Step into the Ring

Sunday 30 November 2014

REVIEW CORNER: NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS DVD AND BLU-RAY



 

A – Excellent


B – Good


C – Mediocre


D – Avoid







Release Date: November 24th 2014

Available From: www.wwedvd.co.uk

Price:
DVD £12.99
Blu-ray £13.99
(Prices from www.wwedvd.co.uk: high street prices will vary)

Format Reviewed: DVD
(Also Available on Blu-ray)

What It’s About:

WWE’s 2014 Night of Champions pay-per view event which was held at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee on September 21st. Featuring the much anticipated re-match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, Paige vs A.J Lee vs Nikki Bella for the WWE Divas Championship as well as every other title on WWE’s roster defended.

Strengths:

The Usos vs Goldust and Stardust deceives at its beginning with some fairly substandard action, but like every Uso bout it soon picks up and ends on a thrilling high. The Usos hangman slingshot on Stardust is of high quality whilst Goldust’s powerslam from apron to floor is very good indeed. Scintillating to the highest degree, The Usos turn the gear up a level as their tag team championship reign comes to an end. Stardust’s counter of a Samoan drop into a swinging neckbreaker looks divine as the thrill a minute finale comes to a halt with a terrific treble dive by The Usos and Goldust. The final sequence should have possessed a much better flow.

Sheamus vs Cesaro is a match of two halves. It’s completely dull up until the middle point, when it kicks into action and both men show why they should be higher up the card. The near falls, reversals and counters are a marvel to witness as both men make the US title seem important again. Sheamus counters a neutralizer with a backdrop only for Cesaro to land on his feet and counter a brogue kick with a stupendous fireman’s carry shoulder sit down slam. Everything that takes place in the final sector of this thriller would be too much to write down here, but it’s a wonder to behold. Before the bout, we’re show past US champions dating back to Harley Race and the NWA. What WWE don’t seem to realize is that this US title isn’t the same or even connected to the one held by Harley Race or anyone in WCW.

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins’ unscheduled fight is entertaining enough whilst it lasts. Claiming himself the victory over Roman Reigns by forfeit, Reigns can’t attend because of emergency hernia surgery which won’t halt his planned 2015 push, before opening up a challenge to anyone who wants to fight him. Coincidentally, Dean Ambrose’s taxi pulls up at that exact moment and must have been listening to Rollins in the taxi because he knows exactly where Rollins is at that particular moment. They battle around the arena before Triple H and Stephanie McMahon rouse the security to carry Dean Ambrose away, but not before Ambrose has launched himself at them from the set. Why security would carry Ambrose away when Rollins opened up the challenge to anyone, is baffling

Randy Orton vs Chris Jericho matches Cesaro vs Sheamus for match of the night. Tight, well held together and engaging, both veterans roll back the years as if it’s 2005 again. Randy Orton should be fighting on a higher plain than this and his heel character and association with The Authority would be the perfect foil for The Wyatt Family, especially Bray Wyatt. There are some excellent counters and reversals to be had, including a lionsault into a backbreaker and an RKO from a top rope dive which ends the bout. Very good indeed.

Paige vs A.J Lee vs Nikki Bella does well to play out a beginning, middle and end with interest. All three women are lively and yearning to put on a show, though Nikki Bella only shines because she has two women of greater quality to help her along. A.J kicks off the bout with a stunning hurricanrana, before delving back into her feud with Paige which lights up the bout. Their interactions are better than that on display at SummerSlam with Paige adopting an even more psycho aura screaming “Why don’t you love me?” at A.J Lee who looks tiny and lovable. The tower suplex is a highlight but you’ll cringe at how hard A.J’s little body crashes to the mat. WWE really should have found a better ending than Paige tapping to the black widow.

John Cena vs Brock Lesnar isn’t the highlight it was at SummerSlam, but even though WWE should have left this for a few months it’s still a watchable outing in which John Cena gets in more offence then he previously managed. Brock Lesnar dominates once again, but John Cena ignores every beating he takes and comes back like there’s nothing wrong. In other words, it’s typical John Cena selling. There isn’t much in the way of gripping action here, other than the question of whether Brock Lesnar can repeat his previous feat again and John Cena is position to defeat Lesnar when Seth Rollins causes a terrible disqualification ending. But again, it’s not going to disappoint even if John Cena was placed in a position which screamed that he was somehow better than Brock Lesnar on the night, despite having little offence once again.

Before each championship match, WWE show us a nice collection of photos of past champions who held that particular title in question. This is a nice touch by the company who hope this will interest people enough to purchase the WWE Network and see some history unfold.

As for the DVD Extras: ‘Night of Champions Kickoff: The Peep Show With Chris Jericho’ is an amusing edition of the programme in which two old friends hark back to times long since gone and bicker like children about who is to credit for their success as a one time team. Randy Orton is also a chuckle when he interrupts both and tells Chris Jericho that after the beating he’ll receive later in the pay-per view, the only show Y2J will be able to get on is Total Divas. It’s not a segment packed with quality, but whilst it lasts, it’s a good laugh.

‘Byron Saxton Interviews A.J Lee’ holds together thanks to the WWE Divas Champion who is deliciously quirky when describing her gold as her baby. The way A.J carries both herself and the gold is delightfully sexy, whilst her unhinged character comes across fairly strong. At the same time, A.J looks like a sex siren, a tease and the girl you’d go to war for. At the conclusion of the interview, A.J grins at Saxton and says that crazy chick’s do everything better. I wouldn’t mind getting C.M Punk’s validation on that.

Weaknesses:

Rusev vs Mark Henry may be one of Mark Henry’s best matches in a very long time and feature what people are calling a shock ending, when Henry taps out to Rusev’s Accolade but its fairly dismal stuff. Unable to move, Henry allows Rusev to do all the work for him whilst Henry’s biggest contribution is crying at the American national anthem. At points, it really looks and feels like two giant bears colliding in the woods. The commentators say that Mark Henry is fighting for 318 million Americans, which is also the number of calories Mark Henry houses in his body. Following the bout, Michael Cole asks who will be able to stop Rusev. I think as one, we can all answer that for him.

Dolph Ziggler vs The Miz isn’t the spectacle it was at SummerSlam and both men just seem to be going through the motions. Whatever quality there may be here is shunted to the back of everyone’s mind when the commentators are joined by Florida Georgia Line on commentary and spend the entire match plugging their new album and involvement with Tribute to the Troops. No one on audio seems to care about the title or match in question and even more infuriating is that the camera continually cuts away from the action to the pop group at ringside. Damien Sandow who is once again pretending to be The Miz is cannon fodder and his career reaches new lows when he’s the punch bag for the pop group. This should never have been booked twice; it does no one any favours.

As for the DVD Extras: ‘Tom Philips Interviews Goldust and Stardust’ is an awful piece of footage which consists mostly of Stardust talking in riddles and laughing as everyone watching tries to guess what the hell he’s on about. It’s complete gibberish and only further harms the Stardust character. Cody Rhodes says that Goldust has been champion with three separate partners now but what Rhodes fails to mention is that so has he.

DVD and Blu-ray Special Features:

Night of Champions Kickoff
The Peer Show with Special Guest Chris Jericho

Home Video Exclusive
Byron Saxton Interviews A.J Lee

Home Video Exclusive
Tom Philips Interviews Goldust and Stardust

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Raw – August 18th 2014
Brock Lesnar is Awarded the New WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Raw – August 25th 2014
Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair Hall of Fame Panel

Raw – September 1st 2014
Stephanie McMahon Grants Nikki Bella a Shot at the WWE Divas Championship

Smackdown – September 12th 2014
Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns vs Randy Orton and Seth Rollins

Conclusion:

Night of Champions 2014 is a mixed bag and can’t live up to the bar which SummerSlam set. Don’t get me wrong, there is some great action on display here but even the good is samey with very little deviation from what we’ve seen before. That said, matches such as The Usos vs Goldust and Stardust and Paige vs A.J Lee vs Nikki Bella hold plentiful excitement whilst Randy Orton vs Chris Jericho and Sheamus vs Cesaro are clearly the matches of the night.

Brock Lesnar vs John Cena should have been something special, and whilst it holds the most intrigue after what occurred at SummerSlam and isn’t terrible, WWE could have held off on the rematch until either Hell in a Cell or Survivor Series after John Cena had taken a few months out of action to sell the beating he received at SummerSlam. Still, there’s enough here to make the even the most fickle wrestling fan happy and though there will be better events to come, Night of Champions 2014 holds some crucial action which has to be seen.

Rating: B

Next Time in Review Corner: WWE Top Giants in Wrestling History DVD and Blu-ray

Onwards and upwards...



Monday 24 November 2014

REVIEW CORNER: WWE MACHO MAN - THE RANDY SAVAGE STORY DVD AND BLU-RAY



 

A – Excellent


B – Good


C – Mediocre


D – Avoid 







Release Date: November 17th 2014

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:

A 90 minute documentary which covers every important aspect of Randy Savage’s life, including his relationship with Miss Elizabeth and subsequent divorce, his real life rivalry with Hulk Hogan and the man behind the colourful attire. The documentary is followed by a host of matches from his career, ranging from 1986 – 1997.

Strengths:

The opening of the release is set against a spinning wheel of a jeep, whilst current WWE stars give their opinion of Randy Savage. There’s nothing negative or derogatory here, as everyone has only the nicest things to say about him including ‘born to perform’ and ‘perfectionist’ before the pre-titles cut to news reports of his death and show how widely covered it was in America. In the UK we don’t get to see this stuff but it was huge in America. It’s a great place to begin, knowing that we’ll arrive back here at the conclusion of the release. From there, we flit to the town where Randy Savage died and more importantly the tree which he crashed into and where it’s later revealed his ashes are scattered. Standing by the tree is brother Lanny Poffo who wrestling fans will know better as The Genius, looking at the heartfelt tributes left for his brother as he reels of a lovely speech.

The release begins properly in the small town outside Chicago where Randy Savage lived after his wrestling days were done and eventually passed away. We’re treated to a reel of pictures from his illustrious career as the voice over guy rightly describes Savage with the line, “His unbridled charisma left an indelible mark on legions of fans throughout the world.” From here, we go back in time to the very beginning and Randy Savage’s childhood. WWE deserve credit here for first spotlighting his father, Angelo Poffo and looking at his triumphs as being in ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not’ for the most consecutive sit ups and then his wrestling career after baseball which is an identical path Randy Savage took.

As the segment goes on, WWE give us a family tree of the Poffo family whilst interviewing Pat Patterson who tells us about Angelo Poffo and what sort of a man he was. Whilst Patterson is talking, we’re provided with pictures and videos from Poffo’s career in wrestling and Patterson tells us with a cheeky grin that Poffo was great at saving money and that no matter how much he earned, he’d never spend any of it if he didn’t have to. Jerry Lawler is on hand throughout this release but fear not he’s on excellent form and reminisces wrestling Angelo many times. Lawler’s stories are mostly enchanting and the segment ends with Angelo Poffo’s motto of “It’s Better to be Rich and Dead, than Poor and Alive!” It’s a lovely piece which we don’t get to see in depth on any other release.

Continuing Randy Savage’s background and childhood, the release interviews his mother whose words are compiled along with old family photos. Stating that Randy was different to other children, not too long is spent on his days growing up and we switch directly to his baseball career. Usually, I’d gripe about this but seeing as Randy Savage’s career is far more interesting than his younger years it suits the release well to go straight to something that mattered. From here, WWE deserve credit for including an unseen interview with Randy Savage from 1993 where he speaks candidly about life before wrestling. Telling us that he loved and respected and played so many sports during his youth, Randy Savage does seem a little sad that it didn’t all work out for him on the pitch.

When delving through his baseball career, the release interviews those outside the ring which include coaches and best friends from high school and college who attest to Randy Savage’s athletic ability even at a young age. Though you may get a sense these people are only saying these things because he’s dead, there is a strong air of legitimacy when their comments are backed up by newspaper reports of Randy Poffo’s achievements. One of his friends even goes as far as to call him an ‘outstanding’ baseball player before his coach displays the notion that even as a child he was a perfectionist and wanted everything to be just right. His sheer effort in everything that he did is conveyed very well and we get an insight into how hard he worked to make everything he wanted a reality.

His initiation into professional wrestling begins with a segment where Lanny Poffo is interviewed at great length for the first real time. Still possessing that wonderful voice which served him well when touting The Genius gimmick, Poffo relays to us a story of tragedy within Randy’s early years when after all of that hard work he failed to get drafted to a team in 1971. Those who have gone through similar disappointments in life, working hard and not receiving your shot when it was due will be able to relate to this moment though Poffo does a great job of building up the story to a somewhat joyous climax when he says that Randy went to a baseball game with his father and became involved in a free agent camp. There’s an air punch moment as we find out that Randy was the only man drafted out of 300 though still an air of sadness as we know that it didn’t all work out for him.

His failure as a baseball player is covered in depth and once again WWE deserve the most credit for allowing this story to roll once we’re caught up in it and not cutting it short. Had they wanted to trim this documentary down to one hour then they could have easily cut all of this and just explained what happened in several pictures and a small monologue from the voice over guy. Going nowhere in baseball, the segment begins on a down note before ending on a high which only serves to continue the rollercoaster of the journey we’re looking at here. Telling a story of the moment Randy realized his career was over, Lanny Poffo does another wonderful job of emphasizing every detail up to the poignant moment Savage took his baseball bats up to an oak tree and shattered them as his way of putting a full stop on that period and accepting it was over.

Switching to another piece of the 1993 interview, Randy Savage himself tells us of his entry into the wrestling business. Showing visible signs of regret that his baseball career didn’t work out, you feel really sorry for Savage and get the feeling that should he have removed his glasses then there may have been a little tear. Notifying the audience of his humble beginnings in wrestling and it being his first love because of his father, his time in Championship Wrestling from Florida may be fleetingly covered but Lanny Poffo provides the laughs when stating how Randy beat a stipulation in his contract which stated that he couldn’t compete in any other sports, by wearing a mask and competing as The Spider.

Randy Savage’s transformation from weedy baseball player to professional wrestler is a highlight as instead of a story anyone could tell, WWE use old footage of Savage training to become a star. Relentless hours in the gym and what must have been painful running through all weathers give this a Rocky Balboa feel whilst you’ll feel a moment of joy when he makes the big time in WWE after his career in his father’s International Wrestling Federation is looked at. Before we get into Randy Savage’s actual time in the ring, more of the 1993 interview sheds light on the name which carried him to stardom. Speaking on being donned with ‘Macho Man’ during his baseball years, Randy then says that he decided to christen himself with the surname Savage, just because he didn’t want to make it on his father’s reputation.

One of Randy Savage’s greatest traits was undoubtedly his microphone skills; I think on that we can all agree. However, a tale from Lanny Poffo sheds light on the fact that it wasn’t always like that for Randy, advising us that at the beginning of his career Savage would have anxiety attacks about what to say. The tale of where he got his ‘Ooooooh Yeah’ from and that it was used to cover nerves as well as early promos filmed in his house and taken from the Poffo family archive are excellent touches. They didn’t need to be shown or told but give his story a much more completist feel.

Finally, after being teased about his wrestling origins, we enter the world in which Randy Savage became immortal. Beginning with his IWF career which lasted only a small amount of time before he was poached by Vince McMahon, we get a more in depth piece from Jerry Lawler after being told that IWF was created as direct competition to his and Jerry Jarrett’s Mid-South Wrestling in Memphis. Jerry Lawler looks like he’s having a ball when recounting the days Randy Savage would openly challenge him without invitation, just looking to get some coverage from the IWF before the companies went into business together and he and Savage fought around the territories. This is the Jerry Lawler we want to see on releases, not the drone who speaks only when WWE tell him to and says what WWE want him to. The history lesson is also a commendable touch by WWE who usually don’t like its audience to think life outside their own walls existed. They’ve even taken to rebranding WCW and ECW material with the WWE logo on the bottom of the screen.

If you’re getting to this point in the release and waiting impatiently for his WWE days to come into the picture, then I can promise you that all of that waiting won’t have been for nothing. When the release finally does get to his association with Vince McMahon, it’s a corker and there aren’t many releases you can say that about. Speaking on his Savage’s induction into the company, Lanny Poffo states that Howard Finkel and Jimmy Hart were instrumental in getting him to the company and how the first thing he did was get his brother a job. Where this segment thrives is in its introduction of Miss Elizabeth as Randy’s valet and manager before Lanny gives us even more background on the pair’s relationship, where they met and when they married. Dolph Ziggler correctly states that it was a different way to stand out whilst Jake Roberts is a scream as a talking head, claiming that her success was because she had better hair than Randy because his looked like it had been dry cleaned. This is a brilliant section, made all the more a highlight by the correct assertion that Miss Elizabeth became as much a star than her husband did.

Knowing that it’s coming, we finally get to the darker side of Randy Savage which kicks off the best couple of segments of the entire release. Looking at his obsessive behaviour with Miss Elizabeth and how it affected their relationship and marriage, we get assertions from wrestlers who aren’t prone to exaggerating about how he distrusted everyone around her. Ted Dibiase comes out with the belief that even though the pair were madly in love he was very protective, whilst Jerry Lawler leaves you in no doubt that right from the very beginning there was an underlying obsession taking root. Dibiase comes back with the notion that at some point, there has to be some trust there before Lex Luger, who does not look well at all, pitches in with the comment that he would have been the same way. Many people will see this as a character assassination but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. This was a huge part of the man in question and any release about him would have suffered without the truth being told. It doesn’t make him a bad guy or wrestler.

Lifting the mood before hitting us with the real life feud with Hulk Hogan and the disintegration of his and Elizabeth’s marriage, we’re treated to an interview with the man who used to make Randy Savage’s colourful entrance attire. Unseen pictures are then brought forward of the pair together designing and styling the garments in an interesting segment. The designer correctly states that the clothes helped make the character whilst DDP has a good laugh trying to guess Randy Savage’s real height but does enlighten with the correct assertion that he exemplified the way this business should be done.

From his anxiety attacks to the excellent promo man he was Randy Savage’s microphone skills are taken into account in a sit down interview with Gene Okerlund who was the recipient of most of his unforgettable tirades. Lex Luger kicks off with the true claim that Savage had his own interview technique and fans adored him for it, whilst Gene Okerlund says that he loved to interview Savage because it wasn’t just normal back and forth stuff. This is backed up with some excellent footage of his most wild interviews cut togethers. Dolph Ziggler brings out the true Randy Savage fan within him, affirming that you can’t walk down the street and not bump into someone who knows a Randy Savage impression or has done one themselves with Lanny Poffo following that up with a comment that ‘When they’re imitating you, you know you’re good!’ Gene Okerlund brings an upbeat segment to a close by declaring that if he’d have known what Randy Savage was going to do, it would have spoilt it.

After some rare footage of Randy Savage backstage, preparing for an interview, the release switches to Randy Savage’s Intercontinental Championship victory over Tito Santana and his subsequent feud with Ricky Steamboat who takes over as the talking head. Believing that he was blessed to have Savage as an opponent and a three month build to their WrestleMania III bout, Steamboat is a high spot when he details the intricate pages of planning which Randy Savage forced him to do weeks before the bout to get it right, whilst he shows us the actual pages with the eighty eight bullet points they knew that they must hit. Bret Hart relays that match was the one he tried to emulate just to be the best, this is very high praise indeed. You’ll need your handkerchief at the ready as the segment comes to an end, as Ricky Steamboat is on the verge of tears to the point he can’t even speak when trying to tell us that out of over 6,000 matches that one is still the one that gets talked about. It’s very emotional and completely gripping.

We’re made to wait a little while, but we finally arrive at Randy Savage having to share the spotlight with Hulk Hogan. This segment is a complete credit to the release and is told in nothing but complete honesty beginning with Hulk Hogan looking at their Mega Powers union and the bad blood behind it. Telling us that it was a play on real life, thanks to Randy Savage’s ultra protective nature over Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan is full of joy when he says that bringing that into the storyline gave it some legitimacy. Kevin Nash looks genuinely regretful when he says that Hulk Hogan was the face of the company and Randy Savage wasn’t the ‘A Guy’, touching upon how much animosity Randy Savage felt towards Hulk Hogan for that. We know Kevin Nash is usually kayfabe friendly so this is a massive statement from the man.

The above segment continues in fascinating style when Hulk Hogan decides that for once in his life he will tell the truth and open up about what really happened. Admitting that all the animosity spilt over on a personal level, Hulk makes this segment stand out with an unheard story from behind the scenes of their Saturday Night’s Main Event break up. During the commercial, Hulk tells us, Randy Savage went off on Hogan for real, shouting and yelling at him for going too close to Elizabeth’s breasts. This is a great story and deserves to be here because it rounds out the Randy Savage legacy. After looking at Hogan taking the belt back at WrestleMania V, Bret Hart seems genuine when stating that he went to the locker room to thank Randy for being such a great champion.

The best chapter on the entire release details the breakdown of Randy Savage and Elizabeth’s marriage. It’s a sombre chapter but you won’t find a more gripping one on any other release this year. It begins with Pat Patterson’s assertion that Elizabeth used to get locked in the dressing room to stop her talking to any other men, whilst Jimmy Hart is sure that the pair loved each other which is backed up by some lovely family pictures of both of them. Pat Patterson strikes again with a story of how Randy Savage confronted people in a restaurant for staring at his wife. Everyone here really gets over how strongly he felt for his wife but there’s also a great tragedy here as well, as his behaviour is made to sound like it’s the sole cause of their split. Lanny Poffo sticks up for his brother by stating that Randy was someone who didn’t take any nonsense in a world full of it.

Carrying on with Randy Savage’s over protectiveness, Jimmy Hart’s picks up the story by relaying a tale to us that occurred whilst Randy Savage wasn’t travelling with Elizabeth which means this probably happened whilst his was working with Sensational Sherri. Swearing it to be true, Jimmy Hart says that Randy Savage brought Miss Elizabeth twenty one television dinners because she wasn’t allowed to leave the house. Whether this is true of not, the latter if you believe Lanny Poffo, it’s still an unheard story which adds strength to the breakdown of their marriage. Bret Hart rightly calls it a sensitive situation.

Digging further into the break of their marriage, the release states that as the pair were reconciling on television after WrestleMania VII they were about to go their separate ways personally. The voice over guy calls them consummate professionals for convincing the masses of their love when it was heading south fast whilst their SummerSlam 1991 marriage is treated as legitimate when it wasn’t. Kicking kayfabe out of the window once more, the release does highlight the pressures both were under having to make public appearances as a loving couple before their relationship finally ended when Elizabeth went to Florida with Hulk Hogan’s wife. As the only man who knows what happened for sure, Hulk Hogan sheds light on the situation when he says Randy Savage turned up in Florida and he and his wife didn’t even know of the split before Randy Savage accused them both of leading Elizabeth astray. Hogan says that Savage hated him for nine years after that which takes the pair right up to the end of their WCW tenure together. Once again, credit to WWE for showing the letter Randy Savage wrote to WWE magazine readers detailing his divorce.

