WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The British Bulldogs (1986)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: The British Bulldogs (1986)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features The British Bulldogs!

Gene Okerlund hosts from the control center

The British Bulldogs v Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff: From New York City on October 21 1985. The Bulldogs run in to break up the anthem singing, kickstarting the match, and cleaning house. The dust settles on Davey Boy Smith and Nikolai, and Volkoff hammers him into the heel corner right away. Tag to Sheik for a double team, and Sheik adds a backdrop. Sheik lands a clothesline for two, and a bodyslam gets him two. Back to Volkoff, but Smith counters a bodyslam with a rollup for two, and he passes to Dynamite Kid. Kid comes in with a flying axehandle, and he works Volkoff’s arm, but gets into the wrong part of town, and Sheik gives him a gutwrench suplex for two. Vertical suplex, but Kid reverses, though Sheik recovers first. Backdrop, but Kid uses a sunset flip for two, so Sheik passes back to Volkoff. Volkoff throws a clothesline, and a chokeslam follows. Nikolai uses a piledriver for two, but a miscommunication in the heel corner allows Davey to get the tag. He gives Sheik the running powerslam, but Volkoff saves at two, and Sheik side suplexes Smith. Camel clutch looks to finish, but Kid makes the save, and Roseanne Barr the door! The heels dump Dynamite and double up on Davey, but Kid comes off the top, toppling Davey onto Volkoff for the pin at 6:39. The more I see of their work, the more I enjoy Sheik and Volkoff as a team. I always thought of them as two bad workers, but both guys generally work hard, and are engaging as a team. **

Bret Hart v Dynamite Kid: From Prime Time Wrestling on October 8 1985 (taped September 14) in Landover Maryland. Bret stalls to start, and a criss cross doesn't go his way when a dropkick is countered with a catapult into the corner. Great timing on that spot there. Bret stalls on the outside after that, but still takes an atomic drop on the way back in, and Kid drills him with a snap suplex. Great execution all around here. Kid with a chinlock, so Hart counters to a hammerlock, but Kid dumps him out of the ring to escape. Bret stalls out there again, and they trade wristlocks once they get back at it, with Hart able to dominate. He whips Kid into the ropes for a knee, then gives him a hairpull slam, followed by a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop. That wasn't quite as graceful as his later take on the move. To the outside, Hart bodyslams him on the floor, but Kid beats the count, so Bret delivers a backbreaker for two. Backdrop, but Kid counters with a sunset flip for two, so Hart stomps him in the groin. Well, that'll usually get a message across. Bret unloads with uppercuts, but Kid counters one with a backslide for two, then reverses a backbreaker, so Bret ties his ass up in the ropes for some abuse. Bodypress, but Kid dodges, and Bret takes a visually impressive bump into the ropes. That looked great. That allows Kid to make a comeback, and a cross corner whip sets up a kneedrop for two. Side suplex gets two, and a 2nd rope flying kneedrop is worth two. Criss cross sees Kid trip over Hart and take a spill into the ropes, and Hart dumps him to the outside, but Kid comes back in with a rollup at 12:25. Some great stuff, and certainly some beautiful execution, but pretty disappointing overall. Watching Bret play William Regal for half the match wasn't my favorite, either. * ½

Davey Boy Smith v Jim Neidhart: From Landover Maryland on September 14 1985. Posturing to start, with Davey dominating, and Neidhart stalling after every losing exchange. Neidhart manages to pound Davey down, and they spill to the outside, where Jim whips him into the guardrail. Inside, Neidhart tries a cross corner whip, but Bulldog reverses, and delivers a backelbow to leave Jim begging off. Davey stays on him with another corner whip, and Smith follows in with a clothesline. Chinlock, but Neidhart powers out, so Davey goes back to the corner whip well, but the charge in backfires this time, and Neidhart pins him at 5:33. They told a story, but the actual work was super dull. ¼*

