Erik Beaston October 30, 2024 Ranking the 10 Most Unforgettable Moments in WCW Halloween Havoc History
0 of 11
Credit: WWE.com
WCW Halloween Havoc was one of the most popular pay-per-views on the company’s schedule, a show that blended the aura of the season with professional wrestling.
The extraordinary sets, nostalgic vignettes and often-absurd creative decisions all helped make the show a fan favorite that WWE brought back and uses annually for its NXT brand.
The 2024 edition of the premium live event saw Trick Williams retain his NXT Championship over Ethan Page, Bubba Ray Dudley make an unexpected appearance, women’s wrestling take center stage, and Tony D’Angelo outlast Oba Femi.
On the heels of that show, and in celebration of the seasonally appropriate, aura-filled broadcasts WCW provided fans, let’s relive the most iconic moments from the 11-year history of the PPV, featuring some of the top stars the industry has ever produced.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Credit: WWE.com
Other classic moments that did not make the final cut include:
Tony Schiavone’s Show Open
Take Tony Schiavone, throw him in a vampire costume and let him flex his acting skills, and you have a charming opening to one of the year’s most popular shows.
Schiavone hammed it up as a homeowner handing out treats on Halloween, only to reveal himself as a vampire.
Wrestling from 80s/90s @Wrestling80s90s
On This Day in Wrestling History – Tony Schiavone introduces WCW Halloween Havoc 31 years ago today (10/24/93) @OTD_in_WWE @WHWMonday @tonyschiavone24
pic.twitter.com/TRz3jaZeoF
For those fans who grew up in the 1990s, it’s a wonderful reminder of what themed vignettes, commercials and events looked like.
The Red Canvas
WCW used a special red canvas for the 1990 show to play up the ominous feel of the Halloween season.
It was the first and last time it experimented with the color for the event, but it left an impression and was one of the most memorable elements of that year’s broadcast.
History of Pro Wrestling from Around The World @WrestlinOTD
OTD in 1990..WCW Halloween Havoc
World Tag Team Championship Match
Doom vs RicFlair & Arn Anderson pic.twitter.com/4GEr327wFI
If not the most memorable.
Hogan Lays Down
Vince Russo left a lasting impression on Halloween Havoc in 1999 in his first PPV as the head of creative in WCW.
His fingerprints were all over the show, but never more so than in a memorable mid-show angle in which Hulk Hogan marched to the ring for his match with Sting, said something to his opponent and then lay down for the world champion.
On This Day in WWE @OTD_in_WWE
#OnThisDayInWWE 25 years ago on Halloween Havoc ’99:
Hulk Hogan, in his street clothes, lays down for Sting – and the WCW Title match is over in 3 seconds
“What the hell is going on? No, no, wait a minute” – Schiavone
Bro!
The understandably disappointed fans boo heavily pic.twitter.com/nAAgnBSIt4
It was the first in many work-shoot style angles produced by Russo, who seemed intent on booking to the smart fans rather than the larger audience.
It went about as well as expected and by the time the next night’s Nitro kicked off, the title would be vacated and Russo’s brand of sports entertainment would be firmly in effect.
Thunderdome
Four of the most decorated and celebrated stars in WCW history battled inside the Thunderdome at the inaugural Halloween Havoc in 1989 when Ric Flair and Sting teamed up to square off with Terry Funk and The Great Muta.
On This Day in WWE @OTD_in_WWE
#OnThisDayInWWE 35 years ago at Halloween Havoc ’89:
The Great Muta tackles a fire that breaks out on top of the ‘electrified’ Thunderdome – putting out the flames with his green mist!
“That’s coming prepared!” – Bob Caudle @muto_keiji pic.twitter.com/mtXWxtCHbb
One of the best matches in the event’s history saw the babyfaces survive the cage and pummel their opponents into submission to the point that Muta’s manager, the late Gary Hart, threw in the towel on behalf of his charge, handing Flair and Sting the win.
This was an in-ring tone-setter for the event that was rarely equalled or eclipsed in the following decade.
10. Out With A Whimper
2 of 11
Credit: WWE.com
By 2000, WCW was clearly on its last legs.
