WWE: Wrestling's Greatest High Flyers DVD Review

WWE: Wrestling's Greatest High Flyers Review

1) Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Brian Pillman
Ironically, this is my first time seeing these two men compete. I've heard legendary tales of Steamboat as well as Pillman so I was anxious to see what they brought to the table. This was a pretty basic match. In all honesty, it wasn't anything special although it did serve it's purpose of showcasing Steamboat as a highflyer so I can't complain too much.

Match rating - 5/10

2) Evan Bourne vs. Zack Ryder
I'm a big fan of Bourne and Ryder isn't too shabby so I thought this would be pretty good, but unfortunately it's just a basic encounter. Ryder grounds Bourne for the majority of the match so the action was pretty slow. That's not something I have a problem with, but I was expecting a more fast paced match since this is a high flyers DVD. None the less, basic match, but still enjoyable. Not anything you'll watch more than once though.

Match rating - 5/10

3) Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. Samoan #3
Wow, never thought I could be so bored by such a short match. It only lasted a bit over five minutes, I would guess, but 90% of the match was rest holds. They literally sat in the ring in a headlock for probably a minute then some sort of other rest hold for atleast three minutes. Boring match, probably the weakest on the DVD. I'd skip this match if I were you, nothing to see here except Snuka's crossbody off the top rope. Don't get me wrong, a Snuka match deserves to be on here, but I feel they could have found one a bit better than this.

Match rating - 2/10

4) Juvented Guerrera, Hector Garza, & Lizmark Jr vs. La Parka, Psichosis & Villano IV
Now this is the good stuff! High flying, fast paced action from beginning to end! I've watched alot of wrestling over the past few years, but these guys had some innovative spots that I'd never seen before. Alot of them including all six men in the match such as a triple suicide dive and a star formed in the middle of the ring. Insane six man tag loaded with action! So much fun!

Match rating - 8.5/10

5) Shelton Benjamin vs. Shawn Michaels
This was my second time viewing this match as I have it another DVD (Best of Raw 20th Anniversary) and needless to say, it was just as amazing as I first remembered it. The crowd was so into it and the near falls had me on the edge of my seat. Benjamin was such an outstanding athlete and we all know how good HBK is. This was a breakout match for Benjamin that showed he could hang with maineventers like Michaels. Unfortunately WWE never pushed Benjamin to the World Title scene, but they damn sure should have, especially after a match like this. The finish was absolutely amazing as Benjamin springboarded off the top rope only for Michaels to catch him with a HUGE superkick! The place erupted when he hit it! Awesome match!

Match rating - 9/10

6) Ultimo Dragon vs. Rey Mysterio
All the WCW cruserweight action is first time viewing for me since I was a kid when WCW was around so I was excited for this bout. Dragon dominated the majority of the match as he took control early on. He tried to keep Mysterio grounded by mainly using power moves, submissions, and various hold. The target of Dragon's offense soon became the head as he hit a brainbuster followed by multiple piledrivers including one on the floor! Mysterio fought back and brought some exciting fast paced moves to the match, but in the end an innovative variation of powerbomb put Mysterio down for the count. Great match!

Match rating - 8/10

7) Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko - ECW TV Championship Match
My first taste of Guerrero and Malenko's work in ECW came when I purchased ECW Unreleased Volume 1 which featured one of their outstanding matches. It left me wanting to see more and when I noticed another one of their classic ECW matches was included on this set, I immediately became interested in purchasing yet. I ended up getting it obviously and that's why we're here so let's talk about this match. It was exactly what you would expect from Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko - a technical showcase. I can't see whether it was better than their other outings since I've only seen one other ECW bout between the two, but it was an outstanding match none the less. These guys never cease to impress me. Fantastic match.

Match rating - 9/10

BONUS MATCHES ON DISC 1

8) Ultimo Dragon vs. Psichosis
This was the basic match you would expect from these two which is always fun to watch. Some nice fast paced action and high risk moves. Nothing to write home about, but a very enjoyable bout.

Match rating - 7/10

9) Jamie Noble vs. Chavo Guerrero
Nice to see these two getting some recognition on this DVD set. I personally think both guys are highly underrated, particularly Noble. If you've only seen his work in WWE, I highly recommend looking into his time in ROH. He had some classics there during his World Championship reign against guys such as Daniel Bryan. But back to this match. This was a decent little TV match. It didn't last long, but you were able to see what both guys could do in terms of mat wrestling as well as a bit of highflying. Fun bout, but too short to mean anything.

