The SmarK Rant for Coliseum Video presents The Tag Team Champions
OK, with the Best Of series completed, time to go back and start redoing some of my favorite compilations from the Coliseum Video series! And thankfully the legal situation around these has stabilized at a little over 10% under control, so I’m confident everything is worked out for good now. But I’ll have a final answer by the end of this review at any rate.
This one was released in early 1986, shortly after Wrestlemania 2.
Hosted by Mean Gene, who assures us that this is a special tape, filled with SOLID GOLD. Well that seems like false advertising. How would it even play in the VCR?
WWWF tag team title: Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake v. The British Bulldogs
We start out with a match from Championship Wrestling in late 1985, and Gene informs us right away that the title will NOT change hands here. SPOILERS. Dynamite overpowers Valentine to start and brings Davey in. The Bulldogs work on Beefcake’s arm in the corner and Davey slams both champs and gets two on Beefcake off that. Kid comes in and cleans house, hitting Valentine with a clothesline and backbreaker for two. Headbutt gets two. Dave comes in and it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA, but Johnny V trips up the Kid for the DQ at 4:11. I’ve seen worse. 1 for 1.
WWWF tag team title: Mr. Fuji & Toru Tanaka v. Dominic Denucci & Dino Bravo
So we go back to the past now, specifically 03/14/78 in Philly now, skipping over the very early years of the titles in the 70s. Tanaka works a headlock on Denucci and puts him down with a knee to the gut, but Bravo comes in off a missed charge and drops a leg on Tanaka for two. We’re clipped to Tanaka choking Bravo out and switching off with Fuj the Stooge on a nerve hold, but Dino comes back with a dropkick for two. Back to Denucci, but the heels double-team him in the corner with assorted chops and Hawaiian martial arts. Bravo makes the save, but gets tied up in the ropes because he’s THE WORST. Denucci doesn’t even need him anyway, grabbing Tanaka in an airplane spin and pinning him to win the titles at 4:41 aired. 1 for 2.
WWWF tag team title: Dominic Denucci & Dino Bravo v. The Yukon Lumberjacks
Off to MSG now, 06/26/78, as we join things with Denucci getting the hot tag and cleaning house on the Lumberjacks, putting the boots to Eric (later known as Scott “Hog” Irwin) for two. Pierre keeps interfering, so Denucci slugs him off the apron and Bravo comes in with a backdrop on Eric for two. Dropkick gets two. Denucci tries to finish him off with the airplane spin, but Pierre interferes again and they double-team Dominic behind the ref’s back and get the pin at 3:20 to win the titles. 1 for 3.
WWWF tag team title: The Lumberjacks v. Larry Zbyszko & Tony Garea
Off to a Championship Wrestling match on 11/21/78 in Allentown PA. We’re joined with Pierre beating on Larry in the corner, but Larry fights off Eric and makes the hot tag to Garea. The crowd goes pretty crazy while he runs wild on Eric, but he runs into a boot in the corner and gets double-teamed in the corner. The faces are whipped together, but they regroup and run the Lumberjacks together instead, and Garea pins Eric to win the titles at 2:52 shown. This gets a point for Lou Albano having an apparent heart attack in the ring afterwards. 2 for 4.
WWWF tag team title: Larry Zbyszko & Tony Garea v. The Valiants
Captain Lou regroups with a new team, on 03/03/79 in another Championship Wrestling taping in Allentown. We join it with Larry hitting Jerry with a backdrop, but he tries a shoulderblock and collides with Jerry. So Jimmy pulls Jerry out and allows Johnny to switch in and pin Larry to win the titles at 0:55 aired. Obviously not much to this one as shown. 2 for 5. Of note, the Valiants were the last “WWWF” tag team champions, as they were renamed to the WWF tag team titles during their reign.
