Starrcade 1993 Starrcade ' 93 : 10th Anniversary was the eleventh annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay - per - view event . It was the sixth Starrcade event produced by World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) , and it took place on December 27 , 1993 from the Independence Arena in Charlotte , North Carolina . This was the first Starrcade to feature Ric Flair since the Starrcade in 1990 . The main event was between Vader and Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . The match was made as a result of the double stabbing that occurred between Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious in October . Flair replaced Vicious in his match against Vader . Their feud continued after the event with a Thundercage match at SuperBrawl IV . The event also included The Nasty Boys against Sting and Road Warrior Hawk for the WCW World Tag Team Championship , Rick Rude against The Boss ( replacing Davey Boy Smith ) for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship , and a two out of three falls match between Dustin Rhodes and Steve Austin for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship . Background . The main feud heading into Starrcade was between Ric Flair and Vader over the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . After leaving WCW in 1991 , Ric Flair returned in early 1993 . Since then , Flair won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Beach Blast for the tenth time in a match with Barry Windham . The title became the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship in September after WCW left the National Wrestling Alliance . Flair then feuded with Rick Rude over the title . Rude won the title at Fall Brawl , and retained the title in rematches . After having defeated Ron Simmons for the WCW World Heavyweight Champion on December 30 , 1992 , Vader had held the championship since ( save for a six - day run by Sting in March 1993 ) . Vader feuded with Davey Boy Smith in May over the title . The feud also involved Sid Vicious and Sting , who formed an alliance with Vader and Smith respectively . Vader then had a short feud with Cactus Jack before being chosen to face Vicious at Starrcade . On October 28 , Arn Anderson and Vicious had a fight at a hotel that resulted in a double stabbing . The incident led to Vicious being fired , and Flair challenging Vader to a title match at Starrcade , with Flair also putting his career on the line . Event . The first match was between Pretty Wonderful ( Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma ) ( accompanied by The Assassin ) and the team of 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Bagwell . The match started with Scorpio and Bagwell having the advantage , and targeting the left arm of Orndorff and Roma . Pretty Wonderful dominated Bagwell after Roma attacked him from behind . After Roma missed a splash , Scorpio and Orndorff tagged in . Scorpio had the advantage , and performed a headscissors takedown . The Assassin then climbed onto the apron , and placed a disc in his mask . As Scorpio attempted another headscissors takedown , The Assassin performed a headbutt to Scorpio , and Orndorff pinned him to win the match . The second match was between Awesome Kong ( accompanied by King Kong ) and The Shockmaster . Before the match , Awesome and King Kong attacked The Shockmaster . The match started with King Kong competing instead . The Shockmaster blocked a body avalanche , and performed a clothesline and a crossbody block . The Shockmaster then pinned King Kong after a scoop slam to win the match . The third match was between Ricky Steamboat and Lord Steven Regal ( accompanied by Sir William ) for the WCW World Television Championship . The match started back and forth until Steamboat gained the advantage with an enzuigiri . Regal fought back after a dropkick following the distraction by William . Steamboat reversed the butterfly into a double underhook suplex , and attacked Regal outside the ring . As Steamboat performed a bridging German suplex , the time limit expired , and Regal retained the title . The fourth match was between the team of Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce and the team of Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne . The match started back and forth until Jack delivered punches to Slazenger , and Jack and Payne had the advantage . Jack performed a Cactus clothesline to Pierce and an aided suicide senton to Slazenger . Slazenger and Pierce attempted to double - team Payne , but Payne performed a clothesline to both . Jack tagged in , and Pierce accidentally performed a clothesline on Slazenger . Jack then pinned Pierce after a double arm DDT to win the match . The fifth match was a two out of three falls match between Steve Austin ( accompanied by Col . Robert Parker ) and Dustin Rhodes for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship . They went back and forth for most of the match . After Austin missed an axe handle elbow drop , Rhodes performed a clothesline and a scoop powerslam . Parker climbed onto the apron , and Rhodes sent Austin into him . Austin fell over the top rope outside the ring , and Rhodes lost the first fall via disqualification . Rhodes continued to attack Austin , and performed mounted punches . Austin pulled him down , and pinned Rhodes with a roll - up while pulling his tights to win the match and the title . The sixth match was between The Boss and Rick Rude for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship . The match started with Rude attacking The Boss until The Boss performed a back body drop and a big boot . The Boss attacked Rude outside , and applied the bear hug . After several punches , The Boss attempted a leapfrog body guillotine . Rude avoided it , and pinned The Boss with a sunset flip to win the match , and retain the title . The seventh match was between The Nasty Boys ( Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags ) ( accompanied by Missy Hyatt ) and the team of Sting and Road Warrior Hawk for the WCW World Tag Team Championship . Sting and Hawk had the early advantage , and targeted the left arm of Knobs . After Hawk missed a turnbuckle thrust in the corner , he fell outside , and was attacked by The Nasty Boys . They had the advantage until Hawk performed a clothesline to both , and tagged in Sting . Sting attacked them both , and attempted a splash to Knobs , but Knobs raised his knees . The Nasty Boys then dominated Sting , and repeatedly applied the abdominal stretch . This continued until Hawk came in , and attacked both with Sting . They performed a Doomsday Device on Knobs , and Sting attempted to pin him , but Hyatt interfered . Sting and Hawk won the match by disqualification , and The Nasty Boys retained the title . The main event was between Vader ( accompanied by Harley Race ) and Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . Flair would have to retire from professional wrestling if he lost . The match started with Vader having the advantage with attacks . After Vader performed a gorilla press slam , Flair rolled outside the ring , and Vader performed a gorilla press drop onto the guard rail . Vader then missed an attack , and ran into the guard rail . Flair fought back , and sent Vader into the ringpost . Race then attacked Flair , and Vader regained the advantage . Vader dominated Flair , performing a superplex and a body avalanche . Flair fought back , and sent Vader ' s left leg into the ringpost . Flair attacked the leg with a chair , and continued to target the leg . After Vader missed a corner slingshot splash , Flair applied the figure four leglock . Vader reached the ropes , and fought back , but missed a moonsault . Flair attempted to pin Vader while Race climbed the turnbuckle Vader jumped from . Race attempted a diving headbutt to break up the pin , but Vader powered Flair off of him to kick out just as Race jumped and as a result the champion took the diving headbutt from his manager . After referee Randy Anderson threw Race out of the ring , Flair hit a running forearm smash on Vader then proceeded to chop the champion repeatedly . Flair then attempted another running maneuver only to be met with a bell clap from Vader . Flair then grabbed Vader ' s left leg , causing him to trip and fall , and pinned him with a roll - up to win the match and the title . Reception . Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter gave the Vader / Ric Flair main event a rating of * * * * 1 / 2 ( out of 5 ) and claimed it was a defining moment in Flair ' s career and most memorable of his numerous ( 11 at the time ) title wins . The event did a 0 . 55 pay - per - view buyrate , just above average for WCW ' s core PPV audience at the time . The show did double the business of the previous month ' s WCW pay - per - view , Battlebowl , with Starrcade considered a mild success due to being the last of four consecutive monthly pay - per - views , an unusual practice at the time . As highly promoted as Starrcade was , it only drew about 15 - 20 , 000 more buys than poorly promoted WCW pay - per - views earlier in the year . The live event gross was $ 65 , 000 and the pay - per - view gross for WCW and Turner was $ 1 . 35 million . Paid attendance was about 7 , 000 , with 1 , 000 comps , and a large amount of $ 8 tickets sold . Largely promoted as a " one - match show , " Starrcade ' 93 is remembered as delivering a tremendous main event after a terrible undercard . Aftermath . Vader continued to feud with Ric Flair until SuperBrawl IV , where Flair defeated Vader in a Thundercage match to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship . Flair then defended and retained the title against Ricky Steamboat before defeating Sting at Clash of the Champions XXVII in a championship unification match to unify the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship . Flair turned heel and began a feud with Hulk Hogan , who debuted with the promotion in June 1994 . Their feud was the main focus of the year for the promotion , with their first match occurring at Bash at the Beach . Hogan won the title , and they continued to wrestle in rematches for the remainder of the year . Hogan remained the champion , and his reign continued for over a year .