A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date:
February 3rd 2014
Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk
Price: DVD £12.99
(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)
Format Reviewed:
DVD (2 Discs)
What It’s About:
Strengths:
From
Raw:
The
opening segment of Raw which is between Randy Orton, Brad Maddox – who has
really settled into his role – and Kane is more than able and holds its own,
even if goes too long. Brad Maddox gets a huge ovation but illogically, even
though Brad Maddox is the General Manager of Raw, Kane says that he’s in charge
when The Authority are on holiday – as they are here. My question would be if
Kane is in charge when The Authority aren’t there are The Authority are in charge
the rest of the time, what is the point of having a General Manager? You’ve gotten your entire basis covered. Brad
Maddox standing up to Kane gets a huge ovation whilst Vickie Guerrero and her
reaction to the baying crowd is nothing less than amusing. The segment leads
directly to the two on one handicap match which is up next.
Randy
Orton vs Cody Rhodes and Goldust is a good handicap match for what its worth.
It’s not excellent and it’s not pay-per view calibre, you get the feeling the
four men are holding something back, maybe they don’t feel the British fans
deserve a stunning match. It’s a logical and slow burner but never really hits
the gear which makes you sit on the edge of your seat. The fans get bored as
Randy Orton takes apart Goldust chanting ‘Randy’s Boring’, ‘Randy Sucks’ and
‘Lawler’ but maybe they have got a point. Randy Orton certainly hasn’t been as
entertaining or good in the ring since his heel turn, with a few exceptions. Cody
Rhodes gets a great ovation when he finally gets tagged in and looks like a
star, as every one of his moves are crisp. Randy Orton puts Cody over very well
as he and Goldust look every inch a match for the WWE Champion. The countout
ending is cheap and Big Show’s beat down of Randy Orton never looks the heat seeker
its meant to be, though Orton does take an awkward bump on the announce table
which looks like it hurts his shoulder.
Los
Matadores and Santino Marella vs 3MB, who are wrestling under the name The
Union Jacks for this year’s tour, complete with Union Jack ring attire – and
they get a massive reception – is surprisingly respectable and short, which
always helps whenever Santino is in the ring. The bout is fast and lively which
continues when El Torito hits a Rolling Plancha from the top rope to the outside.
Sadly though it’s that short, no one really gets a good showing here but the
match does what it was designed for – a little comedy relief. During the match,
JBL, Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler decide to talk about British football – a
subject on which none of them know anything about. This is particularly
infuriating when they decide to tarnish us with their brush and out ‘The’ in
front of every football teams name, like when they say Wayne Rooney play for
The Manchester United who beat The Arsenal just the other week. WWE need to
realise that our teams don’t have ‘The’ in front of them like American Football
teams do.
Dolph
Ziggler vs Curtis Axel is a great effort by both men and one which showcases
what Cutis Axel can do when he can be bothered. We certainly have seen some
dull moments from Axel in 2013. All go from the beginning; the pair trades some
fine moves. Dolph is the usual ball of fire and should be further up the food
chain than he is now. His corner flip to the outside is suitably fine for the
occasion. Curtis Axel looks like the Champion he should have always been. His
aggression is admirable and his execution is spot on. This is one match his
father would be proud of. Yes, the match drops away slightly in the middle but
is revived with a stunning DDT by Dolph in a more than satisfactory fifteen
minutes. This could have been a pay-per view match.
John
Cena vs The Real Americans is the usual selling routine from John Cena but is
still very good mostly thanks to Cesaro and Swagger who carry Cena to a fine
match – they can’t do anything about his selling. Cena pulls out a new move
with a good looking Full Nelson Neckbreaker and he doesn’t ruin The Real
American’s career or image because they don’t allow it. Antonio Cesaro proves
that he has what it takes to combat John Cena on a bigger stage higher up the
card, even though Cena no sells almost everything it’s covered by Cesaro who
hits a fine Uppercut from a Cena Shoulderblock and a falling Uppercut which
John Cena gets impressive height on. There are good reversals but the
submission holds are pointless as John Cena is never going to surrender. John
Cena does well and Cesaro shines.
