It’s time for another personal recollection to open up today’s entry and it won’t paint yours truly in the best light.
My mother got her tonsils removed when I was in first grade. I’m not sure if it’s usually supposed to be a long process, but she was in the hospital for about a week for everything. My grandmother stayed at our house to watch me. I don’t know why I didn’t stay at her house, but I have a pretty good idea. See, I didn’t go to school that week because my grandmother didn’t drive. I very easily could have enjoyed all of the treats and fun that usually accompanied sleepovers at her home.
Instead, Grandma was at our house because she didn’t have cable. That meant she didn’t have pay-per-view. That meant I’d have to miss Halloween Havoc 1993 and that wasn’t acceptable.
My mother always ordered the show far in advance and I sat anticipating the preshow to start, but it didn’t happen. After a few minutes, I started to freak out because this hadn’t happened before and my grandmother called my convalescing mom to see what was going on. My grandma had no idea what to do, so my mom called the fucking cable company from her hospital bed to fix the problem.
I don’t even remember what happened, but the next thing I know, the preshow started and I was happy. I don’t look back on this fondly. I acted like a brat and didn’t appreciate my poor mom fixing this in the middle of a medical issue or my grandma for even picking up the phone to try and get it fixed. I was and remain a lucky man.
Almost 30 years later, let’s see if this show was worth the trouble.
PAY PER VIEW NUMBER 65: WCW HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1993
Written on 5/16/2021
THE FIRST THING YOU SEE: A stormy night with kids trick or treating! This is the opening I’ve been waiting for! The girl wants to go homes and watch Halloween Havoc. She apparently didn’t watch Fall Brawl last month. The kid dressed as Dracula picks the big, spooky house to visit with dramatic effect. After all of the mini-movies, they still approved THIS?!?! All of the children’s acting is as bad as you’d expect and that’s particularly true for the kid dressed like Sting. He mentions Halloween Havoc again as the Dracula kid jumps into the LVP lead early with his complaints about his sister. Tony Schiavone answers the door and the girl knows who he is. His acting is…ominously bad. I think he is making a euphemism about his wife’s cookies before acting like a full-blown pedophile by inviting the kids inside to show them something scary. He smiles to the audience and gets in a child’s face about Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal. The kid no sells it as “not scary” as I marvel over the amount of makeup caked onto Tony’s face. Tony ups the ante by pulling his face off and revealing a very random, but admittedly scary, beast before we go live as the kids open the front door. This is SOMETHING.
-We are live in NOLA and Eric Bischoff is dressed like a Young Pistol talking about the wheel behind him. Schiavone is hilariously dressed like Jesse Ventura and Jesse is ridiculously dressed like an evil doctor. He claims to be a gynecologist and does some bad doctor schtick before going on the early LVP list along with a child.
-It’s our first time hearing the Harlem Heat theme on PPV and it’s accompanied by the Equalizer threatening to rip faces off. Ice Train’s theme leads the triumvirate of random new faces to the ring because it’s the best song of the three options. We are still trying to make ALL of this nonsense work, huh?
MATCH NUMBER ONE: Harlem Heat and the Equalizer vs Ice Train, Charlie Norris and The Shockmaster
-Tony mentions Bagwell and Scorpio won the tag titles on WCW Saturday Night as Booker T and Ice Train taunt towards the crowd before locking up and shouting to begin.
-Kane and Kole’s names seem to alternate at will, so that’s why I refer to them as Booker T and Stevie Ray mostly. Norris tags Train two or three times, but gets ignored every time.
-It’s always good to have empty seats prominently on the hard cam. Norris works the arm before tagging in Shockmaster to an odd roar. He struggles to enter the ring even though his character is specifically mentioned to be a klutz OUTSIDE the ring.
-Train gets isolated with a double sidewalk slam by Heat. Equalizer finally tags in and does very little before allowing the tag to Charlie. Schiavone announces that Paul Orndorff is replacing Yoshi Kwan versus Ricky Steamboat. It’s like Christmas morning for me!
