match on the show...and it was the opening match. This was very similar to their series in ECW and a mat wrestling masterpiece for what WCW had to offer at that time...what else can I say that hasn't already been said about every other Guerrero/Malenko match? [Legacy Of Eddie Guerrero] 1989: Road Warriors vs. Steiner Brothers - This match was heavily STIFF! I mean, you could just tell that these guys were not going to go easy on each other to the point where Cornette just had to point out how stiff these guys were being. It was a good unique match with an ending that saved both teams credibility. 2000: Ladder Match: 3 Count vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs. Jung Dragons - If you only know these guys from their runs in WWE then you don't know what your missing. This match stole the show as it was the crusierweight division in WCW that was saving the product at that time. It wasn't as crazy as the Ladder/TLC matches in WWE but these guys put on one hell of a performance in the last great match in Starrcade's history. [The Ladder Match] 1989: Sting vs. Ric Flair - This match wasn't as classic as their other matches such as when Sting beat Flair for the World Title or their 45 min. draw at the first Clash Of Champions. However, this match was better than the one Unification match they put on Flair's "Ultimate Collection" DVD or their match on the last WCW Monday Nitro. They went back & forth close to the full 15 mins which was brought out a different side of Flair since he's used to wrestling longer time limits. 1983: Dog Collar Match: Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine - This was one of the most violent matches for it's time to the point where Piper perminately lost a percentage of hearing in his ear from it bleeding throughout the match. The violence here shows why you rarely see this type of match to this day. [Greatest Wrestling Stars Of The 80's, The Roddy Piper Story] 1986: Scaffold Match: Road Warriors vs. Midnight Express - The first major scaffold match in wrestling history. The match itself wasn't good by normal standards since they were very limited on what they could do but for the time, it was really a sight to see both teams being so high up, knowing how one team was going to fall all the way down, and the way they used the scaffold during the match. Watch out for the ending with Bobby Eaton & what happened to Jim Cornette afterwards. [Road Warriors] 1997: WCW Champion Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting - The hype is remembered more than the match itself because the match itself wasn't bad as it's remembered to be & was far from the worst Starrcade main event in history (that's tied between to Sting/Scorpion '90, Hogan/Beefcake '94, and Sid/Steiner '00). The acton was back & forth however it was the ending with the "fast count" & Bret Hart that just absolutely killed the payoff that was building for over a year. [Hulk Hogan: Ultimate Anthology] 1983: Steel Cage Match: NWA Champion Harley Race vs. Ric Flair - Eventhough Flair already had a run as NWA Champion, this was the match that had the "torch" passed onto Flair to make him become the legend we know today. Harley was so tough & vicious to the point where Solie said it himself that "he's using the cage as a tag team partner" & even referee Gene Kinisky had to get physically involved at times. [Ultimate Ric Flair Collection] 1985: Steel Cage/I Quit Match: United States Champion Tully Blanchard vs. Magnum T.A. - For those fans who are old enough to remember or just heard by reputation, when asked what was one of the most violent matches of all time...this is mentioned. For it's time, this was hardcore before hardcore was defined as a match that needed a heavy amount of weapons/props & dangerous high spots. This was just two men aggressively beating the living "crap" (and I'm putting that nicely) out of each other until one man said "I Quit"...if your a fan of the later Flair/Funk "I Quit" or Hart/Austin Submission match then you'll love this encounter. [Bloodbath: Wrestling's Most Dangerous Steel Cage Matches] 1993: WCW Champion Vader vs. Ric Flair - This had the buildup that any wrestler dreams of, Flair has his career on the line in his hometown in the main event for the World Championship against the most dominate monster in the company. This was a match that's remembered more for the emotion & buildup behind it than the actual match (very similar to his match vs. Race in '83 & Hogan/Sting in '97) as it wasn't the best Flair's performance in Starrcade's history but told a good story in Flair not giving up against the mammoth Vader. Like I said earlier, this is a great collection of memories & matches from the different eras of wrestling. The two matches I do wish would have been voted on here was the Flair vs. Luger vs. Sting 30 mins. match from '95 and the Luger vs. Flair match from '89 which was the most unique Flair/Luger match they ever had. In the end, this is one release that pays justice to the promotion of NWA/WCW...which WWE usually doesn't like to do...so I would recommend this & hopefully this would open the gate to future releases from the NWA/WCW vault (crosses fingers for a Clash Of The Champions set).
