May 22, 2007
Matt Peddycord

NWA Starrcade 1990: Collision Course
December 16, 1990
St. Louis, MO
Kiel Auditorium

The current NWA Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Sting (7/7/1990)
U.S. Champion: Stan Hansen (10/27/1990)
World Tag Team Champions: Doom (5/19/1990)
U.S. Tag Team Champions: Rick & Scott Steiner (8/24/1990)
World Television Champion: Arn Anderson (1/2/1990)

The WWF pushes Sgt. Slaughter as this evil Iraqi sympathizer who hangs out with Saddam Hussein ALL of course to make money, while the NWA didn’t see dollar signs when they thought about something as terrible as war. Instead, they simply send a feed of their show to the boys who are putting their lives on the line in Operation Desert Storm. Although they probably just taped it and watched it later because of the HUGE time difference, it was still a nice gesture by Turner. Also on the show, we have the Paul O’Connor Memorial tag tournament. Pat O’Connor was a former NWA World Champion from New Zealand who had recently died. This was the NWA’s way to pay homage to the former champ; by bringing in tag teams from all over the world. Man, the NWA is being all kinds of nice on this show!

Your hosts are JR & Paul E.

“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton vs. Tom Zenk

Bobby Eaton is out to prove he can hold his own as a singles wrestler just as he did as a tag team wrestler and Tom Zenk is on a 35-match winning streak (supposedly) at this point, so something has got to give here. We find out at the start of this match that Ric Flair who was originally scheduled to be in the street fight with Arn Anderson against Doom has dropped out of the match and Barry Windham is going to wrestle in his place. Z-Man hits a couple crossbody blocks off the ropes trying for the quick win. Zenk grabs a hammerlock, but Eaton backs him into the corner and pops him in the mouth. Eaton takes over and tosses Zenk out onto the rampway, but Z-Man ends up giving Eaton a suplex out there with him. Zenk crawls back in the ring and dives out on top of Eaton! Back in, Zenk runs into a corner elbow and takes a bulldog to set up the ALABAMA JAM! HUGE pop! Eaton charges at Zenk in the corner, but Zenk moves and Eaton does his famous corner bump. Zenk hits a backdrop and a dropkick, but he ducks low and takes a Swinging Neckbreaker. Eaton goes up, but comes down into a Zenk superkick! Zenk heads up top for the MISSILE DROPKICK, but Eaton avoids and cradles Zenk up for the 1-2-3. (8:46) Eaton rules you. So much for Zenk’s winning streak. Oddly enough, Zenk had already beat Arn for the TV belt as far as TV tapings went, but it wouldn’t air for another week or so. **½

Col. Deklerk & Sgt. Krueger (South Africa) vs. Rick & Scott Steiner (USA) – Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals

Now Deklerk and Krueger aren’t actually from South Africa. I believe they probably do VERY bad British accents if they tried. Deklerk is better known as Rocco Rock minus 35 pounds from Public Enemy and Krueger is better known as the first Doink the Clown or Matt Borne. I’d say the end result of this one is pretty easy to predict. Rick hits a bunch of Steinerlines, but then gets kicked out to ringside. Deklerk tries a somersault flip to the floor, but Rick freakin’ NO-SELLS and lets Krueger fall on his neck! Back in, Scott tags and goes SLAM CRAZY on the South Africans. The big Tilt-a-Whirl Slam is followed by the FRANKENSTEINER for the win. (2:12) USA! USA! USA! *½

Norman Smiley & Chris Adams (Great Britain) vs. Konan & Rey Misterio (Mexico) – Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals

Not the Rey Mysterio we know in America today, but his uncle who trained him. Konan is the Konan we know him as today, only with his old mask and looking pretty ripped. If you’ve watched WCW in its final three years or so, I’m sure you’re familiar with Smiley & Adams. This is your workrate level to the MAX~! match. Smiley flips out of a double-overhead wristlock for Japanese armdrags. Konan & Rey stretch Smiley out, but Adams comes in for the save for STEREO DROPKICKS out to the rampway. Back in, Adams hits the SUPERKICK on Rey, which sends him out to the floor. That’s his move, you know. Konan and Smiley go for a bit. Konan hits the springboard arm drag and follows up with a headscissors takedown out of the corner. Konan ducks low off a whip and allows Smiley to catch him in a fisherman’s suplex. Konan comes back with a backslide thanks to Rey’s dropkick and gets two. Adams tags in and hits the chinlock, but Konan escapes with an arm wrench and tags in Rey. Smiley comes in to save Adams from a double-team. Rey charges after Smiley, but misses and falls elbow-first out onto the wooden steps at ringside! OUCH! Meanwhile in the ring, Adams nails Konan with a SUPERKICK into a bridging German suplex from Smiley for a one-count. Wait, I thought Adams and Rey were the legal men? Konan gets caught on the British side of town until Rey helps out with a double-back elbow on Adams. Smiley comes in and takes a reverse suplex out of the corner by Konan, followed by a bridge for the pin. (5:30) Right after the pinfall, Rey Misterio leaps out on top of Adams and apparently injures himself. Great match that was truly ahead of its time here in America. ***

Rip Morgan & Jack Victory (New Zealand) vs. Great Muta & Mr. Saito (Japan) - Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals

Muta and Saito were definitely well-known in American wrestling at this time. At least in Saito’s case, those who still watched the AWA in 1990, which wasn’t many people. Muta & Saito control the New Zealanders to start in between punches. Muta hits a jumping back kick on Morgan to set up the spinning elbow drop. Saito tags in and becomes the face-in-peril for a bit. Morgan misses a leg drop from the middle rope to set up the tag to Muta. Handspring Elbow hits Victory before it turns into a pier-six brawl. Some heel miscommunication causes Victory to fall back into a bridging German suplex from Muta for 1-2-3. (5:42) Nothing special, but nothing terrible either. **

Troy Montour & Danny “Bull” Johnson (Canada) vs. Victor Zangiev & Salmon Hasimikov (USSR) - Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals

Yes, the NWA was able to spring actual Soviet amateur-style wrestlers. I have no idea who these Canadian guys are. Montour looks like a taller Ron Bass while Johnson looks like an overweight, wannabe American Indian. Both Soviets are REALLY hairy. You thought Albert used to be hairy, “SHAVE YOUR BODY” chants should’ve been started during this match. This crowd seems to be too respectful to do that though. Plus, we loved Soviet Russia back then, right? Zangiev owns Johnson with a bow-and-arrow submission until Montour makes a save. Zangiev takes a throat chop and tags in Hasimikov. Hasimikov puts Montour away very quickly with a belly-to-belly suplex to advance to the semis. (3:55) Almost too much of a contrast of styles. *

Michael Wallstreet (w/Alexandra York) vs. Terry Taylor

For those of you unfamiliar with the York Foundation stable, it was led by Alexandra York (better known as Terri Runnels). Everyone who joined her crew, turned into arrogant businessmen. She first started out as just a manager for Wallstreet as she is here, but it turned into a whole faction throughout 1991 once Wallstreet left to take on the role of Irwin R. Schyster in the WWF. She was also the first (and thankfully the only) manager to depend upon the knowledge of a computer, as it would figure out game plans against her group’s opponents. During this match in particular, the computer predicted that Michael Wallstreet (or Mike Rotunda) could defeat Terry Taylor in 8:32 or less. Taylor tries to end it really early to show that computer doesn’t know what it’s talking about with sunset flips attempts and rollups. Wallstreet takes a hike to restrategize. Back in, he’s stuck in a headlock. He escapes and goes to an armbar. Taylor comes out and runs into a backbreaker. Wallstreet follows up with a suplex and hits the jumping legdrop for two. Wallstreet applies an ab stretch deliberately at the ropes for some good ol’ fashioned cheating. Ref Randy Anderson finally sees what’s happening and calls for the break. Next up, Wallstreet whiffs on a dropkick and takes a knee drop for two. Taylor delivers an atomic drop and holds on for a back suplex for 1-2-NO! Taylor hits the FIVE-ARM (running forearm) and covers for 1-2-NO! Wallstreet gets his foot on the bottom rope. At two minutes remaining, Wallstreet delivers a hotshot and then the STOCK MARKET CRASH (Samoan drop) for 1-2-3. (6:50) Decent enough. **½

