DVD Review: Royal Rumble 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 211 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: March 20 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The marketing slogan "Remember The Rumble" was used to promote the 30th annual Royal Rumble, which would arguably be the biggest in history as the show returned to the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas with a star-studded line-up across the board. Ultimately, the Rumble will be remembered for reasons good and bad, more positive than negative, as this DVD reaffirms.

Kicking off with Charlotte vs. Bayley for the Raw Women's Championship, the opener is a good one and it marks a refreshing change from the Charlotte-Sasha Banks battles on Raw (this is the first televised match for said title which doesn't involve Sasha since Extreme Rules way back in May, believe it or not). The result is logical, despite Bayley's popularity, although events since the Rumble suggest that the outcome was a bit pointless, since the title change that many assumed was being saved for WrestleMania, and ultimately was not, could have made for a big moment here at the Rumble.

Next up, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns put on a powerful brawl for the Universal Championship, with Chris Jericho trapped above the ring in a shark cage. It's another reminder that Reigns is a strong worker despite the negativity surrounding him (more on that later), and on a personal note, since the WWE Network feed continuously entered buffering mode during the original live presentation (one such instance included the most significant spot of the entire match), the second viewing here is far more enjoyable. Rich Swann defends the Cruiserweight Championship against Neville in the following bout, which is a pretty good, hard-hitting Cruiser battle, although it still doesn't quite match expectations that fans have held for the division, which is largely down to the decision-makers rather than the combatants. Fortunately, some sterling Cruiser bouts in recent weeks suggest that things may be on the up for the purple-roped grapplers.

Before the main event, AJ Styles and John Cena rekindle their already-famous rivalry in a superb WWE Championship match. I'm not sure if this is superior to their previous SummerSlam classic or not, but the high stakes and the dome setting, combined with tremendous heat and outstanding performances make for one of the best WWE Championship encounters in years. With AJ seeking a fourth major win over Cena and the challenger looking to win his 16th World Title to (supposedly) tie Ric Flair's long-standing record, this is one hell of a match which, in any other yeay, may have been saved for WrestleMania. As it is, it makes for a more-than-worthy bout on this stage, and as an early contender for Match Of The Year in WWE (to prevent people making comparisons with clashes from NJPW Wrestle Kingdom XI, a debate that I don't have enough time to enter into), it's a must-see match. It's further evidence of how good AJ is, as well as demonstrating once and for all that Cena can damn sure wrestle, especially in big-match situations.

And so we come to the Rumble match. On the whole, it's a good Rumble match, the best since 2010 in my opinion. With quite a few big-name entrants as well as some other cool spots, surprising eliminations and first-time appearances, along with some minor surprises, all within the Alamodome environment, it's one of the more memorable Rumble bouts, and it also does a fine job of setting up several key matches for WrestleMania 33. The inevitable Brock Lesnar-Goldberg interaction (following on from their short yet unforgettable Survivor Series showdown) is effective, and enough notable spots are dotted throughout to keep one's interest. Where the Rumble faltered was in its final moments.

Now, I don't like to give spoilers but, considering how big the Rumble is, there's a good chance that you already know what I'm about to say so it isn't spilling the beans really. Even on second viewing, WWE tossing in Roman Reigns as #30 was an awful decision. It made no storyline sense (why would the anti-Authority babyface - or supposed babyface - be given a chance to enter the Rumble having lost his big title match, but AJ Styles was not?), it deflated the crowd both in San Antonio and watching at home (fans are leaving on camera, in droves, shortly after Reigns arrives but before the match ends), and it was a waste of the coveted #30 spot (fans were expecting some sort of big surprise since every announced entrant had already come in). I realise it was partially designed to set up his Mania match with The Undertaker but, if that was WWE's intention, Roman should have come in at #29, and Taker could have been an unannounced entry at #30 (announcing his participation beforehand didn't make a big difference, and it would have provided nice symmetry since Taker was #30 in the previous two San Antonio Rumbles in 1997 and 2007, the latter of which he won). The other explanation (trolling the WWE audience to make them believe another Roman win was coming, and/or to generate the "right" reaction for what was ultimately the real outcome) is essentially an acknowledgement from WWE that Roman as a babyface does not work, which begs the question: why not turn the man heel? Unless WWE plans to make Roman a villain in his WM feud with Taker, it makes for a real head-scratcher. At least the fans weren't chanting for Daniel Bryan this time.

