WWF Coliseum Video Collection: US Rampage ‘91 (1991)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: US Rampage ‘91 (1991)

Coliseum Video compilation – hosted by Sean Mooney (on a golf course), with Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan along for the ride. The cover of the tape features Davey Boy Smith and the Texas Tornado, and promises the WWF ‘gone wild.’


WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Mr. Perfect v Davey Boy Smith: From a TV taping, June 1991 - this is a 'Fan Favorite' matchup. Davey Boy uses his size advantage to toss Perfect around in the early going - until the champ gets frustrated, and bails to the floor to regroup with his 'Coach.' Back in, Perfect tries to match power with Davey, but a shoulderblock showdown ends badly, and a test-of-strength goes even worse. Smith with a crucifix for two, so Perfect tries a sunset flip for two, and a reversal sequence ends with both guys in the ropes. Perfect fires off a well placed low blow from there, and gets Davey in a rope-assisted Boston crab - only for Smith to power him to the floor to break. Perfect with a standing dropkick on the way back in to give Davey a chance to visit ringside, and of course, Coach is there to get in his licks. That draws Bret Hart out (wearing a weird, early version of his singles tights) to break it up, but Bulldog walks into a necksnap as Hart helps him back in. It's only good for two, so Perfect tries a sleeper, but Davey drops him into the corner to break. Criss cross ends in Smith crotching him on the top rope, and he unloads a clothesline - only to run into the referee as he tries another, and there's no one to count as he cradles Perfect. Coach runs in to break it up, but Bret is there to stop him, and he counts the pinfall himself. Unfortunately, this isn't ECW, so Davey doesn't win the title - the official decision Perfect winning by disqualification at 9:31. Nothing match, but it served its purpose in building Perfect/Hart for SummerSlam, so it wasn't pointless, or anything. ½*

Texas Tornado v Warlord: From a house show, April 1991. Lots of typical house show stalling in the early going, and the initial lockup ends in a stalemate to establish that both guys are big and strong. Test-of-strength goes Warlord's way with a kick to the midsection, but another power-showdown ends in a stalemate. Tornado responds with a discus punch, but Warlord hugs him like a bear as he comes out of the ropes. An axehandle knocks Tornado to the outside, and Warlord follows with a shot into the ring steps. Tornado tries a sunset flip back in, but takes a fist to the face, and a bodyslam attempt ends in Warlord toppling him for two. Warlord with a backbreaker, but a kneedrop misses, and Tornado fires off a series of clotheslines. Tornado discus punch looks to finish, but Warlord gets a foot onto the bottom rope to break the count. Tornado with a sleeper, but Warlord falls into the ropes, and both guys go tumbling over the top to the floor. They get into a slugfest out there, and both guys end up getting counted out at 9:15. House show matches are usually low-key to begin with, and house show matches between guys who are usually low-key enough on TV are downright boring. I have no idea why they chose to showcase this, either, as neither guy was getting any sort of push by the time this tape was released in late 1991, and both would be out of the promotion all together within less than a year. DUD

Paul Roma v Animal: From a house show, June 1991. Roma goes right at him with closed fists, but a criss cross ends in Animal hitting an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Animal with a headbutt downstairs (in the basement, yo), and a ten-punch count - only for Roma to counter by shoving him out to the floor. Roma tag partner Hercules is there with a cheap shot behind the referees back, and Paul pops out to ram Animal's back into the ring apron. Roma with a dropkick on the way back in, and an impressive three-alarm no-release backbreaker follows. Roma with a flying axehandle, but Animal no-sells, and hits a side suplex. Roma tries a piledriver, and luckily it's not Hawk in there, because Animal at least gives him a two count off of it before popping up. Animal with fists and clotheslines, but the referee gets bumped in the process, and isn't there to count the fall. That allows Hercules to sneak back in, but Roma ends up hitting him with a missile dropkick, and Animal finishes Paul with a powerslam at 5:00. Short and inoffensive. ¼*

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Big Bossman and The Rockers v Mountie and The Nasty Boys: From a TV taping, June 1991. Shawn Michaels looks to have raided the Dynamic Dudes' lockers before the match - wearing a goofy neon green cap that looks hilarious on him. He ends up starting with Mountie, but quickly passes to nemesis Bossman before they lockup - so Mountie hightails it to his corner to tag Jerry Sags. Bossman takes his frustrations out on Sags, but a splash ends up hitting the knees, and NOW Mountie wants in. A criss cross doesn't go his way, however, and Bossman gives him a spinebuster to trigger a six-way brawl - the babyfaces cleaning house. The dust settles on Bossman and Brian Knobs, and Bossman gives him a quick enzuigiri before tagging Marty Jannetty. Marty with a 2^nd rope bulldog, and a modified sunset flip gets two. Tag to Michaels with a superkick and a hangman’s clothesline for two - broken up by Mountie. Tag to Bossman for a big boot on Brian, but a cheap shot from Jerry leaves Bossman sprawled out on the floor. Back inside, the heels cut the ring in half on Bossman, but Mountie ends up getting cocky, and Bossman manages to tag Michaels. He's a house of arson to start another six-way brawl, and Marty ends up pinning Knobs after intercepting Nasty manager Jimmy Hart's motorcycle helmet at 10:10. Formula stuff, but all six guys made an effort - six-mans usually good at hiding weaknesses behind quick tags, which this did fine. ¾*

