Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 429 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 14 2013

Depending on your opinion, Triple H is either one of the biggest stars and best performers in WWE for the last 20 years, or he is a manipulative, selfish backstage politician who married his way to the top. The answer is probably something in between; nevertheless, fans are given the opportunity for a greater insight into the life, times and career of The Game with Thy Kingdom Come, although it should come as no surprise that the negative allegations about the real-life Paul Levesque are either only slightly referred to or ignored completely.

Thy Kingdom Come (which has a cool cover, if I say so myself) takes us through many chapters of Tripper's life, such as his upbringing and initial fandom of pro wrestling; his training under Killer Kowalski, debut and travels on the independent circuit as Terra Ryzing; his short WCW stint; his early WWF days as Greenwich blueblood Hunter Hearst Helmsley; the impact of Chyna on his career (their real-life relationship is not discussed for obvious reasons); his various battles over the years with Mick Foley; The Kliq; the original version of D-Generation X, which undoubtedly reversed his career fortunes; his initial rise to the main event level in the WWF; his relationship with Stephanie McMahon, both on-screen and off; his battles with The Rock and The Undertaker; his various quadriceps injuries; Evolution, and subsequent battles with the likes of Randy Orton (with whom he had far too many matches); the reunion of DX; and his ultimate progression into the office, and the early days of him running NXT and the opening of the WWE Performance Center.

It's a well-paced documentary with logical chronology that covers many of HHH's on-screen highlights. Accompanying vintage clips of his career are talking head comments from a variety of performers, friends, colleagues and family members. The Undertaker's links are a highlight, simply because it's so rare to see Taker talking out of character these days on an official WWE release. The most intriguing part of the doc is the discussion of how his relationship with Stephanie came to be, and how Vince tried to block it more than once. Even after getting Vince's approval, HHH felt uneasy, so it was Undertaker who HHH consulted with and, after receiving his blessing, he arguably put his career at stake in an attempt to not only find true love, but to also ensure a lifetime career in WWE; fortunately for him, he succeeded. It's also interesting to hear the back-stories of some major matches, like his WrestleMania showdowns with Taker, as well as acknowledging some matches which didn't achieve their potential (such as the WM 25 main event with Randy Orton).

Triple H fans will really enjoy this documentary, especially since it's been so long coming (we did get a documentary back in 2002, but his career has obviously taken many more twists and turns since then, and his off-screen relationship with Stephanie was only in its infancy at that time), but HHH's critics may find it harder to watch. Very few of his aforementioned flaws when the cameras are not rolling are acknowledged; granted, we weren't going to get an examination as to whether or not HHH purposely damaged the careers of such stars as Booker T and Rob Van Dam, but the documentary feels incomplete without discussing his reputation on some level, even if it's in an attempt to suggest that it isn't warranted. It'd be like discussing Shawn Michaels' career without mentioning his real-life feud with Bret Hart, or talking about Hulk Hogan and not touching upon the many wrestlers who found him to be a pain at times (and that's putting it mildly).

Taken with a grain of salt, and assuming that you don't expect a ton of revelations, Thy Kingdom Come is an entertaining look back at a man who, for all his faults, is one of the most important men in recent WWE history, and given the path that he and Steph are on away from the ring, he may just become the most important man in wrestling period someday.

There are a selection of bonus matches, although their quality varies greatly. Even though there has never been a true Best Of Triple H compilation, meaning that a lot of his greatest matches have never been released on a HHH-specific DVD, this collection somehow manages to ignore classic outings to focus on matches that are rare gems, which sometimes works but in this case is a bit frustrating.

Jean-Paul Levesque taking on Ricky Steamboat in WCW is a good start, and while Hunter vs. Dude Love from One Night Only 1997 isn't the Foley-related match that I would have picked, it's exciting nonetheless. We then get the superb Iron Man match between HHH and Rock from Judgment Day 2000, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise; the ending is brilliant, even if the timing is slightly off (although Undertaker's music being dubbed over is annoying). After that, it's a disappionting match with Kurt Angle from Unforgiven 2000 which ended their infamous love triangle storyline with Stephanie on a low note, while HHH and Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker and Kane from Backlash 2001 is a forgotten battle, but one that is still entertaining.