WWF tag team title: The Valiants v. Tito Santana & Ivan Putski
Moving on to MSG, 10/22/79, as Tito (or “Latin Lightning” as Mean Gene dubs him) gets double-teamed and choked out by the Valiants in the heel corner. Johnny slams him and Jerry comes in and puts the boots to Tito before going to a nerve hold. I will say, the resemblance between Jerry and Bobby Heenan is pretty striking and I can see where the rumors of them being “brothers” came from. Jerry maintains a nerve hold, but Tito makes the tag to Putski, which the ref of course misses. And Johnny switches in while that’s happening, maintaining the hold, and again Tito makes the tag while Jerry distracts the ref this time. Finally Tito slugs out, but Jerry boots him down again, and then this time Johnny grabs Tito’s tights from the apron and holds him in the corner. That’s quality cheating. Johnny switches in and beats on Tito some more, but Jerry hits Johnny by mistake and Putski finally gets the hot tag. He whips Jerry from the proverbial pillar to post and then beats on Johnny, tossing him over the top rope in a great bump, and then slingshots Jerry back into the ring. The bell rings for some reason, which Vince clarifies as a mistake, and Tito corrals the Valiants together and then hits John with a bodypress to win the titles at 6:48. I presume it was close to curfew and the timekeeper thought they needed to shut it down, so Tito wrapped it up quickly? Anyway, even back in 1979 and saddled with baggage all around, Tito was a hell of a tag team wrestler. 3 for 6.
WWF tag team title: Tito Santana & Ivan Putski v. The Wild Samoans
Off to Philly, 04/12/80, after a healthy six month reign for Tito and Ivan. Everyone slugs it out and the champs clean house right away, with Tito working on Sika’s leg and then bringing Putski in for more of the same. Afa comes in and we get a comedy spot with the Samoans narrowly avoiding hitting each other, only for Putski to egg them on and produce a collision anyway. Tito and Ivan double-team Afa in their corner, but Putski misses a blind charge and Afa puts him down with a headbutt. He runs Putski into Sika’s head and Ivan manages to fight them off and make the tag to Tito, who runs wild with dropkicks. Tito slams Sika and goes up to the top, but he takes longer than the runtime of the Eternals, PLUS the Twitter thread with neckbeards defending it, and he misses a flying bodypress and gets pinned with a samoan drop at 4:43, giving the Samoans their first tag title. 3 for 7.
WWF tag team title: The Wild Samoans v. Tony Garea & Rick Martel
Ironically, the other half of Strike Force is the one who gets revenge, as Garea finds another tag team partner to revive his career. We’re back in Philly on 11/08/80, and we actually skipped a pretty important title change that has since been erased from history by WWE: Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund winning the titles at the Shea Stadium show. They gave up the titles right away and the Samoans got them back to begin their second reign, and now we’re here. Martel and Afa get into a shoving match and Afa misses a charge in his rage, allowing the faces to go to work on his arm. Garea slugs Sika off the apron and it’s back to Martel, as we’re clipped to them switching off on Afa later in the match. But then Afa tosses Garea and Sika gets a cheapshot on the floor and slams him on the floor, and back in for a trip to the post to work on the shoulder. Clipped again to the Samoans double-teaming Garea in the corner and choking him out with the tag rope, which gets two. Afa with the nerve pinch, but Garea fights out for the double down and it’s hot tag Martel. Martel with a backdrop and dropkick out of the corner and we get double monkey flips as the announcer declares the match BONZO GONZO, which is where I stole that from. And Martel pins Sika with a sunset flip in the chaos to win the titles at 7:00 aired. 4 for 8.
