Heroes of Wrestling Pay-Per-View: A Show Gone So Wrong

What if we told you that one single wrestling event in the late ’90s was so catastrophically bad that it single-handedly ended multiple careers and left legends humiliated? The Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view promised wrestling fans the ultimate nostalgia trip: a dream card featuring their childhood heroes. Instead, what they got was an unforgettable disaster. Billed as a tribute to the greats of yesteryear, the event quickly devolved into a chaotic mess of sloppy matches, bizarre booking, and cringeworthy commentary. This is the story of a promising concept that was executed so poorly that it became infamous overnight.

Heroes of Wrestling 1999: The Wrestling Pay-Per-View Disaster

Heroes of Wrestling was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event held on October 10th, 1999, at the Casino Magic Hotel and Casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

The event was produced by Fosstone Productions, a company led by wrestling enthusiast Bill Stone, who aimed to capitalize on the booming popularity of late-‘90s wrestling by reuniting stars from the past.

His vision was a series of quarterly pay-per-view shows built around "dream matches," featuring legendary performers who were no longer under contract with WCW, ECW, or the then-WWF. The idea was to offer nostalgia-fueled matchups that longtime fans would flock to see.

To lend credibility and fanfare to the project, Stone even named iconic wrestler and manager Captain Lou Albano as the on-screen commissioner.

While the concept had promise, Heroes of Wrestling became infamous for all the wrong reasons and ultimately marked the beginning and end of the planned series.

Why Heroes of Wrestling 1999 Was Doomed to Fail Before It Even Started

Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view opening title sequence screenshot showing the production values of the event before everything went wrong. Photo Credit: Heroes of Wrestling.In 1999, professional wrestling was at the height of its mainstream popularity.

The WWF’s Attitude Era, which began in 1997, ushered in the most lucrative and culturally dominant period in wrestling history, led by megastars such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker. Anything seemed possible on television. Dennis Rodman joined WCW’s nWo, Mick Foley became WWF Champion 190 days after being thrown 22 feet from the top of a Hell in a Cell steel cage structure, and D-Generation X infamously parodied rivals in blackface.

In such a chaotic and over-the-top landscape, the idea of a nostalgia-based pay-per-view featuring legendary names from wrestling’s past didn’t seem particularly risky or far-fetched.

On paper, Heroes of Wrestling looked like it could capitalize on that momentum. In practice, however, the event fell apart in spectacular fashion.

The Wrestling Legends Who Said NO: How Heroes of Wrestling Lost Its Biggest Stars Before the Disaster

When planning Heroes of Wrestling, producer Bill Stone aimed high. He wanted the event to feature some of the biggest names in wrestling who were no longer under contract with major promotions.

Stone’s goal was to build a card stacked with recognizable legends who could draw in fans based on name value alone. Unfortunately, many of his top targets declined.

Among those originally approached was Sid Vicious, a former WWF and WCW World Champion known for his intimidating presence and time with the Four Horsemen. Sid would have brought legitimate star power to the promotion, but he re-signed with WCW in June 1999, just months before the show.

Other names Stone had in mind included Vader, a dominant powerhouse who had competed in both WWF and WCW and was the first non-Japanese wrestler to win New Japan’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

He also reached out to Terry Funk, a hardcore wrestling icon and second-generation star known for his wild brawls in FMW, ECW, and WWF.

Rounding out the list was The Honky Tonk Man, the guitar-swinging cousin of Jerry Lawler and one of the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champions in WWE history.

All were contacted but ultimately declined the offer.

Commentary Chaos: How Heroes of Wrestling’s Announcing Team Became Part of the PPV Disaster

In professional wrestling, the commentary team is just as crucial as the in-ring performers. They help shape the narrative, elevate the action, and guide the audience through the event.

For Heroes of Wrestling, Bill Stone aimed to bring legitimacy to the broadcast booth by recruiting some well-known voices in the industry.

Originally, the legendary Gordon Solie was set to handle play-by-play duties. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wrestling commentators in American history, Solie brought a sense of authority and professionalism that few could match.

In the book Gordon Solie… Something Left Behind, he is compared to Walter Cronkite and Howard Cosell, a testament to how deeply intertwined he was with the fabric of the wrestling world.

