Biggest show before Starrcade?

[Xero]

I'm not very familiar with wrestling pre-1980 (still a little fuzzy up until the Mania era). I know the first Starrcade was a huge thing. What was the biggest event up to that point? What was considered *THE* event (whether annual or a one-time occurrence)?

[sulzerdrone]

I think Starrcade was the first really big wrestling event. I could be wrong.

[Mooияakeя™]

Something at the Garden maybe?

[Xero]

I was thinking maybe the series they did at Shea.

[Jeritron]

I too have very little idea. I just know Starrcade was "the tits" and then got replaced by Mania as the biggest annual show in the business.

[The Mackem]

Well you'd be looking more territory based at events held around major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, so they won't be as big as a Starrcade or Wrestlemaina except in attendance. Starrcade was Thanksgiving 1983 with an approx attendance of 15 000.

WCCW had an event called Star Wars which was ran more than once a year and has been credited as having just under 20 000. There was even one called Independence day Star Wars which now sounds like a Sci Fi marathon.

There was a parade of champions in 1972 which had an attendance of 26 000 in Texas. (Dory Funk Jr/Fritz Von Erich 60 minute draw). This was revived later as a memorial event.

AWA will have had some big events but not neccessarily with any name attached until Starrcade and Wrestlemania came along.


For WWWF take a look at Showdown at Shea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showdown_at_Shea

As to what Starrcade replace, which Wrestlemania replaced in turn - I wouldn't know.

[Lock Jaw]

Starrcade replaced "Man Wrestles Bear".

[Rob]

There wasn't one big show that stood out on it's own until Wrestlemania. Starrcade was just one company's version but it was never on a Wrestlemania level. Most territories did more than one big show a year and one never stood out as more important than any other.

[Hanso Amore]

CZW

[Fabien Barthez]

All the ones Mackem mentions really answer the question.

Nothing would have been national due to the territories at the time, but there were still some massive shows.

[Sovereigntywillpr]

Who ever said Che, the "gardens" was most likely dead on, also old Exibition place in Toronto where the wrestlers and fans would freeze.

(I'm pretty sure those were pre starcade, WWF Mega Events, before Hogan the had Andre as their main guy people wanted to see obviously)

[Savio]

I would have to say Lockdown replaced Wrestlemania

[Sovereigntywillpr]

Imagine they pulled it off and had Victory Road bigger than WM ever was in 20 years...yet on the other hand even when WCW was doing better than WWF Starcade was nothing compared to WM still. I guess it goes to show even if you beat them in the ratings head to head for almost 90weeks in a row you`re still far from being on par with wrestlmania (even WMXI, which just sucked)

Best thing I remember from any starcade was cruiserweight matches, maybe Jericho (as TV Champ I think) putting on a great match. Other than that, even in the late NWA days it just felt like a regular stacked card.

were their not big events where the (w)wwf Champ and NWA champ wrestled in exhibitions or matches that ended in DQ`s (Someone told me that it once happened years ago with Backlund vs Flair, maybe someoen could shed some light on that cause I`m not going to google it for this post)

[Gerard]

Starrcade replaced "Man Wrestles Bear".

lol :lol:

[Krimzon7]

Lock Jaw produces another classic. What about that Wrestlefest thing that The Von Erichs had?

[NeanderCarl]

were their not big events where the (w)wwf Champ and NWA champ wrestled in exhibitions or matches that ended in DQ`s (Someone told me that it once happened years ago with Backlund vs Flair, maybe someoen could shed some light on that cause I`m not going to google it for this post)

Yeah, that wasn't that unusual back in the day. Wrestling promoters would often collaborate for financial gain. For the most part, each promoter had their territory, was happy where they were, and would gladly work alongside other promoters with nothing more than a gentleman's handshake and an understanding that the bouts would make the wrestlers look even and end in draws. Even the WWWF was part of the NWA. Vince McMahon Snr was on the board of directors for the NWA.

It was only the era of Vince McMahon Jr. that ushered in wars between promotions, when he trod on everyone's toes during his expansion.

[Seth82]

Actually Crockett Promotions had a Starrcade like show every year in Greensboro on thanksgiving going back to the 60's

I'll have to dig up some of the cards

[NeanderCarl]

I remember the first one well. 1961 in Greensboro, Nov 13th. Terry Funk's first retirement match.

[Seth82]

I remember the first one well. 1961 in Greensboro, Nov 13th. Terry Funk's first retirement match.

Actually Terry didn't debut til '65 as in '61 he woulda been only 18

[NeanderCarl]

:wtf:

[Gertner]

1921: World War 1 1/2. Gotch vs Hackenschmidt. Gotch wins win a Canadian Destroyer off a Scaffold.

[Seth82]

Here's a sampling of the early days of "Starrcade" before they named it that and the whole ppv era and etc.

1976
http://www.midatlanticgateway.com/images/Promos/761125_Greensboro.jpg

1978 - Features 3 big main events
http://www.midatlanticgateway.com/images/Promos/781123_Greensboro.jpg

[NeanderCarl]

Spelling Ken Patera incorrectly once would be forgivable... but twice?

[NeanderCarl]

Keith Franks... was that Adrian Adonis?

[Seth82]

Spelling Ken Patera incorrectly once would be forgivable... but twice?

Most of the ads were typed up in the newspaper offices and I've found quite a few mis-spellings of names over the yrs

[Seth82]

Keith Franks... was that Adrian Adonis?


Yep a young Adrian Adonis

[The Mackem]

I can't believe that Jack Evans was flying about back in the 70's.

[Seth82]

I can't believe that Jack Evans was flying about back in the 70's.

different Jack Evans

-This was a middle aged jobber for Crockett Promotions and WWWF

and did some work in Georgia

-Mainly was around in the 70's


http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/pictures/j/jackevansoriginal/01.jpg

[Pardeep 619]

SPOILER: Andre wins the battle royal

[Seth82]

at this point in time Adrian was nothing more then a jobber for the crockett territory as he was fairly new in the biz

Also yeah Andre always won the battle royals

[#1-norm-fan]

Starrcade replaced "Man Wrestles Bear".

:lol:

I almost spit out soda when I read that.