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While watching a rerun of Hell In A Cell 2016 recently, it occurred to me how the show was main-evented by two superstars who had never featured in the final match on a pay-per-view before
It got me thinking. Was this as rare as I thought? When was the last time they did this? How many times has this happened in WWE? Or WCW, for that matter?
Well, it was time to do a bit of research, and I discovered that this has only happened five times in WWE or NWA/WCW history.
An extra bit of digging revealed that Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins were in the main event of Hell In A Cell 2014 as singles wrestlers for the first time, but that doesn’t count as they had main-evented a PPV as part of The Shield.
Shinsuke Nakamura and Sami Zayn main-evented at Money In The Bank 2017, but that doesn’t count either as there were four other guys in the match who had previously closed a PPV.
So, to be clear, we are looking at main events where every superstar involved had never been in the final match on the card for his/her promotion before.
#1 Harley Race v Ric Flair (1983)
In the NWA days, eight years before the company was renamed WCW, the first PPV produced by Jim Crockett Promotions saw Harley Race and Ric Flair compete in the main event of Starrcade 1983.
Flair defeated the then-World Heavyweight Champion inside a steel cage and went on to feature in 18 main events out of the next 23 NWA/WCW PPVs.
Admittedly, this is an underwhelming inclusion but, as Starrcade 1983 was the first PPV produced by the company, whoever went on last would make this list.
#2 Hulk Hogan & Mr T vs Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff (1985)
Like NWA/WCW, the first main event in WWE history had to involve superstars who had never main-evented a PPV before. Because, well, it was their first event!
Hulk Hogan and Mr T, accompanied by Jimmy Snuka, teamed up to defeat the villainous duo of Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, accompanied by Bob Orton, in the final match on the inaugural WrestleMania card.
The PPV had a showbiz feel to it - and nothing says showbiz more than an appearance from Liberace as the guest timekeeper! New York Yankees manager Billy Martin was involved, too, featuring as the guest ring announcer. Oh, and Muhammad Ali was the special guest referee on the outside!
#3 Junkyard Dog v Randy Savage (1985)
The WrestleMania feud between Roddy Piper and World Heavyweight champion Hulk Hogan culminated at The Wrestling Classic PPV, which took place in November 1985.
However, the main event of the show was occupied by the finalists of a 16-man tournament taking place on the night.
One spot in the final was filled by The Junkyard Dog, who defeated the Iron Shiek and Moondog Spot earlier in the show, while “Macho Man” Randy Savage had been victorious against Ivan Putski, Ricky Steamboat and The Dynamite Kid en route to the final.
In what would turn out to be his one and only WWE PPV main event, JYD was the eventual winner, defeating Savage via countout.
#4 Gilbert/Steiner v Varsity Club (1989)
I am sure you knew this was coming next and you are a first-ballot pick in the Wrestling Fan Hall of Fame.
I must admit, I didn’t expect these four guys to make the list, but the history books show that Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner defeated Varsity Club (Kevin Sullivan and Dan Spivey) in the main event of WrestleWar 1989: Music City Showdown.
The show also featured Ric Flair v Ricky Steamboat for the World Heavyweight Championship, but that went on seventh out of the nine matches.
#5 Charlotte Flair v Sasha Banks (2016)
For one exciting moment, it looked as though the main event of In Your House I - Diesel v Sycho Sid - would also make this list, but Sid had been in main events before as Sid Justice, so that was the end of that.
We had to fast forward three decades for the next time two main-event debutants featured in the closing match on a PPV.
That match involved Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks -- the first time two women had competed not only inside Hell In A Cell but also last on a WWE PPV -- in Sasha’s hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.
On a memorable night in WWE history, Charlotte regained the Raw Women’s Championship after a gruelling 22-minute battle with her fellow Horsewoman.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
