The Movie:

The great part about the WWE's manager Paul Heyman is that he may be one of the last great links to professional wrestling's heyday. If he does not know where the bodies are buried or the skeletons are, it is because there is a good chance he has a key and will not tell anyone anything. The fine folks are WWE Video turn their attention to Heyman, with a three-disc set titled Ladies and Gentlemen, My Name Is Paul Heyman, and the result may be one of the better detailed pro wrestling sets in recent memory.

Not even 50, Heyman recounts the days of running his own mail order business for entertainment memorabilia when he was 11. He then moved into photography, with his main subject being wrestlers of the then-World Wrestling Federation, when Vince McMahon's father used to run shows in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. By the time he barely crossed the legal drinking li...Read the entire review

Content:
John Cena is one of the most polarizing wrestlers ever to step into a WWE ring. One half of the WWE universe loves him while the other hates him, despite that he seems to take pride in the fact that he always gets a reaction. I should probably add that I never particularly cared for him as a wrestler, but I respect his work ethic and what he's done for the business. This 3 DVD set, titled John Cena: Greatest Rivalries, covers exactly that, John Cena's greatest feuds, accompanied with a brand new interview with some insight from Cena himself. Is the DVD worth picking up?

Included on the set is a brand new interview with the man himself. The interview is cut up between 1 - 3 minute segments where he discusses each match/rivalry on the set. He briefly tackles a few of the following subjects... how wrestling Triple H changed his career, how he got his start, who the best wrest...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

The changing of the guard in pro-wrestling is often an event that isn't recognized for its significance until years down the road. Earlier in the year some might argue the squash of The New Age Outlaws by The Shield represented the last hurrah for the Attitude Era and the cementing this generations stars. Ultimately, it was a rather inconsequential match, especially when viewed in light of the main event of "Payback 2014," a PPV that marked a downward trend from the emotional high that followed "Wrestlemania XXX." With Daniel Bryan's future uncertain due to injury, it would be a PPV with no WWE World Heavyweight Title defense; in its place, we would see a relic of a bygone era face off against one of the most exciting factions in quite some time.

Before the ultimate payoff, WWE fans were subjected to a very lackluster card, barely indistinguishable from an upper tier R...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

What should have been the annual tradition of setting up the next challenger for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship instead marked a sour note for both pro-wrestling fans and for Daniel Bryan himself. "Money in the Bank 2014" marked the sad need for the crowning of a new champion well ahead of the logical schedule due to Bryan's real-life injury, which to this day puts his future in a state of limbo. Fortunately, the gimmick factor of the event itself lent itself to a novel, albeit obvious solution: hold two titular matches, the first a standard anytime, anyplace contract for a title shot, the second for the crown jewel of the sport itself. With six other matches to fill the card, "Money in the Bank 2014" had a tall order to fill on the crowd enjoyment side of the spectrum. Natural biases aside, on paper, the night looked to be a crowd pleaser.

Opening with an enj...Read the entire review

The Movie:

I honestly do not recall the first volume of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) moments that lived in infamy were, but the title of this World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) release was summed up by the "OMG!" exclamation/acronym, so I was wondering what it was that the folks in Connecticut would do that go get to another layer of professional wrestling/sports entertainment fun. But it was pleasantly surprising.

The WWE production team, rather than attempting to one-up whatever the content in the first volume of this "OMG!" iteration was, used OMG! more to describe the infamy, chatworthiness or general jaw-dropping nature of what occurred in and out of the squared circle. And that means not only the good, but the bad and the ugly. Using interviews...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

Unless you've ever been to a live event, specifically a TV taping, for the WWE, for you the show always ends when that old familiar copyright logo pops up and the announcer tells you to tune in next week/to Smackdown/to the next PPV/etc. For those who have had the privilege of making it to a Raw or Smackdown taping, they know for a fact, that there's often a little more. Most often it's a dark match, or in laypersons terms, a main event quality match that doesn't affect the storyline one bit and sees the faces get one up on the heels; the goal is simple: send the crowd home happy. But sometimes, fans get a treat and what occurs after the broadcast ends is magic, silly, awesome, or often all three rolled into one. This is where "The Best of Raw: After the Show" comes in. Hosted by Renee Young, this newest WWE release offers viewers of three discs worth of footage that occur...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

