WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Grudges, Gripes, and Grunts (1993)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Grudges, Gripes, and Grunts (1993)

Coliseum Video compilation – hosted by Randy Savage. The cover of the tape features a bunch of guys in chinlocks, and promises the most ‘gruesome grudge matches of all time.’


WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Jim Duggan: From Monday Night RAW, April 1993. Shawn bails to the floor right away to avoid Duggan, but Jim realizes he can't win the title that way (the Manhattan Center may look like a trashcan, but it isn't actually one), but then forgets, and scares Shawn back to the floor with a 'USA!' chant. Commie! He's even wearing red tights! Get him! Inside, Duggan unloads a series of clotheslines (sold with Michaels' usual brilliance), and the champ ends up back on the floor. He goes for Duggan's 2x4, but the referee stops him short, and forces him back in. Shawn cowers in the corner, but Duggan shows no mercy as he unloads a series of closed fists (Shawn spiraling out of the ring), and this time he decides to take a walk. Duggan drags him back, but Shawn snaps his neck across the top rope on the way in, and immediately capitalizes - punching and kicking his challenger. Ten-punch count and a flying axehandle set up a chinlock, but Duggan powers up, so Michaels drops a series of elbows for two. Criss cross goes Shawn's way with a kneelift, and he dumps Duggan out to the floor for an axehandle off of the apron. Inside, Shawn hits a snapmare to set up another chinlock, but a slugfest goes Duggan's way, and he unloads a ten-punch of his own. Helicopter slam sets up the 3-Point Stance, but it knocks Michaels to the floor. He decides to take a walk again, but this time when Duggan gives chase he can't get there fast enough, and Michaels loses the match (but not the title) at 11:17. Afterwards, Duggan demands a rematch, and refuses to leave the ring until he gets one, while the fans chant 'take the belt' - one of the more famous bits from the early days of RAW. Very little actual contact, but Shawn's selling was brilliant whenever there was, and anyway this was more about setting up a Lumberjack Match for the next week than anything else - and it did that well. ½*

Ric Flair v Tatanka: From a TV taping, November 1992. Flair plays mind games with him in the early going, but Tatanka gets him on the mat in a side-headlock. Flair counters into an overhead wristlock, but Tatanka reverses, and Flair hides in the ropes to force a break. Test-of-strength goes Flair's way with a wristlock, but again, Tatanka reverses. Flair goes low to take the pep out of Tatanka's step, and adds a few chops in the corner for good measure. Snapmare sets up a shindrop, but Tatanka returns fire as Flair tries more chops, and he backdrops the Nature Boy. Tatanka ten-punch count is interrupted with an inverted atomic drop, but Tatanka isn't Lex Luger, and actually sells it instead of charging Flair with a clothesline. Ric is so grateful that he tosses Tatanka over the top to the floor (graciously allowing him to lose by countout instead of pinfall or submission), but Tatanka doesn't get the message, and beats the count back in. Annoyed, Flair snapmares him for two, and hooks a wristlock. Tatanka with a sunset flip for two, and a knife edge chop has Flair flopping. Desperate, Flair rakes the eyes to slow Tatanka down, but he ends up in a sleeper when Tatanka reverses him going into the ropes. Ric breaks with a delayed side suplex, but a chopfest goes Tatanka's way, so Ric quickly regroups with a kneebreaker into the Figure Four. Tatanka reverses, but Flair grabs the ropes to quickly force a break, and unloads a big chop for two. To the top, but Tatanka is there with a slam to stop him, and another big chops gets two. Tatanka with a series of tomahawk chops, and a flying version - but Flair blocks with a well placed gut-punch but a bodypress ends with both guys tumbling out to the floor - the bout ending in a double countout at 12:48. I'm not crazy about that ending, but it was decent back-and-forth stuff otherwise. *

The Mega-Maniacs v The Beverly Brothers: From a TV taping in March 1993 - a couple of weeks before Hogan's official return at WrestleMania IX. Brutus Beefcake starts off with Blake Beverly, and it's a strutoff! The crowd's more interested in Hogan though, so Beefcake obliges and makes the tag. He easily wins a power-showdown, and the Maniacs pinball Blake in the corner before the Hulkster knocks him to the floor with an atomic drop. Beau Beverly gets the same treatment, and the Beverly's regroup on the floor. The dust settles on Beefcake and Blake, and Brutus gets slammed, but manages to dodge a pair of elbowdrops. He and Hogan hit a double-team big boot, and Hulk unloads a ten-punch count in the corner. Back to Brutus for a double-team backelbow, but a backdrop is countered with an axehandle, and Beau tags in with a flying axehandle. The Beverly's cut the ring in half, but Beefcake gets back to Hogan pretty easily, and the Hulkster finishes Beau with a shot from manager Jimmy Hart's megaphone at 6:53. Seriously?! Hulk fucking Hogan needs the megaphone to put away Beau Beverly?! As a kid, I never liked Hogan and Beefcake as a team (it seemed like Hogan was slumming it), and not much has changed. The poorly booked, bullshit ending (he wasn't even using the megaphone in retaliation for something!) didn't help, either. DUD

Mr. Perfect v Papa Shango: From the same TV taping as the Mega-Maniacs match, March 1993. Papa jumps Perfect before the bell, and unloads a series of right hands in the corner before dumping him. Shango follows him out to the floor for a bit of abuse, and brings him back in with a forearm across the chest. Perfect ducks a clothesline to allow him to dropkick Shango out to the floor, and he follows with a pair of chops and a shot into the ring steps. Inside, Perfect unloads more chops, but gets reversed going into the corner, and sells with a somersault. Shango with a headbutt followed by another one downstairs, and a backbreaker. The match slows down drastically as Shango goes on offense with a series of elbowdrops, and you can hear a pin drop as he covers for two - the crowd just patiently waiting for Perfect to make his comeback. Papa keeps them waiting with a chinlock, but even using the ropes for leverage isn't enough to get the crowd into it. Perfect finally starts making a comeback with a diving clothesline and a necksnap, then hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for two. Shango tosses him into the turnbuckle to try and make one last ditch effort, but Perfect dodges another headbutt, and hooks the Perfect-Plex for the pin at 7:54. Really boring match with a dead crowd - I have no idea why they chose to highlight this. DUD

The Undertaker v Repo Man: From a TV taping, June 1992. Repo tries a cheap shot from behind, but 'Taker chokes the life out of him, and hits a big boot. Undertaker with a scoop slam, but an elbowdrop misses - though 'Taker doesn't bother selling it, and goes right back to choking Repo. More choking before 'Taker randomly tosses him to the outside for a whip into the ringpost, so Repo grabs a hubcap - but Undertaker no-sells that, too. Try a bumper next time, fucko. Undertaker with the ropewalk forearm, and the Tombstone finishes up at 4:22. Undertaker sucked during this period, but the fans loved him, so it wasn't a total waste of time. Still, DUD

Mixed Six-Man Tag Team Match: Tiger Jackson and The Bushwhackers v Little Louie and The Beverly Brothers: From a TV taping, March 1993. Luke starts with Blake Beverly, and it turns into a comedy match right away, as the 'Whackers start biting some Beverly butt, and the midgets get in on the 'fun' for a brawl. The dust settles on the midgets, and they get right into more comedy with a sequence that features Jackson going for the cover, but getting pressed off by Louie - and into the referees arms. The Bushwhackers play 3 Stooges with Blake next (including the mixed midget staple where one guys gets held in an armbar, and the midgets run across his chest), until, finally, the Beverly's cheat, and cut the ring in half on Luke. Unfortunately, in a comedy match, it's more 'cut the cheese on Luke,' and a big brawl breaks out - Jackson pinning Louie with a flying bodypress in the chaos at 9:57. This is the kind of match that would be hilarious to watch over drinks with a few friends who don't really like wrestling late some night, but that's a pretty narrow window of appeal, really. DUD

WWF Intercontinental Title Lumberjack Match: Shawn Michaels v Jim Duggan: And now the re-match from the next week on RAW, May 1993. Duggan makes friends right away, and gets into a fight with Yokozuna on the floor, but it doesn't matter - looks like Shawn is on crutches, and can't wrestle, so too bad. Lumberjack Mr. Perfect is wise to him though, and helps him find his smile - Bobby Heenan hilariously shouting about a 'miracle!' Inside, Duggan destroys him with slams and an elbowdrop for two, then hits a vertical suplex as the crowd turns a 'USA!' chant into 'Shawn is Gay.' Heh. Michaels with a Flair flip in the corner, and a clothesline leaves Michaels for dead. He tries to bail, but the lumberjacks don't even get a chance to stop him before Duggan drags him back in for a headvise. Bearhug next, but Shawn won't give, so Duggan slams him for two. Michaels tries an eye rake, but Duggan decks him, and grabs a front-facelock. Into the corner, Duggan unloads a ten-punch count, and Michaels ends up tied up in the ropes for some stomps. Duggan frees him for a toss over the top, and lumberjack Mr. Perfect is quick to make sure the heel lumberjacks don't help Shawn in any way. Inside, Duggan keeps hammering, but he misses a kneedrop, and Shawn pulls off his cowboy boot (he's wrestling in street clothes) to knock the challenger to the floor for some lumberjack abuse. Duggan blocks a backdrop, but a charge into the corner doesn't go his way, and Shawn hooks the leg for two. Chinlock, but Duggan clotheslines him, and backdrops him into the lights. Another blind charge doesn't go his way, but he counters a 2^nd rope bodypress with a bodyslam for two, and hooks a chinlock. 3-Point Stance knocks Shawn out to the floor, but the lumberjacks bring him right back in this time, so lumberjack Bam Bam Bigelow runs interference from the apron. That allows Shawn to hit a high knee to knock Hacksaw out to the floor, and lumberjack Yokozuna helps him in - only he adds a legdrop first. That allows Shawn to make a one foot cover, but Mr. Perfect runs in, and it's a disqualification at 17:20. Afterwards, all the lumberjacks brawl, until Duggan cleans house with the 2x4. Too long for what they were going for, and way too slow with all of the restholds, but this junk was actually fairly well remembered - I remember seeing it on multiple VHS tapes back in the 90s. DUD

