It was just last week that the WWE announced it was reviving the NWA/WCW’s flagship PPV event, Starrcade, as a special Smackdown Live Event on the US Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday November 25th, back at it’s original home at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
While it wouldn’t be televised, the WWE sure seemed to want to make the event special, featuring two cage match main events; one featuring WWE Champion Jinder Mahal vs Shinsuke Nakamura and another with a more historical nod to it – a steel cage match for the Smackdown Women’s Championship, featuring champion Natalya vs Charlotte Flair. It was at the inaugural NWA Starrcade in 1983 that Charlotte’s father, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair, was passed the torch from the previous generation in the form of Harley Race, winning his second NWA World title.
A Triple Threat for the US title, with AJ Styles defending against Baron Corbin and Rusev, a Sami Zayn vs Kevin Owens grudge match (which will no doubt pay tribute to the first Starrcade‘s epic dog collar match between Rowdy Roddy Piper vs Greg ‘The Hammer’ Valentine), Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler, and a Smackdown Tag Team Championship match with The New Day defending against the Usos. Perhaps special guest Ricky Steamboat will be the special referee in the match, much like how Angelo Mosca was for Steamboat’s own NWA World Tag Team title match at the first Starrcade, when he and Jay Youngblood beat the original Brisco Brothers (Jack and Gerald) for the titles.
Raw’s Hardy Boyz were also announced for Starrcade, but with Jeff Hardy‘s current injury, it’s unlikely they’ll be making a tag team appearance – Matt may be relegated to a singles match (or tagging with someone else). After Cody Rhodes made remarks to Smackdown official Michael “P.S.” Hayes about not having Goldust on an event created by their father, Dusty Rhodes, Hayes responded he’d be glad to – and invited Cody to tag with him. Unfortunately, all wishful thinking went out the window when Cody Rhodes announced he’s signed a multi-year deal with Ring of Honor a few days later.
But with the buzz for the event building, it seems that other WWE Superstars are getting inspired to take part in such a monumental tribute to the Mid-Atlantic territory and at a legendary wrestling venue. And two WWE Superstars currently trying to get a gig on the card are Raw’s Good Brothers, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, aka The Club. Karl Anderson posted the following, earlier this evening.
We @LukeGallowsWWE , want the Rock N Roll Express at Starcade….
💰💴— The Machine Gun (@MachineGunKA) September 26, 2017
His tag partner was quick to accept the idea.
Challenge made! https://t.co/FnYD90vZ2T
— “The Big LG” Doc Gallows (@The_BigLG) September 26, 2017
The challenge didn’t go unnoticed, as the Rock N’ Roll Express‘ Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton both responded to Karl Anderson.
https://twitter.com/TheRobertGibson/status/912840396455202816
Well Well You better bring those boys from Greasy OK, and wind them up @KarlAndersonWWE https://t.co/1SB8PahraH
— Ricky Morton (@RealRickyMorton) September 27, 2017
Gallows then took that for a “challenge accepted”…
Let's danceski! #TooSweet https://t.co/vW9x5wPFDO
— “The Big LG” Doc Gallows (@The_BigLG) September 27, 2017
Although they’ve been out of the spotlight for most of the past few decades, the Express still perform regularly on the indie circuit. They’re not the 1980’s Rock N’ Roll Express anymore, obviously, but they’ve still got a passion for the industry and could put on a fun match if paired with some younger veterans. Anderson and Gallows are both big fans of wrestling’s history and this would be a dream match for both of them – the Express would be in good (brothers) hands.
Making this a non-canon (for the most part) card, with cross brand match-ups versus some old legends, could make this a fun annual event that became a throwback to a simpler time of wrestling, when it was more about the fun of the one night than the weight of episodic television or convoluted storylines. Local son Cedric Alexander (from nearby Charlotte) has also expressed interest in working the event.
https://twitter.com/CedricAlexander/status/909914813697945601
I may not want to see The Honky Tonk Man on WWE television in an on-going feud, but I’d love to see him “walk” with Elias for one night only.
Hopefully more WWE Superstars get excited for what could become an historically fun night of wrestling…and maybe WWE will decide to just air it live that night on the WWE Network as a Live Special.
Just leave the Gobbledy Gooker home that weekend.
Just for the sake of fun, what Legends would you match-up against a current WWE Superstar on this card?
