The Lapsed Fan: Dave Meltzer on Starrcade 96

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As part of The Lapsed Fan wrestling podcast's Starrcade Memorial Tour, the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer weighed in with his recollections of each event. Here, Meltzer discusses Starrcade 1996.
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Part 2:
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[@aaronwood8110]

Dave is an absolute encyclopedia of wrestling knowledge. Good work.

[@justinroark88]

What I remember about Starrcade 96 was that infamous video of JR on Livewire getting angry with the dumb calls. He was asked about Starrcade and said he fell asleep during the main event. Lol

[@davidducker]

The Card: 1 Último Dragón (c - J-Crown) (with Sonny Onoo) defeated Dean Malenko (c - Cruiserweight) Championship unification match for the J-Crown and the WCW Cruiserweight Championship 18:30 2 Akira Hokuto (with Sonny Onoo and Kensuke Sasaki) defeated Madusa Singles match for the vacant WCW Women's Championship 7:06 3 Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. Singles match 14:16 4 Jeff Jarrett defeated Chris Benoit (with Woman) No Disqualification match 13:48 5 The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) (c) (with Syxx) defeated The Faces of Fear (Meng and The Barbarian) (with Jimmy Hart) Tag team match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship 11:52 6 Eddie Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page Singles match for the vacant WCW United States Heavyweight Championship 15:20 7 Lex Luger defeated The Giant Singles match 13:23 8 Roddy Piper defeated Hollywood Hogan (with Ted DiBiase) Singles match 15:27

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

lol what are you doing

[@davidducker]

running down the card in case anyone is interested

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

David Ducker they should have talked about the whole card

[@darshin95]

Último Dragón vs Dean Malenko is great, still holds up in 2024

[@mattthomas1442]

RE: The 18 minute mark where Dave talks about WCW looking weak. I remember an interview with Nash where he recounts how excited Bischoff got one night because of the hot crowd and how hot the NWO was and Nash said something like "You don't get it, we're supposedly supposed to be from WWF coming to takeover and you just had just 2 guys from WWF take out your entire roster, what does that say about your roster?" And that's so true. From a fans perspective you're thinking "Wow the WWF must be really good if just two of their guys can take out all of WCW." Vince would never let WCW guys come and make WWE guys look bad because that just makes the competition look better.

[@guyincognito5706]

But there has to be a middle ground to make the invading force look strong. Because didn’t Crockett fail when he booked the UWF roster merger because he booked them to all lose to the JCP guys?

[@henrikschmidt3964]

Even if Nash publically acknowledged this, he should be duly shamed for playing 'cool heel'. He wasn't working hard to be booed. Or anything other than cashing fat cheques.

[@kpllc4209]

I remember the first Hogan vs Sting match on Nitro, Sting had Hogan in the Scorpion Deathlock and the Dungeon of Doom saved him, I was shocked and happy they made Sting look strong compared to Hogan.

[@henrikschmidt3964]

Around the time Nitro had it's debut the booking was actually not that bad. Not including Giant's fall off Cobo Hall, naturally.

[@ronniejdio9411]

@@henrikschmidt3964 giant no sold a fall off a building 20 yrs before wwe did.

[@ronniejdio9411]

And they never put sting over clean again

[@kpllc4209]

@@ronniejdio9411 That might be why. It wasn't clean but for the finishes of the time that was like a 1-2-3 in the middle of the ring.

[@Redhotshawntexas]

@@henrikschmidt3964 Dungeon of Doom, Renegade, Nasty Boys vs Harlem Heat, DDP vs Marc Mero..stellar booking.

[@counterculturecomedy]

Can anyone explain to me why the title wasn't on the line in this match????

[@RAA10382]

I think it was because Roddy Pipper was suppose to come in and do one match only (the main event of Starrcade 96). It was supposed to be a one-shot deal but then he eventually changed his mind (after StarrCade) and ended up signing with WCW full-time (hence the rematch at SuperBrawl 7 in 97 for the title).

[@travismcdonald6576]

Psycho Candy “Doesn’t work for me, Brother.”

[@ronniejdio9411]

ULLLLK OOOOGAN

[@stevenweathers2989]

From a kayfabe standpoint you could argue it was due to piper not being the #1 contender. Seeing that he just popped up…the stranger one to me was always why the giant didn’t keep it after havoc 95, thus making the ww3 battle royal a “winner take all” thing. That explanation was so convoluted it made that entire angle seem all the more “wrestle crap”…

[@LeoWhalen1933]

It wasn't about the title. It was about being the bigger Icon.

[@michael47359]

I dont believe Bischoff EVER talked to Meltzer about anything so it irks me everytime Meltzer "recalls" convos with Eric

[@MikeJohnson-lt1il]

Eric was on Dave's Wrestling Observer Radio numerous times back in the day so...

[@WrestlinGifs]

Tre Redding Lool ya I acc just listened to one

[@MattSingh1]

Michael Momb- you've fallen for ATM Eric's bullshit. Bischoff is a maggot and a total liar, fraud and conman.

[@markmenning1804]

Only 2 million watch wwe in 2019

[@Keepscooterr]

I think is really alarming how similar WWE is to WCW in 2000-2001

[@thegodfatheroftoys3349]

Goes to show how trendy wrestling was. The numbers now reflect the true wrestling fan base. The crazy numbers from the 90s shows what happens when something becomes mainstream. Now that wrestling is presented like a show, not a competitive contest, it’s very unlikely it will ever see a surge like the 90s again

[@GenXtasy]

5 foot 2? think hes taller

[@davidducker]

rey mysterio jr? he's 5' 2''. WWE bills him at like 5' 4'' or 5' 6''. but they add a few inches to everyone.