Ricky Steamboat v Smash: From a house show, June 1991. Poor Smash was still in that weird period between Demolition falling apart and getting repackaged as Repo Man here, but he seems game as he trades wristlocks with Steamboat in the early going. A criss cross ends in Steamboat skinning the cat back in (with a big gaffe in Gorilla Monsoon's commentary track, as he calls it before it even happens), and Ricky backdrops Smash to the floor. Back inside, Ricky locks him in an armbar, but ends up getting choked on the mat, and side suplexed for two. Chinlock, but Steamboat gets uppity, so Smash tosses him to the floor. He follows for a shot into the ringpost, and adds a slam on the floor for good measure. Smash brings him back in with a slingshot, and hits a backbreaker for two before going back to the chinlock. Steamboat with chops to break, but he's still dazed, and walks into a backelbow followed by a series of clotheslines. Smash ups the ante with a sleeper, and Steamboat actually forgets to lift his arm on the third drop - triggering a hilarious reaction from the commentators and the official. He gives Ricky another try, and now he's awake - unloading more chops. Slugfest goes the Dragon's way with a dropkick, and he follows with a flying bodypress from the second rope to the floor. Smash manages to catch him with a hanging vertical suplex on the way back in for two, but he misses a charge in the corner, and Steamboat finishes him with a flying bodypress at 10:14. This was two guys who were going absolutely nowhere in the WWF at the time, but both guys put in a decent effort - even if the results were less than spectacular. *

Jake Roberts v Barbarian: From Prime Time Wrestling, May 1991. Barbarian has an easy time overpowering Roberts in the early going, but misses a blind charge, and ends up in a standing armbar. DDT, but Barbarian hits the deck, and slides to the floor to consult manager Bobby Heenan. He wastes too much time, so Roberts follows to ram the arm into the post, and drags Barbarian back in for a short-clothesline. Jake makes the mistake of jawing with Heenan to allow Barbarian a backdrop though, and a cross corner whip leaves Roberts looking up at the lights. Barbarian with a backbreaker for two, and Jake ends up tied in the ropes, but Barbarian turns his back, and gets DDT'd. That draws Earthquake out to try and steal Jake's snake, but Roberts rolls to the floor to deal with him - and ends up getting counted out at 7:25. I can generally appreciate both guys, but this was slow and dull. Clearly someone over in WCW liked what they saw, though, and these two were main eventing for them a year later. DUD

Greg Valentine v Haku: From UK Rampage '91, April 1991 - which is sort of a ridiculous choice for a tape titled ‘US Rampage,’ and all. Haku tries a wristlock right away, but Valentine counters into a hammerlock, and has Haku running for the ropes.  Side-headlock and an atomic drop put Haku on the outside, but he comes in firing chops to turn the tide, and hits a pair of backbreakers for two. Reverse chinlock triggers a seizure power up from Valentine (which is almost indescribably odd to see Greg doing), but Haku clobbers him with a side suplex for two. Greg tries turnbuckle smashes to come back (which Haku actually sells!), and a backelbow hits. Series of jabs put Haku on the mat, and Valentine goes for the figure four - but gets his eyes raked. Haku can't turn the tide, however, and Valentine with another elbow before he tries again - this time getting shoved into the corner. Haku makes one last effort at capitalizing, but Greg catches him with a sunset flip coming out of the ropes for the pin at 8:41. Total TV match, but watching Greg Valentine doing clichéd babyface spots, and Haku selling head shots is entertaining. ¾*

Power and Glory v The Orient Express: From Prime Time Wrestling, May 1991 (aired June). This is one of the rare cases where I'd rather see the managers (Slick and Mr. Fuji, respectively) yell at each other than watch the guys in the ring. Anyway, Hercules starts with Kato, and overpowers him out of the first few lockups. Kato fires back with chops ahead of tagging Tanaka, and he comes in with some chops of his own - only to walk into a press slam for two. Paul Roma in, but a criss cross doesn't go his way - Tanaka savate kicking him. Another criss cross goes better, as Roma sends him somersaulting with a clothesline, and adds a bodyslam to set up a flying fistdrop. That gets two when Kato saves, and he comes in with a jumping backelbow for two. A chinlock fails to get the job done, so Fuji adds a shot with his cane for good measure, and we get a proper showdown with Slick on the floor! Okay, I'm done. You guys can wrap up now, thanks. Unfortunately, they can't hear me (I'm not sure if it's the whole 'twenty-two years ago thing, or just my TV being stupid), and the Express continue to cut the ring in half. Hercules gets sick of it and runs in for a four-way brawl, and it ends in a double countout at 8:26. Whatever. ¼*

Ultimate Warrior v The Undertaker: From a Canadian house show (again, is this US Rampage, or English Speaking Countries Rampage?), June 1991. Warrior charges right in to unload on 'Taker with right hands, and the dead man ends up on the floor. He snaps Warrior's neck across the ropes to block Warrior from dragging him in, and slaps on a nervehold at center ring. For those keeping track, we're about a minute into the match, and Undertaker stops things dead with a three minute nervehold. Warrior fires back with rights, but 'Taker swats him away, and hits a jumping clothesline. Undertaker with a leaping elbowdrop, but Warrior starts going nuts, and unloads a series of clotheslines. 'Taker slows him down with a shot to the throat, and hits the Tombstone - for two. WrestleMania XXX! Book it, now! That's enough for 'Taker though, and he grabs the urn for the disqualification at 11:50. God. Who thought this would be a good idea? I get that the characters colliding had a certain appeal, but holy shit, this was a  giant style-clashing disaster (especially with 'Taker having to work around his gimmick), and went on way too long. Just terrible. -*

BUExperience: Yeah… unless you really want to compile random matches from the spring of 1991, there’s no reason to bother with this. Hell, even Hulk Hogan couldn’t be bothered to make an appearance. Not a good addition to your Coliseum Collection.