WWF Coliseum Video Collection: SuperTape IV (1991) (Version II)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: SuperTape IV (1991)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Big Boss Man storming the Capitol, while the back promises that we’ll be able to hear the excitement. Oh, is this a scamblevision deal?

Sean Mooney hosts, and he's been tasked with delivering the master copy of this tape to Coliseum to print. This is like a time travel nightmare. And, speaking of nightmares, his driver is Lord Alfred Hayes. But at least they travel in style, aboard the official Coliseum Video van. Which you know is the official Coliseum Video van because there's a piece of paper with 'Official Coliseum Video Van' handwritten on the side of it

 

WWF Intercontinental Champion Mr. Perfect ain't afraid of no tornadoes

 

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Mr. Perfect v Kerry Von Erich: TV taping dark match from West Palm Beach Florida on December 12 1990. Perfect attacks before the bell, and actually gets the better of him, clotheslining the challenger over the top. That's weird, usually when the heel does that, the babyface fights them off and cleans house. Perfect follows to the outside, but gets decked with the Discus Punch, and the announcers rightly note that it's pretty stupid to try hitting your finisher on the outside when you're challenging for a title. Back in, Kerry dumps him over the top, as he's clearly still shy on the finer points. And he's a former champion at this point! Back in again, Kerry finally gets his ass in gear, and puts the champion in a Boston crab, but Perfect has the ropes. Corner whip is sold with a somersault by Perfect, and Kerry is on him with a stomach claw, but Perfect goes to the eyes to escape. Perfect gets him in a sleeper, but Kerry escapes ahead of the third arm drop. He tries another Discus Punch, but Perfect blocks, and pounds him into the corner. Perfect pops off a top turnbuckle pad, but Kerry blocks a shot into it, and sends Perfect over the top with a big right hand. Kerry nearly forgot to block the turnbuckle smash there, the goof. He follows Perfect to the outside, but misses a clothesline against the post, and Perfect sends him into it again on the way back in. And even THAT Kerry kinda fucks up, jumping over the buckles to hit the post instead of the exposed buckle. PerfectPlex only gets two, and Kerry fires up with a clawhold, but Perfect bumps the referee to save himself. Kerry stays on him with another Discus, but it only gets two from the dazed referee. That was a great nearfall, though. And then the official just gets up and calls for the bell, disqualifying Perfect for bumping him at 7:43. If that was a DQ, why did he count a nearfall afterwards? Von Erich looked bad out there, and the finish was terrible (both in booking and execution), but it was mostly watchable. * (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Tito Santana v Koko B. Ware: From Prime Time Wrestling on February 4 1991 (taped January 21) at the Garden in New York. Feeling out process to start, with the exchanges getting more tense as they go on. Koko actually decks him during a friendly handshake to take the heel role, and he dumps Santana to the outside. Tito beats the count back in, so Koko drops an elbow for two, and goes to a nervehold. Santana gets fires up, but Koko pops him with jabs to cut off a comeback, and uses a bodyslam to set up a flying fistdrop, but Santana dodges. Cue the comeback from Tito, and a criss cross ends in Santana hitting El Paso at 10:02. Watching Koko work heel in the WWF was kind of fun, but the match was some really boring shit. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Back in the Official Coliseum Video Van, Mooney and Hayes take the road less traveled

 

Next up is a feature called 'From the Mat to the Mic,' with mini-profiles on Gorilla Monsoon, Roddy Piper, Gene Okerlund, and Randy Savage. Okerlund, really? He had, like, one match! And it was after he was a broadcaster. Not much here, just some quick clips of their matches, their commentary, and some words from each guy about why they love doing commentary instead of wrestling. Too bad they didn't do a follow-up in 1994, I can imagine getting Randy's thoughts then might have actually given us something interesting to work with

 

Back in the van, Hayes continues to drive them around the woods. Where is this Coliseum headquarters? In that doomsday cave of theirs?

