hey triple g i love all ur ppv reviews so if you could, could you to the reviews for the bound for glory's
I could do that. I've seen all of the shows in the last 3 months or so, so they are still pretty fresh in my mind.
But first here is my review of The Best of America's Most Wanted DVD!!!
- Like the Best of AJ Styles Vol. 1, the DVD is set up with Mike & Don giving us intros, various exclusive comments from Harris & Storm, & of course the matches.
Disc 1:
Match 1 - Gauntlet for the Gold for the Tag Team Titles
Like the Gauntlet included on the Best of Title Matches DVD, this match is clipped. It starts in progress (with Storm already eliminated when the footage begins) But we do get most of the match, and some of the teams in there are pretty interesting. Full list of teams includes: America's Most Wanted (duh), The Flying Elvises, The SATs, The New Church, Scott Hall & Syxx-Pac, Jimmy Rave & Dereck Wylde, CM Punk & Ace Steel, Brian Lawler & Glen Gilberti, Buff Bagwell & BG James, & the team of Ron Harris & Brian Lee (future member of the New Church) who dominated most of the match. Chris Harris was the final entrant was able to survive til the end and once it came down Harris & Lee, it turned it concluded with a tag team match between AMW & Harris/Lee. Harris was able to pin Lee when they were setting up Storm to be put through a table, and Harris snuck in the back door.
This was fun to see, and given that the match resulted in AMW's 1st tag title win, I can understand why it was on here. However, what we see on the DVD actually gives us very little of Harris & Storm.
Match 2 - America's Most Wanted vs. The New Church: NWA Tag Team Titles
This match was a rematch from the week before where The New Church (Brian Lee & Slash) got themselves DQ'd and left Harris & Storm bloodied and battered. The series of matches that these two teams had were a lot of fun. They usually started out with a massive brawl all over the arena, and featured lots of blood. This particular match was probably the bloodiest of the series. After the massive brawl, the match settled down into a pretty good tag team match. The New Church was able to capture the tag titles through interferance from their manager James Mitchell & valet Belladonna (remember her?) Anyways, really good stuff here.
Match 3 - America's Most Wanted vs. The New Church: NWA Tag Team Titles
The very next week, AMW got their rematch, and it was business as usual as the match started off with a wild brawl that carried all over the place. This match was different overall in that we saw signs of AMW getting just as nasty as The New Church, and the match ended with AMW getting DQ'd, attacking Belladonna, & security having to stop them from going too far. After this match, it was obvious that another match was coming. This match was the best in the series up to this point IMO. They even worked a Tower of Doom spot in there.
Match 4 - America's Most Wanted vs. The New Church: NWA Tag Team Titles
OK, this is the same match that is on the History of Year 1 DVD & The Best of TNA Title Matches DVD. I've already reviewed it, so I'll just say that it was a very good conclusion to the feud with AMW regaining the titles.
Match 5 - America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X: NWA Tag Team Titles
This was held on the 1st Anniversary Show (Slammiversary 2003 I guess) Before the match started, XXX attacked AMW backstage, leaving them injured before the match. This was the Daniels/Skipper pairing, but Low Ki (who was injured) was at ringside to give them an additional advantage. The AMW/XXX matches were obviously more technical than the previous feud, and this was a really good match. Lots of good counters and great action throughout. AMW had the match won with the Death Sentence, but Low Ki distracted the ref, which allowed Skipper to hit Storm with a title belt for the win. Great match and great set up for the Cage Match.
Match 6 - America's Most Wanted vs. Triple X: NWA Tag Team Title Cage Match
The 1st Ever TNA Cage Match. I reviewed this match for the Best of TNA Title Matches DVD, so I won't go into too much detail again, but it was an excellent match and a great way to end the feud with AMW winning back the gold.
Match 7 - America's Most Wanted vs. The Rock & Roll Express
As a match, it sucked. The crowd was dead & the match was boring. However, I can understand why they put it on here as AMW got a win over the legendary Rock & Roll Express, and this match took place right after Curt Hennig passed away because Harris won the match with The Perfectplex.
Disc 2:
Match 8 - America's Most Wanted vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: NWA Tag Team Titles
This series of matches is the forgotten feud in AMW's history, but the matches were great! This one in particular is one of the best matches on the set IMO. Glen Gilberti was the manager for Simon & Swinger and was at commentary for this match. Simon & Swinger were very good as a team and they worked very well with Harris & Storm. There were a handful of great nearfalls here that made the match very exciting. Gilberti almost cost AMW the tag titles on several occasions, but in the end, AMW was able to gain the victory and retain their titles in a very exciting match.
Match 9 - America's Most Wanted vs. Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger: Rawhide Strap Match
This non title bout was also a very exciting match for the DVD collection. It was a regular tag match except for four leather straps tied to the four sides of the top ring rope and they could be used at any point in the match. The tag team action in this match was great, thrown in with the occasional strap shot. AMW got a measure of revenge on Gilberti by strapping him a little bit. Like the previous match, there were some very good nearfalls. AMW came out victorious, but Gilberti, Simon, & Swinger got the last laugh with a sneak attack after the match, and they walked away with the tag titles.
Match 10 - America's Most Wanted & Dusty Rhodes vs. Johnny Swinger, Simon Diamond, & Glen Gilberti
I think they included this match on the set because it showed AMW teaming with the legendary Dusty Rhodes. It was the worst match from this feud that we have on the set, but still ok for what it was. Dusty obviously couldn't do much, but they worked the match around him getting his hands on Glen Gilberti, and the fans ate it up when he did. AMW, Simon, & Swinger provided some good tag action as usual, and overall the match was entertaining and decent, although nowhere near the level of the last two matches. After hitting him with a cowbell, Dusty got the pin over Gilberti.
Match 11 - America's Most Wanted vs. Kid Kash & Dallas: NWA Tag Team Titles
This match was from the very first episode of Impact on FSN. I remember it like it was yesterday. Kash & Dallas (who is Lance Hoyt BTW) were the tag champs & AMW had just reunited after Harris' short lived singles push. The commercial break is used here, which made the match a little shorter, but it was still a pretty good tag match, especially for TV. AMW once again captured the NWA Tag Titles. The thing to watch for in this match is a vicious spear that Harris hits on Kash. Wicked!
- Now that is the end of the feature program narrated by Tenay & West, but Disc 2 offers us some Bonus Matches!!!
Bonus Match 1 - Chris Harris vs. James Storm: North American Championship
This was the tryout match that basically got Storm & Harris a job with TNA. Clips of it are shown on the HIstory of TNA Year One DVD, but we get the full match on this set. It is done with commentary by JB, Harris, & Storm which is good & bad at the same time. Its cool to hear their comments on the match, but at the same time its kind of distracting that they refer to everything in past tense. But overall this was an awesome match up and its easy to see why TNA gave these two jobs after watching this. It was just an amazing display that showcased both guys very well. One other thing to look out for here is an unmasked Abyss, who makes a run in towards the end of the match.
Bonus Match 2 - Chris Harris & James Storm vs. The Rainbow Express
Very early match in TNA's history. The Dupps (one of them Trevor Murdoch) refused to wrestle guys of an "alternative life style" like The Rainbow Express (who were Lenny & Lodi) Left with an empty spot, TNA management just took two guys (Harris & Storm) and threw them out there for this match. The match was very short, and a little sloppy at points, but it was the very first time that AMW teamed together, and that made it cool to see.
Bonus Match 3 - Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Harris: NWA World Title
Like this DVD set as a whole, this match is a forgotten gem from the Weekly PPV era of TNA. IMO, this is one of the best World Title matches in TNA's history. It was an excellent old school kind of match that mixed traditional wrestling with a little high flying and some great brawling as well. This was a very exciting and excellent match and after watching this, I have to wonder why on Earth Harris never got a World Title run. He reminded me of Bret Hart in this match. For those of you who are down on Harris for his run as Braden Walker, check this match and you'll see why so many people thought he had potential. Awesome match with Jarrett getting the win, but a valiant effort from Harris.
Bonus Match 4 - Jeff Jarrett vs. James Storm
On this particular show, Raven vs. Chris Harris was to take place in order to determine who would face Jeff Jarrett for the Title in a Cage match. Harris won the match, but was injured by Raven, which forced Russo to give the spot to AJ Styles. However, before the Harris vs. Raven match even took place, this Storm vs. Jarrett match was made to make sure that Jarrett doesn't have the week off before the cage match. This match kicked things off and it was a really exciting match. It started off with a wild brawl in the crowd, and soon spilled into the ring with some nice action as well. Jarrett obviously got the win here as well, but a strong effort from Storm makes this a worthwhile match on the DVD as well.
So that's my review of Best of AMW. Its an excellent DVD collection with alot of rare footage from the Weekly PPV era. The biggest feuds during that time for AMW are well highlighted with great matches iwth The New Church, Triple X, & Simon/Swinger. We also get to see Harris & Storm as great singles wrestlers with their battles with Jarrett, & that great match with each other. I would say that this set is a must have for anybody that is a fan of tag team wrestling, and anybody who wants to see some great stuff from TNA's early days. However, its a very hard DVD to find these days, so if you find a copy, I'd say do whatever you can to get it because you won't regret it.
Another thing I'll say is that its a shame that we never got a Volume 2 like we did with AJ. I mean this set goes up to the very first Impact and there was a lot of great stuff from AMW that was yet to come. Their various matches with The Naturals, their renewed feud with Triple X, their battles with Team Canada, the feud with Team 3D, their awesome matches with AJ & Daniels, their brief feud with LAX, and then obviously their split and feud with each other, resulting in that amazing Texas Deathmatch.