The company was losing money, attendances were dwindling and while viewership would be considered a success by today’s standards, it was a major departure from the record highs of the peak years in 1997 and 1998.
Add to that some of the booking through a revolving door of creative minds such as Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff and a multi-man booking committee, and you had a company in freefall, just in time for Halloween Havoc.
The 2000 event card and execution were about as good as any other show that year in that it, er, wasn’t.
Ultimate Wrestling Trivia @UltWresTrivia
24 years ago in what would be voted by @WONF4W readers as ‘the worst major show of 2000’, the 12th (and final) WCW Halloween Havoc PPV was held in Las Vegas..Buff Bagwell faced David Flair in a ‘First Blood DNA’ match to see who was the father of Stacy Keibler’s unborn child! pic.twitter.com/e13LPcWgMz
Questionable creative was only part of the cornucopia of rubbish that night.
Bad matches, head-scratching storyline developments, wrestlers and vendettas no one cared about, plus no discernible path forward made for a frustratingly bad product that did nothing to encourage excitement or hope surrounding a product that had been so hot a few years earlier.
By the time the decision was made to book Goldberg vs. Kronik in a Handicap match in the main event of a PPV that also saw Jeff Jarrett dressed as an imposter Sting (not the first time in the event’s history), the show had already been deemed a disaster-piece that was somehow worse than the worst the company had already offered that year.
It was a sad conclusion to a PPV that had created so many fond memories for fans since its inception 11 years earlier.
9. Would The Real Surfer Sting Please Stand Up?
3 of 11
Credit: WWE.com
The imposter Sting(s) that appeared at the 2000 show were not an original idea. They were a throwback to the 1990 show when the Four Horsemen concocted a ridiculous plan to screw The Icon out of the WCW world title.
Late in the match, Vicious caught the champion with a powerslam off the ropes and secured the win and title. Or so he thought.
As the celebration began, Sting emerged from the locker room and revealed that the man in the face paint was none other than the challenger’s fellow Four Horseman, Barry Windham.
A Stinger Splash to Vicious later and the real Sting picked up the victory.
It was a wildly overbooked mess of a finish that intended to protect both men but only irritated fans and gave the impression that WCW creative had run off the rails.
8. The Chamber of Horrors
4 of 11
Halloween Havoc is so fondly remembered by fans, in part, because WCW would put together some over-the-top themed matches, looking to capitalize on the terror and spectacle of the season.
The 1991 show, which featured the Chamber of Horrors, was no different.
Sting, El Gigante and The Steiner Brothers battled Vader, Cactus Jack, Abdullah the Butcher and The Diamond Studd inside an enclosed steel cage.
The object of the match was to put one of your opponents in an electric chair, flip the switch and seemingly electrocute them. Late in the match, that is exactly what happened as Rick Steiner grabbed hold of Abdullah, suplexed him into the chair and watched as an unknowing Jack flipped the switch and cost his team the win.
TrillerTV @FiteTV
#OnThisDay WCW Halloween Havoc 1991 took place 33 years ago with the infamous Chamber of Horrors Matchpic.twitter.com/RaPYBy7uVq
It was a spectacle of a match, for sure, and exactly what one expected out of a show like Halloween Havoc. In that regard, it was a success.
As long as no one demanded quality in-ring competition or props that worked, such as the match-ending lever that had fallen midway through, failed to electrocute anyone and was only fixed when an alert Jack spotted it.
7. The Yet-ayyyy
5 of 11
The year 1995 was an interesting one for WCW in that it appeared to take inspiration from the over-the-top gimmicks and characters from WWE in an attempt to provide Hulk Hogan with a stable of heels to combat.
The company’s answer? Kevin Sullivan’s Dungeon of Doom.
At that year’s Halloween Havoc, after a battle between Hogan and rookie opponent The Giant, one such awe-inspiringly ridiculous competitor made his way to the ring…and into infamy.
Ron Reis stalked toward the squared circle in mummification wrapping, looking like something straight out of a C-movie ripoff of the Universal Studios movie The Mummy.
