A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date: 26th June 2013
Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk
Price:
DVD £ 19.99
Blu-ray £ 22.99
Format Reviewed: DVD (3 Discs)
(Also Available on Blu-ray (2 Discs)
What It’s About:
WWE’s latest release attempts to document the twenty five greatest feuds in Wrestling History from World Wrestling Entertainment, Extreme Championship Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling and others. Featuring insight on each feud and over four and a half hours of matches to illustrate what the feud was all about.
Strengths:
Triple H vs Cactus Jack (25) is narrated by Road Dogg when it should have featured either or both of Triple H and Mick Foley. Nevertheless, Road Dogg does an ample job of covering at least some of the important bases of the feud between the pair though no effort is made to credit Mick Foley with Triple H’s main event success. This segment would have been miles better had Road Dogg or even Triple H popped up to say that he would never have been accepted as the main event talent he became in 2000, without the input of Mick Foley. Don’t forget, this is the feud which made Triple H a bona fide headliner in WWE and Foley put Triple H over when Steve Austin refused to. Had Foley had the same train of thought that Austin had Triple H may be a failed experiment. Road Dogg touches upon the Hunter Hearst Helmsley character correctly stating the character wasn’t close enough to Triple H’s real life personality – WWE stereotyped Triple H in 1995 with what they believed everyone thought a snob from Greenwich, Connecticut was – citing that as a reason that Triple H wasn’t able to resonate with the audience. Road Dogg is once again correct. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone come out and criticise the Hunter Hearst Helmsley character with so much truth.
Rey Mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero (23) thankfully begins with their 1997 WCW feud before moving on to their 2005 WWE feud. In truth, both were brilliant in the ring though the latter had one of the worst storylines in WWE history attached to it – that of the paternity of Rey Mysterio’s son, Dominic. Vicki Guerrero is the talking head for this portion of the release and her thoughts on it are complied with some wonderful clips of the duo’s matches. Vicki regales us with titbits about her late husband such as Eddie was up for anything which was good for the audience and good for business. When the section switches to WWE seven years later, WWE can’t help but drop in the storyline about Rey Mysterio’s son which should have been cut from this portion and isn’t something I will say against about this release. Vicki states of the storyline in which Mysterio and Guerrero fought over custody of Rey’s son in a superb ladder match at SummerSlam 2005 – a briefcase was suspended above the ring with the rights to Dominic in – that it was ‘unforgettable’. She’s right. Sadly it’s for the wrong reasons. However, Vicki does do the feud justice – one of the few which does deserve its place in this list – when she ends the segment by stating with some pride that Eddie and Rey’s style was ‘something no one could touch’.
Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper (21) does a great job of showing how electric Roddy Piper was on the microphone and as a heel. One of wrestling’s most gifted mic men gets his work displayed with star power on this release. Ted Dibiase Jr gets to do the honours in this section in which he’s mostly inconsequential and adds nothing new to the segment or the feud. Dibiase seems to be reading something which has been written for him by WWE. Do the company want us to believe this guy is devoid of life completely? The funniest part of the segment is when Dibiase informs us that he wants to replicate what Hogan, Mr. T, Roddy piper and Paul Orndorff did at WrestleMania 1 – that brought about a chuckle. However Dibiase is right when he says that Hulk Hogan can thank Roddy Piper for making Hulkamania take off. Piper was the best heel in the business at the time and the perfect foil for the Hulk Hogan character. Overall this segment is a must see for those who have never seen Roddy Piper as a heel and it’s in this role when he was at his very best.
Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle (19) was a wonderful feud which produced some of the best technical wrestling matches of the first half of the 2000’s. Bret Hart is added to the section to provide the voice of experience when talking about solid technical wrestling and states early on that what Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle produced in the ring is what wrestling is meant to be. Unfortunately Bret Hart is the best thing about this segment and WWE don’t bother to add anything else to a brilliant feud. Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle is included in the ‘Strengths’ category for what the pair produced in the ring and not for anything WWE have produced on this release. There is literally nothing to inform new fans of how great the feud was and like so many of the entries on this release, there is no background given as to how the feud started. Those of us who were there will know already, others though will be left in the dark completely. The uplifting moment comes when Bret Hart says that he would have loved to have worked with either of them. Neither Lesnar nor Angle could get higher praise than that.
