DVD Review: WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 547 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 8 2018

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Once again, WWE has provided a round-up of what it considers to be the top PPV matches of the previous year on DVD. And once again, the final two months of the year are omitted, presumably due to the timing of its release (meaning that such crackers as Brock Lesnar vs. AJ Styles from Survivor Series are ignored), but it's clear that this will not change anytime soon. So, let's move onto what IS here - because there's plenty to cherish.

Not least the first match on the set, which to me is the best WWE match of the entire year; AJ Styles and John Cena put on a terrific performance at Royal Rumble with the WWE Title at stake, with over 52,000 spectators looking on. Next, we get a hidden gem in Randy Orton vs. (a pre-Bludgeon Brothers) Luke Harper from Elimination Chamber, and an outstanding Chamber contest for the WWE crown, which sees Bray Wyatt temporarily take his place as SmackDown's top dog.

The focus then shifts to WrestleMania 33, with three memorable yet very different matches. AJ shines again opposite Shane McMahon in the unexpected show-stealer. John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse exists purely to set up Cena's proposal to Nikki after the match, and to be honest, the bout doesn't belong on this particular DVD. Better is the short yet blistering brawl between Goldberg and Brock Lesnar, which concluded their feud on a high. It's interesting that The Undertaker's last match against Roman Reigns (which headlined Mania) isn't here. Might this be a hint that Taker plans to wrestle one more time?

As for Reigns: he pops up next to face Braun Strowman at Payback as part of their superb rivalry. This follows the Bayley-Alexa Bliss clash from the same show, which elevated Bliss to the position of Raw's #1 female, while unfortunately beginning Bayley's rapid decline. Jinder Mahal's shock WWE Title win over Randy Orton from Backlash is next, and whilst not a great match, it's probably the pick of Jinder's tumultuous WWE Championship reign, which in itself was one of the year's biggest stories.

We then get a firecracker of a Fatal Five Way from Extreme Rules, followed by a match involving five females; the first women's Money In The Bank Ladder match. I still maintain that James Ellsworth having a hand in the finish (quite literally) was a neat heat-seeking device, though I realise why it upset a lot of people, given the historic nature of the occasion. Great Balls Of Fire is then represented by another brief yet exciting war between Lesnar and Samoa Joe, and whilst it's a shame that The Hardyz are nowhere to be seen here, we do get The Usos and The New Day, whose rivalry was only just getting started in their Battleground stormer that is featured to close disc two.

The best two matches from the main card of SummerSlam appear next: a superb doubles clash pitting Cesaro and Sheamus against Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, and the incredible Fatal Four Way main event that sees Strowman come across as the biggest monster on planet Earth (not the documentary). Another Fatal Five Way clash follows, with the Raw women's division getting a real chance to shine, and the first Roman Reigns-John Cena showdown from the same No Mercy event (which I still maintain should have been saved for a WrestleMania, even if that was the point of the build-up).

To round things off, we have Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens under Hell In A Cell rules from the event of the same name (which features a trademark crazy Shane bump and a shock heel turn for Sami Zayn), and the thrilling meeting of Finn Balor and AJ Styles from TLC (which was only announced around 48 hours beforehand, due to Bray Wyatt going down with an illness). There are no extras to speak of, but Renee Young being on hosting duties makes up for that, right?

It's always tricky to be able to recommend these PPV compilations at a time when the WWE Network allows fans to watch all of these matches and more, along with tons of other content, for only £9.99. Assuming you're not a Network subscriber, though, or if you're simply an avid wrestling DVD collector, then you should love this three-disc set. There's barely a dull match to be found, and almost all of the year's top supershow encounters are here, along with almost all of the company's most featured performers being spotlighted at some point. The Best PPV Matches series rarely disappoints, and the 2017 edition is no different, making it a fine way to kick off WWE's year of DVD releases.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 - Excellent

DVD Preview: NXT - From Secret To Sensation

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

NXT – where WWE Superstars compete before appearing on Raw and SmackDown LIVE – is responsible for producing some of the greatest talents and most successful champions in WWE. Hear from current and former NXT Superstars themselves, as From Secret To Sensation counts down NXT’s 25 greatest Superstars. Includes interviews with NXT favourites like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Finn Bálor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, and more – plus some classic NXT matches!

Match Highlights:

NXT – January 2 2013
NXT Championship Match
Seth Rollins (Champion) vs. Corey Graves

NXT – September 11 2013
Paige vs. Sasha Banks

NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way – September 11 2014
NXT Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
Adrian Neville (Champion) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Tyler Breeze vs. Tyson Kidd

NXT – March 25, 2015
NXT Championship Match
Kevin Owens (Champion) vs. Finn Bálor

NXT – July 15 2015
NXT Women’s Championship Match
Sasha Banks (Champion) vs. Charlotte

NXT TakeOver: Dallas – April 1 2016
Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III – August 19 2017
NXT Women’s Championship Match
Asuka (Champion) vs. Ember Moon

Plus more action and Blu-ray extras!

