Best of Wrestling Slams

Rating:
Summary: An Old-School Wrestling Mixed Bag
Review: The Best of Wrestling slams is nice mix of 10 old school wrestling matches from the early 90's featuring famous veterans as well as some of today's stars as younger rookies. Overall, the matches, while not great, notable or must-see, are decent for an evening's entertainment. The DVD also features some un-noteworthy special features. In all, it's a nice ride down memory lane if nothing else.

Here are the contents of this DVD:

THE MATCHES:

1. Lightning Kid vs. Dapper Dan: Kid of course went on to become the 1-2-3 Kid who went on to become Syxx who evolved in WWF's X-pac. Dan went on to nothing. Decent match. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

2. Crash vs. Doink: Crash (the Terminator) became WCW's Hugh Morrus. Doink is of course the famous WWF early-mid 90's gimmick. Squash match featuring a post-match run-in by Koko B. Ware of WWF 80s fame. 3 minutes. DUD.

3. "Cowboy" Bob Orton vs. Tom Lodly (sp???): From the NAWA. Orton, recognized a superior technical wrestler, made a name in the 80s WWF. Orton puts on a wrestling clinic against his jobber opponent. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

4. Baron Samidi (w/ Bob Orton) vs. Lynn Wagner: From the NAWA. Samidi became Papa Shango in the WWF who became Kama who became the Godfather. Basically another jobber squash. Tons of power moves. 8 minutes. 2 stars.

5. "War Eagle" Chris Chavis vs. Dr. X: From South Atlantic Wrestling. "War Eagle" (definitely ripped at this point) went on to become the WWF's Tatanka in the early-mid 90s. Decent match. 6 minutes. 2 stars.

6. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Johnny Z: From the NAWA. Steamboat, of course, is a legend in the business and a noted technical master noted for his classic matches against Ric Flair and Randy Savage. Jobber squash. Decent match. 5 minutes. 2 stars.

7. The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs) vs. Rusty Stevens and Rick Starr: NAWA. The Nastys were among the top tag teams around the world in the late 80s and early 90s with stints in the AWA, WWF and WCW. Decent back and forth action between the two teams. 13 minutes. 3 stars.

8. The (New) Fantastics (Bobby and Jackie Fulton) vs. Tommy Landell and the Enforcer: From South Atlantic. The Fantastics (originally Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) were a top tag team throughout the South and the NWA territories. After the team split, Jackie Fulton, Bobby's brother, took Tommy's place and both achieved minimal success. One of the best matches of the DVD with tons of great tag action from the Fantastics. 5 minutes. 4 stars.

9. The American Bulldogs (Spike and Rex) vs. Colt Steele and Tommy Landell: Decent match and action from the Bulldogs. 7 minutes. 3 stars.

10. "Simply Irresistible" Jeff Jarrett and "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Cactus Jack Manson and Sheik Braddock (w/ General Skandor Akbar): From the legendary USWA promotion in Texas. Jarrett and Jack of course of wrestling legends and former Heavyweight champions "Chosen One/Double J" Jeff Jarrett and "Best-Selling Author/Hardcore Legend/Mankind/Dude Love" Mick Foley as young rookies. Borne had brushes with greatness as WCW's Big Josh and the original Doink the Clown. Akbar is a Texas managing legend. Overall, this is a great brawl/action-packed tag match with future great stars. 13 minutes. 3 ½ stars.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Nothing to see here as the special features two things:

1. A list of wrestler's finishing moves.

2. A FAQ regarding wrestling.

THE VERDICT:

Well, the DVD itself is INCREDIBLY cheaply produced with the match access looking really horrendous and the DVD features outright laughable. The DVD itself comes with no inserts mentioning the list of matches or anything of the like.

The matches themselves are not keepers or noteworthy but are decent for a time killer. Overall, the real value for this again, if you do want to buy, is if you are into old school wrestling. The matches are decent, if nothing else, but again are not noteworthy or must-see. The value again is seeing some of the great old-timers like Orton or Steamboat or the Fantastics and Nastys in action or some of the stars of today as rookies (Foley, Jarrett, Godfather, Hugh Morrus and X-pac). Otherwise, this DVD definitely goes into the...

Recommended Collector's Box (for nostalgists/wrestling historians)
Recommendation to Rent (for the average wrestling fan)
Pass Otherwise (for most people in general)

Rating:
Summary: An Old-School Wrestling Mixed Bag
Review: The Best of Wrestling slams is nice mix of 10 old school wrestling matches from the early 90's featuring famous veterans as well as some of today's stars as younger rookies. Overall, the matches, while not great, notable or must-see, are decent for an evening's entertainment. The DVD also features some un-noteworthy special features. In all, it's a nice ride down memory lane if nothing else.

Here are the contents of this DVD:

THE MATCHES:

1.Lightning Kid vs. Dapper Dan: Kid of course went on to become the 1-2-3 Kid who went on to become Syxx who evolved in WWF's X-pac. Dan went on to nothing. Decent match. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

2.Crash vs. Doink: Crash (the Terminator) became WCW's Hugh Morrus. Doink is of course the famous WWF early-mid 90's gimmick. Squash match featuring a post-match run-in by Koko B. Ware of WWF 80s fame. 3 minutes. DUD.

