DVD Review: NXT - From Secret To Sensation

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 408 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 13 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The second DVD release dedicated to NXT, From Secret To Sensation takes a different approach to the original Greatest Matches DVD. In this new compilation, we get a countdown of the top 25 NXT performers in history, along with more than a dozen matches from 2011 to 2017. I'm not sure whether the title is relevant, considering that we only get a basic run-down of the history of NXT (it would have been more appropriate if we were treated to a full-length documentary here), but otherwise fans should be excited at getting another home release on what is arguably WWE's most popular brand, at least amongst the die-hards.

Part of the reason for this is that the countdown feature is really enjoyable. It's a tried-and-tested formula, and we have actually just had a countdown on the 30 Years Of Survivor Series DVD. However, what differentiates this particular main feature is that we're shown the evolution of each performer during their time on NXT, which in many cases was pretty dramatic. For example, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks both showed up as plain performers with no distinguish features. They left NXT as The Lass Kicker and The Boss, two clearly-defined and unique characters with an appetite for stealing the show in the ring and with huge fan followings which have followed them to the main roster.

It's fascinating to see the likes of Bayley, Sami Zayn and Alexa Bliss during their earliest days in NXT. It's particularly notable to see Tyler Breeze begin his NXT career as the bland Mike Dalton, whose persona was nonexistent. Contrast that with Prince Pretty, whose selfie-obsessed character was a real highlight of NXT, and his current work alongside Fandango in the current Fashion Files segments on SmackDown. Add to that some cool comments from NXT performers past and present (even if we get some occasional kayfabe opinions), and plenty of archive footage, and you have a pretty compelling countdown programme, arguably the best of this nature that WWE has put out.

From there, we move onto the bonus matches. Up first is a real rarity, a clash between future New Day members Big E Langston and Xavier Woods from an NXT pilot show in December 2011, though it is on the short side. Next is Seth Rollins defending the NXT Championship against Corey Graves, though it came at a time when NXT tapings would be considered a separate world from main roster WWE, which includes a lack of storyline progression. For instance, Rollins had previously been a white-meat babyface champion, but without explanation on NXT TV, he was suddenly a heel as a member of The Shield.

Bo Dallas vs. Bray Wyatt is a decent showcase of both men, and it's now bizarre to see Bo in the babyface role. Antonio Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn is the forgotten chapter of their NXT feud, coming after Sami's first night on NXT but before their Match Of The Year contenders in August 2013 and February 2014; that being said, it's still a really good encounter. Then, Alexander Rusev puts in a strong showing against Dolph Ziggler, which likely boosted his odds of making the main roster the following year, and Paige vs. Sasha Banks is fun too, though the big moment comes after the match when Sasha turns heel on Paige, paving the way for her to become The Boss.

Adrian Neville and Tyler Breeze put on a fine battle in an early 2014 NXT clash, which fans are more than fired up for, and Bo's NXT exit against Big E (who had been on the main roster for ages by this point) is entertaining too. But the next match is the first truly great match on the compilation, as Neville, Zayn, Breeze and Tyson Kidd collide in a terrific Fatal Four Way clash from the first NXT TakeOver. A quick-fire win by Baron Corbin over then-jobber Elias is followed by a slow-burning epic between Kevin Owens and Finn Balor for the NXT crown, which predates their more famous battles in the summer of 2015.

Disc three opens with an outstanding NXT Women's Championship clash between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch, the match that made me a real fan of NXT at the time. The subsequent Sasha-Charlotte battle is also very good, though it's a shame that Sasha vs. Bayley under Iron Man rules is nowhere to be found. What makes up for this is the inclusion of the superb Sami-Shinsuke Nakamura bout from TakeOver: Dallas, which may just be the best NXT match ever. Following this is the house show bout between Finn Balor and Samoa Joe, which features great action prior to a title switch that very few saw coming (certainly not the fans in attendance, who go crazy when Joe earns the gold crown).

Bayley makes her only in-ring appearance against Alexa Bliss, shortly before both ladies left for the main roster; they put in a great effort, and this may be better than any of their main roster collisions this year. Bobby Roode vs. Tye Dillinger at TakeOver: Toronto, in what is essentially a battle of the super-over entrances, and Asuka vs. Ember Moon from TakeOver: Brooklyn III (held less than three months ago) bring the DVD to a close. Asuka vs. Ember is particularly impressive, and at the time I was convinced that Moon would finally end Asuka's undefeated streak that night. Obviously, I was wrong.

I was disappointed that there are no tag team matches on this DVD, because NXT does doubles wrestling better than just about any other brand or promotion (or at least they did during the division's 2016 peak). The Revival alone had more than one classic match with both American Alpha and DIY, so it's unfortunate that none of these bouts made it in. It would have also been nice to see Finn Balor vs. Neville from TakeOver: Rival (an amazing contest), Zayn vs. Cesaro from the first ever TakeOver, and a couple of other vintage NXT contests which weren't on the original Greatest Matches collection. This leads me to believe that we will indeed get a full DVD documentary on NXT in around 12-18 months, likely featuring these matches and others, such as the upcoming War Games showdown in Houston.

Otherwise, though, this is a fantastic wrestling DVD. The countdown is a lot of fun, and almost every match has something to offer, with several contests being of a classic standard. I think it's a slight step down from Greatest Matches Vol. 1, but if you're new to NXT, or if you're a longtime fan of the brand wanting to relive some of its biggest moments to date, then you should really enjoy From Secret To Sensation.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent

DVD Review: Kurt Angle - The Essential Collection

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 531 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 31 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Kurt Angle is one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time. Mixing his previous outstanding amateur wrestling ability, style and credibility with his desire to learn allowing him to quickly pick up the pro style along with unseen charisma and a great sense of humour, all during one of the hottest periods in wrestling history, Angle quickly established his legacy as one of the very best in record time. His return to WWE in early 2017 was hugely anticipated, and fans immediately gravitated back to the legendary Olympic gold medallist.

Therefore, it was inevitable that a DVD celebrating Angle's big return would be released, and so we have this collection of matches from 1999-2006. You can't really go wrong with a Kurt Angle match compilation, and this is proven to be the case as this is one of the best WWE DVDs that you will see. We also get pre-match comments from Angle who discusses how pivotal specific bouts were to his career, though they do occasionally border on being slightly self-indulgent at times. But more often than not, they're insightful, and a welcome aspect of the feature (this incidentally does not have any bonus material).

Beginning with Angle's televised debut against Shawn Stasiak from Survivor Series 1999 (where fans are booing and chanting "Boring!" within a minute of the bell ringing; how dare two wrestlers actually try to wrestle during the Attitude Era!), we then jump to Angle's first tastes of gold against the surprisingly over Val Venis from SmackDown and Chris Jericho at No Way 2000 for the European and Intercontinental Championships respectively.

