WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest ‘95 (1995)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: WrestleFest ‘95 (1995)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features Razor Ramon rocking Jeff Jarrett to sleep

Stephanie Wiand hosts from the studio, and she is 1000% into being a female Pettengill here

Undertaker v Jean-Pierre LaFitte: From Poughkeepsie New York on April 3 1995. LaFitte tries sticking and moving, but gets nowhere, as Gorilla Monsoon mocks Jean’s gear. Undertaker with a choke in the corner, and a cross corner whip ends in LaFitte bailing to regroup. LaFitte goes after Paul Bearer out there, so Undertaker gives chase, as the announcers continue to focus on LaFitte’s gear. Inside, LaFitte tries to attack, but gets shrugged off again. Undertaker misses an elbowdrop, allowing LaFitte a sidewalk slam, and man, it’s really weird to hear Stan Lane call a match this late in 1995. I guess he was around for mos of the year, though I don’t really remember him at all past mid-1994. LaFitte with a 2nd rope legdrop, but Undertaker sits right up, and goes back to business. LaFitte manages to take Undertaker down long enough to hold a chinlock, but Undertaker escapes, and chokeslams him at 4:53. They were just going through the motions here. DUD

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Yokozuna, Owen Hart, and Hakushi v Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and Savio Vega: From Wheeling West Virginia on June 6 1995. Yoko and Razor start, and they do some posturing. Yoko misses an elbowdrop, allowing Razor a series of rights, but he drops Yoko right into his home corner with them. Funny spot, as Yoko collapses, and lands right on Owen’s foot. Tags to Hakushi and Bret, and Bret wins a wristlock exchange. Tag to Vega for a 2nd rope axehandle, and he cranks a wristlock of his own. Tag to Owen, so Vega backdrops him, and passes to Razor to work the arm. Owen goes a headlock, but Razor escapes, and wins a criss cross with a fallaway slam for two. Razor goes back to the wrist, so Owen throws a series of uppercuts. A criss cross allows Owen a spinheel kick, and a neckbreaker sets up a 2nd rope elbowdrop, but Razor dodges. Tags to Hakushi and Bret again, and Bret unloads. Bret with a cross corner whip, and a DDT sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. Bret keeps coming with a backbreaker to set up a legdrop for two, but Hakushi reverses another cross corner whip, and the Hitman hits the buckles. Hakushi stays on him with a bronco buster, and the heels cut the ring in half on the Hitman. Owen with a leg-feed enzuigiri for two, and he traps Bret in a chinlock from there. Bret escapes, but gets caught in a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and it’s back to the chinlock. Hakushi misses a flying headbutt drop to allow the hot tag to Savio, and he runs wild on Hakushi. A small package gets Vega two, and a knife-edge chop leads to a backslide for two. Savio slaps on a pumphandle submission, so Owen and Yoko come in to break it up. Vega fights them all off, but starts getting overwhelmed, so Razor comes in to back him up. That allows Savio to put Hakushi back in the pumphandle hold, but Owen saves. Owen and Hakushi try a double team, but miss, and Savio puts Hakushi away at 11:36. This was solid, if lowkey. *

Shawn Michaels v Tom Prichard: From Superstars on May 27 1995 in Danbury Connecticut (and taped on May 16). Shawn’s got a beard now, which is a weird look for him. I’m honestly surprised Vince signed off on it. Shawn plays with him to start, and a criss cross ends in Michaels sliding to the outside to mess with Jim Cornette as well. Tom chases, but gets nailed, and Michaels delivers a flying axehandle on the way back in. A backdrop and a dropkick knock Tom to the outside, but he beats the count, so Shawn welcomes him with jabs. Shawn adds a hiptoss, and he throws a shoulderblock, but Jimmy Del Ray pulls the top rope down as Michaels runs the ropes, and HBK takes a bump over the top. Del Ray sends him into the post out there, and hits him with a somersault senton from the apron before rolling him back in. Tom meets him with a bodyslam to set up a Boston crab, with Del Ray giving him some additional leverage. He gets busted, but the damage is done, and Tom keeps hammering on the back. Shawn tries a bodyslam, but the back gives out, and Tom gets a sleeper locked. Michaels fades, but manages a side suplex to escape. He’s battered, however, and Tom hits him with a vertical suplex for two before HBK can recover. Another one, but Michaels blocks. He looks to reverse, but the back doesn’t allow it, so he switches gears with a swinging neckbreaker for two. A cross corner whip rebounds Tom into a jumping forearm, and Michaels bodyslams him to set up a flying elbowdrop for two. Del Ray tries to interfere, but Michaels fights him off, and catches a recovering Prichard with the superkick at 8:12. Michaels was really hitting his stride as a master level worker around this period, and he was truly incredible to watch, even in a nothing match like this. And the crowd was responding to him in a major way. ** ½ 