The other complaint about the Rumble at the time, which is less apllicable upon second viewing, is the lack of major surprises. There are some unexpected entrants which I won't spoil here (Reigns aside), but fans were hoping for someone of true consequence to make a stunning debut or return. Even when you understand why those names didn't appear (Kurt Angle isn't returning until the Hall Of Fame and may not wrestle again in WWE; Finn Balor was still injured; Samoa Joe was being saved for Raw the next night; Kenny Omega wasn't contractually able to appear even if he was planning to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling for real, which he isn't), WWE could have still given us a nostalgic appearance by, say, X-Pac or Ken Shamrock or even Hillbilly Jim, rather than negating one of the Rumble's key elements. Of course, Reigns being a late surprise is like having your birthday party turn into a surprise dentist's appointment, given how much the crowd loathe his character. As stated earlier, Reigns is very good in the ring, but his character is a mess, so him appearing was always going to dampen the end of this contest. (On a personal note, I would have enjoyed the Rumble result far more had Dave Meltzer not given away the outcome days earlier which spread on social media like wildfire; that's not a criticism of this DVD, since it's a second viewing, nor of the match as a whole, since it wasn't WWE that gave away the result, but it's a reminder that those who wish to avoid spoilers may have to sidestep social media altogether next year if they want to watch the Rumble without having the winner revealed in advance.)

It's a shame that the ending to the Rumble match left such a negative feeling in one's mouth because, despite the downsides taking up more line space than the upsides, this was a really enjoyable Rumble match on the whole, and capped off one of the better all-round Rumble events in history. In fact, if the final moments of the Rumble - or more specifically, the final entrant - had been more satisfying, this probably would have been considered the greatest Rumble event of all-time. As it is, the rug is pulled out in the final minutes, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that this was a fun Pay-Per-View event to watch, boasting a classic match, several very good bouts and a Rumble main event that was undoubtedly memorable.

With the exception of the Rumble match's closing minutes, this is a great WWE supershow to own, and it marks a strong start to the year on Pay-Per-View for WWE. It remains to be seen how all of the intertwining storylines will culminate at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando, Florida on Sunday April 2 but, in the meantime, Royal Rumble 2017 is a fine way to help set the stage for WM, and makes for a very entertaining wrestling DVD.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

DVD Preview: Royal Rumble 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For 30 years, Royal Rumble has been a stepping stone for superstars to rise to legendary status by getting the chance to headline WrestleMania. Which superstar from Raw or SmackDown will take their career to the next level? “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles and John Cena write the next chapter in their historic rivalry in a match for the WWE World Championship. WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens faces challenger Roman Reigns with Kevin Owens’ best friend suspended high above the ring in a shark cage! And WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair looks to extend her famed Pay-Per-View winning streak against Bayley! Buckle up, because we are now on The Road To WrestleMania!

Synopsis:

Match Listing:

30-Man Royal Rumble Match

WWE Championship Match
AJ Styles (Champion) vs. John Cena

Universal Championship No Disqualification Match (Chris Jericho suspended above the ring in a shark cage)
Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. Roman Reigns

Raw Women's Championship Match
Charlotte Flair (Champion) vs. Bayley

Cruiserweight Championship Match
Rich Swann (Champion) vs. Neville

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

We like it because:

Royal Rumble kicks off every year with a huge bang. It’s arguably the most anticipated night in the WWE calendar, as fans wait for the thrills and surprises of the Royal Rumble match - not to mention finding out who will go on to main event WrestleMania!

Royal Rumble 2017 is particularly historic, returning to San Antonio’s huge Alamodome - the very building where Shawn Michaels became WWE Champion and Stone Cold Steve Austin won his very first Royal Rumble 20 years earlier.

And the action more than lives up to the scale and significance of the event.

John Cena and AJ Styles dazzle once again in an electric match, the final chapter in what will be remembered as one of the all-time great rivalries.

There’s a hard-hitting brawl between Universal Champion Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns, who put their bodies on the line in a vicious No Disqualification match - and you won’t believe the shock ending!

There’s more thrilling action in the Raw Women’s Championship and Cruiserweight Championship matches, plus the Royal Rumble itself - one of the greatest Rumble matches in the event’s illustrious history.

With surprise entries, shocking eliminations and earth-shattering collisions between WWE’s biggest superstars, this is one not to be missed!

Royal Rumble 2017 will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday March 20 2017.

For more information, click here.

Royal Rumble 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 169 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 15 2013

Kicking off the year in WWE on PPV, Royal Rumble delivered a memorable main event with an outcome that seemed inconceivable just a short time ago, and some decent action elsewhere which makes for a fun DVD to watch.

The opening Last Man Standing match between Alberto Del Rio and Big Show is perhaps slightly inferior to their previous LMS meeting on SmackDown a few weeks earlier, but it's still entertaining nonetheless. Team Hell No vs. Team Rhodes Scholars is okay, and we then jump ahead to the Royal Rumble match itself. It's not the best Rumble by any means, but it does deliver some nice surprises and is overall superior to the 2012 effort.

Whether you appreciate CM Punk vs. The Rock depends on you as a fan, really. Some will understand that the match itself and its outcome were sensible, business-wise. Others will cry foul that Punk's historic 434-day reign gets - well - Rocked, so to speak, due to his part-time status. Assuming that you just take it for what it is, Punk vs. Rock is enjoyable and has a pretty dramatic finale, and is a historic and star-studded attraction after all. Also included is the pre-show match, pitting Antonio Cesaro against The Miz.

To be fair, most fans will get the DVD of Royal Rumble anywa, due to its legacy and its rich history. That being said, the 2013 edition should definitely entertain you, and similar to the match of the same name, it is an improvement on what we saw in 2012.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

Royal Rumble 2014

Image Source: Amazon

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

Royal Rumble 2015

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 188 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 6 2015

I won't beat about the bush here: Royal Rumble 2015 is remembered for the very good and the very bad. One match is exceptional, whilst the other is so poorly-booked, one would assume upon first glance that it was a p-ss-take. Therefore, the DVD experience is undoubtedly interesting, but by no means fulfilling.

Let's begin with the good: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins is incredible; one of the best Triple Threat matches in WWE history, and an early contender for Match Of The Year. The Kick-Off match included as an extra - Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. The New Day - exceeds expectations, partly due to a red-hot crowd. And the Rumble match itself is not entirely without merit, with some surprise appearances by DDP, The Boogeyman and, particularly, Bubba Ray Dudley (in the ECW hometown of Philadelphia, no less), and a couple of notable spots scattered throughout the match. But the praise ends there.

The opening three matches on the main card are all doubles outings but, whilst The Usos vs. The Miz and Damien Mizdow benefits from Mizdow's brilliant impressions of Miz, even this, nor The Ascension vs. The New Age Outlaws and The Bellas vs. Paige and Natalya, are up to much. And the Rumble match is a booking disaster once Daniel Bryan is eliminated in sudden, anticlimactic and deeply unsatisfying fashion. The rest of the Rumble match is tarnished due to widespread boos and a lack of excitement, with things going into overdrive once Kane and Big Show dispatch of everybody, bar Roman Reigns, ensuring a predictable let-down of a finish. Even an appearance by The Rock can't save this highly-panned match (and Rock seems uncharacteristically mean, even by the standards of his gimmick, during a post-match interview with Roman on the post-show which is included as an extra, along with a short John Cena-Rusev confrontation).

Besides the must-see 3-way match (which will no doubt be available on other compilations in future), nothing here is worth going out of your way to see unless you want a first-hand look at how not to book a major match. Take away the WWE Title match and the lowish rating would be even smaller.

Overall Rating: 5/10 - Average

The True Story Of The Royal Rumble

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 437 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: December 5 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The Royal Rumble match is arguably the most anticipated WWE encounter of the entire year, more so even than the main event of WrestleMania. The potential for big moments, elevation of younger talent, surprise returns or debuts, shock eliminations, face/heel turns, unexpected square-offs and more, along with the guarantee for the Rumble winner to earn a World Title shot at Mania (usually, anyway), all combine to create a match that has seen its legacy grow over the years, especially during the modern era where fans know so much of what will happen long before it hits the screen. The Rumble match remains unpredictable, where the key layers are a closely-guarded secret and almost anything can happen.

