December 18, 2008.

Terrific Overview of the WWE's "Workhorse Title".

Rating: 5
This 3-Disc Set really highlights the true greats of the WWE and their quest to make this seemingly secondary title the "Workhorse Championship." Such greats (and great matches) as Pat Patterson (The first IC Champion), Pedro Morales, Ken Patera, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka (with the incredible leap off the 15-foot-high steel cage at Madison Square Garden), The Magnificent Don Muraco, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Tito Santana, Greg "The Hammer" Valentine, Razor Ramon, Jeff Jarrett, Triple H, Edge, Chris Jericho (who set a record winning 8 IC Titles), The Honky Tonk Man, The Ultimate Warrior, "Ravishing" Rick Rude, Bret "Hitman" Hart, Mr. Perfect, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Eddie Guerrero, Ric Flair and many more Superstars are profiled in this set. The best match on this set is undoubtedly the Steamboat-Savage contest from Wrestlemania III, but a close Runner-Up is the Bret Hart-British Bulldog contest from Summerslam 1992. The host of the DVD set, Todd Grisham, asked a very pertinent question-is it the Superstars who make the title great, or the title that makes the Superstars great? That is left up to the viewer to decide, but this set is DEFINITELY worth the price. Get this one!!!

December 11, 2008.

Again Vince McMahon Does Not Give Real Wrestling Fans What They Want.

Rating: 2
This is the second in a series on the championship belts dvd,s,the first was the WWE Heavyweight which Mcmahon actually did a good job in presenting it from the inception to the present,But this Intercontinental Championship one is awful,The WWE claims they took a poll for what matches people wanted to see,but this is a sham,first of all any wrestling fan of today does not know the morales's,and Sammartino's so of course if these people did pick the matches it would be of todays wrestling stars,but the real wrestling fans want to see the stars of yesterday which alot of their matches are not on video,but the later nes are.What should have been done is to present the IC Championship from the beginning and show each match as the title changed hands,they show a few beginning matches with patterson, and Morraco but then its all the newer stars this is crap...And what about the three Shea Stadium cards where are they at on DVD.I bought two of these IC sets and after I saw this sham I returned the unopened one to Best Buy.You know does the WWF think the fans are stupid,to say you let the fans pick the matches what a crock...

December 04, 2008.

Does The Title Justice.

Rating: 5
Eventhough the title has definately has it's history of ups & downs over the years, nobody can deny that the Intercontinental Championship has provided some of the most memorable matches & memories throughout it's history & here is a collection of some of those matches & memories as voted by the fans on WWE's website. Now this format is different than how WWE did their "History Of WWE Championship" in that they don't give a timelime of champions throughout the presentation due to the obivious Benoit issue but Todd Grisham host the DVD & give the same role as he did in the Ladder Match DVD where he gives a brief overview of the wrestler or event spotlighted.

Matches Include:
Pat Patterson vs. Ted DiBiase - This match was close to a decade before we would know Dibiase as the "Million $ Man." Short match that good for what it was.
("MSG" Oct. '79)

Ken Patera vs. Pedro Morales - A good match for the brawling style of wrestling that was back then that mostly showed how much Pedro Morales was over with the crowd like no other.
("MSG" Oct. '80)

Pedro Morales vs. The Magnificent Muraco - This match saw Muraco take it hard to Pedro to the point where he started getting real aggressive & even teased using a chair at one point.
("MSG" Dec. '82)

Steel Cage Match: The Magnificent Muraco vs. Jimmy Snuka - The match itself wasn't much with some blood & brawling. However, it was the aftermath with Snuka diving off the top of the cage that's remembered more than anything else...to the point where it inspired people like Mick Foley.
("MSG" Oct. '83)

Lumberjack Match: Greg Valentine vs. Tito Santana - Just what you would expect from a lumberjack match in that you saw the spots where the heels at times helped out and even one comedic spot where Valentine desperately tried to escape & almost got out into the crowd & away before the lumberjacks threw him back in. Great match in the ring as expected from two future Hall Of Famers.
("MSG" Mar. '85)