On commentary, Tony Schiavone screamed, “It’s the Yet-aaay!” and elevated the moment from mind-numbing to unintentionally hilarious.
Allan @allan_cheapshot
#OnThisDay in 1995: WCW Halloween Havoc PPV: The Yeti (Yetaaay!) and The Giant hug Hulk Hogan. pic.twitter.com/YrfzCN0nju
The bear hug he and The Giant gave Hogan was also unintentionally hilarious and lives on in internet memes and GIFs.
A moment the likes of which WrestleCrap lives for, it is both an indictment of the creative process in 1995 WCW and indicative of the surreal nature of professional wrestling in that early half of the 1990s.
6. Monster Truck Madness
6 of 11
The 1995 Halloween Havoc is not only responsible for the arrival of The Yeti. It also included a monster truck battle between Hogan and The Giant that kicked off the night’s festivities.
An uninspired battle of two gigantic trucks gave way to a battle between Hogan and his seven-foot oppressor that concluded with the babyface knocking The Giant off the roof of the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
Yes, the company’s top babyface appeared to commit manslaughter at the top of the show by delivering a blow that sent the big man crashing to his demise.
Except, Giant would return later in the show for the main event as if nothing happened.
Unlike The Yeti’s arrival later, which had a certain level of charm, Giant’s fall from the top of the arena and subsequent return later in the broadcast was insulting to the viewers’ intelligence and one of the moments that is better left unvisited.
5. Texas Death Match: Cactus Jack and Big Van Vader Tear the House Down
7 of 11
Credit: WWE.com
Cactus Jack and Big Van Vader had a long history of physical battles entering the 1993 Halloween Havoc and, in the main event of the show, would again prove they were willing to put their bodies through hell to deliver in a big spot on the show.
Add in a “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” gimmick that selected a Texas Deathmatch for their bout, and you have a recipe for something special at the top of an otherwise unimpressive card.
Needless to say, Jack and Vader delivered.
In a brutal main event, Jack threw everything he had at Vader, even scoring two falls over the world champion. Vader, a resilient heavyweight, fought through the pain to remain in the match by making it to his feet before the referee’s 10-count.
Vintage Puroresu プロレス @vintagepuro
Big Van Vader x Cactus Jack. Texas Death Match. Halloween Havoc ’93. The gold standard of mainstream wrestling brutality for the era. 🌵☠️🪦 pic.twitter.com/h6IVtzAlDQ
Jack’s toughness was on display as he absorbed Vader’s punishing strikes and a moonsault but still made it back to his feet. He would not be so lucky after a DDT to a steel chair.
As he began stirring and fought his way up, Vader’s manager and former NWA world champion Harley Race, produced a stun gun that he used on the challenger to prevent him from answering the count.
Vader was awarded the match, and Jack went on to remain a problem for the champion for months afterward.
A brilliant match defined by its brutality, it further solidified Vader as the man in WCW and Jack as a main event-worthy performer whose ability to take punishment endeared him to fans, something WWE officials would find out and use to far greater success than their counterparts.
4. The Anti-Classic: Hogan vs. Warrior II
8 of 11
Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior blew the roof off Toronto’s SkyDome at WrestleMania VI in one of the most iconic main events in that show’s history.
Warrior toppled The Hulkster, and most expected it was only a matter of before WWE ran that matchup back to great fanfare and excitement.
Except, it didn’t.
By the time Eric Bischoff and WCW brought the two future Hall of Famers back together for the rematch eight years later, there was an understandable lack of interest for it.
Both performers were older, Hogan was a heel and Warrior had not been truly relevant in the industry for about six years.
On This Day in WWE @OTD_in_WWE
#OnThisDayInWWE 25 years ago at Halloween Havoc:
One of the worst matches of all time, between The Warrior and Hollywood Hogan
There are throwbacks to their iconic WrestleMania 6 match, but ultimately it’s remembered for the fireball botch pic.twitter.com/HOxiZCJW4L
Expectations were low and somehow the match was still worse.
Hogan and Warrior stumbled through a horrendous outing, highlighting how important Pat Patterson had been to laying out their original showdown. Punches, kicks, back rakes and eye-gouging bored fans before The Hulkster infamously botched a fireball and defeated his face-painted foe.
