DVD Review: Sasha Banks: Iconic Matches

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 83 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 29 2018

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Joining the Bayley release is this profile on Sasha Banks. I have to admit that if I had to choose between watching a Bayley match and a Sasha match, I'd opt for the former, simply because Sasha comes across a little too arrogant at times (especially considering that she has been a babyface on television for two years). One cannot deny her in-ring skills, though, and they shine like a beacon here.

It kicks off with a superb Fatal Four Way between all Four Horsewomen for the NXT Women's Championship from TakeOver: Rival. It's the turning point in Sasha's career; her championship triumph here made fans stand up and take notice of The Boss, bringing her fan support that continues to this day. Match two sees Sasha at her heelish best against Bayley from TakeOver: Respect, under Iron Man rules. The action is fantastic, providing a great sequel to their Brooklyn battle, but Banks' character work is off the charts here; the most memorable spot is when Banks makes Izzy cry.

Finally, Sasha battles with Charlotte in their first major singles match on the main roster from July 25 2016. Banks winning the Raw Women's Championship is the obvious triumph, but a close second is the fact that the match itself is as good as any on Raw throughout that whole year. In years to come, their rivalry will be considered a milestone in WWE history, and though it felt forced a times, the hype was justified by tremendous matches such as this one.

So, this is the better of the two recent Iconic Matches releases, simply because each match is fantastic. For a three-match DVD, this is as good as it gets. Add a few more belting encounters and this becomes a must-own; as it is, though, I would highly recommend checking this out, and at a low price too.

Overall Rating 8/10 - Very Good

DVD Review: Bayley: Iconic Matches

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 70 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 29 2018

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The Iconic Matches series of straight-forward mini-collections of memorable bouts continues with The Hugger herself Bayley being profiled. In a way, it's sad watching this DVD, as it covers a time when Bayley was over like Rover (Taz Show reference), given that in recent months she has suffered from poor booking, injury and even being booed out of the building (though that thankfully seems to have ceased in recent months).

Still, this DVD features Bayley at her peak, which will bring a smile to the face of any of her fans. Especially since the first match is the stunning showdown where she dethroned Sasha Banks for the NXT Women's Championship at the original TakeOver: Brooklyn show in 2015. It's probably the best WWE women's match of all-time, and despite the momentum of the Women's Revolution in the company since then, it will take some effort to top this one.

Next, we have Bayley against Nia Jax from TakeOver: London. It's a very different match from the Sasha one, and some may even find it a bit dull. However, the London crowd are fully behind Bayley, and this, combined with Bayley's believable fighting spirit, makes it a well-worked encounter. Lastly, we get Bayley serving as Sasha's surprise partner against Charlotte and Dana Brooke at Battleground 2016, which saw Bayley receive the loudest pop ever for a female performer in a WWE setting.

One could argue that only Sasha vs. Bayley is worth checking out, but this goes beyond simply reliving the action. It's about recognising the incredible emotional connection that fans had developed with Bayley, one that very few performers can achieve in this post-kayfabe age. Hopefully, WWE will find a way to help Bayley reclaim that popularity, because she's one of the more likeable talents in the company, and based on her in-ring talent, her best days may yet be ahead of her. In the meantime, though, fans of Bayley will really enjoy this DVD, brief as it is.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

DVD Review: Survivor Series 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 256 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 22 2018

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.) 

The 31st annual Survivor Series originally looked set to be vastly inferior to the 2016 instalment, with Goldberg's place being filled this time around by the suddenly-pushed, rarely-praised Jinder Mahal. Then, AJ Styles captured the WWE Championship, which meant that fans would instead be treated to a Brock-AJ dream match. Alongside some big-name additions to the men's elimination match, and the excitement generated by the ongoing brand warfare storyline, Survivor Series looked set to be one of the year's most memorable cards.

It kicks off on a high note with The Shield battling The New Day, in the dream match that you never realised you wanted to see; given the high quality action on display, though, it's a damn good thing that we got it. This is followed by the women's elimination match, which unfortunately suffers from several glaring botches, but still achieves its main goal of elevating Asuka to the position of being Raw's hottest rising star in the female division.

Next up, Baron Corbin and The Miz manage to put together an enjoyable match in spite of both men being heels, which is a tough task to pull off (Maryse even gets involved in the action despite being pregnant!). Following this, The Usos add to their resume of excellent doubles matches in 2017 against Sheamus and Cesaro, who have gone from being the team that nobody wanted to being the team that - pardon the pun - sets The Bar for tag team wrestling on the red brand. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss' encounter would have been more intriguing if Brock Lesnar weren't in the subsequent match, since this telegraphed the result (due to the ongoing brand rivalry scoreline), but the action is still well worth watching, and is arguably the best match that each competitor had in 2017.

Then, we're treated to a fantastic match between Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles. This is the sort of match which elevates Styles in the eyes of those running WWE, as an incredibly talented yet relatively small wrestler manages to put Lesnar at believable jeopardy on several occasions (Lesnar's selling of the Calf Crusher is fantastic). It's also one of Brock's best matches all decade. If you buy this DVD for one match, this is that bout.

The wheels unfortunately come off for the main event, which somehow changed from being all about brand supremacy (and Kurt Angle's position as Raw General Manager) to a Triple H showcase. This is evidenced by the pre-match promo videos, which puts HHH on the level of The Rock or Steve Austin, and by the developments of the main event itself. It becomes all about HHH, including the result, and we're still waiting to see if HHH will face Braun Strowman (via costing him the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble?) or Kurt Angle (in yet another struggle for control of Raw) at WrestleMania 34. Until then, and even at that point, the Survivor Series main event feels like a let-down: it starts off fine, but then loses momentum, and ultimately disappoints in the end.

The bonus footage consists of three matches from the Kick-Off Show. Elias vs. Matt Hardy is a typical pre-show encounter, whilst Enzo Amore vs. Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship doesn't quite capture the attention of the fans in Houston. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn taking on Breezango in the pre-show slot feels weird, but their real purpose is to interfere in the main event, and the fall-out of this (namely, Shane McMahon swearing revenge on KO & Zayn, with Daniel Bryan attempting to maintain a balance of fairness, thus leading to Shane and Bryan being at odds) has been the lead storyline of SmackDown ever since.

It's a shame that the main event lost its way from a booking standpoint, because the rest of Survivor Series is tremendous; it was a sure-fire contender for Show Of The Year, but one cannot help but feel disappointed by how the headline attraction degenerated (another unintentional pun) into an excuse to promote Triple H over most of WWE's biggest stars, 18 years after his first WWF Title win (in other words, many years after fans would deem it acceptable). If you can overlook the closing scenes, then Survivor Series is a great show, and it all makes for a very enjoyable wrestling DVD.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

DVD Review: WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 547 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 8 2018

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Once again, WWE has provided a round-up of what it considers to be the top PPV matches of the previous year on DVD. And once again, the final two months of the year are omitted, presumably due to the timing of its release (meaning that such crackers as Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles from Survivor Series are ignored), but it's clear that this will not change anytime soon. So, let's move onto what IS here - because there's plenty to cherish.

Not least the first match on the set, which to me is the best WWE match of the entire year; AJ Styles and John Cena put on a terrific performance at Royal Rumble with the WWE Title at stake, with over 52,000 spectators looking on. Next, we get a hidden gem in Randy Orton vs. (a pre-Bludgeon Brothers) Luke Harper from Elimination Chamber, and an outstanding Chamber contest for the WWE crown, which sees Bray Wyatt temporarily take his place as SmackDown's top dog.

The focus then shifts to WrestleMania 33, with three memorable yet very different matches. AJ shines again opposite Shane McMahon in the unexpected show-stealer. John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse exists purely to set up Cena's proposal to Nikki after the match, and to be honest, the bout doesn't belong on this particular DVD. Better is the short yet blistering brawl between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, which concluded their feud on a high. It's interesting that The Undertaker's last match against Roman Reigns (which headlined Mania) isn't here. Might this be a hint that Taker plans to wrestle one more time?

As for Reigns: he pops up next to face Braun Strowman at Payback as part of their superb rivalry. This follows the Bayley-Alexa Bliss clash from the same show, which elevated Bliss to the position of Raw's #1 female, while unfortunately beginning Bayley's rapid decline. Jinder Mahal's shock WWE Title win over Randy Orton from Backlash is next, and whilst not a great match, it's probably the pick of Jinder's tumultuous WWE Championship reign, which in itself was one of the year's biggest stories.

We then get a firecracker of a Fatal Five Way from Extreme Rules, followed by a match involving five females; the first women's Money In The Bank Ladder match. I still maintain that James Ellsworth having a hand in the finish (quite literally) was a neat heat-seeking device, though I realise why it upset a lot of people, given the historic nature of the occasion. Great Balls Of Fire is then represented by another brief yet exciting war between Lesnar and Samoa Joe, and whilst it's a shame that The Hardyz are nowhere to be seen here, we do get The Usos and The New Day, whose rivalry was only just getting started in their Battleground stormer that is featured to close disc two.

The best two matches from the main card of SummerSlam appear next: a superb doubles clash pitting Cesaro and Sheamus against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, and the incredible Fatal Four Way main event that sees Strowman come across as the biggest monster on planet Earth (not the documentary). Another Fatal Five Way clash follows, with the Raw women's division getting a real chance to shine, and the first Roman Reigns-John Cena showdown from the same No Mercy event (which I still maintain should have been saved for a WrestleMania, even if that was the point of the build-up).

To round things off, we have Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens under Hell In A Cell rules from the event of the same name (which features a trademark crazy Shane bump and a shock heel turn for Sami Zayn), and the thrilling meeting of Finn Balor and AJ Styles from TLC (which was only announced around 48 hours beforehand, due to Bray Wyatt going down with an illness). There are no extras to speak of, but Renee Young being on hosting duties makes up for that, right?

It's always tricky to be able to recommend these PPV compilations at a time when the WWE Network allows fans to watch all of these matches and more, along with tons of other content, for only £9.99. Assuming you're not a Network subscriber, though, or if you're simply an avid wrestling DVD collector, then you should love this three-disc set. There's barely a dull match to be found, and almost all of the year's top supershow encounters are here, along with almost all of the company's most featured performers being spotlighted at some point. The Best PPV Matches series rarely disappoints, and the 2017 edition is no different, making it a fine way to kick off WWE's year of DVD releases.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent