On October 28th, 1989, WCW prepared to make history with its first-ever Halloween Havoc pay-per-view. The night promised thrills—but not like this. Just before the main event, disaster struck, and an unexpected hero, The Great Muta, would emerge to save the show!
WCW’s first Halloween Havoc in 1989 teetered on the edge of disaster until The Great Muta emerged as an unexpected hero! Photo Credit: WWE. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
How Halloween Havoc Became WCW’s Spooky Spectacle
Halloween Havoc’s eerie set design added a unique flair to WCW’s flagship event in the late 1980s and ’90s, blending spooky visuals with high-stakes wrestling action. Photo Credit: WWE.
In the late 1980s, pay-per-view events (now known as Premium Live Events or PLEs for short) became an increasingly important part of the wrestling business. The then WWF (now WWE) had found success with annual events like WrestleMania and Survivor Series. WCW wanted a piece of that action, and the idea for a new Halloween-themed event was born.
As Eric Bischoff, who would later become WCW’s President, explained in his book Controversy Creates Cash, “Turner management considered Halloween Havoc to be the biggest show of every year. The reasoning was it was an event where the company would sell WCW to major advertisers. That is where the company made its money.”
So, the pressure was on for Halloween Havoc to deliver, both in terms of in-ring action and financial success. WCW stacked the card with an impressive lineup to ensure a memorable night.
"I thought it was going to be great… but what we were told was not what we got,” Jim Cornette reflected on his podcast.
“They over-gimmicked everything with Halloween decorations, hay bales, and skeletons, but when the pyro hit, it all went up in flames."
However, all of this was just a prelude to the main event – a Thunderdome match pitting Ric Flair and Sting against Terry Funk and The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh), with Bruno Sammartino as the special referee.
Inside WCW’s Electrified Thunderdome Main Event
Backstage at Halloween Havoc 1989 in Philadelphia, both teams prepare for the electrifying Thunderdome match: Terry Funk and manager Gary Hart discuss their game plan with Gordon Solie, while Sting, Ric Flair, and manager Ole Anderson (minus the mysterious Great Muta) discuss their game plan before the match. Wrestling legend Bruno Sammartino would later officiate their showdown. Photo Credit: WWE.
The Thunderdome match was a unique concept. It took place inside a cage with an electrified roof designed to prevent escape and ensure maximum chaos. The only way to win was for one team’s manager (Ole Anderson for Flair and Sting, Gary Hart for Funk and Muta) to throw in the towel.
"We were told there’d be sparks and lights up top to keep anyone from climbing out,” Cornette remembered, “but that was a lot different from what happened when we got there!”
In his autobiography, Gary Hart described, “I put Terry Funk and The Great Muta together as a tag team, which apparently was something of a big deal—given Terry’s allegiance to All Japan and The Great Muta’s ties to New Japan.”
Hart continued, “They teamed up for a Halloween Havoc pay-per-view where they wrestled the team of Ric Flair and Sting in an electrified steel cage match. This was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, so Bruno Sammartino was brought in to be the guest referee that night.
“Bruno was very friendly and cordial to me and wasn’t as cold as he had been in the past.”
The Great Muta Saves Halloween Havoc from Disaster
The Great Muta saves the day with his green mist at the inaugural Halloween Havoc in 1989. [Photo: WWE Network]Anticipation was high as the cage was lowered, and the competitors made their way to the ring inside the gimmicked steel cage with Halloween decorations on it. But before the bell could even ring, disaster struck.
As the electrified cage descended, the intense heat from the overhead lights caused one of the Halloween decorations on top of the cage to catch fire. With the flames spreading and threatening to engulf the cage, it looked like the main event and possibly the entire show would have to be called off.
In his book, Gary Hart described the scene:
“Right before the match started, someone turned on the electricity, and way up on top of the cage, one of the decorations caught on fire.”
Enter The Great Muta. Seeing the danger, the mysterious Japanese star quickly scaled the ropes, climbed to the top of the cage, and without hesitation, spit a blast of his trademark green mist directly at the flames, extinguishing them in an instant.
On his podcast, Jim Cornette described what had happened.
"As soon as the match began, the pyro effects meant to make the cage look electrified actually set the Halloween decorations on fire.
“You could see Tommy Young climbing the ropes trying to put it out, and The Great Muta’s quick thinking saved the day as he blew his green mist to extinguish the flames—a moment that got a huge pop from the crowd. It was one of the best ad-libs ever."
The crowd erupted as Muta’s quick thinking saved the day. Gary Hart, who witnessed the events unfold from a close distance away, recalled, “The Great Muta saw [the danger unfolding] and immediately scampered up the top rope and blew it out with his green mist. I was so proud of him.”
With disaster averted thanks to Muta’s heroics, the Thunderdome match was able to proceed as planned.
With hundreds of amazing Pro Wrestling Stories to dive into, where do you start? Get the inside scoop – join our exclusive community of wrestling fans! Receive 10 hand-picked stories curated just for YOU, exclusive weekly content, and an instant welcome gift when you sign up today!
