Starrcade ’88

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Starrcade

December 26, 1988

Norfolk Scope

Norfolk, Virginia

It’s time to bring 1988 to a close with the first PPV of the WCW era. As I mentioned in my last NWA review, Ted Turner bought the failing JCP and renamed it World Championship Wrestling. JCP already had a working relationship with Turner and TBS, so there weren’t many immediate on-screen changes. However, the changes would slowly roll in over the next year or so. Most of the storylines continued as planned, most notably the feud between Ric Flair and Lex Luger. Luger had failed to win the title at the Great American Bash, but he would get a rematch here at Starrcade.

The show opens with video clips of the major feuds. They highlighted the Luger/Flair, Bam Bam/Windham, and Dusty Rhodes/Road Warriors feuds. Then there is a graphic for Starrcade with the tagline of “True Gritt”. I’m not sure why it’s spelled with two Ts. Then again, I’m not sure why Starrcade is spelled with two Rs. I’m halfway surprised that they never did a pirate-themed show and called it StARRcade. (I’m sorry. That was bad.)

Tony Schiavone welcomes everyone to the show and calls it the super bowl of wrestling. He says that all 5 of the major titles are on the line and then he welcomes special guest host Magnum T.A. to the booth. Magnum says that when he was wrestling, it was his dream for Starrcade to come to his hometown of Norfolk. Tony then introduces the commentators for the night, Jim Ross and Bob Caudle. They talk about the matches while fans mug for the camera. One fan holds up a sign that says, “The Total Loser Lex Luger.” I guess there are some Flair fans in attendance.

NWA U.S. Tag Team Title Match: Kevin Sullivan & Dr. Death Steve Williams vs. The Fantastics (c)

Despite fighting against them at the last PPV, Steve Williams decided to join the Varsity Club. Dr. Death is in and Rick Steiner is out of the group. Williams took his place. Williams and Sullivan come to the ring to a college fight song. Sullivan is wearing a black robe, which doesn’t exactly scream college. I guess Sullivan is supposed to be that goth student who has all the black light posters on his wall and his dorm room smells like incense. The Fantastics come out next and hug the female fans before getting into the ring. Gary Michael Cappetta does his introductions and calls Sullivan the “Games Master”. Oh, so he’s running his own D&D group at college? Cappetta then introduces the Fantastics. There are cheers from the women, but most of the men boo.

Sullivan and Bobby Fulton start the match and Kevin chops him into a corner. Fulton fights back and hits a flying Thesz Press off the second turnbuckle for a quick 2 count. They get into a chop-fest and Fulton smacks Sullivan in the face. Sullivan decides to tag out, as we get a shot of actor Jason Hervey in the crowd. Jim Ross is apparently obligated to shill The Wonder Years for a moment. The Fantastics go after Williams’ arm and he keeps trying to reverse, but they catch him with a double monkey flip. Williams fights back and presses Fulton over his head, before doing a few reps with him and slamming him to the mat. The Fantastics try a double dropkick, but Williams answers with a back suplex. Rogers tags in, but it’s not effective. He ends up in trouble until Sullivan misses a clothesline and falls out of the ring. Rogers and Sullivan take turns reversing each other’s moves, so Sullivan fights him into a corner and tags Williams. They fight back and forth until the Varsity Club use a ref distraction for some cheating. Williams hits a delayed suplex while running in place, but when he’s slow to cover, Ross accuses him of having some “self-adulation”. Whoa, you can’t be doing that in the middle of a match! Sullivan comes in and the Fantastics attempt some quick pins, but Kevin overpowers them. Williams comes back into the match and locks in a bear hug. He shakes Fulton around and grinds the hold, but Fulton rakes the eyes to get free. Advantage goes back and forth until Sullivan gets his boots up on a splash attempt. Williams then comes in and hits a leg drop and a snake eyes across the ropes, before slowing the pace down with some headlocks. Sullivan ends up cutting off a comeback attempt by Rogers and hits a double stomp for a 2 count. However, Rogers blocks a suplex attempt and hits one of his own before diving over Sullivan to make a hot tag. Fulton hits a back drop and attempts 10 punches. Williams tries to turn it into an inverted atomic drop but it’s blocked. Rogers then comes in to stave off Sullivan as Fulton goes for a Thesz Press, but Williams turns the move into a hotshot. He covers Fulton for a 3 count for the win and the titles.

