I’ve decided to put together a card of Halloween Havoc matches that represent the best of the show. However, because that would be far too predictable of a lineup, I put some limitations in.
Firstly, no wrestler can appear twice. So if the Sting or Ric Flair match you like isn’t on the card; sorry.
Secondly, no multiple title matches. So let’s be clear, the NWA and WCW World Titles? Two different belts. However, once you get past that, only if the belt is already in one match, it won’t appear again. We’re pretending that this is a real card, and that means you can’t have two WCW World Tag Team Championship matches.
Thirdly, one match per every year the event was held. So from 1989-2000 one match must be represented per year. So yes, some matches that should be on every Top Ten list won’t appear.
So what I’m going to do is build the card from what I think will work best as an opener, a rest match, a main event event, etc.
1) WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio (c)
From 1996
Time – 18:32
– While there are other matches might be on par with this, Rey/Eddie comes to mind, I feel this is the better show opener and the better showcase for Dean Malenko. While this means Eddie Guerrero doesn’t make the list, this in my opinion is just the more enjoyable match.
2) Sabu (with The Sheik) vs. Mr. JL
From 1995
Time – 3: 25
– This match was short, sweet and to the point. After the instant classic that the opener was, you’re going to need an immediate cool down match following it. The name value in hindsight should help make this match interesting, and let’s be honest; not every match can or should be 20 minutes on a ppv card.
3) Doom (Butch Reed and Ron Simmons) (with Woman) vs.The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)
From 1989
Time – 15:32
– You have four Hall of Famers in a tag team match in their prime. Yes. The Steiners are in a rare situation on this list; where this is probably their best tag team match from Halloween Havoc. Doom also has a great tag match against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson in 1990, but this too is one of their better matches in their WCW run. It’s a slower build match and helps fans get back into the next matches.
4) WCW Light Heavyweight
Brian Pillman vs. Richard Morton
From 1991
Time – 12:45
– Not the same thing as the Cruiserweight Title, but similar. But IT STILL COUNTS. Pillman and Morton had a good match, though it’s not anything that’ll stop the card or take things off course.
5) WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championship Match
Dr. Death Steve Williams and Steve Austin vs. Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes
From 1992
Time – 30:00
– While I hate cop-out endings like this, still gotta give it props. In terms of quality of content, Austin has had few better. The pairing of him and Williams was also dynamic. Then you realize that Rhodes was just hitting his stride here and you have every reason why it makes the list.
6) Cage Match
Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan
From 1997
Time – 13:37
– Now, here’s the long and short of it. Hogan/Flair would of been a better addition, but with my desire to have certain matches on this card, I could not find a way to get it on. And frankly, I’d have to tear down to the studs for me to get one of the few good Ric Flair matches from Halloween Havoc on this card. So no Flair match will appear. So, hopefully you accept Piper as a consolation prize. The match was fine, made better by a lackluster card, but it’s a suitable match with name value.
7) Mike Awesome vs. Vampiro
From 2000
Time – 9:50
– Mike Awesome and Vampiro did not have the best match on the card, and frankly this was during Awesome’s That 70’s Guy gimmick, which we can all agree was terrible. The match though acts as a buffer, and helps us check off boxes.
8) WCW Television Championship
Honky Tonk Man vs. Johnny B. Badd (c)
From 1994
Time – 10:00
– While I’m find putting Badd on the list, he’s a unique wrestler for his era; I have a problem with Honky Tonk. There was never a version that wasn’t garbage and honestly there were far better matches on that card than this title match. However, those better matches featured wrestlers, who themselves had better matches in other years.
9) NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
Sid Vicious vs. Sting(c)
From 1990
Time – 12:38
– Vicious and Sting had great chemistry, always have. Sting was still in his prime and hadn’t slowed down at all. This was during Sting’s great first World Title run and since it was for the NWA World Title, not the WCW World Title, I get to optimize another slot on this list. This isn’t by any means a true main event, but it fits in nicely here.
10) Texas Death Match
Big Van Vader (with Harley Race) vs. Cactus Jack
From 1993
Time – 15:59
– This match could of main evented any show it was on, if it was for the title. Yet, if it was I wouldn’t of been able to use it. If we’re talking all time great Halloween Havoc matches, this ranks in the top five in my opinion. So it was a high priority of mine to make sure to get it on. Watch it, this was 1993 and it was pretty obvious that wrestling didn’t need ECW to get extreme.
11) Bret Hart vs. Lex Luger
From 1999
Time – 7:49
– This wasn’t a great match, but we need to have a cool down match after the epic Death Match. Plus, it features two legends in a short encounter. It really adds up to have this on the card considering all the restrictions we have.
12) WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Goldberg (c)
From 1998
Time – 10:29
– This is, in my opinion, the best match DDP, Goldberg and Halloween Havoc has ever seen, or not seen…depending on when you saw the event originally. It was cut on the live broadcast due to several matches that ran over. However, it stacks up as a hard hitting encounter. This is the equivalent of Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell, a hard hitting match that you knew couldn’t go long. It had near falls, huge moves, and a few twists and turns. The perfect way to cap a show like this.
The total run time, without entrances or interviews, is just under three hours at two hours, fifty seven minutes and thirty six seconds.