DVD Review: 30 Years Of Survivor Series

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 437 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 23 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Survivor Series is the second longest-running Pay-Per-View event in WWE history, behind only WrestleMania. It was there when Hulkamania was running wild, when Attitude was all the rage, and when John Cena and Batista were establishing themselves as the leaders of the Ruthless Aggression era. Even today, Survivor Series has major significance, enhanced by major moments in recent years involving The Rock, Sting and Goldberg.

This latest DVD offering from WWE covers the three-decade history of Survivor Series, released just in time for the 31st instalment on November 19 in Houston. The main focus of this compilation is a feature lasting just over an hour, which highlights what are considered to be the 30 top moments in Survivor Series history (though the programme itself doesn't state this; the DVD box art does, though). This is followed by a series (no pun intended) of matches spanning the years 1988-2016.

Starting with the main feature: it's a quick-fire collection of matches, with the usual topnotch WWE presentation and production qualities. There is no host; we're just transported from one moment to the next. It's definitely a fun trip down memory lane as we go from #30 all the way to #1. I won't spoil the order of moments here, as it'll make this DVD less enticing if I were to do so. But suffice it to say that all of the moments that you would expect to be covered pretty much are, along with a couple of forgotten incidents from down the years. I will say that you won't be surprised by what the #1 moment is. (There is also a 31st moment hidden as an Easter Egg within the menu on disc one, and in this case, the use of "egg" is very appropriate if you know what I mean.)

Moving onto the matches: the ten-man main event from 1988 underlines the "Teams Of Five Strive To Survive!" tagline that the WWF was pushing at the time, though it annoyingly (but unsurprisingly) omits Jesse Ventura's commentary, making for a less enjoyable start to disc two. The highlight is how the Randy Savage-Hulk Hogan story is subtly moved along, particularly by Randy angrily pointing at Hulk afterwards for hoisting Miss Elizabeth up, which was deliberately ignored by the announcers to maintain the babyface status of both men. (That Hogan entered the ring as the team's main man, despite Savage being WWF Champion, may or may not have been a factor in the storyline too.)

Hogan pops up again next to face The Undertaker from 1991. At this point, Hogan is finally losing steam, and many fans cheer when Undertaker wins the WWF Title (though the highlight is the brilliant banter on commentary between Gorilla Monsoon and the late, great Bobby Heenan). The 1994 clash between The Bad Guys and The Teamsters exists primarily to set up the closing scene whereby Diesel and Shawn Michaels see their on-screen alliance crumble, but it's an okay match by 1994 standards. (Again, Gorilla Monsoon arguably steals the scene here, with his ridiculously high-pitched reaction to seeing pyrotechnics go off.)

Diesel vs. Bret Hart from 1995 is a fun No Holds Barred match, one which sees the debut of the Spanish announcer's table spot, and whilst far from being a nasty scrap, is as violent as a WWF match could get at that point. Shawn Michaels vs. Sid is good, with Michaels getting the John Cena/Roman Reigns treatment from the MSG crowd, a rarity in 1996. Disc two ends with Mankind vs. The Rock, culminating the 1998 Deadly Game WWF Championship tournament with a huge swerve, and the three-way top-liner from 1999 as Triple H and Rock face Big Show, replacing Steve Austin who had been ran down backstage earlier in the show.

Disc three takes us to 2001 with two matches. The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz inside a Cage is good, but has been released a few times in recent years, whilst the six-way Women's Championship match is short and shows how much better the women's scene in WWE is today. From 2002, we get the short yet exciting Brock Lesnar-Big Show WWE Title match (hey, perhaps short brawls have always been Brock's specialty), with a finish that is never discussed in WWE today for fear of undermining the on-screen Lesnar-Paul Heyman alliance. We have to wait until 2009 for the next match, a ten-man clash which sees Kofi Kingston temporarily confirm himself as WWE's hottest young rising star (though with the success of The New Day, who's to say that Kofi may not get his main event solo shot again someday?). The subsequent 2-on-1 Divas Title match from 2010, pitting LayCool against Natalya, is brief and is hindered by Michael Cole's attempts to be a humorous heel on commentary, which only see him come across as a patronising bully. He should have studied the aforementioned Heenan for tips on how to pull this off successfully.

It's onto 2011 next as we get another fairly short women's match between Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres, and The Rock's in-ring return alongside John Cena against Awesome Truth, which sees its spectacle make up for the lack of gripping action. There are yet more commentary capers here as Booker T hilariously calls The Rock "selfish" despite the babyface status of both, and in the next match from 2013 when Michael Cole is ripped apart by JBL for suggesting that The Shield had been around for years at this point, during a match which marked their one-year anniversary on the main roster. Still, the ten-man match is fun, and is most notable for Roman Reigns' sheer dominance, at a time when fans were receptive to such a notion (though, typically, Reigns was still a heel back then).

The DVD ends with the main events of the past two SS cards, which are very different. The 2015 top-liner sees Reigns and Dean Ambrose battle in another WWE Title tournament final, but they are not given enough time to deliver a great main event. The post-match scenes generate buzz via Sheamus cashing in Money In The Bank following a Triple H cameo, but it's too similar to the previous Randy Orton cash-in on Daniel Bryan, which saw the formation of The Authority, at SummerSlam 2013. Closing the DVD, though, is the 2016 headline bout which lasted just 86 seconds; however, Goldberg smashing Brock Lesnar in such a quick and decisive fashion was so shocking, so unpredictable, and yet so logical (Goldberg had been renowned for short, violent beatings of opponents back in his prime), that it was the most memorable finish since Lesnar ended The Undertaker's Streak at WrestleMania XXX, and ultimately set up a very entertaining feud between the two which culminated in a "proper" match at Mania 33.

This DVD set doesn't feature the best matches from Survivor Series history (neither of the 10-on-10 matches from 1987 or 1988, Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels from 1992, Bret vs. Austin from 1996, the WWF vs. Alliance main event from 2001, the first Elimination Chamber scrap from 2002, Team Austin vs. Team Bischoff from 2003, The Undertaker vs. Batista from 2007, Team Cena vs. Team Authority from 2014 and the men's Raw vs. SmackDown elimination match from last year are all absent in long form), nor does it feature most of the event's key historic matches in their entirety (Bret vs. Shawn from 1997, the debuts of The Undertaker and The Rock in full, Sting debuting etc). But that doesn't really negate what we do have here, which is a straight-forward and fun look back at Survivor Series clashes from down the years. And there are some great matches and significant moments on offer, from Diesel vs. Bret to Mankind vs. Rock to Goldberg destroying Lesnar.

Summing this up, this has a lot to common with The True Story Of Royal Rumble, released late last year. The key difference is that unlike TTSORR, which was a disappointment because it offered little insight into the Rumble event, this is simply about looking back on 30 years of Survivor Series memories, and it's a really enjoyable trek through the late 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and early-to-mid 2010s. A proper documentary would have been fascinating (the fact that Survivor Series was created to counter-act Starrcade, its Thanksgiving Night tradition for many years, a revisiting of Montreal, the Austin controversy from 1999, its regular use as a trigger for major WrestleMania storylines, the near-cancellation of the event in 2010 and more), but perhaps we'll get that in the future. (Incidentally, since SummerSlam is now the only Big-Four PPV not to get the full DVD treatment in some form, I expect we'll get such a DVD in 2018 or 2019.)

Overall, then, 30 Years Of Survivor Series acts as a perfect way to preview the final major PPV event of the year. With a fun main feature, an entertaining if unspectacular round-up of matches, and footage of almost every great or historic Survivor Series moment at some point throughout the compilation, it's a fine way to prepare for this year's SS offering in Houston. WrestleMania rightly gets all the attention, and Royal Rumble and SummerSlam are generally given a greater level of praise, but this DVD reminds you not to forget about Survivor Series, an event which has hosted and been plagued by controversies but has more often delivered much excitement and unpredictability to ensure that it should remain a WWE tradition for many more years to come.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

DVD Preview: 30 Years Of Survivor Series

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

On Thanksgiving Day thirty years ago, WWE's second pay-per-view event was born with a new twist. In the early days, teams of five strived to survive. Over the course of the next three decades, Survivor Series evolved into one of the greatest spectacles on the WWE calendar, where championship matches, iconic face-offs and unforgettable moments take place. Join us as we countdown the 30 greatest moments from 30 remarkable years of Survivor Series.

Match Highlights:

Survivor Series 1988 – November 24 1988
Ten-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Hercules, Koko B. Ware & Hillbilly Jim vs. Ted DiBiase, Akeem, Big Boss Man, King Haku & The Red Rooster

Survivor Series 1991 – November 27 1991
WWF Championship Match
Hulk Hogan (Champion) vs. The Undertaker

Survivor Series 1995 – November 19 1995
WWF Championship No Disqualification Match
Diesel (Champion) vs. Bret Hart

Survivor Series 2001 – November 18 2001
WWF & WCW World Tag Team Championship Unification Steel Cage Match
The Dudley Boyz (Champions) vs. The Hardy Boyz (Champions)

Survivor Series 2002 – November 17 2002
WWE Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs. Big Show

Survivor Series 2011 – November 20 2011
The Rock & John Cena vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth)

Survivor Series 2013 – November 24 2013
Ten-Man Tag Team Elimination Match
The Shield (Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose) & The Real Americans (Jack Swagger & Cesaro) vs. Cody Rhodes, Goldust, Rey Mysterio & The Usos

Plus more action and extras!

