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Coliseum Video Presents: Mega Matches

by Scrooge McSuck

- I know I recapped this one a long, LONG, time ago, but that pre-dates this website's existence, so here's a fresh look at things. Hosted by Sean Mooney from the Event Center control room, "Mega Matches" was released in the Spring of 1991. The theme is bigger is better, which is quite the claim with the steroid scandal looming in the coming months. Throughout the 2-hours, oversized props are introduced until Mooney is wearing a jacket that is 2-times his size. HILARIOUS.

Tito Santana vs. Earthquake (w/ Jimmy Hart):

Taped on October 10th, 1990 from Cape Girardeau, MO. Earthquake is smack in the middle of a headlining program with Hulk Hogan and Santana is a JTTS, so this shouldn't be too competitive. Lockup and Earthquake shoves Tito into the corner. Santana grabs a top wrist-lock but Quake shrugs him off. The trend continues, with Quake throwing Santana off from a side headlock. Santana tries for a waist-lock, and yeah, you know the deal. Quake whiffs on a cheap shot, allowing Santana to get in a flurry of right hands and work the arm. Whip to the ropes and Santana can barely budge Quake with a shoulder tackle. Quake catches a body press and plants Santana with a slam. Santana rolls away from an elbow drop and hooks an arm bar. If this were the AWF, Santana could look forward to the end of Round 1, but this is the WWF, they don't follow that revolutionary round system. Santana escapes with a boot to the midsection and rams him int the corner. Quake with an atomic drop before slapping on a bear-hug. Santana gets to the corner and climbs the ropes, using his higher ground to unload with more rights. He peppers Quake with left jabs and connects with a pair of dropkicks. The Flying Forearm connects but Quake kicks out at two. Quake side-steps a third dropkick and connects with a powerslam. He drops an elbow and signals for the end, but here's Tugboat to draw the Disqualification at 7:45. I guess the crowd is tooting, or they're not too keen on him. Dino Bravo comes out to join the fracas, but sadly we don't get to see Santana and Tugboat vs. Earthquake and Bravo later in the tape. The shenanigans continues with Rhythm and Blues coming out (I cry a little that there's no reference to Tito and Valentine's past). The crowd chants for "Hogan", but the save is made by Jim Duggan. Meh. Did TITO SANTANA need protection in 1990? I was holding out hopes here, but this wasn't particularly good. * (0 for 1)

Big Boss Man vs. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan:

OK, I'm going to spend more time with my pre-match ranting than I will on the match. The WWE Network lists this match taking place on January 8th, 1991 from the UTC Arena in Chattanooga, TN. They literally taped a match between them at every TV taping for three months, and several of them made it to different releases from Coliseum Video. Heenan snatches the microphone from Mike McGuirk and says there's no need to have the match, and they can talk things out. He claims having talked to the Boss Man's mother and sent her FIVE DOZEN RED ROSES. Boss Man's music interrupts, and here comes Mr. Law and Order with a ball-and-chain. The bell rings and Heenan continues to beg for mercy. There's a phone behind the van in the hallway for him to talk to his mother on. Boss Man doesn't buy it, so Heenan smacks him with the microphone. Um, DQ? Whip is reversed and Boss Man with a body blows and axe-handle across the back. He pins Heenan down by the throat and that's it at 2:41 (about 9-seconds of it action). Post-match, Boss Man drops the ball across the chest of Heenan. Mr. Perfect runs in and chokes Boss Man with his towel. Whip is reversed and Boss Man nails Perfect with a boot before tossing him over the top rope. This ended up being Heenan's last match taped for WWF television and home distribution. His very last, according to reports, was a match with MR. FUJI on August 2nd, 1991 from the Nassau Coliseum, where Heenan won by blasting Fuji with brass knuckles after avoiding the salt. I'd pay good money for that to be discovered. This wasn't much of a match, but it was Heenan being his Weasel-self and getting his comeuppance, so that's always worth a point. (1 for 2)

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Sgt. Slaughter (w/ Gen. Adnan):

