Degeneration-X

Description: With the recent revival of D-generation X in the WWE, (For the fourth time! And they say WWE is running out of ideas... Hah!) it's time for the company to once again raid their archives and re-release an old title. This DVD is an odd thing to watch. It is both a great DVD to own and a terrible one to own. It comprises of a terrible old documentary that I wouldn't buy if it was in a £1.50 bargain bin and a selection of extra matches that are (for the most part) wonderful. Though can a handful of good matches really justify owning this?

The documentary from 1998, covers the original DX line up (Shawn Michael, Triple H, Chyna and briefly the late great Rick Rude) and then covers up until the rebirth of the group with the inclusion of X-Pac and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and 'Badd Ass' Billy Gunn). This is not a good as it could or should have been. WWE should have created a new documentary with wrestlers involved talking about the creation of the group. Instead, it does not break Kayfabe (Wrestling slang: Belief that wrestling is real) and thus tries to convince you that everything you see is real or a Shoot. (Sorry, no more wrestling lingo!) However, most of what we see with DX raiding the TV trucks and generally causing havoc and a mess only goes to prove that the group were just an immature clone of WCW's NWO. Maybe time has been cruel to the group's antics or I matured (highly unlikely), but I found that japes of DX (e.g. Giving Michael Cole wedgies and gorping and drooling over Chyna who only became the Playboy centrefold after lots and lots and lots of plastic surgery!) to be childish and mostly unfunny.

The disk offers up eight extra matches. These try and show the evolution of DX and succeed to some extent. However, they do make me understand why I stopped watching wrestling during the 1995-1998 period. Most of what is on offer is so bland as to be unwatchable, as was much of what the WWE had to offer at this time and you can understand just why WCW were beating them in the ratings. The matches on offer ranked out of five:

Raw-11/8/97 *** Shawn Michaels vs Mankind This is a really good hardcore style match. Almost as good as their Mind Games bout from 1996. As with most of the Raw matches, this I spoilt by having a commercial break half way and it just ruins the flow of the match. Showed the first use of HHH, Rick Rude and Chyna as backup.

Raw-18/8/97 *** Shawn Michaels& Triple H vs Mankind & Undertaker A good match, but not a great match. Mainly here to show more early DX.

Raw-6/10/97 ** Triple H vs Bret Hart Notable for the infamous 'Michaels sticking Canadian flag up his nose' bit. A nice bout, which ends a bit lame.

Raw-22/12/97** WWE European Championship Match Triple H vs Shawn Michaels ** I understand what they tried to achieve with this match, but just didn't work. Interesting idea that WCW would also try with even worse consequences.

Raw-29/12/97 *** WWE Championship Match Shawn Michaels vs Owen Hart A solid wrestling match that is totally unmemorable. A nice match for Owen Hart fans, but a little pointless to anyone else.

Royal Rumble-18/01/98 ***** WWE Championship Casket Match Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker This is known as the match were karma came and kicked HBK in the a$$! A wonderful match and certainly the best one on the disk. Not as good as their Hell in a Cell, but as that is now widely available (Michaels and Underatker's disk set both contain it) it is nice to have this great, rare match here.

No Way Out-15/02/98 *** Unsanctioned by the WWE 8 Man Tag Match Triple H, New Age Outlaws, Savio Vega vs Stone Cold, Cactus Jack, Chainsaw Charlie, Owen Hart. This should have been an elimination match as there are far too many people in this match. How can you do a no-DQ tag team match? You can't, that's how. A nice look at the future DX, but could have been a better match.

Raw-17/03/98 ** WWE European Championship Match Triple H vs Owen Hart I would have preferred the match from Wrestlemania 14, as this match seems to be a last minute we need to fill four minutes of DVD space.

Now, I'm sure you're sitting there thinking, 'Wait a minute DX were known for their promos and outrageous vignettes. Surely, they would have included them here too!?' Well, they haven't, and don't call me Shirley! No, instead of including some of the better promos the group did as a full length extra none are made available. The fact they didn't include X-Pac's scathing promo about WCW or the full length invasion of WCW that features in snippets on the documentary is absurd. Some matches, such as New Age Outlaws vs Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie in a cage in which they officially became member of DX would also have been nice. One highlight that would have made this disk worthwhile to buy is the Summerslam Rock vs Triple H Ladder Match which was arguably one of the best matches of 1998.

It is at times like this when I hear the words 'Two Disks' floating above my head. Yes, an extra few hours of material would have been nice. Though saying that, this may have meant they would update it to include the god-awful McMahon-Helmsley DX and the terrible, terrible new incarnation that is gracing our screens in 2006! Maybe I should just be thankful for what I got and pray that that disk is never released. And if you ain't down with that, I got two words for you: RENT IT!!!

Rating: 6/10

Reviewed by David Simpson on August 20, 2006.