WWE Tagged Classics: WWF The Year In Review 1995 & 1996

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 344 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: April 16 2012

Continuing the Year In Review series back in the day were the 1995 and 1996 instalments, which were also released as part of the Tagged Classics DVD series. These followed the formula of the 1994 edition by mostly spotlighting the biggest supercard matches of the year.

The other similarity with the 1993-4 Reviews collection (which you can read my review of by clicking here) is that the years 1995 and 1996 weren't exactly a vintage time in WWF history. If anything, they are less fondly remembered than 1993 and 1994 were. Indeed, 1995 mostly saw Diesel as WWF Champion in an almost year-long reign filled with very few notable matches, whilst Bret Hart wasn't given much to work with, The Undertaker continued being pitted against monster characters with little in the way of exciting action, Shawn Michaels largely floundered (with the exception of his summer activities, which we'll discuss shortly; I'm talking about activities relating to wrestling, by the way), Razor Ramon mainly feuded with Jeff Jarrett and Dean Douglas in a comedown from his 1994 wars with Shawn and Diesel; and the rest of the mid-card and under-card didn't exactly have career years.

Hosted by Dok Hendrix (check out this expression by the former and FUTURE Michael P.S. Hayes), the 1995 compilation kicks off with the closing moments of a pretty good Diesel-Bret bout from Royal Rumble, which had an overbooked conclusion to ensure that neither babyface took the loss. We then move onto WrestleMania XI, from which we see Owen Hart and mystery partner Yokozuna tackle The Smoking Gunns, Undertaker face King Kong Bundy and Lawrence Taylor battle Bam Bam Bigelow, in the WM main event believe it or not (I told you in the 1993-4 Review that Mania XI was the worst WM ever; we haven't even mentioned Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund or Jacob and Eli Blu being chosen to face Lex Luger and The British Bulldog).

In an important note, 1995 was the year that the WWF went monthly on Pay-Per-View, beginning with In Your House in May. For that reason, the inclusion of Diesel vs. Sid as that show's main event makes sense, but while it isn't as bad as you'd think, it also isn't that good. As for Mabel vs. Savio Vega: including the King Of The Ring tournament final is again logical thinking, but the match is dire; the highlight are the "ECW!" chants from the Philadelphia crowd in the first mainstream acknowledgement of the Extreme brand. KOTR 1995, by the way, is generally considered to be the worst PPV in company history (or second worst if you rank ECW December To Dismember 2006 below it, which I personally don't). To illustrate this, the best match on the show is the next bout on the programme, and that is the Kiss My Foot match between Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler. As a side-note, as a big WWF fan at the time, I once thought that 1995 was awesome; the evidence here suggests otherwise.

Things do improve with the focus on SummerSlam 1995, by far the year's best show. After a great 123-Kid vs. Hakushi match, we see Hunter Hearst Helmsley make his WWF PPV debut against Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly (or it's Triple H vs. Hardcore Holly in their early days, if you'd prefer), and then we get the classic Ladder rematch between Shawn and Razor, unquestionably the match of the year, enhanced by a rowdy Pittsburgh crowd (why did the WWF hold two supershows in Pennsylvania in 1995?). The programme weirdly jumps back a month to show Barry Horowitz finally win a match against newcomer Body Donna Skip on Superstars (some first rivalry for Skip, that), and then we jump ahead again to In Your House 3 in September, showcased by an average Razor-Dean Douglas match and an alright tag bout pitting Diesel and Shawn against what was meant to be Yokozuna and Owen Hart, then was changed to Yoko and Bulldog, and ended up being Yoko and Owen. It's hard to explain, and the stipulations and resultant controversy (not acknowledged here) are so word that you're best Googling the whole thing.