The Undertaker vs Mankind (16) was another great feud which helped Undertaker take the next step as a performer. Once again though, the feud is not represented well and there is no credit given to Mick Foley for being the man to allow Undertaker to take that next step. The feud isn’t narrated by either Foley or Undertaker – both were available with Foley the talking head on another rivalry – instead the oh so reliable Jerry Lawler takes the mantle of professor here. As you’ll hear time and time again with this release, there is no explanation as to how the feud began or Paul Bearer turning on Undertaker and siding with Mankind which instigated a lengthily feud between Bearer and Undertaker resulting in the creation of Kane. Thankfully the clips do what neither WWE or Jerry Lawler – who was a commentator on the entire feud in the 90’s – manage to do and that is get over how brutal the matches between the pair were. Mostly hardcore clips, the footage does at least some justice to a great rivalry. Like the previous, this is only included here for the quality of the actually feud.
Tommy Dreamer vs Raven (15) proved to be both an emotional and inspirational feud which saw Tommy Dreamer battle his supposed childhood friend for years without defeating him, until that fateful night at ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997. Finally, ten entries into the countdown and we get an explanation as to how it began by Joey Styles who shows Jerry Lawler the knowledge a commentator should have of the product he’s paid to talk about. Styles bothers to explain the history between Tommy Dreamer and Raven which includes Beulah McGillicutty. Up to this point on the release this entry is by far the best detailed and even the end of the rivalry is covered well which goes over Raven’s exit from ECW and signing with WCW necessitating his loss to Dreamer on Raven’s last ECW event. If all entries were this well explained then this release would have been a must have. WWE however do leave out the real life marriage between Dreamer and McGillicutty and Raven’s return to ECW in 1999 to capture the ECW Tag Team Championships with Tommy Dreamer which should have been the ending to this section.
Triple H vs The Rock (13) thankfully covers the pairs rise through the ranks together as rookies in 1996 and 1997, the first Intercontinental Championship change between the pair, the DX and Nation of Domination leadership, their cracking SummerSlam 1998 ladder match and finally their exciting 2000 feud which managed to end their rivalry with sheer aplomb. This section is well put together and the clips aren’t half bad either, with the Judgment Day 2000 Iron Man Match being the bulk of the latter feud shown. Ridiculously, WWE couldn’t find the time to get Triple H or even The Rock to talk on their feud at all. There is no mention, naturally – this is WWE, of their real life feud in which the pair couldn’t stand each other for many years and still today there is some friction between the duo. The rivalry falls down however when WWE fails to provide and explanation as to how the feud began and simply leaves the unknowing viewer with the impression that the pair were rivals simply because they came through the ranks together.
John Cena vs Edge (12) begins to turn the tide for the countdown with an informative explanation by Amy ‘Lita’ Dumas. Lita manages to portray Edge as a hardworking wrestler who worked for a WWE Championship shot all his life but never got one until the final few years of his career – which he was. What makes the real difference here is that Dumas was actually there when the feud transpired and a major part of it which allows her to speak on it with some certainty and confidence. Cena and Edge’s epic Unforgiven 2006 clash is briefly covered and should have been more time as it was one of John Cena’s best ever matches, though I suppose we should be grateful WWE bothered to include it at all. Once again there is very little background to how the feud began which makes sure Edge’s Money in the Bank victory at WrestleMania 21 to earn the right to face the WWE Champion, is omitted completely. WWE refreshingly include some unseen house show footage of the pair in combat which should lighten up proceedings for a release which by entry number 12 has become overtly heavy and somewhat annoying.
Hulk Hogan vs Randy Savage (11) deserves its place in the listing and is talked through ably by C.M Punk – a lifelong Randy Savage fan. Punk makes sure the feud is given the proper respect by WWE, taking the time to go into the origins of the ‘Mega Powers’ and brings some childhood memories flooding back when he says you didn’t see the friendship and Savage’s jealousy as a child. How much simpler things were back then. There is great footage of Savage turning on Hogan which has been kept in WWE’s archive for far too long. Punk’s childish delight at the feud and his memories of it are a joy to watch even though WWE should have left the dire WCW feud out on this occasion.
Tully Blanchard vs Magnum T.A (10) comes to us as a bracing entry seeing as it one of the few that didn’t transpire in WWE. Dusty Rhodes, who had a great feud with Tully Blanchard which isn’t included in the list, conveys the seriousness of the rivalry between the pair and their real life hatred of each other stemming from the fact that Magnum was married to Blanchard’s ex-wife and bringing up his kids – genuinely – is brought up to what I imagine will be many cheers from those who buy this release. The real life story brings an air of truth to the release which has been missing thus far and adds an element of authenticity to the business. WWE should be given credit for including some unseen footage from NWA and Jim Crocket Promotions in the segment and clips from their brutal Starrcade 1985 steel cage match which is also featured in its entirety amongst the matches. It’s a shame that Magnum’s career ended so abruptly due a car accident because he could have been huge.
Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes (7) is a necessity when talking about great wrestling feuds. Flair vs Rhodes is widely considered to be the greatest wrestling feud to ever have happened and should have ranked higher than seven. Shawn Michaels lends his expertise to proceedings and is aided by some wonderfully rare footage of Flair and Rhodes. Michaels regales us with stories of how hard Ric Flair worked to get where he was in the business and WWE seem to concentrate some of the feud on HBK, showing that age old photo of Michaels holding the issue of ‘Pro Wrestling Illustrated’ which should have been cut. The interviews and in ring footage show just what a star Ric Flair was. For all that’s good about this segment there is some bad. WWE neglect to mention that Flair was Jim Crocket’s hand picked star and NWA World Champion and there is no mention of Ric Flair defeating Dusty Rhodes for his first NWA World Heavyweight Championship in September 1981. The duo’s real life rivalry – they hated each other in the 80’s is also shied away from.
The Von Erich’s vs The Freebirds (6) is bizarrely covered by Ric Flair. WWE should have gotten him to speak on his own feud. It is understandable though, that Flair was chosen for the role as he had many memorable matches with all involved here. Flair exudes that old ‘Nature Boy’ confidence which we haven’t seen from Flair in many years. ‘Naitch’ is a blast when talking about how Buddy Roberts was lucky to be in the Freebirds and the footage which WWE manages to unearth from their endless archive is a stimulating nostalgia trip from one of wrestling greatest ever rivalries. The feud takes a saddening and though provoking turn though when Flair delves into the demise of the Von Erich’s of which there is one left alive. Speaking that he cannot look back at those times with any fondness because of the fates of the Von Erich boys, Flair is sincerely saddened by the untimely deaths of some of his best friends and opponents. Everything is very well handled except for when the release cuts back to Renee Young who is on hosting duties. Speaking on the Von Erich deaths, Renee seems happy and chirpy and doesn’t exude the saddened aura that is required on a subject matter of this importance.
Ric Flair vs Ricky Steamboat (3) is accompanied by some excellent old footage of the pair including Steamboat’s early days in wrestling and you won’t believe it’s him when you see how different he looked. Sadly, the documentation of the classic feud and title matches does not keep up the quality. Former NWA referee Tommy Young tries his very best to do justice to the feud but ends up going on about how conditioned Flair was and doesn’t really mention anything about the feud. WWE should have allowed Flair and Steamboat to sit together to reminisce on this outstanding piece of in ring work and how hard it was for them to fight each other and come up with new material every night. This is included here simply because it was so good at the time and nothing to do with WWE’s handling of it here.
Shawn Michaels vs Bret Hart (2) is oddly placed and certainly not the second greatest ever. Top ten, maybe. Not top two. Dolph Ziggler gladly covers The Rockers vs The Hart Foundation feud, the pair’s transition into singles competition and Intercontinental Championship battles finally ending with their WWE Championship war and of course, the Montreal Screw-job. We knew WWE were going to get it in somewhere here. There is no mention that it was Michaels and Hart who contested the very first ladder match in WWE and not Michaels and Razor Ramon. WWE elicit that childhood feeling when they wheel out footage your Wrestling God hasn’t seen properly since the early 90’s and is good to see again 20 years later. Bravely, WWE leave in footage of Michaels alluding to Hart’s many affairs on the road, one with Sunny and the segment ends with their 2010 embrace on Raw. WWE do a good job here though the placing is questionable.
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon (1) naturally takes the top spot on this WWE release. What else did you think was going to claim it? The feud which changed the Monday Night Wars may be the most successful feud in wrestling history but for my money, Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes should have taken this spot. The trouble is, WWE have nothing new to say or show about this feud and therefore cannot add anything new to the happenings. Vince Russo, the man who provided WWE with much of its storylines during the Attitude Era is on talking duties because seemingly it would have been too hard for the owner of the company to speak on the feud or even interview Steve Austin, however Russo fails to provide anything that we don’t already know. Whilst the footage is always a good watch we never need to see ‘The Beer Bath’ again and you get the impression that Russo could talk for a week and still not add anything of consequence. It really is time to leave this feud alone now and focus on creating something bigger and better.
As for the included matches; Tully Blanchard vs Magnum T.A (NWA Starrcade 1985, November 28th 1985) is a good bloody brawl. Both Blanchard and Magnum left people wanting more and some of the hardway cuts and blade jobs on show here are brutal. Don’t let the slow start to the war fool you any because once the blood begins to flow the match picks up incredibly even if it is just an effort to make the match as violent as possible without any real wrestling in it. Blanchard suffers a very nasty cut to his left arm which Magnum tries to pull open with his fingers in an unruly spot which sees Blanchard’s arm looks horrendous by the conclusion of the bout. The fans lap up everything that the super over Magnum does here lending a big fight feel to the cage match. The wooden steak which is dug into an open cut on Blanchard’s head looks sickening but gruesomely entertaining and Tully bleeds like a stuffed pig in a hell of a scrap. For my money, Tully Blanchard is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time.