With WCW firmly old history in the eyes of WWE and all of its once famed top stars now well past their prime and into retirement, the WWE has been slowly but surely offering fans the occasional collection highlighting the glory days of its most feared competitor. Enter "WCW: The Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches- Volume 1" and for perhaps the first time, a WWE released WCW collection manages to highlight from stem to stern, the glory of WCW from its late NWA/pre-PPV days to its dismal final PPV, Greed. Hosted by WCW icon and legend, Booker T, the collection features more than 20 matches, all must sees and many pro-wrestling classics.

The first disc runs from 1987 to 1990 and to longtime fans, the matches fall more into the all-time greats category including the Chi-Town Rumble between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat to a somewhat forgotten match between Lex Luger and Brian Pi...Read the entire review

Content:
Ultimate Warrior is a name that is synonymous with controversy in the archives of WWE. Nearly a decade ago, WWE decided to release a DVD about the Ultimate Warrior, whom was still on bad terms with the company and actually had no involvement in the project whatsoever. Fans were overjoyed at the prospect of getting to revisit the Warrior's career. Instead what we got was a smear job called "The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior", a two hour interview that is completely one sided and filled with either disrespect or mocking his career. It's been nearly nine years since that DVD hit shelves, and now a new Warrior collection, appropriately titled "The Ultimate Collection" is available. Does WWE give the long awaited justice to the Warrior's legendary career?

DISC 1 - Warriors Back! - A two minute introduction from the Warrior basically saying this box set proves ...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

On March 31, 1985, Vince McMahon made industry history in the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden with the inaugural WrestleMania. With an iconic main event pitting Hulk Hogan and Mr. T against Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorf, the genesis of WrestleMania set a trend for years to come, mixing top-notch pro-wrestling with a healthy dose of celebrity and pageantry, making it very much the Super Bowl of the sport. As any longtime fan would tell you though, not every WrestleMania has been a thrilling success, largely because not every year leading up to it has been that impressive. Few would argue though that the WWE falls short of pulling out the stops at the big milestones, thus far: "WrestleMania X" and "WrestleMania XX." With a year of wonky booking leading up to it as well as the shocking departure by CM Punk early in the year, "WrestleMania XXX" had an uphill battle to wi...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

From time immemorial, when it comes to pro-wrestling, there are a few constants: faces, heels, titles and teams. While to even the most passing pro-wrestling fan, the concept of the tag team isn't foreign, there came a time when a duo wasn't enough to get things done and thus the faction was born. Names like The Four Horsemen, The Fabulous Freebirds, the nWo, and D-Generation X are synonymous with not only some of wrestling's more exciting storylines but with the best the business has to offer in terms of talent. Keeping in line with educating viewers with the occasional history lesson/compilation release, the WWE offers up seven hours of matches mixed between brief "history" lessons and interviews chronicling 20 of the most noteworthy (at least by WWE standards) factions in wrestling history in the aptly titled "Greatest Wrestling Factions."

Unlike more comprehensive...Read the entire review

Content:
Every year WWE puts out a set that boasts the title of "Best of RAW and Smackdown" with nearly 8 hours of promo's and matches that are supposed to show of the best of WWE's product. In 2013, WWE had a pretty average year, there were some definite highlights, but at the same time recycled/boring feuds. Is this set truly the best WWE had to offer last year?

Disc 1:

- CM Punk vs Ryback - TLC match for the WWE Championship.

- Big Show vs Alberto Del Rio - Last Man Standing for the World Heavyweight Championship.

- The Rock and CM Punk's verbal battle.

- Paul Heyman/Vince McMahon confrontation.

- John Cena vs CM Punk - Winner faces The Rock at WrestleMania 29.

