Halftime Heat Explained
Halftime Heat |
Promotion: | WWE |
Brand: | NXT (2019) |
First Event: | 1999 |
Last Event: | 2019 |
Halftime Heat was a series of professional wrestling broadcasts produced by WWE used as Super Bowl counterprogramming. They aired during their respective year's halftime of the Super Bowl.
History
Originally produced under the World Wrestling Federation banner (WWF), Halftime Heat aired during a 20-minute block[1] on USA Network during Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999,[2] as a special episode of Sunday Night Heat. The inaugural Halftime Heat featured an Empty arena match between The Rock and Mankind. The match was also accompanied by a Super Bowl ad purchased by the WWF, tying into their Attitude Era branding.[3] During the match, Mankind won his second WWF Championship.[4]
Halftime Heat returned the following year, featuring highlights from the Hardy Boyz taking on the Dudley Boyz as well as the bikini contest, both from that year's Royal Rumble. It concluded with an Interview with Jim Ross and Stone Cold Steve Austin, which discussed an injury update and his engagement to Debra McMichael.[5]
It was announced in January 2019 that it would be brought back as a special event on the WWE Network,[6] YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.[7] During the pre-show of the Royal Rumble footage was shown of what happened after went off the air, which led to the announcement of Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream taking on Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa, during the returning Halftime Heat.[8] [9] Shawn Michaels was also announced as part of the announce team,[10] and was joined by Vic Joseph.[11] During the match, the team of Black, Ricochet and Dream were victorious.[12] WWE personnel later announced that the match had 3 million viewers, making it the most watched NXT match in history.[13]
Events
The events included matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers.[14]
| Super Bowl | Date | City | Venue | Main Event | Ref. |
---|
1 | XXXIII | January 31, 1999 | Tucson, Arizona | Tucson Convention Center | The Rock (c) vs. Mankind in an Empty Arena match for the WWF Championship | [15] [16] |
2 | XXXIV | January 30, 2000 | Stamford, Connecticut | Titan Towers | In-studio show (interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin as he recovered from neck surgery) | [17] |
3 | LIII | February 3, 2019 | Orlando, Florida | WWE Performance Center | Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream vs. Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Adam Cole | [18] [19] |
|
1999
Halftime Heat was a professional wrestling show produced by World Wrestling Federation (WWF). The event was pre-recorded and aired on January 31, 1999, the night of Super Bowl XXXIII, at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.
On January 26, 1999 WWF recorded their episode of February 1 Raw. Prior to the recording the empty arena match that aired as Halftime Heat was filmed.[20]
2019
Halftime Heat[22] was a professional wrestling event and WWE Network event produced by WWE for their NXT brand division. The event took place on February 3, 2019, the night of Super Bowl LIII, at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.[21]
After went off the air, Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream would brawl with Adam Cole, Johnny Gargano, and Tommaso Ciampa.[23] The brawl led to a six-man tag team match between the wrestlers which was scheduled for Halftime Heat.[8] [24]
Other on screen personnel
Notes and References
- Web site: Super TV On Super Sunday?. www.cbsnews.com. 28 January 1999. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129013105/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/super-tv-on-super-sunday/. live.
- Web site: CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH DEATHBOWL '99. Sun-Sentinel.com. 31 January 1999. 28 January 2019. 8 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190208183124/https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1999-01-31-9901310168-story.html. live.
- Web site: Lelinwalla . Mark . 4 February 2016 . WWE Looks Back At Super Bowl 'Halftime Heat' With The Rock vs. Mankind . 28 January 2019 . Tech Times . 29 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010319/https://www.techtimes.com/articles/130790/20160204/wwe-looks-back-super-bowl-halftime-heat-rock-vs-mankind.htm . live .
- Web site: TORCH FLASHBACK (1999): Mankind wins the WWF Title at Halftime Heat during Super Bowl. February 7, 2010. January 28, 2019. March 17, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160317233218/http://www.pwtorch.com/artman2/publish/Torch_Flashbacks_19/article_38828.shtml#.XE89uM66OM8. live.
- Web site: WWF @ Baltimore, MD - Arena - January 25, 2000 (11,113; sell out). 16 January 2023. 28 January 2019. 11 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150911151900/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/00.htm. live.
- Web site: WWE Halftime Heat returning with NXT six-man tag match. 27 January 2019. WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010344/https://www.f4wonline.com/wwe-news/wwe-halftime-heat-returning-nxt-six-man-tag-match-275536. live.
- Web site: WWE to Return 'Halftime Heat' During Super Bowl Halftime for First Time in 20 Years. www.yahoo.com. 28 January 2019. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010425/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/wwe-return-halftime-heat-during-004216289.html. live.
- News: WWE 'Halftime Heat' returns after 20 years. SI.com. 28 January 2019. 4 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190204124020/https://www.si.com/wrestling/2019/01/28/wwe-halftime-heat-super-bowl-rock-mankind-nxt-tag-team-match. live.