We like it because:

Since Seth Rollins was crowned the first NXT Champion in 2012, NXT has been the hottest brand in the world of sports-entertainment – first as the industry’s best-kept secret, now as a hotbed of world-class action.

Counting down NXT’s top names, this exciting set proves just how much raw talent has passed through NXT – and why it continues to be THE place for the Superstars of tomorrow come to compete.

Most interesting is its behind-the-scenes look at NXT, with candid interviews from some of NXT’s most important superstars, many of whom have gone on to become champions on the main WWE roster.

It’s fascinating to see how some of your favourite WWE Superstars got their start – and which of NXT’s names will be future WrestleMania headliners.

It’s not just the story of individual superstars though. From Secret To Sensation is the story of the NXT brand itself, and how it has grown to become an integral part of WWE.

And this wouldn’t be a WWE home video release with incredible action, featuring some of the best matchups to take place in NXT rings over the last few years.

Don’t miss out!

NXT - From Secret To Sensation will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday November 13 2017.

For more information, click here.

DVD Review: SummerSlam 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 267 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 9 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

There are two issues with SummerSlam these days. One is that it immediately follows an NXT Takeover show which greatly emphasises the in-ring product over sports entertainment. The second is that the show's four-hour length means that certain matches are guaranteed to come across as filler, which is why the overall reactions to recent SummerSlams has been mediocre at best.

The same response applied to this year's show, and the 2017 SS definitely isn't one of the greatest in the history of the event. However, there are still some topnotch battles and fun moments to be had when reliving the card, meaning that certain parts of the 30th annual SummerSlam are definitely worth checking out.

This doesn't include the underwhelming opening match, though, where John Cena doesn't leave second gear and Baron Corbin's nightmare week (having lost his Money In The Bank cash-in bout the previous Tuesday) ended with a defeat in a match that he had to win. I enjoyed Naomi vs. Natalya as the Queen Of Harts earned her second Women's Championship in style, even if the Brooklyn crowd seemed disinterested.

Big Cass' win over Big Show serves the purpose of giving him an, erm, big victory, though the match is not the best that I feel these two could deliver. Randy Orton's quick-fire defeat of Rusev is something different, but another potentially enjoyable match is denied as a result. Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks is pretty good, though, and the result is a pleasant surprise.

The Demon rises next as Finn Balor meets Bray Wyatt in a decent fight. Then, we finally get a truly thrilling match as Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins challenge Cesaro and Sheamus for the Raw Tag Team Championships in a great doubles scrap (though Cesaro randomly running into the crowd to burst a beach-ball was the highlight of the match, and the entire show, to me).

Shane McMahon as special guest referee adds a new layer to the AJ Styles-Kevin Owens rivalry, which ends here having generally undelivered compared to what it could have been in the eyes of the fans. Jinder Mahal vs. Shinsuke Nakamura is predictably disappointing, and those who expected Shinsuke to tear it up here must now be wondering whether the 'old' Nakamura will ever make a return.

Fortunately, SummerSlam ends on a high note with one of the best WWE matches of the year. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. Samoa Joe is a terrific brawl, a classic example of a four-way in a WWE ring, and a superb showcase of Strowman as an absolute monster. If you only watch one match from SummerSlam, this has to be it.

The DVD extras are the three Kick-Off matches. The six-man tag is hampered by taking place in front of an almost-empty arena, but Akira Tozawa vs. Neville is really good, and The New Day vs. The Usos is outstanding, somehow topping their previously exceptional clash at Battleground.

So, SummerSlam 2017 covers every spectrum on the quality scale, with some great matches, some good bouts, some average scraps and some major disappointments. The bonus matches elevate this to the rating below, as the main show seemed a bit of a let-down with only two excellent matches out of a possible ten. But it's still a really fun DVD to watch, as you will recognise when reliving the Biggest Party Of The Summer.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

DVD Preview: SummerSlam 2017

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

WWE’s second biggest show of the year and the biggest party of the summer ... it’s SummerSlam! Coming from the Barclays Center, the main event shakes the foundations of Brooklyn when Brock Lesnar defends the Universal Championship against Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe in a Fatal Four Way Match. And “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura gets his first chance at WWE gold when he faces “The Modern-Day Maharaja” Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Plus much more!