- The Rock/John Cena - Point/Counter point.

Disc 2:

- CM Punk disrespects the memory of Paul Bearer.

- Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger and Paul Heyman.

- Dolph Ziggler cashes in Money in the Bank.

- Kofi ...Read the entire review

Content:
Everyone's views are obviously subjective, and in the case of the question "who is the greatest wrestler of all time", everyone will have their own. In my opinion, that honor goes to The Heart Break Kid, Shawn Michaels. Was he the biggest draw or even the most charismatic? No, but when he stepped through those ropes nobody could touch him. I've never seen a wrestler who could go out there and outperform every single other person on such a consistent basis like Shawn Michaels did. There's a reason he has so many monikers like "The Show Stopper", "The Main Event", "Mr. WrestleMania" and even "Mr. Hall of Fame." Nobody comes close to Shawn Michaels, and I feel nobody ever will. Gathered on this collection is a testament to why Shawn earned the nickname, "Mr. WrestleMania."

Included on the set is a brand new interview with the man himself. The interview is cut up between 1 - 5 minutes...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

I can't imagine Jess McMahon, grandfather of Vince McMahon would have ever foreseen his wrestling promotion Capitol Wrestling Corporation being around 62 years later, let alone having morphed into what is now "the" only true game in town when it comes to professional wrestling. Then again, he'd probably find that fact easier to swallow than his grandson attempting to make the word "professional wrestling" itself a dirty word, replacing it with the less punctuating and downright dull term "sports entertainment." Any way you cut it though, the 50-plus year history of the WWE (originally the WWWF and then WWF) is a fascinating case study in the power of professional wrestling and to a greater extent the genius of one man, Vince McMahon, who love him or hate him changed the face of pro-wrestling forever. In traditional, slickly produced WWE fashion, "The History of the WWE: 50 Y...Read the entire review

Going into this PPV, I had somewhat mediocre expectations. Mainly relying on Alberto Del Rio and John Cena in the main events, which at this point is beyond stale, the past year or so, WWE has put on some very average shows, trying to force average workers like Ryback, Curtis Axel, and Big E Langston down our throats. It's been a lackluster year for WWE PPV's with them reusing the same feuds we've already seen... so does Payback do anything different?

Content:
Wade Barrett vs The Miz vs Curtis Axel - Intercontinental Championship

A.J. Lee vs Kaitlyn - Diva's Championship

Dean Ambrose vs Kane - United States Championship

Dolph Ziggler vs Alberto Del Rio - World Heavyweight Championship

Chris Jericho vs CM Punk

Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton - Tag Team Championship

John Cena vs Ryback - 3 stages of hell for the WWE ChampionshipRead the entire review

THE PROGRAM

WWE's annual "Money in the Bank" event is generally a place where you can count on at least one WWE superstar walking away with a guaranteed spot in the main event within a year's time. From Edge's historic first win and Rob Van Dam's win culminating in a modern iconic match against champion John Cena at "ECW Extreme Rules 2006," the match itself has shifted from being a "WrestleMania" staple to its own standalone pay-per-view event offering a mach for both a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE Championship. 2013's event would see an eclectic collection of performers going after the former and some huge, household names going after the latter, including the return of previous winner Rob Van Dam, fresh off tenure in TNA. In addition to the two titular matches, the event would host five additional matches that, in the end, bucked the trend of midcard mediocrity ...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

Over the years in WWE history, the ladder match has remained one of the more exciting, simple-in-concept gimmick matches for the title scene. Evolving the late 90s/early00s from its standard origin to the hardcore-centric Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match that became the stuff of WWE lore by the likes of Edge & Christian, The Hardy Boyz, and The Dudley Boyz, in 2005, at "WrestleMania 21," the ladder match would see its next evolution and a means to elevate a rising star to the main event scene with the "Money in the Bank" concept. Gather eight wrestlers, add a ladder (or two or three), and a briefcase containing a guaranteed title shot, anytime, anywhere for either the WWE Title or the World Heavyweight Championship and you had an instant lingering storyline. "Straight to the Top: The Money in the Bank Ladder Match Anthology" captures the first eight years of every "Mone...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

