The Lo-Down

A follow-up to “the Greatest Stars of the 80’s”, which was released absolutely ages ago, the Greatest Stars of the 90’s follows the same formula. That is, a DVD featuring a documentary that highlights some of the biggest stars of the given time period, accompanied by a bunch of matches that feature said superstars.

What’s on it?

Essentially, this is a superficial run through, of who the WWE regard as “The Greatest Stars of the 90’s”. What that encompasses, is a brief bio on each chosen superstar, comprised of clips and interviews covering their career. If I had never seen a WWE retrospective before, I’d be blown away by this material. But unfortunately, I’ve seen plenty, like the majority of folk who will read this review.

The whole enterprise is hosted by former WWE employee Tazz, and he’s not very impressive, clearly operating within the Sean Mooney mould of Vince McMahon masturbatory fantasies. Outside of the Vinnie Mac guidelines, we also have your usual bunch of talking heads. Pat Patterson, Jim Ross, Gerald Brisco, etc…

This being a cheapo production then, many of the comments are actually recycled from other DVD releases, which is particularly annoying if you’ve seen them. I don’t particularly want to hear the same chit chat over and over about how Shawn Michaels became “The Heartbreak Kid”, it’s on his own (superior) 3 disc set!

The choice of inclusions is also somewhat odd. Yokozuna in particular, is one I’ve heard within debates as being something of a stretch. But clearly, the company liked the guy, and wants to remember his success and dismiss his health problems- and thus not regard him as a wrestling “casualty”. Interesting then, that they briefly allude to his departure and return to the federation, when he came back looking even fucking worse than when he left! But in all fairness, the guy did achieve a lot in a short time, was mega-over, and is fondly remembered by my generation in particular.

Yoko is debatable, but including Ric Flair, is downright nonsense. Yes, Flair was still a big name in the first half of the decade, and had his moments later on, but he was also blatantly past his most relevant. But that’s not even the issue. The real problem is that Flair’s already been covered in the 80’s set, the Dusty set, The Four Horsemen DVD, The Triple H set, The Starrcade set, and in two of his own, 3 DISC PACKAGES. What the hell is there left, especially from this later period? Definitely a spot that should have been reserved for someone else. The same could also be said of Hulk Hogan. Perhaps a segment on the DVD, committed to the guys who were huge stars in the 80s, but carried over into the 90’s, could have sufficed?

There’s also a section on the “Divas”, which in theory, is a good idea. But in practice, it’s a confused, muddled inclusion, because of the WWE’s chequered history when it comes to female performers. So whilst we get a little look at the likes of Alundra Blaze training, we also get repeated shots of performers like Terri and Debra, who were stereotypical blonde eye-candy. Another botched chapter is the wacky highlight reel of shitty characters such as Bastian Booger, Mantaur and The Goon. Some of the stuff is comical- but in a shameful way. How the bejeesus did I watch wrestling, when people like Glacier were running around? Plus, these guys weren’t crap on their own merit- they were crappy because the WWE fabricated these lame gimmicks. Yet, there is of course, no acknowledgement of this.

Elsewhere, there are moments to savour. Footage of Kevin Nash as “Oz” is hilariously bad, and in general, his segment is pretty rewarding. The clips of Owen Hart are a treat, though he’s a guy that could do with a comp of his own. Hunter’s debut promo is rewardingly daft.

The best moments of documentary come courtesy of the more articulate guys from today who grew up watching this stuff. That means guys around my age, like CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Really, how can you expect guys like Patterson, and Ross, to explain the appeal of Kevin Nash to the average punter, when they probably didn’t get it in the first place themselves? Gene Okerlund’s thoughts are especially laughable, whereas Beth Phoenix, for example, does a much better job. Sure, Nash beating Goldberg for the WCW title looked impressive, but while the talking heads put over the importance of this moment, they ignore the fact that it occurring was a HUGE negative for the entire company. But, there you go.

The grapplers highlighted, in full:

Shawn Michaels, Yokozuna, The Rock, The Divas, Kevin Nash, Owen Hart, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Crappy Gimmicks, Hulk Hogan, Triple H, Bret Hart, McMahon-Heyman-Bischoff, Lex Luger, Sting, Scott Hall, The Undertaker, Steve Austin.

Extras

Disc 2.

Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair (MSG, 30/11/91)
The match that should have taken place at WM VIII, between the biggest stars of their respective companies in the 80’s. Obviously more about the spectacle than the quality of action this one, it’s buoyed by Flair selling like an absolute dog for the Hulkster. Also nice, is the smattering of boos you can hear around Madison Square Garden for Hogan, who at this point, was becoming ridiculously stale in his role as a Superhuman good guy. The fans here go mental for him though when Flair earns a cheap win, only to see the decision reversed. Fun effort.

Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (Survivor Series 92)
I love this match. Love it. Freed from the hefty time allotted to their WM 12 effort, and shorn of the wacky controversy of Survivor Series 97, this first PPV collision between the two is just sheer joy. The two work a faster pace than we were used to 17 years ago (and Shawn’s still going- Christ…), and we’re treated to some really clever stuff. Bret’s classic shoulder charge on the ring post is here, and it’s blooming awesome, while HBK pulls out an abundance of old-school heel tricks.

Hulk Hogan vs. Yokosuka (King of the Ring 93)
If you’re one of the lucky few who haven’t seen this match, then I suggest you keep it that way. It’s abysmal. Hogan, at the height of his selfish insecurity, against Yoko, in many ways a wonderful character, but not the sort of performer capable of bringing out the best in Hogan. Never mind the absolutely retarded ending involving a fireball…

Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (WrestleMania X)
A wonderful, scientific, perfect, technical tour de force. But, it’s been released on DVD before, most notably on the excellent 3 disc Bret Hart set. So, no need to include it here.

Diesel vs. Razor Ramon (Superstars 13/4/94)
This one’s for the IC title, and is a ridiculously heated affair, with both guys being two of the most over grapplers of the era. Shawn Michaels is great as Diesel’s second, while Nash himself works at a pace that should cause TNA fans to soil themselves. Possibly could have went a little longer (there’s amazingly like only one rest hold here), but Nash’s weaknesses are superbly disguised. Another enjoyable encounter.

Sting vs. Vader (Slamboree 94)
This war starts out with a great, cagey feeling-out process, where both guys are super-cautious, giving the match a nice shoot-style feel. The majority of the bout then becomes a crisply executed beat-down of the Stinger, which may seem slow to some of today’s fans, but it really is a classic example of the Monster heel, and babyface comeback structure. Shame about the overdone shenanigans at the end though, but at the very least, both guys are totally put over due to the sheer amount of false finishes.

Bret Hart vs. Diesel (Royal Rumble 95)
Some of the booking was atrocious in McMahon-land in this period. Yes, they made Diesel champ, and that was fine, getting him over as a big fan-favourite. However, Bret Hart was still the most popular good guy, and he was scripted to be an absolute chump. Incapable of earning victories cleanly over the other faces, he was in a limbo where he went through the motions with a lot of mid-carders. He even lost to Bob Backlund! Meanwhile here, interference from Shawn Michaels is required to save Bret from the powerbomb, while he later uses a chair to Nash’s knee. Heroic… well, understandable, because the Federation was desperate to not have Nash come across as a heel when up against The Hitman.

What saved a lot of the bouts between these two was that they seemed to have great in-ring chemistry, and Nash was really open to suggestion, while Bret was able to work in a way that really made use of a guy Kevin’s size. He may not have respected Kev’s attitude, but he sure brought out the best of him, and this bout is completely designed to flatter Big Daddy Cool.

Bull Nakano vs. Alundra Blaze (Raw: 11/4/95)
If you’ve never seen Bull Nakano at work, well, this is a solid introduction. Obviously not up there with her best, it’s nonetheless an example of the superior style and work ethic employed by the Japanese ladies in the Nineties. Combining impressive submissions, with jaw-dropping big spots, Nakano is a great foil for Blaze’s heroism. A little short to truly play to the strengths of the genre, this is still entertaining stuff.

A clash that the majority of the federation’s male competitors in 1995 were surely jealous of.

Disc 3

Yokozuna & Davey Boy Smith vs. Shawn Michaels & Diesel (In Your House: 24/10/95)
Good interaction between these four and Yoko manages to do enough to remind one why he was so successful in his time. Shawn bumps all over the place as per usual, an as usual, Smith proves to be a great opponent for him.

Owen Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (In Your House: 11/2/96)
For a babyface, Shawn looks utterly ridiculous at the beginning of this match. It’s definitely the hat.

This encounter had Shawn’s WrestleMania Number 1 contendership on the line, and given the story that occurred in late 1995 (Owen “injured” HBK with kick, causing Michaels to suffer a dangerous concussion, in a famously realistic angle), there’s a great depth. Of course, even without that dimension, you’ve got two of the best workers of the Nineties together. Fantastic stuff.

Shawn Michaels vs. Vader (Summerslam 96)
Jesus, you wouldn’t think Shawn already had at least three DVDs to his name, would you? Still, how can you complain when the quality is this high. It’s also nice to see Vader get his dues somewhat. It’s a shame that the big man was hurt by gutless booking throughout his early WWE run, because when he had the skills to still be a big star, he was seriously undermined. Soon, it would be too late for him. This is one of his better Connecticut efforts, despite some crazy interference towards the end.

Triple H vs. Dude Love (Summerslam 97)
Another bout that’s been overexposed in recent years by the nostalgia freaks In WWE HQ. A good match, of course, but also one that’s somewhat over-familiar, and may disappoint those who like their cages to feature some blood.

Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger (Nitro: 4/8/97)
Wow, Hogan with the tiny tache, and no beard, is a strange sight to behold. This is the sort of sluggish, bland action you would expect, with a dumb finish, and a having trash thrown at him. Utter nonsense.

Steve Austin vs. The Undertaker (Summerslam 98)
This collision always earns mixed responses from fans. Many were seemingly disappointed back then, but with hindsight- that’s pretty ludicrous. Much of Undertaker’s 98/99 output was abysmal, and this stands head and shoulders above the majority of those. It’s also much better than their later matches (in Mid-99, Mid 01, and early 02). I think this is really as close as you could get to both guys being in their prime, and being bonafide main-eventers, and in that regard, it’s an essential watch. Although yes, it’s weakened a little by the uncharacteristically quiet New York crowd, who clearly have no idea who to cheer for.

Sting vs. Bret Hart (Halloween Havoc 98)
When I think of how misused Bret Hart was in WCW, it boggles my mind. Regardless of the fact that he may have lost a great deal of his passion, he still had the potential to be an enormous asset, especially in the dream match scenarios, that they repeatedly blew by giving away on free TV, with non-finishes. And his opponent here, Sting, should have been protected far more than he was. But hey.

Anyway, this match is somewhat uninspired, and dull, but not without merit.

Triple H vs. The Rock (Fully Loaded 99)
Not a classic, but good nonetheless, as The Rock was fast becoming the most over on the roster, while Trips was on the verge of being a Main Eventer. Like their Fully Loaded bout a year earlier, this is often overlooked, but is actually pretty good considering the stipulation (in this case- a strap match). A little bit overlong though…

Add to basket?

The Greatest Stars of the 90’s is one of those supremely frustrating releases that promises so much, and delivers so little. It’s the sort of DVD that would be the perfect gift for someone who was just getting into wrestling, or had not seen any of this material. But at the same time, it’s also one of those DVDs that for fans, who have been exposed to the contents, will be a colossal disappointment. Why couldn’t you have bought me the Randy Savage or Shawn Michaels DVD? Argh. An aunt or uncle, uninterested and ignorant about the profession of wrestling would definitely have picked this out for my birthday if I were still a youngster, and it would have promptly have gathered dust on my well-worn shelves.

For me, the biggest problem with this set is the insane volume of material they attempt to cover. It’s just too much to do anything justice, and as a result, everything feels light-weight and uninspired. And given that, it’s even more frustrating when they insist on including stuff we’ve seen a billion times before! How many times can you watch the footage of DX addressing the network with their famous, bleeped promo? Hell, I didn’t think it was that funny first time round….

My advice is to steer clear. Yes, some of the matches are completely fantastic, but most of those (Hart/Hart, Michaels/Hart, HHH/Foley etc) are available elsewhere. There are much superior releases out on the market right now, and picking this Disc up, will only make your hunger for those, that much more unbearable.

This one will definitely be bought by relatives for you. Beware!

Thanks for taking the time to check this out. I welcome any and all feedback and I can be contacted at www.myspace.com/michaelwrestlingetc or simply by emailing me at Michael@ifight365.com. I look forward to hearing from you, and will be back soon!