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This was a very early Coliseum Video release and the third based on the Coliseum Video Catalogue Number (WF003). I don’t know an exact date but it looks to be from early 1985.
Vince McMahon is here to host this little shindig. Who knew back then that he owned the damned company and not just some announcer? Vince runs down some of the matches on this tape and there look to be some fantastic bouts. Even in 1985 WWE used their fantastic library to showcase some interesting match-ups or all-out great matches.
-Hulk Hogan & Andre The Giant vs. Dick Murdoch, Adrian Adonis & John Studd-
This is from July 15th, 1984 and took place in the Meadowlands Complex in New Jersey. Hogan and Andre warn New Jersey about the explosive power of Hulkamania and Andre and what they’re going to do to the former tag champs and Studd. Adrian walks out with a title belt, so maybe I should change former to current. A quick check of Wikipedia confirms that Adonis and Murdoch (the Wrecking Crew) were indeed tag champs at the time. Hogan and Adonis start this off. Random things that pop into my head sometimes: Both sides of the face team were in Wrestlemania III fighting against each other while the only person on the heel team to make an appearance at the show was Adonis – and he was wearing a dress. We get major clippage here with Studd and Giant’s staredown being cut down. Hogan sends Adonis to the corner and Andre comes in to a big pop. In fact, the New Jersey Crowd was popping loud for all the tags tonight. Andre sends Adrian to the corner where he flips up and over. Soon all three heels are in the corner getting shouldered by Andre The Giant. Studd blocks a backdrop attempt with a kick to the face and Andre is stuck in the heel corner. Murdoch stands in the corner and drives Andre’s head into the mat with his knee. That was pretty cool. Andre’s still in peril as more clipping occurs. Murdoch chokes Andre with a ring rope and looks too happy doing it, which would explain why he was fired later on. I guess the Daniel Bryan reference isn’t really that good considering that happened over a year ago and it doesn’t make sense to make that reference in a Coliseum Video that was released 26 years ago. Andre breaks free and makes the hot tag to Hogan. He sends Adonis to the ropes and Adonis gets hung up. Murdoch is sent into Adonis and Studd is slugged off the apron. Hogan tries a charge in the corner but Murdoch counters with an elbow and now Hogan’s the face in peril. We miss more of the heel’s offense thanks to clipping and the match resumes in time to see Hogan crotching Adonis as Adrian tried a top-rope move. If you get dropped on your balls enough you’d probably start wearing dresses, too. Murdoch and Hogan butt heads coming off the ropes and this allows Hogan to make the hot tag to Andre. If Dusty were calling the action he’d tells us how Andre be clubbering right now. Double noggin knocker for the tag champs! The tag champs are dumped and Hogan and Andre have Studd pin-balled between them. Studd bails and Andre follows. Meanwhile, inside the ring Hogan gets double-teamed so Andre comes back to make the save. Hogan starts hulking up against Murdoch and Hogan clotheslines him down. Andre, the legal man, finally gets in and boots down Murdoch. He drops an elbow and covers for the pinfall at 9:32. This actually seemed exciting and I’d wager the unedited version would be pretty good. From what I saw I’m going to go **.
-Fabulous Moolah(c) (w/Lou Albano) vs. Wendi Richter (w/Cyndi Lauper)-
I reviewed this when it was on for Diva’s month (February 2010) and I won’t be sitting through it again. We hear from Lou Albano and Moolah before the match. Moolah is confident she’s going to win tonight. They aren’t worried about Cyndi’s conditioning of Wendi Richter. I’d trust the manager of something like 27 tag team champs rather than a pop singer. This is from Brawl to End It All (held at Madison Square Garden, natch), coming from July 23rd 1984. Moolah had been champ for approximately 75 years by this point. She even has Lou Albano in her corner. Wendi Richter has Cyndi Lauper in her corner. Moolah charges after Cyndi before the match even starts. Moolah armdrags Wendi and Wendi responds with one of the worst armdrags I have ever seen. Moolah snapmares Wendi using her hair before unceremoniously tossing her to the outside and onto the announce table. She brings Wendi in the hard way. Wendi goes after the arm and tosses Moolah into the ropes and she tries to cover? Doesn’t she even know the rules? Moolah’s literally in the ropes. Moolah pulls the hair of Wendi and stuns her over the top rope. Wendi reverses an Irish Whip but misses the follow-up charge, hitting her shoulder on the middle turnbuckle. Wendi is up first and she tries pulling Moolah, who has made it to the apron, in and she gets her feet tied up in the top two ropes. Wendi locks Moolah in a terrible full nelson. This allows Cyndi to get a shot in, IN CLEAR VIEW OF THE REF, and he doesn’t call for a DQ. Wendi dropkicks Moolah and covers for two. A gut-wrench suplex follows for two. Moolah comes back with a monkey flip for two. Moolah backdrops Wendi and covers, but picks her up at two. Moolah locks in a full nelson of her own and Albano tries to get a shot in but Wendi ducks out of his reach. Moolah German suplexes Wendi out of the corner leading to the old person getting suplexed lifts her shoulder while the person doing the suplex left their shoulders down. Wendi is awarded the title at 11:22. Thus ends the 27-year reign of Moolah. Moolah’s not happy and dropkicks the referee. This was really terrible, especially the work of Richter, but they at least tried and that’s the one positive I can give it. *.
-Gorilla Monsoon vs. Baron Sicluna-
This dates back to June 2nd, 1976 and is from Philadelphia. It doesn’t mention it is from the Spectrum but I don’t know what other arena it would’ve been in at this time. This is one I’ve done before, for the Top 50 Superstars of all Time, so it’s another copy and paste. Sicluna attacks Monsoon from behind before the bell (and no one’s there to say he got Pearl Harbored!). Sicluna is dumped and I guess counted out (at around 0:50) and Ali decides to get into the ring with Monsoon. What precipitated this? Monsoon picks up Ali and gives him an airplane spin before slamming him down (though protecting him a lot in the process). Ali actually leaves the ring after this. He learned his lesson! McMahon interviews Gorilla afterwards. Monsoon says that Ali is a great boxer but is a terrible wrestler. He doesn’t know a wristlock from a wrist watch!
-Jimmy Snuka vs. Bobby Bass-
I don’t know the exact date here but I’ll try to find it. Bass attacks Snuka from behind but Snuka did turn his back to him so you can’t fault Bass. Snuka easily overwhelms Bass and armdrags him until Bass bails to the outside. Snuka headbutts Bass and gets a backbreaker before ending with the Superfly Splash at 1:30. This was clipped but it didn’t affect the match really at all. By the way, the match was from October 29th, 1984.
The infamous Piper’s Pit with Jimmy Snuka follows with Piper calling Snuka names he can’t possibly get away with on TV today. A coconut gets smashed over Snuka’s head, too.
-Jimmy Snuka vs. Roddy Piper-
This took place at Madison Square Garden on August 25th, 1984. Okay, so is this the big blowoff match? Big slugfest to start and the MSG fans are just rabid tonight. You can always count on the New Yorkers to be a great crowd. Well, all New Yorkers except for those in Nassau Coliseum. Piper tries headbutts but Snuka no-sells, so Piper thumbs him in the eye. Snuka responds with chops and Piper is chopped to the outside. Piper hangs up Piper in the top ropes and clotheslines him and then grabs a sleeper. Piper and Snuka manage to fall outside and Snuka holds onto the sleeper. Piper backs Snuka into the apron and tries sending him into the ringpost but it is Piper whose face eats steel. Piper tries using a chair but Snuka blocks and uses it himself. Piper’s busted wide open now. Snuka tries a top rope splash but Piper catches him, drops him on the top rope and Snuka falls to the outside where he’s counted out at 6:08. This had a crazy amount of heat and I thought Piper won rather decisively for this big match. It was fun, though not a technical marvel at all. **1/2.
-Cobra vs. Black Tiger for the Vacant WWE Junior Heavyweight Title-
We go way back to Primetime Wrestling from February 19th, 1985 for this match-up from MSG. I reviewed this for Masked Classics back in October, 2009. The actual date for the MSG match was 12/28/84. It is for the Junior Heavyweight Title, or the WWE’s first foray into Cruiserweight matches, which like all their other foray’s didn’t last too long. Cobra starts things off with an arm-wringer. WWE really missed their chance to have Cobra battle Sgt. Slaughter back in the day. Tiger quickly trips up Cobra and goes to a reverse chinlock but Cobra just as quickly breaks with an arm-drag into an armbar. Tiger comes back with a big clothesline and a senton splash for not even a one-count. Tiger is backdropped coming off the ropes. He tries for a second rope splash but there’s some miscommunication between the workers. So Cobra hits a spinning heel kick and a knee drop off the second rope. A bodyslam gets two. Cobra headscissors Tiger but Tiger kips out of it. Cobra puts up Tiger in an airplane spin but then just drops him chest-first over his knee. Cobra goes for a Boston Crab before going for a surfboard. Tiger makes the ropes and suplexes out of a facelock. We head to commercial and return with Cobra caught in a chinlock. Cobra breaks but misses a splash and Tiger starts hooking the legs and pulling them back. Tiger backdrops Cobra and drops an elbow for two. Tiger hits a senton splash for two. It’s funny to hear Gorilla Monsoon describe the move. Tiger misses a slingshot splash and Cobra drops a knee right onto Tiger’s head for two. Tiger is back quickly with a full nelson but Cobra powers out and dropkicks him to ringside. Tiger heads upstairs to re-enter but he’s press slammed off. Tiger responds with an elbow to the face for two. A pair of swinging neckbreakers get two for Tiger. Tiger piledrives Cobra and tries a reverse elbow off the top only to miss. The fans are really starting to get into this one now. Cobra hits a nice looking spinning heel kick for two. Cobra hits another backdrop and dropkicks Tiger to the outside where he proceeds to follow with a tope suicida. It seemed to hurt Cobra more as Tiger hits a splash off the top rope when they re-enter the ring. A suplex gets two for Tiger. Tiger hits another tombstone for two. He tries a third one but Cobra counters with a piledriver of his own. Cobra hits a sick splash off the top (his back falling on Tiger) for the pinfall and the victory at 12:26. Tiger attacks Cobra after the match. Dude, you lost fair and square. (***1/2 – This was an excellent that was well before its time. These two won the fans over with non-stop action. Of course, the moves were back and forth with neither guy controlling for long, or wearing their competitor down, but seeing Cobra finally reverse the tombstone was a nice use of psychology).
We move to Hogan training Okerlund for his big wrestling match. These are segments that originally aired on Tuesday Night Titans on 08/21/84. Hogan mentions how Vince’s muscles are getting bigger (no way it’s the steroids though). So Hogan is training Mean Gene to get in shape basically. Hogan drinks some raw eggs and then he and Gene run two miles. They show them running and of course Gene can barely make it. Gene trys to get some beer but Hogan yells at him. The next day they hit the gym and more hilarity ensues. The third day they go to an empty arena and run up and down the stairs. The fourth day Hogan walks Gene around like a wheelbarrow which is kind of weird. Segment really doesn’t lead anywhere though.
-Hulk Hogan & Gene Okerlund vs. George The Animal Steel & Mr. Fuji-
I stole this review from my Hulk Still Rules review, which I did way back in 2004. This is from 08/26/84 houseshow in Gene’s hometown and Hulk is wearing the light blue trunks/boots this time out while Gene is decked in black. The crowd is super hot for this one. Hogan and Fuji start off and it doesn’t go too well for Fuji who quickly tags in the Animal. Steele hits Hogan with those dreaded closed fists and he pounds away the Hulkster until he hulks up in record time. Fuji comes in but Hogan sends them both bailing to the outside. Gene even gets in on some of the action by stomping on Fuji’s hand. Hulk and Gene high-five each other which leads to Okerlund being tagged in. He steps in the ring against Steele and runs away to quickly make the hot tag to Hogan. He does some work on the heels, including the double noggin knocker and sends Steele over tot Okerlund who bites the Animal’s head! He even eyepokes him. Hogan gives Steele the big boot and Steele crawls away to tag Fuji. Hogan and Okerlund to do some double teaming as Fuji gets hammered. Hogan goes for the cover but the Animal pulls him off allowing the heels to work over Hogan in their corner. Don’t worry, Hogan quickly revives. Fuji tries to throw salt at Hogan but Gene interferes to stop him. Hogan tags in Gene then bodyslams him on top of Fuji and Okerlund pins Fuji for the pin and the win at 6:24. **. Okerlund and Hogan celebrate in the ring afterwards.
- Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko-
This review came from July 2009 during WWE Legacy’s Greatest Rivalries month. This is their February 2nd, 1980 match from Championship Wrestling that led to their famous Shea Stadium match. Bruno pushes Larry to the ropes on some early lock-ups. Larry gets a go-behind but that is countered by Bruno. Larry gets a quick armdrag for two. Larry bodyslams Bruno for two so Bruno bodyslams Larry just to call the bet. Larry works in an abdominal stretch but Bruno hiptosses out of it. Larry bodyslams Bruno (again) for two. Larry works in a half-Boston Crab which is broken and this leads to the early 80’s staple the criss-cross. Bruno gets the better of crissing and crossing by hiptossing Larry. Bruno gets shoulderblocked down only to get caught with a bearhug that Bruno releases. Larry tries a go-behind but Bruno maneuvers out of it and Larry is sent to the outside. Bruno holds the ropes open so Larry can re-enter but Larry knees him while he’s entering and just stomps away. Larry heads outside and grabs a chair and after tossing away the referee he nails Bruno with the chair, cutting him open. Bruno gets knocked out with another two shots and I guess this is over at 10:14 because the screen goes to black. That’s a good way to set up a match. This was really old school and I don’t know if newer fans would appreciate it but it had a lot of good psychology and was a blast to watch. **1/2.
Sammartino interviews McMahon during the official weigh-in and he’s pumped for their steel cage match at Shea Stadium.
-Bruno Sammartino vs. Larry Zbyszko in a Steel Cage Match-
We end with a match from December 2010’s WWE Legacy theme which was Decades. We start in 1980, August 9th to be exact and this was the main even of the famous Showdown at Shea. These two had a big feud going on. This has the Mick Foley/Michael Cole commentary that was featured on Classics On Demand. The match itself was set-up by Zbyszko nailing Sammartino with a chair. Cole actually talks about Bruno’s falling out with the WWE and it’s a shame because he’s not in the Hall of Fame even though he was one of the first stars of the WWWF. He also holds the record for longest title reign. The two slug it out to start, and continue with the punches and kicks well into the match. This is escape only rules I should point out. Bruno is sent into the cage about 4-minutes in and Zbyszko tries to exit over the top. Bruno pulls him in by the tights. He follows by kneeing him in the ass and throwing him into the cage. Zbyszko tries bailing over the top again so Bruno slams him down to the mat; again. Larry fights back and bloodies the arm of Sammartino. The match is pretty boring (all punching and kicking) but the commentary is awesome. Cole asks if Foley ever worked out and Foley is none too pleased with that comment. Bruno calmly tosses Zbyszko into the cage a bunch of time and then just kicks him once. He walks out and ends this at 14:08. Zbyszko, after taking two more rights to the face, raises the hand of Bruno after the match. It was a cool look at some old-school violent, bloody, cage matches but there wasn’t much substance to this. **.
McMahon hypes the future WWE Coliseum Video releases.
-The Bottom Line-
Even though I’ve seen a lot of the stuff on here before (thanks to the Classics.com which I’ve subscribed to for over two years and all the DVD’s I’ve bought) I have to say this was a really good release. There were some ** matches, a ***1/2 one, and some real cool moments like Hogan/Okerlund and the big Sammartino feud with Zbyszko. This really was the best of the WWE up to that point and I recommend this for any old-school WWE fans
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