DVD REVIEW: Raw: The Beginnings: Seasons 1 & 2

[buddyboy101]

Raw: The Beginnings: Best of Seasons 1 & 2

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Rating: 9/10

I recently picked up WWE’s Raw: The Beginnings: Best of Seasons 1&2. As an old school wrestling fan who clearly remembers the inception of Monday Night Raw, this set is a must have. As you may have noticed, the WWE has already released a few others DVDs featuring the early days of Raw (e.g. Raw 10th Anniversary; Raw 15th Anniversary). With Beginnings, however, the WWE has really nailed the formula in a comprehensive manner. This review will consider several aspects of the product, including packaging, menus, video/audio, the content itself, and other aspects as necessary.

The packaging really pops off the store shelf. The front cover prominently features a rare but spectacular photo of the Undertaker. Surrounding him are various other wrestlers including Yokozuna, Doink, HBK, and Bret Hart. The fact that Undertaker is center and enlarged definitely speaks to how he is regarded today as a legend that led the WWE into the future. The set itself is comprised of 4 DVD’s, split into 2 different cases according to the year (1993 and 1994). The DVDs are well protected in a plastic flap, and a program of matches is included on the inside left cover. Packaging overall is extremely solid in terms of both function and visual appeal.

Despite the fancy packaging, the remainder of the product is no frills, but this is not a negative. Instead of including tons of filler interviews and commentary, the WWE packed in as many matches straight from Raw. As such, the menus are straightforward and simplistic. Perhaps the WWE was going for an early 90s unsophisticated approach. The menu includes three items: Play, Chapters, and Bonus Features (bonus features only available on 1993 discs). The menu music is confusing, as I do not recognize it. It is definitely not the traditional Raw theme song. Maybe it’s an older theme song that was quickly replaced over time.

The video presentation is stellar, very faithful to the original broadcasts. A couple slight gripes however – the WWE still does not provide support for widescreen or subtitles. In this modern day, this blows my mind. Anyways, I will say I was pleased to discover that censorship of the WWF logo has not taken place. The only censorship I noticed is where the phrase “W.W.F.” is found. In these instances, they have smoothly edited it to display “W.W.E.”. It looks very natural. Any additional titles/displays added since 1993 have been designed to blend in naturally as if it were 1993. Brilliant! I’m just happy to see all of the old W.W.F. logos in tact!

On the audio side of things, it appears most, if not all, theme songs have been retained. In addition, the commentary is brilliant. Over the course of two years, you’ll mainly hear Vince McMahon and Randy Savage call the shots, but also featured are Jim Ross, Bobby Heenan, Shawn Michaels, Harvey Wippleman. Some of the commentary is laugh-out-loud funny, and you’ll many repeated phrases such as “What a devastating maneuver!” and Savage will often comment that “the ring just moved 6 inches!” Regarding censorship, when the words “W.W.F.” are spoken, the “F” is muted. This is not terribly distracting.

The matches included are among some of the finest from the early 90’s. While I won’t list every single match, there are well over 30 complete matches. Most commonly featured are Razor Ramon, 1-2-3 Kid, Doink, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Lex Luger, Rick Martel, Undertaker, Mr. Perfect, Crush, Yokozuna, Ted DiBiase, Jeff Jarrett, Tatanka, Owen Hart, the Headshrinkers, and the Quebecers. The matches represent the very best from Raw, but I was disappointed not to see the Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid $10,000 match. In addition to the matches, several promos are featured, including the creation of the Megamaniacs, the King’s Court, the Yokozuna Slam Challenge, and the Heartbreak Hotel.

More than anything, this is a nostalgic timepiece. You’ll see the WWF navigate the frontier of live televised wrestling before any of its competitors. In addition, this time marked a radical change for the WWF – it’s biggest star, Hulk Hogan, was gone, and several of its others superstars were on their way out. In reaction to their departure, the WWF invested in young talent that was colorful, quick-moving, and captivating. Razor Ramon and the 1-2-3 Kid really steal the show. Razor just oozed charisma, and the Kid was pulling moves we wouldn’t see again until the Hardyz’ arrival six years later. Also included are some amazing technical matches. In particular, the Flair/Perfect match is a must-see, and Rick Martel’s matches are severely underrated. The Headshrinkers title win is also unforgettable. You’ll also see the W.W.F. struggle to get Lex Luger over, despite his astounding physique and athleticism. You’ll also be reminded how rarely the Undertaker was featured on TV, but every time he was, the audience went nuts.

I recommend this DVD to anyone who remembers this era fondly, as the set is definitely loyal to the period. I would also encourage newer/younger fans check out this DVD. You’ll better appreciate the Undertaker’s transformation over the years, the prominence of the I.C. belt, and the overall progress of the W.W.F.

FULL MATCH LIST:

Disc 1:
01. Koko B. Ware vs. Yokozuna (1/11/93)
02. Undertaker vs. Damien Demento (1/11/93)
03. Rick Flair vs. Mr. Perfect (Loser Leaves WWF) (1/25/93(
04. 10 Bell Salute to Andre the Giant (2/1/93)
05. Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight (2/1/93)
06. Brutus Beefcake vs. Ted DiBiase (2/15/93)
07. The Megamaniacs (2/22/93)
08. Bret Hart vs. Fatu (3/1/93)
09. Doink Pie-faces Elvis (3/1/93)
10. Crush on the Sands of Hawaii (3/1/93)
11. Mr. Perfect vs. Rick Martel (3/8/93)
12. Doink vs. Kamala (3/22/93)
13. Lex Luger vs. Crush (4/26/93)
14. Mr. Perfect Attacks Shawn Michaels (5/10/93)
15. Shawn Michaels vs. Jim Duggan (Lumberjack IC match) (5/10/93)
16. The Kid vs. Razor Ramon (5/17/93)
17. Marty Jannetty vs. Shawn Michaels (IC match) (5/17/93)
18. Mr. Perfect vs. Doink (5/24/93)
19. Smoking Gunns Ride in the WWF
20. Go Get Him Champ (Bret Hart commercial)
21. It’s Only 9 O’Clock (Raw commercial)

Disc 2:
01. Shawn Michaels vs. Russ Greenberg (6/7/93)
02. Marty Jannetty vs. Doink (2/3 Falls) (6/21/93)
03. Yokozuna Body Slam Competition (7/5/93)
04. Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (7/26/93)
05. Jim Cornette Arrives in the WWF (8/2/93)
06. Randy Savage vs. Doink (8/2/93)
07. 1-2-3 Kid vs. Ted DiBiase (8/16/93)
08. Quebecers Are New Champions (9/13/93)
09. Doink vs. Corey Student (10/4/93)
10. Razor Ramon vs. Rick Martel (IC match) (10/11/93)
11. Crush Hires Mr. Fuji (10/18/93)
12. Randy Savage Attacks Crush (11/8/93)
13. Bret Hart Is “Wrestler of the Year” (11/29/93)
14. Razor Ramon vs. Diesel (11/29/93)
15. 1-2-3 Kid vs. Shawn Michaels (12/6/93)
16. Gorilla Monsoon Throws Out Bobby “The Brain” Heenan (12/6/93)
17. Thurman “Sparky” Plugg Is Ready to Race (12/20/93)
18. Jeff Jarrett vs. P.J. Walker (12/20/93)
19. That’s Double J Jeff Jarrett
20. King Kong Bundy
21. IRS Taxes the Dead
22. Jeff Jarrett Does Vegas
23. Christmas at the Heartbreak Hotel
24. Bret Wishes Everyone a Happy New Year

Disc 3:
01. Is Yokozuna Afraid of the Casket? (1/17/94)
02. Wrestlemania 10 Coin Flip (1/31/94)
03. Bret Hart vs. Tom Prichard (2/21/94)
04. Quebecers vs. Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid (2/21/94)
05. Shawn Michaels’ Locker Room Interview (2/28/94)
06. Yokozuna vs. Randy Savage (2/28/94)
07. Ted DiBiase Buys Front Row Seats (3/28/94)
08. Lex Lugers vs. Rick Martel (3/28/94)
09. IRS, Jeff Jarrett, Rick Martel, Headshrinkers vs. Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid, Bob Holly, Smoking Gunns
10. Debut of Heartbreak Hotel
11. Jerry “The King” Lawler Is Dropped on His Head (4/11/94)
12. Razor Ramon vs. Jeff Jarrett (4/25/94)
13. Quebecers vs. Headshrinkers (Championship match) (5/2/94)
14. Yokozuna vs. Earthquake (Sumo Match) (5/16/94)
15. Owen Hart vs. Doink (5/23/94)
16. Duke Droese Makes His Debut (5/23/94)
17. The King’s Court with Bret Hart & Diesel (5/30/94)
18. Not-So-Rowdy King’s Court (6/6/94)
19. King’s Court with Duke Droese (6/20/94)
20. King’s Court with the King of Harts (6/27/94)

