A – Excellent
B – Good
C – Mediocre
D – Avoid
Release Date: July 14th 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:
Hosted
by ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes and collecting seven hours worth of
matches and material from fifteen years of The Great American Bash, this
release attempts to cover all that was good, holy and red white and blue from
the event’s illustrious history. Some earlier matches didn’t take place on the
event but on the subsequent Great American Bash tour which ran cities for up to
one month before the actual event came around and one month after.
Strengths:
Arn
Anderson and Ole Anderson vs The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express (Greensboro, North
Carolina, July 1986) is a surprise entrant seeing as it includes Ole Anderson.
One of the most hated men in WWE still to this day and that’s counting Randy Savage.
The time frame of the match which is close to twenty five minutes means that
everything begins slow as they foursome bide time and run down the clock but
when they get into the meat and bones it’s perfectly timed and a real gem to
find in the WWE archives. The bout showcases how good Arn and Ole were as
workers and how popular Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson were with the fans. The
team work is excellent and they use rest holds to offset the fast paced action.
Well booked and exciting at least for the time, this is a great inclusion with
the exception of its ending. To have a match as good as this finish in a draw
is unjust.
Ric
Flair vs Dusty Rhodes (The Great American Bash 1986, July 1986) is a
brilliantly conceived cage war for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.
Starting at break neck speed, the bout churns out big move after big move
before relying heavily on the psychology of wrestling to carry it through,
which it does in abundance. Ric Flair is the master technician and flawless in
the role of cowardly villain, whilst Dusty Rhodes grows in stature as the
valiant hero warding off his oppressor. It’s sterling stuff. Though Dusty
Rhodes books himself to win the bout (he was booker of Jim Crockett Promotions
at that time), the cage work is fine and it will make you feel. The one
downside is the alternate commentary by Dusty Rhodes, Mike Graham and Steve
Romero. When commenting on the city, Rhodes is of the opinion that North
Carolina wasn’t ‘Flair Country’ but ‘Rhodes Country’ and they only liked Flair
when Rhodes wasn’t around. This is rubbish, complete and utter bullshit.
Carolina always was and always will be ‘Ric Flair Country’.
Dusty
Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Nikita Koloff and Paul Ellering vs Ric Flair, Tully
Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger and J.J Dillon (The Great American Bash,
July 4th 1987) takes a while to really get going but hits its stride when Road
Warrior Animal enters the match, showing some impressive stealth and performing
some stirring power moves. One of which includes supporting Tully Blanchard’s
weight mid slam and then driving his face into the cage behind. Sadly the
commentary on the match is so inaudible that it leaves you to work out what is
coming for yourself but this as usual is a minor grievance. As usual, Ric Flair
is flawless in everything he does from offence to selling and Lex Luger shows
off some of that untapped talent which made WCW officials sit up and take
notice of him in the late 80’s. It’s just a shame it didn’t last. The match
features a vicious spike piledriver which is a treat to see again since WWE
have banned the move due its dangers. Whilst the action is entertaining the ten
men in the ring fail to use the space provided in both rings to its full effect
cramming a good slice of the action into one ring – which makes the match seem
more bust than it needed to. Hawk and J.J Dillon provide a priceless comedy
moment towards the business end of the encounter and the match ends suddenly
due to Dillon surrendering thanks to a broken collarbone as the effect of a
crushing Road Warriors ‘Doomsday Device’. It’s a good first entry into the
WarGames and as it was the very first WarGames match in existence it set the
bar for all that followed.
Sting
and Lex Luger vs The Road Warriors (Charlotte, North Carolina, July 1988) is
another pleasant surprise taken from the 1988 Great American Bash tour. I
hadn’t seen this bout before as it hadn’t been made readily available. I
expected a bore but what I got was an actual thrill from this. Not only does it
feature the definitive team in wrestling from that period but also the future
of WCW in Sting and to a lesser extent Lex Luger. The four work well together
to produce a memorable outing, full of power, pace and excitement. Sting and
Hawk share some great exchanges and even Lex Luger looks good overpowering
Animal. These were Luger’s best years in wrestling by far. Once again, Dusty
Rhodes and Larry Zbyszko strike on commentary, why WWE chose these two to dub
the original commentary I’ll never know, by covering up for Hawk’s no sell of
Sting’s piledriver. Rhodes and Zbyszko say that it’s because they can’t be hurt
instead of telling the truth that Hawk believed no selling big moves like that
made him look indestructible.