- Web site: WWE BRINGING BACK HALFTIME HEAT NEXT WEEKEND - PWInsider.com. www.pwinsider.com. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010944/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/123629/wwe-bringing-back-halftime-heat-next-weekend.html?p=1. live.
- Web site: WWE Halftime Heat to stream live during The Big Game. WWE. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010300/https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/wwe-halftime-heat-to-stream-february-3. live.
- Web site: WWE News: Announcers Set For Halftime Heat, Daniel Bryan Gives Thanks for Hideo Itami. Jeremy Thomas. 411Mania.com. January 31, 2019. February 2, 2019. February 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190202042551/https://411mania.com/wrestling/wwe-news-announcers-set-for-halftime-heat-daniel-bryan-gives-thanks-for-hideo-itami/. live.
- Web site: Powell. Jason. 2/3 Powell's NXT Halftime Heat live review: Velveteen Dream, Ricochet, and Aleister Black vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Johnny Gargano, and Adam Cole opposite the Super Bowl halftime show. Pro Wrestling Dot Net. February 3, 2019. February 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190204065907/https://prowrestling.net/site/2019/02/03/2-3-powells-nxt-halftime-heat-live-review-velveteen-dream-ricochet-and-aleister-black-vs-tommaso-ciampa-johnny-gargano-and-adam-cole-opposite-the-super-bowl-halftime-show/. live.
- Web site: Michael Cole Says Nearly 3 Million People Watched Halftime Heat; NXT Stars React . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210304003017/https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/michael-cole-says-nearly-3-million-people-watched-halftime-heat-nxt-stars-react . March 4, 2021 . Fightful . Lambert . Jeremy . February 7, 2019 . February 11, 2019.
- Web site: How Pro Wrestling Works. Grabianowski. Ed. HowStuffWorks. 13 January 2006 . Discovery Communications. March 5, 2012. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm. November 29, 2013.
- Web site: WWF Half-Time Heat « Events Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database. www.cagematch.net. 28 January 2019. 9 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170709085116/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=5162. live.
- Web site: The Rock vs. Mankind in an empty arena during Halftime Heat: This Week in WWE History, Feb. 4, 2016. MSN. 28 January 2019. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129044805/https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/01/27/wwe-to-counter-program-super-bowl-liii-halftime-show-with-six-man-tag-team-bout/. live.
- News: Highlights. 29 February 2016. Washington Post. January 29, 2000. 7 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160307193004/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/01/29/highlights/d2a46d99-5c11-41da-bbe5-81f63865c4c2/. live.
- Web site: HALFTIME HEAT UPDATE, TRIBUTE TO MARVEL CHARACTER AT TAKEOVER, KEITH LEE AND MORE NXT NEWS - PWInsider.com. www.pwinsider.com. 30 January 2019. 30 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130221202/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/123676/halftime-heat-update-tribute-to-marvel-character-at-takeover-keith-lee-and-more-nxt-news.html?p=1. live.
- Web site: WWE to counter-program Super Bowl LIII halftime show with six-man tag-team bout. 28 January 2019. 28 January 2019. 29 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129044805/https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/01/27/wwe-to-counter-program-super-bowl-liii-halftime-show-with-six-man-tag-team-bout/. live.
- Web site: WWF @ Tucson, AZ - Convention Center - January 26, 1999 (6,986; sell out). The History of WWE. February 13, 2019. June 11, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200611191606/http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/99.htm. live.
- Web site: HALFTIME HEAT UPDATE, TRIBUTE TO MARVEL CHARACTER AT TAKEOVER, KEITH LEE AND MORE NXT NEWS. PWInsider. January 30, 2019. January 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190130221202/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/123676/halftime-heat-update-tribute-to-marvel-character-at-takeover-keith-lee-and-more-nxt-news.html?p=1. live.
- Web site: WWE Halftime Heat to stream live during The Big Game. WWE. January 28, 2019. January 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010300/https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/wwe-halftime-heat-to-stream-february-3. live.
- Web site: Huge Brawl Takes Place After NXT TakeOver: Phoenix Goes Off the Air. Jeffrey Harris. 411Mania. January 26, 2019. January 31, 2019. February 1, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190201065240/https://411mania.com/wrestling/nxt-takeover-phoenix-post-show-notes/. live.
- Web site: WWE BRINGING BACK HALFTIME HEAT NEXT WEEKEND. PWInsider. January 28, 2019. January 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129010944/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/123629/wwe-bringing-back-halftime-heat-next-weekend.html?p=1. live.
- Web site: Atlanta is bidding for WrestleMania. Lisa R.. Schoolcraft. Atlanta Business Chronicle. September 25, 2009. February 1, 2010. July 7, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150707215905/http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/09/28/story6.html. live.