Category Archives: DVD reviews

Scores are settled and new rivalries emerge on PWA’s fourth anniversary DVD

Anyone who has been listening to my Georgia Wrestling Now show over the past few months knows that Peachstate Wrestling Alliance has become one of the rowdiest wrestling promotions in the Southeast. And while most any PWA show is going to be an exciting one, certain shows definitely feature a few bigger names, with matches that have a bit more impact and repercussions.

This Saturday, PWA celebrates its 100th show with a card that features wrestling veterans such as Buff Bagwell, Tommy “Wildfire” Rich, Bull Buchanan and “Action” Mike Jackson in what is sure to be an event to remember. But it was less than three months ago that Peachstate celebrated another milestone with a fourth anniversary show in which the very fate of the company was in question as Enoch Tsarion and his Merchants of Death had pushed PWA owner and commissioner Shane Noles to the limit in the prior months. Now available on DVD at PWA shows (incuding this Saturday’s PWA 100), this fourth anniversary show pitted Team PWA (Noles, Jackson, Simon Sermon, Tommy Too Much and the returning Ultimate Dragon against Team MOD (Tsarion, Heritage Champion Cru Jones, Kris Knox and Tag Team Champions J-Rod and C.J. Awesome) in a WarGames cage match in which members of each team entered the cage in increments until all ten participants were in the cage.

With all the build up to this main even match, it was easy to forget some of the undercard matches that took place. But watching this DVD (which has the expected low production value of most indie wrestling releases, but is still impressively watchable with commentary by Robert Slay and ring announcer Tony Calhoun) is a reminder that this was an overall good wrestling show. The first match on the DVD pits rising Southeastern star John Skyler against the aptly named Stupid (with his equally idiotic sidekick Tweety in his corner). PWA regulars have become accustomed to seeing Stupid come to the ring clad in ripped-up jeans and what looks like something that came from the reject pile at the clown costume factory. Skyler, on the other hand, is a great athlete who has been making waves throughout the area, and catching the attention of the bigger wrestling promotions. So you’d think this would be a quick victory for Skyler, but Tweety is always there as a distraction to give Stupid a fighting chance. As a result, it’s a solid opening match that allows both wrestlers to display their strengths in the ring.

PWA’s anniversary card promised a good bit of variety, and the next match provides just that as the MOD’s “Calm Like a Bomb” Pandora takes on her longtime rival Aisha Sunshine. No matter where these two women do battle, it’s always a good match. And having worked with and against each other on so many occasions, this match is no different. Guilty by her association with Tsarion’s faction, Pandora quickly draws the ire of this rambunctious crowd without ever relying on her cohorts for assistance. Pandora and Sunshine bring out the best in one another as they take turns having the offensive advantage. But with the moral support of Tsarion, Pandora is able to get a clean victory to continue this still-ongoing female rivalry.

Next up is Dusty MacWilliams, a throwback cowboy brawler whose crowd interactions are already comical enough. But things soon get even funnier as he finds out his opponent is Peachstate’s favorite midget, Little Fabio. This match is basically like watching a cartoon as Fabio gets the better of his much larger opponent time and time again, which only frustrates MacWilliams all the more. It makes for an entertaining match and the crowd eats it up.

This match leads into another clash of styles as the masked Bad Company takes on the 386-pound Kentuckian “Big Country” Mike Reid. It’s a short match in which Bad Company shows he’s probably a better technical wrestler, but is simply unable to overcome the big hillbilly. And before we get to the main event, we’re subjected to Antonio Garza and the Georgia Junior Heavyweight Champion Stitch Sypher. These are two high fliers – Garza with a more Mexican luchador style and Sypher with a more reckless Jeff Hardy approach – who should work well together. And they do at times, but a majority of this match just looks slightly off the mark with moments such as when Garza takes a dangerous dive from inside the ring onto Sypher, who is on the floor, where the two men take a hard bump onto the concrete. At one point early in the match, commentator Slay has trouble keeping up with all the missed moves and eventually says, “I’m just going to let these two go at it, folks.” But it is an important title bout with a surprise run-in after the match that has caused a chain events that are still being dealt with at subsequent and upcoming PWA events.

Finally, we get to the WarGames main event, a match that will not only determine who gets ownership of PWA, but that also puts all the titles on the line. The MOD comes into the match with the Heritage and Tag Team titles, but if anyone from that team taps out, all the titles will come to Team PWA. Also, if the MOD loses it is banished from PWA for six months. Having already gotten the best of Noles and his allies at previous PWA events, the MOD has forced Noles to resort to extreme measures. Though they’ve had similar battles over the ownership of PWA in the past, the Ultimate Dragon and Noles somehow agree to join forces for the better of the company.