We like it because:

After WrestleMania only, Survivor Series is WWE’s second longest-running pay-per-view spectacular – and as this incredible 3-disc set proves, it’s an event rich with history!

And 30 Years Of Survivor Series counts down every historic moment: Andre the Giant’s earth-shattering win over Hulk Hogan at the inaugural event. Both The Undertaker and The Rock’s first WWE Championship wins. The controversial Montreal Screwjob. John Cena’s amazing recovering from neck surgery to become World Heavyweight Champion. The surprise debut of Sting. And Goldberg’s shock victory over Brock Lesnar!

From the days of Hulkamania and the Attitude Era to Ruthless Aggression and the New Era, this set examines one of sports-entertainment’s greatest legacies. It’s also action-packed, with over 15 full matches included, featuring the biggest and most dominant Superstars to ever compete at Survivor Series!

Essential viewing for all WWE fans!

30 Years Of Survivor Series will officially be released on DVD on Monday October 23 2017.

For more information, click here.

DVD Review: 1997: Dawn Of The Attitude

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 450 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 2 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

When analysing the history of WWE, previously the WWF (and the WWWF before that), a pivotal year is 1997. During that time, business was way down, and the company lagged behind WCW in almost every key area. However, a revolution was happening on-screen, and years of promoting wrestling to please the kids and bringing the families was being slowly replaced by a rebellious product which focused on entertainment via strong language, sexuality, bloody violence and more mature themes to the storylines. This would eventually lead to a massive boom period for the WWF and for wrestling in general, with 1998-2001 being the company's most successful years in history. Seriously, the word "ass" and the ever-so-frequent use of it made the WWF millions.

But most of this was still to come when 1997 began. At that time, traits of Attitude were being gradually introduced (Steve Austin swearing and flipping people off, slightly more violent matches involving the likes of Mankind, the sexual nature of Goldust's "psychological" tactics, and the infamous "gun" angle involving Austin breaking into Brian Pillman's home, during which Pillman said "fuck" live on the air, which almost got the WWF kicked off the USA Network), but it was still marketed as a family-friendly show. Throughout the year things would change, and as 1997 came to a close, the "new" WWF had arrived. A few weeks into 1998, Mike Tyson came on board to help promote WrestleMania, and subsequent angles along with other plotlines would bring about the success that Attitude is most remembered for.

This DVD is intended to provide an overview of that year. A round-table hosted by Renee Young (who is very good in her role as host here), the discussion involves Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, The Godfather, Ron Simmons and Kane as they reminisce and reflect on key events from the year within the WWF and, in some cases, their own careers. After some brief introductions, Young breaks down pivot points such as the rise of Steve Austin, the evolution of the Three Faces Of Foley, the Nation Of Domination, DX, Montreal and the edgier content in general. There are also smaller sections devoted to the likes of the divas (watching some of these clips is bizarre when compared to how WWE treat the females today) and presentation aspects such as the new Raw stage (the Titan Tron, which debuted on March 10 1997).

The tone is relaxed with plenty of wisecracks and a fair few amusing stories. If you're hoping for a ton of revelations, however, then this won't suffice. Obviously, the fact that this is a WWE production means that the tone does not stray too far from the party line (indeed, WCW is only mentioned in passing, despite their dominance in the Monday night ratings providing the greatest catalyst for change within the product, and ECW isn't mentioned at all, despite being a major influence on WWF Attitude). In fact, although the likes of Shawn occasionally touch upon the way things were, no official reason is ever really given as to why the WWF completely transformed its product. If you'd never heard the background details and relied solely on this DVD, then you'd assume that Vince McMahon decided to change the presentation of WWF programming for the hell of it.

This is still very enjoyable, though. The hour-long running time of the main feature flies back, and it comes across as a feel-good trip down memory lane. As noted, there are plenty of laughs to be had, and some intriguing anecdotes relating to how certain performers reacted to key moments. For instance, with the exception of the main players - Bret Hart, Shawn and Vince - we never really hear what the WWF wrestlers at the time thought about the Montreal Screwjob, so it's cool to get some different perspectives here. It's also cool to hear some insight on Shotgun Saturday Night which, when originally launched, was completely different from the likes of Superstars and Wrestling Challenge, and provided the first true look at what the WWF would be like with risqué elements incorporated into the branding of the show. So, this is still an enjoyable look back at a crucial year in WWF history, but just don't expect it to be as thorough a breakdown of behind-the-scenes events as Jim Cornette's Timeline storytelling with Kayfabe Commentaries was (and this, by the way, was an absolutely hilarious production and features the often foul-mouthed Cornette at his very best, so it's well worth checking out).

