Elimination Chamber 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 181 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 6 2013

Elimination Chamber, traditionally the last PPV before WrestleMania, often has its memories lost once Mania is over and done with (more so than Royal Rumble, despite it coming after RR). And that's a shame because, as this DVD proves, the 2013 edition of Elimination Chamber had plenty to praise.

There are five matches that are good, really good or better. They are Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show (despite an unintentional slip by ADR during the bout); the Elimination Chamber match with a World Heavyweight Title shot for WM 29 at stake; a six-man pitting The Shield against John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus; an impromptu showdown between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston; and a Royal Rumble rematch for the WWE Title between The Rock and CM Punk (how weird is it at this point to see Rock wrestle on what is essentially a B-show?).

Elsewhere, Antonio Cesaro vs. The Miz is inferior to their previous meeting prior to Royal Rumble, partly because of the finish; and Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka is not as good as Kaitlyn's Divas Title-winning effort against Eve Torres at the 20th Anniversary episode of Raw. The bonus match between Tons Of Funk and Team Rhodes Scholars is also not up to much. However, the superior action that makes up the majority of the programme justify a purchase.

Elimination Chamber isn't always needed in one's collection to track the Road To WrestleMania; however, not only is EC a pivotal show en route to this year's Mania, but it's a wrestling DVD which is well worth owning in its own right.

Overall Rating: 8/10 - Very Good

Extreme Rules 2013

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 29 2013

The first PPV after WrestleMania is always a struggle to maintain the momentum of the year's biggest show. However, ER '13 does a nice job, making for a rather enjoyable wrestling DVD to watch.

Fandango vs. Chris Jericho is an okay opener, while Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose is good if a bit on the short side. Sheamus vs. Mark Henry under Strap rules revives an old feud and has the potential to be rotten,. to be honest, but it's surprisingly enjoyable. Less so is Alberrto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger with an I Quit stipulation, which is a television-level bout and therefore a weak replacement for a three-way Ladder match also involving Dolph Ziggler (Ziggler's concussion is the reason why that match didn't happen).

Team Hell No vs. The Shield is an enjoyable Tornado match, and a bit sad since it pretty much marks the end of a memorable era for the team of Daniel Bryan and Kane. Randy Orton vs. Big Show is a strong Extreme Rules match which benefits from major hometown support for Orton, but although the Last Man Standing clash between John Cena and Ryback has its moments, the finish harms much of the work which had gone into it. Fortunately, Brock Lesnar and Triple H end the show on a high with a powerful Steel Cage showdown, which finally brings an end to their year-plus rivalry. The bonus match is The Miz vs. Cody Rhodes, although it's nothing special.

Extreme Rules 2013 doesn't quite compare to the brilliant 2012 event (which marked Lesnar's comeback match for WWE in brutal fashion), but it still stands as a really exciting show, making this DVD a nice one to own should you be interested in the fall-out to WrestleMania 29.

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - 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