WCW Halloween Havoc 1998
Going into the PPV: My thoughts
Now, for those of you who don't know, I tend to stay very far away from anything WCW 1998 onward, unless it's intentionally putting myself through Wrestlecrap (tune in next time as I review Spring Stampede 2000) but after perusing the WWE Network, Halloween Havoc 1998 caught my attention. Not only was it the infamous DDP/Goldberg match, and the craptastic Hogan Warrior match, but it's also Bret Hart vs Sting, Hall vs Nash, and the Stiener brothers fight one another. This can't be all that bad.....can it?
Man, crazy colors and lots of blur for the opening promo.
Man, did they ever NOT run Halloween Havoc in Vegas? Also, I have no idea why I was such a Halloween Havoc mark, the set was so tacky.
Apparently in the buildup to Hogan/Warrior, Hogan hit the son of his DEAD BROTHER with a chair. Jesus, what a heel.
Also, this is how all PPV should start is Nitro Girls and a Rick Steiner interview. Bagwell comes out and offers to be in Rick's corner instead of Scott's. Rick (rightfully) says he doesn't trust Scott. Buff says that he was serious because the look in his eyes. Rick and Buff bark like dogs together and Rick accepts Buff's offer. Yeah, because this doesn't come back to bit him in the ass or anything
Raven (accompanied by hilariously overdubbed WWE theme vs Chris Jericho (accompanied by hilariously overdubbed WWE theme) for the WCW TV Title
-Dave Penzer announces Jericho as "The Self Proclaimed leader of the Jerichoholics" how can you self-proclaim to lead your following?
-Raven whines about not being told ahead of time that he wasn't told he was going to wrestle so he won't . Jericho said he didn't wanna be here, but the fans want to see the match and the match=buyrates
-Jericho goads Raven into the ring by calling him a loser.
-Cool front suplex on the stairs spot.
-Cool chair assisted dropkick by Raven.
-Jericho misses a flying clothesline and bonks his head on the guardrail
-Several false finishes
-An interference by Kanyon gets Jericho in a DDT but Jericho counters into the 'Tamer and Raven taps.
6.75/10
Hogan and Bischoff come out. Bischoff feigns a heart attack as Hogan poses. Hogan says he loves Bischoff. Hogan and Bischoff essentially cut a five minute promo on something that Schiavone explained in 30 seconds. Finally he gets to the Warrior, and says he's gonna get beat up for life. I've never heard a promo that annoying. Hogan's still ranting when his music plays.
Meng vs Wrath
-Meng is this uncontrollable monster. Wrath is an unstoppable monster. And I got none of that.
5/10
Winner of this match wrestles Kidman for the WCW Cruiserweight Title later
Disco Inferno vs Juventud Guerrera
6.5/10 Poor Disco couldn't keep up with Juvi at some points
Scott Steiner comes out, cuts an intelligible promo, he says that the match is Scott Steiner and The Giant vs Rick and Bagwell for the tag titles. James Dillon comes out and says that if Scott and Giant lose the titles, a 15 minute Steiner vs Steiner match will happen afterwords.
Fit Finley vs Alex Wright
-Apparently Finlay broke Alex's dad's leg in a match, this match also determines the best wrestler in Europe.
-Very average match
5/10
Lodi vs Saturn
-Lodi claims to be from Anywhere except Las Vegas
-Saturn's Army Ranger gimmick is in full swing
-Lodi leaves an arm hold to save his signs
- Signage, Stalling, Signages, Stalling, Death Valley Driver.
1/10, Lodi was trying to be funny and get over and failed
Kidman vs Disco Inferno for the Cruiserweight Title
-Surprisingly, we get a slow, technical match until he gets a bulldog off the steps
-Disco regains momentum until he gets cocky and gets a piledriver reversed and a Shooting Star Press.
6/10
Buff Bagwell and Rick Stiener vs Scott Steiner and the Giant for the WCW Tag Title
- Buff Bagwell was apparently injured almost career-endingly, and his mom convinced him to turn face. Cool.
-Giant holds up the title belt too high for the ref to reach it. Great heel stuff.
-Tony Schavone says without irony that one of the people supporting Scott is Chucky, the evil puppet from "Child Play"
-Giant beats on Rick and THEN Scott tags in. You'd think a guy as huge as Steiner wouldn't be cowardly.
