History of Wrestlemania I-IX (1985-1993)

Ethan Switch - Friday, 8 April 2005 - Print Version

Vince McMahon wearing a tuxedo, complete with bow tie and cummerbund, provides a strange and scary visual. Expected at any moment is the sudden shredding, a tearing away of the penguin mock like a stripper at a hen's night. With his head popping out of the neck hold like a pimple set to squeeze, the fabric seems at pains to rein in the sides, stretched against his muscle-bound body. A feat possibly more than the very fibres are capable of doing so. Freakishly, at certain angles, it's almost as if his head and neck are shifting along the shoulder plane.

Anyway, here he is, sitting front and centre, saddle-style at times, on a stage surrounded by all sorts of memorabilia, trophies and trinkets from his wrestling organisation. Tonight's presentation, the history of Wrestlemanias I through to IX - 1985 to 1993 basically.

History of Wrestlemania I - IX spotlights some of the more memorable matches in the first decade of World Wrestling Entertainment's legacy to the squared circle. Battles which, due to not actually caring, escape easily outside following one too many hits of a hyped up and busting out Randy Savage on the screen. The athleticism, the pageantry and the sheer majesty of sports entertainment. Yeah.

Throughout the video, McMahon slathers dollop on dollop of anticipated wonder and excitement in the world of wrestling. Thanks in large to the near constant reeling of superlatives, there is no doubt in the belief that this is the pinnacle of slam brady. Pouring in a grand effort, the spiels and intros serve as best as they can to dress up the matches with any information that might dress the bouts in context beyond a mere slapping of the head with the back of the thigh.

With this being a near direct transfer of the old VHS edition from Coliseum Home Video, all sorts of trademark issues regarding names remain in their fixed state. Hollywood Hogan is still Hulk Hogan, the WWE is still the WWF and Andre the Giant is still very much a member of the unliving.

Resolution comes across as soft and warm, though not to the extent of filters used by Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey. Like watching most reels of pornography or a current US soap such as The Bold and the Beautiful or Young and the Restless. Maybe even Passions. Given that, quality in the transfer from VHS to DVD looks pretty damned polished.

Audio is clear but not entirely crisp. At times the energy is often dulled with match commentary switching back and forth from present to past tense in between and during bouts with no reason given as to why. Effectively neutering any chance for that in-the-moment excitement often buzzed by commentators such as Jim Ross, Susan St. James, Gorilla Monsoon, et al.

Randy "Macho Man" Savage features in quite a lot of the Wrestlemanias. His reign as the one to beat rivalling the faith of The Ultimate Warrior in his rope god. The Ultimate Warrior never once used a noose to strangle and break the neck of his opponents. What kind of rope god never shows the faithful the power of a well made noose?

False gods lead your path to doom.

Fresh back in the day, back really serves as disconnect with the present. Compared to the current stars and villains, the old guard are positively haggard and laboured yet still remain as operatic during their battles as they ever did.

History tastes like an appetiser or soup.

Ethan Switch