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Coliseum Video Presents - The Ultimate Warrior! (1992 Release)

by Scrooge McSuck

- The final stop in the Ultimate Warrior Marathon. Released in November of 1992, it's the last attempts from Coliseum Video to cash in on the Warrior's name by releasing another cheap, 60-minute tape with very little effort into producing a quality video. Lots of recycled matches, and only one "true" exclusive to the tape, so let's see what we've gotten ourselves into this time...

WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship Match:
Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior:

From WrestleMania VI, of course, and a match I have seen so many times, I couldn't possibly keep count. This one has seen the light of day on about 50 compilation sets, Coliseum Video and WWE DVD eras alike, but I still watch it every time I pick up a new one. Since I don't remember doing a detailed recap of WM VI, I might as well give this one a crack... when people say the crowd is jacked up for this one, they aren't lying. This is one of the hottest crowds I have ever seen, not including one of those weird overseas love-fests for Davey Boy Smith or some other wrestling deprived crowd. Warrior comes out first, sprinting like a madman (he would learn his lesson for WM VII), and Hogan too, opts not to use the motorized ring cart. In a nice touch, Ventura and Monsoon go silent during Hogan's entrance, letting the crowd's reaction speak for itself, rather than drown it out. Hogan talks trash while Warrior looks as if he's going to sneeze. Shoving match, initiated by Warrior, and a lockup, won by Warrior, as well. Lockup #2, and Hogan with a much better shove-off. Warrior wants a test-of-strength, and holds control until Hogan powers back from his knees to put Warrior on his knees. You don't mess with the power of Hulkamania, bitch! Hogan sweeps the leg of Warrior, then drops an elbow for a two count. Criss-cross sequence, and Hogan catches Warrior off the ropes with a slam. They do it again, this time with Warrior slamming Hogan. Warrior with a clothesline, sending Hogan over the top rope. Hogan sells hurting his leg, but about 2 minutes later, seemed fine... maybe the PBP team didn't catch it might've been playing a game of possum. Warrior goes to the leg, then it's a battle of eye rakes and choking, to the delight of Jesse Ventura. Hogan gets pissed and lays into Warrior with rights. Whip to the corner, and he follows Warrior in with a clothesline. Hogan with mounted punches, followed by a scoop slam and a pair of elbow drops for a two count. Hogan slaps on a front facelock, then turns it over and starts pounding away. Hogan takes it to the corner for more punishment, then comes off the ropes with a clothesline for a two count. Hogan with a back breaker for another two count, and it's back to the chinlock.

Hogan drives a series of knees into the back, and takes Warrior down with a back suplex for another two, and immediately puts on the chinlock to keep Warrior from catching a breather. Warrior struggles to his feet and escapes with elbows to the midsection, and a double clothesline puts both men down for a lengthy count. Warrior goes through his rope shaking routine, ignoring Hogan's blows. Warrior with a series of clotheslines, then whips Hogan from corner to corner. Warrior takes Hogan over with a suplex and covers for a two count. Warrior slaps on a bearhug, using Hogan's earlier strategy of near falls, and quickly keeping the preasure on with a wear-down hold, and again, even the commentary team picks up on this. Hogan finally escapes with short rights, and the referee gets wiped out as Warrior came bouncing off the ropes. Warrior to the top, and he comes off with a pair of double axehandles. Warrior hits the ropes again, but Hogan sidesteps the shoulder tackle, and Warrior gets nothing but a faceful of canvas. Hogan covers and counts his own fall, with the referee still laid out. Warrior recovers, and brings Hogan down with a back suplex, and does the same with the referee out cold. The referee finally comes to, and counts a slow two. Hogan surprises Warrior with a school boy, and that gets a two count. Irish whip, and Hogan elbows Warrior over the top rope, to the floor. They slug it out until Warrior sends Hogan into the ring post. Back in the ring, and Warrior comes off the ropes with a clothesline. Warrior with the press slam and splash combo, but Hogan is up at two, and uh-oh, it's Hulk Up Time! Hogan with a trio of roundhouse rights and a big boot, but the leg drop misses, and Warrior quickly comes off the ropes with a splash for the three count and posession of both the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Title at 22:49. After the match, Hogan offers his former gold to the Warrior as a "passing the torch" moment that really didn't mount to much in the short or long-term. While not a wrestling masterpiece, this one is an all-time classic, thanks to a strong effort from both of the wrestlers, the television audience getting a broadcast team focused on point out that this was THAT big of a deal, and of course, the live crowd, being on top of everything with the two biggest names in the company at this point in time.

The Ultimate Warrior vs. Papa Shango:

Pulled from the May 19th, 1992 television tapings in Lexington, KY. Warrior and Shango originally crossed paths at WrestleMania VIII, where Warrior made his surprise return to save Hogan from a Sid/Shango beating. The planned program with Sid went south, so Shango gets inserted, which I'm sure was considered a major step down for Warrior. He rushes the ring of course, and quickly sends Shango to the floor with a clothesline. Shango pulls Warrior out, and takes a beating for it. Back in the ring, and Warrior comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. Whip to the corner, and he follows in with a clothesline. Warrior with a slam, but a splash meets the knees. My God, he was doing it in 1992, too!? Shango comes off the ropes with a diving clothesline, then stomps away. Shango pounds away at the midsection, but Warrior turns the tables. Whip to the corner, and he misses a charge this time. Shango goes to the nerve pinch... wow, this match sucks. Gorilla Monsoon trying to get over VOODOO as the reason the hold is working is a dirty shame. Warrior fights free, but gets put back down with a power slam. Shango to the second turnbuckle, and an elbow drop misses. Warrior goes through his routine of no-selling, and comes off the ropes with a series of clotheslines. He connects with the diving shoulder tackle, and the splash finishes things at 5:33. How can a match this short feel so long? Shango was just an incredibly poor worker at the time, and Warrior is Warrior. He's OK, but you can't have him carry a poor worker through a match and expect anything good to come of it.