-Shockmaster dominates Equalizer as a “WHOOMP THERE IT IS” chant starts. What in the fuck was going on in 1993?!?!?!
-Not Tatanka gets blindsided and takes a big boot in the corner to allow the heels to take control again. Book hits a scissors kick variant that he thankfully gives up on after this show.
-Uncle Fred tags in and batters all three men as the commentators mention that he doesn’t like being called Uncle Fred. Booker T is locked in the bearhug again, but gets dropped in an odd hug slam. The other heels look at the pin and start hitting the other faces as the count happens. Insert face plant emoji here.
WINNERS: The Shockmaster, Charlie Norris and Ice Train in 9:46 when Shockmaster pins Kole with a bearhug slam
-A brawl between the former Typhoon and the future Evad continues after the bell. It’s uglier than the men involved. The replay shows how bad the finish of the match really was.
FINAL WORD: That was oddly not bad until the last minute.
-EB interviews Terry Taylor backstage. He was chosen as the second referee for the Rick Rude and Ric Flair match. His energy is always misplaced as a face. Bischoff’s five o’clock shadow looks real and stress induced. He’s called General Custer to wrap up.
-Paul Orndorff enters with the Masked Assassin #1 as his new manager. The ovation is HUGE for the opportunity to yell Paula at him. Assassin looks like World Series of Poker Main Event winner Greg Raymer, but in a worse suit. Former WSOP Main Event winners are today’s reference challenge! Ricky Steamboat enters to a good reaction and the name Dragon is focused on in his intro. He impressively breathes fire and that’s enough to be MVP again so far. I’m very excited for this.
MATCH NUMBER TWO: Paul Orndorff w/Assassin #1 vs Ricky Steamboat
-Paul jumps at the bell with big strikes and a backdrop to get this started hot, but he eats chops in retaliation.
-Mr. Wonderful is such a pro. His precision and heel tactics make him an MVP candidate yet again. He brawls on the floor and jaws with people effortlessly.
-A slam on the ramp before some heel taunting in the ring. Assassin’s vendetta against Dusty Rhodes is brought up and I’m shocked that’s still a thing since Slamboree.
-Dragon telegraphs a dive back into the ring and remains on defense before a weird arm hook counter allows him to take over.
-Orndorff’s arm is worked extensively. This has a good pace with high spots occurring before things settle back down with technical holds. Paul is sent into the post a couple of times as Jesse complains. It all just amounts to “I don’t like Steamboat.” He’s just cashing these checks at this point.
-Ricky is wild, grabbing the ref and trying to get at Orndorff, before pulling his fingers. That’s apparently illegal? Pete Dunne should always get DQ’ed then.
-Steamboat celebrates a sequence with one hell of a taunt/dance. It somehow put Paul ahead in the MVP race just by not doing it.
-Mr. Wonderful can’t find where he is and stumbles into the steps before getting thrown into them. The ref distracts Dragon and he gets slammed onto the apron. Paul is reenergized and taunts much cooler. He ultimately throws his opponent into the crowd on the concrete.
-A clumsy double collision mid-ring from a double crossbody attempt gives both men a needed break.
-Paul is caught cheating holding the rope and Nick Patrick takes 15-20 seconds kicking him off. What a putz. Nice diving chop from the ring to the ramp by Ricky.
-A good back-and-forth leads to a piledriver attempt countered and a backslide battle into a catapult of the heel for a good two count.
-The patented flying crossbody is hit, but Assassin distracts the ref enough to allow Paul to kick out at two.
-More punishment and Steamboat shoves the ref to Jesse’s outrage. Behind his back, Orndorff throws Ricky over the top rope. Assassin puts something in his mask and headbutts Dragon. Ricky tries to get up, but can’t make it in time.
WINNER: Paul Orndorff in 18:36 by countout
-The crowd hates the finish in the right way.