3."Cowboy" Bob Orton vs. Tom Lodly (sp???): From the NAWA. Orton, recognized a superior technical wrestler, made a name in the 80s WWF. Orton puts on a wrestling clinic against his jobber opponent. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

4.Baron Samidi (w/ Bob Orton) vs. Lynn Wagner: From the NAWA. Samidi became Papa Shango in the WWF who became Kama who became the Godfather. Basically another jobber squash. Tons of power moves. 8 minutes. 2 stars.

5. "War Eagle" Chris Chavis vs. Dr. X: From South Atlantic Wrestling. "War Eagle" (definitely ripped at this point) went on to become the WWF's Tatanka in the early-mid 90s. Decent match. 6 minutes. 2 stars.

6.Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Johnny Z: From the NAWA. Steamboat, of course, is a legend in the business and a noted technical master noted for his classic matches against Ric Flair and Randy Savage. Jobber squash. Decent match. 5 minutes. 2 stars.

7.The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs) vs. Rusty Stevens and Rick Starr: NAWA. The Nastys were among the top tag teams around the world in the late 80s and early 90s with stints in the AWA, WWF and WCW. Decent back and forth action between the two teams. 13 minutes. 3 stars.

8.The (New) Fantastics (Bobby and Jackie Fulton) vs. Tommy Landell and the Enforcer: From South Atlantic. The Fantastics (originally Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) were a top tag team throughout the South and the NWA territories. After the team split, Jackie Fulton, Bobby's brother, took Tommy's place and both achieved minimal success. One of the best matches of the DVD with tons of great tag action from the Fantastics. 5 minutes. 4 stars.

9.The American Bulldogs (Spike and Rex) vs. Colt Steele and Tommy Landell: Decent match and action from the Bulldogs. 7 minutes. 3 stars.

10."Simply Irresistible" Jeff Jarrett and "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Cactus Jack Manson and Sheik Braddock (w/ General Skandor Akbar): From the legendary USWA promotion in Texas. Jarrett and Jack of course of wrestling legends and former Heavyweight champions "Chosen One/Double J" Jeff Jarrett and "Best-Selling Author/Hardcore Legend/Mankind/Dude Love" Mick Foley as young rookies. Borne had brushes with greatness as WCW's Big Josh and the original Doink the Clown. Akbar is a Texas managing legend. Overall, this is a great brawl/action-packed tag match with future great stars. 13 minutes. 3 ½ stars.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Nothing to see here as the special features two things:

1.A list of wrestler's finishing moves.

2.A FAQ regarding wrestling.

THE VERDICT:

Well, the DVD itself is INCREDIBLY cheaply produced with the match access looking really horrendous and the DVD features outright laughable. The DVD itself comes with no inserts mentioning the list of matches or anything of the like.

The matches themselves are not keepers or noteworthy but are decent for a time killer. Overall, the real value for this again, if you do want to buy, is if you are into old school wrestling. The matches are decent, if nothing else, but again are not noteworthy or must-see. The value again is seeing some of the great old-timers like Orton or Steamboat or the Fantastics and Nastys in action or some of the stars of today as rookies (Foley, Jarrett, Godfather, Hugh Morrus and X-pac). Otherwise, this DVD definitely goes into the...

Recommended Collector's Box (for nostalgists/wrestling historians)
Recommendation to Rent (for the average wrestling fan)
Pass Otherwise (for most people in general)

Rating:
Summary: Good video.
Review: When you buy a tape with the Nasty Boys on the front cover, you're going to get a tape like this. Of course, I didn't expect much. It's probably worth half the price on this page, but it isn't totally worthless. It's similar to a "Before They were Stars" show.

Rating:
Summary: Good video.
Review: While not the best wrestling video of all time, this shows some vintage footage from some smaller southern promotions from the late 80s and early 90s. It brings back a lot of memories for me. I would recommend it to any fan of wrestling who is not just limited to the "Crash TV" shown these days. It's definately worth the price you pay here.

Rating:
Summary: Old-School Collectibles
Review: Wrestling's Greatest Hits Collection is a two volume DVD set consisting of Steve Austin's Greatest Hits (which chronicles matches from out of his rookie year (app. 1990) in the USWA, including his legendary feud with his teacher/trainer, the late Texas legend "Gentlemen" Chris Adams) and Best of Wrestling Slams ( which is a nice mix of 10 old school wrestling matches from the early 90's featuring famous veterans as well as some of today's stars as younger rookies. In addition both DVDs also feature some un-noteworthy special features.

Overall, it's a great set if you are into old-school style wrestling.

Here is the rundown of each DVD:

STEVE AUSTIN'S GREATEST HITS

THE MATCHES

1.Austin vs. "Gentlemen" Chris Adams: "Come As You Are Street Fight." Austin's first big program was his legendary feud with his trainer Chris Adams where the two men were embattled in a bizarre love triangle which involved Adam's ex-wife Jeanie Clark and his new wife Toni. This street fight was awesome. Austin's in football pads and Adam's in a judo gi. Tons of arena-sprawling action. 11 minutes. 4 stars.