The Mega Powers vs The Mega Bucks (SummerSlam 1988, August 29th 1988) is a very good tag team match thanks to Randy Savage and Ted Dibiase who are as technically proficient as usual. Hogan gets his usual superhero reaction from the crowd but does very little that matters and Andre the Giant tries his very best but isn’t great. One thing Andre could be proud of about this match was that he didn’t look as horrible as he does during other matches from his career. It’s evident when you watch ‘The Million Dollar Man’ that Dibiase should have gone further in WWE and possessed all of the skills necessary to reach the top. As the main event of SummerSlam 1988 and because of the four men involved, it has the big fight feel which was needed to hype the encounter and many can see this as the beginning of the Randy Savage vs Hulk Hogan feud.
The Undertaker vs Mankind (King of the Ring 1996, June 23rd 1996) is decent if not their best match ever. Beginning at a hell of a pace but slowing down to a near halt thanks to a lengthily Mandible Claw sequence which zaps almost every ounce of enthusiasm out of the audience. The match is unevenly paced going from ninety miles per hour to curb crawling numerous times instead of one steady incline. The match does shift up a gear when the steel chairs come out to play but to its detriment the whole bout seems to last an age. Mick Foley is solid and The Undertaker is capable of moving like lightening, something which hasn’t totally lost in the present day and because both are so good it keeps the lengthily encounter watchable.
Taz vs Sabu (ECW Barely Legal 1997, April 13th 1997) is a sufficient ECW hardcore match which seems to focus more on technical wrestling rather than all out destruction. Sabu’s dive from the top rope out into the audience which clears the barricade is impressive as is nearly everything the suicidal wrestler does, including every bump Sabu takes from Taz in which Sabu looks like he nearly breaks his neck on all of them including being dropped face first into a steel chair which seemed to really hurt and missing a swinging DDT onto a set up table outside which caused Sabu to crash through the table. Taz proves himself to be a prompt technical wrestler pulling out some holds not usually associated with his repertoire and his belly to belly suplex over the guard rail looks sumptuous. The highlight of the match though comes at its conclusion when Sabu misses a dive to the outside and crashes head first through Taz and the table. It is a move which could have ended his career. By the end of the match you’ll understand why Sabu had so many neck problems.
Tommy Dreamer vs Raven (ECW Wrestlepalooza 1997, June 1997) is both poignant and an electrifying arena wide brawl which marks Raven’s first end in ECW. Raven did so much for the ECW fans and the company that he doesn’t deserve the ‘You sold out’ chants he got from the masses inside the ECW Arena but hey, wrestling fans can be fickle. Tommy Dreamer begins the hardcore madness by crashing through a waiting table without regard for his own safety from the top of the bleachers and both men go on to bleed like they’ve just been in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Dreamer smashing his body through a chair from the top rope will almost certainly make you cringe as he lands with a cringe and Beulah and Chastity’s cat fight gets a huge pop from the ECW masses. WWE have to bleep out an offensive obscenity from Rick Rude on commentary but even that cannot detract from a great match which has tense near falls, a superb build up and first class storytelling. Tommy Dreamer provides one of wrestling’s most famous scenes when he locks Raven in the DDT position and shouts ‘E-C-Fucking-W’ before felling his long time friend and rival in a victorious and inspiration moment.
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon (King of the Ring 1999, June 27th 1999) in a handicap ladder match is entertaining for the most part even if it should have been replaced on this release by Austin vs McMahon at St. Valentines Day Massacre: In Your House in their classic steel cage affray. That would have gotten over how brutal and important the feud was better than this. Vince’s selling and reaction to the beating he and Shane receive are as good as ever and it is still quite exceptional to see how popular Steve Austin was in the WWE. Austin and Shane fighting on top of the ladder set on the aisle looks dangerous and makes you believe that either could fall or the set could topple which it does later when Austin pulls the whole thing down on both father and son to great applause. Austin’s ‘Stone Cold’ elbow drop from the ladder onto a prone Shane McMahon through the Spanish announcers table looks grand as does Austin’s fall from the ladder, across the second announcers table which doesn’t break. Most will find that this match develops into an endless beating of the McMahon’s which becomes tiresome though the comic relief comes when Vince has Shane on his shoulders and is trying to walk to the centre of the ring carrying his son. Austin sitting watching in the corner is a laugh out loud moment.
