Welcome to another installment of “Ringside Review.” This week we’ll be looking at the 2008 DVD collection that focused on The Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment, The Rock.
As everyone knows, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was one of the mainstays of the Attitude Era and one of the men who was responsible for turning the WWE around and their victory in the Monday Night Wars. The Rock eventually transcended wrestling (or “Sports Entertainment”) to become a legitimate movie star. Unlike Hulk Hogan and Piper, his films haven’t all been universally panned to death. He’s come back to the WWE since, hosting Wrestlemania XXVII and main eventing Wrestlemania XVIII with John Cena.
Anyway, enough about The Rock’s movie career, time to talk about the DVD. This going to be a bit of a short review, because there’s not really I can say about it. It’s a long, and in my opinion an ultimately unsatisfying look through the Rock’s career. It does document most of the Rock’s feuds and classic matches, which is definitely a positive. However, if you’re expecting any interviews or inside info on one of the most iconic careers in WWE history it’s extremely unsatisfying. It isn’t just limited, it’s non existent.
The format of the DVD follows a pretty dodgy narration which follows the Rock from his days as Rocky Maivia through to the Nation Of Domination to being the Corporate Champion through to The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection and through to his battles with the McMahon/Helmsley Regime.
That all being said, there isn’t much I can say. It’s pretty much in Kayfabe so there’s nothing revealed whatsoever. However, it is a pretty decent collection that does chronicle the first career of a man who is a true icon of the attitude era. There is also a collection of promo’s which are of course entertaining! I do wonder if they couldn’t’ve been slotted in in the main feature, it would’ve provided a little colour to the narration as well as help show the build towards some of the matches.
This rounds up another edition of “Ringside Review.” Overall, I’d still recommend the DVD, provided you can get it for the right price. It is a good collection of his matches, even if we’re still left waiting for the definitive inside track on Dwyane Johnson the man and the career of “The Rock.” Perhaps this was rectified in “The Epic Story Of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson,” we’ll definitely be checking it out at some point in the future, but that’s for another time.
Ta Ta For Now!
You can follow Michael on twitter @MichaelBrown_91
PS: Below is the match list for the DVD as a guide to what’s included.
Match List
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Rocky Maivia RAW (13/02/97)
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match: Owen Hart vs. The Rock RAW (06/04/98)
King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Triple H vs. The Rock RAW (22/06/98)
WWE Championship Match (Final Round): Mankind vs. The Rock Survivor Series (15/11/98)
Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship: Mankind vs. The Rock St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (14/02/99)
Ladder Match for the WWE Championship: Mankind vs. The Rock RAW (15/02/99)
WWE Championship Match: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock WrestleMania XV (28/03/99)
Steel Cage Match: The Rock vs. Triple H RAW (05/07/99)
World Tag Team Championship: The Rock / Mankind vs. Undertaker / Big Show RAW (30/08/99)
No Holds Barred Match: The Rock vs. Kane SmackDown! (30/12/99)
WWE Championship Match: Triple H vs. The Rock Backlash (30/04/00)
Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship: The Rock vs. Shane McMahon RAW (01/05/00)
WWE Championship Match: Kurt Angle vs. The Rock No Way Out (25/02/01)
WCW Championship Match: Booker T vs. The Rock
WWE Undisputed Champion: Chris Jericho vs. The Rock Royal Rumble (20/01/02)
Icon v Icon: The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan WrestleMania X8 (17/03/02)
Triple Threat Match for WWE Undisputed Championship: Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker vs. The Rock Vengeance (21/07/02)
The Rock vs. Eddie Guerrero RAW (22/07/02)
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock WrestleMania XIX (30/03/03)
Ringsidehustle.com 
There was no reference to Flex Kavana! WTF?!
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I liked the DVD. Got it for only €9.
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Hogan WOULD of made it as an action movie star if he didn’t have competition like Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Van Damme etc.. Now, The Rock is the biggest action star in the world, he got in when there was little competition. Anyway that’s a different point.
I agree there’s not much you can say about it. TBH, I wouldn’t recommend anyone to buy the DVD. It’s way too Kayfabe as you said. If Rock did it like Punk did with his BITW DVD it would be so much better. However the match list is very good. I did buy it though without reading any reviews etc.. I got it for like 5 euro or something.
His newest DVD is much better and much less kayfabe – http://wrestlingrambles.com/wrextra/reviews/the-epic-journey-of-dwayne-the-rock-johnson/
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You are right to say that there’s not a lot of stuff on this DVD other than matches and promos to talk about but your review seems incomplete. You should have listed the names of the promos that were on the DVD because those promos take up half of disc three. I think there are 12 of them and all of them are entertaining. Also it would have been nice to get your thoughts on some of the matches included on the DVD because not all of them are famous Rock matches that everyone has seen. I have this DVD, but if I didn’t, I would have a hard time making a decision to get it based on this review.
I do agree with your recommendation at the right price. It’s not my favorite WWE DVD, but most of the matches are good and the promos are great. There are I think 12 matches on this DVD that I don’t have on other WWE DVDs and I have a good amount of WWE DVDs. I think the new Rock DVD is a little bit better because it has the documentary but I would recommend people to buy both Rock DVDs because the price for this DVD is really low right now. I don’t regret buying it at full price when it first came out, but the money I would have saved if I bought it now could pay for at least two new WWE DVDs.
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