Reviewed by : Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com
Infinity Entertainment continues it’s walk down wrestling’s memory lane as they release Ultimate Classic Wrestling on DVD this past week. The “Wrestling Underground” DVD took a look at the ECW originals in action, and Ultimate Classic Wrestling takes a look at some of the big name WWE stars before they were ever in a WWE ring. The two disc, nearly 6 hour set gives fans “A ringside seat not for the faint of heart” or at least that’s what the DVD cover promises.
The set is divided into 6 separate episodes with each one focusing in on a certain superstar. This includes Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Mick Foley, Jeff Jarrett, Dustin “Goldust” Rhodes, and Jerry “The King” Lawler. Matches also include the likes of Eric Embry, Kerry Von Erich, Terry Funk, Brickhouse Brown, Iceman King Parsons, and many others. The footage for these episodes seem to come from different sources, with most of it from World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas, and from the USWA in Memphis.
If I recall correctly some of this footage was included on a release under a different name of “This is Ultimate Wrestling” in 2001, although from what I remember of that release, and from the DVD lineups I researched while preparing this review, the 2001 release does not have the exact same match lineups, and from what I can tell a specific episode was never released under that series that focused on either The Undertaker or Dustin Rhodes. Commentary varies from match to match and from episode to episode, with some being the original commentary tracks, and others seemingly newly recorded tracks, although no one really identifies themselves, and neither does the narrator who introduces each match.
With a 14.99$ suggested price tag, and the nostalgia factor, this release could be something your interested in picking up. If you never saw or do not own the similar 2001 release then this can definitely be an interesting watch and suggested pickup. The footage itself has held up and transferred well to DVD, as has the sound, and if you’ve never got a chance to see these big name WWE/TNA stars in their early years then it’s a nice addition to help broaden your wrestling dvd collection. If you have seen or own the previous release then its really a toss up as to whether or not the 15$ warrants acquiring the footage that you didn’t get in that set. For the completists out there id say it is.
Labels: steve wilson