The Rock vs Triple H (Backlash 2000, April 30th 2000) is nothing short of superb. Shane McMahon as the special guest referee plays his part to perfection as does Triple H and The Rock. Incredibly, Stephanie was even hotter in 2000 than she is now and this match is just another that proves that WWE didn’t put out one bad pay-per view main event match in 2000. They all ranged from very good to excellent. The Rock gets a heroes welcome topping anything John Cena has every received – just listen to the cheers – even though it cannot match the ovation Steve Austin gets on his one night return to WWE which almost takes the roof off the arena. Triple H was such a loathsome heel in 2000, the year where Triple H came of age in the wrestling business, which is why people paid to see him get beat and this match proves how good he was. Everything both men do looks polished and it shows how well the pair jelled together through the personal animosity between them. The double Rock Bottom on Shane and Triple H through the announcers table looks to be a great feat and the height Rock gets on both men leaves you open mouthed. Patterson and Brisco running to the ring looks like it should have a Benny Hill soundtrack tacked onto the footage but is funny anyway. The only thing that brings the match down slightly is the hype around when Austin will appear which takes the attention away from the two gladiators in the ring. The whole encounter is paced well and the tension built to such a maximum that it cannot fail to deliver when Austin storms to the ring, nails the McMahon’s and Triple H allowing The Rock to capture the WWE Championship with The People’s Elbow to an absolute thunderous reaction.
The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin (Rebellion 2001, November 3rd 2001) is a hidden gem in their feud. Seeing as WWE couldn’t show their WrestleMania 17 epic again they had to find something else which held its own to include here. This is a good choice and one which American fans may not have seen, seeing as Rebellion was a U.K only pay-per view event. A suplex on the top of the entrance looks like it really hurts Austin and knowing how bad Austin’s back was you can believe he was in pain. Austin is excellent in the heel role and the whole matched hasn’t aged any since your Wrestling God saw it live on Sky Box Office in 2001. On the whole the match is textbook with referee bumps, good near falls and the ending is created simply to build The Rock vs Chris Jericho feud for Jericho’s heel turn on The Rock at Survivor Series 2001.
Brock Lesnar vs Kurt Angle (SummerSlam 2003, August 24th 2003) is a procession of big moves, power moves and technical wrestling as you would expect to see from the duo. Kurt Angle’s counter of Lesnar’s F5 is timed to perfection as is every counter and reversal throughout the match. The highlight of the match though comes from Kurt Angle’s upside down submission move on a standing Brock Lesnar which I have never seen done since. Even more impressive is how easily Angle turns said move into the Angle Lock. The match is excellent throughout though it really does show Brock Lesnar’s limitations today. The guy could really move ten years ago.
John Cena vs Edge (Raw, October 2nd 2006) in a steel cage match is once again decent but nothing truly exceptional and should have been replaced by their Unforgiven 2006 classic. The match has some highlights but is hampered by the usual John Cena sloppiness including a supposed injured arm which he neglects to sell except when Edge is working it over. Thanks to John Cena’s predictability every move can be signposted in advance. This isn’t the worst match on the release but it’s far from the best.
The match up screens are stylish and done in the style of a chemistry lesson. WWE have the monopoly on these kind of things and other companies can but fail to try and match them for presentation.
Weaknesses:
Taz vs Sabu (24) is covered by Shane Douglas who seems to have put his feelings about WWE behind him. It’s amazing how a sizable cheque can change someone’s opinion. Basically Shane Douglas tells us everything that we already know and adds nothing of note to the feud which could have done with a lot more than Douglas was willing to give up. Instead of talking about the feud at length, Douglas decides that we’d rather hear about his memories of the feud – which we wouldn’t. Whilst he is right when he states that Taz vs Sabu is everything ECW was meant to be, everything else he says is totally irrelevant. This is a complete waste of what was one of ECW’s biggest feuds.
Bruiser Brody vs Abdullah the Butcher (22) is covered with a tirade of bloody video clips and Mick Foley marking out for both men, telling us how he admired the pair and how much they influenced his wrestling style. Like almost every other feud on this release, Foley doesn’t give us any background on the feud or on how it began and was more focused on the hardcore aspect of both men’s in ring style. It’s amazing that WWE could allow Foley to comment on this feud but not any of his own which I’m sure he could have added insight into. As it is, this is just a glorified marking out for Foley and his presence here is wasted and unwelcome. On top of that niggle; one isn’t sure that Abdullah and Brody deserve an inclusion here when there are so many other classic feuds which have been left off of the release.
C.M Punk vs John Cena (20) should not be on this release or any touting the title ‘Top Rivalries in Wrestling History’. Simply, it wasn’t. In fact in the ring and the whole of their feud the pair only managed to produce two memorable moments. The first was the Money in the Bank 2011 ending where Punk walked out of the company with the WWE Championship and the infamous ‘Pipe Bomb’ promo. Everything else from the feud was instantly forgettable. To make matters worse WWE hire Paul Heyman to talk about this feud as if it’s the greatest thing in history. This time, not even Heyman can convince us with his unique interview style that Punk and Cena deserve a place. Paul Heyman, though he cannot justify the entry on the release does provide a few good points and quotes. One when he says that “Sometimes the truth to a man, isn’t pretty”, we know he was aiming that at Vince McMahon. Paul Heyman even does a great job of defining John Cena which I thought was impossible when he says that “John Cena is willing to go down in a blaze of glory!” Had WWE packaged Cena more as that man who was willing to lose but lose whilst giving everything and not some merchandise machine then maybe we could have gotten behind him more.
Triple H vs Randy Orton (18) is totally ruined by Cody Rhodes as the talking head. Cody talks about the feud as if its real beginning with Evolution and conveniently skipping the real life animosity Randy Orton felt and still feels towards Triple H for stealing his spot because back then Triple H was greedy and unwilling to relinquish his spot to anyone younger and better than him. The footage which is played in conjunction with Cody Rhodes’ inane babble does convey what a delicious heel Orton was in 2009 and what he can become again when WWE decide to turn him. Rhodes, during the footage of Orton attacking the McMahon family bizarrely states that no one was more disliked than Randy Orton during that time, totally ignoring the cheers Orton got during the period and the momentous reaction the fans gave him when he pinned Triple H at Backlash 2009 to capture the WWE Championship, not to mention that John Cena was clearly more hated than Randy. The feud goes from the Evolution turn in 2004 straight through to 2009 and WrestleMania 25 totally flouting the 2004 feud which saw Randy Orton drop the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H and the pair battle right into 2005 as well as their 2008 scrap which encapsulated a triple threat match at WrestleMania 24 and ended in a dislocated shoulder for Randy Orton at Extreme Rules 2008 and an extended leave of absence for Orton to heal the injury. Top off this farce, Cody Rhodes describes their WrestleMania 25 bore as a great match. What a joke.
Verne Gagne vs Nick Bockwinkle (17) may be accompanied by footage that people won’t readily be able to pick up at the drop of a hat but the entire section seems to be out to portray Verne Gagne as a selfish ego ridden arsehole who didn’t care about anyone in his company only himself. Which isn’t too far from the truth. Whilst that was a fact WWE should have at least tried to make Gagne look like a booker who wanted his talent and company to thrive instead of constantly reminding us how Gagne booked himself in the main event and made him himself AWA Champion constantly. A fact which is pushed to the forefront when Gene Okerlund says that Gagne made himself champion one night simply because the arena was sold out and he wanted to look like the best. There is very little here about the actual feud which doesn’t involve trying to portray Gagne as an egotistical moron and it’s a waste of space.
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker (14) once again only covers their storyline rivalry and not their real life one in the 90’s. The story about Undertaker threatening Shawn Michaels backstage is nowhere to be seen and it skips past their Royal Rumble 1998 Casket Match which was the beginning of the end for Shawn Michael’s first stint in WWE when he injured his back on the coffin outside the ring. The short documentary on the feud goes from their first Hell in a Cell match straight to their 2009 Royal Rumble confrontation and then skips everything else up to WrestleMania 25. This was an epic feud in wrestling history but here it doesn’t get even a tenth of the recognition it deserves. There is absolute no indication of how the feud began and Michael Hayes is only relevant as a talking head when talking about sitting backstage with Undertaker and Shawn Michaels discussing HBK’s retirement at WrestleMania 26. It’s only then that we get something that even resembles a backstage glimpse. WWE do add a never before seen piece of footage of Undertaker and Shawn Michaels backstage the night HBK retired after his speech on Raw where the two hug at the Gorilla position but that is the highlight of this disappointing section.
The Undertaker vs Kane (9) is explained very poorly by Jim Ross, of all people. For some unexplained reason, J.R feels the need to explain how wrestling works which everyone should know by now and for those watching who don’t know already, there is no explanation as to who Kane was meant to be to The Undertaker or why he was under a mask. That should have been the first thing WWE began with. There is no mention of The Brothers of Destruction tag team the duo formed or their latter feuds in WWE after the 90’s. This is wholly shabby. Jim Ross says that the feud was well thought out and not rushed which makes you wish the same was true about this release.
