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: WWE Double Feature: Great Balls Of Fire 2017 & Battleground 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 363 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 18 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

For the third time, the Double Feature PPV sets demonstrate which is the superior brand in WWE right now. The Raw show Great Balls Of Fire is a real thrill-ride (but not the Ultimate Thrill Ride; that was WrestleMania 33, remember?), whereas the SmackDown show Battleground is pretty poor. The way in which Raw has gained momentum and SmackDown has lost momentum since the Superstar Shake-Up is fascinating, and yet the evidence is clearly on show here, with big matches and star power carrying the red brand, whereas baffling pushes, strange booking and disappointing performances mostly define the blue brand.

Great Balls Of Fire starts with a decent battle between Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt. It's not the greatest match you'll see this year, nor is it backed up by a particularly strong storyline, but it's worth watching nonetheless. Next up is Enzo Amore vs. Big Cass as part of their well-booked divorce of sorts. Cass looks totally dominant here, which he needed to be if he is to succeed as a heel going forward. Up third is an excellent doubles encounter: a 30-minute Iron Man Match between Sheamus & Cesaro and The Hardy Boyz for the Raw Tag Team Championships. It favours storytelling and believable action over spots, which is refreshing, and the final moments are as dramatic as any finish that you'll see.

Sasha Banks' challenge for Alexa Bliss' Raw Women's crown is a little disappointing; the action is fine, but the finish sucks, if I'm being honest. The Miz' Intercontinental Title defence against Dean Ambrose is also underwhelming, at least compared to their longer and superior effort at Extreme Rules a few weeks earlier. Fortunately, things pick up big-time with the Ambulance match between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman: this is an incredible match presentation, with some great brawling throughout leading to a surprise finish, and a memorable post-match angle that sees Reigns ram an ambulance with Strowman (who won, by the way) inside into an 18-wheeler truck.

The shenanigans from this continue into the abruptly-staged Heath Slater vs. Curt Hawkins match, for which we don't even see the finish due to the focus on Strowman. The only downside to this huge angle is that, within two weeks, it was essentially abandoned, though it did help move Braun even further up the card as a true monster. Finally, Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship defence against Samoa Joe could have benefitted from lasting a few more minutes, but it's still a gripping fight to see, and fans are on their feet throughout for this epic dream match. Overall, then, it's not without its flaws, but Great Balls Of Fire is a strong show that leaves a positive lasting impression on the viewer.

If only the same could be said for Battleground. It starts in grand fashion with a fantastic SmackDown Tag Team Title match between The Usos and The New Day, which is the underrated feud of the year in my opinion. But the show falls off a cliff from there, starting with Shinsuke Nakamura's disappointing clash with Baron Corbin. As things stand, Nakamura's main roster run is the let-down of the year, and despite what some fans may say, you have to put some of this down to Shinsuke; do you think WWE would tell him to basically wrestle in second-gear for months on end, as he has mostly done? Corbin wasn't an ideal opponent at this point, and the crap finish does nothing to help matters.

The problem with the subsequent Fatal Five Way to determine Naomi's next contender to the SmackDown Women's Championship isn't the action, but the fact that it's the fourth PPV running where the blue brand ladies are thrown into a multi-person affair, making this feel like incredibly lazy booking. It would have been better if Naomi had at least faced someone else (say, Tamina), but with the champion on commentary, it just feels second-rate. Speaking of which, AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens for the United States Championship is a big disappointment, and the finish feels like something from Botchamania as something clearly goes wrong which leads to Owens becoming champion, mere weeks after AJ won the title on a house show at Madison Square Garden. In fact, Chris Jericho even admitted on a recent podcast that the finish was a balls-up, which is why AJ would regain the title days later by beating Owens and Jericho himself.

John Cena vs. Rusev in a Flag match isn't bad, but it's a re-run of a feud which had covered four supershows in 2015, and it reverts Cena, who rediscovered his edge earlier this year with shoot-style promos, into his former, bland, patriotic self. Plus, due to the stipulation, the outcome is very predictable. The same cannot be said of Sami Zayn against main roster newcomer Mike Kanellis, but the action is just average (which may explain why Kanellis hasn't featured on SmackDown very much since).

Finally, the Punjabi Prison match between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton starts very slow, to the point that fans soon turn on the match. Things improve as the match progresses, with The Singh Brothers taking some insane punishment, and a surprise appearance by The Great Khali forming a big part of the finish. But the stipulation lets the participants down here; take away the trap door stuff and it would have been easier to create drama but, with the four doors that required a minute of what amounts to non-action, plus the two bamboo cages making it hard for fans in the arena to see, and with Jinder not being the greatest champion from an in-ring standpoint (plus Orton not always shining in long matches regardless of the opponent), this match is likely to top Worst-Of lists at the end of 2017. There have been far worse matches this year, but when you consider all the factors, this is a fitting end to a damp squib of a PPV. It speaks volumes that this lasted more than four times as long as Lesnar vs. Joe from GBOF, yet that match was far better than this one.