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Greg Valentine, Brutus Beefcake, and Johnny Valiant v Davey Boy Smith, Dynamite Kid, and Captain Lou Albano: From New York on March 16 1986. Greg and Davey start, and Smith wins a criss cross with an atomic drop. Greg gets knocked into the babyface corner for a triple team, and Kid tags in with a shoulderblock. The babyfaces dominate Valentine for a while, until things break down, and everyone brawls for a bit. The dust settles on Brutus and Kid, and Kid is in trouble in the heel corner. They cut the ring in half on Kid, but Davey gets the hot tag, and Valiant takes the running powerslam, but Greg saves at two. That draws Albano in to tee off on Valiant, but Greg tags in before the babyfaces can put him away. Greg misses an elbowdrop on Davey, allowing Smith a bodyslam for two. Backdrop, but Greg blocks. Greg tries a vertical suplex, but Davey reverses, and Valiant saves at two. Tag to Kid, and he unloads on Greg in the corner for a long while. Tag to Davey for a small package for two, and back to Kid for stereo shoulderblocks for two. Kid with a clothesline for two, with Valiant saving again. Kid with a snap suplex, but Valiant saves again at two, and that’s enough - Roseanne Barr the damn door! Kid with a rollup on Beefcake at 12:46. Yeah, I thought for sure one of the managers was doing the job there, that’s surprising. Solid enough, but felt a little long, and not quite engaging enough. * ½ 

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The Dream Team v The British Bulldogs: From WrestleMania 2 on April 7 1986 in Chicago Illinois. The Bulldogs have Ozzy Osbourne with them for morale support/pills, and this acts as the main event for Chicago - though it was sort of on equal footing with the Battle Royal. Greg Valentine starts with Davey Boy Smith, and the Bulldog controls a slugfest, so Valentine hides in the corner. He suckers Davey into a double-leg takedown, but Smith fights him off into a wristlock. Greg counters with a hiptoss, but misses a fistdrop, and Davey tags out to Dynamite Kid. Kid turnbuckle smashes the champion for two, and wins a crisp criss cross with a shoulderblock, the follows with an equally crisp snap suplex. Tag back to Smith with a hanging vertical suplex for two, and Valentine bails to the floor. He milks the count before climbing back in, and manages to clobber Davey on a backdrop attempt, then tag out to Brutus Beefcake. Beefcake works a wristlock, but Smith press-slams his way out, and tags. Kid with a big clothesline for two, and an inside cradle gets two. Tag back to Davey with a fisherman's suplex for two, and he grabs a front-facelock, but Beefcake is able to make the tag while in the hold - Valentine coming in with a flying axehandle. He follows with a vertical suplex for two, then grounds Smith with a chinlock. Davey manages to escape and tag, and Kid controls a slugfest with the Hammer. The Bulldogs deliver a tandem shoulderblock for two, and Greg is in trouble - waving Beefcake in for some interference. Kid still manages a sunset flip for two, and a backbreaker for two - Beefcake breaking up the count. Kneedrop gets two, as poor Greg is just taking a proper shitkicking here. Valentine manages to forward piledrive Kid for two to finally halt the onslaught, but ends up getting kneed in the nads, then slammed off the top rope for two - Smith stopping Beefcake's interference this time, and forcing Greg to work for the kickout. Kid bodyslams Valentine, then Davey tries press-slamming Kid onto him, but Greg bails. Smith responds by hitting the Running Powerslam for two, and a snap suplex is worth two, but a whip into the corner gets reversed. Greg goes right after the shoulder before tagging Beefcake in with a 2nd rope axehandle to the shoulder. Hammerlock-slam by Brutus, and the Dream Team cut the ring in half while working the shoulder. Valentine with a shoulderbreaker to finish, but he gets cocky, and pulls Davey up at two, then gets reversed into the corner (right into a headbutt from Kid, which knocks both out), and Smith scores the fall at 12:03. Never realized how that ending built on the finish from the Saturday Night's Main Event match that set it up before. One more reason I switched to doing these chronologically now. Like the SNME match, this was a really crisp, peppy match (the TV match was actually a bit peppier, even), and while it’s been eclipsed by more modern matches since, it’s still one of my personal favorite tag bouts. *** ½

Gene is at Diamond Gym in New Jersey, where the Bulldogs are working out. According to Google, the place is still there, and still looks exactly the same - wood paneling, and all

