WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie Review

This is wrestling.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 20, 2013

For today's fans and in today's big media, everything's-a-spectacle television environment, it's difficult to imagine a largely regional event gaining so much traction. Today's WWE is a worldwide phenomenon, with huge crowds, plenty of pyrotechnics, ridiculously loud intro music, and lights and lasers and other electronics dazzling the senses for nearly every second of a wrestling event. It's almost -- almost -- as if the actual wrestling has taken a backseat to the glitz and glamour surrounding it. Rewind a few decades, however, and find a brand of wrestling that wasn't without its share of showmanship but that just felt more personal, intimate, and fun. The Mid-South wrestling circuit at one time was recognized as just about the best thing around the world of sports entertainment, enjoying big, dedicated crowds and luring some of the world's finest performers into its ranks. WWE Home Video's Legends of Mid-South Wrestling pieces together the story of the phenomenon that was through new interview clips and plenty of full-length matches and moments from a simpler day of professional wrestling.

Legends.

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling recreates the energy and excitement of one of wrestling's premiere eras with a combination of informed and enthusiastic retrospective interviews and classic archival footage and matches. It tells the story of the Louisiana-Arkansas-Mississippi-Oklahoma regional bouts and paints a vivid picture of life on the road and living under the demands of the Mid-South schedule, both in the ring and outside of it. It looks back at the long history of Mid-South -- dating back to the 1930s -- and through its prime with wrestlers like Junkyard Dog, Ted DiBiase, and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan creating legions of fans while operating under the guidance of Promoter Bill White.

Both complimentary pieces do a fine job of telling the tale, but really, most fans are buying in for the classic matches. As always, WWE Home Video has done a fine job of compiling a collection of wonderfully exciting and timeless match-ups that showcase Mid-South at its best while also painting a larger picture of its place in professional wrestling history. One match even shows a very young Shawn Michaels who, of course, would grow into one of the top Superstars in WWE history. As for the presentation itself, it's classic WWE Home Video. Audiences familiar with previous retrospective/compilation hybrid releases will feel instantly at home as the program transitions from newly recorded interviews to classic, full-length matches.

The following vintage matches and moments are included as part of the main program:

Disc One:

• Singles Match: Ted DiBiase vs. Paul Orndorff. Mid-South Wrestling -- December 1981.
• Six-Man Tag Team Match: Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes & Junkyard Dog vs. AFA, Sika & Big Cat Ernie Ladd. Mid-South Wrestling -- January 1982.
• No Disqualification Match for the North American & Mid-South Tag Team Championships: Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia vs. Ted DiBiase & Matt Borne. Mid-South Wrestling -- October 1982.
• Coal Miner's Steel Cage Tuxedo Loser Leaves Town Match: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Ted DiBiase.
• MSW Moment: Tony Atlas Benches 500 Pounds. Mid-South Wrestling -- January 1983.
• Mid-South Tag Team Championship Match: Ted DiBiase & Matt Borne vs. Andre the Giant & Tony Atlas. Mid-South Wrestling -- February 1983.
• MSW Moment: Announcement of Magnum TA's Manager. Mid-South Wrestling -- November 1983.
• MSW Moment: Mr. Wrestling II Conducts Workouts with Magnum TA. Mid-South Wrestling -- December 1983.
• Tag Team Match: Magnum TA & Mr. Wrestling II vs. The Midnight Express. March 1984.
• North American Heavyweight Championship Match: Mr. Wrestling II vs. Magnum TA. Mid-South Wrestling -- May 1984.
• MSW Moment: A Painted Dog. Mid-South Wrestling -- May 1984
• MSW Moment: A Tar & Feathered Dog. Mid-South Wrestling -- May 1984.
• Ghetto Street Fight: Junkyard Dog vs. "Hacksaw" Butch Reed.
• Mid-South Tag Team Championship No Disqualification Match: The Rock N' Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express. Mid-South Wrestling -- May 1984.
• MSW Moment: Jim Ross Interviews The Rock N' Roll Express. Mid-South Wrestling -- October 1984.
• Jim Cornette in a Straight Jacket: The Rock N' Roll Express vs. The Midnight Express.
• Singles Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Ted DiBiase. Mid-South Wrestling -- December 1984.
• NWA Championship Match: Ric Flair vs. Terry Tailor. Mid-South Wrestling -- June 1985.

Disc Two:

• Mid-South Television Title Match: The Snowman vs. Jake Roberts. Mid-South Wrestling -- June 1985.
• NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Ric Flair vs. Ted DiBiase. Mid-South Wrestling -- November 1985.
• Singles Match: Rob Ricksteiner vs. Nick Patrick.
• Tag Team Match: The Bladerunners vs. John O'Reilly & Ken Massey. Universal Wrestling Federation -- March 1986.
• UFW Heavyweight Championship Match: Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy vs. "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. Universal Wrestling Federation -- August 1986.
• Lumberjack Match: Ted DiBiase & Steve "Dr. Death" Williams vs. Michael PS Hayes & Buddy Roberts. Universal Wrestling Federation -- September 1986.
• UWF Heavyweight Championship Match: Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy vs. Steve "Dr. Death" Williams. Universal Wrestling Federation -- September 1986.
• UWF Heavyweight Championship Match: One Man Gang vs. Big Bubba Rogers. Universal Wrestling Federation -- June 1987.
• UWF Heavyweight Championship Match: Steve "Dr. Death" Williams vs. Big Bubba Rogers. Oklahoma City, OK -- July 1987.

WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Like the program is structured in much the same way as most WWE compilation retrospectives, so too is its video quality similar to other like releases. Legends of Mid-South Wrestling features both newly recorded HD video interview footage and old 4x3 standard definition footage presented inside an HD frame. The old material ranges from bad to worse in terms of its raw quality, but as always it doesn't factor into the end score. There's no improving upon it, no retouching it, no recreating it. Wavy lines, false colors, poor definition, and various sorts of distortion that have the look of an old VHS tape with its tracking information skewered all add a throwback charm to the material and show it as it was seen in the past. The newer footage looks acceptably good. Despite some light background compression issues, the material holds up well, showing lively, even colors and crisp facial and clothing definition. Fans who have collected and watched other like WWE releases know exactly what to expect here.

WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling features the tried-and-mostly-true WWE-standard Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. New overlay music enjoys quality definition and spacing, featuring a healthy surround support element. New interview dialogue comes through crisply and with fine definition from the front-center channel. The older wrestling footage often showcases cramped, muddled audio. Hits and slams and sounds of wrestling action lack punch and precision. Ringside commentary is audible and intelligible but lacking that master, natural clarity of newer recordings. In short, it's about what one would expect of talk-heavy material both new and old.

WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Legends of Mid-South Wrestling contains the following bonuses on disc two, all billed as "Blu-ray Exclusives:"

• MSW Moment: "Ted DiBiase Gets His Tires Slashed."
• North American Heavyweight Championship: Junkyard Dog vs. Ted DiBiase. Mid-South Wrestling -- June 1982.
• Superdome: A look at the New Orleans stadium that hosted many MSW matches.
• Steel Cage Match: Ted DiBiase & Steve "Dr. Death" Williams vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts & The Barbarian. Mid-South Wrestling -- August 1985.
• Buzz Sawyer: A closer look at one of the Mid-South wrestlers.
• Singles Match: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Buzz Sawyer. Mid-South Wrestling -- November 1985.
• Jim Cornette's Favorite Moment in Mid-South: Looking back at a favorite memory.
• MSW Moment: Cornette Gets Caked -- Mid-South Wrestling -- March 1984.
• MSW Moment: Bill Watts Needs Help. Mid-South Wrestling -- March 1984.
• Tag Team Match: Bill Watts & Stagger Lee vs. The Midnight Express. Mid-South Wrestling -- April 1984.
• Dusty Rhodes Travels with Boyd Pierce: Rhodes shares a favorite memory.
• Lessons on Elevating Talent: Bill Watts and Ted DiBiase share a story.
• Bill Watts Tells a Story About Ernie Ladd's Father: Watts tells a humorous story set against personal tragedy.

WWE: Legends of Mid-South Wrestling Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For the money and given the constraints of two Blu-ray discs, Legends of Mid-South Wrestling does a marvelous job of telling the story of one of professional wrestling's finest eras. Retrospective interviews are complimented by classic moments and full-length matches interspersed throughout. Certainly, the package is, length-wise, focused very heavily on the matches, but the interviews are fantastic and informative and paint a vivid portrait of a bygone era in sports entertainment. WWE's Blu-ray release of Legends of Mid-South Wrestling features adequate HD interview clips and plenty of spotty standard definition footage that looks as good as it ever will. The usual Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is fine. Supplements include what amounts to deleted interviews and matches from the main program. Very highly recommended to professional wrestling fans.