This is the Mega Matches FAN FAVORITE MATCH requested by Beth Cato of Lewiston, ME. They asked for either Jim Duggan or Hulk Hogan, so we get Duggan, of course. Taped on November 19th, 1990 from Rochester, NY. Slaughter starts with clubbering blows, but Duggan quickly clears him from the ring with a clothesline. Back inside, Duggan lays in with rights and lefts. Slaughter doing such a wacky bump for a punch feels outdated, even by 1990 standards. Whip and Duggan with a shoulder tackle. Adnan jabs Duggan with the flagpole, allowing Slaughter to take control. Slaughter with a back breaker for two. Duggan rolls away from a pair of elbows and takes Sarge over with a back body-drop. Adnan trips up the three-point stance, drawing Duggan out of the ring for the CHEAP Count-Out at 3:04. The definition of nothing. 0 stars (1 for 3)

Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. The Barbarian:

Taped on November 24th, 1990 from Madison Square Garden and featured elsewhere. Bret is one half of the reigning Tag Team Champions, so the derp referee holds the belt up as if this is a Championship Mach. Lockup and Bret grabs a side headlock. Whip and Barbarian counters a hip toss with a clothesline. Barbarian with boots to the face. Hard whip to the corner and more stomping from Barbs. He plants Hart with a slam and misses the elbow from the second rope. Bret with a series of right hands and inverted atomic drop. Russian leg sweep and elbow drop for two. Hart hits the clothesline half of the Hart Attack for two. Barbarian with a sloppy powerslam for two. Barbarian blocks a piledriver with a back body-drop. Bret turns it into a sunset flip, finishing rolling Barbarian up during an arrogant cover and pose, and that's all at 4:09. I'm sure there was a reason for this choice, but dang if I can think of anything. * (1 for 4)

The Bushwhackers vs. Rhythm & Blues (w/ Jimmy Hart):

This is the Mega Matches TAG TEAM MATCH OF THE MONTH, taped on October 10th, 1990 from Cape Girardeau, MO, originally broadcast on the November 4th episode of Challenge. Yikes, stealing content from WRESTLING CHALLENGE for a paid product? SHAME! Honky and Valentine attack before the bell. The Bushwhackers send the duo into each other and do chew on some rump roast. Battering Ram to Honky is sold as a slight annoyance instead of their finishing move. Valentine surprises Luke with a clothesline to take control. He lays into Luke with chops and drops an elbow across the face. Honky cuts off a comeback with an eye rake and hard whip to the corner. Honky with a snap mare into a chin-lock. Valentine with a double axe-handle for two. They double-team Luke until Butch makes the save with the guitar, drawing the Disqualification at 4:04. We've had three non-finishes on this tape in matches with talent on the way down the card. ½* (1 for 5)

Hulk Hogan (w/ Big Boss Man) vs. Dino Bravo (w/ Jimmy Hart & Earthquake):

Taped on August 8th, 1990 from Providence, RI. You'd think Tugboat would've been the likely second in Hogan's corner, but this is what they ultimately went with at SummerSlam, so maybe this was a little rehearsal for Hogan and Boss Man. Lockup and Bravo shoves Hogan into the corner. He IS Canada's Strongest Man, after all. They lockup again and Hogan gives it back, poses, and takes Bravo over with a back body-drop. He drops a pair of elbows and takes shots at all three villainous beings, clearing the ring and standing tall to bask in the adulation of the Providence crowd. Back inside, Bravo goes to work with a wrist-lock. Hogan reverses, sends Bravo into the corner and follows with an elbow. Hogan with mounted rights in the corner. Quake picks the ankle of Hogan, allowing Bravo to attack from behind. Bravo chokes while Boss Man chases Earthquake around ringside as slowly as possible. Hogan complains about repeated shots to the throat for naught. Quake gets a few shots in before feeding Hogan to Bravo for a bear-hug. Alfred sells this like we're watching Andre vs. Hogan. Hogan channels the power of Hulkamania to fight free and comes off the ropes with a shoulder tackle. Crisscross and Bravo with the side slam. Hogan kicks out and its Hulk-Up Time™. Hogan with three rights, the big boot and leg drop for three a 9:28. Post-match, Hogan throws Hart into the arms of Bravo and Boss Man saves Hogan from a sneak attack from the Earthquake, knocking him out of the ring with a double boot. Hogan seemed more motivated, but Bravo was awful. ¾* (1 for 6)

- Hillbilly Jim welcomes us to his home in Mudlick, KY and offers to show us the "Lost Hillbilly Jim" tape. Is that anything like the lost Tom Magee tape? No, not at all, because this is AWFUL. I'm pretty sure these were vignettes taped for his debut in the company, based on Granny watching what looks and sounds like an old episode of Championship Wrestling, a show that transitioned into "Superstars of Wrestling" in September 1986. Jim shows off his abilities by bear-hugging a tire, scrapping with his smell hound and dropping elbows on a stained mattress. Don't ask me what the stains are, its best not to know. An absolute waste of 10-minutes. (1 for 7) - The British Bulldog vs. Haku (w/ Bobby Heenan): Taped on October 19th, 1990 from Madison Square Garden and JOINED IN PROGRESS. Had to make room for those Hillbilly Jim vignettes that were in the can for 6-years and needed a place for exposure. This is shortly after Bulldog's return to the company after a 2-year exile. We're joined with the Bulldog slapping a chin-lock on, but Haku escaping. Bulldog quickly takes Haku down and hooks an arm bar. Whip to the corner and Haku counters a monkey-flip with an inverted atomic drop. Haku blocks a sunset flip with a double chop. They do a series of counters in the ropes until the Bulldog hits a cross body for a near-fall. Crucifix cradle for two. Haku with a piledriver for two. Bulldog escapes a chin-lock but runs into a knee lift. They trade forearms until Haku goes to the eyes and tosses him out of the ring. Back inside, Haku with a big back body-drop for two. He sits down across the back of Bulldog pulls back with two handfuls of the braids. Whip and Haku grabs a sleeper. Bulldog carries Haku backwards into the corner to escape but is sent flipping upside down into the opposite corner of the ring. Heenan gets a cheap-shot in at ringside while the referee is distracted. Back inside, Bulldog surprises Haku with a back suplex for two. Whip and they smack heads for a double-down. Bulldog turns Haku over with the Sharpshooter, but Haku makes it to the ropes with a little help from Heenan. Haku with a big shoulder breaker for two. They trade blows again. Bulldog hangs back to avoid a dropkick and takes Haku over with the delayed suplex for two. Haku misses a charge in the corner and gets planted with the running powerslam for three at 15:55 (shown). For some reason I remembered this going Broadway, but nah, just a ton of resting between a few decent sequences. *1/2 (1 for 8)

- Superstar Profile on the "Macho King" Randy Savage. Maybe this can save the tape.

Crown Match: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. "Macho King" Randy Savage (w/ Sensational Queen Sherri):

Taped on October 28th, 1989 from Madison Square Garden. Savage won the belt from Duggan towards the end of September at a standard TV taping, but other than a brief clip, the match has yet to surface. You'd think it would be an easy find, since it was obviously taped for TV, but it remains a lost gem, I guess. Savage ambushes Duggan while engaged in a tug-of-war with the referee over the 2x54. Whip is reversed and Duggan lays him out with a clothesline. Whip to the corner and Duggan with another clothesline. Sherri tries to pull Savage to safety, but Duggan wins that battle and nails Savage with an atomic drop. Sherri pulls the ropes down on Duggan and sends him into the post. Savage recovers and works Duggan over outside the ring, with Sherri getting a few more shots in. The WWE Network has a weird error where about 40-seconds replays. Back to live action, Savage comes off the top with the double axe-handle. Back inside, Savage guillotines Duggan across the top rope for a two-count. Savage with another double axe-handle for two. Leaping knee drop for two. Savage misses a splash across the ropes, giving Duggan time to pull himself to his feet, only to miss an elbow drop. Savage goes high risk again and pays for it, getting nailed on the way down. Savage rakes the eyes to create separation but charges at Duggan and gets dumped over the top rope. Duggan follows and tosses Savage clean over the guardrail. Savage gets sent into the steps and nailed with a chair. The referee definitely saw that blatant use of a weapon!

