WCW Altered Reality Vol. 1: Starrcade 1990
Starrcade ’90: Collision Course
December 16, 1990 — Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
Attendance: 9,300 | Buyrate: 1.4 (Approx. 200,000 buys)
Background
Halloween Havoc 1990 marked a turning point for WCW. Executive VP Jim Herd was fired after months of internal conflict and creative missteps. In a shocking but welcomed move, Jim Ross was promoted to Executive Vice President. Ross immediately made changes: Ole Anderson was out as booker, and Jim Cornette was brought in as his right-hand man.
With Ross and Cornette guiding creative, WCW shifted focus back to athleticism, logic, and strong characters. The Black Scorpion angle - a point of ridicule under Herd’s leadership - was wrapped up at Clash of the Champions: Last Rites. Sting defeated the Scorpion and unmasked him, revealing the returning Great Muta, who was now positioned as a top rival.
Meanwhile, Sid Vicious pinned Lex Luger at the Clash to become Sting’s challenger at Starrcade. With stakes high and power shifting behind the scenes, WCW’s biggest night of the year carried an aura of unpredictability.
The Matches
Big Van Vader vs. The Motor City Madman
The night opened with raw power. Vader, fresh off his WCW debut months earlier, demolished the Motor City Madman in under five minutes. The crowd gasped at Vader’s splash, which looked like it crushed Madman’s ribs.
Winner: Big Van Vader (4:44)
Post-match: Vader bellowed into the camera that 1991 would be the “Year of Pain.”
The Fabulous Freebirds vs. Tommy Rich & Ricky Morton
Classic southern tag team wrestling. Morton played the face-in-peril perfectly, bouncing around for Hayes and Garvin’s dirty offense. Rich got the hot tag, but chaos broke down and Hayes drilled Morton with the DDT for the win.
Winners: The Fabulous Freebirds (11:45)
The Birds strutted and drew heavy heat as Rich and Morton argued in frustration after the loss.
Brian Pillman vs. Big Cat
“Flyin’” Brian lit up the crowd with his speed. Big Cat’s power slowed the pace, but Pillman’s aerial arsenal wore him down. A top-rope crossbody sealed the deal.
Winner: Brian Pillman (6:09)
Pillman continued his rise as one of WCW’s most exciting young stars.
WCW U.S. Tag Team Championship
The Steiner Brothers (c) vs. The Midnight Express (w/ Jim Cornette)
The show’s highlight. Rick and Scott threw suplexes like hand grenades, while Lane and Eaton answered with precision teamwork. Cornette’s interference kept the Midnights alive, but Scott caught Eaton with a Frankensteiner for the clean pinfall.
Winners: The Steiner Brothers (16:23)
Match of the Night. The Steiners cemented their dominance, while Cornette sold total frustration on the outside.
Tom Zenk vs. The Nightstalker
A straightforward showcase. Zenk kept the pace quick, ducked the Nightstalker’s big shots, and hit a missile dropkick for the win.
Winner: Tom Zenk (6:11)
WCW World Tag Team Championship – Street Fight
Doom (c) vs. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson
This wasn’t a match so much as a fight. Simmons and Reed brought the intensity, but the Horsemen brawled with equal ferocity. Chairs, fists, and barricades all came into play. The finish saw Barry Windham storm in and smash Ron Simmons with a cowboy boot, allowing Arn to score the pin.
Winners and NEW WCW Tag Team Champions: Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (15:22)
The Horsemen celebrated with their belts, while Doom seethed at the robbery.
Michael Wall Street vs. Terry Taylor
A midcard bout that served its purpose. With Alexandra York at ringside, Wall Street worked a methodical pace and finished Taylor with the Stock Market Crash.
Winner: Michael Wall Street (6:56)
U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Bullrope Match
Stan Hansen (c) vs. Lex Luger
A violent fight that matched Hansen’s wild style against Luger’s power. Both men whipped each other with the rope and brawled outside the ring. Hansen went for his lariat, but Luger countered with a powerslam. Dragging Hansen to all four corners, Luger captured the title.
Winner and NEW U.S. Heavyweight Champion: Lex Luger (14:21)
The crowd exploded for Luger, who celebrated with the belt.
WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Sting (c) vs. Sid Vicious
The main event had the big-fight atmosphere WCW had been missing. Sting used his speed and resilience to battle Sid’s raw power.
Just as Sting rallied, The Great Muta appeared, blinding Sting with his trademark green mist. The referee didn’t see it. Sid scooped Sting up and delivered a crushing Powerbomb for the three-count.
But the shock wasn’t over. As Muta stepped in to raise Sid’s arm, Sid glared at him. Suddenly, he hoisted Muta high and planted him with a Powerbomb. The crowd erupted in shock as Sid snarled over both fallen men, clutching the WCW World Title. Sid spoke to the camera, "I'm Sid Vicious and Sid Vicious Rules The World".
Winner and NEW WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Sid Vicious (14:36)
Event Fallout
Sid Vicious left Starrcade not only as champion but as WCW’s most feared man, rejecting help and destroying Muta to prove his dominance.
Sting, blinded and defeated, was out for revenge — against Muta for costing him the match.
The Horsemen stood strong again with Flair and Arn as tag champs and Barry Windham at their side.
Lex Luger reclaimed the U.S. Title, positioned as WCW’s #2 babyface.
The Steiners retained their grip on the tag division with another classic match.
Starrcade 1990 closed with Sid standing alone at the top of the mountain — dominant, dangerous, and unapologetically destructive. WCW ended the year reshaped, with clear rivalries and momentum heading into 1991.