Disc 4:
01. Bret Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid (WWF championship match) (7/11/94)
02. Diesel vs. Lex Luger (IC match) (7/18/94)
03. Tatanka vs. Nikolai Volkoff ($10k match) (7/25/94)
04. Alundra Blayze vs. Bull Nakano (8/1/94)
05. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (8/1/94)
06. Owen Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid (8/15/94)
07. Undertaker vs. Kwang (9/12/94)
08. Mr. Backlund Demonstrates the Chicken Wing (9/19/94)
09. Razor Ramon vs. Yokozuna (IC match) (10/24/94)
10. Jeff Jarrett vs. the British Bulldog (12/5/94)
11. Bob Backlund vs. Doink (12/12/94)
12. British Bulldog vs. Tatanka (12/24/94)
13. King’s Court with Diesel (12/24/94)
14. Undertaker vs. Brooklyn Brawler (12/24/94)


Other Reviews:
Raw: The Beginnings: Seasons 1 & 2
Undertaker’s Deadliest Matches
Shawn Michaels: My Journey

[Deleted]

very nicely done man,+1 for the effort.

Im looking forward to picking this up

[Matt]

I was able to watch all of Raw '93 and '94 on WWE.com's Classic subscription service, before they took them down, so I don't plan on buying this, but this was a nice review. Thanks for sharing :] +1

[Mike Bockwinkel]

Thanks, I might actually get this now.

[The Assassin]

it isn't complete episodes, and it's still censored... so bootleg complete season sets are still better

for that reason i won't be buying any of these sets. even if they can't clear the copyrights for everything uncensored, its a shame they couldnt just find some way to make complete seasons available, legally.

[Adam235]

Aug 29, 2010 10:20:25 GMT -5 Mike Bockwinkel said:

Thanks, I might actually get this now.

Same here.

[buddyboy101]

Aug 29, 2010 17:46:28 GMT -5 The Assassin said:

it isn't complete episodes, and it's still censored... so bootleg complete season sets are still better

for that reason i won't be buying any of these sets. even if they can't clear the copyrights for everything uncensored, its a shame they couldnt just find some way to make complete seasons available, legally.

I don't think it'd be very practical for the WWE to sell the Raw seasons in their entirety, at least with respect to physical distribution. One season (during the early days) was over 50 hours of content. Assuming they can fit 3 episode per disc, one season would be 16 discs, and would probably cost well over $200. I think digital distribution, however, would be more practical. It's great they offered 93 and 94 seasons via WWEClassics.com, but it's too bad they're no longer available. Currently on WWEClassics.com, the 95 season is available from Jan-Aug, with a new episode available every week.

Anyways, I'd like to see WWE start releasing the In Your House PPV's as annual box sets. That's about 6-7 events per year on average, totaling about 20 hours of content per year. This would probably be a seven disc set (per year), similar in price/size to the Survivor Series anthologies that have been released.

[tnafan17: The Total Package]

Picked up this DVD because of the help of your review. You should do them more often, +1 for you.

[fallbrawl]

I will pickup this dvd when i see it.

[buddyboy101]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll post a review of the Undertaker's Deadliest Matches soon. Preview: don't buy it unless you''re an Undertaker mark.

[hobgoblin]

Thanks so much buddyboy. I exalted you as well. It seems many people here are trigger happy when it comes to smiting so I will try to be as positive as always.

I HAD this DVD in my hand the other day and set it back down in favor of the much cheaper ECW the rise and fall. Walmart is selling older stuff at a much cheaper price.

[sevb30]

What's with the widecreen compatibility complaint? Being none of these episodes were shot in widescreen in the 90s. Hogan was on RAW a few times starting in in Feb 1993, but he left in June that year.

[tnafan17: The Total Package]

Sept 2, 2010 8:28:16 GMT -5 sevb30 said:

What's with the widecreen compatibility complaint? Being none of these episodes were shot in widescreen in the 90s. Hogan was on RAW a few times starting in in Feb 1993, but he left in June that year.

Maybe they didn't put him in there due to his association with TNA, have no clue.

[buddyboy101]

Review updated to include full match list and links to other reviews!

[inrogers29]

Thanks for the review! Good work, I was interested to see how this set would come out and I'll defintly check it out now.

[Kenny Powers]

Great review, thank you!

[Burger Lad]

Thanks - great review! I will defo get it now..

[Calcifer Boheme]

Raw started at nearly the same time I was able to stay up later to watch it. I have a lot of fond memories and can't wait to get this set as soon as money isn't quite so tight.