Beyond Nitro - A Tale of Two Finishes [Article] (Patreon)

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WrestleMania 40 vs. Starrcade ‘97

Hey everyone, it’s Guy Evans here, welcoming you to another edition of Beyond Nitro and this month, we’re going to examine a tale of two finishes – WrestleMania 40 versus Starrcade ’97. 

Aside from the obvious factors at play, why exactly did one of these events triumph, whereas the other – according to most objective observers – ultimately fell short? Today, I’m going to discuss three factors which separate these two events; notably, the subtleties of the storytelling, the use of nostalgia, and a certain ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ which provided an emotional backdrop for the entire WrestleMania 40 event. 

So let’s get into it.

In a relatively viral post made in the aftermath of WrestleMania 40, one social media user described an electric post-show scene in Philadelphia. “Starrcade ‘97,” wrote the commenter in question, attaching a video of Cody Rhodes celebrating in the ring, “…but booked to perfection.”

Subsequently, a variety of other users chimed in with similar observations, as if to underscore the fact – although it may not be obvious at first – that the two landmark events (WrestleMania 40 and Starrcade ‘97) are, in fact, relatively apt for comparison. For example, each event represented the culmination of a dramatic, long-term and innovative storyline. Furthermore, each holds the distinction of being the most lucrative event in their respective company histories.

With respect to Starrcade ‘97, for instance – and putting to the side, albeit momentarily, its dubious and controversial legacy – the show generated an estimated $18 million in pay-per-view revenue (the equivalent of $35 million in inflation-adjusted dollars today). At the time, the mainstream press could hardly believe their eyes upon examination of the financial numbers. “World Championship Wrestling continues to astound and surprise the pay-per-view industry,” gushed MultiChannel News in a January 11th, 1998 article. “Operators said buy-rates for the organization's Dec. 28 'Starrcade' PPV event nearly doubled those for the highest WCW event to date, making it one of the highest-performing wrestling events ever.

“In fact, the show, which earned a preliminary 1.9 percent buy-rate, was the third-biggest PPV event of 1997, besting November's Evander Holyfield-Michael Moorer heavyweight championship fight.”

Similarly, in terms of its sheer financial impact, WrestleMania 40 could only be described as an overwhelming success. “[The] highest grossing event in WWE history,” summarized Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on social media. “Highest selling WrestleMania in WWE history (+78%); most-TV viewed WrestleMania in WWE history (+41%); most social media-viewed WrestleMania in WWE history (over 700 million social views in the first 48 hours); most single day WWE YouTube views ever (67 million in 24 hours).”

However, as a large segment of wrestling fans will surely point to, the critical reception surrounding each event could hardly have been more different. While observers mostly lauded the WrestleMania 40 finish - with various accounts purporting its presentation as something resembling a ‘cinematic’ ending – Starrcade ‘97 offers, in retrospective comparison, a rather confusing, convoluted and ultimately ineffective conclusion to a red-hot storyline. Whereas WrestleMania 40 – some recency bias granted – received near-universal critical acclaim, Starrcade ’97 received a near-commensurate amount of non-acclaim, a vehemently negative response which has only intensified over time. 

Quite obviously, the discrepancy between Starrcade’s financial and critical success can largely be attributed to its failure in delivering a ‘clean’ victory for Sting in the main event versus Hogan - the details of which, at this point, have been painfully well established. While at different times, there may have been various uplifting moments in which WCW presented an important babyface triumph – Goldberg’s title win in July 1998, for example, or Lex Luger’s own dethroning of Hogan in August 1997 – fans have endlessly rued the missed opportunity of Starrcade. “People invested a lot of time into watching our shows,” says David Penzer, the former WCW ring announcer, in a section of his new book, Sitting Ringside: Volume 1. “They [purchased] tickets to see us live, [bought] our merchandise, and even [followed] the gossip on the ‘WCW Hotline’ (or the Internet, which was really in its infancy at that time). At some point, you need to pay off all of that support.”

To that end, while some 26 years later, WWE initially booked Cody Rhodes to lose at WrestleMania 39, fans ultimately received their desired ‘pay-off’ in the end, and – according to many long-time industry veterans - Rhodes’ setback only served to make his eventual victory that much more significant.

Nonetheless, the purpose of this month’s edition of Beyond Nitro is not to relitigate the familiar issues with the Starrcade ‘97 finish - nor to discuss the obvious differences between its presentation and that of WrestleMania 40. These differences are – at this point, certainly – relatively self-evident and therefore, hardly in need of analysis. For example, although in kayfabe terms, Rhodes secured his pinfall after a host of outside interference and other such shenanigans, his win was ultimately presented as decisive over Roman Reigns  – totally dissimilar, in other words, from the fiasco of Sting versus Hogan. 