For some reason, the Kick-Off Show matches from both cards (Neville vs. Akira Tozawa and Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English) are omitted; hopefully, this is a one-off, because otherwise these Double Feature sets would have no extras going forward. Also strange is that the Great Balls Of Fire song by Jerry Lee Lewis, used as the theme for the Raw PPV and is obviously the whole point of using that PPV name in the first place, is not included here. Note to WWE: if you're going to base a PPV name around a very famous song, make sure you can use it in all formats before giving it the go-ahead.

That aside, Great Balls Of Fire is by far the best of the two shows here. Great Balls merits a purchase on its own, whereas Battleground's opening contest is the only reason I would suggest to invest in that particular card. If I were ranking these separately, I would give Great Balls an 8 and, for Battleground, either a 5 or maybe a generous 5.5. With the two blended together, I've roughly gone halfway and awarded this set a 6.5.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

DVD Preview: WWE Double Feature: Great Balls Of Fire 2017 & Battleground 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The two latest pay-per-view spectaculars from the Superstars of both Raw and SmackDown Live are brought together for one epic double-feature. Raw’s Universal Champion Brock Lesnar defends his title against Samoa Joe in a hotly-anticipated showdown at Great Balls of Fire, while SmackDown’s WWE Champion Jinder Mahal resurrects the dreaded Punjabi Prison as he faces Randy Orton at Battleground!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Great Balls Of Fire 2017

Universal Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs. Samoa Joe

Ambulance Match
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

Raw Women's Championship Match
Alexa Bliss (Champion) vs. Sasha Banks

Raw Tag Team Championship 30-Minute Iron Man Match
Sheamus & Cesaro (Champions) vs. The Hardy Boyz

Battleground 2017

WWE Championship Punjabi Prison Match
Jinder Mahal (Champion) vs. Randy Orton

Flag Match
John Cena vs. Rusev

United States Championship Match
AJ Styles (Champion) vs. Kevin Owens

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

Plus even more action!

We like it because:

Almost a year after WWE divided its roster between Raw and SmackDown Live, the competition between the two brands to put on the most exciting show has never been better!

Raw puts on a dream match that most fans thought they’d never see take place in a WWE ring – Brock Lesnar battling Samoa Joe. What makes it even more exciting is their competitive rivalry building up to the match, with Joe showing unprecedented dominance over “The Beast”. And the much-hyped collision between the pair does not disappoint!

There’s also a serious Match Of The Year contender between Sheamus & Cesaro and The Hardy Boyz. It’s the kind of slow-burning masterpiece that fans will be talking about for years to come – a stunning conclusion to the year’s greatest tag team feud!

SmackDown Live tries to top Raw by resurrecting the Punjabi Prison for a brutal match between Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton – and there’s a GIANT surprise at the end!

There’s more controversy in the US Championship match, as AJ Styles and Kevin Owens battle for dominance. Meanwhile, John Cena makes his long-awaited return to prove he’s still the most powerful force in WWE – but can he topple the also-returning Rusev?

Don’t miss your chance to own these two awesome events on one epic double-feature!

WWE Double Feature: Great Balls Of Fire 2017 & Battleground 2017 will officially be released on DVD on Monday September 18 2017.

For more information, click here.

DVD Review: WWE Double Feature: Extreme Rules 2017 & Money In The Bank 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 344 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 14 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

In my previous Double Feature review for the Payback and Backlash set, I noted how the increasing quality of Raw and the declining quality of SmackDown became obvious when watching the Raw and SD PPVs respectively. The same applies to the next Double Feature set, the subject of this review, which covers Extreme Rules and Money In The Bank: ER has several matches of a high quality (and one match which is poorly booked, to be fair), whereas MITB has few notable moments from an in-ring standpoint, and generally feels second-rate.

Extreme Rules opens with an enjoyable if overly-long clash for the Intercontinental Title between Dean Ambrose and The Miz; contrary to the feeling that this was a never-ending feud, this actually marked their first of just two PPV meetings. Next, we get a basic mixed tag team match as Rich Swann and Sasha Banks battle Noam Dar and Alicia Fox; it's okay for what it is, but nothing more.

