Starrcade 1987 Starrcade ' 87 was the fifth annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions ( JCP ) under the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA ) banner . It took place on November 26 , 1987 from the UIC Pavilion in Chicago , Illinois . It was the first NWA event to be broadcast on pay - per - view , and was the first major JCP event to feature wrestlers from the Universal Wrestling Federation , which was purchased by JCP shortly before the event . The main event was a steel cage match between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . After the event , Flair feuded with Sting . The event also included a steel cage match between Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship , a match between the Road Warriors and the team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship , and a match between Nikita Koloff and Terry Taylor to unify the NWA World Television Championship and the UWF Television Championship . Background . Starrcade was headlined by the match between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . The booking committee wanted to end Flair ' s reign as the champion , but their top preferences of who to be the new champion could not be chosen due to the circumstances . Garvin was chosen instead , and he defeated Flair to win the title on September 25 . He was not well accepted as the champion by fans . Jim Crockett Promotions had previously only broadcast Starrcade on closed - circuit television while the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) , a competitor , had started to broadcast events on pay - per - view in 1985 with WrestleMania , and was very successful . The 1987 Starrcade was the first pay - per - view event of the National Wrestling Alliance . To compete with Starrcade , the WWF introduced the Survivor Series event as an eleventh - hour move against JCP , and held it on the same night as Starrcade . The WWF also coerced the pay - per - view providers that planned to carry Starrcade by not allowing them to carry WrestleMania IV if they did not carry Survivor Series exclusively . Only a small amount of providers carried Starrcade , and it drew a 3 . 30 buy rate while Survivor Series drew a 7 . 0 buy rate . Event . The first match was between the team of Eddie Gilbert , Rick Steiner and Larry Zbyszko and the team of Sting , Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin . Sting , Hayes and Garvin had the early advantage until Zbyszko performed a front powerslam to Garvin . Zbyszko , Gilbert and Steiner dominated Garvin until Sting tagged in . Sting fought off Zbyszko , Gilbert and Steiner until Zbyszko performed an eye rake . Sting was dominated until Hayes and Gilbert tagged in . All wrestlers came in , and Hayes , Sting and Garvin performed mounted punches . Zbyszko , Gilbert and Steiner had the advantage after Gilbert performed an axe handle to Hayes . Hayes fought back with the small package on Gilbert . As Hayes had Gilbert in the sunset flip , the match ended in a time - limit draw . The second match was between Barry Windham and Steve Williams for the UWF Heavyweight Championship . The match started back and forth until Williams applied the side headlock . Windham failed to break the hold with several throws . After breaking the hold , Williams attempted to jump over Windham , but Windham ' s head hit Williams ' groin . Williams recuperated , and Windham leaped at Williams . Williams avoided it , and Windham fell outside the ring . After Windham came back into the ring , Williams pinned Windham with an Oklahoma roll to win the match , and retain the title . The third match was a Skywalkers match between The Midnight Express ( Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane ) ( accompanied by Jim Cornette and Big Bubba Rogers ) and The Rock ' n ' Roll Express ( Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson ) . The match started with Rogers attacking Morton , as Gibson was double - teamed on the scaffold . Rogers attempted to climb the scaffold , but Morton attacked him , Lane and Eaton with Cornette ' s tennis racket . Eaton fought back by throwing powder at Morton and Gibson . The teams went back and forth until Lane climbed under the scaffold . Morton followed Lane , and pushed him off . Morton and Gibson then attacked Eaton until he fell , and The Rock ' n ' Roll Express won the match . The fourth match was between Nikita Koloff and Terry Taylor ( accompanied by Eddie Gilbert ) to unify the NWA World Television Championship and the UWF Television Championship . The match started with Koloff targeting Taylor ' s left arm . Taylor gained the advantage by sending Koloff ' s head into the guard rail outside . Taylor then targeted Koloff ' s left arm and shoulder with the use of the ringpost . Gilbert attacked Koloff ' s left knee with a steel chair , and Taylor applied the figure four leglock . After Taylor accidentally knocked Gilbert off the apron , Koloff performed a Russian Sickle , and pinned Taylor to unify the titles . The fifth match was between the Road Warriors ( Hawk and Animal ) and the team of Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship . The Road Warriors had the early advantage . As Hawk had Blanchard in the gorilla press , Anderson attacked Hawk ' s left knee . Anderson and Blanchard targeted the knee with the use of the ringpost and a steel chair . Anderson attempted a seated senton , but Hawk raised his knees , and hit Anderson ' s groin . The Road Warriors gained the advantage , and Blanchard knocked the referee outside the ring . Animal sent Anderson outside the ring with a back body drop , and performed a Doomsday Device on Anderson with Hawk . Animal then pinned Anderson with a replacement referee counting the pin . The original referee reversed the decision , and the Road Warriors were disqualified for Animal sending Anderson outside the ring . Anderson and Blanchard won the match , and retained the title . The sixth match was a steel cage match between Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger ( accompanied by James J . Dillon ) for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship . Johnny Weaver held the key to the cage . Rhodes would be suspended for ninety days if he lost . The match started back and forth until Luger sent Rhodes ' head into the cage , and grinded his head against it . Luger attacked Rhodes ' left arm until Rhodes fought back , and applied the sleeper hold . Dillon attacked Weaver with a steel chair , and took the key . As the referee attempted to stop Dillon from unlocking the door , Luger ran into him , and Dillon threw in the chair . Luger attempted to pick it up , and Rhodes performed a DDT on the chair . Rhodes then pinned him to win the match and the title . The main event was between Ric Flair and Ron Garvin for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship . Garvin had the advantage with forehand chops , mounted punches and the Garvin Stomp . After they exchanged chops , Flair performed a low blow and an inverted atomic drop . Flair targeted the left leg , and applied the figure four leglock after a shin breaker . Garvin fought back after blocking Flair ' s attempts to send his head into the cage . Garvin attacked Flair using the cage , and applied the figure four leglock . Garvin performed a diving crossbody , and continued to attack Flair using the cage . As Garvin performed mounted punches , Flair countered with an inverted atomic drop . Flair then reversed an Irish whip , sent Garvin ' s head into the cage , and pinned him to win the match and the title . Aftermath . Ron Garvin ' s reign as the NWA World Heavyweight Champion lasted for two months , and he never regained the title again . Ric Flair was in his sixth reign as the champion , and would remain the champion for over a year . In early 1988 , Sting , who was rising to stardom , challenged Flair to a match at the first Clash of Champions . Flair accepted , and fought Sting for 45 minutes to a time - limit draw . The event was very successful , and the match made Sting a huge star . Sting continued to wrestle in many matches against Flair , as well as the other members of the Four Horsemen , and their rivalry continued for over ten years . After Starrcade was outperformed by Survivor Series , Jim Crockett Promotions ( JCP ) and the World Wrestling Federation ( WWF ) continued to compete . When JCP chose to hold the Bunkhouse Stampede pay - per - view event in January 1988 , the WWF created the Royal Rumble event , a television special , and held it on the same night as Bunkhouse Stampede . Bunkhouse Stampede , by itself , was a poor event . In return , JCP created the first Clash of Champions , also a television special , and held it on the same night as WrestleMania IV . Clash of Champions was a success , and drew a large cable rating .