Arguably the highlight of the DVD's first hour is the footage of Angle's promos from this time; he was so hilariously dorky, egotistical and entertaining that it almost makes one disappointed when he becomes more serious as the DVD progresses. But he continued rapidly climbing the ladder, evidenced by the next match, the King Of The Ring 2000 tournament final scrap with Rikishi.

By now, Angle was almost at the main event level. A quick three-way against Y2J and Triple H from Raw is followed by Angle's big moment, his WWF Title match against The Rock from No Mercy, which is a vital match in Angle's career and a great one (no pun intended) to boot. Angle's first PPV title defence against The Undertaker from Survivor Series is next. This has a hugely surprising ending, but if you haven't seen this before, I strongly recommend that you skip the segment which precedes this match as it gives away what happens; this happens often during this DVD but in this particular case, it's a bit of a bummer.

We then get a forgotten bout between Angle and Triple H from Royal Rumble 2001. It's good, but the heel vs. heel dynamic hurts it, and it's arguable that the two never had a truly great match against one another (might that change at this year's SummerSlam?). It's a shame that Angle vs. Rock from No Way Out 2001 isn't here, but the first disc does end with a bang via the brutal and bloody Kurt vs. Shane McMahon Street Fight from KOTR 2001.

Disc two opens by looking back at Angle's infamous feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, which would include cowboy hats and bloodbaths. It's debatable as to whether their WWF Championship clash from Unforgiven 2001 was their best, but the action and story-telling are of a very high standard, and given its outcome, and the location (Angle's hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), it had to be included.

The next few matches capture Angle in his red-hot 2002 form: a Backlash scrap with Edge is brilliant, and a vital step in Edge's ascension up the ranks. Their subsequent Steel Cage battle on SmackDown is another topnotch battle, which ends a crucial rivalry in Edge's career. Angle vs. Hulk Hogan from King Of The Ring is less spectacular but just as entertaining, and an important result for Angle to boot (plus Kurt's hilarious pre-match promo is included too).

We also see John Cena's televised debut days later against Angle, which admittedly feels more like a way to promote Cena than Angle. Next is a truly classic three-way between Angle, Rock and Undertaker from Vengeance 2002, which is my favourite Triple Threat match in WWF/WWE history. The action picks up a rapid pace again via an outstanding SummerSlam showdown with recent debutant Rey Mysterio, who Angle had previously lost to in a six-man tag match (hence the immortal phrase "I just got beat by a freakin' 12-year-old!"). Around this time, Angle entered into a rivalry with Chris Benoit which produced several incredible matches, but it should require no explanation as to why none of those are here.

However, some may be disappointed that there is only one match here involving Brock Lesnar, with their WrestleMania XIX bout only shown in the form of quick clips, and their famous Iron Man match not acknowledged at all. Still, WWE has a tendency to focus on the subject's win-loss record rather than history whenever possible on these DVDs, which is why only their SummerSlam 2003 match is included, and it's still one hell of an effort by both men regardless.

Disc three kicks off by revisiting Angle's history with John Cena. By the time of No Mercy 2003, Cena had shot up the card via his rapping persona, spitting rhymes and insults which would not even be suggested in today's WWE. So it's nice to remember a time when there were fewer rules on risqué material, plus the Angle-Cena match from said show is arguably Cena's best prior to him becoming a main eventer. Moving onto 2004, Angle subtly implies at occasional troubles with Eddie Guerrero (the two had a backstage fight that year), but mostly complements him for his ability and charisma. Their underrated SummerSlam battle is a good one, though a step down from others on this release, whilst a tag match pitting Angle and Luther Reigns against Eddie and Rey Mysterio from the 2004 Troops special is mostly here to emphasise Kurt's admiration for the American forces fighting in Iraq.

Next up is one of my favourite matches of all-time, Angle vs. Shawn Michaels from WrestleMania 21, which is the embodiment of the word "classic". Though it isn't as fondly remembered, their 30-minute Iron Man match from Raw Homecoming is also well worth watching, and a reminder as to how both Angle and Michaels were somewhat taken for granted back in 2005. Shawn pops up in the penultimate match, another great three-way with Angle and John Cena (who by this point was starting to hear the boos and "Cena Sucks!" chants on a worryingly regular basis for a top babyface) from Taboo Tuesday 2005. The final match is a hidden gem from ECW circa 2006 pitting Angle against Rob Van Dam; it's pretty good, but I think Angle's unbelievable bout with The Undertaker from No Way Out 2006 would have ended this collection with more of a bang. We do, however, get footage of Angle returning to WWE earlier this year to end things on a high note.

Though some key matches are missing, this is still a fabulous collection of matches which lives up to the hype. Mixed with Angle's insightful if occasionally questionable comments, this becomes a great reflection on Angle's WWF/WWE tenure, and one of the best all-round wrestling DVDs that you are likely to see. Even without a couple of notable bouts (which admittedly prevent this reaching the level of perfection), this is a must-own for new and old fans alike. Oh it's true, it's damn true!

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 - Classic

DVD Review: Fight Owens Fight – The Kevin Owens Story

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 416 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 3 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Depending on who you speak to, Kevin Owens is either the most entertaining wrestler of all-time, one of the best in-ring performers in the world today, or just some out-of-shape guy who would never have been hired in the good old days (cough cough, Vince Russo). In all seriousness, whilst some of the praise that Owens receives occasionally goes a little over-the-top (the man can do no wrong on Twitter, seemingly), there's no denying that he's one of the true highlights of today's WWE product. He's one of the reasons why NXT became such a hot brand, he helped Raw remained bearable during the shaky years of 2015 and 2016, and he's currently doing his bit to convince SmackDown fans to keep tuning in despite Jinder Mahal being the WWE Champion. Add to that his legacy on the independent circuit as Kevin Steen (namely, his legendary feud with El Generico, which came to WWE as Kevin Owens went to war with Sami Zayn), the fact that he still has many years left in the wrestling business, and the charisma and humour which made JeriKO one of the most entertaining WWE acts in years, and you have plenty of evidence to not only support Owens' popularity in spite of his heel status, but also to justify the release of this new DVD on the pioneer of the Pop-Up Powerbomb.

Fight Owens Fight opens with a documentary covering Kevin's life and times, from his extensive time spent on the indies to his NXT/WWE arrival to his key moments and matches since then. I never like to scrutinise a documentary to the nth degree (unless the feature demands it, such as the infamous Rise & Fall Of ECW), since it provides spoilers on revelations and comments which fans would not have known about. Instead, I'll quickly state that while a bit on the short side, the main feature should be very satisfying to KO fans, as it covers his pre-WWE adventures as much as one could expect (including his association with Sami Zayn/El Generico prior to joining WWE, which the announcers often refer to but never truly explain), as well as capturing his high points since coming to WWE in late 2014. Along the way, there are plenty of talking head comments from those who you would expect (Sami Zayn being an obvious example), as well as a few surprises too. And so ends disc one, with a captivating, entertaining and encompassing look at Kevin Owens' history to date.

