Matt Waters’ review of WWE’s three-disc DVD dedicated to the aerial wizards of wrestling continues with a review of disc 2 featuring the likes of Chris Jericho, The 1-2-3 Kid, John Morrison, the WWF tag teams of the early 2000’s, Super Crazy, Brian Pillman, The Great Muta, and Rob Van Dam.
– Greetings readers of Pro Wrestling Ponderings, Matt Waters here, back from a wonderful bout against illness that began during my live recap of ROH’s Final Battle 2010 and only really ended in the early hours of this morning. This delayed my review of disc 2 of Wrestling’s Highest Flyers but at least it hasn’t taken as long as disc 1 did, right?
– As promised this article will also review the aesthetics of the set and let’s get that out of the way early shall we?
– The front cover features Rey Mysterio (of course), Kofi Kingston, Jimmy Snuka and Evan Bourne. It’s kind of nice, but I resent Kofi making the front cover. I understand that the WWE want to protect their current stars (making Rey Mysterio getting destroyed by Ultimo Dragon in disc 1 a little puzzling), but does he really belong on the front cover? Some would argue Evan Bourne doesn’t, but I’d much rather he was and Kofi was not. At least relegate him to the back or something.
– The back features the late Eddie Guerrero mid-Frog Splash and what I believe to be Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, though feel free to correct me. I kind of like the jagged area that houses the blurb but that’s just me. It’s evocative of a lightning bolt and this is a set for high-flying… so… ya know.
– The first set of inside covers feature Evan Bourne again – if it weren’t such an awesome image of him I’d dock them some points for repetition – and Lita. It’s a pleasant surprise to see her not only make the set, but feature prominently on the cover-art.
– The second set of inside covers – behind the discs – features Chavo Guerrero, John Morrison and Rey Mysterio. Rey and Bourne each get featured twice, so maybe that’s a compliment to Bourne rather than a knock on WWE’s laziness. The sky background is a nice touch and all the aerial shots are well captured and dynamic.
Disc 2 Main Content
– Disc 2 starts off with Chris Jericho and it depresses me that Josh Matthews has to remind younger viewers that Jericho was once a high-flyer. At first I laughed, but then I realised it’s true, there will be fans who think all Jericho’s ever done is slow, methodical, grounded wrestling. Sad.
Match 1
WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs. Ultimo Dragon
Bash at the Beach 1997
Match: Dragon trips Jericho early and the pair battle for headlocks on the ground but ultimately end up in a stale-mate. Dragon flips out of a back body drop attempt, and then a monkey flip. Not to be outdone, Jericho cartwheels through a monkey flip himself. Arm drags and then a pair of stereo dropkicks and we’re back to stalemate. Jericho works Dragon over in one corner but finds himself victim of a headstand mule kick and then a kick combination. Stiff kicks to the back of a grounded Jericho and then a trio of submission attempts by Dragon. Face manipulation! Dragon attempts a hurricanrana but eats a double powerbomb from Jericho and then a running senton for a close two. Perfect delayed vertical suplex by Jericho. He hits a backbreaker and then holds on and tries to make Dragon tap out, but he breaks the hold. Backdrop suplex by Dragon leaves both men down. Dragon misses a moonsault but Jericho does not. Tiger Driver gets two. Jericho puts Dragon up top and whiffs a dropkick from the very top as the announcers try to cover it by claiming Dragon intentionally dropped to the outside to avoid the contact. Springboard plancha to the outside by Jericho wipes Dragon out. Back inside he attempts a diving move but Dragon gets a foot up to block. Dragonsteiner attempt fails and Jericho shoves Dragon all the way to the outside. Jericho tries to follow up with a flying crossbody but Dragon dropkicks him at the last moment. Ultimo Dragon attempts a suplex on the floor but Jericho reverses into one of his own! Jericho misses a second springboard plancha and then falls victim to a 619 fake-out and ends up absorbing an Asai moonsault. Jericho barely makes it back in the ring in time, though surely he would have retained if he’d stayed put. Hurricanrana by Dragon but Jericho gets the ropes. Each man tries a La Magistral but the ropes save Jericho again. Multiple quick pin attempts now, and both men tumble to the floor one more time where Dragon hits an enzuigiri. They hit a bit of a rough spot back in the ring as Jericho hits a Lionsault to the back of Dragon as he tries to dodge. Moments later Jericho tries it again and Dragon dropkicks him in mid-air, which I assume was the plan in the first place. Dragon sleeper attempt is countered, lariat is not. Moonsault! Tiger Suplex attempt is countered into a Tiger Bomb, but Dragon snaps off a hurricanrana instead! But Jericho rolls through… 3-Count!
Review: Jericho is awesome, but Ultimo Dragon looked marginally better in this match, though not as technically sound. That’s three great matches from Ultimo Dragon on this set so far, and I’m thinking maybe those in charge of the archive footage realised they were just sitting on all these fantastic Ultimo performances and now was their chance to use some. Two Lionsaults and two dives to the outside from Jericho was OK for a high-flying exhibition, but I could have done with some dropkicks or flying back elbows. The match was really all about their excellent chemistry from facing off all over the world, and their counter wrestling was very slick. Can’t really complain with a shiny new Chris Jericho DVD out there to be purchased!
– Next up is the 1-2-3 Kid. They show highlights of all three of his personas. I always liked Sean Waltman, never understood the whole X-Pac Heat thing. Did I miss something? Love him or hate him, he was certainly a pioneer of the American cruiserweights.
Match 2
The 1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi
Summerslam 1995
Match: I was actually thinking about checking out some Hakushi matches recently, so this DVD can apparently read my mind. I’ll be calling the The 1-2-3 Kid “Waltman” or “Kid” for ease of typing. Hakushi powers Waltman down early but he uses his agility to flip back to his feet and we have a stand-off. These stand-offs are a recurring theme of this DVD. A leapfrog sequence leads to a hip toss by Waltman, but Hakushi kicks up at him with both feet and we have a second stand-off. Another leapfrog spot ends with both men missing big kicks and – you guessed it – standing off. Hakushi goes to the throat to take the advantage, but Waltman escapes a powerbomb with an arm drag. He tries a tilt-a-whirl headscissors but ends up being slammed hard on the mat instead. Handspring back elbow by Hakushi floors Waltman in the corner and I’ll be damned… Hakushi uses a bronco buster of sorts. Did Waltman get the bronco buster from Hakushi?! Kid scrambles around on the mat as Hakushi methodically kicks him all over his body, picking him apart. Vader Bomb! Only two. Huge back body drop by Hakushi, and then a spin kick to knock Waltman out of the ring. Handspring moonsault to the outside!!! Flying headbutt strike to the chest back inside the ring gets two. Hakushi goes back up top and prays before launching himself for a diving headbutt but Waltman moves. Kid dropkicks Hakushi to the outside and then hits a big running springboard plancha. Slingshot leg drop back in the ring gets two, as does a frog splash. Waltman tries a spinning wheel kick but Hakushi catches him and one-arm-powerbombs the hell out of him for the win.
Review: So… this was a showcase of Sean Waltman’s aerial skills? Hakushi dominated almost the entire match, hit more high-flying moves AND defeated him. This chapter should have been devoted to Hakushi because he was a great high-flyer for his time, and this match showed that off better than some of the previous matches have for their intended wrestler, so why on earth not? Gross misrepresentation aside, I really enjoyed this short match. A nice blend of technical wrestling, high risk dives, and martial arts striking.
– Oh god. It’s time for a Sky-Cam segment with… John Morrison! Prepare to feel dizzy. He points out this device was invented for his DVD which is still available by the way. Got to love a cheap pop. As expected the camera provides utterly incomprehensible footage, but it’s a damn nice move and Morrison is fun when he relaxes.
– Speaking of Jo-Mo, he’s up next. Lot’s of epic moves from the Shaman of Sexy in his montage, and you have to wonder… if he had a better talking game, could he get a main event spot? Perhaps.