This match was a pretty good opener. There was some good action and it never became too slow. It was refreshing to see a clean heel victory. Those don’t seem to happen often in the NWA. Plus, opening the PPV with a title change is a hot way to start the show.

Winners: Kevin Sullivan & Steve Williams (New champions)

Tony and Magnum talk about the match. Magnum says it took two big and tough men to take down the Fantastics. Tony then mentions that there are six matches to go and they talk about the Midnight Express match. Magnum says that the name issue will be settled tonight. Then, they talk about the Russian Assassins match and Tony says that the Junkyard Dog and Ivan Koloff will make Paul Jones retire tonight. They also talk about the TV Title match and Tony says he doesn’t think anyone can beat Mike Rotunda in 20 minutes, but Magnum disagrees.

The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette) vs. The Original Midnight Express (w/ Paul E. Dangerously)

Believe it or not, The Midnight Express and Cornette are babyfaces now. The reason for this turn is because Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) showed up with Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose, who called themselves “The Original Midnight Express”. This is technically true, as they were the original incarnation of the team, but their brutal attack on Cornette and his team was enough to make them heels. Both teams come out to the same theme song, which doesn’t even stop playing. It’s crazy how young Paul Heyman looks here. He’s skinnier and actually has a full head of hair! He’s also carrying one of those large Zack Morris-style cell phones, which was a staple of Paul E.’s gimmick. The two teams brawl for a moment when they get into the ring, so the Originals bail to the outside. Cornette takes off his coat and dares Paul E. to enter the ring, but the Originals hold him back. So, Cornette gets a mic and says that he’s going to give everyone a Christmas present by kicking Paul E.’s butt.

Eaton slingshots Rose into the ring before Cappetta can even finish his introductions. Eaton and Lane toss the Originals around, so they bail outside again. They get back in, but Condrey ends up knocked to the outside where Cornette hits him with his tennis racket. Paul E. rings the bell in protest and complains that it should be a DQ. Dennis fights back and attempts 10 punches in the corner, but it’s turned into an inverted atomic drop. Condrey bails out and attempts to make a switch, but referee Teddy Long (Yes, THAT Teddy Long, playa) makes him get back into the ring and tag. Eaton and Lane hit a drop toe hold/elbow drop combo and Rose ends up knocked to the outside. Cornette uses the racket again, so Paul E. rings the bell once more. Rose gets caught in some rebound punches and gets rammed into the ring post, so he calls for a time out and doesn’t get it. Dennis comes into the match, but he gets in trouble too. He ends up dazed and in the wrong corner where he gets punched. Eaton ends up hitting a bulldog, so Condrey tags out again. Rose attempts a comeback but he gets monkey flipped and double teamed. He finally catches a break when Eaton misses a corner charge. Rose pulls him outside and hits an atomic drop and then the Originals do some of their own double teaming. They use ref distractions to do some cheating and Paul E. even gets in some cheap shots. Cornette sees this and chases him around the ring. Meanwhile, Condrey ducks his head and Eaton hits a swinging neckbreaker, but it’s not enough. They use some more ref distractions and double teaming, but eventually, they miss a Rocket Launcher. Eaton makes the hot tag to Lane, who cleans house with karate kicks and a double noggin’ knocker. He goes for a pin, but the ref is distracted by Eaton and Condrey fighting. Paul E. uses the distraction to run in and hit Lane with his cell phone. Cornette runs off Paul E., but Rose makes a cover. Teddy Long counts to 2, but he sees the cell phone and stops his count. He questions Rose about it, which opens the door for Eaton and Lane to hit the Double Goozle and get a 3 count.

This match was really fun. Cornette and Heyman did a great job of keeping it entertaining. I was a little surprised at how much of the match was dominated by Cornette’s team, but it still made for a good match.

Winners: The Midnight Express

The Originals immediately attack after the bell and they hit Cornette with his own tennis racket. Paul E. takes the opportunity to put the boots to Jim, while the Originals beat on Lane. Paul E. then hits Cornette with his phone, but Eaton enters the ring and uses the racket to drive everyone away. Ross and Caudle say that they’ve not seen the last of this feud.

