For the third straight year, WWE is putting on a Starrcade event.
WWE confirmed on Tuesday night that this year’s Starrcade will take place at the Infinite Energy Center in Duluth, Georgia on Sunday, December 1. The show will include a one-hour live WWE Network special that will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Seth Rollins, Kofi Kingston, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Daniel Bryan are advertised for the event. Tickets will go on sale via the Infinite Energy Center’s website at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Friday, September 27.
WWE noted that the in-arena portion of Starrcade will begin at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
In 2017, WWE revived the Starrcade brand for the first time since WCW closed its doors. That event was a house show at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina. Starrcade 2018 took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, with a one-hour WWE Network special from it airing a day after the show.
Like the previous two years, Starrcade 2019 is taking place during Thanksgiving weekend.
The U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio hosted WWE Starrcade 2018 on Saturday night. A one-hour special of the event will air on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern time tonight.
– Elias was in the ring performing and then brought Ric Flair out. Flair mostly flirted with women in the front row until Nia Jax, Tamina, Alicia Fox, and Mickie James came out. Jax had a lot of heat. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon, and Dana Brooke eventually came out as well.
– Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon & Dana Brooke defeated Nia Jax, Tamina, Alicia Fox & Mickie James
They had a short house show-style match where Banks submitted Fox with the Banks Statement. Bayley got the best reaction of the babyfaces.
– Drew McIntyre defeated Finn Balor
Pretty good match. McIntyre won with the Claymore Kick in about 10 minutes. Balor got a big reaction and was the most over face on the first half of the show. Dolph Ziggler was ringside and interfered a few times.
– The B-Team defeated The Revival
They had a short match, ending when Curtis Axel pinned Dash Wilder with a sunset flip.
– SmackDown Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus defeated The New Day to retain their titles
The Bar retained with a Brogue Kick in about eight minutes. This was mostly a comedy match.
– Baron Corbin issued an open challenge since Braun Strowman (his scheduled opponent) couldn’t be there. Bray Wyatt answered to a big reaction, getting tons of “fireflies.”
– Bray Wyatt defeated Baron Corbin
Corbin stalled a lot. They ended up having about a five-minute match that Wyatt won with a roll-up, but Corbin ordered the match to be started again as no DQ and then brought out Ziggler and McIntyre.
– Bray Wyatt defeated Baron Corbin in a no DQ match
Elias and Balor made the save and Wyatt ended up hitting Corbin with Sister Abigail. They forgot it was technically a match and had to roll Corbin back in the ring for the pin.
– Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka
They had a pretty good match. Charlotte won with a small package in about 10 minutes. They did a babyface match and then embraced after.
– Shinsuke Nakamura and Rey Mysterio appeared on Miz TV. Mysterio was wearing a neck brace to sell the attack from Randy Orton on SmackDown. The Miz asked why he was here instead of recovering at home, and Mysterio talked about how important Starrcade is to him because it was the first place he saw his heroes like Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Sting, and Eddie Guerrero. There was a big “Eddie” chant.
Miz and Mysterio ended up getting in each other’s faces and Nakamura attacked Mysterio from behind to start the match.
– Rey Mysterio defeated United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ
Less than two minutes in, Mysterio took out Miz with a dive after Nakamura moved. Miz broke up a 619 attempt for the DQ. Rusev came out and made the save, with this being turned into a tag team match.
– Rey Mysterio & Rusev defeated United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura & The Miz
Mysterio and Rusev won in about five minutes after a 619 and a Machka Kick on Miz. There were big “Rusev Day” chants throughout.
– WWE showed highlights of Sting vs. Flair from Starrcade 1989 while the cage was put up.
– AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe in a steel cage match
Styles won in about 12 minutes with the Calf Crusher. Joe had the rope break, but Styles wouldn’t let the hold go since it was no DQ. Good match, though they didn’t incorporate the cage too much.
– Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defeated Dean Ambrose in a steel cage match to retain his title
Rollins retained after escaping the cage. It was a great match and went about 20 minutes. The crowd was hot for both guys, especially Ambrose since the show was in his hometown.
They used the cage a lot, along with a kendo stick that Rollins brought in. Ambrose seemed to be playing the cowardly heel. He begged off, raked the eyes, and tried to escape as much as possible. Definitely match of the night.
With some announcements being made today, we now have a better idea of what the WWE Network’s one-hour Starrcade 2018 special is going to look like.
WWE announced today that the special will feature AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe in a steel cage match, a segment where Elias will perform with Ric Flair, and Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon & Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax, Tamina, Alicia Fox & Mickie James in an eight-woman tag match. The special will also include a Miz TV segment with United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and Rey Mysterio.
Starrcade 2018 is being held at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio tonight. It won’t air live, but the one-hour special will premiere on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow (Sunday, November 25).
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defending against Dean Ambrose in a steel cage match, Nakamura defending the US title against Mysterio, Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka, SmackDown Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus defending against The New Day, Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre, and The Miz vs. Rusev (w/ Lana) are also being advertised by the U.S. Bank Arena for tonight’s Starrcade event, though Dave Meltzer reported that WWE has said Miz vs. Rusev is no longer on the show since Miz will be in the Miz TV segment.
It appears that a portion of this year’s Starrcade event will be airing on the WWE Network in some form.
The WWE Network schedule lists that a one-hour “WWE Starrcade 2018 special” will air at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, November 25. That’s the day after the event takes place at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The brief description for the special is: “Catch all your favorite Superstars competing at WWE Starrcade, a special event where both the Raw and SmackDown brands collide.”
This is the second straight year that WWE has used the Starrcade name for a live event. It was brought back for a SmackDown-brand house show in Greensboro, North Carolina during Thanksgiving weekend in 2017, with Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Arn Anderson, and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express also making appearances in Greensboro for the event.
Here’s what’s currently being advertised for Starrcade 2018:
Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins defending against Dean Ambrose in a street fight
Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin
AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe in a steel cage match
United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura defending against Rey Mysterio
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus defending against The New Day
Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre
The Miz vs. Rusev (w/ Lana)
A “special concert” with Ric Flair joining Elias
Appearances by Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Dolph Ziggler
For the first time since acquiring WCW in 2001, WWE utilized the Starrcade name for a house show last night that also served as a tribute to the history of the event.
Ric Flair, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, and Ricky Steamboat were all advertised for the show and made appearances. Arn Anderson made a cameo as well, serving as the special guest enforcer for Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler. Anderson got involved and hit Ziggler with a spinebuster after getting into it with him on the outside:
For their appearance on the show, Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson danced in the ring with The Hardys and New Day after cutting a promo:
The Hardys discussed Starrcade and it taking place in their home state, with Jeff giving an update on his injury and saying he hopes to be back by April:
Appearing at the event his father helped create, Dustin Rhodes ditched his Goldust attire and entered using his “Natural” theme music:
During his match against Dash Wilder, he paid tribute to Dusty Rhodes by pointing to the sky and hitting a bionic elbow before getting the win:
Dustin did an interview after the match about wrestling as Dustin Rhodes and how he and Cody are continuing the family legacy:
Charlotte Flair talked her family’s legacy, Starrcade’s importance to it, and facing Natalya in a steel cage match:
Ric Flair also discussed coming back to the Greensboro Coliseum, Starrcade, and being proud of Charlotte:
Following his first appearance on WWE television since his health scare, Ric Flair will be part of the company’s Starrcade house show later this month.
WWE confirmed today that Flair would be appearing at Starrcade in Greensboro, North Carolina on November 25th. The event is the first time WWE has used the Starrcade name since acquiring WCW in 2001 and the first time the Greensboro Coliseum has hosted the show since 1986, though there aren’t any plans for it to air on the WWE Network.
Flair returned to TV to celebrate Charlotte’s Women’s title win with her on Tuesday’s episode of SmackDown. In a nod to Flair’s steel cage match against Harley Race at the first Starrcade, Charlotte will defend her title against Natalya and Jinder Mahal will challenge for AJ Styles’ WWE Championship in a double steel cage main event in Greensboro.
Dustin Rhodes, who is listed under that name, is scheduled to face Dash Wilder as well.
Here’s the updated card for Starrcade:
WWE Champion AJ Styles defending against Jinder Mahal in a steel cage match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair defending against Natalya in a steel cage match
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos defending against The New Day, Shelton Benjamin & Chad Gable, and Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a fatal four-way match
United States Champion Baron Corbin defending against Shinsuke Nakamura
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
Dustin Rhodes vs. Dash Wilder
Appearances by Ric Flair, The Hardys, Ricky Steamboat, and The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express
Though details are still sparse, WWE is reviving the Starrcade name for a SmackDown live event during Thanksgiving weekend.
The Greensboro Coliseum announced today that they would be hosting WWE Starrcade on November 25th, which would be the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The venue at least partially hosted the first four Starrcade events from 1983-1986, with the shows in 1985 and 1986 being split between the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina and The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.
WWE has yet to indicate whether the show will air on the Network, but the timing of it would place Starrcade less than a week after Survivor Series and 22 days before SmackDown’s Clash of Champions pay-per-view.
A tentative card for the show was also listed by the venue, including two steel cage matches and appearances by The Hardys, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, and Ricky Steamboat:
WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defending against Shinsuke Nakamura in a steel cage match
SmackDown Women’s Champion Natalya defending against Charlotte Flair in a steel cage match
United States Champion AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin and Rusev
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The New Day defending against The Usos in a tornado tag match
Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
Pro Wrestling Sheet had reported yesterday that WWE was considering reviving WCW show names for upcoming live events/specials.
