Wrestlemania XX DVD Press Release (1 Viewer)

[Casey Trowbridg]

An Inside Look at WrestleMania XX as WWE Home Video Brings This Historic Event To DVD

STAMFORD, Conn.--April 23, 2004--World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc:

Limited Edition 3-Disc Set Gives Fans Never-Before-Seen Footage of the Most Successful WrestleMania in the History of WWE!
Relive Every Moment of WrestleMania XX Coupled With New Bonus Material on April 27, 2004

WWE Home Video announces the release of the hottest DVD this year as WrestleMania XX hits stores on April 27, 2004. The DVD gives fans an all-access review
complete with behind the scenes interviews, the entire 4 1/2 hour WrestleMania XX event and two bonus 45-minute specials including The Mania of WrestleMania
and WrestleMania's Ten Greatest Matches Ever. Never-before-seen footages abounds on this DVD that chronicles the most successful WrestleMania in WWE history!

What better way to relive the excitement of WrestleMania XX's greatest moments than with this DVD, filled with countless hours of action packed footage
as a limited edition, 3-disc set. WrestleMania XX is available for $34.95 SRP.

The WrestleMania XX DVD, is expected to be the largest initial release in WWE history. Following in the footsteps of an unprecedented Pay-Per-View WrestleMania
XX, the DVD is poised to be groundbreaking for the WWE as well. The DVD includes all the matches from WrestleMania XX, including the following:

First Ever Triple Threat Match: World Heavyweight Championship Triple H® vs. Chris Benoit® vs. Shawn Michaels(TM)
WWE Championship - Eddie Guerrero(TM) vs. Kurt Angle®
United States Championship - John Cena(TM) vs. Big Show®
DVD Special Features include:

The Mania of WrestleMania - A WWE film hosted by 2004 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Jesse Ventura, this 45-minute film chronicles the lives and untold stories
of top WWE Superstars leading up to WrestleMania XIX. Extras include two features that were not included in the original TV broadcast, and a behind-the-scenes
look at Jesse Ventura's voice over session.
WrestleMania's Ten Greatest Matches Ever - A 45-minute TV program hosted by legendary superstar Ric Flair®. Features highlights from the 10 greatest WrestleMania
matches as chosen by WWE Superstars.
Behind-the-scenes interviews
15-minutes of never-before-televised pre and post match interviews
History of WrestleMania photo gallery, facts and official match results
Interactive WrestleMania quiz which allows fans to answer 10 randomly selected WrestleMania trivia questions

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWE) is an integrated media and entertainment company headquartered in Stamford, Conn., with offices in New York
City, Los Angeles, Toronto and London. Additional information on the company can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. Information on television ratings
and community activities can be found at parents.wwe.com.

Trademarks: The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves
and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events,
broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's
brands, media and merchandise within those markets; uncertainties relating to litigation; risks associated with producing live events both domestically
and internationally; uncertainties associated with international markets; and other risks and factors set forth from time to time in Company filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently expected or anticipated.


Taken from 411mania/wrestling

 

[Andrew Radke]

Well, I'm at a crossroads. First of all, I own all 19 Wrestlemanias. A few years back I received the Wrestlemania Legacy box set which contained the first 15 events. These are of course on VHS. From there on, I've purchased 16 through 19 on VHS to coincide with this collection. Now, let it be known that the 19 Wrestlemanias I own on video are UNCUT. Each event is shown from beginning to end.

Now, I went to WWE.com last week to find that the VHS release of WMXX will NOT be shown in its entirety. In fact, the site's says the approximate running time is 3 hours, therefore a good hour and a half has been removed.

Don't get me wrong here. I love DVD. It's all I purchase when it comes to anything else. The Wrestlemanias are the ONLY exception I'll make where I'll purchase the VHS versions, only because as a collection, it just works, and looks damn good on the shelf.

