Customer Reviews

TNA Wrestling: The Best of the Bloodiest Brawls Volume 1

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

tna is the new wrestling, its way better than wwe.
i'll review all the matches on this DVD

Monsters Ball 1:
Abyss vs Raven vs Monty Brown
this match wasn;t as good as expected, ok match
***

Six Sides of Steel
AMW vs Triple X
loser must disband. this is what TNA is all about. this was voted match of the year for 2004, great spot by Skipper, you have to see it, to believe it.
****3/4

Final Assault, Falls Count Anywhere
Abyss vs Jeff Hardy
this match is one of my personal favourites, this goes match gets violent quickly, its an awsum match. hardy on tacs.
*****

Six Sides of Steel
Abyss vs Aj Styles
the cage could'nt contain these 2 as they waged war in a great match, that was high risk, some big spots in this one.
****1/2

House of Fun
Raven vs Sean Waltman
another brutal, bloody and violent match, what can you expect from the crazy mind of raven? this is perhaps TNA's bloodiest brawl ever.
****

Dog Collar Match
Raven vs Abyss
this is a great match from these 2 hardcore icons. very brutal matchup, with a good tac spot.
****

Tag Team Match
Sabu/Raven vs Jarret/Rhino
a good hardcore tag match, but i'm not shore if it should be on here, i would of swapped this for Raven vs Rhino from Unbreakable, None the less a good match.
***1/2

Monsters Ball 2
Jeff Hardy vs Abyss vs Rhino vs Sabu
an all out war, NO DQ four way match. alot better than monstersball 1. very hardcore match, alot of table spots. Jeff Hardy is Freakin insane with a Swanton from about 30ft onto Abyss. a must see match for any hardcore fan.
*****

Six Man War
team 3D & Rhino vs AMW & Jarret
ECW fan's will like this match alot, it reminds me of there infamous tag match they had with Mahoney and Spike. this match is a War, they battle all over the Arena. a great match.
****3/4

Barbed Wire Massacre
Sabu vs Abyss
this feud is was one of the best. this match received MOTY honor's for 2005, very bloody and brutal. great match for these two. it was Abyss's first Barbed Wire Match. a must see.
*****

overall, this is a great DVD.

*****

TNA will be realeasing the new Bloodist Brawls DVD in march. The following is what is scheduled to appear on the DVD along with a five star rating.

-Monster's Ball 1 - Victory Road. This three way match with Raven vs Abyss vs Monty Brown took place in 04 at the first TNA PPV. A decent match that had a few good spots, but the second Monster's Ball is way better. ***1/2

-AMW/XXX Steel Cage - Turning Point. This match is insane. You will be replaying Primetime walking the top of the cage over and over again. Better then there first cage match. *****

-Final Assualt Match- Abyss vs. Jeff Hardy - Destination X. I dont remember if this match was bloody or not. It makes up for the Full Metal Mayhem match from AAO. One of Hardy's better matches. ****

-AJ Styles vs. Abyss - Lockdown. This match took place on the all cage PPV. THe winner got a title shot against Jeff Jarrett. These two guys always put on a great match against each other. *****

-Raven vs. Sean Waltman (House of Fun) - Hard Justice. This was supposed to be Raven vs. Hardy, but Hardy no-showed, so Waltman steped up. I will say that Waltman showed a different side to him and this match is extremely bloody and brutal. *****

-Abyss vs. Raven Dog Collar Match - No Surrender. IMO, this is one of the best title matches I have seen. I wish they would have continued this fued, but they did not. Great spots by both men and once again, tons of blood and brutality. *****

-Raven/Sabu vs. Rhino/Jarrett - Sacrifice. This was not so much a tag team match. The stipulation was if Raven pinned Jarrett, Jarrett would not get a title shot for a year. If Jeff pinned Raven, he got his title shot at the next PPV. This was a great match from what I remember. ****

-Raven vs. Rhino - Unbreakable. These two men put on a great hardcore match at WWF Backlash a few years ago. This was given a no DQ stipulation. This match was better than there match at Backlash and was for the NWA title. *****

-AMW/JJ vs. Rhino/Team 3D - Genesis. This brawl went all over the arena and continued in the ring and if I remember, everyone in this match was bleeding. Really hardcore. ****1/2

-Monster's Ball 2 - Bound For Glory. This match is insane and is One of the best matches on this DVD with some really insane spots. For those intersted in the rest of the PPV, check out my review as it is one of the best PPV's I have seen. *****

(Barbed Wire Massacre) Sabu vs Abyss - Turning Point. This was the first ever Barbed Wire match on American PPV and the first one since the famous Sabu and Funk from ECW. This is really hard to watch at times and you just wonder where these guys find the mental strength to perform in matches like these. Abyss really is one of the true stars of TNA and is a Hardcore legend in the making. This match gets ten stars in stead of the five.

