Battleground 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 197 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 6 2014

The first Battleground event has a decent line-up, but strangely misfires in several ways, making it feel like a glorified episode of Raw. Therefore, whilst not terrible, the DVD is a bit of a struggle to watch.

The opening Hardcore match between Alberto Del Rio and Rob Van Dam is pretty good, to be fair, and the big tag team showdown between The Shield and the combo of Cody Rhodes and Goldust is very dramatic.

However, there is too much filler. Besides an admittedly impressive spot at the finish, The Great Khali and Santino Marella vs. The Real Americans isn't PPV-worthy, nor is Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth. CM Punk vs. Ryback is mediocre and has a counterproductive finish. AJ Lee vs. Brie Bella is a step down from the matches between AJ and Kaitlyn. Kofi Kingston vs. Bray Wyatt has one highlight, that being Wyatt's spider-walk. And whilst Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton is a very good match, the finish is abrupt, a bit senseless and ends the show, and the DVD on a low note.

Mind you, the DVD has more bonus features than usual. Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow is thepre-Battleground bout, and as well as some additional interviews and angles, we're also treated to the Raw main event from the next night as Bryan, Cody and Goldust face all three members of The Shield.

Battleground has some really good matches, but they will likely up on future compilations, meaning you are best saving your money for those DVDs instead. One for die-hard collectors only.

Overall Rating: 5.5/10 - Above Average

Battleground 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 178 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 29 2014

Battleground 2014 was the poorest WWE event of the year thus far, and therefore it's hard to recommend the DVD release. The review could potentially end there, but I'll go into a bit more detail.

Actually, it starts well with an excellent Two Out Of Three Falls doubles match between The Usos and the much-improved combo of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. AJ Lee vs. Paige is also decent. But the event falters from there: the tasteless pre-match promo by Lana overshadows the Rusev-Jack Swagger match; even if it hadn't, the screwy finish would spoil the bout anyway. The advertised Seth Rollins-Dean Ambrose doesn't happen, with a series of angles which would have been more at home on Raw. Chris Jericho pointlessly pins Bray Wyatt, and the Intercontinental Title Battle Royal is enjoyable enough, but has another groan-inducing climax. The main event, pitting John Cena against Randy Orton, Kane and Roman Reigns, is a pretty good match, but it has that "seen it all before" feel to it, and the result is never in doubt.

It's clear that Battleground was a mere stop-off en route to SummerSlam for WWE, but it doesn't excuse the poor creative decisions and the overly-familiar line-up of certain matches. Save your money and get the WWE Network (when it becomes available); as a basic DVD release, Battleground 2014 is sub-standard.

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

Battleground 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 177 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 14 2015

(To read a full event review of WWE Battleground 2015, click here.)

Battleground 2015 is one of those cards which, in hindsight, has slipped a little under the radar, perhaps because its main event was primarily used to set up the headline clash at SummerSlam the following month. However, when reliving the show, Battleground is definitely one of WWE's better cards of the year with some great in-ring action, making for an enjoyable DVD release.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus is a good opener, enhanced by the strong atmosphere since the show was held in Orton's hometown of St Louis, Missouri. After WWE tries to remind us that Stephanie McMahon alone was responsible for what would become the revolution of women's wrestling in the company (which couldn't be further from the truth), we have a standard WWE Tag Team Title match between The Prime Time Players and The New Day, at a time when New Day were in the process of becoming the incredibly entertaining trio act that would result in their popularity exploding.

Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt is a very good match, and a forgotten reminder in the face of the anti-Reigns sentiment that Roman can more than hold up his end of the bargain in a straight match. The women's three-way between Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Brie Bella was a decent start to the revamp of the female division on the main roster, and John Cena vs. Kevin Owens, whilst a shade inferior to their Money In The Bank collision, is still an excellent battle and a fitting way to end their incredible three-match series. Many fans were up in arms over Owens losing the rubber match - and losing via submission as well - but it wasn't exactly an unpredictable result, and to say that this alone "buried" KO is ludicrous.

A planned Intercontinental Title match between Ryback, The Miz and Big Show was cancelled due to Ryback suffering a staph infection. In its place, we have a short Miz heel promo which, while less entertaining on second viewing than it was at the time, is still an example of why Miz has been one of WWE's best and most underrated talkers of the last few years. Finally, Seth Rollins vs. Brock Lesnar is a near-squash that regrettably makes Rollins look extremely weak, although it does end with the surprise return of The Undertaker, which elicits a huge pop from the audience, and the post-match capers not only marked the first Undertaker-Lesnar interaction since the Streak was broken at WrestleMania XXX, but it was the set-up for their big rematch at SummerSlam the following month. From a match quality standpoint, it was the worst (or second-worst) WWE PPV main event of the year due to the lay-out, but the finish definitely had fans buzzing.

Unlike most DVDs in this era, we have a couple of extras on this release. They're not must-see, mind you: King Barrett vs. R-Truth from the Kick-Off Show is just another match, really, and neither the Team PCB nor The New Day backstage promos are particularly worth watching (a rarity in the case of the latter). A few extras are better than one or none, though.

I wouldn't necessarily suggest that you should rush out and buy this DVD. If you're looking to only own WWE's best PPV events of the year, though, Battleground 2015 is a pretty good option with a superb Cena-Owens match, some strong action in the Orton-Sheamus and Reigns-Wyatt battles, and while the match is largely unspectacular, the ending to Rollins-Lesnar is definitely memorable.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Battleground 2016

Image Source: Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 192 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 19 2016

(To read a full event review of WWE Battleground 2016, click here.)

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

There was a danger that Battleground would have been a forgettable PPV, coming as it did just days after the Draft and right before the Raw and SmackDown rosters were officially re-introduced, meaning that much of the PPV card involved matches and storylines which could go no further beyond the show, with so many wrestlers assigned to opposite brands. However, the show succeeded due to a number of memorable matches and moments, and you can now relive the card on DVD.

For those who haven't seen Battleground, I won't spoil the identity of Sasha Bank's mystery partner in her battle against Charlotte and Dana Brooke, but it is a nice feel-good moment and the bout itself is a good one. It feels like forever now since The New Day took on The Wyatt Family, although Xavier Woods gets a rare chance to shine as part of his fear of Bray Wyatt, and Rusev vs. Zack Ryder is okay, albeit nothing special. Next up, we have an outstanding bout between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn which draws a line under their feud (for now). It wasn't quite the Match Of The Year, in my opinion, due to some slow periods early on and noticeable non-selling towards the end, but it is still a strong encounter and unquestionably the best on this particular PPV, as well as a fitting way to close a rivalry that we are told will probably never truly end.

Natalya vs. Becky Lynch is competent but suffers from a lack of audience interest; The Miz vs. Darren Young, on the other hand, is no different from a typical television match and has a bog-standard finish. The crowd is brought back into the show with John Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass battling The Club in a pretty good six-man tag team match, with Enzo delivering a typically hyperactive and insult-heavy promo beforehand. Randy Orton's comeback appearance on Chris Jericho's Highlight Reel has its moments, with Jericho in particular proving why he is a master on the microphone and a general entertainment factory. Finally, the all-Shield main event for the WWE Title - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns - is a worthy headline attraction with a surprising outcome; it isn't the classic that fans who had waited years for this match will have hoped for, but it is very good, and I am confident that one day, these three will find a way to battle in a triangle match again, perhaps on a larger stage.

Since Battleground was another PPV to surpass the 3-hour mark (although it wasn't as long as the previous event, Money In The Bank), there are no DVD extras here, and certain segments between matches are either cut short or omitted entirely in order to squeeze this show onto one disc. If it is the plan for all future PPVs to go beyond three hours, then WWE needs to start releasing these cards on two discs so that fans are not missing out; otherwise, they could just go and watch the PPV events in retrospect on the WWE Network, where the entire cards and their respective Kick-Off Shows are included in full. Hopefully WWE will work out a more effective strategy that gives fans a reason to choose DVD releases of supershows over Network transmissions, but with rumours stating that only Raw cards will get a home video release in the new Brand Extension era, that could be easier said than done.

Despite this, though, if you're a collector, then you should buy Battleground 2016 on DVD. It boasts an excellent match, a strong main event, several decent bouts elsewhere on the card and some memorable appearances/returns, without spoiling the identity of those who make a cameo. It's also a chance to enjoy the last night of WWE action before the New Era truly began with the implementation of Brand Extension #2.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good