WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Inside the WWF (1994)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Inside the WWF (1994)

Coliseum Video compilation – hosted by Gorilla Monsoon. The cover of the tape features Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow, and promises a steel cage match between Bret Hart and Yokozuna, plus a look behind the scenes at the WWF in 1994. Awesome! I didn’t know they made a sequel to Apocalypse Now!


The Undertaker v Crush: From a TV taping, November 1993. Big staredown to start, and Crush tries a cheap shot when 'Taker turns his back - but takes a DDT out of the ropes. Undertaker is slow to follow-up, however, and misses an elbowdrop - Crush quickly capitalizing by clotheslining 'Taker over the top rope. Inside, 'Taker catches him with the ropewalk forearm, but he misses a jumping clothesline, and Crush savate kicks him to the floor again. Crush follows with a shot to the guardrail this time, and adds a (poorly executed and weak looking) chairshot for good measure. Crush unloads a series of kicks on the way back in, but Undertaker no-sells a turnbuckle smash, and chokes him in the corner. Crush manages a backbreaker and an impressive triple-pump press slam, but 'Taker still don't sell - sitting up and hitting a jumping clothesline. Crush stupidly tries a Tombstone as a last ditch effort, but Undertaker easily reverses him, and that's that at 7:02. Just punch-kick stuff - at half speed, since this is early-90s Undertaker. ¼*

Shawn Michaels and Diesel v Marty Jannetty and Razor Ramon: From a TV taping, July 1993. Shawn starts with Marty (Marty wearing weird red-white-blue armbands that look like he borrowed/stole them from Lex Luger), and Jannetty is quick to one-up him with an armdrag - so Shawn bitches to the referee about a hairpull. Another lockup ends the same way, so a frustrated Michaels passes to Diesel. The armdrag doesn't work so well against the big man, so he tries a go-behind - and gets promptly hiptossed. He decides to tag Ramon (also wearing red-white-blue wrist tape - was this some sort of dry run for a patriotic tag team for the two?), but Diesel slams him around as well. Michaels in with a flying axehandle, but Razor catches him in a bearhug, and holds him in it as he tags Jannetty for a flying clothesline/bearhug combo for two. Criss cross ends in Marty stopping short with a closed fist, and taking Michaels to the mat with a side-headlock. Back up, Shawn tries a press slam, but Marty slips free - only to run into a cheap shot from Diesel on the apron. Diesel in with a gutwrench suplex, and with Jannetty properly softened up, Shawn is comfortable coming in to get his licks. The heels cut the ring in half on Jannetty, but both Diesel and Michaels miss charges into the corner, and Marty makes the tag! Ramon is a house of arson to trigger a four-way brawl, and a Jannetty superkick/Ramon chokeslam combo finishes Michaels at 11:30. Nobody was going out of their way for non-TV stuff, but I'm a sucker for all four guys during this period, so I enjoyed it. Also kind of an interesting pre-Kiq/early Kliq version of the more famous version from 1994 - with the 1-2-3 Kid in Jannetty's place. *

Bam Bam Bigelow v Tatanka: From a TV taping, September 1993. Tatanka comes in hot - charging the ring and knocking Bigelow right to the floor for some mounted punches. Bam Bam catches him with some stomps on the way back in though, and hits a pair of shoulderblocks - only to get dropkicked on the third try. Tatanka with a bodypress for two, but Bigelow reverses a cross corner whip - only to run into a backelbow as he follows up. Tatanka with a series of clotheslines (the last sold with a somersault from Bigelow) for two, and a single-arm DDT gets two. Flying tomahawk chop, but nobodies home, and Tatanka splats on the mat. Bigelow takes advantage of the situation with a pair of falling headbutts for two, and a dropkick gets two. Another headbutt knocks Tatanka to the floor for Bigelow's main-squeeze Luna Vachon to abuse, and Bam Bam joins them on the floor to toss Tatanka into the steps. Tatanka takes forever to get back in (even Gorilla Monsoon noting that the referees count should be at a thousand by the time he does), but Bigelow stops a comeback attempt with an enzuigiri and hits an avalanche. Second try meets Tatanka's boot in the corner, and Tatanka tries a sunset flip - only to get buttsplashed for his troubles. Series of headbutts get two, so Bigelow tries for a chinlock, but Tatanka starts dancing - he's JIGGING UP!! Tomahawk Chops! Fallaway Slam! - but Bigelow's on the floor, and Tatanka can't get him back in in time (hell, he didn't even try, really), Tatanka winning by countout at 12:49. This was certainly dark match level stuff, and Bigelow looked notably exhausted out there, but these two always had chemistry. *

