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Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection

WWE Home Video, 2014

Running Time: 540 minutes

Rated TV-PG for "sports entertainment"

Nearly a decade ago, WWE released the DVD The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, which was not a biography video but the company's propaganda on the Ultimate Warrior's legacy tarnished by his unethical behavior backstage. But now that both the Warrior and Vinnie Mac have rebuilt bridges between themselves, a new compilation DVD was produced to celebrate his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection takes a look back at the life of the man who first started as Jim Hellwig, an aspiring chiropractor who pursued a career in bodybuilding before he and another bodybuilder named Steve Borden joined the world of professional wrestling. While Borden eventually went on to become known as Sting, Hellwig grew his hair long and gradually refined his face paint as the "Dingo Warrior" in World Class Championship Wrestling before being repackaged in the World Wrestling Federation as the Ultimate Warrior. From 1987 to 1991, his intense ring presence and thunderous entrance theme made him a heavy draw in ticket sales that quickly rivaled the likes of Hulk Hogan. His rivalries with the Honky Tonk Man, Ravishing Rick Rude, Hogan, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage were nothing short of legendary, with one WWF World Heavyweight and two Intercontinental title reigns on his waist.

The DVD set is hosted by Warrior himself, as he talks about the highlights of his career between select matches from the WWE Video Vault. Sadly, his presence in this video is that of a frail man who no longer has that same energy that enabled him to run and shake the ropes. Because of his untimely demise on April 8, 2014, one cannot help but think this video was a complete farewell to his fans (aside from his final speech on RAW). Nonetheless, if this is how the Warrior wants fans to remember him, it worked very well on his favor. Thanks for the memories, Warrior.

Rating: A

References

WWE.com

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Guest davidwhangchoi

yeah i saw the tribute nice touch. even Vince came out which is rare recently. i'm watching now while browsing MW during commercials and the boring matches

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After watching WrestleMania XXX and the two most recent episodes of RAW, I thought I'd give an analysis on current angles and Superstars:

The Intercontinental Championship Tournament

For the first time in a long time, the WWE has finally paid attention to the working man's championship title, which has been on the waist of the boring and uncharismatic Big E Langston. The first round winners are Rob Van Dam, Cesaro, Sheamus, and Bad News Barrett. Expect Cesaro to win this tournament and beat Big E for the title.

The Wyatt Family

Despite jobbing to John Cena at WrestleMania, Bray Wyatt and his gang still receive the largest crowd pops today. It's amazing how WWE attempted this deranged redneck gimmick with Waylon Mercy over two decades ago and failed, yet it works perfectly with Windham Rotunda.

Paige

Last week, it was believed that Paige's upset victory over AJ Lee was a fluke due to the sloppy finisher, but that submission move she locked on Alicia Fox looked painful.

Alexander Rusev

The 305 lb. NXT graduate proved to be a handful when it took four Superstars to lift him over the top rope at the Royal Rumble. Now doing singles competition against jobbers, "The Bulgarian Brute" may be the next must-see Superstar with his mix of sumo and martial arts, plus his hot manager Lana. It's like Rocky IV all over again. Too bad WWE will most likely feed him to Cena in a couple of months...

New Superstar Promos

It's time, once again, to look at the new faces entering the Superstar roster. First we have

(Taylor Michael Rotunda), who is the younger brother of Bray Wyatt. His vignettes incorporate elements from the film The Secret and pitch him as a motivational speaker ("Bo-lieve"). Expect Rocky Maivia-level boos when he enters the ring, as the crowd won't buy that crap.

Next we have

(Raymond Leppan, a.k.a. Leo Kruger), who is being pitched as a party-going rock star. The crowd will probably be dead silent on this, as they have been on NXT. Edited by areaseven
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The next PPV is Extreme Rules on May 4. Here's the announced card, along with my predictions.

WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan © vs. Kane

The Big Red Monster has returned to his roots as a diabolical heel that plays mind games with his opponents. But in the end, expect Bryan to prevail on top.

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Big E Langston © vs. Rob Van Dam or Bad News Barrett

The Intercontinental #1 Contender tournament is currently in the final stage, with Rob Van Dam defeating Cesaro by count-out and Bad News Barrett pinning Sheamus. Cesaro losing in this tournament means he's gunning for the WWE Championship instead. RVD just came back from a long hiatus, but expect Barrett to beat him in the finals, given his current momentum. When all is said and done, Barrett will once again become I-C Champion.

