WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Saturday Night’s Main Event – The Greatest Hits (1988)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Saturday Night’s Main Event – The Greatest Hits (1988)

Coliseum Video compilation, hosted by Gene Okerlund. The cover of the tape features Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Elizabeth – promising the best of the WWF’s popular late-night NBC special, Saturday Night’s Main Event.


WWF Title Flag Match: Hulk Hogan v Nikolai Volkoff: From SNME II, October 1985. Flag match rules always vary, depending on who is booking, but in this case it isn't 'capture the flag' rules, rather a standard match, where the winner gets to wave his countries flag. Volkoff jumps Hogan while he’s waving the flag (which kinda negates the point of the match, really), tearing his t-shirt off, and choking him with it. Hogan quickly comes back with a cross corner clothesline, and an elbowdrop. Big boot knocks Volkoff to the outside, so Hogan follows, but gets posted. Back in, Volkoff works the back (though he posted the shoulder), and hits an impressive backbreaker for two. Piledriver, but Hogan backdrops him. Volkoff keeps after him with a bodyslam, but, oh shit, HULK UP!! Legdrop finishes at 5:17. For America. ¼*

Hulk Hogan and The Junkyard Dog v Terry Funk and Hoss Funk: From SNME VI, May 1986. Big brawl to start - with JYD unloading bodyslams, and Hogan with crawling-headbutts to follow up, in a cute role reversal bit. Proper start with Dog and Hoss (Dory Funk), but Hoss gets slammed again, and bails to brother Terry. He has a bit of luck, but quickly misses a blind charge and ends up on the floor. The dust settles on Hogan/Hoss, and Hogan takes both Funks out with big boots. Elbowdrop gets two on Hoss, and he passes back to Terry. Funk manages to drive Dog to the wrong part of town for some double-team fun, and unloads a series of jabs. Hulk saves by Flair Flipping both Funks, and Terry ends up out on a table. Hogan with a suplex on Hoss, but another double-team puts him on the floor for some abuse from Terry and manager Jimmy Hart. Dog saves by slammed Terry on the exposed concrete, and then whipping him into a Hogan backdrop on the floor. Inside, Hulk creams Hoss with a big boot, and Dog fires off some headbutts - but Funk fires back with a series of uppercuts. Tag to Terry, but his misses a flying headbutt, and JYD tags the Hulkster to Legdrop Funk into tomorrow at 13:30. This was more 'fun' than 'good,' but it was well worked, well paced, non-formulaic, and featured a few crazy bumps from Terry. * ¼

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Randy Savage v George Steele: From SNME X, March 1987. Winner gets the managerial services of Miss Elizabeth, and, also, her vagina. Steele gets distracted by Elizabeth's ass before things get going, so Savage drops an axehandle to the floor, and tries to usher her back to the dressing room. He runs into Ricky Steamboat (his opponent for WrestleMania) on the way, however, and he railroads Savage back to inside. That allows Steele to jump him, but he gets distracted again (this time with the turnbuckle pad - which he practices cunnilingus on), and Savage drives a knee to the neck. Flying axehandle, but Steele goes to the eyes, and starts biting at the champ. He practices cunnilingus some more (dude's really counting those vaginas before they hatch...), and then heads out for Elizabeth to try the real thing. Savage objects (no shit!), jumps him again, this time throwing a chair at him to get the countout victory at 4:30. Not sure why this was here, since Savage was already a babyface (and WWF Champion) when this compilation was released. DUD - but entertaining enough due to gratuitous close-ups of Elizabeth.

WWF Title Cage Match: Hulk Hogan v Paul Orndorff: From SNME IX, January 1987. Orndorff jumps him the second he gets into the cage, and starts beating him with his own title belt. He goes for the door early, but Hogan grabs the ankle, so Orndorff goes ballistic on him - stomping a mud hole. He goes for a climb escape, but Hogan pulls him back in by the hair, and bashes Orndorff into the cage. Slugfest goes Orndorff's way, and he tries for the door - but Hulk's on him with fists of fury. Hulk goes for the door, but Orndorff manager Bobby Heenan holds the lock to allow Orndorff the time to recover, and stop him. Orndorff bashes his face into the mat, but Hogan reverses a shot into the cage - leaving both men down. They both stagger to their feet, and start climbing opposite sides of the cage - and end up hitting the floor at the same time at 6:10. One referee declares Hogan the winner, but another says Orndorff hit the floor first, so Paul settles it by jumping Hogan on the floor (taking out the referee who favored him in the process), ramming his head into the steel, and taking the title belt. Unfortunately for him, it's decided the match must continue, and undeterred, he drags the Hulkster in to finish him. Flying elbowdrop hits, and he drops a series of knees and fists, but Hogan's HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Rage in the Cage! Backbreaker! Legdrop! Climb! - so Bobby Heenan runs in to stop him, only to get killed, too. Hogan takes one last token shot at Orndorff, and climbs out to retain at 11:00. Not a great match, but a great blowoff to their long, blockbuster of a feud - fondly remembered as one of the best segments in the history of the show, and definitely a good inclusion. ¾*