[@guyincognito5706]

David Ducker and even 5’2” sounds generous

[@stevenweathers2989]

So if I go to work for WWE, could they notify my ex girlfriends about my “extra couple inch gain”? Maybe I could put it in my contract or something? Oh, I said “I”, no, asking for a friend…

[@BarbaPamino]

Major problem with the nwo angle was constantly brining in guys for the WCW and then quickly turning them nwo. Curt Hennig and Barry Windham should have stayed babyface Horseman and the Flair, Hennig, Windham, Benoit Horsemen should have been a major factor against the NWO in a War Games match. They also needed a key babyface from the 80s to return. A Ricky Steamboat perhaps (not sure what shape he was in). And Savage never should have joined either. You needed him on the other side to maintain heat against Hogan. And Sting should have went over in a much bigger fashion against Hogan. Piper never should have beaten Hogan clean. And neither should Luger. Goldberg should have been built slower. And one Sting beat Hogan at Starcade 97 the nwo should have collapsed and disbanded. Keep some factions and teams together but not more nwo. Hogan can end up returning a year later as a heel and eventually turn face.

[@Realest636]

Επαμεινωνδας Κοσμας agreed.

[@jamesmiller5331]

People forget that they were going for a ratings pop every single week. The swerve got old. Next thing you know 18 weeks have gone by and there's 18 new members of the NWO. Lame as fuck.

[@blueblur2329]

Yea this is pretty much on the money. Once Curt Henning and Macho joined it just kind of like 🙄 again. They had a big enough force already that they didn't need those guys and from a stylistic standpoint they kind of clashed with the NWO which was more hip and cool. Hogan was really the only old school guy that should have been apart of it. Definitely agree on Piper and Luger not beating Hogan. The NWO had amassed a force. So it shouldn't have been possible or easy for anyone to beat Hogan. With Hogan not losing the entire year it would have made the match between him and Sting that much more anticipated. Also Sting defeating Hogan shouldn't have been easy considering the NWO always do run ins when things go wrong for their leader. Just doesn't make much sense for them to just stand in the back and do nothing if their leader is about to lose unless they're planning a coup. Maybe a cage match to keep everyone out or have the other WCW guys get in their way. Anyways but Sting narrowly defeating Hogan would have kept the crowd on their toes the entire match. Now after you defeat Hogan, I'm not sure you disband the group that easily because the brand still had life in 98 especially when they split it into 2 factions. The other dilemma is who becomes the major villain for Goldberg to take down at Starrcade once he becomes the hottest guy in the company. I agree Goldberg's build should of been slower and more realistic with his streak being harder to maintain the more the year goes along but there needs to be a major guy that everybody wants Goldberg to face. If you take out Hogan for a year it lessons the anticipation for those guys to fight rather than if he is there all year being a nuance to Goldberg. The other guy of course for Goldberg to face is Sting. Putting 2 of the top stars in the company against each other much like a Austin and Rock rivalry.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

This is Great. I think EB was a great heel but they jacknived him through a table. Made no sense that he joined them cause they brutalizing him was the declaration of war.

[@Hulkamania4eva]

Johnny Skinwalker that's a motivation to join as well.

[@Realest636]

Can’t beat them join them psychology.

[@blueblur2329]

@@Realest636 Yep not only that though but I believe it was later revealed that Eric was the one who orchestrated the whole thing so if he was the mastermind behind everything then what better way to keep suspicions off him then by getting power bombed through a table.

[@johnnyskinwalker4095]

The heels/nWo didn't have to lose, cause they were cheered.

[@BarbaPamino]

And that was the problem. They booked them to be cooler and better than the baby faces. And while that worked as a novelty in the beginning it became very stale soon after.

[@SIXTHREEONEFOURTHREENIONEOOSEV]

koooooooooooooollllllllll

[@jazzejeff3173]

Love lapsed fan and like dave, but I don’t like how he says well clearly piper was smart because he never did jobs and never jobbed to Hogan. It came off as hypocritical because he complains all the time how Hogan doesn’t do jobs, why is it okay for piper to have the same attitude. I think sometimes dave will make excuses for people he likes or people he thinks that are good worker, even if they do the same antics as people that aren’t considered good workers like Hogan. With this starrcade, I know piper beat Hogan clean with the sleeper hold, I don’t remember Hogan ever getting his win back from piper (if he did it wasn’t during this program). I think if that was Hogan, Dave and other sheet writers would be like “Another example of Hogan not doing jobs.”

[@108Stars]

Piper was in great shape? When he came to WCW? Seriously, he was looking pretty bad in the ring imo. That was actually the first time I really felt that somebody had come and was nostalgia only. It was 1996 and I was really into WCW, but this was when I felt that they must stop bringing Hogan's old rivals to the company.

[@popeyedoyle6360]

piper was so pale and frail I remember thinking maybe he had cancer

[@MattSingh1]

Thanks, but I'll take a 40-year-veteran and hall-of-famer journalist's opinion over yours...

[@henrikschmidt3964]

As great as Dave is he, too, failed in convincing me of the greatness of Ultimo Dragon. To me he was mostly rushing.

[@joeygana8864]

Hogan, Andre, MILLON Dollar Man, The twin Hebners, that was Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Angle, and Dusty, vs Flair