Csonka Reviews WWE’s Attitude Era Vol. Two (Disc Three)

In the spirit of full disclosure, the following DVD set was provided to 411 by WWE for review purposes.

Runtime (total set) is approximately 6 hours.

Synopsis: What does everybody want? Head to the nearest man cave, give your boss a Stone Cold salute and spend the next six hours watching The Attitude Era Vol.2, the hottest set to be released since Sable’s handprint bikini. If you are old enough to order a Steve-Weiser, “Hello ladies” was your pick up line in college and you loved WWE before “Federation” became the new “F” word, then here is what you need to do. Take this all new collection, shine it up real nice, flip it sideways and stick it straight up… your DVD player!!

DISC THREE REVIEW

Drinking with the APA: Ron Simmons said they would have slept in a bar if they could have. He tells a story about walking into a bar, and some guys coming up to them and saying that they don’t like strangers. They tried to have their drink and be cool, but the guy pulls out a knife. He and JBL started a fight, knocked out the guy with a bottle and then backed their way out. Unfortunately the car was a half a mile away. Barry Windham was thankfully arriving so they got in his car and left. He said this sort of thing happened all the time.

Tag Team Championship Match: Acolytes © vs. Kane & X-Pac – RAW • August 9, 1999: This was the time when Pac has befriended Kane, and also the first time that Kane and Pac did the combo music and pyro. Bradshaw and Farooq gave NO fucks as they beat down Pac. Short match, about five minutes, and we have Kane and Pac win the titles. The work was fine, nothing special, but the crowd popped huge for Kane’s hot tag and the title switch, so mission accomplished. Post match, Pac cuts a short promo, and Pac has Kane finally speak without the voice box gimmick he was using. Kane’s first words without the voice box were “suck it”. Undertaker and Show attacked, laying out the new champions. [**]

Sexual Chocolate: Mark Henry says he was at a cross roads with his character, and he wanted to be a smooth talking ladies man. He wanted to be like the guy in Coming to America who sang Sexual Chocolate. The office wasn’t sure they could get away with the name, but he said that with all of the other content on the show it shouldn’t have been a problem. They tried it one night, it got over, and from then on, he was Sexual Chocolate.

Mark Henry Sex Therapy Sessions: During the promo, Henry discusses being a sex addict, losing his fiancée, fling in women, and he also lost his best friend D’Lo. I never liked this angle back then, and still don’t, but Henry actually getting tears to come out as he does this promo and showing the embarrassment that his mother and family will hear about this was pretty skillful. We then see some of Henry’s “therapy” sessions, discussing his first sexual encounter at age eight, with his sister. He then admits to having sex with his sister the day before as well. Henry goes to the third therapist, and gets a man this time because all he could think about was the women. They play it that the male therapist is gay, so Henry then goes to an old woman. She wants to teach him about friendly, non-sexual hugs. But she them jumps on him and molests him… kill me now.

Valentine’s Day Delight: Henry discusses working with Mae Young. He says she picked on him, and she had a great sense of humor. He talks about the time that they did a scene in bed, and she kept trying to grab him junk during the shoot. He thought it was hilarious, but they had to get rid of the producer because he kept laughing.

Mark Henry and Mae Young Get a Room – RAW • February 14, 2000: This is a series of segments from that night’s Raw, featuring Henry getting a Honeymoon suite for he and Mae. The look on the dude’s face behind the desk is priceless. Henry carries Mae over the threshold, and uses the “do not disturb” sign. Oh boy they’re going to slip into something more comfortable, and Henry is getting impatient waiting in bed for Mae. Yeah, moving on…

Triple Threat Match for the European Championship: Kurt Angle ©© vs. Chris Jericho vs. Tazz – RAW • March 13, 2000: Kurt Angle was the Euro-Continental Champion at this time. Jericho insinuates that Angle and Backlund have a gay relationship, since Backlund helped him last week. Tazz randomly announces that this is now a no DQ match. Ok then. Tazz was still getting good reactions and he was working really hard as this was early in his run. Angle was still coming into his own here, but he was so quick and crisp that you had the feeling that he would be great. I still mark for Tazz suplexing dudes all over the ring. Backlund tried to get involved like he did the week before, Chyna ended up running in for a low blow on Tazz. Angle hit a belt shot on Jericho for the win at 3:30. This was fun and disappointing all at the same time because they were working really well together. [**]

Behind Breaking the Walls: Jericho discusses finally making it to the WWE after all of the years of hard work. It didn’t matter what he did, it only matters what he does one he goes through the curtain. He discusses the pressure of his debut promo, and the fact that he wrote the promo himself. He, Russo and Rock went over the promo in catering, Vince (McMahon) didn’t even know what was in the promo. Looking back he doesn’t like it because it was too long, too corny and way too “WCW Jericho,” but others view it as a classic moment.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Chris Jericho ©vs. Kurt Angle – RAW • May 8, 2000: Angle was fighting for the title and for the honor of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, since Jericho had unleashed on her, likely calling her a $2 whore or something along those lines. This is another case of guys that were good here, but would get even better. They work a clean and fine five minutes, and Jericho wins clean with the walls. [**½]

Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko: Sunday Night Heat • June 18, 2000: Eddie is the European Champion at this time, and this is during the “Latino Heat” era, with Chyna. Malenko is the Light Heavyweight Champion, and has been hanging with the Godfather, and has some ladies with him as he comes to the ring. This was a lay off of their ECW style matches with tons of counters playing off of their history as friends and opponents. They went about 3½ minutes, so like many matches on this set with potential, it was way too short. Chyna got involved late, Eddie hit a sloppy RANA off the top for the win. [**]

Intergender Tag Team Match: The Rock & Lita vs. Kurt Angle & Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley – SmackDown • August 24, 2000: Lita won the title on the Raw right before this from Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, Rock was the special referee. Rock is days away from defending the WWF Title against Angle and Triple H on PPV. I always liked Rock and Angle working together, they always turned it up a notch. Angle got shot to the corner and that sent Stephanie to the steps and floor. Triple H would rush out to check on her, and then carry her to the back. Angle and Rock brawled to the ramp and Triple H attacked him. Angle and Triple H took out the ref at about 6-minutes and put the beat down on Rock. They then went after Lita and the Hardys made the save. Rock would return and take out Angle and then lay out Triple H. Rock and team Extreme laid the boots to Triple H, and Angle then bailed. This led to Angle heading backstage and checking on Stephanie and kissing her in an angle that was later dropped. [**]

Triple Threat Match for the Women’s Championship: Lita vs. Ivory vs. Jacqueline – Sunday Night Heat • September 17, 2000: I always liked all three ladies, so hopefully this gets some time. The crowd is very lively for this early, popping for all of Lita’s signature stuff. Damn, Miss Jacqueline threw a snug ass clothesline. So much for getting time, Lita won clean with the moonsault at about 2:30. At least the crowd was hot for the whole time. [NR Under Three Minutes]

Weak Stomach: Gerald Brisco discusses being famous for being known for a notoriously weak stomach. He got ribbed all the time, including Stephanie. He discusses refusing to get stunned into a pile of manure due to this. Foley had a special “Mr. Socko” kept deep down for him, and he’d start gagging before it went into his mouth. He hated doing some things, but knew he had to because it was needed.

Hardcore Championship Match: Gerald Brisco vs. Crash Holly – RAW • June 5, 2000: Brisco came out to “Real American” and flexed for the crowd. Crash beat down Brisco and then got the toys from under the ring. They used the weapons, Patterson got involved, Crash used “poop stained underwear” as a weapon. Dirt worst. Brisco retained, no one could possibly care. [DIRT WORST]

Evening Gown Match for the Hardcore Championship: Gerald Brisco vs. Pat Patterson – King of the Ring • June 25, 2000: This was a perfect example of the WWE taking a good joke and completely smashing it into the ground because they did not know when to stop. It was horrendous, concentrated shit in a small window. Crash Holly thankfully runs in and wins back the title, to the delight of the crowd and my sanity. [DIRT FUCKING WORST]

Wanna Ride?: Simmons discusses Trish Stratus just starting in WWE. He says she was beautiful and the APA befriended her. The APA offered to driver her from town to town and she accepted. Bruce Prichard did not approve of this, and got her out of the car. Simmons says this was probably a good idea.

Intergender Tag Team Match: The Rock & Lita vs. Triple H & Trish Stratus – RAW • July 31, 2000:The crowd was red hot for anything and everything that Rock and Lita did, which made for a great environment. This was mostly Triple H vs. Rock, which was perfectly fine because they worked very well together and always had a ton of energy. Lita scored the win with moonsault on Trish in about seven minutes. Post match, Rock laid out Triple H with a chair shot, and he fell onto Trish in the “69” position. [**½]

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

This set feels like a huge been there and done that that for me it is near impossible to recommend. So much material on this set came from Raw, and while we have had well over 1000 episodes, we’re picking at the bones here. Late last year we got the WWE: Raw 20th Anniversary Collection – The 20 Greatest Episodes Uncut & Unedited 12 disc set. Prior to that we had the WWE: Raw 100 - The Top 100 Moments in Raw History DVD set, the WWE: The Best of Raw - 15th Anniversary DVD set, the WWE: Raw - Tenth Anniversary DVD set and the Raw "The Beginning": The Best of Seasons 1 & 2 DVD set. We’ve been there and done that, and now you’re asking people to spend money on it under the disguise of an “Attitude Era” DVD set, a second volume at that.

As for the content, it’s extremely average. There is no real great wrestling or matches that get any real time, there are a few fun and good outings, but nothing great. There are also some fun angles to go back and revisit, but again nothing that blows you away, even if you were there watching it at the time. Also, don’t let those looking at the Attitude Era as some perfect glory period fool you, everything wasn’t great and the crowds were not into everything. In ways the Attitude Era was a great thing if you lived through it, but when you go back to watch it now, it just isn’t the same and comes across disappointing and frustrating.

At the end of the day, this to be kind is very flawed. I came away disappointed overall, and I was actually looking forward to this. There is some fun to be had, but you have to wade through a lot of crap to get there. Similar to today’s product. At times, this unfortunately felt like a real chore to get through.