humanoid92 0 Report post Posted January 20, 2006 As I'm sure most of you do, I love the concept of the WWE's wrestler-specific DVD sets. I love the Bret and Flair sets, and have been meaning to pick up Benoit's and Eddie's. But even though I love these sets, I can't help but wonder if they could be so much more. What I'm about to suggest might seem a bit excessive, but let me ask you this? Ten years ago did anyone expect all these seasons of TV shows would be so easily available to us? There was a time when the idea of people spending money on Full House Season Two or Boy Meets World Season Four would have seemed absurd. But here we are. It's the DVD age. I think the WWE should take full advantage of it. Bret Hart's DVD set is pretty good. A fair amount of the essentials are there, like Summerslams with Perfect and Bulldog, and Wrestlemanias with Owen and Austin. And they make an effort to include some lesser known stuff like the Hakushi match, the Owen Action Zone match, the early tag matches from MSG, etc., and that's fine. But with a mere three disc set for someone that had a career like Bret's, there's bound to be so much that's left out. You don't see Seinfeld releasing a DVD of their top ten episodes. They put all the episodes out. That's all I'm asking for; an effort to be more complete. That's not to say I think every single freaking match he ever wrestled should be on there. But I think for legends like Bret there should be more of an effort to include a more comprehensive view of his career. Bret's DVD has no mention or footage of so many of his career highlights, including: the two Tag Title victories, the IC Title victory over Piper, the first WWF Title win over Flair, the huge second title win at MSG, the King of the Ring win, the Royal Rumble win, the Title win over Undertaker, the Iron Man match with Shawn, the Cage Match with Owen, the Survivor Series match with Austin, the Canadian Stampede win, etc. And there are no explanations of major storylines, such as the Bret/Owen family feud, the start of the Bret/Austin stuff, all the Bret/Shawn stuff, and the reformation of the Hart Foundation. Anyone that bought Bret's DVD probably already knew about a lot of those things, but they probably were also hoping to be able to re-live them. For a true complete Bret Hart DVD, all those career highlights, the Hart Foundation era, Title wins and losses, KOTR and Rumble wins, major PPV matches, the family feud, etc. should be covered in detail. And it would be nice to see some "rare gems" on there as well, instead of only the major events which many people have already seen at some point. It would be a real treat to be subjected to some "new" Bret footage from old Superstars, Primetimes, Coliseums, MSG cards, Raws, etc. With the WWE's extensive history and tape library, there's no reason why this shouldn't be possible. And while a proposed set like this would surely sell for three times the price of the current Bret set, I can't imagine that it would cost much more to produce, since they already have all this footage at their disposal. Of course this treatment should only be given to a special few. Bret, Flair, and Michaels immediately come to mind. Maybe Benoit. Few others from the modern era have such long and storied careers. The thing that would make these sets so good is that guys like this have had such long careers and have been involved with so many different types of matches, eras, storylines, and promotions. The structure of wrestling in the 80s and early 90s was so much different than it was today, and it would be fun to see that era resurface on DVD. These days there are no "rare" matches. No MSG/Boston Garden shows that are recorded, no Coliseum Video matches, no television specials. That's why I wouldn't be able to see a set like this work for someone like HHH, or as great as he is, Kurt Angle. All of their best stuff is from easily accessible PPVs and primetime weekly television shows. Today's homogenized WWE just isn't as fun. For example, what "rare" Kurt Angle matches exist? There are none. But with Bret, there's Dynamite Kid footage from Stampede, the Ladder match with Shawn, a match with Tiger Mask II from Japan, an old match with Hennig from MSG, the phantom Title switch against the Rockers, and even Terry Funk's "retirement" match. With Benoit, there's a ton of rare stuff from Japan, his early WCW days, and even the Pillman Memorial Show match against Regal. But today's wrestlers are magnified and over-exposed from day one. And they usually wrestle the same style night after night. I think comprehensive DVDs for Bret, Flair, Shawn, Benoit, etc. would be a great way to celebrate the time when wrestling wasn't so stale, and the long versatile careers of a select few. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanoid92 0 Report post Posted January 20, 2006 This is an example of a DVD collection I would put together for Bret Hart: HART: The Complete Collection *Main Feature: In-depth 2-3 hour interview with Bret, covering his career in detail* Part I: Ups and Downs Disc One: - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: Tampa, FL, 1/26/87, Superstars - Hart Foundation vs. Strike Force: Syracuse, NY, 10/27/87, Superstars - Hart Foundation vs. Demolition (2 out of 3 Falls Match): Philadelphia, PA, 8/27/90, Summerslam - Hart Foundation vs. Nasty Boys: Los Angeles, CA, 3/24/91, Wrestlemania VII - Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect: New York, NY, 8/26/91, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. The Mountie*: Springfield, MA, 1/17/92 - Bret Hart vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper: Indianapolis, IN, 4/5/92, Wrestlemania VIII - Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog: London, England, 8/29/92, Summerslam Disc Two:** - Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair: Saskatoon, SA, Canada, 10/12/92, Primetime - Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna: Las Vegas, NV, 4/4/93, Wrestlemania IX - Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna, New York, NY, 3/20/94, Wrestlemania X - Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund (Submission Match): San Antonio, TX, 11/23/94, Survivor Series - Bret Hart vs. Diesel (No Holds Barred Match): Washington DC, 11/19/95, Survivor Series Disc Three: - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (Iron Man Match): Anaheim, CA, 3/31/96, Wrestlemania XII - Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin vs. Undertaker vs. Vader (Fatal Four Way): Chattanooga, TN, 2/16/97, In Your House: Final Four - Bret Hart vs. Psycho Sid: Nashville, TN, 2/17/97, Raw - Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker (Special Ref: Shawn Michaels): East Rutherford, NJ, 8/3/97, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels: Montreal, QU, Canada, 11/9/97, Survivor Series Bonus Disc:*** (Stampede and WCW Title Matches) - Bret Hart & Keith Hart vs. Raul Castillo & Fidel Castillo: Stampede, 11/12/78 - Bret Hart vs. Norman Frederich Charles III: Stampede, 10/14/78 - Bret Hart vs. Dynamite Kid: Stampede, 6/1/79 - Bret Hart & Keith Hart vs. Dynamite Kid & Lochness: Stampede, __/__/80 - Bret Hart vs. Leo Burke: Stampede, __/__/80 - Bret Hart vs. Bad News Allen: Stampede, 10/17/82 - Bret Hart vs. Diamond Dallas Page: Salt Lake City, UT, 7/20/98, WCW Nitro - Bret Hart vs. Lex Luger: Fargo, ND, 9/13/98, WCW Thunder - Bret Hart vs. Diamond Dallas Page: Chattanooga, TN, 11/30/98, WCW Nitro - Bret Hart vs. Bill Goldberg: 10/25/99, WCW Nitro - Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit: Toronto, ON, Canada, 11/21/98, WCW Mayhem - Bret Hart vs. Bill Goldberg: Baltimore, MD, 12/20/99, WCW Nitro *This occured at a house show, but footage of the pinfall was shown at Royal Rumble 1992, so video, though not of the greatest quality, does exist. If the entire match is unavailable, the clips documenting the Title change would be sufficient. **There’s a small amount of room for more extras (promos, interviews, reflections, etc.) on the second disk. ***I'm unaware of the length of the Stampede matches but if they're as long as I think they are, all these matches would probably be unable to fit onto this disc. However, many of the Stampede matches may not exist in their entirety and only include the finish. So while some matches might be clipped due to time issues or tape issues, the above matches should at least be represented on the disc, even if they are not able to be shown in their entirety. Part II: All in the Family Disc One: - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: New York, NY, 7/13/85, MSG - Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog: Worcester, MA, 4/23/87, Superstars - Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog*: Calgary, AB, Canada, 12/15/95, Stu Hart Retirment Show - Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog: Hershey, PA, 12/17/95, In Your House - Bret Hart vs. Jim Neidhart*: Green Bay, WI, 8/31/94, TV Taping - Bret Hart vs. Jim Neidhart*: Montreal, QU, Canada, 10/21/94, Jacques Rougeau Retirement Show - Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs. The Steiner Brothers: Florence, SC, Coliseum - Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Bruce Hart & Keith Hart vs. Shawn Michaels & The Knights: Boston, MA, 11/24/93, Survivor Series Disc Two: - Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs. The Quebecers: Providence, RI, 1/22/94, Royal Rumble - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart: New York, NY, 3/20/94, Wrestlemania X - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Lumberjack Match): Portland, ME, 8/17/94, Coliseum - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Steel Cage Match): Chicago, IL, 8/29/94, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart: White Plains, NY, 9/28/94, Action Zone - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (No Holds Barred): Stockton, CA, 3/13/95, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart: New Haven, CT, 11/18/86, Raw Disc Three: - Bret Hart & British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart: Bushkill, NY, 11/7/94, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart** (European Title Tournament semi-final): Hamburg, Germany, 2/25/97, Raw - Bret Hart & British Bulldog vs. Vader & The Patriot (Flag Match): St. Louis, MO, 10/5/97, Bad Blood - Bret Hart, Owen Hart & British Bulldog vs. Steve Austin, Undertaker & Dude Love (Flag Match): Halifax, Nova Scotia, 7/21/97, Raw - Bret Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart & Brian Pillman vs. Steve Austin, Legion of Doom, Goldust & Ken Shamrock: Calgary, AB, Canada, 7/6/97, Canadian Stampede Bonus Disc:*** (Owen Hart Tribute) - Owen Hart vs. Tatanka: Baltimore, MD, 6/19/94, King of the Ring - Owen Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid: Baltimore, MD, 6/19/94, King of the Ring - Owen Hart vs. Razor Ramon: Baltimore, MD, 6/19/94, King of the Ring - Owen Hart & Yokozuna vs. The Smoking Gunns: Hartford, CT, 4/2/95, Wrestlemania XI - Battle Royal w/ Owen Hart: Brandon, MN, Canada, 10/23/95, Raw - Owen Hart & British Bulldog vs. The Smoking Gunns: Philadelphia, PA, 9/22/96, Mind Games - Owen Hart vs. British Bulldog (European Tournament Final): Berlin, Germany, 2/26/97, Raw - Owen Hart vs. The Rock: Omaha, NE, 4/28/97, Raw - Owen Hart vs. Chris Benoit****: Johnstown, PA, 6/7/95, TV Taping - Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Owen Hart Tribute): Kansas City, MO, 10/5/99, WCW Nitro *I'm unsure about the availability and quality of video footage for these three matches, though I suspect there is sufficient footage from the retirement shows. I'm also unsure about the length of the two Neidhart matches, but I doubt they exceed twenty minutes. If that is the case, there should probably be enough time for all the matches on this disk, but given these variables, one of them can be eliminated. **I know this was acknowledged on Raw, but unsure if it ever aired. It occurred on a tour of Germany, so I'm not sure if it was actually recorded. If not, obviously, it would not be included. Either way, this disc would be a little light, but there are plenty of extras that could be included, such as the Hart Family's history, video footage of the Hart House in Calgary, the on-screen re-uniting of the Hart Foundation, etc. ***This disc also includes comments from other wrestlers about Owen, his career highlights, promos, his Slammy Award victory, the King of the Ring coronation ceremony, a Tribute video, etc. ****This match occurred at a TV Taping, but wasn't necessarily recorded, as it was a WWF tryout match for Benoit. If unavailable, this can be replaced with one of Owen's early WWF matches, another Bulldog/Owen Tag Title defense, or perhaps a rare Owen match from Japan (if they can acquire the video) or Stampede. Part III: The Foundation Disc One:* - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: Philadelphia, PA, 4/27/85, PRISM TV - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: New York, NY, 9/23/85, MSG/Coliseum - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: Boston, MA, 11/1/86, Coliseum - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs (Non-Title): South Bend, IN, 11/19/86, Superstars - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs (2 out of 3 Falls): South Bend, IN, 4/28/87, SNME - Hart Foundation vs. British Bulldogs: New York, NY, 7/25/87, Primetime Disc Two: - Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees: Boston, MA, 2/8/86. NESN - Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees: New York, NY, 2/17/86, MSG - Hart Foundation vs. Killer Bees: Philadelphia, PA, 9/18/87, PRISM TV - Hart Foundation vs. Rougeau Brothers: Boston, MA, 9/10/88, NESN - Hart Foundation vs. Rougeau Brothers: Boston, MA, 10/8/88, NESN - Hart Foundation vs. Rougeau Brothers: New York, NY, 10/24/88, MSG - Hart Foundation vs. Rockers: Springfield, MA, 8/29/89, Primetime - Hart Foundation vs. Rockers: New York, NY, 11/25/89, MSG - Hart Foundation vs. Rockers: Austin, TX, 4/23/90, SNME - Hart Foundation vs. Rockers: Tokyo, Japan, 3/30/91, Wrestlefest Disc Three: - Hart Foundation vs. The Islanders: Toronto, ON, Canada, 11/16/86, All-American - Hart