rusev – That Geek Thing

WWE Best of RAW and Smackdown 2014 DVD Review

February 8, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

WWE’s RAW and Smackdown shows have always been the driving force for WWE storylines and the front end of the day-to-day happenings of what goes on in the juggernaut wrestling company. 2014 was absolutely no different. It was a year of meteoric rises, as stars such as Rusev, The Shield, of course being made up of the individuals Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and recent Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns, and most importantly, the winner of the Wrestlemania main event, Daniel Bryan got to take their rightful places in the bright spotlight. But before we got to Wrestlemania, and to each of the pay-per-views, there had to be some kind of build, some kind of story to get the fans interested in the product, to make them want to invest their money into a show. This 3-disc collection is a montage of all of those moments that made you shout, cheer, and enjoy the shows that aren’t on pay-per-view.

Let’s get this started with the first disc, as the host for this collection, Byron Saxton, introduces us to the first match, all the way back in January of 2014!

Disc 1

Now, this is a packed collection, so to go through and cover every single match would be an arduous task. It’s hard to pick and choose which matches and segments to cover, as considering this is a “best of” DVD, it’s bound to be filled with classics, but we’ll do our best and at least let you know what’s in store on this triple disc triple threat. The DVD itself is mostly segment after segment, but occasionally there are inserts from fans backstage reacting to the upcoming/previous segment, as well as a few video packages, so it mixes up the pace quite a bit.

The first disc is mostly pre-Wrestlemania matches and segments. The build up to Wrestlemania was a bit of a rocky one in 2014, but in the end, it worked out for the best. Daniel Bryan was the fan favourite going into Wrestlemania 30, but the Hollywood star Batista was the one who walked out with the Royal Rumble victory and the guaranteed spot in the main event. The first two matches follow alongside this storyline, as we get to see The Shield take on Daniel Bryan, John Cena and Sheamus, followed by a one-on-one match as Bryan takes on then current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton. Both matches were evidently methods of building up Bryan to his rise to stardom, especially the second, as the bearded YES! Man comes out with a clean victory against the current champion, and it’s always fun to see Bryan wrestle, especially with the crowd behind him.

Following that, we get a cool fatal four-way on Smackdown with Kofi Kingston, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger and Rey Mysterio competing for a chance to face Big E for the Intercontinental Championship, a fun match with a few really unique spots. Of note is the fact that the DVD has an alternative commentary track with Zeb Colter and Byron Saxton. Zeb Colter is excellent as always. Speaking of excellent, and The Real Americans, we have John Cena cutting a promo on Cesaro, who previous to this also held a defeat over then WWE Champ Randy Orton. Cesaro and Cena have a fantastic, must see strong man style match, with Cesaro throwing Cena around as if he weighed the same as someone on the same weight level as… I don’t know… Kirby? A fantastic match where, even though Cena won, really made Cesaro into a solid star.

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Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar‘s promo on RAW where they challenge The Undertaker to a match at Wrestlemania is probably one of the most “this just got real!” moments of 2014. The stare between The Beast and The Deadman deserves its place on this DVD, especially with the pen stabbing from Taker to Brock. Ouch. Super intense, and it’s awesome to hear the crowd react to Taker. Continuing with even more returns and fantastic heel promos, we have Batista coming out on Smackdown, who cuts a classic heel promo that would put many to shame. Many people have accosted Batista of having shoddy mic work, but that was the past. If you need any kind of reassurance that Big Dave is fantastic at talking, then watch this. The Guardians of the Galaxy and James Bond megastar finally turns his back on the crowd that has been booing him since the day he darkened their doorstep with his boulder shoulders. It’s almost as if the legitimate gripes of Batista come out in this, but either way you look at it, it makes for a super entertaining segment with ’tista looking like a super villain. Dolph Ziggler comes out and rises to Batista’s level, challenging him to a match. Ultimately, The Show Off loses to The Animal, but we get another star made.

Finally, to cap off Disc 1, we get the The Usos winning their first ever World Tag Team Championships against The New Age Outlaws. It’s been said many times before, but Road Dogg and Billy Gunn can still kick ass, and this match shows that they still have it in them. On top of that, we get a fantastic feel good moment as Rikishi’s boys walk out with the gold, er, bronze around their waists.

Disc 2

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We kick off Disc 2 with what many feel is probably the best segment not only to happen in RAW in 2014, but in years, as Daniel Bryan invites a huge crowd of what he calls the “YES! Movement” to the ring, and occupies RAW – of course a callback to the Occupy Wall Street movement. This moment was the equivalent of Shawn Michaels throwing Marty Janetty through the barbershop window, the equivalent of Stone Cold Steve Austin driving down in the beer truck, the equivalent of Mankind being thrown off the top of the hell in the cell. This was the career defining moment for the bearded ring warrior from Aberdeen, Washington, and it’s a segment worth watching again and again. It’s worth watching just for the unanimous reactions from the fans, both in and outside of the ring, who are united under one word – YES!

Luke Harper takes on John Cena in a stiff match that built up to the bout between Bray and Cena at Wrestlemania. It’s a clever match too, as it ends with neither man losing, but with the lights going out. When they come back on, Cena is tied up in the ropes with a sheep mask tied to his face. Creepy. Now we skip to the night after Wrestlemania and we get to see Paige’s debut as she interrupts AJ Lee, and after being forced into an impromptu match with the Diva’s Champion, Paige wins the belt and becomes the youngest champion at the age of 21! Even if it is a little predictable what’s going to happen as soon as the challenge is laid down, it’s still an unbelievable moment that’s really heartwarming .

The Shield, previous to Wrestlemania, embarked on a face turn that transformed them from one of the most hated to one of the most loved groups in many years. As a result of that, the Hounds of Justice drew the attention of none other than the Authority, who placed the three men in a match against… well, 11 other men. We saw here a systematic beatdown of The Shield, followed by the reformation of Evolution, who stood tall over the three young up and comers. This storyline lead up to some of the best faction wars and six man tags in years. It came as no surprise that the reformation of Evolution shocked and excited many around the world.

