These days many wrestling fans will be unaware of just how cutthroat the industry was in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Yes the WWE may be the most well known name in the grapple game today, but it does have serious competition from its young challenger TNA/Impact Wrestling.
However during this period the good ship WWE was almost sunk by the might of the Ted Turner funded and Eric Bischoff ran WCW.
This battle between the WWE (then WWF) and WCW kickstarted the infamous Monday Night Wars and created a wonderful few years for wrestling fans across the board.
WWE's Monday Night Raw went head to head with WCW's Monday Night Nitro and Raw lost an awful lot of the time, but the bubble did indeed burst and a 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin led WWE clawed things back.
This second installment of the best of Monday Nitro is a very welcome release for anyone (like myself) who was a loyal fan of both promotions during this time and relished the way both organisations attempted to outdo their opponent.
There were of course over five years of Nitro and here we have another selection of the best, most memorable and interesting moments from them.
Our host Diamond Dallas Page is perfect for his role. He after all worked his way up through the ranks in WCW. Page first started off as a cocky manager type character and eventually after many years of hard work and determination he became an active wrestler and even a World Champion. Page is now known for his work as a fitness/yoga instructor and aide to fallen wrestlers.
Content wise this three disc set features matches involving Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Kevin Nash, Rey Mysterio, Goldberg, Bret Hart, Lex Luger and many more.
DDP is an amiable host, he may not say much at times, but his smile and enthusiasm is infectious.
The Best of Monday Night Nitro Vol 2 is a wonderful homage to a bygone era and a nice tribute to a company that were so close to taking the mantle of the number one wrestling company in the world.
WCW in its prime were able to poach countless WWE stars and make them (both WCW and the wrestler in question) a fortune too. This period saw many of the WWE's top stars jump ship and in many cases rejuvenate their careers.
The creation of the N.W.O. was the catalyst back then and its presence is felt here throughout. This was one of the first times the wrestling industry in the US had seen a faction invade a promotion at this level and dominate its show. many have tried to re-create the magic, but none have succeeded yet.
Match quality wise we range from decent to very good, we also see as many of the WCW key roster of the time too at some point.
I highly recommend this to any old school fans who have longed for a DVD of classic WCW matches and also suggest newer fans check it out to see what all of the fuss was about.
The Very Best of WCW Monday Night Nitro Vol 2 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.
RRP £24.99 (DVD), £34.99 (Blu-ray)
wwwedvd.co.uk
By Phil Allely
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