Now I don't know what to do. I know the DVD has hours upon hours of bonus material, PLUS the entire event, but it won't fit in the collection along with the previous 19 I have purchased on VHS. I know I should probably bite my lip and purchase the DVD, but I don't know.

It just stinks to know that they'd pull this stunt. I'm sure there are many people out there who have picked up the 'Legacy' set (which IS complete), and to add the 20th installment which is clearly hacked to pieces is just wrong. These are all released in SLP (extended play) mode, so I know they could've fit the entire event onto a tape. Hell, last year's (19) was 4 hours and it made it on.

If I'd known they'd eventually pull this stunt, I would've purchased 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 on DVD while I had the chance.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

15-19 are still available on DVD and aren't all that hard to come by. I don't envy you though that's for sure. Especially complicating matters is the fact that 1-14 are not planned to see the light of day on DVD anytime soon.

I know WWE has clipped events before, but to shave an hour and a half off an event?

Andrew, that Wrestlemania legacy set, when you watch WM IV, is there a bunch of segments with a guy named Craig DeGeorge?

Does WM 5 have the Run DMC segment, or the Brother Love segment?

 

[Andrew Radke]

Well, I'm not entirely sure about WM IV, as it's been quite awhile since I last watched it, but both Run DMC and Brother Love are featured in Wrestlemania V. Also included is an exclusive trailer to Hulk Hogan's movie "No Holds Barred". It's keeping things like this that make these tapes truly nostalgic.

It's just a huge shame that Wrestlemania XX.....the most hyped event in years, is getting cropped so badly on VHS. Like I said, as a collector of the series, It's a real let down.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Well, I think I'd just get the DVD if I were you. I'm assuming that were the first 14 to be made available on DVD that you'd buy those to replace the VHS, so why not just start now? Especially given that 1.5 hours is being cut from the show, that's a lot of time being cut. If you have no intention of replacing the VHS collection should the DVDs ever come out than maybe I'd get the VHS for sinergy purposes but 1.5 hours is a lot of stuff to swallow.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

Personally, if WMXX had been 1.5 hours shorter, it would have been one of the best PPV's ever, in X-7 territory. But at 4.5 hours, it was merely a very good, but insanely bloated show. There was a LOT of filler there. While you always want the full matches to be available, just watch those old shows uncut (particularly WM IV-VII) and notice how goddamm BORING they get. They're glorified house shows with the occasional big money match. Did anyone in 1990 REALLY want to wade through Tito Santana v. Barbarian in order to get to Hogan v. Warrior?

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Andrew, or anyone else interested, this is what is missing from the VHS tape of Wrestlemania.

that's from today's update at Wrestling Observer.com

 

[Andrew Radke]

Thanks very much for the update. They really are cutting a lot of vital stuff out, aren't they? That's really disappointing. After much thought, I've decided to bite my lip and pick up the DVD, despite the fact that the previous 19 are on video. To have that much cut out is just a crime, especially all of the interviews. One of the great things about the previous WM tapes is that they showed the interviews leading into each match, not to mention highlights from past WWF programming which led up to each match. To have WMXX stripped in that fashion just won't cut it for me.

So, from here on in, I'll be purchasing all future Wrestlemanias on DVD. I'll also keep my eyes peeled for 15 through 19 on DVD. If I'm going to be making the switch, I might as well do it right.

Thanks again Casey. For awhile now, I was wondering EXACTLY was going to be cut, and your information made my decision a WHOLE lot easier.

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Andrew you are welcome, when I saw that information I thought you'd want to know.

I haven't been able to locate 15-17 online, but HighSpots.com does have 18 and 19. They want $18.99 for 18, and $21.99 for 19.

 

[Eric_B_C]

I signed up for this board specifically after reading this yesterday to voice my disgust at the VHS release.

They cut the Cruiserweight match... Okay, fair play. I LOVE the CW's, always have, but the match was pretty pointless. The tag matches... I don't really remember to be honest

But what REALLY irks me is they cut the wrestling out, but seemingly leave the Playboy Evening Gown "match" IN! Sickening!