The Ultimate Warrior vs. Skinner:

Pulled from the May 2nd, 1992 episode of Superstars of Wrestling, and Warrior's first in-ring action, at least for the television audience, since SummerSlam '91. You can tell the times are changing... Warrior almost never wrestled a "name" on the weekend shows, not even the lower card heels, like a Skinner. It was either scrubs he could brutalize, or nothing. Skinner spits in Warrior's face, but considering that didn't work on OWEN HART at WrestleMania, then it's no surprise Warrior completely no-sells it. Warrior with a pair of slams, and he sends Skinner hard to the buckle, with enough force to spit out his tobacco. Warrior tosses him to the floor, then lays him out with a clothesline. Back into the ring, whip to the ropes, and Warrior with another clothesline. He comes off the ropes with the diving shoulder tackle, and the big splash finishes Skinner off at 1:39. After the match, Warrior roughs Skinner up a bit more, and tosses him over the top rope. Just a squash match to reintroduce Warrior to the television audience.

The Ultimate Warrior vs. Brian Knobbs (w/ Saggs & Jimmy Hart):

Another recycled match, pulled from the May 16th, 1992 episode of Superstars of Wrestling. Warrior quickly lays into both of the Nasty Boys with clotheslines, sending the duo of dumbasses to the floor following a third. Warrior follows them out, and throws Knobbs into the timekeepers table, knocking the timekeeper down in the process. The Nasties double team Warrior, in clear view of the referee. Back in the ring, Knobbs drops an elbow across the back of the head, then throws one of Warrior's arm tassles into the corner. FORSHADOWING! Suddenly, Papa Shango comes to ringside, has an orgasm over taking the wrist band, and leaves. Meanwhile, Knobbs remains in control, but a Pit-Stop goes wrong, and Knobbs tastes Saggs pit stains, instead. Knobbs with more generic offense, until Warrior comes off the ropes with a pair of shoulder tackles. Saggs with a chair shot from outside the ring, with the referee's back turned, of course. That only gets two, and it's time for Warrior to make the Superman Comeback™. Warrior comes off the ropes with clotheslines, the diving shoulder tackle, and the big splash, and that's enough for the three count at 3:54. Saggs comes back and Warrior takes him out, too. Shango shows up at ringside, again, but we cut away before we find out he's CURSED Warrior, who is taken back to the locker room in pain, and proceeded to vomit on everyone. You know, for kids. Another lame feature match.

The Ultimate Warrior & The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Papa Shango & The Berzerker (w/ Mr. Fuji):

Recycled from the Rampage '92 Coliseum Video, and originally taped on June 3rd, 1992. Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred are calling the "action" here. Honestly, who the fuck came up with this match? Warrior and Undertaker on the same team, after the attempted murder a year earlier? I guess others have been more forgiving for worse, and much quicker, too. Lord Alfred with some good lines here, calling Papa Shango a master of Witch Craft (he dealt in Voodoo) and the Undertaker's urn is apparently a "Vase." Warrior and 'Taker do the "can we trust each other" stare, before taking their opponents out with clotheslines. Back inside, Berzerker pounds away on Undertaker, but he no-sells and turns the tide with choking. Whip to the corner, and 'Taker misses a charge. Berzerker with a running dropkick, knocking Undertaker to the floor. He lands on his feet and drags Berzerker out for some low-grade brawling. Back inside, Warrior tags in and has his way with the Berzerker until Shango nails him from the apron with a clothesline. Shango tags in, and goes to work, hammering the midsection of the Warrior. He applies a front facelock, dragging the match down quite quickly. Shango and Berzerker take turns pounding away, but it's nothing worth noting. Undertaker eventually gets the hot tag, and lays into the Berzerker with his usual. He connects with a chokeslam, then lays out Shango with a diving clothesline. Warrior comes in and floors both men with clotheslines. He hits the diving shoulder tackle on the Berzerker, and the Splash finishes this one at 7:50. Bad, mostly stalling and punch-kick action with bad selling (when there actually was selling to be seen). For a "what the hell is this?", an awesome choice, but man did this match suck.

Final Thoughts: No doubt about it, this was the worst of the bunch. As much as I like Warrior vs. Hogan from WrestleMania VI, I can't see myself spending a minimum of $10 on this tape just for that, with new commentary dubbed over it. The rest of the tape, all 30-minutes, recycles a match from another Coliseum Video, and two Superstars "feature" matches that really added nothing to the tape, other than to fill time. The only exclusive was a stinker with Papa Shango, but I would've been far more satisfied had they included the bit where Warrior pukes all over Tony Garea and Rene Goulet. Solid thumbs down here. Just watch WrestleMania VI or one of the other countless videos over the years that has the one match worth looking at.

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