FINAL WORD: I love that match in the right way as well. It was just men being MEN.
-The commentators compliment their looks before discussing “the gold belt.” An international board of directors acknowledged Rick Rude’s title as a world championship. It’s so confusing and Jesse basically no sells it.
-This next match barely gets a mention before a floating graphic comes across the screen for the TV Title match. Davey Boy Smith enters and it feels like he’s been demoted even though it’s meant to be a promotion to the TV Title and Lord Steven Regal. We get a good look at the wheel as the champ and Sir William enter with disgusted looks on their faces. Michael Buffer is back handling fucking TV Title introductions. Maybe he’s just a Regal mark. The time limit is notably 15 minutes. Davey gets a good pop and Regal gets good heat as he makes more bad faces.
MATCH NUMBER THREE: TV TITLE MATCH- Davey Boy Smith vs Lord Steven Regal w/Sir William (Champ)
-Regal doesn’t want to lock up and complains about face grease.
-Great British catch work back and forth early. Bulldog is keeping up well.
-Tony is having either headset or moustache trouble as Davey keeps cartwheeling or flipping out of things. Steven does one of his own and it leads to taking a monkey flip.
-A fast series of snapmares and headlock counters is ruined by Ventura not knowing what a cravat is. Come on! It’s what Chris Hero hammerlocks! A second monkey flip is botched as we’re already past five minutes.
-Davey locks in a great surfboard and he’s on the MVP radar. William provides a distraction and Regal takes over.
-The senton is now called the “Regal roll.” A submission gets locked on and it looked like Regal was going to force Davey to suck his dick at one point.
-Everyone is restless with five minutes left. Jesse drinks his soda; Tony complains about Sir William and Davey gets the crowd back by banging his foot on the mat.
-I’ve heard a weird, tribal yell three times and it’s very distracting from the submission moves still taking place with two minutes left.
-Smith deadlifts out of a hold, but is unable to capitalize until a kip up and sunset flip with one minute left. Clotheslines, suplexes and the patented powerslam are attempted, but Regal keeps kicking out. Wow, that’s a surprise. A piledriver is hit and the count is expertly timed with the ref leaping over the pin to perfectly waste the one second needed.
WINNER: Time Limit Draw at 15:00
-It’s very funny to hear Michael Buffer make such an anticlimactic announcement.
FINAL WORD: Good and simple. What else do you want from the TV Title?
-Eric Bischoff is such a tool in that outfit. Vader’s music hits and the champ enters to boos to Spin the Wheel and Make the Deal. Harley Race growls before the wheel is spun. I sure hope it’s gimmicked this time around. Some fire and too much pyro goes off. I’m confused as to where I’m supposed to look for the selection. It’s a sword on the right side and we’ve got a Texas Death Match on our hands. No poles?
-Another nonexistent transition for the Hollywood Blondes theme and Steve Austin walking to the ring still mentioned as a Hollywood Blonde. Col. Parker apparently set this US Title match up. A sign claims Steve will be the wrestler of the 90s. Dustin Rhodes enters as US Champ in a VERY gaudy and VERY white outfit. Someone is wearing a wolf mask in the crowd and Jesse asks why Tony’s wife is here. Buffer handles the intros again and Austin wants him to hurry up in a funny moment. My wife is watching this with me now and she’s shocked at Dustin’s youth. She’s not shocked at Jesse’s bad Janet Reno joke and calling Dustin “a gay Caballero.”
MATCH NUMBER FOUR: US TITLE MATCH- Steve Austin vs Dustin Rhodes (Champ)
-Austin is a beautiful heel by slapping, bailing and taunting like a boxer on the floor. Here’s a quick MVP again.
-Dustin hits his own sloppy slap after some sloppy brawling from both men. Neither seem to know their next move.
-Headlocks and neck work by Austin. It’s been five minutes and not much has happened to write about.
