WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest '94 (1994)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest '94 (1994)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Shawn Michaels clotheslining Razor Ramon, while the back promises fashion tips from the Macho Man

Randy Savage hosts from his closet, filled with all his various ring gear

Randy Savage v Rick Martel: From Superstars on February 12 1994 in Fayetteville North Carolina, and taped on January 11. Interesting outfit for Macho this week, as he’s got orange gear on, but has his green Mania jacket and hat over it. He was usually much better coordinated than that. Martel does some stalling to start, and manages to successfully sucker Randy into a cheap shot when Savage chases. Cross corner whip, but Randy reverses, and peppers him with jabs. Hiptoss and a clothesline send Martel to the outside, but he manages to stall things out again, and get control on the way back in. Turnbuckle smash, but Macho reverses, and grabs a standing side-headlock. Martel forces a criss cross, but Randy wins it with a backslide for two, and a clothesline puts Rick back on the outside. Macho drags him back in, but Martel pops him with a punch to block, and he tosses Randy over the top. Martel follows for a bodyslam on the floor, and a vertical suplex brings Randy back inside for two. Cross corner whip rattles the ring, and Rick continues hammering on the back, ahead of a reverse chinlock. Savage fights free, and uses a sunset flip for two, but Martel stomps the back to cut him off. A backbreaker gets Martel two, but Savage fights back with a small package for two. Martel tries a backdrop, but Savage blocks, and uses a high knee to knock Rick to the outside. Randy dives after him with a flying axehandle, and he rolls him in to hook the leg for two. Martel throws a right to the throat to buy time, and a high knee of his own connects. Cross corner whip works, but the charge in misses, and Macho bodyslams him to set up the flying elbowdrop at 8:02. Nothing over the top, but solid work, and both guys made a real effort. **

Back in the closet, Savage thinks Irwin R. Schyster is ‘not nice,’ simply because he does his job

WWF Tag Team Title Match: Marty Jannetty and 1-2-3 Kid v The Headshrinkers: From Florence South Carolina on January 12 1994, just after Marty and Kid won the belts (and just before they lost them back). Jannetty and Samu start, and Samu uses a pair of chops ahead of a bodyslam. Marty fights back with an armdrag into an armbar, but Samu whips him into the ropes - only to lose the resulting criss cross to a monkey flip. Samu tries one of his own, but Jannetty blocks with a fistdrop, then dropkick the challenger out of the ring. Tag to Fatu, so Marty holds him in a wristlock, and tags Kid for a flying axehandle. He tries a wristlock of his own, but Fatu nails him, and hammers away. Fatu with a powerslam for two, but a clothesline misses, and Kid dropkicks him. Fatu bails, but Kid is on him with a springboard bodypress on the floor! Inside, Kid and Marty hit Fatu with a combo to keep it going, and Jannetty grabs a wristlock to slow things down. Fatu tries a backdrop, but Marty blocks, and superkicks him. Cover, but Samu comes in to break it up, and the distraction allows Fatu to send Jannetty flipping with a clothesline. The Headshrinkers with a wishbone, and Samu bodyslams him, as the challengers take control. They cut the ring in half, until Kid gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Afa ends up coming in, and he drills Kid with a Samoan drop. That allows Samu to cover, and we have new champions crowned at 9:19. Oh, but a second referee runs out to alert the first to what happened, and the decision is reversed. I’m surprised they didn’t just restart the match, and just as I write that, Gorilla says the same thing! Good action, weak finish. **

Back in the closest, Savage is still hanging. Frankly, I’d be happy to watch a full two hours of just Savage actually going through various outfits and discussing them

From a TV taping in Springfield Massachusetts on  April 28 1994, Oscar and Men on a Mission perform a WrestleFest rap

Savage proves he isn’t a racist uttering “black is great” about 100 times. Oh, he’s referring to the Undertaker’s wardrobe