The rest of the DVD comprises matches from 1997 and a few angles. It doesn't appear as if WWE has gone down the route of choosing "unreleased" matches here; the second bout on this collection is the only one to have never been previously released. This means that there are a few glaring omissions, as I will explain. Nevertheless, the match selection provides a fine demonstration of how much the WWF changed in 1997, which is the main purpose of the DVD, and there are some spellbinding battles and exciting moments throughout discs two and three.

The first match is a bout that few would associate with Attitude: it's Sid vs. Shawn Michaels from Royal Rumble 1997 and, though it's no classic, it's enjoyable enough. It's also bizarre that more people attended this Rumble than they did for any WCW show, despite WCW destroying the WWF at this point in terms of business. Then, it's onto a hidden gem between Bret Hart and Mankind from Shotgun Saturday Night (one of the most intriguing shows ever when you consider the context of when it originally aired and in what form), along with a fantastic Raw clash between Owen Hart and British Bulldog to crown the first European Champion.

Next is a Steel Cage clash between Sid and Bret for the WWF Title just six days before WrestleMania 13, which is most notable for Bret's post-match tirade (during which the word "bullshit" made the airwaves, uncensored, more than once, at a time when kids were still the WWF's target audience). A humorous Owen acceptance speech for a Slammy Award that he didn't even win is followed by one of the greatest WWF/WWE matches ever, an incredible Submission match between Bret and Steve Austin. This is the match that featured the famous double-turn for Hart and Austin, and it's the match that some could argue reversed the company's long-term fortunes.

The two clash again in a Street Fight on Raw, which is more angle than match. By this time, the tone of the WWF product was changing, which is underlined by the next two parts involving Mankind. One is a gripping and emotional interview with Jim Ross (which introduced the world to Dude Love), and the other is a hard-hitting King Of The Ring final match against Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who had yet to evolve into the de-generate known as Triple H. Disc two ends with Bret Hart addressing his Canadian compatriots on Raw at the height of the anti-American angle which was a company first for specific crowds reacting to certain performers in a particular way (I bet WWE wishes they didn't have to put up with this so often nowadays).

The first two matches of disc three are familiar to collectors: Dude Love's debut alongside Austin against Owen and Bulldog, and a six-man Flag match (Bret, Owen & Bulldog vs. Austin, Dude & The Undertaker) which has been released far too many times. If WWE had to reuse a match from this rivalry, the Canadian Stampede top-liner would have been ideal. Following this is Shawn vs. Undertaker from Ground Zero, a forgotten brawl which has only been released a couple of times on DVD. That being said, at the risk of contradicting myself, their subsequent Hell In A Cell match was a ground-breaking classic, and it really should have been here for historical purposes.

It's disappointing that the DVD doesn't include either of the superb Bret vs. Undertaker matches from that year, but we do get the infamous Bulldog vs. Shawn showdown from One Night Only, as well as Austin's first Stunner on Vince McMahon, and the promo DX cut the night after the first HIAC match, which included footage of the Curtain Call and a subtle (okay, not so subtle) acknowledgement of backstage politics within the company.

By Survivor Series, the transformation was almost complete, evidenced here by Kane's debut match in a stunning scrap against Mankind. But it's the notorious Bret-Shawn main event featuring that double-cross (and Vince's "Bret Screwed Bret" promo, which isn't shown here) which would really trigger the Austin-McMahon rivalry (although I still maintain that this was unintentional), which would carry the company throughout 1998 and 1999 and contribute greatly to the boom period of the Attitude Era.

Austin vs. Rock from In Your House: DX is the last proper match, and though it's short, it's a great example of just how over Austin was, as he prepared to truly break through the glass ceiling and take his place as the WWF's main man. The DVD ends with two angles which can also be found on the Raw 15th Anniversary DVD: Sable wearing a potato sack and removing it to reveal, well, not very much (no, the kids weren't the target audience anymore!), and a Shawn-HHH "match" which is entertaining, though it ultimately buries the European Title that they are supposed to be battling for. Mind you, at least it wasn't the WWF Championship; 13 months later, WCW would learn what happens when you make a mockery of a World Title in the Fingerpoke Of Doom match between Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hulk Hogan.

Overall, Dawn Of The Attitude is plenty of fun, and does a decent job at highlighting the intriguing transition period between the kid-friendly New Generation and the adult-orientated Attitude Era. If you're looking for hard-hitting revelations or a true study into the WWF business practices of 1997, then you will be disappointed, but plenty of fun stories with a relaxed tone to the group discussion, combined with memorable matches and moments to prop the analysis of 1997 up, leads to an enjoyable DVD set that is worth watching.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

DVD Review: WWE Unreleased 1986-1995

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 501 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 4 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Following on from last year's similar WWE The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased, which featured previously unseen matches from 1996-2000 (not necessarily all from the Attitude Era, but you can read more about that in my review here), we now have a new release covering hidden gems from 1986-1995.

