Hall’s WCW Halloween Havoc 1991 Review

Halloween Havoc 1991
Date: October 27, 1991
Location: UTC Arena, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Attendance: 8,900
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone

It’s this time of the year and we might as well look back at one of the scarier concepts WCW ever had. The show itself isn’t overly memorable, but we have one heck of a concept match, as well as a mystery man known as the Halloween Phantom. That could make for something interesting so let’s get to it.

The opening video is a fairly goofy looking haunted house deal with wrestlers faces popping up. Not much to this one.

Earlier today, various wrestlers arrived, including Abdullah the Butcher in a shirt and tie. More wrestlers arrive as Eric Bischoff keeps hyping the show. Barry Windham arrives but the Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko) run in to slam the car door on his arm. This would give Zbyszko his Cruncher moniker, even though he was the one holding the door while Anderson did the slamming. Imagine that: Larry Zbyszko having a nickname that didn’t fit.

Chamber Of Horrors

Sting, El Gigante, Steiner Brothers
Cactus Jack, Abdullah The Butcher, Diamond Studd, Big Van Vader

We’ll get this one out of the way fast. So this is a huge cage (similar to the Cell) but there is no top. That’s because at some point during the match, an electric chair will come down from the ceiling and the match ends when someone is put in the chair and a switch is thrown. And yes, this is what they used this much star power on, because WCW. The brawl starts on the ramp before the bell, with Rick Steiner taking Jack’s chainsaw, which can’t possibly end well.

Thankfully that doesn’t last long and they get inside, where Sting uses a stick to clean house. We go to the Refer-Eye camera, because that needed to be a thing in this match. A masked man pops out of a casket and gets beaten up by Scott. The brawling continues with Jack getting planted with a top rope DDT from the Steiners. The cage with the electric chair (the Chair Of Torture, because of course it has a name) is lowered and Jack has to avoid being crushed.

This presents the problem of the cage taking up so much of the room in the ring, leaving the eight people with even less room. Rick fights out of the chair but does stop to play with the attachments, because Rick is a weird guy. Sting tosses a coffin lid into the air so that it lands on Jack’s head, which feels appropriate for Jack. Cue a bunch of people in white scrubs with white face paint and carrying a stretcher, with commentary dubbing them the Ghouls.

Scott breaks a kendo stick over Jack’s already bleeding head before Sting sends him over the top and into the cage. Butcher gets choked with a chain and things slow down a bit as commentary apologizes for this being too wild to call. Rick hits the Studd low to get Scott out of the chair but gets put in the chair himself. That doesn’t last long as Rick fights out and we pause for the referee to fix the switch. Rick is put back in the chair as Jack goes up to the switch and…just hangs there as Rick suplexes the Butcher into the chair. Jack FINALLY throws the switch to electrocute Butcher for the win at 12:33.

Rating: F. I….what in the world do you want me to say here? Between having to wait around for the switch to be flipped a few times to the Ghouls to THE MATCH BEING ABOUT ELECTROCUTING SOMEONE, this was the total insanity that only WCW could produce. I have no idea why they decided to put so much star power into one match, but as usual, just chalk it up to WCW was kind of stupid. Well ok not kind of but I’ve always had a soft spot for this match so I can’t be too mad.

Post match Jack checks on Butcher, who beats him up, then beats up the people who are fixing the ramp. The Ghouls get beaten up as well.

Missy Hyatt says she knows who the Halloween Phantom is but she won’t tell Eric Bischoff who it is because she doesn’t like him. The Young Pistols come in to say they don’t care about the Phantom and say they want the US Tag Team Titles. They think the Patriots might be a bit more yellow than red, white and blue. Those sound like fighting words, as well as sounding like the start of a heel turn.

PN News/Big Josh vs. The Creatures

The Creatures are generic masked men. Josh knocks #1 into the corner to start so it’s off to #2 who actually takes over. That doesn’t last long as it’s off to the 400lb News for a dropkick. Josh comes back in for a nice looking German suplex before News suplexes #2 as well. News misses a splash so it’s back to Josh to plant #1. The Northern Exposure (seated senton) connects but Josh tags News during the count. That’s not something you see very often, but it doesn’t matter as News hits his splash for the pin on #1 at 5:16.

Rating: D. The good guys were popular enough for younger fans but there is only so much you can get from a lumberjack and a big rapper other than the start of a bad joke. The Creatures were a generic heel team but even commentary was pointing out that they were the better pairing. That’s not a good sign, though this was little more than a cool down match after the crazy opener.

Bobby Eaton vs. Terrence Taylor

Alexandra York is here with Taylor. Feeling out process to start with Eaton offering to let Taylor hit him in the face. That doesn’t happen so Taylor snaps off an armdrag but another is blocked. Eaton hits a hard clothesline to send Taylor outside where it’s time to consult York’s computer. Back in and Eaton drops him with a right hand before grabbing the hammerlock. That’s broken up and they go to the ramp, with Taylor being dropped down hard.

A top rope splash crushes Taylor again but he knocks Eaton off the apron and into the barricade. Taylor gives him a gutwrench powerbomb onto the ramp, followed by his own top rope splash for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Eaton is back up with a sunset flip for two of his own. Taylor knocks him right back down and drops a knee for two, setting up a reverse chinlock.

That’s broken up with a jawbreaker but Eaton’s splash hits raised knees. Unfortunately so does Taylor’s Vader Bomb and Eaton gets to slug away. A swinging neckbreaker lets Eaton go up top, where Taylor crotches him down. Eaton knocks him back down though and the Alabama Jam (guillotine legdrop) finishes Taylor at 16:37.

Rating: B. This was good stuff as you would expect given the talent involved. You don’t often see Eaton having a singles match but he more than held his own here. There is something so fun about watching Eaton in the ring as you will not find many people who can make it look easier. They were able to give the fans a good, solid wrestling match here, which is exactly what it should have been.

Johnny B. Badd vs. Jimmy Garvin

Garvin is replacing an injured Michael Hayes (in Garvin’s corner, just like Theodore Long is in Badd’s corner). After a minute of stalling, Badd starts with the left hands until Garvin sends him crashing out to the floor. Hayes takes his “bad” arm out of the sling for a shot to the face (and a wink to the camera). Garvin slugs away but Badd goes to the ribs again and grabs a camel clutch.

A towel is brought in for some reason and taken right back out with nothing happening in a weird sequence. Badd’s top rope sunset flip mostly connects for two, as does a top rope elbow. For some reason Schiavone complains about Badd’s offense, which makes a bit of sense as Badd misses a charge out to the floor. Back in and they collide before Garvin grabs the DDT. Long has the referee though and Badd pops up for the big left hand. Long shoves the foot off the rope and Badd gets the pin at 8:17.

Rating: D. So Badd was the new up and coming star, but instead of putting him over strong, he has trouble beating the replacement Freebird. That’s not exactly a good way to get Badd over, which is where the whole thing fell apart. It came off like he escaped and only got by with help and that is REALLY not smart given how he was being hyped up as a good prospect. Just have him beat Garvin and move on. Why would you need to work so hard to protect Garvin here?

Post match Hayes lays Long out with a left hand.

Missy Hyatt asks Bobby Eaton about the Halloween Phantom but Eaton, carrying a pumpkin, doesn’t want to talk about it because he just won a match. I’d be more curious about why he’s wearing different tights than he had on in the match and hasn’t taken a shower yet.

TV Title: Steve Austin vs. Dustin Rhodes

Austin, with Lady Blossom, is defending. Feeling out process to start as Ross talks about how if he could draft a wrestler for the future, it would be Austin. Well that seems rather bright. Rhodes goes for the leg but can’t get very far as Austin makes it over to the ropes. Back up and Rhodes hits a clothesline and a dropkick, followed by another clothesline out to the floor.

That’s not a DQ here so they go back inside, with Austin getting two off a belly to back suplex. They go to the mat and fight over a headlock for a bit, with some headscissors getting them out of things. Back up and Rhodes grabs a headlock takeover, with Austin reversing into a headscissors to slow things down.

That’s eventually broken up and Rhodes misses a crossbody out to the floor. Austin sends him into something to bust Rhodes open, followed by a top rope ax handle to make it even worse. The chinlock goes on again with four minutes left and Austin putting his feet on the ropes. That’s broken up as well but Austin gets two off a running clothesline. Rhodes fights up with a powerslam as we have two minutes to go. Back up and the Flip Flop And Fly have Austin in more trouble with a minute left. Rhodes hits a top rope clothesline and time runs out at 15:00.