You really are getting a fantastic deal with this DVD, although my only complaint is that I wish they would have added older matches like the 10-man tag team Wargames match from the weekly PPV's. TNA really is on a roll.

Off the topic, if you missed last nights TNA PPV Against All Odds, order the replay. One of the best matches with Christian winning the NWA heavyweight title, the X divison triple threat rematch with Samoa Joe vs Styles vs Daniels and the Falls Count Anywhere match with Rhino and Abyss.

This is one of my favorite TNA DVD's as I'm a fan of brawls and they picked a nice selection of matches from their stay in Orlando so far. The only criticism I have is that I wish some matches were replaced with others as some spots become repeative & lose it's shock value (Jeff Hardy's jumps, Abyss going through the tacks, ect.) and that they would have included some matches from the 2003 Bloodiest Brawls DVD (which is now out of print).

Monster's Ball 1 (Victory Road 2004) "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown vs. "The Monster" Abyss vs. Raven - Really, this match is just sloppy & all over the place. Honestly, it's just a spot fest to me.

Six Sides of Steel Cage Match (Turning Point 2004) America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X - Honestly, this was the best tag team match I've seen since Los Guerreros vs. Team Angle in WWE. Wit the whole "losers can never team again" stipulation, you can see these guys went balls out & didn't hold back anything. Elix Skipper's spot towards the end is really something to see.

Full Metal Mayhem (Destination X 2005) "The Monster" Abyss vs. "The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy - They went all over the building & outside using tables, ladders, and (of course) thumbtacks. Like I said, Hardy is great at these weapons matches.
Note: Also available on the Jeff Hardy DVD

Six Sides of Steel Cage Match (Lockdown 2005) "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles vs. "The Monster" Abyss - This match is just awesome. It's not really a bloody massacre but a great storytelling of "the big unstoppable monster vs. the little guy who never gives up."

House Of Fun Match (Hard Justice 2005) Raven vs. Sean Waltman - It was suppost to be Raven vs. Hardy but Jeff no showed so Sean came in last min. A House Of Fun match just has weapons hanging all around the ring for anyone's use. This was actually one of the better ones.

Dog Collar Match (No Surrender 2005) "The Monster" Abyss vs. Raven - It's not Piper vs. Valentine but it's still good but not as special after seeing both guys in two previous matches.

Tag Team Match (Sacrifice 2005) "The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal" Sabu and Raven vs. "King of the Mountain" Jeff Jarrett and "The War Machine" Rhino - I guess you just had to have a Jeff Jarrett match on this DVD. This is the typical Jarrett TNA match...they brawl over the area, settle it down in the ring, and have tons outside interference towards the end. That's was the case here too. I would have rather seen the Raven vs. Rhino match from Unbreakable here.

Monster's Ball 2 (Bound For Glory 2005) "The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal" Sabu vs. "The Monster" Abyss vs. "The Charismatic Enigma" Jeff Hardy vs. "The War Machine" Rhino - This match goes all over the place, weapons galore, and tons of spots. For me, the best match on this disc.

Six Man War (Genesis 2005) "The War Machine" Rhino and Team 3D vs. "King of the Mountain" Jeff Jarrett and America's Most Wanted - Not as good as the previous match but just as uncontrolable. Just like the previous Jarrett match except the brawl on the outside here was just awesome.

Barbed Wire Massacre (Turning Point 2005) "The Homicidal, Genocidal, Suicidal" Sabu vs. "The Monster" Abyss - This match was just sick as you see moments like Sabu getting dropped on his neck into the barbed wire and Abyss squished inbetween two barbed wire boards. It's not as distubring as Sabu's last two barbed wire matches (Hardcore Homecoming & vs. Terry Funk) but it still leaves an impression.

The bonus footage was the construction of the Barbed Wire and Abyss' wounds after the match. Also there's footage of Raven's scalping which was hard to watch as Mitchell held the clippers the wrong way and ended up cutting off parts of Raven's skin.


Overall, one of the better TNA DVD's for me. Some stuff gets repeative after a while & I would have switched some matches but it's still a nice collection.

Here's a concept that seems to be lost on most of the TNA/WWE defenders and detractors that frequent Amazon. Instead of squabling over which promotion is better (and really, both promotions have their respective pros and cons)how about (*gasp*) actually reviewing the DVDs for a change. It's a novel idea, but follow me here.
Here is the review for TNA's latest effort "Best Of The Bloodiest Brawls Vol 1". Some fans may be confused as TNA released a "Bloodiest Brawls" DVD via their website a couple of years ago. Whereas that DVD featured matches from 2002-2003, this DVD incorporates matches from 2005 and the latter half of 2004. That being said, let's start the show...

1. "The Monster" Abyss v. "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown v. Raven: Monster's Ball match from Victory Road 2004. This is little more than a garbage match with some interesting spots thrown in for good measure. The match flows nicely but is really nothing to write home about. Thumbtacks get involved. Really though, the thumbtack spot seemed cool and innovative a few years back but it is quickly losing it's shock value. 3/5

2. America's Most Wanted v. Triple X: Six Sides Of Steel from Turning Point 2004. This match has become quite famous among TNA fans for the jaw-dropping acrobatics of Elix Skipper. Hands down, this is probably one of the best cage matches you'll see not only in TNA but in any promotion. The athletisism, drama, and acrobatics are truly something to behold. "Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels wears the crimson mask 5/5

3. "Charismastic Enigma" Jeff Hardy v. "The Monster" Abyss: Full Metal Mayhem from Destination X 2005. This is an exceptional hardcore/falls count anywhere match that illustrates what a motivated Jeff Hardy is capable of. The match stays relatively un-bloody until the suprise ending. 4/5

4. "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles v. "The Monster" Abyss: Six Sides of Steel from Lockdown 2005. Much like the AMW/ Triple X classic above, this is a great cage match featuring a bloodied Styles giving it his all against a determined Abyss. This match didn't seem to have the same raw emotion as that aforementioned match, but any true fan worth their weight in water will want to check it out 4/5

5. Raven v. Sean Waltman: House Of Fun from Hard Justice 2005. The former X-Pac and Raven tangle in this gruesome and violent monstrocity that is actually quite good given one of the participants. This match practically screams "ECW" in many ways. When Tenay and West say this match is not for young viewers, that's not just hyperbole! Lots of blood and at least one disturbing spot make this a modern day classic 3.5/5

6. Raven vs. "The Monster" Abyss: Dog Collar Match from July 2005. It's Raven. It's Abyss. Blood flows. The match is quite good, but it feels a little redundant considering the screen time both wrestlers have already received on this DVD. Still worth checking out. 3/5

7. Raven & Sabu v. Jeff Jarrett and "The Man Beast" Rhino from Sacrifice 2005. This is actually quite interesting. Like the match listed above, however, it suffers from the nagging sense of redundancy in terms of the hardcore aspect of it all. Still, a great tag team brawl that you just don't seem to see enough of nowadays 4/5

8. Jeff Hardy v. Abyss v. Rhino v. Sabu. Monster's Ball 2 from Bound For Glory 2005:. Hardcore elitists unite! This wild brawl goes all over the place and features several spots that will make even the most hardened viewer cringe. Much better than that first Monster's Ball match 4/5

9. Jeff Jarrett & AMW v. Rhino & Team 3D: Anything Goes from Genesis 2005: That match starts out slow but quickly morphs into another unrestrained chaotic brawl. This match features a great emotional aspect as the former Dudley Boyz look to settle the score with AMW and Rhino looks to get even with Jeff Jarrett. While it isn't a five star match, this match is one of the better "ECW"-type brawls you will see 3.5/5

10. Sabu v. Abyss: Barbed Wire Massacre from Turning Point 2005. One word: Wow. While not quite as memorable as the infamous Sabu/Funk barbed wire match from ECW in 1997, this is still a sick, sick, sick match. Sabu and Abyss prove they are either completely dedicated to their craft or are complete sadists. Many disturbing spots such as Sabu getting dropped throat first across the barbed wire. TNA's first barbed wire match is a cult classic and well worth checking out. 4/5

Bonus: ringside footage of the construction of the barbed wire strands around the ring plus handcam footage of Sabu and Abyss in action. Plus, we get the disturbing footage from 2003 as Raven's head is shaved (and actually scalped) by Father James Mitchell. Pretty disgusting as you can see the missing skin on Raven's head.

