A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date: November 11th 2013
Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk
Price:
DVD £19.99
Blu-ray £22.99
(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)
Format Reviewed:
DVD (3 Discs)
(also available on Blu-ray (2
Discs)
What It’s About:
As
the title of the release suggests, this is a complete anthology of every Money
in the Bank Ladder Match held between WrestleMania 21 in 2005 and Money in the
Bank 2013, in their entirety. Hosted by The Miz the release takes us on a
journey from what began as a single attraction at WrestleMania once per view to
something so successful it spawned its own pay-per view event. As part of the
extras, the Blu-ray release includes every cash in of the briefcase by every
winner.
Strengths:
The
very first Money in the Bank Ladder Match pitting Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit
vs Shelton Benjamin vs Edge vs Christian vs Kane (WrestleMania 21, April 5th
2005) is a revolutionary piece of work but seeing as Ladder matches already
existed in their purest form, maybe not so much as something like the
Elimination Chamber. Since this match began the phenomenon then it richly
deserves a place in the strengths list. Sadly, as good as the action is WWE
have been hard at work editing out every trace of Chris Benoit’s name from the
match. His entrance is gone and every piece of commentary which contained a
mention of him has been erased which leaves huge swathes of dead air when
Benoit is in the ring. Thankfully WWE have left Chris Benoit’s contribution to
the match in – we should at least be thankful they didn’t edit him out
completely. As is true in a lot of the following Money in the Bank Ladder
Matches, Shelton Benjamin is the star here and by the time the fourth or fifth
match is over you will be left wondering why WWE released him from his contract
– he could have been huge. His highlights here include a spectacular leap over
the top rope into rest of the group, a stunning T-Bone Suplex on Edge from the
top of the ladder and a charge up a balanced ladder ending in a flying clothesline
on Chris Jericho which sends Y2J tumbling from the summit. The ladder is used
to good effect without becoming a chore including an excellent German Suplex by
Benoit on Jericho who still has the ladder in hand and a diving head butt from
Benoit off of the top of the ladder add to the stunt fest. Though the latter is
painful to watch for obvious reasons. You can see why the match caught on so
well.
Ric
Flair vs Rob Van Dam vs Shelton Benjamin vs Matt Hardy vs Finlay vs Bobby
Lashley (WrestleMania 22, April 6th 2006) is once again the Shelton Benjamin
show as he picks up where he left off the previous year with a first class
ladder run to the outside and a leap frog from the apron landing on the ladder
in the centre of the ring. Whilst there’s limited detail one can actually give
about every match without sounding repetitive everyone here contributes to the
spectacular including Ric Flair who should be credited for taking a death
defying suplex from the top of the ladder by Hardy. At Flair’s age, he could
have broken his back – it looks mighty fine though. That Flair returns to the
ring after that move testifies to the guts of the man. For no reason at all Van
Dam, the favourite with the audience is largely absent from the majority of the
contest but throws his penny’s worth in with an excellent 5 Star Frog Splash
from the apex which makes your toes curl thanks to his target being in the
wrong position. Apart from a Side Effect from the ladder, everything Matt Hardy
does here has been seen before in his other ladder matches with Edge and
Christian and there’s the overwhelming feeling that the bar has been set too
high from the year previous. RVD gets a huge ovation with the victory and
whilst the match doesn’t seem the spectacle it was at first this is still a
worthy entry.
Jeff
Hardy vs King Booker vs Finlay vs C.M Punk vs Mr. Kennedy vs Matt Hardy vs
Randy Orton vs Edge (WrestleMania 23, April 1st 2007) manages to reinvigorate
the Money in the Bank Ladder Match idea with fresh faces such as Jeff Hardy, Randy
Orton and C.M Punk and some very fine moves from the usual suspects whilst
upping the number of participants which in hindsight was a mistake. Because WWE
have more wrestlers to get over here it means that some are left selling on the
outside for an abnormal amount of time and some don’t get half the spotlight
they would have had the numbers stayed as they were. Edge nails a pitch perfect
suplex on Matt Hardy and a ladder which looks painful from your armchair; God
only knows the pain he woke up in the next morning. The move isn’t Edge’s only
contribution to the match as he should get a great round of applause for
willingly putting his body on the line when Jeff Hardy drops a Seated Senton
from the top of the ladder through Edge and a placed ladder in a breathtaking
moment of brilliance. Mr. Kennedy’s ‘Kenton Bomb’ which misses its target and
sends him head first into a ladder could have broken his neck and Randy Orton
peps up the action with a flurry of fine RKO’s to all and sundry which ends the
sequence with a thumping RKO off of the ladder to C.M Punk. With the action
switching from the mat up the ladder, Booker T’s ‘Bookend’ to Orton off of the
rungs is pure class. You won’t fail to be impressed as the flow and pace as the
match moves with enough rapidity to keep even the most hardened fan engaged.