Therefore, when it was announced that WWE would be producing a DVD/Blu-ray essentially detailing the inside story of the Royal Rumble, it sounded like the most exciting home video project in ages. With almost three decades of history to wade through, including some of the most memorable moments ever in WWE, along with the chance to learn more about some of the Rumble's most hotly-debated or controversial incidents, this (like the match on which it is based) seemed like a must-see compilation, especially since it would include a bunch of standout matches, including both Rumble bouts and battles held at the Rumble PPV (if that makes sense).

Unfortunately, the main feature doesn't quite meet its potential. It is undoubtedly entertaining, clocking in at just under 75 minutes, and analysing the roots of the Rumble match and some of its core elements and unforgettable moments, as well as providing a cool behind-the-scenes look throughout the day of the 2016 Rumble match. We get plenty of classic archive footage, all of the Rumble's most pivotal incidents are shown, and there are lots of contributions from a variety of talking heads about their Rumble experiences and thoughts. So, it is definitely a fun watch.

However, the name "True Story" suggests that we'd be getting a real analysis of the finer details of the Rumble match and its history, and in that respect the documentary is a disappointment. After a confusing start (it feels like the main feature starts three different ways; once you watch it, you'll know what I mean), We do hear from Pat Patterson at the beginning about how he came up with the Rumble concept, his initially-unsuccessful pitching of the match to Vince McMahon and how, almost to Vince's amusement, Pat pitched the idea once more to NBC bigwig Dick Ebersol, who took the chance to promote the Rumble match as a live special on NBC in 1988, and was so successful that it hit Pay-Per-View the following year. It's also cool that the feature acknowledges that there were "trial run" Rumbles

From there, though, aside from the odd trivia nugget here and there, we get almost nothing that matches the "True Story" name. Yes, we're guided through a lot of important moments, but the back-stories are not provided. For instance, the feature acknowledges the heavy boos received by 2014 winner Batista and 2015 winner Roman Reigns, and that fans wanted Daniel Bryan to win on both occasions (he wasn't even entered in the 2014 match, much to the chagrin of the fans), but it's so vague that we aren't given much context, nor are we told that Bryan ultimately ended up in the WWE Title picture at WrestleMania XXX and was victorious that night. There is some intriguing backstage footage after Roman's victory, but the impression we're given is that the fans were in the wrong, not WWE for its poor handling of the '15 (or '14) matches, and that this was the only time when Reigns received boos despite his babyface status (the last two years provides evidence to the contrary). Also, we're shown the infamous 1994 ending when Bret Hart and Lex Luger both went out at the same time, but we're not told why the WWF decided to have a double-winner scenario (it was essentially a popularity test to determine whether Hart or Luger was the fan's preferred top babyface, a contest easily won by the Hitman). Admittedly, we are given a breakdown into the accidental repeat of this outcome in 2005 involving Batista, John Cena and Vince McMahon tearing his quadriceps, but these discussions are few and far between. Part of the Rumble's appeal is determining who the WWF/WWE straps the proverbial rocket to and why, but the documentary doesn't provide enough insight into such decisions. Other aspects of Rumble's history aren't explored either, such as the reason why the Rumble aired in the first place (to compete with the NWA/JCP PPV event Bunkhouse Stampede) or why the Rumble field stretched to 40 participants in 2011. (Might this happen again in 2017 now that we have a brand split again, and with the 2017 event likely to last four hours?)

Obviously, WWE will only take the "insider" aspect of discussing its product to a certain level, meaning that shoot comments provided by the likes of Jim Cornette and Vince Russo are not going to pop up anytime soon on a WWE release. But there's so many fascinating Rumble tales that fans have heard about over the years, from Mr. Perfect supposedly having his moment of glory prevented by Hulk Hogan more than once at the beginning of the 1990s, to Bret Hart originally being pegged as the 1997 winner, to Mil Mascaras wanting to take the credit for his own elimination in the same match, to some accidental eliminations down the years (Steve Austin went out earlier than he should have in 1996, as did Alex Riley in 2011), as well as loads of situations which are bound to have arisen over the course of the Rumble's history that we don't know about, and yet none of those are brought up here. With the exception of Kevin Nash/Diesel explaining why he didn't toss out Dolph Ziggler as planned in 2011, there aren't any interesting tales from Rumble matches which fans won't already know about.

