Introduction
It’s the most spookiest time of the year. Yep, that was a horrible segue but yes today we’re going to be looking at the best Halloween Havoc matches. Quick sidenote, these are only the best WCW Halloween Havoc Matches so don’t expect to see any NXT on here. Now, with that out of the way, Halloween Havoc’s match quality varied from industry defining cruiserweights to a monster truck sumo match so there’s plenty of variety. Anyway, with NXT Halloween havoc upcoming, what better time to celebrate the high points of its WCW namesake. Check out more of our wrestling content here.
Best Halloween Havoc Matches
10. Lord Steven Regal vs Davey Boy Smith – WCW World Television Championship (Halloween Havoc 1993)
Well, just you look at the two men in this match and wonder how it wasn’t going to make the list. William Regal, or Steven Regal at the time, has always been one of the greatest wrestling minds of his generation while Davey Boy Smith was no slouch either. So put the two together in a 15 minute match on PPV and you get a very solid TV title match. Also, the time limit draw really works here as it protects both men whilst making complete sense within each man’s character. Overall, a great match between two very celebrated wrestling stars.
9. Ricky Steamboat vs Brian Pillman (Halloween Havoc 1992)
Speaking of Ricky Steamboat and Brian Pillman, this match is a great example of how WCW’s midcard was often WAY better than the main event scene. Once again, a great showcase for the fluid fast paced matches which would define WCW for a decade. Anyway, the finish to this match is the best part as Steamboat’s sunset flip powerbomb gets countered only for Steamboat to counter the counter pin and win. A great match which really goes underappreciated considering the talent involved.
8. Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio – WCW Cruiserweight Championship (Halloween Havoc 1996)
Get used to seeing Rey Mysterio on this list because in WCW he was producing classic matches like his life depended on it. Case in point, this match against Dean Malenko. One thing which guys like Mysterio deserve credit for is bringing lucha libre ideas into American wrestling. Case in point, the significance of stealing a luchador’s mask which plays a big part in this match. Here, Malenko grabs Mysterio’s mask to try and gain an upper hand which doesn’t really work as the latter just gets it back. Regardless, the finish where Malenko hits an avalanche gut wrench powerbomb to win is very well done. Overall, another classic Cruiserweight encounter that showcased their in-ring skills.
7. Diamond Dallas Page vs. Randy Savage in a Las Vegas Sudden Death Match (Halloween Havoc 1997)
Well let me tell you something brother, that no good DDP ain’t worth jack around here dude. I’m fairly sure that was the booking idea behind this match as a really good match has a controversial finish involving Hulk Hogan. I know that’s never been said before…. Anyway, the match leading up to the dusty finish is great, especially the end stretch where both men are desperately trying to put the other man down for a ten count. Overall, a dramatic match with a controversial ending, it added to the mystique of the event.
6. Raven vs Chris Jericho – WCW World Television Championship (Halloween Havoc 1998)
We once again return to the wonderful world of WCW midcard in the 90’s with a great match between a cult leader who’s big into denim and a man with a golden mop on his head. I kid of course because both men work their b*****ks off in a genuinely underappreciated match. If it wasn’t for Hogan setting himself on fire or the show’s PPV feed cutting out, this match would probably be a lot more remembered. Also, it helps that they go full throttle which helps them stand out from the cluttered mess of the nWo.
5. Brian Pillman vs. Lex Luger – NWA United States Championship (Halloween Havoc 1989)
Now I can already hear some complaints about a Lex Luger match being this high up the list but hear me out. Rather than the miscast doofus Hulk Hogan Vince tried to make Luger into, here he’s an arrogant, overconfident US Champion facing up to Pillman’s plucky underdog babyface. A simple story of the champion getting overconfident in his own abilities as he and the crowd slowly realise Pillman wasn’t the pushover he envisaged. And honestly, the gut wrenching fact that Pillman doesn’t win only makes Luger look better as his ego grows uncontrollably.
4. Cactus Jack vs. Vader in a Texas Death Match (Halloween Havoc 1993)
Fun fact this was a continuation of a stipulation from 1992 where Sting and Jake ROberts competed in a coal miner’s glove match after a spinning wheel decreed it. A year later, we get the much much better match of Cactus Jack and Vader in a Texas Death Match. Now you don’t need me to tell you how brutal this match gets given the two men involved. Frankly, you get hurt just watching these two beat the living daylights out of each other. So while it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea it is a brutal and intense battle that pushed the limits of hardcore wrestling.
3. Steve Austin vs. Dustin Rhodes – WCW World Television Championship (Halloween Havoc 1991)
Well, just like Steve Austin at the time this was a stunning match. While we all know how good Dustin Rhodes is these days (look at Double or Nothing 2019), in 1991 it was a very different story as he was relatively unknown beyond his famous last name. Up steps Steve Austin and a cracking TV Title match where Austin pulls out every sneaky trick to try and get one over Rhodes but it doesn’t work. Also, it helps that both men are really going for it and the time limit draw finish helps immensely as it protects both men in defeat. A quality, quality match.
2. Goldberg vs. Diamond Dallas Page – WCW World Heavyweight Championship (Halloween Havoc 1998)
Man, what was it about the 90s where being bald and a tough ass SOB made you the greatest thing since sliced bread? Anyway, it’s genuinely bonkers to watch this match back to see how over both men were. And also the stakes here are massive as not only Goldberg’s WCW Title but also his lauded (and not padded) streak are both on the line. Also, this is the match with that iconic jackhammer counter into a diamond cutter for a 2.9999 count. Now, the fact anyone who bought the PPV didn’t get to see the match because of Hogan’s politics is a perfect indication of WCW’s decline. Anyway, a fantastic hard hitting match with so much at stake.
1. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio – WCW Cruiserweight Championship (Halloween Havoc 1997)
And the best Halloween Havoc match of all time is…. Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio from 1997 because of course it is. Just like death, taxes and Hulk Hogan’s backstage politics this was a certainty. Now not only is the match phenomenal to watch but the fact two lucha libre stars were given this sort of airtime in America in the 90s was amazing. Oh, it also helps that they pull off a double backflip DDT because of course they did.Just listing the spots in this match would be pointless so I urge you to go and watch it because frankly it’s in contention for the best WCW match as well. Overall, an unforgettable Cruiserweight Championship match, showcasing the incredible athleticism and skills of both competitors.
