Episode #29 – Starrcade 1987
Dre and the Black Cat drop a new episode mere days after the last in honor of a Thanksgiving wrestling tradition – Starrcade! And not just any Starrcade, but Starrcade 1987, one of the best of all time and one that both hosts have seen probably over 3000 times. Sit back and relax with your turkey or tofurkey filled stomaches and enjoy this special episode of the podcast. I would personally like to wish David Crockett a very, merry Thanksgiving, and I hope you put over that turkey as well as you put over Ron Garvin’s title victory. And watch out for Barry Windham’s head.
Don’t tempt me about being the OSWP timekeeper in Dre’s house.
Illinois State Athletic Commission, boo.
Yay for lots of time given for Dre’s Dusty’s impression! I could watch 80’s Barry Windham set to Dre’s Dusty commentary all day.
On the subject of hearing generic wrestling themes in other industries, I heard Rosa Mendez’s music on a commercial plugging Burn Notice. I’ve also heard old Hardy Boyz music and old Hardcore Holly music played during bumpers for tv shows while plugging their advertisers or other tv shows.
Loved Jook’s Luger impression! My brother also had funny Luger impression, which unfortunately I won’t be able to properly express here.
Don’t deny that you didn’t mark out for the ISAC reference, Jim. 🙂 and look for the time keepers bell under your Christmas tree.
Hard to believe the Hardy Boyz music is public domain.
I enjoyed this episode on Starrcade 1987. The Road Warriors vs. Tully and Arn match did not make fans of the NWA in Chicago. The match itself is on the Starrcade the Essential Collection DVD along with the Road Warriors DVD.
Along with the WWE(F at the time) expansion, Jim Crockett Jr. tried to run in many recent “WWF markets” one of which was Chicago.
This partially along with the finish in the Tag Team title match to a much lesser extent probably lead to Jim Crockett Jr. to sell the NWA to Ted Turner about a year later. In hindsight Jim Crockett Jr. should have probably stayed in the South-East since it took the WWE many years to finally do well in that market.
I’m sure you talked about it on episode 2, but WWF made cable systems carry the Survivor Series otherwise they would not get Wrestlemania 4 the next year.
A couple of matches down on the Starrcade DVD is the Rock and Roll vs. Midnight Express scaffold match. The Dusty vs. Lex Luger match is on the Dusty Rhodes DVD and the Ric Flair vs. Ronnie Garvin match is on the first Ric Flair DVD.
I know Crockett failed in his attempts to go national but really he had to try (or just give up, I suppose). Not really sure what else he could’ve done differently.
I think we did talk about the PPV deal but that is a really good point about that night.
The Starrcade DVD is on my list of stuff to get.
Hey, this is Boxwatcher from over on twitter. I loved the Starrcade ’87 episode. One of my favorite NWA cards of all time. I was so bummed when I couldn’t go but at least I had a buddy who did so I was able to get the results the next day. Listening to the podcast reminded me of something that is lacking in today’s PPV event. It felt like it all mattered. Under card matches matches seemed way more important back then. If a Dusty/Luger bout happened today it wouldn’t feel as important as it did because they’d be wrestling again on RAW in a month. Back in the 80’s when matches like these happened it really had that air of finality to it, and it was always exciting to see who the wrestlers would feud with next. Great podcast guys!
Ty
Hey Boxwatcher! Weird to think of the days when we had to did someone to tell us the results of the show. I didn’t get to see either live, but would see both of them as soon as they were at the video store and would eventually buy the tape I still have on my shelf.
There is a huge difference in hype then vs today – every match had a well paced story meant to engage the crowd. Ah, those were the days…
Great podcast as always. I give it 5 clamshell VHS tapes, wrapped in sequined robes.
My first NWA tape was a 4 hour LP tape from Turner – Best of Starrcade 83-87. Magnum PI was the host of the tape. I remember Steve Williams being on the cover, but he wasn’t on the tape, which was a big disappointed since I had read about him and had looked forward to seeing Dr. Death. As a big Barry Windham fan I am really curious to see that match now.
I think I got the Turner tape in 1991 and knew the history, but it was strange to see Ronnie Garvin as defending World Champion when I only knew him from his WWF work.
It was a nice contrast to hear your love for this show. Starrcade 87’s greatest claim to fame these days seems to be that JCP took Starrcade away from the hometown fans, and that they on top of this messed Chicago up with the Road Warriors finish.
The chat about the use of wrestling themes in commercials was hilarious, and I always love when you sing wrestling themes on the show. You sound so happy when you do it 🙂 Same with the imitiations. It’s pure gold, if you wiiilll.
What’s the story with the Illinois State Athletic Commission?
I distinctly remember the best of starrcade commercial and always wished i could get it. I was a huge Crockett fan so I enjoyed everything they did then, even giving Ron Garvin the belt.
And I promise more singing.
I loved this episode. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the lower production values enhanced the total package (not Luger) of wrestling. It may have looked cheesy and silly then and still does now, for sure. But it made the wrestling more important. As I watch Raw these days, there’s the overwhelming feeling that the graphics and the show presentation are way more important than anything.
I miss the days of the small basement studio surrounded by national flags and the 2 wall stage set with embedded TVs and the center podium big enough for Schiavone and the Horsemen to stand around and deliver their promos. I miss the immediacy of anyone’s appearances during the Horsemen’s tirades because all they had to do was walk out from backstage, a mere 3 feet away.
It gave the action and intensity a boost that just isn’t there with current product today.
I also much prefer lower production values. I can’t imagine anyone doing it tonight, but I’d love to see ROH on HDNet do something like the old TBS studio for their show. I think it’d actually help the product a bunch. Sometimes 50 rabid fans bused in from the YMCA are better than 600 bored wrestling fans in the old ECW arena.
Actually the Ric Flair vs. Ronnie Garvin steel cage match from Starrcade 1987 is on the Bloodbath wrestling’s most incredible stell cage match DVD:http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/dvd03.htm
and not the first Ric Flair dvd, my mistake…
Ah yeah I knew I had it somewhere. Haven’t watched the match in forever. I think the Magnum/Tully match is on there,too?