The other issue is that, too often, the contributors discuss the Rumble match as it is a real sporting contest. I don't want to spoil the illusion for any readers, but let's face it: in 2016/2017, only a small minority of fans won't realise that the Rumble match is not a genuine competition, where the entrants legitimately try to fight for their survival. Considering that this is meant to be an insider look at the Rumble match rather than stepping into a wrestler's footsteps from a storyline perspective, the fact that this angle is taken when breaking down certain aspects of the big battle royal is pretty annoying. Nobody would mind someone on Raw or SmackDown talking in such a manner, but not on a documentary at a time when anyone who Googles "Royal Rumble" will find very few links which suggest that the Rumble match is, you know, real.

As stated, though, there's still a lot of entertainment to be found. Clips of almost every match are shown at some point, even if some are extremely brief (we get mere seconds of the 2004 match, likely due to Chris Benoit winning it from the #1 position no less, even though he turns up during the 2007 match that is included as an extra). Everything from Shawn Michaels' one-foot escape at the end of the 1995 bout to Kofi Kingston's miraculous and increasingly-crazy methods of avoiding elimination to Santino Marella's one-second stint in the 2009 match are shown, along with other iconic moments like Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior having a square-off in the 1990 bout. The WrestleMania connection is occasionally explored, most notably during a Roddy Piper segment where he explains the back-story to his eventual Intercontinental Title clash with Bret Hart at WM VIII, set up by his title win over The Mountie at Rumble 1992, in a rare moment of the feature providing some genuine insight into what went on behind the scenes. The matches held on the Rumble card itself also get coverage, and there's a surprising amount of detail on the bloody Street Fight between Cactus Jack and Triple H from 2000, considering the collection's PG rating in the States. I would have liked a bit of analysis of the 1999 I Quit match between Mankind and The Rock (the one where Mankind was pretty much bludgeoned in front of his wife and his then-young kids), but you can't have everything. It's fun to revisit some of the Rumble's most memorable surprises over the years, as well as some of the strangest or most shocking "only-at-the-Rumble" moments (like when the virtually-forgotten Maven eliminated The Undertaker in 2002). And don't get me wrong, there is a good level of insight on certain parts of the Rumble's history, such as the accidental finish to the 2000 match where The Rock genuinely did have his feet hit the floor before Big Show (this was before the majority of fans understood the inner workings of the business, so fans weren't too fussed that their babyface hero kind of cheated to win the thing). But more moments like this would have made the documentary a true classic; as it is, the fascinating discussions are few and far between.

As well as the main feature and some bonus stories, we get a generous selection of additional matches, including a few full-length Rumble bouts. Starting with these, the 1988 match - the first to be televised - is an appropriate place to start and, whilst a bit basic, is a good way to kick off the annual tradition. Surprisingly, the 1992 bout - considered the best ever by many, although I have a soft spot for the star-studded 1990 encounter - isn't here, although it has been released a few times before, so I can overlook this decision. Instead, we jump ahead to the often-forgotten 1994 bout (besides its finish, few ever discuss what happened in this match), which is an interesting look back at the WWF in the aftermath of the Hulkamania-led boom period. It also shows how fan reactions had changed, even back then: during the '88 match, fans react massively to every elimination, and cheer every face and boo every heel as if their lives depended on it. By '94, the reactions are still mostly to the WWF's liking, but it's no longer a case where they will do as they're told, so to speak, in a slight precursor to future events.

The next Rumble match is another one which doesn't get a lot of discussion nowadays, and yet it's one of the top ten, in my opinion. That would be the 2001 match which contains a few surprise entrants, a strong performance by Kane (which set a record for eliminations that wouldn't be beaten until 2014, by Roman Reigns), plenty of big names and a very dramatic conclusion which acts as step one towards Steve Austin's shocking heel turn at WrestleMania that year. The last Rumble match included, at least amongst the "proper" bouts (as I will explain shortly), is the 2007 match, which has a great finale between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, but is short on surprises and action besides that, which is why I feel that it's a bit overrated by those who insist it was one of the best ever judged solely on the final few minutes.