All 10 participants have been through some intense battles in the months leading up to this match, which only adds to the aggression that is seen throughout this main event. PWA hero Jackson does his signature old-school maneuver (the same top-rope-walking wrist lock popularized by the Undertaker) not only from the top rope, but also from the top of the cage, coming perilously close to plummeting to the floor on more than one occasion. When the numbers are against him, Jackson is thrown head-first into the cage by his opponents. The elder Jackson definitely takes a brutal beating before the odds are evened as his teammates gradually get to enter the ring. From there, it’s a vicious and bloody battle with a big conclusion that leaves the audience jubilant. But as Noles should have expected, the Dragon proves to be out for himself yet again. But he’s not the only one making demands after this match as we see the surprising return of Rick Michaels, the former Exotic Ones partner of Simon Sermon, who is upset by how easily he has been replaced during his absence. With a new partner (whose name is not revealed on this DVD), Michaels lays claim to the Exotic Ones name and the two teams will finally do battle this Saturday at PWA 100.

Overall, this anniversary show doe exactly what it set out to do. It features a variety of matches featuring women, a midget, big men, technical wrestlers, high fliers and title exchanges. The animosity that had been brewing between PWA and the MOD for several months finally comes to a busted-open head with an outcome that is inarguably conclusive. And the fans are left with both a sense of closure as well as intrigue from the new shocking developments still being played out.

WWE picks its “50 Greatest Finishing Moves”

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Whenever you put together a list of the “greatest” or “best of” anything, you’re going to have a hard time narrowing your list. Having already released DVDs based on things such as the best OMG moments, top wrestlers of all time and greatest superstars of this century, WWE is arguably the authority on deciding who and what constitute the best when it comes to wrestling. But when that task is as sensitive as declaring WWE’s top 50 finishing maneuvers, you’re bound to bruise some egos and have a few “experts” who refuse to submit to some of the choices.

But that certainly hasn’t stopped WWE from putting together its latest release, The 50 Greatest Finishing Moves in WWE History. As the name implies, this three-DVD set counts down from WWE’s choice for the 50th best finishing move all the way up to the best finisher of all time. 50 Greatest Finishing Moves eschews the guest host format, presenting its countdown with graphics of a lottery ball machine presenting the successive entries on the list. But these choices are far from random, as they have each been proven to keep opponents down for the three-count or submission on multiple occasions.

There are certain finishers that simply could not have been left off of this list, such as “Diamond” Dallas Page‘s Diamond Cutter, Jerry “The King” Lawler‘s piledriver, the Road Warriors‘ Doomsday Device, Hulk Hogan‘s leg drop and Ric Flair‘s figure four leg lock. Then there’s the dominating power of moves like the Vader Bomb, Lex Luger‘s torture rack, Yokozuna‘s Bonzai Drop, Kevin Nash‘s jackknife powerbomb and the Undertaker‘s tombstone piledriver. And on the opposite end of the spectrum are the flashier moves of high fliers like Rob Van Dam‘s five-star frog splash, Rey Mysterio‘s 619, Jeff Hardy‘s Swanton Bomb. Jimmy Snuka‘s Superfly Splash and Lita‘s Litasault (the only female finisher on the list). Finally, there are the technical moves like Sting‘s Scorpion Deathlock, Bob Baklund‘s crossface chicken wing. Mr. Perfect‘s Perfect Plex, the Walls of Jericho and Bret Hart‘s Sharpshooter.

Whether you’re perplexed by the ability of a man as big as Bam Bam Bigelow to execute flawless moonsaults off the top rope, or just waiting for the wrestling machine known as Kurt Angle to slap on his ankle lock, you’ll have a hard time arguing with any of the inclusions on this list. And regardless of how you feel about their placement, you can sit back and watch more than a dozen matches where finishers such as Shawn Michaels‘ Sweet Chin Music, Triple H‘s Pedigree, Sgt. Slaughter‘s cobra clutch and Bruno Sammartino‘s bear hug are focal points. In order to get as many examples of these moves in as possible, most of these matches include multiple participants, allowing various finishers to be executed within single matches.

One thing that isn’t necessarily pointed out in 50 Greatest Finishing Moves, but that should be apparent by the wrestlers and matches featured here, is that the advent of big finishing moves is a rather recent development, with wrestlers using these athletic displays to further establish their personas and talent. And whether they are more for showmanship and entertainment value or legitimately putting one’s opponents out of commission, these finishing moves definitely provide some added drama, spectacle and athleticism to an already over-the-top form of entertainment.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.