Whilst Kennedy wins the match, the finale and his interactions with
Hornswoggle, resulting in a Fireman’s Carry roll from the ladder is by far the
best part of his victory which was cut short when WWE believed he was carrying
an injury and on a Smackdown taping two nights later, Kennedy lost the
briefcase to Edge. It would turn out Kennedy wasn’t inured so all of this was
basically for nothing. Of course WWE explain his loss of the briefcase in their
own terms and never allude to the suspected injury.
Chris
Jericho vs Shelton Benjamin vs John Morrison vs Carlito vs C.M Punk vs Mr.
Kennedy vs MVP (WrestleMania 24, March 30th 2008) is one of the best Money in
the Bank Ladder Matches of all time. With new talent coming through the ranks
and being displayed in a match of this magnitude – WWE don’t do enough of it
today making the Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match purely for former Champions
when it should be used to push new talent – John Morrison pulls off the best
move of the entire release with a moonsault to the outside whilst holding a
ladder. It truly is a wonder to behold. Shelton Benjamin’s sunset flip from the
top of the ladder is nothing short of brilliant though Shelton could have
broken his legs when a ladder collapses beneath him in an unplanned moment.
Benjamin wraps up his contribution with a sickening and thrilling fall through
a waiting ladder on the outside. Chris Jericho and Carlito bring out the ‘This
is Awesome’ chants with a perfectly timed Walls of Jericho atop the structure
and Backstabber from the rungs. Matt Hardy’s surprise return to fell MVP’s
attempt almost brings the house down whilst John Morrison shows his
inventiveness by climbing a wedged ladder in a great segment. C.M Punk’s
victory is a turning point in WWE at that moment. After years of resistance
relying on the same old hands, the company show a real willingness to push
someone new.
C.M
Punk vs Kofi Kingston vs MVP vs Finlay vs Christian vs Kane vs Mark Henry vs
Shelton Benjamin (WrestleMania 25, April 5th 2009) may begin to feel stale and
samey with names such as Finlay and Kane involved but once again the fresh edge
is given by names such as Kofi Kingston and refreshingly, Mark Henry. The match
was one of the highlights, with Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker, of a very dull
and disappointing WrestleMania. Kingston’s ladder leapfrog is agile; Finlay,
Christian and MVP pull their weight and Shelton Benjamin leaves us with
something to remember from the match with a breathtaking dive from a ladder in
the aisle to an awaiting mass. Kingston’s swinging front dropkick through the
middle of the ladder is inventive whilst Mark Henry deserves a world of credit
for just about catching Kingston on his fall from a propped up ladder so he
doesn’t break anything. The match sparks big time half way through the affray
with an excellent exchange between Benjamin and MVP ending in a perfect
Powerbomb from the ladder by Porter. Whilst Shelton badly botched a sunset flip
he does hit a killer Powerbomb on MVP to the outside.WWE should be credited
again for keeping the inevitable exchanges between Kane and Henry to the very
minimum. A thoroughly brilliant showcase.
Kane
vs Christian vs Kofi Kingston vs MVP vs Matt Hardy vs Shelton Benjamin vs Evan
Bourne vs Drew McIntyre vs Jack Swagger vs Dolph Ziggler (WrestleMania 26,
March 28th 2010) suffers slightly from same name syndrome but is still highly
enjoyable. Ten men are way too many but the entertainment value is doubled
because of it. For one year, it is a necessary sacrifice as WWE didn’t have any
new ideas to invigorate the match. Kane catching Kingston in a Powerbomb after
an amazing ladder run is a highlight as is Bourne’s knee drop which gets
amazing height. ‘Air Bourne’ from the ladder is a special moment as is the hip
toss from the top of the ladder by Matt Hardy on Evan Bourne. On the whole the
match has a slower pace than the rest on the release up to this point but the
methodical way its put together benefits the piece more than it would had it
been all out action. Sadly, Dolph Ziggler is used as a ragdoll and punch bag by
anyone WWE needs to get over – no change there then – this is most noticeable
when Kane manhandles Dolph almost breaking him in two with a wicked chokeslam
on the ladder. Kingston using two halves of a broken ladder as stilts is almost
inevitable since he’s done very little of note by this point. Watching Drew
McIntyre here, it’s hard to believe that WWE actually considered him at one
point to have a WWE Championship run. In truth, he never had the star quality
needed. Naturally, WWE have edited out Jack Swagger’s fumbling to get the
briefcase undone which seemed like an eternity on the night. A small but
enjoyable lull after the hectic nature of other matches but still worth the
watch.