Match 3
John Morrison vs. Tyson Kidd
Superstars 2009
Match: I’ve seen these two face off twice this year, and both times it was probably the match of the night. Both guys shoot each other cute looks before getting into the grappling, and Morrison gets the better of it early with a fireman’s carry. Kidd creates space with the ropes and then ducks behind the referee and out of the ring to avoid Jo-Mo. Arm drags from Morrison lead to a grounded shoulder lock, but Kidd gets the ropes. Tyson gets cheap with several strikes and then goes to a headlock on the mat. Leapfrog sequence culminates in a flapjack from Morrison and then his breakdance leg drop. Kidd continues to go to the ropes, and the separation allows him to hit a sickening neckbreaker onto the apron. No seriously, it was brutal. With Morrison on the outside you just knew David Hart Smith interference was coming. We return from commercial break with Morrison hiting a back suplex that leaves both men down. Jo-Mo tries some kicks but Tyson catches his foot. Morrison hits an insane swing kick though. A dropkick and a leg lariat later and we have a two count. Morrison clotheslines Kidd out of the ring and wants to fly from the top tope but DH Smith stands in the way, causing the ref to eject him and Natalya from ringside. Vaulting corkscrew crossbody by Morrison! Kidd counters the Moonlight Drive and hits a nice enzugiri-like kick. Each man tries an O’Connor roll but can’t get the win. Rolling sole butt and a running basement dropkick from Kidd, but Morrison kicks out. Slingshot sunset flip by Kidd from the apron, but Morrison rolls back and destroys his face with his running knee strike. Starship Pain! Forget about it.
Review: There’s a reason these two have had such fantastic matches this year; they had immediate chemistry a year ago, and that’s only improved with subsequent meetings. This wasn’t as good as either of their matches in 2010, but it’s still about as good as Superstars is ever going to get. Morrison looked good, Tyson Kidd looked good without stealing the spotlight, goodness all-round.
– Josh Matthews talks about Morrison’s time as a team with Joey Mercury, transitioning into the history of high-flying tag teams. We get highlights of the Young Bloods, the Fantastics, the Killer Bees, MNM, The Rockers, Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz.
Match 4
WWE Tag Team Title Triangle Ladder Match
Edge & Christian vs. The Hardyz vs. The Dudley Boyz
Wrestlemania 2000
Match: Dammit. I was hoping to not have to call this match. It’s amazing, but it’s also pure chaos. Everybody brawls on the outside to start things off. Christian hits a dropkick on Matt Hardy and Edge hits a spinning wheel kick on D-Von. Jeff hits Bubba with the Whisper in the Wind but then gets back body dropped into next week. Bubba Bomb! The Dudleyz end up in opposite corners with ladders propped against them. Poetry in Motion by the Hardyz on Bubba. E&C try to do the same but D-Von shoves the ladder in Christian’s face. The Hardyz wipe Edge out with a ladder. Body slam to D-Von on a ladder, and then an elbow drop from the second rope. Jeff hits Bubba with a DDT and then lays a ladder down in the corner, placing Bubba on top. 450 Splash misses and Jeff ingests a lot of steel. Bubba puts a ladder on top of Jeff and hits his diving senton for the first time in history. Edge drops a ladder on top of Matt and everybody is a little dead. Bubba puts a ladder on his head and starts knocking people down but then gets it dropkicked into his face by the champions. Double flapjack into a ladder on D-Von. Christian jumps off a ladder to the outside and nails Matt and Bubba. Jeff climbs a ladder but Edge hits a spear from the top rope to send him crashing back down to earth. Splash Mountain Bomb by Matt on Edge as he attempted to climb the ladder. Matt tries to climb himself now but D-Von military press slams him off it. Christian decides not to do anything fancy to stop D-Von and just throws a second ladder at him. Bubba lets Christian climb while he sets up ladders on either side of him, then scales one and hits a 3D from the top! Omega Effect off ladders by the Hardyz! Christian undersells the shit out of the 3D and throws Jeff out of the ring, and he landed hard on the floor. Double superplex off a ladder on D-Von! Bulldog off a ladder by Jeff, Flatliner off a ladder by Matt. Three ladders get set up and all six men climb. Jeff and Christian fall all the way out of the ring and may in fact be dead. Edge and Matt get crotched, and that leaves the Dudleyz in the ring. They collapse the ladders and sandwich Christian between two. How Christian absorbs those falls to the outside I will never know. 3D to Edge! Tables! They take their time setting up two ladders and turn a table into a platform between the two. Two more tables get set up in the ring, and another on the outside. D-Von misses a body splash off a ladder and goes through a table in the ring. Bubba isn’t happy with that, so decides to powerbomb Matt off the announce table through the table on the outside. Jeff runs the guard rail and dives at Bubba who swats him out of the air with a ladder. That move never ends well for Jeff. Bubba retrieves a giant ladder, sets up a table in front of it and drags Jeff over towards the monstrous steel tower. Christian nails Bubba twice in the head with the ring bell, leaving him laying on the table. Jeff takes Christian out, climbs the giant ladder and hits a Swanton Bomb from the very top, severely hurting his ankle and tailbone in the process. I remember seeing Jeff having his ankle popped back in as a part of the bonus features of this event. Twist of Fate by Matt to D-Von, and he climbs onto the table platform in the ring. Unfortunately for Mr. Hardy, Edge and Christian climb up with him and he ends up being shoved off it, destroying a table far below him. With no-one left to stop them the champions claim their belts and justifiably celebrate.
Review: This match was every bit as insane as you remember it being. I’m not knocking ladder matches in any way, but isn’t it funny that guys pop back up quicker after plummeting ten or more feet to the mat than they do from a low-impact move in a regular match? Tables were broken, ladders were used, bodies flew, and careers were probably shortened here. Almost every moment of it was dangerous as hell, but they damn sure stole the show at Wrestlemania, and most wrestling fans will never forget some of these insane high spots. There’s nothing much that can be said about this as a match as it was more of an exhibition in the ridiculous amounts of punishment the human body can take. If this match taught them anything, it’s that multiple tables are definitely the way to go when you need to break someone’s fall off a ladder. All this being said… the match felt kind of out of place on this DVD. Sure, people flew from ladders… but when it’s wedged in-between John Morrison and Super Crazy, it kind of sticks out.
– Dammit, I ruined the surprise of who was next didn’t I? Ah well, it’s Suuuuuper Craaaaazy. They put in some footage of old, fat WWE Super Crazy which really doesn’t fit in with young, athletic ECW Super Crazy, but oh well. This guy was once an insanely talented wrestler… where did it all go wrong?
Match 5
Super Crazy vs. Tajiri (w/ Mikey Whipwreck) vs. Little Guido Maritato (w/ The FBI)
ECW One Night Stand 2005
Match: Remember when One Night Stand was really a one night stand? Yeah… thanks for killing the magic TNA. Guido gets tossed to the outside early as Crazy hits a hesitation tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Tajiri. Handspring back elbow by Tajiri sends Crazy out of the ring. Guido tries for a Fujiwara armbar and then a cross armbreaker but Crazy hits a standing moonsault to break it. Crazy rolls through a sunset flip from Guido and hits a basement dropkick to the face. Tajiri rolls Crazy up but he springs out of it and gives Tajiri a dropkick to the face as well. Crazy tries for a dive to the outside but Tony Mamaluke trips him, allowing Guido to hit the Sicilian Slice. Guido and Crazy end up on the outside and brawl into the crowd. Super Crazy climbs to the balcony and hits a fearless moonsault down onto the FBI. He runs back to the ring to do a flip and pose for the fans, but forgets about Tajiri. Tarantula! Ten punch in the corner and the fans count in spanish. The FBI mug Crazy on the outside as Big Guido tries some sort of powerbomb combination on Tajiri with Little Guido up top, but Tajiri sprays the green mist at Little Guido and James Mitchell low-blows Big Guido. Tajiri hits a big kick to floor the giant. Tracy Smothers eats a boot as well and then Mikey Whipwreck hits a Whipper Snapper off the top rope on Little Guido to eliminate him. Super Crazy knocks Tajiri down from the apron and vaults back inside for a springboard moonsault. He tries a powerbomb but Tajiri counters into a falling DDT for two. Crazy counters a suplex and hits a lucha body slam that looked waaaay better than any Wade Barrett Wasteland. Moonsault from the bottom rope! Moonsault from the second rope! Mikey Whipwreck prevents the third part of the Trifecta. Crazy ducks the Buzzsaw kick and after an awkward pause destroys Tajiri with a powerbomb and then hits a top rope Moonsault for the three count.
