WCW Halloween Havoc 1998 (Version II)

 

Original Airdate: October 25, 1998

From Las Vegas, Nevada; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Opening WCW Television Title Match: Chris Jericho v Raven: Raven complains that he wasn’t informed of this match until earlier in the day, so he’s not competing. Jericho taunts him until Raven gets in, and here we go. Chris puts the boots to the challenger, and he throws a clothesline for two. Backdrop, but Raven blocks, and a clothesline sends both men tumbling over the top. Raven drops him front-first across the steps out there, and then springboards off of the steps with a kick. Inside, Jericho manages to win a criss cross with a hotshot, and a springboard dropkick sends the challenger back to the outside. The camera work here has been really terrible thus far, particularly one guy doing the handhelds who can’t come close to a steady hand. Jericho dives after him, but Raven dodges, and Chris goes crashing into the guardrail. Raven tries a whip into the rail, but Chris reverses, so Raven chokes him with a shirt as they go back in. Raven gets a sleeper on, but Jericho manages a side suplex to escape, and he adds a senton splash. He tries a whip into an exposed buckle, but Raven blocks, and powerbombs him. Raven with a catapult into the exposed buckle, and he adds a clothesline for two. A reversal sequence ends in Raven delivering a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and another reversal sequence ends in Jericho applying the Liontamer. Raven gets the ropes, and he drops a frustrated Jericho with a DDT for two. Jericho with a schoolboy for two, so Raven tries another DDT, but Chris goes low to block, and hooks a bridging German suplex for two. Irish whip, but Raven reverses into a waiting Kanyon on the apron - only for it to backfire, and Jericho to put the Liontamer back on at 7:50. This was a great start to the show, with good back-and-forth action the entire time, and an invested crowd. The finish was weak, but it didn’t kill the overall presentation. *** (Original rating: ** ½)

Meng v Wrath: Meng attacks before Wrath can get into the ring, so Wrath pulls him to the outside, and unloads. Wrath feeds him the steps and the rail, then dives from the apron with a somersault senton. Inside, Wrath tries a turnbuckle smash, but Meng no-sells. That allows Meng a corner whip, but Wrath blocks the charge in, so Meng no-sells again. Wrath responds with a 2nd rope clothesline for two, and a corner whip rebounds Meng into a jumping shoulderblock. Wrath tries for the pumphandle-slam, but Meng blocks, and delivers a superkick for two. He adds a backbreaker for two, but Wrath wins a slugfest in the corner, so Meng side suplexes him for two. Meng with a corner clothesline, followed by an inverted atomic drop. Backdrop, but Wrath counters to a sunset flip, though Meng is able to block. Wrath uses a uranage instead for two, and the pumphandle-slam finishes at 4:24. This was well booked, in that it was explosive, and didn’t overstay its welcome. * (Original rating: *)

#1 Contender’s Match: Disco Inferno v Juventud Guerrera: The winner gets a WCW Cruiserweight title match later on. A reversal sequence right away ends in Disco hitting a sidewalk slam for two, but he loses a criss cross when Guerrera starts throwing chops. Guerrera with a headscissor takedown, followed by a clothesline. A reversal sequence (that sees a botch, though they recover nicely) ends in Guerrera hitting a rocker dropper, but a charge in the corner gets blocked. Disco charges, but now Guerrera blocks, using a monkey flip to send Disco to the outside. Guerrera with a headscissor takedown on the floor, and he rolls Disco in for more chops. Disco fights back with an inverted atomic drop to set up a clothesline, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Disco goes to a chinlock, but Guerrera escapes, and schoolboys for two. Guerrera with a spinkick, but a charge gets him backdropped over the top - only for Guerrera to land on the apron. He springboards back in, but Disco escapes to the outside, so Guerrera hits him with a plancha instead. Inside, Guerrera delivers a rana, but Disco blocks the scoop sitout brainbuster. That triggers a reversal sequence, won by Disco with a hotshot, and he adds a swinging neckbreaker for a dramatic two. Guerrera tries a sunset flip, but Disco blocks, so Guerrera uses a sunset cradle for two. Disco responds with a giant swing for two, and a vertical suplex follows. Disco goes up, but takes way too long getting there, and Guerrera crotches him. Guerrera with a rana off the top from there, and a flying spinheel kick gets him two. Guerrera adds a wheelbarrow bulldog for two, but Disco fires back with a piledriver to win it at 9:39. Another good match on this undercard. They worked hard here. *** (Original rating: ***)

Fit Finlay v Alex Wright: A little posturing to start, and Finlay gets control. They trade uppercuts, won by Wright, and Alex puts the boots to him. Alex drops him front-first across the top rope, and a catapult underneath the bottom rope follows. Alex tries a short-clothesline, but Fit reverses, and uses a catapult into the ropes to set up a modified surfboard. That was a unique transition. To the outside, Fit bashes him into the apron to keep the hurt on the back, so Alex goes after the leg. Wright with a bodyslam on the floor to set up an elbowdrop, but Fit blocks a whip into the rail, and drops Wright across it out of a fireman carry. Wright manages a slingshot sunset flip for one on the way back in, and he adds a matslam. A bodypress sends both guys tumbling over the top, but Alex misses a missile dropkick on the way back in. That allows Fit a charge, but Wright dodges, and drops him with a neckbreaker at 5:09. This was just a random match with no build, but it wasn’t bad. Probably didn’t need to be on an already overstuffed pay per view, though. * ¼ (Original rating: ¼*)

Saturn v Lodi: Saturn is apparently representing the Army Rangers here. Do they know that? They trade wristlocks to start, controlled by Saturn, so Lodi runs away, upset that the stagehands have taken his signs away. Lodi tries a headlock, but Saturn forces a criss cross, won with a kneeling facebuster. A legsweep follows, so Lodi bails to regroup with his signs. Saturn forces him in with a suplex from the apron, and he takes Lodi into the corner for chops. Saturn with a cross corner whip, so Lodi bails yet again. He decides to walk this time, but Saturn chases, and brings it back inside. Lodi manages to nail him from the high ground on the way, but Saturn quickly fights him off with a few suplexes. A falcon arrow leads to the death valley driver at 3:30. This match, though not advertised for the show, actually did have a storyline attached to it. But they blew through it too quickly for it to mean much. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Disco Inferno: Disco with a hiptoss right away, but Kidman dodges an elbowdrop, and throws a dropkick. Both guys regroup, and Kidman gets a standing side-headlock on. Disco gets it into the ropes, and delivers a bodyslam after the break, but Kidman fights him off with a drop-toehold into an armbar. Disco fights to a wristlock, so Kidman slugs him, and delivers a matslam. A charge results in Disco backdropping him over the top, but Billy lands on the apron, and uses a slingshot headscissors. Kidman puts the boots to his challenger, but Disco forces a criss cross, and uses a drop-toehold of his own to clip Kidman on the ropes. Disco with a swinging neckbreaker for two, as Tony notes that the ladies ‘take to’ Kidman. Yeah, I’ll say. Disco rattles the ring with a corner whip, and he tags the champion with a backelbow. Backdrop, but Billy blocks. The champ charges, but Disco sidesteps, and Kidman takes a wild bump over the top. The announcers kind of ignored that one, oddly. Disco follows, but gets reversed into the apron, and Kidman uses a bulldog on the floor. Billy tries a flying splash on the way back in, but Disco dodges, and covers for two. Disco grounds him in a chinlock, but Kidman escapes, and hits a rebound clothesline. Disco cuts him off with a pop-up flapjack, and he unloads on the champion in the corner. Disco with a side suplex for two, and he snaps Billy’s throat across the top rope, then delivers a bodyslam. A 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop misses, allowing Kidman to fire back with a sitout spinebuster for two. A powerslam gets another two, but a dropkick misses, and Disco tries for a powerbomb, but Kidman blocks. Disco uses that to sucker him into the piledriver, but he makes a nonchalant cover, and only gets two. Disco tries a suplex, but Kidman blocks. The champ tries a bulldog, but Disco drops him to block, and adds a gourdbuster for two. Back to the powerbomb, but Kidman counters to a facebuster, and finishes with the flying shooting star press at 10:48. Another strong effort from Disco here, though he gets a little too lost in the gimmick sometimes. ** ½ (Original rating: ** ½)