Tyson
Kidd vs Fandango may have a dumb backstory, in that Tyson Kidd got jealous when
Natalya was training with Fandango, yet he was perfectly fine when she was
fighting all those other men she’s trained and wrestled, but the match itself
is respectable because of Tyson Kidd. The Total Divas clip before the match
should have been omitted because it shows how false the whole thing really is.
Yes it goes too long for a Fandango match but the crowd amuse themselves
singing the Fandango tune which WWE once again mistakes their piss taking for
popularity – maybe we’ve shot ourselves in the foot here. We sing it because we
think we’re getting one over on WWE. Yet mistaking it for popularity, WWE are
pushing Fandango when he’s clearly not ready
Paul
Heyman’s promo from his wheel chair is once again a very good piece of work.
Full of bile and bitterness, Paul Heyman runs down anyone who crosses his mind,
including Ryback and has some fun interaction with the Manchester crowd and his
put downs are second to none. This perfectly sets up Paul Heyman’s exit from
the WWE ready for his return with Brock Lesnar, when he promises C.M Punk that
he will return with a vengeance – possibly alluding to a WrestleMania XXX
rematch between the pair. Paul Heyman goes to another level with his reaction
at C.M Punk’s entrance before Punk puts a beat down on Heyman. Great stuff all
around!
C.M
Punk and Daniel Bryan vs The Shield in a two on one handicap match begins slow
but gradually picks up the pace when Daniel Bryan enters. C.M Punk’s part in
the match makes him feel like he’s on pause. Bryan hits a lovely German Suplex
on Rollins, but the fans are visibly jaded by the time the main event rolls
around – they have been sitting there for nearly three hours as WWE taped
Superstars before Raw – and it’s high time the show wrapped up. There is hardly
any enthusiasm left. That however is remedied when The Wyatt Family enter the
fray and brawl with The Shield before all six men chase Daniel Bryan and C.M
Punk around the ring before Punk and Bryan get the better of them to the
audience’s approval. It’s not a classic but the final five minutes are very good.
From
Smackdown:
Luke
Harper and Eric Rowan vs The Usos, is an excellent and entertaining opener
which is the best match in the whole show. Jimmy Uso lands hard on the back of
his head when Eric Rowan botches a backdrop which looks hideous. The Wyatt
members seem distant and don’t show anything to say they could go further than
a mid-card spot, only when Bray Wyatt is involved do they have any real
presence. The Usos are by far the highlight of the match and moreover, Jay Uso
is mightily impressive in the final stretch of the bout. JBL says that we don’t
know much about The Wyatt Family – four months after their debut, you really
should. Bray Wyatt gives a competent promo after the match.
C.M
Punk and Daniel Bryan vs Curtis Axel and Ryback, is technically solid if
unremarkable, and the pair carry Ryback well as a team. For the longest time
there is nothing to shout about with dull rest holds and Curtis Axel once again
looks lazy and unwilling to do much. Yet again, Daniel Bryan comes to the
rescue with his energetic performance, saving the flow of the entire match. The
Wyatt’s yet again put in an appearance after a blackout in the arena, but when
the lights come back on, Daniel Bryan and Punk have disappeared – they would
resurface from under the ring later on – though since Punk was on the arena
floor next to the apron and Bryan had Ryback in the ‘Yes Lock’ right near the
ropes, we should have telegraphed that. The Wyatt’s devaluate Ryback and Curtis
Axel with an unfeeling beat down before being outsmarted by Punk and Bryan
again.
From
The Main Event:
A.J
Lee vs Natalya is brilliantly competent and is allocated long enough to really
reel in the audience. Natalya looks very good here and A.J is always a
highlight, you just have to look at her and you smile – why can’t I find
someone that beautiful? A.J is of course the cog which keeps the match together
as Natalya looks like her mind is somewhere else at times. I would love to see
an A.J vs Paige match – something WWE should hurry through if they have any
sense. Some of those NXT girls along with A.J could save the Divas Division. In
the biggest laugh of the tour, Alex Riley states that Total Divas is a valuable
part of the WWE brand but ignoring that A.J nails Natty with a superb swinging
DDT which Natty sells well. It’s in her blood I suppose; Bret Hart was one of
the best sellers in the business. The match boasts a lousy disqualification
ending but that’s doesn’t bring down an otherwise great match.