Review: This might not have been the best showcase of Super Crazy’s skills, but it was a pretty damn good one, and I’m sure the WWE don’t mind it coming from what was technically one of their events. The interference and shenanigans all seem a little much out of context, but if watched as a part of the entire event you know that it was a way of letting all the stars of ECW’s past shine one last time. This really was the Super Crazy show as he dominated both men and did it without an entourage at ringside. The balcony moonsault was pure madness, and he barely even looked down to line it up, so he truly deserves his ring-name.
– Next is “Flyin’” Brian Pillman. His montage shows off his incredible leaping ability, and I’m left wondering why he was never a bigger star.
Match 6
Brian Pillman vs Alex Wright
WCW Great American Bash 1995
Match: Pillman uses a monkey flip to ground Wright early and goes to the arm but Wright nips up and uses a hammerlock northern lights suplex. More agile escapes from arm work and guess what? We have a stalemate! Headscissors out of the corner by Pillman and then a dropkick. Wright moonsaults over Pillman’s head and then takes him down with a huge side headscissors of his own. Wright gets booed for shoulder tackling Pillman in the gut for some reason and then uses an enzuigiri headscissors takeover. He tries for a normal enzuigiri but misses and Pillman briefly locks in a bow and arrow. The 17th headscissors of the match goes to Pillman and then he misses the 14th dropkick, allowing Wright to put him first into a Boston crab, and then a severely botched Romero special. Rapid pin attempts by Wright but Pillman kicks out every time and fires back with a big chop. Just as things were getting exciting Pillman kills the buzz in the air with a fujiwara armbar which Wright all but no-sells. The Wunderkid fights to his feet and tosses Pillman out of the ring. He holds the ropes open for Brian who responds by dragging Wright out of the ring and attacking him… which the fans cheer! Wright hits a running facebuster but Pillman gets his knees up when he tries to follow up with a big running splash. Once again Pillman plays the role of Buzz Killington by going to a rest hold just as he regained control. Huge gutwrench gutbuster by Pillman gets two. He follows that up with a vertical suplex dropped onto the top rope for further rib damage. Wright reverses a suplex attempt and launches Pillman over the top rope with one of his own. While the commentators are busy debating whether or not this should be a disqualification Alex Wright flies over the top rope and wipes Pillman out. Big missile dropkick back in the ring only gets two. Pillman tosses Wright between the middle ropes and then hits a suicide dive. He misses a diving axe handle from the apron and destroys his chest on the guard rail. Wright misses a flying shoulder tackle in the ring and both men play dead. They finally get back up and try dropkicks at the same time, leaving them both down again. Brian Pillman fails to hit a superplex, Alex Wright does not fail with a flying crossbody and gets a close two. He tries twice to Irish whip Pillman who goes dead as if his knee is injured. Wright instead goes for a flying axe handle but Pillman reveals he was faking and dropkicks him out of the sky. He tries to follow up from the top rope but Wright launches him off so that he is crotched on the top rope. Bridging german suplex gets two. Pillman tries to hit a crucifix sunset flip but Wright sits down on him for three.
Review: OK this isn’t funny anymore. Whoever put this set together did not try hard enough. Alex Wright performed on a higher level than Pillman did, and after the really nice highlights that came before it made Brian look an even bigger disappointment. Oh, and Pillman LOST. That’s fine if you put on a hell of a show in the process, but he simply did not. Pillman didn’t seem to understand the concept of wrestling as a babyface, repeatedly locking in rest holds as soon as he regained control of the match. That’s not what gets the fans excited. They clearly wanted to cheer him, applauding when he used a pair of heel tactics, so it’s a shame he didn’t capitalise on this more. I don’t really know what to say without repeating myself so yeah… same problem as before, let’s move on.
