Islands in the Stream I - Old School: MSG 03/17/75

Just like the WWE Network itself, the initial edition of Islands in the Stream has been slightly delayed, but it's finally here for your reading pleasure. This series plans to chronologically run-through the content on the WWE Network, every Monday and Friday (except the first Monday of each month where Best of British will feature instead). It's a big task, but will hopefully help you to uncover some hidden gems and watch footage you otherwise might not.
This first edition will be looking at the 17th March 1975 show from Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, USA, that can be found in the Old School category under the Vault section of the Network. The show is headlined by Bruno Sammartino defending the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Spirios Arion, alongside three others matches. Vince McMahon goes solo on commentary.

WWWF Heavyweight Championship Match

Spirios Arion vs. Bruno Sammartino (C)

The main event of the show actually appear second on this broadcast, which is a little jarring as a fan used to the modern day WWE product. One of the things that makes this match notable is the crowd reaction to even the simplest of moves, because of their adulation for Bruno Sammartino and their utter hatred for Spirios Arion's manager Freddie Blassie. The live audience are completely hooked by this match from start to finish and that does, of course, bring something to the broadcast itself.

However, a modern WWE fan may struggle to get into the bare-bones styles of the WWWF, which mainly consists of punches and kicks, with the odd bodyslam thrown in. The pace is much, much slower than what fans are used to today and there's certainly nothing flashy about the way Sammartino and Arion go about their game. The bout does gets rather repetitive quickly, with the pair going through a similar pattern of action for the majority of the bout.

The main highlights actually come from outside of the match itself. Vince McMahon has an absolute nightmare on commentary, calling the bout a "Texas Death Match" multiple times, despite it clearly having no signs of being anything other than a regular match and the ring announcers confirming such a thing. He also goes on to call a Camel Clutch-esque move a "Modified Boston Crab". Arion also get's into a confrontation with a member of the crowd at one point, swiping out at the fan, which seemingly comes out nowhere, imagine if Brock Lesnar twatted a fan at ringside in 2015!

Whilst the match might not be to modern fans taste, the finish is a familiar and frustrating one. Following a bodyslam, Sammartino get's the pinfall victory, despite Arion's foot being clearly on the rope in front of the referee. It doesn't even feel like it should be a finish at all, and probably would've had Twitter saying things like "Who books this shit" and "Fuck this company", if Twitter were such a thing in 1975. It's probably a good job this isn't the final match on the show, because it's leaves things a little flat for the home viewer in 2015, even if the 1975 live audience are losing their shit with glee and it gives Blassie a reason to get Arion a rematch later on down the line.

Singles Match

Killer Kowalski vs. Victor Rivera

Early on this match showed a lot of promise, teasing me with some attempts at phsycology as Killer Kowalski worked Victor Rivera's leg, whilst Rivera went after Kowalski's arm. Both men do a good job at selling their supposed weaknesses, however the match doesn't progress much from this point, with the pair going back and forth on these injuries for sometime. After a bit Kowalski even gives up and decides to whack on an Abdominal Claw instead. I'd worried that perhaps my modern fans mindset was the reason this match was boring me, however the almost silent MSG crowd made me think otherwise.
The finish is another disapointing one, involving a disqualification for Kowalski for a bite, just when it seems the match might be heading towards a satisfying conclusion. With almost 30 years in the business at this point, I'm not sure why Kowalski needed to be protected as much at this point in his career, when a win for Rivera over the veteran could have done a lot for him.

Singles Match

The Wolfman vs. Ivan Putski

Ivan Putski has a huge belly and the funniest facial expressions I may have ever seen. That alone was enough to keep me entertained throughout this match. Throw in the fact that he's wrestling a fella called THE WOLFMAN and you've got wrestling gold. I'm not even sure what happened, other than Putski picking up a quick win with a Bear Hug, I was too busy losing my shit for Putski and his Polish Power ways. He even drinks a beer once the match is finished, because he's the fucking man about town and he doesn't care who knows it.

