As the leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange, and gold, autumn brings more than just cooler weather—it reminds us of some of the most thrilling moments in wrestling history. Fall was the season when legends were born, rivalries hit their peak, and unforgettable pay-per-view (now Premium Live Event, or PLE) battles took center stage. Join us as we revisit five must-see wrestling events that define this time of year!
Pro Wrestling in Autumn / Fall
Why do wrestling fans love fall?
As your cheeks flush from the cooler weather, there was always wrestling to keep the heart pumping and bring down the chill from outdoors on Monday nights.
The end of the year is also wrapped up with extraordinarily historic and cheesy wrestling moments, too. During the territory days, Thanksgiving was a popular day to hold major shows.
Whatever the root cause, autumn evokes so much wrestling nostalgia.
Here are five must-see ‘wrestling pay-per-views (or PLEs) that bring you back to the days of autumn, no matter the time of year!
1. The First Hell in a Cell: Badd Blood 1997’s Iconic Match
WWF Badd Blood: In Your House, which took place on October 5th, 1997, stands out most for its main event, which featured the Undertaker against Shawn Michaels in the first-ever Hell in a Cell match.
Though the HIAC spots were soon eclipsed by Undertaker and Mankind’s outing in June of 1998 — that fateful night when Mick Foley was thrown from the top of the cage — what transpired on this night is now the stuff of legend.
Kane’s Electrifying Debut at Badd Blood 1997
During his Hell in a Cell match against Shawn Michaels, Undertaker’s kayfabe brother Kane debuted, interfering and ultimately handing the victory to HBK.
The Undertaker himself, Mark Calaway, reflected on this moment in the WWE documentary series Undertaker: The Last Ride: “When the flames hit, and that figure stood there in the red… I mean, it was magic. It was absolutely magic.”
This led to what many think of as the birth of the Attitude Era, as Shawn became the number one contender for Bret Hart’s title. They would have their match at Survivor Series ’97 the following month, with an outcome that remains one of the most talked about moments in professional wrestling history.
Rocky Maivia’s Heel Turn: Nation of Domination at Badd Blood
The undercard of WWF Badd Blood 1997 represented a roster in transition — including an unrefined Rocky Maivia early on in his heel turn, as well as Bret Hart and the British Bulldog representing their Hart Foundation faction that made Raw is War in 1997 so worth watching.
You can also see the prevalence of factions, an obsession of Vince McMahon’s booking pre-Attitude Era, with the Nation of Domination, Disciples of Apocalypse, and Los Boricuas featured alongside the previously mentioned Hart Foundation.
It isn’t that Badd Blood is an unforgettable show for in-ring action. Instead, it shines for those moments that define WWF/E at its best: pure sports entertainment led by outlandish characters that make us feel like we’re eight years old again.
2. WCW Halloween Havoc 1997: The Ultimate Nostalgic PPV / PLE Event
Few wrestling shows have boasted a stage that has permanently burned itself into the minds of wrestling fans than Halloween Havoc.
Eric Bischoff, former WCW President, once said on his podcast, 83 Weeks, about the event’s production: “Halloween Havoc was always one of my favorite pay-per-views to produce. The set designs were always over the top, and it really allowed us to be creative.”
By 1997, the sarcophagus-and-tombstone motif was expanded to include an enormous, ghoulish face set between two significantly less spooky Slim Jim logos (but to be fair, no brand has quite the Pavlovian connection to late ’90s WCW action than Slim Jim).
You can learn Randy Savage’s brother Lanny Poffo’s thoughts on Randy’s legendary Slim Jim deal here.
Classic Cruiserweights: Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero and Other Classics at Havoc
That iconic look is matched by a show that stands out for its interesting undercard. Here, you can see a young Chris Jericho face Gedo, the current-day New Japan Pro Wrestling booker. There’s also a memorable WCW World Cruiserweight Title bout between an all-purple Rey Misterio Jr. versus Eddie Guerrero.
The back half of the card provides a lot of big names from the main event scene: Curt Hennig versus Ric Flair, Lex Luger battling Scott Hall, Diamond Dallas Page taking on Randy Savage, and Hollywood Hogan facing long-time arch-rival Roddy Piper.
WCW vs. WWE: Halloween Havoc vs. Badd Blood 1997 Showdown
WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 works as a poignant counterpoint to WWF’s Badd Blood ’97. The two PPVs ran in the same month, only 21 days apart. And watching both makes it easy to see why WCW was so dominant at the time.
We didn’t know it in October 1997, but this show marked one of the last high points in the company’s history. Combined with its literal Halloween theme, this show is a nostalgia bomb.
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3. The Birth of Starrcade: NWA’s Groundbreaking Event in 1983
Before there was WrestleMania, there was Starrcade — a supercard so large that it was offered on closed-circuit television in 17 locations, including one in Puerto Rico.
