It happens to be one of the original “big four” Pay-Per-Views that the WWE first had in their yearly rundown. The Royal Rumble would open the year up with a bang and set the tone for the year ahead. WrestleMania was and still is the ultimate in wrestling events every single year now going on twenty-five glorious years. The end of the year saw the Survivor Series haunt our cold and wintery nights as the Thanksgiving tradition that taught us all how to make it through and outlast every last competitor. But the end of the summer blast was always SummerSlam and it took full advantage of the weather outside being overly hot and just too much for anyone to handle. So what does the WWE do? Simply provide us with some of the greatest wrestling action and storylines that we as fans have ever known.
The whole thing began in 1988 with a star-studded line-up that was headlined by a tremendous tag team match in the main event. The Mega Bucks consisting of the “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase and Andre The Giant would battle it out with one of the biggest named tag team ever, the Mega Powers, Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. Things weren’t very easy for the Mega Powers though as the stars aligned against them with the Mega Bucks receiving help from Virgil and the evil guest referee, Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Other matches highlighted the card along with numerous interviews throughout the event. The Tag Team titles were on the line as the Hart Foundation looked to capture the belts from Demolition. The Ultimate Warrior also made a mockery of the longest reigning Intercontinental champion in history when he squashed the Honky Tonk Man. It was a tremendous start to what would go on to be an annual end of the summer blowout.
1989’s SummerSlam would also be headlined by a tag team match, but one that pitted partners from the year before against one another. Randy Savage had enough of Hulk Hogan and aligned himself with the unstoppable Zeus against Hogan and his partner, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. Savage is enough to contend with on his own but Zeus only added to the great mountain that Hogan and the Barber would have to climb. The rest of the card wasn’t too spectacular but did include a very good Intercontinental Title match between the Ultimate Warrior and “Ravishing” Rick Rude. Rude is a wrestler that never reached his full potential and could have been a much bigger star had injuries not plagued the later stages of his career. The second SummerSlam was fun, but just didn’t have as much entertainment throughout the entire event as the first one did.
1990 came along and I’m sorry but there are just way too many damn interviews during this particular SummerSlam. Twenty-seven interviews, people. TWENTY-SEVEN! In a three hour event that also includes ten matches. Weird I know. This year’s event saw a main event that didn’t include Hulk Hogan, but he was in a big match right before it with Earthquake. Somehow though that match went on longer than the main event cage match for the WWE Title between Rick Rude and the Ultimate Warrior. Go figure. Other great matches on the card include Mr. Perfect and Texas Tornado for the Intercontinental Title, Hart Foundation and Demolition (times 3) for the tag straps, and Sensational Sherri beating Sapphire by forfeit which lead to a greater storyline. Even though there are way too many interviews; this SummerSlam gets a big thumbs up from me for entertainment value in the matches.
Obviously the WWE learned very little from the previous year as they included close to another twenty interviews throughout 1991’s SummerSlam broadcast. Sadly, though, the matches couldn’t really make up quality wise for all the damn talking going on throughout the night. Our double main event was a “Match Made In Heaven” and a “Match Made In Hell” which included a marriage for the former and a five-man tag handicap match for the latter. Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Miss Elizabeth were finally going to tie the knot even though Jake Roberts had done every evil deed imaginable to try and stop it. Our tag team main event saw two of the biggest names in wrestling history team up as Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior battled the turncoat Sgt. Slaughter, Gen. Adnan, and Col. Mustafa. The only other really appealing match would be the six-man opener. Big Boss Man and the Mountie had a decent match, but it was Mountie’s escapades in jail throughout the rest of the night that made that feud the most enjoyable.
The final event of this first volume did see a big decrease in the number of interviews and allowed for more focus to be put on the in-ring action. The WWE Championship was put on the line as the Ultimate Warrior faced off against Randy Savage in a pretty good match (with crappy ending), but it played second fiddle to another bout for the main event slot. Taking place in London, England, the hometown boy British Bulldog battled it out with his brother-in-law Bret “Hit Man” Hart over the Intercontinental Title. In front of what is to be known as the second largest WWE crowd ever, these two men put on a fantastic match that goes down in history as one of the best of all time. Constant camera shots of Bret’s sister/Bulldog’s wife Diana really added to the intensity of the match and made way for a great finish and a tremendous crowd reaction. SummerSlam 1992 really brings this first volume to a rousing finish as the heat rolls on.
Disc 1 – SummerSlam 1988
Rougeau Brothers Vs. The British Bulldogs
Bad News Brown Vs. Ken Patera
Mean Gene Interviews The MegaPowers with Miss Elizabeth
“Ravishing” Rick Rude Vs. Junkyard Dog
Mean Gene Interviews Honky Tonk Man with Jimmy Hart
The Bolsheviks Vs. The Powers Of Pain
Brother Love Interviews “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Intercontinental Championship Match: Honky Tonk Man Vs. Ultimate Warrior
Don Muraco Vs. Dino Bravo
Sean Mooney Interviews Jesse Ventura
World Tag Team Championship Match: Hart Foundation Vs. Demolition
Mean Gene Interviews Honky Tonk Man with Jimmy Hart
Big Boss Man Vs. Koko B. Ware
Sean Mooney Interviews Ultimate Warrior
Hercules Vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts
The MegaBucks: “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase & Andre The Giant Vs. The MegaPowers: Hulk Hogan & “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Disc 2 – SummerSlam 1989
Hart Foundation Vs. Brain Busters
Mean Gene Interviews Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes Vs. Honky Tonk Man
Mean Gene Interviews Demolition with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Mr. Perfect Vs. Red Rooster
Mean Gene Interviews “Ravishing” Rick Rude with Bobby Heenan
Six-Man Tag Match: The Rockers & Tito Santana Vs. Rougeau Brothers & Rick Martel
Mean Gene Interviews Ultimate Warrior
Intercontinental Championship Match: “Ravishing” Rick Rude Vs. Ultimate Warrior
Mean Gene Interviews Mr. Perfect, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ronnie Garvin, Bobby Heenan, & “Ravishing” Rick Rude
Six-Man Tag Match: Andre The Giant & The Twin Towers Vs. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan & Demolition
Mean Gene Interviews “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase with Virgil
Mean Gene Interviews “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Sensational Sherri, and Zeus
“Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase Vs. “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka
Mean Gene Interviews Hulk Hogan and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake
“Macho Man” Randy Savage & Zeus Vs. Hulk Hogan & Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake
Disc 3 – SummerSlam 1990
The Rockers Vs. Power & Glory
Mean Gene Interviews Mr. Perfect with Bobby Heenan
Mean Gene Interviews Texas Tornado
Intercontinental Championship Match: Mr. Perfect Vs. Texas Tornado
Mean Gene Interviews Mr. Perfect with Bobby Heenan
Sensational Sherri Vs Sapphire
Mean Gene Interviews Dusty Rhodes
Tito Santana Vs. Warlord
Sean Mooney Interviews Demolition
Mean Gene Interviews Hart Foundation
World Tag Team Championship Match: Demolition Vs. Hart Foundation
Mean Gene Interviews Legion Of Doom & Hart Foundation
Sean Mooney Attempts To Interview Demolition
Mean Gene Interviews Sensational Queen Sherri
Mean Gene Interviews Big Boss Man
Sean Mooney Interviews Nikolai Volkoff & “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Mean Gene Interviews Earthquake & Dino Bravo with Jimmy Hart
Sean Mooney Interviews Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Jake “The Snake” Roberts Vs. Bad News Brown (Special Guest Referee: Big Boss Man)
Mean Gene Interviews Demolition
Brother Love with Sgt. Slaughter
Sean Mooney Interviews Orient Express with Mr. Fuji
Mean Gene Attempts To Interview Sapphire
Nikolai Volkoff & “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan Vs. Orient Express
Mean Gene Interviews Dusty Rhodes
Sean Mooney Interviews “Macho King” Randy Savage
Dusty Rhodes Vs. “Macho King” Randy Savage
Sean Mooney Interviews “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase with Virgil
Mean Gene Interviews Hulk Hogan & Big Boss Man
Hulk Hogan Vs. Earthquake
Sean Mooney Interviews “Ravishing” Rick Rude with Bobby Heenan
Mean Gene Interviews Dusty Rhodes
Lord Alfred Hayes Describes Steel Cage Assembly
Mean Gene Interviews Hulk Hogan
Sean Mooney Interviews Earthquake & Dino Bravo with Jimmy Hart
Mean Gene Interviews Ultimate Warrior
Steel Cage Match For The WWE Championship: Ultimate Warrior Vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude
Disc 4 – SummerSlam 1991
Six-Man Tag Match: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat, British Bulldog, & Texas Tornado Vs. Power & Glory & Warlord
Sean Mooney Interviews Mr. Perfect
Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret “Hit Man” Hart Vs. Mr. Perfect
Mean Gene Interviews Bushwhackers
Natural Disasters Vs. Bushwhackers
Bobby Heenan Special Report From Hulk Hogan’s Locker Room
Sean Mooney Interviews “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase
Million-Dollar Title Match: Virgil Vs. Ted Dibiase
Mean Gene Interviews The Mountie
Sean Mooney Interviews Big Boss Man
Jailhouse Match: Big Boss Man Vs. The Mountie
Mean Gene Interviews “Million-Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase
Sean Mooney Interviews Bret “Hit Man” Hart
Mean Gene Interviews Natural Disasters
Sean Mooney Interviews Big Boss Man
Mean Gene Interviews “Macho Man” Randy Savage
The Mountie Goes To Jail
Sean Mooney Interviews The Nasty Boys
The Mountie In Jail
Sean Mooney Interviews Legion Of Doom
The Mountie In Jail (cont.)
Sean Mooney Interviews Sgt. Slaughter
Mean Gene Interviews Sid Justice
World Tag Team Championship Match: The Nasty Boys Vs. Legion Of Doom
The Mountie In Jail (cont.)
Irwin R. Schyster Vs. Greg “The Hammer” Valentine
Mean Gene Interviews Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior
Match Made In Hell: Hulk Hogan & Ultimate Warrior Vs. Sgt. Slaughter, Col. Mustafa, & Gen. Adnan
Flashback “Macho Man” Randy Savage Proposes To Miss Elizabeth
Match Made In Heaven: “Macho Man” Randy Savage & Miss Elizabeth’s Wedding
Disc 5 – SummerSlam 1992
Money Inc. Vs. Legion Of Doom
Mean Gene Interviews Ric Flair
Sean Mooney Interviews Virgil
Nailz Vs. Virgil
Special Report With Lord Alfred Hayes
Mean Gene Interviews Sensational Sherri
Rick Martel Vs. Shawn Michaels
Sean Mooney Interviews The Nasty Boys with Jimmy Hart
World Tag Team Championship Match: Natural Disasters Vs. Beverly Brothers
Mean Gene Interviews Bushwhackers
Lord Alfred Hayes
Repo Man Vs. Crush
“Macho Man” Randy Savage & Ultimate Warrior Recap
WWE Championship Match: Ultimate Warrior Vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Mean Gene Interviews Ric Flair & Mr. Perfect
Kamala Vs. Undertaker
Sean Mooney Interviews British Bulldog
Mean Gene Interviews Bret “Hit Man” Hart
Performance by The Balmoral Highlanders
Sean Mooney Interviews Diana Hart Smith
Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret “Hit Man” Hart Vs. British Bulldog
The events are shown in 1.33:1 Full Screen format and each one looks tremendous even though they are all almost twenty years old. No noticeable problems except for a few pixilation issues one second or so every now and then, but all looks fantastic for the most part.
The events are heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and there is not a single problem to be found here. All commentary can be heard cleanly and clearly while the entrance themes and crowd noise booms around the room.
None.
I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt here on the overall scoring because there are no special features anywhere to be found in this set. Thing is, you don’t really need any when you get so many matches and that is what you’d be purchasing the set for anyway. So just let it be known that the different volumes of SummerSlam I’ll be reviewing are getting a little leeway as far as scoring here. Perhaps not all the events in the first five years are really that entertaining and filled with tons and tons of interviews, but there really is a lot that should be seen to be believed and appreciated. Each year brings about a few things that should be checked out while a few even have a lot more to appreciate. This really is a great collection to have for any wrestling fan and might as well start with the first volume in order to collect them all. Let’s not forget the really awesome theme music that SummerSlam used to have which always gave me chills when that time of year came around.
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WWE Home Video presents SummerSlam The Complete Anthology Volume 1: 1988 – 1992. Featuring: Hulk Hogan, Ted Dibiase, Big Boss Man, Bret Hart, Ultimate Warrior, Ravishing Rick Rude, Randy Savage, British Bulldog, and many more. Running time: 960 minutes on 5 discs. Rating: PG. Released on DVD: March 10, 2009. Available at Amazon.com