Singles Match

Cheif Jay Strongbow vs. Butcher Vachon

The opening contest of the broadcast, this is a basically structured match. Vachon works the heel character nicely, however it's Strongbow's comeback that stands out as the most entertaining part of the match, for it's sheer hilarious-ness, as he struts around the ring like some kind of funky chicken. The finish of the bout comes almost completely out of the blue and with Strongbow picking up the win from a move that many will be familiar with as a transitional move these days, the Lou Thesz Press!

Finally...

These early shows aren't going to be for everyone, especially something as early as 1975, as the action is completely different to what WWE puts on these days and takes a lot of getting used to. This show isn't packed full of classic matches and big moments, but I still found something strangely fascinating about it and seening certain elements that would become WWE tropes over the next few years. Early Vince McMahon commentary is hilarious to say the least, whilst Ivan Putski vs. The Wolfman is the match that dreams are made of.

Next Time

Old School: MSG 6/27/77 featuring Baron Von Raschke vs. Ivan Putski, Superstar Billy Graham defending the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Bruno Sammartino and more. 

WWE Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story DVD Review

WWE's Macho Man: The Randy Savage Story is out now on DVD (There's a Blu Ray version too), available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. The three disc set features a 90 minute documentary on Savage's life and career, as well as fifteen matches from between November 1986 and October 1997. The set includes matches featuring the likes of Hart Foundation, Shawn Michaels, Ricky Steamboat, Bruno Sammartino, Ted DiBiase and more. 

The Documentary

Quite simply, the documentary portion of this DVD should be required viewing for any wrestling fan. One of the best pieces WWE Home Video has ever created, it details the entire of Savage's life, with a lot of time spent on detailing Savage's early life and his personal life away from the wrestling ring. This is embellished with interviews with his brother, Lanny, his mother, Judy and a handful of Savage's personal friends and other acquantances. This gives the set a real sense of context and allows Savage's larger than life wrestling persona to be humanised, perhaps in a way it has never been before. 

An old interview with Savage's Dad, Angelo, is included.

Those looking for some meaty wrestling stories to get their teeth into also won't be disapointed as the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, Jake Roberts, Ricky Steamboat, Diamond Dallas Page, Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash are all on hand, alongside Lanny, to provide a number of interesting tales about Savage both in and out of the ring. From these stories, Savage comes across as a die hard perfectionist, with some off camera footage of an interview taping helping to create this picture. Stories of his classic feud with Ricky Steamboat, including Steamboat's teary reaction, and his hot and cold friendship with Hulk Hogan were personal favourites of mine,

His relationship with WWE going sour is also not shyed away from, as Lanny explains Savage's plans to end his career in a lengthy feud with Shawn Michaels, before explaining why Savage never wished to go back to WWE after leaving for WCW. By the end of the documentary it's difficult not to have an emotional involvement, as Savage seems to spiral out of control, with his infamous video on Hulk Hogan included in part, as well as the death of his ex-wife Miss Elizabeth. Just as the story seems to be turning a corner, it's cut short, way way too soon. 

Savage's brother, Lanny, is heard from often.

The Matches

The set get's straight into some big time action as Savage faces Ricky Steamboat on a November 1986 episode of Superstars. The pair show all of the chemistry that would put together their classic WrestleMania III bout, with a number of great sequences and finish off with the classic moment that lead to their bout at Mania. This is followed up by an interesting clash of styles as Savage battles Bruno Sammartino in Lumberjack match at Boston Garden in February 1987. Whilst it's intriguing to see the two styles collide, there isn't much to this match at all. In the same month, Savage returns to his feud with Steamboat with the pair putting on another good bout, with solid wrestling and storyline progression. Savage's selling and the finish of this bout are particular highlight. 