Therefore, it is the focus of this month’s episode to examine three of the more nuanced factors at play, relative to how WrestleMania 40 succeeded, whereas Starrcade ‘97 ultimately fell short.

Factor 1: Storytelling subtleties

Famously – or perhaps infamously - the long-awaited Sting-Hogan clash promised a conclusion to a storyline of unprecedented length, drama and intrigue. “It was billed as the ‘Match of the Century’,” read a passage in the NITRO book. “An apparently perfect culmination of almost 18 months of storytelling. On December 28th, 1997, in front of a sold out MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Hollywood Hogan would finally - surely - receive his comeuppance against the most loyal of WCW’s soldiers, the ‘Franchise’, Sting.”

“We built that story perfectly,” reminisced Eric Bischoff in the book. “It was totally incomprehensible to the Kevin Sullivan’s of the world, to the Dusty Rhodes’ of the world, and other people who were involved, at various times, in the creative process. They would have never dreamed that you could build an arc like that. It worked magnificently.”

“[The] betrayed version of Sting,” wrote Tom Deschenes in an essay entitled Ancient Greek Storytelling in Modern Pop Culture: How Nitro Became Cable’s Top Program, “[was] a vigilante. A lone wolf. An outlaw. A dark and brooding character. He [was] one who had been hurt and had nothing left to lose. One who was determined to destroy the nWo, the virus that had turned his friends against him and destroyed the company that he loved for so many years. He was a societal misfit and a rebel, the type of Sting that audiences of the late 90s could identify with and live vicariously through - and a character that felt like a genuine threat to the New World Order.”

Throughout Sting’s metamorphosis, various plot points involving WCW’s new ‘anti-hero’ were strikingly subtle in their emergence, occasionally nuanced in their execution, and, at some level, somewhat subliminal in their presentation. For example, consider the segment initiating the January 20th, 1997 edition of WCW Monday Nitro, a show broadcast in front of a particularly raucous Chicago crowd. Sting interrupted Randy Savage’s apparent ‘hi-jacking’ of the show to confront him in the ring – although not necessarily in a manner which fans could have reasonably predicted. “Sting circles Savage, leaving fans to wonder what will happen,” describes MIT Professor Sam Ford in an upcoming book of mine. “He pokes at him. Finally, Sting invites Savage to attack him with the bat. The action is drawn out, as fans revel in the moment of wondering—that moment wrestling fans are always seeking. 

“…Like any good serialized story,” continues Ford, “the dramatic moment ends with a way to keep that feeling of mystery serialized….as Savage follows Sting out into the crowd…that moment of confusion and wonder, that sense of not knowing what will happen next, can carry on through the show…and leave fans to linger in wondering how this storyline will continue, while waiting for Savage and Sting to appear once again.”

As if to demonstrate a kind of ‘show, but don’t tell,’ philosophy, Nitro viewers were often left asking more questions than they had answers for, and throughout 1997, that formula appeared to pay dividends for WCW as a company. Regardless of the follow-through accompanying a particular creative idea, WCW presented – throughout it all – Sting’s character in remarkably consistent fashion. He was shown to be a courageous yet dangerous presence in standing up to the villainous nWo, and accordingly, Hogan appeared terrified of Sting whenever in his presence. 

These kinds of subtleties only served to compound the negative impact resulting from the bizarre spectacle of Starrcade ‘97. Rather than make quick work of Hogan, for example, or hurry to deliver his signature Scorpion Deathlock maneuver, Sting simply locked up – in a manner not too dissimilar from a regular wrestling contest – as a means of starting his match with Hogan. For his part, Hogan – having consistently cowered from Sting all throughout 1997 – wrestled during the match with almost a jarring sense of confidence. As the main event unfolded, the match appeared to develop in a strikingly illogical fashion, given that in kayfabe, fans could have predicted Sting ‘squashing’ Hogan in short order - or at least attempting something to that effect. 

Conversely, the booking of the WrestleMania 40 main event was a decided masterpiece in comparison. Long-time WWE fans were quick to detect numerous ‘call backs’ to the storylines of years’ past, including, most notably, the brilliance of Seth Rollins’ involvement in thwarting Roman Reigns. In scripting Rollins to act as a literal shield and distract the attention of Reigns, WWE followed through on an earlier line of dialogue between Rollins and Rhodes, while simultaneously furthering the narrative – in an element central to Reigns’ character – that Rollins’ 2014 betrayal of his former partner continues to be his undoing. 