“Undertaker – The Streak” showcases the Phenom’s 20-0 WrestleMania record

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When the Undertaker‘s WrestleMania streak began, I doubt anyone could have predicted just how long it would last. At the time, his impressive dominance over the legendary Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka at WrestleMania VII served to further establish the Deadman’s mystique as a monster who, it seemed, could feel no pain. But as his career continued and he racked up more and more victories over some of wrestling’s top talents on wrestling’s grandest stage, it became apparent after a few years that something special was shaping up in the career of the Deadman.

After defeating Triple H two years in a row, the Undertaker‘s WrestleMania streak stands at 20-0, and has become just as (if not more) important as any title match or heated rivalry that might take place each year. And just one day after celebrating a company milestone of 1000 episodes of Raw, WWE chronicles the Undertaker’s achievement with Undertaker – The Streak, a four-disc set of all 20 of his WrestleMania matches. As far as WWE releases go, this one is rather sparse on the bonuses. Aside from a somewhat brief documentary (it runs fewer than 40 minutes) that recaps the streak one opponent at a time, the other three discs consist of nothing but the matches. No background on what transpired prior to these epic confrontations or previous encounters between the Undertaker and his opponents to put things into context. Just the matches themselves.

But when you’re talking about something as monumental as never losing at the industry’s biggest show, you don’t necessarily need a lot of additional hoopla to piledrive that point home. In fact, scaling things down to just the WrestleMania encounters themselves helps illustrate the odds that the Undertaker has had to overcome to get to 20-0.

Though his first two WrestleMania opponents (Snuka and Jake “The Snake” Roberts) were accomplished adversaries, it wasn’t until WrestleMania IX that ‘Taker faced anyone that matched his own intimidating abilities in the Giant González, a towering monster standing taller than 7 feet and wearing a Sasquatch-like bodysuit airbrushed with muscles and hair. Though he technically won the match by disqualification due to the use of ether to knock him, the Undertaker proved that he’s able to overcome even that obstacle when he re-emerged from the back to stand victorious in the ring.

From there the Undertaker takes on one giant after another, with stipulations such as the Hell in a Cell cage being introduced at WrestleMania XV against the Big Boss Man. But after all the pageantry of his most recent WrestleMania victories against Shawn Michaels and Triple H, it’s easy to forget just how impressive some of these earlier WrestleMania encounters were, for both the Undertaker and his opponents.

Kevin Nash, for example, has always relied on his size to overcome anyone that stands in front of him. But when he (as Diesel) squared off against ‘Taker at WrestleMania XII, he faced someone who matched him physically. But Diesel seemed unfazed, maintaining his arrogance despite ‘Taker’s seemingly supernatural abilities, and, at times, getting the better of the Deadman. Though two big guys squaring off can often be cumbersome, ‘Taker really brought out the best in Diesel before putting him to rest like the four that came before him.

Other big men that have benefited from their WrestleMania losses to the Undertaker include Sycho Sid, Mark Henry (perhaps one of ‘Taker’s best opponents, in a casket match at WrestleMania XXII) and his brother Kane, the first to fall to ‘Taker twice (at WrestleMania XIV and XX). But one of ‘Taker’s strongest qualities as a wrestler is his versatility. Whether he’s grappling with smaller and leaner opponents like Ric Flair and Edge or taking on the Big Show and A-Train at the same time, ‘Taker is able to adapt to any opponent and environment, which is why his matches have consistently stolen the show at many WrestleManias.

And unlike most athletes, the Undertaker gets better with age despite the abuse his body has taken in the ring for so many years. His later WrestleMania matches against Henry, Batista and Edge are some of the best of the entire streak, and there’s little that can be said about his matches against Michaels at WrestleMania XXV and XXVI, and his subsequent matches against Triple H at this year’s and last year’s ‘Manias, that hasn’t already been said. (You can read what Matt Hankins had to say about the End of an Era match here.) But ‘Taker’s longevity and the weight that the streak now carries are a big part of what makes these last few matches so memorable. Whether it’s the streak versus Michaels’ career or the proverbial End of an Era that occurred when ‘Taker and Triple H met inside the Hell in a Cell at WrestleMania XXVIII, the Undertaker’s WrestleMania matches carry more and more meaning and symbolism with each passing year.

Another thing we see, both in the documentary and with each successive match, is the evolution of the Undertaker’s persona through the years. From the cartoonish ghoul who drew power from the mystical urn carried by Paul Bearer to the motorcycle-riding American Badass to the Mohawked monster we’ve seen more recently, the Undertaker has always been an imposing force whether he’s relying on supernatural abilities or pure physicality. But as age takes its toll on the Deadman, one can’t help but wonder if The Streak provides some foreshadowy closure to one of wrestling’s most celebrated careers or if the streak might continue for another few years.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.

“Falls Count Anywhere” shows some of WWE’s rowdiest matches

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Only a few weeks after the ECW Unreleased Volume 1 DVD set crashed onto store shelves, WWE releases another DVD set dedicated to some of wrestling’s most violent matches with Falls Count Anywhere: The Greatest Street Fights and Other Out of Control Matches. Spanning more than 30 years of chaos, Falls Count Anywhere includes more than two dozen matches from the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, Extreme Championship Wrestling and recent WWE history. But as you might imagine, it’s the older footage that offers a more genuine atmosphere of disorder and mayhem.

Beginning with a bloody WWF alley fight between Pat Patterson and Sgt. Slaughter at Madison Square Garden in 1981, the first disc is dominated by old NWA and WCW footage featuring the likes of the Four Horsemen, the Road Warriors, Doom and Sting. And if you’re looking for a single match that epitomizes the zany spirit of a street fight, you need look no further than the tag team match between Jimmy Valiant and Ms. Atlanta Lively taking on the Midnight Express at the Omni. This match features a cross-dressing competitor, powder being thrown into the eyes of adversaries, foreign objects and the involvement of Midnight Express manager Jim Cornette (and his signature tennis racket). Taking place at a time when fans truly didn’t know what might happen during a match like this, you can just feel the tumultuous energy as it unfolds in these matches form the ’80s and early ’90s.

Known for his numerous fights of this nature in WCW, ECW and WWE, “The Hardcore Legend” himself Mick Foley is an obvious choice to host this collection. But what’s somewhat surprising is the fact that he (as Cactus Jack) is only featured in two of Falls Count Anywhere‘s matches (one of my personal favorites from his feud with Sting in 1992, and against Triple H in 1997). What’s equally surprising is that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who is featured prominently on the DVD cover, is only featured in one match here. But it’s a brutal bout that culminates his feud with Bret Hart (and sees Stone Cold attack Hart in an ambulance after the conclusion of the match). And it’s an apt way to conclude the first disc since it signifies a time when street fights and the like were the breaking point of most rivalries, with both competitors pulling out all the stops to come out victorious.

With the influence of ECW’s more hardcore style, the ’90s saw an influx of street fights, strap matches and the emergence of the Hardcore Championship, which could be defended under pretty much any circumstances. That being said, the only ECW match included here features two of the hardest of the hardcore; Tazz and Bam Bam Bigelow. Hardore matches took on a very different tone and served a somewhat different purpose during the Attitude Era, and the matches on the second disc are indicative of this evolution. From Al Snow and Hardcore Holly battling into the Mississippi River for the Hardcore Championship to Mr. McMahon taking on his son Shane McMahon (and Ric Flair just a few months later), a majority of the matches on the second disc take place in 1999, which is proof of just how commonplace the idea had become by this time.

The third disc shows these types of no-holds-barred matches being reserved for dramatic conclusions or momentous turning points once again. From Shawn Michaels‘ heartfelt return after four years against his best friend Triple H in an unsanctioned street fight at 2002’s SummerSlam to a brutal street fight between Rey Mysterio and one-time friend Batista on SmackDown in 2009, the more recent matches feature more of the unpredictability of the stuff from the ’80s (and require a bit more emotional investment than the matches from the ’90s and early 2000s). We also see younger and less established talents such as Umaga, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase rising to the chaotic occasion and using street fights (and fresher concepts such as a submissions count anywhere match between D-Generation X and Legacy at 2009’s Breaking Point) to elevate themselves closer to main event status. And the inclusion of a WWE Women’s Championship match between Melina and Mickie James from 2007 shows that falls count anywhere matches are not strictly for men.

Though it could be argued that Falls Count Anywhere suffers from the omission of certain matches (such as the last man standing match between John Cena and Batista at 2010’s Extreme Rules or anything from Memphis’ Continental Wrestling Association, arguably the birthplace of this style of match), it’s still another enjoyable collection of matches form WWE’s extensive vault of footage. And considering the extent of footage in WWE’s possession, it wouldn’t surprise me if we saw separate last man standing and Memphis collections in the near future anyway.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.

“Clash of the Champions” features some of WCW’s greatest moments

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Years before World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation went head to head during the Monday Night Wars, the National Wrestling Alliance (a precursor to WCW) conceived of a different way to compete with its Northern rival. In an attempt to steal the WWF’s pay-per-view thunder, the NWA aired it’s own new top-tier event for free on the same night as WrestleMania IV called Clash of the Champions. The first Clash of the Champions was so successful that it returned not as an annual event, but up to five times a year with a total of 35 Clashes between ’88 and ’97.

As has been done with numerous other DVD releases, WWE pays homage to one of WCW’s greatest traditions with The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions DVD set. Hosted by “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, one of the men who helped come up with the Clash of the Champions concept, this three-disc set includes more than 20 matches from 19 different Clash of the Champions events. For those of us who grew up watching wrestling during the ’80s and ’90s, this set is not only a great blast from the past, but also proof of just how good things were for wrestling at that time.

Things start out with the main event from the first Clash, as NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair (with his Four Horseman manager James J. Dillon suspended above the ring in a cage) takes on quickly rising fan favorite Sting. With both Flair and Sting in the prime of their careers, this is a mesmerizing match that ends in a 45-minute time-limit draw when the ringside judges (a mix of celebrities and wrestling industry veterans including Jason Hervey) are unable to declare a winner. This match alone shows the hearty style of storytelling the NWA was putting out at the time, with Flair retaining his title, Sting proving he could take the champion to the limit and the fans being left anticipating the next battle between these two competitors.

The presence of Sting, Flair and the Four Horsemen on all three discs shows just how integral they were to the NWA and WCW. Flair’s cohorts Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are featured in two NWA World Tag Team Championship matches; one against Lex Luger and Barry Windham at the first Clash and another against Sting and Rhodes less than three months later. We also see Flair defend his title against WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk in an “I Quit” match in November 1989, then challenge United States Champion Luger in what has to be one of the best matches of Luger’s career (despite Stan Hansen spitting tobacco juice on him after the match). And after Flair took the World Heavyweight Championship to the WWF, only to return to WCW to find Sting holding the new International World Heavyweight Championship that had been created in Flair’s absence, the two meet again in a literal clash of champions in June ’94 to unify the titles.

Other names synonymous with Clash of the Champions featured here in the Clash’s earlier years are Ivan Koloff, the Midnight Express, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and the Fabulous Freebirds. But even more familiar names show up as things progress into the ’90s in matches that might otherwise have been forgotten had they not been included here. For example, at the Feb. 6, 1990 Clash, the deranged Cactus Jack Manson (a much thinner and younger Mick Foley than the one we know today) takes on the luchador legend Mil Máscaras in a clash of styles that is exciting despite the match’s brevity. And in a 1994 World Television Championship match, Lord Steven Regal (better known as William Regal) and Dusty’s son Dustin Rhodes (before his cosmetic transformation into Goldust) go to a draw in an impressive match.

Even though it’s no secret that “Stone Cold” got his start as “Stunning” Steve Austin in WCW, it’s somewhat surprising just how prominent he was at Clash events during the early ’90s. He’s first seen here as part of a 15-man battle royal in ’91, then in a tag team match as part of the Hollywood Blonds in a two-out-of-three-falls match in June ’93, then in a clash against his former tag partner Brian Pillman just a few months later. But it’s his United States title defense against Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat in August ’94 that shows just how good Austin was at the time and why he went on to become one of WWE’s biggest stars.

Even with the influx of former WWF talents like Rick Rude, Hulk Hogan, Randy “Macho Man” Savage and the New World Order, Clash of the Champions maintains the gritty dynamic that set WCW apart from the WWF. And that’s often due to the fact that match-ups such as Hogan and Savage vs. Flair and The Giant or “Diamond” Dallas Page and Luger vs. Scoll Hall and Savage pit WCW-bred tradition against guys who made names for themselves elsewhere. But Clash of the Champions also helped nurture rising stars such as Eddie Guerrero, Harlem Heat, the Steiner Brothers, Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho, allowing them to go on to thrive in WWE and other companies.

Perhaps the greatest thing about this Clash of the Champions collection is that WWE recognizes just how good its competitor was even before the full-on ratings war of the ’90s had started. What’s even more amazing is how many of these people are still involved in the industry, many of them still actively putting on high caliber matches. And whether The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions provides you with some wrestling nostalgia or gives you a glimpse into what happened before WWE was the dominant force it is today, one can’t help but see just how electric the atmosphere always was when Clash of the Champions was on TV.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.

