Halloween Havoc 2000

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

Halloween Havoc

October 29, 2000

MGM Grand Garden Arena

Las Vegas, Nevada

News & Notes: Steiner, Jarrett, and Nash all wanted a title shot after Fall Brawl, so Russo booked a tag match where the winner of the fall would receive a chance. It would be Jarrett and Steiner vs. Nash and Vince Russo! Vince said he always dreamed of winning the belt in his hometown. However, Booker attacked Russo backstage and took his place in the bout. When Russo limped to the ring during the fight, Booker hit Steiner with a bat and placed Russo on top of Steiner for the pin. Booker wanted to face Russo. He got his wish in a Caged Heat encounter. Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Goldberg, and Steiner all interfered. It appeared Booker would win, but Goldberg speared Russo through the wall of the cage. This meant Russo escaped first, which made Vince Russo the new WCW champion!

I’ll explain what happened next before Booker vs. Steiner, but I have some extra storylines to discuss first. They held a Countdown to Armageddon Battle Royal on Thunder for a WCW championship opportunity. Mike Awesome prevailed, so he will face the champ on Nitro. WCW also did a Miss WCW bikini competition, which Pamela won. Howard Stern’s Whack Pack judged the contest. This led to a confrontation between Beetlejuice and Jeff Jarrett, and Jeff whacked him with a guitar. In other news, Rey and Juvi began a Best of 5 series to determine the #1 Contender for the Cruiserweight gold, but Juvi suffered an injury. And finally, Jeremy Borash became Vince Russo’s lackey. He kissed up to Russo, but it only annoyed Vince.

The show begins with a shot outside the MGM arena. Pamela asks some fans for predictions about Goldberg vs. KroniK. One fan says KroniK will crumble to Goldberg’s mercy. (That makes no sense. Does this fan know what mercy means?) Then we get a creepy opening video. They mix clips of the main feuds between horrifying images of lightning, scary masks, and doctors performing surgery. The narrator welcomes everyone to All Hallows Eve. This is the time of year for the unexplained, unexpected, and unpredicted. The waking hour has arrived, and these men must conquer their fears, face their demons, and overcome defeat. They all have distinct missions, but they also share a common goal. That goal is absolute supremacy. You will witness the night of reckoning at Halloween Havoc!

Next, Tony stumbles over his words, but he recovers and introduces his co-hosts. Mark Madden and Stevie Ray join him for this event. They go straight into the entrances for the first contest. When the teams arrive, Konnan joins the commentary table.

3-Way Dance for the Tag Team Titles: The Natural Born Thrillers (Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire) (c) vs. The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr.) (w/ Konnan) vs. Boogie Knights (Disqo & Alex Wright)

Storyline: The Animals had enough of Disqo and his new mascot, the Disco Duck. The final straw came when Disqo cost Rey and Juvi their tag titles. Disqo wagered the belts in a match with the Cat and he lost. Afterward, the Animals kicked Disqo out, but Disqo found a new partner. Alex Wright returned to form the Boogie Knights. Meanwhile, Jindrak & O’Haire captured the vacant championship in a battle royal. Later, Sanders protected the Thrillers’ title reign when they appeared to lose twice. First, the Boogie Knights succeeded, but Sanders reversed the decision. Then Loco and Cajun defeated Jindrak & O’Haire, but Sanders gave the Thrillers an immediate rematch, which they won. In other news, Kidman helped Konnan, so they welcomed him back into the Animals. And finally, Kidman and O’Haire scored victories in a pair of 3-Way Dances between participants in this bout.

The Match: Kidman and Wright work together, but it doesn’t last. Soon the Thrillers use power moves to take control. They fend off flurries from Disqo and Alex before Jindrak turns a superplex into a tower of doom. Next, everyone scuffles outside until the Thrillers hit the double beal toss on Kidman. Nonetheless, the Animals perform dives to the outside before the Thrillers can enter the ring. Back inside, Kidman gives Alex the Kid Crusher, and Rey performs a Frankensteiner and Bronco Buster on Disqo. When Rey goes for more, Jindrak press slams him to the floor! Now Disqo nails the Last Dance on Mark, but Rey breaks the pin with a springboard leg drop. Mark recovers and holds Rey down, which allows O’Haire to land a Seanton Bomb on Disqo for the three.

Thoughts: This was wild and chaotic. It was hard to follow at times, but I still enjoyed it. They kept the action flowing and did some impressive spots. The only real downside was Konnan’s commentary. Someone should have told him saying Natural Born Cranberries wasn’t funny, no matter how many times he repeated it.

