The SmarK Rant for Coliseum Video presents The Best of the WWF Volume 2

The SmarK Rant for Coliseum Video presents The Best of the WWF Volume 2

Hosted by Gorilla Monsoon. I immediately like that they don’t run down the matches like in volume 1, which gives it more of that tape-trading surprise feel where you’re not sure what you’re getting next.

WWF World tag team title: Tony Atlas & Rocky Johnson v. Dick Murdoch & Adrian Adonis

From Championship Wrestling in April of 84, with Vince and Mean Gene on commentary in a weird duo. The champs double-team Adonis to start, as Adrian bumps all over for them, and Murdoch comes in as Atlas works on his arm. Murdoch tries to give him the business in the corner, but Atlas whips him into the other corner to escape, so Adonis comes in and we get some double-teaming from the heels. Murdoch slugs away on Atlas, but Tony fires back with the headbutt and Murdoch goes flying off that. Adonis necks Atlas and Murdoch drops an elbow for two. Adonis comes in and Atlas gets another headbutt, which sets up the hot tag to Rocky Johnson and he runs wild. It’s BONZO GONZO and the heels collide, but Rocky tries the Boston crab and Murdoch breaks it up. They all go brawling on the floor, but Adonis rolls up Rocky in the chaos and they win the tag team titles at 5:09. They had a hell of a tag title reign, actually. And they didn’t even need to cheat! 1 for 1.

WWF Intercontinental title: Pedro Morales v. Magnificent Muraco

From MSG in January of 1983, as Muraco attacks and Pedro rips off his shirt and goes on the offense, yanking him out of the corner. Morales chokes him out with his own shirt and biels him across the ring with it, so Muraco calls for time and hides in the ropes. And the ref lets him do it! COME ON, REF! There’s no timeouts in the world of professional wrestling! Pedro gets a sunset flip out of the other corner for two, so Muraco takes a bump to the floor to buy some time. Muraco tries to get back in the ring, but then ends up walking the apron and taking a Flair Flop to the floor in a pretty crazy bump. Back in the ring, Muraco runs away again, but Morales works him over and puts the boots to him. Muraco calls for time again and hides in the ropes, but the ref actually counts him this time, so Muraco hits Pedro right in the cajones and takes over. Some kid in the crowd is yelling “Come on, Pedro, get up!”, showing zero empathy for the poor guy. He’s probably too young to understand that one. So then Pedro “accidentally” kicks Muraco in the nuts while the ref is trying to get Muraco’s shirt remains off, so they’re even. Two wrongs make a right and all. Muraco hides in the corner again, so this time Morales charges and misses, taking a dramatic knee into the turnbuckle. So of course Muraco goes right to work on it and gets a spinning toehold, but Pedro shoves him into the post to escape. Pedro with a backbreaker, but he drops Muraco right on his own bad knee, and that’s not smart. He gets the Boston crab, but Muraco is in the ropes an his knee gives out anyway. Morales keeps fighting and tries a slam, but the knee collapses and Muraco falls on top for the pin an the title at 8:42, winning it for the second time. Muraco was just great around this time. 2 for 2.

Pedro Morales v. Killer Kowalski

Back to the 70s now, July 1974 if my math is correct, as Kowalski quickly traps Pedro in the corner and slugs away while Gorilla relates how he’s currently running a wrestling school in Boston. Huh, wonder if he ended up training anyone notable? We’re clipped to Killer working a stomach claw for two and then he puts the boots to Pedro’s knee and works it over In the corner. Kowalski bites the man’s leg and uses another claw on them, but Pedro rakes his face to escape and makes the comeback to a thunderous response from MSG. Pedro sends him flying back into the corner, but Kowalski complains about a phantom shot to the throat and then attacks the knee again while Pedro is defending himself. Pedro’s had just about enough of this fucker, so he makes the comeback again and runs him into the turnbuckles before slugging away with the FIERY LATIN TEMPER, hot like a spicy microwave burrito! Not like a super-spicy one, but one that was left in the microwave for about 30 seconds too long and is too unpleasantly hot to eat right away. We’re clipped to Kowalski getting another stomach claw, but Pedro fights up again and does his own biting, then gets a backdrop, but Kowalski is back to the stomach claw. Pedro is fired up again and they fight to the floor, where Pedro sends him into the post and it’s a double countout at 8:38 shown. I’ve never been a big Kowalski fan. 2 for 3.

MIDGET MADNESS!

Jamaica Kid & Billy the Kid v. Little Brutus & Sky Low Low

Just some of the usual stuff from the 70s, shortened to a couple of minutes. And they abruptly switch to another tag team match with Brutus & Sky Low Low against Sonny Boy Hayes and Troy Russell and we get a minute of that as well. Still better than watching NXT 2.0. 2 for 4.

Chief Jay Strongbow v. Professor Toru Tanaka

Another one from the 70s, with Lord Alfred Hayes doing overdubbed commentary. This looks like sometime in the very early 70s judging by Strongbow’s relatively svelte figure. Tanaka uses some karate and nerve holds on Strongbow, but Jay takes him down and they fight over a wristlock. Strongbow gets a hammerlock and chops him down for two. Tanaka gets a wristlock and bends the thumb for the earliest example of SMALL JOINT MANIPULATION on tape that I know of. Strongbow reverses to a headscissors to escape that. We’re clipped to Tanaka using a nerve hold, but thankfully the crowd is able to go WOO WOO WOO loud enough to allow Strongbow to make the comeback. Tanaka gets a cheapshot to cut him off and grabs salt from his tights, but the ref sees it and calls for the DQ at 7:58 aired. Nothing to this one. 2 for 5.

