DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - 'Tombstone: The History of The Undertaker' DVD REVIEW
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at 7:10 AM EST
THE WRESTLING MENU #172
Welcome one and all to the 172nd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.
Well, I've finally got my computer back to what appears to be 100% operation. But it was only the Easter long weekend that allowed me to do that. By the time I did that & responded to the backlog of emails, it was already time to post another column. Hence why you are currently about to (hopefully) read another DVD review. Apologies for that, but these things happen.
I was actually going to add a few related Undertaker topics to this column, but when reviewing a 3 disc set with a bit of depth, it's hard to justify the extra space. So next week, expect my answers to a couple of often asked questions pertaining to The Undertaker.
On with the show.....
UNDERTAKER DVD REVIEW
NOTE: The full title of this 3 Disc DVD set is ‘Tombstone: The History of The Undertaker’. It has no main / documentary portion to it & simply shows 21 matches in full, with some promos & clips setting up each match. Earlier on in Disc-1, there is a little more than that, and I will detail them in greater length. But following the first 3 bouts, it’s pretty much just a promo for the upcoming match to be shown. In addition to all this, each disc does have some non-match extras.
APPETIZERS - Disc 1
The longest of the pre-match introductions begin with clips of The Undertaker’s debut at the 1990 Survivor Series, under the management of Brother Love. We then see the managerial handover to Paul Bearer, clips of his WrestleMania 7 match against Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, as well as highlights from his feuds with The Ultimate Warrior & Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage. This then leads to a couple of promos from ‘Taker & Hulk Hogan, leading up to the 1991 Survivor Series.
vs HULK HOGAN (Survivor Series. November-27, 1991): Methodically paced match in every sense of the word, as Undertaker used to sell his gimmick big time! ‘Taker dominated most of the match & when Hogan did manage to get some offense in, the story being told was that he couldn’t get the big man off his feet. Undertaker hits the tombstone piledriver at the 11 minute mark, but Hogan totally no sells it & begins to get on top. But following interference from Paul Bearer & Ric Flair, ‘Taker hits the tombstone on a chair at the 13 minute mark & becomes the WWE Champion pretty much exactly a year after his debut. One for the record books, but otherwise is a very ho-hum & slow match. Match Rating...5.5
We next see clips of The Undertaker joining forces with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, but then turning face on him & defeating him at WrestleMania 8. Undertaker then turns his focus on then WWE Champion Yokozuna & debuts the Casket Match.
vs YOKOZUNA (Royal Rumble. January-22, 1994): While not exactly being performed at lightning fast pace, these 2 big men do keep the action moving along. This match is also surprisingly even which helps it immensely. There’s actually a pretty good dynamic between the 2 (disregarding the worst chokeslam ever). At the 7 minute mark, ‘Taker rolls Yoko into the casket, but that leads to 9 heels (including Bam Bam Bigelow & Crush) coming out & attacking The Undertaker in what can only be described as a clusterf**k ending. It then takes 7 minutes to roll the phenom into the casket for Yokozuna to retain his title. Not a bad match before the ridiculously unrealistic run-ins. I do understand that they were setting a storyline up, but why did it have to take so long for ‘Taker to be dispatched by that many wrestlers? The aftermath, which included some of the technical shenanigans which we have become all too familiar with, also goes on too long at 6 minutes in length. Hard to rate, as despite all of this, there was something a little memorable about all of this nonsense. Match Rating...6
We then disappointingly see all of 10 seconds (no, I did not want the full match to be shown) from The Undertaker vs Undertaker match from SummerSlam, before moving on to his next major feud against Diesel (aka Kevin Nash).