WWF Tag Team Title Match: The British Bulldogs v The Moondogs: From New York on July 12 1986. Davey Boy Smith starts with Moondog Spot, and Bulldog dominates that one. Tag to Dynamite Kid, and he barrels into Spot with a shoulderblock, which Spot sells like mad before passing to Moondog Rex. Rex comes in hot, but runs into a double team, and Smith takes him to the mat in a wristlock. Back to Kid for a headbutt and a headlock, so Rex tags out, but Spot walks right into a kneelift from Smith, followed by a bodyslam for two. Spot manages to grabs a headlock to allow a tag out, and Rex is able to clobber Davey a little to turn the tide. Smith manages to win a criss cross with a bodypress for two, however, and an inside cradle follows for two. Tag to Spot to try his luck with a headlock, but Davey counters to an armbar, and passes to Kid to wristlock him. Spot headbutts him in the stomach to force a break, so Kid uses a sunset flip for two, but fails to cut the ring in half, and Rex catches a tag. Kid is ready with a hammerlock, but Rex clobbers him in the corner to escape. High knee in the corner, but Kid dodges, and Smith tags in to help wishbone Rex. Fitting. Smith with a standing grapevine, but Rex manages to fight free, so Davey shifts to a leglock instead. Rex escapes and tags, but Smith immediately sweeps Spot into a leglock as well. Like a dog with a bone, that guy. Tag to Kid for a leglock of his own, and a cross corner whip works, but the charge in does not, and that’s finally enough to turn the tide for the challengers. They work Kid over, until Davey catches a tag, and bodyslams Rex. Rex wisely dumps him to the outside to buy time, and the challengers manage to get control of their new victim. They cut the ring in half on Davey, until Kid catches the hot tag, and he runs wild. He takes Spot out with a clothesline to set up a flying kneedrop, but Rex breaks the pin, so Smith comes in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Finish sees Kid dives over Smith, Rex, and the referee with a flying bodypress on Spot at 19:06. I thought it went on for a bit too long, but it was a solid tag match with a cool finish. ** ¾

Davey Boy Smith v Greg Valentine: From New York on April 22 1986. Davey uses his speed to send Valentine to the outside early on, and then uses his power to hold Greg in an armbar as he comes back in. Smith gets him in a sharpshooter, but Greg stays on his elbows to avoid the pressure, so Davey switches to a figure four, but Valentine gets the ropes. Smith responds with a suplex for two, but Greg fights back with a flurry of chops, and takes Bulldog to the mat in a double knucklelock for some two counts. Greg goes upstairs, but Smith slams him off for two, and hooks a small package for two. Hammer dumps him to the outside and dives after him with an axehandle from the apron, and he sends Davey into the guardrail from there. Inside, Greg drops a forearm for two, and he grounds Bulldog in a chinlock, and he shifts to a front-facelock when Davey tries escaping, really grinding it on. Valentine with a kneedrop for two, so he goes back to the chinlock to wear him down some more, but Smith powers into a side suplex for two. Smith makes a comeback, and the running powerslam looks to finish, but Valentine gets the shoulder up at two. Greg bails, so Smith chases, and Greg steals the high ground back to nail him. Nice psychology there. Greg gets the figure four on, but Davey makes the ropes to force a break. Greg keeps hammering the leg, and he tries the hold again, but Bulldog blocks this time. Greg tries a third time, but Bulldog blocks again, so Valentine dives off the middle with an axehandle to knock Davey silly for the pin at 16:18. Solid action here. **

Dynamite Kid v Brutus Beefcake: From New York on April 22 1986. Kid wins a pair of criss crosses to start, ending in Beefcake on the outside. Beefcake stalls to break the momentum, and calls for a test-of-strength on the way back in, which Kid accepts. Brutus manages to win by turning it into a wristlock, but Kid does some hustling, and suplexes his way out, and into an armbar. Beefcake makes the ropes, and does some more stalling from there. Kid grabs a headlock as they engage, but Beefcake is ready with a side suplex to escape, and he adds a headbutt drop to the groin. Beefcake with a 2nd rope stomp, and a hanging vertical suplex gets him two. Kid fights back out of the corner, and a well executed snap suplex sets up a headbutt drop. Kid makes a comeback, but a charge misses, and Kid takes a bump to the outside. Kid scrambles to get back in, but Beefcake greets him with a foreign object loaded punch. Suplex, but Kid slips away, and hooks a rollup at 8:29. The execution was really good here (mostly due to Kid), but the match didn’t really tell much of a story. * ¼

The British Bulldogs v King Kong Bundy and Big John Studd: From Championship Wrestling in Poughkeepsie New York on May 17 1986 (taped April 21), in a non-title match. Davey Boy Smith starts with Studd, but can’t get him over for a sunset flip, so Dynamite Kid runs in with a clothesline to help it along. Davey slugs at him, and stereo dropkicks get two, so Bundy tags in. Bundy hammers Davey down, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Smith dodges. Tag to Kid for some fast double teaming, but once Davey is alone, he’s dead in the water. The heels double up on Smith in their corner, and Studd delivers an elbowdrop for two. The heels work Davey over, but Kid gets sick of it, and charges in. He dives onto Studd, and an angry Studd swats the referee for the DQ at 4:43. Not much going on here. DUD

BUExperience: This is a good one, with several matches well worth seeing, and a strong subject.

A great addition to your Coliseum Collection.