Winners: Jindrak & O’Haire (10:04)

Alex Wright attacks Rey with a chair after the bout, so Konnan leaves the announce table. When Konnan comes to Rey’s aid, the Thrillers jump him, which brings Sgt. A-Wall out to help. A-Wall clears the ring and stays because his match is next. Meanwhile, the trainers check on Konnan when he collapses. The commentators say Konnan hurt his back. As this happens, A-Wall sets up some tables for his contest. He has a Hardcore title shot against Reno. Madden says they reinstated the old Hardcore rules.

Hardcore Title Match: Reno (c) vs. Sgt. A-Wall

Storyline: Since Norman Smiley didn’t want to be Hardcore champ, he disappeared and didn’t defend his belt. Therefore, Sanders stripped the title from him and held a four-man tournament to crown a new champion. A-Wall faced Reno in the finals and appeared to win, but Sanders reversed the ruling and awarded the gold to Reno. All the while, Reno still had issues with Vito, but now Vito’s sister, Maria, got involved. She shielded Vito from Reno’s attack. Later, Reno missed the Australia tour because they didn’t allow him into the country. A-Wall handled M.I.A. business in the meantime. When Reno returned, he sought revenge on Kwee Wee because Kwee Wee injured Johnny the Bull. After the bout, Reno gave Paisley Roll the Dice, so A-Wall hit Reno with a Kendo stick and chokeslammed him on a table.

The Match: They brawl with a Kendo stick, trash cans, and metal pans. When A-Wall gets the advantage, he places the trash can over Reno’s head and kicks it. This happens twice before they head toward the ramp. There, Reno gives A-Wall Roll the Dice, but he doesn’t cover him. Instead, Reno creates a stack of tables, which backfires. A-Wall slams him onto it. Now the fight spills backstage, and A-Wall rams Reno into a concrete post. He also chucks a computer monitor, which Reno ducks. Next, Reno uses an extinguisher and another table, but he misses a shot with a laptop. A-Wall answers with a flapjack on a table that doesn’t break before they move back into the arena. Along the way, A-Wall shoves Fit Finlay for good measure. Back at ringside, Reno hits A-Wall with a chair and pins him after Roll the Dice on a table.

Thoughts: This was mostly mindless brawling. Then they had the awkward finish. Wall had to stall because Reno forgot his cue. Plus, Reno’s Roll the Dice on the table didn’t look right because the table collapsed. They tried, but this wasn’t good.

Winner: Reno (10:55)

Reno taunts A-Wall with the belt before attacking him again. The Perfect Event also joins the beating, so Lt. Loco and Cpl. Cajun rush to the rescue. They brawl with the Thrillers until they clear the ring. Madden says they didn’t schedule them to wrestle tonight.

Backstage, they show what is clearly a pre-taped segment because the Perfect Event is there. Shane Douglas thanks the Natural Born Thrillers for taking out Konnan. Nash told him they were the real deal, but Shane didn’t believe him until now. Shane says he couldn’t have thought of a better plan himself. (At this point, WCW realizes their mistake. They put the words earlier today on the bottom of the screen.) Douglas also says he won’t have much of a job to do later, so he promises everything will be okay for the Thrillers tonight. The commentators wonder what he means.

Next, we see a replay from Thunder. Goldberg crashed into the post on a missed spear, so he suffered a concussion. The commentators worry about Goldberg’s condition once they learn Goldberg hasn’t arrived yet. If he doesn’t show up, he will forfeit and lose his job. Meanwhile, KroniK approaches the Nevada State Athletic Commission. They say Goldberg probably won’t be there. But if he appears, the commission shouldn’t clear him to wrestle. With this said, KroniK walks away with smirks on their faces.

Afterward, the Perfect Event returns to the ring. Tony says they booked an impromptu bout between them and the Misfits in Action. Loco and Cajun demanded this because of what happened earlier.

M.I.A. (Lt. Loco & Cpl. Cajun) vs. The Perfect Event

Storyline: Problems between the M.I.A. and the Thrillers arose when the M.I.A. aided Miller in his war with Sanders. This led to Loco & Cajun vs. the Thrillers for the tag belts, as I mentioned earlier. However, Sanders screwed Loco and Cajun out of the gold. But it wasn’t all bad news. Loco scored a pinfall on Storm during a tag match. Meanwhile, the Perfect Event began to implode after Stasiak healed from his injury. A series of embarrassing defeats left Palumbo frustrated and distracted. This caused losses, so Stasiak and Palumbo fought with each other. Kevin Nash saw potential in this team. He appointed himself as the coach of the Natural Born Thrillers. Then Nash showed Stasiak tough love. First, he made Shawn fight Goldberg, which ended how you would expect. Nash also threatened to paddle Stasiak with a cricket bat after Shawn mouthed off to him.

