For the first time in nearly 17 years, Starrcade returned as a pro wrestling event. Who was behind the return? Held on November 25 at the Greensboro Coliseum, the event was a well-received combination of today’s amazing talent mixed with the legends of yesteryear. While Arn Anderson returned at 59-years-old to execute a spinebuster on Dolph Ziggler, second generation stars Charlotte Flair and Natalya competed in a steel cage match, reminiscent of Ric Flair and Harley Race at the inaugural event.
In addition, the Rock n’ Roll Express returned to praise the home state heroes Matt and Jeff Hardy, and Goldust removed his garb for one night to become “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes again, and gave a speech to show the fans how much he appreciated their support while giving a tribute to his father, Dusty. WWE Hall of Famers Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat also were in attendance, witnessing a creation that they helped build.
Who Was The Mastermind Behind Bringing Starrcade Back?
Before Starrcade returned, it was reported that WWE was interested in bringing back old school WCW pay-per-view names to capitalize on the legacy built from them. Then, it was revealed that Starrcade and War Games were returning. However, neither of them returned as WWE pay-per-view names, as Starrcade returned as a WWE Live event (house show), and War Games returned as a NXT event.
According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter , the goal for Starrcade was to go head-to-head and draw the crowd from the nearby Wrestlecade event, which is one of the most popular independent shows of the year. While initial ticket sales were on par with regular numbers, making the attempt to spike the interest null and void, there was an increase when it was announced that Ric Flair would be in attendance.
Moreover, it was the idea of Fabulous Freebird, WWE Hall of Famer, and current agent Michael Hayes to bring the nostalgia feel to the show, which was ultimately approved by Vince McMahon and Triple H. While the Wrestlecade show still was very successful, the Starrcade name affiliation to the event also drew in more people than what a typical house show brings in.