Just weeks before Wrestlemania, the wrestling world is abuzz about the most anticipated rematch since perhaps Rock vs. Austin. The two legendary performers who stole the show last year in Houston will have the unenviable task of trying to outdo what many saw as the match of the year. Not coincidently, WWE's latest DVD release is a 3 disk set dedicated to one half of that epic matchup, Shawn Michaels. I was luckily enough to be able to screen this DVD almost 2 weeks before its release, and holding true to my promise to the fans, I will provide a review and let you know if you should purchase "Shawn Michaels - My Journey".
The DVD begins with a wonderful video montage chronicling the career of Shawn Michaels. The video package appears at the beginning of each DVD and at the end of the third, and is eerily reminiscent of the one made for Ric Flair when he retired. While I'm still not convinced that Shawn will be retiring, the fact that this DVD was released and the feeling I got watching that montage gives me the slightest of doubts.
Even before viewing the DVD, I had questioned the idea of making one for HBK only a few years after a previous 3 disk set. That set, which was titled and shot as a counterpart to the autobiography, Heartbreak and Triumph, was more typical of the WWE format of DVDs in that it featured one disc devoted to a biography of the performer while the other two were compilations of matches. This DVD was very different, and something I truly enjoyed.
The DVD was shot as a candid interview between Shawn Michaels and everyone's favorite "Vintage" announcer, Michael Cole. Out of the context of annoying announcer, Cole does a wonderful job leading Shawn through every step of his career, with breaks in the interview coming to show matches. The interview was structured so that Shawn's stories would lead into each match, and I found this real HBK quite compelling. This was real, which was a nice change from the very fake John Morrison DVD I reviewed last week. Though the stories may not be as graphic or in depth as one might like due to the PG nature of WWE programming and probably due to Shawn's belief system, he opens up at least somewhat about many combatants, old and new. I loved the format and I hope that this becomes a new trend, as I'm a big believer in being real in the telling of a career.
As for the match selection, it's hard to choose Shawn Michaels' best matches to begin with, but I think the goal here was to pick matches form his early career that aren't normally thought of but are still excellent, and to chronicle his best matches since his return in 2002. While it would obviously be an advantage to have ALL of the famous HBK matches together, I don't see it as so much of a hassle to own both HBK 3 disc sets in order to get the best possible matches.
Just to give you somewhat of a preview, some matches featured are a pre-WWF contest between his Midnight Rockers (Remember, they only became the Rockers when they signed with the WWF) against the Nasty Boys before they were fat and useless, singles matches against opponents like Mankind, Sid Vicious, and the British Bulldog, and matches after his return like his Wrestlemania match against Chris Jericho, a Ric Flair match, and of course, the epic encounter with the Deadman from Wrestlemania 25. It's almost worth it for the Wrestlemania matches alone, but you'll be surprised at the quality of some of the "forgotten matches" The Showstopper never ceases to amaze, so you know there will be no duds in the collection.
BUY THIS DVD!! This is one of the best DVD productions I've seen in a while from the WWE. Often times, I feel like the DVDs are just a money making scheme because, with today's technology, you can find matches online without buying them. With this DVD, you actually get insight into Shawn Michaels and see him in a light you do not see on normal WWE programming. The interview was very well done and is worth the price alone. My only hope is that this DVD was not made as a last hurrah for the Heartbreak Kid. I still believe he has a few good matches left in him, and hopefully, this DVD will inspire on last great run from perhaps the greatest in-ring performer of all time.
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