-Aaand Buff turns heel, despite being one of the most naturally over babyfaces going into that
-Giant takes like, a minute to set up for a missile dropkick which hits Scott instead/
3.5/10
Rick vs Scott Steiner
Tony is asking "Who's the best of the Steiners?" like this was at all a clean fight or this one was gonna be.
-Buff Bagwell shows up in a suit and mask and tries to count the pin with the knocked out ref.
-Rick makes a comeback and wins
-They keep saying he won the tag titles, but he never really celebrated with the titles.
Scott Hall betrayed Kevin Nash not once but twice, and Scott Hall is a drunk.
Tony Schiavone tells us that Scott should get help.
Kevin Nash vs Scott Hall
-Nash gets injured somehow like a minute in, Hall cuts a promo, and it's all Hall, Nash does the whole "refuse to fight theing for a while.
-The brawl around, and Hall scoots out of the ring to avoid the powerbomb, and they lock up.
-Nah gets the better and beats the crap out of hall for a bunch and finally hits a Jacknife, and another.
-After that, instead of....I dunno, pinning the dude, he leaves the ring, and Hall wins by countout.
3/10
This could've been a great match if the booking wasn't over the place.
Sting vs Bret Hart for the WCW United States Title
-Lots of stalling in the beginning, and Sting has an evil villain goatee
- Back and forth until Hart brings a foreign object into the ring, Hart drops it when Sting counters, Hart gets a low blow in when Sting tries to use and is stopped, a ref goes down and there's a couple low blows and a couple ball bat shots, a ball bat to the throat and a Sharpshooter for the KO win.
4.5/10 why could WCW never properly book Hart/Sting
Out of respect for Jim Hellwig, I will be skipping the Warrior/Hogan match, as I can't dignify shitting on it.
DDP vs Goldberg for the WCW World Championship
DDP gave it all he had and Goldberg still beat him, wonderful
6.75/10
Final thoughts
It wasn't so much a good or bad PPV as it was boring. It felt like a lot of crap just didn't belong on there, or was so bizarrely booked that it was unwatchable. Do not watch.
Now, for those of you who don't know, I tend to stay very far away from anything WCW 1998 onward, unless it's intentionally putting myself through Wrestlecrap (tune in next time as I review Spring Stampede 2000) but after perusing the WWE Network, Halloween Havoc 1998 caught my attention. Not only was it the infamous DDP/Goldberg match, and the craptastic Hogan Warrior match, but it's also Bret Hart vs Sting, Hall vs Nash, and the Stiener brothers fight one another. This can't be all that bad.....can it?
Man, crazy colors and lots of blur for the opening promo.
Man, did they ever NOT run Halloween Havoc in Vegas? Also, I have no idea why I was such a Halloween Havoc mark, the set was so tacky.
Apparently in the buildup to Hogan/Warrior, Hogan hit the son of his DEAD BROTHER with a chair. Jesus, what a heel.
Also, this is how all PPV should start is Nitro Girls and a Rick Steiner interview. Bagwell comes out and offers to be in Rick's corner instead of Scott's. Rick (rightfully) says he doesn't trust Scott. Buff says that he was serious because the look in his eyes. Rick and Buff bark like dogs together and Rick accepts Buff's offer. Yeah, because this doesn't come back to bit him in the ass or anything
Raven (accompanied by hilariously overdubbed WWE theme vs Chris Jericho (accompanied by hilariously overdubbed WWE theme) for the WCW TV Title
-Dave Penzer announces Jericho as "The Self Proclaimed leader of the Jerichoholics" how can you self-proclaim to lead your following?
-Raven whines about not being told ahead of time that he wasn't told he was going to wrestle so he won't . Jericho said he didn't wanna be here, but the fans want to see the match and the match=buyrates
-Jericho goads Raven into the ring by calling him a loser.
-Cool front suplex on the stairs spot.
-Cool chair assisted dropkick by Raven.
-Jericho misses a flying clothesline and bonks his head on the guardrail
-Several false finishes
-An interference by Kanyon gets Jericho in a DDT but Jericho counters into the 'Tamer and Raven taps.