It’s easy to see why this helped launch the Golden Era of the sport/art. Each match resonated with fans, given time and promotion, tapping into archetypal characters, featuring tales of tragic heights, revealing the pathos of ambition and the hunger for recognition.
The card ends with a momentous event defining ’80s wrestling: Ric Flair defeating the in-and-out-of-the-ring tough Harley Race in a steel cage to become the NWA World Heavyweight Champion for the fifth time.
Ric Flair later recalled in his autobiography, To Be The Man, “Winning the world title from Harley Race at Starrcade ’83 was the culmination of everything I had worked for. It was the greatest night of my career up to that point.”
Vince McMahon’s Sabotage of Starrcade 1983: A Wrestling War
Starrcade ’83 came at a time when Vince McMahon’s near-total control of the industry was not a foregone conclusion (though he was already working tirelessly toward that end; you can learn more about that act of wrestling vandalism here).
We know how the story ends today, but while watching Starrcade ’83, we glimpse a much different moment in time, one where the grittier style of the NWA reigns supreme.
The show has undeniable historical importance and a quintessential place in the annals of autumn wrestling shows.
4. The First-Ever WWF Survivor Series in 1987: A Game-Changer
In 1987, the then WWF added Survivor Series to its pay-per-view calendar.
It played second fiddle to WrestleMania, but the show remained a favorite among fans thanks to its unique concept: five-man elimination tag team matches.
Pat Patterson, who helped create the event, once stated in WWE’s The History of the Survivor Series documentary, “The idea behind Survivor Series was to create something different, something that would stand out. We wanted to give fans a reason to tune in after Thanksgiving dinner.”
The WWF presented a show that stuck closely to its concept in the first outing, giving us 50 competitors in a single night. And you can see the wrestlers developing what would become a beloved match concept through the first half of the ’90s.
Andre the Giant’s Victory at Survivor Series 1987
WWF Survivor Series 1987 gives us a shocking end. At the height of Hulk Hogan’s popularity and sheer pop cultural force, his team lost to Andre the Giant’s group in the main event. It was an extremely rare example then of a heel going over in WWF.
Survivor Series ’87 serves us a giant helping of WWF during an extremely hot time in its history.
Like Badd Blood ten years later, it shines because of the characters and how they capture our imagination.
5. WCW Fall Brawl 1996: War Games and The Sting Controversy
Looking back, no company has made more of autumn than the NWA/WCW. Fall Brawl is a major reason for that.
Beginning in 1993, the annual event hosted War Games, a love-it-or-hate-it type match that could only come from the mind of Dusty Rhodes.
The Rise of the nWo, Two Stings at WCW Fall Brawl 1996
The undercard of WCW Fall Brawl ’96: War Games features WCW’s commitment to quality wrestling, with DDP versus Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chris Benoit facing Chris Jericho, and Super Caló challenging Rey Misterio Jr. standing out among other less interesting fare.
In the main event, the still-fresh nWo storyline raged. Still sporting his happy-go-lucky gear that defined an earlier era for the legend, Sting walked out on Team WCW because Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and Arn Anderson doubted his allegiance. This proved a major turning point for the character.
After this event, “The Crow” Sting debuted, leading to his feud with the nWo that would define the height of ’90s wrestling television for many fans.
Sting himself commented on this pivotal moment in the WWE documentary The Best of WCW Monday Nitro: “That was a turning point for me. It was time for a change, and the Crow character allowed me to reinvent myself and connect with the fans in a whole new way.”
The Spooky Stage of WCW Halloween Havoc
War Games’ multi-man approach links it to the other major fall mainstay, Survivor Series. And the differences between the two stipulations tell us so much about the booking philosophies of NWA/WCW and the WWF/E.
Watching Fall Brawl ’96, we are reminded of what worked so well in WCW. But we also witness the cracks beginning to form — the failed resolution of the Sting/nWo feud at Starrcade ’97, more than a year later, that charted a course for disaster in the company.
But at Fall Brawl ’96, Eric Bischoff’s WCW appears crisp, alive, and vital.
Recommended read: 15 Wrestlers Who Dressed as Sting
Classic Autumn Wrestling PPVs / PLEs: What Made Us Fans
Fall has given us some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history. From the birth of legendary rivalries to unforgettable showdowns that redefined sports entertainment, these events are forever etched in the hearts of wrestling fans.
As the crisp autumn air sets in, there’s no better time to revisit these five classic PPVs/PLEs and relive the magic that defined a generation!
These stories may also interest you:
- Halloween Havoc – The Very Best (and Worst!) Moments
- Gobbledy Gooker – WWE’s Memorable Thanksgiving Fail
- Wrestling vs Undead: Surprising Times Wrestlers Battled Zombies!
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