Match Highlights:

Universal Championship Match
Brock Lesnar (Champion) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns

WWE Championship Match
Jinder Mahal (Champion) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

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

Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Sheamus & Cesaro (Champions) vs. Seth Rollins & Dean Ambrose

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Naomi (Champion) vs. Natalya

United States Championship Match with Special Guest Referee Shane McMahon
AJ Styles (Champion) vs. Kevin Owens

Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Bálor

John Cena vs. Baron Corbin

Plus even more action!

We like it because:

Second only to WrestleMania, SummerSlam is one of the most exciting and hotly anticipated events in the WWE calendar, and this year’s edition was earth-shattering!

The Universal Championship Fatal Four Way is simply electric, with four of WWE’s most powerful Superstars demolishing each other for a chance to hold Raw’s number one title. Particularly impressive is Braun Strowman’s man-handling of “The Beast” Brock Lesnar – a moment that turns the “Monster Amongst Men” into an unlikely anti-hero!

But it’s far from a one-match show, as there’s incredible action from top to bottom!

Sasha Banks proves she really is The Boss as she tries to win her fourth Raw Women’s Championship. Baron Corbin challenges the veteran 16-time champ John Cena in a sizzling match-up. And Shinsuke Nakamura tries to overcome the odds by striking Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers wit his patented “Strong Style”!

There’s also major drama as Shane McMahon referees a heated grudge match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens over the United States Championship. Shane promises to call it down the middle, but anything can happen in WWE.

Also unmissable is the reunion of former Shield brothers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose, plus Finn Bálor unleashing the “Demon” on Bray Wyatt!

Be sure to pick up this historic night of action on DVD & Blu-ray!

SummerSlam 2017 will officially be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday October 9 2017.

For more information, click here.

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

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

Synopsis:

Match Highlights:

Great Balls Of Fire 2017

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

Ambulance Match
Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman

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

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

Battleground 2017

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

Flag Match
John Cena vs. Rusev

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

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Baron Corbin

Plus even more action!

We like it because:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information, click here.

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

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

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

Another two spectacular pay-per-views from WWE’s Raw and SmackDown Live brands combine to make one awesome Double Feature DVD! Raw throws the rulebook out of the window for Extreme Rules, while the Superstars of SmackDown Live climb new heights for a guaranteed championship match contract at Money In The Bank!

Synopsis:

Match Listing:

Extreme Rules 2017

Fatal Five Way Match To Determine The #1 Contender To The Universal Championship
Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Samoa Joe vs. Finn Bálor

Intercontinental Championship Match (The Title Can Change Hands By Disqualification)
Dean Ambrose (Champion) vs. The Miz

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

Cruiserweight Championship Submission Match
Neville (Champion) vs. Austin Aries

Raw Women's Championship Kendo Stick On A Pole Match
Alexa Bliss (Champion) vs. Bayley

Mixed Tag Team Match
Rich Swann & Sasha Banks vs. Noam Dar & Alicia Fox

Money In The Bank 2017

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

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
AJ Styles vs. Baron Corbin vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kevin Owens

Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella vs. Tamina

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

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match
Naomi (Champion) vs. Lana

Breezango vs. The Ascension

Plus, more action and DVD extras!

We like it because:

Both Extreme Rules and Money In The Bank are two of the most anticipated events in the WWE calendar.

Extreme Rules delivers some of the most jaw-dropping action in the history of the event – and things get particularly brutal in the Fatal Five Way main event. It’s nail-biting stuff as alliances are formed and bonds are broken, with Raw’s top Superstars battling it out for a shot at Universal Champion Brock Lesnar.

There’s also the next hard-hitting chapter in the epic Hardy Boyz versus Sheamus & Cesaro rivalry – and you won’t believe how extreme the teams are prepared to go for Raw’s coveted Tag Team Championship!

There are also stunning performances from Alexa Bliss, Bayley, Neville, Austin Aries, The Miz and Dean Ambrose – who all prove they can take things to the extreme!

And the action’s no less incredible at Money In The Bank. It’s history-making too, as SmackDown Live presents the first ever women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match – with the blue brand’s top female Superstars clambering for a championship match contract.

What unfolds is one of the most controversial endings in recent history!

The men put it all on the line too in their hard-hitting Money In The Bank Ladder Match, with six of WWE’s greatest Superstars putting their bodies on the line for a chance to compete for the WWE Championship!

And the rivalry between current WWE Champion Jinder Mahal and Randy Orton gets even more personal in their latest collision – a heartstopping battle for the most prestigious prize in sports-entertainment!

Don’t miss out on these two action-packed shows!

WWE Double Feature: Extreme Rules 2017 & Money In The Bank 2017 will officially be released on DVD on Monday August 14 2017.

For more information, click here.