Next up comes arguably the lowest point of Bayley's main roster tenure as her rematch against Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women's Championship under Kendo Stick On A Pole rules is way too short and makes The Hugger look incredibly weak, culminating several months of questionable booking for Bayley. Better is the Raw Tag Team Championship Steel Cage clash between The Hardyz and the team of Sheamus and Cesaro: what I enjoyed about this feud is that, without sounding like a dated reference, it provides good old-fashioned and simple doubles wrestling, with the cage used effectively both for major spots and for the surprise finish.

Neville vs. Austin Aries under Submission rules for the Cruiserweight Championship is very well-worked, but plays before a seemingly bored crowd, perhaps because the ground-based submission rules negate the need for the high-flying action associated with the cruiserweight division (not that this has happened much since WWE revived the division last year, but that's another story). Finally, the show ends with an awesome Fatal 5 Way Extreme Rules match between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and Bray Wyatt: it lasts nearly 30 minutes and features a ton of action, an unexpected outcome and all with high stakes (a shot at Brock Lesnar's Universal Championship at Great Balls Of Fire).

Money In The Bank, on the other hand, kicks off with a controversial MITB match for the women's division: Becky Lynch, Carmella, Charlotte, Tamina and Natalya. There was a huge outcry that a man (James Ellsworth) would be actively involved in the finish of this first, historic women's MITB bout, but the bigger disappointment for me was the action itself: they clearly grafted but, perhaps due to time, this doesn't come close to matching the pre-MITB expectations.

The Usos vs. The New Day is a really good tag match, albeit with a poor finish, and Naomi vs. Lana feels like filler at best and completely pointless at worst; it certainly does nothing to alter the perception that the SmackDown brand in general had taken a major tumble in quality since the Superstar Shake-Up. Nor does the Jinder Mahal-Randy Orton WWE Title rematch; it's slightly better than their previous bout at Backlash, but the finishes of both Jinder-Randy showdowns are too similar, again making this match feel a bit unnecessary.

Breezango vs. The Ascension is okay, and ticks the comedy box for the show, but still feels a bit out of place on a PPV event. Finally, the men's MITB match between Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler is the best match of the night, but slightly underwhelming overall (this contains the Nakamura-AJ face-off which was enjoyable on the night, but has since been treated as something akin to Jesus reuniting with an old friend upon another resurrection by certain hardcore fans).

The Kick-Off Show matches from both cards form the extras here: Kalisto vs. Apollo Crews, and The Hype Bros vs. The Colons. Both are entertaining enough, but neither bout is worth going out of your way to see in my opinion (sorry Zack Ryder fans).

Overall, then, as a complete package this Double Feature set is probably worth owning, but only if you adjust your expectations accordingly. Extreme Rules has a lot of worthy action, but Money In The Bank suffers from SmackDown's creative malaise which has seemingly crossed over into the ring, preventing some matches from reaching their full potential. The two main events and the Steel Cage bout are the best parts of this two-disc set, so they justify a purchase; however, if you're buying this solely for the Money In The Bank card, you may be disappointed as that show in particular is the weakest MITB PPV to date.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

DVD Review: WWE Double Feature: Payback 2017 & Backlash 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 356 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 17 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Since WrestleMania 33, the fortunes of Raw and SmackDown have changed, mostly due to the Superstar Shake-Up which switched several wrestlers around. Raw has improved with a more star-heavy main event scene, some interesting mid-card feuds and Kurt Angle returning as Raw General Manager. SmackDown, however, has lost much of the shine it had prior to Mania, largely due to the sudden and unpopular ascension of Jinder Mahal from an opening match act to the position of WWE Champion.

It remains to be seen as to whether this will continue (it's possible that these trends will carry on until the next roster switches, which may not be until 2018), but in the meantime both brands served up their first PPV events after Mania, Payback and Backlash respectively. Both cards ultimately followed the same pattern as the television shows, with Payback being pretty good but not truly great, whilst Backlash was a disappointing event which couldn't shake off the B-level tag that SmackDown in general once again has.

Beginning with Payback, then, Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho is a fun opener with a surprising ending, considering the rumours that Jericho was about to take another leave of absence from WWE. Neville vs. Austin Aries is another good match, but the finish is a bit of a let-down. Better is the doubles clash between The Hardyz and Cesaro and Sheamus, during which Sheamus legitimately knocks out one of Jeff Hardy's teeth by accident, with a notable post-match angle to boot.

Bayley's defence of the Raw Women's Championship against Alexa Bliss is also entertaining, and arguably the best match that either lady has had since coming to the main roster. Then comes the already-infamous House Of Horrors match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt (which lost much of its appeal once Bray's transfer to Raw meant that the WWE Title wouldn't be at stake). A lot of people criticised this match but, whilst I'm not going to suggest it was a great battle by any means, it was an attempt at something different by WWE, a one-off attraction built around Wyatt's gimmick, and isn't that what fans are crying out for these days: unpredictable and unique content?