Bound for Glory 2011 shows TNA heading in a slightly new direction

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Every good wrestling organization has a marquee annual event to build towards, where feuds come to fruition, old grudges are settled and new rivalries begin. For Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, that event takes place every October in the form of Bound for Glory. And 2011’s Bound for Glory took place in Philadelphia, a city rich in wrestling history thanks in large part to now-defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling being based there for most of the ’90s.

The Bound for Glory 2011 DVD shows how pivotal this event was to what has been going on in TNA for the year or so leading up to event. With most of the company’s top stars in action, Bound for Glory 2011 is headlined by two matches that proved to be detrimental to the company’s future – a battle for control of the company between Hulk Hogan and Sting, as well as a World Heavyweight Championship main event between then champion Kurt Angle and the winner of the Bound for Glory Series, Bobby Roode.

But the event gets off to a fast-paced start as Austin Aries defends his X Division Championship against former champion Brian Kendrick. With sprinklings of crowd support for Aries (despite his villainous behavior), this match has a lot of back-and-forth action as each competitor looks to outdo the other both in and out of the ring. And Kendrick puts up quite a fight, almost defeating Aries on several occasions, even hitting him with his signature Sliced Bread reverse DDT backflip off the top rope. But in the end Aries hoists Kendrick up and drops him to the mat for a brainbuster to retain the title.

Honoring their contributions to Philadelphia’s wrestling scene, longtime ECW rivals Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn are up next in a Full Metal Mayhem match where any metal object is legal. While neither man (especially Lynn) is as good as he was during ECW’s prime (as seen by a minor botch here and there), this match still offers a lot of nostalgia, not only with the use of steel chairs and ladders, but also with impressive athleticism. RVD hits Lynn with a chair kick before hitting his Rolling Thunder somersault onto a ladder to evoke “ECW!” chants from the enthusiastic audience. Lynn reciprocates by hitting a sunset powerbomb onto a ladder outside the ring, but RVD wins after hitting his Van Terminator dropkick with a chair.

That’s followed by a triple threat match between three of TNA’s most dominant wrestlers, the undefeated Crimson, Samoa Joe and Matt Morgan. With Joe having eliminated Crimson from the Bound for Glory Series by injuring his ankle, and Crimson and Morgan forming a bit of an alliance during their friendly rivalry, this match really could go either way depending on how each man works with the others. Establishing some teamwork early on, Crimson and Morgan take it to Joe before their bond begins to break down. Things come to a somewhat unexpected end after Morgan hits Joe with a knee lift only for Crimson to capitalize by pinning Joe to win the match.

The next match is another nod to ECW’s Philadelphia roots with a falls-count-anywhere contest between ECW alumnus Bully Ray and the loudmouth Mr. Anderson. While you might expect Bully Ray to appeal to the fans since he has such history in this town, he instead cuts a pre-match promo where he says, “Screw Philly!” before heading to the ring. Anderson gets the early advantage with a very ECW-like move where he takes a sign from the crowd that reads “Welcome to Philly, Asshole” (referring to Anderson’s self-proclaimed nickname), which is revealed to be a metal Dead End street sign. They fight up the entrance ramp and Bully mocks Anderson by using Anderson’s own micorphone to berate Anderson (and Philadelphia) before Anderson attacks him and the fight goes backstage. They make their way back to the ring and both men employ objects such as a guardrail and tables. After several near-falls, Anderson finally hits his mic check (reverse facebuster) through a table outside the ring for the pin.

The four-way match between Winter, Mickie James, Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky for the Knockouts Championship is about as chaotic as you might expect, especially with the obviously biased Karen Jarrett as guest referee. With little regard for any rules, it’s hard to keep up with who the legal competitor is and who is interfering. When Winter inadvertently spits red mist into Jarrett’s face, it looks as if James is going to pin Winter to win the title. Traci Brooks runs to the ring to make the count, but by then it’s Sky who gets the win to regain the Knockouts belt.

Before the I Quit match between AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels gets underway, a nice video package recaps their rivalry dating back to their early X Division battles at the Asylum in the six-sided ring. Once the match gets started, Daniels‘ arrogance is apparent as he aggressively tries to make Styles quit very early on. The two trade submission moves until Daniels opens a toolbox and throws a wrench at the steel steps (to prove that these are real tools, I guess). He then tries to stab Styles in the face with a screwdriver, making it clear that their longtime friendship is definitely over. Styles ducks and Daniels embeds the screwdriver into the turnbuckle before hitting a beautiful Best Moonsault Ever to continue his dominance. Daniels goes on to straddle Styles’ neck with a steel chair while threatening to make everything Styles has done for TNA his own. A smack to Styles head with a microphone draws blood and Daniels instructs Styles’ wife Wendy to take the kids away from the TV screen because he’s going to murder Styles. Styles has time to recover a bit and when Daniels tries to smash him with the chair, Styles fights back, hitting him with a vicious series of clostheslines and kicks. He then nails Daniels with the Pelé kick, followed by the Styles Clash, before picking up the screwdriver. As soon as Daniels sees the screwdriver in Styles’ hand, he pleads “just don’t hurt me” before quitting and running to the back. As Styles celebrates his victory atop the entrance ramp, Daniels reemerges and attacks Styles from behind to get the last laugh.

