WWE DVD Review: ECW - Unreleased Volume 2

In its heyday US wrestling promotion ECW was one of the hottest products on the market and it gave grapple fans something different to what the 'big two' company's were offering. That something was violence, enthusiasm and energy. These were things the company had loads of.

Paul Heyman (who is now back in the WWE) was the main man behind ECW and whilst the company did fold, due to money issues he created a very special thing here.

It is nice to see the WWE utilising the back catalogue of ECW footage (ECW was bought over by WWE) and letting the many fans of the promotion gain access to some of its older footage.

Here in one very nicely compiled DVD/Blu-ray package we have a wonderful snapshot of some of ECW's finest match-ups. The great thing here as well is that we have not seen these matches before and that makes this release all the more special.

ECW had a unique aura around it and this is captured perfectly here. The arena's were small, yet filled with energy and that transferred to each and every wrestler's performance.

From a match point of view we are presented with some superb lost battles involving Sabu, Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, Sandman and many more ECW names. There are also some surprises for even the most die hard fan, these feature such well known talent as The Steiner Brothers, hardcore legend Terry Funk and WCW stars Arn Anderson and 'Beautiful' Bobby Eaton. There are also some imported Japanese stars and much more thrown into the mix as well.

ECW - Unreleased Volume 2 is an above average DVD set and one that certainly adds to the legacy of Heyman's company. The match quality is amazing and the violence levels are through the roof. If you like to see bloodshed, people being hit by weapons (of all shapes and sizes) and enjoy seeing wrestling as it used to be before the PG ratings took over, then this is the package for you.

The image of Terry Funk and Mick Foley amid a ring full of metal chairs (thrown by the fans) is a sight to behold.

ECW - Unreleased Volume 2 is available now from www.wwedvd.co.uk and all good retailers
DVD RRP £24.99/Blu-ray £29.99
Blu-ray extras include a number of additional matches.
wwe.com
By Phil Allely

Kayfae commentaries: Tammy Sytch/Sabu news

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	Kayfabe Commandos, Breaking Kayfabe is back to try and sort out one of the more bizarre and self destructive unfoldings in wrestling.  Tammy Sytch sits down with Sean and lets him crawl around in her head in the series that tries to get to the bottom of some of the more interesting personalities to grace the wrestling business.  Plus, a classic Timeline ECW 1997 told by Sabuhits our OnDemand channel as well.  Check it...  Inside the Insane Headlines...Inside Tammy.       Our latest guest to bare their soul on our newest series probably has more to sift through than any guest to date. Tammy Sytch's battery of arrests and rehab visits has catapulted her back into the national spotlight in unflattering portrayals in every media outlet. Now she sits with Sean, in a sober and reflective interview, in an effort to get down to who she really is. Will this even be possible? Tammy has admitted to concocting lies and tall tales in previous interviews. Now, in the psychologically probing series "Breaking Kayfabe," Tammy is challenged by Sean to cut the B.S. and try and really fix the deep issues she undoubtedly has. The series that shows the stars as people is back with an episode ripped from the headlines. Check it out here!                       Timeline: ECW 1997 OnDemand NOW!   Also over at our OnDemand Channel we're dropping another KC Classic...this time it's the debut of the first spin-off in the Timelinefranchise...The History of ECW.  This got the series off to an amazing start as Sabu candidly recounts all the major goings-on at ECW...from the ring to the locker room to the hotel rooms, ourTimeline series covers it ALL. Join the usually silent Sabu as he talks and talks about this crucial year in the short, but dynamic lifespan of the federation that changed the game.  His take on everything happening, including the in-ring dress-down by Paul E, is honest and emotional. He's known for being one of the most hardcore, and his recounting the year 1997 in ECW will not disappoint!                                 We have plenty more to come as 2013 is shaping up to be a great year at KC.  Timeline: The History of WCW returns in March as JJ Dillon takes you back to 1988, and then Timeline: The History of WWE is up to bat with Brutus Beefcake covering 1989 in the big fed.  This is the only place you'll EVER get the unedited, unsanitized story of the WWE told by the stars that were there.  They can tell you they're "shooting straight" but they ain't shooting shit if they're not going to show the dirt as well as the glitter.  Join our line-up of former WWE stars as they give you the straight dish in our ongoing, open ended, year-by-year chronicle of the big one.  Sean Waltman takes you through 1994 coming this June! DDP's YouShoot heads your way on May 7th, plus Wrestling's Most...Awesome Managercountdown show is coming also.  More Breaking Kayfabe, more great, high-quality shoot programming is coming your way! Stay tuned... KAYFABE COMMENTARIES, LLC

Sabu Interview HIghlights

ECW Original Sabu spoke with The Poughkeepsie Journal this weekend. Here are some highlights:


How much are you still wrestling nowadays and what have you been up to?



I still wrestle a couple of times a week. I go to Japan tomorrow actually. England in about a month. I was in Mexico a couple of months ago. I’ve got a lot going on.



You still enjoy it? You still love getting in there?



Not as much as I used to. A couple of weeks ago, I wrestled in Indiana in front of about seven people. I swear to God. And there was no heat. I swear to God, it sucked.



What promotion are you wrestling for in Japan?



It’s called Smash. The boss there and the top guy is Tajiri.



You had a WWE run that ended in May of 07 that might have surprised some people.



I don’t think it surprised people. I think they were surprised it lasted that long.



What were your thoughts on that run and getting to run with a lot of the ECW guys and get back in the national spotlight?



It started out OK and then it turned sour. I don’t know what to say without hurting somebody’s feelings. They didn’t want me to be me. They wanted me to be somebody else. I was already somebody for 20 years. The main thing for me, and the bait for me to stay as long as I did was they were supposed to put my uncle (The Sheik) in the Hall of Fame, which they did, and I wanted to do at least one WrestleMania, which I did.

New TNA Pics

DVD Review TNA HardCore Justice

DVD Review: TNA HardCore Justice 2010


By Phil Allely

Its was one of TNA’s best offerings of the year and yet somehow HardCore Justice became labelled as a late and less well-meaning ECW tribute show, instead of the nostalgic trip down memory lane it was for everyone in attendance, watching at home and participating.

This well timed double disc set adds even more value to what could have been a hugely successful single DVD set. All of the Pay-Per-View matches and here in their entirety, plus some backstage interviews and segments that they didn’t have time for on the night.

This was a night that TNA President Dixie Carter handed over to former ECW legend Tommy Dreamer, after he and his group of interlopes decided to gatecrash TNA programming, Dreamer bringing Raven, Stevie Richard and Rhino with him to make his point. Dreamer even went as far as to book the entire show, including his brutal and bloody final encounter with longtime foe Raven.

So settle down to see the likes of The F.B.I (Guido, Luke, Smothers, Big Sal), Kid Kash, Simon Diamond, Johnny Swinger, PJ Polaco, Brother Runt, Sabu, The Gangstas, Too Cold Scorpio and many others come back for one last hurrah.

TNA may not have been able to use the ECW letters, but that didn’t stop the fans chanting them and the imported roster of former Philadelphia grapplers mentioning a three letter company every so often either. ECW’s short-lived reign as the ultimate hardcore promotion has stood the stead of time very well indeed, even after two attempts by the WWE to reinvent the promotion and in turn kill it off once again, the legacy of Paul Heyman’s dream has lived on. Heyman was the only thing missing at the event here. He was said to have been contacted, but a deal could not be struck unfortunately.

The match quality of HardCore Justice does vary, but that doesn’t sway from the enthusiasm and energy the participants bring to proceedings, many of these guys are so beat after their decades of violence that they really have no reason to be ashamed of how they now perform. It’s amazing to see people like Sabu still able to pull of the moves he does, on the flip side it’s painful at times to see the former Balls Mahoney (Kahoneys here at HCJ) still putting himself in situations involving fire and so many of the guys happily bleeding for our entertainment, but that is what ECW and it certainly is in their lifeblood.

HardCore Justice was a great night for old school hardcore wrestling fans, people who longed for ECW to continue and those younger fans who wondered what was so special about a company that WWE made PG.

The extras are superb too, the second disc houses an hour long documentary style piece that sees all the former ECW guys talk about the show, their hopes, dreams and memories. There is also a Q&A session with Tommy Dreamer and Mick Foley, plus a selection of photo galleries and a music video of the event.

Check out www.tnawrestling.com and all good retailers to get your hands on this must have release.

Sabu to leave TNA?

by Phil Allely

According to many sources Sabu has been told by TNa that he will not used after this weekends PPV. The reason being that they have no future plans for him.

The former ECW stalwart is said to be very unhappy about this situation as he is in great physical shape and a vital part oft eh current EV2 line-up.

After many years of injuries and knocks Sabu seemed to have finally found himself in a great place where he could perform to the best of his ability.

be interesting to see if this is a storyline or he is to leave the company.