WWE Tagged Classics: WWF The Year In Review 1993 & 1994

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 352 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: May 16 2011

As part of the Tagged Classics series, the original WWF Year In Review shows for 1993 and 1994 were re-released. Unfortunately, according to UK distributor Silver Vision (who were technically the ones releasing these DVDs rather than WWE), the original master tape for the 1992 Year In Review is unsuitable for re-release (which is a shame since this was a VHS that I did not purchase back in the day), meaning that the YIR series on Tagged Classics begins with the 1993/1994 annums.

This was an interesting time in WWF history, as it marked the dying days of the Hulkamania era and the emphasis on the New Generation. It's clear that while the in-ring quality of WWF action improved over the mid-1990s, but the general popularity of the Federation was in decline. Indeed, the arenas for weekly television were much bigger at the beginning of 1993 than they were by the end of 1994; in fact, large-scale arenas wouldn't host WWF/WWE television shows again until early 1997. In the meantime, many of the big names who departed the WWF were not suitable replaced, so while the crop of talent in the company was generally good, very few were truly over, meaning that there is a smaller cast of memorable characters on the 1994 disc.

YIR 1993 begins, funnily enough, in late 1992 with a Yokozuna squash match victory (Yoko had recently arrived in the WWF). From there, we see newcomer Doink attack Crush with a fake arm (really), Giant Gonzales invade the 1993 Royal Rumble match by attacking The Undertaker, and a home video exclusive match between Gonzales and Randy Savage, which has a confusing ending (a quick side note: most home video matches from the late-1980s to the mid-1990s generally have countout or disqualification finishes). We then see Ted DiBiase meet Brutus Beefcake in the Barber's comeback match on Raw, which ends in a Money Inc beatdown of Bruti' that sets up a big WrestleMania IX match between DiBiase and IRS and the combo of Beefcake and the returning Hulk Hogan. Around this point, we see a tribute video to Andre The Giant, who passed away in January 1993, and was named the first ever Hall Of Fame inductee.

Mania IX is highlighted here by Doink vs. Crush, which in my personal opinion has one of the best finishes ever to a match (some will disagree but I stand by my belief; just look at this image and tell me this wasn't a great WrestleMania moment), and by Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna, preceded by their contract signing segment, which segues into Yokozuna vs. Hulk Hogan, the latter of whom wins the WWF Title abruptly (in a moment which I enjoyed at the time, but has since come to be remembered as one of the most controversial examples of Hogan's backstage influence; picture AJ Styles winning the WWE Title, then losing it to Kevin Owens at WM 33, only for Owens to immediately lose it to John Cena at the same Mania in an impromptu bout, and you should get an idea of how people feel about Hogan's win here). WM IX is generally considered to be the worst WM ever because it had no great matches at all, but to me these two moments raise WM IX above the likes of WM 2 and WM XI (which is definitely the worst WrestleMania ever in my opinion).

Another exclusive match between Bam Bam Bigelow and the undefeated Tatanka is followed by standout clips from the most memorable episode of Monday Night Raw in 1993, (the year when Raw first debuted, although that fact isn't acknowledged here), where Marty Jannetty returns to challenge old partner turned enemy Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Title, and the 123 Kid, previously cast as a jobber, pulls off arguably the greatest upset in WWF/WWE history by pinning upper mid-carder Razor Ramon. We then see their rematch, set up by Razor offering increasingly large amounts of money, which actually has a screwed-up ending (Kid was meant to plant Ramon with a top rope move only for him to slip, setting up some nervy moments that led to 123 leaving with the money as planned; because this was 1993, this all seemed normal as opposed to a botch).

Next up is an interesting situation: Doink faces Mr. Perfect in a King Of The Ring qualifier, which is actually their third such meeting after two draws. The KOTR final between Bret Hart and Bam Bam Bigelow and the post-match capers with Bret and Jerry Lawler are here, as is the follow-up between Bret and Lawler at SummerSlam (preceded by Bret vs. Doink, initially a substitute bout until Lawler revealed that his supposed injury was a ruse). It's interesting that we don't get Hogan's WWF Title loss to Yoko at KOTR 1993, since this was his last televised match for the company until 2002 (by the way, this match was originally set to be Hogan vs. Bret Hart until Hulk allegedly refused to lose to The Hitman; of course, the programme wouldn't have acknowledged this fact even if Hogan vs. Yoko was included).

