WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Mega Matches (1991)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Mega Matches (1991)

Coliseum Video compilation, hosted by Sean Mooney. The cover of the tape features Randy Savage, and promises a profile on him.


Tito Santana v Earthquake: From a TV taping, October 1990. Tito makes the mistake of trying a collar-and-elbow, but gets quickly overpowered. Undeterred, he tries again - but again gets launched across the ring for his troubles. They repeat that routine a few more times, until Earthquake misses a forearm smash in the corner, and Santana hooks an armbar. Earthquake powers out to get his bearhug on, but Santana scales the ropes, and bites his way free. Slugfest goes Santana's way, and a pair of dropkicks stagger the big guy. Diving forearm gets two, but another try at the dropkick misses, and 'Quake powerslams him. Earthquake Buttsplash, but Tugboat runs in to save Santana - and it's a disqualification at 7:40. Really dull, plodding stuff. DUD

Ball and Chain Match: Big Bossman v Bobby Heenan: From a TV taping, January 1991. Loser has to wear a literal ball and chain. Heenan grabs the microphone before the bell, and pleads with Bossman (who he had spent months hurling 'yo momma' genre insults at) to 'talk things out.' Bossman's having none of it, of course, and destroys Bobby in the corner before choking him with his boot for the pin at 2:40 - two minutes of which was Bobby pleading. DUD, but fun.

Jim Duggan v Sgt. Slaughter: From a TV taping, November 1990. Slaughter jumps him on the way in, but Duggan ducks a clothesline, and fires off one of his own. Slaughter bails to regroup, but still loses a slugfest on the way back in, so General Adnan whacks Duggan with the Iraqi flag. Slaughter with a backbreaker for two, but a series of elbowdrops miss, and Duggan backdrops him. 3-Point Stance, but Adnan gets involved again, so Duggan chases him around - getting himself counted out at 3:05. Basic TV match from the era, without having to job either guy. DUD

Bret Hart v The Barbarian: From a house show, November 1990. Bret with a standing side-headlock right away, but Barbarian powers out, and levels him with a clothesline. He hammers him with headbutts, but a 2^nd rope elbowdrop misses, and Hart fires a series of closed fists. Inverted atomic drop, and a ten-punch count set up a Russian legsweep. 2^nd rope elbow for two, and a well executed hangman's clothesline gets two. Bodypress, but Barbarian counters with a powerslam for two, and a backdrop - but Hart manages a sunset flip for the pin at 4:09. Surprisingly short for a house show match from the era, but completely competent - particularly Hart's always excellent job of selling. ¾*

The Bushwhackers v Rhythm and Blues: From a TV taping, late 1990. R&B jump the 'Whackers on the way in, but a series of bite-oriented counters turn the tide, and the Battering Ram leaves Honky Tonk Man on the mat. Greg Valentine catches Luke with a lariat to turn the tide, and the heels get right to cutting the ring in half - but Butch has ENOUGH, and runs in to trigger a four-way brawl. R&B dominate, so Butch grabs Honky's guitar, and gets himself disqualified at 4:10. Energetic, and quick - but all punch-kick. DUD

Hulk Hogan v Dino Bravo: From a TV taping, August 1990. Hogan brings Big Bossman out to stand in his corner, since Bravo has Earthquake out there. The pairing pretty literally gives some girl in the audience a very loud orgasm. Bret, take note. If this were ECW we'd get an impromptu tag match now, but since it's early-90s WWF, and we're only a couple of weeks shy of Hogan/Earthquake at SummerSlam, expect something to help push the pay per view. Both guys jaw at each other for the first minute, before Bravo charges and gets backdropped. Hogan with the fists of fury, and an atomic drop puts Bravo on the floor to regroup. Inside, they trade armbars, until Hogan catches him with a cross corner elbow, and unloads a ten-punch count. Earthquake trips Hogan up to help turn the tide, so naturally Bossman protests - but the damage is done, and Bravo hammer away. To the floor, 'Quake gets in a few cheap shots to the lower back, and Bravo hugs him like a bear to capitalize, but Hogan's got the power of Hulkamania, and shit. Bravo tries a sidewalk slam to slow him down, but he's in full HULK UP!! now and there's no stopping him. Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop! 8:40! Afterwards, we get the obligatory Hogan/Earthquake confrontation, with Bossman stepping in before they get out of hand. Match was no classic, but certainly worked for what it was. Still, DUD