Steel Cage Match: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

Why is WWE wasting Wyatt's time with Cena? He should be feuding with Daniel Bryan for the gold right about now. If he loses this match, the Wyatt Family will completely lose their momentum.

WWE Divas Championship: Paige © vs. Tamina Snuka

Normally, a Divas Championship match is a piss-break, but Paige has proven that she has the in-ring skills to match her looks. Expect her to hold the title throughout the year.

Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns) vs. Evolution (Triple H, Randy Orton & Batista)

Sadly, expect The Shield to be buried by HHH as usual.

Triple-Threat: Cesaro (with Paul Heyman) vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger (with Zeb Coulter)

It's sad how RVD is caught in the middle of the feud between Cesaro and Swagger, as he deserves better than this. Without a doubt, Cesaro will win this match.

2-on-1 Handicap Match: Alexander Rusev vs. R-Truth and Xavier Woods

Just another piss-break.

Pre-Show Kick-Off - WeeLC Match: El Torito (with Los Matadores) vs. Hornswoggle (with 3MB)

This is just gonna be a very short match.

Edited by areaseven
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WWE Extreme Rules Results

Pre-Show Kick-Off: WeeLC Match

El Torito put Hornswoggle through a table for the pin. That was a rather short match.

Triple Threat Elimination

1. Jack Swagger, by Rob Van Dam via Five-Star Frog Splash

2. RVD, by Cesaro via Neutralizer

Winner: Cesaro

Handicap Piss-Break

Alexander Rusev def. R-Truth and Xavier Woods after trapping R-Truth in the Accolade.

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Bad News Barrett nailed the Bad News Bull Hammer on Big E © to become the new champion.

Six-Man Tag Team Match

The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) def. Evolution (Triple H, Batista and Randy Orton) after Reigns knocked out Batista with a Superman Punch and a Spear.

Steel Cage Match

John Cena was seconds away from walking out the cage door when the lights went out and a kid suddenly appeared in front of him, singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". Cena stood shocked until Bray Wyatt grabbed him and introduced him to Sister Abigail before exiting the cage for the win.

WWE Divas Championship

Paige © made Tamina Snuka tap out to the Scorpion Crosslock.

WWE Championship - Extreme Rules

Daniel Bryan © knocked Kane out with the running knee to retain the championship.

After the match, Kane got up and made the stage explode before he and Bryan ended the night with a staredown.

Edited by areaseven
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcQI4PDwiW8

Warrior: The Ultimate Legend

WWE Network, 2014

Rated TV-PG for "sports entertainment".

After nearly two decades of legal battles between each other, the Ultimate Warrior and Vince McMahon had finally made amends in 2014, with Warrior inducted in this year's Hall of Fame during WrestleMania XXX weekend. But on the day after his appearance on the April 7 episode of RAW, Warrior collapsed and died of a heart attack.

Serving mostly as a companion to the DVD Ultimate Warrior: The Ultimate Collection, Warrior: The Ultimate Legend expands on Warrior's career in sports entertainment, with more interviews by people who had worked with him - including former tag team partner Sting. It also debunks most of the 2006 DVD The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, with more details from Warrior, Hulk Hogan and Razor Ramon. Perhaps the most important part of this documentary is the night of the Hall of Fame induction, where Warrior buried the hatchet with Hogan and talked to Jake "The Snake" Roberts before giving Vinnie Mac a signed copy of the children's book The Little Engine That Could. This alone brought Vinnie Mac to tears, as he had once told Warrior during at the beginning of his career that he was that little engine.

If you haven't watched Warrior: The Ultimate Legend, you owe it to yourself as a wrestling fan to do so, as it is the single most important wrestling biography video ever produced. The spirit of the Warrior will live on forever.

Rating: A+

I wonder if there is any chance they will put this video on a future home video release? I picked up the Wrestlemania XXX Blu Ray last week. Unless it's an extra, this video doesn't appear to be on that set.

It was very sad to see Jim Hellwig/Warrior pass away at such a young age and so quickly after the weekend of Wrestlemania, but it was good to see that he was able to make peace with so many people over this past year.

