CM Punk - Best in the World

Distributor: WWE Home Video

Released: 10/12

Featured Talent

Daniel Bryan, Colt Cabana, Cassie (“sister”), John Cena, Chez (best friend), Chez’s Mom,

Chaleen (“sister”), Lars Frederiksen (friend / Rancid), Curt Hawkins, Michael Hayes, Chris Hero, Paul Heyman, Kofi Kingston, Lita, The Miz, Joey (Matthews) Mercury, CM Punk, Justin Roberts, Jim Ross, Zack Ryder, Natalie Slater (former girlfriend), Ace Steel, Triple H

The Good

This documentary came out with great anticipation as rumors of it being very different had people talking.  For all intents and purposes, it delivered.  CM Punk, a completely unique sort of underdog, had a great story to tell and, like with much of his material, he wanted to dictate how it was told.  While this doc did have some WWE formula to it, the inclusion of many people not associated with the company, the amount of footage from IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor and some of the harsh criticisms of the WWE really shocked some people.  Those elements really set this apart and made it excellent.  Perhaps when they tell the Daniel Bryan story, they will take that to another level, but this is true breakthrough.  The discussion of the Punk-Hero matches on a WWE DVD were kind of mind-blowing as I remember watching them through tape trades.  Hearing Dave Prazak on a WWE production seemed so bizarre.  Realistically, the story of CM Punk is so different and the WWE has reached a point where people are no reflecting on their time in WCW, their runs with ECW or any of that, they are coming from the independents.  This, like most WWE documentaries, featured chapters about dimensions of his personality - punk and hardcore music, the straight edge subculture, comic books and tattoos.  This seems like an above average WWE doc and one that I would recommend anyone to see.  CM Punk’s story is one of perseverance and self-reliance that could inspire many.

The Bad

What bad can you say about a documentary that basically delivers what you expect?  I think this was better than most WWE docs, but it still had that formulaic feel to it.  It was different in that it included music by Rancid and interviews with Colt Cabana and Ace Steel, but it was distinctly a WWE production.  Obviously, contractual obligations and bad blood would prevent this, but I think the absence of Samoa Joe, Raven and Gabe Sapolsky jumped out in the context of things.  I was also kind of hopefully for some really shocking inclusion like Ian Rotten or Chuck E Smooth.  The other issue was the constant reference to CM Punk’s detractors, but they were never given a voice.  Michael Hayes played the role of explaining those views while saying that he never agreed with them.  Vince McMahon was definitely a notable absence, but it seems like some of those who took issue with Punk never really shared their thoughts here.

The Rating: ****1/2

The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Director: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 2/08
Featured Talent
Steve Austin...that's it.

The Good
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is one of the greatest pro-wrestlers that the sport has ever seen. He was a transformative character whose legacy cannot be understated. While people were acting like him before, wrestling like him before and being the anti-hero/top babyface before, he put it all together in a way that with the WWF machine behind...magic happened. This disc, like the Ric Flair and The Undertaker collections, tries to tell Steve Austin's story through his matches. Some people's wrestling, like Austin's, are probably more interesting than a standard WWE documentary would be. Steve Williams' life story could certain play well in a well-done documentary, but past efforts by the WWE and even A&E have not exactly probed deeply. This collection features 20 matches that are largely excellent, some great and some only good. There are six matches that are probably **** or better and another four or five that are close. The addition of TV matches and Clash of the Champions matches were good and all but two were worthwhile. A few matches that were surprising to see, but were certainly not unwelcome were the strap match with Savio Vega, a `97 match with Shawn Michaels and the lesser known but excellent Bret Hart match. The match quality on this is exeptional.

The Bad
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is a legend. That said, this three disc "legacy" collection is gross disappointment. It has no documentary, no special commentary, no easter eggs even (!), just Austin giving input on some of the matches and angles throughout his career. The WWE has released numerous Stone Cold videos, but this could have been so much more. It basically runs through his career and contains 20 matches and a lot of clips and comments in between each. It left out some of his best matches and included some of the most unnecessary. The ECW stuff seems overblown in terms of the impact in his career and seeing he and Chris Adams or even some Dangerous Alliance era stuff would be preferrable. The Owen Hart match where he broke his neck was important, but does not make the cut. The two Kane matches were totally unwanted. The Triple H match with the car-crane BS was just bad for workers of that caliber. The Eddy Guerrero squash was stupid and only the fact that the two legendary Austin-Beonit matches could not be included seems to justify its inclusion. Although another DVD or two of matches that were omitted could be made, a few that jump out for WWF matches are: his KOTR battle with Marc Mero, a heel-versus-heel match he and Hunter had at an In Your House in late `96 and one they had at No Mercy `99.

