Hulkamania (WF002)

Let’s start off with a correction from last week. I started reading the “The Complete WWF Video Gudie, Volume 1” and although “Wrestling’s Bloopers,  Bleeps and Bodyslams” was the first numbered Coliseum Home Video the WWF actually released the first three Coliseum Home Videos on the same day (Last week’s Bloopers tape, this week’s Hulkamania, and next week’s Best of the WWF, Volume 1). Hulkamania makes way more sense as a debut tape, so I take back that criticism. Actually having a Hulk featured tape, a best of tape and a blooper tape is not a bad idea.

Vince McMahon is the host and welcomes us to the tape. The gimmick on this one is that Hulk Hogan gives us his thoughts on facing each opponent, during the entrances.

Hulk Hogan vs Greg Valentine
(8/4/1984, Philadelphia Spectrum)

Hulk’s Thoughts: All he was thinking was to avoid the figure-four leglock.

Announcer: Gorilla Monsoon

This was a fascinating match in terms of structure. After a nice shine sequence by Hogan, you get Valentine going after the leg in a pretty good heat segment. He even uses a chair on the outside to the knee. Hogan “Hulk’s Up” and starts to destroy Valentine, before a second heat segment occurs. During the heat segments Hogan sells the leg great, but during the first comeback he ignores it.

After all the good work on the leg, Valentine’s figure-four leglock gets shoved off. Axe Bomber. Big Leg Drop. It’s over! The finishing comeback was two moves, but very dynamic.

Although the first comeback was weirdly long and I don’t really understand what the purpose is of that part of the match, overall it was well worked. Hogan was so over, super charismatic, and such a huge seller that the crowd was nuts for this. Valentine was looking pretty good dropping elbows and working the leg.

Post match involves teasing a rematch and then includes Hogan gorilla pressing the referee, all the while selling the leg.

Rating: ***

Can Hogan bodyslam the true giant of wrestling?

Hulk Hogan vs Big John Studd
(12/10/1984, Meadowlands)

Hulk’s Thought: He didn’t think he could slam Studd, but once he got the eye of the Hulkster and the crowd was going nuts it felt like Studd weighted as much as a feather.

Announcers: Gorilla Monsoon & Howard Finkel

What a truely bizarre team in the booth. The first thing they do is make sure that the $15,000 is on the line. At this time Bobby Heenan said he would pay out that money if anybody could bodyslam Studd, the true giant of wrestling. Bobby Heenan confirms that it is always on the line.

What follows is a surprisingly great match. It’s built around Hogan gaining control, then going for the bodyslam only for Studd to block it and then take control. The big moment occurs when Hogan goes for a bodyslam near the ropes and Studd is able block it and drag Hogan to the floor. He uses the table, ring post and guardrail to bust Hogan open! This leads to the longest heat segment of the match. Studd is so in control he even hits a flying ax handle off the top! During this segment we see the first bodyslam of the match and it’s by Studd. Hogan starts to “Hulk Up”, but he gets booted to the floor. After a little of bit of the King of the Mountain spots, Hogan drags him to the floor. We get some brawling and a comeback which leads to a bodyslam on the concrete floor and a countout win for Hogan.

I really can’t believe how great this match was.

Rating: ****

Remember on the “Wrestling’s Bloopers, Bleeps, and Bodyslams” tape how they had a short cut of Hogan giving a protein shake to Vince and Lord Alfred Hayes? Well we get the full segment here. Although the powder on Alfred’s nose joke is gone. We do get Hulk making the whole protein shake, using the protein powder. He is actually doing the whole shake well, except adding full eggs is not right. Folks you should not drink raw eggs.

Hulk Hogan vs David Schultz
(6/17/1984, Met Center)

Hulk’s Thoughts: Super redneck! Hulk was worried about Shultz cheating and doing anything to win. “Good wins over evil”, he says. It’s weird they have been giving spoilers during the entrances.

Announcers: Gorilla Monsoon & Gene Okerlund

This is the debut of the WWF in Minneapolis (home of the AWA), so of course you have a big Hulk Hogan title match in his old grounds.

What Hogan was afraid of came to pass early here as Shultz is choking and once he gets him outside nails him with a steel chair and busts him wide open.

A neat touch is for Shultz to play King of the Mountain for a while, which is a traditional AWA troupe.

We go on an interesting journey from there. Shutlz hits his finisher (flying elbow off the second rope) and we get the traditional “Hulk Up”. However, Hogan pulls Schultz up at two. He does this a few more times and even takes Schultz to the floor and rams him into the steel post to bust him open.

Schultz survives to get a lariat in to gain the advantage back. He decides to try his elbow off the top, instead of the second rope, Hogan moves. Axe Bomber by Hogan for the win.

We got double juice. We got Hogan being super pissed and his arrogance almost costing him. We had an insane crowd. This was damn fine pro-wrestling.

Rating: *** 3/4

Hulk Hogan vs Big John Studd
(Cage Match, 4/6/1984, Kiel Auditorium)

Hulk’s Thoughts: This one is personal and can only be settled in a cage. “Once you see the match you’ll know that I came out on top”.

Announcer: Gorilla Monsoon

From what we saw of this match it seemed pretty decent, but there was a lot of cuts. The previous matches had stuff edited out, but this one starts with Studd in control and the first half of the contest is cut after cut.

The finish is pretty good though, as they are brawling on the mat as Studd accidenty kicks him out of the ring. They brawl some on the floor.

Exclusive interview time by Vince McMahon made for this tape. We don’t get much here, but the list of people that Hogan idolized in wrestling was: Bruno Sammartino, Johnny Valiant, The Grahams and Andre the Giant. Johnny Valiant?

The night Hulkamania was born!

Hulk Hogan vs Iron Sheik
(1/23/1984, Madison Square Gardens)

Announcers: Gorilla Monsoon & Pat Patterson

The famous title change that started Hulkamania in the WWF. The crowd is insane in this match and was so ready for Hogan to become the top star.

This match is the format on how you make a new star. It’s actually very similar to the Golberg-Hogan title match. Hogan gets in a shine, Sheik takes control. Gets some nice nearfalls with some cool suplexes. He puts on the Camel Clutch, Hogan powers out of it and then pins him with a Big Leg Drop. 5:40 is all you need to get this over. Not a great match, but a really great moment.

Rating: ** 1/2

In Conclusion:

This tape was a lot of fun with two legit awesome matches and everything else being a lot of fun. Maybe skip the interview segment.

Next Tuesday I will review “Best of the WWF, Volume 1” so be on the look out for that. Remember to send in your suggestions for matches for the “Fan Favourites” segment on Thursday. I will review anything that the fans want me to.