Disc two includes plenty of bonus segments which weren't included in the documentary (I can't understand why these couldn't have been squeezed onto disc one, but I guess it's more important to have a short first disc these days). I do like that a few teaser segments were included from when KO arrived in NXT, since this was a fondly-remembered goodie that hasn't been used for WWE DVDs in a long time.

Then come the matches, beginning with Owens' NXT debut against CJ Parker from NXT Takeover: R-Evolution. Owens is a huge babyface here, though he would shatter NXT fans' hearts by assaulting new NXT Champion Sami Zayn at the end of the night, in a fantastic angle that capped off one of the best WWE shows of the entire decade (seriously). This led to Owens vs. Zayn for the NXT Title at Takeover: Rival, the second match on this DVD, which effectively makes Owens look strong yet evil while allowing Zayn to shine in defeat (one of Sami's best talents, paradoxically).

We then get two confrontations, one as Owens squares up to Sami during WrestleMania weekend, and the other as KO makes his surprise Raw debut by attacking John Cena, under the false assumption that he was answering the United States Championship Open Challenge. The two did meet thirteen days later at Elimination Chamber in a great match, the next on this DVD, and the finish perfectly puts Owens over in a major way on his official main roster debut (which, admittedly, didn't help when it came to having fans boo Owens, who was and remains a heel). Disc two closes with Owens capturing his first WWE title outside of NXT, as he takes on Ryback in a basic yet fun bout from Night Of Champions 2015.

Disc three kicks off with Owens battling Dean Ambrose under Last Man Standing rules in an entertaining brawl from Royal Rumble 2016, followed by two unreleased matches: a Main Event clash with Dolph Ziggler shortly after WrestleMania 32, and a house show tag team match ten days later pitting Owens and Triple H against Zayn and Ambrose (apparently, HHH competed on these shows as a replacement for The Undertaker, whose unusual absence from advertised international bookings was never explained). Around this time, the Owens vs. Zayn feud had properly restarted thanks to Sami's official promotion to the main roster, with their best WWE match coming from Battleground, the next bout included on this DVD. This particular match lacks in the selling department at times, but is otherwise a fantastic end to their rivalry, at least at that point.

Funnily enough, there are no matches or segments which see JeriKO teaming up. There is, however, a good focus on KO's singles adventures over the last few months, beginning with his Universal Championship triumph which was shocking enough, but came under the most surprising of circumstances against Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Big Cass in the best Raw main event of 2016, not only for the topnotch action, but for the hugely-unexpected ending (which some critics typically tried to tear down as being an example of a certain someone's ego taking centre stage). Roman would eventually feud with Owens, though no matches are featured here, and Cass hasn't had a title shot since; Seth, however, was Kevin's immediate foe, and the two had their best match inside Hell In A Cell, which is the penultimate clash on this compilation. Finally, we come to WrestleMania 33, where JeriKO imploded in the ring as Owens and Jericho go at it in a pretty good bout for the United States Championship.

There are a lot of Kevin Owens fans, so it's safe to say that this three-disc collection would already be considered a hit regardless of the content (which is a sign of a very real bias towards performers such as Owens - one writer described his Fast Lane battle with Goldberg as "excellent" despite it lasting just 22 seconds - but that's another story for another time). Nevertheless, even for those who may remain on the fence about KO, this is one of the better WWE DVDs you will watch this year. The documentary is very informative, honest and comprehensive, and the round-up of matches from the last two years underline how Owens has become one of the best and most important performers in WWE. Some may be disappointed that there are no matches included from Owens' independent days, but one has to be realistic (I personally thought the running time was a bit disappointing, not even reaching the seven-hour mark across three discs).Summing it up, this three-disc set is as good as one could expect for KO, with an entertaining main feature and plenty of strong matches covering a variety of situations, and I would assume that most Owens fans who see this DVD will feel the same way.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

Payback 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 173 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 26 2013

Despite a familiar line-up and the feelings of relative staleness due to the end of WrestleMania Season, Payback 2013 is surprisingly a great show to watch, and therefore the DVD should provide you with plenty of entertainment.

Here's why: after a very well-received opener for the Intercontinental Title, pitting Bad News Barrett against The Miz and Curtis Axel (replacing Fandango), we get the best Divas Title match since the days of Trish Stratus and Lita as AJ Lee and Kaitlyn put on one hell of a battle. Dean Ambrose vs. Kane admittedly has that filler feeling to it, but the same cannot be said about Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio, which is a World Title with a difference, namely the incredibly stiff offence (based around Ziggler's real-life concussion issues) and a double turn, which is well-executed.

CM Punk returns from a two-month absence to put on a thriller with Chris Jericho, and while the set-up of Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton vs. The Shield feels strange, it is nevertheless a lot of fun to see. The Three Stages Of Hell bout between John Cena and Ryback is a decent main event, even if it is actually one of the weaker matches on the card, albeit due to the high standard of several matches which came before it. The pre-show match between Sheamus and Damien Sandow is also worth watching.

So, don't let anyone tell you that WWE is only interesting on PPV in the run-up to WrestleMania, because Payback 2013 proves evidence to the contrary, and therefore becomes a DVD that is pretty highly recommended.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

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

Image Source: Amazon

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

Image Source: Amazon

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 5.5/10 - Above Average

Hell In A Cell 2013

Image Source: Amazon

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

TLC 2013

Image Source: Amazon

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

Payback 2016

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 192 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 27 2016

As annoying as WWE's repeated statements of it being "A New Era" were and are, there's no doubt that the WWE product has improved since WrestleMania 32. The first post-Mania PPV event, Payback 2016, is a fine example with several really good matches, all of which make for a very enjoyable wrestling DVD.

It starts on a sour note, admittedly, with Enzo Amore suffering a frightening concussion that results in the tag match between Enzo/Big Cass and The Vaudevillains being abandoned (fortunately, Amore ultimately needed a few weeks to recover; judging by the impact, Enzo could have been a lot worse off). The always-rowdy Chicago crowd was clearly shook up, as were the announcers. Thankfully, things get back on track in a big way with a great Kevin Owens-Sami Zayn battle, and KO sticks around to provide some amusing commentary on another strong match between Cesaro and The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. Chris Jericho vs. Dean Ambrose is an other worthy match but, on this night, the preceding matches (as well as one later on in the show) overshadow the efforts of Jericho and Ambrose.

Charlotte vs. Natalya, with Ric Flair and Bret Hart at ringside, starts well and evokes memories of their sterling NXT effort in 2014 when both of their legendary fathers were also in their respective corners, but it ends on an abrupt screw-job finish which doesn't go down well at all. Although it's not obvious here, the fact that referee Charles Robinson - a longtime Flair associate - was ultimately not punished on-screen for this blatant robbery of Natalya's title hopes is ridiculous. A long segment involving Vince, Shane and Stephanie McMahon keeps the crowd interested but ends on a low note when Vince eventually decides that both will run Raw and SmackDown, thus making the entire angle pointless. We head in a positive direction again with the main event as Roman Reigns and AJ Styles put on a very good headline bout, and although the two pretend non-finishes were frustrating at the time, they played a key role in the match, and we still get a proper finish in the end, which is the main thing.