Sadly, Solie was diagnosed with throat cancer before the event and passed away less than a year later.

For color commentary, Ted DiBiase was lined up to join the broadcast. Best known as "The Million Dollar Man" in the WWF, DiBiase was famous for his arrogant character, strong promos, and a memorable storyline in which he bought André the Giant.

DiBiase’s charisma and extensive knowledge of wrestling made him an ideal choice for the role. However, he had to cancel his involvement due to a scheduling conflict caused by a preaching commitment.

With Solie and DiBiase unable to appear, the event was left without an experienced voice to lead the commentary. Solie’s replacement was Randy Rosenbloom, a sportscaster from Southern California with no background in professional wrestling. That lack of familiarity quickly became obvious.

Unfortunately, Rosenbloom misidentified basic maneuvers throughout the night, calling an arm drag a "reverse drop takedown," a forearm to the shoulder a "chop to the head," and a dropkick a "flying leg kick."

His errors were so glaring that even first-time viewers could tell something was off.

Rosenbloom was joined by veteran wrestler Dutch Mantell, who was brought in to provide color and insight. Instead, Mantell appeared disinterested and disengaged from the start, offering little energy or context to support Rosenbloom.

The result was a disjointed and awkward broadcast that only added to the chaos of the event.

Speaking on Story Time with Dutch Mantell, he spoke about doing commentary for Heroes of Wrestling.

“Worst pay-per-view ever,” Mantell began. “They had some big names on it. They called me and wanted me to do the commentary for it. I said, ‘Yeah, I’ll come in and do that.’ I didn’t even go to the dressing room to see who was there.

“It was in Biloxi, Mississippi, which is an unlikely place to have a pay per view. It was bad.”

The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu and Samu) vs. Marty Jannetty: The Heroes of Wrestling Match That Started the Disaster

The opening match of Heroes of Wrestling featured The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu and Samu) taking on former tag team standouts Marty Jannetty and Tommy Rogers.

The bout started with an unusual pace, as Jannetty came out swinging with an explosive series of moves that would typically be reserved for a "hope spot," a brief comeback moment for an underdog. Instead, Jannetty dominated early, knocking both Samoans out of the ring and setting an inconsistent tone for what should have been a slow-build opener.

After an early tag to Rogers, the Samoans took control, using classic heel tactics to gain the advantage.

At one point, Samu kicked Marty Jannetty in the back while he ran the ropes, a move that allowed the larger team to slow the match down and showcase their power.

Tommy Rogers eventually got a "hot tag" and returned with a burst of offense, but the momentum was short-lived. The match ended somewhat abruptly when Samu landed a TKO, a move where the opponent is lifted onto the shoulders and dropped with a cutter, for the pin.

Commentator Dutch Mantell offered a rare moment of levity when, after the replay aired three times, he quipped, "That means Rogers has been beaten three times technically."

Despite being passable in structure and flow, the match lacked real drama. Rogers and Jannetty never truly felt like they were in danger, making the Samoans’ win feel more procedural than impactful. It wasn’t a disaster, but it didn’t inspire much excitement either.

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (with Sensational Sherri) vs. George "The Animal" Steele

Production issues were immediately apparent as neither Greg Valentine nor George “The Animal” Steele received entrance music, which was a small but telling sign of the chaos to come.

At 62 years old, Steele moved slowly, and the match followed suit. Right out of the gate, Valentine avoided confrontation and instead left the ring to stalk Sensational Sherri Martel, who was supposedly Steele’s manager.

This classic heel tactic was meant to draw boos, but it also set up one of the match’s strangest twists: Sherri was actually working against Steele the entire time.

Once the bell officially rang, George Steele did what he was best known for, biting his opponent and gesturing to the crowd as if he was about to tear into a turnbuckle.

Steele opted to remove his shirt mid-match, giving Valentine the opportunity to take control of the match. George Steele remained tangled in his own shirt in the corner while Valentine pelted him with kicks and elbows.

As the referee tried to separate them, Sherri revealed her true allegiance by choking Steele from the outside. She then passed a foreign object into the ring, which both men used on each other in plain sight of the referee.

This lack of consistent rules was a recurring issue throughout the PPV. There was no explanation of stipulations, and the blatant use of weapons went unpunished.

