WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Sunny (1997)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Sunny (1997)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover of the tape features Sunny looking hot, while the back cover actively tells you that she’s hot, in case you were doubting your eyes

The tape is hosted by Sunny, who is (as promised) looking hot. She clarifies that she's hosting because the likes of Todd Pettengill or Dok Hendrix aren't worthy of hosting a tape in her honor, and that Vince McMahon won't stop leaving messages on her answering machine

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Bodydonnas v The Godwinns: This is a tournament final from the Free For All pre-game show for WrestleMania XII on March 31 1996 in Anaheim California. Zip and Henry Godwinn start, and Henry quickly backdrops him. That draws Skip in, but Henry is ready with a press-slam, and a wheelbarrow facebuster to send him running. Tag to Phineas Godwinn to help work Zip's arm, so the Bodydonnas try a double team in the corner, but Phineas is fussin' and fightin' and can't be controlled! The dust settles on Skip and Henry, and Henry counters a dropkick by catapulting Skip over the top, and taking out Zip in the process. Unfortunately for Henry, he falls prey to a double team, and the Bodydonnas manages a tandem slingshot suplex for two. They cut the ring in half on Henry, as Vince hypes up the Huckster/Nacho Man match. Too bad THAT'S not on the Network yet. Honestly, they should just put up all the Free For All shows in full, and I have no idea why they haven't dumped that yet. The Bodydonnas miss a rocket launcher to allow the hot tag to Phineas, and Roseanne Barr the door! Phineas goes for the kill with the Slop Drop on Skip, so Sunny flashes her ass at him from the apron, allowing Skip a schoolboy for the belts at 5:08. As far as distraction finishes go, that was a pretty good one. ** (Original rating: *)

We get clips of the Godwinns beating the Bodydonnas to win the belts at a house show at Madison Square Garden on May 19 1996, which leads to Sunny becoming their manager, since she follows the belts, not the boys

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Godwinns v The Smoking Gunns: From the Free For All at the ill-fated In Your House Beware of Dog on May 26 1996 in Florence South Carolina. Says a lot about the state of the division at this point when all the title matches take place on the pre-shows. Phineas Godwinn and Bart Gunn start, and it doesn't take long for Bart to outsmart the hog farmer. Billy Gunn tags in to work the arm, but Phineas fights him off with a bodyslam, and passes to Henry Godwinn. Criss cross ends in Billy hooking a sunset cradle for two, and he grounds Henry in an armbar. Over to Bart for a flying axehandle, so Henry tries the Slop Drop, but Bart slips free. Henry responds with a clothesline for two, and it's back to Phineas for some wristlockin'. Bart reverses and tags, and Billy works the arm some. This is just so pedestrian. Like house show level stuff. The Gunns kinda-sorta cut the ring in half on Phineas, so Sunny tries to distract them, but ends up getting kissed by Billy. That distracts Phineas, and Bart capitalizes with a side suplex to win the title at 4:16. This was a whole lot of nothing before the finish designed for highlight package replays. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Sunny then dumped the Godwinns for the Gunns as she continues following the gold, but felt bad about breaking Phineas' heart. This leads to her coming out on an episode of Superstars (taped June 25 1996 and aired June 29) in order to publically apologize to him for how she's treated him. You know, if your aim is to make the guy feel better about getting dumped by you, you probably shouldn't dress in the hottest outfit imaginable while doing it. I mean, damn. Anyway, she gives this whole daytime TV talk show speech about how badly she feels (with interviewer Jim Ross looking at her sideways the whole time), and then asks Phineas himself to come out so she can tell him in person. The poor schlub does, but then of course the whole thing is a set up for her to make fun of him, and the Smoking Gunns to beat him down. Phineas always did a great job of selling heartbreak, and that's not the easiest of emotions to act out. The whole thing backfires on her when Henry and Hillbilly Jim run out for the save, however, and Phineas gets his revenge for the prank by pouring a bucket of pig slop over Sunny's head. Great camera angle there, too. This was a lot of fun, especially after months of build with Sunny playing the mean girl

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Smoking Gunns v Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith: From In Your House Mind Games on September 22 1996 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Hey, back on pay per view, baby! The big time! Billy Gunn starts with Owen, and a criss cross goes Hart's way with a hiptoss. Armdrag and a bodypress follow for two, and Gunn wisely backs off to regroup in his home corner. Owen works a headlock as they get back to it, and Hart hooks a small package for two during another criss cross, so Billy throws a quick kick to allow the tag. Bart Gunn comes in with an elbowdrop, but Owen dodges, and passes to Bulldog. Bart tries to headlock him, but Davey forces a criss cross, and uses a schoolboy for two. Dropkick and an armdrag follow, and it's back to Owen for a well placed clip to the leg of the cowboy. The challengers go to work on the leg as they cut the ring in half on Bart, but Billy manages to get some cheap shots on Bulldog on the outside before things get too grim for the champions. The Gunns take control of Davey, and the Sidewinder looks to finish, but Clarence Mason distracts the referee, and Owen dives in off the top rope to break the cover. That allows Bulldog to roll over with a cover, but Billy is up at two! Billy puts the boots to him as the Gunns take control again, but Billy gets distracted looking down Sunny's top, and messes up his part of a double team - allowing Davey to hit Bart with the Running Powerslam at 10:57. Afterwards, a furious Sunny dumps the Gunns, but sadly this didn't lead to Sunny managing Hart/Smith, though that was more due to them publicly rejecting her than anything else. This started off well enough, but both heat segments were really dull, and the match dragged. ¾* (Original rating: ½*)

We get highlights of Faarooq's debut, where Sunny's new singles client attacked Ahmed Johnson on RAW

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Marc Mero v Faarooq: This is another tournament final, from Monday Night RAW on September 23 1996 in Hershey Pennsylvania. This is joined in progress, with Faarooq in control, hitting a powerslam for two. He takes Mero up to the middle rope for a Samoan drop for two, and then down to the mat for a chinlock, but Marc makes the ropes. That triggers a cheap shot from Sunny, so referee Pat Patterson throws her out. Hey, the one person in the WWF who won't fall for her honey trappings. We're clipped to Faarooq keeping control with another chinlock, so Mero tries a sunset flip for two, but gets grounded in the chinlock again - as some fan holds up a 'we love restholds' sign. They're just giving the people what they want! Mero escapes and manages a jumping clothesline, but an elbowdrop misses, and Faarooq slams him. That buys time for him to climb to the top, but not enough, as Mero crotches him up there, and brings him down with a rana. Faarooq taking a rana off the top feels like it's against the laws of physics. It only gets two regardless, and Faarooq manages a clothesline, as Sunny comes back out. That gets her confronted by Sable, and we've got a catfight brewing! Faarooq uses the time to steal Sunny's leaded purse, but it backfires, and Mero hits the Wild Thing to win the title at 6:30 shown of 14:50. I'll refrain from rating this until I see a more complete version when we get to that point in the RAW reviews. This wasn't great, though

So, with no titles in her stable, Sunny decided to focus on broadcasting, and we get a behind the scenes video of her getting her hair, makeup, and wardrobe done before going out on TV. She acts shockingly normal here, like almost totally out of character


We close with the I Know You Want Me music video

BUExperience: This one is from the dying days of Coliseum Video (it may actually be the last non pay per view show release they did), and it’s little more than a one hour highlight reel of the tag team title scene in 1996. I’ll give it a pass simply because it’s nice to have the title switches that aren’t on the Network in any other form documented for posterity.

A decent addition to your Coliseum Collection.