The House Of Horrors bout was a two-part affair, and in the middle of that we get a pretty good Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe, albeit one which it could be argued didn't quite match high expectations. Finally, it's Roman Reigns against Braun Strowman, which is an enjoyable main event that moves along what, by this point, was the hottest rivalry on Raw. This feud is still ongoing at present, and I predict that many will consider it to be the feud of the year. The question is, will the much-maligned Roman receive any of the credit for this?

So, Payback was a very good show overall from an in-ring standpoint, albeit one with no genuine classic matches. But that's still a lot better than how Backlash turned out, which evoked memories of the dark days of 2004-2005 when the overpushed and average-at-best John Bradshaw Layfield dominated the main event scene, with the crop of major stars or talented performers relegated to insignificant matches or bouts which simply didn't live up to the hype.

Case in point: Shinsuke Nakamura's official main roster debut was promoted as being something truly special, and understandably so. Unfortunately, though, his battle with Dolph Ziggler was just adequate at best, with Ziggler having far more offence than anyone expected, and with Nakamura only demonstrating a sample of his repertoire. Shinsuke's matches haven't set the world on fire since, but whether this is due to Nakamura himself or restrictions placed upon him by WWE is debatable. Would it be controversial for me to suggest that Roman Reigns has had a much better year in the ring so far in 2017 than Shinsuke? (I'm not a massive Roman fan by the way, but Nakamura still receives the royal treatment by fans even though he hasn't had a truly great match in WWE since 2016.)

The Usos vs. Breezango is an amusing doubles match, with Fandango and Tyler Breeze finding their niche as a comedy act with just enough strong material to make them a popular part of the SmackDown brand. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin is a basic yet inoffensive match with a surprising outcome, though little has been done to capitalise on it for the winner since then. The six-women tag match isn't up to much, to be honest; it exists to give the likes of Natalya and Tamina something to do really, but that's all it does, and the match is a big comedown for Charlotte following her high-profile adventures on Raw (her star is currently nowhere near as bright as it had been on the red side).

Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles is the best match of the night, and possibly the top encounter across the two-disc set. Even this feels like a mild disappointment, though, partly due to the finish which was booked to move the feud along, but left a dampener on the night's only genuinely good match. Luke Harper vs. Erick Rowan is filler, due to its lack of real reason to exist. Finally, there's Randy Orton vs. Jinder Mahal for the WWE Title: you probably already know how this ends, so I'll simply say that the booking makes sense on a business level, but considering the lack of any push for Jinder prior to becoming #1 contender for Orton's title here, and his previous status as a low-card jobber, it's completely understandable why fans have been left disillusioned by WWE's decision to go in this direction. This feud remains ongoing at present, which partly explains why SmackDown as a whole feels second-rate at present. Still, the match isn't that bad, which is something I guess.

The extras consist of the Kick-Off Show matches from each event: Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, and Tye Dillinger vs. Aiden English respectively. There's also a Miz TV segment with Finn Balor, which would be the only involvement that either man had at Payback (Dean Ambrose bizarrely made no appearance whatsoever, months after main eventing SmackDown PPV events in WWE Title bouts).

This is a tough one to recommend. Payback has several matches which are well worth watching, but none of them are truly must-see, and whilst I think that many fans had made their minds up on the House Of Horrors bout before it even happened, it still marked the low point of that show. As for Backlash: the reaction to the main event and KO vs. AJ are worth going out of your way to see, but this isn't enough to support rewatching this card. If Shinsuke Nakamura's match had lived up to his reputation, then things would be different; because this wasn't the case, and with several filler matches padding out the show, Backlash ended up as WWE's weakest PPV of 2017 up to that point.

Arguably, the biggest reason to suggest buying this DVD is to examine how much better Raw is than SmackDown at present. And strangely enough, whilst some put this down to The Miz and Dean Ambrose leaving SD as a weaker show and helping to make Raw stronger, neither man factored into the main card at Payback whatsoever, whilst the Raw show didn't even feature its main champion Brock Lesnar (not that that's a surprise these days). Backlash, meanwhile, features AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura and others, and yet this PPV was still a let-down. But we'll have the full debate on why Raw is superior to SmackDown again another day; with regards to this DVD, there's a fair few matches that I would suggest watching, but not enough to make this an essential DVD for you to own.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

DVD Preview: WWE Double Feature: Payback 2017 & Backlash 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

WWE’s premier brands Raw and SmackDown Live return to Pay-Per-View for another two spectacular shows, brought together on one epic Double Feature DVD set! The Superstars of Raw look to settle the score at Payback, while the Superstars of SmackDown do battle at Backlash, featuring hard-hitting championship matches and a terrifying brawl in WWE’s first ever House Of Horrors!