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Factions seemed to be somewhat of a theme in WWE in 2014, as Cena asks the fans why they turned on him and voted for him to not just face one member of the Wyatt family, but all three of them on the previous week’s RAW. We get what is as close to a heel Cena promo as we’ve seen in years, as Cena really lays it all on the line, quotes Batman and even namedrops NXT alumni Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn. But it’s all for naught as we are treated to one of the creepiest displays seen in pro-wrestling since the prime of The Undertaker himself, as The Wyatt family make their way to the ring, being sung all the way by a child choir to the tune of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”. The lights go off and on, and suddenly all the kids are now wearing the sheep masks. If Occupy RAW was the number one segment on this collection, then this was most likely tied number two with the segment that closes off this disc. Amazing, and another moment that made the career of The Eater of Worlds, Bray Wyatt.

Continuing with the storyline of Authority VS Shield, Dean Ambrose is forced to defend his US Championship in a 20 man battle royal, which he ultimately loses in the final two to Sheamus. This was a stellar battle royal, and was a good way of getting the US title off of Dean. Back to Cena and the Wyatts, we get to see Cena and The Usos take on The Wyatt Family in a six man tag team match. This was one of those unique situations where two feuds blended into one and exploded in a big kerfuffle, and a damn remarkable kerfuffle at that.

Bo Dallas, the longest reigning NXT Champion of his time, makes his debut on Smackdown in what could have been, yet again, the rise of another star. Ultimately, it seems like Bo has been left in the shadow of his brother, but maybe one day we’ll see segments such as this one yet again, as Bray defeats Sin Cara in what was actually a hilarious encounter. We also get alternate commentary with Mr Dallas himself on the DVD, which… well, listen for yourself. It’s inspirational.

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And to cap off Disc 2, we get the iconic segment that is still engrained in the minds of every Shield fan ever, as Seth Rollins turns on Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, and in doing so, becomes the face of the Authority. This is still as much as a shocker now as it was when it happened, as the entire segment happens so organically and quickly (as well as being shot quite cleverly), that the surprise chair shot from Rollins to Reigns really came from out of nowhere. Ambrose’s look on his face also cemented this segment in history as one of the very best heel turns of all time.

Disc 3

Triple H and the sell-out, Seth Rollins, come out on Smackdown, and it goes without saying that Seth is booed to high heaven here, and for good reason. Seth cuts a classic heel promo, telling the fans that he doesn’t need to explain to anyone why he turned on The Shield. This wasn’t the best promo Seth cut last year, but it was probably one of the most memorable, as it was the first after his heel turn. It’s quite funny, as Rollins never seemed like one who would make a good main event calibre heel in WWE, especially on his own, as before The Shield, Rollins seemed to have sub-par mic skills and a speech impediment to boot. But all of a sudden, the now Mr Money in the Bank seems to have overcome all of that, becoming one of the greatest heels in the modern era.

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2014 was also a year of many hellos and goodbyes. We got to say hello to Cody Rhodes’ alter-ego, Stardust (very much a mirror image of his brother Goldust), who makes his debut in a match against Rybaxel. Then there was the farewell of Vickie Guerrero, who is fired by Stephanie McMahon after losing an unfair “mud pool match”, but at least we got to see Stephanie be thrown into the mud and flail around like the creature from the black lagoon, which is hilarious. Stardust’s match also has alternate commentary from the man himself, which seems to be a running theme.

Stephanie continues to hog the spotlight in WWE, as the next segment is the contract signing between Brie and Stephanie going into their match at Summerslam. Somewhat entertaining, but as it’s been said before, Nikki is probably the better wrestler out of the two. It’s a shame that she didn’t get this story and match, but the entire thing was coming off the back of the story with Brie’s husband, Daniel Bryan, so at least that made a little bit of sense. Stephanie pedigrees both Bellas with the help of her husband, who gets as close to man on woman violence as we’ve seen since… probably Beth Phoenix in the 2010 Royal Rumble.

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Again, we see the Authority in another segment, but this time, it’s to present Brock Lesnar with the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship, since WWE has a new logo due to the Network rebranding. The new belt looks fantastic, and I’m somewhat glad we’re back to one championship, but it’s sad to see Big Gold be retired once more. Heyman cuts an amazing promo and shows why, even as a non-wrestler, he will go down in history as one of the best talkers in pro-wrestling.

It’s time for part-timers now, as Bray Wyatt takes on Chris Jericho in a steel cage match that ends with Wyatt being victorious. This entire match is just enjoyable from start to finish. Notably Jericho has a hilarious moment at the top of the cage where he’s unsure whether to dive off or not. Probably not the most serious of cage matches, but one that put Wyatt over in a great way. In the segment following this we get to see The Rock interrupt Rusev and Lana, which makes the crowd go absolutely bonkers! In terms of part-timers, at least this year The Rock has stayed mostly out of the ring, but this segment makes me hope that he possibly could step back in one more time, perhaps against a certain… Bulgarian Brute? Rock, for the first time in quite a while, is actually quite hilarious and does a great job of not only getting the crowd in his favour, but putting over Rusev as a legitimate threat, as well. Let’s just see how he does for his cousin Roman.

As we come towards the end of the DVD, we get to see the 15 man tag team match from Smackdown’s 15th anniversary as team Teddy Long takes on Team John Laurinaitis to be crowned the best General Manager in Smackdown’s history. This is a super fun match where pretty much everyone, including El Torito and Hornswoggle in an aligator suit, get thrown and fly every which way around the ring, making for a fun mess. In contrast to this, the following segment is Randy Orton taking on Seth Rollins. The match itself is pretty standard, but the aftermath is what is still talked about to this day, as Randy Orton turns on The Authority, but pays for it, as Seth Rollins curbstomps Orton onto a set of steel stairs, and put it this way – we’ve not seen the Viper since. Another story that made Seth Rollins into an even more despicable villain.

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We’re down to the last two matches, and the first of the two is the Triple Threat bout between Tyson Kidd, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler. This was also featured on the WWE Live in the UK – November 2014 DVD, as it was, yes, live in the UK in November. As was stated there, this was a high paced super unique triple threat match where all three men got to do some never before seen moves that put the Liverpudlian crowd on the edge of their seat. Finally, we get to see John Cena, Ryback and Dolph Ziggler take on Seth Rollins, Kane and Luke Harper in what was a preview of the Team Cena VS Team Authority match at Survivor Series. This, like many RAW main events, breaks down into chaos in a bad way, but this time, it’s Team Cena who stands tall. Highlights of this include Erick Rowan throwing around a set of steel steps like the monstrous viking he is.