Back inside, Duggan plants Savage with a slam and comes off the ropes with the big knee, but as he covers, Sherri hops on the apron to distract referee Danny Davis. By the time Davis dismisses her attempts, Savage is able to kick out at two. Sherri with another save, putting Savage's foot on the ropes to break a pin attempt. Duggan avoids another ambush and runs through Savage with a shoulder tackle. Savage side-steps the second try, sending Duggan into the buckle and hitting him with a clothesline. Savage misses the Flying Elbow. Duggan hits Savage with four more clotheslines. He sets up for the three-point stance and knocks Savage out of the ring Duggan follows, tossing Savage back in the ring. Sherri rakes the back as Duggan attempts to re-enter the ring, leading him on a chase into the ring. The crowd erupts as Duggan gets a hold of her, but Davis gets between them. During the distraction, Savage comes from behind and hits Duggan with a high knee, sandwiching Davis in the corner for a three-way-knockdown. Duggan with an inside cradle, but Davis is playing dead despite being a semi-capable pro wrestler for two years. Duggan with an atomic drop and clothesline for another non-count. Sherri passes the loaded purse to Savage. He KO's Duggan with it, but Davis takes so long to get in position that Duggan kicks out at two. Savage sweeps the legs and covers in the corner with his feet on the ropes AND assistance from Sherri to hold Duggan down for three at 16:47 (adjust for weird Network glitch). Post-match, Duggan knocks Savage out of the ring with the 2x4. Justified. It took long enough, but we got a really good match. Maybe one of the last Duggan would have in the WWF. ***1/2 (2 for 9)

- Courtesy of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (starring Robin Leach), the Macho King appears on the show, 100% in character. Yes, even 30+ years ago, reality television was as scripted/manipulated as anything else you'd watch. To answer the burning hot question, yes, a midget lines up like a piece of equipment for a game of croquet. The clip is only a minute long and I desperately wanted to score it for the sake of that joke, but I'll be kind.

Steel Cage Match: The Ultimate Warrior vs. "Macho King" Randy Savage (w/ Sensational Queen Sherri):

Taped on January 21st, 1991 from Madison Square Garden, two days removed from Savage going into overdrive to screw the Warrior out of the WWF Championship. Savage hides around the guardrail to ambush Warrior on his way to the ring, but Warrior blocks and clobbers him with a chair. Oh God, Sean Mooney and BROTHER LOVE are calling the action. Warrior roughs up Savage all around ringside and tramples Brother Love along the way. Good. Warrior tosses Savage into the ring and climbs over the cage to get in for some symbolic gesture. Warrior pulls Savage off the ropes and gives him an inverted atomic drop. Warrior with a series of short clotheslines. Savage grabs the tights out of desperation and throws Warrior into the cage to slow him down. Savage with a rake of the eyes and clothesline to the back of the head. A double clothesline puts both men down. Savage recovers first and covers for two. Warrior blocks being sent into the cage, but Sherri's distraction allows Savage to come from behind with a high knee. Savage with a lot of blatant choking. He lays into Warrior in the corner with jabs and knees. Savage with a slam and the flying elbow for two. Warrior starts his comeback and runs through Savage with clotheslines. He goes for the splash, but Savage brings up the knees. Savage climbs over and is almost to the floor but Warrior grabs him THROUGH THE BARS, AND COMICALLY PULLS SAVAGE BACK UP THE CAGE. Sherri tosses the referee and gets in the ring to attack Warrior, who loosens his grip on Savage to swat at her, dropping Savage to victory at 10:30. Post-match, Warrior assaults Sherri by stripping her of her clothes, a finish done frequently that drew the ire of parents. Savage goes in for the save, but Warrior pulverizes him until the referees and the Nasty Boys of all people break it up. I liked the opening moments and the post-match to sell the angle, but the rest was surprisingly dull. *1/2 (2 for 10)

Final Thoughts: All these years later and this tape is still as bad as I remember it. The profile matches on Savage is the only portion of the tape that could be considered worth checking out, even if the steel cage match is a disappointment. The rest is just dumpster fire garbage, a bunch of short matches with minimal effort and a so bad its really dumb segment dedicated to a character that hasn't been a full-time active member of the roster in about 4 years. Strong Recommendation to Avoid but give Savage vs. Duggan a look.

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