Synopsis:

Match Listing:

Payback 2017

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

House Of Horrors Match
Randy Orton vs. Bray Wyatt

Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe

Raw Women’s Championship Match
Bayley (Champion) vs. Alexa Bliss

Raw Tag Team Championship Match
The Hardy Boyz (Champions) vs. Sheamus & Cesaro

United States Championship Match
Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. Chris Jericho

Cruiserweight Championship Match
Neville (Champion) vs. Austin Aries

Backlash 2017

WWE Championship Match
Randy Orton (Champion) vs. Jinder Mahal

United States Championship Match
Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. AJ Styles

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
The Usos (Champions) vs. Breezango

Six-Woman Tag Team Match
Naomi, Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. The Welcoming Committee (Natalya, Carmella & Tamina)

Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin

Luke Harper vs. Erick Rowan

Plus, more action and DVD extras!

We like it because:

The Raw vs SmackDown Live rivalry continues to go from strength to strength with another two incredible shows.

Payback saw dramatic twists as the Superstars of Raw did battle on the first major show since WrestleMania, so the stakes were high in the all-new WWE landscape.

The show is headlined by a brutal fight from supremacy between “The Big Dog” Roman Reigns and “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman. What happened shocked the WWE Universe, as one Superstar was left lying from one of the most brutal beatdowns in recent memory!

And with the “Superstar Shake-Up” in full swing, SmackDown Live Superstars also appeared, including WWE Champion Randy Orton battling Bray Wyatt in the first ever House Of Horrors match, which combined the jaw-dropping action of sports-entertainment with all the scares and atmosphere of a horror movie!

Orton and the rest of the SmackDown Live roster returned in style for Backlash, featuring the unexpected rise of Jinder Mahal to challenge for Orton’s WWE Championship. It’s a moment that will truly go down in WWE history!

Plus, there’s stunning action from some of the most talented Superstars in WWE today, with a much-anticipated clash between Kevin Owens and AJ Styles – a match that’s as controversial as it is action-packed – plus the main roster debut of “The Artist” Shinsuke Nakamura against Dolph Ziggler, two of sports-entertainment’s most exciting talents meeting for the very first time!

Don’t miss out!

WWE Double Feature: Payback 2017 & Backlash 2017 will officially be released on DVD on Monday July 17 2017.

For more information, click here.

DVD Preview: WrestleMania 33

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

Welcome to WrestleMania, “The Ultimate Thrill Ride”! Brace yourself for incredible twists, unexpected turns, and unbelievable excitement! “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar challenges Goldberg for his Universal Championship – the richest prize on Raw. The intense rivalry between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt comes to a head over SmackDown Live’s WWE Championship. Bayley defends the Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax in a Fatal Four Way elimination match. “The Architect” Seth Rollins gets his chance at revenge as he takes on “The Game” Triple H in a Non-Sanctioned Match! And Roman Reigns faces one of the biggest tests of his career when he takes on Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match! Plus, action from all your other favourite WWE Superstars, including all three pre-show matches!

Synopsis:

Match Listing:

No Holds Barred Match
Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker

Universal Championship Match
Goldberg (Champion) vs. Brock Lesnar

WWE Championship Match
Bray Wyatt (Champion) vs. Randy Orton

Raw Women's Championship Fatal Four Way Elimination Match
Bayley (Champion) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax

United States Championship Match
Chris Jericho (Champion) vs. Kevin Owens

Non-Sanctioned Match
Seth Rollins vs. Triple H

Raw Tag Team Championship Ladder Match
Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson vs. Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. The Hardy Boyz

Mixed Tag Team Match
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse

AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon

SmackDown Women's Championship Six-Pack Challenge Match
Alexa Bliss vs. Naomi vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Natalya vs. Carmella

Plus all the Kickoff Show matches included in the special features:

Cruiserweight Championship Match
Neville (Champion) vs. Austin Aries

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Intercontinental Championship Match
Dean Ambrose (Champion) vs. Baron Corbin

Plus, more action, extras and Blu-ray exclusives!

We like it because:

Set in Orlando’s incredible Citrus Bowl in front of 75,245 fans, this was the most spectacular WrestleMania of all-time!

No-one puts on a show quite like WWE and WrestleMania has become a true pop culture phenomenon, with stunning pyrotechnics, celebrity appearances, and – living up to its name as the “Ultimate Thrill Ride” – a jaw-dropping set with a full-size rollercoaster.

There are sensational performances all throughout the event. AJ Styles proves once again why he’s called the “Phenomenal One”, while his opponent Shane McMahon shows the WWE Universe that he’s still one of sports-entertainment’s greatest daredevils!