A clash with Harley Race from September in Phildadelphia follow, with Savage now wrestling as a babyface. It's slow brawl, with Race clearly not capable of going at the required pace at this time in his career and whilst there is some decent wrestling, the lack of pace really hurts this one. A steel cage bout seeing Savage team with Strike Force to take on The Honky Tonk Man and The Hart Foundation at Boston Garden in May 1988 may be a paint by numbers affair, but it's still a compelling bout that is a lot of fun to watch. Savage is absolutely adored by fans at this point. The same venue host a match with Ted DiBiase in July, as the pair put on another good contest, including an electric comeback from Savage. It's a shame about the shite disqualification finish.

Oh yeah! 

Onto 1989 and Savage tangles with Bad News Brown in a Harlem Street Fight on Maple Leaf Wrestling in January. This match is certainly behind it's time with the use of chairs and table spot, and for that alone it is an interesting watch. However, it has perhaps the worst finish I have ever seen. After turning back heel, Savage battles Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden in April, in a match that screams Sports Entertainment. Bucket loads of storytelling and some awesome spots, this is what WWE is all about. Roddy Piper is the opponent for a dull bout in Miami in January 1990. The crowd couldn't care less and spend most of the match silent, and despite some attempts at comedy this bout falls flat. 

A hidden gem of a bout arises as Savage takes on Shawn Michaels in Munich in April 1992, with Savage returning as a babyface. The psychology in this bout is spot on throughout, with Savage selling throughout, creating a compelling story that drew me straight in. This bout deserved an extra five minutes and HBK and Savage deserved a lengthy rivalry. We stay in Europe for SummerSlam 1992's World Title match as Savage clashes with The Ultimate Warrior. It's another classic slice of sports entertainment, with the two stringing together an interesting match, although it does go a little too long and the interference becomes tiresome. The crowd loves it all however. Ric Flair is the opponent in Hershey in September 1992, in a bout rich in storytelling. Another classic encounter, an absolute pleasure to watch. 

Cunt Hogan

Onto WCW, historically where the quality of these sets decline. It was a little worrying when Savage's January 1995 Saturday Night clash with Arn Anderson was a dull bout full of rest holds and the two guys lying around. SuperBrawl VI presents Savage against Flair again, this time inside a steel cage. Whilst the bout never reaches the peak of their previous match on the set, it's still a good watch with a nice swerve as the finish. Finally, with Savage back heel and part of the NWO, he takes on Diamond Dallas Page in a Las Vegas Sudden Death match (Known to everyone else as a Last Man Standing Match) at Halloween Havoc 1997. The match attempts psychology, although Page doesn't sell his injured ribs once, however that doesn't stop this from being a fun and silly brawl with some decent spots. Not a bad way to close of the set.

Finally...

Buy this DVD. Watch it. Thank me. No more of conclussion is needed. 

WWE All Star Search #9 - 20th May 1985 - Adam Ross

Hello Turnbucklers! It's edition #9 of our All Star Search and the scores are starting to show who's been impressing...and who hasn't. I'll probably post an article looking at the Wrestler Scores before I get to Wrestlemania 2 and we'll delve into them. Until then, we move forwards in 1985 onto this MSG show in May! Last edition we had what was probably the best show I've watched in the series so far. The card for this one looks like sh*t on paper to me unfortunately with a lot of 1984 jobbers getting some time in the ring. We do get a WWE Title match with Don Muraco who is making his blog reappearance. The main event is exactly the match that should've been on the Wrestlemania 1 card but wasn't, in favour of a DUD. Finally we also get another match between the US Express and the tag champs but let's hope that this is the last one.

The Card:

Rocky Johnson vs Rene Goulet

Jim Neidhart vs Ivan Putski

Pedro Morales vs Terry Gibbs

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Don Muraco [WWE Title Match]

Bret Hart vs Rick McGraw

Ken Patera vs Tony Atlas

The US Express vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (Tag Team Champs) [Tag Team Title Match]

The Missing Link vs SD Jones

Jesse Ventura vs Tony Garea

David Sammartino/Bruno Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake/Johnny Valiant

The Show:

Our commentary team for tonight is Gorilla Monsoon and Mean Gene Okerlund.