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc v The Natural Disasters: From a TV taping, July 1992. Money Inc change their minds once they're face-to-face with their challengers and try to walk out, but they get dragged back in, and destroyed with fat in the corner. Earthquake ends up missing a charge into the corner though, and Money Inc double-team him as the dust settles. Ted DiBiase dislodges the tag rope for a little choking fun, and Money Inc cut the ring in half on 'Quake with their usual masterful double-teams - Bobby Heenan brilliantly helping out from commentary by slapping his hands together whenever they switch, and insisting there was a legal tag. He also hilariously insists that Earthquake is only crawling towards his home corner because he smell the hotdogs at the concession stand. God, I miss Bobby Heenan. A miscommunication finally allows the tag to Typhoon, and he's a house of arson! A four-way brawl doesn't take long to break out from there, and Typhoon ducks IRS's briefcase to allow Earthquake to pin DiBiase for the titles  at 9:47 - the crowd popping big for the unexpected title change. This never aired on TV, so it has some major historical significance, if nothing else. Plus, Heenan's commentary (along with Jim Ross as a great straight man) make it worth sitting though. ¼*

Randy Savage and Bret Hart v Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels: From the same TV taping as the tag title change, July 1992. After some debate, Bret Hart starts with Shawn Michaels, and Shawn nearly breaks a hip from gloating so hard after winning the initial lockup with an armdrag. Hammerlock reversal sequence ends in a criss cross, and Bret blasts Shawn with an inverted atomic drop - Randy then running in with a clothesline. One for Flair too, and he tags in. He gloats over powering Savage into the corner out of their initial lockup, and they try a hammerlock reversal sequence too - Savage controlling until Flair ducks into the ropes. Criss cross allows Macho a shoulderblock, but Flair keeps coming, so Savage paintbrushes him - the look on Flair's face alone worth the price of admission. Ric regroups and chops Savage into the corner, but Randy gets uppity, so Flair tags Shawn back in for a double-team. He misses a charge into the corner though, and Hart tags in to work the now injured shoulder with an armbar. He and Savage take turns abusing the arm/shoulder, but he manages to get the best of Bret, and passes to Ric. Flair unloads chops in the corner, but Hart reverses him into the corner, hits a backdrop, and tags Randy. Savage comes in hot with a series of clotheslines and jabs, but Flair interrupts a ten-punch count with an inverted atomic drop. Figure Four, but Savage blocks - only to walk into a superkick from an interfering Michaels. That leaves Savage on the floor for Flair manager Mr. Perfect to abuse, and inside, Michaels hits a high knee. He and Flair (along with Perfect and Michaels manager Sherri, for good measure) work to cut the ring in half four-on-one, as Bret gets increasingly frustrated out on the apron. Brilliant spot as Savage goes for a backslide to block a shot from Flair, but Ric immediately drops into his corner when he can't counter, taking the backslide, but knowing Michaels will be close enough to save - which he does. Shawn then gets cradled, but he's still close to his home corner, and Flair tips it over to give Michaels a two count. They continue to cut the ring in half, but Savage throws Flair into the corner during a sleeper, and then slams him off of the top rope before getting to Bret. Hart is a house of arson - flipping both Michaels and Flair in the corner, and giving Ric a hanging vertical suplex. Backbreaker gets two, but Shawn's in again, and we have a four-way brawl - Michaels accidentally colliding with Sherri on the apron, and getting rolled up by Savage at 17:16. Bret looks pretty pissed afterwards - probably because it looked like they had to rush into the finish, and Bret can be a little bitch sometimes. This is an absolute dream match (even in 1992, though even more so later), and was given plenty of time to develop, though it never really got as crazy good as it probably should have. Still, one hell of a way to close the tape - filled with fast paced action, great heel work from Flair and Michaels, and a brilliant timing all around. ** ¾

BUExperience: Pretty dull stuff outside of the (rather disappointing) dream match that closes the tape (the Bushwhackers? Midgets? The same match?!?), but that – along with the historical significance of the tag title change – is probably enough to make this a good addition to your Coliseum Collection.