6.75/10
Hogan and Bischoff come out. Bischoff feigns a heart attack as Hogan poses. Hogan says he loves Bischoff. Hogan and Bischoff essentially cut a five minute promo on something that Schiavone explained in 30 seconds. Finally he gets to the Warrior, and says he's gonna get beat up for life. I've never heard a promo that annoying. Hogan's still ranting when his music plays.
Meng vs Wrath
-Meng is this uncontrollable monster. Wrath is an unstoppable monster. And I got none of that.
5/10
Winner of this match wrestles Kidman for the WCW Cruiserweight Title later
Disco Inferno vs Juventud Guerrera
6.5/10 Poor Disco couldn't keep up with Juvi at some points
Scott Steiner comes out, cuts an intelligible promo, he says that the match is Scott Steiner and The Giant vs Rick and Bagwell for the tag titles. James Dillon comes out and says that if Scott and Giant lose the titles, a 15 minute Steiner vs Steiner match will happen afterwords.
Fit Finley vs Alex Wright
-Apparently Finlay broke Alex's dad's leg in a match, this match also determines the best wrestler in Europe.
-Very average match
5/10
Lodi vs Saturn
-Lodi claims to be from Anywhere except Las Vegas
-Saturn's Army Ranger gimmick is in full swing
-Lodi leaves an arm hold to save his signs
- Signage, Stalling, Signages, Stalling, Death Valley Driver.
1/10, Lodi was trying to be funny and get over and failed
Kidman vs Disco Inferno for the Cruiserweight Title
-Surprisingly, we get a slow, technical match until he gets a bulldog off the steps
-Disco regains momentum until he gets cocky and gets a piledriver reversed and a Shooting Star Press.
6/10
Buff Bagwell and Rick Stiener vs Scott Steiner and the Giant for the WCW Tag Title
- Buff Bagwell was apparently injured almost career-endingly, and his mom convinced him to turn face. Cool.
-Giant holds up the title belt too high for the ref to reach it. Great heel stuff.
-Tony Schavone says without irony that one of the people supporting Scott is Chucky, the evil puppet from "Child Play"
-Giant beats on Rick and THEN Scott tags in. You'd think a guy as huge as Steiner wouldn't be cowardly.
-Aaand Buff turns heel, despite being one of the most naturally over babyfaces going into that
-Giant takes like, a minute to set up for a missile dropkick which hits Scott instead/
3.5/10
Rick vs Scott Steiner
Tony is asking "Who's the best of the Steiners?" like this was at all a clean fight or this one was gonna be.
-Buff Bagwell shows up in a suit and mask and tries to count the pin with the knocked out ref.
-Rick makes a comeback and wins
-They keep saying he won the tag titles, but he never really celebrated with the titles.
Scott Hall betrayed Kevin Nash not once but twice, and Scott Hall is a drunk.
Tony Schiavone tells us that Scott should get help.
Kevin Nash vs Scott Hall
-Nash gets injured somehow like a minute in, Hall cuts a promo, and it's all Hall, Nash does the whole "refuse to fight theing for a while.
-The brawl around, and Hall scoots out of the ring to avoid the powerbomb, and they lock up.
-Nah gets the better and beats the crap out of hall for a bunch and finally hits a Jacknife, and another.
-After that, instead of....I dunno, pinning the dude, he leaves the ring, and Hall wins by countout.
3/10
This could've been a great match if the booking wasn't over the place.
Sting vs Bret Hart for the WCW United States Title
-Lots of stalling in the beginning, and Sting has an evil villain goatee
- Back and forth until Hart brings a foreign object into the ring, Hart drops it when Sting counters, Hart gets a low blow in when Sting tries to use and is stopped, a ref goes down and there's a couple low blows and a couple ball bat shots, a ball bat to the throat and a Sharpshooter for the KO win.
4.5/10 why could WCW never properly book Hart/Sting
Out of respect for Jim Hellwig, I will be skipping the Warrior/Hogan match, as I can't dignify shitting on it.
DDP vs Goldberg for the WCW World Championship
DDP gave it all he had and Goldberg still beat him, wonderful
6.75/10
Final thoughts
It wasn't so much a good or bad PPV as it was boring. It felt like a lot of crap just didn't belong on there, or was so bizarrely booked that it was unwatchable. Do not watch.