Bam Bam Bigelow v Hercules: From SNME XIII, November 1987. Staredown to start, but Bigelow isn't impressed with Herc's biceps. Not that they do him much good, anyway, as Bam Bam overpowers him during the initial lockup. They do a power showdown - won by Bigelow with a shoulderblock - but he runs into a backelbow off of a criss cross. Hercules clotheslines him to the outside, so Bigelow responds by pulling him out with him with a snapmare. Bam Bam slams him out there, but isn't mindful of the count, and it's a double countout at 4:00. Bigelow doesn't like that, however, and grabs the mic to issue a challenge for the match to continue. Herc's game, and they do a football tackle challenge - resulting in another power-stalemate. Hercules wants another try, but Bigelow out maneuvers him with a cartwheel - though a dropkick misses. Hercules with a series of elbowdrops, but Bigelow literally catches him off of a flying bodypress attempt, and finishes with a slingshot splash at 7:00. Well worked enough to avoid being dull, but nothing particularly memorable. ½*

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The Honky Tonk Man v Randy Savage: From SNME XII (October 1987), this one came about when Honky declared himself the 'greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time' - drawing the ire of former champion Savage. Randy was still technically a heel at this point, though the crowd doesn't seem to know it - cheering him wildly. They fight over the initial lockup - with Honky firing off a cheap shot to win - but getting kicked in the face on a backdrop attempt. Savage chokes away, and drops a knee to the throat - causing Honky to beg off. Savage has none of it, though, and continues unloading with a backelbow. Jimmy Hart senses his man is in trouble, and starts harassing Miss Elizabeth at ringside to distract the Macho Man - and allow Honky to nail him. Inside, Honky goes to work, and drops a fist off of the 2^nd rope. He decides to go after Liz himself (figuring even if he strikes out/gets counted out he keeps the title), but he doesn't count on Savage diving out after him with a flying axehandle. Well, that's what he gets for thinking with the wrong head. Savage destroys him in the ring, but Jimmy Hart gets involved again - breaking up all his pinfall attempts. He finally pisses Savage off enough (considering Macho’s rep, he probably just said 'Sup?' to him), and Randy decks him to keep him out of his business. Honky bails to check on the unconscious manager, which draws fellow Jimmy Hart managed team The Hart Foundation to ringside. They try to carry Jimmy to the back for medical attention, and meanwhile Honky continues to get killed. Savage misses a blind charge, however, and Honky backdrops him. Another 2^nd rope fistdrop misses, and Savage hits a backdrop of his own. Backelbow gets two. Suplex for two. He tries to finish, but Honky goes to the eyes, and dumps him into the Hart Foundation's open arms for a proper beat down. Inside, that gets Honky two, so he tries the Shake Rattle 'n' Roll (a swinging neckbreaker) - only to get backdropped. Savage hits the Flying Elbowdrop to finish, but the Harts run in, and Honky retains when he's disqualified at 13:00. Afterwards, Honky and the Harts beat Savage down, and threaten a guitar shot, so Miss Elizabeth steps in the way to plead. Honky then does the unthinkable, and shoves her down (drawing big heel heat – since you just didn’t do stuff like that in 1987 WWF, especially to the lovely Elizabeth), allowing him to properly clobber Macho with the guitar. Meanwhile, Elizabeth scampers to the dressing rooms, and returns with a reluctant Hulk Hogan - pleading with him to make the save (‘Fine, I’ll swallow. Yes, yes, you can call me ‘Brooke’’). He and Savage clean house, and tease a brawl - but end up shaking hands, turning Savage face, and forming what would come to be known as The Mega Powers. Not a great match, but well worked, and featuring a fantastic angle – one of the most memorable of the show, and of the period. * ¼

BUExperience: Not great wrestling-wise, but fun – covering the early days of the show, and a bunch of the big angles nicely. A good addition to your Coliseum Collection.