Undertaker v Adam Bomb: From Worcester Massachusetts on September 28 1993, in a TV taping dark match. Bomb sneak attacks, pounding Undertaker into the corner to start, and a cross corner whip ends in Undertaker getting dumped to the outside. Adam follows to bash him into the apron out there, and Undertaker takes a two-for-one trip into the post/steps next. Well, that was certainly efficient. Back in, Bomb keeps hammering, but Undertaker starts returning fire, so Adam goes to the eyes. Couldn't Undertaker just roll his eyes back to block? No matter, he starts no-selling moments later, and Bomb eats a chokeslam at 2:36. Speaking of efficient. DUD

Back in the closet, Savage critiques Jeff Jarrett’s gear

The Steiner Brothers v Bret Hart and Owen Hart: From Florence South Carolina on January 12 1994. Scott Steiner and Bret Hart start, and Scott immediately frustrates Bret with a takedown that leaves the Hitman needing to grab the ropes to save himself. Hart recovers with a firemans carry into a waistlock, but Scott gets into the ropes to force a break of his own. Scott with a takedown into a spinning toehold, but Bret wrestles to a vertical base, so Scott shifts to a side-headlock. Gorilla Monsoon and Stan Lane are on commentary here, and they do a really great job of getting over what’s going on here, from the psychology to the execution. And without needing to get over any major angles, they can just tell the story of the match, and they do a wonderful job. A criss cross ends in Scott knocking Bret out of the ring with a shoulderblock, and Owen goes over to help him up. Bret is less hurt than frustrated, but he picks himself up, and goes back in. They trade wristlocks, and Hart manages to counter a slam with a rollup for two. Hart follows with an armdrag into an armbar, and he passes to Owen for an armbar of his own. Scott bodyslams free, and passes to Rick Steiner. Rick and Owen grapple on the mat to a stalemate, but a criss cross goes Rick’s way with a powerslam. Owen dodges an elbowdrop, and tries grabbing a hold, but Rick launches him with a German suplex. A reversal sequence sees Owen hook him in a bridging German suplex for two, so Rick tags out. A criss cross allows Owen a spinheel kick for two, and a bridging northern lights suplex gets him two. Owen keeps coming with a somersault cradle for two, but Scott bridges up into a butterfly powerbomb for two - Bret making the save. Both men tag, and Rick manages a takedown into an armbar, so Bret tries a bodyslam, but Rick rolls through it, keeping the hold applied. Hart fights to a criss cross, and he catches Rick with a knee to the gut, then pops him with a headbutt. Bret adds a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Rick rolls out of the way, and goes back to the armbar. Bret escapes, and manages to land a dropkick, then adds a DDT to set up a legdrop. That slows Rick down, and Bret stays on him with a pointed elbowdrop. Rick manages to hang with him through a slugfest, so Bret tries grabbing a sleeper to avoid losing the hard fought control he’s gained. Bret wears him down, but Rick manages to drop into the corner to shake him off. Bret immediately reapplies, however, and Rick fades this time - as Bret veers into a choke territory. Bret is doing an amazing job of playing a subtle heel here. Rick passes out, but as he collapses, he falls into the ropes. The referee wants a break, but Bret holds on to the hold even past the five count, forcing Scott to make him break. Rick is still on a dream street, and Bret vertical suplexes him to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but Rick gets a boot up to block. That allows Rick to go to the top with a flying bulldog for two, and a corner whip gets him another two. Tag to Scott for a tilt-a-whirl slam that gets two, but Bret reverses a cross corner whip. Bret follows in, but Scott sidesteps, and the Hitman takes a bump to the outside, clutching his shoulder. Bret fights to the apron, so Scott welcomes him with a suplex in - only for Bret to reverse him with a suplex over the top! Scott hurts his knee on the landing, but Bret shows no mercy: scooping him up, and ramming him into the apron. Inside, Bret passes to Owen, and the Rocket uses a bodyslam to set up a flying headbutt drop for two, as Bret sells like crazy in the corner. Owen with a gutwrench suplex for two, and he grabs an abdominal stretch, but Scott powers out with a hiptoss. Owen responds with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for two, and he corner whips Scott into the Hart corner. Tag to Bret to unload on Scott, and a Russian legsweep gets two. Back to Owen, and a criss cross ends in Bret taking a cheap shot from the apron. Owen covers, but Rick is in to delay the count, and Scott kicks out at two. Owen tries a dropkick, but Scott dodges, and tags. Rick comes in to hammer Owen, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker gets him two. Rick uses a bodyslam and a pancake tombstone gets him two. Back to Scott for a dragon suplex for two, then right back to Rick for a jumping clothesline to set up an elbowdrop for two. Rick gets a reverse chinlock on, and he passes to Scott - who drills Owen with the screwdriver. Cover, count, but Bret saves at two. Scott responds by launching Owen over the top, but Owen makes it to the apron ahead of the count. Scott tries to slingshot him back in, but Owen reverses him over the top. Scott beats the count, but he fails to cut off the tag to Bret. Bret comes in with an inverted atomic drop to set up a hangman clothesline for two, and a backbreaker sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Bret with a headbutt, and he goes for the Sharpshooter, but Rick saves. Owen tries, but Rick breaks that, and Scott scoops Owen onto his shoulders. Rick rushes to the top to dive for the combo, but Bret knocks him off the ropes, as Owen hooks Scott in a victory roll for two. Things break down, and Roseanne Barr the door! Owen collides with both Bret and Rick to knock both guys to the floor, and Scott climbs to dive at Bret with a flying axehandle - as Owen dives at Rick with a plancha! Everyone fights on the outside, but the referee is counting, and we have a double countout at 24:58. Oh man, this was insane. Just great stuff, and with plenty of time to really build, and tell a story. And it did a variety of things well, from the execution of ‘simple’ amatuer holds and takedowns, to the big flashy moves. What’s crazy is, this would be a match of the year candidate in any other year, but 1994 had so many classics that this one was largely forgotten by the end of the year (and remains something of a hidden gem even today). **** ¾ (Original rating: **** ½)

