Exposed: Vince McMahon's Secret Sabotage of Starrcade '83 Unveiled!

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Promoters have been known to employ various tactics to thwart their rivals, spanning from defacing indie show posters to lodging complaints with state athletic commissions. In some infamous instances, promoters have allegedly tempted wrestlers with significant amounts of money to harm their adversaries, like the rumored proposition from AWA's Verne Gagne t o The Iron Sheik to injure Hulk Hogan's leg. Learn more

There's a wrestling-related incident connected to Vince McMahon that significantly jeopardized the first major wrestling pay-per-view, Starrcade '83.

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Starrcade ’83: Background

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By November 1983, Harley Race was into his seventh NWA World Heavyweight title reign, having been a stalwart of the title scene since first winning it a decade earlier. He was arguably the face of the organization.

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In the buildup to Starrcade '83, a narrative emerged involving Harley Race placing a $25,000 bounty on Ric Flair's head. "Cowboy" Bob Orton and "Dirty" Dick Slater were assigned to retire Flair by aiming to break his neck and claim the bounty.

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Harley Race was reaching his 40s in an industry undergoing significant transformation. Scheduled for Thanksgiving, on November 24th, Starrcade '83 appeared to be the ideal moment for Race to ceremoniously pass the torch to his successor.

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HARLEY RACE: “As we walked out, the cordial nature of [my meeting with Vince McMahon] took a turn for the worse!"

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As it turned out, Vince McMahon sank to any depth to get his competition shut down, even if it meant challenging one of the toughest men in wrestling to a fight! Learn more

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