Match rating - 5/10

DISC 2:

10) Chris Jericho vs. Ultimo Dragon
Although Jericho isn't really known for being a highflyer as he is more of a hybrid wrestler, he does do a good bit of aerial offense. In this particular match he is defending the WCW Cruserweight Championship. This was a really good match between Jericho and Dragon. Lots of counters and cool moves. Very entertaining.

Match rating - 7.5/10

11) 1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi - SummerSlam 1995
This was the opening match of the 1995 edition of SummerSlam. While it could be considered a solid opener, it's really nothing past that. Aside from a cool move here and there from both men, this isn't anything all that special. Decent match.

Match rating - 5/10

12) John Morrison vs. Tyson Kidd -
I didn't really know what to expect here. I'm a big fan of both men, but the last match on this set that was taken from episode of Superstars was lackluster. So with mixed expectations going in, they delivered a match about like I expected. It wasn't anything out of this world, but it was a solid encounter. Some jaw dropping moments such as Tyson Kidd hitting a neckbreaker on Morrison on the apron. The final few minutes were really good as there were several near falls. Overall, this was a solid match.

Match rating - 6.5/10

13) The Dudleys vs. The Hardy Boys vs. Edge & Christian - Triangle Ladder Match
This is the match that inspired WWE to start doing TLC matches so as you would expect, this one blew me away. So many crazy spots. Multiple ladder bumps as well as numerous insane table spots. Bubba powerbombed Matt off the announce table through a table, Devon jumped off the top turnbuckle only to crash through a table, Jeff dove off a huge ladder planting Bubba through a table, and at the end of the match Matt was flipped off the top of the ladder through a table. This allowed Edge & Christian to pick up the victory. Amazing match, without a doubt - this is a classic just like every other Ladder/TLC match these three teams had.

Match rating - 9.5/10

14) Super Crazy vs. Little Guido vs. Tajiri - ECW One Night Stand 2005
I've seen these match several times as ECW One Night Stand 2005 is one of my favorite PPV's of all time so I knew what to expect here. It was alot of fun reliving this quality match between three ECW greats. The only weak thing about this PPV as a whole was that hardly any of the matches went past the 10 minute mark which kept this one and several others from being the classics they had potential to be. None the less, this is an action packed crazy ten minute match that's definitely worth your time. Crazy does a backflip off the balcony and there's alot of interference from guys such as Mikey Whipwreck and Tony Mamaluke. So much fun.

Match rating - 7/10

15) Brian Pillman vs. Alex Wright - WCW
Going into this match, I hadn't seen many matches from either man. The only Pillman match I had seen was the one earlier in this set and I had never even heard of Alex Wright. Needless to say, my opinion on both of these men changed after this match - it was amazing. They really caught me by surprise here because normally when you don't know who the competitors are you don't really expect much, but these guys grabbed my attention from the opening bell and kept it throughout the entire near 20 minute long bout. The first part of the match featured alot of technical wrestling with various counters and submissions, but around the ten minute mark this match turned into a battle. Pillman struck first with chops and elbows, but Wright fought back and ended up suplex Pillam to the outside of the ring. This was one hell of a match. I'll definitely be going back and watching this one over again at some point in time. Phenomenal match.

Match rating - 8.75/10

16) The Great Muta vs. Sting
These are two of the biggest names in wrestling in their respective countries. With that came high expectations for this match. This wasn't as good as I expected, but it was a decent encounter between the two, but nothing beyond that.

Match rating - 5.5/10

17) Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn - Hardcore Championship Match - WWE Sunday Night Heat
As you probably already know, Van Dam and Lynn have a chemistry together that is simply unexplainable. They always put on outstanding matches and this was no different. While this wasn't positioned to be a classic, it was still damn good. A very fast paced match with alot of counters between the two seasoned competitors. Another great bout between RVD and Jerry Lynn.

Match rating - 7.5/10

18) The Hardy Boys vs. Kai N Tai
This was another Heat match so it didn't last long at all. Maybe five minutes? It was full of action though, but its nothing more than a basic fast paced TV tag match. Don't really see the need in this being included because of how short it is, but it was a fun watch none the less.

