Starrcade 1985

Starrcade '85: The Gathering was the third annual Starrcade professional wrestling event produced by Jim Crockett Promotions under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) banner. It took place on November 28, 1985 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina and The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.
==Background==
The main feud heading into Starrcade was between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes over the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Flair was in his fourth reign as the champion, and his reign at the time had lasted for over a year. On September 29 at the Omni in Atlanta, after Flair defeated Nikita Koloff in a steel cage match, Nikita and Ivan Koloff attacked Flair until Rhodes came and fought them off. Ole and Arn Anderson then came, and, along with Flair, beat down Rhodes. Flair broke Rhodes' left ankle with a diving knee drop, and applied the figure four leglock.
Previous Starrcade events have been held at the Greensboro Coliseum, and this event was the first to be expanded, and held in two locations, with both also serving as locations for broadcasting via closed-circuit television. It was the first time an event was broadcast live from two locations. In 1985, the World Wrestling Federation was an emerging competitor to Jim Crockett Promotions, and created the WrestleMania event, which had significant success. The following year's WrestleMania, WrestleMania 2, was created similar to Starrcade, being held in three locations.
==Results==
;
;
:*Greensboro Coliseum
*Krusher Khruschev defeated Sam Houston to win the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (9:30)
*Ron Bass defeated Black Bart (w/ James J. Dillon) in a Texas Bullrope match (8:34)
*James J. Dillon (w/ Black Bart) defeated Ron Bass in a Texas Bullrope match (3:29)
*Buddy Landel (w/ James J. Dillon) defeated Terry Taylor (c) to win the NWA National Heavyweight Championship (10:30)
*Magnum T.A. defeated Tully Blanchard (w/ Baby Doll) (c) in a "I Quit" Steel Cage match to win the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (14:43)
*The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) (with Don Kernodle) defeated Ivan & Nikita Koloff (with Krusher Khruschev) (c) in a Steel cage match to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship (12:22)
:*The Omni
*Manny Fernandez defeated Abdullah the Butcher (with Paul Jones) in a Mexican Death match (9:07)
*Billy Graham defeated The Barbarian (w/ Paul Jones) by disqualification in a Arm wrestling match (3:02)
*Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson) (c) defeated Wahoo McDaniel & Billy Jack Haynes to retain the NWA National Tag Team Championship (9:00)
*Jimmy Valiant & Miss Atlanta Lively (w/ Big Mama) defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) (w/ Jim Cornette) in an Atlanta Street Fight (6:36)
*Dusty Rhodes defeated Ric Flair (c) to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (22:08) 
**The decision was later overturned by referee Tommy Young and changed to a disqualification win for Rhodes due to interference by Arn Anderson, allowing Flair to retain the NWA World title
==Other on-screen talent==
;Commentators
*Bob Caudle
*Tony Schiavone
;Interviewers
*Johnny Weaver	
;Ring announcer
*Tom Miller
;Referees
*Sonny Fargo 
*Earl Hebner 
*Stu Shwartz
*Tommy Young
==See also==
*List of WCW pay-per-view events
*World Championship Wrestling/Event history
*NWA Starrcade
*Jim Crockett Promotions
==External links==
* Starrcade 1985 1 at CAGEMATCH.net
* Starrcade 1985 2 at CAGEMATCH.net
* on WWE Network
Category:National Wrestling Alliance pay-per-view events
Category:Starrcade
Category:1985 pay-per-view events
Category:Events with Steel Cage matches
Category:Events with I Quit matches
Category:Events with Bullrope matches
Category:Events with Deathmatches
Category:Events with Street Fights