DVD Review: TLC 2017

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 187 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: December 11 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

What happens when a one-match card suffers from outside factors forcing that bout to be cancelled? We found out at this year's TLC event, when the official reunion match of The Shield against a five-man army under Tables, Ladder and Chairs rules saw Roman Reigns removed for medical reasons with 48 hours' notice. This unexpectedly led to Kurt Angle - the Raw General Manager, whose in-ring WWE comeback was presumably being saved for WrestleMania 34 - being inserted into Roman's place (Daniel Bryan was also apparently considered, which opens up a whole bunch of questions to be dealt with another time).

As a result, the excitement surrounding The Shield reuniting was replaced by the shockingly sudden nature of Kurt Angle making a landmark in-ring return for the company. In addition, the same medical issues ruled out Bray Wyatt from facing Finn Balor. Instead of Sister Abigail facing The Demon, AJ Styles was brought in from a SmackDown tour in South America, meaning that Balor and Styles would be meeting for the very first time in a WWE ring. Needless to say, an entirely missable WWE PPV suddenly became can't-miss, and WWE has to be admired for going above and beyond to compensate fans who wanted to see The Hounds Of Justice battling as a united force.

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DVD Preview: TLC 2017

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The Superstars of Raw head into one of the most brutal, jaw-dropping events ever - Tables, Ladders & Chairs. Kurt Angle returns to the ring to team with The Shield, AJ Styles battles Finn Bálor, and Asuka makes her debut in this incredible night of action!

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DVD Preview: NXT - From Secret To Sensation

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

NXT – where WWE Superstars compete before appearing on Raw and SmackDown LIVE – is responsible for producing some of the greatest talents and most successful champions in WWE. Hear from current and former NXT Superstars themselves, as From Secret To Sensation counts down NXT’s 25 greatest Superstars. Includes interviews with NXT favourites like Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Finn Bálor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, Samoa Joe, Bobby Roode, and more – plus some classic NXT matches!

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DVD Preview: WWE Double Feature: Extreme Rules 2017 & Money In The Bank 2017

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

Another two spectacular pay-per-views from WWE’s Raw and SmackDown Live brands combine to make one awesome Double Feature DVD! Raw throws the rulebook out of the window for Extreme Rules, while the Superstars of SmackDown Live climb new heights for a guaranteed championship match contract at Money In The Bank!

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DVD Review: Fight Owens Fight – The Kevin Owens Story

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 416 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 3 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Depending on who you speak to, Kevin Owens is either the most entertaining wrestler of all-time, one of the best in-ring performers in the world today, or just some out-of-shape guy who would never have been hired in the good old days (cough cough, Vince Russo). In all seriousness, whilst some of the praise that Owens receives occasionally goes a little over-the-top (the man can do no wrong on Twitter, seemingly), there's no denying that he's one of the true highlights of today's WWE product. He's one of the reasons why NXT became such a hot brand, he helped Raw remained bearable during the shaky years of 2015 and 2016, and he's currently doing his bit to convince SmackDown fans to keep tuning in despite Jinder Mahal being the WWE Champion. Add to that his legacy on the independent circuit as Kevin Steen (namely, his legendary feud with El Generico, which came to WWE as Kevin Owens went to war with Sami Zayn), the fact that he still has many years left in the wrestling business, and the charisma and humour which made JeriKO one of the most entertaining WWE acts in years, and you have plenty of evidence to not only support Owens' popularity in spite of his heel status, but also to justify the release of this new DVD on the pioneer of the Pop-Up Powerbomb.

Fight Owens Fight opens with a documentary covering Kevin's life and times, from his extensive time spent on the indies to his NXT/WWE arrival to his key moments and matches since then. I never like to scrutinise a documentary to the nth degree (unless the feature demands it, such as the infamous Rise & Fall Of ECW), since it provides spoilers on revelations and comments which fans would not have known about. Instead, I'll quickly state that while a bit on the short side, the main feature should be very satisfying to KO fans, as it covers his pre-WWE adventures as much as one could expect (including his association with Sami Zayn/El Generico prior to joining WWE, which the announcers often refer to but never truly explain), as well as capturing his high points since coming to WWE in late 2014. Along the way, there are plenty of talking head comments from those who you would expect (Sami Zayn being an obvious example), as well as a few surprises too. And so ends disc one, with a captivating, entertaining and encompassing look at Kevin Owens' history to date.

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DVD Review: Seth Rollins - Building The Architect

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 526 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: May 29 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

WWE's latest match compilation focuses on Seth Rollins, who in less than five years has gone from NXT star to perennial WWE main eventer and one of the company's biggest names. Promisingly, his best days may be yet to come; for the time being, Building The Architect focuses on Rollins' WWE adventures to date, with some candid comments by Seth himself between matches.

The first few matches are from Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), WWE's developmental territory after OVW (but before the NXT revamp). These bouts include a clash with Hunico in the final match of the Jack Brisco Classic tournament, an FCW 15 title contest with Dean Ambrose, and his FCW title-winning performance against Leo Kruger. The Ambrose match is the best of the three, though all have their moments, and it's fascinating to consider that FCW was the equivalent of NXT during this era, because the thought of FCW ever expanding beyond its studio setting into major arenas worldwide, in the manner that NXT has in recent years, seems unfathomable.

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DVD Preview: Seth Rollins - Building The Architect

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The Architect has created the perfect blueprint for success, with multiple championships, a massive fan base, and a plethora of incredible matches under his belt. Now, for the first time ever, hear Seth Rollins himself tells the story of how he became a sports-entertainment megastar. From his time on the independent scene, to being one of the founding members of The Shield and his WWE Championship victory, Seth Rollins gives insight on how he became “The Undisputed Future” of WWE.

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DVD Preview: WrestleMania 33

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

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Welcome to WrestleMania, “The Ultimate Thrill Ride”! Brace yourself for incredible twists, unexpected turns, and unbelievable excitement! “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar challenges Goldberg for his Universal Championship – the richest prize on Raw. The intense rivalry between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt comes to a head over SmackDown Live’s WWE Championship. Bayley defends the Raw Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair, Sasha Banks, and Nia Jax in a Fatal Four Way elimination match. “The Architect” Seth Rollins gets his chance at revenge as he takes on “The Game” Triple H in a Non-Sanctioned Match! And Roman Reigns faces one of the biggest tests of his career when he takes on Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match! Plus, action from all your other favourite WWE Superstars, including all three pre-show matches!

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WWE Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2016

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 539 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 16 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

For the seventh year, WWE presents its top supercard matches of the year on DVD (although the original release covered the 2009/2010 season, from Backlash 2009 to WrestleMania XXVI; you can check out previous reviews within this series using the links on the right). Since the series began at the end of the 2000s, a lot of things have changed in WWE, not least the roster and its leading stars. However, what hasn't changed is that you can usually count on there being some pretty strong matches on the vast majority of Pay-Per-View events. In 2016, there were perhaps more stand-out PPV showdowns than ever before in WWE, and many of them are included in this collection.

Hosted by Lita, the set fittingly kicks off with the first PPV match of the year, that being a very good Last Man Standing clash between Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens for the Intercontinental Championship from Royal Rumble. From there, we're shown a quick montage of every match from the Rumble event and, throughout the set, similar round-ups are shown for every featured PPV event, as was the case on the 2015 collection (which is a nice touch as it packs a lot of moments into a short, neat and tidy series of clips). After that, we head to Fast Lane for two matches: AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho, which was a strong effort in their underrated feud, and Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar with the WrestleMania 32 WWE Title shot at stake. The latter is better than I remembered it being, although the result was never in doubt, and strangely enough the Reigns-Triple H feud which had begun in November 2015, and generated some excitement over the winter through various angles, was suddenly turned on by hardcore fans once it became official that the two would collide at WrestleMania (how bizarre ... wink wink).

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Hell In A Cell 2016 coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For the first time ever, the leaders of the Women’s Revolution make history inside Hell In A Cell as WWE Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defends her title against Charlotte Flair. “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev and United States Champion Roman Reigns bring their rivalry to an end inside the demonic structure. WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens enters his first Hell In A Cell match and looks to continue his Kevin Owens Show against “The Undisputed Future” Seth Rollins. Plus more as the Superstars of Raw go to hell and back at Hell In A Cell!

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Hell In A Cell 2016 announced for DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

WWE Hell In A Cell 2016 is officially coming to DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.

For the first time ever, the leaders of the Women’s Revolution make history inside Hell in a Cell as WWE Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defends her championship against Charlotte Flair. “The Bulgarian Brute” Rusev and United States Champion Roman Reigns bring their rivalry to an end inside the demonic structure. WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens enters his first Hell in a Cell match and looks to continue his “Kevin Owens Show” against “The Undisputed Future” Seth Rollins. Plus more as the Superstars of Raw go to hell and back at Hell in a Cell!

Hell In A Cell 2016 will be available to purchase on DVD and Blu-ray from Monday January 2 2017.

Money In The Bank 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 15 2014

More than in any other year, Money In The Bank 2014 is all about the Ladder matches. Both are exciting battles, and with one additional thriller on the under-card, MITB 2014 makes for an enjoyable wrestling DVD.

The non-Ladder highlight of the show is the opening Tag Team Title clash between The Usos and the team of Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, which greatly exceeds expectations. A short Paige-Naomi bout is not exactly a classic; even Cameron at ringside looks bored (although this indifference was used to set up Cameron's heel turn). Damien Sandow vs. Adam Rose is another short match, the first of two comedy bouts on the show. At this point, the show is dragging badly, but things turn around with an excellent MITB Ladder match involving Seth Rollins (who takes a jaw-dropping backdrop off a ladder onto another ladder), Dean Ambrose, Rob Van Dam, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. That the match is built around the Rollins-Ambrose feud gives this a different flavour to previous MITB Ladder matches, and the stunts catapult this into being a very enjoyable thrill-ride.

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Hell In A Cell 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: January 19 2015

The sixth annual HIAC PPV featured two Cell matches, a couple of entertaining mid-card bouts and a return of sorts, but no appearance by WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. That being said, Lesnar's absence doesn't really harm one's enjoyment of the show, and therefore the DVD.

Inside the Cell, both John Cena vs. Randy Orton and Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins are impressive battles, particularly the latter contest based on the greater risks taken by Ambrose and Rollins. Cesaro vs. Dolph Ziggler is a fun Two Out Of Three Falls bout with a somewhat surprising result (or score, at least). Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella exceeds expectations, and Damien Mizdow's antics enhance the clash between The Miz and Sheamus.

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Payback 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 176 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 13 2015

Payback 2015 saw the continuation of Seth Rollins' WWE Title reign and the conclusion of the long feud between John Cena and Rusev. Otherwise, it was largely a case of the same old product from WWE, although there are a number of enjoyable matches.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus is superior to their previous meeting at Extreme Rules, despite Ziggler suffering an unplanned - and huge - amount of blood loss at the finish. The New Day vs. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro is another strong match between the two, arguably their best yet under Two Out Of Three Falls rules. Meanwhile, Bray Wyatt vs. Ryback is a bit short, meaning that a few more minutes could have seen the two men put together a memorable effort.

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Extreme Rules 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 187 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 29 2015

Extreme Rules 2015 didn't quite achieve the excitement that the card has in the last few years. One of the matches is very good (and few expected anything from it beforehand, making it doubly impressive), but the rest of the card is only adequate at best.

Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper, under Falls Count Anywhere rules, is an unusual opener, in that it is quite literally a match of two halves (I won't explain why as that would be a spoiler). Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus isn't very interesting, with the Kiss Me A--e stipulation remaining unexplained. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. The New Day is pretty good, though, and it cements the New Day heel turn; on the other hand, Nikki Bella vs. Naomi has just one highlight, that being Naomi's new multi-coloured LED boots (unless the second highlight is working out the date of the phantom babyface turn for The Bellas).

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Royal Rumble 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 188 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 6 2015

I won't beat about the bush here: Royal Rumble 2015 is remembered for the very good and the very bad. One match is exceptional, whilst the other is so poorly-booked, one would assume upon first glance that it was a p-ss-take. Therefore, the DVD experience is undoubtedly interesting, but by no means fulfilling.