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great blast from the past here,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
The Essetial Starrcade Collection:-Before there was Wrestlemania and what we know now as Pay-Per-View, the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions put together the first ever card event of wrestling and throughout the incarnations during the NWA and WCW, Starrcade always had that big match and big fight atmosphere. -There is a short 48 minute documentary showing the history of Starrcade from the NWA/Jim Crockett's beginnings, to the first show in '83, the first simul-cast in '85, where 2 events in 2 different places were going at the same time, while the crowd watched the other matches on a big screen. The '86 show is talked about and the tragedy that ended Magnum T.A.'s career just when he was about to achieve main event status in the NWA. -The rest of the doc. involves the creation of WWE's Survivor Series that took place on Thanksgiving night, which was the night for Starrcade, that and other issues lead to financial problems and Crockett selling NWA to Ted Turner and the creation of WCW. The production values got better, but the booking and match concepts got more confusing than creative (i.e. The Iron Man Tournament and of course the infamous Battle Bowl). -Ric Flair is at the forefront of the main event talk (love him or hate him he always delivered), his match against Vader from '93 is talked about and is one of the best big man/little man matches of the '90's. The Kevin Nash/Goldberg match is discussed mainly the poorly booked finish (in my opinion at least). There are comments from Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Magnum T.A., Jim Ross, David Crockett (not the explorer... haha) among others, who talk about Starrcade's and the NWA's lineage. -The matches are a Top 25 of the greatest in the history of Starrcade, from the NWA to WCW, even the later years. There are some good, some great and some well.... just bad (Sting/Hogan, anyone?) #25-"Rowdy" Roddy Piper Vs. Hulk Hogan, Match of the Icons, '96-This was a match people had been wanting to see for a while, unfortunately this was the result. Honestly a better brawl than anything else, not a lot of wrestling here. Both are great showmen and were also both past their prime at this point. There are a good amount of pauses and rest holds, but the crowd remained hot for the entire time, cheering loudly for the Rowdy one. The finish came when Piper got a sleeper hold on Hogan and was a laugh riot, courtesy of the referee's reaction to Hogan's arm going down for the third time for the winner, Roddy Piper in 15 minutes. 5/10 for the crowd reaction alone, #24-Sting Vs. The Great Muta, Iron Man Tournament Match, '89-Depsite the convuluted point system and 15 minute time limit this is a great match on the countdown. Two of my favorites of all time, Sting in all his prime glory and Muta is and always will be one of my two or three favorite Japanese wrestlers of all time.Both men had already wrestled before and they still put on a great match again despite the time limit, high impact moves from both men, love the martial arts displayed by Muta. Sting eventually wins hitting a top rope superplex on Muta for the win in just under 9 minutes. 8/10. #23-Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Shane Douglas (Champions) Vs. Barry Windham & Brian Pillman, Unified Tag Team Championship Match, '92-Great back and forth tag team match, plenty of heel tactics by Pillman and Windham, while Steamboat and Douglas try to get their revenge on both men, especially Windham for interrupting an interview and hitting both men with a chair. The action is fast paced and rarely slows down. Douglas with a belly to belly suplex on Pillman for the win in 20 minutes. Winners and still Unified Tag Team Champions, Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas. 9/10. #22-Kevin Nash Vs. Goldberg (Champion), WCW World Championship Match, '98-A big man/bigger man match, that had that big fight feel to it with the main drawing points being Nash's reputation vs. Goldberg's undefeated streak and title. It was power versus power, both men hitting high impact power moves, the match overall was booked well, except for the finish. The fans were finally starting to turn on Goldberg at points during this match, even cheering the finish where there were run-ins by Disco Inferno, Bam Bam Bigelow and Scott Hall using a cattle prod on Goldberg. Nash hits the Jacknife powerbomb on Goldberg for the pin in 10 minutes. Winner and new WCW World Champion Kevin Nash. 6/10, cause of the poorly booked finish. #21-BattleBowl '91-A 2 ring battle royal, 20 men start out, to be eliminated you must be dumped into ring two, then dumped over the top rope and both feet hit the floor, the last man remaining becomes the BattleBowl champion. If you're confused at all, don't worry it get more confusing when you see it executed. Funny to see some from their early days, like Steve Austin, Sting, Jushin Thunder Liger, Lex Luger, Scott Steiner among others. Its again a pretty convoluted match, just doesn't seem to flow that well most of the time. Sting and Luger eventually square off, Sting has to sell a lot to the slug that is Luger, the end comes with Sting eliminating Luger to become the first BattleBowl champion. 6/10. #20-"Stunning" Steve Austin Vs. "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes (Champion), 2 out of 3 Falls match for the United States Championship, Starrcade '93-A classic throwback to the 2 out of 3 falls matchups from the old days of wrestling and a good one at that. Good to see both of these wrestlers before they became the mega stars later in their careers, more Austin than Rhodes though. Good wrestling and brawling by both men, Austin wins the first fall in 14 mins. when Rhodes dumps him over the top rope for a dq (a stupid rule). Austin wins the second fall by tripping up Dustin off the top rope and grabbing the tights for the win in 3 mins. Winner and new U.S. Champion Stunning Steve Austin. 6/10 #19-The Road Warriors Vs. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (Champions), NWA Tag Team Championship Match, '87-The crowd was on fire for this entire match and when you watch it you can see why. Animal and Hawk were virtually unstoppable monsters while Anderson & Blanchard played the great stick and move and cheat type heels that they're so famous for being. Animal and Hawk hit the Doomsday clothesline for the pin in 13 mins. but the decision is reversed cause Animal dumped Anderson over the top rope prior to the move. Winners by DQ and still Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard. 8/10. #18-Rey Mysterio Jr. & Jushin "Thunder" Liger, Starrcade '96-A major league leap above at least half the matches on the countdown. A dream match of sorts, plenty of great moves and counters from both men, lots of high spots from both, though a more delibriate style from Liger than his previous U.S. matches. The commentary is funny if not overloaded, Dusty Rhodes, Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone and the great Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Liger wins with the Liger Bomb in 14 mins. Fantastic match, 10/10 #17-The Midnight Express vs. The Rock N Roll Express, Scaffold Match, Starrcade '87-There are two opinions on this type of match, slow and plodding or intense and suspenseful. I fall under the second category, while not scientific matches they have suspense cause one wrong move could lead to disaster. I mean seriously how do you learn to fall from a scaffold to the ring below and not get hurt, you don't. This match is a good one, not as good as the one from '86 with the Road Warriors, but it had some good spots and brawling by all four men. It is short though, maybe 9 minutes, but the scare factor is there. The after match portion is a nice bonus too. Winners The Rock N Roll Express. 6/10. #16-Lex Luger Vs. Ric Flair (Champion), NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Starrcade '88-This was an awesome match by both men, yes Luger had good matches in him, there I said it. Flair did what he does better than anyone, he brings out the best in anyone he wrestles, and Luger kept pace with him throughout the whole match. Plenty of power moves by Luger and even some scientific wrestling, coupled with cheating by Flair along with being the great showman he is makes for a fantastic match. The crowd was hot for the whole time, and there were several times it felt like Luger would win. Flair ended up winning via pinfall with his feet on the ropes in about 31 mins. Winner and still NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair. 10/10 #15-Eddie Guerrero Vs. Shinjiro Ootani, '95-This was during the before mentioned New Japan/WCW World Cup storyline and while a good match, and maybe I'm in the minority here but it didn't seem to fully click for me. There's some very good chain wrestling here, though the announcers at times seem more interested in bantering rather than paying attention to the match. Eddie hits a nice snap powerbomb and a brainbuster both for a 2 count. Nice dive by Ootani to the outside on Eddie. The energy just seems to be lacking in the match and the crowd, Ootani reverses a roll-up for the win. 6/10. #14-The Road Warriors (Champions) Vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sting, NWA World Tag Team Championship Match, '88-Classic tag team match here, power team vs. power team. Nice to see the Road Warriors play heels here, while Dusty and Sting do their best and try everything to take the tag titles from them. Sting had the match won with a top rope splash onto Animal, but Paul Ellering interfered causing the Road Warriors to be DQ'd after 12 mins. of non stop excitement. Winners via DQ, Dusty Rhodes & Sting. 8/10 #13-Sting Vs. Big Van Vader, King of Cable Tournament Final, '92-These two always meshed well together, Sting had so much energy at this time he couldn't contain it, which worked well for him. Vader in his prime was one of the few big men who could look like a dominate monster but also make his opponent look like a million bucks. Vader uses his power and strength to his advantage, while Sting shows his own strength and quickness in battling the monster from the Rocky Mountains. The back and forth action is well paced and the crowd is on fire for Sting through the whole match. Sting wins when catches Vader in a powerslam for the pin in about 14 mins. Winner Sting. 10/10 #12-The Brisco Brothers (Champions) Vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Jay Youngblood, NWA World Tag Team Championship Match, '83-Good match, with good chain wrestling by all four men. Both Briscoes were great technical wrestlers with well known amateur backgrounds, while Steamboat and Youngblood were the quicker team. Steamboat was always a great worker in the ring as was Youngblood, its a shame he died as young as he did. The crowd really pops loudly for the finish which saw Steamboat lift Yougnblood up for a splash on Gerry Brisco for the win in 12 mins. Winners and new NWA World Tag Team Champions, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat & Jay Youngblood. 7/10. #11-Ric Flair (Champion) Vs. Dusty Rhodes, NWA World Championship Match, '85-Classic rivalry and a good match here, crowd was white hot for Dusty to beat Flair. Plenty of charisma displayed by both men in the opening moments and throughout the match honestly. The chemistry they had with each other was just magic, from bell to bell, regardless of match length. The action whether fast and furious or mat based was well done throughout the whole match. Despite outside interference from Ole & Arn Anderson, Dusty wins with a small package for the win in 21 mins. Winner and the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion Dusty Rhodes. 8/10 #10-Eddie Guerrero (Champion) Vs. Dean Malenko, WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match, '97-I have yet to see a bad televised match between these 2. As for this match, both men displayed a much more aggressinve style, very physical which made this very enjoyable. This match is another classic, Eddie was a great heel back at this time, even despite his drug problems, he was able to perform better than just about anyone in the ring. Malenko in his prime was one of the best wrestlers especially in the cruiserweight division. Eddie hits the Frogsplash for the win in 15 mins. Winner and still WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Eddie Guerrero. 9/10 #9-The Road Warriors Vs. The Steiner Brothers, Iron Man Tournament Tag Team Match, '89-Two of the biggest and most popular tag teams ever face off in a dream match for its time, still is nice to see today. The action is pretty fast and furious due to the 15 min. time limit, which in my opinion both hurts and helps this match. Helps cause the action is fast paced and well done but at the same time it hurts it some cause it feels rushed. The finish is well done as Hawk hits a clotheline from the top on Scott Steiner as Animal hits a back suplex, both men's shoulders were down on the mat but Scott got his shoulder up at the last second for the win in about 8 mins. Winners The Steiner Brothers. 