Monday, 21 April 2014

WWE Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection DVD Review

I was hoping to get this done before WrestleMania unfortunately that wasn't possible and then with the passing of Warrior I was finding it difficult to sit and watch in large portions so it's taken a little bit longer than I had hoped but here is the review of WWE's Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection.

WWE's Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection is out now on DVD and Blu Ray, available from 
www.wwedvd.co.uk
, currently priced at £19.99 for DVD and £22.99 for Blu Ray. The three disc set, chronicles the career of the Ultimate Warrior and features matches and segments from UWF, WCCW, WWF and WCW, alongside a special interview with Warrior introducing the segments as they appear. As you'd expect the set features The Ultimate Warrior taking on some of wrestling's greatest from between 1986 and 1996, including The Undertaker, Mr. Perfect, Bobby Heenan, Ted DiBiase and Randy Savage.

 

Content Listing

Disc 1 

Interview Part 1: Warrior's Back

Interview Part 2: Finding Wrestling

Match 1: Perry Jackson & Shawn O'Reilly vs. The Blade Runners – UWF, 11th April 1986

Interview Part 3: Move to WCW 

Match 2: The Dingo Warrior vs. World Heavyweight Champion “Gentleman” Chris Adams - WCCW. 8th August 1986

Interview Part 4: Arrival in WWE 

Match 3: Barry Horowitz vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF Wrestling Challenge. 7th November 1987

Match 4: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Steve Lombardi. WWF Superstars. 14th November 1987

Interview Part 5: Getting Noticed 

Match 5: King Harley Race vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF in Boston, Ma. 5th March 1988

Interview Part 6: Upgrading Warrior 

Match 6: Bobby “The Brain” Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF in Los Angeles, Ca. 15th July 1988

Interview Part 7: Intercontinental Champion

Match 7: The Honky Tonk Man (C) with “Colonel” Jimmy Hart vs. The Ultimate Warrior for the Intercontinental Championship. WWF SummerSlam, 29th August 1988

Match 8: The Ultimate Warrior vs. The Honky Tonk Man with “Colonel” Jimmy Hart. WWF in Philadelphia, Pa. 17th December, 1988

Interview Part 8: The Macho Man

Match 9: Randy “Macho Man” Savage © vs. The Ultimate Warrior © for the Undisputed Championship and Intercontinental Championship. WWF in Boston, Ma. 11th February, 1989

Interview Part 9: Simply Ravishing

Match 10: “Ravising” Rick Rude © with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. WWF SummerSlam. 28th August 1989

Interview Part 10: Building Momentum

Match 11: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Bob Bradley. WWF Prime Time Wrestling. 18th September, 1989

Match 12: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Brian Costello WWF Prime Time Wrestling 25th December 1989

Segment 1: Ultimate Warrior confronts Andre on Brother Love Show, WWF Superstars. July 29, 1989.

Interview Part 11: Memories of Andre

Match 13: Andre the “Ultimate” Giant with Bobby Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior © for the Intercontinental Championship. WWF at MSG. 28th October 1989

Match 14: Andre the Giant with Bobby Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior © for the Intercontinental Championship. WWF Saturday Night's Main Event. 25th November 1989

Disc 2


Interview Part 12: Leading to Toronto

Segment 2: Ultimate Warrior Promo "Crash the Plane". WWF Superstars, 10th March 1990

Match 15: The Ultimate Warrior vs. Mr Perfect. WWF at MSG. 19th March 1990

Interview Part 13: Running to the Ring

Match 16: Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship. WWF Wrestlemania VI. 1st April 1990

Interview Part 14: Responsibilities as Champion.

Match 17: “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF in Tokyo, Japan. 13th April 1990

Match 18: “Ravishing” Rick Rude with Bobby Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior © for the WWF Championship. WWF Saturday Night's Main Event. 28th July 1990

Match 19: “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase with Virgil vs. The Ultimate Warrior © for the WWF Championship. WWF The Main Event. 23rd November, 1990.

Match 20: Sgt. Slaughter with General Adnan vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF in Huntsville, Alabama. 7th January 2014.

Disc 3


Interview Part 15: New Direction

Match 21: “Macho King” Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri vs. The Ultimate Warrior in a Steel Cage Match, WWF at MSG, 21st January 1991

Segment 3: Ultimate Warrior ends Brother Love's career. WWF Superstars. 2nd March 1991

Interview Part 16: No Limitations.

Match 22: Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF WrestleMania VIII

Interview Part 17: Into the Darkness

Segment 4: Ultimate Warrior on Paul Bearer's Funeral Parlour. WWF Superstars, 13th April 1991

Match 23: The Undertaker with Paul Bearer vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF at Maple Leaf Garden. 2nd June 1991

Interview Part 18: Returning

Segment 5: Gene Okerlund Interviews Ultimate Warrior and Randy Savage. WWF Superstars 25th July 1992

Interview Part 19: Ultimate Maniacs

Segment 6: “Riding on the Edge of a Lighting Bolt". WWF Superstars, 14th November, 1992.