And that’s it for RAW and Smackdown in 2014. We saw some real shockers, some fantastic matches, some hilarious and intense promos and interviews, but on top of it all, we get them all collected right here in this 3-disc collection for your perusal and enjoyment, with only a few segments I felt should have been included. But hey, there’s only 3-discs, and for the sake of pacing, it was probably better in the long run. A very entertaining, informative and gratifying watch, this 3-disc collection goes to show that you don’t have to be on pay-per-view to be making history.

WWE Best of Raw and Smackdown 2014 is available on DVD from Monday the 9th of February.

WWE: Live In The UK – November 2014 DVD Review

February 6, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

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To anyone who’s never seen or had the fortune of being at an actual WWE live show, let me tell you, it’s something else. Especially in the UK where WWE live shows are always something special. WWE only travels to the UK twice a year, and only the most hardcore of wrestling fans seem to attend these RAW and Smackdown tapings, so combine the hunger with the passion, and what do you get? You get liquid gold.

This 2 disc DVD set is an archive of WWE’s latest visit to the UK, with the full RAW, Smackdown, Main Event and Superstars tapings included on the disc, as well as a couple of extra special features. So, what’s on the plate? Well, to understand any of this going on, we have to travel back to November of last year. The Authority was in full swing in WWE, ruling with an iron fist, so CEO of WWE Vince McMahon declared that at the upcoming PPV, Survivor Series, the Authority and John Cena would each form a team, where if Team Authority lost, they would be relieved of their power. Not only that, we had the recently returned Bray Wyatt in the middle of a heinous onslaught on Dean Ambrose‘s body and character, Dolph Ziggler in the middle of an underdog’s reign as Intercontinental Champion, and Ryback was the free agent going into the Survivor Series pay-per-view. How did all of these elements collide and unfold?

Well, let’s take a look and see, starting off with Disc 1 – Monday Night RAW!

Monday Night RAW

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RAW has been a bit of a strange beast since Daniel Bryan‘s injury, and still is since his return, having continual ups and downs. This show was no exception. It kicks off with Cena in the ring, cutting a promo which I really wish could be sent to the head honchos at WWE right now. Nevertheless, Cena does the best to overcome the overwhelming boos of the Liverpool crowd. And you know what, he does a fantastic job. Props to John Cena for actually winning over a hostile crowd by just speaking. Either way, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon make their way out and do their usual heel work, followed by Ryback, who is put on the spot and is asked to join either Team Cena or Team Authority. Ryback responds by attacking Cena. Guess that was his answer. This segment was really heated and super enjoyable, especially since it did such a good job of putting Ryback over hard without him even having to say a single word. Go big guy!

RAW rolls on with the obligatory shots of Liverpool landmarks, and of course, their most famous sons, The Beatles. The first match of the night is Jack Swagger VS Seth Rollins. Of course, Jack Swagger has fallen so hard since his days of being World Heavyweight Champion, but this match had a single purpose, and it was to put over Mr Money in the Bank. The UK crowd even gets behind the US nationalist. All in all, a good match with the right ending. We then have a pretty awesome video package that covers the history between Ambrose and Wyatt. Dean then cuts a promo to the camera, classic Jon Moxley style, and in a separate segment, we have Kane tell Ryback he has his back in the main event, to which Ryback responds he doesn’t need it. Two really fantastic segments back-to-back, but this was a really plot heavy RAW, which was a shame, as usually WWE shows in the UK tend to be more wrestling based rather than segments, if that makes sense.

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Either way, we go back to the ring where Paige is making her entrance to the sound of “ENGERLAND!” chants. Paige defeats Alicia Fox with the Rampaige in a pretty standard match, but it gives the crowd a good opportunity to react to Paige returning to England. We head backstage to Stephanie trying to convince Rusev and Lana to join the Authority. They say they’ll think about it. We get a vignette for The New Day, the stable consisting of Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E. These vignettes were really enjoyable, but it’s just a shame they haven’t done much since debuting. We’ll wait and see on that one. Continuing on, we see HHH and Stephanie…again…this time they’re watching RAW, and they have a lover’s spat, but they quickly make up.

Back to the ring, we have Rusev celebrating his United States Championship victory with members of the Russian Federation, and of course, Lana. Lana gets in some good old WW2 cheap heat, but Sheamus runs down. We get Sheamus VS Rusev in a rematch for the title, but J&J Authority interfere and give Rusev the DQ loss to keep the belt. A shame, since this was a PPV quality match, but it kept both guys strong. After the break, Rusev and Lana officially join team Authority, and following that, we get another segment (!) with Rollins trying to get Ryback on his side this time, despite their history. Los Matadores, accompanied by El Torito, make their way to the ring to face Miz & Mizdow who are accompanied by…Mizswoggle?! That’s Hornswoggle Miz, for those not in the know. Either way, short match, but fun, with Mizdow up to his usual stunt double shenanigans.

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We go backstage and Ziggler and Cena talk for a bit, but then HHH steps in and bans Cena from ringside for Ziggler’s match with Henry. Ziggler makes his way to the ring, only to be shockingly interrupted by, uh, Luke Harper’s eyes. Real creepy. Bit of a shame that this turned out to be a a botch-filled match, but in the end it was just a farce as Henry attacks Ziggler with a chair. Ziggler is about to receive the World’s Strongest Slam onto the steel steps, but WEEELLLLLLL Big Show waddles on out and saves poor old Ziggy, and on top of that, joins Team Cena. Big Show still needs to find out whether he’s heel or face and stick to it, but other than that, it’s good they keep Ziggler as the underdog face in peril. Following this, Sheamus officially joins team Cena.