There are actually two matches included as DVD extras here from the Kick-Off Show. The first, Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin, takes the strange path of having new monster Corbin lose in his first major singles match on the main roster. Much better is Kalisto vs. Ryback for the United States Championship, which is one of the best matches that both men have ever had in WWE (this was actually Ryback's last WWE match, and he definitely went out in style). Of note here are Ryback hilariously wearing a weight-lifting belt that says "The Pre-Show Stopper", mocking the booking of his character by WWE, and the near-miss which sees Ryback save Kalisto from landing on his head from a dive off the top rope to the floor.

Payback 2016 is the best WWE PPV so far this year; although it's far from flawless, there are plenty of enjoyable matches on display here, and they generally spell a bright future in the so-called "New Era" of WWE. Therefore, this is one of the easier PPV DVDs to recommend from WWE.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

Fast Lane 2016

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 181 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 25 2016

Watching Fast Lane 2016 again on DVD, it feels like WWE has changed a lot since this card was held. Indeed, from new NXT call-ups to a shift in face/heel alignments to a general change in the flavour of the show, it feels like a lot more than a few months have passed since Fast Lane was held. Mind you, revisiting the card here, it's easy to see why: while the action is largely commendable, the event doesn't do much to boost anticipation for WrestleMania 32, nor is it a particularly memorable show in its own right.

After a decent opener pitting Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch against Naomi and Tamina, we get a really good Kevin Owens-Dolph Ziggler clash, albeit one which isn't much different from any other match involving either man. After a forgettable six-man tag that pits Big Show, Kane and Ryback against The Wyatt Family (which has a baffling result, incidentally), we see Brie Bella attempt to defeat Charlotte for the Divas Championship in the wake of Daniel Bryan's retirement. To be fair, it's one of Brie's better matches, but the gulf in class between the Bella-era "Diva" and the new, fresh women with previous experience on NXT is like night and day.

AJ Styles against Chris Jericho is another very good effort between the two veterans (even though this was AJ's first singles match on a WWE PPV), and it features a world-class sell-job by Jericho at the end, despite the close-call earlier on in the match which almost saw AJ dropped on his head in a set-up for the Walls Of Jericho. The Cutting Edge Peep Show segment involving Edge, Christian, The New Day and The League Of Nations starts well but soon flounders and becomes confusing more than anything as it concludes (it also has a couple of one-liners which are strange to hear on a WWE show considering the circumstances that saw Hulk Hogan fired from WWE in July 2015). An impromptu Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth match is pure filler, and the three-way main event between Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar is an enjoyable brawl, but one which has a very predictable outcome (the WM 32 WWE Title shot was at stake, after all), and an outcome which is greeted very negatively at that. Included is the Kick-Off Show match, a fun Two Out Of Three Falls showdown for the United States Title between Kalisto and Alberto Del Rio, which unfortunately officially marked the career drop-off for ADR.

The February PPV is often a tough sell due to the looming shadow of WrestleMania, and the DVD release of this particular Fast Lane card is an even tougher sell because, unlike the 2015 show which helped to promote around half-a-dozen Mania matches, this show is less successful at gearing fans up for Mania. Shane McMahon's shock return the next night on Raw (not included on this DVD) was the real trigger to get fans excited for the April 3 mega-show, and so you are probably best saving your money to buy the WM 32 DVD. There are some good matches here, but nothing that you won't have already seen before.

Overall Rating: 5/10 - Average

Payback 2015

Image Source: Amazon

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

Survivor Series 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: February 16 2015

The 2014 Survivor Series is a show of two halves, or rather two parts. Much of the first two-thirds is completely missable, with some matches being totally unworthy of being staged on any PPV event, much less a major show like Survivor Series. However, the main event - which takes up almost the entire final hour - is outstanding, with first-class booking and strong performances being topped off by a massive surprise. Therefore, the DVD for this show is a bit, well, uneven.

After a last-push promo to promote the main event opens the show (which I had completely forgotten about until revisiting it here), the card officially gets under way with an enjoyable four-team match for the WWE Tag Team Titles. This is something of a hidden gem as there's some great tag team wrestling here, and we are reminded as to how brilliant the Damien Mizdow gimmick really is. From there, though, the show falters.

The four-on-four women's match isn't up to much, and seemingly exists to allow the three-man announce team to make jokes about the history of the Survivor Series. Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt picks up steam at certain points, but the disappointing finish makes it clear that this is nothing more than a preview for their TLC match at, erm, TLC. Adam Rose and The Bunny vs. Slater Gator is short, at least, but it has no place on a major supershow; incidentally, it's bizarre seeing a bunny rabbit-clad wrestler on a show during Brock Lesnar's reign as WWE World Heavyweight Champion (even if Lesnar is absent from this card). The under card is rounded off by a (then-injured) Roman Reigns promo via satellite (yep, WWE really does want Roman to be the real face of WWE in the future), and a Divas Title match between AJ lee and Nikki Bella which lasts a matter of seconds, and brings the Brie-as-Nikki's-assistant storyline to a bizarre and, as yet, unexplained, ultimately confusing finale.

After some additional backstage segments showing each of the teams (both of which are slightly embarrassing, and why is Rusev wearing flip-flops during HHH's speech?), we finally get to the real selling point of this DVD: the battle between Team Cena and Team Authority, with the power of HHH and Stephanie McMahon at stake. This is one of the best-booked matches in WWE history, with plenty of talking points, a few surprises and some fantastic story-telling which draws the crowd in perfectly. It all crescendos with the unannounced WWE debut of Sting, which would have been the biggest moment of the year had a certain Streak not been terminated at WrestleMania XXX. Incidentally, I normally wouldn't spoil such surprises, but the DVD box art ensures that we are left in doubt that the Stinger shows up in some form at Survivors '14.

The extras consist of a short Fandango vs. Justin Gabriel match from the Kick-Off Show (which Michael Cole, attempting to promote Fandango's new gimmick, hilariously calls "incredible" when recapping it on the main card), a Bad News Barrett comeback promo from the same preview show, and a few exclusive backstage interviews. The other thing I should mention is how the frame rates and picture transitions are unusually slow during certain scenes, so if you think your DVD player is faulty, it's nothing to worry about.

