WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Wrestling Superheroes (1990)

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Wrestling Superheroes (1990)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Ultimate Warrior press-slamming Randy Savage

Sean Mooney hosts from the control center

WWF Tag Team Title Handicap Match: Demolition v Mr. Fuji and The Powers of Pain: From WrestleMania V, April 2 1989 in Atlantic City New Jersey. Talk about a feud that should have been WAY bigger than it turned out to be. Ax starts with Warlord, and evades him in the corner, then pounds him down. Smash tags in to snapmare him over for a chinlock, and Ax tags back in for a headvise. The champions work Warlord over in dull fashion, so the challengers try a triple-team in the corner than results in Barbarian tagging in, but getting clobbered with a bodyslam from Ax. Demolition cut the ring in half on Barbarian, but Ax runs into a cheap shot, and the challengers take over. They work Ax over, as the dead casino crowd just totally kills this already dull match dead. Fuji misses a flying elbowdrop to allow the tag to Smash, and he's a derby of fire! Brawl breaks out, and the Powers try taking advantage of their strength in numbers, but some salt throwing from Fuji backfires, and the Demolition Decapitation retains at 8:55. Total nothing throwaway match, despite being the blow off to months of feuding. ½*

Greg Valentine v Jimmy Snuka: From Saturday Night's Main Event XXII on July 29 1989 (taped July 18) in Worcester Massachusetts. Ron Garvin is, of course, the assigned referee for this bout. That seems like a wild conflict of interest, and a ridiculous decision on Jack Tunney's part. Unless, it was meant to be some sort of crazy physiological experiment, in which case I like how this Tunney fella thinks. Valentine attacks from behind and hammers Snuka with forearms, but runs into a knife-edge chop during a criss cross, and Jimmy follows with a diving double-ax. 2nd rope flying headbutt hits the knees, however, and Valentine drops a series of three elbows for two. Kneelift sends Jimmy to the outside, and Garvin doesn't appreciate the way Greg stops Jimmy from re-entering - leading to Garvin popping Valentine one! That sets up a flying bodypress from Snuka at 3:14. Jesus, Gorilla Monsoon would be losing his mind here. Snuka looked old and beat up at this point, even opposite fellow twenty year veteran Valentine. ½*

Cage Match: Rick Rude v Roddy Piper: From New York City house show on December 28 1989. This is escape of pinfall rules. Rude attacks as Piper walks through the door, but Roddy blocks a smash into the cage, and reverses a whip into it! Rick responds by trying to climb out, but Piper knocks him down by attacking with his belt, and he bites him down to the mat to draw blood. I know it's the Garden, but man, blood on a house show? The 80s really were a very different time. Rick tries to climb out again out of sheer desperation, but Piper isn't done with him by a damn sight, and sends Rick flying into the steel. Roddy is satisfied, and decides to climb out himself, but Rick crotches him on the top rope to block, and drops a knee to the groin for two. Rude goes for the door, but Piper tugs the tights to keep him inside, and poor Bobby Heenan is losing his mind. Roddy unloads on him, but Rick fights him off long enough to deliver the Rude Awakening. Piper cuts him off at the door again, so Rick tries to climb, but Piper follows up to the top of the cage for a slugfest. Both guys climb halfway down the side, so Roddy bashes his head into the cage, and both hit the floor at the same time at 8:12. The referee doesn't want a cheap finish, however, and rules that the match must continue. Rude nails him with a chair while they're out there, and brings him back in to drop a knee on. Rick then climbs to the top of the cage for a flying kneedrop for two, and a piledriver follows. That allows Rude to climb again for another dive, but Piper crotches him at the top of the cage this time, and leaves Rick hanging upside-down there. That allows Roddy to go for the door, but Heenan slams it in his face to block. Rude recovers, and manages to cover for two. Heenan passes his man the knux to finish this off, but Piper swats them away, and knocks Rude cold with them! That allows him an easy escape for the win at 12:58. The first seven minutes, or so, were pretty dull, but business picked up following the false finish. * ¼

WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan v Hercules Hernandez: From SNME VIII on November 29 1986 (taped November 15) in Los Angeles California. Weird blue kneepads for Hogan here, which make him look like Barry Windham. Test-of-strength to start, which gives us a neat visual with the contrasting skin tones of these two. Hercules dumps him into the corner with a cheap shot, but a cross corner clothesline gets reversed, and Hulk wins a criss cross with a high knee. Big boot and a bodyslam setup an elbowdrop, but Hercules manages to roll out of the way, and he corner whips the champion before dropping a series of knees to the lower back. Bearhug and a backbreaker submission wear Hogan down, but a torture rack can't get him to quit, and triggers a HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Running Forearm Smash! Turnbuckle Smashes! Chop! Big Boot! Legdrop! 6:30! This was fine formula stuff, and the crowd ate it up. *

Randy Savage v Ultimate Warrior: From a live event in New York City on February 20 1989. Savage is the WWF Champion here, and Warrior is the WWF Intercontinental champion, but this is non-title, and this is just a few weeks after Macho’s big heel turn on The Main Event. Savage attacks before the bell, but Warrior fights off the blitz, and sends Macho to the outside with a jumping shoulderblock. Randy stalls as he regroups, but Warrior offers him no rest, pressing him back into the ring. Macho bails again, and clobbers Warrior when he tries chasing again. That allows Macho to dive with a flying bodypress, but Warrior catches him, and places him in a tree of woe for some abuse. Cross corner whip works, but the charge in doesn’t, and Macho sends him to the outside with a high knee. Randy dives after him with a flying axehandle on the floor, and he snaps Warrior’s throat across the top rope for two on the way back inside. Kneedrop gets him two, so Savage tries putting the boots to him, but still only gets two. Chinlock quickly turns into a blatant choke, and Macho elbowdrops him for two. Back to the chinlock, but Warrior slugs free, so Macho clotheslines him back down for two. Flying axehandle connects, but only gets a one count, as Warrior just will not slow down. Randy tries a vertical suplex, but Warrior reverses for two, as Rick Rude arrives at ringside. Warrior stays on Macho with a pair of corner whips and a corner clothesline, and an atomic drop gets him two. Warrior argues the count, allowing Randy a schoolboy for two, but Warrior fights back with a facebuster. Splash, but Randy lifts his knees to block, and he covers for two. Savage with a few axehandles, but Warrior is getting fired up, and makes a comeback on him. He hits a running powerslam, but then suddenly decides he wants to go after Rude instead of covering, and Warrior gets counted out at 9:36. The finish was poorly executed, but the match was really fun, with non-stop action. ** ¾  

Mooney signs off

BUExperience: This was one of those cheap one hour jobs, with no skits or anything between the matches, and mostly stuff that already aired on major shows, or other Coliseum releases. But, we do get an exclusive in the Savage/Warrior match, and while it’s not at the level of their more famous matches, it’s another fun bout between the two, and kind of makes the tape.