WWE DVD Review: Wrestling's Greatest Factions

Certificate: 15

Running Time: 9hrs 0mins (540mins)

Discs: 3

Disc 1

D-Generation X
Corporate Rumble for #30 Spot in Royal Rumble Match: D-Generation X v The Corporation – Raw (January 11th, 1999)
The Heenan Family
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd v Big Machine, Super Machine & Captain Lou Albano – The Big Event (August 28th, 1986)
Right to Censor
Right to Censor v Too Cool & Rikishi – SummerSlam 2000 (August 27th, 2000)
The Fabulous Freebirds
6-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Fabulous Freebirds v The Von Erichs (David & Kevin Von Erich) & “Iceman” King Parsons – World Class Championship Wrestling (May 13, 1983)
The Nexus
10-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: The Nexus v John Cena Randy Orton Sheamus Chris Jericho & Edge – RAW (August 30th, 2010)
The Dangerous Alliance
“Stunning” Steve Austin & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton v Sting & Marcus Bagwell – World Championship Wrestling (January 18th, 1992)
The Hart Foundation
Flag Match: Bret Hart, Owen Hart & The British Bulldog v Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dude Love & The Undertaker – RAW (July 21st, 1997)

Disc 2

nWo
War Games Match: Team WCW (Diamond Dallas Page, Roddy Piper & The Warrior) v Team Hollywood (“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Stevie Ray & Bret Hart) v Team Wolfpac (Kevin Nash, Sting & Lex Luger) – Fall Brawl (September 13th, 1998)
The Brood
The Brood v J.O.B. Squad (Al Snow, Bob Holly & Scorpio) – Rock Bottom (December 13th, 1998)
Million Dollar Corporation
Survivor Series Elimination Match: Million Dollar Team (Tatanka, Bam Bam Bigelow, King Kong Bundy & The Heavenly Bodies) v Guts and Glory (Lex Luger, Adam Bomb, Mabel & The Smoking Gunns) – Survivor Series (November 23, 1994)
Nation of Domination
Owen Hart, Kama Mustafa & D-Lo Brown v Triple H & New Age Outlaws – Over the Edge (May 31st, 1998)
Blue World Order
Big Stevie Cool v Axl Rotten – Hardcore TV (January 7th, 1997)
The Corporation
Corporate Gauntlet Match: Stone Cold Steve Austin v The Corporation – RAW (February 13th, 1999)

Disc 3

Evolution
6-Man Tag Team Elimination Match: Evolution (Triple H, Randy Orton & Ric Flair) v The Dudley Boyz (D-Von, Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley) – RAW (July 14th, 2003)
Oddities
Kurrgan & Golga v Too Much – Shotgun Saturday Night (October 17th, 1998)
The Triple Threat
Shane Douglas & Bam Bam Bigelow v Rob Van Dam & Sabu – CyberSlam (February 21st, 1998)
Legacy
Legacy v Triple H, Batista & Shane McMahon – Backlash (April 27th, 2009)
Dungeon of Doom
War Games Match: The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Lex Luger & Sting) v The Dungeon of Doom (Kamala the Ugandan Giant, The Zodiac, The Shark & Meng) – Fall Brawl (September 17th, 1995)
Straight Edge Society
3-on-1 Handicap Match: CM Punk, Luke Gallows & Joey Mercury v The Big Show – SummerSlam (August 15th, 2010)
The Four Horsemen
Ric Flair, Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v Barry Windham, Lex Luger & Sting – NWA Main Event (April 3rd, 1988)

With things hotting up in WWE between The Shield and Evolution (with The Wyatt Family in the mix too), it seems that now is as good a time as any for WWE to take a look back at the greatest factions in wrestling history.

Of course, as with most of WWE’s releases, you have to accept that non-US promotion groups are going to be overlooked, as well as some of the more indy-flavoured gangs from the likes of Ring of Honor and Chikara, even if you feel they have a place on this list ahead of some of the groups who did feature.