Rating: B-. They weren’t hiding the upcoming time limit draw here and that hurt things a bit, though these two had good chemistry together and the match was good. Austin was clearly set to become something (granted no one could have seen just how big) and Rhodes did live up to his Natural moniker. It’s another case of talented wrestlers having a good match, even with the less than thrilling finish.

Oz vs. Bill Kazmaier

Oz (Kevin Nash) has bleach blond hair and looks like Sting from behind. Kazmaier (former World’s Strongest Man) carries an inflated globe to the ring and grabs a headlock to start. Oz cheats to win a test of strength and knocks him over the top, with Kazmaier skinning the cat. Kazmaier runs him over and grabs a torture rack for the win a 3:58.

Rating: D. This show cannot get any momentum going and it’s killing anything good about the whole thing. Kazmaier was an incredible athlete, but he’s a great example of someone who couldn’t translate that to wrestling. Oz would wind up being fine once he got away from the brilliant brain trust in WCW and was able to be taken a bit more seriously, but that wasn’t being shown here whatsoever.

Van Hammer vs. Doug Sommers

They stumble a bit to start before Hammer grabs a powerslam. A whip into the corner almost has Sommers falling down and hammer drops a leg. The slingshot suplex (almost a slingshot DDT) finishes Sommers at 1:17. Total squash but VERY sloppy.

Brian Pillman hasn’t been around very long but he’s ready to win the Light Heavyweight Title.

Richard (yes Richard, because he’s a villains) Morton is ready to be a champion again.

Light Heavyweight Title: Richard Morton vs. Brian Pillman

For the inaugural title and Alexandra York is here with Morton. Feeling out process to start with Morton taking him down off an armdrag. Morton bails outside and gets knocked back out with a spinwheel kick. Back in and Morton punches him in the jaw before starting in on a headscissors to slow Pillman down.

Morton misses an elbow though and Pillman grabs a headlock as Ross continues to find more football stuff from Pillman’s life to talk about. Back up and Morton knocks him down again, allowing Morton to start in on the arm. That stays on for a good bit before Pillman gets in a clothesline.

That earns him a quick rake to the eyes, followed by a belly to back suplex to give Morton two. Pillman comes back with a kick to the face and knocks Morton outside. Morton is able to post him though…and Pillman comes back in with a high crossbody for the pin and the title at 12:44. Well that was sudden.

Rating: D+. This was a great example of everything that went wrong with this division. Pillman was trying to do the flying and entertaining stuff but Morton just kept it on the mat. That might be something that makes sense but it doesn’t make for interesting viewing. There was an idea to the whole thing and it could have worked, though they needed some serious adjustments. And a better finish, as it just came right out of nowhere.

We’re still not sure who the Halloween Phantom might be.

Halloween Phantom vs. Z-Man

Well this might help. The Phantom (a masked man who has some size to him) hammers away in the corner and adds a knee to the ribs. We see a mustache under the Phantom’s mask as he gets in a shot to the ribs. Z-Man’s dropkick is shrugged off and a neckbreaker finishes for the Phantom at 1:28. If the forearms and neckbreaker didn’t give it away, the mustache should be all you need.

Tag Team Titles: Enforcers vs. Patriots

The Enforcers are defending and the Patriots’ (Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip) US Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Chip headlocks Zbyszko to start but gets pulled into an abdominal stretch. That’s reversed into the same thing from Chip, who is hiptossed down rather quickly. Anderson comes in and gets wrestled outside, which doesn’t leave him very pleased.

Back in and Champion starts in on the arm before sending Anderson outside again. Anderson can’t get a piledriver on the floor and is instead backdropped, with Chip throwing him back inside. For some reason Chip argues with the referee, allowing Zbyszko to get in a cheap shot. The Patriots don’t seem to mind and knock them outside, meaning it’s time to muscularly pose.

Back in and Zbyszko catches Champion with a neckbreaker but he fights out of the corner, only for Anderson to make a blind tag. Zbyszko comes in with a shot from behind for two and the frustration continues to sink in. Champion fights out of a chinlock and brings Chip back in as everything breaks down. Chip runs into Zbyszko and staggers into a spinebuster to give Anderson the retaining pin at 9:50.

Rating: C. Thankfully the Patriots let the Enforcers run just about everything here and it made the match that much easier to watch. They didn’t have the time to make it too boring and the ending felt like the experienced Enforcers caught the young stars. Granted the Patriots weren’t great, but they held it together well enough here.

