10 Amazing WCW Starrcade Moments WWE Should Take Inspiration From

7. Must Win

Hulk Hogan Sting
WWE.com

Less than a year into his 1993 WCW return, Ric Flair put it all on the line yet again as he stared down an unstoppable beast and genuinely believable retirement storyline for the main event of that year's 'Grandaddy Of Them All'.

A decade on from Flair's legendary clash with Harley Race for the company's top prize, 'The Nature Boy' had to contend with the former 'Handsome' one as a manager leading the devastating Big Van Vader into battle.

Having made his name delivering unmerciful sh*tkickings to Sting, Cactus Jack and others, Vader offered 'The Nature Boy' no quarter in a brutal decimation of the iconic star early on. Shaking off 'Slick Ric's desperate attempts to weaken his leg, Vader beat on Flair inside and out of the ring, alongside a vicious Race who took potshots at his longstanding rival any time he could get away with it.

His wanton interference was eventually subdued by referee Randy Anderson after a Race diving headbutt attempt went awry and he struck his own charge. Rattled, Vader absorbed a quickfire assault from the relentless challenger, and was dazed long enough to slip back into a roll-up for the Flair victory. The Charlotte, North Carolina crowd exploded with relief and pride at the glory of their hometown hero's climactic upset win.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett