WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 (Version II)

Original Airdate: October 26, 1997

 

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

 

Opening Match: Ultimo Dragon v Yuji Nagata: Mike Tenay joins us for commentary on this one. They measure each other to start, dominated by the Dragon. Nagata manages a suplex to shake him off, but Dragon shakes him off in the corner, and puts him down with a series of strikes. Nagata grabs a sleeper out of the ropes, but Dragon gets to a vertical base, and uses a side suplex to escape. He’s loopy though, so Nagata traps him in a camel clutch, and he plants him with a piledriver for two. Vertical suplex gets him two, so he grounds Dragon in a chinlock. Dragon gets to a vertical base, so Nagata starts up with kicks, but Dragon catches the leg for a corkscrew legwhip. He literally kicks Nagata out of the ring to set up a plancha, but Yuji is able to block with a kick, as Raven’s Flock head down to their seats in the crowd. Dragon reverses a whip into the guardrail ahead of a springboard moonsault press into the aisle, but Nagata blocks a handspring backelbow on the way back into the ring. Superplex, but Dragon counters with a powerbomb for two, and a slam sets up a flying moonsault for two. Dragon takes him up for a rana off the top, but Nagata bashes the arm into the post to block, and he goes to work on the part. Overhead suplex gets him two, so he tries a modified figure four, but Dragon makes the ropes. Nagata responds with a powerbomb, but Dragon counters to the Dragon Sleeper - only for Nagata to get into the ropes. Dragon stays on him with an enzuigiri, and this time the rana off the top works. Dragon Sleeper, but Nagata counters to a fujiwara armbar, and Dragon quickly taps at 9:51. This wasn’t poorly worked, it just felt flat, and like they were going through the motions rather than really feeling the match. * ¾ (Original rating: *)

 

Chris Jericho v Gedo: This is Gedo’s WCW debut, and Tenay is still hanging out for this one, too. Gedo stalls in the early going, until he’s able to grab a wristlock, but Jericho reverses. They trade off with those for a bit, until Chris takes him down with a spinkick, and Gedo bails. Back in, Jericho smacks him with a backelbow, and he adds a hanging vertical suplex. Snapmare gets two, but Gedo manages to dump him over the top with a clothesline, and delivers a powerslam for two on the way back in. Another powerslam for another two count, so he tries a sleeper, but Jericho breaks free, and throws a clothesline. Powerbomb gets two, so Jericho uses the momentum of the kickout to power him into a second powerbomb for two. He tries a rana off the top, but they botch it badly (looked like Gedo thought he was supposed to counter with a powerbomb but Chris didn’t get the memo), and Jericho somehow gets two out of it. Gedo bails to regroup, so Jericho tries diving after him with a plancha, but Gedo kicks him out of the air to block. Inside, a reversal sequence ends in Gedo using an electric kneebreaker, but a flying sidekick misses, and Jericho traps him in the Liontamer at 7:16. Not much to this one, and the crowd had no idea who Gedo was, which didn’t help matters at all. ¾* (Original rating: *)

 