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Giant and Scott Steiner v Rick Steiner and Buff Bagwell: This was booked on the fly earlier, despite Scott not being one of the tag champs, and that they’d already advertised an ironclad showdown between the Steiner brothers for months. So now, instead, Scott will only face Rick if Rick wins here. Giant starts with Rick, and pounds him into the corner right away. Giant adds an atomic drop, and a side suplex follows. That’s enough to soften him up for a tag to Scott, and he puts the boots to his brother. Scott with mounted punches and a ropechoke, and you know, based on the quality of these exchanges, maybe they did us a favor by sparing us a singles match. Rick manages an inverted atomic drop to allow him some mounted punches of his own, and he takes Scott into the corner for a ten-punch. Scott tries an inverted atomic drop, but Rick no-sells, and clotheslines him. Tag to Bagwell, but he quickly turns in Rick. Again. Bagwell leaves after beating Rick down, and Scott goes in for the kill. He and Giant decide to toy with Rick, as Tony suggests that Judy Bagwell might have masterminded this whole thing. Things go sideways when Giant accidentally hits Scott with a missile dropkick, and Rick capitalizes with a flying bulldog on Giant at 8:02. This was too long for what it was. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

No Disqualification Match: Rick Steiner v Scott Steiner: Scott refuses to wrestle, saying the referee fast counted, and walks. Rick drags him back, and feeds his brother the steps at ringside. Inside, Scott begs off, but Rick shows no mercy, and unloads. Scott reverses a cross corner whip, but hits a boot on the charge in, and Rick hits him with an Oklahoma stampede for one. Scott goes low to allow him a suplex, and even the announcers are noting the insane amount of low blows between this and the previous match. And all on Rick! Scott delivers a clothesline, and a straddling ropechoke follows. A criss cross allows Rick a powerslam, and a belly-to-belly suplex gets him two, as some dude in a Bill Clinton mask jumps out of the crowd. He comes in and beats up on Rick with a slapjack, before revealing himself to be Bagwell. Duh. Why even bother with the mask? That gets Scott two, and a rana off the top gets another two. I should note that the referee is bumped, so Bagwell is slapping the official’s limp hand to the mat to make the counts. Rick fights off a double team, and dives on Scott with a flying bulldog at 4:55. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Kevin Nash v Scott Hall: Nash throws a drink in Nash’s face to kick start the match, and they spill to the outside right away. Scott hits him with a microphone, and chokes him with some cable next, as the crowd just dies. Probably because they’re hanging out in one pocket of the ringside area, and 90% of the audience can’t see them. Hall stops to cut a promo, but Nash beats the count in, and Scott unloads. Hall with a bodyslam, but Nash blocks the crucifix powerbomb, so Hall corners him for a ten-punch. Hall with a cross corner clothesline, as Nash starts refusing to fight back, and doing only defensive moves. Hall with another cross corner whip, but Nash reverses, and finally returns fire with a sidewalk slam. That leaves both guys taking the count, and they stagger into a slugfest - won by Kevin. Powerbomb, but Hall hits the deck, and bails. Back in, Hall hammers on the shoulder, and tries a wristlock, but Nash fights him off with a short-clothesline. Nash starts hammering on the back, and he hits a straddling ropechoke, as Tenay has the gall to actually compliment the horrible camerawork tonight. Nash unloads in the corner, and a big boot connects. There are literal minutes between ‘moves’ here. ‘Moves’ because it’s all punch-kick stuff. Nash hits the powerbomb, then decides to give him a second one. But, instead of pinning him, Nash decides to walk out - getting himself counted out at 14:19, but making his point. I guess? The dynamic here didn’t work, as it was structured around Nash selling for extended periods, and then when he finally went on offense, it was just the slowest, most plodding stuff. The crowd was dead for all of it too, despite this being positioned as a top match, and which had lots of build. The finish didn’t help things, either, and the lack of any sort of real storytelling made this dead on arrival. -¼* (Original rating: DUD)

WCW United States Title Match: Bret Hart v Sting: In another time, this would have been not only a bonafide dream match, but pretty much a certain four-star classic. And, what’s nuts, is that the ‘time’ wasn’t some far away period, it was literally a few years before this. Bret with some extended stalling early on, which again, who is this guy? It surely can’t be the same person who was still having five-star matches the year before this. It’s like the Freebirds cosplaying as Bret Hart. Sting gets hold of him, and delivers a cross corner whip, with Bret not even trying to break the ring with the bump. Sting with an inverted atomic drop, so Bret starts throwing rights, and he ropeburns him. Bret drills him with a DDT for two, and a legdrop gets another two. Hart with a bulldog, and he hooks a small package for two. He’s doing moves, but he’s moving like he’s covered in molasses, and not putting anything behind them. Hart with a Russian legsweep, but Sting counters a 2nd rope dropkick into the Scorpion Deathlock, though Hart is in the ropes right away. Sting puts the boots to him for two, and a series of mounted punches follow. A criss cross sees Bret blow his knee out, but Sting isn’t buying it, and stomps on the part. Hart responds by pulling out a weapon, but Sting clotheslines it away from him. Sting grabs it, so Bret goes low to block a shot, and delivers a backbreaker. Hart adds a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and the referee gets bumped as Bret keeps working him over. Sting gets fired up and makes a comeback, and he delivers a superplex right onto the poor referee’s limp body. Sting with the Stinger Splash, but he bumps his head on the post on the delivery. That allows Hart to beat on him with a baseball bat, and the Sharpshooter finishes the already unconscious Stinger at 15:05. Yes, they couldn’t break one-star with fifteen minutes on pay per view. WCW in 1998, ladies and gentlemen. ¾* (Original rating: ½*)

