Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior Rematch Disaster: WCW Halloween Havoc 1998

In 1998, WCW promised fans an epic rematch between wrestling icons Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior at Halloween Havoc. With hopes of recapturing the magic of their legendary WrestleMania VI clash, the stage was set for a showdown. Instead, the match turned into a chaotic debacle, widely regarded as one of the worst matches in wrestling history.

The Build-Up to Hogan vs. Warrior II

The original 1990 encounter between Hogan and Warrior at WrestleMania VI was an unforgettable match that saw Warrior defeat Hogan for the WWF Championship, becoming a defining moment in wrestling history. Fast-forward to October 1998, and WCW saw an opportunity to reintroduce the rivalry on their Halloween Havoc card, hoping to revive the drama of their earlier clash. However, as anticipation grew, so did tension between the two legends, which would ultimately play out in the ring with disastrous results.

The Halloween Havoc Match: A Series of Botches

Once the bell rang, it became apparent that the rematch was far from the anticipated classic. The bout was marred by awkward exchanges, poor pacing, and limited cooperation between the two wrestlers. To make matters worse, Hogan attempted a controversial spot involving flash paper to “burn” Warrior, but the stunt backfired, singeing Hogan’s own face instead. This moment led to visible confusion, and the match deteriorated into what Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer rated a historic “minus five stars.”

The match’s climax came when Hogan’s nephew, Horace, entered the ring for a poorly executed chair shot on Warrior, helping Hogan secure a clunky and unsatisfying win. The lackluster finale left fans disappointed and baffled by the segment’s apparent lack of planning and execution.

Halloween Havoc 1998’s Legacy and Fallout

Critics and fans universally panned the rematch, citing it as one of the most disappointing and infamous matches in WCW history. To make matters worse, Halloween Havoc 1998 ran past its allotted time, cutting off the main event between Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page, which only aired the following night on Nitro.

This botched event is a reminder of how even the most iconic names can falter under poor planning and execution. Today, the Hogan-Warrior rematch remains a cautionary tale about the risks of relying on nostalgia without a solid foundation, forever casting a shadow over Halloween Havoc’s legacy.