WCW Halloween Havoc 1996 (Version II)

Original Airdate: October 27, 1996

From Las Vegas, Nevada; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan

Opening WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr v Dean Malenko: Mike Tenay sits in for commentary on this one. Dean attacks him before the bell, and quickly hits a side suplex for two. Texas Cloverleaf looks to finish early, but Rey blocks, so Dean settles for elbowing him in the head instead. Malenko goes to work on the arm, but Rey slips free, and a nice reversal sequence ends in Mysterio hitting a drop-toehold, then a headscissors takedown to send Dean to the outside. Rey with a springboard dropkick and a somersault suicida out there, and he corners Malenko for a ten-punch on the way back in, followed by a headscissors cradle for two. He tries another takedown, but Dean is ready with a sidewalk slam to block, and he drops the champion into the ropes to mess up his knee. Malenko with a bodyslam, and he ties Rey up on the mat to stretch the leg, followed by a side superplex for two. Back to the mat for a headscissors, and a brainbuster gets another two count. I love how much referee Mark Curtis puts into his counts. Dude is throwing his full body into those! Rey tries to fight him off, but gets dropkicked back down, and Malenko adds a backbreaker, which he holds into a submission. Malenko shifts to a reverse chinlock, then a camel clutch, before trying for the pin again with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. It's good work, but they're keeping this way too grounded tonight. Rey bails to the outside, but Dean is on his tail for a ram into the apron, and he forces the champion back inside. Snapmare sets up a kneedrop, and Dean grabs a sleeper/bodyscissors combo, but Rey manages to fight free, so Malenko drops him with a matslam. Back to the sleeper, but Rey fights out after two arm drops, only to get dropped again with a knee while trying to run the ropes. A gorgeous northern lights suplex gets two, so Dean tries a crucifix cradle for two, and tries to hold it into a submission, but Rey won't quit. Malenko responds by unloading in the corner, but Rey reverses a whip into the opposite corner, and both guys end up taking a spill to the outside while fighting up the ropes. Back in, Malenko tries another tilt-a-whirl, but Mysterio topples him for two, and uses a springboard somersault seated senton for two. Brilliantly executed. Reversal sequence ends in Rey hooking a bridging cradle for two, but he runs into a clothesline while getting up from that, and Dean uses a hanging vertical suplex for two. Criss cross ends in Malenko on the outside, and Rey dives after him with a springboard corkscrew senton into the aisle, but Dean beats the count. Rey tries a rana into a cradle for two, but a springboard rana is countered with a sitout powerbomb for two. Rey fights him off and goes up again, but Dean follows, and a reversal sequence up there ends in Malenko using a gutwrench powerbomb off the middle for three at 18:31. Really good stuff here. Exemplary execution throughout, as well as great psychology, but a little too slow in the middle, and there were some awkward transitions in there. *** ½ (Original rating: ***)

Lord of the Ring Match: Eddie Guerrero v Diamond Dallas Page: Eddie goes after him before the bell, and Page ends up on the outside right away. Guerrero follows, but gets reversed into the guardrail out there, and Dallas grabs a wristlock on the way back in. Eddie escapes, and armdrags him down for his own wristlock, so Page tries a tilt-a-whirl, but Guerrero lands on his feet, and takes DDP to the mat in a headlock. Eddie works that for a while, but Page's size eventually allows him to power out, and he works a facelock. Eddie snapmares free, and uses a dropkick to wedge Dallas between the ropes, before using his boot to knock him to the outside. Guerrero follows to send Page into the rail before bringing him back in for a slingshot somersault senton splash for two, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Dallas drops him crotch-first across the top rope. Eddie ends up on the outside after that one, so Page dives off the apron with a flying axehandle, and Guerrero eats steps. Page serves up a helping of rail as well, but a leveraged pin on the way back in only gets two. Pop-up flapjack, and an elbowdrop to the groin hit, followed by a gutwrench stomachbreaker for two. Dallas grabs an abdominal stretch, but Eddie hiptosses free, so DDP drops him with a stunner to cut off any comeback. Tilt-a-whirl slam gets two, leading to Page arguing with referee Nick Patrick... and almost getting his ass kicked as a result. I like how they've been teasing Patrick as a heel referee for a while, but they're smart enough to book bits where he clashes with heels to cast doubt. The scuffle allows Eddie time to recover, but a charge misses, and he takes a spill over the top. Page forces him back in for a powerbomb, but Eddie slips into a schoolboy for two, and a sunset flip is worth two. It triggers a pinfall reversal sequence that has poor, injured Nick Patrick straining to keep up with the covers, and Eddie uses a standing dropkick to shake Page off. He starts making a comeback, so Page bails, but Eddie is on him with a flying bodypress into the aisle. He bangs up his knee on the landing though, allowing Page to snap his throat across the top rope on the way back in, and Dallas hits a forward-falling piledriver for two. Spinning sitout powerbomb only gets two, but Eddie doesn't have anything left, and Page puts him out of his misery with the Diamond Cutter at 13:42. Solid action here, as Page continues to grow as a worker. Guerrero looked off his game tonight, but apparently he was legitimately under the weather, and working sick here. ** ¼ (Original rating: ¼*)

