An Extreme Backdrop For Your Wrestling Fun

We've all been doing what it takes to get ourselves through a very challenging and unique time in our world. Many of us have escaped to our hobbies, and if you're reading this you likely share the same hobby with the rest of us. That means you may collect wrestling figures and you may very well open those plastic superstars and "let them breathe," as it were. Once you do that, you may even set up your own situations for display or photography in what we call a diorama.

A company called Extreme Sets makes cardboard backdrops for such action figure dioramas of all genres. I had long admired their work from afar both on their own site and from fan submissions on social media. I'd never heard anything bad about the company, though there truly weren't too many reviews out there, just inclusion of their product in the ever-growing hobby known as action figure photography.

With the timing of needing to find different avenues of enjoyment, I decided to treat myself with not one but two of the Extreme Sets Arena Pop-Up 3.0 dioramas. Per the site, two complete one arena. The dioramas are not cheap by any means, nor is the shipping. Like many websites in this trying time, the company did offer a percentage off in a special sale. I knew these things were big, but I didn't know just how big...

The picture that you see isn't even both sets as big as they can be, it's simply as much as could fit on my dining room table. Even not fully displayed, you can see that these things are huge.

The sets come packaged in a window box. Mine came in individual shipping sleeves in one gigantic shipping box. With one you get a "half" arena backdrop, three ringside audience boxes (two large and one small), and upper arena "VIP boxes." What you see here in the pictures is largely a combination of two.

I believe the audience element has been greatly expanded upon for Extreme Sets third shot at a wrestling arena diorama. The "audience members" are fun and don't  "repeat" very much. You could easily place a photo of yourself or whoever you'd like as an alternative, and the crowd signs are intentionally left blank. It's weird to see someone in the audience catching Andre the Giant with a camera phone, but I'm not nitpicking. If you were doing serious photography you could easily switch the audience members around so that a more "modern" fan wasn't as visible. The ringsiders are contained in boxes that resemble the modern day retaining walls, though in some of these photos you'll see guardrails added.

I won't say that these were easy to assemble, though I'm notoriously impatient with such things. The cardboard and printing is very high quality. It's obvious that this is why the prices are high. It's also a niche item mainly for adults. While I would've had a world of fun of these as a kid, I tended to take care of my things. I'm not sure that they're sturdy enough to last for some children. I do know that my parents wouldn't have liked how much room these take up. Unless you have devoted space for a permanent display, you need somewhere to store these.

My biggest gripe comes from the "VIP boxes" that attach near the top. While they stayed in place at first, eventually they began to come loose and also cause the lower portions to bend somewhat. This was not long after assembly. I contacted the company regarding the situation and heard nothing back. I wasn't looking for a refund or anything of the sort, but some kind of acknowledgment would've been nice. I'll reiterate: these things were not cheap to purchase.

Are they a heckuva lot of fun? Yes. If you can lose yourself in wrestling figure set-ups, you'll get absolutely immersed with your rings surrounded by these. They work with any size ring as you can see with the accompanying photography and I've seen other photographs with added stages, lighting, etc. The possibilities are truly endless. Do I regret my purchase? No, though I may have only ordered one had I realized how big they were. That being said, a complete action figure arena is a sight to behold. Can you imagine these when were kids?

I won't directly link to the site as this review was paid for by one person: me. A quick Google search of the company name will find you instant links. The company has also offered wrestling backdrops on a smaller scale such as backstage areas, but those seem to be out of production. Do your homework, consider your space, and remember that, if my experience is any indication, once you make your purchase you are on your own. But as long as you have fun...

A Slobberknocker Of A Tale, But Hold The BBQ...

I still remember not being able to control my excitement as WrestleMania IX took to the air live. While Gorilla Monsoon, one of my favorite announcers, made little more than a cameo at the beginning of the event, the name that crossed his lips to take his place had me jumping out of my seat. Jim Ross had arrived in the World Wrestling Federation! It didn't seem possible, but here we were. Little did we know how far that this man from Oklahoma would go "up north." Now, "Good Ol' J.R." is recalling those stories and more in "Slobberknocker - My Life In Wrestling."

Just a brief overview of the career of Jim Ross will indicate to any wrestling fan that the man has many stories to tell. Although J.R. has written several cookbooks, this is the first to be a true telling of his story. From essentially chauffeuring for legendary wrestlers up and down the highways to refereeing, announcing, booking, and beyond, Ross has laid out his life in wrestling, just as the title says. Though we do hear about his late wife Jan (who was alive during most of the production of the book) as well as his parents, much of J.R.'s personal life is left out. This is a decision that only the author can make when penning a book and should be respected. Again, this is his "life in wrestling."

Refreshingly, many J.R. stories that we've heard in the past in various outlets are omitted. While those stories would have been welcome, it seems that the decision was made in order to include tales that are unfamiliar even to the biggest Jim Ross fan. If you're looking for the bathroom tales of the "hit" placed on Vince McMahon or Brian Pillman's bowel movement, they aren't here. But you will learn why Robert Gibson was called "Hoot" and while it didn't necessarily please "Vinnie Mac."

Another interesting omission is anything regarding J.R.'s famous BBQ sauce. Perhaps he wanted to avoid making the book look like an advertisement, but the stuff is good. Great, actually. Instead you will hear plenty about working with and learning from the likes of Cowboy Bill Watts, Ernie Ladd, Leroy McGuirk, Danny Hodge, Ric Flair, Gorilla Monsoon, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Gordon Solie, and of course McMahon and Jerry "The King" Lawler.

Equal time is spent on Ross's time in Mid-South Wrestling/UWF, WCW, and the WWF, so you get a true feel of what the WWE Hall of Famer brought to each company. Still, the author leaves you wanting more. Some of the more controversial moments in J.R.'s career are not included, which again would be a personal decision of Ross himself.

"Slobberknocker" is a worthwhile entry in the library of any wrestling fan, but we can hope that this is only "Volume 1," as we know there's a lot more to tell. Ross has been making many appearances around the country promoting and signing the book, but I think he enjoys greeting the fans most of all. After all, he's still a fan himself after all these years...

"I like what you're doing. The nostalgia thing. Us old guys appreciate that stuff."

--Jim Ross to me, October 2017

WWE Unreleased: Just What The Longtime Fan Ordered

Gold. Usually I wait until the last paragraph of a review to summarize, but I choose to do it right now instead with just that word. WWE Unreleased is a DVD treasure trove of matches and segments that wrestling fans have been asking for for years.

It's well-documented that the WWE vault is massive and contains footage from the classic yet common to the ultra-rare and unseen. It's the latter that is contained in WWE Unreleased. Mainly consisting of dark matches from television tapings with a house show match or two thrown in, truly everything on here is never-before-seen to my knowledge. It's stuff that we've heard of, yet always had to visualize in our heads.

The set is hosted by Charly Caruso and, one of my all-time favorites, Sean Mooney. The interstitial segments display that Mooney still very much gets the company and its humor, as it's jokingly implied that the former WWF announcer actually lives in the film archive below the "Event Center." There are a few nods to Mooney's frequent broadcast partner, the late Lord Alfred Hayes, and be sure to stick around after the WWE Home Video logo pops up at the end. There's also a great gag in the last hour or so of the set that is sure to make frequent WWE DVD watchers smile.

The set is labeled "1986-1995," which in a way doesn't please me. I know that there is loads more unseen footage from that era that didn't make the cut. Missy's Manor? Jimmy Garvin's 1992 tryout? The last encounter between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant (a tag match pitting Hogan and Big Boss Man against the Colossal Connection at a 1990 tv taping)? Pay-per-view dark matches? Griping aside, what we do get is honestly unheard of.

If you're a fan of Andre, The Ultimate Warrior, or Randy Savage, this is the set for you. All three seem to show up very frequently early on. There is also a big dose of The Hulkster, with The Undertaker and Bret Hart generously peppered in as well. The real gems here, for me, are the tryout matches. We see the Warrior, Owen Hart, Crush, Earthquake, Tatanka, The Smoking Gunns, and Taz all in some of their initial appearances. We also get the never aired 1992 return of Piper's Pit featuring the Brooklyn Brawler and an absolutely shocking line for the time from "Hot Rod" regarding what the company was facing in the real world.

We are reminded that Mike McGuirk, in addition to being an extremely sweet individual, was criminally underrated as a ring announcer. We see some obvious "run thru" matches to prepare for the "real deal" down the line. We also see the infamous (thanks to WWE.com) Toxic Turtles match which clearly was never intended to go beyond the venue in which it was held.

Picture quality changes from match to match, as obviously some of the master footage has deteriorated. There are some odd frame rate issues in a couple of matches, and some wavy sound problems in others. Nonetheless, we aren't seeing this stuff any other way. I'll take it any day. As far as music changes, I only noticed two: the horrible Rick Rude music edit that crept up earlier this year, and a change for the Smoking Gunns tryout entrance theme. Speaking of tryout entrances, be sure to check out those for both "Earthquake Evans" and "War Eagle."