Back to more ladies action. AJ has a match and beats Brie Bella with the Black Widow. Not much else to say. Brie is still Nikki’s butler kind of thing, and we get to see part of a segment from WWE App where she’s actually wearing a tuxedo. Wonder who that’s catering to? Anyway, Nikki Bella is somehow the better wrestler, so I’m glad they centered the feud around AJ and Nikki, as opposed to Brie. Post match, Nikki attacks AJ, and this was to build up to their match at Survivor Series, of course, and a good way of doing it. Following this, we get Adam Rose making his way to the ring, and for the first time in forever (Frozen reference, because why not?) the crowd really gets into his theme and sings along with it. Take note, everyone else. This is why WWE shows are so fun when the crowd is into it – it amplifies everything that’s going on up to ten. Rose loses to Tyson Kidd as the Bunny, er, twerks or something? I don’t know. Mid-match, Erick Rowan walks around for some reason. He was looking for something. Kidd wins with the sharpshooter. Kidd is super talented, and even short matches like this show that, but on the second disc of the DVD we’ll really get to see the Canadian fly. Wyatt cuts a fantastic Cactus Jack-esque promo on Ambrose. Nice and simple.

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And now, time for the main event. Not the show, but the match. The show is later. Anyhow, Cena comes out to the crowd still singing “John Cena Sucks!” to the tune of his theme, but at least he’s receiving less boos this time. Ryback comes out and has Authority behind him. The biggest surprise in this one is that Ryback actually got a lot of boos and “You sold out!” chants in the match, as he gave the majority of the offence. Ultimately, as most RAW main events end, Kane interferes and causes the DQ, causing Ryback to turn on the Authority! Genuine shocker! Everyone from both teams fights each other, but Ryback walks out standing tall. We fade to black as a limp Ziggler (not a euphemism, I promise) is thrown into the office of HHH and Stephanie McMahon. The perpetrator turns out to be Luke Harper, who declares he is a team player. Guess the Authority just got Harper on their team.

And that was RAW. A standard fare, leading up to the clash at Survivor Series, but as is the case with all of these shows, it’s the crowd makes it THAT much better.This was probably one of the stronger booked RAW episodes in a little while, with only small amounts of fluff. Too many segments though. Anyway, time for wrestling!

WWE Main Event

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The Main Event starts off strong with Stardust VS Adam Rose. Rose walks out with the win here, the only issue being that due to Goldust and Stardust turning heel lately, and Rose being in the middle of a heel turn, they didn’t really know how to react to either guy. Fun match, but nothing to write home about.

After that, we get Cameron VS Alicia Fox, and the less said about this, the better. The only good part about this is they used the picture-in-picture effect so the ladies had promos on the way to the ring, but Cameron’s was so cringe-worthy it negated the entire effort. Doesn’t anyone know any other Beatles songs besides Yellow Submarine?

Those matches aside, NXT Champion Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring for what turns out to be one of the best matches in the collection against, in his second and not even final appearance on the DVD, Tyson Kidd. Kidd is a workhorse, and if you haven’t seen Sami Zayn (formerly Ring of Honor and independent wrestling superstar El Generico) in a match before, then this is a damn good place to start. Kidd really does some awesome heel work here, using his wife to his advantage. To be fair, this is a match we’ve seen many a time in NXT, but it’s great to see it on a slightly bigger stage, especially amongst the rabid UK crowd who warm to Zayn very quickly. Both Kidd and Zayn use a mix of high flying, and of all things, unique powerhouse moves that very few people can replicate. I can’t say enough good things about this match. Kidd wins after using the assistance of Natalya to his advantage.

The main event of main event time now. It’s Justin Gabriel VS Dean Ambrose in a match that nobody thought they wanted to see, but hey, it turned out fantastic either way. It’s quite funny, there seems to be an insurgence as of late, with Tyson Kidd, Justin Gabriel and Seth Rollins all being heel high fliers, which is something that’s been rare in the past, but I digress. A shame Gabriel left WWE, but matches like this show just how vastly underused he was. Ambrose wins with the double arm DDT (Not Dirty Deeds, bloody Michael Cole!) and then cuts a promo on Bray Wyatt.

And that’s Main Event, a pretty fun one hour show. Probably better all around than Superstars, which serves more to recap RAW than anything else, but either way, that’s up next.

WWE Superstars

Superstars only had two matches on it this time. The rest of the one hour show is fluffed out with video packages and recaps from RAW, etc. However, the matches are pretty unique. First up, we have Sin Cara (being played by Hunico, of course) taking on Curtis Axel. It seems like Axel really has the potential to be a big star, but he’s missing that one big storyline to make him huge. Maybe, given recent happenings on TV, we’ll have it happen soon. Who knows? Anyhow, it’s a good bout, with Sin Cara picking up the win.

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Next up, we get Big E VS Heath Slater. Big E is pretty over and gets some big cheers on his entrance, but man, does he get blown out of the damn water by Heath Slater, who is about as over as someone who rarely appears on RAW can get. Massive cheers and 3MB! chants for the One Man Band, who ultimately loses to the hoss from The New Day. It has to be said that this match really did what many others failed to do, and that was adapt to the crowd. As said earlier, the UK crowd is an unpredictable and wild beast, and on this occasion they chose to cheer Heath Slater (the heel/bad guy) over Big E, (the face/good guy). So what did Big E do? Well, he started to wrestle like a heel and play to their boos. Very smart decision. It’s decisions like that which show how Big E is more than just an average dumb big man.

WWE Smackdown!

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Smackdown kicks off with a recap of RAW, because who doesn’t love those? We’re then thrust forward into the first segment as Y2J Chris Jericho presents the highlight reel, guests being this time, none other than HHH and Stephanie McMahon. Jericho and The Authority trade a bunch of insults back and forth, and we really see each half get under the other’s skin. It feels like, very much as HHH said, this was an attempt just to get Jericho to make an appearance and to pop the crowd. Whatever the reason, it was an enjoyable segment, and compared to most promos that kick off shows, at least it was short.

We cut to break and back, and we have Bray Wyatt taking on Sin Cara, who has changed his costume and is now Pikachu flavoured. Cara takes a lot of hard bumps, but it’s fairly obvious who was going to walk out with the win here, and Bray does so pretty quickly. Post match, Bray cuts a promo on Dean, who runs out, but Bray makes his way up the ramp, mic still in hand. WWE really tried its best at every opportunity to get this feud over, and it shows. After this, we get Bunny and Rose VS Stardust and Goldust. Goldust and Stardust win the match after the Bunny is pinned, and Rose finally turns on the furry furball, and it really works out for the best since despite his gimmick, Adam Rose is a really great heel worker.

