WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Brawl in the Family (1995)

 

WWF Coliseum Video Collection: Brawl in the Family (1995)

Coliseum Video compilation. The front cover features the stars of the WWF. And King Kong Bundy

Todd Pettengill hosts from the studio, and promises that every single match on this tape is an exclusive. That’s exceedingly rare for this period

Undertaker v King Kong Bundy: From Liberty New York on December 13 1994. The building here is embarrassingly small, like the venues ECW was playing at the time, though the production values help make it look less low rent. Bundy sneak attacks, but runs into a boot while trying the avalanche, and Undertaker hits him with a pair of clotheslines, then lands a jumping version to take King Kong off of his feet. Bundy bails, but manages to clobber Undertaker on the way back in. Why did Bundy’s teeth always chatter like that? Bundy hammers on him, and knocks Undertaker out of the ring, with Undertaker taking a bump into the guardrail in the process. Undertaker beats the count, so Bundy welcomes him with a bodyslam to set up a kneedrop for two. These tiny venues must have been such an adjustment to guys like Bundy, who were around in the 80s glory days. Bundy lands the avalanche, but a splash misses, and Undertaker goes up with a flying clothesline at 4:40. I realize that this was a home video exclusive, but I’m still surprised that they let Bundy eat a clean pin here, considering they would be feuding into WrestleMania. ¼*

Men on a Mission v Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart: From Newark Delaware on December 14 1994. They’re acknowledging Men on a Mission as former tag champions on commentary here. They did that from time to time, but it was inconsistent. Speaking of commentary, Stan Lane calls Neidhart a ‘fireplug and a sparkplug,’ and I’m half hoping Monsoon corrects him to ‘buttplug,’ just because I can hear it in his voice, and it’s cracking me up. Mo starts with Owen, and they posture. A criss cross allows Mo to reverse a hiptoss, and he uses a bodyslam, then a dropkick to send Owen to the outside in frustration. Back in, another criss cross allows Owen a spinheel kick, but an elbowdrop misses, and Mo uses a pair of armdrags for two. Mo holds an armbar, so Owen rakes the eyes, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Mo counters with a sunset flip for two. Mo is moving tonight! Hart fights him off with a leg-feed enzuigiri, and he passes to Anvil. Jim walks right into an armdrag, however, and Mabel tags in. Mabel grounds him in an armscissors, and man, Mabel is so big that Neidhart looks slim! Mabel with a bodyslam, but an elbowdrop misses, allowing Jim a 2nd rope axehandle. Tag to Owen for a missile dropkick, and he unloads, but ends up pissing Mabel off, and getting no sold. Tag to Mo, and he pops Owen with a backelbow for two. Great pinball sell from Hart there. Jim takes a cheap shot from the apron to turn the tide on Mo, and the heels go to work on him. Owen misses a flying elbowdrop to allow the hot tag to Mabel, and Roseanne Barr the door! Mo hooks Owen in a small package, but Neidhart comes in and turns it over for the pin at 13:07. Solid work here, though the heat segment ran a bit too long. *

WWF Title Match: Diesel v Jeff Jarrett: From Corpus Christi Texas on January 10 1995. Shawn Michaels distracts the champion, allowing Jeff to sneak attack. Diesel fights him off, so Roadie comes in, but Diesel blocks the interference. That draws Shawn up to sucker Diesel into a chase, but it backfires on Michaels, and Jeff gets clotheslined over the top to boot. All three guys decide to come in at once, and the referee just kind of lets them cut loose. Diesel fights them off, but misses a charge into the corner, where Shawn has exposed the top turnbuckle. That allows Jeff to take control, and Shawn hits the champion with a chair for good measure. Shawn adds a clothesline ahead of a 2nd rope axehandle from Jarrett. Diesel doesn’t go down, so Jeff uses another one, then a flying bodypress to put him down for two. Diesel pops up, furious, and unloads on Jarrett in the corner. Diesel with a sidewalk slam, and a big boot follows. That draws Roadie in, but Diesel boots him, and powerbombs Jarrett at 4:23. This had the potential to be fun, with Diesel fighting all three guys, but it was too short to properly tell any kind of story. ¼*

Jerry Lawler v Doink the Clown: From Wheeling West Virginia on August 2 1994. Posturing to start, with Doink outsmarting the King at every turn to frustrate him. Doink misses a dive to allow Lawler to turn the tide, so Dink tries getting involved, but ends up going flying off of the apron. That allows Lawler to schoolboy Doink at 6:42. This was every Lawler/Doink match ever, with all the usual extended Memphis posturing, and comedy spots. DUD

Bob Backlund v Lex Luger: From Liberty on December 13. Gorilla, king of revisionist history, acts like Iron Sheik defeating Backlund for the title in 1983 was some sort of great babyface triumph after a long heel reign. Wasn’t the storyline always that Backlund was a good guy, but snapped in the summer of 1994, rather than that Bob was always bad, but hiding it? They posture to start, with Bob outwrestling him. Monsoon, again with the revisionism, notes that Luger is ‘ahead on points.’ We’re literally watching Backlund take him down again and again, and Lex needing the ropes to escape! Maybe he isn’t a liar, maybe he’s just a moron. Lex manages to get a headlock on, and he cranks on that for a long while. Bob’s many escape attempts fail, so he finally goes for the ropes, and takes a cheap shot on the break. Crossface chickenwing, but Luger has the ropes before he can get it locked. That leads to a criss cross, and Lex gets the torture rack on at 7:12. This was very much a style clash. Luger did his best to wrestle Backlund’s match, but it wasn’t very interesting, even if it was psychologically sound enough. ½*

Mabel v Tatanka: From Lowell Massachusetts on November 30 1994. Monsoon attempts to sell this as ‘a lot of scores to be settled,’ as if these two have a feud. I don’t recall any interaction between them at all. Posturing to start, as Mabel brushes off anything Tatanka throws at him. Tatanka tries a headlock, but Mabel side suplexes his way out, so Tatanka uses a series of tomahawk chops. Bodypress, but Mabel catches him in a slam for two. Mabel uses a cross corner whip to set up an avalanche, but Tatanka dodges, and a jumping shoulderblock knocks Mabel out of the ring. Tatanka follows to feed Mabel the steps, and he uses a corner whip on the way back in. Tatanka with more tomahawks, and a flying version finds the mark. Tatanka goes up again with a flying clothesline for two, and he grabs a chinlock from there. Mabel escapes, so Tatanka tries an enzuigiri, but misses. That allows Mabel a spinheel kick for two, but an elbowdrop misses, and Tatanka unloads. Tatanka lands a jumping clothesline for two, as Monsoon and Lane criticize the pin attempts. I know some people hate when they do that, but I feel completely the opposite way. It adds realism. They spill to the outside, and Mabel manages to get control as they go back inside. He lands a clothesline, and a bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope splash. Cover, count, but Ted DiBiase breaks it up for the DQ at 13:51. I’m surprised this didn’t get a finish, considering the caliber of guys eating pins on this tape thus far. ½*

No Holds Barred Match: Bret Hart v Owen Hart: From Corpus Christi on January 10, and Bret has a local DJ with him as a cornerperson. Owen attacks as Bret climbs into the ring, and he unloads. Bret fights back with a Russian legsweep to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, and the Hitman unloads with mounted punches from there. Bret uses a headbutt and a matslam, followed by a snap suplex for two. Bret uses a turnbuckle smash and a ropeburn, and he grabs a sleeper, but Owen manages a side suplex to break the hold, just before fading. That leaves both men looking up at the lights, and Bret is up first, so Owen pokes him in the eyes. That allows Owen a turnbuckle smash and a ropeburn of his own, as Gorilla alleges that Owen isn’t really Stu and Helen’s kid. That’s a pretty bold statement for a Coliseum exclusive. Owen with a straddling ropechoke for two, and he tries for the Sharpshooter, but Bret blocks. Bret with a headbutt drop to the groin, and a legdrop follows. Bret with another turnbuckle smash, so Owen goes to the eyes again, and blasts Bret with a few uppercuts. Owen with a bulldog, but Bret blocks a second one, and Owen goes crashing into the corner. Bret puts the boots to his younger brother, and an inverted atomic drop sets up a clothesline for two. A piledriver gets two, so Owen tries to bail, but Bret keeps him inside of the ring, and stomps the groin. Bret with a headbutt, but Owen responds with fists, and then drills him with a leg-feed enzuigiri. Owen goes up with a flying dropkick, but Bret catches him with a catapult into an exposed top turnbuckle. Cover, but Owen has a foot on the ropes at two. Bret clotheslines him over the top, so Owen goes low with a mulekick on the way back in. That allows Owen to take control, and a backbreaker gets him two, as the announcers basically call Owen a thief for every move he uses that Bret also uses. It’s a backbreaker! Not like Bret innovated it. Owen goes to a chinlock, but Bret fights free, so Owen throws a knee during a criss cross. Owen with a somersault cradle for two, and a neckbreaker is worth two. Owen cross corner whips him into a camel clutch, and Owen seems to have some ongoing rib where he rips at the straps on Bret’s singlet tonight. Bret escapes the hold, so Owen belly-to-belly suplexes him for two, then hooks a small package for two. A reversal sequence ends in Owen tombstoning his brother, and he goes to the top for a flying headbutt drop, but Bret rolls out of the way. Both guys stagger up, and Bret strikes first with a bulldog. He adds a backbreaker before putting on the Sharpshooter, and Owen submits clean at 14:03. Good action, great chemistry. Afterwards, Bret doesn’t want to let go of the hold, and they have to get a bunch of officials out to save Owen’s ass. ***

We take a look at the 1995 Fan Festival, which was part of WrestleMania XI weekend

WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Razor Ramon v King Kong Bundy: From Newark on December 14. Bundy launches Ramon over the top out of the initial lockup, with Razor doing a full on Curt Hennig level sell there. It was a shove! Back in, Bundy continues powering him around, and he grabs a chinlock to wear the champion down. Razor escapes, so Bundy goes to a bearhug. Ramon fights free, and lands a 2nd rope bulldog, so Jeff Jarrett runs out. He goes to the top, but Ramon nails him, as the referee calls the DQ at 8:22. This wasn’t good. DUD

BUExperience: This one basically gets a pass just for having all exclusive content. And with almost all having actual finishes, to boot. Not much of note, but still. And the Hart brothers match is absolutely worth checking out, especially if you’ve never seen it before, like me.

A good addition to your Coliseum Collection.