7/10 #8-3 Count Vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias Vs. Jung Dragons, Triple Threat Ladder Match, '00-Three teams, one goal, climb the ladder and which ever man grabs the contract at the top of the ladder wins a WCW Cruiserweight title shot against Chavo Guerrero Jr. Its a tad confusing I guess but putting three high flying tag teams in a ladder match is always a recipe for a great match if done right. Boy was this done right, it was little more than a spotfest but boy what a spotfest it was. Tons of spots including Kaz Hayashi of the Dragons takes a couple of sick hits on the head but he keeps going. Shane Helms & Shannon Moore both grab the contract at the same time for the win in about 15 mins. Winners, 3 Count. 10/10 #7-Sting Vs. Ric Flair, Iron Man Tournament Finals, '89-These two never had a bad match against each other and this one is no exception. Both men in their prime, Sting's energy and both men's charisma make for an awesome albeit short encounter due to the 15 min. time limit. Flair works on Sting's leg while Sting just uses his strength and energy to take it to Ric. Sting takes this one in the final seconds with an inside cradle to win the Iron Man Tourney. 8/10 #6-Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine, Dog Collar Match, '83: This was in one word, brutal, in another bloody, but it was good. Both men are linked together by a chain fastened to each others collars and the violence ensues. Piper got his ear drum busted open during this match and both men just beat each other up with the chain, choking and slamming each other with it. Its well worth watching, especially since it was very violent for that day. Piper ends up winning this by wrapping the chain around Valentine's legs to pin him to the mat. 9/10. #5-Road Warriors vs. The Midnight Express, Scaffold Match, '86: Better than the other scaffold match on this countdown, but of course its still little more than punching, kicking and not falling off the scaffold to the ring. It was kinda neat seeing two big guys like Hawk and Animal have to keep their balance while getting their spots in. The Road Warriors take this one after knocking both Express members down to the ring. 7/10. The aftermath where Jim Cornette gets chased up to the scaffold and his fall to the ring is something to cringe at. #4-Sting vs. Hulk Hogan, WCW Championship Match, '97: After nearly a year build-up this was the result, a sluggish, boring and badly paced match. The crowd did go nuts for Sting when he came out, as this was the first time he would wrestle an actual match in about 15 months. As said before this wasn't a very good main event, its like both guys didn't really seem to try, the attempted screwjob finish was botched as the referee was supposed to count fast with Hogan covering Sting and special enforcer Bret Hart was supposed to call the ref on it. Problem is the ref counted normally so Bret looked dumb for taking over and restarting the match. Sting ends up locking on the Scorpion Death Lock and Hogan gives up as Sting wins the WCW title. 4/10. -#3-Ric Flair vs. Harley Race, Steel Cage Match for the NWA Championship, Special Referee, Gene Kinisky, '83: The crowd popped huge for Flair as this was the match he had been fighting to get for months, another shot at champion Harley Race. Its a pretty bloody encounter, with some good stiff punches and chops and some good wrestling moves from both men as well. One problem with the match is how Kinisky kept getting involved cause he was so old school that is dragged some of the match down. Flair ends up hitting a crossbody from the top rope onto Race and makes the cover to win the NWA title for a second time. 8/10. Nice they included the post match speech by Flair, very moving. #2-Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard, Steel Cage/I Quit Match for the United States Heavyweight Championship, '85: Easily one of the most violent cage matches I've ever seen, the hatred these two had for each other in the months leading up to this contest just came to a head inside the steel structure. This is an extremely bloody encounter that has very little wrestling and just a ton of brawling, both men bleed though Tully bleeds the worst of the two. Magnum ends up using a piece of a wooden chair as a spike to cut open Tully more and when asked if he quits he says yes. Winner and new U.S. champion Magnum T.A. Just a fantastic match, 10/10. #1-Ric Flair vs. Vader, WCW Championship Match with Ric Flair's career on the line, '93: Great, great match here with Flair fighting from underneath and trying to dethrone the big monster Vader, who had an obvious strength advantage and just wore down Ric with stiff punches and big power moves. From the looks of it Vader hit Flair so hard at one point that he chipped a tooth or two. After some intense battling, Ric rolls Vader up out of nowhere and pins him to with the WCW title. 10/10. This is a great collection of matches, with some obviously better than the other and the documentary while short is pretty insightful.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
EXCELLENT,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
STARRCADE
THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION I remember thinking when this was released that this has the potential to be the best release from WWE in a long while. It lived up to that kinda but in a way it was a little of a let down, mostly as far as the documentary is concerned. If you have read any of the other reviews you will know what I am saying. The doc is good but it goes by way to fast in fact it would have been awesome if they would have kept the format they were doing but did it for every Starrcade. Other than that this is a brilliant release that all should own, GO buy it now. 1.[MATCH OF THE DECADE]-RODDY PIPER VS HULK HOGAN-this was at the time one of the biggest matches in wrestling history, or at least one of the most hyped rematches in the business. WCW was on their way to losing to the NWO until Roddy Piper returned to put Hogan in his place, glad some one did. This is actually a much better match then people say or better yet fight as they just brawl basically, sure it was not the greatest bout between them but it was entertaining none the less. The story line going into and after this was great, one of my favorite times in WCW. This was a good match but the ending made this bout really, as The Giant came into the ring to choke slam Piper a fan jumped into the ring to help him and caught some kicks and fist to the head from Hogan and the ref even. Kinda reminiscent of the steel cage match they had.3.8/5 2.[IORN MAN SINGLES TOURNAMENT]-STING VS THE GREAT MUTA-this was a great match between the two and while I think they had even better matches [which is saying something] this one is close to classic in my book. The action goes back and forth the entire match as both go all out with a various display of wrestling abilities. Muta is just magnificent in this match and the flip were he lands on his feet looks great. Still Sting takes this one with a superplex.4.8/5 3.[UNIFIED TAG TITLE]-BARRY WINDAM & BRIAN PILLMAN VS RICKY STEAMBOAT & SHANE DOUGLAS-absolutely one of the best matches on this set and really it should be in the top ten, wrestling wise this is top notch. The action in this one is excellent and every one performs well and rises above expectations. Douglas is brilliant, Steamboat is outstanding, Windam is great, and Pillman is amazing, they all do a phenomenal job on this one. The action comes at you non stop as both teams go back and forth, still in the end Douglas and Steamboat retain the tag titles in a classic.5/5 4.[WCW CHAMPIONSHIP]-GOLDBERG VS KEVIN NASH-the big thing about this match is that it was the first time Goldberg was beat by any one. This one seems a lot like the first match on the disc except with a little more wrestling, good match. I have always liked Nash and I never hated Goldberg so this one still seems like a good bout between 2 big guys. The action was as good as it could be between these two and Disco Inferno coming out still makes me laugh. Bam Bam [R.I.P.] and Scott Hall using the cattle prod helps secure a victory and the title for Nash.4/5 5.BATTLEBOWL 91-this is an early version of the World War 3 event that WCW would latter hold as a usual card, except this one is minus one ring. This like most battle royals is fun but a little hard to follow at times; you must get them to the other ring and throw them over the top rope. There is some good action in this match from the like of Liger and such, and so good action with Sting, Rick Rude, Ricky Steamboat, and Luger. The match gets really good once it becomes one on one between Sting and Lex Luger. Good enough match and battle royal I guess historic.4/5 6.[2 OUT OF 3-US CHAMPIONSHIP]-DUSTIN RHODES VS STEVE AUSTIN-long before they were Stone Cold and Goldust they were two great athletes going at it in WCW. This is by far one of the better matches from this disc and collection in my opinion it is cool to see this again before their WWF/E runs. These two go at it and show why they both would go on to be famous in another company putting on a great match. Steve Austin wins two straight falls which is rare after putting on a great show; the lights even go out during this match.4.5/5 DISC 2 1.[NWA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP]-ROAD WARRIORS VS ARN ANDERSON & TULLY BLANCHARD-this is back when the wrestlers could tell a story while in the ring, great times. I remember when the Horsemen and LOD were feuding man that was a great time in wrestling, I miss those days. This match is great and full of action as the rivals go at it tooth and nail. Road Warriors come with that brute strength and dominate at time but the Horsemen are quick thinkers and crafty in the ring so it is basically even. The Road Warriors get disqualified after throwing their opponents over the top rope, yeah that rule was around.5/5 2.REY MYSTERIO JR. VS JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER-this is the battle of to revolutionary wrestlers who both changed the sport during their time in the business. I have always been a fan of Liger and I loved Rey during his WCW days, WWE won't let him do as much as he did then. There is a lot of great high flying action in this fight as both these guys stole the show that night and didn't just fly high but also wrestled showing their different styles. This is a great match that ends after Liger hits a Liger bomb on Rey.5/5 2.[SCAFFOLD MATCH]-ROCK N ROLL EXPRESS VS THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS-this is pretty good match and with any match like this there is a sense of tension and anxiety just watching people nearly falling off. For two teams up on that thing they put on a good show trying to punish the others. The Rock N Roll Express take this one in a long rivalry that lasted forever almost. This is an entertaining match you should all enjoy.4/5 3.[NWA CHAMPIONSHIP]-RIC FLAIR VS LEX LUGER-Ric Flair is one of the all time greatest wrestlers ever and while I have never really been a fan of Lex Luger he could at times deliver a good match. This is one of those times but to be honest that is mostly because of Flair, still it is a good match none the less. Luger dominates most of the match taking to Flair at every opportunity but Flair is a master craftsmen. This is a classic match that is full of drama and emotion, the fans were really into this one. Luger had many near falls on Flair and Ric uses a chair on Luger's legs. But even after that Luger tries to make the come back, while Ric tries to hold him back. Flair retains the title and for a Lex Luger match this is a classic.5/5 4.EDDIE GUERRERO VS SHINJIRO OTANI-this match was from the 95 Starrcade were it was WCW vs Japan in a tournament type of thing. This is a great match between these two great competitors who go at it looking for the win. The match goes back and forth for most of the fight with Eddie looking like he was going to take the win at times. But it wasn't in the cards that night as he losses to a worthy opponent.5/5 5.[NWA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP]-DUSTY RHODES & STING VS THE ROAD WARRIORS-excellent match right here possibly one of the best tag matches of all time. The monstrous Road Warriors take on the charismatic team of Dusty Rhodes and Sting, and they lay into them hard. Still Sting displays what made him a star and Dusty shows why he is one of the greatest performers in front of a crowd of all time. After a hard fought battle the Road Warriors get disqualified and keep the belts.5/5 6.STING VS VADER-back during Vader's run in WCW he was a feared and respected opponent that held the world title, unlike his run in the WWF. These two have always had great matches together and this is no exception. These two tell a great story in the ring and it feels like a real fight as they just want to hurt each other. Sting takes this one after actually catching Vader in mid air and slamming him for the in.4/5 7.[NWA TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP]-BRISCO BROTHERS VS JAY YOUNGBLOOD, RICKY STEAMBOAT-another classic tag match that was at the time revolutionary in a way as far as contrasts in styles. Both teams went at each other with the Brisco's being more of a pure wrestling team that can brawl and Steamboat and Youngblood more high risk. The risk takers take the titles from the Brisco's in a great match.5/5 8.