His final stint in WWE from 1993 – 1994 provides some downtime for the release, as Randy Savage sat on commentary for the majority of his final run. Ted Dibiase says that he did a good job but it wasn’t a strength of his and its true, Savage wanted to be in the ring as stated here but was seen as an old hand in a new generation. This is one of the real reasons he left WWE for WCW but not before his massive amount of charity work is looked at. Pat Patterson describes Randy Savage’s 1994 career well with the line, “When you’re on top for a while, eventually somebody has got to take your place”. This is a level headed look at why Vince McMahon didn’t want Randy Savage on top anymore and why he vetoed a plan by Randy Savage to have a two year feud with Shawn Michaels which would have concluded at WrestleMania with Michaels beating Savage and ending his career. The latter comes from Lanny Poffo who states that this is how Savage wanted his career to end.

Leaving behind WWE, Randy Savage’s WCW career begins with a piece of footage from November 1994 which should have been left until last. It sees Vince McMahon giving a somewhat humble thanks to Randy Savage for his years of dedication to the promotion. It’s heartfelt and should have gone on last. Vince McMahon will never say it again, but this could have been a bridge between McMahon and the Poffo family for Randy Savage’s eventual induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

It’s surprising how willing WWE are with this release to make Randy Savage out to be the good guy when they could have done what they have so many times previous and make him out to be the bad guy. Instead of making his switch look like it was done for money, WWE make sure we’re left in doubt that Randy Savage moved because he thought his career wasn’t over yet. Bret Hart says that out of everyone that jumped ship, Randy Savage’s departure left him the most shook up and that he gets the feeling having spoken to Randy in WCW that his exit wasn’t a smooth one. Bret says that Randy felt that he’d been betrayed and I guess if anyone is qualified to speak on that it’s Bret Hart. Lanny Poffo gives us an insight as to how Randy Savage really hated WWE by the time it had finished making fun of him and didn’t appreciate The Huckster vs The Nacho Man sketches WWE did and believed WWE were trying to imply that Hulk was having an affair with Elizabeth. From this, you get the feeling that WWE burned its bridges with Savage and not the other way around.

Randy Savage’s re-meeting with Hulk Hogan in WCW is mentioned with Ric Flair stating that Savage was paranoid all the time. Maybe he had good reason to be. After all, Hogan had stole his thunder once and would do so again before the company closed its doors. Kevin Nash says that the pair had a love / hate relationship whilst Gene Okerlund pulls no punches by saying that they simply didn’t get along even though they had matured. Lex Luger sticks up for Randy Savage by correctly underlining that he gave WCW some legitimacy and looks at how he made Diamond Dallas Page a star. DDP appears as a talking head with a story about Savage agreed to put him over without asking, but is on the verge of tears as the segment closes remembering his friend.

WWE’s purchase of WCW brought the end of Randy Savage’s career and not before time either. Randy Savage had peaked at least four years before WCW closed its doors with his final notable input being in making DDP a star. Voice over guy ponders upon the question why Randy Savage didn’t return to the WWE when others did before a 1992 interview with Gene Okerlund is shown in which Randy Savage says that he never forgets and will take things with him to the grave. After Triple H called Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan dinosaurs in a magazine around that time, a video from Randy Savage’s website is show in which he unloads on Hulk Hogan calling him a punk and then threatens to bitch slap Triple H and take Stephanie McMahon. It’s an excellent piece of footage. Lanny Poffo rightly says that it only threw gasoline on the fire. Randy Savage did the right thing by not returning. He had nothing else to prove or offer wrestling and saved his legend by stepping away.

Another dark point in Randy Savage’s history covers Miss Elizabeth’s tragic death in 2003. Told with sensitivity, WWE once again step outside their comfort zone by naming her cause of death, including video footage from the crime scene and including Lex Luger’s 911 call to paramedics. Lex Luger is naturally the main talking head here, stating that he was in a dark place for years after that and he and Randy Savage had no contact with each other. Lanny says that Randy Savage was crushed her passing but offered to do whatever he could for the family but wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. Gene Okerlund is spot on by pointing out that it was a tragic end.

Working towards Randy Savage’s death, we receive a personal account from friends and family about his post wrestling charity work and how good he was with children before a friend’s child recounts all the times he babysat her and the fun they used to have. It sheds a different light on Randy Savage even though it doesn’t last very long.

The release is given an uplifting feeling by focusing on his final marriage one year before his death. Lanny Poffo tells us how happy Randy Savage was and regales us with the story of how he re-met his first love who he left to become a wrestler. Pictures of their marriage make Randy Savage look like a different man, whilst Lanny Poffo reads us the poem he read at their wedding in tradition Genius fashion. Everyone interviewed says that Randy Savage’s life had come full circle. It makes you feel good to known that before he passed on, there was a finality to his tale. That it didn’t just trail off like so many do. It’s a wonderful moment as is Hulk Hogan’s tale that they both made up when meeting in a doctor’s surgery.

Finally reaching his inevitable death, like his life, Randy Savage’s final release comes full circle. We’re shown more news reports whilst friends of Randy Savage explain what a tragic day it was. Lanny Poffo says that as soon as he received a phone call to say Randy was in critical condition he knew what was coming next. Jake Roberts is genuinely sorrowful saying that it was tough and Ted Dibiase offers up that his heart just sank. Screenshots from his Facebook page are shown; with tributes flooding in before Jerry Lawler says that wrestling is an extended family and no matter whom it is when they pass on it’s still a blow. Hulk Hogan shocks us by saying that Randy Savage could have been saved, when told by their doctor that had he accepted the heart scan he was offered when he took his mother for one, the problem with his heart would have been picked up and he wouldn’t have died. It’s a shocking admission, but we can’t dwell on what could have been. His ashes being scattered around the same tree as his dog is a fitting and tear jerking end to his tale.

