In today’s eWrestlingNews trivia, we’re throwing it back to October 29, 1995, when the WCW Halloween Havoc went down, featuring the notorious match between Hulk Hogan and The Giant in a Sumo Monster Truck Match. This was followed by a regular match in which Hogan lost his title via disqualification, and then endured an uncomfortable bear-hug from The Giant and The Yeti.
The narrative seems far-fetched and irrationally funny, adding to why this period struggled with viewership. It also seems difficult to defend. However, let’s give it a shot!
So, here’s today’s question for you: “Can you make a convincing argument that this booking was a reasonably good idea?” Feel free to go against the grain and drop your responses in the comments section below.
Shifting focus to my perspective…
Honestly, it’s hard to justify such a storyline, especially knowing the absurdity of it all. Yet, I’ll try to find some redeeming factors.
To begin, the idea of incorporating a monster truck element to boost viewership doesn’t seem like a bad one. Especially considering the random surge in popularity monster trucks were enjoying during this era. Furthermore, this wasn’t just appealing to the typical southern audience attracted to NASCAR, but to a broader demographic. Hence why I think this wasn’t a bad idea, just perhaps not implemented the best way.
The main downside wasn’t the usage of this element, but rather its feature on a pay-per-view event. Many fans may have been interested but could not afford the premium to buy the event, including myself. Therefore, in hindsight, perhaps it would’ve been better as a main event on Monday Nitro leading up to the pay-per-view.
From a story angle viewpoint, the climax of The Giant falling off Cobo Arena’s roof would have made an intriguing cliffhanger for Nitro. This would possibly lure viewers into buying the event to discover how this ‘cliffhanger’ would be resolved. After all, WWE has previously used similar weird angles successfully.
Trying to justify The Yeti’s presence, though, proves more challenging. The character and costume design were massively unpopular. While I understand that his size could have made him a believable threat to Hogan, the execution of the Yeti was far from perfect. A different character or identity would have made more sense.
In summary, despite the absurdity, I can understand the rationale behind their moves, even though the execution was lacking in some areas.
What do you think? Let’s hear your thoughts below!