What's up my wrestling geeks! Today, I am reviewing a new video set that has quickly become one of my favorites of all time and definitely top 5 when it comes to WWE documentaries - The True Story of Wrestlemania. This video was released about a week before Wrestlemania 27 and it has become an instant hit, for many different reasons. In the main part of the program, WWE gives us an outstanding 2-hour documentary about how Wrestlemania was created and little stories about every WM from behind the scenes, truly giving a view point that we haven't had a chance to see in the past. The video goes into how much Vince really put on the line for the first WM all the way up until talking about the Undertaker's streak at Wrestlemanias. I loved hearing about Wrestlemania 8 in particular, the event that was supposed to have Flair vs Hogan but it never materialized and when you see the video, youll completely understand why that is.
Outside of the documentary, there are classic Mania matches (with 4 more on the Blu-Ray format) that we have all seen before, but its nice to have them in one collection) that cover Wrestlemania I to 26. Note though that the matches are not remastered for the HD but the matches from 24 on are in HD quality.
If you are a fan of wrestling and have watched any amount of Wrestlemanias in the past, this is a great documentary set to have in the collection that shows a different side of wrestling that most fans don't ever get a chance to see. The interviews with the producers and agents that really control the day to day operations of WWE are interesting and truly make for a unique and entertaining documentary.
10/10.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Wrestlemania 27 Review
Wrestlemania 27 was held 2 weeks ago in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. While the event was always entertaining and it definitely showed that WWE is back to spending big money on everything involving the show, the wrestling was solid, the matches that we were supposed to be all about entertainment lived up to that, and Taker kept the streak. All in all a pretty good night.
I personally thought the match of the night was Undertaker vs HHH (no surprise right?). The match was the only match of the card where the guys were literally able to go out and call their own shots after they were given the permission to actually write out their own storyline for the match, which always ends up working out in the favor of the fans' entertainment value (see the Y2J/HBK feud of 08). The match was hard hitting but the end was very much climatic and you could truly believe that Taker was truly out of it and out of gas at the end of the match.
I thought the lowest part of the night was honestly, the fact that Sheamus and Daniel Bryan's US title match couldn't make it onto PPV. With all of the celebrity highlights in the back throughout the night, one of those couldn't be cut to have a solid wrestling match with 2 guys who have worked their butts off to get onto the card for the biggest show of the year?? Come on WWE, youre better than that. You gotta give the people what they want for Mania - entertainment and solid workrates and Bryan and Sheamus would give that.
Overall, the show was solid and entertaining and the BluRay and DVD set will be outstanding with the Hall of Fame and the Raw and Smackdown episodes from the week before!
Take care everyone!
I personally thought the match of the night was Undertaker vs HHH (no surprise right?). The match was the only match of the card where the guys were literally able to go out and call their own shots after they were given the permission to actually write out their own storyline for the match, which always ends up working out in the favor of the fans' entertainment value (see the Y2J/HBK feud of 08). The match was hard hitting but the end was very much climatic and you could truly believe that Taker was truly out of it and out of gas at the end of the match.
I thought the lowest part of the night was honestly, the fact that Sheamus and Daniel Bryan's US title match couldn't make it onto PPV. With all of the celebrity highlights in the back throughout the night, one of those couldn't be cut to have a solid wrestling match with 2 guys who have worked their butts off to get onto the card for the biggest show of the year?? Come on WWE, youre better than that. You gotta give the people what they want for Mania - entertainment and solid workrates and Bryan and Sheamus would give that.
Overall, the show was solid and entertaining and the BluRay and DVD set will be outstanding with the Hall of Fame and the Raw and Smackdown episodes from the week before!
Take care everyone!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Leave Snooki Alone!!!
I have been reading on various online sites over the last few weeks that people are not supportive of Snooki being booked for Wrestlemania. Those people defintiely do not truly know showbusiness and marketing. Yes, Snooki can be considered a complete screw up. Yes, she is the girl who got socked good in the face and had her fame grow from there. Yes, she is drunk 3/4 of the time on MTV's "Jersey Shore." But she is a moneymaker and she brings in eyes, if for no other reason, to see what she will do.
Wrestlemania was build on the idea of having great wrestling, compelling stories and integrating celebrities into the show to complement the in-ring action and performers, and that is what she is doing by coming on the show and bringing a group of eyes who wouldn't have taken the show as seriously as a true entertainment event. Wrestlemania is one of the biggest entertainment shows all year, sports or not. Wrestlemania can actually HELP Snooki with her career and image as well. By her being on the show, fans who may not be into the Jersey Shore will keep their eye on it because they will have that action connection now and MAY consider her one of the "group." Snooki is showing that she had better marketing skills for herself and her image than her former Jersey Shore housemate Angelina who is training to become a wrestler in TNA and making little to no impact in the company and not being used in a relevant storyline (and no, I don't count Robbie E and Cookie relevant, sorry TNA lovers).