Giant v Jeff Jarrett: The referee holds up the WCW United States Title belt here, like it's a title match, despite the fact that neither man is the champion. In fact, Giant had stolen the belt from the actual champion (Ric Flair), and though Flair is in Jarrett's corner, he doesn't seem to particularly care. Really makes that title seem prestigious, doesn't it? Jeff sticks and moves in the early going, as Flair makes a spectacle of himself at ringside. Someone get that dude some Ritalin. Jarrett tries to grab a headlock, but Giant chucks him across the ring with ease, and it's back to the drawing board for Jeff. He manages to sucker Giant into the corner, but stupidly tries to hiptoss him, and gets reversed. The crowd is pretty firmly behind the heel Giant here, because he looks like a total badass, while Jarrett is wrestling like an idiot. Jeff tries a sleeper, but Giant pretty easily escapes, so Jarrett suckers him into a ten-punch instead. He looks for a follow-up, but runs into a big boot for two, and Giant elbowdrops him. WCW Jarrett reminds me of Kenneth Branagh in the second Harry Potter movie, for whatever reason. It's weird, because he's got the same look as he did in the WWF, but not. Giant works a backbreaker submission, so Flair grabs the mic to taunt him, and I'm pretty sure Dusty notes that Flair 'will blow ya.' According to the closed captions, that's right. Who the fuck knows with Dusty. That's enough of a distraction for Jeff to escape, but he quickly gets back into trouble, and Giant gets back to working him over. Jarrett escapes a bearhug and manages to kiss Giant's face with a pair of impressive dropkicks, but he tries a bodyslam, and gets toppled for two. What a fucking moron. Jeff starts diving with flying axehandles to take the big man down, and a flying bodypress succeeds for two. Figure Four, but Giant shoves him to the outside to block. He follows, but misses a charge into the post, and Jarrett slaps on a Figure Four out on the floor. Giant easily escapes, so Flair marches over and nails him with a low blow to prevent a chokeslam - causing a DQ at 9:53. Bad match, bad finish. Jarrett was working like such a moron here that it's almost like they didn't WANT anyone to cheer him. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Chris Jericho v Syxx: Feeling out process to start, and a big criss cross goes to a stalemate, as we spot the Dungeon of Doom observing in the crowd. Kevin Sullivan in a suit is a weird sight. Another criss cross goes Jericho's way, and Syxx ends up on the mat in an armbar. Chris avalanches him in the corner, but a trip to the top rope ends badly when Syxx knocks him down to the floor with a dropkick. Another dropkick knocks a recovering Jericho back to the floor, and this time Syxx dives with a somersault plancha. He whips Chris into the rail out there, but Jericho beats the count, so Syxx welcomes him back with some stomps. Syxx with chops in the corner, and he works a chinlock, but Jericho fights free, so Syxx spinkicks him back down for a bootchoke. Corner whip works, but the follow-up charge doesn't, and Chris starts making a comeback. Spinkick sends Syxx to the outside, so Jericho springboard bodypresses after him, and Syxx gets a taste of the rail out there. Jericho with a flying backelbow for two on the way back inside, but a charge in the corner ends badly when Syxx uses a hotshot into the top turnbuckle. Syxx tries a dive, but Jericho is ready with a dropkick to knock him out of the air for two, and Chris adds a pop-up flapjack to set up a Lionsault. Bridging cradle gets two, and a springboard forearm during a criss cross is worth two. Jericho argues the count with referee Nick Patrick, however, and that allows Syxx to sneak up with a spinkick at 9:49. Well, that was disappointing. I love how all these nWo guys jumped from the WWF, and immediately stopped giving a shit the moment they landed. * ½ (Original rating: *)

