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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Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 432 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 15 2015

In 2015, the Yes Movement were thrilled to learn that the first proper WWE DVD would be released on Daniel Bryan, combining a WWE Network documentary with a selection of Bryan's most memorable matches in WWE. Bryan has long stood out as one of the world's greatest wrestlers, even before joining WWE as he perfected his craft and built a strong legacy on the independent scene, with a 15-month reign as ROH Champion being a key highlight during that period. Given Bryan's high standards for wrestling excellence, then, would this 3-disc DVD match expectations for him and his fan base, or would it have his most loyal followers shouting "No!"?

To begin with, this really is a DVD of two parts, as it's clear that the documentary and the match round-up are separate projects. Case in point: this DVD is called Daniel Bryan: Just Say Yes! Yes! Yes!, whereas the documentary clearly states (as it did during its initial WWE Network showing) the title Daniel Bryan: Journey To WrestleMania. That being said, the documentary is fine as it is, looking in-depth at Bryan's final preparations before his show-stealing performances at WrestleMania XXX, and blending in some additional footage and talking head comments that track Daniel's career up to the weekend of WM 30.

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WrestleMania XXX

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 516 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: June 9 2014

The DVD content of WrestleMania XXX follows the same formula as previous WM DVD releases: the Mania event in its entirety, the 2014 WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony and a selection of extras related to the WM card. But is WM XXX a must-own DVD for WWE fans?

Beginning with the main feature, the 30th annual WrestleMania opens with a memorable segment involving WM host Hulk ‘Silverdome’ Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. This landmark interaction between the three icons is followed by the opening match, and part one of the show’s key storyline, as Daniel Bryan battles Triple H in a match to determine who will be added to the main event. Somewhat overlooked due to the context of the plot-line, this is a strong match and would have been WM worthy in its own right even if a title shot were not at stake. Bryan triumphs, but a post-match Authority attack puts his chances of leaving New Orleans as WWE Champion at jeopardy. Oh, no!

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