Back in the closet, Savage is unimpressed with Yokozuna’s look, which he likens to a ‘big diaper’ 

WWF Title Match: Yokozuna v Mr. Perfect: From Glens Falls New York on October 19 1993. Yokozuna tries a sneak attack, but Perfect dodges. Yeah, I’d hope. Perfect with a dropkick to knock the champ out of the ring, and Yokozuna is so dazed that he walks into the post. Yokozuna regroups, but Perfect kicks him down low as he climbs back in, and Perfect unloads with chops. Standing dropkick, but Yokozuna sidesteps, and sends Perfect flying with a chop of his own. Yokozuna with a clothesline to trigger another oversell, and a headbutt rattles the challenger as well. Yokozuna with a snapmare into a nervehold, but Perfect starts fighting, so Yokozuna throws him over the top. Perfect beats the count, but he’s battered, and Yokozuna uses a turnbuckle smash. Again, but Perfect reverses, and keeps coming with a few more, so Yokozuna uses a thrust to the throat to send Perfect back to the floor. Perfect beats the count, so Yokozuna cross corner whips him, but misses an avalanche. That allows Perfect to make a comeback, and a 2nd rope clothesline puts Yokozuna on his ass. Perfect with a series of chops, but a cross corner whip gets reversed. Yokozuna is too dazed to follow up, so Mr. Fuji distracts Perfect to buy the champ time, and Yokozuna lands an avalanche. That allows him to climb for the Banzai drop, and that’s enough at 7:47. This wasn’t great, but Perfect bumped around, as expected. ½*

In the closet, Savage counts his hats. I’m trying to imagine how much the guy must have spent on gear over the years. Once he went to WCW he calmed it way, way down, but I’m pretty sure he put some guy’s kids - plural - through college in the early 90s