 

Undertaker v Tugboat: TV taping dark match from West Palm Beach Florida on December 12 1990. This is actually Undertaker's first match after his TV debut at Survivor Series, and he's still got Brother Love as his manager at this point. "We are awaiting the arrival of Tugboat," notes Mooney. Uh, no, we're not. They do some power showdown stuff to start, and we get a couple of sloppy sequences that see Undertaker botch a clothesline and a leapfrog. It was really weird seeing him do a criss cross with a leapfrog attempt, that was definitely something he dropped pretty quickly. Undertaker misses an elbowdrop, allowing Tugboat a clothesline, and holy shit, this crowd is pretty into Tugboat! What alternate universe is this? Undertaker doing leapfrogs, people cheering Tugboat... I'm scared, mom. Tugboat misses an elbowdrop, allowing Undertaker to choke him in the corner, but a cross corner charge misses, and Tugboat tries a bodyslam - only to get toppled for two. Shouldn't that be the other way around? Undertaker works the lower back with headbutts, but Tugboat blocks the ropewalk forearm by slamming him off the top. Tugboat with a powerslam, but an avalanche misses, and Undertaker uses a flying fistdrop to finish at 5:43. This wasn't a good match, but it was really interesting to see Undertaker working out the kinks of the gimmick. Not sure why they included this on a compilation tape at the time, but I'm glad they did. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Crush v Shawn Michaels: From Prime Time on February 18 1991 (taped January 29) in Savannah Georgia. Shawn sticks and moves at him in the early going, and manages a jumping shoulderblock for two, but gets dumped to the outside when Crush kicks out with authority. Crush feeds him the apron out there, and he tries a press-slam on the way back in, but wastes time with reps, and Shawn counters with a headscissors takedown. He holds a front-facelock, but Crush makes the ropes, and hits him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Crush with a torture rack drop for two, and he stays on the part with a bearhug. Shawn actually bites his way free, so Crush cross corner whips him - beautifully sold by Michaels. Crush works a bodyscissors, but Shawn fights him off with another bite, so Crush responds in kind! Yeah, fuck him up, Crush! Some guy up in the cheap seats was probably wondering why the hell they keep kissing each other. Crush with a backbreaker, but a dive off the top misses, and Michaels mounts a comeback. Clipping the knee sets up mounted punches, but Crush catches a bodypress attempt, so Marty Jannetty comes off the top to knock him over - Michael scoring the pinfall at 7:17. Were they turning the Rockers heel at this point? Because they were cheating like maniacs here. And it wasn't even in response to heel cheating (Crush didn't break a single rule, nor did Mr. Fuji), they were just dicks. I guess they figured if Hogan gets away with it, it's the ticket to success. These two have some pretty decent chemistry. Maybe someone should book them to wrestle for the IC title sometime. But with wildly different gimmicks. And Shawn lending Crush his tights from this match. * ¾ (Original rating: * ¼)

 

Back on the road, the van has broken down, tasking poor Mooney with fixing it/making sense of Hayes

 

Handicap Match: The Legion of Doom v Mr. Fuji and The Orient Express: TV taping dark match in Huntsville Alabama on January 7 1991. Animal starts with Kato, and tosses him around, so Kato tries chops in the corner, but gets no-sold. That gets him chased around the ring, and Animal hits a powerslam on the way back in. Tanaka charges in to try and blindside him, but Hawk cuts that off, and the Express bail to regroup. The dust settles on Hawk and Tanaka, and Kato quickly comes in to try a double team, but gets dumped. Animal press-slams him on the floor, and back in, Animal steamrolls Tanaka during a criss cross. That brings Kato in with another cheap shot, and this time Fuji tosses salt in Animal's eyes to stop him from fighting them off. The heels go to work on a blinded Animal, but it doesn't last long, and Hawk gets the hot tag. Doomsday Device finishes Kato at 6:20. Fuji was in for a total of ten seconds, took zero abuse, and didn't even take the fall. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Gene Okerlund hosts Cooking Tips with The Bushwhackers. Even as a kid I never understood the appeal of these goofs, though I get that I was probably in the minority on that one. Anyway, imagine the Seinfeld where Kramer prepares foods in the shower, and you've got the gist of this one. Only, you know, without any of the charm or humor

 

Back out on the road, the van has sadly not yet made it down by the river

 

It's time for a profile in Big Boss Man. Apparently he's stood for justice ever since the moment he came to the WWF. I buy it. He was the babyface in that Hogan feud. And he should go after those Rockers next

 

Big Boss Man v Earthquake: From a house show in Toronto Ontario Canada on September 16 1990. Honestly hard to believe both of these guys are in their twenties at this point. Especially Earthquake, who between his weight, beard, and hairline looks at least forty. Lots of posturing to start, for like five full minutes, actually. Earthquake gets tripped up in the corner, allowing Boss Man a headlock, but Earthquake quickly takes him down for a choke to turn the tide. Earthquake goes to work in dull, dull fashion, until Boss Man makes a quick comeback. Cue a distraction from Dino Bravo, and Earthquake puts it away at 10:04. This was like a cure for insomnia. Afterwards, Earthquake and Bravo want to do more damage, but Tugboat runs in to make the save. Thank God they didn't stick that the tag match that likely resulted on this tape. -* (Original rating: -½*)

 

Big Boss Man v Bobby Heenan: TV taping dark match from Syracuse New York on November 20 1990. Heenan comes out hugging a Hulk Hogan wrestling buddy, and cuts a promo on Boss Man's mom (while 'apologizing'), and this is some classic Jerry Lawler shit. The King really picked up right where Bobby left off, only he could actually get into the ring and take a more regular shit kicking. So Heenan gets on his knees to beg Boss Man's forgiveness, but not even offering up the Hogan buddy calms Boss Man down, and he beats on Heenan with his nightstick. In full view of the referee! At least Alfred Hayes calls it like it is, it's a brutal attack! Boss Man pins him after some nightstick abuse at 0:33, and since he's a freaking psychopath, he decides to pull the handcuffs out, but luckily Haku runs out to save before he can unleash his sadistic plot. Boss Man manages to handcuff them to each other, but Mr. Perfect runs in to make the save, and luckily Bobby gets the heck out of dodge. And then Boss Man threatens the poor referee for good measure. Mooney notes that this sends a clear message: "don't mess with the Big Boss Man." It sure does. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

 

Big Boss Man v Barbarian: From Prime Time on February 18 1991 (taped January 25) in Hamilton Ontario Canada. The crowd is scary silent here. Senior centers at nap time are more lively than Hamilton. Boss Man knocks him to the outside with some right hands early on, so Barbarian tries responding in kind on the way back inside, but Boss Man blocks a hiptoss, and a clothesline sends Barbarian back to the floor. Back in, Boss Man keeps it going with a straddling ropechoke, but a corner splash misses, and Barbarian capitalizes with an atomic drop to set up a clothesline. He ends up on the outside, so Barbarian follows to post him, but Boss Man beats the count. Barbarian welcomes him in with a backbreaker for two, and a corner whip rebounds Boss Man into a bearhug. Boss Man bites his way out of the hold, so I guess hope that he'll bring justice to the Rockers is down the drain. Barbarian keeps him down, but a 2^nd rope elbowdrop misses, and Boss Man makes a comeback. Very slowly makes a comeback. Leg-feed enzuigiri gets two, and a hotshot is worth two. Flying bodypress, but Barbarian rolls through for two, so Boss Man tries a piledriver, but Barbarian counters with a backdrop - Boss Man hanging on with a sunset flip at 11:16. This wasn't poorly worked, just super sleepy. They'd have a much better match at the Royal Rumble a month later. ¾* (Original rating: DUD)

 

Back on the road, Mooney and Hayes have finally made it down by the river... but sadly have lost the van by that point. Come on, give me one thing!

 

WWF Title Match: Ultimate Warrior v Sgt. Slaughter: TV taping dark match in Huntsville Alabama on January 7 1991. Slaughter goes to the eyes to get him into the corner right away, where he unloads with some really phony looking shots. Cross corner whip gets reversed on him, however, and Warrior dumps him over the top with some right hands. Warrior brings him in the hard way with a slingshot, and a bodyslam leads to a hiptoss. Corner whip sends the challenger crashing over the top, and give it to Slaughter, he may he been totally wrong as a main eventer in 1991, but he went out there and sold like a maniac for his opponent. Back inside, Warrior unloads with chops in the corner, but a charge misses, and now it's Warrior's turn to take a spill over the top. Slaughter quickly capitalizes by ramming him into the timekeeper's table out there, and he gives the champion an ass massage to get him back inside. Slaughter works him over, but Warrior quickly fights him off, and uses a catapult into the corner. Criss cross ends in a double knockout, and Slaughter is up first for a bodyslam, but Warrior topples him for two. Slaughter keeps coming with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and a backbreaker is worth two. Sarge adds a pair of elbowdrops for two, and he stupidly applies the Camel Clutch with Warrior already in the ropes. Cue the comeback, and the jumping shoulderblock sets up a splash at 9:25. Wow, really selling that Royal Rumble main event, guys. * (Original rating: ¼*)

 

Our hosts are now completely lost in the woods, but Mooney, consummate professional, still manages to hype the next Coliseum release. It would also help if they chose a shot without a house visible in the background

BUExperience: What, no Hulk Hogan?

While I can’t say this was a good tape, I did enjoy some of the match choices, like getting to see Koko work heel, or Undertaker iron out the kinks in his gimmick, and such.

Still, definitely not a good addition to your Coliseum Collection.