*NOTE: The matches rated in red indicate that they took place on Raw, while the matches in blue were on Smackdown.
DISC ONE
The year was kicked off with a BANG
Match 1:: Falls Count Anywhere for the WWE Championship: The Miz(c) vs. John Morrison
What an amazing match to start the year and this collection with. Looking back at The Miz's impressive WWE title reign, this was easily his best match as champion. Gotta say I miss him having A-Ry as his manager and both men haven't been the same since they split. Lots of high risk spots by Morrison in this match, including a breathtaking leap off of the WWE logo.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: The Miz Match Rating: 4.5/5
Match 2:: Intercontinental Championship match: Dolph Ziggler(c) vs. Kofi Kingston
This was a good, fast paced match but it was not as good as some of their previous matches from 2010. Kofi Kingston wins in dramatic fashion, but Vickie Guerrero pulls some strings and has the match restarted. Kofi then immediately hits Dolph with the Trouble in Paradise, earning another victory, much to the pleasure of the live audience.
Winner and NEW IC Champion: Kofi Kingston Match Rating: 3.25/5
Match 3:: 2 out of 3 Falls match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio
There was some great back and forth action in this match and it is definitely one of Alberto's best since his arrival in 2010. There were a hefty amount of counters as well, with the cradle pin by Rey Mysterio being particularly awesome. The finish saw Alberto Del Rio picking up the win with assistance from 2011's best manager, Ricardo Rodriguez.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio Match Rating: 4/5
Match 4:: Divas Championship match: Natalya(c) vs. Melina
I don't even remember that Melina was employed in 2011. I think that says a whole lot about the significance of this match. Still, it was pretty good for what it was.
Winner and STILL Divas Champion: Natalya Match Rating: 2.5/5
Match 5: The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
I remember watching this match live and being really impressed with it. Daniel Bryan obviously carries The Miz for most of the match, though it will go down as one of Miz's better performances as well. The neckbreaker on the apron by Miz was friggin' SICK!
Winner: The Miz Match Rating: 3.5/5
Segment 1: The Rock returns to Raw
The first segment on the set features the memorable return of The Rock exactly one year ago (Valentine's Day 2011). Great stuff here as the crowd ate up everything The Rock had to say. This segment also gains more significance being that it kicked off The Rock vs. John Cena saga.
Segment Rating: 5/5
Segment 2: John Cena responds to The Rock
In the previous segment, The Rock infamously takes multiple shots at John Cena. A week later, Cena responded with an equally memorable freestyle rap packed with scathing one liners aimed at the great one.
Segment Rating: 4/5
Segment 3: Dolph Ziggler Championship coronation
I wasn't a big fan of the Dolph Ziggler "championship' reign (if you can even call it that). I think they could have left this off of the DVD and nobody would have noticed. Nevertheless, the segment leads to an immediate rematch between Ziggler and Edge. Edge picks up the win with the spear almost instantly, continuing his great final title run. I shudder to think what could have been if Edge were still around to feud with the white-hot CM Punk when I watch this, ah well, there's always WWE 12.
Segment Rating: 2/5
Segment 4: A Stone Cold Referee
Here Michael Cole was set to announce his special guest referee for his match with Jerry Lawler at Wrestlemania 27. JBL was supposed to be the ref but Stone Cold interrupts, stuns Layfield and signs the special referee contract instead. A decent moment but it's another that I could have done without. Cool to see JBL again though.
Segment Rating: 2.5/5
Segment 5: "The Rock" attacks John Cena
Finally we have another segment worthy of the DVD. The Miz pulled a classic stunt here, posing as The Rock and attacking John Cena. Classic moment that helped give Miz some much needed momentum at the time due to the fact that he had been taking a backseat on the Rock-Cena ride.
Segment Rating: 4/5
Match 6:: Steel Cage match: Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio
A pretty good match all things considered but kind of lackluster for a cage match. There was an amazing Samoan drop off of the top of the cage by Alberto, but that was about it. The crowd hurt this match a lot as they were just not that into it.
Winner: Christian Match Rating: 3.25/5
Match 7:: Intercontinental Championship match: Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett
This was a very good match. I was surprised at the level of chemistry these two had together. I hope we see some more matches out of them now that Kofi has a renewed push. The counter of the Trouble in Paradise into the Wasteland by Wade Barrett, was as smooth as silk. This match also marks the first singles title win for Wade Barrett.
