DVD Review: WrestleMania 33

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 569 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 5 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

WrestleMania 33 has finally hit DVD. WrestleMania remains the WWE DVD to own each year, regardless of whether the event is good or bad. Fortunately, WM 33 had more to like than to dislike, and while it's not a flawless show by any means, it is an improvement over WM 32 and contains several memorable moments, all of which justify a purchase even before you consider the Hall Of Fame ceremony being included, as is tradition.

The opening video is spectacularly produced in line with the "Ultimate Thrill Ride" theme, and the first match - AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon - is a belter which greatly exceeds expectations. Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens for the United States Championship is another enjoyable match, though a shade below being considered a Match Of The Year candidate. The Raw Women's Championship four-way, meanwhile, feels rushed and, whilst a commendable effort by all involved, it's inferior to the Women's Championship three-way from WM 32.

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DVD Preview: WrestleMania 33

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

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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DVD Review: WrestleMania Monday

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 363 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 3 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

Over the last few years, the episode of Raw held the day after WrestleMania has become almost as anticipated as Mania itself. Whilst the post-WM Raw has always served the purpose of pressing the reset button, so to speak, and acting as a platform for debuts, returns and even retirements, since 2012 the combination of truly major developments and increasingly raucous crowds have led to this being the most watched, and most eagerly-awaited, television show of the WWE Calendar.

The latest WWE release focuses on this phenomenon, with a documentary being accompanied by a selection of matches and moments from down the years, all of which, of course, come from post-Mania editions of Raw. They include some of the most memorable and historic Raw moments of all-time, and some of the loudest crowd reactions in Raw history provided the soundtrack for them. All of which makes for a pretty entertaining DVD.

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Ranking Every WrestleMania From Worst To Best

Image Source: Wikipedia

Written By: Mark Armstrong

It's WrestleMania Season again! With WrestleMania 33 almost upon us, it's worth considering which WrestleMania events, to date, have been the worst or indeed the worst, which is why I have provided my own personal rankings of every WrestleMania so far. I'm taking a few factors into account when ranking these from worst to best: historical significance, entertainment, the quality of the wrestling, and anything else which added or detracted from any of the 32 Manias so far. As ever, this is only my opinion, so alternative viewpoints are welcome. Nevertheless, here goes!

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The True Story Of The Royal Rumble

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 437 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: December 5 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The Royal Rumble match is arguably the most anticipated WWE encounter of the entire year, more so even than the main event of WrestleMania. The potential for big moments, elevation of younger talent, surprise returns or debuts, shock eliminations, face/heel turns, unexpected square-offs and more, along with the guarantee for the Rumble winner to earn a World Title shot at Mania (usually, anyway), all combine to create a match that has seen its legacy grow over the years, especially during the modern era where fans know so much of what will happen long before it hits the screen. The Rumble match remains unpredictable, where the key layers are a closely-guarded secret and almost anything can happen.

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The True Story Of The Royal Rumble coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For nearly 30 years, both WWE Superstars and WWE Universe members alike begin their Road to WrestleMania at Royal Rumble! An over-the-top-rope free-for-all battle where the winner is given a one-way ticket to the Showcase of the Immortals. For the first time ever, WWE brings you behind-the-scenes to get the unique story of the monumental January event from those who created it and the Superstars who have competed in the Royal Rumble match. Get all the history, get all the stories, and learn The True Story Of The Royal Rumble!

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Undertaker 15-0

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 183 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: March 17 2008

The undefeated WrestleMania Streak of The Undertaker was truly legendary. Before Brock Lesnar ended it after Mania XXX, the record had turned into one of the true highlights of each WrestleMania, mainly due to the outstanding performances by Undertaker and his opponent. In 2012, WWE released a DVD covering the first twenty matches of the Streak, and the final six matches of that release are almost all classics, illustrating just how vital a part of WM that the Streak was. (You can read my review for the 20-0 DVD by clicking here.)

It's easy to forget, though, that The Streak wasn't always a priority for WWE and, in fact, it wasn't until Taker's 13th Mania match with Randy Orton that the undefeated record was first used as a selling point. Therefore, this DVD, the first on Taker's then-perfect WM record, charts his first fifteen battles on the grand stage, and the combination of the reduced importance on his winning run for so many years and the limitations of the original Undertaker character's ring style, not to mention his generally large and cumbersome opponents, make this less of a guilty pleasure than 20-0. What's more, after the first couple of matches, most of the remaining bouts are only partially complete, meaning that one is even less inclined to purchase this ahead of the more recent (and complete) 20-0.

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WWE 2K14

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Yuke's and Visual Concepts
Genre: Wrestling
Series: WWE (Previously SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw)
Released: October 29 2013 (US) and November 1 2013 (UK)
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PS3 and Xbox 360

So, at last we have the much-hyped WWE 2K14, the latest instalment of the lengthy WWE videogame series, and the first to be published by 2K Sports. Considering the quick turnaround after THQ folded in early 2013, it was likely that this would be a transitional game in some ways, and that is the case, with little in the way of major new features and a greater emphasis on minor tweaks, for the large part. However, the changes which have been made are almost all for the better, resulting in arguably the greatest WWE videogame since the mid-2000s.

Let's start with 30 Years Of WrestleMania, a mode which celebrates WWE's biggest event through a series of matches from the history of the show, along with in-game challenges. If that sounds familiar, it's because the WrestleMania Tour option from the 2009 game WWE Legends Of WrestleMania offered something very similar. Where 30 Years exceeds WM Tour is that the mode covers the entire history of WM so far (WM 29 is the most recent Mania so this is where the mode ends, despite its name), with a load of unlockables, photos and video content in the manner of last year's Attitude Era mode, and with a greater range of characters and a larger spotlight on the entire legacy of WrestleMania.

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WWE WrestleMania XXX

Image Source: Smark Out Moment

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Genre: Wrestling
Produced By: WWE
Format: Pay-Per-View
Date: April 6 2014
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Attendance: 75,167

The thirtieth WrestleMania then; what a milestone in WWE history this was. Every WrestleMania is big, but Mania number 30 immediately takes on a bigger level of importance. All those memorable Mania moments from over the years, from the unprecedented success of WM 1 to the record-setting crowd that saw Savage vs. Steamboat and Hogan slam Andre at WM III, the unforgettable Hogan-Warrior battle from WM VI, the timeless Savage-Warrior Career match at WM VII, two classic matches at WM X, HBK's boyhood dream coming true at WM XII, the famous Bret-Austin double turn at WM 13 and Austin's crowning as WWF Champion at WM XIV, the best WWF/WWE show ever at WM X-Seven, Rock vs. Hogan at WM X8, great matches and historic wins at WM 21, Ric Flair's WWE swansong at WM XXIV, the two Undertaker-HBK classics at WM 25 and WM XXVI, the Undertaker-HHH battles at WM XXVII and WM XXVIII, and the amusingly-dubbed "Twice In A Lifetime" meetings between Rock and Cena at WM XXVIII and WM 29, and countless other memorable Mania matches and moments (some remembered for the wrong reasons) - WrestleMania has an incredible legacy, and it was widely predicted going in that WM XXX would be another standout night in WWE's illustrious history. However, few could have predicted just how memorable WM 30 would turn out to be.

It was expected that this would be Daniel Bryan's night of glory. Having won the WWE Title from John Cena at SummerSlam 2013 only to have it taken away from the newly-formed Authority, Bryan's chase against the modern-day Corporation had an abrupt end, and once WWE positioned Batista and not Bryan as the man to face Randy Orton for the top prize at Mania (via Bryan's non-entry into the 2014 Royal Rumble match), fans rebelled. As WWE wondered how to fix this problem, another big setback occurred when CM Punk unexpectedly walked out of WWE the night after the Rumble, torpedoing a potential Punk-HHH match at Mania before the feud had really gotten off the ground (Punk had been involved in scraps with Authority members not named HHH before he left). With a real quandary on his hands, WWE ultimately decided to listen to the fans and reignited Bryan vs. The Authority in the form of Bryan vs. HHH, with the winner being entered into the Orton-Batista main event for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. After the bumps en route to Mania, surely WWE wouldn't have Daniel Bryan fail on the grandest stage of them all ... would they?

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Predicting WrestleMania 33

Image Source: Wikipedia

Written By: Mark Armstrong

With WrestleMania 32 officially in the history books, the early speculation begins for WrestleMania 33. To be frank, the show isn't for nearly twelve months (obviously) and it will not even enter storylines until very late this year or in early 2017, but it's still interesting to consider what might go down on April 2 2017 at the Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando, Florida (which also hosted WM 24, which I attended).

I will base my predictions on the current roster and the most likely special guests at this point in time, since one cannot obviously not predict 100% who will be active a year from now (who imagined in early 2015 that AJ Styles would appear at the 2016 Mania?). So, here it goes ...