Hosted by Charly Caruso and legendary personality Sean Mooney, Unreleased is a straight-up collection of bouts which only the live crowd will have seen. No matches here had previously been televised; all of these were only seen by those in attendance. It's possible that some of these bouts were intended to be broadcast, but if so, they obviously weren't.

Anyway, there are so many matches included that I won't break them down, one-by-one. Instead, I'll provide overall thoughts by grouping the various bouts together based on participants, formats or their significance, whether it be for curiosity or other purposes.

Beginning with Hulk Hogan, he pops up a fair few times here. He teams with The Machines against Bobby Heenan, Big John  Studd and King Kong Bundy (he is Hulk Machine for this one), and as the compilation progresses, he teams with Roddy Piper, Randy Savage and Brutus Beefcake, as well as fighting Earthquake and Ric Flair in singles action. He also inexplicably appears to rescue The Rockers from a post-match attack by The Powers Of Pain, bizarre because he had no on-screen link with either team at that point. Hulkamaniacs will enjoy seeing some unseen bouts from Hulk's career, though they largely follow the same Hogan formula as most of his matches did.

Savage appears frequently too, facing Pedro Morales, Andre The Giant (which is very poor, largely because it is so short), Ultimate Warrior (twice), Jake Roberts (as "Mr. Madness", basically Randy with a gimmick name to avoid disrupting his "retirement" stipulation) and Crush. As for Warrior, his first appearance here is actually as The Dingo Warrior, and once he becomes Ultimate, we also see him battle The Undertaker in one of the WWF's earliest Casket matches, as well as teaming with The Texas Tornado and even Bret Hart (in the latter bout, Hart does virtually all of the work before Warrior comes in to seal the win).

We also see WrestleMania previews and Mania rematches/fall-outs, like Andre vs. Studd, a Blindfold test run between Rick Martel and Jake Roberts, Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales, Bret vs. Yokozuna (during which Yoko randomly calls Bret "a son of a bitch", though few notice it) and The Colossal Connection vs. Demolition. There are plenty of tag bouts including established teams like The Rockers, The Hart Foundation, Demolition, The Legion Of Doom (their match with Demo' literally lasts seconds) and Money Inc. There are matches with special stipulations (Jeff Jarrett has Ladder bouts with British Bulldog and Razor Ramon, and Diesel meets Yokozuna inside a Steel Cage), alternatives to famous bouts (Bret vs. Bulldog, Hulk vs. Flair), feuds which weren't really resolved on television (Flair vs. Piper, Lex Luger vs. Ludvig Borga, Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Perfect), and interesting teams formed for one night only (the most intriguing being Bret and Shawn teaming together in a 1995 bout).

Perhaps the most unusual part of this DVD concerns the inclusion of tryout matches. As well as an early Dingo Warrior bout, we see future stars competing under their original gimmick names, such as War Eagle (Tatanka), Earthquake Evans (erm, Earthquake), Brian Adams (the real name of Crush) and The Tazmaniac (Tazz, though he wouldn't be hired for many years). We also see two tag team tryouts with the winning teams having totally different careers: Kip Winchester and Brett Colt would become successful as The Smoking Gunns, whilst The Toxic Turtles ... didn't. It is clear from the mild camera set-ups, the use of on-screen timers and the general "warm-up" nature of these bouts that they were not necessarily intended for the live crowds, but they would have been of great interest to the decision-makers backstage: back then, especially, matches like this were crucial if potential stars were to earn a WWF contract, so it's cool to see a few featured here.

There are other bouts too starring Owen Hart, Sid Justice, Ted DiBiase, Bam Bam Bigelow, Jim Neidhart and more; there really are too many matches to properly analyse here. I will make special mention of the Piper's Pit angle featured, which happened days after Mania VIII. The focus is that The Brooklyn Brawler taunts Piper about his loss at that show, but the most memorable part is Piper saying "Half the WWF wrestlers are in a scandal". Acknowledging the ongoing steroid scandal in this manner, in front of a live crowd (even if it wasn't televised), is shocking, and is a reminder about how much things have changed since 1992; a WWE talent today would be fired on the spot if he/she acknowledged a massive company scandal on a live microphone without approval from the office. Elsewhere, the production is mostly good, considering what matches are featured here, though some have dodgy camera work and audio, and the links with Charly and Sean are decent, with a few funny inside references along the way (such as Mooney tossing aside a cardboard box with Tom Magee's name on it to a cartoon sound effect; Magee was a "star of the future" who was ultimately so awful that he was barely ever shown on television).

