Halloween Havoc ’98

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Halloween Havoc

October 25, 1998

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Las Vegas, Nevada

News & Notes: Arn Anderson reformed The Horsemen the night after Fall Brawl. The new group comprises Malenko, Benoit, Mongo, and the returning Ric Flair. This pissed off Bischoff. They didn’t have their arm wrestling match yet! He stormed the ring, so Flair ripped into him. Ric accused Eric of abusing his power and dared Bischoff to fire him. Then the Bischoff/Arn contest happened. Eric made Anderson face Buff Bagwell instead. Buff won because they forced Arn to use his weakened left arm. Therefore, Bischoff barred Flair from making an in-ring return. Eric then punished the Horsemen members. He made Malenko fight Barbarian, but Dean won. Next, Bischoff threatened to cut Benoit and Malenko’s pay. He added insult to injury by insulting Flair and Anderson’s families. So Arn brought Reid Flair to Nitro and taught Eric a lesson. Little Reid took Eric down with his amateur wrestling moves.

Bischoff tried to prevent Flair and The Horsemen from entering the buildings. But Doug Dillinger had their backs. He let them pass on multiple occasions. Dillinger’s blind eye led to tire iron attacks on the nWo. Bischoff retaliated by having The Horsemen and Dillinger arrested. However, Flair found ways to enter the arenas. He had connections with the owners and even the mayor of Minneapolis. The Horsemen got their own private box one week. Bischoff invaded it and shoved the owner, so the cops arrested Eric! Tensions only escalated. Bischoff’s insults continued until Arn suggested visiting Eric’s home. He promised to beat him in front of his family.

Meanwhile, Eddie Guerrero’s issues with Bischoff grew. Eric sent him to Japan, but Eddie defied the order. Guerrero returned during a luchador encounter. He told them Bischoff pitted the Latino stars against each other on purpose. So Eddie recommended they band together and form the Latino World Order. He recruited Damien, Hector Garza, El Dandy, Psychosis, and La Parka. However, he ignored Chavo. Poor Chavo walked away and said he didn’t need a shirt. Then Guerrero approached Rey Mysterio Jr., but Rey rejected the offer. Chavo watched the exchange from the aisle.

We get a colorful opening video filled with opera singing. An image of The Warrior rises from the bottom of the screen while Hogan looks shocked. Then we see clips of The Warrior’s antics, including the infamous mirror appearance. A stylish spiral fade leads to footage of the other big matches. Goldberg wrestles DDP. Bret fights Sting. And Hall meets Kevin Nash! It’s Halloween Havoc!

Fireworks explode around the awesome set. A giant gargoyle looms over a pumpkin. Tony, Bobby, and Mike speak about the two main events. Can Goldberg continue his streak? Is Hogan the lowest form of life in WCW? Heenan thinks so. He talks about Hogan beating up his own nephew, Horace. Then Tony and Mike discuss DDP vs. Goldberg while Bobby dons a Halloween mask. Heenan tries to scare Tony, so Schiavone snaps the mask against his face.

Next, the Nitro Girls dance while Tony lists the entire card. He says the girls will be there all night. Tony yells over their music.

Gene interviews Rick Steiner. Rick says the hound is in the pound and he’s going to get down! He’s there to teach Scott a lesson. But Buff Bagwell interrupts. He had a change of heart in recent weeks. Everyone is sick of Scott. Buff knows the nWo doesn’t operate one-on-one. He offers his services as Rick’s cornerman. Rick doesn’t trust him, so Buff tells him to look in his eyes. He asks if Buff is ready to smack Scott if he needs to. Buff says yes, so Rick shakes his hand and they bark.

Raven and Jericho arrive for a special added bout. Jericho blows kisses to the crowd, but Raven sulks in the corner. Raven says he’s been on a losing streak lately. Then no one informed him of this encounter ahead of time! Raven doesn’t feel like wrestling, so he leaves. Jericho isn’t amused. He doesn’t want to be there either, but his Jerichoholics need to see him wrestle! Jericho equals buyrates, butts in seats, and rock and roll! This doesn’t impress Raven, so Jericho goads him. He calls Raven a loser and claims he can beat him in seconds. It draws Raven into the ring where Jericho jumps him.

