The Flying Hammerlock Video Review #32: The Colossal Jostle

 

This review is dedicated to the memories of Andre Rene "Andre The Giant" Rousimoff, John William "Big John Studd" Minton, Robert James "Gorilla Monsoon" Marella, Captain Lou Albano, Raymond Louis "Bobby" Heenan, Christopher Alan "King Kong Bundy" Pallies and Howard Finkel.  R.I.P.

"The Colossal Jostle": "The 8th Wonder of the World" Andre The Giant (w/Captain Lou Albano) vs. King Kong Bundy (w/"The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart), WWF on MSG Network, Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY, September 23, 1985.
 

Historical background: The August 31, 1985 (taped August 18th) episode of WWF Championship Wrestling saw Andre defeat Big John Studd by disqualification after Bundy interfered.  Bundy splashed Andre four times breaking Andre's sternum, and Andre wanted revenge, leading to this match.
 

Andre and Bundy tie up and Andre pushes Bundy into the ropes and Bundy does the same to Andre and Andre forces Bundy into the corner.  Andre gives Bundy a big chop.   They struggle and Andre chokes Bundy, rocking Bundy back and forth.  Andre gives Bundy another big chop, knocking Bundy down to the mat and he rolls out to the floor.   Bundy is upset and Hart is trying to motivate him.  Jesse Ventura says that Bundy has to get back in the ring and can't afford to lose his cool.  Bundy gets back in the ring.   They go to tie up again and Andre grabs Bundy's throat.   Bundy punches Andre right under the heart, causing Andre to release the choke, and follows with a shot to the back.  Bundy gets in some shots but Andre blocks any more with his arms.  Andre chops Bundy twice, sending Bundy backwards.  Then another chop.  Bundy comes back with a shot to Andre, who is sitting on the second turnbuckle in the corner.  Bundy gets some more shots in as Gorilla Monsoon calls it "all out war."   Bundy grabs Andre but can't get his arms around him.  Andre pushes Bundy back and gives him a big headbutt, knocking Bundy down.  Bundy gets back up and throws a kick but Andre catches Bundy's leg.  Bundy is holding onto the top rope and Andre gives him a big kick to the back.  Bundy falls down to the mat.  Bundy gets back up and again goes for Andre's sternum.  Bundy kicks Andre in the chest and Andre falls down to his knees as Jesse says that Andre came back to soon from the injury.  Bundy follows with some more boots and holds Andre down with a knee to the back.  Andre slowly rolls out to the floor.  Andre gets back on the apron and starts to enter the ring.  Bundy charges and Andre catches him with a shoulderblock.   Andre gets back in and delivers some chops to Bundy and follows with a standing wristlock.   Andre turns it into an armbar, bringing Bundy down to his knees on the mat while Hart shouts encouragement through the megaphone.  Andre turns that into a bodyscissors while holding onto the arm and lies on the mat in the hold for a while.  After some minutes, Bundy escapes the hold.  Bundy gets up but misses a shot to the sternum.  Andre gets in a shot to Bundy.  Andre chops Bundy and gives him a big headbutt that sends Bundy through the ropes to the floor.   Bundy looks upset and Hart encourages Bundy to get back in the ring, which he does.  Back to his feet, they go to tie up again and Andre goes back to the arm.  Bundy counters by getting in some shots to Andre's sternum.  Andre counters with two big chops.  Andre backs up though due to being in pain.   Bundy comes after Andre and Andre goes back to Bundy's arm.   Andre has Bundy's arm wrapped behind Bundy's head but Andre has a handful of Andre's hair.  Bundy forces Andre backwards against the ropes.  Bundy escapes and gets in a shot to Andre's sternum and one over Andre's back.  Andre is down and Bundy gets in some more shots.  Andre is on his back near the ropes and Bundy has his foot on Andre's sternum.  Andre starts to get up and Bundy keeps pounding on him.  Bundy gets in shots to the sternum, clavicle, and short ribs of Andre.   Andre gets to his feet and has Bundy in the corner.  Andre gives Bundy a shoulderblock to the midsection.  Again as Gorilla continues to criticize the officiating.   A third shoulderblock and Gorilla says that Bundy could have a bad sternum as a result of that.   Andre goes for a cross-corner whip but Bundy reverses it.   Bundy charges in and Andre gives Bundy a big boot to the face and Bundy collapses.   Andre gives Bundy a sitdown splash but before the referee can count the pin Big John Studd in street clothes runs in for the disqualification.   Studd pounds on Andre but Andre fights back and gives Studd a big headbutt to knock him down and send him out of the ring.  Studd grabs Andre by the hair and traps him the corner and Bundy hits the Atlantic City Avalanche to Andre's back, taking Andre down.   Albano tries to make the save and Bundy decks him.  Studd grabs Andre's legs but Andre kicks him off and rolls out to the floor.   Andre grabs a chair, bangs it on the announcers' table and rolls back into the ring with it.  That's enough for Studd and Bundy to exit the ring with Hart and Heenan calling them off and all four heading to the back.   Overly long bodyscissors spot aside, this was a really good power vs. power match. ***1/2.

A technical classic?  Of course not.  But everybody played their roles perfectly and the story was good.  Recommended and you can watch it here.