Jeff Jarrett, who is not scheduled to wrestle, then comes to the ring and says, “Nero, I’m calling you out, bitch.” Jeff Hardy answers and a fight ensues. Security eventually breaks them up while the crowd chants, “Let them fight!” That leads right into the match between Hogan and Sting for control of TNA. Sting, still doing his mentally unstable Joker-like thing, comes to the ring in a purple trench coat that looks like a cross between a Mardi Gras marching band jacket and something Michael Jackson might have worn. When he removes his jacket, he reveals a Hulkamania T-shirt, which is clearly a psychology game on the part of the man who has been trying to get Hogan to return to his more noble ways. Hogan responds by signaling for Ric Flair to come from the back to be in his corner. Despite his recent back surgery and overall inability to move around like he used to, Hogan gets a surprising jump on Sting early on, Hulking up, then doing a D-Generation X-style crotch chop to anger Sting. Sting rips his Hulkamania shirt off and throws it at Flair, giving Hogan an opportunity to hit Sting. The fight goes to the floor and Flair and Hogan double-team Sting right in front of former TNA owner Dixie Carter, who will regain control of the company if Sting is victorious. Hogan hits a low blow on Sting and referee Jackson James inexplicably does nothing to stop Hogan and Flair’s dirty tactics.

Hogan hits Sting in the head with a foreign object of some sort before throwing a now-bleeding Sting back into the ring. As Hogan does some Flair-like gloating, Sting takes him down and uses the same foreign object on Hogan. With both men bleeding, Sting hits Hogan with a Stinger Splash in the corner, then locks on the Scorpion Deathlock. Despite the fact that Hogan taps out, the referee (who is revealed to be Garett Bischoff, son of longtime Hogan cohort Eric Bischoff) is reluctant to end the match, but finally awards the victory to Sting. Eric Bischoff, Flair and the rest of Immortal (Scott Steiner, Bully Ray and Gunner) rush to the ring and start beating Sting down with chairs. Garett has a change of heart and tries to stop his father, but Eric hits him with a chair as Flair continues the assault on Sting. Former Immortal member Abyss is seen watching from behind the curtain while Sting crawls to Hogan’s feet and begs for his help. With the audience’s encouragement, Hogan tears his shirt off and takes out the members of Immortal one at a time until there’s a standoff with Immortal stuck between Hogan and Sting. Immortal is vanquished and Hogan and Sting celebrate in the ring while Carter and her husband rejoice from ringside. Considering Hogan’s recent medical issues, and the fact that both of these guys are in their 50s, this match is a lot better than expected. Sting does carry most of the match, but the involvement of the rest of Immortal and Garett helps offset some of Hogan’s complications in the ring.

While Hogan, Sting and most of the members of Immortal are icons of wrestling’s past, Roode is one of TNA’s homegrown talents and has become the younger guy most fans want to see carrying the company. (Keep in mind Bound for Glory took place just weeks before Roode broke a bottle over his Beer Money tag team partner James Storm, effectively turning on the fans and the company.) Having won the Bound for Glory Series, Roode earned a shot at Angle‘s TNA World Heavyweight Championship. And having overcome Angle’s gauntlet on Impact Wrestling, where Roode was forced to square off against his Fortune stablemates and friends in the weeks leading up to Bound for Glory, Roode enters this match with a lot of momentum and appears to be ready to win his first TNA World Championship.

As the match begins, Angle immediately takes control with his grappling skills. But Angle gets a little too cocky and when he goes to the top rope for a moonsault, Roode hits him with a suplex off the top rope, proving he can hang with Angle as a wrestler. Roode soon follows that up with a crossface submission move, which Angle reverses into an ankle lock. Angle and Roode trade blows, wrestling moves and submission maneuvers, with Roode getting a few two-counts on Angle. But this back-and-forth culminates with an Angle Slam. Angle goes for another slam, which Roode counters with an arm drag. Angle resorts to a low blow, then hits Roode with two suplexes, but Roode counters a third suplex with another crossface submission move. Angle gets to the ropes, the two exchange some blows, then Angle comes off the second rope and falls right into another crossface. Angle counters with another Angle Slam then gets the pin while using the rope for leverage (and while Roode’s hand is under the rope). But since referee Brian Hebner doesn’t see any of that, the win goes to Angle.