Let's face it, although the four-way tag provides plenty of action, Survivor Series 2014 is a one-match show. If you haven't watched that bout, however, or if you want to relive it for historic or entertainment value, then the DVD becomes a must-see. That being said, the rest of the card is a real slog to sit through, so I'd recommend that you watch the opening bout and then skip ahead to the headline attraction. If the main event hadn't been so epic, the rating below would have been a lot lower.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Clash Of Champions 2016

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 21 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Since the second WWE brand extension came into effect in July, the Raw and SmackDown brands have experienced mixed fortunes. The blue brand has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts due to its newly-live format, its focus on highlighting all of its characters regardless of stature, despite the limited ranks, and a generally logical, wrestling-based approach. The red team, on the other hand, haven't exactly experienced a boom period: the three-hour format of the weekly show has become even more of a struggle with fewer wrestlers to mix and match with, a large number of performers have either seen their fortunes remain exactly as they were pre-Draft or enter a decline (some greater than others), and the continued focus on authority figures has ensured that fans are always expecting some sort of interference or screwiness to hinder the generally-strong efforts put forth by its talented roster.

Clash Of Champions is, in some respects, a perfect snapshot of life on Raw since the Draft (excluding the highly-enjoyable return of Goldberg, of course). The show (which is no longer called Night Of Champions since the Draft meant that all WWE prizes are no longer defended on the card; why WWE didn't acknowledge the prior WCW show Clash Of The Champions in any way despite the obvious tribute to the WCW version of Saturday Night's Main Event, and why the word "The" was trimmed from the title, leading to several performers mistakenly using the original title for the card, remain unanswered) features a number of entertaining contests, one of which is very good; but an overall stale feel to proceedings and several questionable finishes mean that the PPV doesn't meet the potential that the line-up suggested that it could.

The New Day vs, The Club is a fun opener, and acts as the strongest form of evidence yet that WWE is planning on having New Day break Demolition's long-standing WWE Tag Team Title record of a 478-day reign (which is very close to being achieved as I write this). TJ Perkins vs. Brian Kendrick for the Cruiserweight Title acts as the official introduction to Perkins for fans who hadn't watched the Cruiserweight Classic, and it works - as long as you don't expect too many thrills, spills and dives which are synonymous with cruiserweight action (which may explain why the division as a whole hasn't generated the same level of excitement that the CC did).

The highlight of the show comes next, as Cesaro and Sheamus have one hell of a battle to conclude their Best Of Seven series. That being said, Cesaro almost suffers an extremely serious neck injury towards the end, and the finish itself baffled and annoyed many on the night (storyline developments since then have slightly helped to justify the outcome here, but only slightly). Next up, Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn put on a pretty good bout, although by this point Jericho's long-admired wrestling ability had taken a back seat to his better-than-ever mic work and delusional self-aggrandisement, which has amongst other things gotten the phrase "stupid idiot", a scarf, the word "it" and, of course, the already-legendary List Of Jericho over big-time with fans.

There is something missing from the three-way match for the Women's Championship between Charlotte, Sasha Banks and Bayley. I'm not sure what it is, since all three females definitely put forth a creditable effort, but it nevertheless doesn't match the excitement of their previous NXT showdowns, also starring Becky Lynch. Rusev vs. Roman Reigns for the United States Title is enjoyable (and at least they had a proper match here, unlike at SummerSlam), as is the main event between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship (fans thankfully don't concentrate on booing the physical appearance of the title rather than the two men in the ring) but, as stated earlier, fans are basically just waiting for somebody to interfere based on the build-up - and in that respect, they are not disappointed. However, the man who everybody assumed would interfere based on how Owens became champion at Seth's expense in the first place - Triple H - doesn't show up, meaning we still wouldn't find out why HHH turned on Rollins back in August (and we actually still haven't, since HHH has still yet to reappear).

Elsewhere, we get a bonus match from the Kick-Off Show in the form of Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox, which is a lot better than people may have expected beforehand, as well as a few bonus segments/angles on the Blu-ray release from certain episodes of Raw prior to the PPV, most notably Kevin Owens' coronation as Universal Champion.

There is plenty of hard-hitting action on display here, which justifies a purchase for Clash Of Champions (particularly Cesaro vs. Sheamus, which is an awesome battle). However, the odd decision-making by the Raw creative bods concerning some finishes, and the overly-long running time, put a bit of a dampener on proceedings, especially compared to the lite-on-screwiness Backlash card held two weeks earlier involving the SmackDown crew. A fun show for sure, and there's nothing truly bad on the card at all, but far from the year's best.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

United We Slam: The Best Of The Great American Bash

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 430 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 14 2014

Similar to the WCW PPV compilation released a few months earlier, United We Slam (hosted by Dusty Rhodes in his own unique, at times confusing yet ultimately entertaining way) is a straight-forward collection of matches from the history of The Great American Bash. The artwork of the DVD is quite nice and somehow fits with the theme, and I liked the minor touches, such as the fireworks going off during transitional scenes. The DVD does not cover the WWE years (2004-2008, or 2009 when the event was simply renamed The Bash), which is probably a good thing: few fans want to relive the abomination that was the Concrete Crypt, or the excitement of the original Punjabi Prison match (I jest).

Anyway, TGAB actually began in 1985 as a tour of Jim Crockett Promotions/NWA wrestling shows held in the summer rather than a stand-alone card. Some were filmed, and some were not. Of those that did make it onto camera, we get some worthwhile action, as the DVD opens with Ric Flair defending his NWA World Title against Nikita Koloff, following a spectacular helicopter entrance for The Nature Boy. Dusty and Larry Zbyszko provide new commentary for this match, which becomes bizarre when Dusty openly states "I don't care about this match". Better is The Rock 'N' Roll Express challenging The Andersons for the Tag Team Titles in 1986, which is your typical logical and well-executed doubles outing from the mid-1980s NWA that has your classic 1980s post-match hand-slap by Rock 'N' Roll, to celebrate their, erm, non-victory (by the way, Dusty and Larry commentate on this one as well; it's worth remembering that both had announcing experience from the Nitro era of WCW). Next, it's a Flair vs. Dusty Cage match from 1986, but this has clearly the version that we had on Dusty's own DVD, released in 2006, because it has commentary from Rhodes, Steve Romero (who left WWE years ago) and Mike Graham (who passed away in 2012, nearly two years before this DVD was released). It's always amusing to hear Dusty mention his "belly-welly" though, so I'll give them a pass on that.

Then, we're taken to the first (or one of the first; the timeline is confusing) War Games match from 1987, which sees Dusty, Nikita Koloff, The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering battle The Four Horsemen and JJ Dillon in a great brawl; it makes one wish for the return of War Games in the modern era, although most followed the basic same formula and weirdly enough, the match usually ends around five minutes after the final participant enters, which nowadays would have fans shouting "Refund!" Anyway, the first disc concludes with The Road Warriors battling Sting and Lex Luger in 1988, as a part of the Bash tour but not as a part of the Bash PPV, as the show made its Pay-Per-View debut that year. Confused? Never mind. The match is alright, and we have Dusty and Larry commentating once more, with Larry randomly mentioning that he once saw Hawk slap some guy in an airport. (By the way, original match listings for this DVD had the inclusion of a Dusty/Sting vs. Road Warriors match from Starrcade 1988, which would have made no sense; fortunately, it was an error by those reporting on the DVD rather than an inexcusable mistake by the producers of this collection.)