It's also hard to explain why the 1995 feature didn't include some genuinely good matches from a generally poor year of action. We don't see Bret-Hakushi kick off the first In Your House in style, nor do we see Shawn and Jeff Jarrett have a belting bout from IYH 2, or even Bret battle Jean Pierre LaFitte at IYH 3. And why, oh why, did we not get shown the famous clip of Shawn Michaels winning the Royal Rumble from the #1 position after seemingly being eliminated, nor of his WM XI title bout against Diesel? The year 1995 had few enough highlights, and yet some of them didn't even make the cut.

As you might have guessed, the year 1995 was largely forgettable in WWF history (it wasn't in WCW, since Monday Nitro launched in September and wrestling changed forever), and this reflects on the quality of the Year In Review, which is the worst of the series. Unfortunately for WWF die-hards, 1996 proved to be even less prosperous, at least when you consider that Diesel and Razor defected to WCW (and formed the ultra-successful nWo with Hulk Hogan), and Bret Hart had an extended break after Mania XII. There were good things to come out of 1996, though, which we're about to tackle.

It's clear from the beginning that 1996 marked a year of change in the WWF. The Bret-Undertaker World Title clash at Royal Rumble was spoiled by Diesel, who flips Taker off (his middle finger gesture is digitised here). The subsequent Cage match between Bret and Diesel at IYH 6 sets up the double main event for Mania, and is the first of many occurrences where Undertaker came through the ring canvas to attack his enemy.

Instead of taking us onto Mania, we instead leap ahead to King Of The Ring. This was a great show, the best of the year, and we get two matches from it: Ahmed Johnson vs. Goldust for the Intercontinental strap and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Wildman Marc Mero. Yes, Austin; more on him in a moment. Ahmed vs. Goldust is okay, but the heel dominates far too much of the action (literally at times, since his suggested homosexual tendencies, designed to rile up audiences believe it or not, get surprisingly raunchy considering that Attitude hadn't quite arrived yet), and Ahmed's subsequent pounding of The Bizarre One makes the champ look like a chump. Austin vs. Mero is very good, but we strangely do not see Austin beat Jake Roberts to win the KOTR tournament (hey, we got the 1993-5 finals on those YIR shows), meaning of course we don't get the infamous "Austin 3:16" promo that would eventually make him a mega-star and help to dramatically transform the WWF's fortunes). Other KOTR 1996 omissions here are a great Shawn-Bulldog main event, and a superb brawl between Undertaker and Mankind.

The weird chronology of these Year In Reviews continues as we go back to WrestleMania XII, with highlights of the Shawn-Bret Iron Man match and of Undertaker vs. Diesel. It's odd that we only see Shawn Michaels at this point of the 1996 feature, since he essentially ruled the year as WWF Champion and won the Royal Rumble (and yet again, the Rumble match finish isn't included). We do get plenty of Shawn going forward, though, as we see his IYH 8 clash with Bulldog (this has an odd finish), but strangely not their aforementioned KOTR rematch. It's also strange that we didn't get Shawn vs. Diesel, one of the best matches of the year; you can't put it down to Diesel jumping ship, since we get three appearances from him elsewhere on the show. Oh, and slotted between the Mania bouts are highlights from the 1996 Slammy Awards, which feel out of place in the company at that time (people noticed, because after 1997 the Slammys didn't return for over a decade).

Also from IYH 8, we see Undertaker challenge Goldust in a Casket match for the IC Title (this was before Goldust lost to Ahmed; try to bear with me here), which plays a role in the Taker-Mankind feud. At this point, I completely gave up on the chronology of this programme because we jump to September and IYH 10, where Owen and Bulldog face The Smoking Gunns for the Tag Titles, followed by - yes! - a leap back in time to the previous month's SummerSlam, and the closing moments of the brutal Boiler Room Brawl between Undertaker and Mankind, with an ending that was the most shocking Undertaker-related moment until his vaunted Streak ended many years later at WrestleMania XXX. The programme ends with Marc Mero facing Faarooq for the vacant Intercontinental Title (vacated after Ahmed was injured), and Shawn vs. Mankind in the main event from IYH 10, which while very enjoyable is still a bit overrated in my opinion.