The final segment of the release is a trip down memory lane, with sentiments from everyone who knew him and it’s a nice way to sign off on. Hulk Hogan says that Randy Savage was what a WWE superstar should have been. Bret Hart recounts what a hero Randy Savage was to him. Dusty Rhodes offers up his belief that young kids getting into the industry should watch his matches and if they can pull off something half as good then they’ll have done well. Ted Dibiase says that Randy Savage has such a great legacy. Ric Flair offers up that Savage established a character which will remain in the annual of wrestling forever. Dolph Ziggler says that Randy Savage is on par with Hulk Hogan and the very best, he was better. Lanny Poffo says that his brother blazed a trail and belongs up there with the highest of the high and he certainly does. Surely a Hall of Fame induction beckons. Hulk Hogan rounds out the release by saying that Randy Savage will be remembered for the voice, the look and being a consummate professional.

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat (WWE Superstars of Wrestling, November 1986) is the bout which took place before the infamous angle of Randy Savage crushing Ricky Steamboat’s larynx with the ring bell. It’s fast, lively and gripping to the point that you’ll wonder where the time went when it’s over. It’s not long and pails in comparison to their WrestleMania III bout, but given ten more minutes it could have been an understated classic. There’s a great near fall on a Randy Savage reverse bodypress whilst Ricky Steamboat’s selling is just excellent, especially when Savage drives the ring bell into his throat.

Randy Savage vs Bruno Sammartino (Boston Garden, February 1987) isn’t a thrilling piece but is decent considering Sammartino’s age and that he was well past his best by 1987. Though it looks like Randy Savage is fighting an old man, he shows Sammartino the utmost respect by selling for him before going to work on the man who preceded him as WWE Champion. Long enough to matter but short enough to keep watchable, it’s Savage who excels here having to carry a tired Sammartino right until the disastrous disqualification finish.

Randy Savage and Strike Force vs The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation (Boston Garden, March 19th 1988) is a respectable six man steel cage bout which proves to be mildly exciting. The participants make a mockery of the ruling which states once a team member has escaped the cage they must remain on the outside, by constantly stopping escape attempts when it would have been far more logical to allow two of their three opponents to escape so you can have a three on one beat down and then simply walk from the cage. However, the best exchanges are between Bret Hart and Randy Savage when the field narrows and even though it comes to almost a complete halt when The Honky Tonk Man and Randy Savage are in the cage alone, it does manage to pick up just in time for its finale.

Randy Savage vs Bad News Brown (Maple Leaf Wrestling, January 1989) proves to be an adequate street fight even if nothing truly startling happens as a result of Brown’s inefficiency in the ring. Both men use the weapons at their disposal well to build a tense nature and the referee going through a table was a revolutionary spot in 1989 as it rarely happened. Randy Savage sells the ghetto blaster well and makes it look like a deadly move but the commentators efforts to build Brown as the next champion fire wide of the mark. No one believed he’d ever attain that goal.

Randy Savage vs Roddy Piper (Miami, Florida, January 1990) isn’t a gripping collision but will entertain most people for the time it lasts. There’s nothing outstanding to speak of here but Roddy Piper’s over the top nature manages to keep fans glued whilst a heel Randy Savage helps his limited foe by first throwing himself around the ring. The highlight is an excellent airplane spin from Savage which goes on so long you’ll wonder how he kept his footing. Yet another lousy disqualification ending brings down an otherwise entertaining piece.

Randy Savage vs Shawn Michaels (Munich, Germany, April 1992) proves to be a notable occurrence in Shawn Michaels’ career even if it wouldn’t have done much for Savage’s. Randy Savage plays the part of the injured champion to perfection whilst Shawn Michaels is made to look a million dollars in his domination of the man. You can appreciate what could have been had WWE allowed Randy Savage to complete his plan to make Shawn Michaels a star but in the end it all worked out for the best anyway. Randy Savage’s comeback is a little too fast and coincidental, had WWE given this another five minutes it would have seemed more natural, but that’s a minor gripe. The post match beat down is also done with aplomb.

Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior (SummerSlam, August 29th 1992) is very good indeed even though it fails to top their Wrestlemania 7 encounter. It is evident that Savage carries the Warrior through the thirty five minutes thanks to The Ultimate Warrior’s very poor physical condition which can attributed to years of steroid abuse. The action is exciting and gripping whilst Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect’s involvement at ringside helps the match to keep its edge, even though the count out finish is very poor. What this illustrates is how good Randy Savage was at making someone who wasn’t that gifted look like a star.

Randy Savage vs Ric Flair (Hershey, Pennsylvania, September 1992) sees the beginning of Ric Flair’s second and final WWE Championship reign occur at the conclusion of a very well crafted technical brawl. Utilizing his very best moments from the eighties, Ric Flair tortures Randy Savage’s leg with every trick in the book as Savage sells like there’s no tomorrow. Randy’s fight back is inspiring but in the end he can’t beat off Ric Flair and passes out which hands Flair the gold. It’s not a classic, but it’s still worth a look.

Randy Savage vs Diamond Dallas Page (Halloween Havoc, October 26th 1997) is an exciting Las Vegas death match fought under last man standing rules. The pair let themselves go here and it shows how much fun they’re having. A fight through the crowd gives this match a different feel to everything else on the release and though the set is clearly made of plastic they make the most of their surroundings and weapons battling through the set in a nice hardcore piece. DDP counters a camera shot very well whilst Elizabeth and Kimberly’s cat fight will please men no end.

Weaknesses:

Though he’s an integral part of this release, Lanny Poffo sometimes doesn’t do himself any favours with the comments he spouts. One such incident comes when Poffo is explaining Randy Savage’s transition from baseball to wrestling. Poffo doesn’t do his father justice by stating that Angelo Poffo trained both of his sons, failing to realize that as The Genius and ‘Leaping’ Lanny Poffo he was a terrible wrestler who couldn’t convey the story of a bout half as good as his brother could. WWE should have edited this piece out of the documentary to save Poffo making his father look like an inept teacher.