– And we’ll be moving on to a legend of Japanese wrestling, The Great Muta! Any chance to watch vintage Muta needs to be taken with gusto in my opinion.
Match 7
The Great Muta vs. Sting
WCW Japan Supershow 1992
The Match: Sting decides to endear himself even less to the Japanese crowd by wearing a gaudy American ring jacket, red, white and blue face paint, and an american flag on his tights. They pop for him a little anyway though, which is nice. Muta explodes on Sting early, creaming him with a handspring back elbow and then sets up immediately for a moonsault. Sting moves but Muta lands on his feet. Sting no-sells a spin kick but a jumping enzuigiri takes him down and out of the ring. Muta hits a vaulting crossbody and then spits red mist to the delight of the crowd. Both men are already covered in Muta’s face paint. Muta leaps from the top rope back into the ring but Sting kicks him in the gut. Military press by Sting and he effortlessly walks around the ring and then tosses Muta to the outside which would have been a disqualification back in the U.S. during this era. Huge Stinger Splash over the top rope! They trade headlocks and then go into a shoulder block spot that ends with Sting launching Muta straight up into the air with both feet. Muta goes to the eyes right in front of the referee and then blasts Sting with a pair of stiff kicks. Huge running bulldog by Sting, and Muta rolls to the outside. Sting wears Muta’s head out with turnbuckle pads and then goes for the Scorpion but Muta gets to the ropes. Huge jumping spin kick knocks Sting back and Muta follows with the Powerdrive Elbow for two. Big elbow to the bridge of the nose by Muta! Sting appears to be bleeding a little. Muta misses a second handspring back elbow but then dodges a Stinger Splash. Rib breaker by Muta and he goes for the Moonsault again, but Sting gets his knees up. Sting tries another military press but falls and Muta gets a near fall. Muta tries for yet another moonsault but Sting hits a dropkick and Muta gets crotched. Belly to back superplex! Only two. Sting misses a huge diving elbow drop and both men are down. Sting tries the Scorpion again and locks it in deep but Muta gets the ropes. Sting tries the Stinger Splash but Muta sprays green mist in his eyes! Rebound crossbody from the top rope and it’s over! After the match Sting hits a Stinger Splash and locks in the Scorpion as the ring fills with WCW and Japanese talents trying to separate the two.
Review: Same story as before, but at least this was a really good match that I’m glad I got to see. The Japanese crowd were respectful as always, and Muta was an effective tweener. Sting took quite a beating as was the custom for visiting American wrestlers, but he kept fighting and their chemistry together took us to a really nice little match that didn’t overstay it’s welcome like the previous one did.
– Closing out disc 2 is a man that I grew tired of over time: Rob Van Dam. He’s good, hell, he’s great. But after hearing him tell us all about it for years and years I just started to care less and less about him, especially after seeing every trick he had to offer. Still, I’ll call this match fairly.
Match 8
WWF Hardcore Championship Match
Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn
Sunday Night Heat 2001
The Match: Lots of agile dodging early on and yep, a stand-off. Lynn ends up on the apron and hits his jumping leg drop to the back of the head of RVD who rolls to the outside. Running cannonball by Lynn! Jerry follows this with a dropkick that knocks Van Dam over the guard rail. Lynn won’t let up and jumps the rail to attack. Chair shot the back! RVD attacks Lynn as he’s getting back in the ring and hits a body slam onto the chair. He tries to hit Rolling Thunder but Lynn moves and RVD lands on the chair with a thud. Many pin attempts! Huuuge bridging german suplex by Lynn gets two. Low blow by RVD! He places a chair over Lynn and tries a split-legged moonsault but Lynn puts his knees up under the chair and Van Dam crumples in pain. He fires back with his step-over wheel kick but when he tries to follow up from the top rope Lynn stops him. Again. Jerry lays a chair down and tries a superplex onto it but RVD shoves him back onto it and hits the 5-Star Frog Splash. It’s over.
Review: Man did RVD look stupid in this match. Every time he tries a high risk move it backfired, with the exception of the ending. Lynn took it to him big time and if not for that mistake at the end may have even won. I believe we were still at that point in the WCW Invasion where RVD was sort of a heel, hence his use of a low blow and attacking Lynn on his way back into the ring. Which side was Lynn supposed to be on? I only really remember Jerry appearing in the month or two that preceded the Alliance, so was he challenging within his own faction here or what? Anyway, these two have had dozens of better matches than this and would it have really killed the WWE to use one of their ECW classics instead of the only one that took place in a WWE ring?
Special Features
– More bonus features? You bet!
Bonus Match
The Hardy Boyz vs. Kai en Tai
Sunday Night Heat 1998
The Match: We’re taking it old school. How old school? Very old school. It’s Teioh and Funaki for Kai en Tai, and headbands and grungy home-made looking tights for the Hardyz. Bask in the glory of the old school! Matt dropkicks Teioh out of the ring and follows with a vaulting body press while Funaki owns Jeff back in the ring. A pair of running elbow drops by Kai en Tai as Teioh takes over the ownage of the future world champion. Flying crossbody gets two. Double shoulder tackle brings Funaki back in and he hits a running bulldog. Jeff finally fights back and hits a double dropkick before tagging Matt in. The Hardyz hit a pair of monkey flips with a slight delay so Kai en Tai land on each other. They try and use Poetry in Motion to the outside by Jeff misses and breaks his spine on the floor. Seriously, it’s one of the roughest landings I’ve ever seen him take, and there’s strong competition for that. Teioh tries to hit Matt with the Kai en Tai flag but misses and nails Funaki. Matt knocks Teioh to the outside, hits a huge body slam on Funaki, tags Jeff back in, Omega Effect. Over.
The Review: See matches like this belong as bonus features. Seeing the two teams back in 1998, with the Hardyz dressed the way they are, gives the match a really nice nostalgia factor. I enjoyed every moment of it, but had it been placed on the main disc as a showcase of the Hardyz I would not have been pleased. It’s just a shame this was the only piece of bonus content on the disc.
Overall Thoughts
– The same issue I had with disc 1 is present in disc 2; the effort being put into selecting the matches to represent the wrestlers is fairly minimal. Actually that’s not true, because several of these matches would have required a little bit of trawling through the archives to find. I personally forgot about or had never seen most of them, so if they put in the effort to track down these matches, why didn’t they put in the effort to track down better ones? I understand it for the younger talents, but in the case of the high-flyers of legend you’d think a room full of people would have been able to call to mind a classic match involving said wrestler. I’m fairly certain this problem won’t be corrected by disc 3 so I’ll just have to learn to make my peace with it now. Luckily, several of these matches are really good, even if they sometimes make the other guy in the match look better than the highlighted one. Disc 1 is better than Disc 2, but the fact I’ve seen the Triangle Ladder match way too many times means my rating may differ from others’. Dragon vs Jericho was awesome, as was the One Night Stand three-way dance. Morrison vs Kidd was fine but nothing too special, Muta vs Sting and Hakushi vs Kid were both nice but a little too short (though at least Muta actually looked good in his match), and Pillman vs Wright was too long. The shortness would be fine if there were other stellar matches on the disc to support them, but unfortunately these were the matches that needed to hit home runs and they didn’t for me.
– I’m also starting to get some burn-out from watching all these matches in a row. When you watch them out of sequence you won’t notice, but I’m starting to wonder if there’s been a cruiserweight match in the history of wrestling that doesn’t feature one wrestler going to the other’s arm early, the defending wrestler rolling through, and after a little mat-wrestling a stand-off. It gets atrocious when you see if eight times in a row, believe me. I know most viewers won’t watch an entire disc in one go, but when making a DVD set I think you need to consider those that might.