Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This was released on October 28, 1987.
This is the thirteenth installment in the Coliseum Home Video series, which was the old VHS collection of the WWF. They put a series of eclectic matches from the time period.
Craig DeGeorge introduces us to the tape with Bobby Heenan and Luscious Johnny V; they discuss the tape.
Hulk Hogan & Koko B. Ware (w/Jake Roberts) vs. Kamala & Honky Tonk Man (w/Kim Chee, Mr. Fuji & Jimmy Hart): Hogan and Koko clear the ring with atomic drops to Honky and Kamala with a boot. This is a dark match with Craig DeGeorge and Bruno Sammartino on commentary. Roberts is there to counter the mass of managers on the other side, plus he hates the Honky Tonk Man. Hogan and Kamala start off the match and he hammers on Hulk; Hogan reverses a whip and clotheslines Kamala in the corner. He rams him into Koko’s boot and tags him in; he hits pair of dropkicks but cannot drop Kamala. He tries a crossbody but bounces off Kamala’s gut, not sure what was supposed to happen there because Kamala sold it and Koko popped right up; Honky Tonk tags in and is rather apprehensive. Bruno calls him the “new” IC champion here so this match must take place around June of 1987. He finally locks up with Koko and misses a punch and takes an atomic drop; the babyfaces pinball him in the corner. Hogan tags in and hits a second-rope sledge. Hulk tosses him into the turnbuckles over and over. He collapses in the corner where Jake freaks him out with the snake bag. Koko avoids Kamala with rolls and cartwheels; Kamala tries to goad him into his test of strength but he tags in Hogan. Kamala freaks out and retreats to Kim Chee; he and Fuji demand Kamala get back in the ring. There is a brief miscommunication between Kamala and his handlers, which is good psychology, as Kamala is a Ugandan headhunter and is a savage and difficult to control. He reenters and Hogan drop-toeholds him down, surprising Bruno, and then Roberts freaks him out with Damian; all of the heels threaten to walk off. Hogan and Kamala try a test of strength but Hogan pulls the heel move and kicks him in the gut and hammers him down; a running clothesline floors him and Koko tags and goes for a pinfall, but only gets two. Kamala sends Koko across the ring off the kickout. The heels finally take over and Honky tags in and stomps away; he drops some sledges. Honky backdrops him as Kamala tries to climb to the top, Kim Chee has to explain to him it is a tag match, he’s not the legal man, and to get down. Kamala now tags and begins his thrilling offense of chops and chokes, which makes sense in terms of his character, but it is sure boring. Honky wanders down the apron, drawing referee Dave Hebner over to him, meanwhile Mr. Fuji hands Kamala his cane to choke Koko with; Hogan then tears in allowing Kamala to pass the cane back with no repercussions. Koko begins to comeback and punches his way free; Koko runs the ropes but Kamala LEAPFROGS him and ENDS him with a boot to the face. That looked deadly. Honky Tonk tags in and drops fists; Sammartino criticizes Kamala for tagging and not dropping the splash for the sure pinfall, good point but I think that feller in the yellow trunks would probably break it up though. Koko gets too close to the corner so Kim Chee release Kamala so he’ll run in the ring, distracting Hebner, forcing him to miss the tag. This match is kinda boring but the characterizations and psychology are very good. Hogan complains to the referee… forever, allowing Honky to hold Koko for a Kamala top-rope standing body splash. Kamala continues his choking on Koko; he battles from underneath and nearly makes a tag. Honky tries to assist Kamala pulling Koko back to the corner but the referee chases him away; Hogan barrels over and gives him a punch from the ring, drawing the referee away again. Hulk may have made another blind tag, there. Koko frees himself and nails a dropkick, which nearly allows a tag. Honky cuts it off immediately MISSES a second rope elbow, boy did they book him as a blundering goof, and Hogan finally receives the tag. The building comes unglued as Hogan rips apart Kamala and Hulking up. Hogan hits a running punch and takes out every heel in sight. Big BODYSLAM to Kamala, Honky runs in but Hulk nails him and he gets entangled in the top rope André the Giant style, and hits the legdrop; Koko takes out the managers as they try to enter the ring and Hogan gets the pinfall. 7/10 The match should have sucked and, in fact, partially did, but I was REALLY entertained by it. The communication between Kamala and his handlers was great and it gave it a real authentic feel as Kamala was so into his character; Honky, Roberts and Koko played their parts well, Hogan did the rest.