Big
Show vs Kane vs Kofi Kingston vs Christian vs Matt Hardy vs Drew McIntyre vs
Dolph Ziggler vs Cody Rhodes (Money in the Bank, July 18th 2010) began with
many predicting overkill. The announcement that there would be two Money in the
Bank Ladder Matches at the premier pay-per view event led many to believe that
three such matches in one year would be dull. The attraction was that wrestlers
could think of different things to do with the match just once a year, but how
much could they do without repetition three times a year? Thankfully, this
Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder Match set everyone’s fears aside. The young
studs make up for any names you may have grown bored of by now beginning with
Dolph Ziggler’s hard hitting hip toss from the ladder and Cody Rhode’s back
suplex off the ladder on Kingston, which kicks the match off at a hectic pace.
Kingston raises the roof with a Boom Drop from the rungs through McIntyre and
an announcers table, taking Shelton Benjamin’s place as showman in these
matches. Kane and Big Show don’t disgrace themselves thankfully whilst Big
Show’s ladder is impressive on first viewing, even more so when he takes an age
to get it in the ring – bringing the entire match to a complete halt. Ladder
pile on Big Show is something we’ve not yet seen on this release, but you will
again before the end. Judged as a whole, it’s not the most thrilling Money in
the Bank Ladder Match about but it certainly isn’t the worst.
Randy
Orton vs John Morrison vs Evan Bourne vs Mark Henry vs Edge vs Chris Jericho vs
The Miz vs Ted Dibiase (Money in the Bank 2010, July 18th 2010) is the second
Money in the Bank Ladder Match from the same event, but this time from the red
brand. Though it should have been better, there are some great exchanges and
the hurricanrana from Evan Bourne onto the ladder is to die for. Randy Orton
pops the crowd with his draping DDT off and through the steel walkway. Mark
Henry puts on an impressive display of power pushing both ladders apart with
everyone else hanging off of them and hits a very impressive World Strongest
Slam catching Dibiase falling from the ladder. John Morrison is extra agile in
some impressive displays – WWE really needs his back right now. Bafflingly,
Randy Orton, Edge and those who could get the best out of the match are largely
kept out of the body of the action which is just dumb when you’re looking to
set the audience on fire. Before the rest of the competitors take Henry out
with a sequence of finishers the former ‘World’s Strongest Man’ splatters Evan
Bourne with a WSS on the outside after Edge and Orton throw Bourne over the top
rope and straight into Henry’s arms. Evan Bourne wraps up a flawless
performance with a sumptuous ‘Air Bourne’ out of an RKO which is the highlight
of the match. This is a time of genuine hope for eventual winner The Miz, how
times have changed.
Kane
vs Sin Cara vs Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus vs Wade Barrett vs Cody Rhodes vs Justin
Gabriel vs Heath Slater (Money in the Bank 2011, July 17th 2011) is a terrific
showcase for young talent. Bryan and Gabriel set the tone of the match early on
with almost symmetrical dives to the outside, followed up by a corkscrew
moonsault by Heath Slater and a normal plancha by Sin Cara. After an
unimpressive debut by Sin Cara in 2011 he manages to restore some credit –
before losing it again – with an absolutely super head over heels slam off of
the top rope on Bryan as is his interaction with the rest of the competitors
before the move. Sin Cara is taken out of the match by a Sheamus apron
Powerbomb through a bridged ladder which deals the Mexican an injury – Sheamus
looks mighty concerned for a while. The foiled ladder attempts are done well
and Heath Slater hanging off of the end of a ladder being wielded by others
looks awesome. Justin Gabriel shows how much more he has to give with a 450
Splash from the ladder and Daniel Bryan’s victory is vindication of the
changing times in WWE.