This means that there will be no place for -:

Special K
Age of the Fall
The Prophecy
The Carnage Crew
Sweet ‘n’ Sour Inc
The Osirian Portal
Kings of Wrestling
The Second City Saints
The Rottweilers
The Embassy

Also, as there will definitely be no TNA factions, you can also exclude -:

Fortune
Immortal
3Live Kru
Aces & Eights
Sports Entertainment Xtreme
L.A.X.
Team Canada
The Main Event Mafia
Triple X

With all that being said, it was a surprise to see the following factions overlooked when you consider that The Oddities (!!!!) made it on the list -:

The Ministry
The Dudley Family
Full Blooded Italians
Kai En Tai
Raven’s Flock (WCW version)
The Varsity Club
Jimmy Hart’s First Family
The Natural Born Thrillers
The Network (ECW)
Misfits in Action
Legion of Doom
The Radicalz (although the Benoit connection means they were unlikely to make it)
The Alliance
Camp Cornette

Now that you’ve had a chance to see who is not on the list and will be going into both this review and your first viewing of the collection, you can overcome any disappointment you may have and enjoy this run through of 20 of the most famous groups in the history of pro-wrestling (that WWE own the video library for).

Taking the format of “introduce the group via a series of talking heads and then show a match featuring said group in action”, this will be familiar territory to veterans of WWE’s take on “Best of” sets.

Some of the talking heads are clearly from previous releases and in some hilarious continuity moments, people not only change their clothes, but their hairstyles and facial hair. Case in point, Daniel Bryan is talking about one group with short hair and a hint of a beard, while later on he’s gone full reta… goat-face.

CM Punk’s contribution to the Straight Edge Society chapter is lifted wholesale from his own biography release, but it’s good to see guys like Fandango, Justin Gabriel, Big E., Curt Hawkins and Hornswoggle earn some royalties and getting some face time on an international release.

The older matches suffer from the technical limitations of their time, so appear in a 4:3 ratio with ugly borders down the left and right side of the screen. While this can’t be helped, it is a bit irksome to go from full screen with the into part and then back to an obsolete aspect for the match itself. This is redeemed however by having the original commentary on pretty much all of the footage on show, even if some of the entrance themes have been (badly) overdubbed with Generic Public Domain Theme #12.

The set is 9hrs long, but the great thing about a countdown like this is that the time whizzes by. Plus, you can take a break and come back the following day without losing the momentum you get from watching a film or PPV. I mean, you watch half a movie and come back the next day, you lose the zone you found yourself in. With these types of releases, you can just come back in at the next chapter because the previous story has now been told.

The match content is pretty good across the board as well, which makes a welcome change and there will be something for everyone (even that one Dungeon of Doom fan) to sink their teeth into.

Overview

At the top of the review, I made mention of some factions that have been overlooked and the inclusion of The Oddities makes that a harder pill to swallow than it normally could have been.

Of course, this is essentially a list-based release and with any list you are going to find entries you feel don’t belong at the expense of those you feel have more of a right to be there. My own personal internet-rage is over the fact Raven’s Flock didn’t make the cut as, for me, this was a group with a great dynamic and a great run in both ECW and WCW. For them to miss out in favour of [EXPLETIVE DELETED] Kurrgan was almost enough for me to contact the good people at Fetch Publicity and ask if there was a disc missing.

There was not.

Fortunately for me, I could console myself with -:

– Bobby Heenan in his prime

– Andre the Giant in a mask (sssshhhhh… it’s a secret)

– Remembering how much heat Right to Censor genuinely had

– Goodfather brutally powerbombing Victoria through a table

– Michael Hayes doing the moonwalk

– Reliving the awesomeness that was the Nexus debut (as well as the incredible crowd reaction to the five-on-five face-off replete with shaking hard-cam)

– Paul E. Dangerously

– The Hart Foundation (1997 edition) in Canada

– The Brood’s still-great-to-this-day entrance and theme

– An appearance by The J.O.B. Squad

– Big Stevie Cool nailing Santa with a Steviekick in Times Square

– The awesome image on a possessed McMahon getting in Austin’s face as “The Rattlesnake” was held in the corner

