Money In The Bank 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 15 2014

More than in any other year, Money In The Bank 2014 is all about the Ladder matches. Both are exciting battles, and with one additional thriller on the under-card, MITB 2014 makes for an enjoyable wrestling DVD.

The non-Ladder highlight of the show is the opening Tag Team Title clash between The Usos and the team of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, which greatly exceeds expectations. A short Paige-Naomi bout is not exactly a classic; even Cameron at ringside looks bored (although this indifference was used to set up Cameron's heel turn). Damien Sandow vs. Adam Rose is another short match, the first of two comedy bouts on the show. At this point, the show is dragging badly, but things turn around with an excellent MITB Ladder match involving Seth Rollins (who takes a jaw-dropping backdrop off a ladder onto another ladder), Dean Ambrose, Rob Van Dam, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. That the match is built around the Rollins-Ambrose feud gives this a different flavour to previous MITB Ladder matches, and the stunts catapult this into being a very enjoyable thrill-ride.

Goldust and Stardust against RybAxel is a Raw-level match at best, Ruse vs. Big E is good but not great, and Layla vs. Summer Rae with Fandango as referee is yet another match played for laughs. The main event is at least worthwhile, with an 8-man Ladder match deciding the fate of the WWE World Heavyweight Title, vacated by Daniel Bryan due to injury (a Bryan promo from the Kick-Off Show is the DVD extra, by the way). Though inferior to the earlier Ladder bout, it's still an enjoyable headline bout, which is perhaps most notable for the accidental, and heavy, blood loss sustained by Randy Orton.

Fans would be buying this DVD for the Ladder matches, and in that respect the DVD is an easy recommendation. But the opener aside, the rest of the card is skippable at best and totally unsuitable for PPV at worst. Had the rest of the card been up to scratch, the rating below could have been very high indeed.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

Battleground 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

SummerSlam 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 182 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: October 27 2014

SummerSlam is often considered to be WWE's second-biggest PPV event of the year. Although Royal Rumble draws greater interest, it is closely linked with WrestleMania; SummerSlam, on the other hand, is its own entity, and is actually almost a summer version of Mania. But how does SummerSlam 2014 fare, and as a DVD experience to boot? Let's see ...

After a blink-and-you'll-miss-it opening promo by Hulk Hogan, the show starts with The Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler, which benefits from a lively crowd. AJ Lee vs. Paige is surprisingly short and has a slightly shocking conclusion; the same cannot be said of the Flag match (of sorts) between Rusev and Jack Swagger which existed to promote the rise of the Bulgarian Brute, as expected.

An early highlight comes with the exciting Lumberjack match between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, one of the best examples of a stipulation which, admittedly, doesn't have too many classics in its history. Chris Jericho vs. Bray Wyatt is solid if unspectacular, and the much-hyped Stephanie McMahon vs. Brie Bella is decent given the participants (that includes Brie, by the way), which has another surprise en route to its finish.

Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns is a competent match, with a few stand-out spots, although the fact that Reigns received some fairly noticeable boos was not a good sign as WWE prepares to launch a full-on mega-push for Roman. Lastly, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar was - well, you probably already know that Lesnar dominates Cena for 90% of the match, with 16 suplexes setting up the F5-triggered outcome of a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The result was expected, but the match layout was not; Cena was virtually squashed by the 1 in 21-1.

The bonus features consist of the Kick-Off match between Rob Van Dam and Cesaro, a closer look into Y2J vs. Wyatt, and a few additional backstage promos.

SummerSlam is one of the truly big WWE events, and with a mixture of exciting matches, title changes, surprises and a main event which most could not have envisioned beforehand, SummerSlam 2014 is one of the more memorable editions of this event in the modern era. It's not the best SummerSlam ever by any means, but the enjoyable content and memorable moments justify a purchase for this DVD (well, if you ignore the DVD box art, which both spoils two major match outcomes and promotes The Bellas over most of the remaining members of the roster).

Overall Rating: 7.5/10 - Good

Night Of Champions 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 177 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 24 2014

The latest Night Of Champions event was promoted as a one-match show, with that bout not exactly getting universal acclaim. Which suggests that one should not bother buying the DVD for the show; however, a few strong bouts further down the card go some way to justifying a purchase.

Case in point: The Usos vs. Stardust and Goldust is another strong WWE Tag Team Title defence by Jimmy and Jey Uso, and has a surprising outcome. Though it had little reason to exist, Sheamus vs. Cesaro is another hard-fought slugfest between the two men; conversely, Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz is overshadowed by the guest commentary of American country group Florida Georgia Line (seriously), making the match feel insignificant.

An angle involving all of the former Shield members (in some form or fashion) gets a major reaction, and even Rusev vs. Mark Henry draws more interest than one may have expected. Next comes the highlight of the show, a fantastic battle between Randy Orton and Chris Jericho, followed by a skippable three-way between AJ Lee, Paige and Nikki Bella. Lastly, the big Brock Lesnar-John Cena rematch from SummerSlam is somehow both one-sided in Lesnar's favour and designed to promote Cena as something akin to an invincible superhero, who even has Brock virtually beaten before the dodgy finish.

Night Of Champions 2014 exceeds expectations due to the largely-ignored under-card and mid-card putting forth some strong efforts, but realistically the selling point is Lesnar vs. Cena, in which case you would be better off watching the SummerSlam match again instead. This isn't a bad DVD to own, but the card is clearly designed as a set-up event, making it tough to recommend for purchase.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Hell In A Cell 2014

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 - Okay

Payback 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