Category: (DVD)
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Widely regarded as the biggest superstar in sports entertainment history, Hulk Hogan has engaged generations of wrestling fans for over 30 years and has transcended the sport to find success in movies, television, music, and more. Hulk Hogan is one of the most recognizable entertainers in history and this DVD set includes more than two dozen matches never before released on DVD.
WWE Opens The Vault For Some Rare Footage...BROTHER!Reviewed by D.P., 2010-02-09
There are so many ways to describe & indenfity this man that I
honestly can't even begin to try because what I can say wouldn't do
him justice but the fact is that this man's impact on the sport is
so strong that he's left his mark & an impact (positive or
negative, another story for another time) on every single major
promotion he's touched for the past 3 decades...and still doing it
to this day. That man is Hulk Hogan & this is another DVD
collection showcasing his past matches, feuds, promos, and matches.
This DVD set is a very special one (one I hope to see in the future
regarding other legends in the past) in that the title says it all,
"Unreleased Collector's Series." That means that throughout this
entire DVD collection, you relive so many things from Hogan's
career that has never before been released onto any DVD set
anywhere (no WWE PPV matches) so there are no repeats or anything
you've seen anywhere else. It should be noted that Jim Ross &
Jerry Lawler did commentary for some of the matches so you get
insights from Lawler's past experiences in the ring with Hulk &
his opposition along with Ross showcasing his vast knowledge of the
sport.
vs. Harry Valdez - I believe this was his TV debut and it was just
a showcase of Hogan's strength with him using the bear hug as a
finisher at this time.
"Championship Wrestling" Nov. '79
vs. WWE Champion Bob Backlund - A few months in the company &
he's already challenging for the World Championship. Hogan tried to
play Backlund's game of using amature wrestling but Bob kept taking
advantage of Hogan and always managed to stay one step ahead of him
& matched his offense to the point where Hogan had to cheat to
get an advantage. It should be noted that Hogan heavily relied on
hop tosses throughout the match while Backlund was able to times to
show freakish strength by being able to lift Hogan's entire body
from acquard positions. They were close to a half hour here in a
very impressive performance by both men.
April '80
vs. Steve King & Angelo Gomez - For those who may have not
noticed but this is the second time that Angelo Gomez was put in a
handicap match against Hogan that made it's way to DVD (Hulk Still
Rules is the first one). This was a typical squash but the
highlight here was the interview afterwards where "Classy" Freddie
Blassie was making comments (almost comical) about Hogan doing a
nude centerfold.
"All Star Wrestling" Sept. '80
w/special refree Gorilla Monsoon vs. Andre the Giant - This match
occurred right after their famous Shea Stadium encounter and with
that one getting so out of control for a normal sized referee to
handle, Gorilla Monsoon was appointed as the referee here and he
was able to get physically involved whenever needed like in the
beginning trying to seperate the two. Hogan heavily focused on
Andre's back with bearhugs, elbow drops, and even delivering his
trademark legdrop onto his back. This was a good showcasing for
Hogan against Andre eventhough he did something in this match that
would go down as a highlight in wrestling history years later would
work to his disadvantage in this match.
"MSG" Sept. '80
vs. Nick Bockwinkel & Bobby Heenan - Eventhough this is
advertised as a handicap match, don't let the title fool as you
this was more like "Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkle featuring Bobby
Heenan" as Heenan really only got involved to do his entertaining
comedic spots & act like the "weasel" we all know him to be
while Hogan & Bockwinkle had a good match.
"AWA" May '81
WWE Championship Match vs. Randy Savage - This was one of the
matches during their first feud in WWE that usually gets
overshadowed by their later "Mega Powers Explode" feud in '89. This
was typical "heel Macho Man" as he attacked Hogan early in the bout
with his championship along & kept beating on Hogan after
catching him off guard to the point where even Elizabeth got on the
apron asking him to stop. Savage would taunt Hogan by not even
removing his sunglasses while beating him down before Hogan later
gave Savage a taste of his own medicine while dominating with his
power before giving Savage the big boot from an ususual
position.
Apr. '86
w/Junkyard Dog vs. Big John Studd & King Kong Bundy - This was
a good tag match that played to Hogan & Dog's strengths of
being entertaining. It should be noted that it was during this time
that Big John Studd & Bobby Heenan had the gimmick where they
would pay money to the man who could slam Studd so pay attention
after Hogan gave back to back slams on Studd & Bundy to hear
Heenan is screaming on the announcers headset this reason to
"weasel" out of the deal along with Heenan ending on the worse end
of one of the most devistating finishing moves at that time.