Jerry Lawler v Adam Bomb: From Glens Falls New York on April 4 1995. Posturing to start, with Bomb lobbing him around, and Lawler stalling. Finally, Lawler suckers him into something, and takes control. Bomb finally gets sick of him, and makes a comeback, but Jerry suckers him into the corner for a leveraged pin at 9:26. Lawler’s style wasn’t exactly hard hitting or exciting at the best of times, let alone for TV taping dark matches. An interesting pairing, at least. And definitely a night off in the ring for both guys, that much is for sure. DUD

Mixed Tag Team Match: Hakushi and Bull Nakano v Bob Holly and Alundra Blayze: From Stockton California on March 13 1995.  Holly is subbing for 1-2-3 Kid here. Bull goes after Alundra to kickstart things, but Blayze fights her off. A roundhouse kick allows Alundra a standing moonsault for two, but a corner whip gets reversed. Blayze tries staying on it with a headscissors, but Bull drops her to block, and uses two dramatic hairwhip slams, then a matslam. Tag to Hakushi, which means Holly has to come in as well. That’s my biggest issue with these mixed tags, you can’t really work regular tag psychology, since there’s no actual ‘mixing.’ Holly manages a schoolboy for two, and he grabs a standing headlock, but Hakushi forces a criss cross. Holly wins it with a hiptoss, and he goes to an armbar from there. Gorilla Monsoon sounds like he’s in complete cruise control for this one. Hakushi lands a handspring backelbow, and a cross corner dropkick follows. Chinlock, but Holly escapes, and throws a clothesline, before tagging out. Bull charges in with a clothesline, but Blayze manages to snap her throat across the top. Sunset flip, but Bull sits down on her for two, so Blayze hooks a rana for two. Bull responds by clotheslining her over the top, but Alundra lands on the apron, and dives with a 2nd rope dropkick. Bull tags out, and Holly delivers a turnbuckle smash, then a vertical suplex for two. Bull trips him up as he runs the ropes, allowing Hakushi a dropkick for two, as Alundra comes in to brawl with Bull, and Roseanne Barr the door! The babyfaces clean house to set up stereo flying bodypresses on the floor, as Monsoon tags Nakano as ‘the beached whale.’ Shinja with a distraction to allow the heels to attack, and Hakushi dives at Holly with a plancha. Bull tries to put Blayze away in the meantime, but Alundra hooks a bridging German suplex at 6:50. *

Bret Hart v Jimmy Del Ray: From Superstars in Des Moines Iowa on April 29 1995 (taped April 25). Dok Hendrix makes his one and only interesting point per show here: wondering if the fact that Jim Cornette also manages Owen Hart has gives Del Ray some inside knowledge to prepare for this match. I like little bits like that. Bret with a few takedowns early, so Del Ray stalls. Del Ray tries a wristlock, but Bret reverses, and sweeps the leg. Hart with a snapmare to set up a legdrop, and he grounds Jimmy in an overhead wristlock. Funny bit here, as Tom Prichard rants at him, and nearly cracks Hart up. Hart with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline, then back to an armbar. Del Ray tries a hiptoss, but Hart reverses, and uses a pair of armdrags to get back to the armbar. A reversal in the corner allows Del Ray a side suplex to set up a pair of elbowdrops for two, and a bodyslam sets up a flying moonsault, but Hart dodges. That allows the Hitman a Russian legsweep for two, and a backbreaker sets up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two. “Wait a minute, where’s the Hitman going?” wonders Vince as Bret climbs the ropes. Fucking really?! Del Ray makes a last ditch effort with a monkey flip, but Bret blocks, and gets the Sharpshooter on at 5:21. Basic, but Bret was just so masterful at all the little touches that it was better than the sum of its parts. * ¼ 

The Allied Powers v Jeff Jarrett and Roadie: From Binghamton New York on May 15 1995. Gorilla happily exclaims ‘the Road Dogg!’ when he sees Roadie here. I just assume he used to ‘g’s. Davey Boy Smith starts with Jeff, as Monsoon rants about Jarrett stealing his act from Buddy Rogers. I’m not saying he didn’t have a point, but man, no one watching this in 1995 had any clue what Buddy Rogers’ act entailed. Davey hits a hanging vertical suplex, but Roadie saves at two, and tags in. Roadie hammers on Bulldog, but gets reversed into the ropes and hiptossed. Tag to Lex Luger for a double team that gets two, as I notice that Danny Davis is the referee for this. You’d think, given his history with Bulldog specifically, he’d have to recuse himself. Fucking Tunney. Luger dominates Roadie, so Jeff tags in. Lex quickly puts him in the torture rack, so Roadie clips the leg to save, and that’s enough to turn the tide. The heels cut the ring in half on Luger, until Davey gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Bulldog gets Roadie up for the running powerslam at 8:53. They were going through the motions, but there was at least some rhythm to it. ¼*

Men on a Mission v The Smoking Gunns: From Danbury on May 16. The Gunns charge in to kickstart things, and they manage to clean house, as they announcers get onto a weird tangent over how many ‘favorite sons’ Texas can have, since they don’t want to pick between the Gunns and Shawn Michaels. The dust settles on Mo and Billy Gunn, and Billy armdrags him into an armbar. Tag to Bart Gunn, but Mo clobbers him before he can work an armbar. Meanwhile, the announcers explain that Men on a Mission may call each other ‘brother,’ but they’re not actually blood relations. I feel like they should have Hulk or Randy come out and help clarify it all for us. Mabel tags in, and Bart eats an avalanche in short order. Mabel with a big boot for two, as the heels go to work on Bart. That gives the announcers a chance to criticize Mabel’s gear, and suggest that he make a change. Considering some of the stuff we’d see him wearing in later years, I’m very glad he stuck with this look for a while longer. Mabel misses a 2nd rope elbowdrop, and that allows the hot tag to Billy, and Roseanne Barr the door! The heels get control, but a miscommunication allows Billy to cradle Mo at 10:41. ¼*

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Jeff Jarrett v Razor Ramon: From Des Moines on April 25, with Roadie locked in a shark cage above the ring to prevent interference. I’m honestly surprised they never did any TV matches with that stipulation. Roadie doesn’t want to go in, and instead attacks Razor, but Ramon knocks him into the cage, and up it goes. Jarrett stalls, but walks into a punch for two. A criss cross allows Razor another punch for two, so Jeff tries a leg-feed enzuigiri, but misses. That allows Ramon a clothesline for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and takes a swinging neckbreaker. That allows Jarrett a pair of dropkicks, and he delivers a straddling ropechoke. Jeff with a sunset flip, so Ramon blocks, but Jarrett manages to finish the thought for two. Jarrett goes to a chinlock, but Razor fights free, and hooks a backslide for two. Jarrett cuts him off with a backelbow for two, and he goes back to the chinlock. Razor fights to a vertical base and uses a side suplex to escape, leaving both guys looking up at Roadie. Razor crawls over for a cover, but only gets two. He tries a headlock, so Jeff shoves him off, and the referee gets bumped. That allows Roadie to pass Jarrett something via a rope, but Razor blocks it. Razor grabs the weapon, but the referee pulls it away before he can use it either. No matter, Ramon delivers the crucifix powerbomb, but Jarrett takes the bump all the way to the outside. Ramon goes after him with an axehandle from the apron, and he beats the champion all the way up the aisle for a double countout at 7:00. Afterwards, Razor decides to take his frustrations out on Roadie. These two were always a reliable pairing. **

BUExperience: Definitely a long way from the fun and goofy segments that made the early 90s tapes so much fun, but this was okay, with decent matches, and a solid level of exclusives, instead of just recycling TV matches. 

A solid addition to your Coliseum Collection.