[NWA CHAMPIONSHIP]-DUSTY RHODES VS RIC FLAIR-this is a rematch from the previous year and this one is just as good in my books. These two were always great together and both put on a great show here. Dusty uses his strength to use as Ric utilizes his speed and mind games. This is a hard hitting match that seems to be going Ric's way when the Horsemen interfere but Dusty takes the title home.4.5/5 9.[WCW CRUISERWIEGHT CHAMPIONSHIP]-EDDIE GUERRERO VS DEAN MALENKO-two of my all time favorite wrestlers lock up in this brilliant match, RIP Eddie. I love both these guys and wish Dean would come back but at least I have tapes and DVD's with him. This is an excellent match that shows both wrestlers talents off greatly, a lot of high impact moves. Dean does all he can to beat Eddie but Eddie pulls this one out in a nice way.4.5/5 DISC 3 1.ROAD WARRIORS VS STEINER BROTHERS-a battle between to legendary teams to see who the best is, LOD or the Steiner's. The Road Warriors always ran threw every team they went against but the Steiner Brothers were one of the few teams that could match them in strength and talent. This is a hard fought battle between both teams that ends with the Steiner's taking the win in a crazy manner.4.8/5 2.[LADDER MATCH]-3 COUNT VS JAMIE NOBLE & EVAN KARAGIAS VS JUNG DRAGONS-this is with out a doubt one of the greatest matches in Starrcade history bar none, classic in my mind. These three teams go at it like crazy doing all kinds of things to each other in order to get the upper hand. If you like ladder matches and or high flying action then this is the one for you as all involved pull out all stops to deliver one of the most entertaining matches I have ever witnessed. 3 Count takes this but I recommend watching this over and over, excellent match.5/5 3.[IRON MAN MATCH]-STING VS RIC FLAIR-these two have had some brilliant matches together and as far as I am concerned they never had a bad one. This while not their best match is still a very good one in which Sting wins the tournament and also becomes a Horseman. The action is great though out and the ring psychology between these two is great, one of the better matches on here.4.8/5 4.[DOG COLLAR MATCH]-GREG VALENTINE VS RODDY PIPER-this one right here is a slugfest that can best be described as purely a fight, nothing more nothing less. To me this is a classic because this is one of the most historic matches in the history of the business not just Starrcade. By the end of this both are bloodied and Piper really got injured if you have seen his documentary, Piper takes the win.5/5 5.[SCAFFOLD MATCH]-ROAD WARRIORS VS THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS-these matches never get the credit the deserve because watching these things live will have you on the edge of your seat. Watching these replays it is easy to say that these types of matches are not that great, but they are actually tense. This match was entertaining and had a wonderful ending involving Jim Cornett after the Road Warriors took the victory. In my eyes this is a classic.5/5 6.[WCW CHAMPIONSHIP]-STING VS HULK HOGAN-to this day I am still mad about this match, they just couldn't let Sting have his night. This was Sting's first match in like a year and had one of the greatest build ups of all time. And then when Sting should have dominated this match [maybe not completely] but over all should have they let Hogan actually look good and unafraid. All of his opponents before this always looked good and Hogan always had all of the NOW run in for him. But here when during all the build up having Hogan running scared of Sting here he looks unafraid, it don't make sense. Add in the fact that the ref forgot the ending and forgot to count fast, so that ruined what should have been one of the biggest moments in WCW history. This was to be Sting's big moment and Bret Hart's debut into WCW, both were wasted.3/4 7.[STEEL CAGE NWA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH]-RIC FLAIR VS HARLEY RACE-this is one of the greatest matches in the history of the business right here. These two went at it like only legends can and go between a wrestling match to a brawl and back. Flair gets bloodied and still takes the belt back. It is always cool to see Natch being lifted into the air. Classic.5/5 8.[STEEL CAGE WCW CHAMPIONSHIP]-MAGNUM TA VS TULLY BLANCHARD-this like the last is another classic steel cage match that pitted to game opponents against each other. This one is more of a fight then an actual match since it is an "I Quit" match and also inside a cage. These two beat each other senseless the entire match with both getting bloody and using the mic as a weapon. During the match there is a shot were Tully is beating on TA's head with the mic and it seems like a pedestrian filmed an actual street fight on a corner or something. Classic match that sees TA take the win when Tully says those two little words.5/5 9.[WCW CHAMPIONSHIP]-RIC FLAIR VS VADER-the number one pick for this set is a worthy one indeed as the monster Vader takes on the legend Ric Flair. This is a battle right here that sees many twists and turns as Vader dominates a lot of the match over powering the weaker opponent. But the real thing to see here is Ric actually goes to the top rope multiple times and actually jumps off, not thrown off [unreal right]. Still Nach is Nach in this one and over comes the monster, love the ending.5/5 This is a wonderful set that every wrestling fan should own and if the sales are good enough I really think that the WWE will release the full Starrcade Anthology DVD collection. This is a wonderful set as I said above buy it if you have yet to, GO now.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is real wrestling at it's best!!!!,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
This is an awesome set for any fan of true pro wrestling. This is not the sports entertainment that we see in the WWE today and on occasion in TNA. This is real pro wrestling, the way it ought to be. The wrestling matches in this set blow away almost anything the WWE/WWF/WWWF has ever done. Very few WWE superstars could put on these types of matches and when they do, there is usually only 1 or 2 great matches per PPV. The 1980's Starrcades would be top notch from the beginning to the end and the match selection here shows that. Even in the 1990's, there was still more pure wrestling on Starrcade than WWE has ever had. I highly recommend this set if you were a fan of the NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions or WCW. WWE does not seem to want to put out entire WCW/NWA PPV's that they have the rights to, so sets like these are the best we will probably get.