Snooki will be a one shot deal in WWE. Fans know that she is not a wrestler or has any connection to the business, and that's a good thing. She will not be doing a ton of action, hence why she can be hidden in a tag match. But I can bet you will watch her and her antics, and that's what the whole point of the show is - with the keyword being SHOW.
Take care and get some marketing lessons to the haters out there!
Wrestlemania was build on the idea of having great wrestling, compelling stories and integrating celebrities into the show to complement the in-ring action and performers, and that is what she is doing by coming on the show and bringing a group of eyes who wouldn't have taken the show as seriously as a true entertainment event. Wrestlemania is one of the biggest entertainment shows all year, sports or not. Wrestlemania can actually HELP Snooki with her career and image as well. By her being on the show, fans who may not be into the Jersey Shore will keep their eye on it because they will have that action connection now and MAY consider her one of the "group." Snooki is showing that she had better marketing skills for herself and her image than her former Jersey Shore housemate Angelina who is training to become a wrestler in TNA and making little to no impact in the company and not being used in a relevant storyline (and no, I don't count Robbie E and Cookie relevant, sorry TNA lovers).
Snooki will be a one shot deal in WWE. Fans know that she is not a wrestler or has any connection to the business, and that's a good thing. She will not be doing a ton of action, hence why she can be hidden in a tag match. But I can bet you will watch her and her antics, and that's what the whole point of the show is - with the keyword being SHOW.
Take care and get some marketing lessons to the haters out there!
Wrestlemania 27 Preview
What's up everyone! As many of you know (and if you don't know, where the hell have you been????) but the biggest sports entertainment event of the year is taking place this Sunday night - Wrestlemania 27. While every 'Mania has its special moments and events that make it stand out - I firmly believe that this Wrestlemania can and will go down as quite possibly one of the best wrestling events of this generation.
Wrestlemania 27 is one of the first times that the die hard wrestling fan and the average fan will see a complete blend of eras that define today's wrestling and how it is produced, shown, and interpreted by the rest of society. The "attitude era" is represented with Stone Cold, The Rock, HHH, Undertaker and Trish Stratus - the superstars that truly set the standard for what sports entertainment is today. The "attitude" era had the same impact on fans who began watching in the mid to late 90s that the stars of the 80s had on pop culture (and more specifically, the MTV generation with the rock and wrestling connection). "Attitude" is being combined with what I like to call the "PG" era of the WWE. The "PG" era is the group of guys like John Cena, Edge, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, The Nexus, The Corre, etc., who have been able to make a stand and still be impactful in storylines and telling a compelling story to the audience while being family-friendly and not using aggressive language or blood or weapons that could be considered over-the-top to the child audience. With that said, here is how I see the Wrestlemania key points breaking down:
- The young stallions will show their medal.
This will be an event where the new generation of superstars should be put over the established legends. Over the last year, the new superstars have truly taken the firm initiative and have shown that it doesn't take years to become truly impactful and to get over with the wrestling audience. Its about having passion and being believable, and its now time for these young rookies and younger talents to truly have the stage they deserve and I believe Creative will see that as well.
- Triple H and the Undertaker will have a Wrestlemania classic.
When this match was announced, the first thought in my head was "instant classic." The question I had was how so. Trips does not have the technical prowness that his BFF Shawn Michaels had in his classic encounters with 'Taker. This match should be a street fight with 2 guys who don't have a ton of frills and can have great classics through wrestling holds or just brawling. I see this being similar to their match in 01 at Wrestlemania 17, but I believe that Undertaker will keep the streak in tact. I do believe that there is one man who will end it and he keep talking about how we can't see him............Ill let you put that one together.....
- The WWE title will be forgotten in the grand scheme of the event.
This is the first year that the WWE championship has taken a backseat to a feud involving an outsider (Rock) and one of the participants (John Cena). I do give WWE credit for booking Miz as a credible champion, especially through his mic skills, but I think he still has some wrestling skills to work on, but he gets better day-by-day. Miz can only get stronger with the WWE championship as there are so many possibilities for what can take place with him, Riley and other contenders in the WWE. This feud has clearly centered around the Rock and Cena with Miz being sprinkled in. I feel that there is a blockbuster match coming with Cena and Rock, either at Summerslam in LA or WM 28 in Miami next year, a night that can truly solidify Cena as a legend if the match goes over well. For now, I see the Miz continuing to be awesome and build on his championship reign.
- We will slowly start to see Edge take a step in a different direction in terms of needing championships to be recognized as great.