From there, disc two brings us into the PPV era, and to the 1989 Bash, often considered one of WCW's greatest ever shows. Two reasons come on this compilation: a Sting-Great Muta clash, which is a little on the short side, and an intense Flair-Terry Funk main event, with the four aforementioned names having one hell of a post-match brawl (this would set up a tag match at Halloween Havoc later that year). Although it's a familiar match, Flair-Sting from 1990 had to be included for historical value, and it's a very good match in its own right. The 1991 Bash is skipped over, possibly because many considered it to be a dire show (even though Luger-Windham from that event made it onto WCW's Greatest PPV Matches), so we go directly to 1992 with a double-header: an entertaining tag match pitting Rick Rude and Steve Austin against Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham (the presentation of the match ending is handled clumsily by WCW), and a very enjoyable main event between Sting and Vader which has a shock outcome.

For some reason, WCW abandoned the Bash tradition in 1993 and 1994, but the card was resurrected in 1995. That being said, the Bash felt like a B-show for the next few years judging by the absence of certain key players, although '95 did feature a Ric Flair-Randy Savage clash. Flair-Savage opens disc three, but whilst entertaining, it's clear that Flair had passed his prime by this point; the match can't hold a candle to the earlier Flair-Funk showdown. The year 1996 is represented by a short yet momentous angle that saw The Outsiders attack Eric Bischoff (the great Dean Malenko-Rey Mysterio Jr match from the same event is a notable absentee), before we're taken to 1997 and a wild clash between Diamond Dallas Page and The Macho Man. From the same card (but held earlier that night), we have an awesome cruiserweight battle between Psychosis and Ultimate Dragon, which benefits from a hot-as-hell crowd, making a nice change from the WCW audiences that would generally sit in silence for most of the high-flying clashes.

After that, we have three 1998 matches: Chris Jericho vs. Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr and a dream tag match pitting Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart against Randy Savage and Roddy Piper. All three are worth watching, but they still have a slight filler feeling to them, as none are really classic encounters. Perhaps this is partly to cover the gap left by the DVD not including any matches from 1999, held at a time when WCW was firmly on the proverbial slippery slope (the most memorable part of that event was probably Sting supposedly being attacked by a bunch of dogs, which says it all really). That being said, the DVD closes with two matches from 2000, when WCW was even further in the s--t, and the booking of the final two bouts emphasise why: a needless betrayal on DDP (the third in as many WCW PPVs at the time on poor Page) and other interference overshadows the action in his Ambulance match with Mike Awesome, and a Jeff Jarrett-Kevin Nash main event is highly overbooked (the wealth of interference does provide us with perhaps the only appearance by an unmasked Rey Mysterio on a WWE DVD compilation), and ends with the ridiculous-in-hindsight Goldberg heel turn on Nash. One could say that turning its only true remaining babyface superstar into a villain was the moment when WCW entered the point of no recovery, but that probably came a month later with the Bash At The Beach 2000 fiasco. I know Goldberg loathes Vince Russo for switching him into a bad guy for no reason, and you wouldn't want to disagree with Da Man, right?

Anyway, the Bash ended along with WCW after that, but WWE brought back the Bash name in 2004 for its annual SmackDown PPV each summer. Unfortunately, the 2004 Bash was atrocious, and the 2005 Bash wasn't much better. The 2006 Bash was a slight improvement, and with all brands contributing, the 2007 and 2008 Bash cards at least provided some memorable moments. But after "Great American" was dropped, the 2009 Bash marked the end of the tradition, besides a one-night return for a random 2012 edition of SmackDown, which was hosted by Zack Ryder (don't ask). And so marked the end of The Great American Bash, unless WWE brings it back again (which it might just do, since we're apparently getting 19 PPVs a year in this Brand Extension II era).

Summarising the DVD, then: it's obvious to say, but if you were a die-hard fan of JCP/NWA/WCW, then you'll get a real kick out of reliving the matches and moments which formed the legacy of The Great American Bash. Newer fans will get a good education of why the event meant so much to fans of World Championship Wrestling, too. But I felt the WCW's Greatest PPV Matches set was superior (as it should be, when you think about it), as it boasted several matches that were true classics, whereas on this DVD, the action only reaches the "Outstanding" mark on one or two occasions; and whilst the spectacle of nWo-era WCW is always fun to watch back, the two 1997 bouts are arguably the only two really good encounters on the final disc. Nevertheless, if you're a longtime fan, you'll probably enjoy this DVD, and if nothing else, you'll get a chuckle from the random yet endearing comments made throughout by the late, great American Dream.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

WCW's Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches - Vol. 1

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 437 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 5 2014

Back in 2003 or 2004, the concept of a compilation featuring the top Pay-Per-View encounters from the rich history of WCW would have been extremely tantalising. By the time such a DVD was released in 2014, though, so many classic WCW battles had already been released and interest in the WCW brand lies solely with longtime fans wishing for a slice of nostalgia, which reduced the appeal of the three-disc set.

However, whilst the collection feels like it was released a decade too late, this is still a very enjoyable DVD compilation. Around 80-85% of the content has already been seen on past DVDs, but that fact doesn't hinder the entertainment value of this set too much.

Hosted by Booker T, the DVD begins with Ronnie Garvin vs. Ric Flair from Starrcade 1987, the first official NWA/JCP PPV (Starrcade had first aired on closed-circuit television in 1983); Booker notes that the WWF aired the inaugural Survivor Series on the same night solely to ensure that Starrcade 87 would not be a huge success. This competition would continue via television in 1988 and 1989, but that's another story. Garvin vs. Flair is okay, but the negative reaction to babyface NWA Champion Garvin is a sign that fans rejecting a top babyface was happening long before the days of John Cena and Roman Reigns. This was also held in a cage, as most Starrcade main event matches were in those early years.

Dusty Rhodes vs. Barry Windham from The Great American Bash 1988 and Dusty teaming with Sting against The Road Warriors (in a rare heel role) from Starrcade 1988 are okay, but neither can hold a candle to the first really good match on the DVD, a classic Ric Flair-Ricky Steamboat showdown from Chi-Town Rumble 1989 in the first of their epic trilogy. Given how many great WCW matches were held on PPV in 1989, Lex Luger vs. Brian Pillman from Halloween Havoc is perhaps an odd selection. Definitely worthy of inclusion is Flair vs. Sting from The Great American Bash 1990, which officially marked Sting's permanent ascendancy to the main event level and closes disc one on a high note.