With TNA fans and wrestlers alike rallying behind Roode during the build-up to this match, as well as the emotional battle that shows Roode coming so close to becoming the TNA Champion on several occassions, this convoluted ending is incredibly disappointing. But it’s a great match nonetheless and shows that the outcome could have gone either way. But such an anticlimactic ending (not because of who won, but how he won) leaves this Bound for Glory feeling a bit empty. And had Roode not left Bound for Glory feeling like he was screwed out of the title, he may never have resorted to the unscrupulous tactics he has since adopted.

Though Bound for Glory is not yet the pop culture spectacle that WrestleMania has become for WWE, it’s still the biggest event of the year for a company whose history isn’t nearly as rich as its more established rival. And even though this DVD is dominated by wrestling veterans who are past their prime, it also serves as a passing of the torch in many respects, with younger TNA talents proving their worth, and political power being wrestled away from Hogan and Bischoff.

The second disc features exclusive Before the Bell previews for each match, a Roode video package, wrestler interviews, the Bound for Glory pre-show (including the World Tag Team Championship match between Mexican America and Ink Inc.) and other extras.

For more information, go to www.shoptna.com.

Triple H, the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels end an era on new WrestleMania XXVIII DVD

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We didn’t want to see Triple H vs. the Undertaker for a third time at WrestleMania. We didn’t think it was necessary to make Shawn Michaels the guest referee. We didn’t know where they would put the cage, and the Undertaker didn’t even know the date of the show. How could the End of an Era Hell in a Cell match be anything more than notch number 20 in The Deadman’s belt or a possible bridge between a stellar match at last year’s WrestleMania and some future feature bout? As it turned out, we were dead wrong.

The match was a brutal masterpiece in the often forgotten art of storytelling. While the cell itself was not used in the traditional way, it provided the only believable canvas on which these three masters could paint. There are no expectations of technical wrestling inside Satan’s Structure. It was perfectly acceptable for Triple H to dole out some 21 chair shots to the Undertaker and then demand that a cringing Heartbreak Kid end the match; a demand that ultimately went unfulfilled despite an emotional Showstopper considering it. This demand was not made out of collusion or cowardice, but out of fear; fear of what would have to be done in order to end the Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak (a feat Triple H had been unable to do in two previous attempts, including last year’s WrestleMania). That fear was nearly realized as The Game stood over a prone Undertaker, raised a sledgehammer over his head and was set to end much more than an undefeated streak before he was stopped by a diving Michaels. This series of lasting images personified the multiple narratives that unfolded over the course of the match. The diving HBK had preserved both the streak and the humanity of his best friend. Throughout the match Michaels turned in a visceral performance without over inserting himself physically.

No strike, no hold, not even a single step was wasted during this battle. Each man delivered his attacks as if they were the last that he would ever deliver. After each blow was delivered it appeared that it would only take one more and always take one more to finish them. With every glimpse of The Game’s anguished face and The Phenom’s purple and burgundy back, the story became clear. There is no tomorrow, only today and yesterday. They would usher themselves into history, on their terms, carrying their shields and being carried only by one another.

The Undertaker and Triple H end an era at WrestleMania XXVIII (photo courtesy WWE)

If this was the send-off to an era – more specifically the Attitude Era – it is peculiar that it came on the same night when one that era’s brightest stars (The Rock) was victorious over the current face of the company (John Cena). That is the duality of things. While the term “Superstar” has been appropriately applied to the unlikely triumvirate of Triple H, HBK and the Undertaker, they are wrestlers at heart; a fact of which I hope they are proud. This is why it was their match that represented an era. These three men have collectively been part of four of the greatest matches in WrestleMania’s nearly 30 year history and they all turned in their best performances as the sun set on their careers.

In the figure eight-shaped world that is professional wrestling, it is never exactly clear if you are witnessing the beginning or the end. As the three battered, bruised and emotionally-and-physically spent combatants embraced at the top of the ramp, the story found its ending. There may be other shows to stop, games to be played, and souls to put to rest, but there will never be a duplication of any of the three men who shared a cell a WrestleMania XXVIII. The era may have ended, but the memory remains, and long may it do so.

For more information, go to www.wweshop.com.