Backstage, Dolph Ziggler recaps all of the Authority’s targeting against him over the past few weeks, but Ziggles says he’s not giving up without a fight in the triple threat Intercontinental Championship match against Kidd and Cesaro. After this, Ryback cuts his own promo, saying he won’t be on anyone’s team, but on Team Ryback. Two good promos again, back-to-back. The pacing in these shows was a little weird.

Finally, we get to what is probably the only contender (other than the Kidd/Zayn match) for being the best match in the collection. Dolph Ziggler defends his Intercontinental Championship against Cesaro and Tyson Kidd in an elimination triple threat match. What ensues is a unique encounter like none I’ve seen before, and I’d be quick to say this is one of the best triple threat matches in years in WWE, probably second only to the recent WWE title match at Royal Rumble. We get to see lots of unique situations with two moves being performed at the same time, but ultimately these shenanigans come to a close when Kidd capitalises on Ziggler’s Zig Zag and pins Cesaro, making it a one-on-one match between Kidd and Ziggler. The two go all out, and Kidd almost wins the belt, but ultimately, Ziggler walks out with the victory, and rightfully so. A must see match. Speaking of Kidd, we also get to see Natalya VS Layla in a pretty short match, with Summer Rae at ringside. Not much else happens other than Natalya winning.

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Dean Ambrose is spotted backstage. He is about to get interviewed and Bray Wyatt jumps him, sending him into the wall with the Sister Abigail. As much as I love the two and their ongoing feud, I feel the entire thing was a bit rushed and overdone, especially across the four shows. After this, main event time. Kane comes to the ring accompanied by The Authority for his match with The Big Guy. It’s pretty standard, with Ryback getting in a bunch of his signature powerhouse offence, but ultimately and yet again, Kane causes the disqualification and Ryback wins by DQ. Post match, Kane attacks Ryback with the chair, but Ryback slams down Kane and faces off with HHH, nose-to-nose.

And that’s the end of that! Overall, this was a fun watch and an enjoyable collection to sit through, especially as someone from the UK. I’ve been to tapings in the Liverpool Echo Arena, much like this one, and I have to say, this is about as close as you can get to being there live. As I’ve already said, the UK crowd really makes the atmosphere something else. Overall, the shows could have been better, but for 2014 WWE, it was damn enjoyable. Also of mention is a bonus match with The Rockers and Andre The Giant VS The Orient Express from a UK show in 1991, and the dark match (untelevised match) with Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose taking on Bray Wyatt and Kane. The DVD advertises this as a “fan’s eye view”, but it’s pretty much the hard camera with no other camera shots. Still a fun watch.

WWE Live in the UK – November 2014 will be available on DVD from Monday 9th of February.

All images (C) WWE and credit to WWE.com.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 DVD and Blu-Ray Review

January 18, 2015

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

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The Hell in a Cell match in WWE has been one that’s produced great match after great match over the years, with legends such as Mick Foley, The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels all having their careers made inside the satanic steel structure. On this night, we got to see John Cena take on Randy Orton inside the cell for the right to a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match against Brock Lesnar, as well as upcoming stars and former Shield cohorts Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose having what can only be described as an all out brawl inside the super size steel cage, with pretty much everything but the proverbial kitchen sink thrown at both men. Not only that, but we have a sister vs sister match with a lot at stake, the Tag Team, United States and Divas Championships are on the line, and we get to see the continued rise of a Russian/Bulgarian villain.

Strap on your seatbelts, and let’s get ready for a ride, as Hell in a Cell matches are always guaranteed to be extreme, one way or another, but before the big matches come, we’ve got a card full of superstars who are determined to make themselves the centre of the stage despite the bigger names that are due to take on one another inside the 20ft high, 5 tons of steel structure.

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Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro – 2-out-of-3 Falls Intercontinental Championship Match

This 2 out of 3 falls match was already included on the WWE Best PPV Matches of 2014 DVD, and for good reason, as Cesaro and Ziggler continue to impress in a technical clinic that shows off the contrasting styles of both men, with Ziggler showing off his flashy charisma, bullet quick offence and selling ability, and with Cesaro playing the super strongman, throwing Ziggler around as if he weighed nothing! It’s been mentioned many times previously, but seeing either the Showoff or the King of Swing in action is always a treat, and if these guys met every week, it goes without saying that they’d still consistently pull out something surprising for the WWE Universe to be held in awe by. Classic match.

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Nikki Bella VS Brie Bella

The spouses of John Cena and Daniel Bryan took on one another in what ended up being a surprisingly good match, all things considered. Oh, and did we mention the loser of this would have to become, ahem, the winner’s, uh, well, we won’t repeat what was said on RAW, but put it this way, the loser would be made to be the winner’s personal assistant for 30 days, or face contract termination. Nikki Bella played the heel in this bout against her sister Brie Bella, and gee whizz, it’s almost as if the influence from their partners had been rubbing off on the two. They really brought out a brutal cat fight from one another that was a bit more in line with what you’d see in the Attitude Era, as opposed to this feud’s origins on Total Divas. Very enjoyable, and a good sign that when given the incentive and time, WWE can really pull off great women’s matches without having to have the championship on the line. Despite the feud and build to this point, which was at a push kinda entertaining, this exceeded expectations.

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WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Gold & Stardust VS The Usos

A rematch from the previous pay-per-view, but this time, the Rhodes brothers walked into the bout against the Samoan Siblings as the defending champions. Jimmy and Jey lost their championships to the men now known as Gold & Stardust at Night of Champions, and they looked to regain the gold, er, bronze here tonight. The story going into this was that Gold & Stardust, being the dastardly villains that they are, unfairly attacked Jey Uso’s knee/leg area time and time again, and at one point, had the Samoan on crutches, but on the previous RAW, Jey brandished his shackles and ran down to the ring to attack the Rhodes. Ultimately, the leg was what gave the men in gold the victory, and despite this being a rematch from Night of Champions with more of the same, this told a different story and featured a few different spots we’ve not seen before, including an impressive double superplex.

John Cena VS Randy Orton – Hell in a Cell Match

Much like the opening bout, this match was also featured on the WWE Best PPV Matches of 2014 DVD. Although I think this has less of a right to be there than the opener, saying that, if you look at this bout as an individual fight and not as part of a wider picture, it’s pretty damn great. Heck, even where it’s placed on the pay-per-view, it’s pretty fantastic, too. It’s about halfway through the card and gives the fans a good taste of the brutality of Hell in a Cell without going too far into ridiculous territory, which is of course, saved for the main event. The major flaw here, as was mentioned in the Best PPV Matches review, is that these guys have faced each other time and time again. In face, this was match number 21 between Cena and Orton, and this isn’t counting tag team matches, matches with other people included (such as the Wrestlemania 24 main event), and only counting matches on WWE television. Yeah, Cena and Orton always pull off a clinic against each other, and if you haven’t seen them wrestle before, it’s great, but for someone who has seen one of their matches before, you know what you’re in for. Also mentioned is the fact that despite Ambrose beating Cena in a match for the right to be in the main event against Seth Rollins, Cena gets a shot at becoming number one contender anyway. Silly.

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United States Championship Match – Sheamus VS The Miz

Now if you don’t love Mizdow, you should. In fact, watch this match if you don’t, or just look at the picture up there. Damien Sandow, known as Mizdow, accompanied The Miz to the ring for his match with the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus, for the United States Championship. To say that Sandow stole the show yet again would be an understatement. For those who haven’t been keeping track of WWE lately, The Miz has come off of a stint in Hollywood and reformed himself as a movie star, with Damien Sandow being Miz’s stunt double, mimicking all of his actions, offensive or otherwise. As Jerry Lawler says, it’s “sorta like synchronised swimming”. Whatever it is, it’s hilarious. A fairly average WWE PPV style match made very entertaining by Sandow.

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Rusev VS The Big Show

Rusev and Lana were one of the most entertaining acts in WWE in 2014, and coming towards the end of last year and throughout the feud going into this match, they really showed how they deserve to be the future of the global wrestling giant. Not only funny with throwbacks to Rocky IV, but the story has bordered on edgy, touching some very sensitive political subjects. Big Show takes the role of the face here, with the Texan crowd getting in his corner, and as you can expect, they chant USA a lot. Despite all this, and even with Show receiving the crowd’s support, the Rusev train rolls on, defeating Big Show clean with the Accolade. Wow. A short match, but it shows Rusev’s MMA influence and his pure dominance over the World’s Largest Athlete.

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Diva’s Championship Match – AJ Lee VS Paige

Another rematch from Night of Champions… and Summerslam, but hey, we get Alicia Fox at ringside this time for some reason. At least we see some new spots, with Paige taking a leaf out of Cesaro’s book at one point with the giant swing to the crowd barrier. Nowhere near as good as their previous encounters, with very textbook WWE match formula and the heel dominating most of the time, but then the face does their comeback and wins. Nothing new to see here. If you like eye candy, then it’s nice for that at least.

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Seth Rollins VS Dean Ambrose – Hell in a Cell Match

The one we’ve all been waiting for – the Architect of the Shield, Mr Money in the Bank and the self-proclaimed future of the WWE, Seth Rollins, takes on the Lunatic Fringe and former “brother”, Dean Ambrose. It’s only fair to mention that this is also a rematch from earlier in the year, but this time, unlike when there has been some kind of a dusty finish, or multiple interferences, this was billed as the final frontier on the twisted road that has become the feud between Rollins and Ambrose. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a complete one-on-one situation, but it was damned near enough, as J&J Security are dispatched before the match can even begin, with Ambrose and Rollins both being sent flying off the side of the cage and through the announce tables at the side.

Cue fecal chants here.

This really deserved to be the main event, and you only have to watch it to realise why – It’s extreme, dramatic, and is the continuation of the making of two future stars. Ultimately, the interference at the end still left the feud between Rollins and Ambrose open, but if anything, it gives WWE an open book to come back to if they ever want Rollins and Ambrose to square off again. Let’s just hope they don’t milk it like they have Orton and Cena.

In conclusion, Hell in a Cell 2014 was a bit of a mixed bag. We got some surprisingly good matches, and some we knew weren’t going to be entirely impressive, but at the end of it we got a stellar main event that was a big gamble to put on last, yet it carried the entire event and made up for any earlier mishaps. So if anything, watch this just for the hype and build, as well as the actual match of the main event itself. The Blu-Ray and DVD exclusives are also well worth taking a look at, especially the promos from Paul Heyman, Dean Ambrose and none other than The Rock.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Monday the 19th of January.

Blu Ray Exclusives:

Monday Night Raw – 6 October 2014

The Rock Returns to Confront Rusev

Home Video Exclusive:

Philadelphia, PA – 10 October 2014

Paul Heyman addresses the John Cena-Dean Ambrose Rivalry

SmackDown – 10 October 2014

John Cena and Dean Ambrose face off on MizTV

Monday Night Raw – 13 October 2014

John Cena Gives Dean Ambrose “Veteran Advice”

No Holds Barred Contract on a Pole Match

John Cena vs. Dean Ambrose

Monday Night Raw – 20 October 2014

Randy Orton Has Words for John Cena

DVD Special Features:

Hell in a Cell Kickoff

MIZDOW TV with The Miz

Hell in a Cell Kickoff

Mark Henry Vs. Bo Dallas

Home Video Exclusive

Goldust and Stardust Cannot Be Divided

Home Video Exclusive

The Miz and Damien Mizdow’s Vocal Training

All images (C) WWE.

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WWE Battleground 2014 DVD Review

October 14, 2014

by thatmediathing with No Comment Reviews

Official_WWE_Battleground_poster_featuring_Bray_Wyatt[1] 2014 is the year of many rising stars in the WWE – Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt, Rusev and many more made their big splash this year, and for some, Battleground was the culmination of that. The World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in a fatal, four-way main event: Dean Ambrose finally got his hands on the scummy little Seth Rollins, and we crowned a new Intercontinental Champion, among other things. So, let’s have a look at the DVD!

As always, the menu is easy enough to navigate, making it easy to select which match you want to watch out of any on the card, or to choose to see the entire PPV from start to finish.