Pros of the DVD: Great collection of matches that will have you on the edge of your seat. This makes for a great gift for any hardcore wrestling fan. TNA employs actual wrestling over sports entertainment and it pays off well here. Wrestlers here seemed more dedicated than do many of their WWE cohorts. The DVED is also very well produced with hot camera angles and a slick presentation.

Cons of the DVD: What TNA makes up for in wrestling, they lack in storylines. The matches are great, yes, but the characters don't feel as well-rounded as those in the WWE. This can make it difficult for some viewers to truly get into the matches as they lack the "mass appeal" of WWE. Also, this outing borrows heavily from previously released DVDs. Most of these matches can be found elsewhere and don't truly feel unique in that sense. It would have been nice if TNA had dug a little bit deeper in their vault and produced some material from their first "Best of Bloodiest Brawls" DVD, but that is really picking nits.

While not quite as good as the "Best of The X Division" for instance, this DVD is still a must for TNA fans. WWE fans may also be enticed to pick it up as it doesn't concentrate too much on technical wrestling (a common gripe among WWE proponents)and rather brings back memories of ECW in its prime. Check it out today!

Yeah, that's what this DVD is about about. 4 hours of guys talking with 2 min. matches...please, that's what they do most of the time on RAW is just talk non-stop. Write something legit or get out of here! TNA goes where WWE doesn't have the balls to anymore since WCW ended. When's the last time WWE did a barbed wire match...Big Show & Bradshaw? What a joke. The only reason WWE got so big anyways is because they stole everything from ECW.

TNA is the spot for wrestlers to be wrestlers (AJ Styles, Christian, and the Dudleys turned down their WWE contracts) & not play second fiddle to "champions" who can't wrestle, washed up gimmicks from the 80's, bodybuilders & giants who only have size & nothing else, and not have take a back seat to announcers, DIVA SEARCHES, or the McMahon's who take up all the rest of the TV time.

Monsters Ball 1
Monty Brown VS Raven VS Abyss
STAR RATING:***1/4-a really good match for the time it was given

Six sides of steel
AMW VS Triple X
STAR RATING:****1/2-NOT THE BEST CAGE MATCH EVER BUT IMO THE BEST TAG TEAM CAGE MATCH EVER.

FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE
ABYSS VS JEFF HARDY
STAR RATING:***-GOOD BUT NOT GREAT

SIX SIDES OF STEEL
AJ STYLES VS ABYSS
STAR RATING:***3/4-GREAT CAGE MATCH AND AJ(AS USUAL) WAS GREAT IN THIS MATCH

HOUSE OF FUN
RAVEN VS SEAN WALTMAN
STAR RATING:***1/4- VERY GOOD HARDCORE MATCH, GOOD ENDING

DOG COLLER STEEL CHAIN MATCH FOR NWA TITLE
RAVEN VS ABYSS
STAR RATING:***1/4- BRUTAL MATCH, GOOD BELIEVALE NEARFALLS AT THE END.

JEFF JARRETT/RHINO VS SABU/RAVEN
STAR RATING:***- GOOD BUT COULD HAVE USED A FEW MORE WEAPONS

MONSTERS BALL 2
RHINO VS ABYSS VS HARDY VS SABU
STAR RATING:***3/4- GREAT MATCH, HARDYS DIVE WAS AMAZING, THIS MATCH NEEDED 5 MORE MINUTES TO REACH 4 STARS

6 MAN TAG MATCH
TEAM 3-D/RHINO VS AMW/JARRETT
STAR RATING:***1/2 CRAZY BRAWL, BUT NO TABLES?!?!

BARBED WIRE MASSACRE
ABYSS VS SABU
STAR RATING:***-BRUTAL!! HARD TO WATCH. TOO SHORT TO RATE ANY HIGHER.

If you want to see wrestling matches that have tables, chairs, steel chains, thumbtacks, and lots of blood, this DVD is definately for you! TNA put together some of their most brutal matches together and this does not disappoint....

Monster's Ball Match
Raven vs. Abyss vs. Monty Brown:
Short but great brawl from TNA's first ever ppv. They fight all over the building and Raven even smashes a trashcan over Abyss' head. They fight back in the ring and knock each other around with chairs. Abyss brings his bag of tacks into the ring but gets thrown onto the pile himself! In the end Monty Brown pounces Raven through a table in the ring and gets the pin. 8/10

Six Sides of Steel Match
America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X:
The very last chapter of this fued met in the greatest steel cage/tag team match of all time. This was a fantastic match and all four men get cut open. The biggest highlight was Elix Skipper giving a hurricanrana to Chris Harris off the top of the cage! AMW wins the match and Triple X has to break up as a team. 11/10

Falls Count Anywhere Match
Abyss vs. Jeff Hardy:
This was a wild brawl that even went outside the building. Jeff Hardy puts Abyss on two tables outside the building and climbs off a steel structure and lands on Abyss through the tables! They fight back in the ring with chairs, ladders and a couple more tables and Jeff Hardy gets the win. 8/10 After the match Abyss throws Hardy onto a pile of tacks.

Six Sides of Steel Cage Match
Abyss vs. AJ Styles:
Great steel cage match. They fight all over the building first and Abyss swings the cage door right in AJ's face. They fight back in the ring and Abyss busts Styles wide open. They continue to fight and Abyss' tacks come into play again. AJ then does a sunset flip off the top of the cage onto Abyss and Abyss lands onto the tacks! AJ wins after giving the Styles Clash to Abyss onto the tacks! 9/10

House of Fun Match
Raven vs. Sean Waltman:
This was a brutal match. A lot of weapons were around and hanging around the ring. They fight all over the place and Raven gets driven through a couple of tables by Sean Waltman. A staple gun, kendo sticks, and trash cans all make appearances. Raven then gives Sean Waltman a back body drop and Waltman lands on a part of steel fencing and falls out of the ring in a great spot! Raven wins the match. 8.5/10

Dog Collar Match
Raven vs. Abyss:
Brutal match between these two. They were attached together by a long steel chain. Weapons included were lots and lots of chairs as Abyss gets thrown into a pile of them after missing a move onto Raven. Raven then staples a dollar bill to Abyss' head! They fight up the ramp and Abyss gets knocked off the stage through a couple of tables that were set up. Raven then gets thrown through two tables by Abyss as they fight back to the ring. At the end of the match Raven DDTs Abyss right onto a pile of thumbtacks and Raven retains his title. 9/10

Raven and Sabu vs. Jeff Jarret and Rhyno:
Great tag team match. Steel chairs were used and Raven even cuts Jarret open with a pizza cutter near the beginning. Sabu uses a lot of high flying moves and a lot of steel chairshots were used. Near the end Abyss shows up and throws Sabu through a table outside the ring! Jeff Hardy shows up and fights Abyss off. Near the end Raven was about to DDT Jarret but Rhyno gored him out of nowhere through a table and got the win. 8.5/10

Monster's Ball Match [2]
Sabu vs. Abyss vs. Rhino vs. Jeff Hardy:
This is one of the best matches on the disk. A fast paced brawl that went all over the building and a lot of weapons were involved. The greatest moment of the match was when Jeff Hardy did a swanton bomb off a tall platform onto Abyss through two tables! A few more table spots were used and in the end Rhino won the match after goring Abyss through a table and giving a piledriver to Jeff Hardy off the second rope and wins the match. 10/10

Rhino and The Dudley Boyz vs. Jeff Jarret and AMW:
This was a wild ECW [the old ECW] feel like match. All six men fought all over the place; on the stairs, on the rampways, in the audience, on the stages, and a lot of weapons were used. Highlights include Jarret throwing Rhino down a flight of stairs, then Bubba Ray powerbombed one of AMW on the floor. Rhino even tried to gore Jarret through a table on the ramp way but Chris Harris superkicked him to stop him. In the end Rhino and The Dudley Boyz get a win. 9/10

Barbed Wire Match
Abyss vs. Sabu:
After months of having No DQ matches and Hardcore Matches, Abyss and Sabu met in their final encounter, a barbed wire match. The ring ropes were replaced by barbed wire, boards wrapped in the wire were set up at ringside, and chairs and baseball bats were wrapped up in them as well. Both men throw each other into the wire and both men get cut up. In the end Abyss lands on a barbed wire board and Sabu puts another board on top of him and jumps onto Abyss to get the win. Brutal match, could have been a little bit longer, but still an excellent match. 10/10

This DVD is highly recommended...

tna's collection of their most hardcore matches doesn't dissapoint in the least. this is one of the best wrestling dvds i've ever seen, as it combines great hardcore wrestling with some nice high-flying and technical wrestling sprinkled in.

1. raven v. abyss v. monty brown (monster's ball) ~ very short match, but otherwise great. abyss gets powerbombed by raven onto the thumbtacks he brought out (abyss always takes the thumbtack spots it seems), and monty brown wins after pouncing raven through a table. (7/10)

2. america's most wanted v. triple x (six sides of steel) ~ this is absolutely my favorite tag team cage match of all time. all four men bleed, and elix skipper does a sick move, tightrope walking across the top of the cage to perform a hurricanrana onto chris harris. amw win after doing triple x's finishing move onto skipper while christopher daniels was handcuffed to the cage. (9.5/10)

3. abyss v. jeff hardy (falls count anywhere) ~ a decent match between the two, and it made me remember why i still like jeff hardy. he does a nice flip off some structure outside the building onto a table-top abyss. jeff hardy wins, but after the match abyss slams hardy onto some thumbtacks. i've never seen jeff hardy take a thumbtack spot before. (7.5/10)

4. aj styles v. abyss (six sides of steel) ~ awesome match from the beginning, when styles flips out of the cage door onto abyss. aj takes a nasty shot from the cage door. abyss takes out the thumbtacks, but ends up landing in them after aj does a sunset flip powerbomb on him. aj wins after a sytles clash onto the thumbtacks. (8.5/10)

5. raven v. sean waltman(x-pac) (raven's house of fun) ~ weapons abound including kendo sticks and a staple gun. waltman surprised me by putting on a nice hardcore match. some decent table spots during the match. raven wins after throwing waltman onto a fence that breaks sending waltman out of the ring. (7/10)

6. raven v. abyss (dog collar match) ~ this match proves why these two dominate the dvd. some sick table spots are involved, and raven even staples a dollar bill to abyss' head. raven wins by after ddting abyss onto some thumbtacks. (8.5/10)

7. raven and sabu v. jeff jarrett and rhyno ~ not a bad brawl, with raven cutting open jarrett with a pizza cutter at the beginning. sabu shines as usual, and there were some nice chairshots in the match. abyss come out and throws sabu through a table, then jeff hardy comes out and takes out abyss. rhyno and jarrett win after rhyno gores raven through a table as he was about to ddt jarrett. (6.5/10)

8. sabu v. abyss v. rhyno v. jeff hardy (monster's ball 2) ~ a great match with brawling all over the building, some nice table spots including a swanton by hardy and a gore by rhyno. rhyno wins afer doing a piledriver onto hardy off the second rope. (8/10)

9. team 3d(dudley boys) and rhyno v. america's most wanted and jeff jarrett ~ the match began with jarrett and amw spreading out to three sides of the arena, setting the stage for a nice brawl. lots of fighting in the crowd, on the rampways, and elsewhere. some pretty sick spots including bubba powerbombing one of the amw guys onto the floor. team 3d and rhyno win, yet i can't remember how at this time. (7.5/10)

10. sabu v. abyss (barbed wire match) ~ this match was too short, but overall it lived up to it's hype. the ropes were replaced with barbed wire and both men get cut open by the barbed wire (sabu, of course, takes more spots than abyss does). sabu wins by knocking abyss onto a board of barbed wire, putting another board on top of him, and jumping on top. again, too short of a match, but a nice way to end the dvd. (8.5/10)

This DVD does not have one bad match on it. All matches are in their entirety and not clipped. And reading this review is well worth the time.

1: Monster's Ball Match: Abyss vs Raven vs Monty Brown: This is a very short but sweet match. I actually personally thought it was the worst on the disc, but it was still a pretty good match, just not as good as the rest. Highlights include Abyss getting powerbombed into tacks, Raven knocking Abyss through a table, and Monty Brown pouncing Raven through a table. 8/10

2: Six Sided Cage Match: America's Most Wanted vs Triple X: A classic, and the greatest cage match I have ever seen on the mainstream circuit. Highlights include tons of finishers and near falls, the infamous spot where Primetime walks the top of the steel cage (which is just one thin pole unlike the top of the cages in WWE), a huge 4 man electric chair off the top of the cage, and much more. 10/10

3: Falls Count Anywhere: Abyss vs Jeff Hardy: This was a pretty good hardcore-style match, but it strecthes just a little long in my opinion. Highlights include Hardy hitting a Swanton off a 10 foot high pole backstage through a table on Abyss, Hardy getting a huge leapfrog legdrop off a ladder on Abyss, Abyss powerbombing Hardy from the top rope through a table, and after the match Abyss hits a Black Hole Slam on Hardy into thumbtacks. 8.5/10

4: Six Sided Cage Match: AJ Styles vs Abyss: Pretty awesome from start to finish. To much stuff to name. 9/10

5: House of Fun: Raven vs Sean Waltman: Awesome ECW-style match. The House of Fun has a fence (one sixth of a six sided cage) on one side, and on the other side it has a row of steel chains that hold loads of weapons. Highlights of this one include several staple gun shots, Waltman hitting a legdrop from the top of the fence through a table, and Raven spearing Waltman into the fence causing it to collapse. 9.5/10

6: Steel Chain Dog Collar Match: Raven vs Abyss: This one has loads of table bumps, to many to rememember. One part I remember though is Abyss had just been knocked off the stage through tables. Raven thought he was unconcious but he was still awake just hurt, and Abyss who was still lying under the broken tables tugged on the dog collar and sent Raven flying off the stage through a table. The staple gun and thumbtacks also come into play. 9/10

7: Jeff Jarrett & Rhino vs Raven & Sabu: Leg drop through a table, lots of chair shots, the return of Jeff Hardy, and much more. 8.5/10

8: Monster's Ball Match: Rhino vs Abyss vs Sabu vs Jeff Hardy: Like the crowd was chanting during the match, this was awesome. It just shows that even without the blood and the thumbtacks and the staple guns Monster's Ball matches can still be awesome. Highlights include Sabu with a legdrop from the top rope to the outside through a table on Rhino, Abyss throwing Sabu from the ring to the outside through a table, Rhino giving Jeff Hardy a BIG piledriver off the top rope, and Jeff Hardy pulling off the biggest spot of his whole career (it really was) when he Swantoned from the highest point on the stage (which was about 30 feet high) all the way down to the lowest point onto Abyss through two tables. Great match. 10/10

9: Rhino & Team 3D vs Jeff Jarrett & AMW: Awesome brawl that goes all over the arena. Everyone was expecting a bad match but got a great one. 9/10

10: Barbed Wire Massacre: Abyss vs Sabu: WOW!!! This was probably the most brutal match ever in mainstream wrestling. A hell of a way to finish this DVD. There was so many bumps into the barbed wire ropes and onto the barbed wire boards that I can't even name all of them after watching this match 4 times. It was shorter then expected but fricking BARBARIC! 10/10

Great DVD. Even if you don't like TNA, you should still buy it if you're a fan of bloody, hardcore wrestling.

Before Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and a load of former WWE, WCW and ECW stars kept invading TNA, they were pretty much homegrown stars with a few veterans from those organizations to round it out. Also, every match takes place in the original six sided ring! This is what set TNA apart from WWE and everyone else and taking this away when Hogan showed up was a HUGE MISTAKE in my opinion but I digress.

For those that remember how TNA was before this, this is a good memory lane trip. For those that only know TNA as it is today, I DOUBLY RECOMMEND THIS PIECE! Let's take a look:

Abyss Vs. "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown (Marcus Corvon of WWECW) Vs. Raven (Monster's Ball Match) - Not that great to start off but isn't the worst match on here either. In fact, to be honest, no match on this DVD is lower than 3 stars.

It isn't all that bloody as only Raven juices in this one. It does show some impressive strength from Monty Brown as he scoops up the 350lb. Abyss with relative ease and little aid from him! Ends when Brown does his "Pounce" move on Raven through a table for the victory! Not a great match but not a bad start to this DVD. It does get better though.

America's Most Wanted (James Storm/Chris Harris) Vs. Triple X (Christopher Daniels/Elix Skipper)(Six Sides Of Steel/Losers must disband) - This cage match is legendary in TNA lore! No words I can use will adequetely describe this one. There are a few MUST VIEWS on this release and this is at the top of the list! You must see this one!

Jeff Hardy Vs. Abyss (Full Metal Mayhem/Falls Count Anywhere) - This wasn't the most brutal match Hardy has ever been in BUT it had its moments. After battling all over the place, it ends when Hardy counters a chokeslam into his "Twist Of Fate" version of the Ace Crusher onto a ladder for the pin. Ironically, however, it would be Hardy that would take the nastiest move of the match as Abyss used his "Black Hole Slam" to put him into thumbtacks! Ugh!

"The Phenomenal" A.J. Styles Vs. Abyss (Six Sides Of Steel #1 Contender's Match) - Another MUST VIEW in this one! This was an example of TNA booking going right as this was booked as an unstoppable monster Vs. the underdog that could! Needless to say the majority of the crowd was behind A.J. in this one. I won't give away the actual finish but it is awesome! When A.J. won, you could feel the emotion for him from the crowd! Particularly a shot of this young, dark haired woman who was holding back tears at his win! That's emotion you can't script folks and I wish the guys running TNA now would realize that!

Anyway, this one is MUST VIEW as I said earlier.

Raven Vs. Sean Waltman (X-Pac)(House Of Fun Match) - This was pretty much a Raven creation and I pretty much expected him to dominate so I was surprised that Waltman held his own during this. Both men bled during this one! Ends when Raven backdrops Waltman into a fence and falls about 8 feet with it to the floor! Raven takes this one. Pretty good bout.

Raven Vs. Abyss (Dog Collar Match for the NWA World Title) - While this is no Greg Valentine Vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, it isn't bad for what it is either! Raven uses every trick in the book during this one while Abyss uses his sadistic trappings along with his brute force. It ends when Raven does his "Raven Effect" DDT into thumbtacks for the victory! Both men shared that bump on that one as well as Abyss having a $10 bill stapled into his forehead! Ahhh! MUST VIEW material.

Raven & Sabu Vs. Rhino & Jeff Jarrett - A wild tag team affair which saw Raven (I recall) bleed. Not really bloody but definitely brutal. A stipulation going into the match was that if Jarrett was pinned by Raven, he wouldn't get another NWA title shot for one year but if Jarrett pinned Raven, he would get the next title shot at the next PPV. Ends when RHINO gets the pin on Raven, leading to friction between Jarrett and Rhino that plays out later in this DVD release.

Jeff Hardy Vs. Abyss Vs. Rhino Vs. Sabu (Monster's Ball Match) - I won't even try to describe this one! It was wild action all over the place! This is what TNA used to be about! Ends when Rhino executes a piledriver on Jeff Hardy.....FROM THE MIDDLE ROPE! Definite match finisher! I would rate this as a MUST VIEW!

Rhino & Team 3D Vs. Jeff Jarrett & America's Most Wanted w/Gail Kim (Anything Goes Match) - This one wasn't that bloody as most of the blood was spilled by AMW. This one was another one that was wild action all over the place! Team 3D had just arrived from WWE so they were definitely out to make a name for themselves. All the men involved gave great effort in this. I wouldn't rate this as a M.V. but it isn't a waste of time either.

Sabu Vs. Abyss (Barbed Wire Match) - While this is no Sabu Vs. Terry Funk from ECW, this was no less violent as both men bled in this one! Some sick spots here as both men gave their bodies up to the barbed wire! Ends when Sabu manages to sandwich Abyss between two particle boards covered in barbwire! Ugh! If you can stand the gore, this one is a MUST VIEW!

One bonus feature is the ending of a Hair Vs. Hair match between Shane Douglas Vs. Raven. Raven lost but the hair cutting was one of the grossest things I've ever seen!

Overall, a good release and (as I said earlier) this is when TNA was the bomb! I wished they could get back to that! Anyway, not a waste of money!