I have to mention that for all of the matches featured here - 45 in all - only a small number are actually any good. Some are pure squashes, some barely last two-three minutes, and many have disqualification/countout finishes which I normally wouldn't mind, but seeing so many in one go becomes frustrating as a viewer. That being said, these are/were dark matches, so they weren't necessarily designed to be classic matches, and the years covered here (1986-1995) aren't really renowned for athleticism and outstanding chain wrestling; even the 1992-1995 era, where Bret was on top, doesn't include a lot of actual great wrestling. Nevertheless, I would go as far to say that Bret vs. Bulldog is the only really good match on the entire DVD; there are a fair few adequate matches spread out across the three discs, but Bret vs. Bulldog is the only one which could be transferred to a PPV event and have fans raving.

But this era was all about showmanship and entertainment. And it must be noted that, besides the tryouts, fans are almost always reacting extremely enthusiastically to what they are seeing. The mere fact that they're getting to see Hogan, Warrior, Undertaker etc was good enough for them, and it's clear from the crowd reactions that they're having a great time. Those pops dwindle towards the end as the arenas get smaller and the popularity of the WWF was declining, but those who were on hand are still appreciative of what they are seeing. It's a far cry from the die-hard fans of today's WWE, where in some cases even first-class wrestling is less appealing to audiences than tossing around a beachball and chanting "We are awesome" (I'm looking at you, Brooklyn).

Obviously, longtime WWF fans who were watching the product during this time will be well aware of this and, therefore, they should gain a great deal of entertainment from this DVD. I can't imagine this being a collection which people would watch more than once, but it's fascinating as a longtime fan myself to see all of these hidden gems, from the one-off battles to the eye-catching tag team pairings to the previously-unseen tryouts. It's a great compilation for collectors, who will have plenty of bouts to add to the likes of classic old-school WrestleManias and memorable moments from Saturday Night's Main Event. Modern fans and those who watch wrestling for the wrestling will not be impressed; but if you're a longtime fan, a true collector, or you just want a healthy dose of nostalgia, then this is definitely worth owning.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

DVD Preview: WWE Unreleased 1986-1995

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

This is a three-disc collection of never-before-seen matches from WWE’s golden era and New Generation! Features action from legendary Superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Bret “Hitman” Hart, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

April 21 1988
WWE Championship Match
Randy Savage vs. Andre The Giant

April 3 1990
Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake

October 30 1990
Demolition vs. Legion Of Doom

August 19 1991
Casket Match
Ultimate Warrior vs. The Undertaker

June 30 1992
British Bulldog vs. Bret Hart

April 6 1993
Intercontinental Championship Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Perfect

July 26 1995
WWE Championship Steel Cage Match
Diesel vs. Yokozuna

We like it because:

This is a fascinating piece of sports-entertainment history, as WWE unlocks the vault to unearth some never-before-seen gems!

Longtime fans will be amazed by some of the matchups included, many of which were the stuff of legend in the early days of WWE – with showdowns and Superstar team-ups that never made it to TV!

Perhaps most fascinating are matches between Superstars that pre-date their more famous encounters. See Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Rick Martel compete in a blindfold match, months before they did at WrestleMania, while Bret Hart and the British Bulldog duke it out ahead of their classic SummerSlam bout.

There are rare appearances too: a rare sighting of Ultimate Warrior in his original “Dingo warrior” persona, Owen Hart competing in a match from 1988, and even ECW’s Tazmaniac stepping into a WWE ring. Also, tag teams you never thought you’d see: Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper, Ultimate Warrior and Texas Tornado, and even longtime enemies Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels!

And that’s not to mention all the long-forgotten Superstars, such as War Eagle, Mr Madness, and The Toxic Turtles!

A must-have collection for any true WWE fan!

WWE Unreleased 1986-1995 will officially be released on DVD on Monday September 4 2017.

For more information, click here.

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased now available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased is now available in the UK on both DVD and Blu-ray.

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Germany – April 1996
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart

In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies – April 28 1996
Non-Televised Match
Undertaker vs. Mankind

Raw – December 29 1997
Non-Televised Match
Nation of Domination vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie

Anaheim, CA – March 13 1998
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock

Madison Square Garden – June 26 1999
Triple H vs. Big Show

Wall Street – October 25 2000
Dudley Boyz vs. T&A

Plus more action, extras and Blu-ray exclusives!

We like it because:

Arguably WWE’s most popular ever period, the Attitude Era shocked fans each and every week, and now with Attitude Era Vol. 3 Unreleased, it’s still full of surprises.

Comprised of footage from live events, dark matches, and previously unseen PPV bouts, it contains the kind of brilliant archaic action that the era was known for – not to mention some truly fascinating moments from WWE history.

Included on the set is the first ever encounter between Undertaker and Mankind, rare footage from WWE’s spiritual home in Madison Square Garden, and a never-before-televised collision between the pioneers of Attitude, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin!

