Wrestling: Pay-Per-View Players #2 - Nov. 1984

#1 Ric Flair [--] (2-0-0) (NWA)
(World Heavyweight Champion)

The early days of pay-per-view means Ric Flair rides a successful NWA World Heavyweight Championship defense to a consolidating second PPV win. He defeated Dusty Rhodes in the titular "Million Dollar Challenge" main event at Starrcade '84.

 

The win/loss weighting means headlining stars like Rhodes and Harley Race must dwell outside the Top 10 players -- bumped for the virgin winners of Starrcades '83 & '84. Longevity will be the key to this calbre of superstar reflecting their status. Ultimately, the PPV Player rankings cannot be entirely 'fair to Flair' and the wrestlers of this period. A spartan PPV schedule will give way to an increasing calendar that goes in excess of monthly events in much later years -- a statistical advantage to later generations.

 

It's going to be very interesting to watch the tale of Ric Flair's career as told in statistics. This cold narrative will measure various elements of his storied career, not the least of which will be his reputation for putting over new talent, and the changing investment in his value as a money draw. These numbers will only tell a piece of the story, but it should be telling as time rolls on. The legend of WCW sometimes overwhelms the reality in all its shades. I'm interested to see if the numbers of this formative PPV period contrast against the eventual conflicts between Flair and Eric Bischoff's WCW.

 

The changing landscape will certainly be reflected between now and the next count! Starrcade '83 may have got this ball rolling, but the NWA is about to be joined by a competing event that will ultimately determine the perspective of history. 1985 begins the Wrestlemania era -- and with it, the inevitable rise of Hulk Hogan.

 

Top Ten Singles PPV Players

#1 [--] Ric Flair (2-0-0) (NWA) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#2 [new] The Assassin (2-0-0) (NWA)
#3 [new] Denny Brown (1-0-0) (NWA) [World Junior Heavyweight Champion]
#4 [-1] Jay Youngblood (1-0-0) (NWA)
#5 [--] Roddy Piper (1-0-0) (NWA)
#6 [--] Bob Orton Jr (1-0-0) (NWA)
#7 [+1] Abdullah the Butcher (1-0-0) (NWA)
#8 [+1] Kevin Sullivan (1-0-0) (NWA)
#9 [+1] Mark Lewin (1-0-0) (NWA)
#10 [new] Assassin #2 (1-0-0) (NWA)

 

Top Tag Team PPV Players

#1 [--] Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood (1-0-0) (NWA) [Tag Team Champions]
#2 [--] Bob Orton Jr & Dick Slater (1-0-0) (NWA)
#3 [--] Kevin Sullivan & Mark Lewin (1-0-0) (NWA)
#4 [--] Assassin #1 & Assassin #2 (1-0-0) (NWA)
#5 [new] Ivan Koloff & Nikita Koloff (1-0-0) (NWA)
#6 [new] The Assassin & Buzz Tyler (1-0-0) (NWA)
#7 [-2] Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco (0-1-0) (NWA)
#8 [-2] Mark Youngblood & Wahoo McDaniel (0-1-0) (NWA)
#9 [-2] Scott McGhee & Johnny Weaver (0-1-0) (NWA)
#10 [-2] Rufus R. Jones & Bugsy McGraw (0-1-0) (NWA)

 

Recent Pay-Per-View Event Results
- NWA Starrcade '84: The Million Dollar Challenge (November 22, 1984)
- NWA Starrcade '83: A Flair for the Gold (November 24, 1983)

 

The Pay-Per-View Players rankings intends to take into account pay-per-view events promoted by NWA, WWF, WCW, ECW, WWE & TNA wrestling organizations. Only broadcast results contribute to the cumulative tally of win/loss record of wrestlers.