May '86
WWE Championship Match vs. Kamala - This was just an average match
with Kamala showing some good agility for a man who was around 300
pounds.
June '87
WWE Championship Match vs. Killer Khan - Just another average match
here with the only thing of note being how Hogan was able to use a
deadly weapon of Khan's against him in the match.
Sept. '87
WWE Championship Match vs. One Man Gang - This was another title
defense that was an average performance from Hogan with the only
noteworthy thing being how OMG focused & worked on Hogan's ribs
throughout the match.
Dec. '87
WWE Championship Match vs. Rick Rude - This was a treat as I never
knew these two faced off in a singles match. Before the match
started, you had an unusual challenge made by Bobby Heenan for
Hogan to face Rude in an arm wrestling contest. This was a good
showcasing for Rick Rude early in this WWE career as he dominated
most of the match here against Hogan while being able to remain the
"heat magnet" that he was during during the rest of his WWE
tenure.
Jan. '88
w/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Ted DiBiase & Virgil - It should be noted
that Andre The Giant was in the corner of Dibiase & Virgil for
this match. It started out wild with all four men brawling in the
ring before settling down in a good tag team match with the
highlight being Bam Bam Bigelow showing why he's called one of the
best big men ever in the business due to the amazing ability for
his size.
Mar. '88
WWE Championship Match vs. King Haku - Since they were in Los
Angeles (home of the USC Trojans), Hogan wore his own custom Trojan
war helmet to the ring that you just have to see to believe. This
was a different type of challenge for Hogan as Haku worked over
Hogan with his karate style of trust, kicks, and nerve holds
instead of the usual brawling he got from other competitors.
Another good match.
Oct. '88
WWE Championship Match vs. Big Boss Man - Hogan was back in Los
Angeles two months later against one of his big rivals (in more
ways than one) in the Big Boss Man. This match was taken to the
outside with Boss Man hitting each single poll while having a chair
used. Boss Man matched Hogan's power by using impact moves of his
own like the Boss Man Slam & even a piledriver while Slick was
able to get his shots in as well before Hogan overcame the odds for
a victory.
Dec. '88
WWE Championship Match vs. Randy Savage - This match happened after
their famous WrestleMania V encounter as Savage took on the
services of Sensational Sherri as his new manager. Shades of their
earlier match on this set from years earlier, Savage attacked Hogan
to get an early advantage but this time used his cape to blind
Hogan and even used a foreign object as well. They went back &
forth here with Savage actually outsmarting Hogan to get an
unexpected result.
June '89
vs. Earthquake - Maybe it's just because I was never really a fan
or cared for the late-John "Earthquake" Tenta but I didn't really
care for this match as it was nothing special to me past Hogan's
constant attempts to slam Earthquake throughout the match.
"MSG" Apr. '90
WWE Championship Match vs. Sgt. Slaughter - This happened during
WWE's tour of London a short time after WrestleMania VII. Now for
those who don't remember since it was never shown on the actual PPV
broadcast, Slaughter attacked Hogan in his dressing room after the
match by throwing a fireball in his face so Hogan was sporting a
big bandage near his eye as a result of that burn. This was a nice
contest between both men as it was mostly a brawl between both men
with Hogan's burn being a heavy target for Slaughters.
Apr. '91
vs. Ric Flair - This was the rematch from their previous Madison
Square Garden match from the previous month (which is available on
"Greatest Wrestling Stars Of The 90's") with Mr. Perfect in Ric
Flair's corner. Perfect & Flair tried to double team Hogan in
the beginning to no avail only for Hogan & Flair to take the
brawl all over the ringside area with Hogan dominating the first
half of the match. Flair (as usual) targeted Hogan's leg, while
Perfect for his shot in with a chair, to set up the figure four
before Hogan was able to use the move against Flair on his way to
victory. It should be noted that Bobby Heenan is on commentary
during this match so his heavy bias towards Flair was almost funny
in it's own right.
"MSG" Dec. '91
w/Randy Savage vs. Vader & Ric Flair - This was Ric Flair's
first match back in WCW after losing the retirement match to Hogan
the previous October and both teams had their respective cornermen
in both Arn Anderson & Renegade. It should be noted that what
distracted Hogan on his way to the ring & later on during the
match was the first ever appearence of The Giant (aka Big Show).
