WCW Saturday Night
October 24, 1992
by Erick Von Erich
Fans, we are nearing WCW's Halloween Havoc! Tony Schiavone narrates a quick montage of who and what we'll see on tonight's show, all played over a saxophone number that evokes comparisons to the SNL theme. It all appears to be coming from the TBS "Center Stage" studio in Atlanta, with Jim Ross calling the matches and Schiavone narrating the hype sequences. I was pretty much checked-out from JCP/NWA/WCW from 1990 to 1995, so go easy if I ask stupid questions or over-explain something. All we really need to know is that Halloween Havoc '92 is tomorrow! Call your cable provider, now! But with so much going on in World Championship Wrestling, let's get down to ringside for...
"The Natural" Dustin Rhodes & Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson (w/Michael Hayes)
The heels comes out to "Badstreet USA", yet I can't tell if this was added in by WWE Network. There's a 75% chance it's legitimate, as some fans can be seeing swaying along to it. Steamboat comes out in conventional "martial arts attire", which I only mention because sometimes he would still sometimes go all-in with his "Dragon" costume and breathe fire. In that regard, he sorta' had a Finn Balor/Demon thing. Rhodes and his World Tag Team Championship partner, Barry Windham, will defend against Terry Gordy and Steve Williams at Halloween Havoc, so there's a storyline that they have "internal tension".Rhodes starts with Eaton as they do some basic arm-drags and grappling. Rhodes catches him with an elbow for a quick 1 count, then follows up with a drop-kick. Steamboat targets Anderson's left arm and PBP Jim Ross (before he was unbearable) reiterates that it's good strtegy since Anderson is a southpaw. Eaton and Steaboat go at it, for awhile, with some vintage wrestling. Rhodes blasts Eaton with a big boot and allows Double A to return. Eaton returns as the heels take over on Steamboat for a few minutes. Eaton even sneaks in a rope-choke, behind the ref's back. Eaton goes for a face-buster, but Steamboat powers out of it with an electric-chair type of counter. Lukewarm tag to Rhodes, but Anderson absolutely decapitates him with a stiff left arm shot. Rhodes is rolled out to ringside and gets hit with a cheapshot from Hayes. Back into the ring, where Anderson slams Rhodes and drops a knee for 2. Eaton tags in to work a rest-hold chinlock as the ring announcer mentions we have 1 minute left in this 10 minute bout. Swinging neckbraker from Eaton. Dustin tries a belly-to-belly, but settles for a nice sidewalk slam into a backbreaker. All four guys then enter the ring to brawl and we get a time limit draw. As more officials arrive, Steamboat ascends the top and hits Anderson with a flying chop. This wasn't anything sensational, but it would've been at home on TBS, anytime from 1983 to 1995.Hayes wanders over to the interview area and says that the team of Anderson/Eaton is next in line for a World Tag Team Championship shot and runs down current champs, Rhodes and Windham. Rhodes arrives and smacks Hayes in the mush, for good measure.
Commercial bumper warns us that the "King of Cable" competition is coming, next month!
A Very Special Interview with Cactus Jack & Tony Atlas
Jack pumps up his buddy, The Barbarian, who will be challenging Ron Simmons for the World Championship, tomorrow. Atlas commends Barbarian on his strength...then shout some questionable insults at Simmons. I honestly did not know that Atlas was still competing and was in WCW, at this time.
The Barbarian vs. Mike McReynolds
Cactus Jack joins commentary to promote tomorrow night's title match. McReynolds ducks under some criss-cross (JUMP! JUMP!) action and eats a clothesline. He then sells Barbie's reverse chop like he's been electrocuted. Big press-slam drop from Barbie and he ends things with a top-rope diving headbutt for 3. Jack doesn't sound too confident when he says: "we're going home with the gold". I also need a moment to pick up the brain pieces that exploded all over my desk, because I just watched a Barbarian match with NO headlockin'.A Musical Look at "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer
Highlights include Hammer playing air guitar on a boat dock and then in a wrestling ring. No idea what the original tune was, though. Hammer's gimmick was probably about 3-4 years too late.
Van Hammer vs. JD Wolf
Jim Ross, almost violently, plugs the WCW Hotline, where you can get all the predictions for Halloween Havoc. Wolf is a "cagey veteran" who looks like a smaller knock-off of Bugsy McGraw. Hammer easily muscles out of two full Nelson attempts then...so Wolf dares him to slap one on him. Wolf kicks the ropes and Hammer simply drops him to the mat. Wolf tries a slam, but it's easily blocked and Hammer delivers a big overhead press-slam. Hammer with a backdrop, running clotheslines, then his "Hammerlock" slingshot suplex to get the pin. Well, at least Wolf was more animated than your basic jobber.Halloween Havoc Control Center with Jim Ross
Tony Schiavone has a pre-recorded piece where he does his trademark rapid-fire rundown of the entire card. Ross then "interviews" Jake "the Snake" Roberts, US Champion "Ravishing" Rick Rude and Ron Simmons via video screen. Rude is about two years behind, as he says he's going to "Go where Bo don't know". For the record, Bo Jackson missed the entire 1992 MLB season and hadn't played in the NFL since breaking his leg in January, 1991. Ross concludes the segment by demonstrating how easy it is to pick up a phone.
Shanghai Piece & Tex Slazennger vs. Joey Maggs & Jeff Daniels
I always forget that Pierce wore a mask. Ross says that this is their first appearance on WCW TV, and I think that's accuate. Pierce slams Daniels, then drops him face-first onto the top turnbuckle. "Jumpin'" Joey Maggs delivers a few drop-kicks, but gets nailed in the external occipital protuberance with a clothesline from Slazenger. Pierce drops Maggs off of his shoulder, then whips him to the corner for a charging forearm shot. Slazenger plants Daniels with a reverse DDT (the future "Slop drop"), then tags in Pierce, who drops an elbow and scores the 3. Look out, lower midcard! The future has arrived!Interview with Paul E. Dangerously & "The Masked Intruder"
Paul E. claims that Bill Watts (WCW president) is out to dismantle the Dangerous Alliance. For retaliation, he plans to take out Bill's boy, Erik...tonight! The Masked Intruder has a full black body-suit and a black/white mask.
Erik Watts vs. The Masked Intruder (w/Paul E. Dangerously)
After some intial criss-cross, Watts blocks a hip-toss and delivers an arm-drag...and Ross puts it over like it's a moonsault or something. Watts comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock, but tries again and runs into a kneelift. Belly-to-back suplex and a nice snap suplex from Intruder. Snapmare and intruder works the neck...which would be a perfect spot to un-do Watts' mask, provided he had one. German suplex gets 2 for Intruder and then it's side headlock rest hold time. Reverse pump-hanlde slam gets another 2, then a big chinlock. Veritcal suplex and Intruder tries going up top. Watts finally goes on the offensive, slames Intruder from the top, backdrops and slams him. Intruder jabs him in the neck, then bounces off the ropes, but Watts catches him with a sideways fireman's carry slam and gets the 3. No idea who "The Masked Intruder" was. I get that this type of "one-night hired hitman" angle has been done before, it makes Paul E. look like a buffoon by association.An outraged Paul E. returns to the interview set. Madusa then interrupts, asking why Paul E. stood her up, along with Rick Rude, for the last Dangerous Alliance "meeting". Paul offers to have the meeting, right now... but he has another meeting in five minutes. As far as "dissenion" angles go, this is weak.
Back from comerical, Theodore Long visits the interview set. "Along with all the homies", he's excited for Halloween Havoc.
Johnny Gunn vs. Buddy Lee Parker
No relation to Bart and Billy, I assume. One of Gunn's first televised matches, but he's aready scheduled to team up with Shane Douglas and Tom Zenk at Halloween Havoc. Gunn works the armbar and wins an overhead Hammerlock Challenge. Armdrags from Gunn, then an overly animated float-over takedown into another armdrag. Parker gets a few shots, a sloppy gutwrench/slam ad a vertical suplex for 2. Gunn with a back-drop, drop-kick, then a roll up out of the corner for 2. Parker kicks out, but Gun is quick to bounce off the ropes with a Thesz press and get the 3.Up Close with Nikita Koloff
Tony Schiavone hosts a sitdown interview with the "Russian Nightmare"...who forgot to put a shirt on, but is rocking the ZUBAZ pants. Tony actually recounts that he's known Nikita for 8 years, now. Tomorrow night, Nikita will challenge Rick Rude for the United States Championship. Card subject to change. Nikita says that the US belt stands for freedom, as he relates it to owning his own gym and having a wonderful family. He says he learned from Dusty Rhodes that adversity can build a champion, and he's been through a ton of adversity. Including wearing ZUBAZ."Ravishing" Rick Rude (w/Madusa) vs. Eddie Desmond
Rude asks for all the "nothing happening, insignificant, worm-faced wannabes" to shut up while he takes his robe off. Rude starts with a waistlock belly-to-back suplex and the squash is on. Slam and backbreaker, but Rude pull him up after a 1 count. Rude poses, then quickly applies the Rude Awakening and gets the 3, barely breaking a sweat.Rude and Madusa head over to the interview set for some Angle Advancement. Rude's uset that Paul E has double-booked him for two matches, tomorrow night. He's not only set to defend the US Championship, he's also challenging for Mashrio Chono's NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Card subject to change. Nikita Koloff walks in, shouting that he'll win the US Title, and Rude can't get out of their match.
