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WWE has had three new PPV DVDs hit store shelves in recent months, and it seems like the lessons I have been preaching are starting to get noticed by those individuals at WWE Home Video.
This round of releases probably had the strongest group of extras I've seen in a long, long time on this type of recording. Don't believe me? Check it out.
WWE Backlash
Extras:
The McMahons go to church (Raw 4/10)
Triple H post-match interview
Joey Styles and Rob Van Dam post-PPV
Three Joey Styles segments from Raw 5/1
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 - Okay, so four of the five segments here were happenstance, thanks to Styles leaving Raw, but we do see the buildup to his departure in the segment with RVD to give his departure more background. It probably would've been more appropriate for the One Night Stand disc, but it was still well done. Adding the McMahon segment also gave the semi-main some strong background. Well done.
WWE Judgement Day
Extras:
Chavo and Vicki Guerrero backstage
Kristal Marshall interviews The Great Khali and Daivari
King Booker's coronation
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 - The only thing not to like here was the coronation,
since it lead to the M.A.D.E. finding yet another way to make me turn off Smackdown.
Nevertheless, it was a great follow-up to the PPV. The segment with Chavito
and Vicki was a good start to the eventual turn on Rey Mysterio and Daivari
was very strong on the mic in talking about Undertaker (but then again, Daivari
has been one of the most underrated speakers in WWE for quite some time).
ECW One Night Stand
Extras:
WWE vs. ECW Battle Royal from Head to Head (6/7)
Post-show fan comments
Paul Heyman promo from ECW on Sci Fi
ECW Barely Legal 1997 (separate disc)
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Rating: 4.5 out of 5 - WWE has finally added the value I've been begging for. Not only did they dip into the vault for classic matches, but they came out with an entire PPV. There is no doubt in my mind that, should sales support it (which I'm sure they will), that this could be done again in the near future. If there is anything unfortunate about Barely Legal it is that most of the matches, including the three-way dance, title match and RVD bouts, have all been on recent releases. The only thing that really detracted from the overall presentation, which smartly included the Heyman opener from the new TV show, was the utterly useless and pointless comments from fans.
Keep up the great work WWE, don't rest on your laurels.
Jon Waldman has been with SLAM! since 2000.