Ross and Caudle briefly talk about the upcoming matches and then throw to Magnum T.A., who is in the back with The Varsity Club. Magnum says that he doesn’t care for the company that Williams keeps, but Dr. Death certainly made a difference for them. Williams says that he’s never seen eye to eye with Magnum, but the Varsity Club will always be at the top. Suspensions and probations don’t matter. Sullivan then speaks and says that they traded a moron for a genius, which refers to trading Steiner for Williams. He told them they were going to win and now Rotunda is going to run Steiner out of the wrestling business. Rotunda then says that Steiner better forget about it because he’s going to beat Rick like a stupid dog.

The Russian Assassins (w/ Paul Jones) vs. The Junkyard Dog & Ivan Koloff

The Junkyard Dog is in the NWA now? Ivan Koloff is a babyface?? What is going on here? Apparently, Koloff broke away from Paul Jones. Now, if the Assassins lose, they will have to unmask and Jones will have to retire. I don’t know who both of the Assassins are, but I know that one is Jack Victory, who would later become famous in ECW. It’s funny that three guys are claiming to be Russian and none of them are. Not even Ivan is Russian. He is Canadian. Cappetta introduces the teams, but Koloff keeps slapping the mat with his chain. Teddy Long then checks the Assassins’ masks for objects, but it looks like he’s rubbing their heads for good luck.

JYD hits Assassin #1 with some crawling headbutts to start and then hits a clothesline. He goes for a cover, but Paul Jones places #1’s foot on the ropes. #2 tags in and puts on the brakes on an Irish whip, but JYD clotheslines him to the outside. JYD gets him back inside and goes for a cover, but Jones puts the foot under the ropes and the ref admonishes him. Ivan tags in and he and JYD hit a double back elbow. Ivan then stomps and chokes #2 before hitting a choke takedown for a 2 count. #2 fights back and forth with Ivan until Ivan hits a diving sickle off the second turnbuckle. He goes for a cover, but #1 breaks up the count. Ivan then surprisingly hits a sunset flip, but #2 distracts the ref. JYD tags in and assists with a double clothesline, but he misses a falling headbutt and the Assassins take over the match. They use ref distractions and double teaming, but #2 accidentally hits his own partner. It’s not enough for JYD to take back control. He gets in trouble in the Assassins’ corner, but the Assassins miss a Russian Missile, which Caudle calls a “dud”. Ivan makes a rather cold “hot tag” and double teams the Assassins with JYD. Ivan hits a sickle after JYD hits an atomic drop that came nowhere near to connecting. However, Jones handed #1 an object to slip into his mask. #1 then headbutts Ivan and pins him for a 3 count.

This match was okay, at best. It was relatively short, but even the crowd seemed to stop caring towards the end until the cheap finish. Considering everyone involved, I guess it was better than expected but still not great.

Winners: The Russian Assassins

Ross and Caudle then recap the night, so far. As they’re talking, a small cage lowers from the ceiling for the next match.

NWA TV Title Match: Rick Steiner vs. Mike Rotunda (c) (w/ Kevin Sullivan)

The small cage is for Kevin Sullivan, who will be placed inside so he cannot interfere in the match. For some reason, Steiner still comes out to the Varsity Club theme. I guess they hadn’t given him his own music yet. Sullivan and Rotunda are out next and Sullivan refuses to enter the cage. Teddy Long ends up making him get inside and the cage is raised into the air. Cappetta then tells everyone that Sullivan will remain hung…over the ring.

