WWE Best Main Events Of The Decade
Running Time: 372 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 10 2020
(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)
Late last year, I lamented WWE’s decision to focus solely on PPV releases for DVD, doing away with compilations that had been very popular with fans dating back decades to when VHS was the physical media source. Thankfully, though, we’ve been thrown a bone with the straight-forward WWE Best Main Events Of The Decade. This covers the period 2010-2020 (and if you think that makes the word “Decade” questionable, you’d be right), and it goes without saying that this two-disc set has some incredible bouts, all of which went on last at supershows over the past 11 years.
The DVD arguably peaks at the beginning with The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXVI. I was fortunate enough to see this live and it was simply outstanding, and a great way to end Shawn’s career (if we ignore the Crown Jewel 2018 debacle). This is followed by John Cena vs. CM Punk at Money In The Bank 2011; I’ve often felt that this was slightly overrated, but having watched it again, it is fully worthy of being remembered as a classic, even if I wouldn’t rank it above Taker vs. HBK as a certain wrestling “journalist” did.
Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar from SummerSlam 2012 is more divisive; some loved it and others found it totally dull. I personally enjoyed it, but the lack of crowd noise does detract from its entertainment value (which is very ironic to write at this time when no fans are allowed at any sporting events). The Rock vs. John Cena (which I also saw in person) from WrestleMania 29 is very good, though I’d have argued that including their initial WM 28 bout and having Cena vs. Daniel Bryan from SummerSlam 2013 would have made more sense. Another potential switch would see The Shield vs. Evolution from Payback 2014, which is very exciting, replaced with D-Bryan’s moment of championship glory from WrestleMania XXX, but the six-man tag is still compelling nonetheless.
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31 greatly exceeded expectations and featured Seth Rollins cashing in his Money In The Bank briefcase, making this one of the legitimate contenders for most memorable WWE moment of the decade. Roman Reigns vs. AJ Styles at Extreme Rules 2016 is an awesome brawl, and it proved that Reigns could hold his own in a headline spot at a time when he was still being questioned. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair at Hell In A Cell 2016, meanwhile, is more notable for historical purposes, as their HIAC match is good but a bit of a let-down.
Better is the four-way clash from SummerSlam 2017 pitting Brock against Roman, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman; it’s an absolute slobber-knocker and one of the best four-way contests in WWE history. Lesnar seems to be WWE’s MVP of the 2010s because he appears again in a match from Survivor Series 2018, though it’s his opponent Daniel Bryan who goes above and beyond to make their contest unforgettable. Then we get the groundbreaking all-women’s WrestleMania main event from WM 35, as Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair make history in a match that had to be here. Finally, the set ends on a bit of a low point as we get a five-minute Brock vs. Drew McIntyre bout from WrestleMania 36 which, sans fans, feels jarring to watch after the excitement of the rest of the DVD.
This set definitely has plenty of high points, though, and with one or two exceptions, virtually every truly great WWE PPV main event from the time period is featured. There’s also a great cast of characters, with every meaningful name from the decade included somewhere. The downside to me is that this wasn’t really necessary, and it feels like an introduction for potential new WWE fans rather than something that longtime collectors would really need to own. Nevertheless, since we haven’t had compilations all year, this is better than nothing, and it will hopefully lead to WWE releasing more collections again in late 2020 or 2021.
Summing this up, WWE Best Main Events Of The Decade is not an essential purchase, but if you do decide to buy it, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic collection of matches.
Overall Rating: 9/10 – Outstanding