Edge and Christian vs The Dudley Boys vs The Hardy Boys (8) should have been miles better than it turned out to be, considering all the material WWE had at their disposal. As the hand picked talking head, William Regal isn’t allowed to talk about the feud at any length or detail and peculiarly states that the tag team trio went into WrestleMania 16 knowing it could be their last night in the industry. The section glides past the Edge and Christian vs Hardy Boys match at No Mercy 1999, the Dudley Boys debut in WWE and their match with Hardy Boys at the Royal Rumble which helped set up the feud. There is no build up over the WWE Tag Team Championship and within mere minutes we’re already in WrestleMania 16. Trying to save time WWE bypass everything in between WrestleMania 16 and SummerSlam 2000 and SummerSlam 2000 and WrestleMania 17. WWE make sure though that the overly seen Spear from the ladder to Jeff Hardy is once again on show. William Regal comes across as a grumpy old uncle who doesn’t want to be there and states that there will never be three tag teams like the trio whilst neglecting to mention that’s because WWE’s tag team division is in such a mess.
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock (5) misses out a huge wad of information and history and The Miz leaves it to the highlight package – most of which we have seen over and over – to explain the feud. Everything except the Slammy Awards has been shown on other releases. There is no background information on their Intercontinental Championship feud and Miz is more bothered about giving us his childhood memories rather than facts about the rivalry. The WrestleMania 19 footage is still very good as its Austin’s final ever wrestling match and the final in ring meeting between two men – though no one bothers to mention maybe the greatest ever WrestleMania match at WrestleMania 17 between the pair – who waged an unforgettable war in wrestling’s history. It’s just shame that fact isn’t conveyed here.
Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant (4) only has an explanation as to how and why the feud began thanks to some long forgotten video footage and nothing the Big Show adds to the release. WWE or Big Show never deem to explain how important the feud was for WWE’s history or survival, instead Big Show is on major suck up duty talking about the feud as if it were real. Yes, it does deserve its inclusion on this release but there should have been much more detail than this. Considering this feud isn’t number one, yet it’s on the front cover of the DVD and Blu-ray case tells me that WWE stuck a photo on the front cover of something they believed would entice fans back to the company who had previously become dissolutioned.
Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper (War To Settle The Score, February 18th 1985) is a hideous display of wrestling that gives the sport a bad name. Despite the fact that everything Hogan does is greeted like he’s just won the WWE Championship, the match is a complete mess and Hogan never sells convincingly. The pinnacle of this farce is when the referee goes down like he’s just been hit by a sniper, that was funny. Mr. T gets a huge ovation when he jumps the barrier to save Hogan from a beat down by Piper and Orndorff but for a WWE Championship match on a stage such as this, it’s just dreadful. The match doesn’t have a proper ending and simply comes to a conclusion soon after it begins when a fracas ends the contest. The truth is that Roddy Piper refused to lose by pinfall to Hulk Hogan on the night and therefore this match resulted in a complete wash out.
Bruiser Brody vs Abdullah the Butcher (World Class Championship Wrestling, July 1987) resembles a very bad amateur hardcore match. The whole setting for the bout looks amateur and just horrible. There is no barricade and the fans are separated from the audience by a thin rope which the pair easily get through by lifting it up. There is no real worth in anything the twosome does and no one will miss this match should they decide to skip it completely. There’s a lot of weak foreign object shot, Abdullah bleeds like he does in every match and they ponder around until the planned finish which is literally walking through the crowd and out the back of the stadium when the cameras cut out and the announcer informs us there will be no ending to the contest. The second match on the release to feature a bum conclusion.
Kerry and Kevin Von Erich vs Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts (World Class Championship Wrestling, February 1988) is a bad representation of the Von Erich’s vs The Freebirds feud which was a first class rivalry for the industry. WWE could have picked from so many more matches between the two teams on this release, all which were more interesting than this borefest. The four are dressed for a barn dance and what follows is a procession of belt whipping, shirt ripping and stumbling around the ring with the last five minutes happening in the ring and to make matters worse the match ends in a messy disqualification finish which short changes the audiences and viewers of this release who have sat through the match. I have no doubt some reviewers will give this the thumbs up for nostalgic feeling, but when you see it you too will see how inferior it is to their other outings.
Renee Young, as host, does a tremendous job spouting scientific shit like she’s trying to get us to learn a science lesson. As host, Young has no interest in anything she’s talking about and there are more elements in the periodic table mentioned by her than wrestling feuds. It’s a waste of a host who could have been employed to speak at length on each feud. Young is as annoying as she is dull. This is a wrestling release, not a science lesson. Renee Young gets her facts wrong on numerous occasions, one of them she states that Austin and The Rock headlined three WrestleMania’s. Wrong. They headlined two, WrestleMania 15 and WrestleMania 17. The Rock and Austin had their final match at WrestleMania 19 but were not the main event. That honour fell to Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. By the time the link comes back to her ten feuds into the main documentary, Renee says “Hope you’re enjoying the countdown!” By which time I had lost the will to live.
Numerous feuds are missing from this release which should have taken the place of some of those which have been included. Tommy Rich vs Buzz Sawyer, Terry Funk vs Ric Flair, Terry Funk vs Mick Foley, Ric Flair vs Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes vs Tully Blanchard, Ric Flair vs Barry Windham, Sting vs Lex Luger, Ric Flair vs Sting, Vader vs Mick Foley, Steve Austin vs Bret Hart plus numerous others are all missing. If anyone wants to tell me that John Cena vs C.M Punk was a better feud than of the listed which have been omitted then they do not know what they are talking about.
Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:
Smackdown – March 27th 2009
Shawn Michaels’ Tribute to The Undertaker
WWE Backlash 2009 – April 26th 2009
6 Man Tag Team Match for the WWE Championship
Triple H, Shane McMahon and Batista vs Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase
WWE Night of Champions 2012 – 16th September 2012
WWE Championship Match
C.M Punk vs John Cena
Conclusion:
This release feels like it’s simply a sheer money maker for WWE. Each feud is given ten minutes or less of the two hour fifty minute documentary which is not enough time for the talking heads to get into any real detail about the happenings and the special moments which the feuds produced. When you add to that some wrestlers as talking heads who had nothing to do with the feud – some of them weren’t even wrestlers at the time their designated talking point took place – and add nothing of note to most of those rivalries included in the countdown then you’re always going to get a very poor end product.
WWE include no timeline of when events in each rivalry took place which gives each segment a disjointed feel because there are some points where you never know what came before or after each. There is hardly any background provided to any of the feuds and by the time we hit the teens each feud has become a flick pad of video highlights, most of which have been seen before and can be found on other media releases over the years and which most people buying this will already own. WWE have also once again neglected to tell us how they selected the ‘Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History’. Had they held a poll on WWE.Com then I’m sure some of these feuds would have been omitted altogether for one which made a difference.
Before compiling this release WWE would have been well advised to ask its public about what they believed should be included on the disc and in reality you can’t just pick 25 feuds and label them as ‘Greatest in Wrestling History’ because different people like different feuds for different reasons. It is clear this release was thrown together without real thought because most of it is rushed and leaves no lasting impression on the viewer. Even the added matches are an odd pick at best. There’re no matches from Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes, Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio – their Halloween Havoc 1997 scorcher would have been a welcome addition – Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, The Undertaker vs Kane of which WWE could have featured their WrestleMania 14 clash, Triple H vs Randy Orton plus more. The majority of matches which have been included are not worth the time it takes to watch them and you lose count of those which have an unsatisfactory ending – that is an ending which is disqualification or a run in. A lot of the included matches in full on the latter discs are those shown in highlight form on the main documentary. Would it really have been that much trouble to seek out other matches we hadn’t seen?
What WWE have done with this release is sugar coat almost everything, ensuring long time viewers who have seen this release as a beacon of hope for a fresh take on an old subject will walk away wondering what else they could have spent the £19.99 - £22.99 price tag on. There is no sustenance to anything on this release and to make matters worse 17 of the 25 feuds are from WWE and title of ‘Top 25 Rivalries in Wrestling History’ is a dense one because without rivalries include from New Japan Pro Wrestling, Noah, TNA, Stampede Wrestling plus numerous other promotions which have existed over the years there is no way WWE can justify the title of this release. These are not 25 best rivalries in wrestling history because the entire Wrestling history has not been included – only those WWE owns the video library to. Had WWE struck a deal with other companies to include their feuds as well they may have had a case.
The Blu-ray extras are lackadaisical also. With a never ending archive of interviews, matches and angles from across the centuries WWE for some reason have decided it’s better not to include any of those and only include WWE material and from 2009 onwards. Those people who own Backlash 2009 and Night of Champions 2012 have no need to buy the Blu-ray release because the two matches on the Blu-ray extras will already be in your collection.
Whilst there are some good moments on this release, you have to look very closely and carefully to find them. Those looking to brush up their wrestling knowledge or wanting something new on these twenty feuds would do better reading one of the many books available on wrestling feuds or looking them up on the internet because this release will not add anything new to your database of knowledge. What will irk people more is that feuds such as John Cena vs C.M Punk have been included just to get Cena on the release and have pushed out more deserving entries. It’s almost as if WWE are trying to say to us that history doesn’t matter and that all we should care about is WWE. It’s painfully inadequate.
For novices only.
Rating: C
Onwards and upwards...
