The Most Powerful Families in Wrestling


Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 11/08
Featured Talent
Afa, Animal, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Eric Bischoff, Nick Bockwinkel, Jerry Brisco, Jim Brunzell, Carlito, John Cena, Mike Chapman, Christian, Deuce, Tommy Dreamer, Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr., Greg Gagne, Verne Gagne, Billy Graham, Mike Graham, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chavo Guerrero Sr., Cuqui Guerrero, Eddie Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Herlindo Guerrero, Linda Guerrero, Mando Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Ata Johnson, Rocky Johnson, Jeff Hardy, Stu Hart, Larry Hennig, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Lawler, Steve Lombardi, Lia Maivia, Dean Malenko, Sherri Martel, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Blackjack Mulligan, Rey Mysterio, Gene Okerland, Bob Orton Sr., Bob Orton Jr., Randy Orton, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Bruce Pritchard, William Regal, Dusty Rhodes, Rikishi, Jake Roberts, The Rock, Jim Ross, Mike Rotundo, Samu, Sika, Davey Boy Smith, Diana Smith, Ricky Steamboat, Joey Styles, Triple H, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, Greg Valentine, Val Venis, Kevin Von Erich, Baron Von Raschke

The Good
The title of this DVD is quite specific and makes someone interested in pro-wrestling history want to see it.  If we add a few qualifiers than we can perhaps deal with what we're really getting here.  “The Most Powerful Families (who have had at least a member under WWF/WWE contract) in Pro-Wrestling (of the past 25 years)”.  The first family featured, the Ortons, is really fascinating and comprehensive, which certainly gives a lot of hope to the quality of this.  Not every family featured is as good, but overall this is a strong product.  The sheer number of people interviewed and the variety to those people adds greatly to this.  You get everyone from Vince McMahon himself (whose insight is often wonderful) and Hulk Hogan to Gory Guerrero and Peter Maivia's wife and daughters.  This is great overview of some of the most prominent pro-wrestling families.  If you can set aside the reality of this being a WWE history recreation attempt, this is very good.

The Bad
Shockingly, this is hosted by a WWE underachiever and son of a legend in one small market.  No its not Brian Christopher, Robert Fuller or Rene Dupree, although all three would've been preferable.  It's Carlito (Colon) whose hosting is campy and adds nothing to this DVD.  His lines are not funny, his only positive contributions are in the interview portions, it forever dates this DVD and his ties to Carlos Colon have never really been part of his persona.  That aside, this “historical” DVD is quite lacking in accordance to its lofty title.  If we're talking about families who were “powerful” in terms of having stroke, then it seems like you need to include some of those promoter/wrestler families.  The Welch/Fuller/Fields/Golden clan is certainly pro-wrestling's most prolific family with early twenty members who promoted, wrestled and refereed throughout Tennessee, Alabama and elsewhere.  Other families like: the Cormiers, the Duseks, the Farhats, the Garibaldis, the Poffos, the Scotts and the Smiths (Grizzly, Jake Roberts, etc.) all had families with promoters, bookers and/or top stars yet none of them were featured or even mentioned here.  If we're talking about “powerful” families as in having physical strength, then it seems like the Steinborns (father Milo was a legendary strongman, while Dick was a top hand and booker) should be mentioned.  There is definitely some gaps in the history, but we've come to expect that from WWE Home Video.

The Rating: ****1/4

Radio-free Insanity [club wwi] - Eric Bischoff

I came into a batch of shoot interviews from James Guttman's World Wrestling Insanity website (I owe you some money JG, but I'll give you some great free high praise for now).  Guttman is definitely in the upper echelon of interviews I've heard.  He may not be as tough as Gary Cubeta, as knowledgeable as Dave Meltzer, as personable as Sean Oliver (KC) or as hilarious as Dr. Keith Lipinski, but he has components of all four that make him excellent in his own way.  His interviews tend to run 30 minutes to an hour, but few go much longer than that.  Although you'd think that would limit their scope, he gets a lot in there and has clearly learned his craft unlike some others who've been doing it for YEARS!  The audio quality is alright, but I won't squabble too much over that.  The "what's going on by you?" and "anything to say to all the lil' (insert a Hulkamaniac-like name of the pro-wrestler's followers) out there?" lines are nice signatures and I've got nothing but good things to say about JG and the Radio-free Insanity, I'm even tempted to buy the book now!

I will review a couple standouts from the Club WWI archives and I strongly urge people to check it out.









The first one that really caught my ear during a long road trip was with former WCW Executive Vice-President and WWE personality, Eric Bischoff.  This was before Bischoff's recent foray into TNA land.

The Good
Love him or hate him, Eric Bischoff is a great talker, a media-savvy businessman and a true visionary.  He is also painful honest with his perspectives.  JG is a knowledgeable and respectful interviewer who seemed to gain Bischoff's respect and therefore scored a great interview.  I've heard Bischoff in several different places (from WOL and the LAW to WWE and professionally done documentaries) and he's never sounded for insightful.  In just over an hour, he shows just why he was able to become a boss at WCW, take that company to new heights and explains how it fell apart.  While his book has been blasted, this seems excellent to me.  His use of the Von Dutch phenomenon to make a point shows how outside of the bubble he truly is.

The Bad
In all his honesty, Bischoff puts targets on himself.  He has been said to have hated pro-wrestling, yet grew to respect it.  That love-hate relationship gives him this quality that turns off many pro-wrestling enthusiasts.  He really beats up on "dirt sheets," the Internet and pro-wrestling's core fans, which has to turn off 90% of the listeners.  Although it's hard to compare a 65 minute interview to a 4 hour one, Eric Bischoff makes a very strong showing, but you really wish he'd do that career retrospective, fantasy booking or whatever shoot that could expose the goods that his book apparently lacked.

The Rating: ****1/4

Edge: A Decade of Decadence
Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 11/08
Featured Talent
Judy Copeland, Edge, Ron Hutchinson






The Good
In a fashion befitting the “Rated R Superstar,” this compilation of matches is set up with Edge playing his usual arrogant self watching his old matches from his easy chair on the big screen.  Video packages are recut as film trailers, which is unique and funny.  The match choices are good with a nice variety of pay-per-view and TV matches.  One can really see Edge's growth as a worker in the early matches and metamorphosis as a heel in the later matches.  If someone is a big fan of Edge, even if you have the matches already, this is worth checking out.


The Bad
These matches with little commentaries in between are okay and clearly an attempt to make some extra change off superstars while their hot.  That said, they tend to seem thrown together and lack much new content worth dropping the money for which they are marked as in stores.  Edge appearing in character is funny and all, but it totally takes away any depth this could have.  There is not really much insight shared and minimal comments from others.  While Edge was a good talent who blossomed into a top-notch heel, is he yet worthy of such an extensive collection?  Maybe and there are probably “Edgeheads” who'd argue that he is.  Personally, the lack of pre-WWF material is objectionable, but understandable.  Perhaps there are not decent quality independent matches of Sexton Hardcastle or even footage of him working at the Funkin' Dojos.  Regardless, it seems odd to have a retrospective DVD set that has only WWF/WWE matches.


The Rating: **1/2

Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Bret Hart
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Released: 11/09

The Good
It has been said that you really have to be a Bret Hart fan to enjoy his matches, his commentary and his legacy. This book in its great detail, accuracy and honesty is one that someone whose not a fan of Bret Hart could enjoy. It seems as though most any pro-wrestling fan could find something to enjoy in this book. There is the story of the Harts, the early years on the road, the up-and-down years in the WWF, the WCW debacle and Bret Hart's post-career struggles. Normally the “growing up” section in a pro-wrestling book is hit-or-miss, but this is unique. The saga of the Hart family from the lean years in which the kids grew up and the wildness of being a wrestling family to the mind-boggling tragedy and harsh splits make for good reading. More casual fans will certainly be satisfied with the time given to the WWF and WCW years, in which Bret Hart's legacy was established (and perhaps severely tainted). It could be argued however that what sets this book apart is the attention given to some rarely detailed places. Bret Hart's accounts of wrestling in Puerto Rico, Britain and Japan are fantastic as he has great tales to tell and actually talks about the people. Fans with a deeper knowledge can appreciate these parts, while casual fans should not be bored with them. It is nice to read a book by someone who could really name-drop, but he chooses to acknowledge some of the forgotten names of the past. There is definitely good voice to this autobiography and since Bret Hart was never really the most charismatic promo, the format of a book work best for him. His shoot interviews and such are interesting, but referring to his notes and expert editing helps create a uniquely excellent product. This is certainly a must-read for any pro-wrestling fan.

