Editor’s Note: The Halloween Havoc card as a whole and the Goldberg versus Diamond Dallas Page match are not rated in this review because the Havoc card ran over time and the Toronto area pay-per-view broadcast promptly scrambled at 11:00 p.m. just as the main event was about to air. Goldberg did end up retaining his WCW World Heavyweight belt.
Nitro Girls dancing after every second or third match. The debut of Konnan’s music video. Previously unannounced matches booked on the fly. Lodi in a squash bout? At times, Halloween Havoc streaming out of Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena could’ve been mistaken for an episode of Monday Night Nitro if it were not for that pesky cable or satellite bill which you know will be waiting in your mailbox at the end of the month.
An undercard marginally better than its last few pay-per-views outings, World Championship Wrestling sought to re-invent the magic that was the Hogan-Warrior WrestleMania 6 showdown at this year’s Halloween Havoc. A retiring Hogan dropped the title cleanly to the Warrior eight years ago. That was the eighties. This is the nineties. In the process of reviving his image, the Warrior doesn’t have the stroke or the drawing power he once did. Meanwhile, Hollywood Hogan’s has an unbreakable stranglehold over WCW booking. These elements combined spell doom for the Warrior. He goes down but not as hard as others who’ve mounted an “ultimate challenge” to Hogan’s coveted WCW limelight.
Smartly positioning himself as the true main event downgrading Goldberg’s title reign, Hogan walked out calmly, a Ric Flair-like feather boa around his neck. Turning back the clock to 1990, the Warrior sprinted to the ring, shook the ropes and posed for the crowd. Hogan hit the floor.
“Why don’t you get in the ring?,” bellowed the Warrior inciting a ‘Hogan Sucks!’ chant. The leader of nWo Hollywood stepped through the ropes waving the Warrior off.
“I’m gonna kick your butt,” Hogan yelled in the Warrior’s face. The Warrior answered the taunt by punching Hogan in the face.
The Warrior reversed an arm-wringer sending both men into the ropes. A shoulder tackle knocked Hogan to the canvass. Frustrated and embarrassed, Hogan stepped out of the ring.
“Come on, Hogan. Right here!,” said the Warrior baiting Hogan into a test of strength. Hogan muscled the Warrior into a corner pounding and choking him to his knees. Warrior powered out of a knuckle lock. Hogan and the Warrior traded slams but a running clothesline sent Hogan over the top rope to the floor where they brawled; the Warrior fencing and posting Hogan.
Former nWo referee, Nick Patrick, was punked by Hogan landing knee drops on the fallen official. Hogan summoned the nWo troops from back. Hogan held the Warrior wide open as The Giant interfered. Warrior broke the hold and The Giant’s kick hit Hogan sending him sprawling. Warrior cleaned house braining Vincent, Stevie Ray and The Giant. Warrior covered Hogan but Patrick was still snoozing. As the Warrior revived Patrick, Hogan blasted him with a sledgehammer blow to the back and a reverse suplex for a two count. Hogan took off his weightlifting belt tanning Warrior’s hide.
Hogan hit air with two elbow drops in succession. The Warrior goofed a body splash. Warrior doubled over Hogan with rapid fire punches removing his weightlifting belt. Warrior whipped Hogan repeatedly wrapping the belt around his fist and haymakering the nWo Hollywood ringmaster. Hogan begged off to a corner while Patrick reprimanded the Warrior.
Pulling a baggie out of his trunks, Hogan fashioned a ready-made fire ball. Hogan fouled up throwing the fireball and the Warrior countered with two axe-handles from the top rope. Hogan began to bleed from his forehead. Hogan low-blowed Warrior hitting a leg drop as Horace Boulder came to ringside carrying a steel chair. Hogan missed the second leg drop attempt. The Warrior grabbed the ropes starting his comeback seizure. Hogan’s blows to his back had no effect and Warrior clotheslined him. Eric Bischoff jumped on the apron incapacitating Patrick in a headlock.
Horace entered the ring striking the Warrior in the back with the steel chair from behind. Hogan pinned Warrior.
“You passed the test,” said Hogan to Horace as he hugged him. Horace poured lighter fluid on the Warrior. Just as Hogan was about to light the Warrior on fire WCW security interceded.
The next WCW pay-per-view is World War Three on November 22nd.
WCW / nWo Halloween Havoc ’98 Results
: Mean Gene interviews Rick Steiner. Steiner (duh!) accepts Buff Bagwell’s offer to be in his corner when he face his brother, Scott.
Raven (challenger) Vs Chris Jericho (champion) (WCW Television Title Match)
: Raven says his losing streak is the fault of the “powers that be” conspiring against him. He won’t fight Jericho as he wasn’t given any notice about the unscheduled match and leaves heading for the locker room.
: Jericho rips Raven over the house calling him a “loser”. A ticked off Raven dives into the ring.
: Raven front suplexes Jericho on the steel steps and drop kicks him using the stairs as a springboard.
: Jericho unlaces a turnbuckle exposing the steel rigging. Raven reverses an Irish Whip launching Jericho into the rigging. Jericho clamps on the Lion Tamer. Raven fights it crawling to the ropes.
: An Evenflow DDT gains Raven a two count. Kanyon arrives on the ring apron. Raven pushes Jericho into Kanyon. The two collide. Raven goes for the DDT. Jericho spins it into a Lion Tamer. Raven taps out rather quickly.
Winner: …and still WCW Television Champion…Chris Jericho at 7 minutes and 51 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
: Hogan and Bischoff cut a promo. Footage of the attack on Horace is shown.
Meng Vs Wrath
: Wrath nails the Meltdown.
Winner: Wrath at 4 minutes and 19 seconds.
Match Rating: 1 / 10.
Disco Inferno Vs Juvie Guerrera
: Winner goes on to face Kidman for the Cruiserweight belt later that night.
: The best match of Inferno’s career.
: A furious and unexpectedly charming encounter.
: Disco drills Juvie into the mat with a jumping piledriver.
Winner: Disco Inferno at 9 minutes and 38 seconds.
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
: Mean Gene interviews Scott Steiner. Scott calls Buff a “mama’s boy” and agrees to put up the WCW World Tag Team titles with The Giant in a tag match against Buff and Rick. J.J. Dillon adds the stipulation that if The Giant and Scott lose, Scott must wrestle Rick in a singles match.
Fit Finley Vs Alex Wright
: Why? Why? Why? I ask.
: “B-o-o-o-ring” chants shake the rafters.
: Finley runs into a steel post. Wright plants him with a reverse neckbreaker.
Winners: Alex Wright at five minutes even.
Match Rating: 1 / 10.
Lodi Vs Saturn
: Why? Why? Why? I ask yet again.
: A total squash match.
: Lodi is more worried about his signs than Saturn.
Winner: Saturn by Death Valley Driver at 3 minutes and 48 seconds.
Match Rating: 0 / 10.
Disco Inferno (challenger) Vs Kidman (champion) (WCW Cruiserweight Title Match)
: The crowd really digs Kidman.
Winner: …and still WCW Cruiserweight champion…Kidman via The Shooting Star Press at 10 minutes and 37 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
The Giant , Scott Stiener (champions) Vs Rick Stiener, Buff Bagwell (challengers) (WCW World Tag Team Titles Match)
: At approximately three minutes in, Buff tags in, clobbers Rick and runs to the dressing room.
: The fans start a Goldberg chant.
: Rick bulldogs The Giant from the top rope and gets the 1-2-3 after being used as a human punching bag by the nWo Hollywood members.
Winner: …and new WCW World Tag Team champion…Rick Steiner and ? at 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Rick Steiner Vs Scott Steiner
: A person wearing a Clinton Halloween mask and a three-piece suit punks officials outside the ring and the referee. The outsider removes the mask revealing (Who else?) himself to be Buff Bagwell.
: Stevie Ray gives Buff the slap-jack. Buff brains Rick. Buff drags over the ref using his limp arm to lay down the count. Rick kicks out at two Frankensteiner-ing Scott for the win.
Winner: Rick Steiner at 4 minutes and 47 seconds .
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
Scott Hall Vs Kevin Nash
: Scott Hall stumbles to the squared circle drink in hand.
: Hall throws the drink into Nash’s face. Hall was only pretending he was plastered.
: Hall hits Nash with a microphone in the head and chokes him with a camera cable.
: Nash is bleeding.
: Nash knee drops Hall in the corner saying…”Here’s a drink. How about a double?”.
: Nash Jack-Knifes Hall then says…”I think he’ll have another” and does it again.
: Nash throws up his hands and walks out.
: Nash is counted out. Hall gets the cheap victory.
Winner: Scott Hall by count out at 14 minutes and 18 seconds .
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Sting (challenger) Vs Bret Hart (champion) (U.S. Heavyweight Title Match)
: Sting now has a goatee.
: Sting attempts a Stinger Splash. He overshoots his mark dinging his head against the ring post. Sting is draped over the ropes.
: Hart uses Sting’s own baseball bat to pound on the Dark Warrior’s back then hits him in the throat with it.
: Hart dives off the top rope ramming the bat into Sting’s throat.
: Hart twists an unconscious Sting into the Sharp Shooter. The ref drops Sting’s arm three times. Sting is taken out on a stretcher and loaded onto an ambulance.
Winner: …and still U.S. Heavyweight champion…Bret Hart at 15 minutes and 4 seconds .
Match Rating: 8 / 10.
Hollywood Hogan Vs The Warrior
Winner: Hollywood Hogan at 14 minutes and 20 seconds .
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Diamond Dallas Page (challenger) Vs Bill Goldberg (champion) (WCW World Heavyweight Title Match)
Winner: …and still WCW World Heavyweight champion…Bill Goldberg at approximately 20 minutes .
Match Rating: ?.
Total Event Time: 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Overall Event Rating: ? / 10.