WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest ‘92 (1992) (Version II)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest ‘92 (1992)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover of the tape features Randy Savage headlocking IRS, and promises a profile on Bret Hart, while the back cover promises to tips on how to plan a successful party

Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan host from a tennis court, with Bobby immediately causing trouble by showing up armed with a ping pong paddle, and telling Gene that he would much rather be playing with Chinese guys, since they bring egg rolls

Shawn Michaels v Virgil: From Prime Time Wrestling on April 27 1992 (taped March 23) at Madison Square Garden in New York. Shawn is in full stall mode to start, as he's still getting the hang of working heel. Well, that, or maybe he's just trying to avoid getting cornered into one of Virgil's autograph sales pitches. Virgil chases him around ringside and grabs a headlock on the way in, but Shawn escapes in the corner, and forces Virgil into a criss cross - dumping him to the outside to win the exchange. Sherri distracts the referee, allowing Shawn to pull Virgil's protective face mask up for a cheap shot, and boy, Sherri's top is barely containing her gals here. Like, one sharp move, and we're going full Attitude Era. Shawn keeps working the injured face, throwing a kick for two (though not of the 'super' variety), and then grounding Virgil in a chinlock. Virgil escapes, and charges in the corner, but Michaels lifts his boot to block, and covers for two. He keeps pounding the face, but Virgil manages to pull out a backslide for two, so Shawn clobbers him with a clothesline for two. Turnbuckle smash is sold by Virgil like he's been shot, but a backdrop gets countered with a facebuster, and that's finally enough to trigger a comeback effort. A sloppy Russian legsweep gets two, but Virgil misses a charge in the corner, and Shawn gives him a sloppy Teardrop Suplex for the pin at 12:13. This was perfectly serviceable, but Shawn hadn't quite found his voice as a heel yet, and this felt more like he was doing impressions of other people's work rather than his own thing. They actually had a much better match later in the year (by which point Michaels was Intercontinental champion), which made it onto WrestleFest '93. ¾* (Original rating: DUD)

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Money Inc v The Bushwhackers: From Prime Time Wrestling on April 13 1992 (taped April 7) in Toledo Ohio. The champs attack from behind as the Bushwhackers play to the crowd, but an attempt to battering ram them into one another backfires, and the challengers clean house. The dust settles on Irwin R. Schyster and Butch, and IRS is quick to use a cheap shot to take control. Money Inc settle right into cutting the ring in half on Butch, so hopefully that means this one is going to be relatively quick. There's no greater gift that an immediate heat segment in a bad tag match. Oh, but Butch no-sells a turnbuckle smash, and the challengers go to work with Battering Rams for both heels to clean house again. Oh shit... we may be in for the long haul here after all. Dust settles on IRS and Luke, and Ted DiBiase quickly fires off a cheap shot from the apron to put the heels back in control. They cut the ring in half on Luke, but DiBiase gets kicked in the face while trying a backdrop, and there's the hot tag to Butch. No exclamation point, screw them. Battering Ram looks to polish off IRS, but DiBiase saves, and Roseanne Barr the door! Jimmy Hart gets involved as well, allowing IRS to sneak up on Butch with a knee to retain at 8:30. Really dull, but at least it wasn't an extended resthold. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Back on the tennis court, Gene tries to school Bobby on some of the finer points of the game, but Heenan is more interested in discussing the Freebirds, and getting out of paying for drinks

Davey Boy Smith v Rick Martel: Dark match from a TV taping in Biloxi Mississippi on March 10 1992. I like how the graphic notes it as The British Bulldog v "The Model," with only 'Model' in quotes, as if Davey is an actual canine. Martel initially controls with some speed, but gets caught in a headlock, and dominated. Martel manages a neat escapes where he climbs over the top rope onto the apron to free himself of the hold, but it backfires when Davey uses the top rope as a slingshot to force him back in. Smith works an armbar from there, but gets dumped to the outside, and Rick takes over on the way back in. Rick works him over, but Davey comes back with an atomic drop, followed by a series of clotheslines, until Martel bails. Bulldog forces him back in, and a slingshot sunset flip looks to finish, but Martel reverses the cradle - only to get caught using the ropes, allowing Davey to finish the move at 5:21. Not much to this one. ½* (Original rating: DUD)

Bret Hart profile time! We start with Bret narrating highlights of his Intercontinental title win over Mr. Perfect at SummerSlam '91, followed by his title defense against Skinner at This Tuesday in Texas (in what would end up being his only successfully IC title defense on pay per view from either reign), followed by... wait, that's it. That was weak. You'd think the win over Roddy Piper at WrestleMania VIII would at least make the cut here. All this really served to do was highlight how few notable high profile defenses Bret had as IC champion

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Bret Hart v Barbarian: From All American Wrestling on December 8 1991 (taped November 12) in Springfield Massachusetts. This kind of makes my earlier point. Bret gets knocked all the way into the aisle when he runs into a shoulderblock during a criss cross early on, so he tries a headlock on the way back in, but Barbarian whips him into the ropes for another big shoulderblock. Bret charges again, same result. Third try sees the Hitman try a bodypress, but Barbarian catches him in a bodyslam, only to miss an elbowdrop. That allows Bret to armdrag him into an armbar, but Barbarian escapes, only to have Hart duck a big boot. Barbarian responds with a bearhug, but Hart quickly escapes, and tries going back to the armbar, but he can't take the challenger down, and is forced to work a standing version. That's broken when Barbarian kicks him in the gut after powering into the ropes, and a hotshot puts the champion down. Barbarian puts the boots to him until Bret falls out of the ring, so Barbarian follows to ram his back into the post a couple of times. Back in, Barbarian whips Bret chest-first into the corner, and utilizes a backbreaker for two. Bearhug has Bret in trouble to the point where he goes to the eyes to escape, but Barbarian keeps control with a cross corner whip. Again, but this time Hart dodges the follow-up charge, and delivers an inverted atomic drop to set up a clothesline for two. Backbreaker sets up the 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and a Russian legsweep is worth two. Slingshot sunset flip gets two, so Barbarian fights back with a hanging vertical suplex for two. Frustrated, Barbarian goes for a second suplex, but this time Hart pulls out a small package to retain at 12:26. Bret was always the master of those flash pins. Nothing crazy, but a good, solid title defense. ** ¼ (Original rating: * ¼)

Out on the tennis court, poor Bobby is getting schooled by Monica Seles' sister's best friend's tennis partner, but of course it's all the racket's fault

The Nasty Boys v The Natural Disasters: Another TV taping dark match from the same Biloxi show as the earlier Bulldog/Martel match, March 10 1992. Jerry Sags starts with Typhoon, and tries throwing elbows, but stupidly attempts a bodyslam, and gets clobbered. Typhoon adds an avalanche, but fails to cut the ring in half even a little bit, and Brian Knobbs scores the tag. He taunts Earthquake until he tags in, but that proves to be as unwise as that time his partner tried to bodyslam Typhoon. Earthquake dominates, but runs into a cheap shot in the corner, allowing the Boys to take control of the contest. They cut the ring in half, but Knobbs eats boot while trying a corner charge, and Typhoon comes in to fight off a double-team - allowing Earthquake to elbowdrop Sags for three at 6:30. Very little going on here, but the lack of restholds was welcome. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

WWF Title Match: Randy Savage v Irwin R. Schyster: From Prime Time on April 27 1992 (taped April 8) in Kalamazoo Michigan. Savage works a headlock to start (hey, just like on the video cover - truth in advertising!), so IRS forces a criss cross, but gets hit with a hiptoss, and a hangman's clothesline. Irwin bails, but the referee blocks Savage from diving out after him, allowing the challenger to stall. Back in, Irwin tries a kick, but Macho catches the foot, and sends him back to the outside via an atomic drop. This time, the champion follows, ramming IRS into Jimmy Hart, then nailing him with a flying axehandle for two on the way back in! Hart hops onto the apron, allowing IRS to come from behind with a knee, and he tosses the champion over the top for Jimmy to properly abuse on the outside. Irwin follows to ram Randy into the steps, but Macho manages a sunset flip for two on the way back in, so IRS stomps him down for two. Abdominal stretch time, but Randy escapes with a hiptoss, and schoolboys his challenger for two. Series of jabs follow, but Irwin cuts him off again, and a knee sends Randy back to the outside. In, IRS works a chinlock, but gets caught using the ropes, so he reroutes with a legdrop instead. He heads upstairs for a dive, but Randy raises his boot to block, and he starts making a comeback. Straddling ropechoke dramatically misses, allowing IRS to clobber him with the Write Off, but it only gets two. That draws Jimmy onto the apron with the briefcase, but Macho reverses Irwin into it, and the Flying Elbowdrop finishes up at 11:15. This was fun, with Macho's trademark intensity on display, and IRS game to work. ** (Original rating: ¼*)

Party tips, with Berzerker and Mr. Fuji! Fuji wants Berzerker to mail out store bought party invitations, but Berzerker prefers a more direct approach: marching up to random people and shouting an invitation, then throwing them over his shoulder and taking them to the party regardless of their response. Well, that is one method. Next, Berzerker is supposed to put out noisemakers, but ends up eating them instead. Next up is food, and God help us if Fuji starts giving out any recipes. Thankfully, Berzerker handles it in the form of peanut butter sandwiches that he spreads on the bread with his bare hands. Nothing special, but cute, goofy fun

Tito Santana v Repo Man: From All American on April 19 1992 (taped April 8) in Kalamazoo. Would it have killed them to get Tito a red cape to waive with this gimmick? Repo pounds him in the corner early, and wrenches on the arm, but runs into a dropkick, and Santana works an armbar. Repo escapes, so Tito unloads with jabs, and throws a bodypress for two. Back to the arm, but Repo escapes again, so Santana schoolboys for two. He tries to go back to the arm again, but this time Repo drops him into the corner to block, and delivers a side suplex for two. Corner whip and a clothesline get two, followed by a bodyslam and a legdrop for one. Snapmare is worth two, so Repo tries grounding him in a cross-armbreaker, but Tito bridges back into a cradle for two. Santana adds a sunset flip for two, so Repo cuts him off with a clothesline, but misses a second one, and Tito is on the comeback trail! Jumping forearm connects, but ends up sending Repo to the outside in the process, and he's able to bash Tito with his tow hook as Santana works to get him back in - triggering a DQ at 7:33. Weak finish to an otherwise solid outing. * ¼ (Original rating: ¼*)

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Money Inc and The Nasty Boys v The Legion of Doom and The Natural Disasters: TV taping dark match in Niagara Falls New York on April 28 1992. Ted DiBiase starts with Hawk, and gets thrown around. Ted tries throwing chops, but Hawk throws a clothesline back, drawing the rest of the heel team in. They're met by the rest of the babyface team, however, and the good guys clean house. Dust settles on Irwin R. Schyster and Hawk, with Hawk dominating, but running into a cheap shot in the heel corner to turn the tide. They go to work on the Road Warrior, but he manages to fight off both halves of Money Inc, and there's the tag to Animal! He comes in hot on all four heels, and Roseanne Barr the door! Earthquake goes for the Earthquake Splash on Brian Knobbs, but Jerry Sags cuts him off. Sags tries a sunset flip on the big guy, but Earthquake counters with a sit-down splash for the pin at 7:58. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Back out on the tennis court, Gene and Bobby are finally having their much hyped one-on-one match, and Bobby is getting destroyed. Frustrated, he tries jumping the net, but ends up crotching himself, and the girls (see: much older women) watching laugh at him, and leave with Okerlund

BUExperience: There’s no real standout matches on this one, but everything is pretty watchable for the most part, and the Okerlund/Heenan bits are carried by their trademark charm and chemistry. A fair addition to your Coliseum collection.