There’s the spine-tingling return of The Hardy Boyz after seven years away – already one of the all-time great “WrestleMania moments” – and the brutal four-way Ladder match that follows! There’s also powerhouse action as Brock Lesnar collides with Goldberg, and Bray Wyatt plays mind games with Randy Orton in a match that’s unlike anything ever seen in WWE before.

As always, WrestleMania delivers awesome entrances too. Triple H arrives with a police escort, while Charlotte Flair makes her way to the ring beneath a dazzling firework display.

But it’s The Undertaker’s walk away from the ring that makes this a truly historic event. His match with Roman Reigns has all of the excitement of WrestleMania packed into one incredible battle for the ages. It’s a hard-hitting story that grips you right to the very last seconds – and ends with heart-wrenching emotion as WWE bids farewell to the most legendary career in sports-entertainment.

Don’t miss out on owning this thrilling event and a piece of WWE history!

WrestleMania 33 will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday June 5 2017.

For more information, click here.

Money In The Bank 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 181 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 23 2013

With a star-studded line-up and some very good matches, Money In The Bank 2013 is a great event to relive on DVD. It doesn't quite match the standard of the famous 2011 MITB card, but it does come close.

The opening seven-man MITB Ladder match had the weird aspect of only featuring heels, but this doesn't affect the quality, which is top-notch throughout. Curtis Axel vs. The Miz is adequate if ultimately inconsequential, since Axel's chances of losing his Intercontinental Title were low. AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn is another really enjoyable entry into their surprisingly powerful rivalry, and whilst Chris Jericho vs. Ryback won't win any Match Of The Year awards, it's worth watching at the same time.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler is a tremendous battle for the World Heavyweight Championship, let down only by its anticlimactic (yet understandable) finish. John Cena vs. Mark Henry exceeds admittedly low expectations, and the six-man main event - the "All-Stars" MITB match, minus Kane who had been taken out by the Wyatts - is a memorable and eventful headline attraction, which includes a major development in the CM Punk/Paul Heyman saga and the WWE return of Rob Van Dam.

Unexpectedly, one of the highlights comes from the pre-show match: clearly, The Shield and The Usos were out to make a statement because, far from putting on a filler match to warm up the Philadelphia crowd, their WWE Tag Team Title collision is the best doubles bout of the year so far, and should really have been featured on the PPV itself.

As mentioned earlier, Money In The Bank 2013 wasn't an all-time classic, but it certainly has the elements required to deliver a DVD which is a lot of fun to watch. One of the better cards of 2013, that's for sure.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

SummerSlam 2013

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 174 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 28 2013

Continuing WWE's hot streak on PPV, SummerSlam 2013 was an incredible card, featuring some of the best SummerSlam matches in years, if not of all-time. Therefore, it stands to reason that the DVD would be worth watching - and it definitely is.

Opening with an admittedly tame Ring Of Fire match between Kane and Bray Wyatt, followed by a fairly short Damien Sandow-Cody Rjodes match (Cody had shaved his moustache!), the show picks up steam with an excellent World Heavyweight Title match between Alberto Del Rio and Christian. What had the potential to be a filler bout ends up being one of the year's hidden gems, as ADR demonstrates why he holds the big gold belt, and Captain Charisma proves that he's still got a lot left in the tank.

Next up, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar have one hell of a brawl under No Disqualification rules which, while slightly overrated, is as good a Lesnar match as one can expect in the PG version of WWE, and Punk once again provides evidence that he may very well be the "Best In The World". An inoffensive mixed tag match pitting Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn against Big E Langston and AJ Lee is followed by a memorable main event. Not only do Joghn Cena and Daniel Bryan put on a show for the WWE Title, and has a surprising outcome at that, but the post-match angle involving Randy Orton and special referee Triple H was a massive surprise at the time, and paved the way for the Authority which has dominated WWE television ever since. (Sadly, this won't be such a shock to DVD viewers, as the box art blatantly gives away the brilliantly-executed angle.)

Elsewhere, there are a few segments involving SummerSlam "host" The Miz, Fandango and Summer Rae which, while occasionally entertaining, aren't really worth watching. Weirdly, the bonus match from the pre-show - Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam - is only partly complete, which is a strange decision for WWE to take.

Overall, though, this is a thoroughly enjoyable DVD, second only to WrestleMania 29 for all-round entertainment, and should be purchased by collectors and fans alike.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent

Night Of Champions 2013

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 11 2013

Between SummerSlam and Night Of Champions, the formation of a new authority heel faction of sorts dominated WWE television, so you would assume that NOC had a big focus on the powers-that-be. But that wasn't the case, and between that and the B-level line-up of matches and largely unmemorable performances, Night Of Champions on DVD is underwhelming.

