The History of Halloween Havoc: A Wrestling Tradition
WCW’s First Halloween Havoc (1989)
The inaugural Halloween Havoc took place on October 28, 1989, at the Philadelphia Civic Center. Headlined by a high-stakes Thunderdome Cage match between Ric Flair & Sting against The Great Muta & Terry Funk with special guest referee Bruno Sammartino. This event marked the start of what would become an annual fall tradition.
The Era of Iconic Matches (1990–1997)
Throughout the 1990s, Halloween Havoc cemented its status as one of WCW’s most important annual events. Legendary matches from this period include:
- 1990: Sting vs. Sid Vicious – As WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Sting defended his title against Sid Vicious, continuing his reign as one of the company’s top stars.
- 1993: Cactus Jack vs. Vader (Texas Deathmatch)
- 1994: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair (Retirement Match) – Hogan, in his first Halloween Havoc appearance, defended his WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Flair in a “Career vs. Career” match, which saw Flair’s first (but temporary) retirement.
During these years, Halloween Havoc became synonymous with high-profile title defenses and stipulation-heavy matches. WCW would often lean into the Halloween theme with ghoulish decorations, pumpkin-shaped rings, and over-the-top storylines involving mystical and supernatural elements.
The Infamous 1998 Event: Hogan vs. Warrior II
Halloween Havoc 1998 is perhaps the most infamous of all. One of the night’s main attractions was the much-anticipated rematch between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, a bout 8 years in the making after their famous clash at WrestleMania VI. Unfortunately, the match was widely panned for its lackluster execution and confusing booking. Despite this, the event is often remembered for another bout on the card: Goldberg vs. Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. This main event helped save the show but was cut short on the live broadcast due to a PPV time overrun, causing a large portion of the audience to miss the match’s conclusion. WCW aired the match the next night on Nitro, but the timing blunder became a notorious part of the event’s legacy.
Halloween Havoc in WCW’s Final Years (1999-2000)
As WCW began to decline, so too did the prestige of Halloween Havoc. The 1999 and 2000 events saw a downturn in creative direction, with matches and storylines failing to live up to the heights of earlier years. Halloween Havoc 1999, headlined by Sting vs. Hulk Hogan and Goldberg vs. Sid Vicious, and Halloween Havoc 2000, featuring Booker T vs. Scott Steiner for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, were seen as attempts to regain lost momentum. However, by 2001, WCW was bought out by the WWF (now WWE), and Halloween Havoc was discontinued.
Halloween Havoc’s Revival in NXT (2020-Present)
In 2020, WWE revived Halloween Havoc as a special event under its NXT brand, giving a new generation of fans a chance to experience the Halloween-themed show. NXT’s Halloween Havoc has embraced the spirit of the original, incorporating elements like the “Spin the Wheel, Make the Deal” match stipulation, which allows wrestlers to spin a wheel to determine match types. With top stars of NXT participating, the revival has been well-received by fans and continues the legacy of Halloween Havoc, keeping its eerie and nostalgic atmosphere alive.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
Halloween Havoc remains one of wrestling’s most beloved and recognizable PPVs. Its aesthetics, memorable moments, and larger-than-life characters made it a staple in wrestling’s “big four” WCW events, alongside Starrcade, Bash at the Beach, and The Great American Bash. For many fans, Halloween Havoc was the perfect combination of wrestling action and holiday fun, and its revival under NXT has introduced its charm to a new audience.
Despite WCW’s demise, Halloween Havoc’s influence persists. Whether you’re reliving iconic matches from the 90s or enjoying the modern iteration, Halloween Havoc remains a key part of wrestling’s season tradition.
PPV + PLE Content. Northern Adelaide suburbs resident with a lifelong passion for professional wrestling since the age of 14. What drew Rhys to wrestling was the antics of Eddie Guerrero and the freestyles of John Cena, and has been hooked ever since. Currently, Rhys watches WWE and AEW programing. This passion for wrestling has led to Rhys writing for PW Down Under, where he has become the resident PPV guy.