Lex Luger vs. Barry Windham from The Great American Bash 1991 has a weird feel to it as it comes on the heels of Ric Flair leaving WCW; envision a WWE PPV held days after John Cena leaving the company on bad terms and you have an idea of the vibe in the air here. Even without Flair, though, WCW could still provide great supershow battles as evidenced by the next two bouts: a fantastic Jushin Liger-Brian Pillman match from Superbrawl II, and an incredible War Games between Sting's Squadron and The Dangerous Alliance at Wrestle War 1992.

Next up, we finally get an unreleased match, and it's a very violent battle between Vader and Cactus Jack from Halloween Havoc 1993, during which Vader lands with all of his weight on Cactus on the hard ramp in a spot which Mick Foley says in his first autobiography Have A Nice Day that he came up with to deliberately suffer a career-ending injury, having been so miserable in WCW at the time (as we know, Foley would continue wrestling long beyond HH 93). We then get a good Steve Austin-Ricky Steamboat clash from Bash At The Beach 1994, and there's a real big-fight feel to Flair vs. Hulk Hogan from Halloween Havoc 1994 (Muhammad Ali is in attendance for this one), although their initial meeting at BATB 94 was arguably the bigger match and thus perhaps should have been here instead.

Onto disc three and we come to a landmark match: that main event from Bash At The Beach 1996 (you know the one) which sees the official formation of the new World order. Strangely, besides making a cameo later on, we don't see Hollywood Hulk Hogan again on the main DVD, which is odd given that he is the main cover star (some would say that this isn't a bad thing). The topnotch action doesn't end there, though, as we get an intense brawl between Randy Savage and Diamond Dallas Page from Spring Stampede 1997 and the classic Eddie Guerrero-Rey Mysterio Jr battle from Halloween Havoc of the same year.

The next few matches have a filler feeling to them (Booker goes a long time between introducing bouts during this section, suggesting these matches may have been a late addition), but at least Bret Hart vs. Randy Savage (Slamboree 1998) and Chris Jericho vs. Juventud Guerrera (Road Wild 1998) are first-time releases. A more familiar match is Goldberg vs. DDP from Halloween Havoc 1998, an infamous match due to that particular PPV running overly long to the point that most fans didn't see it; re-airing it on Nitro the next night earned the show its final ratings win over Raw during The Monday Night War, but upset the fans who had already paid for the match, since this meant that millions more saw it for free.

It's telling that no matches from 1999 are included (the Blu-ray does include Savage vs. Dennis Rodman from Road Wild 99) so we jump right to Jeff Jarrett vs. Booker T at Bash At The Beach 2000, a good match overshadowed by the bizarre situation earlier that night involving Jarrett, Hogan and Vince Russo (a planned Jarrett-Hogan bout didn't happen with Jarrett laying down, Hogan walking out as if it were a shoot, and Russo cutting a genuine shoot interview on Hogan; nobody knew what was real and what wasn't, with the consensus being that Russo's promo wasn't planned and with that leading to a later lawsuit, but confusingly Hulk has since said he didn't even know Jeff would lay down despite Eric Bischoff saying that he did, so who the hell knows for certain?). The DVD ends with an exciting six-man Ladder match from Starrcade 2000 and, fittingly, the final PPV match in WCW history as Scott Steiner battles DDP at Greed in March 2001 (during which Steiner berates fans with a very offensive f-word more than once), with WCW having run its final show under WWF control eight days later.

I really enjoyed this collection a lot more than I thought I would considering that much of the content had previously been released. If you wanted to pick hairs, another Flair vs. Steamboat match, Flair vs. Terry Funk from 1989, Sting/Flair vs. The Steiners from 1991, another Rey Mysterio cruiserweight stunner and Goldberg vs. Steiner from Fall Brawl 2000 should have been included, and for historical purposes Hogan vs. Sting from Starrcade 1997 should have been here too, despite the blown finish (which is a story in itself that I'll recount another time), but one can't complain too loudly about what we get here. There is enough material in the archives to warrant a Volume Two, and the name implies that a sequel would be forthcoming, but the fact that all WCW PPVs can be viewed at one's leisure on the WWE Network makes a second release less likely.

Even if there isn't a follow-up, though, this is a great introduction to WCW for newer fans and a fun trip down memory lane for longtime followers, and a nice reminder that there was far more to the history of WCW than Nitro, The Monday Night War and the weekly adventures of the nWo.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent

WWE The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 410 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 8 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The third instalment in the Attitude Era DVD series is unique, in more ways than one. Whereas the first two sets provided a combination of unforgettable moments and some forgotten gems from Raw and PPV events, Volume 3 takes a very different approach of not only showcasing matches which have yet to be unreleased, but bouts which have never even aired. All of the matches are either "dark" matches (which take place before or after a televised event, with only the crowd getting to see what unfolds) or house show matches (bouts which take place on live events). It's an interesting format, and a chance to provide content which even the biggest fans of wrestling's most exciting era will have never seen (unless they had attended these shows, of course) - but does the concept work?

Presented by Corey Graves, who does a pretty good job of not only presenting matches but explaining the backstory to said bouts, the compilation kicks off with a Bret Hart-Steve Austin clash from Germany in April 1996. Hang on, 1996? Yes, the timeline here begins in the spring of '96, a time when the Attitude Era was still a pipe dream. Sure, we had the Goldust character, whose sexually-motivated behaviour was pushing the envelope for those who understood what was happening (which wasn't me at the time since I was only aged 7), the odd swear word was popping up in promos, and we recently had the introduction of the Spanish announcer's table gimmick (i.e. the act of putting one through said desk), along with some increasingly violent matches (such as Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel from In Your House 7). But one would not really suggest that this was the Attitude Era. It's true to say that the seeds of Attitude were being sown over the next couple of months, from the arrival of Mankind to the Austin 3:16 promo, but it wasn't until 1997 that the Attitude Era truly began (and some could argue that it wasn't official until Steve Austin won his first WWF Title at WrestleMania XIV, held in March 1998). To provide context, this opening Bret-Austin bout happened a few months before Steve's legendary 3:16 promo; his career was nearer the Ringmaster phase than it was the Texas Rattlesnake.

That quirk aside, the first disc (which solely covers 1996) is the best of the three from a match quality standpoint. Indeed, Bret vs. Austin is very good (why Austin is wearing pink wristbands, I do not know), and the first Undertaker-Mankind meeting held after the aforementioned IYH 7 is good too. Bret and Undertaker vs. Owen Hart and The British Bulldog from Kuwait is a little too focused on stalling, but it doesn't fail to entertain the fans in attendance. That same night, Austin returns to face Shawn Michaels in a strong outing, although it is hampered by the lights going out in the arena for a prolonged amount of time (which was exactly two weeks before the lights went out during the live In Your House 8 event; is it a coincidence, or should conspiracy theories arise?).

One man who very few WWF fans would have associated with the Attitude Era is The Ultimate Warrior, yet he pops up next to face Owen in a short match from Madison Square Garden on the night of the infamous Curtain Call (check out my review of the Kliq DVD for the full story; you can access it by clicking here). Austin makes his third appearance to face Undertaker in an MSG clash from August 1996, followed by Shawn Michaels bouts with Goldust and Mankind after In Your House 11 and 12 respectively. The Mankind match is okay but doesn't hold a candle to their great (televised) match at IYH 10, whilst the Goldust match is most notable for Shawn grabbing Goldust's penis more than once. Seriously. (Does that count as Attitude Era content?)

Onto disc two, and we enter 1997 with a nice little gem: a three-way between Psycho Sid, Bret and Shawn, held after an episode of Raw in Toronto SkyDome. I should point out that this happened just before Shawn "lost his smile" and vacated the WWF Title under the proviso of a supposedly career-ending knee injury, which many took as a cover for him refusing to lose to Sid that night (Thursday Raw Thursday) and to Hart at WrestleMania 13. In his book Heartbreak and Triumph, Shawn notes that his knee was hurt in - wait for it - a three-way against Sid and Bret. So, might this have been the match which proves that in actual fact Shawn was correct, and that those accusing him of lying were in fact wrong? (Personally, I think that Shawn was hurt, but not so severely that he couldn't have continued wrestling; that he returned to action in May '97 without undergoing any surgery speaks volumes.) Incidentally, Triple Threat matches had yet to be broadcast on WWF television, making this main event even neater.

Since 1997 was the year in which the WWF product almost completely transformed, it's odd that the next match doesn't occur for nearly 11 months: after the final Raw of '97, we have a decent eight-man scrap pitting Austin (by now a super-over babyface en route to the top), Undertaker, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie (Terry Funk only debuted his Chainsaw character earlier that night on Raw) against The Nation Of Domination. After that, it's The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock in an Intercontinental Title showdown a few weeks before WM XIV, and then two MSG clashes from the weekend before Mania, as Cactus faces Badd Ass Billy Gunn in a Falls Count Anywhere match, and Austin takes on Triple H (that the still-partially-injured Austin competed one week before the biggest WWF match for almost a decade, where he would face a severely-injured titleholder in Shawn, was a big risk for the WWF to take in my opinion). Strangely, the compilation jumps ahead 15 months to June 1999 and an okay Big Show-HHH match, before a short doubles outing with The Dudley Boyz facing T&A in Times Square (this free event marked the WWF entering the New York stock market) in October 2000. And that's it. Wait, that's it? It's only disc two! Only WrestleMania events end on disc two, right?

Yes, but not to worry, because the remaining disc includes bonus matches (not sure why they weren't all presented in one big feature as is the norm, but okay). We have Yokozuna vs. The Sultan from South Africa, Austin vs. Goldust (which was also held after IYH 12; as both were heels, the fans have no idea who to cheer for), Taker teaming with Ahmed Johnson and (a now-babyface) Goldust against The Nation just before WM 13; Austin-Undertaker again from June 1997; Shawn and HHH facing The Legion Of Doom; Austin and Cactus battling Rock and D'Lo Brown (by which point Austin is mega-over); Austin siding with Cactus and Chainsaw against HHH and The New Age Outlaws en route to Mania XIV; another Austin-HHH clash the week before their MSG main event (which is almost exactly the same match move-for-move); Austin against Undertaker once more from June '99 in MSG; and The Hardyz against Lo Down from the aforementioned Times Square show.

The DVD has some nice touches, such as the Raw backstage backdrop during Corey's links, and some GTV clips to provide Graves' intros to some bouts. It also carries over the menu theme song from the first two sets (even if the lyrics are largely inaudible). And those who bought the Attitude Era book in late 2015 will notice that the artwork between the book and this DVD are extremely similar (in fact, with some pre-orders, you can get a mini-version of said book with this set). The most obvious trait to the bouts, though, are the lack of commentary throughout and the regular "fan cam" angles that footage was shot through during matches. The colour balance becomes inconsistent, so one moment the match is clear as day, and the next minute, it looks like someone has filmed it on their phone. However, the camera angles become a real hindrance near the end of disc three.

I get that multi-man matches on live events, where you only have one camera, can be hard to film. But that doesn't excuse how much of the action in the Austin/Cactus vs. Rock/D'Lo, Austin/Cactus/Chainsaw vs. HHH/NAO and Austin/HHH matches on the final disc is not seen. We'll see Austin attacking D'Lo whilst hearing the crowd react to Cactus and Rock exchanging weapon blows, without knowing what actually happened. We'll watch the action in the ring, and then suddenly see shots of the fans for around 20 seconds, completely ignoring the matches. Worst of all, the cameraman actually misses the Stone Cold Stunner which wins Austin and Cactus their match against Rock and D'Lo. Seriously, Stone Cold is primarily known for one move, and everybody knows that he wins 99% of his matches with the Stunner. But somehow the cameraman chose to film ringside shenanigans instead of Austin Stunnering Rock (and the interfering Kama Mustafa) and the actual three-count to clinch the victory. Through years of watching WWE DVDs, I have never seen anything like this. When fans complain today that there are too many camera angles of the action on Raw or SmackDown, just be glad that in the vast majority of cases, at least you can see what is happening, and that the actual finishing moves and closing sequences are not ignored, as is the case here. Sure, it was a house show, but imagine being Austin or Rock watching that back and thinking "where the hell is the finish?"

That gripe aside, I found this to be a very unusual and ultimately entertaining compilation. If you're expecting action to the level of that time period's greatest matches, then don't; remember that the standards when the cameras are not (technically) on are very different to when they are on. And, to be honest, this demonstrates very few of the traits which made the Attitude Era so memorable; the stars are here, but the sets are low-key, the pyrotechnics are minimal, there is no sexual content outside of Goldust's antics, the violence is pretty basic, and the colourful language is only occasional. So, as a representation of Attitude, this may not be the best example (especially with a third of the set being devoted to 1996).

But don't take these comments as a criticism, because this does represent the era perfectly if you were lucky enough to attend Raw tapings or house shows while the WWF product was at its hottest. This was the WWF live event experience during the Attitude Era, and besides Kane (who is oddly absent) and a couple of others like Chris Jericho and Edge and Christian, all of the key players from that unforgettable period of history are present. And there are some pretty good matches too, particularly on disc one involving Bret, Austin and Shawn. Furthermore, as noted earlier, unless you were in attendance at any of these shows, then you will have never, ever seen the matches included here, and it raises the question as to how many more hidden gems are in the WWE archives? If we assume that all events are filmed, even if only on one basic camera, there could be thousands, if not tens of thousands.

So, if you loved the Attitude Era, or if you're keen to get an insight into how popular the big names of the era were, and if you're interested in watching some rare gems, then you'll get a kick out of this third Attitude Era compilation. Just try not to dwell on the time period being covered and definitely try to ignore the occasionally-frustrating camera angles, and you should enjoy this collection.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable