Pads & Panels

Title: The Epic Journey of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Format: Three-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

“1995. $7 in my pocket. Thru blood, sweat and respect – I relentlessly chase greatness. This is who I am, this is what we do.” –Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, Team Bring It Strong

So reads the printed-to-look-handwritten inscription on the first foldout of WWE Home Video’s latest collection for The Rock, The Epic Journey of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, released just in time for his WrestleMania main event with John Cena more than one year in the making. It sounds like a good rags-to-riches story, but if the first DVD of the three-disc set is any indication, that’s far from true when it comes to The Rock. (more…)

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Interview with WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes

WWE Extreme Rules Preview

Interview by Bill Jones – Images courtesy of WWE

Cody Runnels, better known by his ring name Cody Rhodes, is the son of WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, a fact he played into with the multi-generational stable The Legacy. Cody Rhodes cut his teeth in the WWE in tag team competition with Ted DiBiase, but in recent years, Rhodes has made a name for himself as a singles competitor poised to be a main eventer. He has had great feuds and even better matches with the likes of Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton and Booker T. But his current feud sees him up against the 7-foot 441-pound Big Show, upholding the time-honored pro wrestling tradition of fighting a giant, in this case a giant who beat him Sunday, April 1, for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania.

Rhodes will get his rematch Sunday, April 29, at the Extreme Rules pay per view, held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (Chicago). Rhodes was kind enough to take 15 minutes out of his busy travel schedule Thursday, April 26, to chat on the phone about the upcoming show and his career, delving into his mask, video games, his father, Chicago, twitter, the return of Attitude Era Superstars, dream matches, mystery stipulations and, of course, the Big Show. (more…)

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Title: Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line on the Most Popular Superstar of All Time

Format: Four-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the biggest stars — if not the biggest star — in the world of professional wrestling. He was at the top of the business during WWE’s most popular Attitude Era and made it incredibly cool to like professional wrestling. He was a consummate badass in the ring, and spent plenty of time making appearances and getting guest spots on television shows to raise awareness for the company, and WWE has put together a definitive DVD collection for fans to remember his accomplishments. (more…)

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Title: OMG! The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History

Format: Three-Disc DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Bill Jones

World Wrestling Entertainment’s latest mining of the archives elicits OMG! The Top 50 Incidents in WWE History. What are incidents, you ask? Well that’s a very good question, as WWE seems to use the term liberally in this instance, encompassing everything from contrived stunts, to real (once) behind-the-scenes things like the Montreal Screwjob to big moments in matches. What it amounts to, though, is a fun countdown of some of the biggest moments in WWE history, designed to spark argument over what did and did not make it, as well as where things placed. The feature is packed with moments like Stone Cold’s first stunner on Vince McMahon, to miraculous stunts from the likes of Shane McMahon and Jeff Hardy, to Brock Lesnar and Big Show collapsing a ring, to not-so-PG moments like Sable removing her top on television to reveal handprints on her breasts. The picks are good, though indicate how much better the programming was during the attitude era than what we get now, and the few modern-era choices are questionable. Still, the list is fantastic, thought it’s a bummer the second two discs didn’t contain some others that didn’t make the discs, rather than full-length versions of what is on the list, but having full matches like the Undertaker and Mankind Hell in the Cell also has its benefits. (more…)

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