DVD Review: WWE Night of Champions 2013

The WWE PPV Night of Champions came hot on the heels of the very successful SummerSlam event and offered up a few opportunities for losing parties there to claim redemption.

SummerSlam had perhaps one of the biggest swerve turns of the year and here we get to witness the fall-out. Of course by now we all know that challenger Daniel Bryan was successful in his attempt to win the WWE Championship from John Cena at SS and yet he was then ripped off as special guest referee Triple H 'pedigreed' the new champ and allowed Randy Orton to win the gold in mere moments.

Night of Champions is an event that sees all of the WWE titles up for grabs and this year the event had an awful lot of momentum going for it. So what were we presented with here? Well of course we get to see Bryan take on Orton for the WWE Championship. There are also title defences by Alberto Del Rio, The Shield (WWE Tag Team Championship), Dean Ambrose (United States Championship), Curtis Axel (Intercontinental Championship) and AJ Lee (Divas Championship). 

We are also offered a handicap scrap between CM Punk and the combo of Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman. There is also a fine match-up involving The Miz and Fandango. 

This PPV event is a nice addition to the WWE calendar and one that did indeed achieve what it intended to do (rather than tread water). We get to see Daniel Bryan tackle the sneaky Randy Orton, ECW legend Rob Van Dam get his first title shot since his return to the company and Paul Heyman's luck run out as he has to step into the ring with his former client CM Punk.

All in all this is a show that ticks many boxes and offers up some nice storyline progression as well.

Extras wise we get the Tag Team Turmoil kick-off show match , featuring the Uso's, Primetime Player, Tons of Fun, Real Americans and 3MB (DVD), Blu-ray buyers will also get Randy Orton's coronation from Raw, CM Punk versus Axel Curtis, Daniel Bryan versus Dean Ambrose and some other segments from Raw.

Night of Champions is available now from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: Money in the Bank 2013

WWE DVD Review: Money in the Bank 2013

The Money in the Bank matches first appeared  few years back and since then they have grown in stature and now even have their own pay-per-view as well. This years effort was a very well received one and here it is for us all to own.

This year we also got to see the WWE use the event to build up the hype for SummerSlam and reinvigorate a few storylines as well

MITB is a simple enough premise. There are two marquee matches on the card and in each the prize u for grabs is a metal birefcase that contains a contract for a shot at the Title (at any time). This leads to many interesting storylines and match-ups. The matches themselves are also multiple participant affairs and they pretty much always deliver on the action front.

Damien Sandow vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Fandango vs Jack Swagger vs. Antonio Cesaro

The opening encounter here was interestingly the MITB scrap for a World Heavyweight Championship shot.

This is a fun match that features a rather unique concept. That being the seven combatants were all heel characters, so the crowd had to decide who to root for themselves and the action was needed to keep our attention. The end sequence worked very well too.

Curtis Axel vs. The Miz

The Intercontinental Title has lost a lot of its prestige in recent years and whilst Miz and Mr Perfect's son (Axel Curtis) is a decent enough match, there was something lacking here. Axel is coming along nicely with this latest character and does his family proud by showing some true in-ring talent. Miz though in my opinion will inevitably always be a mid-carder. 

AJ Lee vs. Kaitlyn

The Divas division is one that I personally feel needs an overhaul. The WWE have some fine female grapplers and yet fail to utilise them to their best advantage. This was an average cat fight and saw the former best friends tackle each move with everything they had.

Ryback vs. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho (someone we have interview many times) is a part-timer now in the WWE and this match really did showcase that his time may well be over as a main eventer. Ryback was once the unstoppable 'Goldberg' type character and at this point in time he was jobbing to many as well. So in reality this should be a match where the pair took it upon themselves to show their worth.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler and Del Rio do it again this review should read. Why? well after thier hugely popular match at Extreme Rules, the duo did it once again here. They had already switched places in the heel/face divide and now we were presented with a smart long-term piece of booking by the WWE. 

This match deserves repeat viewing, hence the need to add this to your WWE DVD collection.

John Cena vs. Mark Henry

Now forgive me Cena fans, but I am not sold on him and never was if i am honest. But you cannot fault his appeal to the masses and the sheer volume of merchandise he shifts. The other reason why this match should not have worked for me was the fact that the barely mobile Mark henry was in the ring with him. However you know what this actually did work. Henry's Philadelphia fan base helped as well. The match itself was a strong man type thin and showed both men to be tough, strong guys. Henry especially came across as a real bad ass.

Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam vs. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Christian

The main event MITB scrap for the WWE Championship was of course the big one and featured a lot more a-list WWE names. It also saw the return of Rob Van Dam to the fold. The combatants really went for it here and made this the match of the night. RVD provided some highlights, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk paid their dues as well. The only odd man out for me was Christian, who perhaps needs to upgrade his character.

MITB 2013 is available now from Freemantle Media and all good retailers.

On the extras front we also get: The pre-show match (The Shield versus The Uso's). 