vs DIESEL (WrestleMania 12. March-31, 1996): Occasionally forgotten match in The Undertaker’s career. Not actually too bad of a big man match, with a good story told. Diesel stayed true to his nickname (Big Daddy Cool) & remained very cool, showing that he wasn’t scared of the dead man. To sell this story, Diesel had the better of most of the first 12 minutes or so of this bout. Predictably, it was pretty slow stuff, but a sufficient amount occurred during this time. Diesel then hits 2 impressive Jack-Knife Power-Bombs, but gloats for too long, allowing ‘Taker to make the comeback & hit the tombstone for the victory at the 17 minute mark. Tough match to rate due to it’s lack of pace, but a decent story was told & it was probably a better than average big man match. Match Rating...6.5
vs MANKIND (In Your House: Buried Alive. October-20, 1996): This was the first ever ‘Buried Alive’ Match where the winner was the first to bury their opponent in a ringside grave! Mick Foley must have bought the best out of ‘Taker, as this bout was pretty much non-stop right from the beginning, with the phenom even taking to the air a couple of times. Nicely booked in that they hinted a quick finish with an early trip to the grave, but soon returned to the ring after some rolling around in the dirt. Foley eventually gets back on top with the help of (the now heel) Paul Bearer & a foreign object or 2. He leads ‘Taker back down to the grave, but after reaching for the shovel, allows Undertaker to climb out & head back to the ring. The action then kicks into another gear with many great spots involving chairs & the steel steps. A tombstone allows the dead man to carry Mankind back to the grave, where a Mandible Claw only prolongs the outcome until a chokeslam gives the victory to ‘Taker at the 18 minute mark. Afterwards, The Executioner debuts & assists Mankind in burying the phenom. Entertaining match which is well booked & performed. The new gimmick tells a good story, while the spots add further to the match. Under-rated & often forgotten amongst their classic battles. Match Rating...8.5
vs MANKIND (IYH: Revenge Of The Taker. April-20, 1997): The Undertaker was now the WWF Champion following a victory over Psycho Sid at WrestleMania 13. He is also wearing a bandage around his right eye after being burnt by a Mankind fireball in the weeks prior to this ppv. Without the aid of a gimmick or stipulation (other than the title being on the line), this is much more of your standard bout, although Foley does lift it at times through the bumps he takes. Mankind actually dominates most of the match attempting to sell the possibility of the deranged character becoming WWE Champion. After a couple of referees bit the dust, ‘Taker used the steel steps & a chair to his advantage, before taking Mankind’s mask off & sending him through an announce table. Not long after, The Undertaker retains his title with a tombstone at the 17 minute mark. Solid & fairly entertaining match which had sufficient brutality (although I am unsure why it made a DVD of Undertaker’s history). Match Rating...7.5
vs BRET HART (SummerSlam. August-3, 1997): Bret was the heel here & he reminds us by playing the Canadian national anthem before the bout. The big story here though was that Bret’s arch-enemy Shawn Michaels was the special guest referee. And there’s initially some nice byplay between the 3 men, before Bret targets the leg of the big champion with constant methodology. Eventually, HBK earns the wrath of both combatants, which results in the referee losing his cool & eventually getting physically involved when he realizes that Bret used a chair, while the ref had his back turned. However, the retaliation backfires when HBK hits ‘Taker with the chair, allowing Bret to get the pinfall & become WWE Champ at the 29 minute mark. Similarly to many of Bret’s longer matches, this is a tough match to rate. The usual positives were there as the bout seemed natural & realistic, while telling a good story. But the match was too long for my liking & just meandered along at times, without sufficient entertaining spots. HBK definitely helped this match out. Match Rating...8.5
vs BRET HART (One Night Only. September-20, 1997): Please note that this match is actually in the ‘Extras’ section of Disc-1. This ppv was actually a bit of an experiment, as it emanated from Birmingham-England & the partially split crowd actually made the bout quite interesting. It was fairly similarly structured to the SummerSlam match, but couldn't match it's unpredictability, plus HBK’s entertaining antics. The bout was natural & solid, but over-long. It began with some nice intense moves that were full of impact. The psychology of the bout was ok, as 'Taker targetted the chest of the Hitman with both blows & submission moves. In response, Bret predictably targets the phenom's legs. This slows the pace down a fair bit, although the action is sufficiently constant. Towards the end, there are a couple of nice counters to the opponent's finishers. But it all goes on for too long, as Bret retains the title at the 29 minute mark after he gets his neck caught between the middle & top ropes, and the referee disqualifies The Undertaker for continuing to attack him. A disappointing ending to a solid match. As for it’s placement on this DVD, there is too much of a duplication with the SummerSlam bout, in my opinion. Match Rating...8
NON-MATCH EXTRAS
Undertaker Attacks Hulk Hogan At The Funeral Parlor: From November 1991, this 6 minute segment occurred 2 weeks before their Survivor Series title match. Ric Flair comes out while Paul Bearer is interviewing Hogan, and that’s enough to provide the distraction for The Undertaker to attack Hogan from behind with the urn. Piper & Savage make the save in this very good segment.
