WWE’s Starrcade live event in Greensboro, North Carolina has come and gone, and by all accounts it was a big success (despite the disappointment of those of us who would have liked to watch it on the Network). What was first announced as a slightly elevated house show evolved into more and more of a tribute to Southern Wrestling of old.
Ultimately it delivered what sounds like a very entertaining card, with highlights including the return of “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes, and Arn Anderson giving Dolph Ziggler the spinebuster he’s long deserved.
Now, from PWInsider.com, we’ve learned that the Starrcade revival was the brainchild of one man: none other than WWE Hall of Famer and founding Freebird Michael “P.S.” Hayes.
It seems Hayes pitched the idea after discovering that WWE already had a house show scheduled for Greensboro on Thanksgiving weekend, a confluence of place and time that immediately suggests Starrcade. Vince McMahon approved the idea, knowing it could be a huge boost to ticket sales.
Hayes wrote the show himself, striking a balance between a contemporary Smackdown live event and a means to pay tribute to stars of the past like Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express. Tickets sold well and the event got a lot of buzz on social media, so there is already talk of another Starrcade next year.
Props to Michael Hayes for putting this show together, and for having the restraint not to write in a spot for himself to appear in the ring singing “Badstreet USA.”