Let's begin with the good: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena vs. Seth Rollins is incredible; one of the best Triple Threat matches in WWE history, and an early contender for Match Of The Year. The Kick-Off match included as an extra - Tyson Kidd and Cesaro vs. The New Day - exceeds expectations, partly due to a red-hot crowd. And the Rumble match itself is not entirely without merit, with some surprise appearances by DDP, The Boogeyman and, particularly, Bubba Ray Dudley (in the ECW hometown of Philadelphia, no less), and a couple of notable spots scattered throughout the match. But the praise ends there.

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TLC 2014

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: March 23 2015

The final card of 2014, TLC already feels like a distant memory. Since the show took place, we've had the somewhat unwanted return of The Authority, Daniel Bryan coming back and Roman Reigns receiving a ton of abuse which calls into question his status as WWE's next top star. Mind you, that's not to say that TLC 2014 isn't up to scratch, because there are some enjoyable matches on show at this, erm, show.

The event peaks early with the Luke Harper-Dolph Ziggler Ladder match: whilst not one of the all-time classic matches of this genre, it's very exciting and surprisingly brutal, and is one of the better Ladder matches in WWE from the last few years (it also benefits from Ziggler's hometown crowd in Cleveland, Ohio providing a great atmosphere during this bout). Next, The Miz and Damien Mizdow battle The Usos in a match which isn't as must-see as Miz' gimmick would have you believe, but features another hilarious performance from his stunt double Mizdow.

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Clash Of Champions 2016

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 185 Minutes
Certificate: 12
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: November 21 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Since the second WWE brand extension came into effect in July, the Raw and SmackDown brands have experienced mixed fortunes. The blue brand has enjoyed a resurgence of sorts due to its newly-live format, its focus on highlighting all of its characters regardless of stature, despite the limited ranks, and a generally logical, wrestling-based approach. The red team, on the other hand, haven't exactly experienced a boom period: the three-hour format of the weekly show has become even more of a struggle with fewer wrestlers to mix and match with, a large number of performers have either seen their fortunes remain exactly as they were pre-Draft or enter a decline (some greater than others), and the continued focus on authority figures has ensured that fans are always expecting some sort of interference or screwiness to hinder the generally-strong efforts put forth by its talented roster.

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Elimination Chamber 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 186 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: July 27 2015

(To read a full event review of WWE Elimination Chamber 2015, click here.)

Elimination Chamber, once WWE's final PPV stop before WrestleMania, was a definite B-show in 2015; in fact, it was only announced less than three weeks beforehand. The card still ended up delivering some memorable action and a major upset victory, but rewatching the show on DVD (which incidentally is a UK exclusive), one can't escape the feeling that it was still a card of lesser importance.

The opening Tag Team Elimination Chamber match for the doubles titles has its moments, with some quite frankly insane stunts, but a couple of spots appear to be the subject of wrestler confusion (as in, the performers themselves didn't know where to be at some points), and the finish is a bit anticlimactic, resulting in an opener that is good but by no means great. The three-way match for the Divas Championship is okay, but Nikki Bella vs. Paige vs. Naomi won't exactly be brought up at the end of the year as a vintage showcase of the women's division.

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Battleground 2015

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Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 177 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: September 14 2015

(To read a full event review of WWE Battleground 2015, click here.)

Battleground 2015 is one of those cards which, in hindsight, has slipped a little under the radar, perhaps because its main event was primarily used to set up the headline clash at SummerSlam the following month. However, when reliving the show, Battleground is definitely one of WWE's better cards of the year with some great in-ring action, making for an enjoyable DVD release.

Randy Orton vs. Sheamus is a good opener, enhanced by the strong atmosphere since the show was held in Orton's hometown of St Louis, Missouri. After WWE tries to remind us that Stephanie McMahon alone was responsible for what would become the revolution of women's wrestling in the company (which couldn't be further from the truth), we have a standard WWE Tag Team Title match between The Prime Time Players and The New Day, at a time when New Day were in the process of becoming the incredibly entertaining trio act that would result in their popularity exploding.

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