3. One Night Only 1997
In September of 1997 WWF attempted to test the international pay-per-view market.
Only available in Europe, the show was headlined by “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels challenging European champion, the UK’s own “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith. Many fans hoped that the Bulldog would emerge victorious, scoring the biggest win of his singles career, retaining the title he so proudly carried since February.
2. Starrcade ’83: A Flair for the Gold
If anyone ever wondered where Vincent Kennedy McMahon’s vision for the global phenomenon known as WrestleMaina stemmed from, perhaps look no further then Starrcade. Starrcade was nationwide proof of concept that the whole wrestling super show idea could in fact that off on closed circuit TV and later on pay-per-view.
The first Starrcade also benefits from having a card stacked full of talent including the likes of “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Ricky Steamboat. But in truth it was the main event the fans longed to see, a steel cage match headlined by the feud between Ric Flair aiming to win his first NWA Heavyweight title from the antagonist champ Harley Race.
