WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The Ultimate Warrior (1992)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The Ultimate Warrior (1992)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Ultimate Warrior, and promises that we will ‘experience the awesome power.’ Safe to assume each purchase came with a steroid needle?

Sean Mooney hosts from the studio

We open with clips of Warrior making his big comeback to save Hulk Hogan at the end of WrestleMania VIII

WWF Title v WWF Intercontinental Title: Hulk Hogan v Ultimate Warrior: From WrestleMania VI, April 1 1990 in Toronto Ontario Canada. Big power showdown to start, as they size each other up. Collar-and-elbow lockup battle goes to a stalemate. Test-of-strength goes to a stalemate. Big criss cross ends in Hogan hitting a bodyslam, but Warrior no-sells, and they criss cross again - this time Warrior slamming him, and Hogan getting up, though not quite as quickly. Warrior capitalizes with a clothesline over the top, and Hulk hurts his knee on the landing. Warrior shows no mercy, going to the outside, and stomping the knee, allowing Hulk to show off those acting chops that won him so much acclaim over the years as he sells the hell out of it. Warrior brings him back in, and they start trading eyerakes, with Hulk getting the best of it, and hitting a cross corner clothesline. Ten-punch count and a bodyslam setup a pair of elbowdrops for two, and Hulk hooks an inside cradle for two! It's so odd to see Hogan actually carrying a match during this era. Axe bomber gets two, and a forward-backbreaker is worth two. Hulk grounds him in a chinlock, as Warrior is very clearly blown up here - and badly. Well, he's the idiot who decided it wise to run down the extra long aisle at full speed before the biggest match of his life, what did he expect? Side suplex gets two, then back to the chinlock. Give Hulk credit here, carrying a match like this is way out of his comfort zone, but he's doing a great job of giving Warrior the rest he needs, while still keeping things interesting enough to not lose the audience. Warrior powers out of the hold, but another criss cross ends in a double-knockout spot - again allowing them to catch a breather, while also functioning as a dramatic spot. Both men beat the count, and Warrior starts no-selling. Hulk throws axehandle after axehandle, but Warrior ignores them, and starts pelting him with running clotheslines. Pair of cross corner whips leave Hogan on his knees (Hey, remember the knee? Glad you do, 'cause Hogan doesn't), and Warrior delivers a vertical suplex for two. Bearhug see Hogan fade, but the arm starts shaking on the third drop, and he slugs his way free. Despite the complexity of the moves used being as simple and basic as it gets, they have the crowd molten throughout here. Another criss cross sees the referee get clobbered, and Warrior goes airborne with a pair of flying axehandles. That's risky strategy against Hogan. Just ask Savage. Warrior goes for the kill with the jumping shoulderblock, but Hulk sidesteps, and Warrior wipes out. Cover, but there's no referee - giving Hogan a visual pinfall. Warrior comes from behind with a side suplex as Hogan tries to revive the official, and gets a dramatic two count out of it from the dazed referee. Hogan with a schoolboy for two, and a backelbow knocks Warrior to the outside. Hogan goes after him for a slugfest on the floor, but Warrior rams him into the post on the way back in. Warrior keeps after him with a clothesline, and he manages to power Hulk through the press-slam/splash combo, but it only gets two! HULK UP BABY! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop, but Warrior rolls out of the way - Hogan landing right on the knee from earlier! Warrior quickly follows up with a splash, and we have a new champion at 22:50! Interestingly, this was the longest match in WrestleMania history to that point (main event or otherwise), and would remain so all the way until 1996, when the Hart/Michaels Iron Man Match shattered its record. That's kind of a feat in its own right, given that neither guy is exactly renowned for his stamina, and really highlights how well booked this match was - one of the greatest smoke and mirror shows of all time, and at the highest level. *** ½

Ultimate Warrior v Papa Shango: TV taping dark match in Lexington Kentucky on May 19 1992. Warrior clotheslines him over the top during his entrance, so Shango pulls him to the outside, and they brawl for a bit. Inside, Warrior barrels into him again, and uses corner whips to set up corner clotheslines. Bodyslam sets up a splash, but Papa lifts his knees to block, and he jumping clotheslines the Warrior down. Shango works him over in plodding fashion, and a nervehold looks to put it away, but Warrior powers out. Shango responds with a bodyslam, but a 2^nd rope elbowdrop misses, and Warrior starts making his comeback. Jumping shoulderblock sets up the splash, and that's it at 5:20. Maybe this feud would have drawn better if Warrior didn't beat Shango clean after five minutes of barely making him look like a threat? ¼*

Ultimate Warrior v Skinner: From Superstars, May 2 1992 (taped April 8) in Kalamazoo Michigan. Skinner spits his chewing tobacco in Warrior's face at the bell, however Warrior no-sells that shit, and destroys Skinner in the corner. Skinner gets dumped to the outside, where Warrior follows for a clothesline, and he hits another one on the way back inside. Jumping shoulderblock and a splash finish at a brisk 1:39. DUD

Ultimate Warrior v Brian Knobbs: From Superstars, May 16 1992 (taped April 29) in Syracuse New York. The Nasty Boys have kept secret which of them would be working the match until bell time, which is hilarious. As if Warrior is sitting back there training for the subtle differences between Knobbs and Sags, or something. He works the same match against Andre the Giant as against Rick Rude! But you think THAT'S going to through him off of his game?! And then Warrior just runs out and kills them both anyway. The Boys manage to double team to slow him down, and Knobbs works him over as Papa Shango shows up, stealing a bit of Warrior's gear that's fallen off, and taking it with him to the back. Warrior starts making a comeback, so Jerry Sags whacks him with a chair to put a stop to it, and Brian covers for two. Warrior starts making another comeback, however, and the jumping shoulderblock sets up a splash at 3:50. Sadly, this version omits Papa Shango cursing him after the match (complete with vomit), which you'd think would be the entire reason to even include this to begin with. DUD

Ultimate Warrior and Undertaker v Papa Shango and Berzerker: TV taping dark match from Cornwall Ontario Canada on June 3 1992. The heels try a sneak attack, but walk into stereo big boots, and both get dumped. Man, after years of interesting and varied gear, Warrior really leaned hard into the white look in 1992, didn't he? But, hey, still better than the singlet at SummerSlam. Dust settles on Undertaker and Berzerker, and Undertaker chokes him into the corner, but misses a charge. That allows Berzerker to knock him over the top with a dropkick, but 'Taker lands on his feet, and he pulls Berzerker out after him for a trip into the steps. He tags Warrior on the way back inside, and Warrior uses a bodyslam, followed by a corner whip/corner clothesline combo. He adds a pair of shoulderblocks, but Papa takes a cheap shot from the apron to prevent a third, and Berzerker quickly capitalizes. Tag to Shango to pound Warrior in their home corner, and they cut the ring in half on him, while some poor camera angle choices expose just how loosely they're working. Not that I blame them, but still. Warrior manages to backdrop Berzerker over the top on a charge to allow the hot tag to Undertaker, and Roseanne Barr the door! Chokeslam for Berzerker, and a jumping clothesline for Papa. The heels try doubling up, but Warrior comes in to clothesline them both, and he hits Berzerker with the jumping shoulderblock to set up a splash at 7:34. Pretty dull, but at least the heat segment wasn't just a rest hold exhibition. ½*

BUExperience: Even as far as lazy one hour Coliseum releases go, this was pretty bottom of the barrel stuff. I mean, Mooney didn’t show up once after the intro, and we don’t even get a single crazy promo from Warrior himself? No buys.

Not a good addition to your Coliseum Collection.