RADICAN’S WWE DVD REVIEW SERIES
“WWE BEST PPV MATCHES OF 2011
SET TO BE RELEASED DEC. 27, 2011

WWE’s “Best PPV Matches of 2011” release includes three discs of matches chosen by the company with the label of being the best matches of the year. The disc includes the best matches from the “Royal Rumble” all the way through “Vengeance.” The DVD is hosted by Scott Stanford, who confusingly introduces the first match on every disc, but doesn’t introduce any other matches that are included on the set. Stanford also signs off on the release at the end of the third disc reminding fans they can look forward to Cena vs. Rock at “WrestleMania” in 2012.

For the most part, this release has nearly all of the best matches from a storyline and quality standpoint that you would want to see from WWE. The real gem of this collection is the John Cena vs. C.M. Punk match from “Money in the Bank,” which is the front-runner to win “Match of the Year” for 2011. There are also a wide variety of excellent matches included on the set such as the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match, Undertaker vs. Triple H from WrestleMania (another high-end MOTYC), Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder match from Extreme Rules, and the Raw Money in the Bank Ladder match.

The quality of matches drops from that point, but not significantly as there are a wide variety of good to very good matches that round out the disc, including Mark Henry capturing the World Championship for the first time against Randy Orton at “Night of Champions,” Cena vs. Punk vs. Del Rio from “Hell in a Cell,” which featured a big post-match angle involving Miz, R-Truth, and Triple H, and the Big Show vs. Mark Henry match from Vengeance that saw the ring collapse after a superplex spot.

There are a couple of matches on this release that don’t belong on any “best of” collection including Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes from WrestleMania, which was solid, but forgettable. Another head-scratcher was Beth Phoenix vs. Kelly Kelly from “Hell in the Cell” being included, as it was a totally forgettable contest between them. Given the build for Triple H vs. C.M. Punk at “Night of Champions,” it’s surprising that it was included in this set given expectations for the match going in and how badly it under delivered on PPV.

There are several matches that were very good, but weren’t included on this release, which was a real head scratcher. The Christian vs. Orton match from “Over the Limit,” Raw Elimination Chamber match, Smackdown MITB Bank match, and Cena vs. Punk from “SummerSlam” were all excellent matches and deserving of being included on this disc, but for some reason they were overlooked. Orton vs. Christian from “Capital Punishment” was also a really good match that wasn’t included on the DVD release, but it is available as a special feature on the blu ray version. Out of the matches that were overlooked, it’s most shocking that the Cena vs. Punk match from “SummerSlam” wasn’t included on this release, as it is arguably the third best match WWE presented on PPV in 2011 behind Cena vs. Punk from “Money in the Bank” and Triple H vs. Undertaker from “WrestleMania.”

This is a good set to own if you want a collection of really good WWE PPV matches from 2011. It’s surprising that so many matches that were really good weren’t included on this release, which didn’t include any matches from “Over the Limit.” The artwork on the inside of the box is really cool, as it features a collage of all of the PPV posters from 2011 minus “Survivor Series” and “TLC.” The blu ray release features the only HD quality presentation of Cena vs. Punk from “Money in the Bank” that you’re going to find, so if you have a blu ray player, it might be a good idea to lean in that direction to get the best quality viewing of that match.

I was disappointed by the bare-bones approach WWE took to this release in-terms of putting some context behind the matches on the set. There are no extra interviews from any wrestlers or announcers talking about the matches. The only extra thing included is the video package that aired before the Punk vs. Cena match at “Money in the Bank.” Ultimately this is a nice collection of matches that left me wanting a little more in terms of presentation.

Contact Sean at PWTorchSean@gmail.com

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