Original Airdate: October 5, 1998
From Columbia, South Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (first half) and Bobby Heenan (second half)
Nitro Girls
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Saturn v Lizmark Jr: A criss cross goes Lizmark’s way with a hiptoss, but Saturn blocks the follow up, and slugs him into the corner. Saturn unloads there, and a cross corner whip rebounds Lizmark into a superkick. Another criss cross ends in Lizmark dropping him throat-first across the top rope, and Lizmark takes him into the corner for chops. Lizmark with a cross corner whip, but a corner splash misses, and Saturn tries a suplex, but Lizmark counters to a backslide for two. Saturn throws a clothesline to cut the run off, and a falcon arrow follows. That softens Lizmark up for the death valley driver at 2:27. Super abbreviated, but they were getting everything they could in. * ¼
Halloween Havoc hype video
Nitro Girls
Ernest Miller v Kaz Hayashi: Hayashi doesn’t take the forfeit offer (or, possibly doesn’t understand it), so Miller blasts him with a great looking kick, and he goes to work. Kaz manages to get the better of a criss cross, and he goes to the top for a flying bodypress, but Miller kicks him out of the air. That allows Miller a roundhouse kick to finish at 2:38. ¼*
Bill Goldberg/Diamond Dallas Page hype video
Nitro Party video
Juventud Guerrera v Jerry Flynn: Disco Inferno shows up to do commentary on this one. Jerry gets control, and delivers a kneedrop, but a spinkick misses. A criss cross allows Flynn to land a spinning sidekick, but an exchange in the corner allows Guerrera a matslam. Guerrera adds a springboard missile dropkick, and a wheelbarrow bulldog gets him two. Flynn fires back with a short-spinkick, but a corner spinheel kick misses, and Jerry takes a spill over the top. Guerrera dives after him with a flying bodypress, but a springboard flying bodypress misses on the way back in. Flynn tries a bodyslam from there, but Guerrera counters to a scoop sitout brainbuster at 3:03. They were working here, but this was ultimately too short to really building into anything. *
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Tenay is outside, chatting with fans about who they think will win the Goldberg/DDP match at Havoc
Hollywood Hulk Hogan/Warrior hype video
Wrath v Villano V: The announcers compare Wrath’s dominance of late to Goldberg, which must have had Kevin Nash’s ears immediately burning backstage. Wrath wrecks Villano, and Villano takes a trip to the steps as they spill to the outside. Wrath with a slingshot backelbow, but a charge in the corner misses, allow Villano to throw a jumping backelbow. Wrath no sells it, however, and a jumping shoulderblock connects. Wrath with a pumphandle-powerslam at 2:12. ¼*
Hogan/Warrior hype video
Tenay is still outside, still getting opinions on Goldberg/DDP
nWo Wolfpac arrive at the arena. Well, they certainly haven’t missed much. They storm right into nWo Hollywood’s dressing room once inside the building, and the two factions have a pull apart brawl. This ends in Sting stealing a tractor, and flipping over Hollywood’s limo
Hector Garza v Damian: Damian smacks him down, but gets reversed into the corner, and Hector follows in for a ten-punch. Garza with a matslam and a hiptoss, but a dive off the top misses, so Hector goes to a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker instead. But then Eddie Guerrero shows up, wanting to talk to both guys, and the referee just throws the match out at 1:16. He didn’t even touch anyone! So Eddie poses a question to them both: what has Eric Bischoff ever done for you? Eddie raises another point: why do they only book the Mexican talents against each other, and never against the ‘real’ stars. So Eddie unveils the LWO (Latino World Order), and he recruits Damian and Garza as his first two members. This was a good promo and direction for Guerrero, but couldn’t he have started with two guys with a little more marquee value? No one cared about Garza or Damian, and that immediately makes the whole thing seem unimportant by association. DUD
Backstage, Tenay catches up with the Wolfpac, and they’re going out looking for Scott Hall, who wasn’t around for his share of the beating earlier. So they’re heading off to the local bars to find him
Nitro Girls
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Psychosis: Psychosis looks for a takedown early, but Billy stays vertical, and wins a criss cross. Kidman with a northern lights suplex for two, and a headscissor takedown sends Psychosis to the outside. Kidman stays on him with a plancha, and a slingshot legdrop gets him two on the way back inside. Backdrop, but Psychosis blocks, and delivers a sitout gourdbuster for two. Psychosis with a flying spinheel kick for two, but Billy manages a dropkick. Psychosis tries a backdrop, but this time Kidman blocks. He charges, but Psychosis is ready for him, and hiptosses the champion over the top. Psychosis dives after him with a slingshot legdrop on the floor, and the challenger tosses the champion into the steps out there. Psychosis gets a two count on the way inside, and a side suplex gets the challenger another two. Chinlock, but Kidman escapes, and hooks a sunset flip for two, before Psychosis cuts him off with a clothesline. Back to the chinlock to wear him down, and Psychosis tries a powerbomb, but Kidman counters with a facebuster for two. Bodyslam, but Psychosis blocks, and hooks a rana into a cradle for two. Kidman fights back with a bulldog for two, but runs into a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Kidman fires off a sitout spinebuster for two, but a charge in the corner gets blocks, and Psychosis dives with a flying moonsault press for two. Psychosis tries a rana off the top, but Billy blocks, and dives with the flying shooting star press at 10:29. The third act, where they were trading crazy nearfalls with each other, was pretty awesome. The earlier parts of the match were a little more hit-or-miss, but it was a strong effort overall. ** ¼