Tyson
Kidd vs Justin Gabriel is respectable but should be better for both men’s
skills. Still, the bout has some great moves such as Tyson Kidd’s Russian Leg
Sweep from the middle rope and Sunset Flip roll through from a Hurricanrana
which is excellent. Well worth the watch.
The
Prime Time Players vs 3MB (The Union Jacks – Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater)
begins with some high octane action between Darren Young and Drew McIntyre
which really gets the match going and whilst Titus O’Neil can’t match that, he
still adds something to the proceedings. Darren Young and Drew McIntyre are the
highlights of the match which dips in and out of form. When it’s good, it’s
good, when it’s bad you’ll want to fast forward it. Judging by his performances
across the entire tour, I think Drew McIntyre could be ready for another
singles run. He wasn’t ready last time, now he is.
From
Superstars:
The
Funkadactyls vs Aksana and Alicia Fox is a shockingly brilliant tag team match
– who would have thought it? Naomi is by far the standout star of this match;
she could another female wrestler to watch in 2014, she doesn’t just have the
looks. It begins at breakneck speed and rarely relents, though the only
complaint one has is that it foes too quickly. Aksana and Alicia Fox are more
than capable and even though Cameron has potential, she needs work. This boasts
some of the finest moves from Divas you’ll see this side of A.J Lee’s in ring
output.
The
extra pitting The Undertaker vs Triple H from Insurrextion 2002 is a brilliant
match even if it doesn’t live up to the standards of their later bouts. Triple
H is technically sound and The Undertaker sells selflessly for someone he
didn’t regard well at the time. This is a highlight.
Weaknesses:
From
Raw:
The
opening video, narrated by John Cena speaks of this night honouring the
military and all they have done for the people. Unfortunately, alienating the
British crowd, Cena says the military they’re honouring is the American
military with no mention of the British Army – I mean why should they, they’re
only holding their show on our shores. I know the show went out in America as
well – though not live – but I don’t think they know how a British audience can
turn. They were lucky on the night.
Once
again, the shows are presented as broadcast, which means they have the
infuriating ad-breaks in them. Why? Again! WWE should have learnt their lesson
by now. They have the footage and ample time to take out the ad-break links and
put in the footage.
Damien
Sandow vs Kofi Kingston is a completely dull affair, which couldn’t be more
different to their Hell in a Cell Kick-Off effort. Neither man has the will or
want to do anything special and Damien Sandown seems especially pissed off at
the way he’s been treated. No one can blame him; he was earmarked for greatness
at Money in the Bank. The whole match consists of rest holds which have no
place on a broadcast which has already gone at least an hour and a half at this
point, taking in the Superstars taping beforehand. It’s the usual mid-card Raw
match. No real feeling, no real interest. They’ve just given WWE all the
ammunition they need to prove the company were right about them.
Tamina vs Nikki Bella is a complete mess. Everything
looks sloppy, from submission holds to throws and even the normal holds look
amateur. A.J looks disheartened at ringside, and is the best thing about this
match even though she’s not in it. The plodding action is met with chants of
‘You Can’t Wrestle’ directed at Nikki Bella and Tamina even botches the
Superfly Splash, failing to pull Nikki into position. This is just horrible.
Ryback
vs R-Truth is a horrible bore of a match. Truth doesn’t have the skills to
carry Ryback and until the final move in which Truth gets a fluke victory after
being pasted into the canvas, it’s a demolition job of Ron Killings. It makes
you wonder how much longer Ryback can continue before the axe falls on his
career.
Alberto
Del Rio vs Big E. Langston is so dull that the crowd amuse themselves with a
Mexican Wave and a chat of ‘We Are Awesome’. Full of rest holds and very little
action, Del Rio should know better than this and worked his routine around
Langston’s capabilities. There’s nothing to note here because nothing actually
happened.
From
Smackdown:
R-Truth
and The Prime Time Players rap off is painfully bad and somewhat ugly as all
three try to rap and sing when none of then actually can. WWE should have cut
this for the trio’s own good.
R-Truth
and The Prime Time Players vs 3MB, again parading as The Union Jacks ends well
with a good three man brawl but the rest of the match is totally forgettable
with very little content – a running theme of a lot of matches on this release.