Match 24: Money Inc. with Jimmy Hart vs. Ultimate Maniacs for the WWF Tag Team Champions. WWF Saturday Night's Main Event. 14th November, 1992

Interview Part 20: Reestablish

Segment 7: “Faster Than A Cheetah”. WWF Raw. 11th March 1996

Match 25: Hunter Hearst Helmsley with Sable vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF WrestleMania XII 31st March 1996

Interview Part 21: Warrior Confronts Goldust

Segment 8: Ultimate Warrior returns. WWF Raw. 8th April 1996

Segment 9: Vince McMahon interviews Jerry “The King” Lawler and Ultimate Warrior. WWF Raw. 10th June 1996

Match 26: Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Ultimate Warrior. WWF King of the Ring. 23rd June 1996.

Interview Part 22: Going to WCW

Segment 10: Ultimate Warrior interrupts Hogan. WCW Nitro. 17th August 1998

Interview Part 23: Repulsive

Segment 11: Ultimate Warrior promo. WCW Nitro. 26th Otober 1998

Interview 24: The Right Story

Review 


I want to try and keep this review to how it would have been if I had posted it when I had originally intended, obviously in parts that is going to be difficult, as recent Warrior's untimely death no doubt changing the viewing experience of this three disc set. 

Disc One looks at Warrior's career between 1986 and 1989, chronicilling Warrior's time in UWF, WCCW and his early days in WWF. There's a total of 14 matches on the first disc, alongside 1 segment and the first 11 parts of the brand new interview conducted with Warrior. The interview sections lead nicely into the matches, giving a nice insight into both Warrior's personal and professional life, with talk of his early career being the most interesting as it's the least talked about, hearing Warrior talked about his training with Red Bastien and his teaming with Sting as The Bladerunners.  




The matches begin with The Bladerunners taking on Perry Jackson and Shawn O'Reilly, in a very quick squash, followed up by Dingo Warrior taking on Chris Adams in an awful match, it's clear that Warrior is very very green at this point. As Warrior becomes Ultimate in the WWF the squashes come thick and fast, with appearances on Wrestling Challenge and Superstars against Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi respectively, with both featuring invision promos, because why not? King Harley Race fairs a little better, bumping like a boss for Warrior in Boston, Massachusets, a Race not going for the cover off a Piledriver and bizarre finish let this bout down. A "Weasel Suit" match with Bobby Heenan is an entertaining contest, made even more so considering the age of the ATPW Hall of Famer, there is however a large amount of stalling throughout. It's then onto a pair of matches with The Honky Tonk Man with the Intercontinental Championship on the line, first the classic squash at SummerSlam 1988, before the pair engage in a longer contest in front of a half empty arena in Philadelphia, with Honky Tonk pulling out all the heel tactics in the book and the camera showing the fans any time there is a choke. A double title match with Randy Savage is the proto-type for a house show title match, the crowd absolutely loves it and that helps the match, which presents plenty of false finishes.




 The SummerSlam 1989 bout with Rick Rude is the highlight of the first disc, as the pair put on a classic over the Intercontinental Championship, with Warrior's comeback being superb. Seeing the crowd lose their shit over a diving double axe handle is also great. It's back to squash matches then with Warrior taking on Bob Bradley and Brian Costello in a pair of bouts from Prime Time Wrestling. A melo-dramatic confrontation with Andre the Giant on The Brother Love Show, is followed up by a pair of contest with Andre the "Ultimate" Giant. The first a very short bout from MSG, before a messy bout with a bizarre finish from Saturday Night's Main Event rounds off the disc.


Disc 2 houses just three interview parts, alongside six matches and one segment, with the interview focusing heavily on WrestleMania VI, leading the viewer through the build up and finishing with Warrior's review of the match. An interesting story about Warrior refusing to enter the arena on a cart, continues to build a picture of a man who truly loved his character and worked hard to create a mystique and excitement around it. It's intriguing that Warrior's interview is kept fairly positive throughout, with no discussion of Hulk Hogan's actions post to the match, or Hogan's comments regarding Warrior not being ready to have the torch passed to him. 





Kicking off the action, we get a crazy promo from Warrior off an episode of Superstars, aimed at Hulk Hogan. Just in case we weren't sure who he was talking about here, he finishes each sentence with "Hul Kogan". His intestity is comendable, but I have no idea what he was attempting to say. This is followed up by a disapointing clash with Mr. Perfect, a poorly booked affair judging Warrior's lack of selling ability, this bout also see's the longest camel clutch that I have ever seen. 




Making up for this match, the WrestleMania VI bout with Hulk Hogan is next, with all the build up, including a superb promo from Hogan, included. The characters work excellently together, with the pair managing to get pops off even the littlest things, the amount of rest holds does bring proceedings down slightly, but the finish is excellent. The crowd couldn't have loved this match more. A bout with Ted DiBiase in Japan is fascinating for the crowd reactions and isn't a bad match at all. A rematch with Rick Rude on Saturday Night's Main Event is another decent outing for the pair, but doesn't really live up to the SummerSlam bout. A second match against Ted DiBiase, this time from Main Event, trumps the first with Warrior pulling out a string of uncharecteristic moves such as a backslide and even a sunset flip. Warrior's come back is electric in this one. Unfortunately the disc can't keep up this strong run of matches, as a terrible bout with Sgt. Slaughter rounds of the set, although if you're into matches with lots of clotheslines and submission holds in the ropes for three minutes before anyone notices, this ones for you. 

Disc Three offers up the final ten parts of the interview, six matches and nine different segments. The interview covers a wide range of topics here including Warrior's feuds with Randy Savage and The Undertaker, as well as leaving and returning multiple times and his short tint in WCW. There is again a lot of postivity from Warrior throughout this disc, especially towards Randy Savage who it seems Warrior loved to pieces. The only time we see any real negativity from Warrior is based around his time in WCW, as he talks about WCW creative not capatilising on his debut, and says he hated just taking the money they gave him. In the closing part of the interview Warrior makes it seem as if we could have been getting a lot of Warrior related stuff in the near future, which was emotional to watch, an autobiography could have been fantastic. It would have been nice to hear more from Warrior on his relationship with Vince McMahon, unfortunately that isn't really touched upon here, as well as Warrior brushing over his use of steroids and no mention of the steroid scandal of the early 90's.

The matches start with decent cage match outing against Randy Savage from MSG, that is let down by a bizarre finish. Warrior attacking Sensational Sherri after the match is uncomfortable to watch. This disc is choc full of segments, kicking off with The Ultimate Warrior ending Brother Love's career by destroying his set on an episode of Superstars, as part of the build up to WrestleMania VII.




 That match follows as Warrior and Savage put on an absolute classic Mania bout, playing to both men's strengths, and with Savage putting over Warrior huge throughout. The finish might be disapointing, but the moment between Miss Elizabeth and Savage after the match is touching. Moving onto Warrior's fued with The Undertaker, an edition of the Funeral Parlour see's Paul Bearer on form on the stick, followed up by a clunky promo from Warrior. This is difficult to watch at the moment, whilst the commentary pulled me through it being unintentionally hilarious. Taker and Warrior then battle in Maple Leaf Gardens with the match getting cut short before it get's interesting. Quickly skimming over Warrior's first hiatus and return at WrestleMania VIII, it's onto Warrior's second feud with Savage, as the two cut electric promos on Superstars, building nicely to their SummerSlam 1992 bout, before being interuptted by Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect in a truly fantastic segment. Then we see the power of Warrior and Savage as The Ultimate Maniacs, as again the two cut excellent promos on another edition of Superstars, before taking Money Inc. in a passable tag team bout on Saturday Night's Main Event. Whilst the finish is dusty, it allows them to build to Warrior and Savage's bout with Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at Survivor Series 1992, that never actually happened, as Warrior once again decided to leave the company. We get the superb "Faster than a Cheetah" return vignette from Raw in 1996, followed up by the bizarre squash of Hunter Hearst Helmsley at WrestleMania XII, which is the true definition of a complete and utter burial.



 Vince McMahon interviewing Warrior and Goldust is noteworthy for Warrior flinging thinly veiled barbs at Vince and Goldust's awesome innuendos, a segment with Jerry Lawler is less entertaining. The final match of the set, see's Warrior squash Lawler at King of the Ring 1996, after Lawler spends his entrance directly insulting fans, in a promo laced with homophobia. 




To round off the disc we have two segments from Warrior's time in WCW, which really aren't great. Warrior's debut appearance on Nitro confronting Hulk Hogan has it's moments, but seems to go on foreeeevvvveeerrrrr, before him destroying Hogan, The Giant, Horace Hogan and Eric Bischoff after losing to Hogan on PPV makes little booking sense considering Warrior was leaving the company. But that's WCW for you. 

Overall, I found this set rather enjoyable, there are a number of very good matches with the likes of Rick Rude, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, that make sitting through dire bouts with Sgt. Slaughter and Andre the Giant bearable, whilst the squash matches highlight how the booking of the Ultimate Warrior worked so well. It is a shame however that the SummerSlam 1992 bout with Savage isn't included in it's entirety. The crowd throughout almost all of the matches is completely into everything Warrior does which really helps a lot of the bouts keep your attention. The majority of the promos and segments are awesome, especially the ones with Randy Savage, with the two characters insensity really bouncing nicely off each other. The interview is fairly basic, and whilst it does have it's moments, there isn't a lot of new information revealed, but it's very endearing to watch Warrior talk about his character because it's clear it meant an awful lot to him and he put an awful lot into creating it. I'd reccomend, you go and get this set, even if you have the WWE Network, as it's really well put together and the non-PPV's matches and segments might take a while to make it. Really a must-have set in my opinion. 

Top Three Matches From Ultimate Warrior: Ultimate Collection


1. Randy Savage with Sensational Sherri vs. The Ultimate Warrior. WWF WrestleMania VIII

2. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Championship and Intercontinental Championship. WWF Wrestlemania VI. 1st April 1990

3.  “Ravising” Rick Rude © with Bobby “The Brain” Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. WWF SummerSlam. 28th August 1989

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