Coliseum Video Presents: The Undertaker: The Face of Fear
by Scrooge McSuck
That right there is some great effort in coming up with a name for the tape, too bad the WWE Network/Peacock only lists this as "The Undertaker". Oh well... this is from their budget-line of non-numbered releases, clocking in at just under 1-hour, so expect a ton of stuff recycled from other sources. Paul Bearer is our host, which surprises me as I expected some lazy graphic designer to just segue from one match to the next with a match card.
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Adam Bomb (w/ Johnny Polo):
Taped on September 23rd, 1993, from Worcester, MA, and featured on WrestleFest 1994 (put that on the list of tapes I need to cover). Taker's advertised opponent for the taping was Shawn Michaels, but he's out indefinitely with a suspension. Bomb attacks from behind and unloads with right hands. Whip to the corner and Bomb throws Taker through the ropes. Bomb follows, whipping Taker's knees-first into the ring steps. Back inside, Bomb throws more right hands. Taker fights back with right uppercuts, but Bomb cuts him off with a rake of the eyes. Taker no-sells being rammed into the turnbuckle and throws more rights. Taker with the Chokeslam and it's already over at 2:42. Polo unsuccessfully attempted to break the fall and eats a chokeslam as well. This was short, and that's probably for the best. ½*The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Bam Bam Bigelow:
Taped on May 4th, 1993, from Worcester, MA. This would be recycled for the European release "German Fan Favorites 2" the following Summer. Taker no-sells Bigelow's punches and rocks him with his uppercut thrusts before grabbing a choke in the corner. Whip across the ring and Taket meets a boot. Bigelow's shoulder block does nothing, and a second attempt is countered with a drop toe hold. Bigelow tries using the cat-and-mouse trick to his advantage, unsuccessfully. Taker wraps up the arm and comes off the top rope with the clothesline across the back. He goes for the diving lariat, but Bigelow drops down to avoid it. Bigelow follows Taker to the floor, giving him a taste of the post and sending his knees crashing into the steps. Back inside, Bigelow with a snap mare and falling headbutts. Taker sits up, so Bigelow puts him down with a slam and more headbutts. Bigelow climbs the ropes and misses the flying headbutt. Taker with the diving lariat, knocking Bigelow out of the ring, and he takes a walk, only for Tatanka to cut him off. The referee seems OK with Tatanka assaulting Bigelow before sending him into the ring. Taker with the chokeslam for three at 5:44 as Ross and Monsoon complain about the finish. Match was decent, but the finish was as dumb as it sounded. **The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Yokozuna (w/ Mr. Fuji):
Taped on January 5th from San Antonio, TX. This would be featured on quite a handful of home video titles, too. Yokozuna is still introduced from the Polynesian Islands for those keeping track of that. Don't expect a decisive finish here, either. They do the stare down once Yoko is done with his ceremonial stuff. Yokozuna clobbers Taker with a series of rights. Whip to the ropes and Taker counters a back body-drop with a DDT. Yokozuna avoids the leaping elbow drop and clotheslines Taker over the top rope. Taker lands on his feet, so Fuji pokes him with the flagpole. Back inside, Yokozuna sends Taker to the corner and charges in with the avalanche. Deep slam and Yoko with a MASSIVE leg drop. Taker sits up and gets planted with a belly-to-belly suplex. Another sit-up and Yoko finally had enough, whacking him with the salt bucket for the Disqualification at 4:07. Post-match, Taker sits up to avoid the Banzai Drop and drops the big man with the diving lariat. We get one of the saddest looking Chokeslams in history and Taker stands tall. About a minute of hot action packed into 3-minutes of just standing around. ½*Coffin Match:
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Kamala (w/ Harvey Wippleman & Kim-Chee):
From the 1992 Survivor Series, with recap package included for context. By the time this video was released, Kamala already turned babyface and left the company. The original commentary is intact too, featuring Bobby Heenan. Different rules than we'd be used to, with you needing to pin the opponent before attempting to put them in the coffin/casket. Kamala runs away from Taker to start. Kamala throws chops, with Taker no-selling them. Taker grabs the arm and walks the ropes to drop a clothesline across the shoulders. They take it to the floor, with Kamala sending Undertaker to the steps. Kamala with a chair across the back. Back inside, Kamala with a slam, but Undertaker sits up. Another slam and the same result. Kamala with a third slam and a series of splashes. Kim Chee steals the urn, but Undertaker sits up to retrieve it, knocks Kamala out with it, and covers for three at 5:37. Afterwards, he rolls Kamala into the coffin and nails it shut. It was short, and it wasn't good. ZERO STARS
The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) vs. Crush (w/ Mr. Fuji):
Taped on November 30th from Springfield, MA, and the last match of the tape. THANK GOD. We've got Gorilla and Johnny Polo calling the action, so that should be fun. You wouldn't think that duo would have chemistry, but they're awesome together. Polo calls Paul Bearer a "pasty-faced tub-of-goo" and calls the Undertaker "The Underwear Taker." They go face-to-face and Crush throws the first punches. Whip to the ropes and Taker surprises Crush with a DDT. Crush rolls away from an elbow drop and sends Taker over the top rope with a clothesline. He pulls Taker to the apron and gets hung up on the rope for his troubles. Back inside, Taker wraps the arm and comes off the top with the rope-walk clothesline. Crush avoids the diving lariat and knocks Taker through the ropes with a reverse thrust kick. Polo asks the difference between a thrust kick and crescent kick. I usually call it a Super-Kick, but for this bit, I made an exception. Crush with a padded folding chair across the back while Fuji distracts the referee. Monsoon asks if Bill Alfonso got his license from a cracker jack box. Polo agrees, he's the worst... except for that Joey Marella guy. Back inside, Taker no-sells being rammed to the turnbuckle and goozles Crush in the corner. Whip across the ring and Taker charges into an elbow. Crush with a back breaker but Taker sits up. Crush military presses Taker several times before slamming him. Crush with a leg drop and Taker sits up again. Whip and Taker with the diving lariat. Crush scoops Taker up for a Tombstone, but Taker counters and spikes Crush for the three-count at 7:02. This was... surprisingly decent. **Final Thoughts: Not much as far as good wrestling goes. If you're a huge Undertaker fan, you might find some enjoyment out of this with him against a variety of opponents and a few surprisingly clean finishes. Not a highly recommended tape, but for 54-minutes, it's not the worst I've seen from the Undertaker. That feels like foreshadowing...
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