The match came to a confusing and abrupt end when Sherri struck Steele in the back with a steel chair, allowing Valentine to score the pin. Steele, in classic fashion, chased both of them out of the ring afterward.

While the bout aimed for nostalgia, it mostly delivered slow pacing, inconsistent storytelling, and more production blunders that chipped away at what little credibility the event had left.

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Julio Fantastico: A Bright Spot at the Chaotic Heroes of Wrestling Pay-Per-View

The 2 Cold Scorpio versus Julio Fantastic match was one of the few brighter moments on an otherwise dull card.

Veteran high-flyer 2 Cold Scorpio led the bout alongside newcomer Julio Fantastico, who was still early in his career, this being his very first pay-per-view appearance. While Fantastico showed some rough edges, he held his own against the more experienced Scorpio.

The action opened with a flurry of dropkicks and arm drags, keeping a faster pace than the two previous matches.

Scorpio dominated most of the contest, while Fantastico had a few moments to show off his agility and flair. However, the match lacked variety, consisting mostly of repetitive arm drags and dropkicks, with minimal crowd engagement.

One botched spot stood out. Fantastico attempted to leap over the ropes onto a prone Scorpio outside the ring but missed, forcing him to awkwardly lift himself back inside and try the move again once Scorpio was properly positioned.

The finish saw Scorpio hit his signature flipping leg drop from one corner, followed by a corkscrew variation from the opposite side.

While the first move connected perfectly, the second missed badly, an error made even more obvious by repeated slow-motion replays.

Despite its flaws, this match was still a noticeable improvement compared to much of the rest of the show.

Bushwackers vs Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff: ’80s Wrestling Icons Collide

The nostalgia was strong as The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff made their entrance, with Volkoff singing the Russian National Anthem and Sheik showing off his strength by lifting weighted poles.

The Bushwackers, Luke and Butch, followed with their trademark "Bushwacker Bounce," the lively march that involved bouncing their bent arms in rhythm.

Shortly after the bell, the heels attacked from behind, but the Bushwackers fought back, managing to send Sheik and Volkoff outside the ring. Oddly enough, this sparked the crowd to chant "USA!" despite none of the participants being American.

When the heels returned, Nikolai Volkoff locked up with Luke in a basic wrestling exchange.

The match itself was slow and straightforward, resembling an old-school wrestling style with a lot of time spent on the mat and in the corners. The rhythm followed a predictable pattern: the heels dominated, then the faces rallied briefly, and the cycle repeated.

The finish came when Sheik held Butch for a running double axe handle strike, but Butch slipped free and Volkoff accidentally struck his own partner. Luke took advantage by knocking Volkoff down, allowing Butch to pin Sheik for the win.

After the match, there was a brief moment that suggested tension between Sheik and Volkoff due to a miscommunication. However, the two soon reconciled and were met with cheers from the crowd, bringing a lighthearted end to a slow but nostalgically charged bout.

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Tully Blanchard vs. Stan Lane: The Heroes of Wrestling Match That Actually Delivered Despite the Chaos

The match between Tully Blanchard and Stan Lane had the strongest buildup and in-ring storytelling of the entire night, beginning with a pre-taped backstage interview where Tully Blanchard was ambushed by Stan Lane, leaving him bloodied before he could even speak.

A follow-up promo from Blanchard was intense and personal, as he unloaded years of resentment. He claimed Lane had coasted on the success of others – namely Bobby Eaton and Jim Cornette – while Blanchard had earned his spot as a founding member of the legendary Four Horsemen.

This was the most emotionally charged promo of the card and one of the few genuinely compelling moments.

Stan Lane made his entrance full of swagger, demanding to handle his own ring introduction and branding himself the "original gangster of love." He took further jabs at Blanchard, mocking his physique and referencing his religious convictions by saying, "While you’re preaching in tents, I’m on ESPN."

Blanchard entered to no music, his arrival punctuated only by Lane’s continued trash talk.

The match itself was a rare gem on the show – stiff, well-paced, and filled with ring psychology.

Stan Lane tried to control the early pace by playing cat-and-mouse, slipping in and out of the ring until catching Blanchard off guard. Tully eventually took over with a hip toss and dropkick that sent Lane to the outside. However, Lane regained control by sending Blanchard into the ring post and went on to dominate much of the match while showboating for the crowd.

The bout showcased a great balance of old-school brawling and aerial work, with both men proving they were still capable of telling a story in the ring.

Unfortunately, the finish was as clunky as others on the show. Lane executed a back suplex but failed to bridge, resulting in both men having their shoulders on the mat. Tully Blanchard barely lifted his shoulder before the three-count.

Initially, the referee awarded the match to Lane before reversing the decision in confusion. The commentary team mirrored the audience’s bewilderment, audibly asking, "Did Stan win?"

Despite the awkward ending, this was easily the best match of the night. Blanchard and Lane brought intensity, charisma, and a sense of professionalism sorely lacking elsewhere on the card. It was a reminder of what Heroes of Wrestling could have been if only more matches had this level of execution and care.

Abdullah the Butcher vs One Man Gang: The Brutal Heroes of Wrestling Match That Ended in Complete Confusion

The Heroes of Wrestling match between Abdullah the Butcher and One Man Gang (George Gray, formerly Akeem “The African Dream”) is a case study in confusion, both in terms of presentation and execution.

From the outset, One Man Gang stormed to the ring, hurling chairs and vowing to kill Abdullah the Butcher, setting the expectation for a full-blown hardcore brawl.

That would’ve made sense, given the reputation of both men as brutal brawlers known for violent, no-rules encounters. But almost immediately, the match’s tone shifted into inconsistency.

Despite One Man Gang using a steel chain right at the bell and wrapping it around Abdullah’s throat, the referee bizarrely began issuing five-count warnings and threatening disqualification.

What should have been a lawless fight quickly became a muddled mess where the officiating contradicted the violence in the ring. Both men bled heavily, piercing each other with forks and wrapping each other’s necks with the chain, yet no disqualification occurred. Instead, the match bizarrely ended in a double count-out, with both men being ruled out of the ring for too long.

The finish suggests that neither man was willing to take a loss, but it’s made all the more confusing by the lack of clarity around the rules. Was it a hardcore match? A standard match with lenient officiating?

No one seemed to know, including, apparently, the participants and the referee.

Visually, the match was violent, but it lacked any real structure or stakes. The storytelling was incoherent, and the ending was anticlimactic.

What could have been an entertaining, old-school bloodbath wound up being one of the more forgettable and frustrating bouts of the night.

Jimmy Snuka (w/ Capt. Lou Albano) vs. Bob Orton Jr.: How Antics Ruined This Match

The Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view match between Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and “Cowboy” Bob Orton Jr. was plagued by odd production choices and underwhelming in-ring action.

The storyline (in kayfabe) allegedly stemmed from Bob Orton Jr. cheating in a card game, but whatever heat that could have generated is quickly undermined by a lack of focus and direction.

While the match is happening, the camera repeatedly cuts away from the action to show Captain Lou Albano yelling and pointing at an elderly couple in the crowd, none of which is explained or audible. In fact, entire portions of the match are lost to these erratic camera cuts, with Albano mugging for the camera and delivering disconnected outbursts like "Oh yea!" without any context.

In the ring, the match plays out as expected from two aging legends past their physical prime.

Bob Orton Jr., father of WWE star Randy Orton, still has his crowd-working chops and draws genuine heat from the audience, even crossing into inappropriate territory when a fan uses a homophobic slur, highlighting the less-than-savory tone of the crowd.

Then, there was Jimmy Snuka, once famous for his high-flying offense and daredevil leaps, who spent most of the match grounded, barely showing flashes of his former self.

The match ends with a miscommunication: Orton winds up to punch Albano, misses, and turns around into a diving crossbody from Snuka, who scores the pinfall. It’s a flat finish to a disjointed match.

While Orton’s character work earns some merit, the lack of in-ring excitement and bizarre production decisions make this bout just another forgettable entry on a card full of them.

Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart & King Kong Bundy vs. Yokozuna & Jake "The Snake" Roberts: Roberts’ Shocking Meltdown

The match featuring Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and King Kong Bundy versus Yokozuna and Jake “The Snake” Roberts is notorious, not for its wrestling quality, but for being one of the most chaotic, uncomfortable, and poorly executed moments in wrestling pay-per-view history.