WCW Cruiserweight Title v Mask Match: Eddie Guerrero v Rey Mysterio Jr: Tenay is with us on commentary here. Guerrero tries slapping him around at the bell, but Rey comes at him with a closed fist, and uses some sticking and moving to send the champ over the top. Rey tries a dive, but Eddie blocks, and Mysterio face plants on the floor. Guerrero gives him a trip into the steps for good measure, and he delivers a slingshot somersault senton splash on the way back inside. Eddie with a big chop and a big uppercut, but a whip into the ropes gets reversed, allowing Mysterio a dropkick. He tries a handspring backelbow, but Eddie catches him in a side suplex, and he adds a brainbuster for two. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets two, so Eddie starts ripping at the mask, and he puts his challenger in an abdominal stretch. Eddie shifts into backbreaker when Mysterio won’t quit, and he works a double knucklelock for a while, until Rey manages to springboard to the top rope with a DDT. That was a cool spot. Dropkick knocks Guerrero to the outside, and Rey tries staying on him with a dive, but Guerrero dodges, and dropkicks Mysterio off of the apron. Eddie viciously whips him into the rail out there, and he works a camel clutch on the way back inside. He manages to tear a good chunk of Rey’s mask off in the process, then switches to a gory special to try and get a submission out of the kid. Rey escapes, but another dropkick attempt goes south, and Eddie gives him a nasty over the shoulder backbreaker. Guerrero applies a modified bow-and-arrow from there, but Rey still won’t quit, so Eddie blasts him with a jumping backelbow for two. Guerrero with a tree of woe, but Rey dodges a baseball slide from the position, causing Eddie to crotch himself on the post. Guerrero bails, but Rey is on him with a flying bodypress on the floor - Eddie unable to block this time. Eddie tries fighting him off with a tilt-a-whirl on the way back in, but Rey lands on his feet, and hooks a rana into a cradle for two. Eddie cuts him off with a clothesline, but Rey keeps moving, and sends the champion to the outside via headscissors. That allows Rey another crazy dive into the aisle (which Tenay clarifies involves a ‘somersault flip’), and Rey uses another dive for two as they head back inside. Bodyslam sets up a slingshot moonsault, but Guerrero lifts his knees to block, and shakes the ring with a powerbomb for two. Corner charge misses, allowing Rey a spinheel kick to buy time, and he capitalizes with a springboard - only to land in a backbreaker! That didn’t look as great in practice as it sounded. Guerrero tries a flying somersault senton splash, but Mysterio dodges. Guerrero tries a splash mountain instead, but this time Mysterio counters with a rana into a cradle to win the title at 13:49. This was originally booked as Guerrero winning and Mysterio unmasking, but Rey was adamantly against it, and after butting heads with management up until almost bell time, they agreed to change the finish. This is also considered something of a classic match, with many respected observers giving it ratings in the high four-star range (or even perfect five-star ratings), though I just don’t see it. I’ve been eager to revisit this one because I figured I must have underrated it on my first go around, but after giving it careful reconsideration here, I still don’t see anything beyond just a good Nitro match, and I actually think I overrated it the first time. *** ½ (Original rating: *** ¾)

 

Steve McMichael v Alex Wright: Wright is Debra McMichael’s mystery new client. They trade wristlocks to start, you know, just as you’d expect in a feud based on a guy getting in with another’s wife. Mongo with a bodyslam, so Wright bails to confer with Debra, and man, why did they ever turn Alex Wright heel? This is a guy who should be working babyface forever. Inside, Steve grabs a headlock, but Wright shakes him off, as they continue to size each other up and feel each other out like they’re wrestling at a county fair somewhere. Wright gets control with a shoulderblock, and he puts the boots to McMichael, before slapping on a standing side-headlock. Mongo forces a criss cross and delivers a hiptoss, and a bodyslam leads to a series of rights that rattle Wright. Alex tries coming back with a tombstone, but Mongo reverses, so Debra distracts the referee. That allows Bill Goldberg to run in, and he nails Steve with a spear and a Jackhammer - allowing Wright the pin at 6:31. That finish was all kinds of messed up, from the reversal getting botched, to the referee having to play ‘distracted’ for so long and so poorly that there’s no way a person of any reasonable intelligence could possibly suspend disbelief. This was a bad match, and the announcers completely ignoring it in favor of talking about the main event didn’t do them any favors. -¼* (Original rating: DUD)

 

Disco Inferno v Jacqueline: Disco's WCW Television title is not on the line here, thank God. The announcers are still talking about the main event. Lots of stalling from Disco to start, and the first contact isn’t made until a full four minutes in, when Jacqueline manages a slingshot sunset flip for two. Disco fights her off with a drop-toehold, and he bails again to do more stalling. That goes on for several minutes more, until finally, over six minutes into the match, Jacqueline manages to get her hands on him again. She takes Disco down for mounted punches… and then Disco bails again, and decides to walk out on the match. Jacqueline chases him up the aisle and tackles him over by the entrances, sending Disco retreating back into the ring. Jacqueline chases and unloads on him, so Disco dumps her to the outside, but Jacqueline sweeps him from the floor, and crotches him on the post. Disco falls to the outside, so Jacqueline suplexes him on the floor, and hammers him as they head back inside. Floatover DDT connects, but Disco reverses a flying bodypress for two. He argues the count, however, allowing Jacqueline to sneak up with a schoolboy at 9:39. Another terrible excuse for a wrestling match, and it made the reigning TV champ look like a fool to boot. -¼* (Original rating: DUD)

 

WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Ric Flair: Flair charges the ring to kick start the match, blitzing Hennig with fury, and sending him flying from the apron into the rail. Hennig decides to walk out on the match, but Ric chases him down, and feeds him another helping of rail. Inside, Flair goes after the leg, but misses a char shot to the knee, so he unloads on the champion in the corner instead. Cross corner whip backfires when Curt rebounds with a clothesline, and he adds a somersault necksnap. Hennig goes after the leg, but Flair keeps getting fired up, so Curt decks him for two. Hennig goes to work on the face (following up on the cage door slamming from Fall Brawl), and a cross corner whip sends Flair flipping to the floor. Hennig follows to do more damage to the leg out there, and Flair seems to be flirting with the idea of blading, but he doesn’t go through with it. Inside, Curt keeps hammering him, and he locks a sleeper to try and put it away, but Flair manages a side suplex to break the hold. Hennig wisely bails, and he grabs a chair out there to try and bash Ric in the head with, but Flair dodges. Flair slides to the outside to crack Hennig with a big chop, and he sends Curt into the post with a catapult! Back in, Ric goes to the eyes just for the hell of it, so Hennig decides to try walking out on the match again… though he’s got the Cruiserweight belt instead of the US belt for whatever reason. Ric cuts off the escape again, and he delivers a kneedrop in the aisle this time, before taking it inside. Curt fights him off with a kneelift on the way in, and he sets up a bridging fisherman suplex onto the title belt, but Ric counters with a hanging vertical version onto it instead. Or, well, kind of - Hennig never actually made contact with the belt at any point. No matter, Ric grabs the belt and bashes Hennig in the head with it during a tree of woe, and the referee decides to call for the DQ at 13:56. This wasn’t either man’s best night, but they kept the action moving out there, and Hennig was doing some good selling. * (Original rating: *)

 

Lex Luger v Scott Hall: Larry Zbyszko is the special guest referee for this one, and Hall is in his face right away, tossing the toothpick at him. Lex intervenes with right hands, but Hall chokes him in the corner, until Larry can break them up. Lockup ends in Luger getting him in the corner, but Larry separates them again to illustrate that he’s going to call it down the middle. They continue to feel each other out for a bit in dull fashion, and what is with everyone working like they’re on the senior circuit tonight? At least Flair and Hennig had energy, most of the roster are working like they left it all at the tables. Hall gets control with a bow-and-arrow to really juice things up, but Lex reverses, and I’m surprised the roof isn’t coming off of this place considering how blistering the action has been thus far. Luger with a ten-punch in the corner, but Hall shakes him off with an inverted atomic drop, and he adds a clothesline. Scott works a ropechoke, allowing Syxx to try a cheap shot, but Larry cuts him off. Hall stays on Lex with a cross corner whip and a corner clothesline for two, and why is it that former wrestlers can never make a proper referee count? I get that it’s an art form of its own, but really, how hard is slapping a mat? Scott with a fallaway slam for two, so he tries a sleeper to end it, as the crowd waits for something exciting to happen. Say what you will about the WWF during this period, but their workers at least tried. Luger manages a side suplex to escape the hold, but Hall rolls over to get an arm across the chest for two. A big punt to the ribs sends Lex to the outside, and Hall won’t let him back in, so Larry gets in his face. That ends in Hall swinging at him, but Larry ducks it, and backdrops Scott over the top! Eric Bischoff hops up on the apron to protest, but Larry gets rid of him as well, and Luger kicks off a comeback. Syxx comes in while Larry is distracted to knock Lex silly with a kick, allowing Hall to deliver the Outsider’s Edge - a reluctant Zbyszko counting the fall at 12:39. Afterwards, Larry decides he wants to see a replay of what happened, and catches the interference from Syxx on the tape, giving him reason to restart the match. Hall, of course, throws a tantrum, but that gives Lex more recovery time, and he puts him in the torture rack at 0:16. (12:55 total). This was surprisingly dull, like watching paint dry on live pay per view, with the only interesting part being the overbooking. Afterwards, Hall, Syxx, and Bischoff beat Larry up, since even when the babyfaces go over they can’t go over. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

 

Las Vegas Sudden Death Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Randy Savage: Brawl on the floor to start, dominated by Page. Savage manages to shake him off on the way back inside, however, and he drops DDP throat-first across the top rope. Macho unloads in the corner, but Dallas turns the tables. Savage bails to evade a Diamond Cutter, so Dallas dives after him with a plancha, and whips Randy into the rail. Macho fights him off and clotheslines Page into the crowd - Randy diving after him with an axehandle from off the rail, and some dude gets so riled up that he rips his shirt off and starts yelling. Vegas, man. They brawl over to the entrance set, where Savage tries whipping him into some tombstones, but Page reverses. Of course, they’re made of styrofoam. Savage grabs a TV camera on their way back into the ring, but it backfires on him as he tries to bash Page, so Miss Elizabeth smashes a glass tray over the referee’s head to prevent him from counting Savage out. Liz then chokes Page with some electrical cord, but Kimberly runs out to make the save, their cat fight drawing the biggest pop of the match. Both guys stagger up, and Page manages to strike first with an inverted atomic drop and a pancake piledriver. Cutter, but Savage holds the ropes to block. Macho pulls himself to the top to dive with a sloppy flying elbowdrop, but Page beats the count, so Randy bodyslams him to set up another sloppy flying elbowdrop. Page beats the count again, so Randy tries another bodyslam - only for DDP to counter with the Cutter! That leaves both men looking up at the lights, but both stagger up in time. Page tries another Cutter, but Macho mulekicks him to block, and Dallas falls out of the ring. That allows a fake Sting to march out with a baseball bat to bash him, though thankfully the announcers aren’t trying to pretend it’s the real Sting for once. So Page is knocked silly, and can’t answer the count at 18:09. This felt extremely derivative of their earlier matches, and it was weaker than them to boot. ¾* (Original rating: *)

 

Main Event: Cage Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Roddy Piper: Hulk's WCW World Title is not on the line, and this is a big cage that covers ringside, though without a top to it. It’s also super tall, one of the biggest cages I’ve ever seen. Hogan literally runs away to start, which is weird. Like, I get that he’s a heel now, but this is still the same guy who spent fifteen years steamrolling everyone. Hulk tries climbing up the cage to escape, but Piper literally bites his asshole to stop it, and into the ring we go. Roddy unloads, Hulk runs, repeat ad nauseam. Hulk finally manages to send him into the post to buy time, and he escapes out the door of the cage, but Piper chases for a brawl against the rail. Hulk smashes him with the cage door a bunch of times, and damn, that thing is badly rusted out. Is that the same one from Havoc ‘89, just without the top? Though he’s firmly in control now, Hulk decides to walk out on the match for some reason, maybe since it’s protocol for all champions tonight, I dunno. He’s cut off by a fake Sting (who looks like Bret Hart, based on the hair), and Piper drags him back into the cage. No wonder Bret was nervous about jumping, they could have made him into a fake Sting. Roddy’s moving like an old man getting out of a bathtub here. I don’t get the structure of this match. It’s clearly not escape rules since both men have already escaped, but there’s also no referee in the ring to count pins, so I have no idea what’s going on. And then it gets weirder, as both guys start climbing the cage as if doing a foot race to escape. Hulk unloads with the weightlifting belt, and then makes another attempt to climb out, but gets blocked by the fake Sting. That allows Roddy to catch up, and they slug it out atop the cage, as several other Stings materialize at ringside. Even the announcers sound bored with this one, which is never a good sign, let alone for a main event. Back into the ring, Piper chokes him with a t-shirt, and the crowd is completely dead. Hogan is bleeding somehow, not sure when that happened, maybe from all the ass biting. Hulk delivers a pair of legdrops, so the referee comes in to count, but they only get two. Cue Randy Savage, and Macho climbs to the very top of this super cage, but his dive ends up hitting Hogan! That would be a pretty insane dive for any worker to try, but considering how messed up Randy’s knees were by 1997, that was practically suicidal. The miss allows Piper to lock on the sleeper, and Hogan is out at 14:45. This was legitimately terrible, and like Page/Savage, the dirt worst of their pay per view trio. At least the earlier matches, while certainly not workrate classics, were entertaining in their way. This was just boring, and confusing on top of things. Afterwards, the nWo beat Piper and some fake Stings down, until a fan runs in, so they beat him down, too. With worked punches, since apparently the fan was a plant. And not a plant in the ‘debuting wrestler’ like Earthquake or Savio Vega kind of way, just a random dude never seen or mentioned again after this. I guess they wanted to discourage actual fans from running in, and this was their best idea? -*** (Original rating: -**)

 

BUExperience: This was a bad show, with only one good match, and several legitimately awful ones - particularly the insultingly bad main event. And what a shame, since the card was well developed and interesting enough on paper, but most of the roster seemed like they just wanted to get back to the blackjack tables, or something. Just weak effort from almost everyone on the card.

 

DUD