All four men showcased their strengths at various parts in the
match as this turned out to a be a fun tag team match.
WCW Slamboree '95
WCW Championship/Steel Cage Match vs. Vader - This was the final
encounter between Hogan & Vader with the steel cage being
placed up to prevent the interference that ruined their previous
matches against each other & for further ensure there was no
interference, Dennis Rodman was infront of the cage door with a
chair ready to nail anyone who tried to get in. This match had it's
moments like Vader's "Iron Elephant" being used against him by Hulk
along with both men using the cage as a weapon at times. While
Hogan did win this cage match, it should be interesting to see how
he did as due to the backstage politics between both men...this was
the first time in WCW history that a cage match was won in that
fashion.
WCW Bash At The Beach '95
vs. Sting - This was a very interesting matchup to say the least.
This happened during Hogan's "dark side" period where he was
wearing all black to fight the Dungeon Of Doom with Savage later
joining on the "dark side" & wearing all black as well.
Meanwhile, Lex Luger was a member of the Dungeon Of Doom but still
had an alliance with Sting causing Hogan to question Sting's
loyalities leading to his first ever meeting between both
men...with Sting colored in Hogan's old colors of red & yellow.
It should be interesting to note that this match heavily
foreshadowed Hogan's future as the "Hollywood" character as the
crowd was completely behind Sting & booing Hogan while Hogan
did "heelish" acts during the match such as how he entered the
ring. This was a good match for what it was but as expected during
this time, the Dungeon Of Doom did get involved & you saw
exactly where Sting's loyality lied.
"WCW Monday Nitro" Nov. '95
WCW Championship Match vs. The Giant - This was the main event of
the first (and only) nWo PPV in Souled Out. Giant was the #1
contendor for the championship after winning the World War 3 Battle
Royal & kicked out of the nWo a month earlier for asking for
his title shot. The reception of this PPV was heavily negative
& this match showcases exactly why as Hogan & Giant kept
the same "slow-motion" speed throughout the entire match resulting
in a dead crowd. The Giant dominated this encounter with Hogan
getting some shots in here & there (along with the worst
attempt at an inside cradle by Hogan I've ever seen) with the only
major highlight being Giant attempting an elbow drop from the top
rope. However the match ended the exact same way WCW Nitro ended
every single week going into this match, Giant beating up Hogan
before the entire nWo beat down Giant saving Hogan.
nWo Souled Out '97
vs. Bret Hart - Don't judge a book by it's cover here because
eventhough this match is advertised as the first (and to my
knowledge, ONLY) "Hogan vs. Hart" match, this was nothing more than
a segment to help setup the Bret Hart/Sting match at Halloween
Havoc the next month. A few minutes into the match, Hart heavily
hurt his knee causing nWo Wolfpac to help him get medical help
while Sting (who Bret had formed an alliance with weeks earlier)
took his place in the match only for Hogan's nWo stable to attack
the Wolfpack in the back leading to Hart turning on Sting &
beating him down in the ring with the assistance of Hogan.
"WCW Monday Nitro" Sept. '98
WWE Undisputed Championship/No Disqualification Match vs. Ric Flair
- During this time, Ric Flair had just turned heel & was the
owner of the RAW brand so he booked himself in a title match
against Hogan. This wasn't the calibur of their earlier series of
matches in WCW & even WWE back in the '90s but it was a good
match for TV with Flair targeting the knees & Hogan always
fighting back to the point where he was able to get Flair's own
figure four on him at one point. As expected with a No DQ match,
there was intereference from those like X-Pac & Big Show of the
nWo, Bradshaw but it was one man who made the "stunning" difference
here in what is, to this date, the last time Hogan & Flair
wrestled each other on television. As a side note, I really liked
Hogan's entrance into this match eventhough he stole it for
obivious reasons.
"RAW" May '02
vs. Triple H - This was the rematch from Backlash to determine who
would face Undertaker for the WWE Championship at King Of The Ring.
This was a good back & forth match between both men and that
was a step below their Backlash match (with Triple H injuring his
elbow early) but well done for television before Triple H took
advantage of one mistake Hogan made.
"SmackDown" June '02
WWE Tag Team Championship Match w/Edge vs. vs. Billy & Chuck -
Eventhough most people remember the time these two teams meet, Edge
won the tag team championship with his childhood hero in Hogan but
this was the forgotten rematch that happened a week later. This was
a pretty simple match as Billy & Chuck cut the ring off in half
and completely worked over Edge with even Rico getting involved on
the outside building to the hot tag for Hogan who dominated the
other team on their way to victory.
"SmackDown" July '02
vs. Kurt Angle - The setup to this match was similar to the Triple
H one earlier in that this was a rematch from their previous PPV
match (King Of The Ring where Hogan tapped out to Angle) with the
winner getting a match against Brock Lesnar the next week. As usual
when it comes to Kurt Angle, he brought out the best in Hogan at
that this time as this was a very competitive match between both
men with things getting a little out of hand in the end with Lesnar
making an appearence & Kurt costing himself the match.
"SmackDown" Aug. '02
You'll also see throughout the presentation various promos from
Hogan such as him going grocery shopping with Mr. T, appearing on
Jake Roberts' "The Snake Pit", addressing the fans the night after
WrestleMania X8, and interviews he gave leading up to his
WrestleMania matches against Randy Savage & Ultimate Warrior
& Sgt. Slaughter. DVD extras include more various Hogan promos
including an interview with Gorilla Monsoon, a promo with Mr. T,
interview with Lord Alfred Hayes, him with his Mega Maniacs
partners Jimmy Hart & Brutus Beefcake, an interview with Dennis
Rodman before his cage match with Vader, one that was done during
his "dark side" days feuding against the Dungeon Of Doom in WCW, an
nWo promo, and one he did with Mean Gene Okerland & Shawn
Michaels before their tag match at Backlash.
In the end, I really liked the concept that I got rare matches that
aren't easy to find & can't get anywhere else on DVD. However,
there were clearly some fillers on here (Kamala, Killer Khan, One
Man Gang) that could have easily been replaced for a better quality
match like vs. someone like Curt Hennig, a battle royal, or more
AWA matches (I know he fought more people than just Bockwinkle). I
was also really disappointed with the matches selected WCW matches
during his nWo period as they were really just bad quality (Giant)
or storyline segments (Bret Hart) when other quality or important
matches were again left alone like the Hogan vs. Savage showdown at
Halloween Havoc, Rodman's first tag match against Luger &
Giant, one of his title victories that still hasn't seen the light
of day, or even the lost match between Hogan & Curt Hennig from
WCW Thunder in '99 (look it up if you can, one of Hogan's best
matches during that period)...hell, I'll even take the hardcore
match he had against Billy Kidman. In the end, I was overall
satified with a majority of this set & it appeals to those fans
of Hogan who want to get their hands on the rarer "under the radar"
matches of his career so under those circumstances, I
recommend.
Hulk Hogan's "Best" Unreleased "WWF" MatchesReviewed by StarWalker, 2010-01-14
It has been a treat to watch the Hulkster in action without a PPV
event associated with the match. "Best" because the superior
matches in the set are his "WWF" matches, not the WCW ones.
I have enjoyed Hulk since Hulkamania first ran wild in the WWF. His
early WrestleMania matches are legendary. But what about the rest?
This set offers a fan drawn to Hogan because of his explosion in
the 1980s an opportunity to appreciate his non-PPV work.
Certainly, the Hulkster wasn't the most talented wrestler, didn't
set a workrate record, and doesn't have the natural ability of Ric
Flair, Shawn Michaels, or the Rock, but he remains one of the most
important figures in Sports Entertainment. Nonetheless, even those
who knock Hogan's skill can enjoy the best matches in the set. His
WrestleMania rematches against Savage and Slaughter are arguably as
good, if not in some ways superior, to the PPV renditions.
A young Hogan battling then-Champion Bob Backlund, with Jim Ross
and Lawler providing commentary, is a gem. Hulk's 1980s, and early
1990s, "Hulkamania" matches are the best in the set. The Hulkster
is at the peak of his in-ring magnanimity and the matches remind me
of what I cheered for when Hulkamania was running wild. His
workrate (yes, I'll apply a decent rate to Hulk in those matches)
and entertainment in those events are delightful. The WCW matches
lack the spark that his WWF matches have, and even the post-WCW
matches are more engaging (probably because Flair, Triple H, and
Kurt Angle are with him).