Enveloping it all was Cody’s well-branded quest to “finish his story” – to accomplish something that his father, Dusty Rhodes, had never been able to do. “For the first time ever,” announced Michael Cole at the finish, “a Rhodes can call himself WWE champion.”

Therefore, in leveraging years of character development and backstory to support its WrestleMania 40 ending, WWE at once paid off years of dedicated fan support – and retroactively made sense of elements from its prior decade of programming.

Factor 2: The Use of Nostalgia – A Powerful Force Multiplier

In an earlier edition of Beyond Nitro, we discussed the fact that often throughout wrestling history, external elements act as apparent force multipliers to enhance the impact of a particular segment, character, or show. For example, at WrestleMania 18, The Rock and Hollywood Hogan delivered a fairly pedestrian wrestling match – on the surface – but one that found itself greatly enhanced by the contextual factors at play. The star power emanating from each character – as well as the novelty factor underlying their match-up, and an especially rabid crowd in Toronto – combined to make Rock-Hogan an undoubted WrestleMania classic.

To that end, a particularly potent force multiplier in wrestling tends to be nostalgia, a device that arguably – particularly in the case of WWE – promotions have relied upon to the point of experiencing diminishing returns. Whether it was bringing back The Rock, or Goldberg, or featuring Triple H in numerous high-profile matches, WWE once found itself in a holding pattern, whereby the stars of yesteryear – derided as ‘part-timers’ in the eyes of some younger talent – were consistently called upon to ‘save’ the latest WrestleMania or Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

However, WrestleMania 40, on the other hand, demonstrated perhaps the perfect use of nostalgia. The inclusion of characters such as John Cena and The Undertaker only complemented the presence of the younger main event stars, as well as helping to underscore the importance of the match more generally. In other words, the nostalgic elements failed to detract from the action, and consequently, it only enhanced it – effectively making a marquee match-up even more important. 

Although even in 1997, there would have been plenty of scope for Starrcade ’97 to incorporate something (such as nostalgia) as a powerful force multiplier to enhance the in-ring action, such an effort simply failed to materialize. For all intents and purposes, Sting and Hogan simply performed a routine wrestling match, without particular adherence, reference or deference to their specific storyline. From an outsiders’ perspective, the resultant action didn’t especially make sense – and therefore, the impact of Sting’s title win was predictably muted. 

Factor 3: Je Ne Sais Quoi

The third factor propelling WrestleMania 40 to historic heights was perhaps a certain ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ – a once-in-a-lifetime set of circumstances providing the emotional backdrop for the entire event. Specifically, it was the first WrestleMania without either the involvement of – or an association with – Vince McMahon, Jr., and as such, the atmosphere in Philadelphia was more than simply powerful.

It was cathartic.

Whether it was Samanatha Irvin’s choked-up call at the three-count, the stirring post-match scene, or Michael Cole’s pronouncement that “Pro Wrestling is Back!”, it is undoubtable that the events preceding McMahon’s departure contributed to make WrestleMania 40 even more special than advertised. It was the apparent ‘elephant in the room,’ so to speak, throughout the entire weekend. Therefore, in many respects, Rhodes’ title win represented a ‘clean break’ of sorts, signaling the end of the McMahon era. It provided an unprecedented emotional release, in and of itself, for fans who have derided both WWE’s creative direction and wider company ethos.  

“[This] event,” summarized one editorial on AgeoftheNerd.com, “was not just about the matches - but also the moments that will be etched in the memories of fans for years to come. From the elaborate entrances to the emotional victories and defeats, WrestleMania 40 night two delivered a blend of athleticism, drama, and storytelling that is the hallmark of WWE’s biggest night. It was a night that celebrated the past, present, and future of professional wrestling, leaving fans eagerly anticipating what the next chapter will bring.”

In summary – and especially if the events of WrestleMania 40 are anything to go by – sports entertainment could now be regarded as dead.

If indeed that is the case, there’s only one thing left to say… 

Long live professional wrestling.

To conclude this month’s edition of Beyond Nitro, we present an exclusive excerpt from Sitting Ringside, Volume 1 – the new book from David Penzer, formerly the ring announcer for WCW and TNA, and Guy Evans. The book is available on Amazon and at GuyEvansBooks.com – enjoy!

Chapter 9: Back to the Future

Starrcade ‘96 is when I first noticed we were really on fire. A red-hot Nashville crowd ate up the December 29 pay-per-view, which featured, on the undercard, an array of incredible matches: Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko, Jushin Liger vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr., and Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Benoit, just to name a few.