Blu-Ray buyers will also get some matches (Kane/Christian, CM Punk/Randy Orton, Sheamus/Randy Orton) and some confrontations between some key wrestlers.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray

By Phil Allely

WWe Review - SummerSlam 2013

WWE crown 2 champions at SummerSlam

By Phil Allely

WWE's mid-year highlight PPV SummerSlam delivered not one, but two WWE title holders in one night. First up Daniel Bryan worked the socks off then champ John Cena in a superbly paced and well worked main event. Here Cena and Bryan embarked on a wonderful story of highs, lows, near falls, high spots and much more. Special guest referee Triple H played his role perfectly too. Bryan's win was an inspired one as well, however the swerve turn that followed was even more so. As Bryan relished in his title win and celebrations Money in the Bank case holder Randy Orton interupted proceedings. The big story here though was Triple H turning on new champ Bryan and his subsequent 'pedigree' that allowed Orton to snag himself yet another world title.

The card itself in a slightly slow manner with Rob Van Dam challenging Dean Ambrose for his United States Championship. The match was OK, but never really reached the peaks an on from RVD could do. The inclusion of Ambrose's fellow Shield members, Mark Henry and Big Show all did help here, but not as much as the WWE expected. Van Dam lost out on the title via DQ, when Rollins nailed a spear on him under the ref's watchful eye.

The Wyatt family then took Kane to school in a 'ring of fire' encounter. The concept here was that flames around the ring would contain the action and enhance events between Bray and the mighty Kane. The biggest thing here was that the Wyatt crew were able to get involved in some way and bypass the fire. The once unstoppable Kane was put down for the count with ease it seems and was also carried off to a fate we may yet hear about.

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow were the future of the WWE's tag team division in many peoples opinion. But now not too far down the line, here we had them going toe-to-toe in a nice scrap. Rhodes did redeem himself well but and pulled of a nice win over the 'money in the bank winner'.

Many fans hope that in this latest run with the company Christian gets his best shot at a title and here yet again he came so close. This time around the world Heavyweight Title Holder used his skills to work Christian's arm and evoke a submission victory, to retain his cherished belt.

Natalya versus Brie Bella quickly evolved in to a cat fight and that worked well here. A shrpshooter from the Hart family affiliate rounded this match off nicely.

Brock Lesnar and CM Punk then went on to have one amazing battle in the ring. The guys here weaved such an in-ring tale here that you simply had to watch it. Hard moves came thick and fast and the set-pieces were top notch as well. Paul Heyman and a steel chair were instrumental in the finish, but what will Brock's win lead too we wonder.

The Dolph Ziggler/Kaitlyn & Big E Langston/AJ Lee bout was OK, but did not really impress we have to say. This was merely a filler scrap and it felt like it, Ziggler and Kaitlyn won by the way.

SumerSlam was an ambitious event in many ways. It did falter a few times, but the pacing did pick up. We must also feel for Daniel Bryan, after all he has now seen his title dreams stolen away by an opportunistic young man called Randy Orton. This means the main event scene sill be shaken up again and we need that don't we?

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: WrestleMania 29

WWE DVD Review: WrestleMania 29

It is the biggest show in the WWE calendar and it also one of the most sought after wrestling show tickets too. It is of course WrestleMania. This is the show that even the most die hard anti-WWE fan will take notice of and maybe even watch as well.

WM is the event that kick started the WWE's rise to global domination and means so much to so many fans across the globe as well.

Now nearly 30 years on the event still send goosebumps down the spine of many as they eagerly await the action to start. The WWE have now rather cunningly made this a weekend long event too, with fan events, signing and memorabilia on show too. Alongside countless veteran and current roster members, there is also the annual Hall Of Fame Ceremony.

Now back to the DVD at hand. First up like many Mania's of recent years there are a few poor matches here, but when things kick off they really kick off in style.

This event was a card of three parts. First up we had John Cena taking on The Rock for the WWE Championship. Which was of course a marked improvement on their previous encounters. However it did come at a cost to Rock who absorbed some nasty injuries along the way.

Next on the fans hit list was the ultra intense 'No Holds Barred' scrap between Brock Lesnar and Triple H. They certainly had their work boots on here. You could feel every bump like it was your own body.

But of course the match most people were yearning to see was the return of Undertaker to defend his winning streak against young upstart CM Punk. Punk had after all belittled the memory of the late Paul Bearer and was certainly a hated man before the get go. Considering he rarely makes more than one appearance a year these days Taker showed no signs of slowing down. Although by the end you could see his pain and delight in what he had just participated in.

Elsewhere on this well put together CD set you get the pre-show encounter between Wade Barrett and The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. The Shield making their WM debut against the trio of Randy Orton, Sheamus and The Big Show. The Tag Team titles on the line as Team No Hell defend against Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston. Chris Jericho facing the over the top Fandango and Jack Swagger tackle the World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio.

The under card and World Title match are all worthy additions here, the main issue is that some play out to indifference. Fandango, The Shield and Ziggler come out of proceedings very well indeed I must add.

On the extras front we are as always spoilt for Mania moments and choice. The Hall Of Fame footage is superb and very interesting. Younger fans may skip through a few inductions of course, but those old enough to remember Bob Backlund, Bruno Samartino and even celeb Donald Trump will enjoy their montages and speeches. Backlund is hilarious and Samartino seems very moved to be there.

More modern entrants Mick Foley, Trish Stratus and Booker T are also very well received and each makes us feel their pride as they give their speech. It was especially nice to see Booker's brother Stevie Ray on TV again. Foley was as expected totally over the top with his section of the show, but we come to expect that from him these days.

There is also the post-show event from the MetLife Stadium too.