Rocky Johnson vs Rene Goulet

Another opening contest featuring Rene Goulet? He must really be thought of highly backstage as he's still going strong being given 10+ minute matches. This is Rocky Johnson's final MSG appearance and his last appearance on this blog for now. Once again this is a 10 minute opener and the term 'nothing special' comes to mind. The main focus seems to be Goulet's missing glove? O...K. Johnson actually looks quite good in this one, showing off both strength and speed which I wasn't expecting so much. It's still weird to hear him being referred to as 'The Rock'. Goulet does get some offense in but its mixed in between his heely stalling tactics. I actually like Goulet, he's easy to hate which makes him a good heel. Johnson gets the 3 count in the end with a roll up and we move on. Match Rating: *

Jim Neidhart vs Ivan Putski

Straight into the next match now and on paper this one is self-explanatory as to what to expect. Neidhart is still fairly new to the WWE scene and Putski is coming to the end of his career. Both are pushed as powerhouses. That is exactly what we get in this one and the early goings are spent by both trying to out power the other. Of course it breaks down into restholds and the pace slows down by a hefty amount. The crowd are alive towards the end and really get behind Putski in his final flurry of offence but its no use and Neidhart counters a suplex attempt into a roll up for 3. Impressive way to end considering the size of both men and how smooth the sequence actually was. Neidhart still looks strong going forward but the match was too slow for the majority. Match Rating: 3/4*

Pedro Morales vs Terry Gibbs

This is another match that doesn't exactly make me jump out my seat. This is Morales' first appearance on our blog. His biggest career peaks came before this show but I'm interested to see how he comes off on his return and whether he's another former great who's still stuck in a former decade style-wise. Terry Gibbs is a perennial jobber here. The commentary team say Morales looks great....but he doesn't. This match itself was sinfully boring. So many restholds at such a slow pace, it was just hard for me to care. Unfortunately the timekeeper plays a harsh trick on me and rings the bell halfway through the match...but it wasn't over! Damn him! Eventually Morales gets the win with a Boston Crab to decent crowd noise, so I assume the crowd only watched the last 10 seconds of the match. Match Rating: 1/4*

Hulk Hogan (WWE Champ) vs Don Muraco [WWE Title Match]

The crowd has really lit up for this one and Don Muraco comes out to major heat with Mr Fuji! Eye of the Tiger plays and the crowd goes mental as usual! The ringbell is doing my head in at this point as it won't stop pissing ringing. Action kicks off straight away as Muraco blindsides Hogan before he de-belts. He lays in the boots before choking Hogan with his T-shirt. Muraco's offense doesn't last long as Hogan hulks up quickly and sends Muraco to the outside. He nails an atomic drop on the floor before they both make their way back in the ring. Hogan starts choking Muraco with his T-shirt now and even finds time to gob in his face...lovely. The crowd don't care though as they are unglued. They head back outside where they trade chairshots right in front of the ref but no DQ. It makes even less sense when Hogan rolls in and out of the ring to break the countout. Muraco actually gets busted open via these chairshots. Back in the ring and Hogan hits a back suplex and soon after, a standing suplex. Its not long before he hits the leg drop for the 3 count. However Mr Fuji had put Muraco's foot on the ropes so the 3 count doesn't count. This gives Muraco the chance to blast Hogan in the eyes with a load of salt for the DQ. Stupid, pointless finish to a glorified squash match. The crowd noise made this match much better but Muraco got no offense in after the initial phase and its safe to say his career ain't going higher than this. This match is very similar to Hogan vs Orndorff from the month before. Match Rating: *1/2

Lord Al Hayes replaces Mean Gene on commentary and immediately acts like a lecherous old git.