– Shane Douglas cutting promos in ECW

– Gorilla Monsoon on commentary

– The cheesiness of the Dungeon of Doom vignettes (seriously, if you haven’t seen them before, you will piss yourself laughing)

– CM Punk shaving the heads of his followers and his “One Nation, Under Punk” comment

– The Four Horsemen stylin’ and profilin’ like only they could

As for the matches, the bouts featuring Right to Censor, The Million $ Corporation, The Fabulous Freebirds, Nexus, The Brood, The Hart Foundation, The Nation of Domination and The Triple Threat (where Bam Bam nails the best version of Greetings From Asbury Park you will ever see) and The Four Horsemen are all excellent in their own way and for different reasons.

The other matches are watchable in their own right and this is a set that is well worth seeking out, especially if you get it from WWE DVD (in the UK) at the cheaper rate.

Blu-Ray customers also get the following additional content -:

Wyatt Family
The Wyatt Family v Daniel Bryan – TLC (December 15th, 2013)
Spirit Squad
Spirit Squad v Kane & Big Show – Raw (April 3rd, 2006)
The Shield
The Shield v Ryback & Team Hell No – TLC (December 16th, 2012)

Points: 8/10

Pre-Order It:

UK: DVD / Blu ray

USA: DVD / Blu ray

Cookie	Description
_pxvid	This cookie is used for detection of the browser and distinguishing whether it is a real user or malicious bot.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	This cookies is set by GDPR Cookie Consent WordPress Plugin. The cookie is used to remember the user consent for the cookies under the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Non Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	This cookie is used to keep track of which cookies the user have approved for this site.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-preferences	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Preferences".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-uncategorized	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Uncategorized".
CraftSessionId	This cookie name is associated with the Craft web content management system, where is functions as an anonymous session identifier.
csrftoken	This cookie is associated with Django web development platform for python. Used to help protect the website against Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks
DSID	To note specific user identity. Contains hashed/encrypted unique ID.
JSESSIONID	Used by sites written in JSP. General purpose platform session cookies that are used to maintain users' state across page requests.
PHPSESSID	This cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
viewed_cookie_policy	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Cookie	Description
b30msc
btc
CMST
cref
d
gpl
i
icts
ig_did
mdata
na_rn
na_sc_e
na_sr
na_srp
session_depth
visitor-id

Cookie	Description
__gads	This cookie is set by Google and stored under the name dounleclick.com. This cookie is used to track how many times users see a particular advert which helps in measuring the success of the campaign and calculate the revenue generated by the campaign. These cookies can only be read from the domain that it is set on so it will not track any data while browsing through another sites.
__stid	The cookie is set by ShareThis. The cookie is used for site analytics to determine the pages visited, the amount of time spent, etc.
_ga	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, camapign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assigns a randoly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_60765351_1	Google uses this cookie to distinguish users.
_gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
ad-id	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content
demdex	This cookie is set under the domain demdex.net and is used by Adobe Audience Manager to help identify a unique visitor across domains.
DigiTrust.v1.identity	Registers data on visitors’ website-behaviour. This is used for internal analysis and website optimization.
dmvk	This cookie is set by DailyMotion who display videos, it registers statistical data of visitors' behaviour on the website.
gid	This cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
GPS	This cookie is set by Youtube and registers a unique ID for tracking users based on their geographical location
is_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
sc_is_visitor_unique	This cookie is set by StatCounter to determine how people are using the website
v1st	This is set by DailyMotion to display videos.

