Overview:

On April 4th the WWE celebrated what they called the 25th Anniversary of “the granddaddy of ’em all,” WRESTLEMANIA. I say “what they call” because for anyone familiar with anniversaries, they know that since there was no Wrestlemania 0 that the actual 25th Anniversary won’t come until next year. However, minor bitching aside, the event delivered a strong product (for the most part) and the DVD set is a nice addition to my collection for a variety of reasons.

Review:

Wrestling DVD’s are hit or miss, because they depend a lot of the extra features on the DVD. Each year, the Wrestlemania set is 3-discs, and each year there is a lot of supplemental on the discs.

The First disc carries the bulk of the actual event on it, except for the “main event”. I put that in quotations because as technically the last match of the card is the main event, but in this case, the true Main Event is contained on the first disc in the match between ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker.

If you’re not a wrestling fan and you find yourself wondering why a college educated, good-looking, 23 year old man watches professional wrestling, look no farther than this match. It is, in my eyes as of right now, the single greatest display of the sports-entertainment genre. If you can watch this match with an open mind, I assure you that you will be entertained. It’s like the Super Bowl contained in one match where you find yourself rooting for both teams.  The Houston crowd is so into the match that, even if you’re not interested, it’s hard not to be on the edge of your seat with anticipation. It’s brilliant.

On the second disc is the “technical” Main Event between HHH and Randy Orton, as well as a brief look back at the previous 24 Wrestlemania’s. It’s a nice time capsule for fans and non-fans alike, though non-fans might not care about the history of Wrestlemania.

The third disc contains an entertaining Hall of Fame ceremony including the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. For a fan like myself, it’s impossible not to get chills watching these men give speeches as they look back on their careers. And if you watch what Steamboat manages to accomplish the next night against Chris Jericho in the Legends Match, you will surely appreciate him even more.

What’s the best part of this DVD set?

They completely cut out that goddamn Kid Rock concert that was shown during the PPV! Now, if they’d just removed it from the initial broadcast,we’d be getting somewhere!

Final Words:

The set is a must-own for wrestling fans. The $25 price tag is well-worth it, as the amount of content on the set is worth well over that amount. Plus, you get the Match of the Year (HBK/Taker) in your collection, as well as an overall solid and entertaining Wrestlemania.

Score: 8.3/10 (Great)

Matches: 9/10
Special Features: 8/10
Packaging: 8/10
HBK vs. The Undertaker: 100/10
Kid Rock: -100/10 (Seriously, all the people who made “All Summer Long” such a smash hit should be ashamed of themselves.)