A must-have for a 1980s Hulkamaniac, or a fan drawn to the man
after his return to the WWE. An excellent complement to "The
Ultimate Anthology."
Hulkamania lives forever!Reviewed by Timothy Swan, 2009-12-06
Back in 2006, WWE Home Video released a special DVD release entitled "Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology", a 4-disc set that traces his amazing wrestling career. Now, 3 years later, is a worthy follow-up called "Unreleased Collector's Series". This 3-disc set contains a total of 27 matches spanning the years 1979 through 2002. What is so unique about this title is that this is the very first time that ALL of these matches have ever been released on DVD. And, they are gathered together into this special set. Among his notable opponents are Bob Backlund, Andre The Giant, Nick Bockwinkel, Bobby Heenan, Randy Savage, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy, Kamala, Killer Khan, One Man Gang, Rick Rude, Ted DiBiase, Virgil, Haku, Big Boss Man, Earthquake, Sgt. Slaughter, Ric Flair, Vader, Sting, The Giant, Bret Hart, Triple H, Billy & Chuck and Kurt Angle. He is also seen facing lesser-known opponents Harry Valdez, Steve King and Angelo Gomez. And, he also teams up with partners Junkyard Dog, Bam Bam Bigelow, Macho Man and Edge. There are also a great selection of rare promos featured as well. Among the highlights are his off-shoot promos directed at Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior, his appearance on Jake Roberts' 'Snake Pit' in 1987, his 2002 appearance on RAW the day after Wrestlemania 18, the 1985 'Grocery Store' promo from 1985 with Mr. T and much more. The "Unreleased Collector's Series" DVD set shows why Hulk Hogan continues to be a popular icon in the history of sports entertainment.
Finally a DVD Set That Isn't a "Best Of Pay Per View" Matches!Reviewed by Scotty W. Gilbert, 2009-12-01
I have all of the Hogan VHS tapes that were put out by Coliseum
Video through the 80s and 90s as well as the more recent series of
DVD collections and this set was a breath of fresh air! I have
traded and collected house shows for years as a teen and seeing
many of these matches again in such clarity was like taking a trip
back in time. I liked the mix of early house shows and TV matches.
Even thought they're usually really bad, you have to show a few of
the Saturday morning "squash" matches to really relive the early
days of these legends and this collection delivers! Prior DVD sets
gave us a few tidbits to tease us, but then filled the rest of the
collection with televised and Pay Per View matches that have been
released countless times before. If I see the "Hogan vs. Sheik"
match from January 23, 1984 on another DVD set I'll drive to
Stamford and punch Vince McMahon in the throat myself!
Needless to say, you can't please everyone all the time, but the
inclusion of the MSG bout vs. Andre with Monsoon as guest referee
was fantastic, the handicap match against Bockwinkel and Heenan was
great to see after all these years and the string of bouts from the
80s with One Man Gang, Kamala, Randy Savage from Detroit, teaming
with JYD vs. Studd and Bundy, Rick Rude and the hilarious promo
with Mr. T in the grocery store...all excellent stuff!! I'm not a
fan of Mr. T, but that was the era that Rock 'n Wrestling took over
the world and it's great to see some of those ridiculous vignettes
where they can barely contain their laughter and which haven't been
seen since 1985.
I could have done without so many of the early WCW matches. In my
opinion, those were the worst, but at least we didn't have Hogan
vs. Flair at Bash at the Beach again!! The later matches weren't
too bad and the extra interviews and promos were a great touch as
well.
All in all, this was a great collection of matches from the guy who
brought wrestling into the mainstream and for $20, it's was a
steal!
HULKAMANIA is running wild!Reviewed by retrowrestling, 2009-11-25
I remember going to the L.A. Sports Arena 2 or 3 times a year as a
kid in the 80's and feeling really excited when the Hulkster
headlined the card. When I found out that this collection contained
a couple of matches from the L.A. Sports Arena, I knew I had to own
it. In the match against King Haku, Hulk had on that 'war bonnet'
that he wore to various house shows in 1988.
Additionally, this 3-disc collection contains many many matches
that I had not had a chance to see before. Although the matchups
might be familiar, such as Savage vs Hogan, these particular
matches are first time releases(Hogan/Savage in Detroit 1986).
Granted for some these might represent "same old", but for those
who enjoyed the Hulkster of old, these first time releases
represent a new opportunity to relive briefly those times when
being a Hulkamaniac meant something special.