Undertaker Builds A Casket For Yokozuna: Paul Bearer’s grating voice is the main attraction of this short vignette where ‘Taker is briefly shown making a double-wide casket.
Undertaker In The Graveyard Talking About Diesel: One of many mid-90s vignettes that The Undertaker performed from a graveyard set. Nothing special & only 1 minute in length.
Undertaker In The Graveyard Talking About Mankind: A month or so prior to the Buried Alive Match, ‘Taker heads to the graveyard in an attempt to spook his deranged opponent. Usual stuff, but pretty good.
Undertaker Interrupts Mankind’s Interview: From an April 1997 episode of Raw, the phenom’s music & voice interrupt Mankind’s in-ring interview. 2 minutes in length & that’s 1 minute too long!
ENTREE - Disc 2
vs SHAWN MICHAELS (IYH: Ground Zero. September-7, 1997): This feud obviously began after the stray chair-shot at SummerSlam, and this match was hyped at the time as it was the first ever ppv meeting between the 2 (despite being colleagues for 7 years). Interesting start to the bout as ‘Taker knocks out the referee & manhandles HBK near the house set at the entrance, before the bell has even rung! It works too, as it brings a great intensity & meaning to the feud, while setting the pace & story for the remainder of the match. That’s not to say that the pace was break-neck, but there was constantly something happening & the action was predominantly good. A little overbooked with multiple ref bumps & a D-X run-in, but it helped the bout as much as it hindered it. But then the match ends rather disappointingly in a Double Disqualification when another referee runs down & calls it a day 22 minutes after the action started (16 minutes bell to bell). The 3 minute aftermath (including almost the entire roster coming out) helps a little, but not entirely. Good match which is entertaining & always has something happening, despite not being anything truly special. Match Rating...8
vs SHAWN MICHAELS (IYH: Bad Blood. October-5, 1997): Great booking here, as the WWE debuted the Hell In A Cell construction, just 4 weeks after their prior ppv bout. Furthermore, the WWE had been running an angle where former manager Paul Bearer had been taunting ‘Taker about the return of his long lost brother, Kane. As in the previous ‘Ground Zero’ match, the pace is rather methodical. But there always seems to be something happening anyway. Even looking back, the cell seemed fresh & was used well to help the phenom’s brutality, while also surprisingly using HBK’s high flying & innovation very well. The match is also more even than their prior bout & both men come out looking very strong. Following 19 minutes of action, HBK attacks a cameraman & this results in the cell door being opened to allow the injured worker out. This allows HBK to get out of the cell, resulting in him first being busted open & then retreating to the top of the structure. There, HBK takes an often forgotten huge bump from the near the top of the cell through an announce table. The 2 then eventually get back into the ring, where the phenom logically dominates, until Kane debuts by ripping the cell door of it’s hinges & then tombstones ‘Taker, allowing a bloodied HBK to get the pinfall win at the 31 minute mark. Not entirely perfect, but close enough for me to rate this a 10. Groundbreaking, excellent & entertaining, this was genuinely brutal, bloody, intense & even. A must watch. Match Rating...10
vs KANE (WrestleMania 14. March-29, 1998): After 5 months of refusing to fight Kane, The Undertaker finally had enough & agreed to wrestle his (storyline) brother on the biggest card of the year. Hugely anticipated bout which began well with some decent back & forth action. But the match too quickly sets into a methodically slow pace & your usual big man vs big man bout. Luckily, the dynamic was good here & the story being told was an interesting one. ‘Taker thankfully picks up the excitement at the 12 minute mark when he flies over the top rope & through an announce table. This eventually results in a sequence where each man kicks out of the other’s tombstone piledriver, but The Undertaker is the one who finally gets the job done with his 3rd tombstone at the 17 minute mark. The aftermath sees Kane get his revenge with a tombstone on a steel chair. Hard to rate as it tells a decent story & is wisely kept at a good length. But apart from a few good spots & an entertaining (if over the top) closing sequence, this is pretty much your average big man match. Match Rating...7.5