WWF tag team title: Tony Garea & Rick Martel v. The Moondogs
Another Championship Wrestling match, 03/17/81, as the champs double-team King in their corner and work on the arm. Martel gets caught in the heel corner and Rex puts him down with a knee to the gut for two. Captain Lou adds a cheapshot from the floor and Rex bulldogs Martel into the corner, but then tries it again and gets shoved into the turnbuckles by Rick. Well that was obviously a spot where someone missed the cue and they did it again. King comes in and chinlocks Martel, but he fights back on Rex and they collide. Rex gets two off that, and King adds a backbreaker for two as the crowd is SHRIEKING for Martel like he’s Jeff Hardy or whoever the kids are into these days. Danhausen? The kids seem to like him. Martel finally slugs past Rex and makes the hot tag to Garea, who puts Rex in an abdominal stretch. The ref gets bumped in the process, but King hits Garea with the bone and Rex falls on top for the pin and the titles at 6:18. This had unreal heat. 5 for 9.
WWF tag team title: The Moondogs v. Tony Garea & Rick Martel
OK, skipping ahead again, as you might notice that King has now been replaced by Spot, which was due to legal issues. So we’re back on Championship Wrestling in Allentown on 07/21/81 for the rematch. And we join it with Spot beating on Garea in the corner, but Martel quickly gets the tag and they double-team Spot. Spot was an immediate upgrade over the immobile King, producing the best version of the team. Rex comes in and gets double-teamed by the challengers as they work the arm, and Spot comes in to save and gets more of the same. Albano gets a shot from the floor and King goes to work on Martel as a result, but he misses a blind charge and Garea takes over again with an armbar. Rex bails to escape and Albano has had enough and actually kicks Rex before walking out on his own team! Man, Albano is such a heel that he’d kick a dog! Garea gets a sunset flip on Rex for two as Albano changes his mind and returns. Pat Patterson on commentary notes that the fans are really supporting the babyfaces, and it’s like “they’re getting a really big push!” You don’t say? Garea with a hammerlock on Rex and he slams him, but misses an elbow, so Martel quickly switches in and stays on the arm of Rex. But then Spot gets a knee to the back to take over and Albano gets another shot, as I guess all is forgiven. Well they say Moondogs love unconditionally. Spot goes to a chinlock and fights off Martel’s comeback, then hits him with a high knee for two. Martel slugs back on Rex and makes the hot tag to Garea, who dropkicks Rex into the corner and into a rollup from Martel for two. Spot makes the save and the heels double-team Rick in their corner, but it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA and Martel pins Rex with a sunset flip after a heel collision, to regain the titles at 8:22. Hot take: Garea and Martel were one hell of a babyface tag team and this was a really good match. 6 for 10.
WWF tag team title: Rick Martel & Tony Garea v. Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito
Back on Championship Wrestling, this time moving ahead to 10/13/81 in Allentown. Martel works on Fuji with armdrags to start, so he tags out to Saito and Martel controls him as well. Garea comes in and continues with the armbar, so it’s back to Fuji and Garea stays on him as well. Martel with a bodypress on Fuji for two and it’s back to the arm as those darn Japanese just can’t get anything going. Weird edit here as about a minute of commentary is removed from the Coliseum edit of the match for some reason. And right on cue, Fuji gets a cheapshot on Garea and the heels go to work o him in the corner, with Saito getting a backdrop for two. They put him down with a double chop for two, which has twice the martial arts power because that’s totally how physics works in Japan, and Fuji goes to nerve pinch after switching off behind the ref’s back. Garea fights back with a slam, but misses a dropkick and Fuji gets two. Saito comes in with a slam for two and comes off the middle rope with a kneedrop for two. Finally Garea collapses into the corner and Martel gets the hot tag, hitting Saito with a flying headscissors and sunset flip for two. Back to Garea and it’s ALL CATTY WAMPUS, but Fuji gets loaded up with salt from Albano, and Martel comes off the top with a bodypress and lands in an EPIC cloud of salt, which gets the pin and the titles at 9:38. That was an amazingly timed finish. 7 for 11. I’m tempted to add another point for Vince’s indignant reaction to the finish.
