Bobblehead Collection Update 2017

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shows the 2017 additions to his bobblehead collection.

Wrestlemania 33 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. This week’s post will look at the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 33.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 33 live on television when it aired in 2017, I have only seen it on Blu-ray on a 16:9 television screen. Therefore I have no idea how the DVD version of Wrestlemania 33 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

With people complaining about the length of Wrestlemania 32, Wrestlemania 33 seemingly said, “hold my beer.” When including the two hour kickoff show, Wrestlemania 33 clocked in at about 7 hours and fifteen minutes. However this event was much more enjoyable than the 2016 edition of Wrestlemania, so watching it straight through is not as bad. The length caused the event to once again be split up across two discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 33 card. It starts with Tinashe performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the announcement a new Citrus Bowl attendance record. Also included on the first disc are the “Total Bellas” segments that showcase the Miz and Maryse mocking John Cena and Nikki Bella.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 33 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge the Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match. It also features the entire 2017 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a stacked class of inductees. New hall of famers included Diamond Dallas Page, the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express, Beth Phoenix, Rick Rude, and Kurt Angle among others. This is easily one of the best hall of fame classes of all time as the inductees truly left an impact on the professional wrestling industry. This ceremony is must see TV for wrestling fans. There is no additional content on the second disc.

The packaging for Wrestlemania 33 is great. The front features the Wrestlemania 33 logo and a collage of wrestlers in front of a roller coaster track. The back looks really cool as well as it too has a nice collage of wrestlers as well as a paragraph highlighting the event’s biggest matches. Also included is a listing of hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging looks good as it features a wide shot of the Citrus Bowl with fireworks.

In conclusion, this is a good home video version of Wrestlemania 33. I say good because it does not include the three kickoff show matches. The Cruiserweight Championship match, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and the Intercontinental Championship match all took place on the kickoff show. To me, not including these on the Blu-ray home video version of the event is unacceptable. Due to the lack of those matches, the event is much shorter than when it originally aired. Despite the absence of those matches, Wrestlemania 33 was still a solid event that featured some great matches. The return of the Hardy Boyz, AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon, the Universal Championship match between Brock Lesnar and Goldberg, and the possible curtain call of the Undertaker make this event worth watching.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 34 Blu-ray review!

Wrestlemania 34 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 34.

Wrestlemania 32 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. This week's post will look at the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 32.

Aside from watching Wrestlemania 32 live on television when it aired in 2016, I have only seen it on Blu-ray on a 16:9 television screen. Therefore I have no idea how the DVD version of Wrestlemania 32 is presented on a 16:9 or a 4:3 television.

This Wrestlemania has the infamous distinction of being considered one of the worst and one of the longest Wrestlemanias of all time. Clocking in at just under seven hours when adding in the two hour kickoff show that aired prior to the main card, the event had to be split up on two Blu-ray discs. The first disc contains most of the Wrestlemania 32 card. It starts with Fifth Harmony performing “America the Beautiful” and ends with the Rock coming to the ring to address the crowd. Also included on the first disc are the three matches that took place on the kickoff show.

The second disc features the Wrestlemania 32 main event that saw Roman Reigns challenge Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I also features the entire 2016 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured a very good class of inductees. New hall of famers included the Godfather, the Fabulous Freebirds, and Sting. Obviously Sting was the headliner for this class as he is undoubtedly one of the greatest stars in the history of professional wrestling. I loved his epic battle with the New World Order in 1997 as he became the silent vigilante for World Championship Wrestling. His induction alone is enough to make this ceremony worth watching. The last feature on disc 2 is a Blu-ray exclusive titled “Fighting for a Legacy.”

The packaging is not really eye-popping. The front features the Wrestlemania 32 logo and the wrestlers that were involved in the biggest matches. The back is very similar to that of the Wrestlemania 31 set as it features a few pictures from the event’s biggest moments. It also a small paragraph that discusses the matches and lists the bonus content as well as the 2016 hall of fame inductees.

The inside packaging is pretty bland as it features a wide shot of a lukewarm crowd response to the WWE title win of Roman Reigns.

In conclusion, this is a really good home video version of Wrestlemania 32. Despite the event definitely not being one of the best of all time and being classified as mediocre, the Blu-ray version does contain every match and the entire hall of fame ceremony. The women’s championship triple threat match, the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho, and seeing Shane McMahon channel his inner Mick Foley in the Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker are definitely the highlights of this event. If you are a diehard fan of professional wrestling, I’d pick up the Blu-ray version.

Stay tuned for the Wrestlemania 33 Blu-ray review!

WWE Undertaker Bobblehead Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a WWE bobblehead of the Undertaker. 

25 Years of Raw

On January 22, WWE will present what could be its biggest show of the year. No, I’m not talking about Wrestlemania. I’m talking about Monday Night Raw. The flagship show of WWE will be celebrating its 25^th anniversary and will air from two separate venues in New York. According to the WWE website, wrestlers from both the Raw roster and the SmackDown roster will be at the Barclays Center while the Manhattan Center, the site of the very first episode of Monday Night Raw, will feature competing wrestlers as well as WWE legends.

The list of WWE legends scheduled to be at Raw continues to grow and is a very impressive list. Guys like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin are just a few of the legends that will appear on the show. At the time that this post was written, there is still a week and a half until the 25^th anniversary of Raw so I would expect more legends to be added to the list.

This is the most excited I have been for an episode of Raw in quite some time. WWE usually does an excellent job with presenting landmark episodes and the 25^th anniversary of Raw is shaping up to be one of the very best episodes produced. The two venue location is a pretty cool idea for those who will be watching on television although I’m sure those who are in attendance at both the Barclays Center and the Manhattan Center might feel differently about it. The very impressive list of legends scheduled to be there will no doubt give me flashbacks of my childhood during the Attitude Era. Add to that the rosters of both Raw and SmackDown, and you have the makings of a wrestling event that could give Wrestlemania a run for its money. Hopefully the show can live up to the hype and celebrate the legacy of Monday night’s greatest wrestling television program.

Too Formulaic?

Is WWE too formulaic? I think it is. Every week Raw and SmackDown follow a pattern that map out how the show will progress on television. Don’t believe me? When was the last time Raw or SmackDown started with a match? I honestly cannot remember as a promo is what usually kicks off the show. A wrestler will call out another wrestler, and they will have a war of words. Usually an authority figure appears and sets up a match between the two jawing wrestlers. It happens on a near weekly basis, and the formula is not restricted to just the opening segment.

Contract signings are very formulaic. A table will be set up in the middle of the ring with the contract and a pen on top. There are usually chairs as well, but the wrestlers rarely sit in them. Occasionally there is a moderator such as a WWE authority figure or a commentator to oversee the signing. One wrestler will cut a promo and sign the contract while the other wrestler will respond with a promo of their own before singing the contract themselves. The promos will escalate and before you know it, both wrestlers will be swinging fists at each other. Contract signings don’t always end in a fight, but nine times out of ten the wrestlers will end up going after each other.

Another formulaic approach WWE has is how it books wrestlers leading up to a pay-per-view bout. The wrestler who usually wins at the pay-per-view is usually beat down by their opponent on the show before the event. For example, the last Raw before Wrestlemania 29 featured the Rock and John Cena face to face in the ring. The segment ended with the Rock taking out Cena. What happened at Wrestlemania 29? Cena defeated the Rock. Before Wrestlemania 30, the Undertaker choke slammed Brock Lesnar on the final Raw of Wrestlemania season. At Wrestlemania 30, Lesnar defeated the Undertaker. This 50/50 style of booking is not a guarantee, but it happens a lot in WWE.

Those are just a few examples of WWE’s formulaic approach. While there are more examples of how WWE is set in a pattern of how it presents its shows, those are just a few I could think of off the top of my head. Can the formula result in some lackluster shows? Absolutely. Could WWE think outside the box and throw some more surprises at fans? Without a doubt. However, the formula has proven successful as they are still the undisputed champion in the professional wrestling industry.

Wrestlemania 33 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on Wrestlemania 33.

WWE Fastlane 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE Fastlane 2017.

Royal Rumble 2017 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on the 2017 WWE Royal Rumble event.

Who Will The Phenom Face?

The road to Wrestlemania is officially underway. Over the last few weeks, various wrestlers have announced their participation in the Royal Rumble match. Wrestlers such as Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, the Miz, the Undertaker, and Dean Ambrose have all said that they will be participating in the bout. The winner will earn a main event title shot at Wrestlemania, and I believe that the Undertaker is the current odds on favorite to emerge victorious. Should the Undertaker indeed win the Royal Rumble match, who will he face? Allow me to explain.

There are currently two world champions in WWE. Raw is home to reigning WWE Universal Champion Kevin Owens, and SmackDown has WWE World Heavyweight Champion A.J. Styles. Owens is in the midst of a feud with Roman Reigns and appears to have a showdown with Chris Jericho on the horizon. Styles is currently set to defend his title against John Cena at the Royal Rumble in what should be another fantastic bout between the two top wrestlers of the blue brand. I think Cena will defeat Styles and win his record-tying 16^th world title. This will set up the much-anticipated Wrestlemania showdown with the Undertaker.

A Wrestlemania match between “the face that runs the place” and “the phenom” is a Wrestlemania dream match that has yet to come to fruition. The two were engaged in a rivalry during Cena’s early days on the roster in 2003, and they almost faced off at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007. The Undertaker had won the Royal Rumble match that year and Cena was the reigning WWE Champion. It was teased that “the dead man” was going to face Cena, but he ultimately challenged Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship instead.

I think it would be very fitting if Cena and the Undertaker clashed at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” The Undertaker has been a WWE cornerstone for nearly three decades, and Cena has been the most well-known wrestler on the roster for about 15 years. A bout between two of WWE’s greatest wrestlers would definitely sell out Wrestlemania 33, and WWE needs to capitalize on this opportunity. The Undertaker only has a few matches left in him, and Cena is transitioning from a full time wrestler to a part time wrestler/actor. The window is closing fast for this match, and I think that this is the year WWE pulls the trigger on a Wrestlemania matchup between Cena and the Undertaker.

Oh It’s True!

WWE has been home to some of the greatest athletes on the planet. Shawn Michaels, A.J. Styles, and Shelton Benjamin all come to mind when discussing wrestlers who personified pure athleticism. However there is one wrestler that tops them all in my opinion, and that man is Kurt Angle. After a long professional wrestling career that started in 1999, the 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist will take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the 2017 induction class.

During my childhood, Angle was easily the most athletically gifted wrestler on the WWE roster. He debuted with the company at Survivor Series 1999 and transitioned from the world of amateur wrestling to professional wrestling with unparalleled ease. His ability to perform in the ring was apparent very early in his career, and he went on to have fantastic matches with some of the biggest names in the industry at the time. His triple threat match at Wrestlemania 16 for his Intercontinental Championship and European Championships was a fun bout to watch, and it was the first real sign that Angle would be a true WWE superstar.

Aside from holding both the Intercontinental and European titles, Angle also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament and capped off his rookie year by capturing the WWE Championship with a win over the Rock at No Mercy 2000. He is also the only man in WWE history to have defeated the Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Triple H in the same night as he retained his WWE title over those four men plus Rikishi in a 6 man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon 2000. Angle would continue to win more titles and have more fantastic matches throughout the rest of his WWE career. His rivalry with Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship in 2003 was easily the best feud in the company that year, and his matches with wrestlers such as Edge, Eddie Guerrero, and Shawn Michaels were incredible to watch.

Angle had more than just great in ring ability. He was an excellent talker on the microphone and had a surprising amount of charisma. His promos ranged from serious to funny, and every time he had a microphone in his hand people listened. He could annoy an audience by bragging about his Olympic gold medal. He could make an audience laugh with his rendition of “Jimmy Crack Corn” and his take on Shawn Michaels’ theme song. He could also intimidate his opponents by threatening to break their ankles with his trademark Ankle Lock submission hold. Some of my all-time favorite segments of Angle include his interactions with Edge during their run with Christian as Team ECK in 2000 and during their rivalry, which saw Edge shave Angle’s head in 2002. These segments always make me laugh and showcase the diverse talent of Angle.

Needless to say, Angle is quite deserving of a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame. When factoring in his accomplishments in other promotions such as Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Angle is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers in history. He is the only person to have won an Olympic gold medal, the WWE Championship, the TNA Championship, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He also held just about every title available in both TNA and WWE and is regarded by many as the best pure athlete to ever grace a wrestling ring. I am very excited that Angle will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and I cannot wait to see him appear on WWE television one last time.

WWE TLC 2016 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone shares his thoughts on WWE TLC 2016.

My Top 5 WWE Fantasy Matches

With WWE’s Survivor Series event hyping the “fantasy” matchup of Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg II, I thought that this would be a good time to share five fantasy bouts of mine. Some of these matches have a slight chance of happening while others can only take place in the world of WWE video games. For the sake of variety, I will not repeat wrestlers for this post. Without any further ado, here are my top five WWE fantasy matches.

5. Brian Pillman vs. Dean Ambrose

Being a Greater Cincinnati native, I would love to see the two most famous wrestlers from the Queen City square off in the middle of the ring. Pillman’s high flying maneuvers that earned him the nickname of “Flyin’ Brian” combined with his “loose cannon” gimmick would make for a very interesting wrestling mash up with Ambrose’s hardcore reputation and “lunatic fringe” character. As I said in my introduction, some of these matches can only take place in video games, and this match is one of them as Pillman tragically passed away in 1997.

4. Randy Orton vs. The Rock

This is a bout that I have played many times on my WWE video games. The “Viper” and the “Brahma Bull” would no doubt tear the house down if they ever met in a ring for a one-on-one match. They did have a previous encounter at Wrestlemania 20 in a 3-on-2 tag team match when Evolution took on the Rock ‘n Sock Connection, but these two third generation wrestlers have never battled each other in a singles match. Orton’s slow and calculating approach would clash wonderfully with the charismatic and electrifying tactics of the Rock. This match has a pretty good chance of taking place as Orton is still an active wrestler, and the Rock usually comes back to the WWE once a year.

3. John Cena vs. Hulk Hogan

I think this match is a no brainer as Cena, the self-proclaimed “face that runs the place,” is today’s version of Hulk Hogan. The similarities between their two characters are obvious as Cena’s mantra of “hustle, loyalty, and respect” is a modern twist on Hogan’s motto of “training, saying your prayers, and eating your vitamins.” Both are notorious for turning matches around in their favor with Hogan “hulking” up and Cena utilizing what have become known as the “five moves of doom.” These two teamed up with Shawn Michaels in 2005 on an episode of Monday Night Raw with Hogan going on to face Michaels instead of Cena later that year at Summerslam. A matchup between these two wrestling titans likely will not happen due to Hogan’s back issues and the fact that he is currently not with WWE.

2. Goldberg vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Two of the biggest names to come out of the Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s and early 2000s have never exchanged fists inside the squared circle. Goldberg was arguably the biggest star in WCW, and the same can easily be said about Austin in WWE. Both of their onscreen characters were legitimate tough guys, and their look, wrestling style, and appeal to wrestling fans are eerily similar. Unfortunately, Austin’s history with neck injuries has made this matchup impossible to happen. These two just missed squaring off in 2003 as Goldberg made his WWE debut the night after Austin had his final match at Wrestlemania 19.

1. Sting vs. The Undertaker

To me, this is the ultimate dream match. Sting and the Undertaker were the two cornerstones for their respective companies during the Monday Night War. The stinger never left WCW, and the dead man remained loyal to WWE. Both of their characters evolved during this era of professional wrestling with Sting transitioning from a colorful surfer like wrestler to a silent vigilante reminiscent of “the Crow,” and the Undertaker morphing into the sinister leader of the “Ministry of Darkness” and eventually the intimidating reaper who rode motorcycles to the ring. After WCW was bought out by WWE in 2001, everybody thought that Sting and the Undertaker would finally meet. However, Sting would not appear in a WWE ring until 2014 when he made his WWE debut as the silent vigilante at Survivor Series. During Sting’s absence, the Undertaker had gone back to his dead man character, and these two wrestlers with similar gimmicks seemed destined to clash at the “Showcase of the Immortals.” It looked like the dream match between the Undertaker and Sting was on the verge of becoming a reality at Wrestlemania 31, but Sting faced Triple H and the Undertaker battled Bray Wyatt. A neck injury then forced Sting into early retirement, making this dream match just that, a dream. Sting has hinted that may have one more match left in him, but a bout between the icon and the phenom will most likely never happen.

Those are my top five WWE fantasy matches. I think that each match would be an exciting bout to watch and would easily be a match of the year candidate. There are more dream matches that I would like to see such as D-Generation X taking on the New World Order or Austin and Hogan meeting for the first time, but as I said in the introduction to this post, I was only listing one wrestler per match for the sake of variety. Hopefully one of these matches does indeed happen in the future, but until then, I will continue to play out these bouts in the form of video games.

Wrestlemania 31 Blu-Ray Unboxing

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone unboxes a Blu-Ray edition of Wrestlemania 31.

Wrestlemania 30 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Edition Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

In this week’s post, I will review the 2-disc Blu-ray set of Wrestlemania 30. I have only viewed the Blu-ray version of this Wrestlemania on a 16:9 television screen, so I do not know if the picture crops to fit a 4:3 television screen or how the DVD version is presented.

The action starts on the first disc which contains the entire Wrestlemania 30 event from Hulk Hogan welcoming everybody to the “Silverdome,” (if you do not understand this reference, watch the event), to the triple threat WWE World Heavyweight Championship match that closed out the show. Also on the first disc is the Wrestlemania 30 Pre-Show Fatal 4-Way WWE Tag Team Championship match between The Usos, Los Matadores, the Real Americans, and Rybaxel.

The second disc contains the complete 2014 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that features some pretty big names from the world of professional wrestling. The late Paul Bearer, Lita, Razor Ramon, and the late Ultimate Warrior among others were all inducted into the hall of fame. The induction of the Ultimate Warrior is a major reason to watch this ceremony as he tragically passed away the night after Wrestlemania 30. The second disc also contains a ton of bonus content including two special features exclusive to the Blu-ray version.

The packaging of Wrestlemania 30 is great. The front of the packaging features a few of the wrestlers from the night’s biggest matches and moments as well as the Wrestlemania 30 logo, and the back of the packaging lists the matches from the event and features a nice collage of some of the wrestlers.

The Blu-ray came in a cardboard sleeve that included a book entitled “Wrestlemania 30: 30 Moments for 30 Years.” The book is small but it contains a lot of cool pictures, match results, storyline recaps, and more from past Wrestlemanias. It is a nice little bonus that really makes this home video version of Wrestlemania stand out above the rest.

In conclusion, the two-disc Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 30 is an excellent home video version of the showcase of the immortals. The event itself was one of the most memorable and shocking Wrestlemanias of all time, and most of the matches and segments were really good. My favorite parts of the event are when Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and when Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock all gather in the ring at the same time to kick off the show. It was a really good show, and I highly recommend picking up the Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 30 for yourself.

Next is the Wrestlemania 31 two-disc Blu-ray version review!

Wrestlemania 32 Thoughts

Ryan of Cincy Fan Zone share his thoughts on Wrestlemania 32.

Wrestlemania 29 Two-Disc Blu-Ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

In this week’s post, I will take a look at the two-disc Blu-ray edition of Wrestlemania 29. Like Wrestlemania 28, I have only viewed this Wrestlemania on a 16:9 television, so I have no idea if the picture will be cropped to fit a 4:3 television screen.

Let’s start with the first disc, which contains the entire Wrestlemania 29 event as well as a few bonus features. The bonus features consist of the Wrestlemania 29 Pre-Show Intercontinental Championship match between Wade Barrett and the Miz and the Wrestlemania 29 Post-Show.

Disc 2 contains the entire 2013 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony that featured one of the most star-studded classes in history. Legends of the squared circle like Mick Foley, Trish Stratus, Booker T, Bob Backlund, and Bruno Sammartino all took their rightful place in the annals of wrestling history as hall of famers. The speeches by the inductees were really good, and this induction ceremony is a must see for all wrestling fans. There are also a few Blu-ray exclusive bonus features on disc 2 in addition to the hall of fame induction ceremony. The contract signing between Brock Lesnar and Triple H from the March 18, 2013, edition of Monday Night Raw is featured and CM Punk’s segment saying how he wants to end the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at Wrestlemania and the Legends Q and A session with the Rock and John Cena from the March 25, 2013 edition of Monday Night Raw are also on this disc.

The packaging for Wrestlemania 29 is very nice and visually appealing. The front of the case features the Wrestlemania 29 logo with the Rock and John Cena above the logo and a multitude of wrestlers below it. The back of the packaging lists the matches and Blu-ray exclusives and features a cool collage if pictures from the event as well as an awesome wide shot of MetLife Stadium, the venue for Wrestlemania 29. The inside of the packaging features another nice collage of pictures with the focus being on the night’s biggest bouts.

In conclusion, the Wrestlemania 29 two-disc Blu-ray edition set is great home video version of a good Wrestlemania. This was also the last time the Rock wrestled at a Wrestlemania, the first time Brock Lesnar wrestled at a Wrestlemania since Wrestlemania 20, and the Wrestlemania debuts of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Dean Ambrose. The matches were entertaining up and down the card, and aside from two of the three biggest matches of the night being rematches from the previous year, it was a solid event and one worth checking out for yourself.

Up next is the Wrestlemania 30 two-disc Blu-ray edition review!

Wresltemania 28 Two-Disc Blu-ray Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

In this post, I will take a look at the two-disc Blu-ray version of Wrestlemania 28. This is the first Wrestlemania on Blu-ray that I have ever bought. I have only watched it on a Blu-ray player hooked up to a 16:9 television, so I do not know if it will switch to a cropped version if viewed on a 4:3 television.

Disc 1 contains the entire Wrestlemania 28 event. It starts with the traditional singing of “America the Beautiful” and ends with the “Once in a Lifetime” dream match between John Cena and the Rock. There are also a few special features on the first disc as such as the Triple Threat WWE Tag Team Championship match that occurred before Wrestlemania 28 went live on pay-per-view.

Disc 2 contains the entire 2012 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony and it was a star-studded class. 2012 inductees included the Four Horseman, Mike Tyson, and Edge among other wrestling personalities. The second disc also contains bonus features such as segments from past episodes of Monday Night Raw and some of the buildup to the “End of an Era” Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and the Undertaker.

The packaging for Wrestlemania 28 is pretty solid. Since it was packaged in a standard Blu-ray case, the space was limited but I think WWE did a good job with working with what they had. The front of the case features the wrestlers involved in the biggest matches of the night, and the back features a list of matches and special features as well as a nice collage of pictures from the event. The inside of the packaging showcases a cool panoramic picture of the stadium that hosted Wrestlemania 28 with a list of the matches.

In conclusion, the Wrestlemania 28 two-disc Blu-ray edition is a great home video version of a phenomenal Wrestlemania. I can honestly say that this was one of the best Wrestlemanias I have ever seen. Chris Jericho and CM Punk put on a wrestling clinic, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and the Undertaker told an emotional and thrilling story filled with violence and brutality, and John Cena and the Rock closed out the show in tremendous fashion. This is a must-see Wrestlemania for every wrestling fan. I highly recommend you pick up this Wrestlemania on either Blu-ray or DVD. It was one of the best wrestling events produced by WWE during the “PG Era.”

Up next is the Wrestlemania 29 two-disc Blu-ray set review!

Wrestlemania 27 3-Disc DVD Set Review

Wrestlemania is the biggest wrestling event of all time. It features high profile matches, celebrity involvement, and showcases World Wrestling Entertainment’s product on a global stage. An event this big only happens once a year, but that does not mean you only have to watch it once every 365 days. WWE has released every Wrestlemania on some sort of home video format whether it be on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray. Over the course of the next few weeks, I will review the different home video editions of Wrestlemania that I own.

For this post, I will be reviewing the three-disc DVD set of Wrestlemania 27. The 2011 rendition of Wrestlemania was shot in high definition and can be viewed in either a 16:9 aspect ratio if you have a 16:9 screen television, or it can be viewed in a cropped 4:3 aspect ratio if you have an old “box” screen 4:3 TV.

Disc 1 contains the first few hours of Wrestlemania 27. It starts with the singing of “America the Beautiful” and ends with the “No Holds Barred” match between Triple H and the Undertaker. Also included on the first disc are two bonus features: the history of the feud between Alberto Del Rio and Edge, and the United States Championship match turned battle royal between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan.

Disc 2 picks up right where disc 1 left off by starting with the continuation of the Triple H versus Undertaker bout before ending with a highlight reel of the event. The second disc also contains a few special features that are worth a peak such as a bonus match between Jack Swagger and Jerry “The King” Lawler from Monday Night Raw, the Rock electrifying the city of Chicago, and the announcement of the Wrestlemania 28 main event.

The third disc features the complete 2011 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony. This class had some really good inductees such as “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Sunny, the Legion of Doom, and the biggest and most deserving of a hall of fame induction of the bunch, Shawn Michaels. He was the greatest in ring performer of all time, and his induction is a must see for all wrestling fans.

The packaging of this DVD set is okay. It is not anything special as it features the wrestlers involved in most hyped matches of the night. Compared to past Wrestlemania DVD packaging though, it seems kind of bland and lazy. There were tons of moments that they could have used to make a collage for the packaging. To me, that would have looked a lot better than just two pictures.

Overall, the Wrestlemania 27 three-disc DVD set is definitely something to watch if you are a diehard fan of professional wrestling. While the event was not the greatest Wrestlemania, I certainly do not think it was as bad as many people claim. Some of the matches were pretty boring such as the eight man tag team match and the match involving Snooki, but other matches such as Cody Rhodes versus Rey Mysterio, CM Punck versus Randy Orton, and Edge versus Alberto Del Rio were all solid and entertaining contests. The match of the night easily goes to the battle between Triple H and the Undertaker as it was hard-hitting affair in which the aftermath of the fight was one of the most memorable Wrestlemania moments of the “PG Era.” The biggest complaint I have with the DVD set is the removal of some of the songs from the event, especially during the entrances of Triple H and the Undertaker. Other than that, I thought that this was a good home video version of Wrestlemania 27.

Next up is the two-disc Wrestlemania 28 Blu-ray review!