DVD Review, WWE Tagged Classics – Shawn Michaels: Hits from the Heartbreak Kid/Heartbreak Express Tour
By Phil Allely
Considering his recent retirement and the fact that we will never see Shawn Michaels perform in the ring again (unlike many grapplers he has indeed stated that his retirement is permanent) this re-release of two previous discs is a welcome look back at vintage 1990s HBK.
Each one offers a nice collection of some of Shawn’s finest outings, Hits From the Heartbreak Kid features bouts against Bret Hart, Crush, Mr Perfect and Razor Ramon, there are also some tag matches with Shawn tagging with old pal Diesel. All of which showcase just how good the guy was in the ring and how vital he was to the WWE product in that boom period for the company.
Heartbreak Express Tour takes a slightly different tack as it covers mainly pay-per-view match-ups and spotlights two of the biggest events in 1996 for Michaels. These were of course his showing at the Royal Rumble (in highlight form) and of course the epic Wrestlemania XII encounter with Bret Hart that saw Shawn raise his first WWE Heavyweight Title.
Also on offer there is the match that defined Kevin ‘Diesel’ Nash’s career in the WWE, where he and Shawn had a wonderfully entertaining No Holds Barred battle. There is a fine effort against an on-form British Bulldog. The superb Summerlsam 1996 scrap with Vader and the In Your House spectacular with Mankind are also included in their entirety. A pair of matches with Michaels former bodyguard Sycho Sid are well worth seeing again too.
Overall these two shows perfectly encapsulate the classic 1990s style of wrestling and how much Michaels meant to the WWE back then. To think that a few short years later he would suffer a serious back injury and semi-retire is shocking (but displays just how dangerous wrestling can be), the fact that he returned to action in the 2000s and went on to be an even bigger superstar than before is amazing. The matches here on these discs are a great way to look back at what now can be called the first half of Shawn’s career and also give any newer fans the chance to see him at his in-ring prime. His second half of his career saw him adapt his style and whilst still putting in stellar performances, these are the bouts that Michaels true fans will adore.
Tagged Classics: Shawn Michaels – Hits From The Heartbreak Kid and Heartbreak Express Tour are available now from www.silvervision.co.uk and all good retailers.
RRP £19.99
Certificate 15
Running Time 4 Hours 1 Minute
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