It’s an absolute must-have collection for every WWE fan – and it really is the bottom line!

For more information, click here.

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Germany – April 1996
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart

In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies – April 28 1996
Non-Televised Match
Undertaker vs. Mankind

Raw – December 29 1997
Non-Televised Match
Nation of Domination vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie

Anaheim, CA – March 13 1998
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock

Madison Square Garden – June 26 1999
Triple H vs. Big Show

Wall Street – October 25 2000
Dudley Boyz vs. T&A

Plus more action, extras and Blu-ray exclusives!

We like it because:

Arguably WWE’s most popular ever period, the Attitude Era shocked fans each and every week, and now with Attitude Era Vol. 3 Unreleased, it’s still full of surprises.

Comprised of footage from live events, dark matches, and previously unseen PPV bouts, it contains the kind of brilliant archaic action that the era was known for – not to mention some truly fascinating moments from WWE history.

Included on the set is the first ever encounter between Undertaker and Mankind, rare footage from WWE’s spiritual home in Madison Square Garden, and a never-before-televised collision between the pioneers of Attitude, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin!

It’s an absolute must-have collection for every WWE fan – and it really is the bottom line!

For more information, click here.

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

The Best Of The Intercontinental Championship

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 61 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: January 25 2005

This retro DVD review really is a throwback in more ways than one. The DVD in question was released in 2005, but is actually a re-release of a video (yes, a video) which first saw the light of day in the mid-1990s. Adding to the old-school feel, it is roughly an hour long and features five matches, most of which lack entrances and some of which have overdubbed commentary.

We open with Gorilla Monsoon introducing us to the programme and quickly explaining what is to come. I liked Gorilla but I couldn't help but laugh when he described an upcoming Bret Hart-Skinner match as a "blockbuster" (due to the latter, not the former). Anyway, we then get into match 1. Oh, and all matches bar one are from 1993 (the exception is from 1992).

Shawn Michaels defends against Crush in Sheffield, England (I think this was at UK Rampage 1993 but I could be wrong). It is a decent enough bout for the era but just as it's picking up steam, a ringside brawl leads to Crush winning by countout. Any wrestling fan knows that this means the title doesn't change hands, but that doesn't stop former two-time WWF titleholder Randy Savage blurting out "New Champion!"

Match two is the oldest of the compilation, the aforementioned Bret-Skinner showdown. This appears to have taken place at the 1992 SummerSlam Spectacular (not the PPV, but the pre-PPV TV special; I wish they'd do them nowadays. There's an idea for the WWE Network), and ends fairly quickly as Bret makes a comeback from a Skinner onslaught to win by submission. The dubbed commentary feels weird since Jim Ross wasn't in the WWF at the time and the Macho Man was actually wrestling on that very show as WWF Champ! Also notable here is the amazingly quiet crowd, presumably because they knew Bret had zero chance of losing with a then-impending title bout with The British Bulldog to come days later at that very SummerSlam.

We then get some more comments from Monsoon (he loved that Bret-Skinner bout) before we get to the highlight of the DVD, but before we do, I point out my biggest confusion with the release. So far, we've had clearly dubbed commentary from JR, Macho and the always-hilarious Bobby Heenan, so I assumed that we'd get that for the rest of the feature. Nope: instead, match three has also-dubbed commentary from Ross and Gorilla (a commentary dream team, actually), made worse because during the scrap, we see the real announcers for the showdown, consisting of Vince McMahon and ... Randy Savage and Bobby Heenan! Making things more bizarre, we get the real commentary for the last two matches on the programme. The mind boggles.

On the bright side, the middle match in question is Shawn vs. Marty Jannetty, a genuinely great Raw match from July 1993 which I think actually won some Match Of The Year awards. I like this inclusion because Marty won the IC gold from Michaels in a famous Raw bout two months later that has been on a few DVDs. However, the Raw follow-up (Michaels regained the strap on a house show in the interim) is never released, so it's good to see it here. And it's a great match by the standards of any era. As I say, the definite highlight of the show.

Next up is Shawn vs. Mr. Perfect from SummerSlam 1993. I seemed to remember this being something of a disappointment. It actually was better than I'd remembered, but it was still a bit of a let-down considering that it involves two of the best wrestlers of all-time. With another five minutes and without a(nother) countout finish, this could have been remembered more fondly, but as it was, the match is often overlooked, especially after the two classic IC Title bouts at the previous two SummerSlams.

The last match is a Raw clash from a few months earlier between HBK and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. This is another match which tends to end a bit out of the blue, and unfortunately it has the third countout finish of the programme. This is back in the days when a babyface wrestler would celebrate such a result in a championship showdown, knowing full well that he wasn't going to win the title. Mind you, the production of the feature suggests that he did actually become champ, at least to the uneducated viewer (the match fades out before we're told that Shawn actually kept the gold). We close with some final comments from Gorilla Monsoon (which, by the way, are in the old-school WWF TV truck).