The Extras
The extras on this were like the matches - a mixed bag. A "match", Austin-Yokozuna is pointless, a bit about McMahon is fine, the Redneck Triatholon is what it is, but the Austin angle with Terry Funk is tremendous. That last bit gets a huge thumbs up.

The Rating: ***1/4

Percy Pringle / Paul Bearer [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Great stories by a great storyteller, Percy Pringle (aka Paul Bearer) has had such a full career that it was easy for him to just go on and on with road stories, rib stories and funny memories. Who else could tell you what always makes the Undertaker vomit, how creative a teenage Michael Hayes was or what made Rick Rude such a likable guy? Percy Pringle's gift of gab just boils over here and he lets his guard down more and more as time passes. While he could and other interviews have proven this, go more into the psychological aspects and behind the scenes workings of companies, Percy delivers the endless tales that RF Video is always trying to pull out of an interviewee. It makes for a light-hearted and enjoyable interview. Percy is also so passionate about pro-wrestling that he seems almost mournful that kayfabe is dead and that young people cannot experience it or breaking into it the way he did. In a few instances he gets into that sentiment, but even that and the issue of drug abuse, deaths and political nonsense do not seem to hamper his excitement and he largely glazes over those negative aspects.

The Bad
If you've never heard Percy Pringle do a shoot interview, I cannot image how you would not love this. If you have, then you might see how this has is not a great as some others he has done. His series with Jim Cornette are second-to-none and are like ramped up versions of these as he gets into some of the same stories and issues. Although it is briefly mentioned, I think focusing more on his recollections of Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling would be so fascinating. Obviously he was just a mark fan then, but it is an area that is simply unexplored and forgotten. The road stories are great and plentiful here, but it seems like this is someone who could get more into the psychology of the business. Finally, Percy Pringle is pretty reserved in naming names. I think one of the great strengths of the Jim Cornette interview is that Corny will blast almost anyone, so it was easier for Percy to do it. These all seem knit-picky, but it prevented this from being a five-star interview in my view.

The Rating: ****1/2

Straight Shootin' with Mick Foley

The Good
Mick Foley delivers nearly four hours on his career from approximately 2000 to 2005. They talk about his time as WWF Commissioner, his feud with Randy Orton, his thoughts on Ric Flair and his novel writing experiences. His reflections on the importance of the feud and in particular his Hardcore match with Randy Orton and how crucial it was to getting the rising star over are interesting. Gabe Sapolsky repeatedly brings up the WWE writers, which Foley never buries out-right (as it seems the ROH booker wants him to), but he does give some critical and thoughtful comments on their role and how that refocusing has negatively impacting the WWE. The highlight of this, not surprisingly, is Mick Foley's thoughts on Ric Flair. He famously blasted Flair's poor booking in WCW, but Flair gave him an unfair, uneducated and unflattering (to Flair) receipt in "To Be the Man." Flair's name comes up again and again, but they save the heavy stuff for the finale. Gabe reads Flair's passage about Foley and the man himself rebuts it pretty handily. He reveals flawed research, flawed logic and ultimately gets his point across that Ric Flair is not a very reflective person. A burial of another talent that is different than you'll hear in any other shoot.

The Bad
If you take that Flair part out, this was a long and, at many times, boring interview. Foley goes on the assumption that you can remember much of the minutia in his matches, angles and such, which I can understand…but I couldn't remember a lot of those details. When I first listened to this, perhaps, but five or so years later this interview seems to be so limited in scope and dated in content. This is often a case in the latter part of a shoot interview, but this issue was constant. I can also imagine many would find much of this to be dull except for the Flair highspot. I probably would have given this four-stars or better when it happened, but this simply does not stand up very well.

The Rating: 
***1/2