vs KANE (Unforgiven. April-26, 1998): This was the first ever ‘Inferno Match’, which basically meant that the ring was surrounded by fire & the winner was the first to set their opponent on fire! This was obviously a very gimmicky match & does hold some fascination, but the fire around the ring actually is a disadvantage, as it means the 2 have to be a little careful. Although, it doesn’t stop ‘Taker from illogically attempting his “old school” rope walk! The ringside flames, for the most part, also take away the ability for the 2 to battle in & out of the ring, which arguably would have helped the bout. I must admit that they do try hard though & come through with a couple of decent spots (including a pretty cool superplex). Kane is thrown out of the ring & over the flames at the 12 minute mark, but is greeted by Vader who brings him back close enough for ‘Taker to leap over the ropes & flames with a huge dive. Finally, we then get to see some ringside brawling! After getting sidetracked by Paul Bearer (really a time-waster to have Kane put on some protective clothing or such), the phenom returns to set Kane’s arm on fire at the 16 minute mark. Way too gimmicky with too much dead time. But it’s decently entertaining & worth a watch. I’m glad this gimmick hasn’t been used as much as others, that’s for sure! Match Rating...6.5
vs MANKIND (King Of The Ring. June-28, 1998): This is the infamous ‘Hell In A Cell’ match which almost ends before it begins. Starts on top of the cell, which eventually leads to quite possibly the most famous spot in WWE history, as Foley plunges through an announce table from the very top of the cell! Foley then unbelievably climbs to the top for more & gets thrown through the ceiling of the cell to the mat! After all this, we somehow get some sort of a semblance of a match, and Mankind even gets in some offense, including a piledriver on a chair for a nearfall. He decides to follow up with a conveniently placed bag of thumbtacks, but it predictably backfires & poor Mick becomes a human pin-cushion before falling victim to a chokeslam & tombstone. Amazing match which is genuinely a must watch for all fans. Hard to rate it perfectly because of it’s structure, but just an amazing performance by Foley, which is almost unbelievable! I know that his 2 huge bumps will forever be etched in my mind. Entertaining in a rather sadistic sort of way & really has to be seen to be believed Match Rating...9
vs THE ROCK (King Of The Ring. June-27, 1999): After turning heel & forming The Ministry Of Darkness & then joining the Corporate Ministry, Undertaker won his 3rd WWE Championship & defended his title against the up & coming main-eventer here. Well paced beginning to the bout as ‘Taker once more knocks out the referee before the beginning of the match. The Rock then quickly hits his Rock Bottom finisher, only for ‘Taker to bounce back with a chokeslam! The following 4 or 5 minutes is wrestled at ringside & up the aisle, before the pace finally settles down in the ring. But it doesn’t last long, as this time they decide to head into the crowd. Back in the ring, we get some average action, before a ref bump allows a Triple H run-in that results in a tombstone at the 17 minute mark. Mediocre match that sees more than half of its duration take place out of the ring. The dynamic between the 2 characters was there, but the actual wrestling between the 2 just didn’t click. Match Rating...6
NON-MATCH EXTRAS
Undertaker Interview About Shawn Michaels: From August 1997, this in-ring interview is basically the beginning to both the ‘Taker vs HBK feud, and the Kane storyline (as Bearer’s grating voice interrupts on the TitanTron). 3 minutes in length.
Undertaker Talking To His Parents Tombstone: An apologetic ‘Taker talks to his parent’s tombstones in this rather corny promo which sees the phenom explaining why he must finally fight Kane.
Undertaker Interview – Kane Burns His Parent’s Tombstones: From Raw, a week after WrestleMania 14, Undertaker has an in-ring interview interrupted, as Kane takes a sledgehammer & some flames to the tombstones. 4 minutes in length.
Undertaker Breaks Into Paul Bearer’s House & Mauls Him: Corny 2 minute segment shown on the TitanTron from Bearer’s home. Before the attack, Bearer almost speaks normally here!
MAIN - Disc 3
vs ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN (Fully Loaded. July-25, 1999): It should be noted that The Undertaker had since lost the title to Austin, so was the challenger here. The stipulation of this bout was that it was a ‘First Blood Match’ & if Austin lost, he could never challenge for the title again. But if he won, Vince McMahon would never be seen on WWE programming again (Yeah… Right!). The brawling begins immediately in the aisle & it takes them 5 minutes to get in the ring, as they take a trip into the crowd as well. Awkward at times, as most first blood matches involve an assortment of head shots just to make their opponent bleed. But these 2 do a good job in keeping the action, entertainment & intensity constant in this 16 minute match that Austin wins with a camera-shot to the head. There are also cameos from Shane, Vince, X-Pac, Triple H & The Rock. Match Rating...8
vs TRIPLE H (WrestleMania 17. April-1, 2001): Following some time off, The Undertaker returned in 2000 as the American Bada$$ (or BikerTaker) & predominantly feuded with Triple H, who kept stating in his promos that he had beaten everyone in the WWE, conveniently forgetting the phenom. Many mind games, run-in's & stunts later, we had a solid & intense feud on our hands. But the 2 took it further on the night, as they fought a good mix of a brutal, hardcore & brawling big man match. This was actually a match which many didn't expect much of, but proved to be very good. Right from Motorhead playing 'The Game' live at the arena, the action was practically non-stop & very even. Almost half the match took place outside of the ring (predominantly at a sound & lighting stage in which Triple H got chokeslammed off) & of course, the obligatory sledgehammer was used. Following a ref bump, a bloodied 'Taker unbelievably kicked out of a clever sledgehammer shot & kept his unbeaten WrestleMania streak intact (following a Last Ride Power-Bomb) after 20 minutes of very good action. Match Rating...8.5
vs HULK HOGAN (Judgment Day. May-19, 2002): After costing Triple H the Undisputed WWE Championship in a match against Hogan, ‘Taker firmly set his sights on the Champion Hulkster, in what ended up being a bit of a motorcycle based feud! Hogan was well & truly the face here, but ‘Taker didn’t let him do his pre-match posing as he laid into him with a weightlifting belt. Continues on as pretty much a brawl, until ‘Taker goes all submission on us (probably to lengthen the match) with moves such as a half crab! A very weak looking chokeslam kicks off an elongated finishing sequence where Vince McMahon causes the distraction to allow ‘Taker a chairshot & another chokeslam to become 4 time WWE Champion at the 12 minute mark. Very pedestrian. If the undisputed championship wasn’t on the line & 2 such legendary figures weren’t wrestling, then I’m unsure anyone would have cared. Over 10 years later, both the result & rating are the same! Match Rating...5.5
vs BROCK LESNAR (No Mercy. October-20, 2002): PLEASE NOTE: I have significantly altered my original rating of 7 on this match. It was in my column #18 that I gave that original rating & I was a young & inexperienced ppv reviewer back then. Either that or I was completely drunk watching the event originally! The Undertaker had since lost the undisputed title & the rookie Lesnar was now the title-holder. This was a ‘Hell In A Cell’ match & Lesnar was managed by Paul Heyman at the time. It should also be noted that ‘Taker was allowed to wear a cast on his hand, as Lesnar had caused the injury in a backstage attack. There was a good story told here as the inexperienced rookie was in the cell for the first time ever against the experienced 'Taker who was in the cell for the 5th time.