Cookie	Description
__asc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__auc	This cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics.
__qca	This cookie is associated with Quantcast and is used for collecting anonymized data to analyze log data from different websites to create reports that enables the website owners and advertisers provide ads for the appropriate audience segments.
_cc_aud	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_cc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_dc	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_cc_id	The cookie is set by crwdcntrl.net. The purpose of the cookie is to collect statistical information in an anonymous form about the visitors of the website. The data collected include number of visits, average time spent on the website, and the what pages have been loaded. These data are then used to segment audiences based on the geographical location, demographic, and user interest provide relevant content and for advertisers for targeted advertising.
_kuid_	The cookie is set by Krux Digital under the domain krxd.net. The cookie stores a unique ID to identify a returning user for the purpose of targeted advertising.
_px2	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxff_tm	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
_pxhd	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
ab	This cookie is generally provided by agkn.com and is used for advertising purposes.
ad-privacy	Provided by amazon-adsystem.com for tracking user actions on other websites to provide targeted content to the users.
ayl_visitor	This cookie registers data on the visitor. The information is used to optimize advertisement relevance.
bafp	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bafp_t	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_pl	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rf_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_rt_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_t_8b2087b102c9e3e5ffed1c1478ed8b78	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bfp_sn_td_2d31c94105a0aa6d1ceaea0c86c6b656	This cookie is from Media.net and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
bito	This cookie is generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bitoIsSecure	This cookies are generally provided by bidr.io and is used for advertising purposes.
bsc	The cookies is set by ownerIQ for the purpose of providing relevant advertisement
CMID	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPRO	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
CMPS	This cookie is linked to advertising and tracking the products users were looking at.
dc_id	This cookie is used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement as well as help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator's permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organisations such as advertisers.
did	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
didts	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
dpm	The cookie is set by demdex.net. This cookie assigns a unique ID to each visiting user that allows third-party advertisers target that users with relevant ads.
eud	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
euds	This cookie is from Rocket Fuel and is used to deliver targeted advertising across their network sites ensuring users see relevant advertising.
everest_g_v2	The cookie is set under eversttech.net domain. The purpose of the cookie is to map clicks to other events on the client's website.
evo5_popin_instance	Prevents an interaction from reoccurring for visitors not accepting 3rd party cookies.
id	This cookie is set by DoubleClick (which is owned by Google) to build a profile of the website visitor's interests and show relevant ads on other sites.
IDE	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
io.narrative.guid.v2	This cookie is generally provided by io.narrative.io and is used for advertising purposes.
KADUSERCOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
KTPCACOOKIE	This cookie is generally provided by pubmatic.com and is used for advertising purposes.
matchliveramp	This cookie is provided by w55c.net and is used for advertising purposes.
mc	This cookie is associated with Quantserve to track anonymously how a user interact with the website.
mxpim	This cookie is generally provided by mxptint.net for advertising purposes.
na_tc	This is a Social Media sharing tracking cookie.
NID	This cookie is used to a profile based on user's interest and display personalized ads to the users.
nnls	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxrc	The purpose of the cookie is to identify a visitor to serve relevant advertisement.
pxvid	This cookie is set by PerimeterX who provide security analyst oversight.
rlas3	The cookie is set by rlcdn.com. The cookie is used to serve relevant ads to the visitor as well as limit the time the visitor sees an and also measure the effectiveness of the campaign.

Cookie	Description
__jid	Cookies set on the website by the third-party commenting platform Disqus.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
disqus_unique	These cookies are set by Disqus so that users can comment on website/platform.
G_ENABLED_IDPS	The cookie is used by Google and is used for Google Single Sign On.
mid	The cookie is set by Instagram. The cookie is used to distinguish users and to show relevant content, for better user experience and security.
na_id	This cookie is set by Addthis.com to enable sharing of links on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter
ouid	The cookie is set by Addthis which enables the content of the website to be shared across different networking and social sharing websites.
ov	This is a generic functional cookie that provides enhanced functionality and personalisation.
ts	This cookie is generally provided by PayPal and supports payment services in the website.
vuid	These cookies are used by the Vimeo video player on websites.

WWE DVD Review: Wrestling’s Greatest Factions

Disc 1

Disc 2

Disc 3

Overview

Pre-Order It:

You might also like

FIND THE TOPICS YOU WANT...

Recommended for you