WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Supertape ’92 (1992)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Supertape ’92 (1992)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Bret Hart pounding on IRS, and promises all the matches from This Tuesday in Texas, as well as a special profile on Undertaker

Sean Mooney hosts from the studio. Not really sure why this one is called 'Supertape 92' as opposed to 'Supertape V,' but I'm also not sure why I'm even wasting time thinking about it, so there you go

Eight-Man Tag Team Match: Earthquake, Mountie, and The Nasty Boys v Big Boss Man, Jim Neidhart, and The Legion of Doom: TV taping dark match from Worcester Massachusetts on July 29 1991. Earthquake and Boss Man start, but of course Boss Man wants Mountie. Mountie actually obliges, and even gets control with right hands as they engage, but Boss Man catches him with a spinebuster coming out of the ropes. That draws the rest of the heels in, but the babyfaces cut them off, and clean house. Dust settles on Jerry Sags in with Boss Man, and he pounds Boss Man into the corner, but gets the tables turned. Tag to Animal to nail Sags with a backelbow, so Jerry goes to the eyes, and tags to Brian Knobbs for a double team. Criss cross is won by Animal with a shoulderblock, and he adds a powerbomb for two - with poor Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes at a loss for what the hell to even call the move. God, I'd pay good money to see those two time travel to 2020 and try to call a match. It was getting challenging enough for them in the early 90s, can you imagine? They keep trading off with quick tags in and out on both sides, until a big brawl breaks out (with the referee hilariously only trying to stop Neidhart from running wild, while everyone else already is), and Boss Man ends up taking a cheap shot to trigger the heat segment. Boss Man fights off a double team long enough for the hot tag to Hawk, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! Hawk manages to nail Knobbs with a flying clothesline in the chaos, and that's enough to put it away at 9:16. This was totally fine for what it was and what it needed to be. * ¼

Irwin R. Schyster is worried that we're at home illegally copying this video tape. That seems like it's outside of his purview. Also, if you want to deter people from doing something illegal, maybe have a guy who isn't supposed to be a heel talk to them about it? Like, Irwin telling a kid not to do something is basically telling a kid to do that something. Was Big Boss Man busy? And really, why was Irwin a heel anyway? I just accepted it as a kid, but here he is with tax tips, and literally every one of them is sound financial advice. 'Try mailing your return in on time,' yeah what a jerk!

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Bret Hart v Irwin R. Schyster: TV taping dark match from Cornwall Ontario Canada on September 10 1991. Did anyone in wrestling have better gear than Bret? I mean, yeah, probably, but his will always be a favorite of mine, and I still dig the subtle evolution of it while maintaining the same basic style throughout. Feeling out process to start, and Hart sends him to the outside with a dropkick, but a criss cross on the way back in ends badly with Schyster uses a backbreaker. Pair of elbowdrops get two, and it's leveraged abdominal stretch time. You could set your watch to this guy's restholds. Backdrop, but Hart counters with a sunset flip for two, and a schoolboy is worth two. IRS cuts him off with a turnbuckle smash, and it's chinlock time from Mike 'Patek Philippe' Rotunda. Irwin uses a bodyslam to set up a dive off the top, but he takes forever and a day getting up there, and Hart lifts his boot to block. Hitman starts making a comeback, and the inverted atomic drop/clothesline combo gets two. Snap suplex gets two, and a pointed elbowdrop is worth two. 2^nd rope version is worth another two, so Hart unloads a ten-punch in the corner. Truth in advertising! Sharpshooter, but he puts it on right near the ropes, and Schyster grabs them. That's a pretty ridiculous mistake for a noted technician like Hart, and a poor booking choice. So Bret lets off, but IRS grabs his briefcase, and hits Hart for the DQ at 8:05. Not Bret's finest hour, or anything, but mostly decent. ¾*

We take a look back at Undertaker's first year in the WWF, complete with Undertaker mean-mugging at the camera a bunch. It's still pretty impressive how quickly he rose through the ranks, but what's most impressive is how he stayed on top after getting there. I mean, how many guys came in hot, had a main event run, and then fell down the card after?

Undertaker v Greg Valentine: From Prime Time Wrestling on October 14 1991 (taped October 1) in Huntington West Virginia. The set design for this taping is really weird, with the ring set up at an angle that I've never really seen them use before, and it's really jarring. It looks kind of like those RAWs they'd run in big, scaled buildings in 1996, but I'm not sure if scaling is the case here. Hammer pounds him at the bell, but Undertaker largely no-sells, and takes control. Lots of choking. Lots. Greg fights him off with a flurry of chops and fists, and he tries to grab a wristlock, but Undertaker quickly escapes with a big boot. Jumping clothesline connects (drawing a good pop), but an elbowdrop misses, and Valentine hits one of his own. He quickly capitalizes with the Figure Four, so Paul Bearer runs interference, and Undertaker escapes. Tombstone finishes it at 5:17. DUD

Undertaker preps a casket. You know, just to have around

Undertaker v Jimmy Snuka: From WrestleMania VII, March 24 1991 in Los Angeles California. Undertaker destroys him to start, hammering away on Snuka, and using chokes. Jumping clothesline leads to more choking in the corner, and a vertical suplex sets up an elbowdrop, but Jimmy rolls out of the way. He slugs back at Undertaker, but misses a bodypress, and goes flying out of the ring. Snuka flies back in with a springboard bodypress, but Undertaker catches him, and executes the Tombstone at 4:19 - making Undertaker 1-0 on his long journey to Brock Lesnar. To give you some perspective of just how long the Streak lasted, Brock was only a mere child of thirteen years old at this point. ¼*

According to Sean Mooney, the WWF didn't disappoint a single Texan with This Tuesday in Texas. Well, I'm from New York

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Bret Hart v Skinner: The rest of the matches/segments are all from This Tuesday in Texas, December 3 1991 in San Antonio Texas. Hart dominates the early going, and sends his challenger to the outside following an inverted atomic drop. Back in, Bret works the arm, but misses a charge in the corner, and collides with the ring post. Skinner hammers on the shoulder until Hart falls out of the ring, and inside, the challenger controls with an abdominal stretch. Shoulderbreaker gets two, but a cross corner charge hits boot. Hart tries a 2nd rope elbowdrop, but Skinner dodges, and grabs his gator claw to bop Bret with to keep control. Skinner works Bret over in kicky-punch fashion, and an inverted DDT is worth two, but a 2nd rope flying splash hits boot! Bret mounts his comeback with a Russian legsweep for two, and a vertical suplex follows for two. Backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, but Bret makes the mistake of arguing the count, and gets rolled up for two. They spill to the outside, where Skinner controls a slugfest by going to the eyes, but a trip upstairs ends badly, and the Sharpshooter retains at 13:46. Basic house show stuff here. Did someone forget to tell Bret that this wasn't one of the dark matches? It's very rare to see Hart phone it in on pay per view, but even as a kid I thought this was one of Bret's duller matches. * ¼

Jake Roberts talks about jerking off to Elizabeth

Randy Savage doesn't appreciate Jake's use of his snake

Jake Roberts v Randy Savage: Savage attacks him from behind in the aisle, and beats him from pillar to post. Randy is so eager to destroy Roberts that he doesn't even bother taking off his hat during a flying axehandle, and Jake tries running up the aisle, but Macho drags him back. Roberts uses the referee to block Savage long enough to take a cheap shot, and he tosses Macho over the top to buy some time. Outside, Roberts sends Randy into the post, then bashes the snake-bit arm against it a couple of times before bringing things back in. Jake with an inverted atomic drop between shots at the bandaged arm, and a short-clothesline sets up the DDT, but Macho blocks - immediately following up with the Flying Elbowdrop at 6:25. This never really got going, but then they still had plans for a WrestleMania blow off at this point. Afterwards, a still fuming Savage decides to do some more damage with the ring bell, but the protesting referee allows Roberts to save himself with the DDT! Jake gives him a second one for good measure, then decides to up the ante by bringing his king cobra into play. Miss Elizabeth runs out (in heels, good for her!) to protest, but that just eggs Jake on, and he viciously taunts Savage with another DDT as Elizabeth sobs. This is some of the best heel work you'll ever see in your life here. Finally, Jake puts the cherry on top by actually slapping her, which crosses a line no one else has ever before. The match was nothing, but that's not what this was about anyway. *

Backstage, Jake Roberts is jizzing everywhere

Davey Boy Smith v Warlord: This feud just went on forever and ever in 1991, didn't it? Both guys size each other up to start, and Davey controls a power exchange by clotheslining him over the top. He tries following with a plancha, but Warlord catches him, and rams him right into the post. Turnbuckle smash on the way back in gets reversed, however, and Davey dives with a missile dropkick before tying Warlord up in the ropes for some abuse. Bodypress, but Warlord dodges, and Smith crashes right into the ropes as a result. Warlord recovers with a backdrop, and a corner whip sets up a bearhug. Well, you knew that was coming at some point. Davey starts to slug free, so Warlord cuts him off with a belly-to-belly suplex, and he pounds him with some lumbering offense. Another backdrop is countered with a piledriver, but Warlord counters back to the backdrop - Smith countering with a sunset flip for two, but running into a clothesline as they pop up. Full Nelson looks to finish, but Davey won't quit, and Warlord ends up releasing him after about forty minutes in the hold. Okay, it might have been slightly less time than that, but it certainly FELT like forty minutes. Warlord keeps after him, but misses a corner charge, and Bulldog capitalizes with a 2^nd rope flying clothesline. Hanging vertical suplex gets two, but Warlord topples him during the Running Powerslam for two. Clothesline, but Smith counters with a crucifix for the pin at 12:45. Like their WrestleMania match, this was kind of lumbering, but not totally worthless. *

Backstage, Randy Savage is losing his shit. Proverbially speaking. I hope

Ted DiBiase and Repo Man v Virgil and Tito Santana: Col. Mustafa got to captain a team, but poor Repo Man couldn't even get a spot on Survivor Series? Shucks. And, speaking of feuds that went on forever, Virgil's still all fired up for DiBiase here. Repo and Tito start, and they trade wristlocks, with Tito dominating. He and Virgil pinball Repo in the corner for a bit, and Santana hiptosses him over the top. Back in, Tito drills him with a clothesline, and Repo has had enough - tagging out to Ted. Tito follows suit, but DiBiase stalls him out before attacking his frustrated former employee. Backdrop, but Virgil counters with a sunset flip for two, then sends Ted over the top with an atomic drop. Tito forces DiBiase right back in, but Virgil is ready to send him over the top again with a clothesline - only to run into an elbow on a corner charge. Tag to Repo for a bodyslam, as the heels cut the ring in half on Virgil until he manages to counter a backdrop from DiBiase with a swinging neckbreaker. That's enough for the hot sauce tag to Tito, and he's a casa of fire! Jumping forearm looks to finish Repo, but Ted saves, and Santana ends up getting tossed over the top. Back in, they cut the ring in half on their new victim, but a double knockout spot ends in both Virgil and DiBiase tagging in! Virgil blitzes him, but Repo breaks the count following a Russian legsweep, and Roseanne Barr the door! Unfortunately for Virgil, he gets overwhelmed by an assist from Sensational Sherri, and DiBiase pins him at 11:28. Nothing special, but a well paced effort here. **

Backstage, Hulk Hogan has went Full Hulkster

WWF Title Match: Undertaker v Hulk Hogan: Undertaker and Paul Bearer try attacking as Hogan slides into the ring, but he fights them both off, and delivers a cross corner clothesline to setup a ten-punch count in the corner! Inverted atomic drop puts Undertaker down, but only briefly, as he immediately sits up. Hulk keeps coming with a clothesline and another inverted atomic, but Undertaker blocks it, so Hulk tries a bodyslam instead, then clotheslines the champion over the top. Undertaker lands on his feet and drags Hogan right out after him, and goes to old faithful: the chokehold. That leaves Hogan in trouble as they head back in, where Undertaker keeps on him with more choking. Lots more. Ropewalk forearm sets up (you guessed it) more choking, and they spill to the outside, where Undertaker whips his challenger into the post. Inside, Hulk escapes another choke, and they do a sloppy criss cross spot that sees Undertaker trip over himself on the ropes, but leads to 'Taker hitting a jumping clothesline for two. Another ropewalk forearm, but Hulk manages to pull him down off the top this time, and he starts mounting a comeback. That cues Ric Flair, but Hogan spots him on the outside, and dives to the floor to blast Flair with a chair! Back to the task at hand, and the big boot hits, but Undertaker goes to the throat to block the Legdrop. Cue Bearer with the urn, but Hogan dodges, and takes a handful of the ashes inside to blind Undertaker with for a schoolboy at 13:10. Not quite as bad as the Survivor Series match, but that's not exactly high praise. DUD

Lord Alfred Hayes is here with Call of the Action, in which he teaches us the names of different wrestling moves. Oh, this should be gold. First up is Bret Hart's Sharpshooter. Apparently, it's a 'pretty complicated hold using a high degree of efficiency.' I don't know dude, I figured it out pretty good at age nine. Just ask my little brother. Next up is Virgil's version of the Million Dollar Dream, though Alfred just calls it a 'sleeper hold,' and notes that it leaves its victim 'ripe for the picking.' Eww, Lord Alfred is lucky he died well before MeToo. Next up is Davey Boy Smith's hanging vertical suplex, which I unfortunately could not master at age nine. Just ask my little brother. And finally, a move that Alfred sells as basically state of the art tag wrestling: a tandem clothesline. Yes, running at someone while holding hands with your tag partner was apparently still really impressive to some people in 1992. Or ever

Mooney signs off, hyping Royal Rumble '92 in the process. Well, at least that was a good tape

BUExperience: This was a pretty cool tape to find in a video rental store back in the day because you got all the matches from This Tuesday in Texas (which wasn’t released on home video otherwise), but in the era of WWE Network, there’s really nothing on here that would make it worth the time to watch.

Not a good addition to your Coliseum Collection