LOL, so I might have an unhealthy addiction to 1992 WWF currently. I gave this short tape a watch last night and man did it ever take me right back to being 12 again.
Yes this tape is ridiculous and yes the majority of the matches are of questionable wrestling quality, but detractors be damned, I loved this silly tape! I could watch an entire DVD set of nothing but the Warrior’s 1992 run, watching him battle through all the cartoon characters populating the heel side of the roster at the time.
I remember renting this a number of times, specifically from Bill’s Video, and it was kind of a rare rental treasure it seemed. I even remember renting and watching this with Matt sometime in junior high, along with another tape like Royal Rumble 1989. Memories!
The tape opens with the Warrior’s super surprise return at the end of Wrestlemania VIII. We get to see the Warrior cleaning house, then posing and celebrating with the Hulkster. Classic! Sean Mooney pops up for the introduction, but that’s the last we’ll see of him. This is a one hour budget tape after all.
1) WWF IC Champion the Ultimate Warrior pinned WWF World Champion Hulk Hogan to win the title at 22:50 with a splash after Hogan missed the legdrop; after the match, Hogan presented Warrior with the world title belt (WrestleMania VI – 4/1/90; Toronto Skydome)
Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes provide new commentary over this classic battle. How many f’n times did Gorilla have to call this match? His new call with Heenan during March to Wrestlemania was no doubt better than this though. Nice idea including this classic as a way to re-introduce new fans to the Warrior, but it’s on a hundred other tapes and I’ve seen it a hundred times, so an easy skip.
2) The Ultimate Warrior pinned Papa Shango at 5:29 with a flying shoulderblock and splash (5/19/92; Lexington, KY)
The lone match on here that’s exclusive to this tape. Objectively this match is complete garbage. But to me, it’s phenomenal. I so bought into this feud in 1992 and later couldn’t believe what a loser Shango was made out to be during the whole thing. This short match is pretty much all Warrior. For a big monster heel, Shango’s actual offense isn’t very punishing. Shango goes into a voodoo trance as he locks on a dreaded nerve hold on the Warrior, but it doesn’t last, as the Warrior gets fired up and bounces off all sides, nailing Shango with shoulderblocks, before finally pinning him clean with the splash. The crowd is just mental for the Warrior. In this case, a DQ wouldn’t have mattered. All these Coliseum Vids are littered with shit finishes, yet here they have Warrior pin the new monster clean. No wonder this feud was dead in the water by summer.
3) The Ultimate Warrior pinned Skinner with a flying shoulder block and splash at 1:38; after the bout, Warrior threw Skinner to the floor (4/8/92; Kalamazoo, MI)
More 92 wackiness! I clearly remember watching this on Superstars at the time and just running around and going nuts for the Warrior. I was a major mark for his return in 92 and this was his first official match back. Skinner spits in the Warrior’s face to start, which only ENRAGES the Warrior! Bad move Skinner, ya goof. The Warrior proceeds to bulldoze Skinner, destroying him with all his usual crazy moves before pinning him with the shoulderblock/splash combo. Man, he just DESTROYED Skinner! What a great way to bring back the Warrior.
4) The Ultimate Warrior pinned Brian Knobbs (w/ Jimmy Hart & Jerry Saggs) with the flying shoulderblock and splash at 3:54; during the match, Papa Shango appeared at ringside and took a piece of Warrior’s outfit that the Nasty Boys had removed, then returned backstage (4/29/92; Syracuse, NY)
Action packed and insane! For a TV match this is great. And another match I remember crystal clear from Superstars. The beginning is all out insanity as the Warrior battles the Nasty Boys around ringisde, tossing them into the timekeeper’s table and flailing away. The Nasties were a great match for the Warrior, as they could keep up with the crazy and the energy. During the match Papa Shango eerily appears to take a piece of the Warrior’s outfit and returns later to torment the Warrior. It’s not long before Warrior puts Knobbs away, and faces off with Shango. Good then they cut it here. I’m happy that they didn’t include the Warrior clutching his stomach and later barfing in the back.
5) The Undertaker (w/ Paul Bearer) & the Ultimate Warrior defeated Papa Shango & the Berzerker (w/ Mr. Fuji) at 7:49 when Warrior pinned Berzerker with the flying shoulderblock / splash combo (6/3/92; Cornwall, Ontario)
Hmm… dare I say that this is in my top 10 favorite matches of all time, or is that just going way too far lol. This match was a dream come true when I first saw it back then. It was also included on the Rampage 92 vid, and I remember my grade five wrestling pal’s parents renting it for us back when it was a new release at TVS. This was the exact kind of insane dream match myself and my friends were fascinated by. And I still love every minute of it to this day. The Warrior and Undertaker have a stare down before the match, acknowledging their past, something that Monsoon and Hayes neglect to mention, before this explodes into all out insanity. Man I loved seeing the Warrior and the Berzerker mixing it up! So bananas! After a hot start of the Undertaker destroying the Berzerker, the Warrior becomes the punching bag, and Monsoon and Hayes complement the team work of the Berzerker and Shango! Hahahahaha! Man, those small details make me so happy. Warrior battles back and soon him and the Undertaker and cleaning house. Warrior gets the pin on the Berzerker and the fans in Corwall erupt! Holy shit was the Warrior ever over in 92! And in another wacky touch, the Warrior and Undertaker shake hands after the match!!! What a weird visual!!
This tape was every bit as fun and enjoyable as I remembered. I could care less about the IWC’s opinion of this whole era. To me, it was the greatest, no question.
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