Bret Hart vs Rick McGraw

Is this our first blog Bret singles match? It could possibly be! Last month he looked extra good in the tag match with the Bulldog's. This time out he's against Rick McGraw who is the definition of...OK. At this point he's still sporting an extra 'T' in his name. He seems less enthusiastic this time around and it shows in his in ring work. The match is slower than I expected with very little to talk about. Bret did show glimpses of good entertainment but that's all they were, glimpses. McGraw was...OK...considering the last time we saw him he was being jobbed out to Ken Patera quite quickly. Strange commentary as Lord Al rants on about Stu Hart but starts getting a bit creepy. Bret eventually got the win via a second rope elbow drop. I'm quite disappointed with this one and Bret honestly came off as well as any other lower card heel in this one. Match Rating: *

Ken Patera vs Tony Atlas

This card is not getting better is it. Out comes out favourite 1970's throwback in Ken Patera and the immensely roided Tony Atlas. Bobby Heenan is out with Patera so maybe he can add something. Before the match even gets under way, both men engage in a posedown with Patera looking old and Atlas looking camper than a picnic basket. Pretty basic start as both men try to out power the other. Patera gains early control using restholds early on. They end up outside where Patera rams Atlas into the apron before getting back in the ring to pose. Patera locks on a bearhug which Atlas wiggles out of into one of his own. That also looked really gay on Atlas' part. Nice cross body followed by a suplex by Atlas into a sleeper that is quickly broken up. Patera tries to stall but Atlas isn't having any of it and nails an atomic drop. They go back and forth until Patera is sent out to the floor. Patera and Heenan suffer a dreaded double noggin knocker before Atlas gets distracted trying to beat up Heenan/ Patera uses that to nail Atlas off the top rope for the 3 count. Better than I was expecting and better than most the crap on the card. Both men still seem very outdated though. Match Rating: *3/4

Into the back with Mean Gene and Bobby Heenan who is representing the Missing Link. Heenan tells us that everyone better have paid their insurance premiums because the Missing Link is going to be piling up the bodies. The Missing Link says nothing and wanders around the background. Its a middle-aged bloke with Einstein hair and a green face. He looks like someone sneezed on him. Thank God that Heenan gave him at least some legitimacy.

Still in the back and Jesse Ventura is now with Mean Gene. Mean Gene is just as shocked as me that Ventura looks somewhat human. Ventura says he's the best on commentary and the best in the ring so watch out Garea!

STILL in the back and this time Mean Gene is with Johnny Valiant and Brutus Beefcake. They talk about San Fransisco and then the Sammartino's. Beefcake doesn't freeze which is an improvement and actually shows off some good confidence. They're ready!

STILL...in the back with Mean Gene and this time he's with the Sammartino's. Bruno's promo's always seem the most real, no yelling and always confident in what he's saying. David on the other hand is a stuttery mofo. Bottom line...they're ready!

The US Express vs Iron Sheik/Nikolai Volkoff (Tag Team Champs) [Tag Team Title Match]

The heels are out first to big heat as per! 1980's xenephobia really was an amazing heat catalyst, I mean, it's hard to take the champs as seriously as I'd like too but the crowd disagree. Of course Volkoff sings before the match to big heat and I love hit! 'Born in the USA' hits and out come the US Express with Captain Lou Albano. The crowd don't seem as into them as they were 2 months ago which is strange. Big USA chant breaks out right on cue. Quick action to start with the faces taking control over Sheik to major crowd noise. Nice double leg drop by the faces and an atomic drop by Rotundo. Sheik misses a Senton splash attempt which was a nice suprise. Sheik eventually tags out to Volkoff just as Windham comes in and the pace slows down slightly. Windham does gets some shots in but misses a dropkick and the tide doth turn. The heels take turns working over Windham. Sheik hits a lovely gutwrench suplex and maintains control until Rotundo gets the hot tag. It doesn't last long as Volkoff pearl harbours him. Windham takes the time to bust Sheik open on the ringpost in the melee. It all breaks down outside the ring and the champs get counted out but keep their belts. Was a decent little match for what it was but I'm hoping thats the last we see between the two. Match Rating: **