The event starts with a recap video package, which is a fantastic watch as always from the WWE production team, putting great emphasis on the fact that John Cena doesn’t have to be pinned to lose his championship tonight, and that Rollins is Mr Money in the Bank and could seize the championship away from Cena at any time. But enough about the World Championship, let’s get going with the tag team titles in our first match on the main card –

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WWE opens the main show hot with a consistent fan favourite, the Usos. This is a match continuing the series between the two teams and their interesting and fantastic dynamic in matches together. The Wyatts have an air about them very different from any other team in the WWE right now. Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL are on commentary as usual. The 2 out of 3 falls stipulation is really underused in modern wrestling, and one only has to look at the Cesaro VS Zayn match in NXT to see how well it can be utilised: maybe this match being made was a result of the success of that one? In these 2 out of 3 falls matches, it’s more believable for there to be near falls off moves which wouldn’t normally end a match, as Harper proves by getting the first fall for the Wyatts with a big boot. These two teams really show ring psychology beyond their years at points. The Usos get the second fall with a rollup from the corner, which only increases the anger of the Wyatts. The Usos eventually win with a double body splash. Overall, then, this is a very tense, exciting, hard-hitting and well-paced match that probably ended up being the best match on the show. An excellent showing from both parties, elevating both teams as well as the tag team championships, and a fantastic match to start off the pay-per-view.

Following the celebration from the Usos, we see a vignette showing the storyline leading up to the Shield breakup and building hype for the Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose match later in the night. Again, WWE shows its fantastic video package production once more. It’s conceivable that WWE could produce a video package hyping up a match between Hornswoggle and a broom and make it seem compelling although, to be fair, the Ambrose/Rollins feud has been one of the most enjoyable feuds in recent years. Rollins cuts a promo on Ambrose, showing his true evolution in terms of charisma. Rollins has progressed a great deal from the days of his awkward, stuttering NXT promos. Ambrose jumps Rollins mid-promo and gets a few good hits in, but he eventually ends up getting thrown out by Triple H and his cronies, including Jamie Noble and… a bald Fit Finlay? The segment really shows how different Ambrose’s line of thinking is, a great show of character as Ambrose would rather fight Seth than have a match with his former buddy. It’s a somewhat flawed yet human line of thinking which is quite relatable.

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And now from one group of crazies to another! We get a brief recap of English girl Paige winning the championship from AJ Lee in her debut match, and then AJ winning it back from Paige in her return match. CM Punk chants start the match, as usual. AJ and Paige are two of the best female wrestlers in WWE in recent years, with AJ Lee obviously taking a lot of cues from her husband, the aforementioned Mr Best in the World, while Paige has been brilliant since her debut at the age of 13 on the independent scenes. A second generation wrestler, Paige is the daughter of British wrestling mainstays Sweet Saraya and Ricky Knight. Unfortunately, AJ and Paige didn’t show much chemistry up to this point, but perhaps this could be seen as a step forward in their series and feud. Paige still seemed to be finding herself on the main roster, deviating quite a bit from her tried and trusted anti-diva persona in NXT, but thankfully, there were elements of a throwback to that. The two women had previously swapped roles as face and heel, with Paige now being the heel and AJ the face, and Paige really shows how better she fits the heel role. The match is close to being great, but unfortunately, a few spots look a little sloppy and fall short. The two women show a ton of a potential, however, and in a few months, they could really produce some stellar matches capable of making women’s wrestling respectable again. AJ wins with the Shining Wizard following a nice back and forth flurry. This feels like an encounter that could have really been so much better. Maybe that was due to time limitations, but at least the match was successful in that it made you want more, and led nicely up towards WWE’s big summer PPV for their rematch.

A video package airs showing Randy Orton betraying Kane on RAW. We cut to Orton backstage, who is in the creepy Mankind boiler room area calling for Kane. Orton works so much better as a heel, although the same couldn’t always be said for Kane. The segment shows the animosity between the members of the Authority, a much needed gesture to help prevent the main event from being skewed towards the heels. We then go to the panel for a lowdown on the main event, followed by a recap of the Rusev and Jack Swagger feud.

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Rusev VS Jack Swagger

Rusev and Swagger have had a typical 80s wrestling feud – USA vs the “Dirty Commies”. WWE went back to classic heel heat techniques for this programme, utilising the instilled hate that America has for Russia as a hangover from the Cold War, yet Lana managed to keep it relevant to current events with her promo. Cue the Putin-tron! It has to be said, though, the Rusev gimmick is quite different to anything else WWE has done recently, probably since the days of Muhammad Hassan, showing shades of Rocky IV. Swagger makes a good all-American face, drawing more and more comparisons to his predecessor Kurt Angle, and as DDP says, that’s not a bad thing, that’s a good thing! Unfortunately we get a Zeb Colter promo cut short, but the action starts hard and fast, with the crowd solidly behind Swagger, which is a surprise to no-one. “USA! USA! We the people!” The two men really make a great match for each other, with hard-hitting holds, throws and strikes from both. Swagger and Rusev really turn out to have a much better match than many anticipated, with Rusev previously having shown signs of being fresh to the squared circle. In this match, however, his performance is very much up to his usual high calibre. Lana and Zeb really add to the match at ringside, with great facial expressions and body motions from both. After a brutal head bump to the ringpost, Rusev wins via count-out, continuing his undefeated streak, and yet keeping Swagger’s character somewhat strong.

Suddenly, we go backstage to see another compelling character, Stardust, the man formerly known as Cody Rhodes. Goldust and his brother continue to be hilarious and creepy, as both heels and faces.

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Seth Rollins VS Dean Ambrose

The golden boy begins to make his way out to the ring. Mr Money the Bank, Seth Rollins, comes out for a match that we already know isn’t going to happen. A shame, but much like the AJ Lee and Paige match earlier on in the night, this has been as a build-up to a future encounter between the two. Seth garners some heel heat by accepting his victory via forfeit. Rollins shows a lot of the brilliance of 2009 Chris Jericho or CM Punk, both classic heels of their day, forcing the referee to raise his hand. With only one World Championship, WWE really has to work hard to make programmes seem important now, and this is a great way to do it – with pure, good old-fashioned hatred.