The Skyscrapers vs. The Motor City Madman & Big Cat

The reunion of the Skyscrapers is just a one time only deal here. Motor City Madman is not Ted Nugent, by the way. He’s just a big guy who zero talent. He’s actually subbing for Nightstalker (Wrath or Bryan Clarke from KroniK) here anyways, so he’s not even originally supposed to be here. Big Cat is of course, Curtis Hughes. These guys are squashed like tomatoes by the ‘Scrapers as they deliver the DOUBLE-POWERBOMB to MCM in no time flat. (1:02) Just a way to give the crowd their Sid fix. CRAP

Ricky Morton & Tommy Rich (w/Robert Gibson) vs. The Freebirds (w/Little Richard)

Robert Gibson is injured and on crutches, so Rich is subbing for him until he’s all better. Little Richard is the so-called roadie for the Freebirds, who is better known as ‘80s NWA jobber Rocky King. Morton starts off dropkicking everybody that BAH GAWD moves! Morton drives Hayes face-first into the ringpost. Back in, we get STEREO FIGURE-FOURS by the face team! Once the Freebirds regroup, Garvin wants Rich. Rich delivers a hiptoss to Garvin and then brings in Little Richard from the apron into the ring for a whoopin’. Hayes tags and sneaks in a left jab on Rich. He tries the DDT, but Rich backdrops out and tags Morton. DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER on the Freebirds leads to a rollup on Garvin, but Hayes breaks it up with a Bulldog. All four men are in the ring brawling. Meanwhile, Hayes and Little Richard try and break Morton’s knee. Little Richard is on the top, but Gibson brings him down thanks to one of his crutches. Little Richard hits Garvin in the back by accident. Garvin grabs him by the throat, but gets rolled up by Morton for 1-2-3. (6:14) After the match, the Freebirds attack Little Richard and then they attack Robert Gibson on their way to the locker room. Those guys are PISSED! The Freebirds would have a new manager in no time. I’ll give you one clue. He said he wanted to BANG Hogan in 1997. Short and inoffensive match, by the way. *

Konan & Rey Misterio (Mexico) vs. Rick & Scott Steiner (USA) - Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Semifinals

Konan applies a modified Indian deathlock on Rick to start. Rick actually powers out and tags Scott for a powerslam. The Steiners hit the STEINER BULLDOG, but Konan tags out to Misterio. He and Scott do some mat stuff until Scott powers out for a suplex. Rick tags in and blocks a hurracanrana for a powerbomb for the win. The Steiners go to the finals. (2:54) Wow, that was short. *

Victor Zangiev & Salmon Hasimikov (USSR) vs. Great Muta & Mr. Saito (Japan) - Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Semifinals After some brief mat work, Zangiev gets a back suplex on Muta for two. Hasimikov and Saito tag in for a bit. Hasimikov applies a Boston crab, but Muta saves. Zangiev tags in and gets caught in a Sharpshooter. Muta tags and gets nailed with a belly-to-belly suplex by Hasimikov. Another switch and Zangiev gets drilled with a Saito clothesline. SAITO SUPLEX wins it. (3:09) The Soviets didn’t look like they would protect you at all in there. ½*