Sting
vs The Great Muta (The Great American Bash 1989, July 23rd 1989) is a stunning
display by both men. There was a lot of uncertainty on the night as Sting
hadn’t really had a main level feud like this before but they both rocked it. The
Great Muta is one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time and was never
used properly by WCW, whilst Sting really steps up to the mark and cements his
place as Ric Flair’s replacement. The high risk moves are breathtaking, whilst
the reversals are crisp and the back and forth is just mesmerizing. The bout is
brought down somewhat by its totally ridiculous ending but there’s a reason
1989’s offering is known as one of the best pay-per view events in history.
This only contributed to that fact. A must watch for all wrestling fans.
Ric
Flair vs Terry Funk (The Great American Bash 1989, July 23rd 1989) is yet
another outstanding offering from WCW and this release. Capping off the best
pay-per view ever held, Ric Flair and Terry Funk gave everything on the night
and amazingly still had more to show on several other occasions. Here, Ric
Flair is perfectly cast as the avenging hero whilst Terry Funk is sublime as
the evil heel looking to end a career. Logically, the pair work on Ric Flair’s
kayfabe neck injury which brought this match about whilst the near falls are
killers and the submissions holds will have you gripping the edge of your seat.
The pair trade some unforgettable blows making sure this is remembered as a
tight, sound and thrilling classic. The ending is wonderfully timed also.
The
Fabulous Freebirds vs The Steiner Brothers (The Great American Bash 1990, July
7th 1990) is another brilliant tag team bout, well chosen by WWE this time
around. Instead of throwing anything onto the release it appears they’ve done
their homework. Yes, miracles can happen. The Freebirds’ outfits have to be
seen to be believed but apart from that distraction its all go, at least for
the first few minutes. There is a major gap in the bout where they stall for
time and literally nothing happens but when the pace is picked back up again
they put on a hell of a show. The star of the bout is Scott Steiner, he could
move when he was younger and didn’t have all that ‘natural’ muscle on him. His
athleticism is first class and the way he gets around the ring is magical. The
Frankensteiner is still something to behold all these decades later. Great
stuff.
Sting
vs Ric Flair (The Great American Bash 1990, July 7th 1990) is another top notch
bout which tends to dip slightly in the middle but never takes away from the
action on display. Many look at this as the pinnacle of Ric Flair’s effort to
make Sting a star and a very fine job he did. Packed with reversals galore,
near falls, technically flawless performances from both men and backed by a
cement strong storyline, WWE can only wish fans were this enthusiastic about
current main events (WrestleMania XXX excluded). The final few minutes where
the pair wrestles and counters through numerous pin falls is divine. This is a
true passing of the torch moment though this was also released on ‘WCW’s
Greatest Pay-Per View Matches Volume 1’ not so long ago.
Rick
Rude and ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin vs Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes (The Great
American Bash 1992, July 12th 1992) boasts yet another impressive tag team
outing which is solid and technically brilliant even though it goes on and on
and on. Laughs are provided from Austin who hides his face from harm at every
possible opening, whilst he and Rhodes together are the driving force of this bout.
Their exchanges are excellent and it makes you think that maybe a Stone Cold
Steve Austin vs Goldust feud in 1996, at the beginning of their characters may
have been a good idea after all. Rick Rude shows what a master he was in the
ring, something he doesn’t get enough credit for.
Sting
vs Vader (The Great American Bash 1992, July 12th 1992) is incredibly heated
and well pulled off. This match amongst many others of his career shows why
Vader was regarded as one of the best big men in the history of the industry.
He sells and sells for Sting even to the point where it risks his hard man,
monster image. It’s a testament to the pair that you actually believe Sting is
in genuine peril when Vader is in control and everything learnt from Ric Flair
is put to good use here for Sting. Sting’s sudden bursts of power, slamming
Vader, suplexing him and lifting him onto his shoulders were genuinely
impressive back then and used sparingly enough they provided shock value when
employed. The real coupe de grace is the finale of the bout in which Sting is
wholly unselfish by putting Vader over and making a new star. Missing a Stinger
Splash into the corner, Sting cracks his head on the metal support of the
turnbuckle and then gets drilled with a vicious Powerbomb from Vader for the
victory. This is the way champions should go down and how new stars should be
made.