The Match: Loco and Cajun fluster Stasiak with strikes and takedowns until Shawn regroups. After the same thing happens to Chuck, the Perfect Event argues. Nevertheless, they recover and take control through double-teaming. Plus, Stasiak scores a Doctor Bomb on Loco, and Palumbo uses a fallaway slam. Chuck follows with a belly-to-belly and does a cocky pin. Next, Loco turns a press slam into a facebuster and makes the hot tag. Cajun cleans house until Palumbo grabs a pair of sleeper holds. Once Cajun breaks free, Loco and Stasiak tag and a brawl erupts. During the chaos, Palumbo kicks Stasiak by accident and knocks him into Loco’s tornado DDT. It earns Loco the three.

Thoughts: This was decent, but unremarkable. Then they had an awkward ending. This was another bout with bad timing. Everybody seems to be a step off on this show.

Winners: Loco & Cajun (9:21)

Backstage, trainer Danny Young tells Konnan not to do his match. As he says this, Rey and Kidman check on Konnan. Kidman says he would take Konnan’s place, but he already had a match. Rey says the same thing, so Konnan sarcastically thanks them for their help. He says he will do this himself, despite Danny’s warnings.

This leads to the entrance of Torrie and Shane Douglas. Torrie wears a Wonder Woman outfit, which excites Madden. Then Douglas cuts a promo. He says Konnan and his people are too stupid to stay down when someone beats their ass. He also calls Tygress a bitch and tells her she won’t take away their title of the first couple of sports entertainment. Since Tygress doesn’t have a partner, she should come get her ass franchised! Tygress arrives alone, so Torrie grabs the mic. She calls Konnan a punk ass and threatens to kick Tygress’ hoochie ass. When Torrie says this, Tygress goes for a low blow on Shane, but he shoves her down.

Intergender Tag Team Match: The Filthy Animals (Konnan & Tygress) vs. Shane Douglas & Torrie Wilson

Storyline: Douglas and Torrie called themselves the first couple of sports entertainment. This put them at odds with Kwee Wee and Paisley, and Shave gave Paisley the Franchiser twice! Tygress came to Paisley’s aid, so Shane went after her too, but this drew the ire of Konnan. Afterward, Shane attempted to have Konnan deported. He used it as a distraction to attack the Animals with a bat. Plus, Douglas and Torrie handcuffed Konnan to the ropes and made him watch as they tried to break Rey Mysterio’s neck. Later, Shane got a WCW title shot, but Konnan interrupted. It started a wild brawl with everybody at ringside. Finally, Konnan called Shane out for a fight, but Douglas had his arm in a sling. When Konnan turned his back, Shane attacked him with a chain. This caused a catfight between Tygress and Torrie, so the Animals protected Tygress.

The Match: Tygress gets the low blow, but Shane yanks her down by the hair. Then Shane and Torrie look for a double Franchiser, but Konnan arrives to stop them. He makes Shane and Torrie regroup with clotheslines and dropkicks. After some fighting outside, Konnan and Tygress control things with arm wringers. Next, Torrie and Tygress fight, and Tygress nails the Stuff Buster. However, Shane attacks and puts Tygress in a Camel Clutch. Once she escapes, Konnan tags and cleans house with a low dropkick and a DDT. This causes a brawl, and Tygress tries to give Torrie a Face Full of Stuff, so Torrie pulls Charles Robinson in the way. Meanwhile, Shane hits a hotshot on Konnan, and Konnan awkwardly places himself on Torrie’s shoulder for a Franchiser. Tygress breaks up the pin before she and Konnan give Shane a double Stuff Buster for the victory.

Thoughts: I hate to sound like a broken record, but this was another bout that suffered from awkward timing. Some of the action was decent, but everyone seemed a half-step behind. At one point, Shane motioned to Tygress. He had to tell her to do her spot so they could continue. To make matters worse, Konnan didn’t even sell the beating from earlier once he joined the fray.

Winners: Konnan & Tygress (8:38)

Gene interviews David Flair, who is with two lab technicians. Okerlund says David has a DNA Match with Buff Bagwell. Maybe David can find out if Buff did the unthinkable with Stacy Keibler. Gene also asks who the men are, but David tells him not to worry about them. David says it’s pretty obvious that gigolo piece of crap, Buff Bagwell, is the father. When he beats him tonight, he will have the blood to prove it! Then he will show the world what a lying piece of garbage Bagwell is.