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WWE WrestleMania 32

Image Source: ProWrestling.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Genre: Wrestling
Produced By: WWE
Format: Pay-Per-View
Date: April 3 2016
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, USA
Attendance: 101,763

After all the anticipation and the build-up, WrestleMania 32 finally happened! The biggest wrestling show of the year was hyped as being WWE's biggest show ever, even with injuries decimating the original line-up on multiple occasions, and other factors preventing some names from the past getting actively involved. That being said, the card still promised a stacked list of matches and, with the increased running time probably ensuring that all the bouts would get appropriate time, there was a genuine chance that this could be one of the greatest WrestleManias to date, even if some scheduled matches weren't what most fans would have preferred. So, how did WM 32 turn out?

Before beginning with the review, I should acknowledge how long the event ran. In the past, WrestleMania has lasted four hours with one or two pre-show matches, with the exception of WM XX which was 4 1/2 hours with no warm-up bouts. This year, despite the two-hour Kick-Off Show beforehand, it was still noted that Mania 32 would go over four hours to some extent. That ended up being by "a lot"; when Mania finally ended, the main card was very close to five hours long, and with the Kick-Off Show again lasting two hours and featuring three matches, the entire thing ended up lasting close to seven hours! To be fair, this made WrestleMania 32 feel extremely special, but since most weren't expecting such a long running time, it did mean that most viewers were flagging come the final hour. I do hope that WWE continues this going forward, since at least next year we'll be prepared for a (very) long WrestleMania.

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WrestleMania 32 Predictions

Image Source: ProWrestling.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Having looked at the road to WrestleMania 32 a few days ago, I will now provide my predictions for all of the matches this Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

Before beginning with the bouts, I'll speculate on the potential involvement by legends and/or injured stars. The Rock is confirmed to be on hand, which I see most likely being as part of a talking segment with Steve Austin. I can also see Mick Foley being part of this to deliver a feel-good moment for the fans (albeit one not quite as memorable as the Austin-Rock-Hulk Hogan interaction at WM XXX). As for other stars, I can say Seth Rollins popping up in a backstage moment, and Shawn Michaels will probably appear at some point, although the Texas location means that Shawn will have to favour a babyface if his involvement is to leave the desired impact.

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The (Bumpy) Road To WrestleMania 32

Image Source: ProWrestling.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

For wrestling fans, it must feel like Christmas Eve right now. That's because we are now only a matter of days away from WrestleMania 32, the biggest wrestling event of the year and possibly the biggest event in WWE history, at least based on the potential live attendance. Later this week, I will make my predictions for Mania match results but, for now, I am going to look back at an unforgettable and at many times undesirable lead-in to WrestleMania 32.

Rumours have been going back years that WWE wanted to hold Mania at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas due to its 100,000+ capacity. In November 2013 (yes, it was that long ago), it was leaked that the 2016 WM would emanate from AT&T Stadium. Once it was officially confirmed in early 2015, both fans and WWE began considering possible mega matches to justify the biggest crowd in WWE history by presenting the company's biggest and best show, well, ever.

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WrestleMania 31

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 519 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 1 2015

It's that time of year again when you get to look back on the biggest show of the year with the home video release. This 3-disc set, as ever, brings together the WrestleMania event as well as this year's Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, in addition to a couple of extra features.

WM 31 was lauded at the time as being one of the best Manias ever, and an event which was far better than it had been predicted to be. Upon second viewing, however, while the event remains very entertaining, the context is lost watching it on DVD, so one would not know about the lacklustre build-up or the issues surrounding several matches, and the moments which were so surprising on the night lose their unpredictability when watching the event again because, well, you know that they're going to happen. Those gripes aside, however, WrestleMania 31 is still a thoroughly enjoyable four-hour slice of sports entertainment.

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WrestleMania XIX

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 347 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: July 14 2003

WrestleMania XIX is an odd one: it is not remembered and referenced as much as other WM shows, and yet it is one of the top three Manias ever. And the DVD captures this event in all its glory, along with some cool extras too.

Before we get started, note that this was the last year before the re-introduction of the WWE Hall Of Fame, so no HOF ceremony is here. This was also the last Mania to be released on a 2-disc DVD, so extras are more limited than for later Manias. I should note that the side-sleeve which is part of a "2003" image when all 12 PPV DVDs for 2003 are together looks good when alongside the rest but, on its own, it looks a bit odd.

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WrestleMania XX

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 454 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: July 5 2004

WrestleMania XX was the most hyped WM in history (with the possible exception of WM 28), with the tag line "Where It All Begins Again." The show had its hits and misses, but in hindsight it fell a little short of the hype, so the slogan was only partly applicable. As a DVD set, though, you should get enough entertainment from it to warrant a purchase (and this was the first PPV that WWE ever released as a 3-disc DVD). Note that the WM event alone is over 4 1/2 hours long, the longest PPV in WWE history, and has a whopping 12 matches, so don't watch it all at once!