For you younger fans, if you want to see Sting at his best, buy this set. The Sting you see in TNA is great but the Sting in these matches was at his best ever. And who could pass up classic matches with Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper or Harley Race?!?!? This set is simply awesome!!!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long overdue!,
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
Eight years ago, when WWE purchased the tape libraries of both ECW and NWA/WCW I had numerous DVD projects I wanted them to release from those archives and a Starrcade collection was near the top of that list. I didn't think it would take this long for WWE to release a Starrcade collection, but it's here now and it's easily the best DVD release WWE will have all year. I wont list the matches, most everyone else has done that, instead I'll focus on the production, packaging, etc..
First, a box set of all the Starrcade events would've been better, but considering WWE's feelings toward NWA/WCW I think we're lucky to have the 25 matches included on this set. The matches were voted upon by visitors to WWE's site several months back. This voting is both good and bad. It's good because we get to democratically choose the matches included on these DVD sets, but it's bad because we must choose from a list of matches pre-selected by WWE. With that said, it's tough to argue with the 25 matches selected for this release. I only notice a few glaring omissions, most notably Flair vs. Randy Savage from Starrcade '95 as well as Flair vs. Nikita Koloff from Starrcade '86. If the dud Hogan matches had been left off this release, then these other matches probably could've been included. This release also contains the DVD debut of the classic match between Flair and Big Van Vader from Starrcade '93. This match alone is worth the price of this set, without a doubt. We also get classic matches like: Flair vs. Sting (SC '89), Sting vs. Vader (SC '92), Flair vs. Luger (SC '88) and the classic Brisco Brothers vs Youngblood/Steamboat tag title match (SC '83). In other words, this set is a virtual encyclopedia of classic wrestling matches from NWA/WCW. The DVD opens with a documentary on the history of the event. As with all WWE documentaries, the truth can be difficult to find, but I was surprised that WWE actually admitted to creating the Survivor Series in order to squeeze cable companies into dropping the Starrcade PPV event. But there are many inconsistencies too. For example, Dusty Rhodes talks about the mistake to bring Japanese wrestlers in to compete at Starrcade, and how when Eric Bischoff took over, he put Starrcade back on track by eliminating such nonsense. Well, there is one problem with that, Eric invited New Japan Pro Wrestling to come into Starrcade '95 and compete in a world cup of wrestling. Plus, and no offense to Magnum, but the line by Dusty that Magnum T.A. was being presented with offers from Hollywood to star in movies made me laugh out loud! The doc is short and sweet and sticks to only the greatest moments, which is fine because I bought this for the matches, not for a documentary. As for the rest of the DVD, it does come in a nice digipak and NOT the cheap paper slip packaging used for Kane's DVD and the Summer Slam collection. Also, Jesse Ventura's commentary is intact on the matches he calls and has not been removed like in select previous DVDs! Overall, this set is a wrestling fans dream come true. If you were a longtime NWA/WCW fan, than this set will bring back a lot of memories. If not, then be prepared to see some of the best matches ever from wrestling's first mega-event!
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Both feature and match selections miss the mark,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
Of all the uses of WCW footage, a Starrcade documentary was the one that I held the highest hopes for. However, the documentary is slap-dash and the match selection is dubious.
For example, one point the documentary tries to make is that Eric Bischoff considered Starrcade to be "not a big deal" until Goldberg came along.......really? Um, did someone forget to tell the producers that a) Starrcade 1997 drew THE HIGHEST BUYRATE IN WCW HISTORY, b) the mistakes made with said PPV subsequently laid the foundation for the company's collapse and that c) contrary to the thesis, Bischoff had spent OVER a year building Sting vs. Hogan AT that Starrcade, which would therefore suggest that he indeed thought it was a very big deal. It's like doing a documentary on Wrestlemania and leaving out Wrestlemania III. Other areas are overlooked from the quirky to the very juicy: Such as how WCW put Starrcade in Washington for the last 4 years despite declining attendance, the international tag team format of 1990, the Luger-Flair 1988 main event that nearly caused Flair to quit Turner before WCW even started.....to the unfamiliar, this documentary would make Starrcade to seem like a boring documentary subject yet it's anything but. The match list is less offensive (hitting most of the culturally significant Starrcade matches) but it is also rife with selections inferior to what they could have placed on the DVD. No disrespect to the voters, I think they go with what they know...but the WWE should use these features to expand their viewers' cache. Steamboat-Blanchard ('84), R&R Express v. Andersons ('86), Anderson/Windham v Doom ('90), Kidman v Guerrera v Rey ('98)... But it's definitely the slapped together doc that makes this DVD fall very short of its potential.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Slightly Disappointed...,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
I went to my nearest Best Buy to purchase the Kane dvd, not that it was something I was excited about, but I am an avid collector of WWE's dvd's. As I approached the dvd section I noticed the Starrcade Collection was on the shelves. Last I heard it was scheduled for a 1/13 release. I jumped all over it and was so anxious to watch it that I sat in my car and watched the entire documentary feature. I believe it was very informative as far as the early years are concerned but when it gets to the part where Turner purchased the company it jumps from SC 89 to SC 93 where Flair takes on Vader and then rewinds back to 91 and 92 with no mention whatsoever about the 1990 Collision Course edition of the event with the Pat O'Connor international tag tournament that was held in which the Steiners won. No mention on how Triple H aka Paul Levesque's ppv debut was at a Starrcade (1994). Would've been interesting to get his take on his experience of the event. Chris Jericho is also not included in the documentary which I thought was odd, yet Jim Cornette is even though he's not with the company. The documentary seems to rush right through from the mid 90's to the end without any mention of how poor the company was doing at the time the last Starrcade happened. It also would've been nice to hear from guys like Jamie Noble, Gregory Helms and Jimmy Yang who all participated in the final event.