Blu-Ray owners get even more bang for their buck here with some episodes of Monday Night Raw, the Triple H/Lesnar contract signing, CM Punk challenge to end the streak and a Q&A with John Cena and The Rock.

WrestleMania 29 is a roller coaster of a ride from start to finish. There are some dips along the way, but when it climbs it does indeed climb. The final flourish of matches here will certainly leave you on an adrenaline high.

WrestleMania 29 is available now via Freemantle Media.

Www.wwedvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

RRP £24.99 (DVD), £34.99 (Blu-Ray)

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: TLC - Tables, Ladders, Chairs 2012

WWE DVD Review: TLC – Tables, Ladders, Chairs 2012

To round off 2012 the WWE offered up its TLC pay-per-view.

TLC is an interesting event to witness. It is also one that does exactly what it says on the tin, as in it offers us a tables match, a ladders match and a chairs match, plus we also get them all combined in one TLC encounter.

This time around we got to see Irishman Sheamus and Big Show battle it out in a hard-hitting chairs match. John Cena and Dolph Ziggler had a belter of a ladder match for Ziggler's Money In The Bank briefcase.The Shield were also on hand to challenge the mighty trio of Team Hell No and Ryback in a match that really put the faction on the map.

The TLC concept has been watered down slightly in the more PG version of the WWE, but that is not to say that the concept is lost on its new audience. In fact it is quite the opposite, the action is now a lot more intense and the lack of blood, headshots or other career shortening moves make things all the more enjoyable.

The elevation of The Shield as a worthy addition to the WWE roster started here and it is very good to see the company do such a thing at long last.

There are many surprises during TLC 2012 and the match quality is certainly above par throughout.

On the extras front the DVD has an interview with Dolph Ziggler (by Matt Striker). The Blu-ray however has a wealth of additional features. These includes matches and excerpts from the December 16^th Monday Night Raw event and the December 18^th Smackdown shows. Highlights here are Ric Flair presenting the Slammy to the Superstar of the Year, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and Tommy Dreamer facing 3BM, Ryback versus Antonio Cesaro and a Miz TV segment with AJ Lee, Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston.

TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) 2012 is available now from all good retailers.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)

Www.wwedvd.co.uk

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review - Live in the UK November 2012

With each UK tour the WWE keep pushing the envelope as they try to give their loyal fans even more value for their money. This past November saw the company roll into Birmingham, here they would not only put on one heck of a show, but they would also record episodes of the Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown shows before thousands of lively and excited fans. 

Another bonus here is the complete (unaired in the UK) WWE Main Event show that was recorded in Birmingham too.

Live in the UK saw many of the Survivor Series 2012 combatants and teams in action, as they embarked on the road to that Pay-Per-View.

So what can you expect from this two disc set? First up there are some nice features on the UK's own Wade Barrett and William Regal. Irishman Sheamus is also given the spotlight treatment. 

On the match front we have a great many to choose from. Highlights of which are CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler versus John Cena and Ryback. Wade Barrett teaming with Big Show to combat hard-hitters William Regal and Sheamus. Elsewhere Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio have a well-paced Falls Count Anywhere encounter. Kofi Kingston and The Miz face-off for the Intercontinental Championship and the colourful combo of Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio tackle the fun duo of The Primetime Players.

WWE Live in the UK November 2012 is a very good DVD set indeed. Fans who attended will love this memento of their time there, others will enjoy seeing their heroes on UK soil and adapting their styles etc to suit them. These UK releases are very popular indeed and this is one of the best yet.

Extras wise we get two WWE Championship matches that were held in the UK. One is the near-classic Randy 'Macho Man' Savage and Ultimate Warrior scrap from Summer Slam 1992. The other is the very inventive match between The Rock and X Pac from the 1998 Capital Carnage PPV.

WWE Live in the UK November 2012 is available now on two disc DVD.

RRP £17.99

www.wwedvd.co.uk

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: Elimination Chamber 2013

WWE DVD Review: Elimination Chamber 2013

The Elimination Chamber is one formidable and very unforgiving structure. This mass of metal was once the special feature in Pay-Per-Views, but it is now the star of its own. The concept is a good one and used sparingly it works very well indeed. What happens is six men enter caged environment. Two of them start off the match, whilst four others stand by in each corner, locked in a cubicle. Every few minutes a new competitor enters and things heat up. This is a pin fall/submission style scrap and it can get very violent indeed.

This year we saw Randy Orton, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Jack Swagger, Mark Henry and Chris Jericho all participate and their reward was a World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 29. The action here was superbly paced, exciting and innovative.

The other big match on the EC 2013 card was the re-match between WWE Champion The Rock and former champ CM Punk. This match was the last chance for Punk to retain his belt and progress to WrestleMania. Punk and Rock have a very good rapport in the ring and Rock especially deserves praise for stepping back in to a semi-fulltime wrestling role so easily.

On surprise bout here was the one that pitted The Shield against the all-star trio of John Cena, Ryback and Sheamus. The surprise was not the talent involved or the effort put in to the encounter. It was the fact that the WWE really did decide to put so much behind the newest group on the scene The Shield.

Elsewhere we see World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio battle his nemesis Big Show. Their feud just went from strength to strength, Del Rio has certainly stepped up to the plate. Kaitlyn defended her Diva's title against the tough daughter of wrestling legend Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka Tamina. This was a fair Divas match, that did enough to warrant your attention throughout.

Elimination Chamber 2013 is a very good DVD release from the WWE. It certainly paved the way for WrestleMania 29 and offered an above average number of matches. The main event and chamber scraps are certainly well worth re-viewing as well.

Elimination Chamber 2013 is available now from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)

By Phil Allely

DVD Review: The Best of Raw and Smackdown 2012

The WWE produce so many of hours of TV each year that we fans cannot possibly tape or own them all. So the company very kindly produce DVD sets like this one. Here they pull together some of the best moments of the raw and Smackdown shows throughout the past year and offer them up in one nicely presented package.

This year we get to see the action unfold throughout 2012 and as all of us know this was a period in WWE's history that embraced not only the company's newest stars, but those of times gone by.

Across these three discs we get to see some superb matches and moments from 2012.

So what can you expect to see here? Well first up there are some superb verbal encounters between The Rock and John Cena. Rock and his guitar sing-along are worth the price of this release alone. You will also see Brock Lesnar make his return to the company.  There are also some nice touches as D-generation X re-form (for one night only) and some old school names turn up as well. I for one enjoyed seeing Vader back on WWE TV again. The build up to some of the biggest and most highly anticipated feuds of modern time are included here too. All of which make this a must-have purchase for fans across the board.

The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012 is a nice look at the goings on within the company over the past 52 weeks. The best and most interesting matches and feuds are highlighted well. The quality of the bouts does range from decent to excellent and each does progress a storyline in some way. Nothing here is throwaway at all. 

One other bonus here is that the majority of the events featured here will be unique to this release and less likely to be repeated elsewhere. Which makes them all the more desirable for fans.

Whilst the matches are well chosen, it is nice to see the WWE have handpicked some choice moments from these shows too. I'll not ruin them, but any fans viewing will savour some of the events that book end the bouts here. 

Blu-ray buyer will be privy to six bonus matches and a host of back stage interviews and footage.

The Best of Raw & Smackdown 2012 is available now on DVD and Blu-ray from FreemantleMedia, via all good retailers.

RRP £24.99 (DVD), £34.99 (Blu-ray)

WWW.wwedvd.co.uk

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review - TLC 2012

WWE DVD Review: TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) 2012

WWE's TLC pay-per-view event is one that has a tendency to deliver greatly with its match quality and results. Even the lack of blood can't affect the violence that many of the wrestlers bring to the ring when foreign objects such as tables, ladders and steel chairs become legal weapons. This year we were also treated to a few new faces, which helped create new feuds and elevate some often neglected mid-card talent. With CM Punk injured there was some re-jigging behind the scenes match wise, but perhaps it was for the best. WWE need his fresh and ready for his upcoming scrap with The Rock.

It was also nice to see the legendary Jerry 'The King' Lawler return to his commentary duties. Lawler seems to have recovered well after his near fatal heart attack (which occurred during a live raw show).

TLC kicked off with a very reasonable tables match for the number one contender spot for the WWE tag team belts. The duo of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara battled Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes in a fun battle. Cara is looking so much better in the ring now he is teamed up with fellow high flyer Mysterio. Rhodes Scholars on the other hand are a wonderfully fresh addition to the diminishing tag ranks. Rhodes and Sandow picked up the win after Cody caused Cara to plough through a table.

Your reviewer is not a hug fan of US Title holder Anonio Cesaro, but he can put together a pretty decent match with the right (talented) performer. The match however didn't really sizzle as much as we had hoped it would. Cesaro was able to overcome a few nice looking pin attempts by Truth and nailed a 'Neutralizer' to retain his gold.
Uk wrestler Wade Barrett has been making real strides in recent months to get one more big push for his WWE career. His match with Kofi Kingston here highlighted the fact that Barrett does have potential. Putting Kofi's Intercontinental Title on the line helped as well of course. Wade is a very good big man and has an aura about him, perhaps he will be William Regal's successor to the role of sterotypical British bad guy. Kofi did manage to fend off his European influenced assault and retained the belt.
Whether they are associated with Champion CM Punk The Shield were (and are) a welcome addition to the WWE roster. Their sneak attacks and N.W.O. Inspired storyline is something that may just inject some much needed adrenaline into the WWE product.

The match here was a TLC one and The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose) faced off against the formidable trio of WWE Tag Team Champs Kane/Daniel Bryan and the fastest rising star of the year Ryback. This match was a brutal, tough and well-paced affair. Working with such talented opponents The Shield team were on perfect form. What was nice was that amidst the weapons based fun and games, we saw some new faces get their hands raised (over some more established acts). This angle by WWE may just work out very well for all concerned. The Shield pulled off a rather good win, to continue their progression.
The Divas were up next, with Eve defending her title against (pre-show match winner) Naomi. Naomi did show some impressive in-ring ability here. It was of course always going to be Eve's night and here she did not disappoint. Eve retained her glamorous belt as predicted.
As explained before a TLC PPV should really feature some blood. But you know what sometimes the spilling of claret is not necessary. The World Heavyweight Title match between champion Big Show and challenger Sheamus was a real barn-stormer. Sheamus seems to bring something out in show that we have not seen in a while and perhaps Show himself has grabbed this opportunity to highlight how valuable he is to the company. The match was violent, hard-hitting and worked to both men's advantage. Shows win maintains his grasp of the belt and Sheamus' loss does little more than make him a man we will root for next time.
Next up we saw an interesting battle. This was Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre taking on Alberto Del Rio, The Miz and Brooklyn Brawler. This was a nostalgic match for veteran fans, as longtime jobber the Brawler (Steve Lombardi) returned to the ring. Lombardi is a familiar face to anyone whoo who watches WWE biographical or special edition DVDs. He often pops us as a talking head on such releases. Lombardi never won a major title, but he did elevate many superstars to the next level and his simple style made him a minor league star. Brawler got his chance to shine on PPV in Brooklyn (of course) and even picked up a rare win.

Love him or hate him John Cena is one of the few real stars the WWE have available to perform at present. His act may need polished and a break from his main event appearances would help things. But 

with no one else ready to fill his spot or shift as much merchandise this is a picture we will have to expect for a while, the one of Cena in the main event.

The storyline featuring Cena/AJ/Vickie Guerro has been fun (even if it does echo a recent ill-fated TNA one). This match between Dolph Ziggler and Cena was a curious entry too. Ziggler could have as easily cashed in his 'Money in the Bank' title shot, but instead he offered it up in a match with Cena. This was a ladder match to remember. Cena took some stiff shots, Ziggler was a bump-machine (in the style of Shawn Michaels) and the outside interference proved to be beneficial to the pair. Cena in a rare moment for his character stared at the lights for the ever-exciting Ziggler. AJ did prove to be the thorn in Cena's side, but this was really all about raising Dolph to the next level. After all if he can beat Cena, this man may just be able to win the big one.

On the Extras front the DVD has an interview with Dolph Ziggler only, Blu-ray owners will be able to witness an episode of Monday Night Raw, Slammy award presentations and some very nice matches.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray).

TLC 2012 is available now from all good retailers.

Wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: Survivor Series 2012

WWE DVD Review: Survivor Series 2012

CM Punk tries to survive the combined might of John Cena and Ryback in the main event of the WWE's newest DVD release of 2013. Here is what I thougt about that main event and the rest of the card.

The WWE may now be the only major wrestling company to run monthly Pay-Per-Views (as TNA have perhaps wisely opted to reduce their output to four a year, with 3 hour special events filling the gaps), but not too long ago Vince McMahon and Co. did just the same. Back then (in the good old days if you will) the company produced four big PPV events. One of which was November's hugely popular Survivor Series.

Heavy Metal music has its 'big 4' of course and wrestling does too, Survivor Series was joined by Royal Rumble, WrestleMania and Summerslam in winning the WWE new fans and it is still doing so today.

2012 sees the format changed slightly however, The traditional style five-man team encounters that featured heavily for many years have been pushed back to one or two per PPV and perhaps that is indeed a good thing. Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing and the WWE have realised that here. One well told SS match can far outweigh numerous sub par efforts after all.

Anyway I digress from the matter at hand here, what exactly does this DVD release have to offer wrestling fans old and new?

Well first up the (already mentioned) main event sees CM Punk defend his WWE Championship gold in a triple threat match alongside not only John Cena, but the monster of a man who (many feel) he robbed of the belt.

What you have to remember here is that this is Punk at his most cunning and crafty. This was a man defending not only his championship, but also his year long title run too.

Elsewhere we get a lively traditional style 'Survivor Series' match-up. This featured Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, David Otunga, Alberto Del Rio and Wade Barrett) versus Team Foley (Team Hell No, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston and The Miz). This is a great example of how a booker can bring ten different athletes into the ring and offer each their chance to shine. It is also good to see Mick Foley back in the company.

We also get to see Irishman Sheamus attempt to wrestle the World Heavyweight back from his successor Big Show. Show seems to be in synch with The Celtic Warrior here and that makes for exciting viewing.

The Divas get a look in as champion Eve tackles challenger Kaitlyn. Many knock the division, but these ladies are indeed talented and make the most of their short ring time on PPV.

R-Truth challenges Antonio Cesaro for the United States belt in a decent scrap.

And the company's high-flyers get a chance to shine too. With Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio teaming up to battle The Prime Time Players. Cara may have failed in some ways as a solo performer in the WWE, but he is now more than suitable as a partner to Mysterio. They do indeed compliment each other in the ring nicely.

Survivor Series 2012 was a card that featured many more hits than misses match quality wise and it was also pivotal in many ways in relation to storyline progression as well.

The PPV is available now on DVD and Blu-ray.

RRP £17.99 (DVD), £19.99 (Blu-ray)

Extras: (DVD)CM Punk and Paul Heyman Share their thoughts at the event. (Blu-ray) Raw highlights Nov 12 2012, Smackdown highlights Nov 26 2012, Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero accuse AJ Lee, Ryback Vs Brad Maddox, Kane & The Miz Vs Team Rhodes Scholars, CM Punk Vs John Cena, Miz TV with Team Foley and Randy Orton teams with The Miz to face Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio.

Www.wwedvd.co.uk

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE DVD Review: Hell In A Cell 2012

WWE DVD Review: Hell In A Cell 2012

Hell In a Cell has evolved from being a one-off gimmick match to becoming the star of its own pay-per-view. The match itself is a fun, involving and exciting one. This DVD offers us the opportunity to take home the 2012 event. The question is is it worth doing so?

Well we will leave that decision up to you. But how about we let you see what you missed, or remind you of what you saw live on the night.

In the main event WWE Champion CM Punk defended his gold in a thrilling encounter with Ryback. This was perhaps one of Ryback's longest bouts to date and he held up well against ring veteran Punk. The HIAC environment certainly suited the storyline and the grapplers in question really did build the action perfectly. This was a perfectly enjoyable cage match and one that was well worth a re-view in our opinion.

The World Heavyweight Championship was on the line as well. Here we had title holder Sheamus face the mammoth Big Show. Big Show may be running down his in-ring career these days. But when presented with the right opponent he can still cut it. This encounter is a fine example of the big man on top of his game.

The tag team scrap between Rey Mysterio/Sin Cara and The Prime Time Players had it moments too. However a mishap involving Cara left Mysterio fending for himself for a while.

Elsewhere Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio had a fun battle. ADR worked Orton's arm over thoroughly throughout this fine addition to their feud.

The dysfunctional team of Kane/Daniel Bryan defended their Tag Team Titles against The superb combo of The Rhodes Scholars. This one had its ups and downs and unfortunately fell a bit flat at times.

The rest of the card saw The Miz battle Kofi Kingston over the Intercontinental Championship. 

We also had Antonio Cesaro put his United States Title on the line against Justin Gabriel and a triple threat Divas Championship war between Kaitlyn, Eve and Layla. 

HIAC 2012 was an event that had its fair share of ups and downs. However when things worked they really worked and there are a few surprises awaiting the viewer as well.

Hell in a Cell is available now from all good retailers and www.wwedvd.co.uk

RRP £17.99 DVD, £19.99 Blu-ray

Extras: DVD (interview with Sheamus), Blu-ray (interviews and a match from Smackdown)

wwe.dvd.co.uk

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE Live Show Review - Elimination Chamber 2013

WWE Live Show Review: Elimination Chamber 2013

The Elimination Chamber may be one of the WWE's more recent gimmicks, but it has also become one of the company's most popular and inventive. The (now) annual Elimination Chamber is always an interesting event and one that helps build up the hype for WWE PPV highlight WrestleMania.

This year was no different, alongside the highly anticipated EC bout we had a few Title re-matches and some pretty decent encounters too.

The pre-show match (which may well become a DVD extra) saw the reunited Team Rhodes Scholars tackle the oddball combo of Tensai and Brodus Clay. Whilst Rhodes/Sandow did exactly what we expect of them it was Tensai/Clay who impressed in this one. The short bout ended with a surprise win for the big man duo. The future of the tag team division may well be Clay/Tensai and you know what it may just work.

The event properly kicked off with the World Heavyweight Title match between Champion Alberto Del Rio and Big Show. Show was on fine form here and really worked hard to put ADR over as a worthy title holder. Del Rio pulled off the win with a very decent looking arm-breaker submission.

The big shock was that we never saw Dolph Ziggler make a Money in the Bank cash-in (which many of us speculated).

Antonio Cesaro's United States Championship was on the line next and his opponent The Miz really did try to make this a watchable affair. The DQ finish did nothing to elevate either grappler and proved to be a flat way to end the scrap. Odds are we will be seeing a rematch sometime soon.

The EC match to determine the #1 contender to the World Heavyweight Championship was then upon us. The combatants were all former world title holders and they all had their work boots on. Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho kicked things off in style and for the rest of the match the pace was perfect. Early on in the match there were some nice spots and they grew along the way, each elimination worked perfectly with the storyline and told a wonderful tale. To be honest, even after all these years of wrestling writing this was a match that really did hold my attention throughout. The 30 plus minute match saw some surprise eliminations and career shortening moves. The finish was even more of a shock, as the newly re-packaged Jack Swagger pulled off his biggest win in recent times.

Swagger has of course been associated with Zeb Colter (Dutch Mantel) as of late and perhaps this character change may be the big break he needs. A World Heavyweight Title match may be the prefect way to take him to the next level and beyond.

As six man matches go the following one was superb. The early all-out brawl between the combatants worked well and let us see the potential of this match-up. The 'Let's Go Cena/Cena Sucks' chants were abundant as usual and helped elevate The Shield's profile over that of their opponents Cena, Sheamus and Ryback.

This was yet another good example of in-ring storytelling and also helped build up the newer members of the roster too. The Shield not only pulled off the win (in a superbly times finish), but now see themselves as genuine stars in the company.

Ziggler turned up next and had an impromptu match with Kofi Kingston. This was short and somewhat sweet. This felt like a forced encounter and one that the PPV didn't really require. Ziggler's cohorts AJ Lee and Big E Langston had a hand in the finish too. Langston even went as far as to assault Kingston post-match as well.

Kaitlyn defended her Divas Title against Tamina Snuka in a short and un-emotive match next. The moves were basic and the action limited. It is a shame to see the once exciting Divas division fall so low. Kaitlyn retained her belt here and we do hope the WWE get some of their developmental talent (like the UK's Paige) trained up and moved up to the main roster asap.

The main event saw new WWE Champion The Rock face former champ CM Punk (with Paul Heyman). The stipulation was that if Rock was counted out or disqualified he lost his gold. Paul Heyman was key here, his role is pivotal in many of Punk's matches and even more so here. The action took place both in and out of the ring and even saw the announcers tables utilised (which always proves to be fun). Considering his lack of ring time and movie career Rock showed no signs of ring-rust and worked well with Punk. A ref bump and Heyman's botched interference led to Rock retaining his belt.

