10 Things That Prove December Is The Worst Month For Wrestling
The least wonderful time of the year...
Once upon a time, December was a pretty active month for wrestling. Local territories ran shows throughout the month, up to and on Christmas day, and drew packed houses. After all, there were fewer options when it came to entertainment, so getting out of your home and taking in a live show for a couple of bucks was a good idea, no matter what day it was.
Even up to and including the Attitude Era, December was still a hot month. After all, the war between WWE and WCW was so pronounced that there was no time to rest - and fans were so dedicated to wrestling that they'd still tune in in record numbers.
Since the closure of WCW, though, things have slowed down. Today, with WWE dominating the wrestling industry, there's a very clear calendar for wrestling. Things are typically exciting leading up to WrestleMania, and then after the show of shows, there's some buzz as the new status quo is explored. After SummerSlam, though, the wrestling frenzy starts to die down. Autumn is slow, and by December, the whole sport is, if you'll pardon the pun, frozen in a holding pattern.
Don't believe me? See for yourself. Here are 10 things that prove December is the worst month for wrestling:
10. No More Starrcade
WWE's chief competitor was WCW, and WCW's equivalent to WrestleMania was Starrcade. The show actually predated WrestleMania by nearly a year and a half, as the first Starrcade was held in November of 1983, while the first WrestleMania was held in March of 1985.
The first five Starrcade events took place on Thanksgiving, but after a scheduling conflict with Survivor Series in 1987, the show moved to December the following year. It remained a part of the final month of the year until the last show in 2000, meaning that throughout the '90s, December was part of the buildup to a supershow.
While today, December is pretty uneventful, those years played host to a ton of classic moments from some of WCW's most beloved superstars - men like Vader, Sting, Goldberg, and Randy Savage. More than a decade and a half later, a lot of that work has gone forgotten, and late fall/early winter is more boring for it.