A few of the matches are seen only from the hard camera view, and it should be pointed out that there is no commentary here at all. Some would probably argue that commentary could have been added, but I would be against it. These are dark and house show matches. View them as originally intended with the natural audio of the event as your soundtrack. Nothing more is needed.

Buy this thing. Why? One reason is because it's one of the most interesting and unique WWE DVD releases of all-time. Another reason is that if sales are great, we may see more content like this down the line. While matches from after the time frame covered in this set wouldn't interest me quite as much, we have no idea what WWE has stored away. In the meantime, let's enjoy what has been unleashed with "Unreleased."

Pat Patterson Now "Accepted" In Book Stores World Wide

When you would think of wrestlers who should have written a book but were highly unlikely to do so, Pat Patterson topped the list. A legend in all aspects of the wrestling business, the man himself always seemed rather guarded and rarely, if ever, did real world or "shoot" interviews. His inclusion in many of the WWE Legends of Wrestling roundtable shows was somewhat of a surprise in itself. When Patterson opened up his life a bit more during the run of the WWE Network program "Legends House," the possibility of a book seemed like it just may happen one day. Here we are in 2016 and "Accepted" has hit the shelves.

Those who only know Pat Patterson as one of Vince McMahon's "stooges" in the Attitude Era are in for a shock, if any such fans with that limitation on their knowledge of the man truly exist. Patterson's story reaches back decades in the wrestling business, to a time when dreams really could be attained by someone with just a few dollars in their pocket and little-to-no real direction. Pat, born Pierre Clermont in Montreal, went from star wrestler to one of the most creative behind-the-scenes minds that the wrestling business had ever seen. But how did he get there? How did he make the jump? Where did all of the knowledge and creativity come from?

I classify most books written by wrestlers into two different categories: "wrestling books" or "books by a wrestler." Patterson's story is definitely the latter. While you're going to get the stories and tales that made up Pat's life in the ring, this is his story and how wrestling fit in, not the other way around. If you're looking to get a true glimpse at the man that is telling the story, this is the way that it should be done. Most Patterson fans will know this going in. Listening to Patterson speak on "Legends House," you can tell that while the man loves the wrestling business, he tried to never let it define him. He may identify more with "Pat Patterson" than "Pierre Clermont," but that does not mean that wrestling consumed him.

Joining Pat in telling the tale is someone who was perfect in bringing out the wrestling history aspect. Bertrand Hebert was co-author (with Pat Laprade) of the critically acclaimed "Mad Dogs, Midgets, and Screw Jobs" which told the complete story of wrestling in Montreal. Seeing as that Patterson is a native of the city and was influenced by that particular wrestling product, it was a perfect fit. Hebert also manages to avoid one of my biggest pet peeves in autobiographies: adding in long rehashes of history unrelated to the star. While it is needed in some instances in order to set up a particular scene or story, in many books it gets tiresome and is written in a way that completely distances you from the voice of the author. In "Accepted," rarely did I feel that the words written weren't coming direct from Patterson.

There are plenty of stories from the wrestling business, some of which you may have heard before, but plenty that will be new to you. Pat's work side-by-side with McMahon does not get quite as in-depth as JJ Dillon's book did, but you still get a good look at the inner workings of the golden era of the World Wrestling Federation. Even with all of the wrestling books produced in the past 17 years, this is till relatively uncharted territory. Patterson's emotions for many of wrestling's most powerful moments come through, and that is also when his love for the business shines most.

Again, wrestling does not define Patterson the most. I would say instead that it is his yearning for love and acceptance (hence the title), and maybe not completely in the ways that you may be expecting from your previous knowledge of the man. Patterson's interesting family situation from growing up also played a pivotal role throughout his life. How that actually led into his journey in the wrestling business is another story that is told here for the first time.

I definitely want more from Patterson. You know that he is full of stories that could have doubled or tripled the size of the book. Will they ever be told in a public forum such as this? Probably not. Patterson is very loyal to friends in the business as well as the McMahon family who he is accepted as a member of. I feel very lucky that Patterson has chosen to tell this much after all this time. I was also pleased with the number of photos included. Not only is there a large color section in the middle, but there are also black and white photos throughout.

"Accepted" is one of the books that comes along that I can't put down. As I mentioned earlier, it definitely left me wanting more, but what we received was excellent. I do classify it as a "book by a wrestler" rather than a "wrestling book," but fans of wrestling's past won't be disappointed. Ray Stevens, the WWF, Canadian wrestling, the territories, Sgt. Slaughter, Killer Kowalski, and the Royal Rumble are just a few of the wrestling aspects of Pat's story. With a list like that, how can you go wrong?

The Hardcore Truth

After years of taking them in, I have all but given up on "shoot" interviews, question and answer sessions, and similar presentations. For awhile they seemed to be a novel idea, but as more and more were made, they seemed less and less truthful. Wrestlers are natural "workers." Their livelihood is based on creating a mass illusion to entertain you. Why would stories "from the back" be any different? Remember the old saying, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." Sadly, it seems like many books authored by wrestlers have gone in the same direction. That is, until "The Hardcore Truth" hit the wrestling world.

Released in 2013, "The Hardcore Truth" is the autobiography of Bob "Hardcore" Holly, the longtime WWF/WWE star. For the better part of fifteen years, Holly made his way through WWE rings in just about every position of the card that there is. He began with the company during their "New Generation" campaign, was totally reinvented during the "Attitude Era," and continued on with the company until 2009.

The book itself is an extremely enjoyable read and is very well balanced as far as content. We get just enough backstory of pre-wrestling Bob Holly to let us know how he was raised, his family life, and his early adult years that led him into the industry. The story doesn't skip around, which is one of my biggest peeves in autobiographies. Everything is presented in chronological order. If something is going to be revisited in his future, we don't suddenly skip to that part. If only every book was compiled with this consideration!

Holly and co-author Ross Williams seem to know what the target audience will be with the book--wrestling fans. Therefore, stories from throughout Holly's career completely fill most of the book. Thanks to Jim Cornette I was aware of some of Holly's early wrestling days, but not everything. Several early WCW matches were new to me and were easily found on YouTube as a nice visual companion. Some fans might be a little lost on the chapter covering Bob's racing, but it is brief and integral to telling his story.

Most importantly, from the beginning I felt that I was getting exactly what the title proclaimed--the hardcore truth. Unlike those aforementioned shoot interviews and other outlets, I didn't get the feeling that Holly was stretching the truth at all. This is a man who is very happy in semi-retirement. He does not feel the need to suck-up to the big shots in hopes of a return or one last payday, nor does he bury those individuals. He gives his honest opinions on anyone that played a factor in his career, and displays their good points just as much as the bad. In fact, I don't think that I came out of this book looking at anyone any less favorably than I did going in. His honest appraisals are refreshing as is his not wanting to bury anyone out of spite, while still disclosing the good and bad of the wrestling business.

In addition to the highs and lows of his own career, Holly takes you backstage for many of the happenings that occurred during that timeline. Survivor Series 1997, WrestleMania XX, the ill-fated ECW revival, and the Owen Hart, Eddy Guerrero, and Benoit family tragedies are all covered in a unique viewpoint that I found very different from other, possibly sanitized, accounts. The demise of Guerrero is particularly intense and tells of the weeks leading up to his death which have only been hinted at elsewhere.

Just as with the deaths, Holly does not dish dirt for the sake of salaciousness. Instead, he discloses all in an attempt to fully flesh out the story of his own career. Several stories that you have heard regarding Holly as well as others in the company are either supported or dispelled. While he goes to great lengths to let the fans know that miserable, perpetually frowning Hardcore Holly is not the true Bob Howard, the no-nonsense, no-BS approach to life is the same.

Some wrestling books are good, some are bad, while others are very bad. A few are great. I never imagined that "The Hardcore Truth" would make it into that latter, very slim, grouping, but it does. In fact, this one makes it up there with J.J. Dillon's book in my all-time favorites list. It's an extremely honest look at a surprisingly storied career. It's a behind-the-scenes view at the biggest wrestling company in history at several of its most tumultuous periods. It's the story of a man trying to make it to the top of an industry that fascinated him since childhood. It's a wrestling fan turned wrestler sharing his story with other wrestling fans. It doesn't get much better than that!

How do you like him now?

Ultimate Warrior & Road Dogg--Returning To WWE & The Toy Aisle

With WWE Network on the minds of WWE fans and the company itself, nostalgia is at an all-time high.  After all, when the kinks are finally figured out (as of press time they were not), fans will have On Demand access to every WWE, WCW, and ECW pay-per-view as well as an untold amount of other classic wrestling footage.  The concept has finally given the company a reason to embrace the past full-time.  It needs Network content, and with the company's vast libraries there is no better place to go than the past.

This nostalgia kick also includes past superstars returning to current programming.  In the ring itself, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn, the New Age Outlaws, returned and captured the WWE Tag Team Championship at the Royal Rumble.  The WWE Hall of Fame, always a bastion of wrestling's past, will be headlined this year by none other than the Ultimate Warrior.

It's the Warrior and the D-O-Double G that we'll be focusing on here.  Long before their respective impacts on 2014 WWE programming, both of these men were announced to be part of Mattel's 26th Elite action figure series.  Joining the likes of Jack Swagger, Big E. Langston, Mark Henry, and Roman Reigns, these two legends are the "Flashback" entries of the set.  While Road Dogg's attire has changed little over the years, this version of the Ultimate Warrior is one that have never before been produced as an action figure.  Neither figure suffers from looking too small for the Elite box packaging, but there is something missing from one that I'll get to later. 

Road Dogg is exactly what I feel an action figure should be.  It's a nicely detailed figure, but it also comes with not one, but several accessories.  In addition to the "Road Dogg Jesse James" shirt that the figure is wearing in the package, a D-Generation X shirt is included as well as a hat.  When looking at the boxed figure, the double shirts really make you feel like you're getting a nice bang for your buck.  It's not uncommon for action figures of this era to include extra accessories and even hands for different poses, etc.  Wrestling figures should be no different.  I will say that the D-X shirt does not stay clasped as well as the Dogg shirt and that I've preferred cloth used instead of rubber, but I'm still crazy about a nice assortment of accessories.

The Warrior is based upon the attire that he wore at SummerSlam '92.  He has his shorter hair and a singlet designed to look like muscles and tendons and all of that good stuff.  His arm tattoo is here as well.  Although it's a nice figure, compared to Road Dogg you just don't feel as if you're getting as much.  This is especially jarring when looking at the boxes of both.  A notation on the Dogg's box proudly announces that "2 Shirts & Hat" are included.  Meanwhile on the Warrior's box we are excitedly told that it includes "Authentic Ring Attire."

Don't get me wrong, this Warrior is a great figure and will fly off of the shelves, but "authentic ring attire" that is simply what is painted on is not an accessory that should be touted.  The duster that he wore at the time (and is shown on the box) should definitely have been included.  Why was it not?  Probably budgetary issues, but that's no excuse for covering it up.  If there's no accessory included, there's no reason to look ridiculous and call it out right on the front of the package.

These are both great additions to the line and as I said above, they will be hot sellers.  This is far from the first Mattel version of the Warrior, but they've always sold well.  With his return to the WWE family and hype machine, that's not going to change.  The Road Dogg is not only back on tv, but has always been popular.  An Elite Flashback Billy Gunn is up next and will be a great companion to the Dogg.  I would also not be surprised to see a two-pack of the Outlaws coming up, and hopefully they will look just a tad different to reflect their current image.  In short, I'm asking for 50-year-old "skullet" Billy Gunn.  And I'm not ashamed.  Do it, Mattel!

50 Years Of WWE Comes To Blu-Ray

When a company reaches the fifty year milestone, you have to expect them to celebrate it.  In fact, it's surprising just how little WWE, a company known for touting anniversaries of any size, actually pointed out their 50th recognized year in 2013.  A few mentions may have been made here and there on WWE programming, but to the best of my knowledge it came and went relatively quietly.  That is, except for the new WWE 50 DVD and Blu-Ray release.

To the hardcore fan, it actually appears on the outside to be a relatively useless release.  Most fans already know the history of the company and hardly need another lesson, but you can never get enough of the great quality footage that usually fills out these releases.  It was in fact some special footage included here that made me want this disc, that being an alternate view of one of the most historic matches in WWE history, but we'll get to that in a bit.

As with most WWE releases, you do get a dose of the "revisionist history" that some fans can't ever complain enough about.  Here, the revisionist history actually begins in the title itself.  If you recall, the WWE was claiming in their mid-1990's opening logo that the company had been the revolutionary force in sports entertainment "for over 50 years."  So which is it?  When did the company "officially" begin?  Does it really matter?  It's a business based on fictional history and telling fictional stories, so does "revisionist history" really make all that big of a difference?

A large portion of the beginning of the documentary celebrates the early success of the company thanks to Bruno Sammartino.  With Sammartino back in the WWE fold, it's obvious that the company wanted him back, in part, to help tell the story.  Though footage of his early days are limited, I still hope to see a dedicated Sammartino release in the future.  Hopefully WWE could obtain the rights to the epic 1960's battle between Sammartino and Giant Baba in Japan that exists on video.  The quality of the footage is absolutely amazing and would automatically qualify as an instant purchase in Blu-Ray format.

The story of the company is told not just by footage, but also by the obligatory "talking heads."  Instead of the usual troupe, here we get interviews with names not normally used such as Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Valiant, and Lex Luger as well as some with stars gone by such as Captain Lou Albano, Chief Jay Strongbow and Sensational Sherri Martel.  The one that struck me as the most interesting was none other than Linda McMahon.  Always well-spoken, Mrs. McMahon was well-utilized here as someone who definitely saw the company in good times and bad.

In addition to the normal stories of the national expansion, Hulkamania, WrestleMania, and the Attitude Era, this release also delves into darker territory that the company does not always speak of.  The 1990's steroid trial and the death of Owen Hart are both given dedicated sections and kudos should be given to the company for acknowledging both as part of its history.  The Benoit family tragedy is not mentioned here nor should it be.  Unlike the Hart death, the events did not take place anywhere near a WWE event.

The last fourth of the documentary is where my prime issues with it lie.  To begin with, we are "treated" to the opinions of "fans" in place of where we could be hearing more stories from the stars themselves.  The only "fan" of notoriety interviewed is Michelle Beadle, who WWE seems to have an obsession with.  Not being a very big sports fan, I know of Beadle solely from her constant mentions on WWE programming.  Why the company seems to get off on her attention is beyond me.  If WWE is an entertainment company, why is it any great shakes that a sports reporter (or whatever she is) is a huge fan?  If you ask me, she seems to have been someone with a casual interest who found a way to get free tickets.  Keep doing the "fake-football-team-fight-when-shown-on-camera" hun, your fifteen minutes have been long over in my eyes.

It is also around this time in the documentary where the story begins to feel as if it's transitioning into a commercial.  A large commercial.  Actually, it begins to remind me of a promotional video of a company trying to sell some sort of syndication package to a television station about two decades ago.  Obviously they're only going to promote today's product, stars, and concepts in a positive light, but it seems to go on just a bit too long here.  If I hear how great and state-of-the-art the "performance center" is one more time...

Honestly, you won't watch the documentary more than twice.  The extras, however, may be another story.  When "new-old" material is presented on a Blu-Ray, it's always intriguing, but how about something you've never seen before?  The WrestleMania III main event of Hulk Hogan versus Andre the Giant has been on countless media releases, but how about from the purely hard camera perspective?  It's here, it's amazing, and it's something that any fan needs to see at least once.  No commentary, a singular view, and the closest you'll get to watching the match live at the Pontiac Silverdome.

Also amongst matches and segments that really do capture the most celebrated moments in the company is another unexpected inclusion: my personal pick for 2013 Match of the Year.  That match would be the February 25, 2013 Monday Night Raw battle between John Cena and CM Punk.  These two always seem to make magic, but this particular match even threw the WWE's "rules" out the window with not only a piledriver but the kind of drama that wrestling's popularity was built on.  More kudos to the company for including this modern masterpiece.

This is WWE's 50th anniversary celebration.  There wasn't a televised special or even much hoopla.  Aside from an upcoming book (a flyer advertising this is included), this is how the WWE wants to be represented for their golden anniversary.  It definitely works and seems to cover the exact moments and eras that most fans covet.  Aside from a seemingly odd omission of much material related to the legendary Gorilla Monsoon (most likely unintentional), I can't think of anything else that they absolutely should have covered.  This is a definite purchase for the aforementioned extras, but if you can wait I'd do it.  With the recent heavy discounts on releases just months after their release, you may be able to pick this up as a total bargain not too far down the line.

As for what should've been left out, how about the opinions of the fans?  Or at least fans that no one cares about.  I've never witnessed anyone scan the crowd of an event to see if this Beadle woman was present.  If the company wanted to dive into it's fan base, why not talk about the legendary Ringside Rosie(s) of the territories?  MSG's own Mrs. Krieger?  1990's staple known as "Faith No More Guy?"  Or why not track down Vlad the Superfan?  I did!

Now there's a shot of two fans that have seen their share of the WWE's fifty years!

The (Mid) South Will Rise Again!

WWE Home Video releases that satisfy everyone are few and far between.  Either there's too much previously released material or the content is too "old" to appease the "Universe" or this or that or the other thing.  I'm not sure if it's a credit to the WWE home video team or the creative genius of Ernie Ladd and Bill Watts, but the newly released "Legends of Mid-South Wrestling" might be the pacifier needed to satisfy the cries of all groups of wrestling consumers.

Ever since WWE purchased the Mid-South Wrestling Library, fans have been clamoring for something to come of it.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that the purchase was a smart buy.  From Junkyard Dog to Ted DiBiase to Jim Duggan to Jake Roberts, so many wrestling stars of the '80s had some of their best years in the business as part of either Mid-South Wrestling or the Universal Wrestling Federation when the promotion changed names.  Seeing as how WWE enjoys showcasing the stars of what many fans between the age of 30 to 40 years old consider to be the company's "glory years," this release practically built itself.

Released in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats, Legends of Mid-South Wrestling is presented in a format that I was unsure of at first.  Instead of the often-used WWE DVD format of a documentary followed by matches, the wrestler soundbite and clip segments are interspersed throughout to tell the story of Mid-South/UWF and build up to complete matches.  After watching, I decided that I enjoyed this format more than the separate documentary.  While it may not work for every topic tackled, it definitely thrives here.

Although I'm not a home theater expert, to me this classic footage is particularly crystal clear in Blu-Ray format.  Though the occasional imperfection from the source material cannot be helped, someone did an absolutely remarkable job restoring these tapes.  Rumor says that the tapes were restored for the Watts family's own marketing of these matches before WWE purchased the library. 

The segments and matches presented each revolve around a key player in Mid-South's history and often include stars such as Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, and Dusty Rhodes who passed through.  In my estimation, the match listing is phenomenal.  Despite collecting quite a bit of footage through the years, the only match I had previously owned was Andre, Dusty, and JYD taking on Ladd and The Wild Samoans.  Six Hall of Famers in one match gives you just a hint of the star power involved here.

You'll see the student-teacher struggle of Magnum T.A. and Mr. Wrestling 2.  You'll relive the conniving Ted DiBiase as he battles former friends JYD and Hacksaw Duggan.  You'll witness tag teams such as The Fabulous Freebirds, The Midnight Express, and The Rock 'n Roll Express as they climbed up the ladder.  You'll learn of Muhammad Ali's involvement with Mid-South from Jim Ross himself.  How about Shawn Michaels, Sting, and The Ultimate Warrior TRULY "before they were stars?"  It's all here.

As is usually the case when comparing formats, the DVD packaging is a bit more attractive than the Blu-Ray version.  The latter format, however, contains several bonus segments and matches.  These extra features are absolutely worth picking up the Blu-Ray version for.  Cantankerous old "get that WWE logo off of my classic wrestling!" fans will be happy to see that the company's logo is very small in the over all packaging design.  In comparison, the classic Mid-South Wrestling logo is featured much more prominently as a whole.

This release has a lot of potential in several different areas.  As with any "classic" release, the likelihood of future, similar releases only rises if the sales are good here.  I've seen many fans reporting purchases of "Legends," which will only help the cause.  With this particular release, hopefully the company will feel the need for yet another chapter of Mid-South Wrestling.  There are many more great matches, classic characters,and untold stories yet to be touched upon.  Hopefully "Legends of Mid-South Wrestling: Volume 2" is on the home video horizon.

For every reason mentioned above and more, go out and buy this one.  WWE releases from their vast "vault" are always worth a purchase due to being able to get these gems in pristine quality, but this set goes above and beyond.  Very rarely in viewing the discs was I not completely entertained.  Going back to my earlier pondering, I think that it did have a lot to do with "The Cowboy" and "The Big Cat."  Not only did they know how to build a promotion, but they knew how to build the talent to keep us enthralled.  Thanks to WWE, we now get to treasure that greatness forevermore. 

Memphis Wrestling Memorabilia Comes To A Bookshelf Near You

Let's face it, Memphis Wrestling had it all.  The stars, the action, and entertainment value that no other promotion or territory could quite match at the time.  Despite being a Yankee and born just as much of the hottest Memphis action was taking place, I've often listed the territory as my favorite of the old wrestling hotbeds.  I'll go as far as to say that if any one territory would be able to succeed in today's wrestling world, it would be Memphis.  The whole package transcends the time in which it occurred, and any wrestling promoter would kill for those insane crowds that can still be marveled at on old tapes from the Mid-South Coliseum.