Warrior v Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Not much of a pop for Warrior, surprisingly. Hulk gets in his face, so Warrior slugs him, and here we go! They trade wristlocks, and Hulk ends up on the outside, stalling. Back in, Warrior calls for a test-of-strength, but Hulk pounds him into the corner instead, and unloads. Once Warrior is beaten down, then Hulk hooks up for the test-of-strength. He works that for a bit, then delivers a bodyslam, but Warrior pops up, and delivers one of his own. Warrior with a clothesline to send Hogan over the top, and he follows to feed Hulk the rail and the post. Inside, the referee gets bumped on a criss cross, in very sloppy fashion. That was the most telegraphed and phony looking ref bump I’ve seen in a while. With the referee down, Hulk calls for backup, and Giant answers the call. Hogan holds Warrior for a big boot, but Warrior ducks, and Hogan eats it. Stevie Ray and Vincent run in, but Warrior fights them off, and covers Hulk - no referee. Glad to see Hollywood called in the big guns for this major battle. Vincent, I mean, that must have cost him. Hulk recovers with a side suplex for two as the referee recovers, and he uses the weight belt. Hulk with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Warrior dodges. Hulk tries again, misses again. That allows Warrior a splash, but Hollywood dodges. That triggers a slugfest, and Warrior gets the weight belt to return fire. And speaking of ‘fire,’ Hulk returns fire with literal fire, though he misses. Well, at least Warrior didn’t sell it. Warrior with a pair of flying axehandles, and Hulk blades. Hulk goes low to shake him off, and delivers a clothesline to set up a legdrop. A second one, but Hogan is distracted by Horace in the aisle, and it misses. That allows Warrior to go on the comeback trail, so Eric Bischoff grabs the referee. That allows Horace to sneak in, and he cracks Warrior with a chair - allowing Hogan to cover at 14:21. This is pretty much universally considered a negative-star match, but even after two go-arounds, I just don’t see it. It’s bad, but just in the regular sense. The battle of the Outsiders earlier was more offensive, if we’re being honest. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Bill Goldberg v Diamond Dallas Page: Posturing to start, and Goldberg gets control with a cross-armbreaker. Page escapes, and tries the Diamond Cutter, but Bill blocks, and Page ends up on the outside. Back in, Page regroups with a hammerlock, but Goldberg overpowers him, and knocks him to the outside with a shoulderblock. Page hustles back in to keep taking it to him, and delivers a swinging neckbreaker. A Russian legsweep gets him two, and he latches on with a front-facelock. Bill fights it off, and slams him, then hits a sidewalk slam for two. Back to the armbreaker, but Page gets into the ropes. Goldberg tries a superkick, but misses, so he tries a spear, but that misses too, and the champ ends up on the outside. DDP with a flying clothesline for two, and a floatover DDT follows. Goldberg pops back up with the spear, but Dallas counters the Jackhammer with the Diamond Cutter! Cover, count, but Goldberg gets a shoulder up at two. Page tries a vertical suplex, but Goldberg counters to the Jackhammer at 10:28. Everybody (myself included) lost their minds over this one back in 1998, mostly because it was so much different and more ‘complete’ than any other Goldberg match that came before it. But looking at it today, it’s just an okay match, nothing special, and certainly not a blowaway. It worked as the main event. * ½ (Original rating: ** ½)

BUExperience: I was really enjoying this show through the Cruiserweight title match, but the top level stuff drops off really quickly, and the show is weighed down with way too many extracurricular activities for its own good. It’s not as bad as most people suggest (most of the bad feelings likely stem from the Hogan/Warrior debacle, and that the main event went past the show's scheduled end time, resulting in a blackout for many viewers), but it’s certainly not a good show by any means.

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