Bret Hart v Adam Bomb: From a TV taping, August 1993. Bomb uses his size advantage to overpower the Hitman out of the initial lockup, but Bret outwrestles him into a waistlock - only for Adam to grab his arms, and pull them apart for a break. Bret tries a standing side-headlock next, but Bomb fires off a shoulderblock, and unloads a series of forearms to the back. Criss cross goes Bret's way with a hiptoss, and he clotheslines the stunned Bomb over the top. Bomb pulls him out when he gets too close to the ropes, but Bret dodges a clothesline into the ringpost, and rolls him back in for an armbar. Bomb breaks with a powerslam, and whips Bret into the turnbuckles - hard. Bomb with a backelbow, but a backdrop is countered with a sunset flip for two. Bomb kicks him in the face before he can follow-up though, and adds a sidewalk slam for two. Chinlock, but Bret wrestles back up to a vertical base - only to have his eyes raked as he tries to mount a comeback. Adam goes right back to choking Bret in the ropes, but a charge into the corner is blocked, and Hart hits a 2^nd rope bulldog for two. Inverted atomic drop and a hangman’s clothesline get two. Russian legsweep for two, but the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop misses. Bomb goes to the top, but Hart meets him there with a slam, and that's enough to get Bomb in the Sharpshooter for the submission at 11:38. Outside of the long and dull chinlock sequence, this was pretty fun stuff here for the most part. Bomb could always go with the right opponent, and Hart (even in dark match mode) was game to make him look like a monster. ½*

Randy Savage v Doink the Clown: From TV taping, June 1993. Doink (looking legitimately creepy as he stares down the camera) plays mind games with Savage, taunting and stalling the Macho Man. Doink bails to the floor after taking an axehandle in the corner, and inside, it turns into a Savage-won slugfest. Backdrop sends Doink rolling back out to the floor, but this time Randy follows him for a shot into the steps. Into the post, but Doink reverses that one, and Doink returns the favor with his own shot into the steps. Doink adds a flying axehandle to the outside, and he rams Randy's face into the canvas on the way back in. Savage tries a flying axehandle, but Doink is wise to him, and nails him with a gut-punch on the way down. Bodyslam sets up the Whoopee Cushion, but Savage rolls out of the way, and clotheslines Doink over the top. Savage with a flying axehandle out there, but another Doink runs out and hides under the ring - switching places with the first Doink. That allows a sneak attack, and as Doink 2 rolls back in, Doink 1 hooks Savage's leg from under the ring - Randy getting counted out at 9:17. Oh, but Randy chases Doink 2 to the back, and then drags Doink 1 out from under the ring to alert the referee of the switch, and the reverses the decision. Heel Doink was amazing, and he seemed to be channeling classic Jake Roberts here, but the actual in-ring stuff was fairly slow - though certainly fun. ½*

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Razor Ramon v Ludvig Borga: From a TV taping, December 1993. Borga decisively wins the initial lockup by throwing Razor over the top like a child (some weird child who takes over the top bumps, I guess), and another try ends in Ramon flat on his ass. Third try sees Borga lift Razor up in a two-handed choke, and he hooks a side-headlock before knocking Ramon on his ass again - this time with a shoulderblock. Borga calls for a test-of-strength, and Razor actually accepts, so we'll assume he's on crack tonight, and put our detective hats away. Anyway, yeah, Borga murders him, but Razor fires back with a Northern Lights suplex, and Ludvig bails to the floor to break the momentum. Borga tries a suplex from the apron, but Ramon reverses him for two - only for Borga to slow him down with a well placed gut-punch. Ludvig levels him with a lariat, and a bodyslam sets up a swift elbowdrop. A second one misses, however, but a criss cross goes Borga's way with a jumping clothesline and a flying clothesline follow-up wins him the title at 6:58. Of course, if you're having trouble remembering Ludvig Borga was Intercontinental champion - you're not alone. Turns out the referee missed Razor's foot on the ropes, and restarts the match. An annoyed Borga hits a sidewalk slam for two, but misses a blind charge, and gets side suplexed for two. To the top, Ramon follows with a side superplex, and it's time for the Razors Edge! He gets Borga up, but the referee gets bumped along the way, and Shawn Michaels sprints down with his 'bogus' Intercontinental title belt to wallop the real champion. That's enough to give Borga an easy pin, and indeed he gets it at 10:08. Well, I guess I was wrong. Ludvig Borga did win the Intercontinental title after all! Oh... wait... here comes another referee, and they reverse the decision - Ramon retaining. Really? Two reversed decisions in a row on this tape? I don't mind reversed decisions as a booking device, but twice on one tape (let alone twice in a row) is pretty silly. The match was decent back-and-forth power stuff, otherwise. * ¼

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Lex Luger: From a TV taping, August 1993. The bell barely rings before Shawn starts bitching about hair pulling, but Luger just throws his pudgy ass in a headlock to shut him up. A shoulderblock sends Shawn tumbling to the floor, and Luger easily gets him in an armbar on the way back in. Michaels stupidly tries a bodyslam, but gets reversed, and does another oversell to the floor off of it. Lex follows this time, but he's met by Diesel, and the distraction is enough to allow Michaels to nail him with an axehandle. Back inside, Shawn unloads a series of axehandles, and a 2^nd rope version gets two. Jumping backelbow gets two, and Shawn goes for a chinlock. Luger powers up, but walks into a superkick for two. Michaels with a piledriver, but Luger counters with a backdrop, and hits a clothesline. Backelbow sets up a powerslam for two, and a series of punts to Michaels's ribcage knock him to the outside again. Sensing danger, Michaels decides the grab the title belt, and he walks out - losing at 9:05, but retaining the title. I hated that ending (though it was logical, at least), but the match was generally well paced, and well worked otherwise. *

WWF Title Cage Match: Yokozuna v Bret Hart: From a TV taping, December 1993. Bret goes right after him as soon as Yoko gets through the door (hell, I'm surprised he even fit), but ends up getting overwhelmed in the fat rolls - only for Yoko to miss a legdrop. Hart with a headbutt and a dropkick to knock the champ into the cage, but a series of rights is countered with a headbutt from Yoko, and he adds a low blow for good measure. He goes for the door, but Hart crotches him with the top rope to stop it, and both guys end up on the mat holding their balls. Bret is up first, but Yoko pulls him off as he climbs, and smacks him with another headbutt. Yokozuna tosses him into the cage before firing off yet more headbutts, but a charge into the corner doesn't work out, and Bret hits a 2^nd rope bulldog. Bret climbs, but Yokozuna manager Mr. Fuji slows him down by whacking him with his Japanese flagpole, and both guys are looking up at the lights. Yokozuna recovers first to set up the Banzi Drop, but Bret rolls out of the way, and goes for the door - only to have Fuji block him again. Bret climbs again, but Yoko makes a last second rally, and pulls the leg to crotch his challenger on the top rope. Yokozuna goes for the door, but Hart grabs an ankle to stop the effort - only to take a bodyslam. He dodges a splash and hits a bulldog - though Yoko sells it incorrectly, and falls backwards. Bret with a clothesline, so Yoko grabs Fuji's salt bucket - only to get blocked, and whacked with it by Hart. Dazed, Bret tries covering, though the referee misreads the situation, and runs in to count - which pisses commentator Gorilla Monsoon off to no end (and rightly so). Hart whacks him with the bucket again and climbs, but Mr. Fuji is there with a handful of salt to the eyes - Bret collapsing back onto the mat. Fuji adds a second helping of salt (That's not heart healthy, Fuji. Oh wait...), and a footrace ends in Yoko making it out the door before Bret can climb at 18:20. Yoko looked terribly slow here (to the point where it was significantly screwing up Hart's timing), and the repetitive move set (headbutt, headbutt, headbutt) got real old, real fast. Not good. DUD

BUExperience: A couple of neat pairings with guys we never saw do any high profile matches (Luger/Michaels, Savage/Doink, the tag match), though there’s nothing anyone would consider ‘must see.’ Not the absolute worst addition to your Coliseum Collection, though certainly not a good one either.