-Some chops out of the Brian Pillman playbook before Austin misses a knee in the corner and takes a BIG ugly tumble to the floor. He sells it so well and is on the floor for quite some time. There’s no count going on at all?
-A leg lock and work on the knee makes the crowd almost totally silent. I can’t blame them.
-Schiavone said researchers are looking up rules to the Texas Death Match. Shouldn’t you know that already?!?! He also can’t keep the number of title matches right all night. Between that and the intro, Tony is creeping up on the LVP list, but Jesse’s lack of focus keeps him ahead.
-An “accidental” low blow turns the tide, but Austin is still hobbling.
-Remember when I said my wife is watching? Well, she’s now asleep and I’m blaming this match.
-Dustin wakes up with a flurry of punches and one odd looking backdrop.
-His bulldog is blocked and he ends up straddled on the top rope. A long gap before more slugging and weak roll ups for two including one that almost pants Steve. We still get a lot of white butt.
-At 14:00, Austin pins Dustin with his feet on the ropes. The ref catches it at the last second. He won’t call for the bell and Jesse rightfully complains as Steve asks for the belt. This leads to a weak ending to this shockingly weak match.
WINNER: Dustin Rhodes in 14:25 with a roll up
-Buffer announces the winner as Austin nails Dustin with the title to the face. He leaves with the strap and Dustin blades for no reason after the match. The replay shows that shot to the face was snug, so I’m counting it as UNPROTECTED.
FINAL WORD: An off night between two men who are always better than this.
-A quick BattleBowl commercial because they don’t know how to quit bad ideas before we recap the tag title situation. Ventura is openly hurting the product by not taking things seriously. WCW Saturday Night from the previous evening shows the Nasty Boys picking Marcus Bagwell up when they had the match won. This causes them to lose the match and the people go NUTS. Teddy Long is managing the faces now? How else can they make them unlikeable? Tony busts out a very good impression of his partner that makes me forgive his previous transgressions.
-The Nasty Boys enter and Missy Hyatt’s outfit makes Tony’s voice crack. Jesse thankfully talks about her haircut. The new champs enter in Halloween colors. Teddy Long needs some veggies because he’s looking very doughy. Bagwell dancing with a belt makes Joe Cada look like Scorpio himself (one more reference to go.) I can’t believe Buffer is handling so much and is about to say Bagwell’s name. He specifically calls him handsome. Gross. The Nasties grab the belts to taunt. Missy is called an escort and Bagwell force kisses her. Another “Whoomp There It Is” chant that Tony repeats. Ventura says it IS Tag Team. This is all bullshit.
MATCH NUMBER FIVE: TAG TITLE MATCH- The Nasty Boys w/Missy Hyatt vs Marcus Bagwell and Too Cold Scorpio w/Teddy Long (Champs)
-Sags and Bagwell start and the heels get serious beating down the face.
-Before long, Scorpio hits an impressive crossbody on both Boys from offscreen to cause a powder. Teddy gets in the ring to complain about something and Scorpio hits another SWEET dive to the floor using Bagwell as a step stool. Can he be an MVP in two moves?
-The champs are showing good chemistry together. It’s really on Scorpio on fire and even killing it with his facials and intensity.
-Even when Scorpio botches, it’s saved and looks cool. He tries the Shelton leap to the top, but catches himself on the second and still hits a reverse cross body. Then, he calls Sags a son of a bitch in a wristlock.
-A double team Stun Gun attempt really causes a gnarly spill to the floor for Bagwell. Missy gets one LOUD slap, too. Get it, girl!
-After a belly-to-back on the floor, his back gets focused on by the heels. Marcus takes the Bret corner bump as Missy keeps yelling at ringside.
-A bearhug is broken out of, but Bagwell still gets double teamed and eats a sick clothesline from Sags.
-Bagwell hits a nice hair pull like a leg sweep before getting the hot tag, but the ref misses it. The future Buff fights out of the next double team and gets the tag anyway.