Another way in which Memphis Wrestling stood out was in the early concepts of merchandising.  As I often point out here, the action figures, bedsheets, stickers, and lunchboxes that we now associate with wrestling memorabilia didn't truly take off until the "Rock n' Wrestling" era of the mid-1980s.  In Memphis and the other towns included in the territory, however, fans, wrestlers, and promoters alike knew just how much souvenirs and "gimmicks" could add to the overall product and profits of wrestling.

If you're even on this blog, I'm fairly sure that you have an interest in the memorabilia and merchandise surrounding professional wrestling.  If you've ever wanted a fully illustrated history of some of the earliest examples of these treasured collectibles, then the newest book from the legendary Jim Cornette and Memphis Wrestling historian Mark James is right up your alley.  The book is titled "Rags, Paper, & Pins--The Merchandising Of Memphis Wrestling," and was tailored made for fans/collectors like you and me.

Works from both Cornette and James have been featured here before.  Cornette's 25th Anniversary Scrapbook meticulously recalling the fantastic run of his Midnight Express tag team met glowing reviews here and just about anywhere else it has been discussed, as have Dutch Mantell's "The World According To Dutch" and George South's "Dad You Don't Work, You Wrestle."  The latter two books were co-productions with Mark James.  By mixing Cornette's direct involvement with Memphis wrestling merchandising and James' knowledge of the territory captured in his other publications and website, "Rags" promised to be a winner even before the first page was turned.

Making its public debut at Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest, convention goers flocked to the Cornette's Collectibles booth where both Cornette and James were present to sell and sign the books.  Although the book was already on my own shopping list, I'm not sure how any fan could have passed it up.  The cover is plastered with original Jim Cornette photography of Jerry Lawler, Jackie Fargo, Jimmy Valiant, Lance Russell and Dave Brown, Bill Dundee, The Fabulous Ones, and even a young Hulk Hogan.

At 342 pages it is by no means a small book.  Part of that is because many of the programs, photos, and other memorabilia discussed is reproduced right in the book.  The other half is because Cornette and James follow a pattern that's near and dear to my heart: telling the history of wrestling through its memorabilia and merchandising.

It's no secret that Jim Cornette began his association with Memphis Wrestling as a young photographer.  What's less known is that so much of the Memphis merchandising sold at the "photo table" is also a direct result of Cornette's involvement.  The greatest wrestling manager of all-time?  I'd certainly be inclined to agree.  One of the fathers of wrestling merchandising and memorabilia?  Who knew?

From the '50s through the '80s, Memphis Wrestling history and merchandising is not just covered, but presented in the way that it deserves to be.  From Sputnik Monroe, Tojo Yamamoto, and The Fabulous Fargo's to Jimmy Hart, Austin Idol, and The Gibson Brothers, they're all here.  Maybe you've just always wanted to see the infamous "Mama Cornette."  Even she makes an appearance here, along with the mother of Jerry Jarrett, Christine, herself an integral part of the territory.  Speaking of one of the most influential men in wrestling history, Jerry Jarrett provides the foreword for this treasury of his territory.

Perhaps my own favorite portion of the book is a complete reprinting of the six-issue run of Championship Wrestling Magazine.  A collaboration between Cornette and Norm Kietzer's Pro Wrestling Enterprises, CWM is prized due to its short run, great Cornette photography, and complete dedication to the Memphis Wrestling product of the time.  Cover-to-cover, each issue is presented here in anthology form, complete with Cornette's behind-the-scenes stories from the magazine's birth to untimely end and even his original hand-penciled layouts.  This section is worth the price of the book alone.

I learned so much from the book that I would love to repeat here, but that's where you come in.  With my highest recommendation, if you have any appreciation for classic Memphis Wrestling or the memorabilia that is discussed every week right here, you need to pick up the book for yourself.  Information on the various ways that you can obtain a copy for yourself is at Mark James' MemphisWrestlingHistory.com website.

I couldn't put this one down, and I won't be doing so anytime soon.  I continue to comb over the hundreds of photos in the book, wondering how I'll be able to find many of the items that I don't already own.  Some pieces that I'm sure I will own are the future Cornette-James collaborations hinted at in this book.  We all miss James E. Cornette screaming at the top of his lungs on television and whacking people with his tennis racket.  That being said, if this is the kind of product that we're going to get from the "away-from-the-industry" Cornette of 2013 and beyond, I think we're in for many more grand slams from "The Louisville Slugger" himself.