In this installment of Blake’s Best Of, we review the highlights of Starrcade 1988.
Fun fact: This was the first pay per view under the WCW label. And overall, despite a great main event, there wasn’t a ton of classic stuff on the biggest show of the year for the company.
Let’s dive into the best of Starrcade 1988.
The Midnight Express against……the Midnight Express
That isn’t a typo. The Midnight Express squared off against the Midnight Express. Of course, it was the new duo of Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane against the original duo of Randy Rose and Dennis Condrey. The crowd heat for this one was just nuts, and there’s no doubt that Jim Cornette and Paul E. Dangerously being on opposite sides helped add to it. Even the post-match shenanigans were awesome.
The rematch that didn’t involve the Maryland State Athletic Commission
The first huge showdown between Ric Flair and Lex Luger involved one of the dumbest finishes in wrestling history. Luckily, the company decided to keep things a bit more simple in their rematch for the NWA World Heavyweight title. Flair worked on Luger’s leg for the majority of this 30-minute classic, and it led to a creative finish with Luger’s leg buckling and Flair falling on him while using the ropes for leverage to retain the title. You can obviously make the point that Luger losing another big match wasn’t ideal, but the match itself was tremendous work by both men.
For my thoughts and match ratings for the entire Starrcade 1988 card, check out the Pro Wrestling 1988 Year In Review on Amazon.
Blake Knox is a pro wrestling writer and author. You can find his Pro Wrestling Year In Review series on Amazon.