Eric Bischoff brings out Paul E. Dangerously (better known as Paul Heyman) and Madusa for a chat. Dangerously has been gone for a few weeks and goes on a rant about how he’s been sent away for being too brash and outspoken. It cost him his job as the host of WCW TV, which means war. He still has a manager’s license though, so he’s going to destroy WCW piece by piece.

We’ll start with Sting, so Dangerously has sent Madusa to find the man who can take Sting out. That would be the Halloween Phantom, who is the only person who can help Dangerously destroy this place. The Phantom comes out and is unmasked as….RICK RUDE. The fans seem impressed as Rude talks about only caring for his women and his money. Now he’s ready to tear about WCW and take Sting’s US Title. Rude, who hasn’t been around on a big stage in over a year, instantly looks like a huge deal and you could feel how big this felt.

We look at Ron Simmons returning to Florida State University to train for his World Title shot. Legendary coach Bobby Bowden even pops in to talk about how great Simmons really is. It’s no Rocky montage but it worked well enough.

WCW World Title: Ron Simmons vs. Lex Luger

Simmons is challenging in a 2/3 falls with Dusty Rhodes and Harley Race (plus Mr. Hughes for Luger) as the respective seconds. They take their time to start before going to the mat, which doesn’t lead much of anywhere. Back up and Luger backs him into the corner but gets powered back out, only for Simmons to miss a dropkick. Luger slowly stomps away, only to charge into a powerslam. A spinebuster gives Simmons the first fall at 4:53.

We get a breather between the falls but Luger is still shaken up. Simmons starts fast with a backdrop as Luger’s back is in trouble. A bulldog gives Simmons two, with Race panicking on the floor. The near fall on the World Champion has commentary talking about the World Series, even as Luger sends Simmons outside. That doesn’t do him much good as Simmons is back in with some clotheslines but Luger sidesteps a charge to send him outside.

Back in and Luger knocks him down for two, sending Race into a rant about the referee’s inability to count. Luger hits his own powerslam but his back keeps him from getting a good cover. A clothesline gets a weak cover and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Simmons avoids a charge in the corner for a quick two. A backslide gets two more and they crash into the ropes…where Race holds Simmons’ tights. That means only Luger goes over, which is good for a DQ to tie it up at 16:28.

Rhodes gives Simmons a pep talk and Simmons starts the third fall by hammering away at Luger (who seems to be bleeding from the eye). A clothesline drops Luger for two more and an atomic drop has the back in more trouble. Simmons grabs a superplex and a middle rope shoulder, which sends Luger crashing out to the floor. Luger avoids a charge into the post though and Luger grabs a messy piledriver (the Attitude Adjustment) to win the third fall and retain at 22:02.

Rating: B-. They were in a bit of a tough spot here, as Simmons was built up as the new mega challenger but it was kind of hard to imagine him winning the title. They played up the story of Simmons being the big conquering hero and Luger sold the back well, but it never felt like there was a lot of drama about the title change. Race’s rants did help a lot though, as he felt like he could have snapped and massacred the referee at any point.

Commentary recaps the show to wrap it up.

Roll credits.

 

Results
Sting/Steiner Brothers/El Gigante b. Diamond Studd/Vader/Cactus Jack/Abdullah The Butcher when the Butcher was rendered helpless
Big Josh/PN News b. The Creatures – Splash to #1
Bobby Eaton b. Terrance Taylor – Alabama Jam
Johnny B. Badd b. Jimmy Garvin – Left hand
Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin went to a time limit draw
Bill Kazmaier b. Oz – Torture rack
Van Hammer b. Doug Sommers – Slingshot suplex
Brian Pillman b. Richard Morton – High crossbody
Halloween Phantom b. Z-Man – Neckbreaker
Enforcers b. Patriots – Spinebuster to Chip
Lex Luger b. Ron Simmons 2-1

 

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5.5

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

It wasn’t the worst show and WCW would do far worse at various points, but there is only so much on here worth seeing. The midcard matches did work well enough and the Phantom reveal was great, but the worst matches drag the thing down. While the Chamber Of Horrors match is at least goofy insanity, stuff like the Light Heavyweight Title and Badd vs. Garvin drag the show right back down. Maybe check this out if you’re really nostalgic for the era, but just stick with finding some of the TV from this era instead.