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Honky Tonk Man (w/Jimmy Hart): This is a rather infamous match from WWF Superstars in June of 1987; Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura are the commentators. McMahon totally sells Honky as not belonging here and why does he have a title match? Honky Tonk tosses Steamboat over the top; Steamboat clunks Jimmy Hart’s head, skins-the-cat back in, and then backdrops Honky to the floor. Steamboat brings him back into the ring via backdrop suplex; he drops a few flying chops and beats on him. Jesse believes this title match should be taking place due to Honky’s win over Jake Roberts at WrestleMania III, which Vince totally dismisses. Steamboat continues his dominance with chops; Honky reverses a whip but Steamboat slides through his legs and gets a corner O’Connor roll for two. Luckily for Honky, the kickout sent Steamboat crashing face first into the top turnbuckle. Honky works the previously injured throat, hotshotting it off the top rope. The Dragon fires back but Honky gets a shot into the throat to take over; he clumsily misses a second-rope elbow, though. Steamboat comes back with a heel-hook kick and gets a knee into the chin; Honky counters a backdrop and tries Shake, Rattle ‘n’ Roll but Steamboat backdrops him. Honk misses a corner charge and goes upside down in the corner. Steamboat hits the top-rope cross-chop but Jimmy Hart has the referee distracted. Ricky grabs Jimmy as Honky sneaks up; the Dragon moves and inside cradles Honky but in the confusion, Honky grabs the ropes and hold on to them (unbeknownst to referee Jack Kruger) and gets a pinfall and wins the title. Post-match, Vince and the entire crowd is SHOCKED. 7/10 The match was actually good (mostly due to Steamboat) but it is more historic for kicking off one of the longest title reigns in recent history. Honky kept the title (through every possible nefarious mean) for over a year.
WWF Women’s Championship Fabulous Moolah vs. Debbie Coombs: This is from MSG with Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary. Moolah gives the referee shit when he is trying to frisk her for foreign objects; Debbie Coombs shoves her down at the bell. Coombs gets a series of snapmares and a schoolgirl for two. Coombs hits a double back dropkick and Moolah heads to the floor to regroup; Debbie flings her back in and then slingshots her across the ring, twice. A bodyslam does not even get a one count; Moolah takes another powder. Moolah nails Debbie as she is entering the ring and pulls hair and stomps a lot; a lot of choking on the ropes follows. Moolah gets a bodyslam for two. Coombs comes back with a full nelson, Moolah tries to kick off the buckles but Debbie locks her in a body scissors. Debbie rolls back and drops Moolah on her ass, on the mat, in sort of an atomic drop-esque move, a few times; Moolah frees herself but runs into a monkey flip. Moolah fights back with right hands. Moolah reaches into her boob and grabs a foreign object; she nails Debbie with it a few times and plays cat-and-mouse with the referee, shoving it into her mouth or tights, when he checks. She tosses her to the floor where she nearly wipes out a ringside attendant. Moolah goes after her and beats on her there. Coombs finally reenters the ring and fires back on Moolah with some rolling monkey flips; Moolah gets one shot in and floors her again. She stomps on her legs and applies a Boston Crab but Coombs powers free knocking Moolah to the floor. They brawl there and Coombs (nicely) bodyslams her and posts Moolah, Debbie just makes it back into the ring, as the bell rings. Coombs wins by countout so she does not get the title. Post-match, Coombs continues to beat on Moolah and takes the title, like an idiot, thinking she won the title. 1/10 Boring kick, punch and choke match.
WWF Women’s Championship Fabulous Moolah vs. Joyce Grable: This “Coliseum Classic” is from 1975 with Vince McMahon on commentary. Grable hits a series of dropkicks knocking Moolah to the floor. Moolah looks exactly the same except she has jet black hair; Moolah applies a keylock and maintains it with her hair. Grable reverses but Moolah grabs the hair again; she chops her and chokes her against the ropes and uses her favorite move, the rope-snap choke-back. She gloats to the crowd a little long and Joyce dropkicks her to the floor. Grable gets a little too aggressive and Moolah nails her as she is reentering the ring; Moolah tries a second-rope slingshot splash back into the ring but misses, Grable gets a two. Moolah thinks referee Danny Bartfield is Grable grabs his hair and chokes. Grable hits a nice handspring head scissors takeover and tries again but Moolah moves and Grable falls on her face. She chokes again and then roughs up referee Bartfield when he tries to break it up; more hair pulling and choking follows. Moolah applies a choke-lift a few times. Grable comes back with a bodyslam for two; she tries another slam but Moolah turns it into a cradle for three. 1.5/10 Another boring Moolah match, but Grable got in a few cool moves before jobbing.
Since the release date of this VHS tape is so close to Halloween, highlights of Halloween stuff from Saturday Night’s Main Event are shown; Bobby Heenan bobs for pumpkins with Gene Okerlund. We move onto Roddy Piper’s house (back when he was a heel) making bowling ball and brick treats for the kids. Vince McMahon comes over and berates him for being a dickhead. Kids come over and he gives the “treats” to them; the ball breaks the bag and the candy falls all over Piper’s floor. He kicks them out but the kids booby-trap Piper by giving him chocolate covered red peppers. 4/10 Piper was such a good heel.
The Islanders vs. Demolition: This is from MSG with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan on commentary. The Islanders are still babyfaces and have not been pared with Heenan yet. I think Demolition are also between managers between Johnny V and Mr. Fuji, they also have weird versions of their facepaint on and have short hair, which looks strange, especially on Smash. Tama starts off with the aforementioned Smash; the Demos are really hard to decipher between here because of the identical haircuts and Smash usually has a very recognizable facepaint pattern on. Smash pounds on Tama and no-sells a shoulderblock; Haku tags in and they double dropkick him to floor him. Ax comes in and they double chop him and he heads to the floor as well. Demolition pushes Haku back into the corner but he comes back with chops and head-butts; the Islanders pinball Ax with head-butts. Tama tags in and comes off the top with a sledge to his arm. They work over the arm of Ax as Tama slaps a chicken wing on; Haku tags in and they hit another double reverse elbow. Haku asks the crowd if he should stomp on Ax’s midsection from a wishbone position, they do, he obliges. Haku has switched to the leg and applies a standing leglock. The banter between Heenan and Monsoon date the match, pre-WrestleMania III as they are discussing André the Giant’s chances to take the WWF title from Hulk Hogan. Tama work the leg and applies a toehold; they double wishbone the leg a few times. Ax finally takes over and tosses Tama into his corner and then flings him to the floor; he joins him and tosses him over the ring barricade into the ringside area. Haku comes over to his aide. This match must take place really early in André’s heel turn because Gorilla still professes his friendship with him and Heenan continually shoots him down. Smash tags in and choke lifts him; Demolition ram him backwards into the buckles. He tries to fire back but gets chucked to the floor again. Haku assists Tama on the floor and battles with Smash there; in the ring Ax pounds on Tama. Demolition tag in and Smash clotheslines him on the top rope; he applies a bearhug. Tama fires back but Smash smartly grapevines the leg as he is breaking away to cut off the tag. Ax saunters in off a tag and sledges away. He finally gets a boot to counter a backdrop and tags in Haku. He beats on both Demolition with kicks and head-butts; he levels Smash with a dropkick. He slugs away and hits a superkick; Tama runs in and they hit double diving head-butts. Tama comes off the top rope with a high crossbody that would have netted a pinfall but Ax breaks it up. Haku rushes in and in the confusion Demolition hit their Decapitator and gets three on Tama. 6/10 Pretty good match here; Demolition was in their infantile stage where they were getting used to their new gimmick and each other. Barry Darsow just replaced Randy Colley (Moondog Rex) as Smash here and Mr. Fuji had not debuted as their manager; their facepaint was weird too.
Paul Roma & Jim Powers vs. The Islanders (w/Bobby Heenan): This is also from MSG with Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes; we move onto the heel version of the team, with Heenan managing. This is really early in the Roma/Powers team and they aren’t even called the Young Stallions yet. We JIP with Paul Roma applying an armbar; Tama drags him into the corner and Haku pummels him there. He misses a legdrop and Roma fires back. Haku slams him but misses a head-butt. The Islanders miscommunicate but Roma runs the ropes one too many times allowing Tama to trip him from the floor. Haku holds Roma for a top-rope forearm; Powers runs into the ring and the Islanders double team. Roma counters a backdrop with a sunset flip but cannot take him over with it and gets nailed. Haku nails an inverted atomic drop; Powers runs in again and allows more choking, Haku segues into a trapezius hold. Tama tags in but Roma blocks his suplex and reverses it. The Islanders cut off a tag and hit double reverse elbows; Roma tries to scoot through Haku’s legs but he catches him and drags him back to the heel corner where Tama hits a running stomp to an upside-down Roma. Tama applies another trapezius hold; Roma breaks free but runs into a reverse elbow. Haku lands his crescent kick to Roma but telegraphs a backdrop; he cuts off the tag with a front facelock. Tama helps Haku drag Roma back to their corner, which draws Powers in and allows double teaming. Tama applies the front facelock again; this time Haku cuts off the tag attacking Powers from the apron, which allows more illegal double teaming. Haku misses a rolling senton and Roma finally tags in Powers. He annihilates everyone in sight and hits some dropkicks. He and Tama badly botch a backdrop and Powers looks like he hurt his back. Tama takes over and Roma makes the save and the match breaks down. As the referee is putting Roma out, the Islanders hit their tandem finisher, a Haku backbreaker into a Tama top-rope splash, for three. 4/10 All that was cut off in the beginning was the Stallions’ opening flurry other than that it was all Islanders domination; Powers and Roma looked like total jobbers, as they were when the team first formed.
Raymond Rougeau vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart: From MSG with Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund and Lord Alfred Hayes on commentary (a rare three-man team). This is a random singles match; WWF was looking to push Bret as a singles guy forever. No Jimmy Hart in Bret’s corner tonight. Rougeau stomps Bret’s shades, pissing him off; he charges wildly and Raymond is able to arm drag him. Bret takes a powder on the floor; Gorilla compares Bret to Bob Orton as he has done in previous Orton matches. Rey tosses Bret into the ropes and catches him with a monkey flip. Bret stalls again, outside the ring and in the ropes, Ray applies a standing side headlock; Bret tries a leapfrog into his own monkey flip but Rougeau is too clever and stomps his face. Hart takes over with some Hitman punches and drops Raymond with an inverted atomic drop. The assault continues until Bret tosses Rougeau to the floor; Hart continues to beat on Ray in the corner and hits a nice backbreaker for two. Hart applies a chinlock, Ray tries to escape a few times but Bret maintains using the hair. Raymond escapes via elbow to the midsection and tries a sunset flip, for two; Hart gets his wishbone midsection stomp (that he would eventually use to set up the Sharpshooter). Bret pounds in the corner until the referee breaks it up, Ray scores with a rather legit looking punch to the face, and then chops Hart down; Rougeau hiptosses him out of the corner and hits a running dropkick, but Bret gets his foot on the ropes. Raymond KILLS Bret with a falling piledriver, nicely done by both men, good sell by Bret, there, but it merely gets a nearfall. Bret gets tossed into the corner and tries to boot an incoming Rougeau but Ray catches the foot and spins Bret into an atomic drop. Bret collapses in the corner and Raymond aggressively attacks him until Bret scoops the legs and gets a three count with is feet on the ropes. 6/10 Perfectly acceptable wrestling match; Bret was a little younger here so he did not have all of his “classic Bret moves” yet but he still was a great technician. His early singles heel matches don’t look very special, as opposed to other great technicians of the time, Bret just got better as he got more comfortable in the WWF.
WWF Intercontinental Championship Randy “Macho Man” Savage (w/Elizabeth) vs. Tito Santana: Here is a dark match from a WWF Wrestling Challenge taping; this takes place shortly after Savage took the title from Santana in the Boston Garden and is probably the rematch. Craig DeGeorge is on solo commentary from the Coliseum Video headquarters. Savage is in his rare olive green trunks which I always thought were cool. Savage stalls at the bell; they lock up and Tito pushes him against the ropes, Savage sneaks to the floor. Santana tries some mat wrestling stuff but Savage is too quick for him. Macho grabs an arm wringer but Santana reverses it and works his arm so Savage retreats again, he did that a lot in his early days. Santana finally comes out after him but Macho runs in the ring and then back out again. Tito punches away in Savage and finally knocks him down and stomps; he atomic drops him and Macho falls into the ropes. Tito blocks a turnbuckle attempt but then Savage momentums him, via trunks, into the middle buckle and takes over; Macho stomps on his throat. Savage to the top and drops a double axe to the back of Tito’s head, for two. Tito gets a sunset flip and gets two; I know solo commentary is hard but Craig DeGeorge is PAINFUL. Savage tosses Tito to the floor and then drops his top-rope double axe handle to the floor; Macho continues to pummel Santana on the floor, tosses him back in, but gets his into-the-ring, top-rope axe handle countered with a punch to the gut. Santana tosses Savage to the floor and he comes out after him; back in the ring, Tito hits a second-rope standing elbow to the head. Tito goes for the figure-four leglock but Savage kicks him off and tries to escape to the floor. Tito follows him to the floor and they battle there; Savage uses Elizabeth as a shield and nails Tito. Savage quickly rolls into the ring as the bell rings, and Savage wins by countout. 7/10 Good match; the commentary was a little painful as DeGeorge had no business on solo commentary and it showed as he sounded lost a few times mid-match. It does not take away from the in-ring action but it proves that good commentary goes a long way.
OVERALL 6/10 Everything was good on this tape save for the Moolah matches, but there are two of them which hurts the overall score, because it eats up about a half hour of action. There are a lot of focuses on this tape, Moolah was one and the Islanders were the other, heel and babyface versions, which was interesting to see them back-to-back and how they changed their high flying style to more of a generic cheating heel team. The rest of the matches were good it had Savage versus Santana which is usually good, the Honky Tonk Man’s IC title win, and a unique Hulk Hogan tag match in the beginning. Pretty good tape if you fast forward the Moolah stuff.