HHH vs. RVD is next; in fairness, HHH had very few notable matches in 2003 from a quality standpoint, so this Raw bout is actually one of his better efforts from that difficult year. HHH vs. Shawn Michaels is next under Last Man Standing rules from Royal Rumble 2004 and, whilst not their best battle, it is still a strong outing (and the bloodshed from both is ferocious, especially Shawn). Two short matches against Ric Flair and Booker T don't need to be here (even if the latter marked his return from a second quad tear), but his LMS showdown with Orton from No Mercy 2007 is a worthy inclusion; not only is it a great match, but it's the best bout that these two common foes ever contested against one another. The last two matches have a filler feeling to them: a bout with Jeff Hardy, which I attended, is good but by no means their best, and a meeting with Chris Jericho really does exist to complete the DVD's running time. The Blu-ray also features HHH vs. Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania 29, as well as a load of additional stories.

Summing this up, there has never been a truly great HHH DVD collection, and Thy Kingdom Come doesn't achieve that status either. However, it is a very entertaining look back at his highs and lows on-screen in his unforgettable career, and while the match selection could have been a lot better, there are still some real gems on there. The wait to see The Ultimate Triple H Collection goes on, but fans of The King Of Kings should get a real kick out of this set while they wait. HHH's army of critics need not purchase this one.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

Extreme Rules 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 21 2014

The first PPV in the new era of WWE after WrestleMania XXX is a worthwhile card with several entertaining battles, and one which takes the "Extreme" name to the, erm, extreme (hint: the DVD cover spoils it).

An enjoyable elimination three-way between Cesaro, Jack Swagger and Rob Van Dam kicks things off, before a basic match which sees Alexander Rusev crush R-Truth and Xavier Woods, and a Big E-Bad News Barrett Intercontinental Title match which sees Barrett generate huge support from the NeW Jersey crowd. The Shield vs. Evolution comes next and is the highlight of the show; a really good and well-paced six-man match that builds up to a big finish, and one which shines a major spotlight on Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.

Regrettably, the Steel Cage bout between John Cena and Bray Wyatt is disappointing, partly due to the bizarre finish which I won't spoil for you here. Paige vs. Tamina Snuka is okay as a way to debut Paige on the Pay-Per-View stage, and the show-closing Extreme Rules match between Daniel Bryan and Kane is a fun brawl which, as alluded to earlier, has a surprisingly risky climax, at least by the standards of the modern, PG-rated WWE. The bonus match is the pre-show WeeLC match between Hornswoggle and El Torito, and credit to both for delivering a match that is far better than expected.

Had Cena-Wyatt been a powerful effort, then Extreme Rules 2014 would have been even more appealing to own on DVD. As it is, though, there's still plenty of action to keep you entertained, and the show serves as proof that there is life in WWE after the end of The Undertaker's WrestleMania Streak.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Payback 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 186 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 18 2014

Payback 2014 compensates for the lack of a World Title match, due to the injuries suffered by WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, with a memorable double main event and some gems further down the card.

The opener, between Sheamus and Cesaro, is a hard-hitting battle, with the highlight perhaps coming pre-match from Paul Heyman as he shuts down the "CM Punk!" chants within the Chicago crowd. RybAxel vs. Cody Rhodes and Goldust at least serves a purpose, although most expected that to be a Cody heel turn as opposed to his eventual transformation into Stardust. Rusev vs. Big E is better than expected with the two big men putting on a very good, if brief, brawl; conversely, Kofi Kingston is demolished by Kane before his impromptu match with Bo Dallas ever gets started.