Rey
Mysterio vs Kofi Kingston vs Alex Riley vs Evan Bourne vs Alberto Del Rio vs
The Miz vs R-Truth vs Jack Swagger (Money in the Bank 2011, July 17th 2011)
begins with a great duelling ladder spot and Mysterio has to put himself on the
line again to get the crowd awake and behind the match with a hurricanrana on
Jack Swagger over the top rope. Evan Bourne aims to recreate Shelton Benjamin
with a stunning Air Bourne from the aisle ladder to the gathered crowd and
Miz’s fall from the ladder on his knee – which is not a planned spot – is
sickening, when you feel it from just watching. This is more freer than other
Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Matches and even R-Truth looks good here. The Miz,
a heel, gets a huge ovation when he returns from the leg injury later on in the
match and proves that he does have or at least had the hunger to be the best,
putting his welfare behind him. The finale to the end of the match has to be
redone when the ladder holding Alberto Del Rio collapses underneath him in an
unplanned spot which the Mexican looks thoroughly pissed off about.
Christian
vs Sin Cara vs Santino Marella vs Tyson Kidd vs Cody Rhodes vs Dolph Ziggler vs
Tensai vs Damien Sandow (Money in the Bank 2012, July 15th 2012) is the match
which should have been and looked like the beginning of Dolph Ziggler’s rise to
the top. How WWE messed that up. There’s an impressive showing from Tensai here
in a match which the man formerly known as Albert sticks two fingers up at the
company and shows them he’s much better than Brodus Clay’s partner. Tensai’s
Powerbomb through the ladder on Sin Cara in cringe worthy but doesn’t injure
the Mexican and is followed up by a thrilling throw on Dolph Ziggler which sees
him clear the announcers desk and bounce on his head off of the chairs. Sin
Cara blows a move from the top rope which could have broke Ziggler’s neck –
it’s truly horrible to watch. The encounter is a faster and more welcome bout
as we surge towards the end of the main release, featuring all up and comers
with the exception of Tensai, Christian and Santino. I’m still baffled as to
why Santino gets one of the biggest pops of the match, surely his time in
wrestling is done but that is soon forgotten when Tyson Kidd stands up and
makes himself counted with a superb Sunset Flip from one ladder to the next.
Christian’s spear off of the ladder is reminiscent of Edge at WrestleMania 17
and Dolph Ziggler’s victory is much deserved and a huge hit with the fans.
Dean
Ambrose vs Fandango vs Antonio Cesaro vs Jack Swagger vs Cody Rhodes vs Damien
Sandow vs Wade Barrett (Money in the Bank 2013, July 14th 2013) in the Smackdown Money in the Bank Ladder
Match is quite superb. Sadly thanks to time constraints, Dean Ambrose and
Fandango don’t get an entrance and are simply already in the ring when the
pay-per view begins – an oversight by WWE to treat their United States Champion
that way – though Ambrose gets a rousing reception when he’s announced. Zeb
Coulter does his usual Anti-Foreigner spiel which is beyond old now and the
irony of managing Antonio Cesaro – who hails from Switzerland – whilst
preaching about non Americans in the country is seemingly lost on WWE and
Coulter. As for the excellent brawl; Antonio Cesaro gets his fair share of the
spotlight with a sublime ‘Gut-wrench Powerbomb’ on Cody Rhodes onto the ladder
and an exceptional mid-air ‘European Uppercut’ on Wade Barrett as he falls from
the ladder. Fandango is barely relevant in this match and apart from a few
spots on the ladder where he’s visible reaching for the briefcase and the odd
back and forth piece of action with the ladder, his biggest contribution is an
accomplished ‘Slingshot Leg Drop’ onto the ladder and Wade Barrett and an
excellent sunset flip on Wade Barrett from the top of the ladder. Speaking of
the United States Champions, Ambrose is once again one of the stars of the
match and is all over like this like a rash – in the best possible sense. The
third wheel of The Shield executes an outstanding DDT on Jack Swagger off of
the ladder; is the recipient of an
impressive ‘Hangman’ with the ladder which he ably slips out of and gets a
round of applause when he takes a death defying fall from the top of the ladder
into the waiting wrestler brawl outside. Jack Swagger and Damien Sandow are
kept to a minimum in this match which is baffling and Wade Barrett is the
recipient of a huge amount of punishment. Including what has already been
mentioned, Barrett gets a nasty ladder shot to the head as he’s laying on the
outside, though he does display some much needed aggression when he beats
Sandow with a broken part of the ladder. WWE do very well to take the attention
off those selling moves at ringside for longer than they should and keep the
camera focused on those in the moment. Each interception of the briefcase is
timed to perfection and the ladder is used well and not excessively. However,
the stand out star of this match is Cody Rhodes. His aggression and talent
comes to the front line at Money in the Bank and it’s clear that this Cody
Rhodes is one who belongs in the main event. I have never been more impressed
with him and WWE should push him hard when he returns – as he inevitably will –
from his storyline sacking. Just some of his highlights involve breaking up the
Swagger / Cesaro human ladder attempt and taking each participant out on his
own in a fluid sequence of moves much to the audience’s approval. Rhodes bleeds
hardway when he’s caught by a ladder shot to the head which the camera try
their best to cover up, and the audience, though they give smatterings of
applause for Damien Sandown’s victory are more annoyed than pleased. The truth
is, Damien Sandow isn’t ready for this spot and WWE are to blame. His treatment
before and since the victory has been appalling. Cody Rhodes was the star of
this show and he should have been given that final push.