Match rating - 3/10 (low rating because it only lasted five minutes)

Disc 3:

19) Shawn Michaels vs. Vader - WWE Championship Match
Ah seeing this match brings back fond memories. This was one of the first wrestling matches that I remember watching. I obviously didn't watch it live because it took place the year I was born, but I watched it on a Shawn Michaels DVD of my dad's that I found when I was like 8 years old. So it was nice going back and reliving this bout. This was your classic big man vs little man match up. Vader and HBK worked very well together and were able to create a great match. HBK hit alot of highflying moves while Vader relied on his power game. Despite the match being restarted several times, I honestly think it added to the match because those near falls during that final stretch were crazy. Really good match. And I have to mention Vader's moonsault off the top rope, WOW!

Match rating - 8/10

20) 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Sabu - ECW Television Championship Match
This match was amazing. I'm normally not a fan of matches that end in draws, but this was just fantastic. They blended technical wrestling, highflying, and hardcore wrestling to create arguably one of the best matches in ECW history. From the technical exchanges in the ring between the two competitors to Sabu diving over the tope into the crowd only to crash through a table - it was awesome. One of the best matches on this DVD.

Match rating - 9.5/10

21) Kofi Kingston vs. Christian - Intercontinental Championship Match
I didn't watch much WWE in 2009/2010 so I had never seen this match before, but I was excited for it. Christian is an excellent worker and so is Kofi. This match met my expecations as it was a fantastic encounter between these two. An awesome match for TV. Alot of counters and near falls. Just fantastic.

Match rating - 7.5/10

22) Taka Michinoku vs. Pantera - Light Heavyweight Title Match
This match was actually much better than I expected. It wasn't a classic, but it was very entertaining. There were alot of breathtaking manuevers including a hurricanrana off the top turnbuckle to the floor and a suicide dive through the turnbuckles. It was crazy and had tons of action. Really good match!

Match rating - 7.5/10

23) Lita vs. Trish Stratus - Women's Championship Match
Some will probably accuse of me over rating this, but I loved this match. Its probably because I'm a big fan of Lita and because we don't get women's matches that are this good on WWE TV in this day and age so this was a nice change of pace on the set. These ladies gave it all they had for the Women's Championship here. I thought the match was over when Lita dove out of the ring onto Trish and landed awkwardly on her neck, but she recovered and fought back to get the victory. Great match! If it had went longer it could've been a classic.

Match rating - 8/10

24) Sabu vs. Rob Van Dam - ECW Guilty As Charged 2000
These two are known for putting on classic matches and this was one of their many awesome encounters. Alot of innovative manuevers and crazy spots as you would expect from RVD and Sabu. RVD got placed on a table on the corner of the railing at point and Sabu dove off the top turnbuckle crashing through it. That was insane. This was an outstanding match.

Match rating - 8.5/10

25) Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga - Steel Cage Match
Wasn't expecting much here, but I was pleasantly surprised. The action was decent, but the emotion is what made this bout so great. Jim Ross did a phenomenal job on commentary catching everyone up on the story going into this which was that Orton (who was at ringside) had injured Jeff's brother Matt and he came to ringside to taunt Jeff. Orton threw chairs in the cage so Umaga could beat him down because Hardy would be challenging Orton for the title at the next PPV. Phenomenal storytelling here and some good action. That results in a great match.

Match rating - 8/10

26) Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio -WCW Halloween Havoc
It's always fun watching these two compete and that was the case here. I actually think this one of their best matches ever together. Counter after counter, near fall after near fall. Just an awesome match that once again proves that these guys are two of the greatest ever.

Match rating - 9/10

BONUS MATCH on Disc 3

27) Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman - WCW World War 3
This bonus match was a pleasant surprise. The bonus on Disc 2 was fairly short, but this was a very good match. The action spilled into the other two rings in the arena. There were alot of innovative moves from ring to ring including a double springboard. Fantastic match with alot of near falls. Great bonus.

Match rating - 8/10
Overall thoughts: Man, this was a great DVD set. There are alot of quality matches on here and they're from a wide variety of wrestlers and promotions. There are 13 matches rated 8 or higher on the scale of 1-10 on here so that should pretty much tell you that this is worth picking up. Apparently there are a few repeats on here though so make sure you don't already have alot of the matches on other discs. The WCW and ECW were the best and most impressive for me. But this was an all around quality set. Despite a few duds, this is a DVD I'd recommend checking out. There are some classics on here!