Tito Santana vs. Randy Savage - The beginning push to the top for the "Macho Man" as as you saw how good of a workers both Savage & Tito were at this time.
("Boston Garden" Feb. '86)

Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat - Let's be honest here, I can try to summerize this match but words wouldn't do it justice & what hasn't been said about this match that hasn't been said for over 20 years. This was the match that stole the show at WrestleMania III, this was the match that was an inspiration to so many wrestlers today like Chris Jericho, and is still known as one of the greatest matches of all time.
(WrestleMania III)
[Also available on "WrestleMania III: Championship Edition"]

Ricky Steamboat vs. Honky Tonk Man - Lets face it, after that classic with Savage...nobody expected what happened here as the title reign of the "Greatest Intercontinental Champion Of All Time" began in this quick fast paced match.
("SuperStars" June '87)

Honky Tonk Man vs. Ultimate Warrior - All I can say on this one is don't blink because you'll miss the longest Intercontinental Title reign end in seconds.
(SummerSlam '88)
[Also available on "Self Destruction Of Ultimate Warrior"]

Ravishing Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior - Well, this match was typical Warrior in that it was a crazy encounter full of Warrior using straight power to toss Rude around with Rude actually wrestling well against Warrior's style. This match also had some comedic moments including Roddy Piper appearing to show us a side of him that I never thought I'd see at that time...and never want to see again.
(SummerSlam '89)

Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart - This is a pure wrestling fans dream here and tons of credit here goes to Mr. Perfect for putting on this type of performance with a back injury that would keep him out of the ring for over a year. This would be the match that put Bret Hart on the map as a solo star & was also the debut of the Sharpshooter.
(SummerSlam '91)
[Also available on "Bret Hart: Best There Is, Best There Was, Best There Ever Will Be" & "The Life & Times Of Mr. Perfect"]

Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog - This was a historic match on many levels as this was the only time that only the Intercontinental Championship main evented a PPV & this the second largest WWE crowd to date. Eventhough there were some botches (that Bret acknowledged in his DVD set), these were two of the best WRESTLERS WWE had that that time giving quite the classic performance with the "Diana Hart" factor adding to the drama of the match.
(SummerSlam '92)
[Also available on "Bret Hart: Best There Is, Best There Was, Best There Ever Will Be" & "Best Of Confidental Vol. 1"]

Ladder Match: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels - Another match that quite frankly I can't say anything that hasn't already been said about it. This was the beginning of the "showstopper", stole the show at WrestleMania X, and set the standards for the future Ladder/TLC matches.
(WrestleMania X)
[Also available On Shawn Michaels "From The Vault" DVD]

Razor Ramon vs. Jeff Jarrett - These were some of the best workers WWE had at this time and delievered one of the best matches of the 1995 with great "selling" by Razor throughout the match.
(Royal Rumble '95)

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Rocky Maivia - This was a glorified handicap match were as it was the Rocky & the Nation Of Domination vs. Stone Cold & his pickup truck. This match was so out of control to the point where even the referee got knocked out at one point & Austin wasn't able to take his vest off until the match was over.
(D-Generation X '97)

2 Out Of 3 Falls: The Rock vs. Triple H - This match is actually better than some of their more well known matches for the WWE Championship as they put on a 30 min. performance here with various cameo appearences from The Nation & DX adding to this match I concider a "lost classic."
(Fully Loaded '98)

Good Housekeeping Match: Jeff Jarrett vs. Chyna - This was a glorified hardcore match with the weapons being everything you would find in a normal home...including the kitchen sink. A very fun match to watch that saw Chyna make history while Jarrett left the WWE, never to return. For those perverts out there, Chyna & Ms. Kitty's outfits alone made for a few ASStounding moments throughout the match.
(No Mercy '99)

Chris Jericho vs. Kurt Angle - Just like Rock/Austin & Rock/HHH, they would go on to have better matches throughout their career but this was a great wrestling match between the two in their early WWE careers as Kurt heavily worked on Jericho's arm before going on to become the first Inter-Euro Champion....since D'Lo Brown (sorry Kurt).
(No Way Out '00)

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac - Short fast paced match that's nothing noteworthy but full of action & good for what it was.
("SmackDown!" Oct. '00)

Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy - The match went non-stop as Hardy was just using his quick "daredevil" offense in the opening minutes while Triple H was real intense throughout the match as well with the suprize being that Jeff Hardy winning the Intercontinental Title.
("SmackDown" Apr. '01)
[Also available on "Hardy Boyz: Twist Of Fate" & "WWF Action"]

Unification/Ladder Match Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy - This was disappointing, a few nice spots here & there (including Jeff taking a sick looking fall) but they've had better encounters.
("RAW" July '02)

Randy Orton vs. Edge - Years before the thought of "Rated RKO," Edge was on a mission to take out Randy Orton & end the longest I.C. title reign in over 7 years. This match had some dull moments (2-3 min. headlocks by Orton) but went back & forth between both guys with an interesting note here being how the fans were divided as half were cheering for Edge while half were getting behind Randy Orton despite being a heel in Evolution.
(Vengeance '04)
[Also available on "Edge: Decade Of Decadence"]

Steel Cage Match: Ric Flair vs. Triple H - Both guys bleed hard (Flair gets busted open in the opening minutes) with Triple H being just vicious while on Flair just never gave up & kept fighting back. Great match with the bonus of Joey Styles doing his old fashioned style of commentary which added to the storytelling of the match...even to the point where Joey pointed out at the beginning just how important the Intercontinental Championship meant in this match...which in retrospect probably wasn't a good comment for an Intercontinental Championship DVD but it fit the feud at that time.
(Taboo Tuesday '05)
[Also available on "Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection"]

Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin - It was RVD's "Money In The Bank" briefcase vs. Shelton's title & this match was exactly what you would expect from both men knowing their backgrounds...a very athletic contest where you saw some unique reversals for each other's moves.
(Backlash '06)

Shelton Benjamin vs. Carlito vs. Johnny Nitro - These three pulled off a great match. Shelton was underrated (based on how he's used from time to time), Carlito was finally coming into his own as a wrestler & not a comedy act, while Nitro is out to prove he can make it as a singles star. Again, it's not a wrestling mat classic but it's an awesome match to watch full of non-stop action including one move during the match between all three that J.R. didn't know how to call because he never saw it before.
(Vengeance '06)

Umaga vs. Jeff Hardy - This match was good & watchable as they followed the basic formula of the Umaga beating down Hardy only for him to get his comeback and go back & forth until Umaga overcame & got the victory.
(Great American Bash '07)

Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Jericho - This match started off as an aggressive brawl but transended into both men going back & forth with counters & kickouts and Hardy's daredevil wrestling backfiring at times (look out for him walking the railing on the outside). Y2J makes history (again) by becoming an 8 time Intercontinental Champion.
("RAW" Mar. '08)

The only DVD extra is a hidden one on disc one which is an old Confidental piece on the Intercontinental Championship back in Oct. '02 (before they retired the belt for half a year). In the end, I'm very satified with the match selection as we didn't get a bunch of DVD repeats unlike the "WWE Championship" collection & had as some lost gems & classics made their way to DVD. Aside from the "no Chris Benoit matches" issue that we can't do anything about, the only real matches I regret not being on here is the finals of the Intercontinental Championship tourmanment between Mr. Perfect & Tito Santana along with the Texas Tornado's title victory over Mr. Perfect. In the end, I recommend & try to get the first print copies as the attached booklet accidently has a picture of Freebird Buddy Roberts (who wasn't an I.C. champion) instead of Pat Patterson.

December 26, 2008.

Great Collection.

Rating: 5
Having been a wrestling fan since the mid-80's, I was greatly looking forward to this collection of Intercontinental matches. having collected many of the wrestling DVD collections, the Intercontinental title doesn't always get many appearances. Granted, this also depends on the DVD. The Ladder Match DVD had many great matches. Yet I am surprised there is so much bickering about matches that appeared. Whether people want to believe the voting may have been rigged in some way, we will never know. Nevertheless, there are many great matches here that deserve to be included in this collection.

For me, standout matches included the Steamboat/Savage classic from Wrestlemania 3, Hart/Perfect from Summerslam 1991, Hart/Bulldog one year later at the same event, Ramon/Michaels from Wrestlamania X, Triple H/Rock from Fully Loaded, Edge/Orton from Vengeance 2004, and Flair/Triple H from Taboo Tuesday. Were all the great matches for this prestigious title included? Of course not! You can't please everybody. But for me, a lifelong wrestling fan that has been watching since I was four, it is a great collection. I know people will disagree with me, but that is my attention. As one other reviewer mentioned, I hope they continue this Championship series by covering the history of the Tag Team Championship. Of all the titles in WWE history, it will be the last that traces its history far back and up to today.

By the way, for the people that are complaining about there not being enough Randy Savage matches, I think his two best matches for this DVD were included. I saw many of his others, and they just weren't worthy of being on this collection. Do I wish a Savage DVD comes about one day? Of course! Time will tell, and we will have to see if Vince can one day give Savage what he deserves, regardless of past circumstances. Look at Bret Hart. He left on bad terms, but eventually reconciled. Perhaps Savage and the WWE will one day too. Kudos to this Intercontinental Championship collection. Good job WWE.

December 20, 2008.

A nice collection with several classics.

Rating: 4
The workhorse title, the heavyweight title was worn by the guys who put butts in seats. But that IC championship bout was usually the one that provided the best matches. I remember watching numerous events with the IC champ putting on far better matches. Hosted by Todd Grisham, this 3 disk set is a collection of matches picked by fans. Todd also adds some history behind the title and background leading into each of the matches. Most of the matches contain full entrances and theme music. The matches are also in their entirety.

Disk 1
The Inaugural Champion
Madison Square Garden(MSG) 10-22-79
Pat Patterson(C) vs. Ted Dibiase
I think this match was barely decent even for that time. Mostly brawling and a bit of wrestling. But this is the one that started it all. 3.25/5

Olympic Strongman vs. The Fiery Latino
MSG 10-20-80
Ken Patera(C) vs. Pedro Morales
An old fashion slugfest with the crowd pro Pedro to the fullest. The ending wasn't too bad. 3.25/5

Knockdown Drag Out Fight
MSG 12-28-82
Pedro Morales(C) vs. The Magnificent Muraco
Started out so good with some nice wrestling but the ending took away alot to me. 3.5/5

The Super Splash
MSG 10-17-83
Steel Cage
The Magnificent Muraco(C) vs. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
This match contains Muraco's prematch interview. Pretty good for the time given. A good match with some blood but the aftermath is what made this memorable. 4/5

Arriba! & The Hammer
MSG 3-17-85
Lumberjack Match
Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine(C)
A real good match and the lumberjacks added to it. The ending was believable as well. 4/5

Enter The Macho Man
Boston Garden 2-8-86
Tito Santana(C) vs. Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Good match with nice high flying from Savage. The ending was typical of the winner. 4/5

The Greatest Ever
Wrestlemania III 3-29-87
Randy "Macho Man" Savage(C) vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
This match is a classic for a reason. The storyline leading up to it and the match itself. Everything flowed well to include the commentary. 5/5

The Guitar Playing Antagonist
Superstars 6-2-87
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat(C) vs. The Honky Tonk Man
A fun quick paced match, I only wish it had been longer. 3.5/5

End of an Era
Summerslam 8-29-88
The Honky Tonk Man(C) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Oh man, this "match" was just something else. I enjoyed the pop from the crowd and Warriors entrance more than the "match". 3.25/5

The Ladies Man
Summerslam 8-28-89
"Ravishing" Rick Rude(C) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
I never get tired of Warriors entrance or character. He just had that charisma. Anyway, this is a good match with some nice spots and funny moments. 4/5

