The SmarK Rant for Coliseum Video presents The History of the Intercontinental Belt

The SmarK Rant for Coliseum Video presents The History of the Intercontinental Belt

Wait a second, I never redid this one when going through the Coliseum videos again? Well that’s gotta change. Especially with Gunther setting the new record and all.

Released June of 1987.

Hosted by Craig DeGeorge

First up, we take a look at Ricky Steamboat winning the title from Randy Savage at WM3, although only the last couple of minutes. Lots of people in that stadium, probably at least 67,000 paid. Ironically by the time this video was released, Honky Tonk Man would be the champion and go on to set the longevity record. Maybe they should have waited?

Intercontinental title: Pat Patterson v. Dominic DeNucci

Apparently no footage is available of Pat’s win in Rio DeJaneiro for whatever reason, so instead we get some footage of a title defense in MSG, as Pat quickly gets a rolling cradle on DeNucci to retain at 0:40 shown. Pat of course won the tournament to unify the North American title with Rio DeJaneiro’s recognized version of the South American title, and the resulting belt was the Intercontinental title.

Intercontinental title: Pat Patterson v. Ken Patera

From MSG again, 04.21.80. They fight for the lockup and Patera wins that battle due to being one of the world’s strongest men and all, but Pat takes him down with armdrags and chases him to the floor. Back in the ring, Pat goes to work on the arm, but Patera gets a pretty impressive leapfrog and then Pat takes him down with another armdrag. Clipped to a bit further into the armbar and Pat is cranking on it, but Patera puts the boots to him and then throws him over the top rope for a nice bump to the floor. Patera runs him into the railing and they slug it out on the apron before Patera hauls him back in with a press slam into a backbreaker for two. Patera beats on the back and goes to the bearhug, but Patterson does this great babyface comeback and slugs out of it. So Patera cues up the swinging full nelson, but Pat quickly makes the ropes and Ken has to break. So he goes back to the bearhug but Pat slips out and backdrops him to make the comeback. He’s A HOUSE OF FIRE and slugs away in the corner before wrapping Patera’s knee around the post, and then he goes to work on that in the ring. Patera takes this great wacky bump where he lands upside-down in the ropes, so Patterson drags him off and gets a figure-four. We’re clipped to Patera making the ropes to escape that, but Patterson beats on him in frustration while he’s in the ropes and the ref has to keep pulling him off. Patera misses a blind charge and hits the post, and Pat gets two but think he’s won while the ref notices Patera’s feet in the ropes. Well any time he gets on top of a man it’s a win for him. Patera fights up and whips Pat into the referee and all three of them are out. Patera is up first and goes up with a flying knee to the back, and Patterson has HIS feet in the ropes, but the ref misses that one and Patera wins the title at 15:00. This was a HELL of a match and makes me even more irritated by how bad Patera was just a few years later. ****. Also Patera was so respected at this point that he not only won the Intercontinental title, but just four days later he went to St. Louis and won the Missouri title at the same time, which was kind of unheard of.

Intercontinental title: Ken Patera v. Pedro Morales

Back in MSG again, 10.20.80. Pedro is particularly worked up for some reason and chases Patera and the Grand Wizard to the floor, and then we’re joined in progress with Patera working a bearhug on the mat. Patera’s jumpsuit is actually reminiscent of the one Honky Tonk Man made world famous later on, showing that some things never go out of style. They slug it out as Pedro escapes and makes a comeback, working Patera over in the corner, but Pedro gets all hot blooded and shoves the referee, as does Patera. And then they both throw the ref out and battle to a double DQ at 2:40 shown. Not much to this one as presented. *

So then they pretend like that was the title change for some reason, even though Pedro didn’t win it until another two months after that match, and we move onto 1981…

Intercontinental title: Pedro Morales v. Magnificent Muraco

We’re in Philly, 06.20.81. Joined with Pedro slamming Muraco and chasing him out of the ring, while the crowd calls him a beach bum. Can’t see Philly ever accepting a beach bum as their #1 babyface. Muraco tries to go to the top rope and gets caught, so he complains to the referee while Vince notes that the referee wants to see some wrestling. Perhaps he should be watching a different promotion, then. Muraco escapes a headlock with the dreaded ASIATIC SPIKE and goes to a chinlock on the mat. Pedro fights out of that, so Muraco slams him and goes back to the chinlock again. Pedro powers up, so Muraco pulls the hair and takes him down again. So Pedro grabs the hair and pokes him in the eye, and then dodges a charging Muraco in the corner. Pedro comes back and AGAIN he’s cheating like crazy, raking the face and slugging on him in the corner, and Muraco takes a Flair Flip in the corner. Pedro backdrops him and chases him to the floor. Back in, Pedro hits Muraco so hard that the ref gets bumped, basically giving Muraco a german suplex, and Pedro puts Muraco in a Boston crab but they’re in Philly so it doesn’t count. But then Pedro stupidly goes to help the ref, and Muraco pulls out an international object and knocks Pedro out to win the title at 9:05. Yeah well Pedro was cheating the entire match, he got what was coming to him. **

Back at the studio, Magnificent Muraco joins Craig to talk about his time as champion and how this tape is history that will never die, because you can always pop the tape into your VCR and watch it whenever you want! Yeah about that.

Intercontinental title: Magnificent Muraco v. Pedro Morales

Back to MSG, 10.19.81, for a rematch. Pedro slugs away on Muraco and sends him to the floor with a Flair Flip in the corner, and then rams him into the railing. Muraco is busted open already and Pedro beats on the cut in the ring and then bites him, the maniac. I cannot condone this kind of behavior. Muraco bumps to the apron off a headbutt and Pedro hauls him back into the ring and continues beating on him with a POPEYE PUNCH and Muraco is left punching air. And Muraco can’t see, so the ref stops the match at 4:05 shown.

Intercontinental title, TEXAS DEATH MATCH: Magnificent Muraco v. Pedro Morales

From MSG, 11.23.81. It’s another of those Texas Death matches all the kids are on about these days! I look forward to someone taking a staple gun to the forehead. Joined with Muraco working on the leg with a spinning toe hold, but Pedro is free to cheat this time and rakes the face to escape. Muraco bumps into the corner and goes flying to the floor as Pedro makes his comeback and runs him into the post. Back in, Muraco is busted open and he bumps into the ropes off a shot from Pedro, so Morales bites on the cut and works him over while he’s tied up. So Muraco gets revenge and drops a headbutt RIGHT on the ol’ huevos, but they collide for a double down. Muraco recovers first and loads up the gimmick, but Pedro gets his own questionable headbutt, steals the object, and pins him to regain the title at 6:22 shown for a mammoth pop. Pedro was quite the cheater. **

Intercontinental title: Pedro Morales v. Magnificent Muraco

So Pedro’s second title reign lasted a year and a bit, and now we’re back in MSG on 01.22.83. Pedro hauls him out of the corner and chokes him out with his own t-shirt before getting a sunset flip for two. Muraco bails to the apron and Pedro runs him into the turnbuckle, and Muraco takes a bump to the floor off that and hides under the apron to protect himself from a potential Pedro dive. Back in the ring, Pedro slugs away in the corner and then puts the boots to him. So Muraco has no choice but to mule kick him south of the border and then uses the t-shirt for some choking. So Pedro kicks Muraco right back in the groinal area, but he misses a blind charge and slams his knee into the top turnbuckle. Muraco goes to the work on the knee and there’s a nicely subtle bit of business where Muraco appears to be going for the figure-four, so Pedro braces himself to shove Muraco off with the other leg, and then Muraco trips him up by falling backwards on the leg instead. That’s very clever if intentional. So with Pedro messed up, Muraco gets the figure-four for real this time, and Pedro has to make the ropes. Pedro desperately rakes the eyes and Muraco tries another figure-four, but this time Pedro is able to shove him off with the other leg and Muraco bumps into the post. Pedro with a backbreaker, but he drops Muraco right on his own bad knee and Gorilla BURIES him on commentary. Pedro with the crab, but Muraco is in the ropes and Pedro’s knee gives out anyway. Pedro keeps fighting, but he tries a powerslam and the knees gives out again, putting Muraco on top for the pin and his second IC title at 11:00. Good performance from Muraco here. ***

Intercontinental title: Magnificent Muraco v. Tito Santana

So we’re in Boston on 02.11.84 for a match we’re discussed recently in the 84 reviews, as the complete match is famous lost media in wrestling, but there is definitely footage here as we’re joined with Muraco choking him out on the ropes and then we’re clipped to Muraco dropping him on the railing as they brawl on the floor. Back in the ring, and Tito makes a comeback with a flying stomp off the middle rope. And then we’re clipped to Tito being awarded the title. So what the hell? We clearly have actual footage of the match here, and actual footage of Tito after the win, so clearly the story told by Tito about “running out of film” can’t be true. Wrestling breaks my brain sometimes.

Back at the studio, Craig chats with Tito about the footage we just saw, or think we just saw, and Tito describes winning the belt with something that sounds like an O’Connor roll out of the corner and then blames Lou Albano for tampering with the evidence.

Intercontinental title: Tito Santana v. Greg Valentine

We’re in MSG for this one, 08.25.84, joined with the referee getting bumped late in the match, and Tito hits the flying forearm to retain. But then Valentine puts him in the figure-four to injure the knee and continue their feud. Back in the dressing room afterwards, Tito demands a rematch despite the damage to his leg. Valentine accepts, because he heard Tito used to sweep up the kitchen at a Taco Bell is not someone to be feared. Huge if true.

Intercontinental title: Tito Santana v. Greg Valentine

So they do the rematch on All Star Wrestling, taped 09.24.84. Tito is still limping around and Valentine immediately goes after the leg and beats on it in the ropes, but Tito hits the flying forearm out of nowhere for an apparent pin to retain. But Valentine was in the ropes, and he hits Tito from behind and hooks the injured leg to win the title at 1:30. Not much to the match but notable for being the first IC title change on the TV show. That was some pretty busted refereeing right there.

Intercontinental title: Greg Valentine v. Tito Santana

Back to MSG, 11.26.84, for the rematch. Valentine works a chinlock and Tito fights out of that, so Greg runs him into the corner, but misses a charge and allows Tito to make the comeback. Valentine is busted open and Tito hits the flying forearm for two, so Valentine tries to run away. Tito hauls him back in with an atomic drop and headbutt to the midsection for two. And they slug it out on the mat until Valentine bails to the apron, but Tito suplexes him back in and they’re both down. Tito puts his head down and Valentine nails him and they continue to beat on each other until Tito gets a small package for two. Tito with the abdominal stretch, but it’s curfew at 6:21 shown and the match is a draw. Full match is great, this was pretty good too. ***

Intercontinental title, steel cage match: Greg Valentine v. Tito Santana

Over to Baltimore now, 07.06.85, for one last rematch. Interestingly by this point Valentine has switched managers mid-reign, from Captain Lou to Jimmy Hart. Joined in progress with Valentine running Tito into the cage and going for the door, but Tito makes the save and Valentine tries for a figure-four. Tito shoves him into the cage, climbs the cage, and then kicks the door into Valentine’s face and lands on the floor to regain the title at 2:30 shown here. And then Valentine does an epic tantrum and destroys the title, setting up the famous 1985 redesign that still lives rent free in all our childhoods.

Intercontinental title: Tito Santana v. Randy Savage

And of course we close in Boston for a pair of matches, first up in 01.11.86, with a red hot Macho Man storming the WWF and shooting himself to the top. Joined with Macho dropping an axehandle on Tito outside the ring, but Tito fights back in the ring and comes in with a flying elbow off the middle rope before putting the boots to Macho in the corner. Flying forearm puts Savage on the floor, but Macho uses Elizabeth as a distraction and then runs Tito into the railing and wins by countout at 2:20.

Intercontinental title: Tito Santana v. Randy Savage

And it’s the fateful rematch and an all time great moment in wrestling history to close the tape, 02.08.86. I can only of course be referring to Danny Davis and his tan khakis. Joined with Tito working on Macho’s leg and getting the figure-four. Savage makes the ropes and bails to the apron, so Tito suplexes him back into the ring and goes for another figure-four. Macho fights him off and bails to the apron again, but this time he loads up with a foreign object, blocks the suplex with a knockout punch, and pins Tito to kick off the greatest Intercontinental title reign EVER. FIGHT ME.

Well I wish more of these were complete matches, but there’s a DVD set from 2009ish that does fill that need pretty well. Although that set is fatally flawed in that it completely skips over entire eras and doesn’t actually chronicle the, you know, HISTORY OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE like it advertises. Anyway, as an old school mark, this is one of my favorite Coliseum videos of all time, up there with Inside the Steel Cage and Grudge Matches for top tier as far as scratching a specific itch. Highly recommended.