This Day in Wrestling History: Starrcade 1999

You can probably count on two hands the amount of people on this show that fans lost track of after WCW went out of business around a year and a half later. Using that way of thinking it forces you to ignore plenty of underrated talent that never really got a chance to break out, because well WCW went out of business. I have long been a fan of late WCW underrated performers like Mark Jindrak, Sean O' Haire, Kidman, Vampiro, and various others. Looking at this event one thing that I can see as a problem is that there is far to much going on to allow a group of people to gain the spotlight. I know that promotions like to place as many talent as they can on the biggest shows as a reward, but in some cases a battle royal is a better idea then another short match. 

Even though I am an avid supporter of pallet cleansing matches in between two great show stealing matches, but there is a difference between those cleansing matches and matches that completely are a waste of time or feel very rushed. In my opinion, this show would've been a lot better cutting out half of the segments thinking that seven matches would've made for a lot better event then it was at this time, because it would've given certain feuds more of a chance to shine and spotlight talent that are figured into future high spots in booking. In many ways this allows fans to get hints on who will be factored into a top spot on the card depending on how they are spotlighted on events. 

The next event on WCW's PPV calendar would be Sold Out 2000 and is an article in itself which is a story I might tell someday, but not right now. To re-tell a shorter version of the story is that Vince Russo had just come in two months before taking over the creative direction of WCW from Eric Bischoff. Instead of really taking a step back and having a blackboard moment where he plans out his universe in WCW he tried to design it straight from the hip. Right also this is Bret Hart's last match as an active wrestler effectively ending his uneventful WCW run. 

I have a lot to say about this event and World Championship Wrestling in general based on what I've been learning about story writing and wrestling. The Bret Hart story has been told many times over the years and I don't really need to tell it again, but it is disappointing seeing that this event was only remembered for being the end of a legend with no other redeeming qualities about this show to think of and being a hard pass from me. 

WCW Starrcade 1999

​Big Vito & Johnny The Bull Def. (Pin) Disco Inferno & Lash LeRoux
Madusa Def. (Pin) Evan Karagias (C) WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Norman Smiley Def. (Pin) Meng WCW United States Title & WCW World Television Title
Asya & Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn & Shane Douglas Def. (Pin) Jim Duggan & Kevin Sullivan & Mike Rotunda & Rick Steiner Commentator: Shane Douglas 8-Person Tag
Vampiro Def. (DQ) Steve Williams
Vampiro Def. (Pin) Oklahoma
Curt Hennig & Gerald & Patrick Def. (Pin) Booker T. & Midnight & Stevie Ray 6-Person Tag
Jeff Jarrett Def. (Pin) Dustin Rhodes "Bunkhouse Brawl"
Diamond Dallas Page Def. (Pin) David Flair "Crowbar"
Sting Def. (DQ) Lex Luger 
Kevin Nash Def. Sid Vicious Powerbomb
Chris Benoit Def. Jeff Jarrett Ladder WCW United States Title
Bret Hart Def. (Sub) Goldberg No Disqualification WCW World Heavyweight Title