PS

Good to see the post that I started over five years ago still alive and kicking.

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Bloodstained Memoirs

David Sinnott Productions, 2009

Directed by David Sinnott

Not Rated. Contains wrestling violence and strong language.

Hosted by Al Snow, Bloodstained Memoirs is a collection of interviews with several veterans in the professional wrestling industry such as Rowdy Roddy Piper, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, Christian Cage, Ultimo Dragon, and more.

Yes, this sounds like an interesting piece, but once you pop the disc, good luck trying to stay awake. Bloodstained Memoirs may contain a lot of important information such as Piper's struggles with knife-wielding fans during the Hogan era and the first western interviews with Ultimo Dragon and Keiji Mutoh, but the interviews feel extremely repetitive and there's just too much filler - especially the excessive talk about Jericho's music career and 10 minutes of Foley signing autographs. Worse is the production value - or lack of, to be precise. The graphics are third-world quality and just one song plays over and over between segments.

The film's official YouTube channel features more interviews with Matt Morgan, Juventud Guerrera, Steve Corino, and Christy Hemme, but it's doubtful if anyone cares after going through nearly two hours of the same questions.

In short, Bloodstained Memoirs is strictly for wrestling purists. Otherwise, it's the perfect cure for insomnia.

Rating: C-

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GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling

Connell Creations/Window Pictures/Woodcreek Faction Productions/Docurama Films, 2012

Directed by Brett Whitcomb

Running Time: 76 minutes

Not Rated (Suggested PG-13). Contains graphic wrestling violence and strong language.

We're the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling

We're all champions in the ring

We come from the street, we come from the city

We come from the world where there is no pity

In 1986, David McLane, Jackie Stallone (Sylvester's mom) and film director Matt Climber created a different kind of wrestling promotion based at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W.) was a weekly all-female wrestling series that became a cult phenomenon for its mix of sports entertainment and sketch comedy. But despite sustaining ratings that rivaled even those of the World Wrestling Federation, G.L.O.W. came to an abrupt end in 1990 when the Riviera opted not to renew the show for another season.

Slam! Bam! It's a wrestling jam

Come on ladies, give us a hand

GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling revisits the glory of this fabled promotion. It gives viewers a glimpse of how the girls got their start from the auditions to the grueling training with wrestling veteran Mando Guerrero. And despite the extremely cheesy gimmicks, one cannot help but respect these girls for what they endured season after season - whether it was the curfews and fines for breaking kayfabe (character) out of the ring or the poorly padded wrestling ring that claimed the careers of many who stepped into it. Susie Spirit - now a housewife and mother of two - recalls the infamous match where she broke her elbow. Other girls such as Tina Ferrari (Ivory in the WWE), Colonel Ninotchka, Little Egypt, and the Heavy Metal Sisters talk about infamous incidents such as Matilda the Hun (a.k.a. Queen Kong), Hollywood & Vine waving Nazi flags on their way to the ring. And you gotta admit - even for their age, Tina Ferrari, Americana, Little Egypt, Susie Spirit, and Col. Ninotchka are still hot.

It's a big bad battle in the ring

We're gonna have fun and do our owwwnnn thing

While it's fun to reminisce the nostalgia of G.L.O.W. in the beginning of the documentary, it suddenly gets depressing halfway. Mountain Fiji, the largest wrestler in the roster, is confined to a bed due to weak knees and poor health. Matilda the Hun has to rely on a scooter due to her bad back. And viewers will be completely teary-eyed from seeing the reunion in the end.

Say what you want about G.L.O.W., but this documentary is, without the doubt, one of the best to cover professional wrestling.

Rating: A

DVD Extras: A+

You think the documentary is enough? Think again! The DVD is loaded with numerous extra features such as outtakes, classic matches and sketches, music videos, a Queen Kong mini-documentary (she eats raw meat!), and a featurette on Babe the Farmer's Daughter (the current owner of G.L.O.W.) auditioning the next generation of G.L.O.W. girls.

References

The Internet Movie Database

Edited by areaseven
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WWE Payback is this Sunday. Here's the card:

No-Holds-Barred Six-Man Elimination Tag Team Match: Evolution (Triple H/Batista/Randy Orton) vs. The Shield (Dean Ambrose/Seth Rollins/Roman Reigns)
- Evolution jobbed to The Shield on the last PPV, which most likely means it's The Shield's turn to job. Typical.