Bad News Barrett vs. Rob Van Dam is watchable but nothing spectacular; however, the Last Man Standing battle between John Cena and Bray Wyatt is packed with big spots, some involving interfering parties The Usos and other Wyatt Family members Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, making this one of the better matches of the year in WWE. In between those two matches comes a segment involving Stephanie McMahon, Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella, which ultimately ends in McMahon getting slapped by Brie (sorry to spoil it, but it's better than wasting nearly 15 minutes watching it again). Paige vs. Alicia Fox is a step-up from Paige's previous PPV clash with Tamina Snuka, and the show ends with a strong, at times violent, No Holds Barred war between The Shield and Evolution (check out Batista's blue gear, which led to #Bluetista trending on Twitter), which puts the Hound Of Justice over in great fashion. Who could have expected the faction to disintegrate just 24 hours later?

Considering that this event had the potential to be insignificant, it ends up being a pretty good show, and makes for a fun wrestling DVD (which includes the Hair vs. Mask pre-showe bout between Hornswoggle and El Torito, and also includes the new WWE logo on the box art). If nothing else, you can check out The Shield's swansong, as well as a memorable brawl between Cena and Wyatt.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Randy Orton: RKO Outta Nowhere

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 349 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 14 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Originally, the November 2016 WWE DVD release was set to be the third volume in the OMG! Moments series, this time focusing on ECW (which certainly did provide a plethora of such incidents). For reasons unknown, this was changed to a new Randy Orton match compilation (likely in time with his return from a long, injury-related lay-off), featuring matches spanning the 2000-2015 period and containing pre-match comments from Randy himself in a newly-recorded sit-down interview. This switch didn't satisfy everybody (including fans of the old ECW, obviously), but from a quality standpoint, the change was probably for the better, as this second three-disc set on The Viper provides plenty of action and a good glimpse into the mind-set of the modern-day Legend Killer.

The opening match, held in the summer of 2000, is from OVW. Pitting a very young Orton against Johnny Spade, this is more of an angle (involving Mark Henry) than a match and is too brief to be of any consequence (making it a strange choice to kick off the DVD). Longer and therefore better, if understandably basic at this point in Randy's career, are a dark match against Flash Flanagan from 2001 and an OVW clash against The Prototype a.k.a. John Cena from a few months later (during which OVW promoter and announcer Jim Cornette unnecessarily, unpredictably yet completely hilariously calls the interfering Kenny Bolin "that fat b-----d").

Moving onto Orton's progression to the main roster, Orton discusses his early stint on SmackDown in 2002, with a suspect compliment about Hardcore Holly and some genuine praise for The Undertaker, partly in relation to the next match on this DVD, where a then-heel Taker defends the Undisputed Title against Orton in a surprisingly competitive match which the Calgary crowd is well into (it's strange to watch Taker, then in his American Bad Ass phase, talking like a normal human being rather than the Dead Man character). As the DVD turns to Orton's jump to Raw and his involvement in the memorable Evolution faction, Randy points out how much Ric Flair and Triple H helped him, prior to a six-man tag (which has been released before, making this feel like a bit of a lazy inclusion, to be fair) where Evolution battle The Dudleyz.

Randy's previous DVD, Evolution Of A Predator, showcased Orton's key matches, especially from this period, so his ascension to the point where he became WWE's hottest prospect for future main event stardom is displayed here by a good match against Chris Jericho in Y2J's hometown of Winnipeg and an even better showdown with Edge two weeks later, both from July 2004 and both for the Intercontinental Championship. Orton's ill-fated first World Heavyweight Title reign isn't covered (partly because of the identity of the man who he took the title from), so we skip ahead to a dark match pitting Orton against HHH from December 2004 to close disc one (which is decent considering that it was held after a Raw taping, and which features a ridiculous yet undeniably humorous moment where HHH stands prone, seemingly KO'd, for almost a full minute before taking a step forward and falling face-first, Flair Flop-style).

