The SmarK Rant for WWE Vault – 12.30.25

The SmarK Rant for WWE Vault – 12.30.25

Good lord this channel just keeps giving and giving.

So yeah, thought we’d take a look at a couple of goodies put up today by the Vault, such as some found footage of Ultimate Warrior and a super rare dark match.

https://youtu.be/Mtrt_KK-e9Q?si=5OpeM5FJmCpokR5N

First up, let’s check out some Ultimate Warrior footage!

Warrior tells us about DESTRUCITY while selling his college course!

Warrior does the vignette with Jake from the coffin, and then Jake traps him in the room with the snake, although Jake can’t help cracking up a couple of times.

Next up, Warrior faces Sgt. Slaughter in a cage match and we get clips of that, with Sherri at ringside providing motivation for Sarge. And we’re clipped to the finish after Sarge apparently sneaks out the door with Sherri’s help to retain, and then Warrior beats him down and gets revenge until the Nasty Boys save Slaughter for whatever reason.

Warrior lifts weights and snorts while the director asks him to scream from time to time.

Want some Blade Runners vignette from 1986? Because we’ve got that as well, which is just them lifting weights and flexing.

Next up, we’ve got Blade Runner Rock taking on Ted Dibiase in Mid-South, with Dibiase desperately bumping his ass off trying to make this goof look watchable. And Ted wins with a cradle out of a suplex attempt to nearly pull it off.

Near the end, Warrior meets with marketing suits in WWE, trying to figure out merchandising. He comes off as a major dick here, bullying the creative guys. Also he meets up with Howard Finkel in 2014, which makes me even sadder given how fast Fink slipped into dementia after this and then was gone. Remembering the photo of him in hospice care with a sticky note by the TV saying “Monday night, wrestling” to make sure he could always watch it up until the end, was heartbreaking.

To World Class, where Gary Hart debuts the Dingo Warrior as a heel, but he quickly turns babyface on Percy Pringle later on. We also get some footage of Warrior fighting with Rick Rude. The difference between UWF Hellwig and his slightly less stiff World Class version is staggering, actually.

Warrior does a meet and greet promo piece, and of course he snorts.

We get interesting footage of people at a TV convention, talking about meeting Ultimate Warrior in advance of Summerslam 90. The sentiment is that Warrior beat up Hulk Hogan and ended Hulkamania, which is a view the WWF didn’t often present, instead wanting to keep them even as babyfaces.

Next up, Warrior does a talk show appearance in advance of Halloween Havoc 98, where he shares the secrets of his makeup, which is a water based acrylic that peels off during the match and doesn’t do any damage to his beautiful skin. No makeup remover needed!

We get clips of Warrior beating up a Conquistador at a TV taping in 1989, goofing off and wearing a kid’s Warrior mask and his own jacket.

In 1992, Warrior does a press conference with Mean Gene about Summerslam 92. And then we get one of the takes of the post-match interview with Savage and Warrior backstage at Summerslam. Now THAT is the stuff I love, where they’re out of character up until the moment the red light goes on and then bam, showtime.

Warrior slams Andre in Toronto! Andre was likely complaining the whole time, too.

Warrior arrives in a limo for a signing. Nothing exciting there but his bodyguards are kind of dicks.

We get a quick clip of Warrior and Undertaker, as Warrior wins by DQ and then Undertaker tries to shove him in a bodybag.

Next up, Warrior beats Dale Wolfe and then shoves him under the ring, resulting in Wolfe getting his face magically painted.

At Fall Brawl 98, Warrior appears in a magic cloud of smoke via the trap door that ended Davey Boy’s career and later his life.

And finally, more behind the scenes shenanigans with Mean Gene trying to interview Warrior on SNME and losing the battle.

What a great half hour of random Warrior-ness. This is the kind of fun stuff I love to see on the Vault.

What next? How about a dark match from 1990?

https://youtu.be/jJRG_kCIMEM?si=p5HsDyWTEoQBsfUC

Mr. Perfect v. Dusty Rhodes (02.23.90)

This is the dark match before the live Main Event #3 broadcast. Dusty shows off his mincing skills to impress the Genius and then puts Perfect on the floor with a shoulderblock. Back in, Dusty wins a slugfest and chases him out again. Back in, Perfect lays down the law with Dusty, but Dust hits him with elbows until Perfect finally takes him down and goes after the leg. Dusty takes him down with a cradle for one, but Perfect kicks out the leg again and works it over. Dusty fights up and Perfect takes him down for a figure-four, but Dusty turns it over and Perfect has to make the ropes. I find the lore of the reversed figure-four fascinating, because every wrestling fan automatically understands that if you turn the figure-four over, it is immensely painful for the original person, but there’s never been any explanation as to why for the most part. It’s just a goofy part of wrestling that we all understand collectively. Anyway, Perfect gets tied in the ropes, but Genius interferes, and then Dusty takes him out and rolls up Perfect for the pin at 9:35. Amazingly, this was the only singles match they ever had, ANYWHERE, and it was never broadcast or released on home video in any form. I mean, it wasn’t any good particularly, but holy crap what a historical curiosity this was. *1/2

Anyway, just a quickie tonight, thanks to the awesome WWE Vault team.