Lex Luger v Arn Anderson: Arn gets the better of him as the bell sounds, blitzing him on the ropes, and getting a quick takedown. Anderson goes to work in the corner from there, but Lex no-sells him, and hits a press-slam. Clotheslines sends Arn over the top, and Lex dives after him with an axehandle from the apron. Anderson takes a trip into the post next, and Lex hits a powerslam on the way back in, as the Dungeon of Doom continues to observe from the crowd. Luger pounds on the back, and a backbreaker gets him two. Arn ends up in an inverted tree of woe to allow Lex to keep working the back, but the Enforcer manages to pop off a rotating spinebuster during a criss cross to buy time. He's able to capitalize by dumping Luger to the outside, and he rams his back into the apron, then whips him into the rail to turn the tide. Now it's Arn's turn to work on the back, but Luger blocks the DDT, and starts making a comeback. The referee gets bumped in the process, allowing Arn to dump him back to the outside, and the Enforcer tries a piledriver out there, - only to get countered with a catapult into the post instead! Didn't look good, but I appreciate the idea. Lex adds a vertical suplex on the floor, then beats on the back with a chair for good measure, and the referee is somehow still out from the love tap he got in the corner several minutes ago. He recovers just in time for Luger to slap on the Torture Rack, however, at 12:20. Pretty boring, and with lots of overlap, since both guys decided to work the back. And that's actually Arn's final pay per view match ever, save for being one of the sixty bodies in the big battle royal at World War 3 the next month. Oddly, I gave this a much better rating in the original review, but whatever I saw in it then, I certainly didn't see in it now. I always find it interesting when that happens, because generally I end up upgrading things on these re-reviews, but then there are these random matches that I liked so much the first time around that don't do anything for me the second time through. And, just to clarify my method, I re-review the matches before checking my old rating, so I'm not influenced going in. ½* (Original rating: ***)

The Faces of Fear v Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael: Meng and McMichael start, and Meng is so scary that Steve falls on his ass just looking at him. No, really. Measuring process goes Steve's way though, and both guys tag out to let their partners play. Benoit tries to fight him straight, but Barbarian easily powers him into the corner for some abuse. Powerslam, but Chris counters with a well executed bridging northern lights suplex for two. Barbarian tries to stay in the game with a Boston crab, but Benoit blocks, and unloads in the corner. Tags all around, and Steve wants to measure him again, but Meng pounds him into the corner this time. Steve fights free and starts clipping the knee, but runs into a cheap shot from Barbarian in the corner, and the Faces take control. They cut the ring in half, but Meng misses a somersault senton splash, and Chris gets the tag. He absolutely unloads with chops, but runs into a backdrop/powerbomb combo with Barbarian for two, and the Faces have control again. Barbarian takes him up with an overhead superplex for two, and the Faces go for the kill with stereo flying headbutts, but Steve breaks the cover at two. Undeterred, the Faces go for a hanging vertical suplex/flying splash combo, but McMichael pulls Benoit out of the ring as they make the cover, and he whacks Meng with the briefcase this time. That allows Benoit to get to the top for the flying headbutt, and Meng's done at 9:24. This was fun mostly because Benoit was willing to go out there and get flung around the ring to make the Faces look like absolute monsters. Afterwards, the Dungeon of Doom come out of the crowd to help the Faces beat them down. ** ¼ (Original rating: *)

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat v The Outsiders: Booker T and Scott Hall start, and the dick measuring begins immediately, but the crowd is distracted by something going on in the stands (off camera). They fight over a hiptoss, ending in Hall taking a bump over the top off of one, and Stevie Ray is ready and waiting with a clothesline out there. Back in, both guys tag, and Stevie looks like he hates these guys for real. What a look of disdain on that kisser, Jess. Kevin Nash pounds him into the corner, but a charge hits elbow, and Stevie clotheslines him down. He stops to spit at Hall before unloading on Nash in the corner, and Sister Sherri is quick to get her licks in, too. Booker with the axekick for two, but Stevie gets reversed into the corner, and Nash manages a sidewalk slam. Tag to Hall for a 2^nd rope bulldog on Stevie for two, but an attempt at a short-clothesline gets reversed, and Booker tags in. He hits a jumping forearm for two before grounding Hall in a chinlock, but a cheap shot from Nash allows Scott a clothesline for two. Over to Kevin for a big boot, as the Outsiders take control of the contest. Nash with a snake-eyes into a clothesline from Hall, and Scott delivers a chokeslam that draws Stevie in to prevent a cover. Booker uses the distraction to try a bodypress, but gets caught in a fallaway slam, so Sherri tries her own distraction. Hall responds by forcibly kissing her, but that's enough to allow Booker to recover with a leg lariat, and he grabs a sleeper. Hall drops him across the top rope to escape, and tries a leveraged pin for two. Criss cross results in a double knockout spot, and Stevie gets the tag first, but Nash comes in as well anyway, and Roseanne Barr the door! Stevie actually press-slams Hall into Nash in an impressive spot, and the Heat go for the kill on Scott with a sidewalk slam/Harlem Hangover spot, but Nash comes in with a cane to break the count while the referee is distracted. And this isn't even Nick Patrick! Hall covers, and we have new champions at 13:08 - to a huge pop, despite the nWo supposedly being heels. This was actually much better than I expected, with lots going on, and almost no resting. *** (Original rating: ½*)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Randy Savage: The fact that it took them nearly a full two years to get around to booking Hogan/Savage demonstrates an unusual amount of restraint. Hogan is sporting that infamous Bart Simpson toupee for this one. Savage responds by bringing a monster truck. Not in the Steve Austin 'drive it to the ring and kill everyone' kinda way, but in the 'he has a paid assistant drive it out near the entrance' kinda way. Which isn't quite the same, but I guess Slim Jim didn't want their spokesperson murdering anyone on their big sponsored show. Lots of stalling from Hulk to start, with Savage getting increasingly worked up. Kinda funny to see Macho get worked up about a guy stalling, all things considered. Especially against this opponent, after years of Hogan babyface matches against a heel Savage. They make first contact approximately three minutes in for a brief feeling out sequence, before Hogan bails to the outside for more stalling. Hulk hasn't even removed his sunglasses yet, just to give you an idea of how physical this has been. Next contact doesn't come until nearly five minutes in, when Hulk suckers him into a test-of-strength, and, of course, takes a cheap shot. Hulk goes to work, with Savage selling a simple clothesline like he's been blasted with a double barrel shotgun at close range, bless his heart. Hulk keeps pounding, but Macho returns fire, and dives off the top with a flying axehandle - knocking the shades off the world champion! He steals them to taunt Hogan with, leading to Hulk begging for mercy (from all the taunting?), but Savage responds by stealing the toupee. Macho wearing a blond toupee over his black hair is actually not even the most outrageous look he's ever sported. And kudos to Hulk for playing his cowardly heel role perfectly. For a guy who supposedly forbid anyone from even casually mentioning his hairline in the past, it's nice to see him be able to poke fun at himself. Hulk bails up the aisle, but Macho drags him back, and grabs a chair. The referee steps in, however, allowing Hulk to steal it away, and he cracks the challenger with it a few times. That draws Miss Elizabeth out, and even the announcers are noting that her outfit is way too festive for this. She's dressed like a piñata, despite supposedly being in the worst position of her life. Savage tries to pants Hogan while he yells at Liz, but that thankfully doesn't get too far, and he settles for a schoolboy for two. Clothesline sends Hulk over the top, and we get a WrestleMania V mirror, with Hulk hiding behind Liz. Back in, Savage continues to dominate, and a high knee knocks Hogan to the outside again so he can use Elizabeth as a shield a second time. This time he shoves her into Macho to take control, and plants a big boot on Randy as they go in. That draws Liz into the ring to check on him, and she covers his body over to prevent the Legdrop. Hulk responds by threatening her with a beating, and the reprieve allows Savage to recover enough to dodge the eventual Legdrop. Hogan charges with a clothesline that takes the referee out, and here comes Nick Patrick to take his place, just as Savage hits the Flying Elbowdrop. Cover, count, but poor Nick's neck acts up, and he can't make the full count. Savage (who put Patrick in that neck brace to begin with) kicks the crap out of the official, and he steals a weapon away from Hogan to do some damage with. Another Elbowdrop, so now Ted DiBiase distracts him, and Giant chokeslams the challenger on the floor when Macho goes after Ted out there. Giant rolls him back in, puts Hulk on top, and of course Patrick is ready to count three at 18:38. A total sports entertainment match, in the company that used to be about delivering the exact opposite. Afterwards, Hogan cuts a promo, until Roddy Piper makes his way down the aisle, in a surprise debut. Piper was not a part of WCW's main roster at that point, and watching the show live, this was quite a surprise. Especially as he was last seen in the WWF months earlier, and as their figurehead President, no less. He proceeds to cut a promo on Hogan, which blew my eleven year old mind at the time, because he references their WWF history openly, and says things like 'hey, remember WrestleMania?' back in the days when that sort of thing was still rare. This came off well. Sure, Piper was way past his prime, and seeing Hogan/Piper headline Starrcade wasn't necessarily anyone's dream at that point, but it was exciting. People definitely talked about it the next day, and Piper seemed like an actual threat to Hogan, which isn't something they had going with the rest of the roster. I mean, just look at how they dominated, destroyed, and humiliated Savage at every turn during the build for this show. * (Original rating: ¼*)

BUExperience: Some missteps, but overall a pretty fun show, with a big angle to cap it all off.

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