The content of disc two is a bit weird; granted, EOAP contained some of Orton's pivotal bouts from the mid-2000s, but nevertheless the next match on the DVD doesn't come until November 2006, where Rated RKO battle The Hardyz in an entertaining tag match on an episode of Raw (presumably due to the modern-day PG climate, Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler's references to a very bloody beatdown by Rated RKO on Ric Flair are removed, even though the entire Raw show can be seen on the WWE Network), and the next match comes nearly a full year after that, in the form of an underrated battle with Shawn Michaels from Survivor Series 2007 (the stipulation was that Michaels was not allowed to use Sweet Chin Music or he would lose and be barred from having any future title shots, giving this match a different feel to the usual HBK bout; Orton would also have lost the WWE Title if he had been disqualified). By this point, Orton had finally entered into a lengthy heavyweight title run as WWE Champion, with a good if slightly anticlimactic defence against Jeff Hardy from Royal Rumble 2008 being the next featured match on this DVD.

For some reason, the following match is over three years later, from May 2011 when Orton took on CM Punk in a Last Man Standing match from Extreme Rules. Perhaps that speaks volumes about the lack of interest in the stupidly-prolonged Orton vs. Cena feud from 2009, as well as Randy's adventures from 2010. Mind you, 2011 proved to be the best year of Orton's career to date from an in-ring standpoint, and this compilation provides some suitable evidence: the LMS brawl was the highlight of the Punk feud, and the match which closes disc two - Orton vs. Dolph Ziggler from August 2011 - is a great television bout with a simple yet awesome finish, and which opened many people's eyes as to how good Dolph was by hanging with Orton in such a competitive fashion.

Disc three kicks off with a Randy vs. Christian Steel Cage match from SmackDown, the night after the Ziggler match actually. It's a shame that no other Orton vs. Christian bouts are included in the main programme since their feud was exceptional, although their No Holds Barred match from SummerSlam is included on the Blu-ray. After that, Orton's career largely drifted until he won Money In The Bank in 2013, so it's fitting that the next match included is that very MITB Ladder match, which has a number of additional layers to it besides Orton's triumph. The brilliantly-executed cash-in of said briefcase at the expense of Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam, which allowed for the formation of The Authority with assistance from Triple H, is unfortunately not shown here, but at least we get Orton's TLC bout with Cena that unified the two World Championships, which in hindsight saw Orton reach a level of significance that he has yet to return to since.

The DVD ends with three matches which you could argue have a slight filler feeling to them; however, between WrestleMania XXX (when Orton lost the WWE World Title to Daniel Bryan in a three-way match that you may be familiar with) and SummerSlam 2016 (when Orton battled Brock Lesnar in the main event, held after the production of this set was completed), there are no truly stand-out matches from Randy's life and times. Therefore, while a random Raw bout with Dean Ambrose is definitely not a career highlight, the inclusion of his WrestleMania 31 bout with Seth Rollins (which ends with that mid-air RKO to reverse an attempted Curb Stomp, and held prior to Seth's own MITB cash-in later that night) and a very good Raw three-way with Cesaro and Kevin Owens are both justifiable, and from an action standpoint, they end the release on a bit of a high.

Orton is candid and likeable during his talking segments between matches; whereas the EOAP DVD focused on his "demons", the Orton of today is a much more mature and relaxed figure, even if he is still prone to the occasional temper tantrum. And amongst the matches, they are mostly good or very good. Whilst there are no bouts which I would describe as being of a classic standard, certain match finishes do stand out, and they emphasise the DVD's name; namely, that Orton can hit an RKO "Outta Nowhere" (although the real credit for that tag-line should go to the fan who created the "RKO outta nowhere" online videos in 2014 which temporarily made Orton a viral sensation).

Randy Orton fans should love this DVD; from the standpoint of having Orton's "story" and most significant matches, this is inferior to the 2011 release Evolution Of A Predator, but from an in-ring perspective, this is a strong compilation that is equal to or perhaps superior to EOAP, and is a reminder that whilst a combination of his occasionally-bland persona and less-than-stellar booking and character development have led many to sour on Orton as an actual performer, he remains one of WWE's top wrestlers, and has been for more than a decade now. Hopefully, given that he is still only 36, we may get a third collection in the future, as Orton will hopefully keep hitting RKO's from outta nowhere for some time to come.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good