Customer Reviews

The Best of WWE Confidential, Vol. 1

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great DVD covers many unique stories in and out of the ring.
* Stone Cold Calls it Quits!- A story about what exactly happened behind the scenes when Austin 'mysteriously' vanished from TV.
* The Screwjob- Discussions from Vince, Gerald Brisco, Earl Hebner, and the man himself, HBK Shawn Michaels. During this story, HBK finally admits that he knew what was going to happen all along, after years of denying it. The actual match is included.
* Are You Related To The Samoans?- Story about Rikishi and his family ties. He talks about how his family is involved in wrestling, how close they are, etc.
* We're Off To See The Lizard!- Interesting story about William Regal and his fascination of reptiles. He has a few funny stories about how they get loose sometimes. Nice little story about something I didn't know about Regal.
* Kurt Angle- He revisits the site of his Olympic Gold Medal victory in 1996. Atlanta, GA. He goes through and mentions how some things have changed, and little clips of him doing some amatuer wrestling is shown.
*Trish Stratus- Get an up close look inside her house. Very large house, talks about how she has girlfrieds over, etc. Shows off some nice collections of magazines, wrestling figures.
*Demise of WCW- Very indepth story of what happened, and how they got destroyed. All I can say is you have to watch this, because it's a great story. A history of the WCW World Heavyweight Championship is included.
*Randy Orton- Three Generations of Ortons. Talks about his Grandfather, and his Father 'Cowboy' Bobby Orton.
*Bonus Matches
- Jimmy Snuka vs Ray Stevens from NY.
- Bret Hart vs British Bulldog for the Intercontinental Championship from England.
- Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship(the screwjob) from Canada.
- Scott Steiner vs Booker T for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, on the FINAL nitro ever from Florida.

The WWE Confidential program is a show that tells the behind the scenes stories on many of the major events on WWE history, both current as well as those years in the past. This DVD is the first volume of the best of these stories.

The DVD begins with the demise of WCW as a company and how one time hated rival Eric Bischoff was hired by the WWE. Very interesting stuff. We also see the reactions of Vince McMahon and Jim Ross to Steve Austin walking off the job and essentially quitting. There are family stories with Rikishi and all the Samoans in WWF history, and a story about the 3 generations of Orton wrestlers (with Randy Orton being the most recent). There is a little thing on Superfly Jimmy Snuka (as well as a bonus match with Snuka). We see the beautiful house of Trish Stratus, but the most interesting story on this DVD is that of the Montreal incident.

The Montreal incident took place at Survivor Series 1997. Bret Hart did not have his contract renewed by the WWF and was leaving the company to wrestle with WCW. He was the champion at the time. He was told to drop the belt at Survivor Series to Shawn Michaels (yes, the results are fixed, if you didn't already know that). Bret said no, he claimed he had partial creative control of his character in his contract, and he refused to drop the belt to HBK (they really didn't like each other). The documentary Wrestling With Shadows gives Bret's side of the story, and shows (Bret was mic'd) Vince McMahon agree that Bret would lose the match, but not the title at Survivor Series and forfeit the title the next night on RAW. Vince doublecrossed him and even though Bret had not lost the match or submitted to the Sharpshooter, the referee called for the bell and awarded the match and the title to Michaels. In the locker room, HBK denied knowing about it, but came clean on Confidential saying that yes, he was a part of the doublecross. Very few people knew about it at the time, but it is the most infamous event in the WWE history. To this day, at WWE events in Montreal, "you screwed Bret" chants pop up. We see the WWE side of the story in this segment, and to be honest, I believe that both Bret and Vince were in the wrong in this whole debacle.