"Stunning" Steve Austin drops by the interview set. Ross warns him about taking on Shane Douglas, tonight, as we see last week's footage of Douglas suplexing Brian Pillman on the floor. Austin claims to be the world's greatest athlete (Iron Mike Sharpe: "Does that include Canada?") and that his new partner, Pillman, is on a roll.
Shane Douglas vs. "Stunning" Steve Austin
They start with the usual collar-and-elbow tie-ups into hammerlocks, side headlocks and counters. They take it to the mat and Douglas controls with a reverse step-over leg-lock. Ross seems prophetic as he says Austin could be a potential "franchise" type of player. They bounce off the ropes and Douglas takes over with two nice drop-kicks to the mush, followed by a drop toe-hold into an armbar. Austin tries several counters, but can't break the ARMBAR. Douglas tries a crucifix pin, but switches it into a sunset flip and gets 2. Flip-over cover and a small package each score 2 for Douglas. Austin grabs the legs and begins targeting the hamstring. They brawl on the outside, for a bit, then back inside where Austin suckers Douglas in and sends him through the ropes to the floor. Austin tries a pile-driver on the floor, but Douglas reverses it into a backdrop. They return to the ring and Douglas goes back to the arm, twisting it over into some pin attempts. Austing fights out, but eats a drop-kick and they're back to the mat and the arm.. Austin gets a shoulder-block and two nice suplexes for 2. Austin sets up for a super-plex, but Douglas pushes him off and hits a flying... forearm. Hmm, he probably should've hit a better move, there. Douglas then goes back to the arm with a hammerlock, then a lame fall-back leg-lock. More hammerlockin' and the captive crowd fades, even more, waving at the camera. They hit the ropes and Austin blocks another crucifix with a Samoan drop, then kicks Douglas to the floor. They're quickly back inside, where Austin does some wear-down holds. Douglas reverses an Irish whip, but Austin safely hops over the ropes, but Douglas drop-kicks him off the apron. Douglas take over in the ring and does a reverse flying body-press, which Austin reverses into a 2 count. They both hit on a shoulderblock and are knocked through the ropes, yet Douglas is delayed in his reaction and looks absolutely ridiculous and he looks over his shoulder to direct his drop. While on the outside, Brian Pillman runs in a tries to take a few shots at Douglas. Douglas fights him off and makes it to the apron, where Austin tries to German suplex him back in. Awkward counter, as Douglas rolls out of it, softly, then hooks his own German suplex on Austin for the 3 count. I stress the word awkward in that finish.Afterwards, Pillman tries to attack, but gets drop-kicked as Douglas bails. After the break, Jim Ross stresses that tomorrow at Halloween Havoc, Douglas and Ricky Steamboat will take on Austin and Pillman. Card subject to change.
Marcus Alexander Bagwell is standing by, "broken nose and all", to hype his match against Vinne Vegas, next week.
Another promo from Cactus Jack and Tony Atlas. Atlas says that Ron Simmons shouldn't be wrestling for the World Championship, "instead, he should be down in South Carolina somewhere, shining shoes or pickin' cotton". His words, not mine. Simmons' buddy, Bobby Walker comes in to defend Simmons and tells Catcus Jack: "you ain't black enough to be in this". And yes, I should probably add a disclaimer that "this content was presented in its original format and may have contained culutral references that are out-dated or offensive". Anyways, this interview quickly turns into a 2-on-1 mild beatdown as Jim Ross plugs Halloween Havoc, one more time.
Why'd You Watch This:
Because it's Halloween HavoK (yes, with a "K" in honor of Alex Summers). The two "feature matches" just seem like guys going through the motions and filling time, even though they're suposedly part of Important Feuds. Like I said, at the top, I'm not too familiar with this era of WCW, so I don't know if that kind of "match apathy" was par for the course. It might sound strange, but I would've actually prefrred to have another squash match, or two, and trim the Austin/Douglas match by about 6 minutes.
So hey, special treat if you're reading this article, "live", in October 2020: the actual Halloween Havoc '92 will be making it's long-awaited debut, here on Da' Wrestling Site, next week! Fans, stay tuned for that! You don't even have to pick up your phone! Unless you're reading our stuff on a Internets-enabled cellaphone, then I guess you do have to pick up your phone...
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