NWA U.S. Champion Stan “The Lariat” Hansen vs. Lex Luger – Texas Lariat Match

It’s called a lariat match, but it’s essentially a bullrope match. Hansen was actually the All-Japan Triple Crown champion here as well. Back and forth action to start. Hansen and Luger head to the floor where Lex gets WALLOPED with a steel chair. Back in, Luger fights back and goes for the win. He touches one corner, but Hansen gives him a back suplex once he tries for the second corner. Well, sort of. The bullrope looks like it got in the way. Hansen drops an elbow and starts tapping the corners. He gets one, but Luger stops him as he goes for the second with punches. Hansen fights back and hangs Luger with the rope on the apron. Hansen goes for the win again and hits three turnbuckles, but then Luger explodes with a clothesline. Hansen ends up on the floor and posted as Luger pulls him around ringside. Back in, Luger delivers a bunch of legdrops and goes for the win. Luger taps three turnbuckles and goes for the win, but then collides with ref Randy Anderson to tap the fourth corner as the crowd goes insane thinking that Luger has regained the title. Hansen pulls off his boot and nails Luger with it and taps all four corners as the new ref Nick Patrick runs down to award Hansen the match. (10:13) Randy Anderson FINALLY wakes up and informs Nick Patrick of what happened and changes the decision. Luger regains the US title. Fun little brawl there. Now Hansen can go back to defending the All-Japan Triple Crown in peace. **½

NWA World Tag Team Champions Doom (w/Teddy Long) vs. Barry Windham & Arn Anderson - Street Fight

Just a crazy back and forth match to start. Windham’s in the ring with Reed while Simmons pummels on Anderson on the rampway. They go to the floor as Anderson beats on Simmons’ knee with a chair! Windham’s already busted open as Reed GRINDS on his forehead with a metal piece of Reed’s weightlifting belt. Windham fights back with a back suplex on the floor! Reed’s left out on the floor while Anderson and Windham double-team Simmons in the ring. Anderson goes out after Reed and blasts him in the face with a steel chair! Windham’s handed a chair and he nails Simmons with it! Reed is now busted open! He hits Anderson with a chair while in the ring, Simmons delivers a Spinebuster to Windham! Cover, 1-2-NO! Anderson’s back in and now everyone is bleeding but Simmons. Simmons gives Anderson a press slam and heads up top, but Windham stops by to crotch him. SUPERPLEX?! YES! Windham covers for 1-2-NO! On the top rope is Butch Reed now! Anderson turns around and gets nailed with a FLYING SHOULDERBLOCK! Simmons gets dumped as Reed covers Anderson, making it two-on-one. DDT to Reed! Simmons comes back in with a steel chair. Anderson tries to steal the chair, but gets it slammed back into his face! Cover 1-2-NO! Reed hits a piledriver on Windham! Reed then gets dumped, but saves Simmons from a double-team just in time. Simmons catches Anderson with a clothesline as he comes off the top while Windham rolls up Reed for a double-pin situation that gets three for both teams. We’ve got a draw ruling and nothing is settled. (7:35) Beginning to end, it was non-stop brutal action. Once again, a Doom/Horsemen PPV match ends with no real winner. ****

Great Muta & Mr. Saito (Japan) vs. Rick & Scott Steiner (USA) - Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Finals

In case you want to know, famous Japanese ref Tiger Hatori is “officiating this contest”. Scott and Muta start off. Muta kicks Scott around, but gets caught in a single-leg crab before reaching the ropes. Rick tags and gets kicked down, but then he ducks a spin kick and levels Muta with a Steinerline. Paul E calls Rick Steiner the Mr. Saito of the US, as they both rely on suplexing the crap out of you. Wow, Rick hits a dropkick and then the Steinerline. Muta crawls up on the top rope and almost falls, so Rick shakes the ropes to crotch Muta. Well that wasn’t very sportsman-like. Scott and Muta tag in for a bit. Muta hits the Handspring Elbow. He tries it again, but Scott brings his boot up to block. Belly-to-Belly Suplex out of the corner from Scott gets 1-2-NO! Now Rick & Saito tag, but Saito quickly gets the SAITO SUPLEX. Double-KO spot ensues, but Saito is still able to make the tag. Muta hits the spinning elbow drop and dumps Rick for some Japanese cheating down on the floor from Saito. While the ref is with Scott, Muta crawls out and nails Rick with the ring bell! Back in, Saito tags for some choking on Rick. Rick tries to come out of it, but Muta comes off the top with a single-ax to the back. Muta tags and gets nailed with a Steinerline. HOT TAG TO SCOTT! He delivers the tiger driver to Muta for 1-2-NO! Saito makes the save. Saito tags and hits the SAITO SUPLEX. Instead of going for a pin, he just chokes away. Rick comes in to help, but that hurts Scott even more as the Japanese deliver a spike piledriver. They don’t go for a cover though. Muta stands around looking at the crowd. Rick gets a blind tag while Saito grabs a sleeper on Scott, so Rick decides to come off the top to sunset flip Saito off of Scott for 1-2-3! (10:54) Good little formula tag match. The finish was great, as everybody thought it was over for the Steiners. ***¼

The Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament award ceremony is next. Your friend and mine Jim Herd thanks everybody for their efforts. Rick and Scott’s mouths are too dry to be talking, but they try anyway and boy is it bad.

NWA World Champion Sting vs. The Black Scorpion (w/The Little Scorpions) – Title vs. Mask Cage Match (Special Ref: Dick the Bruiser)

JR mentions that St. Louis has seen more NWA World title changes than any other city in the world. The Little Scorpions are the so-called “messengers” of the real Black Scorpion’s arrival. Right. Finally, the “spaceship” lands and the real Black Scorpion comes in the backdoor of the “spaceship”. Then, the “spaceship” opens up and the Black Scorpion is on the rampway. You’d think they would have let Sting come out first so he can look all scared in the ring. After 3-4 months of this Black Scorpion business, it’s come to this. Sting dominates to start with some basic stuff. Scorpion fights back with a clothesline and a gutwrench suplex for a one-count. Scorpion applies a headscissors on the mat. Sting escapes, but goes down to a back elbow as Scorpion tries to pin Sting with his feet on the ropes. There’s your first clue as the crowd already knows who it is. Scorpion whips Sting from corner-to-corner and then puts on a chinlock and uses the ropes again for leverage. Sting finally comes out and press slams Scorpion to the mat. Sting goes for a crossbody on Scorpion, but he moves and lets Sting fly into the cage. Scorpion covers for one. Scorpion whips Sting across into a corner, but Sting gets the foot up. Sting covers for two. Scorpion goes to the eyes and sends Sting face-first into the cage several times. Scorpion hits a piledriver and covers for two as Sting gets his foot on the bottom rope. Sting mounts his comeback and hits the faceslam. He delivers the Stinger Splash and goes to the SCORPION DEATHLOCK, but Scorpion actually powers out. Scorpion tries to take Sting to the cage once again, but Sting counters and sends Scorpion instead. Sting goes for the mask, but Scorpion’s got another one underneath. They go to the top where Sting gets shoved off, but then Sting stumbled into the ropes causing Scorpion to get crotched. Sting takes Scorpion to the cage a few more times and then heads up for the Flying Crossbody for 1-2-3. (18:32) Sting and Bruiser fight off the Little Scorpions as long as possible until Windham and Anderson come in to help them out. They beat the crap out of Sting with a chair! Morton, Taylor and Zenk run down and try to climb over the cage to help Sting, but Anderson and Windham swat them away. The Steiners run down with bolt cutters to cut the chain on the cage door. They get the door open and clear the ring of the Horsemen as Sting finally gets the mask off the Scorpion and its finally revealed that the Black Scorpion is Ric Flair. Real weird match, as part of it Flair tried to throw you off the scent that it was him by using holds like the headscissors, and sometimes it was blatantly obvious that it was him. Like for example, using the ropes every chance he got and being crotched on the top rope in a cage match. Anyways, the good part to all of this is the Black Scorpion feud is over with and never mentioned again as far as I know. **

Final Thoughts: Oh my gosh! Fourteen matches on an NWA PPV! The tournament was kept real short. I mean, nothing except for the finals went over ten minutes, meaning that nothing was given enough time to really be good or bad. The non-tournament matches were mostly solid (even the Skyscrapers match was fun), except for the bad main event. I agree with most people out there that the Black Scorpion angle was one of the worst ever and I’m glad that I never have to see it ever again. As for a recommendation, I’ll go with thumbs in the middle for this one. It was good, but not great like some of the other shows from NWA ‘90.