The Missing Link vs SD Jones

Before the match starts, Bobby Heenan lists off a load of face wrestlers and tells them to pay attention. He tells them to pay attention to his newest Heenan family member...The Missing Link. For all that build up, this guy better be good! I should mention that in the time between this show and the last, Orndorff cemented his face turn and fired Heenan. Heenan is now offering $25,000 to anyone to take Orndorff out. None the less, Heenan feels the Missing Link is the dude who will get that dollar. Match is a total squash but christ, The Missing Link looks awful. He's slow, weak and very disjointed. He gets the quick 3 with a falling headbutt/punch (?) from the top rope. I would mention SD Jones...but there is literally nothing to mention other than he just got battered. The officials run away from the Missing Link after the match while Heenan tries and fails to control him. Match Rating: DUD

Jesse Ventura vs Tony Garea

Straight into the next match now as we get the in-ring blog return of Jesse Ventura after his blood clot incident last year. His opponent is Tony Garea who is once again solid, but not spectacular. It takes an age for Jesse to take off all his shit and actually start the match. Of course, even then there's a fair amount of stalling. In fact, the first half of this match is a hefty mix of stalling by Jesse and rest holds by Garea. When Garea is on offense, he works over Jesse's arm throwing in some decent psychology but unfortunately its all for nothing as Jesse forgets to sell. The crowd really hate Jesse here so that adds a lot to this one. Garea gets in a sunset flip and tries to abdominal stretch but unfortunately it all goes sloppily wrong. Finish comes when Garea tries to ram Jesse into the turnbuckle but its countered so Garea levels his own head, staggers down to the mat allowing Jesse to hit a weak looking elbow drop for the win. I really, really wish I liked Jesse Ventura's in ring work more than I do but alas, I don't and this match was crap until the final third. Match Rating: 1/2*

David Sammartino/Bruno Sammartino vs Brutus Beefcake/Johnny Valiant

Time for our main event now and it's not quite a Wrestlemania rematch although this is the match that should've been on the card. Out first is Beefcake and Valiant to big boo's. Valiant is another 70's flashback by the look of him. Beefcake looks like a golden ticket allowing you into Wonka's factory. The Sammartino's come out with a Hogan style entrance (without music) and they get a huge pop, granted though, it was mainly for Bruno. Bruno starts and cleans house early while the crowd go mental. It's apparent though he's aged a little too much to be a regular in ring performer. He seems sluggish and clunky although the crowd distracts you from it. Bruno continues to keep control working over both heels. He works over Beefcakes arm and tags in David who keeps working on the arm. Eventually the heels take control and work over David with lots of chokes and strikes. The finish comes out of nowhere as Valiant misses a charge in the corner and David rolls him up for the win. The heels do some damage to Bruno after the match but in my opinion, they should've left this for a Sammartino feelgood moment. Match itself was better than the Wrestlemania match and I maintain this should've been on that card instead. Still a poor, dull match though. Neither David or Beefcake looked great in this which is wrong considering they're the future. Match Rating: *

So there we have it, edition #9 is done and wow, what a hard show to sit and watch. The things I do for my Turnbucklers. Nevertheless, onto the next show! First...let's see the updated Wrestler Scores.

Wrestler Scores:

Rocky Johnson +4 (10)
Rene Goulet +2 (9)
Jim Niedhart +4 (14)
Ivan Putski +2 (6)
Pedro Morales +2 (2)
Terry Gibbs +1 (4)
Hulk Hogan +5 (41)
Don Muraco +3 (9)
Bret Hart +4 (11)
Rick McGraw +3 (8)
Ken Patera +4 (14)
Tony Atlas +3 (7)
Mike Rotundo +6 (16)
Barry Windham +5 (15)
Iron Sheik +4 (23)
Nikolai Volkoff +4 (15)
The Missing Link +2 (2)
SD Jones +1 (7)
Jesse Ventura +3 (10)
Tony Garea +3 (7)
David Sammartino +3 (9)
Bruno Sammartino +3 (3)
Johnny Valiant +3 (3)
Brutus Beefcake +4 (13)

So there we have our updated list after this show. After edition #10, I'll be going through the scores so far and the patterns and reasons behind them. Hopefully you'll see us in edition #10! Please leave a comment, follow us on Twitter @TheWrestlinDork.