As EC went off the air a graphic show the much anticipated Cena/Rock re-match will happen at Mania and now we all hope that Undertaker is fit enough to meet CM Punk on that show too.

Elimination Chamber was a very good PPV for the WWE and one that offered up some nice finishes and story line developments. We also now have one half of the Mania main event. Who knows what the WWE have lined up for us between now and WrestleMania weekend.

By Phil Allely

Royal Rumble 2013 - Live Review

WWE Live Review: Royal Rumble 2013

The Royal Rumble serves many purposes in the world of the WWE. The very nature of the event itself see's it stand out from the rest of the company's PPV output. This is after all a show that features a (usually) exciting over-the-top-rope battle royal style match-up. This scrap see's 30 wrestlers (inc. some surprises) battle it out and win a World Title shot at that year's WrestleMania. The Rumble is also not only the first WWE PPV of the year, but it is also what we fans like to call 'the first step on the road to Mania'. 

The Royal Rumble is normally the place where the first seeds are sown as to what we may look forward to at the WWE's biggest show of the year WrestleMania. Last year of course we all knew that we were to expect a Rock/John Cena bout at that very event. However this year we were still in some doubt as to what may unfold at the Rumble and what effect it may have in relation to Mania.

First of all there were hints at a Rock/Cena re-match and of course we all want to know if Undertaker will make his annual appearance to defend his WrestleMania winning streak.The good news is that one of these questions was (pretty much) answered at the 2013 Royal Rumble.

Royal Rumble 2013 was kind of overshadowed by the main event encounter between (Hollywood action star) The Rock and the WWE's best bad guy CM Punk. 

But the rest of the card was well worth a look too. The dark match (ie for live fans and DVD viewers only) saw United States Champion Antonio Cesaro battle The Miz. Your reviewer may not be a fan of Cesaro, but for what it is worth he did fare well here and his win over former world  champion The Miz bodes very well for his character. Miz's face turn seems to be coming along well too.

World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio then kicked things off proper by beating The Big Show in a 'Last Man Standing' encounter. Show and Del Rio worked well together here, using the available weapons to the best of their ability and also pulling off a few nice stiff moves. Show's chokeslam through a table looked great and the finish was well worked. Del Rio retaining over his much larger foe shows the WWE's faith in him and his tenure as champ.

Team Hell No (WWE Tag Team Champs) then successfully defended their belts against the formidable and fun combo of The Rhodes Scholars. Am I the only one amazed that Cody Rhodes moustache can at times receive more attention than him? The match here unfortunately wasn't much to talk about. We have all seen this before and we also get the idea that the WWE will keep the gold with Kane/Danielson until they feel they have lost their charm. 

The Royal Rumble itself had its moments and whilst much of the 30 man match was predictable. There were some nice touches and some pleasant surprises too. First up were surprise entrants Chris Jericho (a man who we have interview here and reviewed his rock band Fozzy too), Goldust and The Godfather. Jericho entered the match at number 2 and he lasted almost 50 minutes. Goldust had a memorable few moments and his exchanges with his brother Cody may lead to a match down the line. Godfather did his usual nostalgic thing and it went down a storm too. There were also a few returns by formerly injured stars , Rey Mysterio, Santino Marella and Sin Cara all received a nice pop when they made their entrance. The final four saw Ryback dispatch Randy Orton and Sheamus with ease, he then as we feared fell to John Cena to see Cena move one step closer to a rematch with The Rock.

Speaking of that result. The Rock did indeed best WWE Champion CM Punk in the main event of the show. Punk's recent knee injury did not seem to slow him down here and even though he lost his beloved title, he did leave the match without too much tarnish to his name. With only a few mistimed moves, this was a fine outing for both men (considering Rock's long in-ring lay-off and Punk's injury). 

Royal Rumble ended with us now knowing that Cena could very well (or may have by the time you read this) decide to challenge Rock for the title at Mania. Hopefully Rock/Punk will get a re-match at Elimination Chamber to address the few faults we saw at the rumble and maybe now we almost have one half of the main event, we will see Punk challenge Undertaker to a match.

Royal Rumble 2013 was very good in parts and the Ruble itself had some extremely fine points and moments. The build up to WrestleMania is now in full swing and I cannot wait to see what else we get along the way. We also have the Hall Of Fame coming up too, so far Mick Foley and Bruno Samartino have been given the nod and of course many more will follow.

www.wwe.com

By Phil Allely

WWE Publish top 50 moments of 2012

WWE published article counting down the top 50 moments of 2012. Listed below are the top 10.

10: Ryback “Shell Shocks” CM Punk on top of the “Hell in a Cell”
9: John Cena grants his 300th wish for Make-A-Wish
8: The Shield’s debut at The Survivor Series
7: Jerry Lawler suffers a heart attack on RAW
6. The AJ Lee – John Cena storyline.
5: The 1,000th episode of RAW.
4: Brock Lesnar’s WWE return.
3: CM Punk becoming the longest reigning WWE Champion of the modern era.
2: The Rock defeating John Cena at WrestleMania 28.
1: The Undertaker defeating Triple H at WrestleMania 28.

WWE TLC Review 2012

WWE Live Show Review: TLC (Tables, Ladders, Chairs) 2012

WWE's TLC pay-per-view event is one that has a tendency to deliver greatly with its match quality and results. Even the lack of blood can't affect the violence that many of the wrestlers bring to the ring when foreign objects such as table, ladders and steel chairs become legal weapons. This year we were also treated to a few new faces, which helped create new feuds and elevate some often neglected mid-card talent. With CM Punk injured there was some re-jigging behind the scenes match wise, but perhaps it was for the best. WWE need his fresh and ready for his upcoming scrap with The Rock.

It was also nice to see the legendary Jerry 'The King' Lawler return to his commentary duties. Lawler seems to have recovered well after his near fatal heart attack (which occurred during a live raw show).

TLC kicked off with a (dark match) battle of the 'Santa's Little Helpers' In other words a diva encounter. This will of course probably make its way on to the DVD version of the show. Here we had a reasonable if not too exciting Diva's style scrap. Competitors were Alicia Fox, Askana, Naomi, Cameron, Tamina, Kaitlyn, Layla, Natalya and Rossa Mendes. The match was short and sweet, with Divas champ Eve Torres sticking her oar in to allow Namoi a shot at her title.

TLC started (proper) with a very reasonable tables match for the number one contender spot for the WWE tag team belts. The duo of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara battled Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes in a fun battle. Cara is looking so much better in the ring now he is teamed up with fellow high flyer Mysterio. Rhodes Scholars on the other hand are a wonderfully fresh addition to the diminishing tag ranks. Rhodes and Sandow picked up the win after Cody caused Cara to plough through a table.

Your reviewer is not a hug fan of US Title holder Anonio Cesaro, but he can put together a pretty decent match with the right (talented) performer. The match however didn't really sizzle as much as we had hoped it would. Cesaro was able to overcome a few nice looking pin attempts by Truth and nailed a 'Neutralizer' to retain his gold.
Uk wrestler Wade Barrett has been making real strides in recent months to get one more big push for his WWE career. His match with Kofi Kingston here highlighted the fact that Barrett does have potential. Putting Kofi's Intercontinental Title on the line helped as well of course. Wade is a very good big man and has an aura about him, perhaps he will be William Regal's successor to the role of sterotypical British bad guy. Kofi did manage to fend off his European influenced assault and retained the belt.

Whether they are associated with Champion CM Punk The Shield are a welcome addition to the WWE roster. Their sneak attacks and N.W.O. Inspired storyline is something that may just inject some much need adrenaline into the WWE product.

The match here was a TLC one and The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose) faced off against the formidable trio of WWE Tag Team Champs Kane/Daniel Bryan and the fastest rising star of the year Ryback. This match was a brutal, tough and well-paced affair. Working with such talented opponents The Shield team were on perfect form. What was nice was that amidst the weapons based fun and games, we saw some new faces get their hands raised (over some more established acts). This angle by WWE may just work out very well for all concerned. The Shield pulled off a rather good win, to continue their progression.
The Divas returned next, with Eve defending her title against (pre-show match winner) Naomi. Naomi did show some impressive in-ring ability here. It was of course always going to be Eve's night and here she did not disappoint. Eve retained her glamorous belt as predicted.
As explained before a TLC PPV should really feature some blood. But you know what sometimes the spilling of claret is not necessary. The World Heavyweight Title match between champion Big Show and challenger Sheamus was a real barn-stormer. Sheamus seems to bring something out in show that we have not seen in a while and perhaps Show himself has grabbed this opportunity to highlight how valuable he is to the company. The match was violent, hard-hitting and worked to both men's advantage. Shows win maintains his grasp of the belt and Sheamus' loss does little more than make him a man we will root for next time.
Next up we saw an interesting battle. This was Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre taking on Alberto Del Rio, The Miz and Brooklyn Brawler. This was a nostalgic match for veteran fans, as longtime jobber the Brawler (Steve Lombardi) returned to the ring. Lombardi is a familiar face to anyone whoo who watches WWE biographical or special edition DVDs. He often pops us as a talking head on such releases. Lombardi never won a major title, but he did elevate many superstars to the enxt leevl and his simple style made him a minor league star. Brawler got his chance to shine on PPV in Brooklyn (of course) and even picked up a rare win.

Love him or hate him John Cena is one of the few real stars the WWE have available to perform at present. His act may need polished and a break from his main event appearances would help things. But with no one else ready to fill his spot or shift as much merchandise this is a picture we will have to expect for a while, the one of Cena in the main event.

The storyline featuring Cena/AJ/Vickie Guerro has been fun (even if it does echo a recent ill-fated TNA one). This match between Dolph Ziggler and Cena was a curious entry too. Ziggler could have as easily cashed in his 'Money in the Bank' title shot, but instead he offered it up in a match with Cena. This was a ladder match to remember. Cena took some stiff shots, Ziggler was a bump-machine (in the style of Shawn Michaels) and the outside interference proved to be beneficial to the pair. Cena in a rare moment for his character stared at the lights for the ever-exciting Ziggler. AJ did prove to be the thorn in Cena's side, but this was really all about raising Dolph to the next level. After all if he can beat Cena, this man may just be able to win the big one.

TLC 2012 was a very good event to round off 2012 for the WWE. The company may be floundering slightly talent wise, but things are looking up and after so many journos like myself suggesting it, there are now some fresh faces in the mix.

Here's hoping Punk can recover OK in time for his Royal Rumble encounter with a certain Mr Johnston.

Wwe.com

By Phil Allely