WWF tag team title: Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito v. Jay & Jules Strongbow
Moving ahead almost a year, to 07/13/82 on Championship Wrestling from Allentown, with a 2 out of 3 falls match. Fuji immediately throws salt in everyone’s eyes while the ref talks to Albano and pins Jules at 0:30 to win the first fall. And that’s all they show, although the lineage was a bit confused at this point due to a held up title anyway. 7 for 12.
WWF tag team title: Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito v. Jay & Jules Strongbow
This is advertised as the rematch, but it’s MSG so they’re actually showing the matches backwards. The first match was the rematch from this one, which took place on 06/28/82, with Ivan Putski as the special ref. We pick things up with Chief Jay getting double-teamed in the corner, but he comes back with a chop and pins Fuji to win the titles at 1:00 shown here. 7 for 13. Now, in reality, the belts were held up as a result of Fuji having his foot on the ropes, which led to the match we saw before this one, but on this tape we go to another rematch…
WWF tag team title: Mr. Fuji & Mr. Saito v. Jay & Jules Strongbow
Just to confuse things more, this is advertised as the rematch to the previous match, but it’s actually four months later, 10/28/82, on Championship Wrestling again. And although the Strongbows won the tag titles in the previous match, Fuji & Saito are actually the champions again by this match to confuse things even more. Jay puts Saito down with a chop for two, which begs the eternal question: Are chops from Native Americans harder than chops from martial artists? I feel like that’s how UFC was formed. Jules comes in with the sleeper on Saito, but he tags out to Fuji, who immediately gets beat up in the Strongbow corner. Saito gets a cheapshot on Jules to take over, and a russian legsweep gets two. Jay gets the tag, but Fuji immediately cuts him off and uses fake Japanese chops to counter the fake Native American chops, as I wonder if it’s possible to offend anyone with stereotypes when no one is the real nationality in wrestling anyway. And while I’m wondering about that, Jay suddenly hits a Thesz Press on Fuji for the pin and the titles at 3:42 and they regain the titles, at any rate. 7 for 14. Well at least it gave us all something to think about.
WWF tag team title: Jay & Jules Strongbow v. The Wild Samoans
The Samoans are back from Mid-South and we’re on Championship Wrestling again, 03/08/83 now. Joined with the Strongbows making a comeback on Afa, but Afa runs Jay’s head into Sika’s head to take over. They double-team Jay and toss him over the top rope, then haul in Jules and beat on him as well. Afa with the samoan drop to finish and win the tag team titles at 2:00 shown, in what was mostly a squash here. 7 for 15. This was a pretty bad era for the titles.
WWF tag team title: The Wild Samoans v. Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas
Getting closer to the modern era now, with a famous finish on Championship Wrestling, 11/15/83. We’re joined with Rocky getting double-teamed by the Samoans, as ironically the union of those two families produced the greatest wrestler in history. Afa chokes him out on the ropes, but they collide for the double down and Afa gets two off it. Rocky fights them off and makes the hot tag to Saba Simba, who cleans house and accidentally bumps the ref while slamming Afa. So Albano brings a chair into the ring, but accidentally smashes and breaks it over Afa’s head and Atlas gets the pin and the titles at 3:53 to a RAUCOUS ovation from the crowd. Funny enough, Atlas and Johnson hated each other in real life according to most, which is probably why the title reign didn’t last long, relatively speaking. Anyway the finish was epic, so this gets a point. 8 for 16.
WWF tag team title: Rocky Johnson & Tony Atlas v. Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch
We’re back on Championship Wrestling, 04/17/84, for the last title change in Allentown PA. Rocky controls the heels with armdrags to start, and hints of the things to come creep in as Mean Gene is now joining Vince on commentary. Atlas throws elbows on Murdoch in the corner, but charges and runs into one himself, and Adonis comes in and just pulverizes Tony with knees. Atlas fights back with a headbutt on Murdoch, but Adonis necks Atlas on the top rope and Murdoch gets two. Rocky gets the hot tag and slugs away on both heels for the donnybrook, and he gets a Boston crab on Adrian as Atlas brawls with Murdoch outside. But then Atlas gets cute and tries to press Murdoch into the ring, which allows Adonis the chance to ram Rocky into Murdoch and roll him up for the titles at 5:00. And they had a pretty good title reign, actually! 9 for 17.