WWE History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment DVD Review

WWE's History of WWE: 50 Years of Sports Entertainment 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 history of WWE over the last 50 years, with the first disc comprissing of a documentary feature and the second and third looking at the most important matches and moments from the last 50 years, expect appearances from some of WWE's biggest names including Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, Bret Hart and Bruno Sammartino! 

Content Listing

*Disc 1*

Documentary

Beginnings

Bruno Sammartino

The Northeast

Stars of the 70s

Titan Takeover

Hulkamania

First WrestleMania

Saturday Night’s Main Event

WrestleMania III

PPV Expansion

Steroid Trial

New Generation

Monday Night RAW

Monday Night War

Montreal

Attitude Era

Tragedy in Kansas City

SmackDown

Expansion

Brand Extension

WrestleMania Stadiums

Hall of Fame

WWE Studios

Securing the Future

50 Years

*Disc 2*

WWWF Heavyweight Championship Match: 
Bruno Sammartino vs. “Superstar” Billy Graham
WWWF, 30th April 1977, 

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match: 
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant
WWF WrestleMania III "Bigger, Better, Badder", 29th March 1987

Royal Rumble Match
Jim Duggan vs. The One Man Gang vs. Dino Bravo vs. Don Muraco vs. Ron Bass vs. The Junkyard Dog vs. The Ultimate Warrior vs. Danny Davis vs. Hillbilly Jim vs. Nikolai Volkoff vs. Jake Roberts vs. B. Brian Blair vs. Bret Hart vs. Sam Houston vs. Jim Neidhart vs. Jim Brunzell vs. Harley Race vs. Boris Zhukov vs. Tito Santana vs. Butch Reed
WWF Royal Rumble, 24th January 1988,

Singles Match

Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna
WWF Monday Night RAW #1, 11th January 1993

King of the Ring 1996 Final Match:

Jake Roberts vs. Steve Austin
WWF King of the Ring, 23rd June 1996

*Disc 3*

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match: 
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
WWF Survivor Series "Gang Rulz" - 9th November 1997

Tyson and Austin!
WWF RAW is WAR #243, 19th January 1998

WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match:
Triple H vs. The Rock
WWF Smackdown #2, 26th August 1999, 

Mr. McMahon Announces the Purchase of WCW
WWF RAW is WAR #409. 26th March 2001

Singles Match

The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan
WWF WrestleMania X8, 17th March 2002

Hair vs. Hair Match
Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga
WWE WrestleMania 23 - "All Grown Up", 1st April 2007, 

 6 Man Tag Team Match
John Cena, Batista, & Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho, The Big Show & Randy Orton
WWE Tribute to the Troops, 20th December 2008,

CM Punk Speaks His Mind
WWE Monday Night RAW #966, 27th June 2011

#1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena vs. CM Punk
WWE Monday Night Raw #1031 25th February 2013, 

Review

The main feature of this DVD set is a two hour long documentary focusing on the history of WWE. At first, I was skeptical about how well the DVD would do in condensing down 50 years of WWE history into just two hours, but this set does actually do pretty well, cherry picking some import moments and eras throughout WWE history and presenting them alongside interviews with numerous WWE personalities from past and present. The list of interviewees is really quite astounding and you'll be surprised by some of the names that pop up during the documentary, each giving a good insight into the era that is being talked about. The glaring omission however would have to be Vince McMahon himself who isn't interviewed for any of the documentary, instead we are given insights on how he was feel from Linda and Stephanie McMahon, which at times feels jarring.