As far as the matches that are included...although I realize that they were all voted by the fans on wwe.com, I still feel there should be some sort of way of figuring out which ones should and shouldn't make the dvd due to the fact that you have some of these matches that received the majority of votes on other dvd titles such as Eddie Guerrero's and Ric Flair's as well as a couple of other compilations. Overall, I still believe that it's worth owning, but still hope that the WWE looks into not replicating matches on future dvd's that they already have put out on past ones.
6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Documentary added!!!,
By
This review is from: WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection (DVD)
Here are the updated details on the WWE's Starrcade DVD from PWInsider with Documentary and chapter listings:
For close to two decades, it was the signature event ' first in NWA, then WCW. Some of the greatest Superstars in wrestling history had defining moments at the event. Starrcade may be gone, but fans of sports entertainment continue to celebrate its rich tradition and lasting legacy. Now, for the first time on DVD, the greatest matches of Starrcade are collected in a 3-disc set, along with a new and exclusive documentary exploring the 18-year history of the event, including comments from Ric Falir, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, Road Warrior Animal, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, David Crockett, and others. The featured matches, as voted by the WWE Universe, are counted down by some of the key players from the time. Documentary chapters: - Crockett Promotions - Thanksgiving Tradition - Starrcade Is Born - Dog Collar - A Flare For The Gold - Starrcade's Success - "I Quit" - The Scaffold - Moving Out - Competition - The Beginning of WCW - Ric Flair is Starrcade - Reaching for New Concepts - Bischoff Revitalizes Starrcade - Goldberg's Impact - The Legacy of Starrcade Disc 1 Gene Okerlund - # 25 The Match of the Decade "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan Starrcade December 29, 1996 Jim Ross - # 24 Iron Man Singles Tournament Sting vs. The Great Muta Starrcade December 13, 1989 Jim Ross - # 23 Unified World Tag Team Championship Barry Windham / Brian Pillman vs. Ricky Steamboat / Shane Douglas Starrcade December 28, 1992 Gene Okerlund - # 22 WCW World Heavyweight Championship Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash Starrcade December 27, 1998 Gene Okerlund - # 21 BattleBowl Starrcade December 29, 1991 Tully Blanchard - # 20 2 out of 3 Falls for the WCW United States Championship Dustin Rhodes vs. Stunning Steve Austin Starrcade December 27, 1993 Disc 2 Tully Blanchard - # 19 NWA World Tag Team Championship Road Warriors vs. Arn Anderson / Tully Blanchard Alternate Commentary: Todd Grisham / Road Warrior Animal Starrcade November 26, 1987 Tully Blanchard - # 18 Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jushin Thunder Liger Starrcade December 29, 1996 Tully Blanchard - # 17 Scaffold Match Rock 'n Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express Starrcade November 26, 1987 Ric Flair - # 16 NWA World Heavyweight Championship Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger Starrcade December 26, 1988 Jim Ross - # 15 Eddie Guerrero vs. Shinjiro Otani Starrcade December 27, 1995 Road Warrior Animal - # 14 NWA World Tag Team Championship Dusty Rhodes / Sting vs. Road Warriors Starrcade December 26, 1988 Ric Flair & David Crockett - # 13 King of Cable Tournament Final Sting vs. Big Van Vader Starrcade December 28, 1992 Ric Flair & David Crockett - # 12 NWA World Tag Team Championship Brisco Brothers vs. Jay Youngblood / Ricky Steamboat Starrcade November 24, 1983 Ric Flair & David Crockett - # 11 NWA World Heavyweight Championship Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair Starrcade November 28, 1985 Dusty Rhodes - # 10 WCW Cruiserweight Championship Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko Starrcade December 28, 1997 Artwork subject to change Disc 3 Road Warrior Animal - # 9 Iron Man Tag Team Tournament Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers Starrcade December 13, 1989 Dusty Rhodes - # 8 Ladder Match for a Contract for the World Cruiserweight Championship 3 Count vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias vs. Jung Dragons Starrcade December 17, 2000 Dusty Rhodes - # 7 Iron Man Singles Tournament Sting vs. Ric Flair Starrcade December 13, 1989 Dusty Rhodes - # 6 Dog Collar Match Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper Starrcade November 24, 1983 Road Warrior Animal - # 5 Scaffold Match Road Warriors vs. The Midnight Express Alternate Commentary: Todd Grisham / Road Warrior Animal Starrcade November 27, 1986 Jim Ross - # 4 WCW World Heavyweight Championship Sting vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan Starrcade December 28, 1997 Ric Flair - # 3 Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship Ric Flair vs. Harley Race Starrcade November 24, 1983 Tully Blanchard - # 2 Steel Cage "I Quit Match" for the NWA United States Championship Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard Starrcade November 28, 1985 Ric Flair - # 1 WCW World Heavyweight Championship Ric Flair's Career Is On the Line Ric Flair vs. Vader Starrcade December 27, 1993 Jim Ross ' Close |
|
Most Helpful First | Newest First
|
|
WWE Starrcade: The Essential Collection by - (DVD - 2009)
$14.95 $12.49
In stock on January 30, 2012 | ||