True Giants

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 429 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: December 1 2014

Following on from the Cruiserweight-themed release Wrestling's Highest Flyers in late 2010/early 2011, True Giants takes the complete opposite approach by focusing on the largest performers in wrestling history (mostly).

You can look at this concept in two ways. On the one hand, it's nice that the mammoths are getting a spotlight (oxymoron, I know), especially since the vast majority have never or will never get a DVD profile of their own, even established names like Vader, Psycho Sid and Yokozuna. Plus, some are genuine major stars, such as Andre The Giant, Big Show and Kevin Nash (incidentally, why hasn't Nash received the DVD treatment on his own yet?). On the other hand, those who stand close to or above the 7-foot mark, and/or weigh in excess of 350 pounds, are rarely associated with classic matches. Some big men, such as Vader, have put on epic encounters on a regular basis, but such performers are generally the exception rather than the norm. A giant's job is generally to perform as a giant would, meaning that most of the stars highlighted on this release have only ever watched fantastic matches as opposed to working them.

Nevertheless, giants have played a vital role in the history of the wrestling business (hell, the most famous wrestling moment ever is probably when Hulk Hogan bodyslammed Andre The Giant at WrestleMania III), and therefore the behemoths are more than deserving of a profile focusing on their careers and - what else? - their size. Whether you find it entertaining is another matter entirely.

Anyway, the main programme provides mini-career profiles on more than a dozen big men: Big Show, Gorilla Monsoon, One Man Gang/Akeem, Haystacks Calhoun, Giant Gonzales, Big John Studd, Kevin Nash/Diesel, Ernie "Big Cat" Ladd, Mark Henry, King Kong Bundy, Psycho Sid, Vader, Yokozuna, The Great Khali and, of course, Andre The Giant himself. The profiles are mostly concerned with in-ring accomplishments and notable matches/feuds rather than their lives outside the ring, with Show and Andre amongst the notable exceptions. Plus, some comments by various talking heads are in-character (e.g. emphasising how one performer is particularly threatening because of his sheer size), which in modern times is rarely a positive.

There are many matches included as bonus features, but as alluded to earlier very few are exactly of a high standard (no pun intended), so I'll just focus on the standout bouts. There's a weird six-man tag from Mid-South Wrestling, which includes the unlikely combination of Andre, Dusty Rhodes and Junkyard Dog (Shawn Michaels pops up in another Mid-South match against One Man Gang). Hogan vs. Big John Studd is a typical Hogan match (tailor-made for Hulk, you might say), and Kamala vs. Andre inside a Steel Cage is a minor dream match (plus, who doesn't love Kamala?). Andre vs. Randy Savage completes the second disc.

On disc three, we open with a legitimately p-ss-poor match between El Gigante and One Man Gang from the 1991 WCW Great American Bash; this makes Gigante/Giant Gonzales' later match with The Undertaker from SummerSlam 1993 seem like a masterpiece. Sid Justice (Psycho Sid, obviously) teams with Ric Flair against Hogan and Roddy Piper in a rare gem of a match, and one of the few bouts on the DVD which ignores size as a component of the match psychology. We see Yokozuna dethrone Hulk as WWF Champion at King Of The Ring 1993, and we get one of the most overused DVD matches ever as Diesel vs. Razor Ramon from a 1994 episode of Superstars is recycled once more.

Diesel vs. Isaac Yankem DDS (a.k.a. Kane) is a fun inclusion from an interesting time in both men's careers; Diesel was less than six months away from forming the nWo, whilst Yankem would actually play a "New" Diesel shortly after that (and, of course, he would later be reborn as Kane). Sid vs. Bret Hart from 1997 is pretty good (thank Bret for that), and we then focus on modern big men like Big Show (against Rhyno and Eddie Guerrero), Mark Henry (versus Rey Mysterio) and The Great Khali (who tangles with Shawn Michaels). We then get the Monster Mash Battle Royal between Henry, Big Daddy V, Kane and Khali, which I actually enjoyed, and the DVD appropriately closes with Mark Henry battling Big Show in a Bodyslam Challenge (as part of The Price Of Raw; don't ask me to explain). The Blu-ray includes a few more matches and several additional profiles for Earthquake, Kamala, Bam Bam Bigelow and that madman Abdullah The Butcher. Why The Undertaker and Kane didn't receive profiles here is beyond me.

