Every WCW Halloween Havoc Ranked Worst To Best

5. 1996

The clear highlight of Halloween Havoc 1996, and not just from a workrate nerd's perspective (a perspective your writer has no problem writing from), was Dean Malenko vs. Rey Misterio Jr. As cliché as praising the WCW Cruiserweight division above all else has become, this was clearly the strongest part of the night, with Misterio working as an underdog against Dean's smothering, clinical style. It was a great way to wrap their lengthy series and while it won't pop your eyeballs out like some of Rey's later matches, it holds up.

While Malenko vs. Misterio is the only earnest must-see match on the show, Syxx and Chris Jericho work a decent midcard bout, Harlem Heat and The Outsiders' Tag Team Title clash is solid, and DDP vs. Eddie Guerrero has intensity despite its sloppiness.

Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage is bad - and not fun-bad either. It was two veterans who were never going to recover their old magic so far from their prime desperately trying to do so anyway, and it died a death. Marred by stalling aplenty early on, ref bumps, a Giant interfere, and the crooked Nick Patrick storyline, it was followed by a rambling Roddy Piper promo as part of an aimless show-closing angle as the pay-per-view cut off before the segment felt like it was done.

A perfect metaphor for the show as a whole, really.