Lesnar was busted open within the first 5 minutes & the phenom dominated from there, as Brock sold the beating well. The momentum swings a little as Heyman hands Lesnar a belt & he uses it to tie 'Taker up to the cell & attack a stationary target (including taking off the cast). It was then 'Takers turn to bleed profusely as he takes a couple of ring-step shots. Finally back in the ring, Lesnar cements his main-event position by unbelievably kicking out of a chokeslam, DDT & Last Ride Power-Bomb! He then nicely reverses a tombstone into an F-5 for the vistory at the 28 minute mark. Very good match that reminds us how much of a talent Lesnar was. He showed all the emotions (fear, animalistic, cockiness, etc...) & performed tremendously in such a difficult match. 'Taker should be congratulated also as this bout really put Lesnar over. Not a great deal of wrestling & possibly a little over-long, the intensity & story of this match did eventually win me over. Match Rating...8.5
vs JOHN CENA (Vengeance. July-27, 2003): Cena was the heel for this match, but he was already starting to get a cheer here & there. This feud was based upon respect, with the veteran 'Taker suggesting that the rookie didn't show enough of it. Badly booked to begin with, as 'Taker literally controlled the entire first 6 minutes, until he pulled Cena up from a 2 count. From there, Cena found some much needed intensity (which can be one of his main strengths when he is on top of his game) & targetted the ribs of The Undertaker (even causing some so-called internal bleeding). The bout just meandered along after that. It seemed awkward in pacing, psychology & it's fluidity. 'Taker kicked out of the FU (yes, it has happened before) & won the bout at the 16 minute mark with his Last Ride Powerbomb. You can see what was attempted here, but it didn't really work. While 'Taker sold a lot in the middle portions of the match, he controlled the beginning & kicked out of his opponent's finisher, while bleeding internally, at the end... Hmmmm! Nothing terrible though. Match Rating...6
vs VINCE McMAHON (SSeries. November-16, 2003): This was a ‘Buried Alive Match’ that came about because ‘Taker didn’t think he could win the WWE Championship again while Vince was still around! Definitely the quickest blade-job I have ever seen. And boy, what a blade-job!!! Vince leaking that much blood couldn't have been healthy, especially when he got near the dirt!! Anyway, this was sheer brutality & a huge squash from the opening bell, as Vince basically got no offense in (apart from a shovel shot near the grave). The Kane interference & the Vince win were unfortunately quite predictable at the time & may come off as better viewing in the future. Pretty ordinary as a wrestling bout, but I suppose there was enough to keep most entertained; Vince's blade-job, a monitor shot, a shovel shot, the use of ring-steps & Kane's appearance. I thought the match still could have been booked a little better, but it was sufficient. Well-timed (only lasting 12 minutes) & had both the live crowd & me involved in the action. Match Rating...6.5
vs KANE (WrestleMania 20. March-14, 2004): Following the burial at Survivor Series, many segments had hinted at the return of the dead-man Undertaker. He stayed off screen until WrestleMania 20, where he finally made his return against Kane. And it was milked for all it was worth, as his entance alone took over 5 minutes! Apart from the ever-annoying voice of Paul Bearer, my first impression of the returning dead-man was that he looked like Desperado. He should have rode in on a horse!!! The match itself was pretty much as predicted. Kudos to the WWE for keeping it fairly short at 8 minutes in length. And I suppose everything that should have happened during that time, did. But overall, there was an uneasy mix of everything about The Undertaker. The look, the characteristics, and especially the wrestling style. It just didn't quite gel. The match was far from a total disgrace, but was more of a spectacle than anything else. Match Rating...6
vs KURT ANGLE (SmackDown. September-3, 2003): Please note that this match is actually in the ‘Extras’ section of Disc-3. Preceding the bout is Kurt Angle speaking about The Undertaker & very much complimenting him. He basically states that “he is the greatest wrestler ever”! Angle was the WWE Champion at the time & both men were faces. Interesting bout which was very much above average for a television match. A nice story was told as Undertaker seemed hell-bent on taking Angle on technically. It worked in patches, but Kurt would logically end up on top which would see ‘Taker sensibly resort to his power & brawling wrestling style. Following each man kicking out of an Angle Slam & chokeslam, a rather over-long (but successful) closing sequence sees both men attempt submission move after submission move in the hope of making their opponent submit. When a stalemate is reached, ‘Taker hits a chokeslam & Last Ride Power-Bomb, but is interrupted by an interfering Brock Lesnar who attacks both men at the 17 minute mark (excluding commercial time). Well put together match that works in patches, but succeeds overall for a tv main event. I would rate this only just below the matches from 'No Way Out 2006' & the March-3, 2006 episode of SmackDown. Afterwards, Kurt reiterates his “greatest ever” comment, compares The Undertaker to his father & hopes he will wrestle him again on a WrestleMania or SummerSlam card! Match Rating...8
NON-MATCH EXTRAS
Undertaker Interview About Triple H: One minute backstage interview conducted by Kevin Kelly with ‘Taker & a silent Kane.
Undertaker Promo on Hulk Hogan: From April 2002, this is an in-ring promo where ‘Taker speaks on his history with Hogan & how he is scared of the dead man. It’s a good premise for a promo, but this turns into an over-long ramble that goes on for 5 minutes.
Undertaker Talking About ‘Hell In A Cell’: From October 2002, this is a sit-down promo from the pre-ppv episode of ‘Heat’. Short & nothing special at all.
Undertaker’s Graveyard Promo on Vince McMahon: From November 2003, BikerTaker looks really weird in the graveyard, but this isn’t too bad of a 4 minute promo for the Survivor Series ‘Buried Alive’ Match.
DESSERT
Easter Eggs & Conclusion
EASTER EGGS
(1) On Disc-2, go to the ‘Chapters’ page, highlight ‘WrestleMania 14’ & press ‘right’ twice to see a hilarious 2.5 minute fake out-take during a Raw commercial break. Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler asks Paul Bearer as to how he became the father of Kane. Apparently, Bearer was quite “studley” when he was young! Bloody funny & one of the better easter eggs on any WWE DVD!!!
(2) On Disc-3, go to the ‘Chapters’ page, highlight ‘WrestleMania 20’ & press ‘left’ twice to see a locker-room promo from June 1997 where The Undertaker tells the story of the childhood fire that left Kane disfigured & their parents dead. I wonder if this corny 6 minute story is backed up in the fictional book on Kane!
CONCLUSION
Good, if flawed, history of The Undertaker. It must be said that this is a must watch (if not buy) for die-hard fans of the dead man. There are just too many of the better matches from his career included here, to ignore. But personally, I found quite a few minor agitations, which added up to an imperfect effort.
Firstly, the DVD is almost entirely delivered in kayfabe. Now I must admit that if there was one superstar where that was fitting, it may be The Undertaker. But I still would have preferred the usual method employed by the WWE, which would have undoubtedly highlighted some of Mark Calloway’s WCW work, while also including some sort of (for want of a better word) documentary portion. Maybe 'career summary' is the correct term I am looking for. That could just be personal taste though.
The length of the 3 disc set is a 2 edged sword. It provides huge value to fans, especially considering that each disc packs in more than 3 hours worth, totaling the running time at a touch over 10 hours! However, with that running time, there is a lot of duplication. Without a documentary portion, I would have only made this a 2 disc set. Duplicate matches against Bret Hart, Mankind, Hulk Hogan & Shawn Michaels would have almost saved 2 hours, while I could have done without the bouts against Yokozuna & The Rock. Furthermore, watching multiple Undertaker entrances can get a little annoying after a while!
But I may be too negative with those comments, as this set also has some tremendous matches that wouldn’t look out of place in any fan’s collection. Overall, it’s sufficiently entertaining & a lot is owed to the fact that The Undertaker has been involved in quite a few gimmick match debuts. The 2 Hell In A Cell matches are terrific, while both Buried Alive matches are good. Even the less successful casket & inferno matches are worth a watch.
While this 3 disc DVD set doesn’t provide perfect equality to all parts of his 15 year career, it is a good summary of the career of one of the most legendary superstars in WWE history. There are just too many entertaining and/or fascinating matches to ignore, so I must recommend this to anyone that doesn't dislike The Undertaker.
Ok, that's another one in the books. And a long one at that. I thought it was worth it, as I always presume that my DVD reviews may help someone decide on whether or not they will purchase it or not. Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions about the 3 Disc Set. I will endeavor to answer them as best I can. Also, let me know if you liked the review & ratings, whether you have seen the DVD or not. As always, I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com
Or alternately, if you are an LOPForums member, you may also leave feedback by clicking on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889
Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will provide my answers to a couple of often asked questions pertaining to The Undertaker. As per usual, I will also have my predictions for the 'Backlash' pay-per-view. So look out for that column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.
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