I’m afraid this is why the tag team division is in the dumps. Truth doesn’t show
any fortitude to show WWE why he should be in the upper mid-card position – I
believe he still has some talent but really needs to pull it out before its too
late – and The Prime Time Players just go by the numbers, whilst 3MB are
whipping boys.
John
Cena vs Alberto Del Rio Arm Wrestling Contest is a complete farce and isn’t
even the comedy relief it’s supposedly meant to be. From the moment Cena steps
into the ring you can telegraph the ending and its one which devaluates Alberto
Del Rio wholly. Both rounds of the contest John Cena wins in less than a
second, casting a shadow of weakness across Del Rio. There was no way anyone
believed he was walking out of Survivor Series after this. After the bout Del
Rio predictably attacks Cena, targeting the arm. This is horribly 1980’s.
The
Bella Twins vs The Funkadactyls is hideous, clunky, awkward and more to the
point, pointless. Naomi can’t pull out any of her skills here and Nikki and
Brie drag what little there is here down with them. It’s almost as if they pin
Naomi back with the attitude of ‘If we can’t do it then you won’t be allowed to
either’, and Naomi’s only real contribution is a Swinging Stunner on Brie.
Seeing how good the Divas tag team match is on Superstars and then seeing this,
it’s night and day as to what’s wrong with the Divas Division.
The Great Khali vs Hunico and Camacho is a
glorified whipping match that was so short I missed it when I looked down to
take notes. For WWE, this is a dumb way to signal the exit of two characters
from your product – Hunico is now portraying Sin Cara after WWE opted not to
renew the contract of the Mexican behind the mask, let’s face it, he can’t do a
worse job. This is nothing but filler and it’s horrible to watch Khali who is
barely mobile and seems to be on the verge of a stroke.
From
The Main Event:
Being
the best show on the entire disc, there really isn’t that much to grump about
this time around, but I have to find something in the interest of fairness and
impartiality. Natalya crying to Tyson Kidd after failing to defeat A.J for the
Divas Championship is hammy and cringe worthy. Natalya cannot act and her tears
are plainly fake and worse, forced.
From
Superstars:
The
Usos and The Great Khali vs The Prime Time Players and The Miz is mostly
uneventful when at least four of the six men could have done a sterling job
with acrobatics galore. Sadly, the best part of the entire match is The Miz and
The Prime Time Players dancing on the stage during their entrance. Apart from
that, there’s no weight here, nothing to make you ponder who may come out on top
– seeing The Miz is in the match you can be almost assured it isn’t his team.
The Usos are wasted, The Prime Time Players are ineffective, The Great Khali
worthless and The Miz is maybe the least well regarded wrestler in Vince
McMahon’s mind that no one really cares anymore.
Special Feature:
Insurrextion – May 4th
2002
Triple
H vs The Undertaker
Conclusion:
Despite
the panning I usually give these type of releases, it is hard to say anything
bad about them because even though a lot of the material is filler, which you
wouldn’t normally give the time of day to, the release is packed with so much
material that it is actually good value for money. However, once again, WWE
have chosen to ignore the pleas of the fans and included one solitary extra –
another match which took part in the Untied Kingdom twelve years ago. Would it
really pain them to take a look at TNA’s UK offerings and follow suit with a
thirty minute documentary, which isn’t kayfabe and doesn’t protect the
industry, based in real life about the wrestler’s journey through the UK tour?
Packing
the extras on these releases with a look into the tour schedule and how the
wrestlers cope with such a demanding part of their year would be fascinating,
as would a peak on their tour bus and interviews about what they really think
of the tours. If they were derogatory we wouldn’t care, it would just be nice
to hear something which isn’t scripted for once. Failing a look at the entire
roster outside the ring, follow one person about on the tour, their daily
routine, highs and lows, someone popular, someone like A.J or Randy Orton, hell
even Vince McMahon would do.
There
are some very good matches to be had from this release, most of which I
envisage will be available on ‘The Best of Raw and Smackdown 2013’ release
later in the year. So if you attended these tapings on the night then it’s a
wonderful souvenir to have in your collection. If you didn’t then I’d advise to
wait until ‘The Best of Raw and Smackdown 2013’ is released and if none of the
above is included then purchase this release.
Rating: B
Next Time in Review
Corner: WWE Survivor Series 2013 DVD and
Blu-ray
Onwards
and upwards...