After a bizarre opening segment that makes the face/heel divide seem very confusing, the show kicks off with a match between Curtis Axel and Kofi Kingston that, admittedly, exceeds expectations. The four-way Divas Title match is just okay, and while Alberto Del Rio vs. Rob Van Dam is alright, it has an annoying finish for a World Title match on Pay-Per-View.

Curtis Axel returns to join Paul Heyman against CM Punk in a Raw-like handicap match, which eventually elads to Punk brutalising Heyman, before some unexpected help swings things in Heyman's favour (and leaves Punk with a nasty cut on his back). Two matches involving The Shield are next: Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler is disappointing considering who was involved, while Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs. The Prime Time Players is probably better than expected, again considering the participants on the babyface side. The main event between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton is good, but the finish (despite the fact that it would be overturned on Raw the next night) appeared to have killed the momentum of the Authority storyline, just one PPV in. The bonus match is the Tag Team Turmoil pre-show bout which determined the challengers for Rollins and Reigns.

Summing this up, perhaps it's the injury-enforced absence of John Cena which causes this show to feel second-rate. Or maybe it's the booking. Or the performances not living up to the reputations set by certain wrestlers. Either way, Night Of Champions is average at best, and while not a terrible event by any means, the show is inconsequential enough that the DVD is entirely skippable.

Overall Rating: 5/10 - Average

Battleground 2013

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 5.5/10 - Above Average

Hell In A Cell 2013

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 27 2014

Hell In A Cell was WWE's best PPV event since SummerSlam, with several matches that either delivered great action or concluded major storylines, not to mention having a big return. That being said, the strange drop in standards over recent months means that the DVD of the show is still no more than adequate.

The opening match between The Brotherhood, The Usos and The Shield is fantastic, and is the unquestionable highlight of the event. Conversely, The Great Khali and Natalya vs. Fandango and Summer Rae is weird filler, and Big E vs. Dean Ambrose is notable only for a dangerous-looking spear through the ropes by Big E and a nasty cut opened up under Big E's eye just before the (dodgy) finish.

CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman under HIAC rules is disappointing, but at least we get a memorable post-match scene to finally draw a line under the Punk-Heyman conflict. Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans is, unsurprisingly, forgettable. John Cena's return match against Alberto Del Rio is okay, but would have meant more had Cena been out for 6-9 months rather than 10 weeks. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella is only average, and the Cell match for the WWE Title which was in "abeyance" between Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan - with Shawn Michaels as referee, no less - is good, but not unlike other Orton-Bryan main events on recent shows, it is missing something that would make it a truly memorable encounter. The bonus match is Kofi Kingston vs. Damien Sandow, held one day before Sandow's failed cash-in of Money In The Bank on John Cena.

Whilst Hell In A Cell is one of the better WWE supershows in recent months, only one of the matches is of a very high standard. The DVD for this show is worth a look, but don't expect it to be as good as the likes of Money In The Bank or SummerSlam.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Survivor Series 2013

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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

TLC 2013

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 186 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: March 31 2014

Unlike recent TLC PPV events, the 2013 edition featured just one match containing the elements of tables, ladders and chairs. This helped to make the main event of the card stand out, but as an overall programme for the DVD, the show feels inferior to previous TLC PPVs, and in fact that does prove to be the case, despite some entertaining matches.

Beginning with the headline bout, the TLC match between John Cena and Randy Orton to unify the WWE and World Titles is an enjoyable battle, carried by the high stakes for the victor; it doesn't come close to matching the thrills and spills of past TLC matches but, considering the participants, this was an inevitability. From an in-ring standpoint, the best match is the WWE Tag Team Title four-way, which has an electrifying final section (it's elimination rules, so I won't say which teams were remaining at that point).

Elsewhere, the two handicap matches - CM Punk vs. The Shield and Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family - are adequate but nothing more; AJ Lee vs. Natalya is good if slightly inferior to AJ's matches with Kaitlyn over the summer; Big E Langston vs. Damien Sandow is average; R-Truth vs. Brodus Clay is filler with some odd psychology; and The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston is an unexpectedly dull match, given its No Disqualification rules. The bonus match is Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango, which has a quite frankly nonsensical result.

There is just enough action to make this a worthy show, and it is certainly better and more noteworthy than Survivor Series, but it is still one of the weaker TLC events to date, making this harder to recommend on DVD.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Royal Rumble 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 176 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 14 2014

Although fans have fond memories of Royal Rumble, the 2014 event was not warmly-received, with one match completely panned by the Pittsburgh crowd and the finish to the main Rumble bout widely criticised, particularly by the live audience. If nothing else, though, it makes for an intriguing DVD to watch!

To be fair, the opening contest is very good, as Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt create an atmosphere to die for amidst some tremendous sequences. Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show is a short, brutal massacre of the giant by the Beast Incarnate. Strangely enough, fans didn't mind the brevity of this one, but they were determined to spoil Randy Orton vs. John Cena for the WWE Title. Admittedly, the match has been featured way too many times, but on this occasion, fans watching on TV or DVD aren't given a chance to enjoy it, unless you watch it on mute.

As for the Rumble match: it's decent enough until entrant 30 comes in, that being Rey Mysterio. Even though Mysterio had been advertised as an etrant, and Daniel Bryan had not, Bryan's non-appearance causes the fans to totally turn on the Rumble match and its remaining participants; Batista is initially cheered when he arrives, for the most part, but fans are incensed with him and his Rumble triumph come the end of the Rumble. Although it's not acknowledged here for obvious reasons, CM Punk walking out of WWE the next day only added to the doom and gloom surrounding the company as the Road To WrestleMania XXX began.

The DVD for Royal Rumble 2014, then (which also features the pre-show WWE Tag Team Title match between Cody Rhodes and Goldust and The New Age Outlaws): is it worth watching? Well, it's compelling for darkly comical reasons, or for reasons of fascination as to how the booking of the show and, in particular, the Rumble match almost created a riot-like environment in Pittsburgh that evening. Audience reactions aside, this certainly isn't one of the better Rumble events. Bryan vs. Wyatt is well worth watching but, funnily enough, the huge negative responses are arguably the selling point for fans to watch this DVD.

Overall Rating: 6/10 - Reasonable

Battleground 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

Hell In A Cell 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 19 2015

The sixth annual HIAC PPV featured two Cell matches, a couple of entertaining mid-card bouts and a return of sorts, but no appearance by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. That being said, Lesnar's absence doesn't really harm one's enjoyment of the show, and therefore the DVD.

Inside the Cell, both John Cena vs. Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins are impressive battles, particularly the latter contest based on the greater risks taken by Ambrose and Rollins. Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler is a fun Two Out Of Three Falls bout with a somewhat surprising result (or score, at least). Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella exceeds expectations, and Damien Mizdow's antics enhance the clash between The Miz and Sheamus.

On the downside, Stardust and Goldust vs. The Usos is inferior to their previous PPV meeting. Paige and AJ Lee's latest Divas Title match suffers from an early injury to the challenger. Rusev vs. Big Show is a bit short and too predictable, considering that we were meant to believe this was Rusev's toughest challenge to date. And whilst the show concludes with an unexpected reappearance, the presentation is quite hammy, so you may not find the big moment to be that believable.

Mind you, the stronger points definitely outweigh the weaker ones. Though few will remember this card six months from now, Hell In A Cell 2014 is still an entertaining show on the whole, and so it makes for an entertaining wrestling DVD.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Payback 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 176 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 13 2015

Payback 2015 saw the continuation of Seth Rollins' WWE Title reign and the conclusion of the long feud between John Cena and Rusev. Otherwise, it was largely a case of the same old product from WWE, although there are a number of enjoyable matches.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus is superior to their previous meeting at Extreme Rules, despite Ziggler suffering an unplanned - and huge - amount of blood loss at the finish. The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro is another strong match between the two, arguably their best yet under Two Out Of Three Falls rules. Meanwhile, Bray Wyatt vs. Ryback is a bit short, meaning that a few more minutes could have seen the two men put together a memorable effort.

John Cena vs. Rusev is a fun I Quit match; however, Cena has had superior I Quit battles in the past, and although this is arguably the best Cena-Rusev battle to date, there's nothing which you wouldn't have seen before. The Bellas vs. Naomi and Tamina is a Raw-style match, as is King Barrett vs. Neville, partly due to its poor finish. Things improve for the main event, a very good Fatal Four Way match between Rollins, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, the highlight of which is a brief Shield reunion. The bonus match is a short comedy tag bout pitting Macho Mandow and AxelMania (a.k.a. Damien Sandow and Curtis Axel) against The Ascension, and marks the moment when we realised that WWE really had messed up Sandow's career beyond his split with The Miz.

The top two matches are worth watching, and the Tag Team Title match is another thriller. Despite this, the show has that stale feel to it, either because of the familiar line-up or the familiar action on display. So, whilst you'll probably get a kick out of Payback 2015 at various points, it's hardly one of the year's best supershows to own on DVD.

Overall Rating: 5.5/10 - Above Average

Extreme Rules 2015

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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

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