Ambrose manages to run back in and attacks Rollins, at least giving the fans a small taste of the violence between the two former Shield comrades before a couple of bald men in suits and referees pull away the “lunatic fringe”. It’s easy to compare Ambrose here to Steve Austin or Brian Pillman, but maybe in years to come we’ll be comparing new stars to Ambrose, who is quickly making a name for himself in segments such as these. One might feel cheated out of the match, but the ensuing brawl is pay-off enough for the time being. Months later, we still haven’t had the fair 1v1 Rollins VS Ambrose match as of yet. This is good booking from WWE, keeping everyone interested over quite a long period, which is something they have often failed to do in the past.

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Chris Jericho VS Bray Wyatt

The return of Chris Jericho is shown in a video package, and how the feud between him and Bray Wyatt led up to this point. Y2J’s return was one that started out seeming really promising, with stellar promos from both men. Wyatt’s entrance follows, and it is probably the greatest entrance in modern wrestling, rivalling even The Undertaker‘s. Jericho has a close shot at beating Wyatt’s entrance with his LED jacket, but with the lights of the crowd, it doesn’t stand out as much as it might. Wyatt is another man from a large family of wrestlers, and he goes in hard on the veteran Jericho straight away, showing how far he’s come since his Husky Harris days. Harper and Rowan make their second appearance of the night, showing up at ringside, which in a way is almost a shame, since Bray seems like he should be able to beat Jericho by his own merits. Thankfully, the family gets ejected from the arena from the referee, and we finally get the one-on-one encounter that everyone has been waiting for. Jericho has seemed as though he’s been going through the motions in his recent matches, but there are flashes of brilliance in this particular encounter. Nevertheless, yet again, this match seems like it just fell short of being a classic. The match leads on to their rematch at Summerslam with Rowan and Harper banned from ringside. Jericho won the match at Battleground, which was a surprise to many, but with the rematch just around the corner, one can only hope that the ultimate match between the two men will be their best.

Next, we go to the parking lot, where Seth Rollins ditches his bodyguards, only to be jumped by Metal Gear Dean Ambrose, this time jumping out of a car boot! Ambrose beats on Rollins once again, who drives away in his car.

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19-man battle royal for the vacant WWE Intercontinental Championship

Bad News Barrett had to vacate his Intercontinental Championship due to an arm injury, which gave us this match. A shame really, since Wade was such a fantastic champion and wrestler, but the storyline with The Miz and Dolph Ziggler that resulted from this match was well worth it. This also ended up being Alberto Del Rio’s last PPV match for WWE, with Del Rio only having one last match on TV before leaving the company. We got quite the A-List of competitors in this match, with a combination of former World Champions and… not so former World Champions. Either way, the competitors in this match only elevate the prestige of the somewhat fallen IC Title. After all the competitors enter the ring, former champ Barrett comes out, sling on one arm, mic in another. Barrett continues to be one of the most under-appreciated men on the mic, cutting a stellar promo, declaring that he will return to reclaim his gold.

A nice, very anime-esque spot opens the match, with The Great Khali jumping up like Goku, after everyone jumps the Punjabi Playboy. Battle royals are always a fun spectacle, and the competitors in this particular match make it especially so. Even Bo Dallas does a good job of following his brother’s loss, eliminating the powerhouse Titus O’Neil, with both men showing off their bold charisma. Cesaro and Kofi Kingston also make a good effort to steal the show with a great spot to the outside involving Big E and Kofi’s usual battle royal parkour escapism. Sheamus and Ziggler seem to be the only two men left out of this, with a sloppy powerbomb counter breaking up the otherwise great sequence between the two – a shame, since both men are usually gold in the ring. Ziggler eliminates Sheamus, but out of nowhere, the cowardly Hollywood heel Miz sneaks in and steals the Intercontinental Championship once again! The Hollywood gimmick is really what Miz needed, and this win elevated both him and the championship. The feud that resulted from this between Ziggler and Miz, as well as Damien Sandow’s new gimmick as Miz’s stunt double is quality, and this match was just the beginning of that. It’s good to have such an entertaining feud centred around a mid card championship again.

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John Cena © VS Kane, Randy Orton and Roman Reigns in a fatal four way match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

It’s hype time for the main event! Again, it’s been said, but WWE does a great job of keeping everyone up to date on storylines and hyping all the competitors equally in video packages. All four guys make their entrance, and we get the big in-ring introductions which never fail to get audiences excited. The match starts off with Reigns showing early dominance, as most people expected, with the Kane and Orton teaming up to gang up on Reigns, keeping Cena on the outside. The commentary does a great job of continuing to show how important it is that Cena doesn’t have to be pinned to lose the gold. We even get to see Orton and Cena go at it, which is always good, but the action focuses quickly enough on the two faces, and especially on rising star Roman Reigns as he looks to take the top spot from Cena. Kane turns on Orton, as was expected, and the four men even do a show-stopping tower of doom spot, with Kane taking a massive superplex from the other three men. Reigns finally goes ape, with the crowd strongly behind him as he takes out all three, ending with a huge spear that sends Orton through the crowd barricade. Reigns almost has the match won at several points, really putting over the former Hound of Justice, but ultimately, it’s still Cena who walks out as the Champ. As per usual, the crowd give the West Newbury-native a mixed reaction, but Cena walks out with the gold still around his shoulders… for now.

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Ultimately, Battleground 2014 was an enjoyable pay-per-view. Although certain parts were forgettable, the highs really, really, made up for the lows, making this well worth watching if only for a couple of matches. It also sets things up well for Summerslam and highlights the feuds that are still going on now. Also of note is the DVD extra of Miz reacting to his Intercontinental Championship win, a rather hilarious winning-an-Oscar-style speech. Battleground will be remembered as a PPV used to build up new stars, and that’s exactly what it did. A lot of emerging stars came out of this PPV looking a lot much brighter, but at the end of the day, this was just another paving stone on the road to the big PPV of the summer, albeit a fun, enjoyable one.

Special Features:

Battleground Kickoff Match

Adam Rose VS Fandango

Battleground Kickoff Match

Naomi VS Cameron

Battleground Fallout

The Usos are turnt up!

John Cena reacts to Battleground

Home Video Exclusive

The Miz reflects on the Intercontinental Championship Battle Royal

All images (C) WWE.