Winner and NEW IC Champion: Wade Barrett Match Rating: 3.5/5
Segment 6: Streak In Jeopardy?
The first disc comes to a close with an incredible segment between The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels. To all aspiring wrestlers out there, THIS is how you cut an effective promo and build hype for a match. You really feel as if it was any man's match to win here.
Segment Rating: 5/5
DISC TWO
One of the truly great promos of all time
Segment 1: Edge says Goodbye
The second disc opens with the emotional retirement speech from Edge. Classic moment here that gains even more prominence with Edge's induction into the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame.
Segment Rating: 5/5
Segment 2: A new side of R Truth
The first of many great promo's by R Truth, cementing his hilarious heel turn and birthing his wildly entertaining new gimmick. That alone combined with the debut of his now classic "Little Jimmy" catchphrase, make this segment DVD worthy.
Segment Rating: 3/5
Match 1:: WWE Championship match: John Cena(c) vs. The Miz
I'm amazed by the amount of matches The Miz has on this DVD. This match is not a technical masterpiece by ANY stretch, but it's still better then the match they had at Wrestlemania. Alex Riley interferes, hitting Cena with the title belt and setting him up for the skull crushing finale. It looked as if Miz would now be a two time champion until post match, the ref realizes this and reverses the decision.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: John Cena Match rating: 3/5
Match 2:: World Heavyweight Championship match: Christian(c) vs. Randy Orton
Far and away, the best match on this disc. This match has now become infamous for setting the IWC on fire. Christian won the World title just 6 days prior at Extreme Rules and ended up losing it here to Randy Orton. Clearly, nobody realized that this event was just kicking off the feud of the year with a classic match between two of the very best in the WWE. This match was very smooth, with lots of old school catch as catch can wrestling. Watching this live, you really would not be able to tell who was going to walk out champion until the very end. Great match!
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion: Randy Orton Match Rating: 4.5/5
Segment 3: Riley's Revenge
Cool moment for Alex Riley but not much has happened for him since then, giving this little importance. It's crazy to look back at this and realize just how much momentum he had at the time. Either way, he kicked the crap out of The Miz, which earns him some extra points and the admiration of everyone in attendance. I'm fully convinced that it is this segment alone, that is the reason Riley still gets a good pop when he enters an arena to this day (people hate The Miz that much). Oh and by the way, WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE ANONYMOUS GM!?
Segment Rating: 3.5/5
Match 3:: World Heavyweight Championship match: Randy Orton(c) vs. Sheamus with Special Referee Christian
A solid contest with Sheamus getting in most of the offense. Still, given the quality of most of the matches on this set so far, this one comes off as a bit of a dud once you get to it. The only noteworthy moment of the match was Christian's heel turn at the end.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Randy Orton Match Rating: 3/5
Match 4:: Elimination Tag Team match: The Miz, R Truth and Christian vs. Alex Riley, Randy Orton and John Cena
Prior to this match, we get a pretty funny promo from Christian and R Truth, complaining about their losses at Capitol Punishment. As far as the match goes, it's a lot better then you'd expect it to be. A very exciting and solid Raw main event, but another match I could have done without.
Winners: John Cena, Randy Orton and Alex Riley Match Rating: 3/5
Match 5: Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan
Great match between two of the brightest young stars in the WWE. I could only imagine the feud these two could have with a World title involved.
Winner: Cody Rhodes Match Rating: 3.5/5
Segment 4: CM Punk speaks his mind
What could I say about this segment that hasn't been said already. The best moment of the year and one that changed the landscape of the industry. This promo is a MUST SEE for those of you who haven't seen it already due to the fact that you've been living under a rock.
Segment Rating: 5/5
Match 6: Sin Cara vs. Christian
This is easily Sin Cara's best match since his arrival in the WWE. Credit for that statement pretty much solely goes to Christian. This match speaks volumes about Captain Charisma's value as a main event performer.
Winner: Christian Match Rating: 3.75/5
Segment 5: Mr. McMahon is Relieved of his Duties
This segment was great at the time, but it does not hold up as well as the others. There is a lot of filler and the emotional father-son moment with HHH and Vince is just cheesy.