In the main event, ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper beat Hollywood Hogan in a non-title match, a curious stipulation given its initial build-up on television. Nonetheless, after Piper and Hogan’s historic rivalry in the ‘80s, it was fun to see them feud again - albeit this time, with the roles reversed! With those guys on top, Starrcade ‘96 became the most purchased WCW pay-per-view, to that point, in company history. 

Roddy was always one of my favorites. I remember him doing commentary in Georgia Championship Wrestling, where he was extremely charismatic, with a habit of saying stuff that nobody else was at the time. Everything from the lines that Roddy came up with to the critiques he gave the wrestlers were just so different. Like many fans, I then remember his babyface turn in Georgia - after he defended Gordon Solie from Don Muraco - and then his introduction to the WWF in 1984. I was a huge mark for Piper’s Pit, and I give Roddy credit for getting me hooked on the WWF - just like Dusty did with Championship Wrestling from Florida. 

Back then, I honestly never could have imagined that someday, I’d get to know the real guy: Roderick Toombs. I think he was the most complicated guy that I ever met in the wrestling business - and that’s saying a lot. 

On a personal level, Roddy was hard to get to know - mostly because of some of the things that happened in his early life. Without going into too many details (because that’s not my place), I know that he had a horrible childhood. I personally had many conversations with Roddy (more on that in Volume 2 of Sitting Ringside), but in all those conversations, he never talked about anything that happened before turning 15 (the year in which he entered the wrestling business). As a matter of fact, I never heard him talk about those early years with anybody - although he did, to the best of my knowledge, eventually confide in a few people. 

It’s amazing, quite frankly, that Roddy didn’t decide to jump off a building, given everything that he experienced. Equally amazing is the fact that he became ultra-successful, one of the best talkers in the history of the business, a great worker, and a transcendent wrestler as well. He starred in movies. He had a wife and four children. He did all that - despite battling a lot of demons in the process.

My interpretation is that Roddy kind of ‘blacked out’ the first 15 years of his life - a task much easier said than done (you can black stuff out, in my opinion, but you can’t ever forget it). He was a very, very complex person, and as a result, some people perceived him as distant. In reality, he was one of the kindest people you could ever meet. Whenever he saw you, he’d give you a hug, bring you in close and put his arm around you: Hey - how are you doing? How’s the family?

He was the warmest person in those situations. Right now, I can see it in my mind’s eye - the way he stood up to greet people and shake their hand. When he met a fan, he would put both of his hands around their one hand, and he’d pat them on the back while listening intently. Roddy, they’d say, you’re my hero. I’ll never forget the angle with Jimmy Snuka…

Thank you so much, he would respond. If you don’t mind me asking, what did you like about it? 

Believe it or not, Piper actually showed a very sweet personality in those moments. 

When it came to business, on the other hand, he didn’t fuck around. 

There was an angle on Nitro - it aired on November 18th, 1996 to be exact - where about ten police officers tried to hold Roddy back from getting to the nWo (Eric Bischoff had just been revealed, in storyline, as being aligned with the group). If you go back and look at that footage, you’ll see that the cops in the ring couldn’t hold Piper back.

Well…that’s Roddy. Whether he was scripted to act like that or not, he would have done it anyway.

Roddy legitimately viewed everything that happened as if it were a shoot. Part of that was based on his self-perception; he saw himself as a tough guy, a street fighter, and that’s what he wanted his reputation to be. Therefore, if you put him in a situation where he was being held back by ten cops, he was going to fight like mad to get through them. Knowing him, I know that’s exactly what he would have done in the same, real-life situation.

I’ll say it again - in Roddy’s mind, pro wrestling was a shoot. Okay, he wasn’t really hurting anybody (although from what I heard, he was stiff as fuck), but there was a reason why he used the word ‘fights’ instead of ‘matches’ in his promos. From his perspective, he would think, Okay, the finish is predetermined - but everything else is a fucking shoot. He lived his entire life that way. 

It might have been almost a defense mechanism for him. I think Roddy believed, as a result of his background, fame and fortune, that people would try and take advantage of him. He was wary about being exploited, and maybe, although this is speculation on my part, that’s partly why he treated things the way he did.

Roddy was a conundrum in many ways. He was so unbelievably talented - and confident - but at the same time, he was painfully insecure. Having learned a little bit about psychology, it seemed like Roddy felt he could never achieve enough, like he could never be enough. You could say that everybody has insecurities (mine arose, during my time in WCW, because I was so afraid of losing my dream), but Roddy’s were especially fundamental. 

For him, it all went back to those early years.

Well that’s it for this month – thank you for listening, and we’ll see you next time…Beyond Nitro!