It's interesting to look at what makes a good Rumble match. There needs to be a few contenders who have a genuine chance of winning, but having one who fans really want to win always helps (assuming that he actually does win, of course). There should be a good 5-10 entrants who could feasibly win, but who realistically won't, just to ensure that the winner's triumph won't be a cakewalk. A few young stars who have no chance of winning, but can benefit from the experience (or to be a part of an unflattering spot like a quick elimination to make a top contender look strong) are welcome. And a couple of surprises, including a debut, a major return and a dose of nostalgic fun, ensure that the fans are kept on their toes. It also helps to have a couple of unusual spots (like when R-Truth tried climbing a ladder in the '16 bout, thinking it was a Money In The Bank Ladder match), some shock eliminations, and of course a signature Kofi Kingston close escape. A few unexpected confrontations and a handful of major angles or twists and turns (think the Mick Foley/Randy Orton fight during the 2004 match) round off the overall package, and all or most of these elements are generally present during the most fondly-remembered Rumble matches. That this formula hasn't been adhered to so much over the last few years could explain why certain matches received negative feedback from fans.

Elsewhere on the compilation, there are additional non-Rumble matches. The Rockers vs. The Orient Express from 1991 is an excellent doubles match featuring some great tag spots (and some 1980s/1990s cheese, such as Marty Jannetty celebrating because he was tagged in!). Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt Slaughter from the same event is less exciting, but does play a pivotal role in setting up the two top matches at WrestleMania VII. Shawn Michaels vs. Psycho Sid from 1997 is enjoyable, and is interesting to watch as it marks the final stages of the New Generation before the WWF would completely transform its product for the Attitude Era.

Kurt Angle vs. Tazz from 2000 is short, but plays before a huge reaction from the Madison Square Garden crowd to the Human Suplex Machine (Tazz has told how the massive reaction here to his WWF debut, as a non-WWF creation, and almost injuring Angle with one suplex during the match both meant that he felt he was basically doomed in the company after this promising start). Rounding things off are The Rock vs. CM Punk from 2013 (the outcome of which offended many so-called "smark" fans, even though it made sense from a business standpoint; I won't say why as that would spoil the outcome) and Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch from this past year's Rumble, which certainly marks a step-up for the women from the days when Mae Young almost stripped naked at the 2000 Rumble (the mental scars of which will always remain with those who saw that "incident"). Incidentally, Ric Flair kissing Becky during the match is removed, even though it was included on the original DVD of the 2016 RR. Some may be disappointed that there are only a few bonus matches, but bear in mind that most Rumble encounters are generally between 45 minutes and an hour, so including four of them here leaves a lot less room for "normal" bouts.

I mentioned earlier about "proper" Rumbles, those being the ones held on PPV each year. That's because WWE has occasionally held smaller-scale Rumble matches on television. Two of those are included here as Blu-ray exclusives: a 15-man SmackDown Rumble from 2004, and a 7-man Raw Rumble from 2011. (There was also a Tag Team Royal Rumble from Raw in 1998, and a Corporate Rumble involving Corporation and DX members from Raw in 1999, but they aren't included here.) The other Blu-ray exclusives are Duke Droese vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a qualifying match for the 1996 Rumble on a show named Free For All (this particular FFA was the first ever "official" pre-show to a WWF/WWE PPV event, by the way), and an interview with Shawn Michaels, conducted by Booker T, prior to the 2015 Rumble. I would have liked to see the Countdown show from the Network which ran through ten top Rumble moments, but you can't have everything.

Summing this collection up, the documentary has its moments but doesn't come close to meeting its potential; that being said, it's definitely an entertaining feature to watch, despite its flaws and general lack of insight, considering its near-30 year history. The bonus matches have plenty of highlights, and the four Rumble matches included all have a good reason to be here, either for historic value or for simply being very exciting to see. Overall, then, it's a fun set which will definitely be worth adding as part of your viewing schedule prior to the next Royal Rumble match, which comes towards the end of next month. Just don't expect to learn the "True Story" of what is WWE's most anticipated annual match.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

The True Story Of The Royal Rumble coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For nearly 30 years, both WWE Superstars and WWE Universe members alike begin their Road to WrestleMania at Royal Rumble! An over-the-top-rope free-for-all battle where the winner is given a one-way ticket to the Showcase of the Immortals. For the first time ever, WWE brings you behind-the-scenes to get the unique story of the monumental January event from those who created it and the Superstars who have competed in the Royal Rumble match. Get all the history, get all the stories, and learn The True Story Of The Royal Rumble!