A Musical Interlude with Mean Gene playing Tutti Frutti with Hulk on bass, which I’m pretty sure is the performance seen by Metallica before they offered him the job in the band. Jason Newsted got that one by the SKIN OF HIS TEETH. Maybe they should have called Hulk for another audition after Newsted joined Voivod? Also, fun fact, I saw Voivod opening for Ozzy in Edmonton shortly after Newsted joined, and they still fucking sucked. Also some doofus got drunk and rushed the stage during their boring set, managing to get thrown out of the concert before the first opening act even finished. He didn’t even make it to Finger Eleven! Anyway, this performance is sadly cut out of the WWE Network version of that TNT episode. 3 for 6.

Intercontinental title: Tito Santana v. Paul Orndorff

From September of 1984 in St. Louis, with Vince on commentary. Tito takes him down with armdrags and sends him running to the floor. Back in, Tito goes to work on the arm and holds an armbar for some time, but Orndorff escapes with an atomic drop and Tito’s pained selling is great stuff. Orndorff goes to work on him with a kneelift and kicks him, like a dog perhaps, sending him to the floor. Out there, Orndorff with another atomic drop and Tito is just selling it like crazy while Orndorff has a great heel sneer. Back in, Paul necks him on the top rope and puts the boots to him again. Tito fights back from the apron and comes in with a sunset flip, but Orndorff blocks it and then makes the biggest mistake any heel can make: He points to his head to indicate intelligence! I bet that one comes back to bite him. He goes to work with a chinlock, but Tito fights out with elbows, until Orndorff hits him with a backdrop suplex for two. Tito with a crossbody for two, but the ref is out of position. So Paul slugs him down again for two (a clip that is featured in the famous Coliseum Video montage), but Tito sends him to the floor while kicking out. Back in, Vince declares it a SEE SAW MATCHUP, as Orndorff goes up and hits knees on a flying splash. Tito makes the comeback and slugs away, then catapults him into the corner and slugs him down for two. Paul escapes the flying forearm with a leapfrog (!) and then hits Tito with a clothesline for two. Tito charges and Orndorff gets the knees up for two, but the bell rings at 14:15 and that’s a draw. This was definitely a hidden gem from this set, with Tito selling his ass off. 4 for 7.

“Surprise Endings!”

We get clips of Rocky Johnson v. Magnificent Muraco in Philly (Muraco saves his title when Rocky nails the ref), Freddie Blassie v. Bobo Brazil (Blassie accidentally gets tied up in the ropes and can’t continue), and Andre the Giant v. the Black Demon (The Demon attacks after his loss, so Andre rips the mask off and chases him out of the ring).

WWF tag team titles, Texas Death match: Rick Martel & Tony Garea v. The Moondogs

Joined in progress, from 1981 in Philly, as Rex holds a chinlock on Garea. Gorilla Monsoon is the special ref here so he should have NOTHING to say about the quality of the officiating. Martel gets a hot tag and runs wild on the Moondogs with dropkicks and drops a knee on King on for two. He gets an abdominal stretch on King, but Rex nails Gorilla to save, so Gorilla kicks his ass, throws him out, and allows Martel to pin King to retain at 2:29 shown! 4 for 8.

WWF tag team titles: Tony Garea & Rick Martel v. Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito

From October 1981 on Championship Wrestling, with Lou Albano now managing the heels and wearing a kimono. That’s a sight. Martel is a house of fire to start and works on Saito’s arm, and then Garea comes in with more of the same. Over to Fuji, as Garea takes him down and also works on the arm, and Martel gets a bodypress on Fuji for two. Back to Saito and they work on his arm as well as we lose a big chunk of the Vince/Patterson commentary for some reason, but Fuji and Saito cheat and turn the tide. Fuji with chops on Garea and Saito gets a backdrop for two. Fuji with the double chop and Saito hits Garea in the throat for two and then puts the boots to him for two. They take Garea to the corner and double-team him, drawing Martel in to allow for more shenanigans behind the ref’s back. Fuji with the nerve hold, but Garea fights back and then misses a dropkick, as Saito gets two. Slam gets two. Saito goes up with a kneedrop for two. Saito goes to a facelock while Vince notes that Garea “has had the bejesus knocked out of him”. Now there’s one you don’t hear Vince use very much. Saito sends Garea to the corner, but he misses a charge and it’s HOT TAG Martel. He gets a flying headscissors and Garea comes in with a sunset flip for two. Martel with a dropkick on both heels, and Fuji loads up the salt. Martel goes up for a flying bodypress, but Fuji hits him with salt in mid-air, and Saito pins him to win the titles at 9:41. Hell of a finish and a great match to wrap up the tape and get us over the .500 mark. 5 for 9.

Coming soon to Coliseum Video: Wrestlemania! Best of the WWF Volume 3! The Biggest the Smallest the Strangest the Strongest! Rowdy Roddy Piper!

This one was ALL OVER the damn place, but the Orndorff-Santana match and closing tag title switch made it worth a look.