DVD extras include:
A classic Jimmy Snuka match (but not the one vs Don Muraco where he leaps from the top of the cage)
Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels, Survivor Series 1997
Bret Hart vs British Bulldog, Summerslam, 1992
Booker T vs Scott Steiner on the last night of WCW Nitro

Behind the scenes in the WWE. Here are the chapters of this movie,

1. Eric Bischoff joins WWE
2. The Stone Cold Situation
3. Kurt Angle's Olympic Training
4. Hoops Competition
5. Davey Boy Smith
6. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
7. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
8. D-Generation X Invades Norfolk
9. Demise of WCW
10. History of WWE Championship
11. WCW Champions
12. Regal's Reptiles
13. Trish's House
14. 3 Generations of Ortons
15. Samoan Family Tree
16. World's Oldest Wrestling Fan

17. Booker T. meets Levon Kirkland
18. Bret vs. Shawn-Montreal '97

Now for the extras,

1. Jimmy Snuka vs. Ray Stevens
Madison Square Garden 12.28.82

2. Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Summerslam 8.29.92

3. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
WWE Championship
Survivor Series 11.9.97

4. Scott Steiner vs. Booker T.
World Heavyweight Championship vs.
U.S. Heavyweight Championship
WCW Nitro 3.26.01

Thanks for looking at my Review on WWE Confidential vol,1. I hope you will definitly buy this dvd. FAST!!!!!!

The WWE has a storied history, with plenty of classic superstars, fueds, and matches. All are reflected on this DVD.

The WWE put together a good combination on this disc. Included are short histories of Jimmy Snuka, The British Bulldog, and Bobby Heenan. It also goes in depth on the demise of WCW, the infamous night in Montreal where Bret Hart was "screwed", and Steve Austin's problems with the WWE.

Though I think half of the features on here aren't worth much (Trish Stratus' house, Kurt Angle and Amatuer Wrestling) the highlights definately outweigh the lowlights. I loved hearing Chris Jericho, the Big Show, and Booker T talk about leaving WCW.

Where the disc really shines the most though is the extras. The classis Bulldog/Hart match from Wembley Stadium at Summerslam 1992 is the highlight for sure. Also included is the Hart/Michaels match from Survivor Series 1997 where you can literally feel the animosity of everyone involved. If you've never seen this match, you need to.

Why they replaced the Jimmy Snuka cage match with another match, I'll never understand (that match is included on the Bloodbath DVD however), but a gimpse at Snuka is always worthwhile.

Overall, the disc might not be worth buying, unless you really want the two Bret Hart matches. Otherwise, rent it if you can. But make sure you watch these two matches. Memorable stuff.

For those who don't remember the show "WWE Confidental", it was hosted by Mean Gene Okerland and provided a behind the scenes look at the wrestling business such as the personal & private lives of certain WWE superstars from the past & present. Various stories from this show (some more memorable than others) were collected & put together for this DVD presentation. The main stories that are the highlight of this DVD are the story behind Eric Bischoff coming to WWE, Vince & J.R. talking about the issues leading up to Stone Cold Steve Austin's walkout from WWE back in 2002, a tribute to the British Bulldog with comments & various stories told by his wife Diana along with various WWE talent & officials including Undertaker, a look at Jimmy Snuka, highlights of various funny moments involving Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, the story of DX invading WCW Nitro, a brief story of the the problems behind the scenes of WCW, the history of the NWA/WCW World Title including opinions on various champions, and WWE's side of the story of the "Montreal Screwjob" of Bret at Survivor Series '97. Other stories also include Rikishi talking about the Samoan family tree which includes The Rock & Rocky Johnson & Wild Somoans & Yokozuna, hearing about the 3 generations of the Orton family with comments from Randy & "Cowboy" Bob & Bob Sr., The Rock meeting a 90+ year old wrestling fan, Booker T meeting football star Levon Kirkland, Kurt Angle returning to where he trained for the Olympics, Bradshaw & Big Show & Linda "Shanquia" Miles play hoops, a look at 3 generations of Ortons (Bob Sr., Bob Jr., Randy), William Regal shows off his reptiles, and Trish Stratus gives a tour of her house.

Matches Include:
Jimmy Snuka vs. Ray Stevens - This was a short match that showed more than anything how much MSG loved Jimmy Snuka as the crowd just reacted heavily to everything he did which resulted in the famous highlight of Snuka shouting into the microphone after the match, "NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU BABY!"
"MSG" Dec. '82

WWE Intercontinental Champion Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog - This was a historic match on many levels as this was the only time that only the Intercontinental Championship main evented a PPV & this the second largest WWE crowd to date. Eventhough there were some botches (that Bret acknowledged in his DVD set), these were two of the best WRESTLERS WWE had that that time giving quite the classic performance with the "Diana Hart" factor adding to the drama of the match.
SummerSlam '92
(History Of Intercontinental Championship, Bret Hart:Best There Is, Best There Was, Best There Ever Will Be)

WWF Champion Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - This was the match that was advertised as 18 months in the making but for those who know their wrestling history, these two had a rivarly (both on & off screen) that dated back years to their days in the tag division as part of the Hart Foundation & Rockers to feuding over the Intercontinental Championship and even putting on a classic match fighting for the same WWE Championship 5 years earlier at this same event. The natural heat between these show was showcased even before the opening bell since both men took the brawl right right to the outside, through the crowd, and all the way to the entrance way with all the referees & backstage officials & Vince himself coming out trying to get the match started for several minutes...and ended up getting nailed in the process themselves. Once the match got started, it was still somewhat of a brawl mixed with wrestling such as Shawn using a flag pole & steel steps at various times right along side Bret heavily focusing on Shawn's knees with various versions of the figure four. However, the biggest story here was when "wrestling got real" resulting in probably the most famous (or infamous...depending on how you want to look it) moment in not just WWE but WRESTLING history happened here.
Survivor Series '97

Title vs. Title Match: WCW Champion Scott Steiner vs. WCW United States Champion Booker T - This was the from the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro & a match were both championship were on the line. This was pretty short & sweet as it went back & forth between both men with Booker suddenly pulling it out in the end to go out of the "real" WCW as champion.
"WCW Monday Nitro" Mar. '01

Basically, there are two reasons to get this DVD in that if your either a fan of the actual show then this would be nice to add to the collection along with with the fact that this is the only DVD set (at this time until the Survivor Series Anthology is released) where you will see the Bret vs. Shawn match from Survivor Series '97. No disrespect to the Bret/Bulldog match but you can find that on two other DVD sets as well so for those two reasons alone, this is worth getting.

if you liked the show Confidential then get it...if not, skip it. I only got this one because it was used for $6.

In 2002 WWE relaunched their Saturday Night line-up by canning recap show Excess and replacing it with a "behind the scenes" magazine showed appropriately named "Confidential." For the first real time in history the WWE pulled back the curtain and talked about the behind the scenes happenings of the industry examining everything from current top headlines to retrospectives of days bygone to behind the scenes looks at the wrestlers personal lives (all towing the company line of course). In all, it's a great look at the wrestling industry and the wrestlers that make it up. Presented here are some of the top segments from the program's first year on the airwaves PLUS 4 CLASSIC matches (some more classic than others) thrown in for extra.

Here are the segments presented in Best of WWE Confidential Volume I:

1. Why Stone Cold Steve Austin left the WWE in June of 2002

2. The DX Invasion of Monday Nitro (with new footage of them interacting with the WCW fans)

3. Why WCW died

4. Eric Bishoff joining the WWE in July of 2002

5. The History of the WCW Title

6. A Look at the Great WCW Champions

7. Career Retrospective on Jimmy Snuka

8. Career and Life Retrospective on the late British Bulldog

9. WWE Cribs: Trish Stratus' House

10. Regal's Reptile Collection

11. Three Generations of Orton's

12. Rikishi talks about Yokozuna, the Samoan Family and Fa'a Samoa

13. WWE's Oldest Fan, 107 Year Old Ms. Gertrude

14. Booker T's Spinarooni Story with Lavon Kirkland

15. Kurt Angle revisits the Olympic training center

16. The Montreal Incident

THE DVD Extras:

As a bonus, WWE has included 4 bonus matches on this DVD, all historic for different reasons. For collectors, the bonus matches alone make this disc a keeper. Here they are!!!

1. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. "Crippler" Ray Stevens: 1982 from MSG. Snuka in his prime!!! So-so match where Snuka pretty much squashes Stevens. Okay for the novelty but match itself wasn't that hot. 2 stars. Too bad they didn't spring for the immortal Muracco match in the Cage.

2. Intercontinental Title Match: Bret "Hitman" Hart (champ) vs. "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Summerslam '92 from Wembley Stadium in London, England. The Match of the Year from 1992. This match will forever be remembered as Bulldog's greatest match. Easily one of the most physical and well worked matches in history by two of the best. 5 stars easily and worth the price of the tape alone.

3. WWF World Title Match: Bret "Hitman" Hart (champ) vs. Shawn Michaels. Survivor Series 1997 from Montreal. THE MOST infamous match in wrestling history where Vince McMahon screwed Bret Hart out of the WWE Title. Presented here are Vince's and Shawn's side of the story. Match itself was alright (2 stars) but for historical value you don't get any better than this.

4. WCW World Title vs. U.S. Title Match: "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner (champ) vs. Booker T (U.S. champ) from the Final Monday Nitro. Another so-so match big on historical value as this was the last title match held on the last Monday Nitro when McMahon bought out WCW. Booker closes out WCW on top by unifying the belts. 2 stars.

ANALYSIS AND VERDICT:

Overall this DVD may fly under people's radars simply for the fact that this is recycled TV footage. Many of the segments and profiles are keepers and some are so-so but overall the feature is a good watch and entertaining. At a minimum it is worth the rental if you are a fan of wrestling and wanna get more in depth with your favorite stars.

The bonus matches are EASILY the price of the purchase, particularly the Bret vs. Bulldog match. The Bret-Shawn match and the Steiner-Booker match, while okay wrestling wise, are worth it easily for historical value.

To sum, the purchase is worth it for the matches alone easily. The feature may or may not be worth the purchase however it is definitely worth the view if you have never seen it.

Overall, whether you purchase, rent or borrow, this DVD is...

Highly Recommended (a must for Hitman fans with two of his biggest matches on here)

Here are some of the segments found on WWE: The Best of Confidental.....

-'97 Survivor Series: Shawn Michaels Tells His Story

-Austin's Downfall: The Untold Story

-DX to WCW: "SUCK IT!"

-Who Killed WCW?

-Are You Stratusfied?: At Home With Trish Stratus

-Booker T: The Spin-a-Roony Story

PLUS: Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, Jimmy Snuka, British Bulldog

DVD Extras:

Over 75 minutes of bonus material!

-Ray Stevens vs. Jimmy Snuka in '82
-Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog in '92
-Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in '97(The Montreal Screwjob!)
-Scott Steiner vs. Booker T in '01(The Last Nitro)

This is the best WWE DVD. My biggest complaint about the recent WWE DVD's is the total lack of extras (matches leading up to PPV, Raw episodes of impact to the PPV, etc). This DVD has everything and then some. From seeing Kurt Angle doing real amateur wrestling moves at the olympic practice facility, DX invades WCW, to the Classic Vince/Shawn screws Bret storyline in Montreal (match included). DVD contains classic footage of Jimmy Snuka. Nuff said.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this DVD is spectacular. The extras alone are worth the price of this purchase. The only two matches im talking about are Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog from SummerSlam '92 and Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart from Survivor Series '97. Get this dvd just for these 2 matches, its worth it, and then you get to see everything else thats on it. Great DVD!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I essentially only bought this for the Shawn Micheals interview and for the Montreal match. Also I wanted the segment with Diana Hart Smith talking about the British Bulldog. Unfortunatly this was edited from the original broadcast. The Stone Cold walking out story seemed to be the same as I remember seeing on tv. To my surprise it also featured a history of the wcw championship. This is a good release and will probably go oop eventually. Buy it.