WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The Best of the WWF: Volume VI (1986)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The Best of the WWF: Volume VI (1986)

Coliseum Video compilation – hosted by Gorilla Monsoon. The cover of the tape features Hulk Hogan holding Randy Savage in a headlock, and promises a look at today’s WWF Superstars as rookies.

Terry Funk v Lanny Poffo: From July 1985. Funk is his usual brilliant madman self, even going as far as to attack a poor, dumbfounded ring attendant for TOUCHING HIS HAT! Bells gone, and Funk suckers Poffo (and his epic mustache - no wonder they gave him the gay gimmick) by giving him a few cleans breaks out of lockups, and then popping him in the jaw. Lanny returns fire to surprise the madman, so Funk paints his chest red with some vicious chops. Test-of-strength goes Lanny's way, but Funk plants a boot to the gut, and they trade standing wristlocks - Poffo doing his gymnastics routine to outmaneuver Funk. Terry manages to get into the ropes, and knocks Lanny out to the floor with a modified monkeyflip, but a side suplex on the way back in gets countered into an atomic drop, and Terry ends up holding his ass out on the floor. Jealous, Lanny drags him back in, but it backfires when Funk goes back to chopping. Terry with a headbutt, but Poffo manages to block a spinning toehold, and sidekick an oncoming Funk. He unloads on Terry with kicks in the corner, but Funk blasts him with more headbutts to slow the effort down. Unfortunately, it dazes Funk, and he falls into the ropes - unable to capitalize. Funk regroups with a suplex from the apron to the floor (Poffo trying to land on his feet, since madman Funk is trying to do that spot on the exposed concrete), and Lanny sells it by making literally the goofiest face I have ever seen. Funk with another suplex to bring him back in, and he makes the first attempt at a cover - getting two. Vicious standing neckbreaker gets two, but a backdrop attempt ends in Poffo hitting a sunset flip for two. Funk takes a Flair flip in the corner, and Poffo snapmares him off the apron to bring him back in. Poffo with a moonsault for two, and a rana gets two. Funk pops him in the throat during the kickout, however, and the sleeper finishes things for the Funker at 13:02. Very fun, well paced back-and-forth match with some neat, innovative spots from Poffo, and some brutal ones from Funk. Good start! **

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Randy Savage: From December 1985. Savage stalls the champ to start, but Hogan makes the mistake of blowing kisses at Elizabeth, and Macho charges - right into a shoulderblock. He bails, and throws a chair into the ring - frustrating Hogan with more stall tactics. Back in, Hulk controls with a wristlock, but Savage quickly rakes the eyes to break, and snapmares the Hulkster into a kneedrop. A dive into the ropes misses, however, and Hulk hits a cross corner clothesline followed by an atomic drop to put the challenger back on the outside. Savage hides behind Liz out there, and tries a flying bodypress on the way back in, but gets caught in a backbreaker - then bails right back to Liz. Hulk manages to sneak up behind him, but Savage decks him on the way back in, and hits a flying axehandle for two, then dumps the champ to the floor for one out there. Back inside, Savage hits an elbowsmash for two, but Hogan starts no-selling, and hits a lariat. Big boot knocks Savage back out to the floor, and he drags Savage back in - only to take a boot to the face off a backdrop. Savage quickly capitalizes with the Flying Elbowdrop, but it only gets two! The referee gets bumped as Savage argues the count, and Randy tosses Hogan out to the floor - diving at him from the top rope with the title belt to bust the champ open. He runs back in to wake the referee up, and the dazed official counts the Hulkster out at 9:55. Hilarious moment after, as Savage steals the title belt, and when the referee asks for it back, he simply decks him! No classic, but Hogan/Savage is always a solid bet (well, before WCW anyway), and while this had a bit too much stalling for a ten minute match, it was well worked, and entertaining. *

Midget Match: The Haiti Kid v Butch Cassidy: Shit. This tape was going well thus far. From December 1985, on the same show as the previous match. Cassidy towers Kid by a good foot - the guy probably closer to Daniel Bryan's height than a 'traditional' midget. Despite his size, Kid chases him around the ring, and hits an armdrag early on. Criss cross allows Kid a shoulderblock and a bodyslam before slapping on an armbar, and he hits a hiptoss when Cassidy tries to break. Backdrop and a dropkick set up a schoolboy for two (the referee so far out of position it could have been a thirty count), and Kid stands him on his head for some abuse. They get into the usual midget-referee comedy spots, and Cassidy takes over with a test-of-strength - only to get his feet stomped by the ankle-biter. Slingshot, and Kid unloads a pair of chops to set up a clothesline for two. Kid dazes him with turnbuckle smashes, so Cassidy hits his knees to beg for a handshake (Butch as tall on his knees as Kid is standing) - setting up a cheap shot. He goes for some turnbuckle smash revenge, but Kid's black (which, in wrestling, means it doesn't work), and Kid headbutts him a couple of times. Kid with a backdrop and a series of right hands for two, but Butch manages a neckbreaker, and hits a dropkick. Snap suplex gets two, and a scoop brainbuster gets two. Inverted shoulderbreaker, but a criss cross goes Kid's way with an airplane spin, and he hooks a cradle for the pin at 10:30. Look, it's a midget match, but frankly it was well worked, and fine for what it was. *

Ivan Putski v Johnny Valiant: From June 1975. This is the promised 'look back' at today’s superstars in their early years, though Putski was basically retired by 1986, and Valiant was a manager. Whatever, Valiant attacks from behind, and rakes the eyes to set up a series of stomps. More kick-punch, but Putski starts no-selling, and returns fire. Valiant jabs the throat and goes back to stomping, but Putski is in no mood to sell, and bashes him back. God, being a wrestler during the 70s must have been a cakewalk, spot-wise. More punch-kick until Putski busts out the big highspot of the match with a backdrop, and finishes with the Polish Hammer at 4:32. So, to recap: punch-kick-punch-kick-punch-kick-modified punch-pin. Total junk, and I have no idea why it was even included. DUD

Ricky Steamboat v Bob Orton: From July 1985. Orton tries to stall his way around Steamboat's threat of kicks, and bails to the floor to put some distance between himself and the Dragon. Inside, Orton tries a headlock, but gets whipped into the ropes for a criss cross, and Ricky takes him down with an armdrag into a wristlock on the cast covered arm. Steamboat continues to work the 'bad' arm with wrenches and wristlocks for a good while, until Orton shoves him into the corner for a kneelift to break. Hiptoss and a headscissors takedown work, but a charge doesn't, and Cowboy Bob ends up on the floor. He rakes the eyes to get Steamboat off of his back, rams him into the turnbuckles on the way inside, and hits a kneelift to takeover. Headvise into a kneedrop for two, but another misses, and Orton smacks the arm on the canvas. Steamboat tries a slam, but gets toppled for two, and Bob slows him down with a chinlock. Steamboat fires back with chops, and blocks a piledriver with a backdrop. Flying bodypress gets two, and a fistdrop is worth two before Orton manages an inverted atomic drop - Steamboat selling it wonderfully. Bob dumps him, but the Dragon skins the cat, and hits an enzuigiri to put Orton on the outside. Steamboat suplexes him back in, and goes for the kill, but Orton blocks a splash by lifting the knees. To the top, Bob tries to get away with blasting him with the cast, but the referee sees it all, and calls for a disqualification at 14:51. It took a little while to get beyond the armbar stuff, and though it never really got going the way it should have, it was decent. Typical house show stuff, basically. The Midgets were better, though. ½*

BUExperience: No historically significant stuff or any title changes, but a major plus this time around is that all the matches air unclipped (a rarity for Coliseum releases from the period), and it’s pretty decent stuff, too. The last couple of matches are nothing special, but it’s worth checking out for early Hogan/Savage stuff (both guys clicking wonderfully and immediately), a good Funk/Poffo match, and probably the only Midget Match I’ve ever actually been hooked by. A good addition to your Coliseum Collection.