The superb build-up to Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger at SummerSlam and match highlights are shown, and the disc concludes in September 1993 with a strange tag team title bout between The Quebecers and The Steiners. (I actually originally got this tape on the final day of 1993, so it stands to reason that the final few months of the year aren't included.) Oh, and we got a quick look at the hilariously cheesy yet weirdly awesome WrestleMania song released that year to coincide with WM IX, as well as a short music video tribute to Randy Savage. Savage, by the way, hosts this programme in comical fashion due to his delivery; at one point, he says "The title is on the LIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEE". Savage's presenting of this disc is worth the price alone, such is the entertainment value of it.

While 1993 largely focuses on key moments as opposed to the year's biggest matches, the 1994 disc places a greater emphasis on significant PPV encounters. It strangely begins in August by recapping the Two Undertakers storyline (which I personally thought was great, at least for the 1994-era WWF), followed by the Undertaker vs. Undertaker match at SummerSlam (which is slow and a bit dull, but not an absolute stinkbomb like some would have you believe). We then see the Headshrinkers face the Quebecers for the Tag Titles from May 1994, and to show that the timeline is all over the place on disc two, we then step back two months further to WrestleMania X. Alundra Blayze's Women's Title defence against Leilani Kai is nothing special, and the same goes for a mixed tag pitting Bam Bam Bigelow and Luna Vachon against Doink and Dink. Randy Savage vs. Crush under Falls Count Anywhere Rules is better, but before we tackle the truly big Mania X matches, the programme jumps to the poor Roddy Piper-Jerry Lawler match at King Of The Ring 1994 (why did this happen? If Piper was having one more match in mid-1994, why not have him face Shawn Michaels or even Bret Hart again?)

The producer of the original 1994 tape may have been drunk, because we now jump back to WM X, but at least it's to an absolute classic: the Ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels. It's slightly overrated by modern standards, but at the time this was one of the best WWF matches ever, and fittingly is shown in its entirety (most matches across the two discs are either mostly complete or in highlight form). This is followed by Diesel snatching the IC Title from Razor shortly after WM X, and Razor's rematch against Big Daddy Cool at SummerSlam. It appears that the chronology was decided by importance rather than time, because after covering the Razor-Shawn-Diesel saga (all Kliq members, by the way; that's probably not a coincidence), the show moves onto the Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart feud, a legendary brother vs. brother rivalry which dominated the year (the explanation of this by Gorilla Monsoon, who hosts disc two, raises a smile).

We get the full story about how Bret vs. Owen came about, including their Tag Title shot against The Quebecers (them again!) at Royal Rumble 1994. We then get their awesome WM X match, followed by the two WWF Title matches at Mania whereby Luger and Bret both challenge Yokozuna for the title. (They both won the Royal Rumble, which is strangely not shown here, and so both got a title opportunity at Mania.) Both are really only memorable for their conclusions: special referee Mr. Perfect screwing Lex out of the title (to wild cheers, by the way), and Bret capitalising on a Yoko mistake to pin him and become WWF Champ. In contrast to the first disc, which was Yokozuna-heavy (no pun intended), these quick match clips are the only real time we see Yokozuna on the entire 1994 programme. Following these bouts, we see Owen Hart face Razor Ramon in the 1994 KOTR tournament final (former NFL commentator Art Donovan's announcing here was ridiculously bad), and the incredible Bret-Owen Steel Cage match at SummerSlam which closes the second disc. (Random thing here, but why the hell is Bret Hart not on the cover of the 1994 disc? And why on the cover of the 1993 disc do we see The Undertaker fighting Mr. Hughes when this is not an included match?)

This DVD is a great way to explore life in the WWF during the years 1993 and 1994. That being said, if you enjoy this and think "I'll watch more 1993-4 matches on the WWE Network", you'll soon find that this DVD pretty much showcases the ONLY great matches or moments from this period, save for a few exceptions (mostly involving Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in some way). To be fair, this was still the 5-PPV's-a-year phase, so Survivor Series aside (which isn't covered on the 1994 disc either), every supercard is covered in some way. The 1993 disc does a better job of actually providing a Year In Review month-by-month, although the 1994 section actually spotlights the biggest matches of the annum under scrutiny.

As someone who watched the WWF during these years, I really enjoyed this twin-DVD set for nostalgic reasons. Modern WWE fans may be less enthused and possibly even horrified by the action on display at different times on the two discs. In fairness, though, the 1994 disc has a couple of great matches, even if the Ladder match is the only one in its entirety (match quality on the 1993 disc isn't very good at all). If you were a fan at the time or if you're interested in learning about the WWF between the Hogan years and the Attitude Era, this DVD is a good option; otherwise, you may enjoy it, but there may be moments that make for a frustrating viewing experience.

Overall Rating: 7/10 - Respectable

The Best Of The Intercontinental Championship

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 61 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: January 25 2005

This retro DVD review really is a throwback in more ways than one. The DVD in question was released in 2005, but is actually a re-release of a video (yes, a video) which first saw the light of day in the mid-1990s. Adding to the old-school feel, it is roughly an hour long and features five matches, most of which lack entrances and some of which have overdubbed commentary.

We open with Gorilla Monsoon introducing us to the programme and quickly explaining what is to come. I liked Gorilla but I couldn't help but laugh when he described an upcoming Bret Hart-Skinner match as a "blockbuster" (due to the latter, not the former). Anyway, we then get into match 1. Oh, and all matches bar one are from 1993 (the exception is from 1992).

Shawn Michaels defends against Crush in Sheffield, England (I think this was at UK Rampage 1993 but I could be wrong). It is a decent enough bout for the era but just as it's picking up steam, a ringside brawl leads to Crush winning by countout. Any wrestling fan knows that this means the title doesn't change hands, but that doesn't stop former two-time WWF titleholder Randy Savage blurting out "New Champion!"

Match two is the oldest of the compilation, the aforementioned Bret-Skinner showdown. This appears to have taken place at the 1992 SummerSlam Spectacular (not the PPV, but the pre-PPV TV special; I wish they'd do them nowadays. There's an idea for the WWE Network), and ends fairly quickly as Bret makes a comeback from a Skinner onslaught to win by submission. The dubbed commentary feels weird since Jim Ross wasn't in the WWF at the time and the Macho Man was actually wrestling on that very show as WWF Champ! Also notable here is the amazingly quiet crowd, presumably because they knew Bret had zero chance of losing with a then-impending title bout with The British Bulldog to come days later at that very SummerSlam.

We then get some more comments from Monsoon (he loved that Bret-Skinner bout) before we get to the highlight of the DVD, but before we do, I point out my biggest confusion with the release. So far, we've had clearly dubbed commentary from JR, Macho and the always-hilarious Bobby Heenan, so I assumed that we'd get that for the rest of the feature. Nope: instead, match three has also-dubbed commentary from Ross and Gorilla (a commentary dream team, actually), made worse because during the scrap, we see the real announcers for the showdown, consisting of Vince McMahon and ... Randy Savage and Bobby Heenan! Making things more bizarre, we get the real commentary for the last two matches on the programme. The mind boggles.

On the bright side, the middle match in question is Shawn vs. Marty Jannetty, a genuinely great Raw match from July 1993 which I think actually won some Match Of The Year awards. I like this inclusion because Marty won the IC gold from Michaels in a famous Raw bout two months later that has been on a few DVDs. However, the Raw follow-up (Michaels regained the strap on a house show in the interim) is never released, so it's good to see it here. And it's a great match by the standards of any era. As I say, the definite highlight of the show.

Next up is Shawn vs. Mr. Perfect from SummerSlam 1993. I seemed to remember this being something of a disappointment. It actually was better than I'd remembered, but it was still a bit of a let-down considering that it involves two of the best wrestlers of all-time. With another five minutes and without a(nother) countout finish, this could have been remembered more fondly, but as it was, the match is often overlooked, especially after the two classic IC Title bouts at the previous two SummerSlams.

The last match is a Raw clash from a few months earlier between HBK and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. This is another match which tends to end a bit out of the blue, and unfortunately it has the third countout finish of the programme. This is back in the days when a babyface wrestler would celebrate such a result in a championship showdown, knowing full well that he wasn't going to win the title. Mind you, the production of the feature suggests that he did actually become champ, at least to the uneducated viewer (the match fades out before we're told that Shawn actually kept the gold). We close with some final comments from Gorilla Monsoon (which, by the way, are in the old-school WWF TV truck).

A few more points about the programme: the chronology is all over the place, and covers a weird time period in that we get spring/summer 1993, with one random 1992 match thrown in, and the bouts aren't in date order. Plus, all but one feature Shawn Michaels, so this feels more like a HBK title than one for the IC, erm, title. Three countout finishes out of five matches is also an annoyance on a best-of.

Which brings me to my last point: does this really represent the BEST of the Intercontinental Championship? I don't think it even represents that prize's best matches from 1993 (two other Shawn-Marty bouts from that year should have been here instead; hell, we had Michaels in nearly every match anyway). Standards were different back then, so for example we wouldn't have had Bret-British Bulldog from SSlam 92, since Davey Boy Smith was in between WWF tenures when this compilation was made, but couldn't we at least have had Bret-Perfect from SummerSlam 1991 since both are featured here?

Still, taken for what it is, this is a decent old-school collection. One match is really good and only one is a bit dull, and the commentary, whilst clearly overdubbed at times, is still amusing at various points (Bobby Heenan has several funny one-liners, and Savage's attempt at Hacksaw Jim Duggan's "Hooooo!" is unintentionally hilarious). For longtime fans like me who were watching the WWF in the 1990s, you should enjoy this budget release, if for no other reason than to see how advanced wrestling compilations have become since then. Besides that, you're most likely to find this worthwhile if you're an avid collector or if you simply want a low-priced wrestling DVD. Or if, as with Gorilla Monsoon, you're a big fan of Skinner.

Overall Rating: 4.5/10 - Below Average

Bret Hitman Hart - The Best There Is

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 549 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: December 12 2005

After the Montreal Screwjob at Survivor Series 1997 resulted in Bret Hart exiting the WWF earlier than expected and under very bad terms, a potential reunion seemed unimaginable. For all the old WWF/WWE names who would return in the years to come (including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and Roddy Piper), it seemed that the Hitman would never go back under any circumstances. But relations improved between Hart and Vince McMahon in the early-to-mid-2000s, so much so that Bret would agree to participate in this career retrospective DVD, the first step towards a landmark return.

(Actually, Bret had stated in more than one interview that he was initially approached to contribute to a release focusing solely on Montreal, which likely would have dumped all over Bret's reputation. Why such an idea seemed a good one is anybody's guess, but fortunately the Hitman managed to persuade Vince to allow common sense to prevail, and so this DVD became a proper career retrospective instead.)

The main appeal of the DVD when it was released was the documentary on Bret's career, from his childhood as one of twelve kids in a family parented by wrestling promoting, to his start and subsequent run in the family-run Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, to him joining the WWF and his 13-year tenure (which covers the Hart Foundation, his title wins, the feud with his brother Owen, the USA-Canada rivalry and his acrimonious departure), to the struggles in WCW and the personal tragedies and setbacks which hit hard in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The DVD ends on a high note by showing how Bret had recovered from his 2002 stroke and looking back positively at his legacy.

There is plenty of enjoyment to be found from reliving the Bret Hart story and looking back at his greatest moments. The downside is that there aren't many major revelations, but I think Bret was in a different place then. For instance, Montreal is covered in a neutral fashion, whereas future documentaries would delve more into the circumstances and the personal feelings of those involved. Plus, Bret hadn't yet made peace with the likes of Shawn Michaels, so whilst the DVD covers Bret's career, the Bret Hart story itself was by no means complete. Still, it is an entertaining and intriguing feature which, more than anything, marked the beginning of Bret Hart finally returning to WWE.

Besides some additional interview segments, the rest of the DVD comprises Bret's greatest matches. And what a highlight reel this is: a few very good Hart Foundation matches are followed by many tremendous matches. Forgotten gems with Ricky Steamboat, Mr. Perfect, Owen Hart, Hakushi and others are interspersed by true classics, including bouts against Perfect (SummerSlam 1991), British Bulldog (SummerSlam 1992), Owen (WrestleMania X) and Stone Cold Steve Austin (WM 13), amongst others. The only downer is the last match against Chris Benoit from an episode of WCW Monday Nitro from 1999. It was an excellent match to pay tribute to the recently-passed Owen, but its power has been diminished by future events involving Bret's opponent that night.

Despite some flaws, I think this is a must-own wrestling DVD. It is a very good look at Bret's professional life to that point, and whilst it does lack in major revelations, those are more than covered in Bret's 2007 autobiography Hitman, some of which are too personal to be included on an official WWE DVD anyway. The match selection is outstanding, and the release as a whole began the process to Bret being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2006 and returning to WWE proper in 2010. For those (like me) who grew up watching the Hitman, reliving his glory days is a great experience, and as the name of the DVD says, the compilation proves that at his peak, Bret Hart lived up to his moniker of being The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows

Image Source: IMDB

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Distributor: Vidmark/Trimark
Production Companies: A&E Television Networks, High Road Productions and Trimark Pictures
Director: Paul Jay
Producers: Paul Jay, Sally Blake, David M. Ostriker and Silva Basmajian (NFB)
Writer: Paul Jay
Main Cast: Bret Hart, Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Stu Hart, Julie Hart, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart
Released: December 20 1998
Running Time: 93 Minutes
Certificate: E

Since it's WrestleMania Week, this week's retro movie review takes a slightly different approach by focusing on a wrestling-themed production, which is more of a documentary than a film; however, its reality-based content and gripping footage allows it to shine nonetheless.

Wrestling With Shadows tells the story of Bret Hart, at one point the WWF/WWE's biggest star. He first became WWF Champ in 1992, and lost his third title to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XII in 1996. Shortly afterwards, Hart went on an extended vacation from wrestling, and pondered his future as WCW made him an offer; bear in mind that WCW was now overtaking the WWF in terms of popularity. It is around this time, in autumn 1996, when Bret chooses to stay in the WWF that the documentary begins to tell its narrative.

Director Paul Jay and his crew were hoping to follow the life of a WWF wrestler, and a very popular one, outside the ring so that fans could get a feel of their real-life persona, mixed in with footage shot at the family home, and of stories going back to the early days of Bret's career. Along the way, we get to see backstage footage of WWF events (a novelty at the time), and a chance to see how storylines impact upon a character's real-life (Bret turned into an anti-American heel in 1997, albeit one who still remained, in his words, "very pro-Canadian", leading to a divide on loving and hating the man based on where fans lived).

That was the intention, anyway. But during the timeline of filming, things changed.

For Bret would be leaving for WCW in late 1997, reluctantly it must be said, because apparently the WWF could no longer afford Bret's contract due to financial difficulties. Bret said in his autobiography Hitman that as production of the documentary was still ongoing, he thought it would be a good idea to allow Paul Jay and company to film his final few weeks in the WWF.

It is fascinating to see Bret's clear desire to stay in the WWF being overruled by the wishes of Vince McMahon, the apparent money troubles in the WWF and the change to more adult-orientated content on Raw and WWF PPV events. But it pales in comparison to the elephant in the room: Bret is leaving, not long after Survivor Series 1997, but remains WWF Champion. And with SS being in Canada, where Bret is genuinely idolised, losing the crown there to his real-life enemy Shawn Michaels is a combination too emotionally strong for the Hitman to overcome. So, he suggests to Vince (as captured here) for a DQ finish to his match with Michaels in Montreal, and for him to vacate the title the next night on Raw and leave on a positive note (he was still an anti-American villain, remember). McMahon agrees, and so Bret goes into Survivor Series and his last major match for the WWF after 13 years in the company.

But in the body of the match, Michaels locks a Sharpshooter on Bret; however, while Bret tries to reverse the move as planned, referee Earl Hebner calls for the bell, as advised from a stationed-at-ringside Vince and Michaels himself. Bret had been robbed of the WWF Title for real; the Montreal Screwjob had taken place.

Bret is clearly fuming, and post-match footage shows Vince leaving the arena with a black eye and a limp from a Bret punch (the fight itself is not on camera; imagine if it had), and Bret's then-wife Julie admonishing Triple H, who pretends to have had no involvement in the whole saga. Michaels on camera lies to Bret by saying he had no participation in it either. In Bret's mind, subsequent Raw footage of Vince saying that "Bret screwed Bret" and of DX mocking a midget Bret proves otherwise. The documentary ends with Bret reflecting on his poor treatment by the WWF and suggesting that heroes are no longer accepted, only anti-heroes.

The story of why Montreal happened and who was right and wrong is too great to go into here; I will write about it in-depth in the future. For this review, the purpose is to show that what began as a basic scope of a WWF wrestler's lifestyle turns into a production that shows the true story of the most controversial incident in wrestling history. It is truly real-life; Bret cannot hide his emotions towards the end, and the events of November 9 1997 genuinely weakened Bret for many years. Before Montreal, the documentary is a nice look at the backstage goings-on and home life of a top WWF star; when it comes to covering Montreal, though, it is as gripping as any production on any sports event that you will ever see.

Jay would later comment that he wanted to humanise Vince more, so that he wouldn't come across as the villain and may have been able to have his say (outside of his comments shortly afterwards on Raw). As it is, we only see and hear Bret's side of events; having the opposite set of opinions would have made coverage of the incident even more powerful. Still, that wasn't going to happen in the late 1990s, when wrestling was only occasionally noted to be entertainment, and since this was essentially a Bret Hart documentary and not a WWF one.

So, the crew inadvertantly captured the events leading up to the most talked-about incident ever in wrestling, and of the moment itself and its aftermath. For that, Wrestling With Shadows is essential viewing for any wrestling fan, but the documentary would still have been engaging without the events that led to Bret's departure from the WWF. As a total package, though, Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows is a brilliant documentary and a must-see for all followers of the world of professional wrestling.

Overall Rating: 9/10 - Outstanding