Foundation vs. Twin Towers: Duluth, MN, 5/17/89, Primetime - Hart Foundation vs. Powers of Pain: Niagra Falls, NY, 6/27/89, Primetime - Hart Foundation vs. Powers of Pain: Ft. Myers, FL, 1/23/90, Primetime - Hart Foundation vs. Orient Express: Chattanooga, TN, 1/8/91, Challenge - Hart Foundation vs. Earthquake & Dino Bravo: New York, NY, 3/15/91, MSG - Hart Foundation vs. Legion of Doom: Biloxi, MS, 3/12/91, Coliseum - Hart Foundation vs. Rhythm N Blues: Indianapolis, IN, 10/29/90, Superstars - Hart Foundation vs. Power & Glory: London, ON, Canada, 12/13/90, Coliseum Bonus Disc: (Hart Foundation on PPV) - Battle Royale: Chicago, IL, 4/7/86, Wrestlemania II - Hart Foundation & Danny Davis vs. British Bulldogs & Tito Santana: Pontiac, MI, 3/29/87, Wrestlemania III - Battle Royale: Atlantic City, NJ, 3/27/88, Wrestlemania IV - Hart Foundation vs. Demolition: New York, NY, 8/29/88, Summerslam - Hart Foundation & Jim Duggan vs. Rougeau Brothers & Dino Bravo (2 out of 3 Falls): Houston, TX, 1/15/89, Royal Rumble - Hart Foundation vs. Rhythm N Blues: Atlantic City, NJ, 4/2/89, Wrestlemania V - Hart Foundation vs. Brainbusters: East Rutherford, NJ, 8/28/89, Summerslam - Hart Foundation vs. Bolsheviks: Toronto, ON, Canada, 4/1/90, Wrestlemania VI - Hart Foundation, Koko B. Ware & Dusty Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase, Undertaker & Rhythm N Blues: Hartford, CT, 11/22/90, Survivor Series - Hart Foundation vs. Nasty Boys (Foundation's last match): New York, NY, 7/1/91, MSG - New Foundation (Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart) vs. Nasty Boys: Austin, TX, 12/4/91, Primetime - New Foundation vs. Orient Express: Albany, NY, 1/19/92, Royal Rumble *There's a lot of room for more extras (promos, interviews, reflections, etc.) on the first disc. Part IV: Showtime (Bret's PPV Matches) Disc One: - Bret Hart vs. Skinner: Austin, TX, 12/3/91, Tuesday in Texas - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels: Richfield, OH, 11/25/92, Survivor Series - Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon: Sacramento, CA, 1/24/93, Royal Rumble - Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon: Dayton, OH, 6/13/93, King of the Ring - Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect: Dayton, OH, 6/13/93, King of the Ring - Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: Dayton, OH, 6/13/93, King of the Ring - 1994 Royal Rumble*: Providence, RI, 1/22/94, Royal Rumble Disc Two: - Bret Hart vs. Diesel: Baltimore, MD, 6/19/94, King of the Ring - Bret Hart vs. Diesel: Tampa, FL, 1/22/95, Royal Rumble - Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund (I Quit Match): Hartford, CT, 4/2/95, Wrestlemania XI - Bret Hart vs. Jean Pierre Lafitte: Saginaw, MI, 9/24/95, In Your House - Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker: Fresno, CA, 1/21/96, Royal Rumble - Bret Hart vs. Diesel (Steel Cage Match): Louisville, KY, 2/18/96, In Your House - Bret Hart vs. Psycho Sid: West Palm Beach, FL, 12/15/96, In Your House: It's Time Disc Three:** - Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin: New York, NY, 11/17/96, Survivor Series - Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin: Chicago, IL, 3/23/97, Wrestlemania XIII - Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin: Rochester, NY, 4/20/97, In Your House: Revenge of the Taker - Bret Hart vs. The Patriot: Louisville, KY, 9/7/97, In Your House: Ground Zero - Bret Hart vs. The Undertaker: Birmingham, England, 9/20/97, One Night Only Bonus Disc: (The Jerry Lawler Feud) - Bret Hart & Owen Hart vs. Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett: Memphis, TN, 8/16/93, USWA TV - Bret Hart vs. Doink: Auburn Hills, MI, 8/30/93, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler: Auburn Hills, MI, 8/30/93, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler: Stockton, CA, 3/13/95, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Hakushi: Syracuse, NY, 5/14/95, In Your House - Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler: Syracuse, NY, 5/14/95, In Your House - Bret Hart vs. Jerry Lawler (Kiss My Foot Match): Philadelphia, PA, 6/24/95, King of the Ring - Bret Hart vs. Issac Yankem: Pittsburgh, PA, 8/27/95, Summerslam - Bret Hart vs. Issac Yankem (Steel Cage Match): Grand Rapids, MI, 9/25/95, Raw - 1997 Royal Rumble*** *Shown from Bret's entrance until the finish, which is about 15 minutes. **There's room for extras (promos, interviews, reflections, etc.) on Disc Three. ***Shown from the Bret Hart/Jerry Lawler confrontation to the finish. Part V: Buried Treasure (Rare Gems) Disc One: - Bret Hart vs. Dynamite Kid (2 out of 3 Falls)*: Stampede - Bret Hart vs. Dynamite Kid (Ladder Match)*: Stampede - Bret Hart vs. Rene Goulet: New York, NY, 1/25/85, All-American - Bret Hart vs. Ricky Steamboat: Boston, MA, 3/8/86, NESN - Bret Hart vs. Randy Savage: Seattle, WA, 11/11/87, SNME - Bret Hart vs. Bad News Brown: New York, NY, 4/25/88, MSG - Bret Hart vs. Ted DiBiase: Odessa, TX, 3/8/89, Primetime Disc Two: - Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect: New York, NY, 4/24/89, MSG - Battle Royale w/ Bret Hart: Hamilton, ON, Canada, 5/1/89, Coliseum - Bret Hart vs. Mr. Perfect: Wheeling, WV, 10/2/89, Primetime - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels: Ft. Myers, FL, 1/23/90, Challenge - Bret Hart vs. Tiger Mask II: Tokyo, Japan, 4/13/90, Coliseum - Bret Hart vs. Honky Tonk Man: Indianapolis, IN, 10/29/90, Survivor Series Showdown - Hart Foundation vs. Rockers (2 out of 3 Falls)**: Ft. Wayne, IN, 10/30/90, SNME Taping - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (Ladder Match): Portland, ME, 7/21/92, Coliseum - Bret Hart vs. Virgil: Terre Haute, IN, 10/27/92, Superstars - Bret Hart vs. Papa Shango: Terry Haute, IN, 10/27/92, SNME - Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna (Steel Cage Match): Augusta, ME, 12/15/93, Coliseum Disc Three: - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels (Steel Cage Match): Utica, NY, 12/1/93, Coliseum - Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels: Fayetville, NC, 1/12/94, TV Taping - Bret Hart vs. Bob Backlund: Ocean City, MD, 7/3/94, Superstars - Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid: Bushkill, PA, 7/1/94, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Jeff Jarrett: Houston, TX, 1/9/95, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Hakushi: Louisville, KY, 7/24/95, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Goldust: Stockton, CA, 1/22/96, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley: Cincinnati, OH, 2/19/96, Raw - Bret Hart vs. Terry Funk: Amarillo, TX, 9/11/97, Terry Funk Retirement Show Bonus Disc:*** - Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair (Marathon Match): Boston, MA, 1/9/93 - Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart (Marathon Match): Long Island, NY, 7/9/94 *I'm not positive that video footage of these entire matches exist, but at the very least portions of them do. **This is the phantom Title switch when the top rope broke. Even though it was supposedly terrible and never saw the light of day, I think it would be neat to see. ***This isn't actually feasible and I wouldn't expect them to be included. As far as I know, only fan-cams of these matches exist, and the WWE would never use footage like that. It's too bad they didn't record these matches themselves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Hass of Pain Report post Posted January 20, 2006 It's not a bad idea, but by the time the 500 hours worth of footage you suggested was cleaned up, digitially restored and edited to cover up any mention of the WWF initials, you'd be looking that a $200, 20 disc set that absolutely nobody would pay for except your hardcore, hardcore fans. I definitely agree that the DVD's aren't living up to potential though. You can tell that the more time that passes, the more WWE is rushing them out because they are so profitable right now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humanoid92 0 Report post Posted January 20, 2006 Would it really end up costing $200 though? I was thinking more along the lines of $80-$100 which is still a whole lot of money, yes, but if people are willing to spend $35 for crappy PPVs every month and another $20 when those same PPVs then come out on DVD every month, I think it would still sell well. I admit that I don't know anything about how the DVD editing process works. Does it really cost a shitload of money to edit out the WWF mentions and digitally restore all the footage? I still don't understand why they can't say "WWF" in all the old footage. That was the name of the freaking company for all those years. It was called that in 1989. Why should they have to alter footage from 1989 that mentions WWF? Makes no sense. Stupid pandas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fökai 0 Report post Posted January 20, 2006 Would it really end up costing $200 though? I was thinking more along the lines of $80-$100 which is still a whole lot of money, yes, The WWE aren't tape-traders. 20 discs of remastered footage = $225, and that's on the safe side. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Some Guy 0 Report post Posted January 24, 2006 It would have to be broken up into 7 sets that woudl probably run about $20-25 each. So, while this set would never happen it would probably be somewhere in the neighborhood of $140-175 total. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