Randy
Savage vs Ric Flair (The Great American Bash 1995, June 18th 1995) isn’t as
good as their WrestleMania VIII outing or most others the pair have had over
the years, before this, but its still watchable and was always going to be.
There was something about facing each other which brought out the best in both.
Beginning with pace, Savage and Flair pull out their best tricks but they were
at the latter end of their careers even if Savage was still in shape. Watchable
if you set your standards a little lower than the rest of the bouts so far.
Diamond
Dallas Page vs Randy Savage (The Great American Bash 1997, June 15th 1997)
turns out to be a wonderful hardcore brawl around the crowd and pay-per view
set. These two had a hell of heated feud going on and it shows here. They
worked very well together most times. Back and forth from the onset, the best
comes towards the end when DDP drags Savage up the ramp and slams him through a
pure wood picnic table on the set. Every distraction is employed to make sure
their pair reach their goal, which they do, and away from the hardcore aspect
of the bout there’s some ingenious ring psychology at play between the ropes. The
ending though is a copout and after a tremendous effort here it should have
been a clean finish.
The
Ultimo Dragon vs Psychosis (The Great American Bash 1997, June 15th 1997) is a
high flying spectacle. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Eddie Guerrero vs
Rey Mysterio from Halloween Havoc of that year but it’s still a feat to
witness. It’s a shame that WWE never knew how to use Ultimo in 2004. As a solid
and thrilling worker he could have been huge in America. Dragon’s headstand in
the corner are Airplane Spin into a Crucifix backbreaker are astonishing to
watch and Psychosis’ leg drop from the top rope to the outside isn’t half bad
either. There’s a wonderful moment towards the end you must watch out for and
it’s a headlock roly-poly to the outside. This is a welcome release from all
the big names across the first two discs.
Eddie Guerrero vs Chavo Guerrero Jr. (The
Great American Bash 1998, June 14th 1998) is a deceptive little match. To begin
with, you think it’s one of those that promises so much but on the night will
deliver so little. Thankfully, that’s not at all what we have here and the pair
turn what could have been a disappointment into a gripping array of high flying
moves and reversals. The star though is Chavo who shines throughout the match
with such jaw dropping manoeuvres as a pitch perfect moonsault, a stunning
corkscrew dive over the top rope which he clears and another breathtaking
spinning DDT from the apron to the inside. I still believe a ‘Best of WCW’s
Cruiserweights’ is a good idea even though WWE have already released something
similar about high flyers.
Chris
Jericho vs Dean Malenko (The Great American Bash 1998, June 14th 1998) isn’t
going to thrill you, but it won’t bore you either. Maddeningly, WWE have dubbed
Jericho’s original entrance music and replaced it with his WWE entrance theme
‘Break the Walls Down’ for a reason I suspect best left untouched. Technically
sound if a little lazy in places; the bout does contain some great near falls,
decent submission attempts and an arena wide brawl which ends out on the
streets.
Diamond
Dallas Page vs Mike Awesome (The Great American Bash 2000, June 11th 2000) is
the final match worth anything on this impressive release. Short at only ten
minutes in length, the brevity of this ambulance match actually plays to its
strengths as it means the pair don’t have time to mess about. Straight in with
the action, Mike Awesome lost nothing in his transition from ECW to WCW and is
as nimble as ever. His Awesome Bomb through a table looks outstanding but an
interesting and unusual note is that the wrestlers aren’t required to put their
opponent in the ambulance on their own. Medics do it. Work that one out. The
ending of the brawl is a little predictable as Kanyon, the man DDP is fighting
for, vacates his wheelchair and medical head gear (he’s meant to be paralysed)
and turns on DDP, hitting a Diamond Cutter off of the stage. That looks great.
Weaknesses:
Ric
Flair vs Nikita Koloff (Charlotte, North Carolina, July 1985) is one of those
rare occurrences in the 80’s where Ric Flair, as talented as he is, cannot pull
anything halfway decent out of his opponent. Koloff was a very good wrestler
don’t get me wrong, but here in his earlier years there’s nothing to him. The
foreign menace seems like an old idea now and watching this back Koloff’s
character holds no interest. The match hasn’t aged well either. For as much as
he tries, Ric Flair can’t speed up the tempo of the match and it plays out at a
snails pace which gets wholly boring by the time the finale comes around.
Maddeningly, David Crockett who serves as special guest referee doesn’t
disqualify Nikita Koloff when Ivan Koloff strikes the referee and allows the
match to carry on. This match may and in some cases will interest long time
fans looking for that nostalgic feeling; I just didn’t get anything from this.