Last Man Standing: John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

- Wyatt's already proven to be a better wrestler and entertainer than Cena. Unfortunately, he'll have to job to Cena again like he did at WrestleMania.

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Bad News Barrett © vs. Rob Van Dam

- Even though RVD will most likely lose to Barrett, expect this to be the match of the night.

WWE United States Championship: Sheamus © vs. Cesaro

- No one cares about Sheamus, and this is just a waste of Cesaro's time.

WWE Divas Championship: Paige © vs. Alicia Fox

- Last week, when RAW aired in London, Paige lost to Fox in her home country. Does Fox's new attitude signal a title change?

Meanwhile, no decision has been made on the fate of Daniel Bryan's reign as WWE Champion.

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Word out on the street is that WWE suffered a major blow in the stock market. The disappointing performance of the WWE Network triggered a drop in shares from $19.93 to $11.27. Investors were not impressed with WWE's recent TV deal with NBCUniversal.

Also, Vinnie Mac was worth $1.6 billion this past March; now he's only within the $300 million range. Ouch.

WWE's Vince McMahon Loses $750 Million in Two Months

This will be the only thing you'll hear at the WWE board room...

Edited by areaseven
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WWE Payback Results

Pre-Show Kick-Off: Mask vs. Hair

El Torito landed a springboard moonsault on Hornswoggle. Somebody got a haircut.

WWE United States Championship

Sheamus © rolled up Cesaro for the pin to retain the title.

RybAxel (Ryback & "Mr. Imperfect" Curtis Axel) def. Cody Rhodes & Goldust after Ryback got Cody Shellshocked. Big falling out between the Rhodes brothers afterwards.

Alexander Rusev made Big E tap out to the Accolade.

Bo Dallas vs. Kofi Kingston match called off after Kane went into the ring and destroyed Kingston while Bo hightailed it. After Kane left, Bo told Kofi to "Bo-lieve".

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Bad News Barrett © nailed the Bullhammer on Rob Van Dam to retain the title.

Stephanie McMahon ordered Daniel Bryan to surrender the WWE Championship belts, or Brie Bella faces termination. After a long argument in the ring, Brie called it quits before slapping Steph.

Last Man Standing

John Cena def. Bray Wyatt after tipping over a large production box on him.

WWE Divas Championship

Paige © once again made Alicia Fox tap out to the Scorpion Cross Lock.

No-Holds-Barred Six-Man Elimination

1. Batista, by Seth Rollins after Roman Reigns speared him.

2. Randy Orton, by Dean Ambrose via Dirty Deeds on the steel chair.

3. Triple H, by Reigns via Spear.

Winners: The Shield

Meanwhile, on RAW:

Edited by areaseven
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It's official: Daniel Bryan has been stripped of the WWE Championship, which will be up for grabs at Money in the Bank on June 29.

After a series of qualifying matches, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus and Cesaro join Randy Orton and another wrestler to battle each other for a chance to become WWE Champion.

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WWE Money in the Bank Results

Pre-Show Kick-Off

Daniel Bryan gave the fans an update on his condition, saying he might need to undergo a second operation on his neck. Bo Dallas suddenly entered the ring and told Bryan to Bo-Lieve, to which Bryan told him to Bo-Leave the ring.

WWE Tag Team Championship

The Usos (Jimmy &Jey) © def. Luke Harper & Erick Rowan after landing two Superfly Splashes on Rowan to retain the titles.

WWE Divas Championship

Paige © nailed Naomi with a DDT to retain the title.

Damien the Lemon

Adam Rose gave Damien Sandow the Party Fowl.

Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match

Seth Rollins def. Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Rob Van Dam, and Jack Swagger after Kane ran in and gave Ambrose a chokeslam and a Tombstone.

Goldust & Stardust def. RybAxel (Ryback & Curt Axel) after Axel accidentally knocked out Ryback.

Piss-Break

Rusev made Big E tap out to the Accolade.

Piss-Break 2

Layla def. Summer Rae.

WWE Heavyweight Championship - Ladder Match

John Cena def. Kane, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Albert Del Rio, Bray Wyatt, and Cesaro to become the new Champion. Yawn.

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