Segment Rating: 2/5
DISC THREE
A true passing of the torch
Match 1:: WWE Championship match: Rey Mysterio(c) vs. John Cena
One of the best matches of the year. I remember about a month prior to this match, my cousin Jay and I were wondering how these two legends have never crossed paths in a high profile match. Our wish was granted here and boy did these two tear down the house. There was a very big match feel in the air as Rey Mysterio, coming off his big WWE Championship tournament win, would have to defend his title on the same night against the re-instated John Cena. The story was great, and these two worked the crowd into a frenzy with a masterful performance. Lots of great offense by Rey. There definitely has been something missing in his absence. This match also ends with the memorable return of CM Punk, who at this point, we thought was gone for good. THIS match and post match segment almost make the DVD worth the money alone.
Winner and NEW WWE Champion: John Cena Match Rating: 4.75/5
Match 2:: Intercontinental Championship match: Ezekiel Jackson vs. Cody Rhodes
What the hell was ground beef head Zeke even doing with the IC title to begin with? Thank goodness management realized that the belt needed resurrecting and passed it to a worthy superstar. That being said, this match is necessary because it's the beginning the longest running title reign in the current WWE.
Winner and NEW IC Champion: Cody Rhodes Match Rating: 2/5
Match 3:: Falls Count Anywhere: John Morrison vs. R Truth
If Morrison has any legacy in the WWE, it will be due to the fact that he was awesome in Falls Count Anywhere matches. That is where the praise stops though. This match was the beginning of the end for JoMo and you could sense it. R Truth became another former Morrison partner who would go on to great things, while John found himself irrelevant and jobless not much later.
Winner: John Morrison Match Rating: 3.75/5
Match 4: Alberto Del Rio vs. Daniel Bryan
A great match between the two submission specialists. Even if it was hindered by the douchy commentary of Michael Cole. Del Rio is going to need a deep tissue massage after the amount of kicks he took from Bryan in this match. This one could've main evented a PPV with the right amount of hype, so to have this for free on TV, was a steal.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio Match Rating: 4/5
Match 5:: Unified Tag Team Championship match: David Otunga and Michael McGuillicutty vs. Air Boom
Another match that marks the resurgence of a title. The tag team division was pretty much a non factor in the WWE around this time. It still hasn't completely regained it's prestige, but at least they started taking steps in the right direction.
Winner and NEW Tag Team Champions: Air Boom Match Rating: 3/5
Match 6:: Steel Cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Randy Orton(c) vs. Christian
One of the most underrated matches of 2011. Another one with that big match feel, due to the great level of work put in by both men throughout their classic rivalry. This match was also a great throwback to the days when cage matches were used as the blow off match to a feud. There's also a post match attack by Mark Henry here.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Randy Orton Match Rating: 4/5
Match 7: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
This match was the breakout performance of Cody Rhodes. He proved that he was just as good a performer as anyone else in the company here. To his credit, Randy Orton has done an amazing job building up the next big stars in 2011. He is almost solely responsible for the survival of the company at this point. Very good back and forth match, leading up to a very exciting finishing sequence. Mark Henry again assaults Randy Orton post match here.
Winner: Randy Orton Match Rating: 3.5/5
Segment 1: The Cutting Edge with Randy Orton and Mark Henry
A classic segment that really put over how personal Mark Henry's quest to become World Champion was. Randy Orton and Edge pointed out all of Henry's failures up until this point, making the world's strongest man visibly emotional. I personally believe that it was this segment that lit a fire under Henry. Eventually, things get too intense and the two come to blows. Henry goes on a rampage destroying Orton along with at least 6 other superstars.
Segment Rating: 4.5/5
Segment 2: Mark Henry is Unleashed
Jim Ross is in the ring conducting an interview with Mark Henry. This segment was another that was intensely personal for Henry. He continues the awesome style of promo that he cut post match at Night of Champions, where he won the World Heavyweight Championship. Mark also points out that JR had at one point, tried to get Henry fired. The passion in Henry's eyes almost tell the story on their own. I loved that Mark said to JR "this is where you beg for your life!", as he choked Ross with his own tie. Jerry Lawler tries to run in for the save and gets the shit beat out of him for his efforts. The segment ends after King takes a World's Strongest Slam through the announce table.
Segment Rating: 4/5
Match 8: Zack Ryder w/Hugh Jackman vs. Dolph Ziggler w/Vickie Guerrero
This match was OK. Obviously, it was included because of the highlight of Jackman punching Ziggler near the end.
Winner: Zack Ryder Match Rating: 2.5/5
Match 9:: Lumberjack match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Mark Henry(c) vs. Christian
This was a solid contest until both men ended up on the outside and chaos ensued. Christian took this as an opportunity to try and run away. Sheamus arrives on the ramp and tosses him back into the ring and he immediately gets hit with the World's Strongest Slam.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Mark Henry Match Rating: 2.75/5
Match 10: CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio
WWE Champion John Cena was on commentary for this match and you could feel the tension between all three men. Del Rio and Punk always deliver together and while this was not their best match, it was still quite good. A very stiff and competitive match. Post match, a cell lowers from the ceiling and Alberto lays waste to Cena and Punk with a steel chair.
Winner: CM Punk Match Rating: 3.25/5
DISC FOUR
Ending the DVD with a near perfect contest
Match 1:: 12 man Tag Team match: John Cena, CM Punk, Sheamus, Air Boom and Mason Ryan vs. Alberto Del Rio, Christian, David Otunga, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler
A very entertaining match that had the crowd on the edge of their seats for the entire duration of it. JR was on commentary here and it was some of his best work of the year. Sheamus picks up the win and was really put over as the next top babyface in the company here.
Winners: Team Cena Match Rating: 3.75/5
Segment 1: Vote of No Confidence
There is a package shown highlighting the events leading up to the roster walking out on Triple H.
Segment Rating: 2.5/5
Match 2: John Cena vs. Sheamus w/Referee Triple H and Commentator CM Punk
This fun segment was the result of the roster walkout. If you watched this live, then you know it was one of the more entertaining moments of 2011. CM Punk was especially hilarious. During the match, Vince arrives and relieves Triple H of his duties.
Winner: N/A Match Rating: N/A
Match 3:: Mask vs. Mask match: Sin Cara vs. Sin Cara
A high flying Mexican style match with a lot of theatrics. I remember being a bigger fan of Hunico as Sin Cara, then Cara himself. That said, I was disappointed with the finish of this match. Still, it was good for what it was. It didn't hurt that this event took place in Mexico.
Winner: Sin Cara (blue) Match Rating: 3/5
Match 4:: Street Fight: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes
The best match of their 2011 feud. There really is no one in the WWE right now better in a street fight than Randy Orton. They brawl all over the arena and Cody Rhodes suffers nasty gash on the top of his head (it appears to be edited out) and a busted lip after this brutal contest. Post match, Randy covers Rhode's face with one of his trademark paper bags.
Winner: Randy Orton Match Rating: 4/5
Match 5:: World Heavyweight Championship match: Mark Henry(c) vs. Daniel Bryan w/ The Big Show
I loved the mini-feud these two had in the final months of 2011. While this match was great and a highlight in Mark Henry's awesome reign, I would rather they have included their Steel Cage match over this one. Still, this was a very good match with a lot of brilliant storytelling. The post match tease of Daniel Bryan winning the World title by cashing in his MITB contract, was also very memorable.
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Mark Henry Match Rating: 3.25/5
Match 6:: Champion vs. Champion match: WWE Champion CM Punk vs. United States Champion Dolph Ziggler
A classic battle that kicked off a feud that has resulted in some of the WWE's best matches as of late. Not enough can be said about how awesome this match was. If not for the botched finish, it's arguable that this would have been the best match on the set.
Winner: CM Punk Match Rating: 4/5
Final Thoughts: A pretty good collection, especially since there's so much content for a reasonable price. I would have liked more of the Zack Ryder US title quest, but it's not necessary. Also the CM Punk/Vince McMahon contract signing was left out. They also neglected to include anything from December, which is odd.
Overall DVD Score: 8.5 (a pretty good set, but not a must have)
Best Match: Raw: John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio for the WWE Championship
Best Segment: Raw: CM Punk speaks his mind
Best Disc: Disc 3
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