Dusty Rhodes and Larry Zbyszko provide alternative commentary for the match and
are mostly informative about the background and Nikita Koloff.
‘WCW
Respond to The Outsiders Challenge’ (The Great American Bash 1996, June 16th
1996) shouldn’t be on this release as it doesn’t fall under the category of the
title. It may fall within the barriers of the upcoming NWO rule breaking but
all that’s here is a short promo and Kevin Nash power bombing Eric Bischoff off
of the stage.
Randy
Savage and Roddy Piper vs Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart (The Great American Bash
1996, June 16th 1996) is a waste of time. All we get is three men who have had
their time and one man who couldn’t care less for the business anymore
stumbling around the ring like they shouldn’t even be there. Hart does do more
than anyone else but this is based around Piper and Hogan and it shows. When
there’s so much more to be had on this release, there’s no reason to put
yourself through this.
Jeff
Jarrett vs Kevin Nash (The Great American Bash 2000, June 11th 2000) doesn’t
have enough about it to hold anyone’s interest. Both Nash and Jarrett have had
their time in wrestling by this point and have nothing more to offer the
business. Filled with lame distractions including an abundance of interference
from the outside, this match is so hard to get into and so predictable that you
can see where it’s going before it reaches its final destination. It shows Rey
Mysterio without his mask, that’ll annoy him, and you can hear Kevin Nash shout
‘Oh Fuck’ when trapped in a Figure Four which goes on way too long. Goldberg’s
presence at the end is also predictable; when he takes an age to line Jeff
Jarrett up for a spear you know his intended target is Kevin Nash in a not so
surprising heel turn.
Blu-ray Exclusive Extras:
The Great American Bash
1986 – Charlotte, North Carolina
Steel Cage Match
Dusty
Rhodes, Magnum TA and Baby Doll vs The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette
The Great American Bash
1988 – Baltimore, Maryland
NWA World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Ric
Flair vs Lex Luger
The Great American Bash
1991 – Baltimore, Maryland
Russian Chain Match
Sting
vs Nikita Koloff
The Great American Bash
1996 – Baltimore, Maryland
Kevin
Greene and Steve McMichael vs Ric Flair and Arn Anderson
The Great American Bash
1999 – Baltimore, Maryland
WCW World Heavyweight
Championship Match
Kevin
Nash vs Randy Savage
Conclusion:
WWE
have done an excellent job over the last few months of compiling the best WCW
had to offer. First there was the brilliant ‘WCW’s Greatest Pay-Per View
Matches Volume 1’ which boasted some fine matches spanning the company’s
history and now we have this thoroughly wonderful release which is jam packed
with memorable and thrilling matches to give you the most bang for your buck
and after the Batista debacle, this is actually worth your hard earned money
for a variety of different reasons.
This
release won’t only appeal to those people who want the nostalgia feeling from a
release but also people who are not readily familiar with the times this
release covers. Along with the last WCW release it’s a great point to start
from if you want to learn something new about this business or just to relive
the memories that made us fans in the first place. There is definitely more
good than bad here and for once the bad can be readily forgotten seeing as it’s
so rare and far between.
The
one downside however is the host, Dusty Rhodes. Presenting in the middle of the
NXT arena, Dusty Rhodes is smug at times and forgetful at others. At first you
think he’s been given a script by WWE to follow but the amount of forgetful
stuttering as he tries to think of something to say tells us otherwise. Maybe
WWE should have given him a script because it couldn’t have been any worse than
the rubbish he comes out with at times. One line before The Ultimo Dragon vs
Psychosis match states; “They did things that only genies could conjure up.
That came from the minds of weird men”, get your head around that beauty and
signing off Dusty Rhodes says; “Happy trails. Until we meet again.” What
exactly the first part of that means is anyone’s guess. But the release is
packed with these lines. The only thing that’s clear from Rhodes’ presenting is
that he shouldn’t be allowed near another WWE release ever again.
In
summation, the latest WWE release is a must have for fans both new and old.
There’s something here for everyone and anyone and because these matches aren’t
widely available on their separate DVD releases then it feels special to have
them in one collection. Excellent stuff, let’s hope the rest of 2014’s releases
hold up to this standard.
Rating:
A
Next Time in Review Corner:
WWE Extreme Rules 2014 DVD and Blu-ray
Onwards
and upwards...
