Pads & Panels

Title: The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro

Format: Three-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The Monday Night Wars arguably played a large role in the success of World Wrestling Entertainment and Monday Night Raw, as the competition surely bred creativity. Wrestling fans were left wondering who would have the best matches, most outrageous moments and surprise defections each and every week, and even fans who swore allegiance to one brand or the other had a hard time not flipping channels between commercials in an attempt to see what they were missing.

WWE already documented this rivalry in Monday Night Wars, and already told the story of the Rise and Fall of WCW. Now, keeping in line with its latest three-disc sets, WWE is simply offering up The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro, its one-time competitor. WWE now owns the brand, and it’s nice to see the company mining the archives and paying tribute to the show’s best moments. After all, most WWE fans missed them while they were busy watching the superior brand. (more…)

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Title: Over the Limit 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Over the Limit has been a strange pay per view for the last few years in World Wrestling Entertainment. Its speedometer and car theme seems entirely random, in comparison to its wrestling theme, which mostly seems to be that John Cena has an annual “I Quit” match that mostly consists of him being whooped for an unbearably long time, only to refuse to quit and eventually prevail. It’s like the writer of The Passion of the Christ is called in to handle this PPV once a year. This time, Cena’s getting whooped by The Miz and his protégé, Alex Riley. It’s unbearably long and boring, and like a superhero, Cena takes a ridiculous amount of punishment and never gives up, only to slap a quick finisher on The Miz, who taps immediately. WWE should not be allowed to have these matches anymore, if that’s how they book them, because this is an awful excuse for sports entertainment. (more…)

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Title: WWE Capitol Punishment

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Videos

Review by: Bill Jones

WWE Capitol Punishment. If nothing else, it was one of the more entertainingly named pay per views in awhile, and the Barack Obama skits had potential, if ultimately put together seemingly lazily. R Truth’s turn toward craziness was also an entertaining build to the show, and his match with John Cena wasn’t half bad. Alex Riley and The Miz also put on a good show, as do Rey Mysterio and CM Punk. Randy Orton and Christian have another solid World Heavyweight Championship bout. None of it is particularly groundbreaking, and it still has the feel of a second-tier PPV for WWE, but it’s a solid show from start to finish. (more…)

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No matter what happens at MITB, Punk rant was brilliant

How WWE is playing a hometown, the internet and more

By Bill Jones

No matter what happens at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in Chicago this Sunday, there’s no denying that the already infamous June 27 Monday Night Raw rant was an absolutely brilliant move. And its impact is already readily apparent. More people are buzzing about the world of professional wrestling than they have in years; WWE is likely to get great buyrates for a PPV that otherwise might have been considered second-rate and gone largely under the radar; people were chanting CM Punk’s name on Raw tonight; and there is the setup for some great shock value in Punk’s hometown.

For those coming to this story unfamiliar with the situation, CM Punk came out at the end of Monday Night Raw June 27, cost John Cena a tables match against R Truth, and proceeded to sit at the top of the ramp and cut a promo that had many wondering whether it was scripted or whether CM Punk had really just gone off the hinges. (more…)

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Title: WWE: Bobby The Brain Heenan

Format: DVD

Studio: Vivendi Entertainment

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Arguably the best manager to grace the WWE, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan defined everything a heel should be. He had a witty repartee with anyone he shared the screen with, managed to sway the opinion of the then-WWF fan base just by liking or disliking someone, and built careers for bad guys by just opening his mouth. Without his participation, some of the top moments in WWE history would not have nearly the impact they do now. If any one manager deserves a retrospective, it’s this man. Does the WWE deliver? Well… (more…)

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Title: The True Story of WrestleMania

Format: Three-Disc DVD Set

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The True Story of WrestleMania hit shelves just before WrestleMania 27, offering fans a deeper look into more than quarter century of history the of the sports entertainment extravaganza. From the major gamble Vince McMahon took putting on the first event, to the week-long spectacle it has become in recent years, WrestleMania has become a major force in bringing the realm of the athletes and celebrities together, and this DVD set seeks to document its history. (more…)

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Title: Lucha Libre AAA: Heroes Del Ring

Platform: 360 (PS3, Wii, PSP)

ESRB: T

Publisher: Konami

Developer: Immersion Software & Graphics (360, PS3), Larva Game Studios, Sabarasa Studios (Wii, PSP)

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Flipping through channels on a Saturday afternoon doesn’t usually bear much fruit. There may be an infomercial here, a CSI rerun there, but not much to really entertain. Every now and then, however, there will be something that catches the eye on Univision or Telemundo. Seeing a wrestling match is nothing new, but a ring with six sides and a giant Corona ad in the middle is something different. This is Lucha Libre. The Luchadors run around this ring (some in masks, some without), and put on a show the likes of which the WWE wishes they could. Finally, after years of anticipation, XBox and PS3 gamers get a taste of this fast-paced action first hand. The only question left is: do the Luchas stand a chance of toppling the 900-pound giant that is Smackdown vs Raw? (more…)

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Title: TLC 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

TLC — Tables, Ladders, Chairs — yet another specialty match turned pay-per-view event for World Wrestling Entertainment. But only one match on the card is a true TLC Match, while the rest break down the concept, pitting The Miz and Randy Orton in a Tables Match, John Cena and Wade Barrett in a Chairs Match, and John Morrison and Sheamus in a Ladder Match. It’s a Triple Threat Ladder Match between Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger that takes the cake at this show though, with the four-way main event having its moments, but ultimately disappointing. That speaks to most of the matches on the card — some fantastic big moments under the catalyst of the special stipulations, but the matches overall aren’t memorable. (more…)

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Title: WWE Top 50 Superstars of All Time

Format: Three-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

World Wrestling Entertainment has maintained popularity (albeit at different levels) for several decades, as other promotions have started and disappeared in the same timeframe. And it is mostly credited to the company’s captivating superstars. Sure, we all know that the outcomes of the “sport” are predetermined and South Park has already run them through the ringer for the soap opera-esque storylines. But movies aren’t real, and sometimes they’re cheesy as well, but that doesn’t stop us from finding entertainment in them. (more…)

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Title: RAW: The Best of 2010

Format: Three-Disc DVD Set

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

The first third of 2010 for Monday Night Raw, or what is covered on the first-disc of the new three-disc Best of 2010 DVD from WWE Home Video, proves that 2010 was an extremely front-loaded year for WWE. In the opening months, we see Bret “The Hit Man” Hart make his return to the squared circle, some great DX tag team bouts, and Shawn Michaels bidding the WWE Universe farewell after his Mania loss to The Undertaker. The rest of the set highlights The Nexus invasion and feud with John Cena, the “rise” of Randy Orton, The Miz launching his championship reign, and more than 20 matches. The best moments though may be CM Punk’s look back at 900 episodes of Raw, and Santino’s tea party with Sheamus. (more…)

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