Tuesday, October 20, 2020

The Matches of Halloween Havoc (1989-1994)

 Recently, it was announced that NXT would be reviving the name Halloween Havoc for a special that is scheduled to occur on October 28th. Halloween Havoc was always one of my favorite WCW pay per views, so I thought now would be a great time to take a look back on the matches of Halloween Havoc. 

There were a total of twelve Halloween Havocs that occured between 1989-2000, all taking place sometime right before October 31st. The first two were promoted under the NWA/WCW banner while the rest were strictly WCW events. The show was a traveling event until 1996 when it took place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena where it remained until it's final show in 2000. 

The first Halloween Havoc occurred on October 28th, 1989 in Philadelphia, PA. This show was one of two-shows under the NWA banner. There were eight matches on the card:

Tom Zenk defeated Mike Rotunda

The Samoan SWAT Team (Fatu, The Samoan Savage and Samu) (with Oliver Humperdink) defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) and Steve Williams (with Jim Cornette)

Tommy Rich defeated The Cuban Assassin

The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) (c) defeated The Dynamic Dudes (Johnny Ace and Shane Douglas) (with Jim Cornette) for the NWA World Tag Team Championship

Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) (with Woman) defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)

Lex Luger (c) defeated Brian Pillman for the NWA United States Championship

The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) (with Paul Ellering) defeated The Skyscrapers (Dan Spivey and Sid Vicious) (with Teddy Long) by disqualification


Ric Flair and Sting (with Ole Anderson) defeated The Great Muta and Terry Funk (with Gary Hart) in a Thunderdome match with Bruno Sammartino as the special guest referee.





The second Halloween Havoc was held on October 27th, 1990 in Chicago, Illinois. This event was also promoted as an NWA event. The home video release is missing four of the ten matches and the WWE Network version is also missing these matches which is unusual. I've put an asterisk next to the matches missing.


Tim Horner defeated Barry Horowitz (Dark Match)

Rip Rogers defeated Reno Riggins (Dark Match)

Tommy Rich and Ricky Morton defeated The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) (with Jim Cornette)

*Terry Taylor defeated Bill Irwin

*Brad Armstrong defeated J.W. Storm

*The Master Blasters (Blade and Steel) defeated The Southern Boys (Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong)

The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin and Michael Hayes) (with Little Richard Marley) defeated The Renegade Warriors (Chris Youngblood and Mark Youngblood)

The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) (c) defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship

*The Junkyard Dog defeated Moondog Rex

Doom (Ron Simmons and Butch Reed) (c) (with Teddy Long) wrestled Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to a double count-out for the NWA World Tag Team Championship

Stan Hansen defeated Lex Luger (c) for the NWA United States Championship

Sting (c) defeated Sid Vicious for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship




The third Halloween Havoc event took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee on October 27th, 1991. This was the pay per view where had the infamous Chamber of Horrors match took place. Also, the first ever WCW Light Heavyweight champion was crowned at this event.

El Gigante, Sting, and The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner) defeated Abdullah the Butcher, The Diamond Studd, Cactus Jack and Big Van Vader Chamber of Horrors match

Big Josh and P.N. News defeated The Creatures (Creature 1 and Creature 2)

Bobby Eaton defeated Terrance Taylor (with Alexandra York of The York Foundation)

Johnny B. Badd (with Teddy Long) defeated Jimmy Garvin (with Michael Hayes)

Steve Austin (c) (with Lady Blossom) vs. Dustin Rhodes ended in a time-limit draw for the WCW World Television Championship

Bill Kazmaier defeated Oz by submission

Van Hammer defeated Doug Somers

Flyin' Brian defeated Richard Morton (with Alexandra York of The York Foundation) for the inaugural WCW Light Heavyweight Championship

The Halloween Phantom defeated Tom Zenk

The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko) (c) defeated The Patriots (Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship

Lex Luger (c) (with Harley Race) defeated Ron Simmons (with Dusty Rhodes) Two-out-of-three-falls match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship




Halloween Havoc 1992 took place on October 25th, 1992 in Philadelphia, PA. The main event was a Spin the Wheel, Make a Deal match that selected a Coal Miner's Glove stipulation. 

Erik Watts and Van Hammer defeated The Vegas Connection (Vinnie Vegas and Diamond Dallas Page (Dark Match)

Tom Zenk, Johnny Gunn and Shane Douglas defeated Arn Anderson, Michael Hayes and Bobby Eaton

Ricky Steamboat defeated Brian Pillman

Big Van Vader (c) defeated Nikita Koloff for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship

Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes (c) vs. Steve Williams and Steve Austin ended in a time-limit draw for the NWA and WCW World Tag Team Championships

Rick Rude (with Madusa) defeated Masahiro Chono (c) (with Hiro Matsuda) by disqualification for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship with Kensuke Sasaki and Harley Race as Special Guest Referees

Ron Simmons (c) defeated The Barbarian (with Cactus Jack) for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship


Sting defeated Jake Roberts in a Coal Miner's Glove match





Halloween Havoc 1993 took place in New Orleans, Louisiana on October 24th, 1993. The main event stipulation was once again determined by the Spin the Wheel, Make a Deal spinning wheel and this time the stipulation was Texas Death Match which suited the competitors: Cactus Jack and Vader.

Ice Train, Charlie Norris and The Shockmaster defeated Harlem Heat (Kole and Kane) and The Equalizer

Paul Orndorff (with The Assassin) defeated Ricky Steamboat by countout

Lord Steven Regal (c) (with Sir William) wrestled Davey Boy Smith to a time-limit draw for the WCW World Television Championship

Dustin Rhodes (c) defeated Steve Austin for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship

The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) (with Missy Hyatt) defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio (c) (with Teddy Long) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship

Sting defeated Sid Vicious

Rick Rude (c) defeated Ric Flair by disqualification for the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship

Big Van Vader (with Harley Race) defeated Cactus Jack in a Texas Death match




Halloween Havoc 1994 took place in Detroit, Michigan on October 23rd, 1994. The first match was originally slated to be The Harlem Heat vs. The Armstrongs, but Brad Armstrong had a family emergency and could not appear.

Booker T (with Stevie Ray) defeated Brian Armstrong (Dark Match)

Johnny B. Badd (c) wrestled The Honky Tonk Man to a time-limit draw for the WCW World Television Championship

Pretty Wonderful (Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma) defeated Stars and Stripes (The Patriot & Marcus Alexander Bagwell) (c) for the WCW World Tag Team Championship

Dave Sullivan defeated Kevin Sullivan by countout

Dustin Rhodes defeated Arn Anderson (with Col. Robert Parker & Meng)

Jim Duggan (c) defeated Steve Austin by disqualification for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship

Vader (with Harley Race) defeated The Guardian Angel

The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) defeated Terry Funk and Bunkhouse Buck (with Col. Robert Parker & Meng)

Hulk Hogan (c) (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Ric Flair (with Sensuous Sherri) in a Steel Cage Retirement match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship with Mr. T as special guest referee

Following the match, Hogan was attacked by a masked man who had been stalking him: Brother Bruti (Brutus Beefcake). After Brother Bruti was unmasked, Kevin Sullivan and the debuting Avalanche (John Tenta) attacked Hogan until Sting made the save.

Check back soon for the second part of The Matches of Halloween Havoc (1995-2000)

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