A memorable match for all the wrong reasons, it killed any interest in another Warrior appearance and served no real purpose other than for Hogan to get an elusive win back.
It remains one of the worst main events in a major promotion in pro wrestling history and one of the industry’s worst ever.
3. Production Botch: Fans Miss Goldberg vs. Diamond Dallas Page
9 of 11
If the all-time stinker that was the Hogan-Warrior rematch was not enough to convince fans that WCW had lost the momentum that drove it to the top of the industry, the conclusion of that same 1998 Halloween Havoc event certainly was.
Diamond Dallas Page was slated to challenge Goldberg for the world title in the night’s main event, a battle of two of wrestling’s most popular stars.
Both received thunderous ovations upon their entrance, and their prematch staredown had an electricity about it that permeated throughout the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
It was a legitimate big-match feel for a star-studded main event; a main event that a large portion of the audience never got to see.
The show had run long by a half-hour and the PPV feed terminated, leaving the audience in the dark regarding one of the biggest matches of the year.
WCW ran a make-good by airing the match in its entirety on Monday Nitro the next night, but the damage was done. Those in power fell asleep at the wheel and the reputation of the former No. 1 promotion took a major hit.
Goldberg defeated Page in what was inarguably the best match of the champion’s entire career. One that fans who weathered the storm that was Hogan vs. Warrior deserved.
Instead, the huge production proved to be another in a line of miscommunications and oversights that preceded the eventual demise of WCW two-and-a-half years later.
2. ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper’s Unforgettable Debut
10 of 11
The 1996 Halloween Havoc concluded with “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan successfully retaining the WCW world title over “Macho Man” Randy Savage with the help of his nWo brother, The Giant.
As the show appeared to be headed off the air with the heels standing tall, the familiar sound of bagpipes filled the arena and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper stepped through the curtain in what was a surreal moment.
Hot Rod had just appeared in WWE a few months earlier, battling Goldust in a Hollywood Backlot Brawl, so fans were excited when he confronted Hogan.
Always one with a few words for any prospective foe, Piper unloaded on The Hulkster, reminding him that he was the only competitor Hogan had never defeated before.
It was a goosebump-inducing moment for fans as two of the most historically significant stars in WWE history renewed their rivalry in WCW, putting an exclamation point on the show that had preceded it.
The confrontation would ultimately lead to a match at Starrcarde two months later. Still, Piper’s shocking debut only accentuated how exciting the WCW product could be and the power of the unpredictable.
1. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio’s All-Timer
11 of 11
As memorable as the Monday Night Wars were for WCW with the New World Order, Goldberg, Sting and Diamond Dallas Page leading the way, it was equally defined by the influx of cruiserweight talent from around the world.
The smaller, faster and global competitors brought a new work rate to the company and were often responsible for the best matches on any show.
Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr. were two such competitors, athletes who plied their craft in the rings of Mexico and Japan before gaining notoriety in ECW.
Upon their arrival to WCW, they became pillars of that division and at the 1997 Halloween Havoc event, would settle their rivalry in a Title vs. Mask match.
No one could have foreseen the epic encounter and revolutionary showdown that cruiserweight championship match would prove to be.
Guerrero and Mysterio delivered the closest thing to a flawless contest that fans may ever see. Executing seemingly impossible spots to perfection, they delivered a masterpiece that would be untouched by anything else on the card and ensured their place in both Halloween Havoc and pro wrestling history.
Mysterio outlasted his opponent, fueled by the desire to uphold his heritage and respect by retaining his mask, but both men earned rave reviews and unwavering respect for what they achieved inside the squared circle.
While they were hardly the biggest stars on the show, that match has become synonymous with the event. To this day, if you utter the words “Halloween Havoc,” one of the first things fans, wrestlers and anyone else involved with the business will respond with is “Eddie vs. Rey from 1997.”
It’s a testament to their in-ring magic and what they were able to create that night in Vegas.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. This website makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you are affiliated with this page and would like it removed please contact editor @pleasantgrove.business