Notably, this match was not originally scheduled to be the main event of the evening. It ultimately became the focal point of the collapse of Heroes of Wrestling, primarily due to Jake Roberts exhibiting clear signs of intoxication throughout the segment.

Things started to unravel during a backstage promo where Jake slurred his words, leaned awkwardly on the interviewer, and turned away from the camera to argue with the production crew. It’s less a promo than a public unraveling.

Jake’s entrance only compounded the problem. After placing his signature snake Damien in the ring, he walked back up the ramp, staring into the crowd and leaving everyone, including the commentators, confused.

The commentary team attempted damage control, claiming he’s being "cerebral" or employing "mind games." But the reality became impossible to ignore.

Speaking to David Taub, Randy Rosenbloom candidly reflected on the difficulty of calling what was in front of him.

“I knew he was drunk. I think it was obvious. It bothered Billy Stone because it was lewd how Roberts acted.”

Jake barely participated in the match and eventually broke away from Jim Neidhart to return to Damien. What follows was deeply uncomfortable.

Roberts removed the snake from the bag, positioned it at his crotch as if it were his genitalia, stroked it suggestively, then lay down in the ring and kissed it. The camera lingers. The commentary team is silent.

King Kong Bundy then arrived at the ringside, joining Neidhart despite not being formally introduced as part of the match. Bundy distracted Jake, leading to a Neidhart attack – again, with no disqualification.

At this point, the show spirals further into confusion as Yokozuna (Jake’s scheduled tag partner) finally appears, and the ring announcer declares that the advertised Bundy vs. Yokozuna match has now been merged into the current tag match… mid-match.

Despite this sudden change, Yokozuna barely tags in, standing on the apron while Jake lies helpless in the ring. Neidhart at one point hits Jake with not one but two stacked chairs, again with no DQ.

Eventually, Jake manages to tag Yokozuna, who enters with fire and briefly takes over. But inexplicably, while Yokozuna was the legal man, Bundy slammed onto Jake, who was still lying out and not legal, and pinned him.

The referee counted to three, ending the match on yet another rules-breaking, nonsensical note.

It’s hard to overstate how much this match reflects everything that went wrong with Heroes of Wrestling. Zero structure, no rule enforcement, baffling booking decisions, and a legendary talent in clear distress, all playing out live.

Watch the infamous Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view from October 10, 1999 in its entirety: 

How the Heroes of Wrestling Pay-Per-View in 1999 Became on of the Industry’s Biggest Failures

The Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view has since become a staple of wrestling folklore. More than two decades later, it’s still talked about, dissected, and ridiculed as one of the most infamous pay-per-views of all time.

Nearly every aspect of the event was flawed: disorganized production, inconsistent officiating, abysmal commentary, disengaged talent, and widespread physical limitations across the roster.

Outside of some bright spots (2 Cold Scorpio vs. Julio Fantastico and Tully Blanchard vs. Stan Lane), the card was a slow-moving travesty.

Above all, it’s remembered for Jake "The Snake" Roberts’ disturbing and erratic behavior, a moment that overshadowed the entire event and became symbolic of the show’s failure.

Wrestling journalists were brutal in their assessments. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer labeled Jake’s performance "the worst match of the year," while Bryan Alvarez of Figure Four Weekly famously rated the event: "minus all the stars in the universe."

According to reports, promoter Bill Stone was “furious with the lackluster show itself, and especially the antics of Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts,” which contributed to the event’s failure.

There were also reports that an anonymous source from Fosstone Productions mentioned that Stone was “freaked out by the amount of blood” during the Abdullah the Butcher vs. One Man Gang match, indicating his discomfort with the unexpected turn of events.

Despite the challenges, Stone reportedly paid all involved parties as promised, demonstrating professionalism in the midst of chaos.

After the event, Stone distanced himself from the wrestling industry, with reports suggesting he was booking his flight out of Mississippi before the show even ended.

The show was meant to kickstart a nostalgia-fueled series of pay-per-views …but it ended that night.

Instead of honoring wrestling’s past, Heroes of Wrestling became a cautionary tale – a textbook example of how poor planning, a lack of quality control, and misguided ambition can turn even the most marketable idea into an unwatchable mess.

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