The match starts with some shoving and quickly becomes a brawl, so Rotunda bails out of the ring. Mike reenters the ring and goes after Rick’s arm, but Steiner powers him around the ring. Rick then grabs a headlock and Rotunda keeps trying to fight out of it, but Rick maintains the hold. Steiner then hits a Steinerline, so Rotunda rolls outside again. Rick takes the opportunity to mime for Sullivan to kiss his butt. Steiner and Rotunda reverse some holds until Rick has him in a hammerlock. He then starts biting Rotunda on the butt and Caudle jokes that Rick is having some flank steak. They reverse through some more holds until Rotunda hits a belly-to-belly suplex, but the match soon becomes a stalemate again. They fight into the corner and Rotunda pokes the eyes, but Steiner fights back with a cross body for a 2 count. The fans start barking for Steiner because of his “Dog Faced Gremlin” nickname, but this annoys Rotunda. He threatens to walk away from the match, so the fans start a “Syracuse Sucks” chant at him. The two men fight back and forth and Rotunda sends Steiner flying through the ropes to the floor. He drops Rick across the guardrail and then snaps him across the rope. Rick tries to get back in, but Rotunda hits a baseball slide. He eventually does get back inside, but he gets back dropped and Rotunda locks in a headlock. He uses the ropes for leverage, but it doesn’t look like it would do anything. Teddy Long finally catches him doing it and makes him break the hold. Steiner fights back and hits a clothesline and then a sunset flip for 2, as Cappetta announces that there’s 5 minutes left. Rotunda misses a dropkick and Steiner tries to capitalize, but Mike rolls him up for a 2 count of his own. Steiner then hits another Steinerline and does 10 punches in the corner, but Steve Williams chooses that moment to arrive at ringside. Rick hits a powerslam and a belly-to-belly suplex and the bell rings. Williams had rung the bell himself, which causes confusion. Steiner thinks he’s won, while the ref and Rotunda think the time limit had expired. Tommy Young arrives and informs Teddy Long of what happened. The cage is lowered and Sullivan is freed, but Teddy Long orders the match to continue. Sullivan attacks Tommy Young at the ring apron, so Steiner rams Rotunda into Kevin and pins him for the 3 count. The crowd goes crazy as Steiner runs around the ring in celebration.

This match started slow, but it had a very hot ending. The crowd was rabid for Steiner’s win and I actually liked the way it ended. They did a good job of telling a story in the match.

Winner: Rick Steiner (New champion)

Tony and Magnum talk about the match. Magnum points out that the champions are 0 for 2 tonight and the two of them talk about how that reflects on the upcoming title matches. They continue talking while the camera decides to focus on a fan wearing face paint.

NWA U.S. Title Match: Barry Windham (c) (w/ J.J. Dillon) vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink)

Bam Bam Bigelow jumped ship to WCW after his short-lived WWF run and he brought Humperdink with him. This run in WCW would be just as short-lived and then Bam Bam would go to Japan for a while. But, he did manage to get himself a U.S. Title shot in this short time. Windham is already in the ring when Bam Bam arrives and the two men get in each other’s faces. Some fans start a “Bam Bam” chant as Cappetta introduces the competitors.

The two men lock up for a stalemate and shove each other around until Bam Bam pushes Barry to the mat. Windham regroups and they fight into a corner. Barry hits him with some hard punches, but Bam Bam shakes them off and hits a fireman’s carry buster. Windham attempts some more punches and a back suplex, but Bam Bam immediately pops back up to his feet. Barry slides outside for a breather and then reenters the ring only for Bam Bam to hit a shoulder block. He tries to call for time-out but doesn’t get it. However, he does rake the face and punches Bam Bam into a corner. Bam Bam shakes it off and press slams him, so Barry bails outside again. When he gets back inside, Bigelow hits 5 punches in the corner and Windham flops to the mat. Then, Bam Bam hits a dropkick that sends Barry over the top rope. Dillon complains that it should be a DQ, but he wasn’t thrown. Bam Bam manages to hit a headbutt, back kick, and a suplex for a 2 count, but Barry fights back. He sends Bigelow to the floor where Bam Bam lands on his knee. They fight at the ropes and Bam Bam hits a headbutt and a slingshot splash, but he stops his pin attempt at 2. He press slams Windham and goes up top, but he misses a flying headbutt. Windham then hits a running lariat, but he celebrates on the ropes instead of covering. He continues the attack with a back suplex and 5 punches in the corner before dropkicking Bigelow out of the ring. Barry rams him into the post and sends him back inside, where he signals for the Iron Claw and locks it in. Bam Bam fights his way to the ropes and Barry waits for a 4 count before breaking the hold. Then, Windham slams him and goes for a flying elbow off the top but he misses. They fight back and forth and Windham hits a cross body that sends both men to the outside. They fight on the floor and Bam Bam hits an atomic drop, but he misses a charge and hits the post. Barry rolls into the ring just in time to beat the count, so Bam Bam is counted out.

This match was pretty decent and heading towards being good until that lame ending. They were telling a good story with the match. I wanted to see more between these two, but I don’t think they have another PPV match.

