Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

WWE The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions Blu-ray Movie Review

Be the man and travel back to a different era of professional wrestling.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 22, 2012

To be the man, you've got to beat the man.

The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions is a rather unique Blu-ray release from the good folks at WWE Home Video. The entirety of the program -- minus the introductory and intermittent newly-minted cut-in commentary segments -- is comprised entirely of footage originally captured and broadcast in standard definition. Even most of the WWE compilation releases (Ladder Match, OMG!) feature some sort of newer HD wrestling material from the past few years, but then again this is a special case, a look back at a fascinating slice of professional wrestling history that dates back to the late 1980s and runs through the fall of 1997. To put that in perspective, that 1997 date falls somewhere around the same time that the DVD was widely released to the marketplace. It's amazing to think of that timespan as almost ancient history in the entertainment business, but it sure seems that way, both in the world of technology and the world of professional wrestling. As for the latter, the wrestling names survive and the action, even in fuzzy standard definition, remains some of the best around. Clash of the Champions holds a special place in the hearts of many wrestling fans as a premiere, ongoing, and frequent event appearing on "free" television in direct competition with the WWE's costly Pay-Per-View ventures. Clash of the Champions solidified a brand, brought in countless fans, shaped careers, and birthed future WWE superstars. Not too bad for "free."

'Clash of the Champions:' for the good of all Mankind.

This is the real story behind Clash of the Champions, at least as "real" as "real" may be in what amounts to a miniature nutshell. Dusty Rhodes enthusiastically hosts this collection of classic NWA/WCW match-ups, beginning with the first Clash -- airing on TBS up against WrestleMania IV -- and running through to the final Clash, Clash XXXV, in August 1997. Rhodes paints the picture of NWA/WCW versus the WWF/WWE rivalry as something of a good-versus-evil, everyman's wrestling league against the costly McMahon Federation and its high-priced talent and limousine-riding executives. Clash of the Champions was assembled to compete with the WWF's best pay matches by assembling first-rate cards for can't-miss prices (read: free). This was in response to McMahon's ultimatum to cable outlets the previous year, threatening to cut off the lucrative WWF Pay-Per-View events for any company that chose to air the NWA's Starcade PPV, which was "coincidentally" scheduled for the same date and time as that year's WrestleMania. These pot shots and various threats and gimmicks -- from both sides -- predate even the famed Monday Night Wars which is often cited as the signature WWF/WCW confrontation. But Clash of the Champions proved to be a success, enough of a success, in fact, that NWA Promoter Jim Crockett, Jr. chose to hold a second Clash only three months later, and the series continued on for thirty-three additional events before coming to an end nearly a decade later.

One cannot help but love the passion and enthusiasm and that contagious smile Dusty Rhodes brings to Clash of the Champions' short interludes. He passionately shares a basic history of the NWA/WCW-versus-WWF history that led to the creation of Clash, and he sporadically pops back in between matches to highlight a moment in history or discuss one of the many superstars -- established stars such as Ric Flair and Sting and rising stars like Steve Austin -- who appear in the matches. Rhodes' passion far outweighs what is a rather slim, superficial retelling of history, but for newcomers or those who have simply forgotten the basics to father time, his comments make for a solid refresher course. Rhodes tells it like it was, and props to the WWE -- obviously the ultimate victor in this wrestling war -- for allowing him to dramatize the history in such a way that shows something of a bias against the WWF/WWE and favor for his old wrestling home. A watered-down commentary would have only done a disservice to the entire point of Clash; a little honesty goes a long way in holding onto fans and respecting the past. As for the matches, WWE's selected some winners. It's a shame that nine years and thirty-five Clash of the Champions events had to be whittled down to a mere twenty-four (plus three Blu-ray exclusive) matches, but highlights are meant to be just that, a compact representation of the whole. Indeed, these matches showcase the best of the best in terms of both wrestling action and star attraction.

The following matches are included in The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions.

Disc One:

• NWA World Heavyweight Championship Match: Ric Flair vs. Sting. Clash of the Champions -- March 27, 1988.
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs. Lex Luger & Barry Windham. Clash of the Champions -- March 27, 1988.
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs. Sting & Dusty Rhodes. Clash of the Champions III -- September 7, 1988.
• Russian Chain Match: Ricky Morton vs. Ivan Koloff. Clash of the Champions III -- September 7, 1988.
• "I Quit" Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk. Clash of the Champions IX -- November 15, 1989.
• Singles Match: Mil Máscaras vs. Cactus Jack Manson. Clash of the Champions -- February 6, 1990.
• NWA World Tag Team Championship Match: Midnight Express vs. Rock & Roll Express. Clash of the Champions XI -- June 13, 1990.
• NWA United States Championship Match: Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger. Clash of the Champions XII -- September 5, 1990.
• Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Young Pistols & Z-Man vs. The Fabulous Freebirds. Clash of the Champions XV -- June 12, 1991.
• 15-Man Battle Royal: Z-Man vs. Thomas Rich vs. Bobby Eaton vs. Ranger Ross vs. Tracy Smothers vs. Oz vs. P.N. News vs. Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker vs. "Stunning" Steve Austin vs. Dustin Rhodes vs. Terrence Taylor vs. Big Josh vs. Barry Windham vs. One Man Gang vs. El Gigante. Clash of the Champions XVI -- September 5, 1991.
• WCW United States Championship Match: Sting vs. Rick Rude. Clash of the Champions XVII -- November 19, 1991.
• 2 Out of 3 Falls Match: Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs. The Hollywood Blonds. Clash of the Champions XXIII -- June 17, 1993.
• Singles Match: Brian Pillman vs. "Stunning" Steve Austin. Clash of the Champions XXV -- November 10, 1993.
• WCW Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal vs. Dustin Rhodes. Clash of the Champions XXVI -- January 27, 1994.
• Elimination Tag Team Match: Sting & Ric Flair vs. Rick Rude & Vader. Clash of the Champions XXVI -- January 27, 1994.

Disc Two:

• Championship Unification Match: Sting vs. Ric Flair. Clash of the Champions XXVII -- June 23, 1994.
• WCW United States Championship Match: "Stunning" Steve Austin vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Clash of the Champions XXVIII -- August 24, 1994.
• Tag Team Match: Hulk Hogan & Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. Ric Flair & The Giant. Clash of the Champions XXXII -- January 23, 1996. With special guest appearance by Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Kevin Greene.
• Singles Match: Madusa vs. Bull Nakano. Clash of the Champions XXXIII -- August 15, 1996.
• Match for the BattleBowl Ring: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Eddie Guerrero. Clash of the Champions XXXIII -- August 15, 1996.
• WCW World Tag Team Championship Triple Threat Match: Harlem Heat vs. The Steiner Brothers vs. Sting & Lex Luger. Clash of the Champions XXXIII -- August 15, 1996.
• WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko. Clash of the Champions XXXIV -- January 21, 1997.
• WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho vs. Eddie Guerrero. Clash of the Champions XXXV -- August 21, 1997.
• Tag Team Match: Diamond Dallas Page & Lex Luger vs. Scott Hall & Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Clash of the Champions XXXV -- August 21, 1997.

WWE The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Considering that The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions is sourced from material originating from the late 1980s through the late 1990s, viewers need to expect standard definition-quality footage, even on the high definition Blu-ray format. Aside from those times Dusty Rhodes appears to discuss the history, matches, and stars, the entirety of this collection is presented in 4x3 up-converted imagery. The Rhodes segments offer basic HD video quality, yielding a sharp, clear image of Rhodes in a fairly darkened environment. Colors are limited to the red and white ropes; Dusty wears a gray shirt and stands against a mostly darkened backdrop. As for the 1.33:1 wrestling action, it's presented with the WWE-standard, slightly-decorated vertical bars framing the image. Truth be told -- and this should come as no surprise -- the image showcases fairly poor definition in the early stuff from the late 1980s. Appearing are bland, drained colors; washed-out blacks; poor and smeary detailing; cross-coloration; banding; jagged edges; and any other standard definition maladies. Later matches manage more stable colors and slightly better details on skin, wrestler trunks, and the mat. There's still no definition in the crowd; beyond the first few rows, spectators appear merely as undefined globs. Yet even here, there are jagged edges along the ring ropes and some heavy edge halos; look at the ref's pants in the last match on disc one at around the 3:37:30 mark for a great example. In essence, this is a classic case of old broadcast and video material appearing as it was and as it remains. There's no making it look better, but at least on Blu-ray it'll last and audiences can rest assured that it'll never look better.

WWE The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions features a WWE-standard Dolby Digital 5.1 track. But it's really only 5.1 in name only; this one practically never extends beyond the front-middle, save for the introductory WWE montage that opens every Blu-ray release. The Dusty Rhodes segments offer steady, center-focused dialogue and nothing more. In fact, "center-focused" defines pretty much the entire The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions audio experience. The entire presentation sounds fairly shallow. Crowd noise and background music play straight up the middle with no range and only the most basic clarity. Additionally, there's no sense of space or reverberation to the in-ring announcements, and the ringside commentary lacks polish and energy, sounding rather distant and tiny. Even at refernece volume there's not much energy to even the hard-hitting mat crashing sounds that are so prominent in the sport. Here, they're reduced to a small thud. And that's really all there is to this soundtrack. It's the most basic imaginable, but as with the video, this is a case of "what you hear is what you get." There's no making it better, but that material like this is even on Blu-ray gives hope for future WWE releases focused entirely, or largely, on older material captured only in standard definition.

WWE The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions' supplementary content may be found on disc two. Included are three Blu-ray exclusive matches and nothing more.

• Tag Team Match: Ric Flair & Barry Windham vs. Midnight Express. Clash of the Champions IV -- December 7, 1988.
• Tag Team Match: Sting & Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude & Steve Austin. Clash of the Champions XVIII -- January 21, 1992.
• Thunder Cage Match: Dustin Rhodes & Sting vs. Big Van Vader, Paul Orndorff & Barry Windham. Clash of the Champions XXII -- January 13, 1993.

WWE The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions is another excellent WWE Blu-ray release, this one highlighting and paying homage to a classic series that was once the chief (and bitter) rival to the WWF/WWE. There's some tremendous names and wrestling matches in what amounts to well over six hours of wrestling excellence. If there's a drawback, it's that the history lesson is cut short and that there's far too little of the cheery and infinitely likable Dusty Rhodes. Still, this is a fabulous, grade-A collection that will be a centerpiece of home video wrestling libraries for years to come. In short, wrestling fans of all ages and backgrounds are going to want to pick this up. WWE's Blu-ray release of The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions features video and audio that's about as good as audiences can expect. Three Blu-ray bonus matches make up the supplements. Highly recommended.