5 Unforgettable Starrcade Matches

Starrcade was once WCW's flagship show in the same vein as WWE's Wrestlemania. In fact, WCW Starrcade actually predates Wrestlemania by almost 18 months.

Debuting on November 24, 1983, before the initial WWF Wrestlemania in March 1985, the inaugural Starrcade show pitted NWA World Champion, Harley Race versus Ric Flair.

Starrcade continued to be the biggest show on WCW's calendar until the year 2000, as the company closed its doors for the final time, just three months later.

Last year, WWE reintroduced the Starrcade name to the public, using it to promote a special house show on November 25, 2017, in WCW's own stomping ground of Greensboro, North Carolina.

The event was not televised but was a much-hyped card, which featured special appearances by WCW legends such as Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat and The Rock n Roll Express.

Flair's daughter, Charlotte competed on the card in a steel cage match as a call back to her father's match with Race at the first ever Starrcade show. Like her father, Charlotte was also victorious.

Now, in 2018, WWE is set to once again dust off the classic Starrcade moniker to promote a special house show on November 24, 2018.

Ric Flair will once more make a special appearance and the card is set to be highlighted by another steel cage match involving Charlotte as she is set to clash with current Smackdown Women's Champion, Becky Lynch inside the structure.

The following slideshow revisits the best five matches in the original Starrcade's history.

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#5 Harley Race vs Ric Flair - Starrcade 1983:

Harley Race defended the NWA World Championship versus Ric Flair

The very first Starrcade was given the tagline "A Flare for the Gold" as the show was sold on the basis of Ric Flair's quest to win his second World Championship from long-time Champion, Harley Race who had dominated the title for the previous decade.

Prior to the bout, WWF boss, Vince McMahon had attempted to derail the main event of Starrcade and as a result, the whole show by meeting Race a few days before the event was to take place.

McMahon offered Race a mega money contract to sign for WWF and not compete as scheduled versus Flair.

Race, feeling obligated to the NWA and aware his withdrawal from the event would have dire consequences for the company he represented, respectfully declined McMahon's offer.

Not used to people saying no to him, McMahon incredibly lunged at Race, angry at his refusal. Race, a noted hard man quickly subdued McMahon and left. He went on to wrestle Flair as scheduled at Starrcade 1983.

In a match, widely regarded as a classic, the pair pounded each other relentlessly as blood was spilt. The finish came when Flair threw Race into the special referee, Gene Kiniski and performed a splash off the top turnbuckle to pin Race clean and become the new NWA World Champion.

#4 Vader vs Sting - Starrcade 1992

Sting attempts a backslide versus the mammoth Vader

The semi-final of the 1992 edition of Starrcade was the final of the "King of Cable" tournament pitting former World Champions Vader versus Sting.

In a classic David vs Goliath battle, the larger Vader dominated large portions of the match, but the "Stinger" showed incredible heart to stay in the contest.

Both men exchanged sickeningly stiff blows back and forth which impressively added to the intense realism of the match-up.

Vader showed incredible athleticism for a man his size and splashed Sting off of the ropes. When he attempted it a second time, Sting reversed the splash into a powerslam in an incredibly well-timed move.

With that reversal, Sting secured the upset pin. One of the truly great matches of the 1990s.

#3 Ric Flair vs Lex Luger - Starrcade 1988

Ric Flair locks the figure four leglock on Lex Luger

Thirty years ago, Lex Luger was seen as the heir apparent to Ric Flair and the man to take WCW forward into the 1990s.

In 1988, Flair was still the biggest star in the company but at 39 years of age, plans were being made for the next generation to secure the promotion's future. Incredible to think, that it would be another two decades before Flair actually did retire for good.

The chiselled, charismatic and (then) energetic worker, Luger was seen as a man who could succeed in the role as World Champion.

The Starrcade 1988 title match was seen as an audition of sorts to see if Luger really had what it took to succeed the Champion.

The wrestlers contested a 31-minute stunner in which Luger hit Flair with power moves and the Champion used all his grappling guile to ground his more powerful opponent with submission holds. The technical masterpiece built to a crescendo until Luger attempted to put Flair in his Torture Rack submission finisher. However, due to Flair effectively working over Luger's knee earlier in the bout, it buckled under Luger and Flair's weight enabling the Champion to cover Luger and with a little help from the ring ropes score the match-winning pinfall.

A technical classic that should have made Luger a superstar but did succeed in greatly enhancing Flair's reputation.

#2 Vader vs Ric Flair - Starrcade 1993

Ric Flair - Challenged Vader for the WCW World Championship at Starrcade 1993

Starrcade 1993 marked the 10 year anniversary of the event and as he had in 1983, Ric Flair challenged for the World Championship in the main event, this time with his career on the line.

Flair challenged WCW World Champion, Vader who had dominated WCW during Flair's absence from the promotion during his tenure in WWF between 1991 and January 1993. Flair had returned to WCW shortly afterwards and won the NWA World Championship in July from Barry Windham. After losing that belt to Rick Rude, the veteran Flair once again found the promotion he worked for, planning for the future.

The planned main event for Starrcade 1993 was scheduled to pit Sid Vicious versus Vader, but a real-life stabbing incident between Vicious and Arn Anderson on a WCW tour of England saw Vicious fired.

The ever-reliable, Flair was given the spot instead. In an interesting coincidence, Harley Race was acting as Vader's manager at the time and therefore was opposite Flair, 10 years after their classic 1983 collision.

Vader dominated Flair for the much of the 21-minute collision but Flair showed great determination to use his greater wrestling skills to ground the Champion as much as possible.

Flair ultimately tripped Vader and rolled him up for the victory and his 11th World Championship win.

#1 Tully Blanchard vs Magnum TA - Starrcade 1985

Magnum shows Blanchard no mercy at Starrcade 1985

In 1985, Magnum TA was being groomed as a future NWA World Champion. A stepping stone to reaching that pinnacle occurred at Starrcade 1985 when Magnum challenged United States Champion Tully Blanchard for that title in an innovative I Quit Match inside the confines of a steel cage.

As fate would have it, this match would prove to be the high point of Magnum's career as he was forced to retire the following year after a life-threatening motorcycle accident that left him partially paralysed for months.

However, the 1985 bout with Blanchard was a true classic and will ensure Magnum's legacy will never be forgotten.

The match was an incredibly violent, brutal and bloody encounter from the get-go with Magnum lacerating Blanchard's arm open with the cage mesh before Blanchard responded by clawing at Magnum's eye.

Blanchard's valet, Baby Doll introduced a wooden chair to the match and the Champion used one of the legs to fashion a wooden spike which he attempted to ram through Magnum's eye before the challenger disarmed him and shoved into Blanchard's eye instead. The Champion gave up, holding his eye in agony and Magnum was the new champion.

One of the finest matches of the 1980s and the greatest in the history of Starrcade. A true five-star classic.