This leads to the entrances. Madden says the lab techs looked shady. Plus, Mark asks Tony about the rules. Tony says this is basically a First Blood contest. If Bagwell bleeds, David will get his DNA sample. But if David bleeds, Buff doesn’t have to take the test. When Bagwell arrives, he grabs the mic. Buff says tonight we will find out if Buff Daddy is the daddy. He laughs at his own joke before saying little Flair got himself in trouble, so he will kick David’s ass. When David joins him, he brings a DNA kit and places it on the announce table.

DNA Match: Buff Bagwell vs. David Flair

Storyline: M.I. Smooth gave David Flair a tape. He said it contained footage of the father of Stacy’s baby. After watching it, David lost it. He kidnapped the person in question. We then learned the man was Buff Bagwell! Buff denied the accusations, and Stacy said she only flirted with Bagwell. Later, Madden asked Stacy about the father’s identity, but she said it wasn’t his business. She also told David to stop acting crazy, but this didn’t stop David from trying to force Madden to take a blood test. Even Ric Flair tried to talk sense into his son, but David wouldn’t listen. Next, David demanded a DNA match with Bagwell to prove Bagwell was the father. Sanders agreed to give it to David, as long as he fought Goldberg. Finally, Buff called out M.I. Smooth for starting this mess. Buff beat him, but David attacked Buff afterward.

The Match: Buff throws strikes, slams him, and scores a neckbreaker. As he does this, Buff mocks David. He also whips David into a Flair Flip and slams him off the top rope. After some corner punches, David does the Flair Flop. Next, Buff slaps David and rips off his shirt before making David do a muscle pose. David ends this with a low blow and takes Buff outside. Now David slams Bagwell and pulls up the mat for a piledriver. Before he can hit it, Buff backdrops David and they scuffle around ringside. David misses a chair shot and chases Buff into the ring, so Buff yanks the ring rope into David’s crotch. This allows Buff to bust David open with a chair and nail a Blockbuster. When the ref sees the blood, he calls for the bell.

Thoughts: This was okay, but not spectacular. David doing his dad’s spots amused me, and Buff did a few entertaining things. However, this was short and forgettable.

Winner: Buff Bagwell (5:40)

While Bagwell celebrates, Lex Luger comes to the ring. He hugs Buff and raises his arm, but then Luger clotheslines Bagwell! He throws Buff outside while Tony asks how many times will Luger turn on someone in WCW. As he says this, Luger rams Buff into the post and busts him open. When David sees this, he collects his sample and runs backstage to find the lab techs. He hands them the sample and collapses to the floor.

As this happens, we see Goldberg arrive. He still looks dazed from his concussion.

Now Pamela interviews Steiner, but she wants to talk about Goldberg first. This annoys Scott. He says he beat Goldberg’s bald punk ass last month. Steiner says he made Goldberg realize he was a mere mortal, so Pamela should talk about his greatness instead. Scott also says Booker T has all night to realize he bit off more than he can chew, so he should run scared. Tonight, Steiner will show him size matters, and he’s a genetic freak. There will be pain because nobody gets up from the Steiner Recliner. After saying this, Scott kisses his biceps and leaves.

Next, it’s time for Mike Sanders vs. Ernest Miller in a Kickboxing Match for the commissioner’s job. He brings the Perfect Event with him, but they continue arguing. Nevertheless, Sanders mocks the Vegas crowd for their gambling problems. With that said, he compares this fight to a Mike Tyson bout, the Thrilla in Manilla, and the Rumble in the Jungle. When Miller joins him, the Cat calls Sanders a bitch. He promises to whoop Sanders’ ass.

Kickboxing Match for the Commissioner’s Job: Mike Sanders (w/ The Perfect Event) vs. Ernest the Cat Miller (w/ Miss Jones)

Storyline: Sanders wanted to impress Vince Russo, so he did dirty work to gain favor. This led to a confrontation with Ernest Miller, and the Thrillers beat Miller up. While Cat was gone, Russo appointed Sanders as the new commissioner. He immediately became drunk with power. Sanders booked a Handicap Powerbomb Match for the Cruiserweight title. It was Sanders & Nash vs. Skipper, and Sanders won the Cruiserweight belt! Later, Miller returned and claimed he was still in charge. Then the Cat hired an Australian kickboxer named Sam Greco. This gave Sanders an idea. He challenged Miller to a kickboxing contest for the commissioner’s job. Afterward, Sanders held a kickboxing exhibition against the Jung Dragons, which he cheated to win. Finally, Cat and Miss Jones faced Sanders and Leia Meow, but Leia didn’t want to be there. Leia helped the Cat and Miss Jones defeat Sanders.

The Match: Miller sticks and moves. He knocks Sanders down twice, but Mike gets up at nine and clutches Miller until the round concludes. In round two, Miller evades the Perfect Event and sweeps Sanders’ leg. Plus, Ernest dances, does the splits, and knocks Sanders down again. Stevie says they should throw in the towel. Stasiak almost does it, but Palumbo stops him, despite Sanders’ pleas. As the second round expires, Shane Douglas joins the Perfect Event at ringside. Now the final round begins, and the Cat does a cartwheel kick. Sanders stands again, so Miller throws body blows while Sanders tries to cover himself. Sensing trouble, Palumbo distracts the ref, and Douglas hits Miller with a chain-wrapped punch. However, Miller reaches his feet as the round ends. Once Miller fends off Sanders, he goes outside to brawl with Douglas, so the ref counts him out.

Thoughts: This was dull, and it had a confusing finish. First, Cat didn’t get to his feet before the ten count. The ref stopped counting for no reason. Then they said it was a three-round fight, but the ref counted Miller out after the final round. None of this made sense. It was messy.

Winner: Mike Sanders (by Count Out) (8:32)

The representative of the Nevada Athletic Commission asks Goldberg if he experienced any dizziness. Goldberg says he felt a little, but it comes with the territory. He knows where the guy is going with this, but he says there’s no way he will keep him from fighting. Goldberg tells him to go knock on someone else’s door. The representative says he’s doing his job, so Goldberg replies, “That’s why I’m here. To do mine.”

Now Gene interviews KroniK. He says the Commission is still deciding what to do about Goldberg. They might win this match without having to get into the ring. Clark says KroniK is all about breaking necks and cashing checks. If Goldberg can’t fight, they still get paid. Then Adams says they will give Goldberg his stay of execution. He has until the end of the night to clear up and wrestle. Either way, they still get paid. But Adams offers some food for thought. If Goldberg doesn’t compete, he forfeits the bout. The streak will be over and Russo will fire his ass.

Next, it’s time for Mike Awesome vs. Vampiro. Madden says Vampiro and Halloween Havoc go hand-in-hand. He also notices Vampiro is carrying a samurai sword. After he says this, Tony says Mike Awesome’s title shot is on the line. With that said, Vampiro gets the mic and challenges Awesome to put his championship match on the line. (Oops! Tony spoiled this.) Awesome says he is confident enough to accept the stipulation.

Mike Awesome vs. Vampiro for Awesome’s Title Shot

Storyline: The Dark Carnival painted Awesome’s bus with graffiti, so Awesome fought Vampiro. He injured Vampiro during the bout, which led to a Hardcore Match with the ICP. While Vampiro recovered, Awesome formed a new team with Crowbar. He wanted to help Crowbar with his romantic issues, so Mike gave Crowbar a 70s makeover. Now they were two wild and crazy guys looking for love! They even got a tag title shot, but they lost. Later, Vampiro returned and fought Crowbar. He hit him with weapons and chokeslammed Crowbar on a stack of tables. Vampiro said this was on Awesome’s hands because Mike put him on the shelf. Afterward, Awesome got on the wrong side of Scott Steiner during a brawl. They wrestled, and Steiner used the pipe on Awesome to win.

The Match: They do some chain wrestling until Vampiro regroups, but Awesome dives onto him. While outside, Awesome backdrops Vamp over the rail, and Vampiro lands on a security lady. This leads to crowd brawling. When Vampiro uses someone’s cane, a fan attacks the wrestlers and pays for it. Now they return to ringside and scuffle on the announce desk. Stevie says Vampiro stepped on his hand. Next, they have a chair duel until Vampiro nails a Vamp Daminator. He follows with a super belly-to-belly and an awkward flying Thesz Press.

Once Awesome recovers, he looks for a table. Mysterious smoke pours out from underneath the ring, but they never explain it. Back inside, Vamp scores the Nail in the Coffin and looks for weapons, but he can’t find what he’s looking for. The delay allows Awesome to do a sit-out Awesome Bomb on the floor. For some reason, the ref counts a fall outside. Afterward, they fight on the top rope, and Awesome lands a super Awesome Bomb for the victory.

Thoughts: The finish was nice, but the rest was awkward and messy. Vampiro seemed to be moving at half his speed. He already looked dazed and confused before the ending. Then the super Awesome Bomb gave him a bad concussion. This injury puts Vamp out for almost the remainder of WCW’s existence.

Winner: Mike Awesome (9:50)

Now Gene interviews General Rection with the Misfits in Action. He says Rection has one last chance to bring home the U.S. title and Major Gunns. On a personal note, Gene says he is pulling for him, so he wishes him luck. Rection says they said the same thing last time, but he came back for more. He says he’s back for Hugh Morrus, Bill DeMott, and all the b-team players in the back. Rection wants to make a point. Win, lose, or draw, he came back! With that said, Rection leaves. Lt. Loco says they are there for him. If anyone can do it, he can. They screwed Rection in more ways than one, but the Misfits are there for him.

Meanwhile, the trainers help Vampiro out of the ring. They show a replay of the finish before introducing a couple who won a contest. They got tickets to the show and backstage passes.

Now Team Canada arrives, and Storm cuts a promo. He wants to be serious for a moment. Storm asks for the fans’ undivided attention. He says Rection’s interview almost brought a tear to his eye. It’s sad when a man can’t admit when he’s beaten. Rection believes in the American propaganda, but he can’t beat Storm. After all, Lance is from Calgary—Alberta, Canada! All Rection will get is the beating of his life. With that out of the way, Lance invites everyone to rise for the Canadian anthem, but Rection interrupts it. Once Rection arrives, the ref takes Duggan’s 2×4, much to Duggan’s chagrin.

Handicap Match for the U.S. Title: Gen. Rection vs. Lance Storm (c) & Jim Duggan (w/ Major Gunns)

Storyline: Duggan said the American fans turned on him when they cheered Goldberg for beating him up. This is why he joined Team Canada. They appreciated and respected Duggan, unlike the fans. This led to the M.I.A. vs. Team Canada, and Duggan and Storm tried to break Rection’s leg. Rection said Duggan was friends with his family. Their kids spent time together, yet Duggan stabbed him in the back. Later, Rection thought he had an ally in the returning Lex Luger. However, Luger swerved him because he wanted to curry favor with Russo to get his job back. The betrayals didn’t deter Rection. He vowed to win the U.S. title and bring Major Gunns home. Plus, the M.I.A. mocked Team Canada with an amusing parody skit. An angry Lance Storm challenged Loco and Cajun. Loco scored the pin on Storm, despite Gunns hitting Loco with the flag by mistake.

The Match: Team Canada controls things with strikes and frequent tags. Rection answers with a backdrop and corner punches, but Storm pokes the eyes and turns the corner punches into a Manhattan Drop. Now they attack Rection’s arm and send him to the floor multiple times. They also use choking and cheap shots. When Rection shows life, Storm hits a jawbreaker and a superkick. Next, Rection and Duggan both go down to a double clothesline, but Storm tags and hooks a sleeper hold.

Once Rection escapes, he takes advantage of some miscommunication. Rection scores an avalanche in the corner and a powerslam. He also evades the Maple Leaf before we get a ref bump. This allows Duggan to nail a piledriver, but the groggy ref only counts two. Afterward, Skipper appears with the 2×4. Gunns stops Elix, and everyone fights over the board until Rection gets it. He uses it for a Russian leg sweep and lands No Laughing Matter on Duggan for the win.

Thoughts: This was decent, and I liked the finish. They finally broke the streak of dull matches on this show. I’m not saying this was great, but it accomplished its goals. So this was fine.

Winner: Gen. Rection (New Champion) (10:07)

Tony loses his mind over Rection’s win. The M.I.A. joins the celebration while Major Gunns puts an American t-shirt over her Canadian bikini. While this happens, Lance Storm glares at the ring. Madden says Storm lost his belt without getting pinned.

Afterward, they show a commercial for Mayhem. It focuses on Scott Steiner. They censored, reprimanded, and suspended him, but they couldn’t bring Scott back to reality. Now they will unleash the genetic freak, and you can’t imagine what will happen until you see it live on PPV!

Now Pamela interviews Jeff Jarrett. She says he spent weeks mocking Sting and claiming Sting lost his heart. But tonight, Jarrett must face him. When she finishes, Jarrett calls her a blonde slap nut and says trick or treat. He asks if she handed any cookies to Mean Gene, but Jeff tells her not to answer that. It might make him puke. As far as tonight, the Chosen One is in the Halloween spirit. The world will see the metamorphosis of Sting’s career from a nobody to has-been to a never was. Pamela asks what this means, so Jarrett tells her to watch and see.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Sting

Storyline: Jarrett ruined Sting’s title shot, as he promised, so Sting did the same to Jarrett. Since both men cost each other the title, they wanted revenge. Jarrett said Sting had no heart anymore. Jeff even mocked him by dressing as surfer Sting. He walked around the arena and told everyone he could find that Sting had lost his heart. Plus, Jarrett held a mock autograph signing, but Sting interrupted it. Undeterred, Jarrett dressed as surfer Sting again and tried to lie down for Sanders, but Sting stopped him. Later, Jeff appointed himself as the ref when Sting wrestled Steiner, and he helped Scott beat Sting up. Jarrett also attacked Sting when Sting fought Nash. Next, they eliminated each other from the Countdown battle royal and brawled around ringside. Finally, Jarrett and KroniK wrestled Sting, Booker, and Goldberg. Sting got the pin, but Steiner and Jarrett jumped him afterward.

The Match: Jeff stalls, so Sting goes after him. He hits Stinger Splashes and sends Jeff outside, but a fake Sting appears. He dressed as Sting from his early career. Sting dispatches him with a Death Drop on the stage. After this, they brawl in the crowd, but another Sting appears in Sting’s old Sgt. Pepper gear. Sting hands him the same fate as the first guy. Next, a man dressed as Wolfpac Sting arrives with a bat. He also eats a Death Drop, but Jeff uses the bat on Sting. Back in the ring, Jarrett hooks Sting in a sleeper hold. Once Sting escapes, he puts Jeff in the Deathlock, but a crow Sting pops out of a hole in the mat and drags Sting under the ring!

Sting fights him off and climbs out of the hole. Now Sting nails two Stinger Splashes, but the lights go out. This time, a second crow Sting repels from the rafters. Sting drops him on the announce table with a Death Drop. When Sting goes after Jarrett, the first crow Sting smashes the guitar over Sting’s head. He no-sells it and gives the guy the Death Drop. Unfortunately, Jarrett blasts Sting with a second guitar and pins him.

Thoughts: This bout was more shenanigans than wrestling. They overdid it at the expense of the action. These two could have had a great match, but they did this instead. It disappointed me.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett (14:30)

Next, Pamela interviews Booker T. Tonight, he faces Big Poppa Pump, but she heard Booker has something to say to Goldberg first. Booker says no. He wants to talk about Steiner. Scott claimed he deserves the world heavyweight title. But Booker says there’s a big difference between deserving it and talking about it. The fact is, if Steiner wants some, come get some! As far as Goldberg, Booker saw his condition, so he will buy Goldberg more time. Booker is prepared to put the title on the line right now! Then Booker finishes his promo by saying, “Booyah, and I’m gonna get with ya!”

Since Booker switched the order of the matches, it’s time for Michael Buffer’s introductions. Madden grows impatient and says, “I’m ready already!” During Buffer’s spiel, he says the world knows Booker for his famous Book End. This makes it sound like Booker has a nice bookshelf at home. Meanwhile, Scott Steiner goes crazy backstage because no one told him about the change. He chokes out Ricky Santana at the go position before entering the arena. Steiner also taunts Stevie Ray.

WCW Title Match: Booker T (c) vs. Scott Steiner (w/ Midajah)

Storyline: Russo only wanted to prove a point, but he was no athlete. Vince relinquished the belt and put it up for grabs in a 49ers Match. The goal was to find the gold. They hung four boxes from poles. Three contained amusing items, like a blow-up doll and a photo of Scott Hall, but one held the belt. Booker faced Jarrett and won when Beetlejuice of the Whack Pack gave Jarrett a low blow. Meanwhile, Steiner was out of control. He smashed Disqo’s Disco Duck and made examples out of Mysterio and the Jung Dragons. Plus, Steiner antagonized Stevie Ray because Stevie couldn’t retaliate. Later, Steiner had a match with Mike Awesome, and he brought a real tiger to the ring! This was all to get in Booker’s head. Steiner coupled this with multiple pipe attacks on Booker.

The Match: They trade strikes until Booker makes Steiner regroup with a jumping forearm. After yelling at some fans, Steiner returns, but Booker gets the advantage with a heel kick. Now Midajah grabs Booker’s leg. This allows Steiner to take Booker outside and use a chair. He also rams Booker into the steps and slams him on the announce table. Back inside, Steiner puts Booker in a standing surfboard. When Booker escapes, Scott scores a super Samoan Drop and does some push-ups. Next, Scott cuts off a comeback with a low blow and a belly-to-belly.

The onslaught continues until they spill outside for more brawling. This leads to fighting on the top rope, and Midajah interferes again. Booker fends her off and nails a missile dropkick, but Midajah gives Steiner the pipe. He whacks Booker in mid-sidekick, and the ref complains, so Scott attacks him. Steiner places the ref in the tree of woe and locks Booker in the Recliner. While this happens, a second ref arrives. Scott punches and suplexes him before returning to the Recliner. This time, Slick Johnson appears and disqualifies Steiner.

Thoughts: This was good until the finish. Yeah, it makes Steiner look like a monster, but it disappointed me as the end of a PPV main event. I get they want to extend the feud. That’s fine, but I’ll still call this a letdown.

Winner: Booker T (by DQ) (13:00)

Steiner continues attacking the referees with a pipe. Then he grabs a chair and whacks Booker’s knee multiple times. Afterward, he taunts Stevie Ray, so Stevie stands up. Tony reminds Stevie he can’t retaliate or they will fire him. While this happens, Jarrett comes to calm Steiner down. Scott shoves him and poses. Madden says Steiner handed Mike Awesome a gift tomorrow on Nitro.

Now it’s time for KroniK vs. Goldberg. KroniK arrives and Adams has a mic. He says all the hype and build-up was for nothing. They haven’t cleared Goldberg, so there won’t be a match. Now the people will never know who would have won. Adams tells the ref to raise their hands. The ref complains before reaching for their arms, but they cut backstage. The representative from the Commission tells Dillinger they cleared Goldberg. Dillinger gives him a snarky reply about taking so long before leading Goldberg into the arena.

Handicap Elimination Match: Goldberg vs. KroniK

Storyline: Russo mocked Goldberg and claimed Goldberg resigned from WCW, but Goldberg came after him. Then the Caged Heat encounter happened. After Goldberg speared him through the cage, Russo rode in a Popemobile to protect himself from Goldberg. He told Bill he had to match his original winning streak if he ever wanted another shot at the WCW title. However, if he lost once, Goldberg would lose his job! Russo and Sanders threw everybody at Goldberg until Bill racked up 13 wins. Meanwhile, Russo threatened KroniK’s jobs if they didn’t do as he said, so KroniK had an idea. They made themselves soldiers of fortune. KroniK would sell their services to the highest bidder, and the first bidders were Sanders and Russo. They paid them to go after Goldberg. KroniK said it was business, but Goldberg made it personal when he eliminated them from the Countdown battle royal.

The Match: KroniK jumps Goldberg and throws strikes before dumping him outside. While on on the floor, Clark chops him and holds Goldberg for Adams’ punches. Then they ram him into the rail and roll him inside. Now KroniK nails a double shoulder block and a DDT. With Goldberg down, Adams gets a table and places it in the corner. They look for High Times, but Goldberg fends them off with a sidekick. He also sends Adams out of the ring and spears Clark through the table to eliminate him. Adams returns and nails an axehandle and a full nelson slam. When he covers, Goldberg powers out of the pin. Next, Adams charges, but Goldberg leapfrogs him, hits a spear, and lands the Jackhammer. This is enough for the three.

Thoughts: This was short, explosive, and it sent the fans home happy. Plus, for a brief contest, it told a decent story. This served its purpose, so it was fine.

Winner: Goldberg (3:43)

The Good:

• The opener

• Booker vs. Steiner until the finish

The Bad:

• The Kickboxing Match

• Dull and awkward matches

Observations:

• Johnny the Bull might be the most cursed man on WCW’s roster. He already got hurt again.

• Everybody beat up poor Paisley during the build for this PPV.

• Doing a concussion angle with Goldberg after what happened to Bret Hart feels wrong.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Scott Steiner. The finish of his match disappointed me, but he still put on a great performance.

Final Thoughts:

This wasn’t good, but I wouldn’t call this terrible. Only the Kickboxing Match was awful. The worst I can say about the rest was it was dull and uninspired. It felt like the Australia tour sapped the roster of their energy. This is a forgettable PPV.

With this PPV under my belt, I made it! I reached the end of Vince Russo’s run in WCW. He went home to recover from his concussion, but they never brought him back in any capacity. Russo sat out the rest of his contract. So, was the run as bad as people say? Yes, it was. But it wasn’t all terrible. The one thing I couldn’t call Russo’s TV was boring. He created an amusing car crash. Plus, he did wonders for the careers of guys like Norman Smiley and Booker T. Did he kill WCW? No; they were already dying. He might have accelerated the decay, but you can’t blame him alone.

Thank you for reading. My next review is ECW’s November to Remember 2000. Look for it next Sunday.