Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

WWE: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden Blu-ray Movie Review

One example of "MSG" being a very good thing for you.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 21, 2013

With all due respect to all of the great still-standing and still-used historical sports venues around the United States -- Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, Lambeau Field, and Pro Player/Joe Robbie/Dolphins/Land Shark/Sun Life/Whatever-It's-Called-This-Week (just kidding on the last one, sorry south Floridians) -- there's only one venue that truly brings to mind not only sporting legend and athletic greatness but also cultural significance, iconic events, and a true multipurpose ability to house everything from hockey to Hip Hop and basketball to Bieber, and that's New York City's Madison Square Garden. It's probably the world's second-most famous place with the word "Pennsylvania" in its address (and neither one actually sits in the state of Pennsylvania) but it's, just maybe, seen more visitors and famous faces grace its hallowed corridors and fill its seats than the other "Pennsylvania" place. It's primarily known as the home of the New York Rangers and New York Knicks, but perhaps bigger than any of the home team players or their fans -- Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Spike Lee, or Patrick Ewing -- are the WWE wrestlers who have battled within MSG's center floor area and, in one wrestler's case, kicked off his career with one heck of a start. From Hulk Hogan to John Cena, from Bruno Sammartino to Steve Austin, WWE's history with Madison Square Garden is one of legend, a history that even taken by itself -- ignoring every other event -- could tell a fairly complete story of WWE's success over the past 40+ years, which is exactly what The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden does, and does very well.

Big venue, bigger stars.

Certainly the primary reason to sit down with The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden is to enjoy the wrestling action, but in doing so a real sense of history will begin to grip the audience as much as, if not more so than, the wrestling itself. This is a well-structured but nevertheless sprawling history lesson in all things WWE. Certainly there have been other releases that show that storied past, too, but considering just how big a role the Garden has played throughout that past, and to see so many legendary names battle within it, this release just might top them all in terms broad scope and examination of that true historical excellence, proving just how huge a deal professional wrestling was and still is today. The program oozes a sense of spectacle and the interviewees command their time on the screen with passionate recollections of and reverence for the WWE/MSG marriage that has helped shape careers and propel professional wrestling to its peak, a peak from which it really hasn't descended in more than three decades.

From a nuts-and-bolts technical perspective, however, The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden doesn't distinguish itself from the pack. However, that's not a bad thing. WWE has found a winning formula in these Blu-ray retrospectives. Like the others, The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden has been expertly pieced together to create a gripping narrative flow in between the classic match ups and moments from Garden history. The two elements come together seamlessly; there's no jarring transition or sloppy processes hindering the overall product's excellence. It capitalizes on the concept and the form, and adding in something with so much rich history only improves upon the end product and helps make The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden one of the finest titles yet in the rapidly growing WWE Home Video Blu-ray library.

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

Disc One:

• WWE Championship Match: Ivan Koloff vs. Pedro Morales. February 8, 1971.
• WWE Championship Match: Superstar Billy Graham vs. Bruno Sammartino. June 27, 1977.
• Texas Death Match for the WWE Championship: Bob Blacklund vs. Ken Patera. May 19, 1980.
• Match for the Undisputed Heavyweight Wrestling Championship: WWE Champion Bob Backlund vs. NWA Champion Harley Race. September 22, 1980.
• WWE Championship Match: Iron Sheik vs. Hulk Hogan. January 23, 1984.
• Boot Camp Match: Sgt. Slaughter vs. Iron Sheik. June 16, 1984.
• WWE Championship Match: Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. WrestleMania -- March 31, 1985.
• Tag Team Match: Andre the Giant & "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & "Cowboy" Bob Orton. August 10, 1985.
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Honky Tonk Man vs. Ultimate Warrior. SummerSlam -- August 29, 1988.
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Mr. Perfect. SummerSlam -- August 26, 1991.
• Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon. WrestleMania X -- March 20, 1994.
• WWE Championship Match: Bob Backlund vs. Diesel. November 26, 1994.

Disc Two:

• Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Match: Rocky Maivia, "Wildman" Marc Mero, The Stalker & Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Crush, Goldust & Jerry "The King" Lawler. Survivor Series -- November 17, 1996.
• RAW Moment: Stone Cold Stuns The Boss. RAW -- September 22, 1997.
• Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Cactus Jack. RAW -- September 22, 1997.
• 1st Ever Tag Team Tables Match: Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz. Royal Rumble -- January 23, 2000.
• #1 Contender Triple Threat Match: Triple H vs. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Jericho. RAW -- August 7, 2000.
• RAW Moment: Booker T Attacks Mr. McMahon. RAW -- June 25, 2001.
• RAW Moment: Triple H Returns. RAW -- January 7, 2002.
• United States Championship Match: Big Show vs. John Cena. WrestleMania XX -- March 14, 2004.
• RAW Match: Trish Stratus vs. Mickie James. RAW -- September 11, 2006.
• Royal Rumble Moment: John Cena Returns in the Royal Rumble Match. Royal Rumble -- January 27, 2008.
• Triple Threat Tag Team Match: D-Generation X vs. Jeri-Show vs. John Cena & Undertaker. RAW -- November 16, 2009.

WWE: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden follows the standard WWE retrospective formula, intercutting newly recorded high definition video clips in between the (mostly) standard definition matches and moments that make up the bulk of the program. The new material looks fine, and it looks just like all of the other recent WWE releases. Crisp definition; quality facial and clothing details; and natural, even colors give the 1.78:1-framed footage a clean, accurate appearance. The only flaw comes in the shape of light blockiness across the background. There is also a little bit of wrestling action presented in high definition, too, recorded in the post-standard definition era. Here, the image also excels, showing vivid colors and excellent clarity in foregrounds and backgrounds both, allowing for hugely improved wrestler detail and audience visibility in every shot. The standard definition footage, presented here in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio and filling the 1.78:1 screen with the help of flanking WWE-designed "black bars," ranges in quality from awful to acceptable, varying by, and largely dependent on, age. Fuzzy details and flat colors eventually give way to a more stable, pleasing image in the material recorded near the end of the SD era. As always, the SD footage does not factor into the final score. All in all, this is a basic WWE presentation the likes of which fans have experienced plenty of times before.

WWE: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden arrives on Blu-ray with a WWE Home Video-standard Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. As with the video, there's a fairly wide spectrum of activity, stability, and clarity. New HD interview clips offer clear, center-focused dialogue. Occasional disc- specific music enjoys fair spacing -- including surround activity -- and consistent energy. The older matches show a fairly wide range of quality. The oldest material lacks much beyond the center. Crowd ambience and in-ring action sound effects don't offer much more than the most basic presence, but as the material progresses forward both range and clarity increase to include more distinctive music and crowd effects along with more precise announcer commentary. This is a basic track, but it's basically effective and carries its numerous sources with relative ease.

WWE: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden contains the following extras, billed as "Blu-ray Exclusives," on disc two:

• Gerald Brisco: Brisco shares his thoughts on the famed MSG venue.
• Steel Cage Match: Bruno Sammartino & Tito Santana vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage & "Adorable" Adrian Adonis. July 12, 1986.
• Ted DiBiase: DiBiase discusses performing at MSG.
• Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. December 29, 1991.
• Alberto Del Rio: The Mexican star talks about his dream of performing at MSG.
• WWE Championship Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk. Survivor Series -- November 20, 2011.
• Stories: Several stars share their MSG memories. Participants include Trish Stratus, Ken Patera, Mr. Fuji, Road Warrior Animal, Barry Windham, Koko B. Ware, Ricky Steamboat, Sika, Rocky Johnson, Edge, and Brooklyn Brawler.
• Vince McMahon MSG Walk of Fame Induction: The wrestling promoter receives an MSG honor.

WWE: The Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden chronicles the marriage of a legendary venue with legendary moments from the storied history of professional wrestling. It's a welcome retrospective piece, and easily one of the best WWE has yet produced. Considering the names that have passed through and the huge number of events that have been held, Madison Square Garden has become a cornerstone of WWE's past and will no doubt remain so into the future. WWE Home Video's Blu-ray release of The Best Of WWE At Madison Square Garden looks and sounds just about like all of the other, similar WWE retrospective titles. Solid HD and acceptable SD video are supported by a quality Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Several additional interviews and matches are included on disc two. Very highly recommended.