WWF tag team title: Adrian Adonis & Dick Murdoch v. Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo
Captain Lou is now a babyface manager, and we’re in Hartford CT on 01/21/85. So we pick it up with Adonis working over Rotundo in the corner, but Mike backdrops him to the floor and Adonis goes over and takes out Barry to prevent a tag. Barry taking the bump into the railing is great stuff. Back in the ring, Rotundo continues to take punishment, with Murdoch putting him in a crab, but Rotundo quickly powers out of it and makes the hot tag this time. Barry slugs away and Adonis takes a corner bump to set up the DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER for the heels. Barry tries to bulldog Murdoch, but Adonis cuts him off with a clothesline as everyone brawls in the ring and Adonis takes Barry to the floor. But Adrian goes into the post and Barry pops into the ring and pins Murdoch with a sunset flip to win the titles at 3:20 shown. 10 for 18.
WWF tag team title: Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo v. Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff
This of course an MSG show you may have heard about before, 03/31/85. Rotundo controls the Sheik with dropkicks and takes him down with a headlock for two, and Windham comes in with a top rope elbow and drops a leg on Sheiky Baby. We get some heel miscommunication and it’s over to Volkoff, but Rotundo puts him down with a back elbow for two. They double-team the arm in the babyface corner, but Rotundo gets run into the pointy toe of pain and the heels take over. Rotundo blocks a suplex attempt, but Volkoff comes in and puts the boots to Mike and drops him on the top rope. Rotundo with a sunset flip for two, but Volkoff puts him down again with a knee to the gut and puts the boots to him. Sheik with the abdominal stretch, but Rotundo escapes and it’s hot tag Windham. He beats on Volkoff and gets a dropkick to set up the bulldog, but it only gets two as Sheik saves and it’s BONZO GONZO. But then Sheik hits Windham with the cane in the melee, and Volkoff gets the pin and the titles at 6:56. Not sure why they aired the full match here after two hours of 3 minute clips, but this remains a fine match. 11 for 19.
WWF tag team title: Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff v. Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo
And it’s the rematch on Championship Wrestling in Poughkeepsie NY, 06/17/85. Joined with Windham hitting a dropkick on Volkoff as Rotundo comes in with a rollup for two, but he walks into a knee from Sheik and the heels take over. Sheik hits him with a chop to the throat for two and gets a slam for two. Gut wrench sets up the camel clutch, but Windham makes the save and Rotundo rolls up Sheik for two. Volkoff pushes them over, but Windham pushes them over again and Rotundo gets the pin and the titles at 2:40 shown. 12 for 20.
WWF tag team title: Barry Windham & Mike Rotundo v. Greg Valentine & Brutus Beefcake
And of course we wrap things up in Philly, 08/24/85, with Windham about to self destruct and leave the promotion. Joined with Windham making the comeback and hitting the bulldog on Valentine for two, but Brutus saves and then grabs a lit cigar from Johnny V, which he shoves in Barry’s face, and Valentine gets the pin and the titles at 1:40 shown. 12 for 21.
I mean, match quality was hit or miss to say the least, but as a historical record, this is pretty close to as complete as you’re gonna get for the time period. I’ve always enjoyed this tape and it’s an easy two hour watch, so I’m giving it a thumbs up. And as I suspected, nothing happened as a result of reviewing it.
Oh, hold on a second, I’ve just got a message from my legal team. Apparently the final percentage is in, and the number is….
…
…
2.0.
Oh no.
NOT THAT.
ANYTHING BUT THAT.
DAMN YOU TO HELL, CORPORATE BLOG OVERLORDS!