2.Austin and "Missouri Tiger" Jeff Gaylord vs. Chico Torres and Frogman LeBlanc: Typical mid-card tag match. Nothing much became of the other workers. Decent action. 5 minutes. 2 stars.

3.Eric Embry and Steve Austin w/ Tojo Yamamoto vs. "Gorgeous" Gary Young and "Superstar" Bill Dundee: This is a good old-school tag match. The match itself gets off to a slow start but totally picks up toward the middle to a really hot finish. 12 minutes. 3 ½ stars.

4."Missouri Tiger" Jeff Gaylord, Sheik Braddock and Austin w/General Skandor Akbar vs. "Gentleman" Chris Adams, "Maniac" Matt Borne and Eric Embry: This was a solid match with tons of nice spots and great action. The crowd was very hot for this one. 12 minutes. 3 stars.

5.Recap of the Austin - Adams feud/love triangle with tons of highlights of confrontations between the two men. Highly entertaining.

6.Austin and Jeanie Clark vs. Chris and Toni Adams: Decent action with TONS of crowd heat. 10 minutes. 4 stars.

7.Austin and Jeanie Clark vs. Chris and Toni Adams: Re-match. Again tons of crowd heat and solid action. Percy Pringle (WWE's Paul Bearer) on commentary. Chris Von Erich, Jeff Jarrett and Iceman King Parsons post-match run-ins. 10 minutes. 4 stars.

THE DVD Extras

The DVD extras include:

1.Austin's biography (a quick paragraph or two summarizing his career and childhood).

2.An Austin photo gallery consisting of 4 pictures.

Overall, all right for a look but otherwise worthless...

THE VERDICT:

Overall, at a cover price this DVD is a bargain. The matches themselves are solid. The Adams - Austin feud was one of THE best storylines to come out during that era and is an example of what great booking can do.

This DVD is definitely must viewing for Stone Cold fans/enthusiasts/completists. Fans of the WCCW/USWA circa '89/'90 will also appreciate this DVD.

THE BEST OF WRESTLING SLAMS

Here are the contents of this DVD:

THE MATCHES:

1.Lightning Kid vs. Dapper Dan: Kid of course went on to become the 1-2-3 Kid who went on to become Syxx who evolved in WWF's X-pac. Decent match. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

2.Crash vs. Doink: Crash (the Terminator) became WCW's Hugh Morrus. Doink is of course the famous WWF early-mid 90's gimmick. Squash match featuring a post-match run-in by Koko B. Ware of WWF 80s fame. 3 minutes. DUD.

3."Cowboy" Bob Orton vs. Tom Lodly (sp???): From the NAWA. Orton, a recognized superior technical wrestler who made a name in the 80's WWF, puts on a wrestling clinic against his jobber opponent. 5 minutes. 3 stars.

4.Baron Samidi (w/ Bob Orton) vs. Lynn Wagner: From the NAWA. Samidi became Papa Shango in the WWF who became Kama who became the Godfather. Basically another jobber squash. Tons of power moves. 8 minutes. 2 stars.

5. "War Eagle" Chris Chavis vs. Dr. X: From South Atlantic Wrestling. "War Eagle" (definitely ripped at this point) went on to become the WWF's Tatanka in the early-mid 90s. Decent match. 6 minutes. 2 stars.

6.Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Johnny Z: From the NAWA. Steamboat, of course, is a legend in the business and a noted technical master noted for his classic matches against Ric Flair and Randy Savage. Jobber squash. Decent match. 5 minutes. 2 stars.

7.The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs) vs. Rusty Stevens and Rick Starr: NAWA. The Nastys were among the top tag teams around the world in the late 80s and early 90s with stints in the AWA, WWF and WCW. Decent back and forth action between the two teams. 13 minutes. 3 stars.

8.The (New) Fantastics (Bobby and Jackie Fulton) vs. Tommy Landell and the Enforcer: From South Atlantic. One of the best matches of the DVD with tons of great tag action from the Fantastics. 5 minutes. 4 stars.

9.The American Bulldogs (Spike and Rex) vs. Colt Steele and Tommy Landell: Decent match and action from the Bulldogs. 7 minutes. 3 stars.

10."Simply Irresistible" Jeff Jarrett and "Maniac" Matt Borne vs. Cactus Jack Manson and Sheik Braddock (w/ General Skandor Akbar): From the legendary USWA promotion in Texas. Overall, this is a great brawl/action-packed tag match with future great stars. 13 minutes. 3 ½ stars.

THE DVD FEATURES:

Nothing to see here as the special features two things:

1.A list of wrestler's finishing moves.

2.A FAQ regarding wrestling.

THE VERDICT:

Despite the cheap production of the DVDs, they are keepers, especially the Austin DVD. The Best of Wrestling Slams DVD is alright. Not must-see by any means, but worthwhile if you are into old-school wrestling or seeing today's stars in their younger forms or if you are into seeing older veterans back closer to their primes.

Highly Recommended
(Austin DVD must-see for Austin fans)