TV Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Raven

Notes: Jericho continued antagonizing Goldberg. He claimed forfeit and count-out victories over the man he called Greenberg. Goldberg jumped his imitator backstage and came after Chris. But Jericho evaded comeuppance by using the impostor as cannon fodder. He can’t run forever. Meanwhile, a despondent Raven vowed to make someone pay for losing his Flock. Raven and Kanyon nearly turned it into reality. They almost broke Villano IV’s neck with a botched powerbomb/neckbreaker combo. Then Jericho and Raven’s paths crossed. Jericho made Raven submit to the Liontamer. The commentators said Raven wasn’t the same since The Flock left. Later, Jericho wrestled Kanyon. Raven attacked, but Jericho put him in the Liontamer again. When Raven tapped, it somehow gave Jericho a win over Kanyon. It’s classic WCW logic.

The Match: Jericho whips Raven with his jacket and does a cocky pin. Then they tumble outside and fight with the ring steps. Raven drops Chris on them and vaults into a dropkick. It leads to fighting on the apron. Jericho nails his triangle jump dropkick before they fight at the railing. Back inside, Raven chokes Chris with his flannel shirt and uses a sleeper hold. Jericho breaks it and removes a turnbuckle pad. But Raven answers with a powerbomb and sends Jericho into the exposed metal. Next, Raven avoids the Liontamer, so Jericho throws a fit. This allows Raven to hit the Even Flow. It only gets a two! Jericho retaliates with a low blow, which draws out Kanyon. Chris spots Kanyon and shoves Raven into him. Raven almost recovers for another Even Flow, but Jericho turns it into a Liontamer. Raven taps before Chris even sits down.

Thoughts: It was a hot and explosive opener. They set a good pace and never let it drag. Other than a sleeper hold, there were no rest spots. The stuff with the steps was fun. They even got a great reaction, despite being two heels. This is what you want from the first match of the night.

Winner: Chris Jericho (7:50)

Hogan and Bischoff have a quick love-fest before Hogan cuts a promo. Hollywood threatens to be long-winded. He says the nWo-ites worship him. Then Hogan brags about crucifying his own nephew, Horace. He left him lying in a pool of blood. Hogan proved you must be worthy to join the nWo. He went too far to make an example and draw the line for that bozo, Warrior. Everyone will know what Hogan is about after tonight! When you question Hollywood’s power, you cross the line into his world. Then Hogan beats you up for life, brother!

Wrath vs. Meng

Notes: WCW spent the past two months building Wrath and Meng as monsters. Wrath gained squash victories on every major WCW program. Meng ran roughshod over anyone in his path, except The Giant. Then Meng took notice of the other big dog in the yard. He remained in the ring after his match and attacked Chris Adams. Chris was Wrath’s scheduled opponent. When Wrath confronted Meng, they brawled. It led to more confrontations. Wrath interrupted Meng’s bout with Bulldog. He caused a DQ, so they scuffled again.

The Match: They fight at the ropes and on the floor. Wrath hits a cannonball off the apron. Then he rams Meng into the corner. It’s ineffective. Wrath tries clotheslines and a shoulder tackle next. But Meng avoids The Meltdown (pumphandle powerslam) and nails a Kick of Fear. It only gets two, so Meng throws strikes and bites Wrath’s face! Next, they exchange blows until Wrath attempts a sunset flip. Meng reaches for the Death Grip and only finds the mat. The miss allows Wrath to use the Death Penalty, but it only earns a two! However, The Meltdown scores a three.

Thoughts: It has the potential to be a nice hoss fight. There were some good spots, and I enjoyed the finish. But it was forgettable. This show runs over its time, so this is on the list of matches they didn’t need.

Winner: Wrath (4:23)

Kidman is in the internet booth with Lee Marshall. Lee asks him how he prepares for an unknown opponent. Kidman says it’s difficult, but he’ll be fresh. Then Lee wonders who Kidman prefers to face. Is it Disco Inferno or Juvi? Kidman wants to wrestle Juventud, but he has a score to settle with Disco. Next, Lee says Disco is no more a cruiserweight than Lee himself. Kidman agrees. He thinks Disco is using a rigged scale. But he’ll fight him if he has to.

Cruiserweight #1 Contender Match: Disco Inferno vs. Juventud Guerrera

Notes: Juvi dropped his title to Kidman, but I’ll explain that part before Kidman’s match. Guerrera wasn’t the only one who wanted cruiserweight gold. Disco worked hard to meet the weight limit. But he exhausted himself and lost to Kidman. Then Juvi snitched on Disco before a #1 Contender bout with Chavo. He told the ref Disco’s weigh-in sheet was a lie. Disco attacked Juvi in anger. He called him Juven-stooge. Disco said Juvi only thought his weight was wrong because they use the metric system in Mexico! He swore he was a cruiserweight. Later, Juvi and Disco interfered in each other’s bouts until even Kidman had enough. He tried to play peacemaker and got caught in the crossfire. Disco finally made weight, so he earned another shot. The winner faces Kidman on this PPV.

The Match: Disco gets an early advantage. But Juvi flusters him with a monkey flip, headscissor takeovers, and a Rocker Dropper. (They did the spot twice because they botched it.) Disco answers with a Manhattan Drop and a chinlock. Juvi breaks free and sends Inferno to the floor for a slingshot crossbody. Guerrera then continues with a hurricanrana and tries a Juvi Driver. Disco reverses it and uses a hotshot and a swinging neckbreaker. He also blocks a sunset flip and dances, but Juvi flips the dancing fool. Then Disco rebounds with a giant swing. It makes him dizzy, so Disco falls on Juvi’s crotch! Juvi recovers and catches Disco on the top rope. He lands a Super Frankensteiner, a flying wheel kick, and a wheelbarrow bulldog. Next, Juvi looks for a reverse hurricanrana. Disco blocks it and nails a piledriver for the win.

Thoughts: It was solid. This wasn’t as high-flying as the usual cruiserweight style and that’s fine. There’s nothing wrong with variety. I liked some spots and reversals. It had shaky moments, but they recovered well. Plus, Disco has one of the more underrated piledrivers in wrestling. It always looks good.

Winner: Disco Inferno (9:39)

The Nitro Girls do another routine while Tony discusses the debut of Konnan’s new music video. (They cut it from the network, yet this PPV is still over three hours long!) Then the girls cause the commentators to lose their train of thought. Heenan tells Tony and Mike to shut up and give him a cold towel.

Scott Steiner has something to say. He spent three days and thirty nights with a freak in a box! Big Poppa Pump is in town and ready to pound! (Did he place a bet with Rick about who could create a lamer rhyme?) Scott also talks about beating up his brother his whole life. Then Scotty knocked that mama’s boy (Buff Bagwell) down in front of his mother! If Buff wants to be Rick’s cornerman, they should make things interesting. Scott suggests a tag match against himself and The Giant. In fact, he and Giant will put the tag belts on the line! JJ Dillon arrives to confirm this. He’s willing to grant the request on one condition. If Scott and Giant lose the tag belts, Scott must face Rick afterward! A confident Scotty agrees to the terms.

Alex Wright vs. Fit Finlay

Notes: Alex Wright likes no one. He can’t stand stupid Americans. Wright also doesn’t like other European wrestlers calling themselves the best. First, Wright targeted Bulldog. They wrestled twice with no clear winner. Their bouts concluded in a double pin and a double count-out. Then Alex went after Finlay. Fit ended the career of Alex’s father, so Wright wanted revenge. Alex won with a handful of tights, but Bulldog prevented Alex from running away afterward. Finlay avenged his loss and gave Bulldog a smack for good measure. It led to Finlay vs. Bulldog. Wright cost Bulldog the victory. Finlay rewarded Alex for his help with a beating. Finally, Alex ruined another Bulldog bout on Saturday Night.

The Match: They trade takedowns and uppercuts, but Alex keeps dancing. Finlay answers with a short-arm clothesline and a catapult. Next, they fight at the apron and the railing. Alex uses a slingshot sunset flip. Finlay fires back with more uppercuts and forearms. When Fit ducks, Alex yanks him to the mat. A crossbody follows, but Wright misses a missile dropkick. Finlay waits for Alex to rise and charges at him. Wright moves, so Fit crashes into the corner. It opens the door for Wright’s neckbreaker and a pin.

Thoughts: It was dull and uneventful. The action was fine. They kept it short and hard-hitting. But the crowd didn’t care. This is another on the list of unnecessary matches. It’s one you’ll forget by the end of the night.

Winner: Alex Wright (5:09)

Ernest Miller is in the internet booth, much to Lee’s chagrin. Miller defends calling himself the greatest. He’s a former football player and a three-time karate champ! Then Lee accuses The Cat of stealing his nicknames from other athletes. Ernest asks who they are. If he gets his hands on them, he’ll take them out! After all, The Cat has an undefeated record against the locker room. He’s even 5-0 against fat fans! Lee can’t believe Miller brags about that! (On a side note, Lee should watch out. The YEH-TAY is behind him!)

Next, Lodi arrives for his match with Saturn. He carries three signs. One says he likes Texas. Good for him. Penzer says Lodi hails from anywhere but Las Vegas. Then Saturn joins him. He has a new look. Saturn wears a beret and a chain-mail vest. Heenan claims Perry bought it at Ace Hardware. The comment breaks Tony. He laughs in mid-sentence.

Saturn vs. Lodi

Notes: Saturn convinced The Flock to walk away when Raven begged them to return. Everyone except Lodi accepted this. Lodi felt lost without Raven. He carried signs saying so. Lodi interrupted former Flock member’s matches and campaigned for his cause. They ignored him. Then Lodi accused Saturn of ruining his life, so Saturn chased him away. Lodi even went after DDP because of his involvement in the feud. It didn’t end well. He missed Raven and wanted to carry his bags again. Lodi showed this by trying to help Raven win, but he failed. (Why can’t he go back to Raven? Kanyon still hangs with him. It’s more WCW logic.)

The Match: Lodi stalls and annoys Saturn. Then Lodi escapes a hammerlock. He chases a ring attendant who took his signs. When Lodi returns, Saturn nails a face crusher and sweeps the leg. Lodi bails again and raises his Texas sign. (You can hear the annoyance in Heenan’s voice.) Saturn has enough. He grabs Lodi by the hair and suplexes him back inside. Perry follows with chops, kicks, and Irish whips. This time, Lodi tries to leave. Saturn retrieves him, so Lodi lures Saturn into the ring for an attack. It’s ineffective. Saturn lands suplexes and a Falcon Arrow. Then he finishes it with the Death Valley Driver.

Thoughts: It was a pointless squash. Lodi’s antics were annoying. They could and should have done this on TV. Saturn needs a new feud. The problem is, I looked at the World War 3 card. His next one doesn’t look much better.

Winner: Saturn (3:50)

The commentators discuss the remaining card. Heenan wants a good family fight during the Steiner encounter. He suggests they invite mom, dad, and their sister. Tony tells him to shut up. Then they show a replay of Buff trying to hit Scott Steiner with a chair. Tony reacts to hearing his own voice in the clip. Afterward, the Nitro Girls dance once more.

Cruiserweight Title Match: Kidman (c) vs. Disco Inferno

Notes: When Saturn convinced The Flock to walk away, he paid special attention to Kidman. Perry motivated him to make a name for himself. Kidman asked for a cruiserweight title shot and got it. He pinned Juvi to win the gold. Later, Kidman told Mean Gene being champion helped him pick up women. Gene wanted in on the action. Then Kidman gave a valiant effort against Scott Hall. Plus, he gained victories over Psychosis and Kaz Hayashi. The latter caused Sonny Onoo to turn on Kaz afterward. Kidman saved him from a beating. Finally, Kidman wrestled Rey Mysterio. It ended in a time-limit draw.

The Match: Kidman tries to wear down an already tired Disco with mat wrestling. Disco takes control with a drop toe hold on the ropes and a swinging neckbreaker. He also low-bridges Kidman and they fight outside. Kidman scores a tornado bulldog on the floor and rolls Disco inside. But Kidman misses a flying splash. Disco capitalizes with strikes, slams, and suplexes, but he keeps dancing. The hesitation makes him miss a diving elbow. This allows Kidman to land a Sky High and a powerslam. However, Disco nails a piledriver after two tries. He’s too tired to cover and only gets a two. Next, Disco counters a bulldog into a neckbreaker and lands a gourdbuster. A piledriver attempt follows, but Disco pauses to do the Macarena. When Disco does the move, Kidman turns it into a facebuster. He hits a Shooting Star Press for the victory.

Thoughts: It was another more mat-based cruiserweight bout. Like the earlier one, this was good. The pacing made sense because Disco already wrestled once. It had nice storytelling and a hot finish. Kidman had a breakout month, but this night made Disco look good too.

Winner: Kidman (10:49)

Scott Steiner and The Giant arrive for the tag title match. Tony explains why Steiner can fill in for Hall. It’s the nWo’s rules. They can switch when they want. (That goes against what JJ Dillon said earlier in the year.) Next, Rick and Buff join them. Tony reminds everyone Rick almost ended Buff’s career with the neck injury. While he says this, Rick and Buff do the Steiner Brothers’ pose. The Giant blows cigarette smoke in their faces.

Tag Team Title Match: Rick Steiner & Buff Bagwell vs. The Giant & Scott Steiner (c)

Notes: I’ll split the storyline explanation between this and the following match. First, we have Buff Bagwell’s story. Scott Steiner feigned another injury after a handicap squash. Buff showed concern. Rick had enough of Buff and Scott’s antics, so he called in backup. Judy Bagwell slapped some sense into her son. She attempted to do the same to Scott, so he grabbed her arm. Then Scotty insulted her on Thunder. He went too far. Bagwell walked away and abandoned Scott. Judy and Buff confronted Scott again on Nitro. Scott mocked her once more, so Bagwell attacked him. Scott left Buff lying after a hotshot on the ropes. The next week, Bagwell tried to gain revenge with a chair, but Scotty ran. Buff then ripped off his nWo shirt and threw it down.

The Match: The Giant controls Rick with strikes, an atomic drop, and a back suplex. Scott tags once Rick is down. He kicks and punches his brother before sending him outside for The Giant’s attack. Buff stops it. Then Rick rallies with clotheslines and a Manhattan Drop, but Buff demands a tag. Bagwell gets it—and kicks Rick in the balls! He laughs and celebrates with Scotty before leaving. Scott and The Giant toy with Rick. They choke and mock him. The Giant distracts the ref while Scott attacks Rick. Giant even lifts Rick from a pin to do more damage. When Rick shows life, Scott nails a low blow and tags The Giant. He then holds his brother while Giant takes forever to climb. Once he’s steady, Giant does a missile dropkick, but he hits Scott! Rick capitalizes with Steinerlines and finishes The Giant with a flying bulldog.

Thoughts: The action wasn’t always good, but I enjoyed the storytelling elements. It was fine. The finish was great, despite Giant taking forever. Plus, the crowd erupted for the ending. Now, who will Rick choose as his new tag partner? For those who don’t know, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I’ll wait until a later review.

Winner: Rick Steiner (New Champion) (8:24)

Scott crawls outside the ring in pain. The ref tells him to return and face Rick. Scott refuses because he says the ref’s three-count was too fast. The Giant apologizes for his mistake and tries to leave with Scotty. Rick has none of that. He jumps Scott, so The Giant chases Rick into the ring. Rick fights him off and begins the bout.

Rick Steiner vs. Scott Steiner

Notes: Now let me explain the rest. JJ Dillon ordered this rematch after Fall Brawl. He found Buff and Scott’s actions unacceptable. Before Buff’s fake face turn, Dillon barred him from ringside for this encounter. Then Rick cut promos about his childhood with Scott. He said he beat Scotty in every fight they ever had. But something strange occurred during both Dillon and Rick’s segments. Creepy laughter echoed throughout the arena. It happened for weeks. Finally, we learned the source of the laughter. Gene interviewed Rick until Chucky from Child’s Play interrupted. (Yes, I’m serious.) He promoted his new movie and warned Rick to leave Scott alone. Chucky planned to put Scott in his next film. Rick challenged the doll to come and meet him, but it didn’t happen.

The Match: Scott begs off when Rick attacks him, but it’s no use. After some Steinerlines and a stampede into the corner, Scott stops the flurry with a low blow. He does his own Steinerlines and suplexes. Scott also chokes his brother on the ropes. But Rick surprises Scott with a powerslam. Then a man in a Bill Clinton mask jumps the rail! Stevie Ray hands him a slapjack, and the man clocks Rick and the ref! He then unmasks to reveal Buff Bagwell. Buff tries counting pinfalls for Scotty. He even uses the unconscious ref’s hand after a Super Frankensteiner. Rick kicks out and dispatches Bagwell with a hotshot. He then nails another Steinerline and ends the bout with a flying bulldog.

Thoughts: After all the bait-and-switching and postponements, the match didn’t deliver. It wasn’t terrible. But it wasn’t the explosive brawl I expected from these two. Only the finish was good. Plus, the Bagwell part made little sense. Why did he wear a mask if he was going to knock everyone out with a weapon? Worse yet, this isn’t the blow-off. It continues after Havoc.

Winner: Rick Steiner (5:10)

They recap the history of The Outsiders. They were once closer than brothers, but Hall broke those ties at Slamboree. Nash accused the nWo of manipulating Hall’s personal problems. Hall said it was all about the money. He lost too much during his crisis. Hall’s actions embarrassed Nash. He wanted to beat some sense into his friend. Nash says it’s the last call. He lost his friend because he no longer recognizes Scott. The Outsiders battle for respect tonight!

Hall arrives for his bout with a drink in hand. He stumbles through his entrance. Nash shakes his head at Hall when he sees him. But Hall throws the drink in Kevin’s eyes and attacks him. Scott comes alive. All signs of drunkenness are gone.

Scott Hall vs. Kevin Nash

Notes: Everyone had enough of Hall. Luger, Dusty, and Bischoff tried to reason with him. But Scott still got drunk. He puked on Bischoff and the announcers. Hall even fell out of the ring during a bout. Nash said he lost his friend. He did not know who Scott was anymore, so Kevin challenged him. Then Nash searched for Scott at local bars. When he found him, they brawled into the bathroom. Kevin dunked him in a toilet. The following week, Hall lured Nash to another bar. It was a ruse. Scott appeared at the arena and attacked Luger. Next, The Wolfpac and nWo Hollywood had a six-man tag. Nash tricked Hall into a false sense of security. Kevin pretended he was drunk, but his cup was empty. He gave Hall a big boot and knocked him to the floor. Hall then ran.

The Match: Hall attacks Nash with a microphone and a cable. The medics check on the blinded Nash while Hall mocks him. Scott asks Kevin how it feels to see through foggy eyes. He tells him to get lost because he’s done listening to Nash. But Kevin enters the ring. He lets Hall punch him and dares him to bring it. Then Nash hits a side slam. They exchange strikes on their knees before Nash attempts a Jackknife. Hall avoids it and regroups. He gets one last rally, but Nash stops it. Kevin batters Hall in the corner with elbows and knees. He asks Hall if he wants another drink. Hall can barely stand, so Kevin knocks him down with a big boot. He drops the straps and performs two Jackknives. Nash calls it a double. Then he walks away. It confuses the ref, but he counts Nash out.

Thoughts: It was a story-driven match. Don’t look for great technical wrestling. I know some don’t like this, but I do. It had good storytelling and performances. I’m even fine with the finish. It fits the story. Nash only cared about beating some sense into his friend, not winning. I still don’t like the overall angle, but the bout itself was good.

Winner: Scott Hall (by Count-Out) (14:19)

The Nitro Girls do their next number in colored wigs. Heenan says they dressed like Lodi. This annoys Tenay. Also, they mention Konnan’s music video, which they cut from the network.

U.S. Title Match: Bret Hart (c) vs. Sting

Notes: Bret fooled everyone. He feigned remorse for siding with Hogan. Piper and Sting believed him. Sting and Bret helped each other when the nWo jumped them. So Hogan called Bret and Sting whiners. Hollywood challenged Bret to a bout. Bret appeared to injure his knee during the action. Sting took his place and locked Hogan in a Scorpion Deathlock. But Bret returned and gave Sting a DDT! He and Hogan attacked Sting with chairs. Then the nWo factions had a wild fight. It ended with Sting trashing the nWo’s limo with a forklift. Next, a planned Bret/Sting match became a backstage melee. It left both men hobbled. Sting even teamed with Warrior against Bret & Hogan, but I’ll discuss that later. Finally, Sting wrestled Bret on Nitro. Sting told the ref to DQ him because he wasn’t releasing the Deathlock.

The Match: Bret stalls until Sting chases. Sting throws strikes and stomps Bret’s hands. But Bret answers with an eye rake, a rope rake, and a DDT. Then Bret focuses on Sting’s back with headbutts and punches. Sting almost secures the Deathlock after a missed dropkick, but Bret gets a rope break. Next, Bret feigns a knee injury and fetches a fist weapon. Sting takes it away, but Bret does a low blow in the confusion. It leads to fighting at the apron. Sting elbows the ref by mistake. Bret even leg drops the ref! Then Sting gives Bret a superplex onto him! Afterward, Sting lands a Stinger Splash, but he overshoots. Sting’s head strikes the post! With Sting out, Bret grabs the bat and hits him multiple times. He then wakes the ref and puts Sting in the Sharpshooter. The referee sees Sting is out cold.

Thoughts: This was a little disappointing. It wasn’t bad, but I expected better from these two. I liked a few of the moments. However, the pacing hurt it. The ending fits Bret’s recent actions. He’s injured many opponents. So I’m fine with that part. The rest was dull.

Winner: Bret Hart (15:05)

Billy Silverman calls for medical aid for Sting. Meanwhile, Jackie Crockett screams at a member of the ring crew for entering his camera shot. He has a Christian Bale-like meltdown. You can hear it on the broadcast. It distracts you from how long it takes to load Sting on a stretcher.

Once they take Sting backstage, Hogan enters for his match. He wears a giant white feather boa. Penzer introduces this bout instead of Buffer, which surprised me. During Hogan’s arrival, they recap what he did to Horace. We see clips. Then The Warrior runs to the ring. Hogan calls him nuts. He’s out of his mind, but Hogan claims he can kill him.

Hollywood Hogan vs. The Warrior

Notes: Warrior abducted The Disciple in a cloud of smoke. He then convinced The Disciple to join the oWn. The Disciple said he wouldn’t carry Hogan’s bags anymore. Warrior and Disciple disappeared and reappeared in smoke around the arena. Warrior even left a flaming symbol on Hogan’s locker room wall. Then Warrior appeared in Hogan’s mirror. The idea was only Hogan saw him. But in reality, everyone except Bischoff noticed it. Next, we had the Sting & Warrior vs. Hart & Hogan encounter. The nWo knocked Warrior out of the ring before he could disappear in smoke. But Warrior chased them away. Finally, Hogan sent Warrior a message. Hogan called out his own nephew, Horace. After telling him he loved him, Hogan beat Horace bloody with a chair. Warrior came to the rescue, so Giant chokeslammed him. Hogan spray-painted the downed Warrior and gave him a leg drop.

The Match: The first half comprises arm wringers, a long test of strength, and a criss-cross. Then they trade slams and fight on the floor. Afterward, we get a ref bump. Hogan calls for The Giant, but Giant kicks Hogan by mistake! Warrior also fends off Stevie Ray and Vincent. Next, Hogan and Warrior take turns using the weight belt on each other. Nick Patrick recovers and admonishes both men. While he argues with Warrior, Hogan fumbles with flash paper and a lighter. He attempts a fireball. It explodes in his hand and singes Hogan’s eyebrows. Warrior answers with flying axehandles until Hogan nails a low blow. But he misses the leg drop as Horace arrives. Bischoff distracts Nick Patrick and Horace enters the ring. Everyone thinks he’s there for Hogan. But Horace clocks The Warrior with a chair! Hogan covers for the win.

Thoughts: This was awful and embarrassing. It was dull, but then came the ridiculous ending. Hogan should have practiced the fireball before the show. It was the planned finish, but he botched it. They rebooked the closing moments on the fly and it showed. WCW fans already turned on the Warrior over the weeks. This match didn’t help matters.

Winner: Hollywood Hogan (14:18)

Heenan says blood is thicker than water. Horace helped his uncle win the match, despite Hogan’s attack. Hogan tells Horace he passed the test. They hug, and then Horace sprays lighter fluid on Warrior. Doug Dillinger storms to the ring and stops the nonsense. Bischoff reminds Dillinger who he works for, but the nWo still leaves. Heenan says they adverted a tragedy. I disagree.

Then Buffer introduces the main event after two seconds of DDP’s theme plays. DDP plays to the crowd while Michael gives him a long and glowing introduction. Next, we go backstage and see Goldberg’s security detail. The locker room door lurches as Goldberg headbutts it on the other side. This makes Tony laugh. When Goldberg emerges, they lead him to the ring. Next—

The Good:

• The opener was fun.

• Both Disco matches were good.

• I’M KIDDING! Back to the review.

I’m sorry, but I had to do that. If you didn’t know, the PPV feed cut out here on the original broadcast. WCW ran out of their allotted time. They shouldn’t have filled the show with pointless matches and Nitro Girls segments. WCW appeased the angry viewers by showing the DDP/Goldberg match on Nitro. The episode was WCW’s final ratings victory in the Monday Night War. Afterward, the WWF went on a streak that never ended.

WCW Title Match: Goldberg (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Notes: They hyped this bout through video packages and DDP promos. Page compared their careers and paths to the championship. Dallas respected Goldberg. He came to his aid. Goldberg wrestled Raven. Kanyon interfered with a chair. DDP stopped him. It led to DDP vs. Kanyon. Goldberg returned the favor and prevented Raven’s attack. Page and Goldberg stared at each other afterward. Next, Goldberg faced The Giant. The nWo attacked as usual, so DDP once again appeared. He saved Goldberg from a chokeslam. Finally, DDP fought Jericho. Goldberg arrived to get his hands on Jericho, but DDP interrupted Goldberg’s Jackhammer. Page gave Jericho a Diamond Cutter instead. Goldberg took offense to this and got in DDP’s face.

The Match: Goldberg shoves DDP. Then they tumble out of the ring on an aggressive lock-up. Goldberg even evades a sweep by flipping over it and lands a fireman’s carry takeover. He tries a cross armbreaker next. After Goldberg avoids a Diamond Cutter, DDP takes him to the mat. But Goldberg powers out and sends Page to the floor. Next, they trade swinging neckbreakers. Goldberg fires back with suplexes and another cross armbreaker. But DDP surprises him with a headscissor takeover. Then Goldberg misses a corner charge and hits the post. DDP capitalizes with a flying clothesline and a DDT. They aren’t enough. Goldberg scores a spear, but his shoulder hurts. When he attempts the Jackhammer, DDP turns it into a Diamond Cutter! He’s slow to cover and Goldberg kicks out at two! DDP then does a suplex, but Goldberg reverses into a Jackhammer for the pin.

Thoughts: This was great. DDP helped Goldberg plan the match, and it shows. This was Goldberg’s best effort. It’s better when you realize Goldberg wrestled half of it with a concussion. They planned a close near fall for after the Diamond Cutter. But a dazed Goldberg kicked out at two. DDP confronted him backstage. He relented when Bill told him about the concussion. It’s a shame the PPV audience didn’t see this. WCW messed up.

Winner: Goldberg (10:29)

Tony calls it an amazing match. He says he loves the sport. An exhausted DDP and Goldberg shake hands. DDP raises Goldberg’s arm in victory and leaves. Tony says this is what it’s about. It’s about competition, not sending someone to the hospital. He says goodnight as Goldberg celebrates.

The Good:

• The main event was great.

• The opener was fun.

• Both Disco matches were good.

• I liked the storytelling of Hall/Nash.

The Bad:

• Hogan/Warrior was a disaster.

• WCW running over their time and cutting off the main event.

• Pointless matches and segments.

Performer of the Night:

It’s DDP. This was his night to shine, despite losing. He laid out a great match for Goldberg and worked around Goldberg’s concussion.

Final Thoughts:

The Hogan/Warrior match is a stain on this PPV. Outside of it, most of the show ranged from decent to pretty good. However, it’s hard to consider this show anything other than a failure. WCW’s poor time management killed this event. They had to give refunds to angry viewers. This is a company in crisis. They lost all their momentum and it’s downhill from here.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s November to Remember ’98. Look for it next Sunday!