Remembering Halloween Havoc with DDP

October is a month universally associated with the changing colors of leaves, children finding the perfect pumpkin amongst a sea of the orange crop and, of course, haunted houses and creepy costumes. But from 1989 to 2000, the 10th month of the calendar year was coupled with one of WCW’s major pay-per-view events, Halloween Havoc. (PHOTOS)

Former WCW Champion Diamond Dallas Page remembers Halloween Havoc as one of WCW’s most important events, second only to Starrcade.

“All the competitors knew the importance of Halloween Havoc, it was the WCW equivalent to SummerSlam,” DDP said. “We held the last five Havocs in Las Vegas and the fans were electric. There were celebrities visiting us backstage. It was the closest we got to the feeling of today’s SummerSlam without being at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.”

Full of high-caliber competition and memorable set designs, the Atlanta-based organization’s annual October event is still fondly remembered by the WWE Universe.

“The elaborate sets and the theme of Halloween Havoc as a whole is what I think really caught the attention of the fans,” Page explained. “Adding in the explosive contests we had every year at the event and it was definitely the perfect precursor to Starrcade.”

From the very beginning, Halloween Havoc pitted WCW’s top competitors against one another in matches with a variety of stipulations. The first main event of the event in 1989 featured Ric Flair & Sting battling The Great Muta & Terry Funk in a domed steel enclosure known as “Thundercage.” That event also featured a memorable tag team contest between The Steiner Brothers and Doom (Ron Simmons & Butch Reed). (WATCH)

The competitiveness of the event was highlighted in 1991 when WCW TV Champion “Stunning” Steve Austin battled Dustin Rhodes in a brutal battle. The match set the tone of Halloween Havoc for years to come as both competitors battled to a time-limit draw. (WATCH)

In 1992 and 1993, the stipulations of Halloween Havoc’s main event were decided by “Spin the Wheel, Make a Deal,” a precursor to WWE’s Raw Roulette. No matter the match type, Halloween Havoc was a must-see event throughout the 1990s.

Remembering his October confrontations with Eddie Guerrero in 1996, “Macho Man” Randy Savage in 1997 and Goldberg in 1998, DDP emphasized how competitive the event was, citing these contests as some of his toughest and those that helped define Halloween Havoc.

“When I battled Eddie at Havoc ’96, I learned what it took to be a top competitor,” Page recalled. Eddie was one of the very best and he pushed me to the limit in that match. He proved the importance and competitiveness that comes with Halloween Havoc, because he actually got injured during the match and kept on coming!

“I had some great matches with ‘Macho Man,’ but the one at Halloween Havoc in 1997 was intense, and Havoc was the perfect venue for a Last Man Standing Match,” DDP reminisced about his friend and rival, Randy Savage. “I ended up losing because Hulk Hogan came out dressed-up like Sting for Halloween and hit me with a baseball bat.”

In 1998, Halloween Havoc was marred with controversy. Following the WrestleMania VI rematch of Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, thousands of viewers lost the WCW World Title Match between Goldberg and DDP because time had run out with pay-per-view providers. Although the match aired for free the next night on Nitro, Page affirms that there was good reason to show the match in its entirety.

“I challenge anyone to find a better match than me and Goldberg at Havoc ‘98. There are few matches that were as physical, exhausting and psychological as that one. I just remember us both hurting and visiting the chiropractor after that.”

DDP also recalled how electric the fans were, especially following Hogan vs. Warrior.

“I thought the crowd would be dead after that match. But when Goldberg and I locked up and went at it, the fans went nuts. We knew that the event was bigger than a regular pay-per-view, especially given its history.”

Halloween Havoc is often brought up among the WWE Universe when discussing the best events from WCW and the 1990s as a whole. Diamond Dallas Page certainly attributes the high-octane matches and fan interest as the major factors in making it WCW’s second biggest event of the year from 1989 to 2000.

“It was a great show for everyone involved, fans and competitors alike,” DDP said “I say WWE should bring it back!”

Check WWE.com throughout October for more WCW Halloween Havoc photos and videos!