WWE Vintage Collection Report: October 17th 2010
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
This week, it’s time for our annual lookback at the best of WCW Halloween Havoc. Let’s see what trick or treats the WWE vault has thrown up for us today.
October 26th 1997: Las Vegas, Nevada
Alex Wright w/Debra McMichael vs Steve “Mongo” McMichael
Former Chicago Bear Mongo (who was also a lumberjack in the Main Event of WrestleMania XI) had been at odds on-screen with wife Debra for weeks prompting Mongo to accept a match where Debra (the self-professed queen of WCW) chose his opponent. Here she chose Alex Wright – the former “Das Wunderkind” German techno dancer, who was turned heel during the summer. After a back-and-forth start, Mongo takes control with a reverse hiptoss, slam and series of forearms. Mongo pulls Wright off the top rope. Wright comes back with a spinning heel kick. Mongo reverses a tombstone piledriver (after Wright botches his attempt). Debra jumps on the apron to distract Mongo and referee Charles Robinson (aka little Naitch), which allows Goldberg – who had recently debuted as a heel, to run in and give Mongo a spear and jackhammer. The impact happens so close to Robinson that he has to pretend not to notice and keep his back turned. Goldberg dumps Wright on top of a cover and Wright picks up the victory. Wright extends his hand, but Goldberg decks him, then gives him a spear and jackhammer for good measure. The crowd cheer Goldberg, while Debra rewards him by handing over Mongo’s Super Bowl XX ring. Winner: ALEX WRIGHT. Mongo avenged the defeat to Wright at World War III, before becoming one of Goldberg’s first victims at Starrcade – Goldberg’s PPV debut.
October 25th 1992: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
U.S. Title: Big Van Vader vs Nikita Koloff
Vader is subbing for Ravishing Rick Rude after Rude complained about having to wrestle twice on the same show. (Rude beat NWA World Heavyweight Champion Masahiro Chono by DQ later in the show). This match is ruled as no DQ, with Rude’s manager Madusa also banned from ringside. Vader wins a pummelling exchange in the corner, hits an avalanche and turns Koloff inside out with a stiff clothesline. Vader tosses Koloff to the floor. Koloff jumps right back in to hit a cross body from behind. Vader clubs out of a chinlock, works over Koloff in the corner, misses a second avalanche and gets rolled up for a nearfall. Koloff sends Vader to the floor after a second cross body. Koloff takes the fight outside, but gets sent to the guardrail twice, before Vader cracks a steel chair across his back. An overzealous fan tosses his beer at Vader, but luckily for him, Vader no-sells it.
After a break, Koloff tries to escape a chinlock with a back suplex, so Vader snaps him to the mat, bringing his weight down across Koloff’s neck. Koloff manages to reverse a modified suplex, before scoring with a flying tackle and slam. A Russian sickle (clothesline) sends Vader to the floor. Koloff tries a second sickle, but Vader moves and Koloff clotheslines the ringpost. WWF superfan Vladimir is seen cheering on in the crowd, wearing a WBF shirt. Koloff beats the count back in, but is easy pickings for an avalanche takedown and powerbomb, as Vader picks up the win and keeps the U.S. Title for Rude. Winner: VADER. This was a nice and stiff match, but would prove to be one of Koloff’s last as he retired shortly after due to a neck injury.
Our next bout is somewhat of a dream bout between the Road Warriors and Skyscrapers from the Inaugural Halloween Havoc event. In a pre-match interview, Hawk scoffs at the critics who think they’re underdogs by promising to reduce the Skyscrapers to rubble, before stating they snack on danger, dine on death and dead men don’t make money. Animal likens the LOD to measuring sticks in terms of how much punishment teams can take, then states they’re the number one team in professional wrestling and the Skyscrapers don’t have a chance.
October 28th 1989: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Road Warriors w/Paul Ellering vs The Skyscrapers w/Teddy Long
Long had cost the Road Warriors the Tag Titles earlier in the year, so he sought out protection in the Skyscrapers (Danny Spivey & Sid Vicious). Long is carrying a large Iron key with him to the ring. Neither team wants to give the other anything as the Road Warriors have a hard time getting the Skyscrapers to sell their clothesline, shoulder tackle offense in the early going, leading to some sloppyness.
After a commercial break, Spivey baseball slides Hawk to the floor, where Vicious drops him across the guardrail. Back inside, Spivey delivers a suplex and corner clothesline, before Vicious hits a running knee. Hawk stops a backbodydrop, so Spivey quickly clotheslines. Hawk reverses a suplex, but Vicious cuts off a tag by holding Hawk in a front facelock. Spivey splashes in the corner, misses a second attempt and Hawk finally tags out. Animal gives Spivey a dropkick and flying tackle. The action quickly breaks down into a four man brawl. Animal catches Vicious in a powerslam. Ellering tries to intercept Long from interfering, but gets hit with the key. Spivey then uses it on Hawk for the disappointing copout DQ finish. Hawk comes back with a top rope clothesline to Spivey before kicking Vicious to take possession of the key. The Road Warriors send the Skyscrapers packing as the crowd pop for the post-match celebration. This was a disappointing match. Winners via DQ: THE ROAD WARRIORS.
October 23rd 1994: Detroit, Michigan
Arn Anderson w/Colonel Robert Parker & Meng vs “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes
This match was dubbed as a “Grudge Match” between two men whose families held a long-standing feud, with the announcers mentioning Arn breaking Dusty Rhodes’s arm in the past. Legendary boxer Thomas “Hitman” Hearns is pictured in the crowd. During a feeling out process, Arn calls foul citing that Dustin used the hair. Or lack of. Arn gets frustrated. Dustin catches a kick, spinning the Enforcer round into an atomic drop. Arn hits the corner face first, so Dustin hits a clothesline from behind. Arn crotches Dustin as he tries to go high risk. Dustin shakes it off to land a flying clothesline. Dustin stays one step ahead of his foe, kicking off a figure four attempt to send Arn out to the floor. Dustin ducks a clothesline, as Arn hits the ringpost. Dustin follows up with an inverted atomic drop, before Arn turns the tide by ducking a lariat, which sends Dustin sailing over the top rope.
After a commercial break, Arn slingshots Dustin into the bottom rope, before both men clothesline each other simultaneously. Dustin connects with a big boot and lariat, before holding on to the top rope to thwart an Arn DDT. Dustin hotshots Arn across the top rope, pulls down a kneepad and misses a kneedrop. Dustin goes to counter a piledriver, but Arn reverses into a sunset flip. The referee spots Arn holding the ropes and kicks him off. As Arn argues, Dustin hooks the legs and picks up the 1-2-3. After the bell, Arn leaves Dustin laying after a clothesline and DDT. This was a good match. Winner: “THE NATURAL” DUSTIN RHODES.
I particularly enjoyed the Koloff/Vader exchange, which was quite a hard-hitting affair and the Main Event was a decent bout. However, the Road Warriors/Skyscrapers “dream” scrap was somewhat disappointing and the opener was a bit underwhelming until Goldberg made it fun. That’s my two cents worth. See you next week.
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