When covering his ring entrance, WWE interviews a host of faces who were there at the time but for some reason interview Dolph Ziggler as well in an attempt to shed an opinion of a fan on the matter. Sadly, though he’s on form throughout the release, Dolph Ziggler doesn’t quite hit the mark here and comes off looking like a complete moron when he states that Randy Savage’s entrance theme sounded like a graduation song. It’s obvious from his comment and the wide eyed look that Dolph Ziggler has no idea what the song is called or is even used in the UK as ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.

Going straight into his WWE Championship reign, the release delves directly into WrestleMania IV with Ted Dibiase looking back on their finals match with complete honesty and no small amount of fondness. Without directly saying it, Dibiase fires a shot at Hulk Hogan by stating that when the event came around it was time for a change and a fresh look and is correct when he said that Randy Savage on top just fit the picture. However, this segment misses a great big opportunity by not interviewing those people who were around at the time about how Randy Savage really felt about still being in Hulk Hogan’s shadow even though he was WWE Champion. There must have been someone willing to speak on it, enough people do eventually point out later in the release that Savage and Hogan didn’t get along. There’s no reason to leave this out. It’s just sloppy.

Following on from his split with Hulk Hogan, WWE should have included a segment on his time as ‘Macho King’ and his union ship with Sensational Sherri. Though she’s seen in clips and matches, no one mentions her by name and this period in Randy Savage’s life isn’t covered at all even though it was nearly two years long and integral to his character. Also, we’ve heard of Randy Savage’s jealousy if Elizabeth would talk to another male personality but I would have liked to have known from those closest to her if Miss Elizabeth felt any jealousy when Randy Savage travelled with another woman. It would have been an interesting look into both sides of the marriage.

Not an integral part of his career, WWE for some reason includes the Slim Jim adverts that Randy Savage filmed when taking a break from WWE thanks to his divorce from Elizabeth. Though it features some nice behind the scenes footage from his time filming the commercials, this is a pointless inclusion as it means nothing to the overall legacy of Randy Savage. More sentiment than footage, WWE could have omitted this for something on Sensational Sherri.

Another blatant admission WWE have made, which should have been left in is his time with Miss Elizabeth in WCW. For anyone who witnessed the time, Randy Savage and Elizabeth were divorced and had moved on but were forced back together for entertainment sake. It was obviously an awkward time as Elizabeth had begun dating Lex Luger, but no one bothers to mention it even though honesty prevails throughout this release. Like the previous sections, this could have added extra strength to the release had WWE interviewed Lex Luger and Ric Flair, who are talking heads, about how difficult it was for both working together after a failed relationship.

Team Madness takes a fleeting look at Randy Savage’s return to WCW after major knee surgery and realizing that he could no longer compete with the young stars. Using the excuse that he surrounded himself by gimmicks to make it seem as if he stands out, every sentiment here is wrong. Randy Savage didn’t have the same intensity or skill when he returned and his blatant muscle addition isn’t even mentioned when it appears to everyone looking on that he may have been on steroids. The truth is that Randy Savage wasn’t the man we knew and loved when he returned, he’d ruined himself and this should have been a truthful piece instead of one trying to cover the obvious that he was well past his best.

Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat (Maple Leaf Wrestling, February 1987) is a disappointment from start to finish. Far from their WrestleMania III classic, neither man seems like they’re in the mood to put on a fast paced stunner and use rest holds to get through the time limit. The only notable pace comes right at the very beginning and it steadily loses interest from there. There are horrible red squiggles on one of the camera lenses which distract from what’s going on and it’s best just to say this wasn’t either’s finest day in the sun and the DQ ending is a joke. I guess not all bouts between stars are classics.

Randy Savage vs Harley Race (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 1987) is a monotonous drag through what is meant to be a routine but just looks like moves planned out one at a time. Thanks to Race’s advanced age and physical condition, this bout has no flow to it and Randy Savage struggles to make something of his opponent or match. I doubt even the most careful of planning would have made this one to watch and its apparent that even fans in the arena care little for such a card filler. Disjointed and slow, Harley Race walks through this like a novice trying to remember his first steps.

Randy Savage vs Ted Dibiase (Boston Garden, July 1988) is completely unspectacular which just isn’t good enough for two men who could have done better. Because this went out on one of the local television networks instead of WWE’s main television programmes neither feel they have to try when the truth is this should have been a highlight of Randy Savage’s first WWE Championship reign. Entering the bout with a neck brace on, it’s merely a second thought to base the bout around the injury and when they do it’s completely predictable and lazy. Ted Dibiase should have known not to apply Chinlock when the bout needed some life and the ending comes as a relief.

Randy Savage vs Hulk Hogan (Madison Square Garden, April 1989) isn’t a patch on their WrestleMania V bout and it’s clear that as opponents, the pair peaked at the biggest event of the year. Constant stalling and very little interesting action make for a completely dull encounter with no heat, no tension and very little care from Randy Savage who we’re told always took great pride in his matches. Together, both men managed to capture lightening in a bottle one time with the rest of their singles bout being necessary evils.

Randy Savage vs Arn Anderson (WCW Saturday Night, January 1995) is a languid attempt to recapture Randy Savage’s glory days. Though he clearly wasn’t pas his best here, Randy Savage had obviously lost his drive somewhat because this is a slothful trawl through some of the worst imitation of eighties wrestling you’ll find. I don’t doubt other magazines will tell you this is a great bout as are all the others, just kiss WWE and WWEdvd.co.uk’s backsides as they usually do but that’s never been me. Anderson stalls for what seems like an eternity before the pair crawl through thirteen minutes of dire tedium, which resembles two men fresh out of ideas and desperate for anything to happen. It comes alive in the final three minutes but you’ll have lost the will to live by then.

Randy Savage vs Ric Flair (Superbrawl VI, February 11th 1996) is a complete let down as WCW attempted to recapture both men’s glory days. Fought inside a steel cage, neither man can recapture the spark which made their WrestleMania VIII bout a classic and instead plod from one lifeless exchange to another. Ric Flair’s figure four goes on for what seems like an ice age whilst Randy Savage sells it like near death which is commendable, but you won’t see that thanks to shouting ‘Get on with it!’ at your television. It’s like every cage match you’ve ever seen in your life only worse and to add to the ridiculousness, the time keeper misses his cue and rings early when the match is still in progress. Tony Schiavone on commentary says that he will remember this for a long time. The rest of us will forget immediately.

On the Blu-ray extras, WWE have included Randy Savage vs Jim Duggan in their ‘King of Wrestling Match’ which saw Randy Savage transform into ‘Macho King’ Randy Savage. However the date they give is widely incorrect. For those of you who will purchase the quite brilliant wrestling tome which focuses on professional wrestling’s story on pay-per view in 2015 (a review will appear here for it in the near future as well as an exclusive interview with the author), will find out that Randy Savage defeated Jim Duggan to become ‘Macho King’ on August 30th 1989 with his coronation happening on WWE television towards the end of September 1989. WWE are way off the mark here.

Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:

Ambidextrous?
Card shark
Fearing The Savage
Getting into the WWE
Snake Fixed ?
A Safety Net
Hundred Dollar Bill Guy
Jerusalem
Highly Competitive
No Days Off
Cowboy Hats
Part of the Team
Shifting Gears
Very Generous
Thanksgiving Call
Walking Away
Michael Schmidt
Macho Tip

Madison Square Garden – February 1986
WWE Championship Match
Lumberjack Match
Randy Savage vs Hulk Hogan

Madison Square Garden – October 1989
King of Wrestling Match
Randy Savage vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan

WCW Saturday Night – September 1995
Randy Savage and Sting vs The Blue Bloods

WCW Nitro – December 1997
Randy Savage vs Booker T

Conclusion:

‘Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story’ is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated releases of the year thanks not to the broad and honest look at his persona and career, but thanks to the thought of what WWE may have put on a release about a man Vince McMahon clearly disliked once he made the jump to WCW. We’ve seen in the past what WWE are capable of with releases about wrestlers who they no longer consider to be friends of the company and the result of those can be summed up with ‘Self Destruction of The Ultimate Warrior’. Thankfully though, WWE don’t disappoint us and give Randy Savage the release he deserved for a colourful and watertight career.

Unusually, this release doesn’t thrive alone on its high points. Yes, Randy Savage’s title wins and considerable highs are included on this release before its eventual finale which concludes with his death but it’s the darkness which provides the most bang for your buck here, being as interesting as the light. You’ll be thoroughly informed about Randy Savage’s beginnings in wrestling as well as his end, not to mention his life coming full circle before his death and the many talking heads who knew him best heaping nothing but praise onto one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, however when the release turns to the darker side of his personality such as his obsessive control over Miss Elizabeth, the breakdown of their marriage, his real life feud with Hulk Hogan and the reason he left WWE in the first place, it’s a much more gripping watch than it would have been had WWE attempted to preserve kayfabe and make us believe that Randy Savage’s life was a parade of highs.

The credit really does have to go to WWE for such a forthright yet fitting tribute to a man who provided a solid base for Hulk Hogan to work from in the eighties and who helped revolutionize professional wrestling as we know it. For your Wrestling God, this release says as much about Vince McMahon than it does Randy Savage, because even though there was a clear hatred between both men during their lives Vince McMahon has proved clever enough to spot when a wrestler deserves a tribute instead of a burial. Maybe we will get a Chris Benoit release in the future after all.

Clearly, with its dark subject matter and plethora of footage from the seventies and eighties, this isn’t a release for children. At least not for children who are easily impressionable or easily bored. Whilst this release will thrill long time fans and Randy Savage devotees with its stories, children will become easily bored but that’s not a bad thing in an age where WWE release a majority of its products for the younger generation. All the way through this, you’ll feel like the entire release has been complied with adults in mind and it’s make it that much more special. WWE need to release more for adults only and rejuvenate their market.

The talking heads are almost all of value, with the exception of one or two whilst Lanny Poffo still retains those qualities which made The Genius an unforgettable character in the promotion’s history. The impression you’ll get from most here is that they really cared about Savage and even though he had his temperaments, they just wanted the best for him. It’s a nice way to work through a release but have your tissues ready because Ricky Steamboat and Diamond Dallas Page’s tears will also bring a sizable lump to your throat. You feel for them which is always a positive and really believe that Randy Savage meant as much to them as he did to his fans.

The only real downside to this release is the included matches which aren’t all that much to shout about even when they’re good, with most of them featuring terrible disqualification endings. The impression you get from watching the included matches are that whoever complied this did such a good job with the documentary section, they really couldn’t be bothered to sift through hours worth of footage to compliment their hard work with some truly unforgettable bouts. Some of the inclusions are even bewildering, making it seem as if WWE wanted to use up all those hours of footage they recorded even though some were no good at all. It’s as if WWE used up all the material they deemed superior on Randy Savage’s first release and couldn’t find anymore for his second. The overall impression here is that the documentary is the main feature whilst the matches are just a good will gesture.

Though some people will believe this is a missed opportunity for Vince McMahon to finally come out and enlighten us on why he hated Randy Savage so much and quash or confirm the rumours that Savage had an affair with Stephanie in 1994, you’d have thought he’d have wanted to clear his daughter’s name or at least add to the honesty on this release, this is the release that Randy Savage deserves for a lifetime of entertainment. Funny, touching, triumphant in almost every way the man deserves this and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

‘Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story’ is amongst the greatest release’s WWE have ever put out and for a wrestler who cut ties with the company ten years ago this year, never to return, it’s a fitting and triumphant tribute which any wrestling fan of the 1980’s and 1990’s must see. Ooooooh Yeah!

Rating: A

Next Time in Review Corner: WWE Night of Champions 2014 DVD and Blu-ray

Onwards and upwards...