A few more points about the programme: the chronology is all over the place, and covers a weird time period in that we get spring/summer 1993, with one random 1992 match thrown in, and the bouts aren't in date order. Plus, all but one feature Shawn Michaels, so this feels more like a HBK title than one for the IC, erm, title. Three countout finishes out of five matches is also an annoyance on a best-of.

Which brings me to my last point: does this really represent the BEST of the Intercontinental Championship? I don't think it even represents that prize's best matches from 1993 (two other Shawn-Marty bouts from that year should have been here instead; hell, we had Michaels in nearly every match anyway). Standards were different back then, so for example we wouldn't have had Bret-British Bulldog from SSlam 92, since Davey Boy Smith was in between WWF tenures when this compilation was made, but couldn't we at least have had Bret-Perfect from SummerSlam 1991 since both are featured here?

Still, taken for what it is, this is a decent old-school collection. One match is really good and only one is a bit dull, and the commentary, whilst clearly overdubbed at times, is still amusing at various points (Bobby Heenan has several funny one-liners, and Savage's attempt at Hacksaw Jim Duggan's "Hooooo!" is unintentionally hilarious). For longtime fans like me who were watching the WWF in the 1990s, you should enjoy this budget release, if for no other reason than to see how advanced wrestling compilations have become since then. Besides that, you're most likely to find this worthwhile if you're an avid collector or if you simply want a low-priced wrestling DVD. Or if, as with Gorilla Monsoon, you're a big fan of Skinner.

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

Bret Hitman Hart - The Best There Is

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 549 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: December 12 2005

After the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997 resulted in Bret Hart exiting the WWF earlier than expected and under very bad terms, a potential reunion seemed unimaginable. For all the old WWF/WWE names who would return in the years to come (including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper), it seemed that the Hitman would never go back under any circumstances. But relations improved between Hart and Vince McMahon in the early-to-mid-2000s, so much so that Bret would agree to participate in this career retrospective DVD, the first step towards a landmark return.

(Actually, Bret had stated in more than one interview that he was initially approached to contribute to a release focusing solely on Montreal, which likely would have dumped all over Bret's reputation. Why such an idea seemed a good one is anybody's guess, but fortunately the Hitman managed to persuade Vince to allow common sense to prevail, and so this DVD became a proper career retrospective instead.)

The main appeal of the DVD when it was released was the documentary on Bret's career, from his childhood as one of twelve kids in a family parented by wrestling promoting, to his start and subsequent run in the family-run Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, to him joining the WWF and his 13-year tenure (which covers the Hart Foundation, his title wins, the feud with his brother Owen, the USA-Canada rivalry and his acrimonious departure), to the struggles in WCW and the personal tragedies and setbacks which hit hard in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The DVD ends on a high note by showing how Bret had recovered from his 2002 stroke and looking back positively at his legacy.

There is plenty of enjoyment to be found from reliving the Bret Hart story and looking back at his greatest moments. The downside is that there aren't many major revelations, but I think Bret was in a different place then. For instance, Montreal is covered in a neutral fashion, whereas future documentaries would delve more into the circumstances and the personal feelings of those involved. Plus, Bret hadn't yet made peace with the likes of Shawn Michaels, so whilst the DVD covers Bret's career, the Bret Hart story itself was by no means complete. Still, it is an entertaining and intriguing feature which, more than anything, marked the beginning of Bret Hart finally returning to WWE.

Besides some additional interview segments, the rest of the DVD comprises Bret's greatest matches. And what a highlight reel this is: a few very good Hart Foundation matches are followed by many tremendous matches. Forgotten gems with Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Perfect, Owen Hart, Hakushi and others are interspersed by true classics, including bouts against Perfect (SummerSlam 1991), British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992), Owen (WrestleMania X) and Stone Cold Steve Austin (WM 13), amongst others. The only downer is the last match against Chris Benoit from an episode of WCW Monday Nitro from 1999. It was an excellent match to pay tribute to the recently-passed Owen, but its power has been diminished by future events involving Bret's opponent that night.

Despite some flaws, I think this is a must-own wrestling DVD. It is a very good look at Bret's professional life to that point, and whilst it does lack in major revelations, those are more than covered in Bret's 2007 autobiography Hitman, some of which are too personal to be included on an official WWE DVD anyway. The match selection is outstanding, and the release as a whole began the process to Bret being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2006 and returning to WWE proper in 2010. For those (like me) who grew up watching the Hitman, reliving his glory days is a great experience, and as the name of the DVD says, the compilation proves that at his peak, Bret Hart lived up to his moniker of being The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding