WWF Coliseum Video Collection: World Tour ‘91 (1991)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: World Tour ‘91 (1991)

Coliseum Video compilation, hosted by Lord Alfred Hayes. The cover of the tape features The Undertaker being creepy, and promises WWF action from around the globe.


The Rockers v The Orient Express: From London, as part of the WWF's UK only Rampage pay per view - April 1991. Orient manager Mr. Fuji whacks Marty Jannetty with his cane before they even get started, so the Rockers head to the back for backup, in the form of Andre the Giant. Andre had recently been forced to retire (his body was rapidly breaking down), and this was his new role, as the occasional babyface enforcer - though he's really there more for intimidation ('that's the guy that lost to Hogan all those times!!') because he can barely walk to the ring, let alone chase heels around. Shawn Michaels starts with Kato, and they trade criss crosses - ending with all four men getting involved, and the Rockers cleaning house with stereo atomic drops. The dusts settles on Marty and Kato, and they trade hammerlocks until Kato slams him. Tag to Tanaka, but he misses a splash, and the Rockers hit a double-team backelbow. The Rockers trade off working on Tanaka's arm, so he tags Kato - but he gets more of the same. A cheap shot turns the tide (with zero response from enforcer Andre), and the Express cut the ring in half on Michaels, until he dodges a double clothesline, and gets the tag off to Jannetty. Crackhouse of fire, so Fuji gets involved again, and we get the obligatory Andre save - which acts as enough distraction for the Rockers to put Kato away with stereo flying fistdrops at 15:46. These four had a brilliant match to open the Royal Rumble three months prior, but this was a CliffsNotes version - with some of the fancy double-teams, some of the crisp spots, but plenty of restholds. *

Jim Neidhart v The Warlord: Also from the April '91 London pay per view, as the Hart Foundation quietly broke up after dropping the tag titles at WrestleMania, with the intention to push Bret Hart as a single, with Neidhart getting a less significant singles push as well. Power-stalemate to start, until Neidhart manages to hook a standing side-headlock on the significantly taller Warlord. More power-stalemate stuff, so Neidhart starts throwing shoulderblocks, and puts the big man on the floor. Warlord regroups, and heads in to formally request a test-of-strength. Neidhart obliges, and dodges the expected cheap shot with a legsweep into a falling headbutt. Back to the headlock, but Warlord powers out with an inverted atomic drop, and puts Neidhart on the floor for a shot into the stairs. Warlord plods around with some forearm shots, to set up a bearhug, but Neidhart escapes with a sunset flip - only to get decked on the way down. Slugfest goes Neidhart's way, but he misses a blind charge, and Warlord hooks a chinlock for a while. Backdrop, but Neidhart counters with a faceslam, and starts throwing clotheslines. Ten-punch count, but a splash hits the knees, so Warlord starts plodding again - only to have Neidhart schoolboy him at 13:31. Incredibly dull, and far too long - they were moving like bad claymation figures out there. -½*

Randy Savage v Rick Martel: From a TV taping in Las Vegas, March 1991 - two days after WrestleMania VII, when Savage lost a retirement match to the Ultimate Warrior. His appearance here is to 'fulfill contractual obligations.' Martel jumps him as he holds the ropes for Miss Elizabeth (see what happens when you start acting chivalrous?), but Savage quickly comes back with a hangman's clothesline - only to miss a flying axehandle, and go crashing into the rail. Martel uses the opportunity to hit on Liz, allowing Savage to go predictably ballistic - but he can't get any momentum going, as Martel nails him on the way back into the ring. Martel goes to work in the corner, but misses a 2^nd rope bodypress, and Savage suplexes him for two. Atomic drop puts the Model back on the outside, and Savage follows with a piledriver out there, before finishing him with the Flying Elbowdrop at 6:01. Just going through the motions. ¼*

Ted DiBiase v Roddy Piper: From a TV taping in exotic Cedar Rapids, Iowa - April 1991. Big slugfest to start - won by Piper - so DiBiase manager Sherri gets involved. Piper kisses her in response, and goes back to unloading closed fists on DiBiase - but misses a blind charge, and gets tied in a tree of woe. DiBiase grabs a crutch for a shot to the bad leg (Piper had recently been on crutches - which DiBiase used to beat him with at WrestleMania), and Ted works the part. Figure four, but Piper shoves him off, so DiBiase goes back to the crutch - only to have Piper snatch it away, and whack him with it. Spinning toehold draws Sherri in, but Piper steals the crutch, and ends up whacking the referee with it in the chaos to get himself disqualified at 6:45. Match sounded better on paper. ¼*

Jake Roberts v Earthquake: From the same April '91 taping in Cedar Rapids. 'Quake jumps him on the way in, but gets caught with a kneelift out of a backdrop attempt, and hooked in an armbar. Jake with a series of jabs, but Earthquake uses his gut to turn the tide, and dumps him to the outside. 'Quake goes after Jake's snake (reptile, not penile), but Jake makes the save (only he strokes that python, baby), so 'Quake uses his gut again, and starts working the leg until Jake can't stand, and bails to the floor to regroup. That allows 'Quake to grab the snake bag, and he tries to give it a buttsplash, but Jake saves, and unleashes the snake for a disqualification at 7:36. This was going through the motions, but not particularly good motions. Really dull punchy-kicky stuff, with lots of resting and a bad ending to boot. -*

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Mr. Perfect v Shawn Michaels: From a TV taping in Pensacola, Florida - March 1991. Shawn was still a Rocker at this point, and not at all considered a threat to the title. Perfect smacks him around early on, but gets caught with a big uppercut (triggering the usual oversell), and Shawn challenges him to a proper slugfest. Perfect's game, but ends up getting knocked out of the ring, and Shawn follows with suicide dive. Blind charge ends with him getting stunned on the rail, which draws out Marty Jannetty for support, and he helps Shawn back in - where Perfect nails him with a standing dropkick for two. Flair Flip into a clothesline, and Perfect goes absolutely ballistic on him - bashing the back of his head into the mat repeatedly. Shawn falls to the floor - punch drunk - but Perfect drags him back in for a necksnap, getting two. Sleeper, so Marty starts bouncing around, and decks Perfect. That draws out Perfect manager Bobby Heenan to protest (better late than never), allowing Perfect to take Marty out, and go for the kill on Shawn - but he ends up getting crotched on the post (doing a brilliant facial expression in response), and hit with an inverted atomic drop for two. See, now that's the mark of a champion. No concern over the welfare of his nuts - bash 'em with a bat all day if you want - he ain't quitting! Swinging neckbreaker by Michaels, and a flying fistdrop to finish - but Heenan gets involved, and Perfect sets up the Perfectplex. That draws out the Big Bossman (feuding with Perfect and Heenan at this point, for the upcoming WrestleMania) to make the save, and give Perfect the victory by disqualification at 10:24. The arena was nearly empty, but that didn't stop these two from giving it a solid effort - bumping and selling beautifully throughout. **

Jim Duggan v Kendo Nagasaki: Part of the WWF's March 1991 Tokyo Dome show, on the post-WrestleMania tour. Duggan tries to get a 'USA' chant going, and then mimes shooting Nagasaki, complete with large explosion. This has 'international incident' written all over it. I mean, people everywhere hate mimes. Duggan's patriotic retard act isn't met with great enthusiasm from Nagasaki, however, and he literally kicks him in the gut for the pin at 2:50. Short, but still managed to be an absolute train wreck. Not really sure what the point of this one was, as the WWF guy jobs in short order - which is absolutely fine for an international show, but doesn't seem like something you'd cherry pick for a compilation tape. DUD

Handicap Match: The Undertaker, Sgt. Slaughter, and General Adnan v Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior: From the same Las Vegas TV taping as the Savage match, March 1991. Slaughter tries to jump Hogan on the way in, but gets slaughtered, and pinballed in the corner. Hogan and Warrior with a double-team big boot spot, as they continue to destroy the Sarge, so he bails to the Undertaker. 'Taker casually dumps Hogan to the floor, and the choking begins - as 'Taker BRINGS THE STRANGLE! The heels cut the ring in half with punch-kick stuff, but Hogan manages to fire off a clothesline at Slaughter, and makes the tag. Warrior's a house of arson, but gets his eyes raked, and 'Taker goes to work with a jumping clothesline, and more choking. Warrior eventually makes the tag, but Hogan gets overwhelmed, and hooked in the Camel Clutch. Warrior breaks it up so Hogan can properly get into HULKING UP!! Punch finishes Adnan at 9:45. Slaughter was so dead in the water by this point (and this was only days after WrestleMania) - with the war over, the title lost, and being made to look like a jobber at every turn. Why they decided to keep him at the top through SummerSlam still eludes me, especially when they had the super marketable Hogan/Warrior II showdown they could have run with instead. DUD

BUExperience:  The first World Tour tape demonstrated international matches with really cool, distinctive atmospheres, but this one was mostly ‘highlights’ of domestic TV tapings – not to mention two negative star matches fucking you up the ass. Not a good addition to your Coliseum Collection.