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Royal Rumble 1991 – January 19 1991
The Rockers vs. The Orient Express

Royal Rumble 1994 – January 22 1994
Royal Rumble Match

Royal Rumble 1997 – January 19 1997
WWE Championship Match
Psycho Sid vs. Shawn Michaels

Royal Rumble 2000 – January 23 2000
Tazz vs. Kurt Angle

Royal Rumble 2001 – January 21 2001
Royal Rumble Match

Royal Rumble 2013 - January 27 2013
WWE Championship Match
CM Punk vs. The Rock

Royal Rumble 2016 - January 24 2016
WWE Divas Championship Match
Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Plus more action, extras and Blu-ray exclusives!

We like it because:

The Royal Rumble is arguably WWE’s greatest ever creation – one of the most exciting matches to ever take place inside a WWE ring and the all-important starting point on The Road to WrestleMania.

This set features a fantastic selection of matches, including some of the best editions of the 30-man, over-top-rope Rumble, plus exciting singles and tag team action from the Pay-Per-View event.

Most interesting, though, is the documentary and the candid interviews looking at the Royal Rumble match itself – its creation, its most dramatic moments, and the Superstars who won it and went on to make WWE history.

For new and longtime fans alike, this DVD and Blu-ray set is a fascinating and important look at one of sports-entertainment’s greatest ever stories!

The True Story Of The Royal Rumble will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday December 5 2016.

For more information, click here.

Royal Rumble 2016

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: March 21 2016

(To read a full event review of WWE Royal Rumble 2016, click here.)

The 29th annual Royal Rumble's greatest achievement was arguably that the Rumble match itself was better and more well-received than the previous two Rumbles, the backlash to which bordered on riot-level after the omission of Daniel Bryan in 2014 and his early elimination in 2015, along with wins for Batista and Roman Reigns. That aside, there's still enough entertainment on offer that you should enjoy the Rumble '16 DVD.

After a short segment that shows The McMahons arriving at the arena (as brief as it is, Vince McMahon is nevertheless on comedy form here), the Rumble PPV kicks off with a very good Dean Ambrose-Kevin Owens Last Man Standing match, one of Ambrose's best WWE battles to date. Following that, The New Day vs. The Usos is decent, although the fan reaction to the then-heel New Day borders on ridiculously positive, given that John Cena or Roman Reigns (more on him later) would be booed out of the building if they behaved in the same fashion.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Kalisto is alright to watch; that being said, Kalisto's second upset United States Title win over ADR arguably marked the moment when Del Rio's career entered a real decline, since the momentum generated by his upset win over Cena at Hell In A Cell 2015 appeared to have been squandered. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch isn't quite as good as you would perhaps expect, but it is still watchable nonetheless. Two titbits here: as crude as it was, a spectator doing a certain arm-signal (in a joking fashion) to show his displeasure for Charlotte made me laugh, and Ric Flair's forced kiss on Becky during the match is present, despite it being taken out of the Network replay of Rumble, which is interesting.

The Rumble match itself has plenty of highlights, not least the debut of The Phenomenal One himself, AJ Styles. I won't divulge too much here for those who haven't watched the Rumble match yet (although the DVD sleeve is a giant hint, and a reason why the DVD department need their heads checking), but as mentioned earlier, the reaction to the match was more positive than it had been for a few years, which is a good thing, right? Not for Reigns, though, the booking of whom made the initial boos to him twice as loud, and arguably Reigns hasn't recovered from the presentation of his character yet, despite his success in WWE continuing beyond this show. The only DVD extra is a filler four-way tag qualifier for the Rumble match, which achieves nothing given how poor the winners would ultimately perform in the big match.

So, should you buy this DVD? Well, I can recommend it as an overall programme more than the previous couple of Rumbles, but it is far from the best Rumble match that you will see. If you have a few quid to spare, it's not a bad show to invest in, but if you only buy a few WWE DVDs a year, you may want to save your money for the WrestleMania three-disc compilation.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay