WCW Halloween Havoc 1994 Review!

 

Hello and welcome to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet that always hangs on to the tag rope! It’s WCW Halloween Havoc 1994: Rematch City! Yes we have a lot of feuds still continuing as Vader squares off against Guardian Angel again, Stars & Stripes face Pretty Wonderful again, Steve Austin faces Jim Duggan again and Dustin Rhodes continues his war with Arn Anderson. The main event is Career vs Career which is just the dumbest shit really because Flair nor Hogan are following through it with it but ok why not and it’s also a cage match! It all seems a bit too gimmicky and OTT to buy into it but I guess Flair teased retirement the year prior so who knows maybe he just might do it if he loses. Not thrilled looking at the card but its not what is on paper that is in important, it's the matches themselves so let’s get it on!

 

(WCW World Television Championship Match) Johnny B. Badd © vs The Honky Tonk Man

I have seen it all now haven’t I? Honky Tonk Man is here in WCW, the challenger for the television championship. This should be an easy win for Badd right? Honky talks trash with the dans before backing away from the fists of Badd, Badd is over now. Wrist-lock and elbows to the arm from Honky, Badd reverses and drops the leg on the arm of Honky. Honky is in the ropes, Honky misses a right hand and takes an atomic drop. Badd grabs the hair and messes up the hair, right hand sends Honky to the floor. Honky re-enters the ring and lands a knee, snap-mare into a knee-drop. Kick to the rib from Honky, Badd begins fighting back but Honky lands a knee to the gut. Irish whip and elbow to the face, Honky dances which pisses off the fans.

 

Elbow to the ribs, reverse chin-lock from the challenger. Badd escapes and lands a shoulder block, Honky lands a knee to the ribs to stop the champion’s comeback. Kicks to a downed champion by Honky, reverse chin-lock from Honky. Badd fires up and Honky clamps on the hold once more, Badd uses elbows to the ribs but Honky wants Shake Rattle and Roll but Badd lands a back body-drop to survive. Shots to the ribs, Honky is whipped to the buckle. Honky dodges, Badd smashes his ribs off the buckle. Roll-up with the ropes for leverage by Honky for two, Badd is dumped to the floor. Another chin-lock in the ring, this is reaching torture levels of boring. Honky lands a knee to the spine to stop Badd coming back, Badd kicks away Honky and smashes his head off the buckle. Ten punches in the corner, jabs and knee-lift from Badd. Honky begs for mercy, elbow by Badd. The Kiss That Don’t Miss does not connect, belly to back suplex by Honky and a choke-hold. They brawl and time expires.

 

Fucking hell that was not a great way to kick us off, Honky does not come in and capture a championship but Badd does not go over in his first PPV defence of his championship. Fans are not happy and Honky used repeated chin-locks that really made a ten-minute match feel like a half an hour of trash. Bad way to introduce me to WCW Honky and kick off this PPV!

 

Time Limit Expires!

 

(WCW World Tag Team Championship Match) Pretty Wonderful vs Stars & Stripes ©

Well the championships changed hands on Main Event, cannot say that I am invested in Bagwell or Patriot plus their gimmick is as corny as it gets plus they do not really have any chemistry between them but we are here so let’s start. Orndorff and Patriot to begin, clean break from both. Match breaks down quickly with brawling, Orndorff is on the floor with Patriot while Bagwell clotheslines Roma to the floor. Orndorff is sent into the barricade, Patriot climbs high and lands an axe handle. Orndorff is pin-balled between the champions, tag to Roma. Patriot grabs the wrist-lock, tag to Bagwell who lands a diving axe handle. Bagwell works the arm, Roma lands a forearm and lands a big scoop slam. Roma delivers a diving fist drop before marking out to himself once again, Bagwell ducks two forearms for a flying crossbody. Two for Bagwell who slaps on an arm-drag.

 

Bagwell is rocked with an elbow, in comes Orndorff who eats a drop toehold. Bagwell wrenches the arm of Orndorff, Orndorff backs off away from Bagwell. Side headlock takedown and tag from Orndorff, in comes Roma with elbow drops. Kick to the ribs and stomps from Roma, Orndorff lands cheap shots from the apron. Roma taunts Patriot, Bagwell lands forearms and kicks. Tag to Patriot, elbows and clubbing blows from Patriot. Whip to the buckle and corner clothesline. Two for Patriot, Bagwell comes in but gets sent head-first into the challenger’s corner. Orndorff unloads with boots and forearms as Patriot has to watch on, another gut kick from Orndorff. Orndorff’s elbow drop connects on Bagwell to the biggest reaction in this match so far.

 

Bagwell begins to fight back, Orndorff cuts off that shit immediately. Tag to Roma, diving axe handle. Bagwell fights back but lowers his head off an Irish whip, boot and elbow drop by Roma. Dropkick by Roma, Roma marks out to his own manoeuvres again, Bagwell is whipped to the buckle but counters with a diving crossbody for two. Bearhug by Roma to thwart the tag, Roma backs Bagwell into his team’s corner. Orndorff lands a low elbow to the groin, front chancery from Orndorff. Bagwell fights back again but Orndorff delivers a clothesline, Bagwell is rammed into the mat. Bagwell blocks the suplex and drills Orndorff, hot-tag time! No! Orndorff says screw that, backslide attempt by Bagwell with Roma making the save, Patriot is going mental on the apron.

 

Bagwell is whipped to the buckle, boot counter and Orndorff is caught in the sleeper, Roma knocks down Bagwell. Patriot snaps and we have a pier-six-brawl between these two teams. Patriot slams Roma down, Bagwell lands a knee-lift on Orndorff. The champions land clotheslines on the challengers, Bagwell lands a fisherman suplex on Orndorff, Roma is behind the referee’s back. Roma lands a diving elbow drop on Bagwell and we have new tag team champions!

 

That’s rough, I have riffed on Bagwell before but it is shocking how in two years despite his youth, Bagwell has not progressed or grown as a performer inside of that ring, things are not going to improve as American Males will be next but it’s honestly shocking how the crowd continues to just shit on the guy and the company does nothing about it. The work inside the ring is fine, Orndorff and Roma continue to be unintentionally hilarious, the fans only care about Orndorff which makes thing incredibly difficult for the babyfaces, the tag division needs a serious kick up the ass.

 

Winners: Pretty Wonderful over Stars & Stripes via Diving Elbow Drop!

 

Kevin Sullivan vs Dave Sullivan

Oh this feud, Sullivan comes out doing a Bruiser Brody-esqe sound. Dave is a huge Hulkamaniac fan and that has driven Kevin Sullivan crazy. They will now do battle and believe me when I say, the best part of this feud was Cactus Jack and he’s in ECW now. Save pummels Kevin, right hands and an elbow knocks Kevin to the floor. Dave chases Kevin who fools Dave into the ring, stomp to the head by Kevin, big chest slaps and kicks from Kevin. Short-arm clothesline by Kevin and a dropkick, Kevin is rammed into the buckle by Dave. Clothesline by Dave, back body-drop. Kevin pulls Dave to the floor, Kevin rakes the eyes and lands a leg to the back. Dave meets the buckle, snap-mare and boot by Kevin. Kevin grabs a bandana and chokes Dave with the bandana before landing a Gut Stomp. Kevin imitates Hogan, another double stomp. Kevin climbs high, Save yanks Kevin off the top rope. Clothesline by Dave, big boot by Dave. Kevin is trying to convince Dave that he does not hate Hogan. Kevin smacks Dave in the face, they brawl on the floor. Dave wins by count-out as Kevin doesn’t make it back in the ring after brawling.

 

Wow that was horrific, decent Hulk impression though from Dave but surely there is no way Kevin could come back from that to being the head of the top heel faction in the next year right? Right?

 

Winner: Dave Sullivan over Kevin Sullivan via Count-Out!

 

Arn Anderson W/ Meng & Colonel Robert Parker vs Dustin Rhdoes

Whooping these boys in War-Games was clearly not enough for this feud, we have Dustin Rhodes taking on Arn Anderson one on one as Rhodes looks for revenge for what Anderson did to him in that tag match. They lock-up, clean break from Rhodes. Side headlock by Anderson, Anderson stops a hip-toss but Rhodes counters with a head-scissors. Anderson claims Rhodes pulled the hair, hammerlock from Anderson. Snap-mare counter by Rhodes, Anderson claims the hair again. Rhodes gets caught with a left, a right from Rhodes catches Anderson. Whip to the buckle, atomic drop and clothesline to the back of the head by Rhodes. Rhodes climbs high, Anderson sweeps the feet.

 

Anderson wants the superplex, Rhodes lands a headbutt and scores with a diving clothesline for two. Big right by Rhodes, Anderson catches Rhodes with a huge left. Anderson is on the middle rope, Rhodes tries a block but Anderson lands an elbow drop. Stomps to the leg by Rhodes, Rhodes stops the figure four and Anderson is on the floor. We are on the floor, Anderson hits the ring-post with his arm. Rhodes sends Anderson back into the ring-post, hammerlock throw to the buckle in the ring. Schoolboy by Rhodes for two, arm-bar from Rhodes. Rhodes begins working the arm, Anderson pulls the hair but Rhodes holds onto the hold. Cross arm-breaker from Rhodes, inverted atomic drop by Rhodes but Anderson dodges the flying lariat. Rhodes lands hard on the floor, Anderson lands an elbow to the nose and stomps Rhodes onto the steel steps.

 

Irish whip and gut shot from Anderson for two, Rhodes and Anderson are brawling now. Anderson whips Rhodes and we have a double clothesline, both men down. Rhodes comes back with a boot to the ribs and a kick to the head, flying lariat from Rhodes for two. Right hands by Rhodes, Irish whip but Rhodes lowers his head. Anderson tries a DDT but Rhodes blocks by holding the ropes, stun-gun by Rhodes. Rhodes pulls down his kneepad and tried to break the arm of Anderson, Anderson dodged though. Piledriver attempt by AA, Rhodes survives with an attempted sunset flip. Anderson reverses and tries to use the ropes to steal the win but the referee catches Anderson so Rhodes rolls-up Anderson for the win. Anderson DDTs Rhodes after the match, laying out The Natural.

 

It's a technically good match, you are always going to get that with these two but I just didn’t want to see it. The reason? Well this feud should be dead and done by now, we had a War Games Match to blow it all off, why continue with this feud? I don’t understand that at all, Anderson laying out Rhodes at the end makes me think it is going to keep going into Starrcade which is nuts at this point, it’s time to move for both men as they deserve better than carrying a feud that has lost so much of its steam.

 

Winner: Dustin Rhodes over Arn Anderson via Roll-Up!

 

(WCW United States Heavyweight Championship Match) Jim Duggan © vs Stunning Steve Austin

Austin jumps Duggan, stomps in the corner before Duggan comes back with two clotheslines and a scoop slam. Irish whip but Duggan lowers his head, Austin lands a boot and punches. Duggan counters with a sleeper, Austin escapes a belly to back suplex and stomps the shit out of Duggan’s knee. Austin tears at the leg of Duggan, Austin wants a figure four but Duggan sends Austin to the buckle. Roll-up by Duggan for two, Austin pokes the eyes and stomps all over the leg. Austin misses an attack to the leg of Duggan, atomic drop and Austin is on the floor. Austin begs for mercy, Austin wants a handshake. Austin covers up in the corner, Austin and Duggan tie-up. Side headlock by Duggan, Austin shoves off Duggan. Shoulder block by Duggan, Austin stomps Duggan who was running the ropes. Austin climbs high, middle rope axe handle. Austin lands another axe handle before Duggan counters with a big clothesline, Duggan fires up. Rights and lefts by Duggan, Austin runs to the referee. Duggan is cracked with a low blow.

 

Austin denies kicking Duggan down low and continues battering Duggan, Duggan attempts a comeback but he cannot fight off the challenger. Austin climbs to the middle rope, middle rope Austin elbow connects. Two for the challenger, Austin mocks Duggan and climbs to the top rope. Duggan dodges and fires up, Austin meets the buckle hard. Right hands and headbutt by Duggan, back body drop by Duggan. Duggan looks for his finish but Austin back-drops Duggan to the floor, this match ends in a DQ.

 

I was curious as to what would be next for Stunning Steve, Austin turns it up here in this match with his heel work, hiding behind the referee and more in this one to put over Duggan, Duggan doesn’t hold his own with Austin but Duggan does a good job of hanging in there but the star of this one is Austin. I am still surprised that the championship remains on the waste of Duggan, curious to see what they do next there but it’s WCW so it could be something logical or crazy.

 

Winner: Hacksaw Jim Duggan over Stunning Steve Austin via DQ!

 

The Guardian Angel vs Vader W. Harley Race

Angel came to WCW and feuded with Rick Rude which stank before moving onto messing with Vader and costing him his rematch with World Champion Ric Flair at Superbrawl, they have fought twice on PPV since this moment. The first match seems like lightning in a bottle now as there was a magic as they smashed one another in the face, the second match was not as fun but I am keeping an open mind as we have two big massive bastards who love hitting one another. Race tries attacking Angel, not a good idea and Vader is disappointed his manager has been attacked.

 

We are in the ring now, both men lock-up. Angel pushes Vader to the corner, a slap from Angel. Another slap, they lock-up and Vader pokes the eyes and clubbing blows in the corner. Vader pummels Angel down, Angel is smiling though he likes it but the camera does not really capture that. Short-arm clothesline from Vader but Angel is still on his feet, Angel is clotheslined to the floor. Angel fights back though, clothesline to Vader and right hands to Harley Race in the ring. Angel pummels Race in the middle of the ring, gut kick to Vader and Vader is slammed on top of Race. Big pop, elbow drop from Angel. Leg-drop to the groin, headbutts and right hands by Angel. Massive corner splash by Angel, Vader fights back with gut punches. Angel is rocked, suplex is blocked by Angel though. Angel suplexes Vader, another reaction from the fans.

 

Big boot and an elbow, Vader is staggered. Vader jabs the face of Angel, left hook rocks the world of Angel. Vader tries a splash from the middle rope, powerslam counter by Angel. Angel nails a diving headbutt for two, Angel clotheslines Vader to the floor. Headbutt again by Angel, Vader clotheslines Angel down on a blown spot. Vader slams down Angel, we are going to the top. Vader Bomb connects, 1…2.. Angel kicks out! Angel blocks the bomb with his knees, Angel is up to his feet. Running Splash for two, spinebuster from Angel. Spike Slam by Angel, Race is on the apron. Angel chases Race, right hand by Angel. Suplex into the ring, Vader takes advantage of the situation with a splash and it’s over.

 

Yeah, I have a soft spot for two massive beasts killing one another but these two are not going to top their first match, there is no way no matter what they do. They had the crowd at various points though, those big spots still make the audience come alive but I just cannot sink my teeth into The Guardian Angel, looks rough around the edges and one feud that has been going far too long with him coming up on the losing side again and again, maybe brighter days are ahead.

 

Winner: Vader over The Guardian Angel via Splash!

 

Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck W/ Col. Fuller & Meng vs The Nasty Boys!

We start brawling, The Nasty Boys send The Stud Stable into one another and tumbling to the floor. Fuller is irate and Meng is Meng at ringside, Funk and Knobbs to start. To the ropes, Funk slaps Knobbs who fires up with massive right hands. Buck gets clocked by Knobbs, Funk is irate on the floor. In comes Sags, Sags wipes his ass on Funk. Knobbs gives Funk pit city, Funk says “Damn You, You Son of A Bitch!”. Have I mentioned Funk is awesome? Sags is clubbed down by The Stud Stable but Sags fires up, Funk meets the buckle. Buck comes in and Knobbs lands forearms to his head. Tag to Sags, double beatdown. Funk is whipped into Buck who watches as Funk is battered, The Stud Stable is down once again. Funk and Sags brawl before Buck chokes Sags with his belt. Sags escapes though and tags in Knobbs, more brawling.

 

Knobbs clotheslines Funk, calling for a bulldog. Buck trips up Knobbs as the referee deals with Parker. Buck has a loaded glove, the referee catches Buck. Sags comes in the ring with a pumpkin, Meng decks Funk by mistake. Piledriver on the pumpkin and Knobbs covers for the win.

 

Mercifully a short match containing The Nasty Boys, good stuff from Funk throughout, it was your buffer match before the main event so I can’t fault it too much. However, the WCW tag team division is in the dumps currently so I do hope something fantastic comes around the corner soon enough.

 

Winners: The Nasty Boys over The Stud Stable via Piledriver on Pumpkin!

 

(WCW World Heavyweight Championship Steel Cage Career vs Career Match) Hulk Hogan © vs Ric Flair

Frustrated by his loss to Hulk Hogan, Flair has lost his mind once more and put it all on the line by challenging Hogan to this rematch and both men have their careers on the line. Mr. T is here so we are trying to make this as big as possible. How much did they pay him to show up for this? We eventually start, classic Flair with a chop that is not sold by Hogan. Irish whip and back-drop, bandana in the mouth and ten punches, Hogan stomps all over Flair. Hogan and Mr. T are having words, eye-poke and eye-rake by Flair. Chopping time, right hand but Hogan blocks the cage. Flair meets the cage, back-rake and Flair meets the cage once more. Hogan mounts Flair and lands right hands, Flair goes low with a right hand. Chop block by Flair, Hogan’s leg is heavily bandaged. Flair drops all his weight on the leg of Hogan, stomps to the knee again and again. Mr. T and Flair have words, snap-mare into a knee-drop from Flair.

 

Hogan recovers to send Flair into the buckle, Flair begs for mercy. Flair meets the cage hard, Hogan lawn-darts Flair into the cage. Hogan chokes Flair with his shirt, Flair tries to escape. Hogan and Mr. T are having words again, axe handle by The Nature Boy. Suplex by Flair, Flair is stalking Hogan. Hogan blocks the chops in the corner, right hands by Hogan. Irish whip to the corner, Flair gets up a foot. Flair chops Hogan, Hogan shakes it off. Hogan sends Flair to the corner, back body-drop by Hogan. Flair meets the cage again, no blood in a cage? Flair is raked into the cage wall, belly to back suplex by Hogan. Two for Hogan, right hands to the head by the champion, Mr. T and Hogan continue to have words. Flair is climbing the cage, Flair is almost out. Flair is smacked into the cage, chops by Hogan.

 

Flair suckers in Hogan for the shin-breaker, Flair drops the knee on Hogan’s leg. Flair continues tearing at the leg and the bandages of Hogan, Figure Four Leg-Lock! Hogan Hulks Up, and fights back before Hogan runs into T as Flair dodges the shoulder block. Kick to the face, belly to back suplex with no referee though. Flair decides to stomp down Mr. T, Jimmy Hart rips the skirt of Sherri who was climbing the cage. Sherri continues climbing but Sting is here and Sting pulls down Sherri by the hair. The Masked Man is here though, The Masked Man batters Sting and Jimmy Hart, who is this maniac. Sherri is on the cage, axe handle onto Hogan who no-sells that shit. Flair takes out the knee of Hogan, Sherri rips off her jacket. Mr. T is being handcuffed to the cage, what is this shit?

 

Flair and Sherri send Hogan into the baseball bat, Sherri begins climbing out of the cage. Why would they attack the referee though? Makes no sense, has the match been thrown out? Hogan eats a suplex in the middle of the ring, Sherri beats the shit out Mr. T. Hogan Hulks Up, clothesline to Sherri and Flair. Scoop slams to Sherri and Flair. Flair chops but it doesn’t work, Hogan clotheslines Flair and Sherri. Sherri is trying to escape, military slam from Hogan to Sherri. Flair and Hogan battle on the cage, Flair is rammed into the cage. Big boot to Sherri, Flair chops at Hogan but Hogan continues Hulking Up. Right hands by Hogan, big boot and Atomic Leg Drop. Mr. T counts the pin handcuffed to the cage for The Hulkster.

 

Career vs Career? Hogan beats Flair and Flair fucks off just like that? The end of The Nature Boy’s career and not a moment in front of the fan or a goodbye? Wild but then again, nobody believed either man would retire so maybe that’s the reason why they did not even bother. As far as action goes, not my cup of tea. Hogan and Flair at their most ridiculous, Hogan batters Sherri like crazy to the point of overkill, no blood in the cage and just Hogan coming back from everything without a single mark on him. That leg work meant zero in this match, everything meant zero in this match. In a match about both men’s careers, this was it?

 

It continues with the big angle with The Masked Man being revealed, it’s Brother Bruti! Kevin Sullivan is here with Earthquake and they destroy Hogan, Sting makes the save but it’s too late for Hogan. Sting once again playing second-fiddle to the top babyface. Anyways, the match and the angle is not great. Poor old Brutus was never going to be that main eventer that WCW needed, definitely not the main event of Starrcade.

 

Winner: Hulk Hogan over Ric Flair via Atomic Leg Drop!

 

That was WCW’s Halloween Havoc 1994! Very rematch heavy pay per view with the matches not being on particular stand-out quality, Johnny B. Badd’s reign as TV champion does not get off to an electrifying start with Honky Tonk Man, match was dull and the finish helps neither man with Honky Tonk finishing up with the company by the end of the year, how many of Hogan’s buddies will be pushed? We shall see but not a good kick-off, things do not get better with the tag team championship match. The division is very weak right now and Bagwell & Patriot are certainly not the team to lead that division, I have a soft spot for Pretty Wonderful but I would like to see something new. Rhodes vs Anderson is solid but for the love of God, the feud needs to end. We had a War Games Match and a Dusty Rhodes return for a reason, how do we have these two still fighting? Austin vs Duggan is better than their first match but again, Duggan going over Austin? That championship doesn’t need to be around Duggan’s waist and Austin was climbing the card, it’s fallen apart so very fast with Hogan’s arrival. Nasty Boys vs Stud Stable was fine filler, I am fine with seeing The Nasty Boys in that capacity, it seems The Stud Stable is not going to be the next big faction in WCW without Sid and without Austin, it crumbled fast. Finally, we had Hogan vs Flair which was frustrating to sit through, no blood from Flair should have been a warning sign but Hogan is at his most mighty here, surviving everything that Flair and The Masked Man and Sherri throw at him, truly a God amongst men as he decimates The Nature Boy and it’s so over the top, so comical at times that I just could not get behind it at all. WCW in the span of a number of months is completely different, our top heel now is Brother Bruti and the top faction is led by Kevin Sullivan and consists of Earthquake who will be named Shark soon enough by his side, another man who drew big with Hogan in 1990. I would not recommend this show, it was not great by any stretch and the card is starting to feel much more like WWF lite with the influx of talent and the subsequent changing of style/feel to the product. WCW is in a weird place, let’s see how they finish the year! Thanks for reading and remember: there’s always another night!