Winner: Barry Windham (by Count Out)

Magnum is backstage with the new TV Champion, Rick Steiner. Rick says that Mike was a tough wrestler, but every dog has his day and today was his day. He says that he was tired of everyone calling him stupid, but then the sound cuts out for a few seconds. I’m not sure what was said next. The sound comes back and Magnum tells Steiner that a lot of people will want a shot at him. Steiner seems confused by this, but he says he will beat them. Magnum then asks Rick about his dog and Steiner says the airline wouldn’t let him bring it. Magnum ends the interview with a compliment, so Steiner thanks him and shakes his hand. Apparently, Rick’s gimmick at the time was that he was simple-minded. I’m not sure how I feel about this. Thankfully, he would drop that gimmick. Well, I guess I shouldn’t say that. This is the same guy who once argued with Chucky from Child’s Play.

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: Sting & Dusty Rhodes vs. The Road Warriors (c) (w/ Paul Ellering)

The Road Warriors finally won the tag team titles…and they turned them heel. The turn was a mistake because the fans still cheered them no matter what they did. They turned by betraying Dusty Rhodes. They even went so far as to take a spike from their shoulder pads and jab it into Dusty’s eye. The scene was so bloody that Dusty would get in trouble with WCW management over it. This would eventually lead to Dusty leaving WCW for the WWF. Dusty would enlist the help of Sting for his revenge, which led to this tag title match. Both teams come to the ring to dubbed music. Why is so much of the old NWA music missing on these shows? The two teams get into a short brawl, but order is restored so that Cappetta can do his introductions.

Animal and Sting start the match. They fight into the corner and into the ropes and Sting ends up knocking Animal out of the ring with a dropkick. Animal comes back in and Sting goes for his arm before tagging in Dusty. Hawk enters the match and Dusty and Sting go to the arm again. Hawk eventually rakes the eyes and stomps Sting into a corner. Sting misses a left hand but catches an unsuspecting Hawk with his right hand before hitting a powerslam. Hawk then fights his way through an arm wringer to make a tag and Animal press slams Sting. He then hits a snake eyes onto the ropes, but Sting shakes it off and clotheslines Animal out of the ring. He then hits a flying cross body to the floor and fires up the crowd. Dusty enters the match and hits chops and elbows. He then takes Animal down and rams his legs into the post, but Animal makes a tag. Hawk calls for a test of strength but gets a boot in the gut instead and Dusty goes for a Figure Four. Animal breaks up the hold and Hawk takes Dusty outside where he goes after the eye. He sends Rhodes back inside and continues the attack on Dusty’s eye, but Dusty fights back with a little dancing. Dusty hits a dropkick, but Animal tags in and goes back to the eye. Animal grabs a neck vice, but Dusty fights back again until Hawk tags in and beats on him. Hawk grabs a sleeper hold, but Dusty reverses it into a jawbreaker and tags Sting. Sting hits a facebuster, dropkick, and Stinger Splash before going for the Scorpion Deathlock. Hawk breaks up the hold and throws Sting outside the ring. The Road Warriors then try to double team Dusty, but Sting hits a flying cross body off the top. He goes for the cover, so Ellering attacks the ref to cause a DQ.

This match was fast and exciting. It was well on its way to being pretty good, but it’s another one that suffered from a bad finish. It was obvious from the crowd reaction that the Road Warrior heel turn wasn’t working, so it was thankfully dropped fairly soon.

Winners: Sting & Dusty Rhodes (by DQ)

Tony and Magnum discuss the match. Magnum says that it shows the Road Warriors aren’t invincible. They show some clips of the bout and Magnum says that there would have been new champions if Ellering hadn’t interfered. Then, Tony brings up the main event and says that Flair can lose his title on a DQ in this match. Magnum says that Luger took Flair to the limit last time and then Tony calls Flair “Mr. Starrcade”.

NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair (c) (w/ J.J. Dillon) vs. Lex Luger

Luger comes to the ring while the camera shows a few signs both for and against Lex. The crowd is pretty divided between the two men. Flair comes out next to a remixed version of his theme. Did he use this version for long? I’m not sure I like it. Cappetta introduces both men and they get mixed reactions. He informs everyone that Flair can lose his title on a DQ.