Davey Boy Smith v Haku: From a house show, October 1990. This is joined in progress with Davey holding him on the mat in an armbar, but gets caught with an inverted atomic drop off of a monkey flip attempt. Haku with headbutts, so Davey throws a bodypress for two, and a crucifix for two. Haku slows him down with a piledriver for two, and hooks a chinlock, which is dull, sure - but at least makes psychological sense after a piledriver. Davey powers out, but ends up on the floor, and backdropped for two. Haku tries to pull Bulldog's dreads out for a submission, but Davey won't go down to hair pulling, and fights on. He's inspiring, folks! Sleeper, but Davey powers out again, and again ends up on the outside. Haku manager Bobby Heenan takes the opportunity to get his licks in on the Bulldog, but Davey catches Haku with a side suplex on the way back in. Davey with a Sharpshooter, but Haku makes the ropes, and counters a backdrop with a foot to the face. Hell, Davey telegraphed that move so strongly, it's almost as if he wanted to explore a foot fetish there. Haku with a shoulderbreaker for two, but a dropkick misses, and Bulldog backdrops him. Hanging vertical suplex for two, and the Running Powerslam finishes at 15:50 of 19:34 (the first few minutes were clipped off) - which is enough where I think I can still comfortably give it a fair rating. Match was overlong, slow, and dull - to the point where I swear I thought they were building towards a time limit draw with the slow pace, and array of restholds. ¼*

Randy Savage v Jim Duggan: From a house show, October 1989. Savage jumps him as the referee is confiscation Duggan's  2x4 during the entrances, but Hacksaw shrugs him off, and unloads in the corner. Savage tries to bail into Sherri's loving (?) arms, but Duggan pulls him back in for an atomic drop. Scorned, Sherri pulls down the top rope to send Duggan tumbling out, and posts him for good measure. Man, when she wants dick - she wants dick. Savage follows out with a flying axehandle, and he snaps his neck across the ropes on the way back in for two. Flying axehandle for two, and a kneedrop gets two. Savage gets frustrated (Sherri's vagina is waiting!) and starts choking away, but another flying axehandle misses (hell, even Duggan's not that slow), and Savage gets backdropped over the top. Duggan throws him into the steps, and whacks him with a chair before bringing him back in for a bodyslam. Kneedrop, but Sherri distracts the referee to delay the count. Undeterred, Duggan keeps slugging away, but this time Sherri throws Savage's foot on the bottom rope to stop the count. That's enough to properly distract Duggan for Randy to clothesline, but the Flying Elbowdrop misses, and Duggan levels him with a lariat. Series of clotheslines, and the 3-Point Stance - but it puts Savage on the floor. Hacksaw heads out to drag him in, but gets caught up with Sherri on the way, and the referee goes down while trying to break it up. That leaves no one to count Duggan's small package (they don't count those anyway), allowing Sherri to pass Savage her loaded purse, and the referee makes a dramatic two count. Savage tries again (this time with two feet on the ropes), and the battered referee counts the pin at 16:04. Fun match - especially because I was expecting nothing coming in. Well paced, dramatic, and well booked. * ½

Cage Match: Randy Savage v The Ultimate Warrior: From a house show, January 1991 - days after Savage cost Warrior the WWF Title at the Royal Rumble. They don't even wait to get inside the cage before getting started - Warrior beating Savage all around the ringside area, then finally dragging him in for an inverted atomic drop. Warrior continues to unload with a short-clothesline, but a distraction from Sherri allows Macho to ram Warrior into the steel. Hangman's clothesline gets two - though pinfall attempts aren't the best way to go, since the referee is stationed on the floor, and has to climb in through the door before making a count. Savage chokes him out with his boot, and fires off a series of jabs in the corner before nailing him with the Flying Elbowdrop for two, as Warrior's BLOWING UP!! Series of Clotheslines! Splash! - but Savage lifts the knees, and nearly escapes the cage, before Warrior starts pulling him back at the last possible moment. That draws Sherri in, and she manages to loosen Warrior's grip enough for Savage to fall to the floor for the victory at 10:33. Not as good as their high profile matches, but it was a house show - I wasn't expecting it to be. Still, interesting to see them do a cage match, even if the results were less than spectacular. ½*

BUExperience:  Savage/Warrior in a cage is certainly interesting for historical reasons, but not enough to recommend tracking the whole tape down. Not the worst addition to your Coliseum Collection, but definitely not a good one.