Before the dismal death of WCW in 2001, despite the company's main event scene being filled to the brim with veterans hogging the spotlight in the ongoing WCW vs. now feud, there rose a solitary new star, Bill Goldberg. Trained by WCW's controversial Power Plant, Goldberg would arrive on the scene on an episode of Monday Nitro in late September of 1997 in what would be the first of many squash matches. As weeks grew on, the announcers wove a tale of Goldberg's ongoing streak and in the eyes of many fans, Goldberg was a beacon of light breaking through the usual weekly story of long, rambling now promos and false hopes of "WCW" stars being able to squash this powerful, but quickly growing stale threat. "Goldberg: The Ultimate Collection" is a marginally successful offering of the seven year career of Bill Goldberg through his WCW reign, to his brief run with the WWE following...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

When it comes to polarizing figures in pro-wrestling, from a behind-the-scenes standpoint, there is a short list of in-ring performers whose reputations often overshadow their physical accomplishments. Hulk Hogan springs to mind, notably his WCW/nWo era run in which he was often the sole focus on entire television programs for months on end, effectively keeping other main event level talent firmly rooted on the b-list. Nowadays, John Cena's reign of terror in the WWE roster is derided by many old-school fans, but it pales in comparison to the achievements of a man who rose from the mid-level ranks almost two decades ago to a position higher than any other held by any in-ring performer of his day, COO of the WWE itself. Yes, Paul "HHH" Levesque, is the epitome of polarization in the WWE today and will likely go down in the history books holding that title.

As a result, ...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

WarGames. Those two tiny words combined and plastered across a TV screen or uttered from an announcer's mouth are enough to make any old-school WCW fan nostalgic for not just a time when WCW still existed, but the era of the big feud and more importantly the opportunity to end a feud in style. Created in 1987 by Dusty Rhodes the original WarGames took the idea of a steel cage to the next level by adding an additional ring and enclosing both in a cage made of fencing. WWE fans will instantly recognize the set-up as the spiritual ancestor of that promotion's own legendary gimmick match, Hell in a Cell. Hosted by the man himself, Dusty Rhodes, "WarGames: WCW's Most Notorious Matches" captures 14 (there were a total of 30 that took place from 1987-2000, but the majority were during non televised house shows) iconic WarGames matches in their entirety (a reader let me know that o...Read the entire review

THE PROGRAM

Since it's inaugural event in March of 1985, WrestleMania has served as "the" event for WWF/WWE pro-wrestling (some would argue all of pro-wrestling, regardless of promotion), serving as an extra length pay-per-view spectacle where legendary careers are immortalized and new talent often gets their chance to step up to the next level. While a major title defense has been a staple of the main event (or match preceding it, in the case of larger than life bouts), in recent years there have been a few guarantees in store for WWE viewers: the production design of the venue will be phenomenal, the annual Undertaker match is guaranteed to not disappoint in the slightest, and more unfortunately, the chance for underutilized talent to shine for greater lengths of time will be squandered in lieu of gimmick matches and time wasting appearances from celebrities. As much as it pains me to ...Read the entire review

The Movie:

Long before the Elimination Chamber or Hell in a Cell, professional wrestling fans had War Games. While all three were variations of the steel cage match, when two wrestlers would be put in a ring with 20 feet of chain link fencing surrounding and dwarfing the ring, War Games was the double mint gum of steel cage matches. Two rings, two cages, and a ceiling of mesh to cover it at the time of its 1987 debut was surprising and the match itself added an additional element of brutality, and served as a good blow off (or final) match for hotly contested rivalries. To sum up the rules of a War Games match, within the two cages, two teams of 4-5 wrestlers would fight, starting as one man from each team and then a new member would enter every 2 minutes. The blood spilled was ample, as was the broken bones suffered in the match as we find out later on. And while WCW and War Games is no m...Read the entire review