Since he made TLC matches famous and cool to watch in the attitude era, Edge has become one of the greatest stick men and in-ring performers in the history of the business. Yes, he is the World champion, but right now, I don't feel that the title can make or break him. Edge needs a fresh feud or time away, or a bit of both. I see Christian and Edge having some kind of feud this summer to lead into a match at Summerslam, but its the time of Alberto Del Rio to be the champ. Del Rio is a key part of the youth initiative that is taking place in the WWE today, and his mic and in-ring skills are at a higher level then even some of the veterans are at. He is over as a heel as good as anyone in the company (with the exception of Michael Cole) and with Mysterio starting to noticeably slow down, Del Rio will begin to dominate the Latin market and I can see him going into some great feuds in the future with Sin Cara and those two can and would tear the house down with some phenomenal matches.
The other matches on the card will be strong from top to bottom, but when its all said and done, I think the developments mentioned will come directly from this Wrestlemania. This is a must watch event. This is a collector's Wrestlemania for sure.
Enjoy the card! :)
Wrestlemania 27 is one of the first times that the die hard wrestling fan and the average fan will see a complete blend of eras that define today's wrestling and how it is produced, shown, and interpreted by the rest of society. The "attitude era" is represented with Stone Cold, The Rock, HHH, Undertaker and Trish Stratus - the superstars that truly set the standard for what sports entertainment is today. The "attitude" era had the same impact on fans who began watching in the mid to late 90s that the stars of the 80s had on pop culture (and more specifically, the MTV generation with the rock and wrestling connection). "Attitude" is being combined with what I like to call the "PG" era of the WWE. The "PG" era is the group of guys like John Cena, Edge, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, The Nexus, The Corre, etc., who have been able to make a stand and still be impactful in storylines and telling a compelling story to the audience while being family-friendly and not using aggressive language or blood or weapons that could be considered over-the-top to the child audience. With that said, here is how I see the Wrestlemania key points breaking down:
- The young stallions will show their medal.
This will be an event where the new generation of superstars should be put over the established legends. Over the last year, the new superstars have truly taken the firm initiative and have shown that it doesn't take years to become truly impactful and to get over with the wrestling audience. Its about having passion and being believable, and its now time for these young rookies and younger talents to truly have the stage they deserve and I believe Creative will see that as well.
- Triple H and the Undertaker will have a Wrestlemania classic.
When this match was announced, the first thought in my head was "instant classic." The question I had was how so. Trips does not have the technical prowness that his BFF Shawn Michaels had in his classic encounters with 'Taker. This match should be a street fight with 2 guys who don't have a ton of frills and can have great classics through wrestling holds or just brawling. I see this being similar to their match in 01 at Wrestlemania 17, but I believe that Undertaker will keep the streak in tact. I do believe that there is one man who will end it and he keep talking about how we can't see him............Ill let you put that one together.....
- The WWE title will be forgotten in the grand scheme of the event.
This is the first year that the WWE championship has taken a backseat to a feud involving an outsider (Rock) and one of the participants (John Cena). I do give WWE credit for booking Miz as a credible champion, especially through his mic skills, but I think he still has some wrestling skills to work on, but he gets better day-by-day. Miz can only get stronger with the WWE championship as there are so many possibilities for what can take place with him, Riley and other contenders in the WWE. This feud has clearly centered around the Rock and Cena with Miz being sprinkled in. I feel that there is a blockbuster match coming with Cena and Rock, either at Summerslam in LA or WM 28 in Miami next year, a night that can truly solidify Cena as a legend if the match goes over well. For now, I see the Miz continuing to be awesome and build on his championship reign.
- We will slowly start to see Edge take a step in a different direction in terms of needing championships to be recognized as great.
Since he made TLC matches famous and cool to watch in the attitude era, Edge has become one of the greatest stick men and in-ring performers in the history of the business. Yes, he is the World champion, but right now, I don't feel that the title can make or break him. Edge needs a fresh feud or time away, or a bit of both. I see Christian and Edge having some kind of feud this summer to lead into a match at Summerslam, but its the time of Alberto Del Rio to be the champ. Del Rio is a key part of the youth initiative that is taking place in the WWE today, and his mic and in-ring skills are at a higher level then even some of the veterans are at. He is over as a heel as good as anyone in the company (with the exception of Michael Cole) and with Mysterio starting to noticeably slow down, Del Rio will begin to dominate the Latin market and I can see him going into some great feuds in the future with Sin Cara and those two can and would tear the house down with some phenomenal matches.
The other matches on the card will be strong from top to bottom, but when its all said and done, I think the developments mentioned will come directly from this Wrestlemania. This is a must watch event. This is a collector's Wrestlemania for sure.
Enjoy the card! :)
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