Warrior is ready to destroy Hollywood Hogan again at Havoc
Scott Steiner reminds us that he’s the one who carried the Steiner Brothers team, and carried Rick on his back. Scott in pre-taped form is much better than his live interviews, as they distill is down to the best parts, and it’s really strong stuff, as he promises to make Rick the final trophy in his case at Havoc
Tenay is tailgating the Wolfpac’s car, as they continue looking for Hall
Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell are out, but before they can shovel dirt on Scott’s excellent segment earlier, Rick Steiner shows up. And he’s got Bagwell’s mother, Judy, with him, to try and ‘talk some sense’ into Buff. Wouldn’t it be more impactful if he brought out his and Scott’s mama? So Judy lays down the law, but Buff makes the mistake of reminding her that she ‘can’t even eat’ without his money, so she slaps him across the face, and drags him out by the ear. But then Brian Adams shows up, and he teams up with Scott to give Rick a beatdown, segueing into…
Rick Steiner v Brian Adams: The previous segment was great, and it was smart to go right into the match, instead of letting things cool down, and having them come back out later. Brian holds a chinlock as JJ Dillon shows up to eject Scott, and a piledriver gets him two. A bodyslam sets up a kneedrop, but Steiner dodges, and delivers a nasty powerslam. Gosh, Adams is lucky he wasn’t crippled there. Steiner with a clothesline to set up an elbowdrop for two, and a DDT follows. That allows Steiner to get to the top, and he dives with a flying bulldog at 5:39. This was dull, which is especially unfortunate, because it came off of a hot segment. DUD
Tenay follows the Wolfpac into a local bar, and they walk around looking for Hall, but he’s not around
Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff are out to cut a promo on Warrior, and it’s just boilerplate stuff, nothing even worth recapping
Horsemen hype video
Nitro Girls
Diamond Dallas Page v Kanyon: Kanyon poses on the middle rope, allowing Page to sneak up with a schoolboy for two, then another one for another two when Kanyon argues with the referee. Page stays on him, delivering a few short-shoulderblocks, and grabbing a standing side-headlock. Page with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and a right hands knocks Kanyon to the outside, where Lodi shows up to try and convince Kanyon to get him back in with Raven. That gets broken up when Page dives on them both with a plancha, but Raven sneaks over and DDTs DDP, giving Kanyon a dramatic two count. Kanyon stays on him with a facebuster for two, and he grabs a chinlock to wear Dallas down. Page fights out, but both guys collide for a double knockout spot. They get vertical for a slugfest, and DDP gets the better of it. He takes Kanyon into the corner for a series of turnbuckle smashes, and a side suplex gets him two. Kanyon tries a small package for two, but Page fires back with a pancake piledriver for two. That draws Raven onto the apron, and Page stupidly takes the bait - allowing Kanyon a schoolboy for two. Kanyon adds a swinging neckbreaker for two, but Page fights back with a tilt-a-whirl slam, so Raven and Lodi each run in to trigger a DQ at 7:17. This was solid, if a little slow. Afterwards, the attack continues, until Bill Goldberg makes the save, but Page gets in his face after the ring has been cleared. * ½
The Wolfpac arrive at another local tavern, but Hall is not here either. I really like the touch of not having them find him in the first place they go to. It adds to the realism
Lenny Lane v Disciple: Lane does a Warrior impersonation, but that draws one from Disciple, and Disciple delivers a big boot to win that showdown. Disciple with a cross corner whip, and a hiptoss follows. Lane snaps his throat across the top rope to try and buy time, but Disciple pops right back up, and clotheslines Lenny over the top. Back in, Disciple clotheslines him, and hits a cutter at 2:04. The crowd was dead silent for Disciple here. DUD
Backstage, Hogan and Bischoff search for Warrior, but can’t find him… until Warrior appears in a mirror, but only Hogan can see him. Well, and us. Sounds like Bischoff is the one who needs help
The Wolfpac reach a third bar, and finally find Hall. Kevin Nash gets into a brawl with him, and they end up in the bathroom with the door closed, just the two of them, as Lex Luger and Konnan watch the door. They finally open it, and we see that Nash has left him with his head in the toilet. Stupid ending to this series of segments. They made it look like they snuck into bathroom to fuck!
Bischoff is back out to laugh about Ric Flair, especially since Ric is not in the house. Instead, we get Arn Anderson leading Reid Flair out. Reid gets in Eric’s face, so Bischoff throws a tantrum - leading to Reid taking Eric to the mat with a double-leg. Another great segment. So Eric loses his mind, and calls Ric’s wife to complain, but that draws out the full sized Nature Boy. nWo Hollywood are immediately there to grab him, but the Horsemen chase them away to end the segment, standing tall
WCW United States Title Match: Bret Hart v Sting: Bret comes out, but then turns back before getting to the ring, so Sting chases. Sting catches up with him in the back, and they brawl through the hallways, with Sting dominating. But then it just drags on and on, as they brawl through the completely empty backstage area for a solid ten minutes, before security finally shows up, and the show just kinda ends.
BUExperience: There were some very memorable segments here, and they pushed Havoc really hard, but the show itself felt pretty slow a lot of the time, especially in the first hour. It didn’t have the vibrancy of RAW this week.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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