The two men lock-up and Luger shoves Flair to the ropes. Ric puts on the brakes and struts before they fight into a corner. Flair tries a cheap shot but it’s ineffective. Ric tries some more strutting, so Luger clotheslines him over the ropes and flexes in response. Flair takes his time getting back into the ring and the two of them trade off hammerlocks. Flair ends up in trouble and tries to beg off into the corner. Luger calls for a test of strength, but Flair chops him instead. Luger catches him in a powerslam and goes for a cover, but Flair gets a foot on the ropes. Flair keeps getting in trouble and his chops are having no effect on Luger. Lex goes after Ric’s arm and Flair tries to fight back to no avail. They fight to the ropes and to the apron, but Luger suplexes him back inside. Ric is only able to take control by throwing him outside and into the guardrail. This causes an argument between Flair and Tommy Young and the two shove each other before Young reminds him that he can be disqualified. Some of Flair’s chops are starting to have an effect, but Luger taunts him by flexing his pecs. He then locks Ric in a sleeper hold, but Flair hits a back suplex. He then goes for a Figure Four, but Luger rolls him up for a 2 count. Luger follows this up by locking in his own Figure Four. Flair keeps reaching the ropes, but Young kicks his hand away until he remembers that Flair is the one in the hold. He finally calls for a rope break and the two men fight into a corner again. Luger punches Flair and Young tries to break it up, but Luger accidentally elbows him. This puts Young out of position for Luger’s flying cross body, so he only gets a 2. Luger then tries a backslide and 10 punches in the corner before whipping Flair across the ring for his signature corner bump. Luger suplexes him back inside and gets another 2. Flair responds with some more ineffective chops and Luger powerslams him before signaling for the Torture Rack. Dillon gets on the apron, so Luger grabs him and Flair bails outside. Ric takes advantage of a ref distraction to grab a chair and hit Luger in the knee with it. Flair then goes after the leg, which causes Luger to scream and cuss. This leads to Flair locking in a Figure Four and he starts slapping Luger. Luger answers by flexing and turning the hold over, but Flair breaks free. Flair goes back to the leg, but he makes his usual mistake of going to the top and getting slammed. Flair tries throwing Luger to the floor and snapping him across the ropes, but Luger shakes it off and tries a press slam. His knee gives out, so Ric tries to throw him outside again. Luger catches him at the ropes and hits a sunset flip for 2. He then tries 10 punches in the corner and a clothesline for another 2. He hits another powerslam and signals for the Torture Rack again. He gets him up in the move, but his knee gives out and Flair falls on top of him. Flair then puts his feet on the ropes and pins him for a 3 count. Luger complains, but the ref didn’t see it.

This was a really good main event. It was easily Luger’s best match so far. I’m kind of surprised that they didn’t give Luger the title here, but that’s okay. Flair’s next feud is a legendary one, so I’m okay with him retaining.

Winner: Ric Flair

Tony calls the match a classic and says that Magnum will try to get an interview with Flair. Ross then says that the fans will have greater respect for Luger after this match. Caudle remarks that Luger deserves another title shot and will someday be champion. He’s not wrong, but it will be a while. The two of them then recap the night while Cappetta announces an upcoming dark match.

Magnum is backstage with Flair and Dillon. He says that Flair was pushed to his limit but is still champion. Flair calls wrestling the toughest sport in the world and praises the NWA. He says that for 3 hours people saw the best competition in a man’s sport. He then says to call it luck or the grace of god but he’s standing there. He never claimed to play by the rules. He then name drops Crockett and Ted Turner and tells everyone that if they want the title they have to beat him. Cappetta’s ring announcing then interrupts for a second before they fix the audio. Flair finishes by giving Luger a message. He tells him that he will never get another title shot. It will cost Dillon a lot of money, but he will make sure that Luger will never get another title shot again. He says that Luger is done and is history before giving everyone a loud “Woo!”

Tony then talks about how the NWA spent the 80s becoming a national power and says they will go into the 90s with Flair as their leader. He calls it a gutsy performance by Luger before calling Flair “Mr. Starrcade” again. Then, he recaps the night and the title changes before throwing it back to Ross and Caudle. Ross brings up what Flair said and Caudle tries to respond, but his mic isn’t working. The two of them then recap the show and plug the upcoming February PPV before the show ends with some highlights.

Final thoughts:

This was a really good show. Almost all of the matches delivered, despite some bad finishes. It was a good way to close out 1988. Now, we move into 1989, which brings Flair/Steamboat and Flair/Funk. I’m looking forward to covering that.

My next review will be Royal Rumble ‘89.