Disk 2
The Perfect Champion
Summerslam 8-26-91
Mr. Perfect(C) vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart
Jim Ross stated on Perfects DVD, these two matches were a work of art. And I fully agree. 5/5

Divided Loyalties
Summerslam 8-29-92
Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. British Bulldog
A grueling match up and one of the best IC matches ever to me. These two put together a clinic and Bulldogs athleticism was amazing for a guy his size. 5/5

Stealing the Show
Wrestlemania X 3-20-94
Ladder Match
Razor Ramon(C) vs. Shawn Michaels
Still an awesome match up to this day. Some good moments and nice ending. 5/5

Believing In Yourself
Royal Rumble 1-22-95
Razor Ramon(C) vs. Jeff Jarrett
This one was very good and added a twist, that made it alot better. Nice bout. 4.25/5

One of the Greatest Rivalries in History
In Your House; D-Generation X 12-7-97
Rocky Maivia vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin(C)
Definitely nowhere near the best of their encounters. But a very fun match with non stop action. 4/5

In Your House; Fully Loaded 7-26-98
2 out of 3 Falls
Triple H vs. The Rock(C)
This one had a nice stipulation going in plus a 30 minute time limit, to spice it up. The action and events taking place, made this feel like a heavyweight title match. Very good encounter. 4.75/5

The Ninth Wonder of the World
No Mercy 10-17-99
Good Housekeeping Match
Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett(C)
I was never crazy about a woman competeing for a mans title, but this match was entertaining. Lots of weapon play, plus Miss Kitty was added to the mix. So this match was very... cheeky. 3.5/5

Disk 3
The New Millenium
No Way Out 2-27-00
Chris Jericho(C) vs. Kurt Angle
This is a good match but they would go on to have much better. Some nice wrestling and a decent ending. 3.5/5

3 is better than 2
Smackdown 4-12-01
Triple Threat
Chris Jericho vs. X-Pac vs. Eddie Guerrero(C)
Very short but action packed and nicely paced. Delivered mildly for the time given. 3.25/5

David vs. Goliath
Smackdown 4-12-01
Triple H(C) vs. Jeff Hardy
Due to earlier events during the show, this was personal. The match was good and I think everything worked out overall. 3.5/5

The Unification
Raw 7-22-02
Rob Van Dam(C) vs. Jeff Hardy(European C)
This was a ladder match meant to unify the the two belts. They had better matches than this but it's still good. Jeff takes a sick fall off the ladder. 3.5/5

Battle of the Young Guns
Vengeance 7-11-04
Edge vs. Randy Orton(C)
This match never gets better to me. Outside of some well executed dropkicks, I just find this match bland. 3.25/5

Former World Champions Collide
Taboo Tuesday 11-1-05
Steelcage
Ric Flair(C) vs. Triple H
Nothing beats seeing this one for the first time. I can watch this over and over. 5/5

Winner Takes All
Backlash 4-3-06
Rob Van Dam(MITB) vs. Shelton Benjamin(C)
They put on a clinic that resulted in a classic and this deserved to be on the set. 5/5

Fresh Faces
Vengeance 6-25-06
Triple Threat
Shelton Benjamin(C) vs. Johnny Nitro vs. Carlito
A good match with some multi-action. There were some good spots and this is another that gets better with time to me. 3.5/5

One Man Wrecking Crew
The Great American Bash 7-22-07
Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga(C)
Hardy takes some sick punishment but everyone does against Umaga. The closing minutes are the best. 4/5

#8
Raw 3-10-08
Jeff Hardy(C) vs. Chris Jericho
Good with decent counters & finisher kickouts. Nothing too special. 3.5/5

The Matches Speak For Themselves
Todd Grisham finishes the set up with a brief recap.

Overall this is a solid set with no extras. Of course, others will feel many matches could have been better choices. I certainly have my picks but I'm still satisfied with this. Seeing collections like this being put out, I hope WWE release more sets on the US, Women's, European, Tag Team, and WCW TV titles as well. Fans should check this out.