-Scorpio flies around with great spin kicks and dropkicks and an awesome top rope moonsault. Missy and Teddy start fighting on the apron. The chaos is good, but almost too much.
-Bagwell noggin knocks Sags with fucking MISSY before the ref gets distracted as Scorpio hits the 450. Sags recovers in time to take his shoe off.
WINNERS: The Nasty Boys in 14:40 to win the titles when Brian Knobbs pins Too Cold Scorpio after a shot to the head from Sags’ boot.
-The heels retreat and Missy sells like death. She’s growing on me. The replay shows how good the 450 was and how well placed of a shot that boot was to Scorpio’s head.
FINAL WORD: Considering all the parties involved, that was a surprising blast.
-Bischoff interview Sid Vicious and Col. Parker. His match with Sting is about being the “Franchise of WCW.” Parker barely speaks before Sid takes over and calls himself “Sycho” for the first time. He shouts and the audio fades out, but it’s too soon and it fades back in. WCW can’t help themselves with this audio/visual mistakes.
-Sid abruptly enters with Parker looking like what I imagined Amarillo Slim looked like (and we are done!) Sting enters in a lame bedazzled jean jacket. He should just take Halloween Havoc off every year at this point. The crowd goes ballistic for him and Schiavone stupidly points out how nonchalantly he enters.
MATCH NUMBER SIX: Sid Vicious w/Col. Parker vs Sting
-I just realized we are trying this match at Halloween Havoc again. Tony points it out as Sting hits a big slam and clothesline in the ring as well as one on the ramp. A suplex back into the ring keeps Sid as the rare perpetual heel in peril.
-The fight spills into the crowd already. The ref follows them instead of counting as they get deep into the audience. Sid is bumping like fucking Curt Hennig for Sting! He’s straddled on top of the rail back at ringside.
-Parker grabs a foot and it’s enough of a distraction to allow a chokeslam to turn the tide. As usual, Sid gets an abnormally loud pop. He’s two months away from the world title and scissors are going to mess it up.
-Choking, stomps and manager cheating follow. Sid hits a dangerous sidewalk slam near the ropes and he always does a couple of boneheaded things.
-A soft chair shot to Sting’s back while the ref is distracted.
-Sting powers out of a rest hold thanks to the crowd’s support only to eat a powerslam and a second bearhug.
-That bearhug is broken, but leads to a THIRD bearhug. Thank goodness for Arn Anderson because I’m imagining those Sid Vicious main events in 1994.
-The foot is caught and Sting’s comeback consists of big bulldogs and facebusters. The crowd is so behind him with Stinger Splashes and a shot to Parker on the apron.
-This might be the most ridiculous spot ever: both men brawl against the ropes and Parker grabs both of their boots. He can see who is who and ends up tripping Sid for a two count. Sid gets up and gets mad at his manager, pulling him up to the apron. There’s no swerve in any of this. Sid still loses.
WINNER: Sting in 10:43 with a roll up
FINAL WORD: Let’s just pass on Sting vs Sid at Halloween Havoc from now on, huh?
-Colonel blows a gasket in the ring explaining himself as the crowd chants something and Sid seethes before walking out. The replay shows how stupid this all was and the commentators talk about the drama building for the main event. Vader punches Race’s hands and Cactus Jack rocks back and forth holding that bag. I’m shocked it’s still around! He repeats “you can’t hurt Cactus Jack” over and over.
-2001 plays as the commentators keep treating everything as willy nilly. Ric Flair enters with Fifi in a gorgeous red dress to an ovation. Ventura starts up on his unfunny sexist shit again. Rick Rude enters in a black robe kissing into the cam and gets the mic. “Louisana losers” is not his best before calling himself the undisputed heavyweight champ. He shows off the gold belt and impressive tights with black-eyed Flair, Fifi and a pumpkin. Buffer is pulling quadruple duty and caps his job with the trademark “Let’s Get Ready to Rumble!” A big intro and pyro display for Flair and Jesse points out that it’s all for the challenger. More like the booker if you ask me. Buffer skips around the title’s name. Tony says they are leaving for the United Kingdom tomorrow. Good grief, these poor guys.