I'm out of breath writing about 1996! That's due to the ridiculous chronology here; it's all over the place, more so than the 1994 disc (at least 1994 was broken up into key rivalries which explained the sudden time shifts, something that doesn't apply on this disc). The action is a lot better overall than in 1995, and to be fair Shawn's title reign and the Undertaker-Mankind feud ensured that things appeared to be more interesting than in the safe surroundings of 1995. What we aren't told, of course, is that the rest of the WWF product was ailing: debutants included Freddie Joe Floyd, TL Hopper, and who could forget the fake Diesel and fake Razor? Add to that the fact that WCW was dominating the WWF in the Monday night ratings, and one can understand why 1996 is considered a low point in WWF history, at least from a business standpoint.

That being said, it's strange that many of the bigger matches and moments aren't featured here. No Rumble match, no Shawn matches against Owen (IYH 6), Diesel (IYH 7), Bulldog (KOTR 96) or Vader (SummerSlam 96), no Taker-Mankind bouts aside from SummerSlam, no Austin KOTR coronation, only one match involving Ahmed (who at the time was considered a future World Champion), only a brief sighting of Vader (one of the year's top heels), and no appearances from legends like Jake Roberts, Roddy Piper and the Ultimate Warrior, all of whom made cameos during the year. I can understand leaving off Survivor Series again due to production schedules (the tape actually ends with the announcement of Bret vs. Austin at Survivor Series), and the Austin-Brian Pillman gun angle held just before the Series, but the sheer number of memorable moments and matches left off (we also don't get such Raw instances as Vader pummelling on-screen President Gorilla Monsoon) is baffling, given how low the general quality of WWF television was in 1996. By the end, you find yourself wanting WWE to release a new version of this and other years in review so that everything of substance can be included, and so that they can generally be done properly.

So, this set of Year In Reviews is a real mixed bag. Two years that marked a real low point for the WWF, both for on-screen quality and off-screen business. It's fascinating to watch the New Generation run out of steam and slowly be masked by the early elements of what would become the Attitude Era on disc two, and there are highlights of some very good matches (Shawn vs. Razor mainly on disc one and several bouts from disc two), but the running time is too long when watching action of a pretty low standard, especially considering the many matches and moments not included. Ironically, Year In Review tapes were discontinued after 1996, even though 1997 began the true turnaround for the WWF and, by 1998 and 1999, the company was dominating the wrestling world and was more entertaining and successful than ever before.

Like with the 1993-4 YIR twin-set, longtime fans and those wanting to learn more about WWF/WWE history should get a kick out of this two-disc DVD, but unlike the 1993-4 pack, the general quality is of a lower standard, making for a less satisfying viewing experience. This has its moments, no doubt, but I wouldn't exactly give this a glowing recommendation.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - Reasonable

WWE Tagged Classics: WWF The Year In Review 1993 & 1994

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 352 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: May 16 2011

As part of the Tagged Classics series, the original WWF Year In Review shows for 1993 and 1994 were re-released. Unfortunately, according to UK distributor Silver Vision (who were technically the ones releasing these DVDs rather than WWE), the original master tape for the 1992 Year In Review is unsuitable for re-release (which is a shame since this was a VHS that I did not purchase back in the day), meaning that the YIR series on Tagged Classics begins with the 1993/1994 annums.

This was an interesting time in WWF history, as it marked the dying days of the Hulkamania era and the emphasis on the New Generation. It's clear that while the in-ring quality of WWF action improved over the mid-1990s, but the general popularity of the Federation was in decline. Indeed, the arenas for weekly television were much bigger at the beginning of 1993 than they were by the end of 1994; in fact, large-scale arenas wouldn't host WWF/WWE television shows again until early 1997. In the meantime, many of the big names who departed the WWF were not suitable replaced, so while the crop of talent in the company was generally good, very few were truly over, meaning that there is a smaller cast of memorable characters on the 1994 disc.

YIR 1993 begins, funnily enough, in late 1992 with a Yokozuna squash match victory (Yoko had recently arrived in the WWF). From there, we see newcomer Doink attack Crush with a fake arm (really), Giant Gonzales invade the 1993 Royal Rumble match by attacking The Undertaker, and a home video exclusive match between Gonzales and Randy Savage, which has a confusing ending (a quick side note: most home video matches from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s generally have countout or disqualification finishes). We then see Ted DiBiase meet Brutus Beefcake in the Barber's comeback match on Raw, which ends in a Money Inc beatdown of Bruti' that sets up a big WrestleMania IX match between DiBiase and IRS and the combo of Beefcake and the returning Hulk Hogan. Around this point, we see a tribute video to Andre The Giant, who passed away in January 1993, and was named the first ever Hall Of Fame inductee.

Mania IX is highlighted here by Doink vs. Crush, which in my personal opinion has one of the best finishes ever to a match (some will disagree but I stand by my belief; just look at this image and tell me this wasn't a great WrestleMania moment), and by Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna, preceded by their contract signing segment, which segues into Yokozuna vs. Hulk Hogan, the latter of whom wins the WWF Title abruptly (in a moment which I enjoyed at the time, but has since come to be remembered as one of the most controversial examples of Hogan's backstage influence; picture AJ Styles winning the WWE Title, then losing it to Kevin Owens at WM 33, only for Owens to immediately lose it to John Cena at the same Mania in an impromptu bout, and you should get an idea of how people feel about Hogan's win here). WM IX is generally considered to be the worst WM ever because it had no great matches at all, but to me these two moments raise WM IX above the likes of WM 2 and WM XI (which is definitely the worst WrestleMania ever in my opinion).

Another exclusive match between Bam Bam Bigelow and the undefeated Tatanka is followed by standout clips from the most memorable episode of Monday Night Raw in 1993, (the year when Raw first debuted, although that fact isn't acknowledged here), where Marty Jannetty returns to challenge old partner turned enemy Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Title, and the 123 Kid, previously cast as a jobber, pulls off arguably the greatest upset in WWF/WWE history by pinning upper mid-carder Razor Ramon. We then see their rematch, set up by Razor offering increasingly large amounts of money, which actually has a screwed-up ending (Kid was meant to plant Ramon with a top rope move only for him to slip, setting up some nervy moments that led to 123 leaving with the money as planned; because this was 1993, this all seemed normal as opposed to a botch).

Next up is an interesting situation: Doink faces Mr. Perfect in a King Of The Ring qualifier, which is actually their third such meeting after two draws. The KOTR final between Bret Hart and Bam Bam Bigelow and the post-match capers with Bret and Jerry Lawler are here, as is the follow-up between Bret and Lawler at SummerSlam (preceded by Bret vs. Doink, initially a substitute bout until Lawler revealed that his supposed injury was a ruse). It's interesting that we don't get Hogan's WWF Title loss to Yoko at KOTR 1993, since this was his last televised match for the company until 2002 (by the way, this match was originally set to be Hogan vs. Bret Hart until Hulk allegedly refused to lose to The Hitman; of course, the programme wouldn't have acknowledged this fact even if Hogan vs. Yoko was included).

The superb build-up to Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger at SummerSlam and match highlights are shown, and the disc concludes in September 1993 with a strange tag team title bout between The Quebecers and The Steiners. (I actually originally got this tape on the final day of 1993, so it stands to reason that the final few months of the year aren't included.) Oh, and we got a quick look at the hilariously cheesy yet weirdly awesome WrestleMania song released that year to coincide with WM IX, as well as a short music video tribute to Randy Savage. Savage, by the way, hosts this programme in comical fashion due to his delivery; at one point, he says "The title is on the LIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEE". Savage's presenting of this disc is worth the price alone, such is the entertainment value of it.

While 1993 largely focuses on key moments as opposed to the year's biggest matches, the 1994 disc places a greater emphasis on significant PPV encounters. It strangely begins in August by recapping the Two Undertakers storyline (which I personally thought was great, at least for the 1994-era WWF), followed by the Undertaker vs. Undertaker match at SummerSlam (which is slow and a bit dull, but not an absolute stinkbomb like some would have you believe). We then see the Headshrinkers face the Quebecers for the Tag Titles from May 1994, and to show that the timeline is all over the place on disc two, we then step back two months further to WrestleMania X. Alundra Blayze's Women's Title defence against Leilani Kai is nothing special, and the same goes for a mixed tag pitting Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon against Doink and Dink. Randy Savage vs. Crush under Falls Count Anywhere Rules is better, but before we tackle the truly big Mania X matches, the programme jumps to the poor Roddy Piper-Jerry Lawler match at King Of The Ring 1994 (why did this happen? If Piper was having one more match in mid-1994, why not have him face Shawn Michaels or even Bret Hart again?)

The producer of the original 1994 tape may have been drunk, because we now jump back to WM X, but at least it's to an absolute classic: the Ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels. It's slightly overrated by modern standards, but at the time this was one of the best WWF matches ever, and fittingly is shown in its entirety (most matches across the two discs are either mostly complete or in highlight form). This is followed by Diesel snatching the IC Title from Razor shortly after WM X, and Razor's rematch against Big Daddy Cool at SummerSlam. It appears that the chronology was decided by importance rather than time, because after covering the Razor-Shawn-Diesel saga (all Kliq members, by the way; that's probably not a coincidence), the show moves onto the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart feud, a legendary brother vs. brother rivalry which dominated the year (the explanation of this by Gorilla Monsoon, who hosts disc two, raises a smile).

We get the full story about how Bret vs. Owen came about, including their Tag Title shot against The Quebecers (them again!) at Royal Rumble 1994. We then get their awesome WM X match, followed by the two WWF Title matches at Mania whereby Luger and Bret both challenge Yokozuna for the title. (They both won the Royal Rumble, which is strangely not shown here, and so both got a title opportunity at Mania.) Both are really only memorable for their conclusions: special referee Mr. Perfect screwing Lex out of the title (to wild cheers, by the way), and Bret capitalising on a Yoko mistake to pin him and become WWF Champ. In contrast to the first disc, which was Yokozuna-heavy (no pun intended), these quick match clips are the only real time we see Yokozuna on the entire 1994 programme. Following these bouts, we see Owen Hart face Razor Ramon in the 1994 KOTR tournament final (former NFL commentator Art Donovan's announcing here was ridiculously bad), and the incredible Bret-Owen Steel Cage match at SummerSlam which closes the second disc. (Random thing here, but why the hell is Bret Hart not on the cover of the 1994 disc? And why on the cover of the 1993 disc do we see The Undertaker fighting Mr. Hughes when this is not an included match?)

This DVD is a great way to explore life in the WWF during the years 1993 and 1994. That being said, if you enjoy this and think "I'll watch more 1993-4 matches on the WWE Network", you'll soon find that this DVD pretty much showcases the ONLY great matches or moments from this period, save for a few exceptions (mostly involving Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in some way). To be fair, this was still the 5-PPV's-a-year phase, so Survivor Series aside (which isn't covered on the 1994 disc either), every supercard is covered in some way. The 1993 disc does a better job of actually providing a Year In Review month-by-month, although the 1994 section actually spotlights the biggest matches of the annum under scrutiny.

As someone who watched the WWF during these years, I really enjoyed this twin-DVD set for nostalgic reasons. Modern WWE fans may be less enthused and possibly even horrified by the action on display at different times on the two discs. In fairness, though, the 1994 disc has a couple of great matches, even if the Ladder match is the only one in its entirety (match quality on the 1993 disc isn't very good at all). If you were a fan at the time or if you're interested in learning about the WWF between the Hogan years and the Attitude Era, this DVD is a good option; otherwise, you may enjoy it, but there may be moments that make for a frustrating viewing experience.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable