Summer Slam

WWE: Summerslam - The Complete Anthology, Vol. 2 1993-1997
$59.95
This was for my grandson who is a wrestling "nut". I don't know anything about wrestling but I am sure he is enjoying is.

WWE: Summerslam: The Complete Anthology
$249.95
This dvd set is awesome. It brings back a lot of memories. The 1st set, 1988-1992, is kind of boring, except for 1992 in Wembley Stadium. This is one of my personal favorites. Bret Hart vs British Bulldog was absolutely awesome. The 2nd set, 1993-1997, is ok. Undertaker vs Undertaker in 1994 was aweful. Razor Ramon vs Shawn Michaels in a ladder match from 1995 was pretty cool. Shawn Michaels is just awesome to watch. The 3rd set, 1998-2002, is kind of boring. The Rock vs HHH from 1998 was pretty cool. 2001-2002 were aweful. This was during the WCW/ECW Invasion. This was just aweful. The only match to really lokk forward to is the Street Fight between Shawn Michaels and HHH from 2002. That match was great. I've watched that match numerous times. The 4th set, 2003-2007, was pretty aweful, except for Shawn Michaels. He is so much fun to watch. His match with Hulk Hogan in 2005 was incredible. As old as Hulk Hogan is that guy can still wrestle. All in all this was a good set. The only problem, and its a big one, is the packaging. Whoever put this together was an idiot. I ordered this set online from amazon.com and I received it sooner than expected, which was great. But there were numerous dvds that were really scratched. Some dvds I had to clean 2-3 times before they would play. Other than that this set is pretty cool. I also own the Wrestlemania DVD set, which also was pretty cool. The Summerslam DVD set matched up well wirh the Wrestlemania set.

WWE: Summerslam - The Complete Anthology, Vol. 1 1988-1992
$59.95
The "SummerSlam Anthology Vol 1." DVD set is another highly anticipated WWE release. As I'm sure you're aware of, Vol. 1 takes a look at the first five SummerSlam's, and how it evolved from a fun PPV to a truly special, and memorable annual event. Considering you are getting five, full, un-cut, vintage WWE release on DVD, for six dollars a piece, I'd be a fool not to recommend it to you. The sheer quantity of footage you are receiving in this set alone (roughly 15 hours) for the price you are paying is a great bargain. Here is an event by event analysis:
----------SummerSlam 1988----------
The 1988 event was the first edition of SummerSlam, and the first PPV produced by WWE not under the WrestleMania, or Survivor Seires banner. It was actually quite a lackluster show. There were only two memorable moments, which I'm sure you are familiar with by now. Everything on this card was essentially crap, with the exception of the opening tag team match, and the main event tag team match. Although it is historic, there really isn't anything that is 'must see' on this show. Nice to own for the hardcore wrestling fan, but the casual fan will not enjoy it at all.
(3.0/10)
----------SummerSlam 1989----------
To make up for the 1988 edition, this one was much, much better, and had quite a few memorable moments. Again, the tag matches were extremely notable; both the opener (Hart Foundation/Brain Busters), and the main event (Hogan/Beefcake VS Savage/Zues). Rick Rude also carried the Warrior to a very respectable Intercontinental showing. An enjoyable card from top to bottom. Not amazing, but solid, and respectable.
(7.5/10)
----------SummerSlam 1990----------
In terms of in ring quality, this is a solid event, but for some reason, the nostalgia for me is off the charts. This was the first WWE/F PPV to truly feature a double main event. It delivered as expected- solid...not good, but decent. The cage match was far from brutal, but again, Rude carries the Warrior to a mildly enjoyable match. The Hogan/Earthquake match was very slow, although it is undeniable that the crowd ate it up. For the third SummerSlam in a row, however, a tag team match stole the show, as the Hart Foundation and Demolition put on a classic 2/3 falls match, back when the E actually had a great tag team division. In yet another very memorable moment, The Texas Tornado wins the Intercontinental Championship. A very enjoyable SummerSlam.
(7.5/10)
----------SummerSlam 1991----------
The second SummerSlam to be featured in the WWE/F's home of Madison Square Garden. This was a spectacular SummerSlam. It featured the unforgettable 'Match Made in Heaven', with Miss Elizabeth and the Macho Man, Randy Savage. The main event is less known for the actual match (a match I gave ***1/4), and more for the backstage story. For those of you unfamiliar, the Ultimate Warrior threatened Vince that he would no-show unless he ways paid a certain amount of money. He was paid the money, however after the match, immediately fired, much to the relief of the boys in the back, as I've heard Warrior was extremely unpopular. The match of the night was the Intercontinental Championship, as Mr. Perfect took on Bret Hart. It was truly phenomenal; it's amazing what Perfect did with such a bad back. In the third straight SummerSlam, a Bret Hart encounter steals the show. Put all of thse moments to the backdrop of a superb undercard, and you have a truly great event. ALso not that the commentary was fantastic throughout the entire night.
(8/0/10)
----------SummerSlam 1992----------
As one reviewer noted, this was an extremely unique SummerSlam. It was one of the only events (and the first) to be featured in England, and the double main event featured all faces, and no heels. It marked the debut of the Coffin Match (better known as the Casket Match), and the first time the Intercontinental Championship would be defended in the main event. It is a must-own SummerSlam for two reasons- the Warrior/Savage matcj, and the Hart/Bulldog main event, the latter known as one of the best matches in SummerSlam history. I gave Warrior/Savage II ****1/4 stars...not quite as good as their first encounter, but still awesome nonetheless. Savage always brought out the best in the Ultimate Warrior. The match that went on last stole the show, as Bret Hart gave the match of the night for the fourth SummerSlam in a row (and he never even appeared in the inaugural one!).It was the second best SummerSlam encounter ever in my mind (behind Michaels/HHH). I gave it ****3/4.
(8.5/10)

Overall, this is a must own set. Every SummerSlam has a few memorable moments, and matches. Check this one out if you are a fan of classic WWF, or want to relive history.

WWE: Summerslam 2009
$25.00
Summerslam was a solid pay-per-view. I won't ramble on during this part, I will just get straight to the match reviews.

IC Title
Rey Mysterio vs Dolph Ziggler
This match was so much better than I anticipated. Crowd was super hot for this match also. Ziggler and Mysterio traded a flurry of back of forth offense during the whole match. It has me genuinely guessing as to who would win in the end. 8/10

MVP vs Jack Swagger
The crowd seemed a little sucked dry after that first match, they were not feeling this one too much. MVP and Swagger seemed to have trouble meshing here at times. They pulled it together the last couple of minutes for an okay ending though. 5/10

Tag Titles
Chris Jericho & Big Show vs Cryme Tyme
This was another okay match. There is not much here I couldn't expect to see on a pretty decent edition of RAW. It was kept to a good length. 5/10

Kane vs Great Khali
It is exactly like you think it would be. Exactly. 3/10

DX vs Legacy
BOOM! Loved this match from top to bottom! Crowdy was hot for it, even more so as it went on. It reminded me alot of the great 20 minute old school tag matches from the 80's. It also still maintained a big time-blockbuster tag match feel to it. Great tag team psychology and story telling here. I could watch this one over and over. My roomates - who are casual wrestling fans- were going nuts during this one. They loved it. It's hard to get them to stay tuned to a 20 minute match also. 9.5/10

ECW Title
Christian vs Regal
5 seconds long. Not going to rate this one.

WWE Championship
Randy Orton vs John Cena
The extremely slow pace to begin with semi-lost me, at least in the beginning. The strangeness of the events that kept happenning though actually got me more into it. I ended up really enjoying this match. I felt like it was creative and gave steam to keep the feud going. I like the route the WWE used here - although I know alot of people didnt. 7/10

World Heavyweight Championship
Ladder Match
CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy
I'll be honest here, when they first announced this match I was pumped. When I read reviews of this match I was pumped. When I finally got the DVD and watched this match......I was disapointed. Don't get me wrong here, it was a solid match, but it just wasn't the awesome match I was expecting. There's not a whole lot of story telling/psychology here. There's really two great spots in the match. The post-match was great and not expected at all though. I had trouble rating this one. 7/10

Final thought. If for nothing else, buy it for the great DX vs Legacy match. You'll also get a surprise gem with Dolph vs Mysterio. Watch CM vs Hardy if you like a good spot. Orton vs Cena is good if you enjoy the more fun aspect of wrestling with a little creativity.