Pads & Panels

Title: WWE Superstar Collection: Sheamus

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Rating:

Review by: Matt Peters

Limiting the number of matches to only six, the WWE Superstars series of releases are more akin to a “best of” rather than the time capsule the usual multi-disc sets usually are. For instance, the 2011 John Cena 3-disc set did a great job of catching fans up on his recent activities while completely ignoring the Superstar’s Basic Thuganomics and Chain Gang eras. Sheamus makes a fantastic heel, and this release serves as a great reminder of those qualities before diving into his current run as a good guy. Besides, what better way to begin than by showing Sheamus beat the living hell out of the current WWE poster child, John Cena? (more…)

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Title: WWE Royal Rumble 2011

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

Royal Rumble marks the official start of the Road to WrestleMania in the WWE, and this year it was bigger than ever, upping the traditional 30-man over-the-top rope affair to a 40-man match for the first time. Though it is bigger, the massive cadres of jobbers that are Nexus and The Corre essentially take up the additional 10 spots. Still, WWE found the space for some fun surprise returns, which spiced up an otherwise middle-of-the-road rumble. The two championship matches – The Miz vs. Randy Orton and Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler – also provided enough entertainment value. Which is good, because the four-way Divas Championship bout was little more than filler and a chance for the live crowd to do a beer run. The special features, as per usual, are also disappointing. (more…)

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Title: Hell in a Cell 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

The Devil’s Playground. Satan’s Structure. Whatever you want to call it, Hell in a Cell matches have a storied history in World Wrestling Entertaining, with a slew of classic moments. But those days are long gone, and nowadays Hell in a Cell has been relegated to a pay-per-view event, devoid of blood and (most of the time) even any big risks or moments. Here we see two of WWE’s most famous demons, Kane and The Undertaker, do old-man battle inside the structure, with a finish that is poorly planned and executed. Meanwhile, John Cena becomes a member of The Nexus, and Randy Orton and Sheamus slug it out in another 4-star match (Note: On a 5-star scale. Note 2: By today’s standards. Note 3: Considering the competitors). Daniel Brian vs. John Morrison vs. The Miz is by far the best match on the card, and even that leaves this reviewer without any fond memories. (more…)

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Title: SummerSlam 2010

Format: DVD

Studio: WWE Home Video

Review by: Bill Jones

World Wrestling Entertainment’s annual SummerSlam pay-per-view hit right at the peak of a feud between the WWE’s core roster and the invading up-and-comers The Nexus. As such, the main event is a 7-on-7 bout featuring Team WWE vs. The Nexus. And it’s ultimately disappointing. We see a weird Bret Hart elimination on account of his relative inability to perform in-ring nowadays, Michael Cole harp on the return of Daniel Bryan, and a group of green characters in a main event match. Meh. The WWE Championship Match between Sheamus and Randy Orton is a decent slugfest between two big dudes, and the World Heavyweight Championship Match between Kane vs. Rey Mysterio gets a real finish despite the ridiculous Undertaker storyline surrounding it. Still, when the Divas Championship Match features some of the most standout wrestling of the show, that’s never a good sign. (more…)

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