The
Raw All Star Money in the Bank Ladder Match, pitting Daniel Bryan vs Randy
Orton vs C.M Punk vs Rob Van Dam vs Christian vs Sheamus (Money in the Bank
2013, July 14th 2013) is RVD’s WWE homecoming after many years away and what a
show he puts on. This match is more low key than the Smackdown Money in the
Bank Ladder Match but because of the calibre of wrestlers participating, it
still holds together well. Rob Van Dam impresses greatly and shows that TNA
didn’t ruin him after all with a great showing. Beginning with a heroes
homecoming, the ECW crowd in Philadelphia welcome him back like a legend, which
he his in these parts. Though the match begins with the group getting rid of
the biggest threats one at a time – beginning with Van Dam – making him look
like a serious threat, RVD’s first move gets a huge reaction and his ‘Rolling
Thunder’ onto a ladder is good to see in WWE again. Van Dam sells for the rest
as well with a nasty fall into a stacked group of ladders at ringside. The
highlight of Van Dam’s return though is the thoroughly sensational ‘Five Star
Frog Splash’ from the top of the ladder onto Christian – welcome home Rob. The
beginning exchange between C.M Punk and Daniel Bryan is spirited with some good
flowing reversals and whilst Punk doesn’t feature heavily until the end of the
match, when Paul Heyman expertly turns heel on Punk and cuts him hardway with a
ladder – which turns the ECW audience on Heyman – he does have a comedy moment
with a bow after nailing Sheamus with a ladder and takes the brunt of the fall
when Randy Orton executes a very good ‘T-Bone Suplex’. Daniel Bryan is a
firecracker here and his thrilling dive on Punk outside the ring sends the pair
tumbling into the stacked ladder pile. Out of everyone in the match, Sheamus
seems to be the only one going stale and needs a revamp when he returns from
injury – which begins here – when he takes a very nasty fall through a ladder
at ringside and visibly injures himself. Sheamus’ other impactful memory here
is when he lands awkwardly on a ladder as it falls from under him – it’s not
pleasant to watch. Randy Orton, the eventual winner, is kept mostly a bay through
this encounter which is baffling seeing as he would be thrust into the
spotlight one month later – though his victory is met with some congratulations
and hope that this will be the beginning of something unforgettable – which it
was. Orton’s RKO onto RVD in mid-air as Van Dam falls from the ladder is both
stunning and expertly timed. This match does have the spectacle of the
Smackdown Ladder Match, but we’ve become used to that by now. Though it lacks
the regularity of the high risk moves it’s still a very good outing.
Weaknesses:
John
Cena vs Kane vs Big Show vs Chris Jericho vs The Miz (Money in the Bank 2012,
July 15th 2012) is the only true let down on the entire release and I’m not
just saying that because of John Cena because he actually does put in a
respectable performance and sells at least the most important moves. The whole
match is bereft of excitement thanks to everyone knowing who is going win, Kane
and Big Show not having the drive, Chris Jericho only out for himself and The
Miz never a contender even though had he won the match it would have given WWE
a better platform on which to work off with him going forward. The whole match
is bereft of excitement and goes too long with very little talent involved.
Cena’s Attitude Adjustment through the announcer’s desk is decent but that’s
about it. The match repeats the ladder mountain stunt which isn’t exciting by
this point. No one does anything of real note with the time allocated when they
could have all put on a show if they wanted to.
As
host, The Miz adds nothing to the release but this is becoming a repetitive problem
on WWE releases. In the opening monologue ‘The Awesome One’ proclaims – with
footage of Chris Jericho from Raw in 2005 – that it was Y2J who created the
Money in the Bank Ladder Match idea. At no point across this release is it
stated that Jericho only created the match in the storyline and someone else
came up with the premise. On a release about a certain type of match why not be
truthful about its genesis and have an interview with the person who actually
invented it, which to my knowledge wasn’t Jericho.
Another
Miz moment comes after the WrestleMania 23 Money in the Bank Ladder Match when
Miz has to explain why Edge won the briefcase from Mr. Kennedy. WWE force Miz
not only to do this in character – as he does the whole hosting – but also try
and make us believe the storyline was real. Miz neglects the fact that WWE
believed Kennedy was carrying an injury so they swapped the case to Edge and
because of that its also never mentioned that the injury was never there so
Kennedy’s losing of the case – which he would have successfully cashed in and
changed the course of his career – was completely unnecessary. WWE have to stop
believing we’re idiots. We know the truth so why try and feed us some storyline
bullshit?
The
Miz says that like himself, C.M Punk was not seen as WWE Championship material.
That is true, but it’s never once mentioned why. The Miz was always going to be
some kind of star in the company. His growing ability in the ring and the
amount of time he gave to the company outside the ring dictated that sooner or
later he would get the push he had worked for. For Punk it was different.
Coming from the independent circuit, Punk was never assured success in WWE
thanks to McMahon’s hatred for anyone who comes from the indies. If Punk hadn’t
have gotten over with the audience then maybe he would have never made it.
McMahon only pushed Punk because the fans brought into him even though he had
talent in abundance.
Though
Miz does emphasis how important his Money in the Bank victory was to his career
– the only person to do so, though he is the only one interviewed – when he
talks about the night in question it’s completely over the top. This segment
would have been much more believable had Miz talked about his rise to the top
out of character in a calm and collected manner. On the whole, The Miz’s
inclusion as host is a poor choice all round.
Blu-ray Exclusive
Extras:
WWE New Year’s
Revolution – January 8th 2006
WWE Championship Match
John
Cena vs Edge
ECW One Night Stand –
June 11th 2006
Extreme Rules Match
WWE Championship Match
John
Cena vs Rob Van Dam
Smackdown – May 11th
2007
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
The
Undertaker vs Edge
Raw – June 30th 2008
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Edge
vs C.M Punk
WWE Extreme Rules 2009
– June 7th 2009
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Jeff
Hardy vs C.M Punk
Smackdown – April 2nd
2010
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Chris
Jericho vs Jack Swagger
WWE Money in the Bank
2010 – July 18th 2010
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Rey
Mysterio vs Kane
Raw – November 22nd
2010
WWE Championship Match
Randy
Orton vs The Miz
Behind
the Scenes Footage Following The Miz’s Victory
WWE SummerSlam 2011 –
August 14th 2011
WWE Championship Match
C.M Punk vs Alberto Del Rio
WWE TLC 2011 – December
18th 2011
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Big
Show vs Daniel Bryan
Raw – July 23rd 2012
WWE Championship Match
C.M
Punk vs John Cena
Raw – April 8th 2013
World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Alberto Del Rio vs Dolph Ziggler
Conclusion:
Despite
the fact that this release shouldn’t have had one host, instead had each winner
– or those still with a good business relationship with WWE – talking about
what winning the match meant to them and their career – out of character –
before said match went on, even though it would have spoiled the result for
some; ‘WWE Straight to the Top: Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology’ is a
first class effort thanks to the in ring offering on display. But then did we
ever expect anything less when almost every match in the anthology a gripping
outing?
Whilst
it’s true that this release is redundant if you already own every Money in the
Bank Ladder Match on separate release, for those who don’t own the single
pay-per view outings this is a must. There is something for everyone here and
it’s a great history lesson for the new fan who has only just gotten to grips
with the Money in the Bank phenomenon. If you can look past the fact that when
the matches are grouped together its blatantly obvious how little spotlight new
talent got in the beginning and the repetitiveness of the same names over and
over again and just enjoy the matches for what they are then you will be very
pleased with what WWE have done here.
Yet
another great release from WWE as we surge towards Christmas and whilst it
could have had a few minor adjustments made to it, it’s worth every penny if
anything here is missing from your collection.
Rating: A
Next time in Review
Corner: WWE Night of Champions 2013 DVD and
Blu-ray
Onwards
and upwards...