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Shawn Michaels v Razor Ramon: From Saginaw Michigan on September 1 1993. Gosh, the hits just keep on coming. They feel each other out to start, and Shawn’s speed helps him get control. Shawn tries a cross corner whip, but Razor reverses, so Michaels dives with a 2nd rope sunset flip - blocked by Razor. Razor knocks Michaels over the top, so Shawn stalls, but Ramon gives chase. Diesel blocks his path, and things head back inside, where Shawn gets a standing side-headlock. Razor forces a criss cross, and Shawn tries a dropkick, but Ramon catches him in a catapult, with Michaels taking a bump over the top. Man, he just smacked that floor. Razor with a pair of corner whips on the way back in, but a charge misses, and Shawn uses a flying clothesline to knock the challenger to the outside. Shawn follows with an axehandle from the apron, and a distraction from Diesel allows Michaels a few cheap shots. Inside, Michaels hammers him with axehandles to the back, and a kneedrop to the part gets him two. Shawn works a chinlock from there, but Razor fights free. Shawn looks for a hiptoss, but Ramon blocks, and delivers a chokeslam for two. Both guys stagger up for a slugfest, won by Ramon. A cross corner whip sends Michaels flipping over the top, so the champ decides to walk. The referee rules that Michaels will lose the title if he intentionally walks, but Razor doesn’t give him time to think it over - dragging the champion back inside. Ramon with a backdrop for two, but Shawn blocks a side superplex, and dives with a flying bodypress - only for Razor to roll through for two. A criss cross sees Michaels try a bodypress, but Ramon catches him in a fallaway slam. Cover, and the referee counts three, despite Shawn having a foot in the ropes. Another referee alerts him to it, and the match continues. Shawn sneaks up with a superkick for two as Razor argues the call,and a series of right hands leave Razor on a dream street. Backdrop, but Ramon catches him with the crucifix powerbomb! Cover, count, so Diesel pulls his man out of the ring for a DQ at 12:48. This wasn’t at the level of their later classics, but it was a solid match. One thing I found interesting: though Shawn was carrying a lot of extra weight at this point, the gut didn’t limit his performance at all. He was moving as well as ever. **

Jerry Lawler hosts an exclusive Coliseum Video edition of the King’s Court (from a Monday Night RAW taping on April 26 1994 in Burlington Vermont), with guest WWF Champion Bret Hart. The idea here is that Bret has signed a contract that he’ll be subject to a massive fine if he puts his hands on the King. So, with that security, Lawler takes shot after shot at Bret (and his family), until Bret loses his cool, and beats the hell out of him. Simple, effective

Bret Hart v Diesel: From Bethlehem Pennsylvania on February 22 1994. Diesel hammers him into the corner right away, and he gets Hart with a bootchoke there. Diesel with a cross corner whip to rattle the ring, and he uses another bootchoke. Another cross corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Diesel hurts his leg on the collision. That allows Bret to take him down, and the Hitman works the part. Hart holds a leglock, then a spinning toehold, as he puts the hurt on the leg. Diesel goes to the eyes to buy time, as commentator Johnny Polo talks about Terry Funk on WWF programming in 1994. Hart bashes the leg into the post, so Shawn Michaels nails him on the outside to take some pep out of the Hitman’s step. Bret looks to beat the count, but Shawn attacks him again, and rolls a battered Hitman back in. Diesel is ready with a sidewalk slam for two, and he’s doing a good job of selling the leg as he does his stuff. Diesel with an elbowdrop, and he puts on a bearhug, then corner whips the Hitman. Diesel works the back, and a backbreaker gets him two. He looks for a follow up, but Bret hooks a small package for two. Diesel cuts him off, and tries a snake eyes, but Bret shoves him into the corner to block. Hart hammers, and a series of clotheslines get him two. Diesel tries a punch, but Hart ducks, and uses the momentum of the miss to hook a rollup for two. Hart keeps coming with a Russian legsweep for two, and a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop connects. Sharpshooter time, but Diesel keeps blocking, so Hart uses a pointed elbowdrop to wear him down. He tries for a figure four, so Shawn distracts him. Bret takes the bait, but Diesel’s sneak attack misses, allowing Hart to sweep him down into the Sharpshooter! He has it locked, but Owen Hart runs in nail him behind the referee’s back, and Diesel hooks the leg at 10:12. Not on par with some of their higher profile bouts, but a good effort. * ¼ 

Back in the closet, Macho is confused how someone could wear the same colors every night, like Bret does

BUExperience: No exaggeration, this is one of the best Coliseum tapes of all time. It might not have been one of the hottest periods in the company from a box office perspective - or even from a creative one - but the in-ring action was some of the strongest of any era. Not only is almost every match good, not only do you have a bunch of workers that are considered legends today, but you also get one of the best matches of all time in the mix. 

A must have for your Coliseum Collection.