MATCH NUMBER SEVEN: INTERNATIONAL WORLD TITLE MATCH- Ric Flair w/Fifi vs Rick Rude (Champ)
-Flair is all over at the bell with chops, back drops and a delayed vertical suplex.
-Another early Figure Four like the last match and Rude is in it for quite some time before ANOTHER “Whoomp” chant. Goddamn, can I make DC the Brain Supreme LVP? He gets to the ropes eventually.
-The leg remains the focus as Jesse complains about Taylor’s role. Then, he notices that he’s on cam and tells Schiavone to wave to everyone. Who is this new, shitty Body?
-Rude grabs the front of the trunks and throws Ric to the floor, but gets back with a sunset flip. Terry stops Rude from cheating and they repeat the crossbody spot over the top. Rude hits an open chair very hard.
-The repeat hits keep coming as Flair comes off the top from the ring to floor in a SUCCESS. He celebrates in a very non-Flair way before continuing the punishment.
-Flair tries the top rope attack again and SUCCEEDS, but is punched in mid-air. Our rules mean it counts. Rude’s chair shot attempt is stopped by Taylor.
-I’m going to start calling him repetitive Rude because his matches devolve into the same shit every time. He takes a break to hip swivel at Fifi.
-These are just two all-time greats with no chemistry at all. It’s better than the snoozer that was Dustin and Austin, but not by much.
-A Flair flip in the corner hits a cameraman and takes a clothesline on the ramp. Several fist drops from the top rope still only get several two counts.
-Another bearhug that drains the life out of the recipient and yours truly. They are very uncreative with this match.
-Both men are up without coordination trying to punch and chop each other. A sleeper develops out of another weird skirmish in the corner. Flair hits the Rude Awakening. This is the Fall Brawl match on 1.5 speed.
-The refs randomly swap for a second before Flair comes off the top AGAIN successfully, but is caught with a Rude boot off the mat. This is getting crazy, but my rules are my rules.
-The ref gets bumped in the corner and Taylor takes the long way into the ring. Of course, he gets knocked down as well.
-Rude gets an object and Flair stops him. You know where this is going…except when a stagehand moves the object for some reason. Flair gets a punch with it, covers Rude and Taylor gets to two before the ref from the FUCKING FLOOR gets up to notice what happened. BULLSHIT.
WINNER: Rick Rude in 19:31 by DQ
-The crowd chants bullshit as well as Flair grabs the belt and Rude grabs Fifi to leave with her. Flair stops them and slaps on a quick Figure Four.
FINAL WORD: Two men going through the motions one more month.
-More pimping of BattleBowl before Jesse checks if Tony is alive. Texas Death Match rules are explained: falls don’t count, there’s a 30 second rest period between each fall and they can be counted anywhere. If one man can’t get to his feet in 10 seconds after the rest period, it’s over. That’s just too much. GMC reads it effectively as Vader enters with an ominous noose onstage. This is yet another show where Vader doesn’t carry the WCW Title with him. We shit on Jericho losing the AEW Title at LongHorn, but I think Vader loaned his belt to a Ground Round employee or something. Jack enters to a good pop and the fight starts on the ramp immediately.
MATCH NUMBER EIGHT: TEXAS DEATH MATCH- Big Van Vader w/Harley Race vs Cactus Jack
-Vader’s mask is already off and he hits the post with some missing clubs. The brawling continues on the floor and Jack resorts to biting and hitting Vader in the head with a fan’s camera.
-Speaking of hits to the head, Vader’s head is cracked with an UNPROTECTED chair. It makes a gross sound and Jack “BANG BANGs.”
-They finally get in the ring and a massive clothesline drops the face before some disgusting punches in the corner.