It, of course, should go without saying that this set is very well put together, as one would expect from anything with the WWE logo slapped upon these days. Everything runs extremely smoothly with the interviews and clips flowing well into another, making this a very easy watch. Whilst a lot of the information isn't new for anyone who has payed much attention to WWE over the years, there are some nice touches and flourishes in the interviews, especially a lot of the earlier stuff. I found Jimmy Valiant's interviews were always interesting, alongside people you may not even have of like the fella that rang the bell in the Montreal Screwjob! 

The documentary covers all the main areas that you would expect, as well as some that you wouldn't, such as the Steroid Scandal of the earlier 90's or the death of Owen Hart in 1999. These areas are covered fairly well, with some good footage from outside the WWE library, although it could be argued that an outside source would have given a more balanced point of view on these incidents. It could also be argued that by including these stories, that WWE should perhaps have also covered other scandals that have swept the company such as the Online Pharmacy scandal of 2006. However, this is nit-picking as this is a very enjoyable documentary feature. 

The only other criticism I have for the documentary feature is when the documentary covers the debuts of television shows such as Raw or Smackdown, when highlight packages of the entire run of the shows are shown. So you go from the 1993 debut of Raw, to seeing stuff from the Attitude Era or John Cena, which is jarring and took me out of the on-going story that was being told. It's a small criticism, but a criticism non-the-less. 

As for the matches that included on this set, the majority make sense in terms of a historical stand point, but that doesn't mean that a lot of them are very good. We kick off the match with Bruno Sammartino defending the WWWF Heavyweight Championship against Billy Graham, which is a piece of history, but doesn't stand up to today's standard. Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant's legendary Wrestlemania III match is given a new look, as it's shown entirely from the hard camera side and with no commentary, it's very strange to see this classic from a new stand point. The original Royal Rumble match is up next, in a fairly basic affair, better Rumble's were to come, but this match laid the foundations. Yokozuna against Koko B. Ware is a squash match, but it's the first match from Raw. Steve Austin taking on Jake Roberts in the 1996 King of the Ring Final is a basic contest, that could have done with more context being added, but the diamond of a promo which followed and lead to one of the hottest times in wrestling history is worth it. 

The third disc kicks off with the infamous Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart WWF World Heavyweight Championship match from Survivor Series 1997, with the majority of this one being decent fare, although not on the level of the pair's previous matches, the interesting stuff happens once the match is over. The segment between Stone Cold and Mike Tyson is as electric as it was when first shown. Triple H and The Rock have decent TV bout as the main event of the first true episode of Smackdown, although the two have had much better elsewhere. The announcement of the WWF's purchase of WCW, complete with swerve is another good slice of TV. The Rock and Hollywood Hogan's match from Wrestlemania X8 is an absolute classic and proof that good storytelling should always be the basis of a wrestling match. The Battle of the Billionaires from Wrestlemania 23, with Bobby Lashley representing Donald Trump and Umaga representing Mr. McMahon is more entertaining than it deserves to be, but I'm sure they could have found a more important match to include on this set. The main event from the first Tribute to the Troops with Batista, John Cena and Rey Mysterio taking on Big Show, Chris Jericho and Randy Orton is decent enough and showcases some major talents in WWE's recent history. CM Punk's entire Pipebomb promo is included in it's immaculate glory, whilst Punk's battle with John Cena on Raw prior to last year's Wrestlemania is probably the best match on the set, with a terrific series moments that had the crowd on the edge of their seats, a good way to close the set.

Overall, this is a really enjoyable set to watch, the documentary is strong with a large area covered in a short amount of time. The matches are both significant and for the most part entertaining and the variation means that they are much easier to watch in succession than say the recent Money in the Bank set. If your looking to start your WWE DVD collection this would be a nice place to start. 

Top Three Matches on History of WWE

1. #1 Contender’s Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena vs. CM Punk
WWE Monday Night Raw #1031 25th February 2013, 

2. Singles Match

The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan
WWF WrestleMania X8, 17th March 2002

3. WWF World Heavyweight Championship Match: 
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
WWF Survivor Series "Gang Rulz" - 9th November 1997