Is this a contender for best WWE DVD of the year? Of course not. It will actually probably end up being one of the weaker WWE DVDs, at least from a match quality standpoint. However, it is entertaining, and it is cool to see the focus shifted to many performers who otherwise are only rarely acknowledged for their abilities and accomplishments, some of whom are amongst the most memorable characters ever seen for longtime fans (as I mentioned earlier, who doesn't love Kamala?). It's far from a must-own, and fans who have only discovered wrestling in the last five years may be horrified by the standard of the wrestling on display here, but for fans of a certain age, it's an enjoyable nostalgia trip, and a fun chance to look back at some of the legitimately biggest men in wrestling history.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Hell In A Cell 2012

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 166 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 28 2013

Unlike previous years, where WWE would overload the Hell In A Cell card with too many HIAC matches (there were three in 2009, none of which were particularly necessary), the 2012 event kept things simple with just the one Cell bout, a well-built collision between longtime WWE Champion CM Punk and the undefeated, Goldberg-like Ryback. That being said, it is another match which stands as the main reason to see this DVD.

Starting chronologically: Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio is a good opener, if not the best match that the two could put together, followed by an entertaining yet forgettable bout pitting Team Hell No (arguably WWE's hottest act at the time of this PPV) against Team Rhodes Scholars. Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz is good, though, and a reminder that both men can deliver a thrilling contest despite each man's reduced status in recent times. Conversely, while well-executed, Antonio Cesaro bvs. Justin Gabriel isn't a PPV-calibre match, nor is Rey Mysterio & Sin Cara vs. The Prime Time Players

Fortunately, we get quite the unexpected treat in Sheamus vs. Big Show, which ends up being the best or second-best World Heavyweight Championship contest of 2012. The finish is a shocker, but in a good way, and Sheamus enhances his reputation by being able to get such a great match out of Show at this point in the giant's career; however, Show deserves credit for his performance, which rounds off what has been his best year in a long time. Eve Torres vs. Kaitlyn vs. Layla is a flat follow-up to Sheamus vs. Show, and despite the exciting build-up and intrigue as to who would win, WWE was in a no-win position to book CM Punk against Ryback in a Cell match (Ryback replaced the injured John Cena), as a defeat for neither man sounded particularly useful. As it is, WWE delves into its back of tricks to try and enhance both men's characters regardless of the result, but suffice it to say, Ryback's momentum hasn't quite been the same since he was fast-tracked into losing a PPV main event, just three months after beating Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks in a PPV filler attraction. Match quality is okay, but it's nowhere near as memorable as The Undertaker vs. Triple H in the same structure nearly seven months earlier at WrestleMania XXVIII.

Mind you, Hell In A Cell 2012 is still an adequate show. Would I recommend buying it on DVD? Erm, not really: Sheamus vs. Big Show is well worth watching, and there are some good bouts elsewhere on the card, but I would only suggest that you buy this DVD if you see it at a discount price. A fun event, but not a must-own.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Survivor Series 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 181 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: February 17 2014

The status of Survivor Series has fallen in recent times. Whilst it remains one of the so-called Big Four PPVs, line-ups over the last couple of years have threatened to make it a B-show. A perfect example comes from watching the DVD of Survivor Series 2013, with inconsequential bouts and lethargic performances resulting in a mostly forgettable show.

The opening Survivors elimination match is the highlight of the card, as it features a few nice spots and puts over Roman Reigns in a big way as a star of the future. Conversely, the women's Survivors bout is nothing special and features strange psychology (why are AJ and Kaitlyn co-existing after their previous issues?), and Ryback vs. Mark Henry is pure filler and has a daft outcome (just like their previous PPV match at WrestleMania 29).

John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio has a seen-it-all-before feel to it (which is true, by the way), CM Punk & Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatts does at least have some bright moments, and Randy Orton vs. Big Show is a short, substandard main event which doesn't even compare to their previous meeting at Extreme Rules, never mind other main events on WWE supershows this year. The bonus match is The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston, where Miz performs as a babyface despite having just gone heel on Kofi.

Whilst the line-up meant that expectations weren't very high going into the card, Survivor Series 2013 is nevertheless a poor show; unless you're a die-hard collector, I would only recommend getting this DVD if you see it discounted (as in, for a fiver or less). As a major show, this event doesn't come close to being particularly memorable.

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

Extreme Rules 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 187 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 29 2015

Extreme Rules 2015 didn't quite achieve the excitement that the card has in the last few years. One of the matches is very good (and few expected anything from it beforehand, making it doubly impressive), but the rest of the card is only adequate at best.

Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper, under Falls Count Anywhere rules, is an unusual opener, in that it is quite literally a match of two halves (I won't explain why as that would be a spoiler). Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus isn't very interesting, with the Kiss Me A--e stipulation remaining unexplained. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. The New Day is pretty good, though, and it cements the New Day heel turn; on the other hand, Nikki Bella vs. Naomi has just one highlight, that being Naomi's new multi-coloured LED boots (unless the second highlight is working out the date of the phantom babyface turn for The Bellas).

John Cena vs. Rusev in a Russian Chain match is alright, but one gets the feeling that they are holding something back, making for a slightly disappointing affair. The same cannot be said for the Last Man Standing showdown between Roman Reigns and Big Show, which is a thrilling brawl that greatly exceeds expectations. Lastly, after a brief angle involving Bo Dallas and Ryback, Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton is an enjoyable main event, but one which perhaps suffers due to the glut of stipulations attached to it. The bonus match from the Kick-Off Show is Bad News Barrett vs. Neville, which replaced the advertised Intercontinental Title bout between Barrett and Daniel Bryan that was cancelled due to an injury to Bryan.

Extreme Rules 2015, then, is hardly a show that you should rush out and buy on DVD; should you choose to buy it, though, you'll have a good helping of entertainment, particularly when watching Reigns vs. Big Show.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - Reasonable

SmackDown's Most Memorable Matches

Image Source: Hyper-Pars

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 86 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: April 3 2007

Initially designed to be the first of a lengthy series of budget-priced DVDs relating to WWE's two top brands (it was scrapped after four, which is fairly lengthy I suppose), SmackDown's Most Memorable Matches provides six bouts which stand out as being noteworthy. In some cases, it's debatable as to whether this is applicable, but all six provide entertainment in their own way.

Kicking things off is Hulk Hogan and Edge facing Billy & Chuck for the WWE Tag Team Titles in a July 2002 bout that WWE has often released under the proviso of it being massively memorable, but it actually isn't (the huge crowd reaction to Hogan is noticeable, though). Better is Rey Mysterio's WWE debut three weeks later against Chavo Guerrero in the first of many great WWE matches for Rey Rey.

One week later, a tag team match that isn't really memorable but is still engaging to watch pits The Rock and Edge against new SD signings Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero, which sees a finish that fans of today's WWE would consider greatly damaging to a top babyface (that it did no harm to Rock in 2002 is worth pointing out). We then jump ahead to June 2003 and to a genuinely memorable bout between Brock Lesnar and Big Show (hint: the ring plays a role in the finish).

We then leap to January 2005 and a really good Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero bout which not only combines great wrestling with some clever comedy, but acts as the beginning of the long-running Rey vs. Eddie feud of that year. The DVD ends in October 2005 with Chris Benoit defending the United States Title against Booker T, in a hard-hitting match that sees Benoit take an extremely painful-looking bump into the side of an announcer's table off a missed tope.

This isn't a true representation of the most memorable or even the best SmackDown matches of its first few years (the absence of TLC III being a classic example), but with some thrilling matches and a few surprising moments, this budget DVD is more than adequate. If you enjoyed WWE's product in the mid-2000s, this is a good DVD for you to own.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good