-Vader is suplexed from the ring to the ramp and almost fell off. Jack is bleeding hardway from the blows already. Cactus is really taking it to him with a belly-to-back on the ramp.
-Race interferes with a chair and Vader thankfully protects himself on a second shot to the head. Another shot to the back leads them to fight in the fog and graveyard onstage. The grave reads “RIP Vader” and you hear the ref say “I don’t care, I’m not going down there.” Funny. Cactus emerges with a sick cut and Vader exits bloody as well.
-A running clotheslines gets a fall at 5:44 for Cactus. It’s confusing. Cactus with a fake cactus to Vader’s face. They are both a mess. Vader rolls off the ramp near an ominous table. Another fall for Foley at 6:50 with an elbow off the ramp. I don’t like this start and stop.
-Naturally, Van gets up and eats more punches before getting pissed and dragging Jack off of his feet.
-Cactus puts the table in the ring and the ref blatantly fixes it against the ropes. Vader is whipped into it and bounces off. That only gets a two count, so the table is thrown into his face (protected again).
-Sunset flip off the apron and a butt drop gets avoided. Jack tries a running flip over the rail and Vader no sells it and causes Jack to eat total shit. Ouch. A back drop sends him over the railing to a loud thud the camera misses.
-Jack takes a chair shot with the legs still exposed to the back of the head UNPROTECTED. Race has a taser he’s trying to conceal.
-VADERSAULT for a fall at 11:59. It will never get old. The crowd is watching in stunned silence. Vader doesn’t want to wait to continue the punishment.
-On the ramp, Jack gets on Vader’s back, so Vader just falls back on the ramp in the NASTIEST SOUND ever. Good lord, that’s the dumbest thing Mick Foley has done so far in his PPV history.
-As soon as I say that, Jack is measured with an UNPROTECTED chair swing to the head, then a DDT on the chair on the ramp. The chair is a bloody mess. Trainers and paramedics come out to check on Cactus. Vader pushes them away and thrown the medical bag away. He finally covers Jack at 14:58. He’s so unbridled at the end again, so he might squeak into MVP again. Vader takes a DDT on the ramp and both men are counted even though only one pin happened.
-Race sets his taser’s noise off a bunch, then the noise doesn’t go off to take Jack back off of his feet at nine. The ref turns around to see him down.
WINNER: Big Van Vader in 15:56
-The crowd isn’t happy with the ending and neither am I because it was sloppy and convoluted as fuck.
FINAL WORD: That match was possibly the most brutal in diary history. That said, it’s another classic that feels overrated to me nowadays.
-Cactus hits Harley with a DDT on the ramp to try and get his heat back. The heels leave and Jack gets his name chanted while the commentators recap the event. People are leaving in the back and Halloween music fades in as Jesse makes one last bad joke about Tony’s costume before the credit rolls over the house from the opening.
THE LAST IMAGE: Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura
THE WRAP UP
FINAL MVP of PPV: Paul Orndorff continues to be a bridesmaid and Vader always throws his hat into the ring at the end of the day, but Too Cold Scorpio finally showed some needed attitude and character to match his unparalleled athleticism. He is legendarily overrated and I won’t add to that history.
FINAL LVP of PPV: Jesse Ventura is openly harmful to the show now. He stuck out on the entire show as not giving a fuck.
MY FAVORITE MATCH: Big Van Vader vs Cactus Jack
MY LEAST FAVORITE MATCH: Dustin Rhodes vs Steve Austin
FINAL THOUGHTS: Halloween Havocs from the past have been pretty notorious and this one is, but for being pretty solid. The clunkers are surprising and nothing is great, but it’s a show with momentum towards the future. All of the endings left a lot to be desired, but the journeys to get there worked well. MULLET RECOMMENDS
NEXT TIME: A threepeat of WCW 1993 concludes with BattleBowl. I have a very special surprise for you on that diary. It’s a blast from the past in like three different ways.