Halloween Havoc began in 1989 and ran until 2000 under the WCW banner, and their first event on October 28, 1989 held a their first and only Thunderdome to usher in this day in wrestling history.
The concept behind the original Thunderdome (based on the Mad Max movie of the same name) was a steel cage that was taller than others and the top portion was electrified to keep anyone from climbing out or in.
It pitted two teams against each other with the only way to win was to have the other team’s coach or manager throw in the towel.
Presented by the NWA, the event was a new concept that would only be used this one time due to various reasons, but the cumbersome and difficult machinations of the structure are probably the true reason.
A new concept with a legend arbitrating the action
A reported 7000 fans were in attendance to witness the pay-per-view and historic match with another estimates 175,000 homes watching on television.
The match pitted Ric Flair and Sting against the Great Muta and Terry Funk inside the Thunderdome with the legendary Bruno Sammartino serving as special referee.
Ole Anderson represented Sting and Flair while Gary Hart represented the Great Muta and Terry Funk.
One of the highlights of the match was the Great Muta had to put a small fire that started at a portion of the cage with his green mist before the match even started.
After a brutal back and forth where the four men did everything they could think of to each other, Ole Anderson clocked Gary Hart, which cause Hart’s towel to fly into the ring where Sammartino ended it in favor of Flair and Sting.
Its legacy lives on
As with any good idea, the WWE is believed by many to have taken this idea and modified it into their infamous Hell in a Cell match.
Over the years, Hell in a Cell has seen some good and bad times, but it’s withstood the test of time due to it’s largely simplistic structural design the original Thunderdome couldn’t match.
Still, WCW’s Thunderdome at Halloween Havoc had gone down as one of the most memorable matches in WCW history as well as one of the most innovative from a stipulation standpoint.
It’s hard to imagine this ever being duplicated, and for that it’ll always have a place in many fans heart as this day in wrestling history saw the first and last true Thunderdome.
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