The Bad
When Bret Hart first began talking about publishing his autobiography, he spoke of an extensive trilogy. This seemed like a publisher's nightmare and unsurprisingly it did not come to fruition. It is unfortunate because Hart's detailed notes of the past make for an autobiography that is exceptional. This boiled down version (over 500 pages no less) is great, but it makes one think about the possibilities that could've been. As for the problems with the actual book that was released, Bret Hart could perhaps come across as a bitter old-timer with a warped view of the past. Oddly this was his gripe with the Dynamite Kid's book. The Montreal Screwjob, the death of Owen Hart, the fallout with Vince McMahon and the sudden ending of his career all come across as one would expect with Hart's long held perspective being detailed and supported more articulately than in previous interviews. Depending on your perspective, Bret Hart could come across as bitter as he has for years. If you agree with Hart on all these accounts, then that is probably not an issue. What may color your view of Bret Hart are his many infidelities and attempts to justify them. While many autobiographies probably dodge this issue, Bret Hart goes into great detail about his major vice on the road. Like Jerry Lawler, it makes him seem like a braggart at times, but unlike Lawler he does not seem as pathetic about clinging to that past of sexual conquests. He seems brutally honest about that part of his life and shares stories of drugs, booze and steroids that apply not only to him, but his friends, family and co-workers.

The Rating: *****

Chris Kanyon Shoot (RF Video)

The Good
I don't recall ever hearing an extensive interview with Chris Kanyon (he had to have been on WOL or LAW back in the day though, right?). Not knowing what was in store made this shocking because it was so very good. Kanyon is incredibly honest about everything from his personal struggles with mental health problems and his homosexuality as well as his professional struggles in WCW and the WWF. He is as opinionated as he is vulgar in talking about his career (I never remember anyone using the C-word! in a shoot and Kanyon's verbiage sounds like a script from HBO's Deadwood series in its persistent cussin'). He seems to have reflected a lot on his career and has a vivid memory of every facet of it, which is unique and gives him a lot of credibility. While some might have liked him to sling a little more mud, he seems to share his opinions without coming across as overly bitter.

The Bad
It seems as though RF could have delved into the homosexuality issue more, although that might have been misconstrued by viewers or Kanyon himself. Obviously, Kanyon is one of the few openly gay talents in the business (who is actually going to do a shoot like this - Pat Patterson won't and any others of notoriety like Jim Barnett, Terry Garvin and Chris Colt have passed) and there is a story there. If you liked Kanyon, than this would be enjoyable, but I could see some people not caring much for this.

The Rating: ****









Jesse Ventura Story the Movie [VHS]

Behind Closed Doors with Kevin Sullivan [RF Video]

The Good
Kevin Sullivan is easily on my top ten shoot interviewees' list.  A big part of it is his personality - he is funny as hell, tells tales in a captivating way, does wacky voices and seems quite frank about everything.  What makes him different from other strong personalities of shoot interview notoriety (Jamie Dundee, New Jack, Honky Tonk Man, Raven, etc.) in that he had an exceptionally varied and successful career.  From Atlanta to Knoxville and Florida to Alabama, Kevin Sullivan has been all over and been a top star and/or creative force in all those places.  Aside from his booking prowess, Sully can has a deep understanding of the business and pro-wrestling psychology that he can explain better than almost anyone.  That makes this gold!


The Bad
RF Video...will you ever get your act together.  While they don't have to work hard with Kevin Sullivan, you really hunger for a real probing interviewer.  One who can ask tough questions, guide the interview and seems to have done some real research.  Luckily, Sully is so great that RF's inadequacies matter little.

The Rating: *****

Lance Russell Shoot (Highspots)

Lance Russell, the classic voice of Memphis wrestling, seems like a can't-miss for a shoot interview.  Here, he was what you'd expect, a great storyteller whose regional dialect and verbiage made for intriguing material.  While his memory seemed sharp and he was honest, this interview lacked the depth I really wanted.  Highspots' interviews tend to be good and this was, but I wished that it'd run a little longer and dig more than briefly go over Lance's highlights and most famous peers in the business.  His role in the Gulas-Jarrett split seemed like the most notable omission, but it was hardly the only one.  Let's hope this has a follow up because Lance Russell is a fantastic interview.

Rating: ****