After a adrenaline-pumping opening video, WM XX starts with John Cena taking a big step to stardom as he beats Big Show for the United States Title in what was probably their best match together (ironically, Cena was hugely cheered here, and some even complained that he wasn't already main eventing WM; how things change). A four-way tag for the Raw belts is alright but feels like filler, a way to squeeze Booker T, RVD, The Dudleyz and others onto the card. Next is Chris Jericho vs. Christian, a good little match that surprisingly sees Christian win and, even more shockingly, sees Trish Stratus turn on Y2J and align with Captain Charisma.

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WrestleMania 21

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 421 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: July 4 2005

Going into WrestleMania 21, I was less excited about the show than any WM to date, largely due to the general decline in quality of WWE TV over the previous 12 months. However, the PPV ended up being much better than expected despite some flaws, and the DVD set is better still.

The in-ring action kicks off with Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio, a good opener which would have seemed better had it not been compared to their WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 classic. But the following Money In The Bank Ladder match is more than acceptable: the first MITB bout is truly incredible. Shelton Benjamin is the star with his daredevil stunts, but it is Edge who obtains the briefcase that would be used to begin his main event run in WWE.

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WWE WrestleMania 31

Image Source: SportsKeeda.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Genre: Wrestling
Produced By: WWE
Format: Pay-Per-View
Date: March 29 2015
Location: Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California, USA
Attendance: 76,976

Projections going into WrestleMania 31 were very low. A build-up characterised by an extremely negative reaction to the Royal Rumble match, a subdued crowd for the Fast Lane show that set the stage for the top WM matches, and weak or inconsequential activity on TV over the last five weeks, meant that whilst most were looking forward to Mania because, well, it's WrestleMania, expectations were not anything more than "there should be some good matches". Fortunately, like in New Orleans last year, WWE pulled off some surprises and all matches were either as expected or better, resulting in this year's WrestleMania being one of the most enjoyable cards in its 31-year history.

The Kick-Off show this year featured two matches, the first being Cesaro and Tyson Kidd defending the WWE Tag Team Titles against The New Day, Los Matadores and The Usos. Jey Uso was attacked early on by Cesaro and never returned, due to a real-life injury presumably. The match was a little slow to get going, as were the crowd to respond. But the fans did raise their voices as it went on and would be vibrant all night from that point, and the bout energised too with a large collection of nifty moves, stunts and spots. In the end, a Jimmy Uso splash on Big E. seemed to give the ex-Champs the gold despite being one man down, but instead Cesaro made a late tag and got the winning pin, allowing him and Kidd to retain the titles. A pretty good tag bout, then, but a step down from the same bout before Mania 30 due to the more choreographed feel to proceedings. Still a nice start though.

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WrestleMania 31 Predictions

Image Source: SportsKeeda.com

Written By: Mark Armstrong

With the biggest WWE show of the year less than 48 hours away, and the card set, I will provide my predictions for WrestleMania 31, in the order that I expect the matches to take place.

Kick-Off

1. Tag Team Title Match

For the second year running, the Tag Team Title scrap is a four-way on the pre-show. The Usos have had the most success as a team, but winning the titles again with no obvious new opponents seems a bit pointless. Los Matadores hadn't been on TV for months until a few weeks ago, and based on crowd reactions, The New Day are becoming the tag team division's answer to John Cena in terms of provoking the undesired response, so I don't see either of these teams winning. Which means a probable successful title defence for Cesaro and Tyson Kidd, which I would have endorsed had the other three teams had more momentum anyway.

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WWE Legends Of WrestleMania

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: THQ
Developer: Yuke's
Genre: Wrestling
Series: N/A
Released: March 20 2009
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and iPhone/iPod Touch

With WrestleMania just days away, it is a perfect time to focus the latest retro game review on a release dedicated to the big event, and one of my favourite games ever, WWE Legends Of WrestleMania.

The 2003 game WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain was the first to officially include a line-up of Legends. As the SmackDown vs. Raw series continued to feature older names, and some add-ons like retro arenas and championships, rumours circulated that one day a WWE Legends game would be released, something of a WWE incarnation of the previous Legends Of Wrestling titles. Finally, in May 2008, it was officially announced that WWE Legends Of WrestleMania was being produced for a planned release to commemorate WrestleMania 25 the following spring.

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