Chaos Unleashed Inside the Thunderdome Cage
Inside the Thunderdome at Halloween Havoc 1989 in Philadelphia, Ric Flair and Terry Funk battle while Sting prepares to join the action. Manager Gary Hart stands outside, overseeing the chaos. Photo Credit: WWE.
What followed was a brutal, 20-minute war inside the electrified cage. Flair and Funk, two legends with a long history of animosity, tore into each other with reckless abandon. Sting, the young babyface, took the fight to the villainous Muta. The action spilled out of the ring and all around the cage.
However, the fans didn’t know that, despite the match’s promise, there was no electricity after the match began.
Jim Cornette admitted, "When the fire marshal got involved [after Muta’s heroics], they had to turn off the effects. So, now the cage was supposed to be ‘electrified,’ but it was just a normal cage, and the guys were pretending to be zapped when nothing was happening."
Jim Ross, who called the action that night, described the behind-the-scenes of the match:
“Jim Cornette and Kevin Sullivan were the main cooks [who put the match together]. I’ve not worked around two guys who are smarter, more strategic, and have a better feel for the wrestling business than Sullivan and Cornette.”
Ross continued, “In 1989, they were — as they are now — two very bright guys as far as the wrestling business was concerned. It was a bad concept. And then they wanted — the cage thing was such a gimmick, and it’s not what we do and what we did. It was just not a good fit.”
Gary Michael Cappetta, the ring announcer that night, also recalled the memorable moment in his autobiography:
"We [used to joke] about the Halloween Havoc pay-per-view when the intense heat of the overhead TV lights set the cage decorations on fire during the live broadcast. Muta scaled the structure and spat out a mouthful of green mist to save the day!”
In the end, it was Flair who scored the victory for his team. He trapped Terry Funk in the middle of the ring and locked on his famous figure-four leglock. With Funk in agony, Ole Anderson threw in the towel, giving the win to Flair and Sting.
How the 1989 Halloween Havoc Set the Stage for WCW’s Future
The Halloween Havoc set (seen here in 1997) would evolve into a haunting spectacle, reflecting WCW’s commitment to making this October tradition unforgettable. Photo Credit: WWE.
The first-ever Halloween Havoc was an undeniable success. Drawing a crowd of over 7,000 to the Philadelphia Civic Center, it cemented Halloween Havoc as a WCW tradition that would endure for many years to come.
Yet, more than any match or storyline, Halloween Havoc 1989 is remembered for the unforgettable moment when The Great Muta saved the main event with his iconic green mist.
For Eric Bischoff, who would later propel WCW to unprecedented success, Halloween Havoc held a special place in his heart. Reflecting on it on his podcast, he shared:
"I liked Halloween Havoc because it was in October, not December. There’s so much happening in December—holidays, Christmas spending, heavy travel—it’s not an ideal time for a pay-per-view.
"In October, even with Monday Night Football impacting TV ratings, it’s better timing overall. Plus, the Halloween theme offered a unique twist, giving us creative freedom to lean into the spooky fun.
"If I had been with WCW earlier, Halloween Havoc would have been WCW’s biggest pay-per-view event, and for all the right reasons."
Halloween Havoc 1989: A Night WCW Will Never Forget
The Great Muta, Ric Flair, Sting, and Terry Funk appear in a ghostly haze, capturing the eerie spirit of Halloween Havoc 1989. Photo Credit: WWE.
The inaugural Halloween Havoc in 1989 had it all—an action-packed lineup featuring legends and rising stars, an inventive main event that delivered on thrills, and a moment of heroic quick thinking by The Great Muta that became wrestling lore.
That night captured everything that makes professional wrestling unforgettable: the spectacle, athleticism, larger-than-life characters, and spontaneous chaos.
The Great Muta’s green mist did more than just save Halloween Havoc; it was an example of the magic that happens when the script goes out the window and real life takes over. This is why fans love wrestling—you never quite know what unexpected moment will unfold next!
Watch the electrifying 1989 Halloween Havoc Thunderdome Match, where Terry Funk and The Great Muta faced off against ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair and Sting:
Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here. Ever wanted to learn more about the people behind Pro Wrestling Stories? Meet our team of authors!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy!
JP Zarka is the founder of Pro Wrestling Stories, established in 2015, where he guides the site's creative vision as editor-in-chief. From 2018 to 2019, he hosted and produced The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo, brother of WWE legend Macho Man Randy Savage. His diverse background includes roles as a school teacher, assistant principal, published author, musician with the London-based band Sterling Avenue, and being a proud father of two amazing daughters. He has appeared on the television show Autopsy: The Last Hours Of and contributed research for programming on ITV and BBC.
Author: 
![The Great Muta saves the day with his green mist at the inaugural Halloween Havoc in 1989. [photo courtesy of the WWE Network]](https://prowrestlingstories.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Great-Muta-Halloween-Havoc-1989.jpg "The Night The Great Muta Saved Halloween Havoc")