Wasn't WM 19 about 4 hours as well? Did they chop anything on VHS from that?

Would love that VHS collection, but it's been kinda ruined now with this WM20 collection. (Not a big fan of wrestling on DVD, especially as my crappy Apex player hates the layer switch on the last Wrestlemania I bought and flat out won't play beyond the Vince vs Shane match.)

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Eric, welcome to HTF, and there is a good WWE thread over in the TV and HD-TV forum of the HTF.

I believe from what one of Andrew's earlier posts suggests is that WM XIX is uncut on VHS. I don't know for sure myself, not owning the VHS edition.

It sucks your player doesn't handle the layer change all that well, and won't play after the Vince/Shane match, but as for myself I love wrestling on DVD. I can get a lot of matches that I had on crappy 5 generation tapes before, and now that WWE is showing an interest in all their footage we've gotten some great DVDs, especially the Flair set.

On another note, for everyone, I got WM XX today and I'm looking forward to checking it out. I missed the PPV when it originally aired so this will be my first impression of the show, I will offer my thoughts after I watch it.

 

[Andrew Radke]

I can indeed confirm that the VHS release of WMXIX is uncut. Prior to purchasing the tape, I watched when it originally aired on pay-per-view.

Welcome to the forum Eric. I'm glad there are others who share my dismay. The legacy box set IS incredible on so many levels, especially the fact that everything is intact. But they've totally ruined this set with the release of WM20 on VHS. With an hour and a half of footage left on the cutting room floor, it's pretty sad. Especially as you said, the pointless Playboy match was included while more worthwhile matches, such as the Cruiserweight and tag bouts were left out. I would've even preferred the Hall of Fame induction portion of the show to that.

It's a shame, but what can you do? As I said earlier, I'll collect this, and future Wrestlemanias on DVD, although it does put a damper on the VHS collection. I'd rather have the ENTIRE event on DVD, as opposed to a hack job on video anyday.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

Well, the cruiserweight bout was a mess as were the tag title matches. It's unfortunate that they got cut, but they shouldn't have been on the card in the first place.

Here's a question: what do you think would have been the worse option for getting the length down? Cutting a few matches, or including them all, but doing what Coliseum Video used to do, which was brutally clipping most of the matches?

BTW, I highly recommend the DVD; it's a very handsome package, a 3 disc digipack that snaps shut. It's like a hardcover book. Much sturdier than their packaging of the Flair set. The extras could have been more substantive, but when was the last time you got good extras on a WWE PPV DVD?

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

I love the packaging for this DVD. In fact, it came in the same style of packaging as my monster legacy collection did, and I think its pretty slick overall.

I hate clipped matches, because sometimes those edits were so jarring you knew they were clipped and it took you right out of the match. Besides if they did that, they'd have to clip the main event also and I really hate it when good matches are clipped.

If I had to choose between both crappy options of clipping or not having some of the matches, I'd rather they left a few off.

 

[Eric_B_C]

Thanks for the warm welcome folks

Yes, my APEX DVD player stinks. My earlier Apex was great, but developed a major issue with locking up (think it's heat related and totally out of my league to repair it), so we tried a new one... First one, the drive tray died after two days so we replaced it... Cursing the fact we got another one. Wish we'd gone for a less featured better brand. First noticed the layer switch issue on "The Longest Day". I could get past it by skipping past the chapter that was in and rewinding. No such luck with Wrestlemania X-Seven. It dies mid Shane/Vince match, and even selecting the individual match after it fails totally.:frowning: Which means I can't ever watch the TLC match on my TV:frowning:

As for WM 20, what are the extras like? Since IMO I got fleeced by WWE with X-Seven. They hype all these supposed extras on the packaging that are actually just part of the show. They claim on the back the disk is 6 hours, but all they've done is doubled up the PPV and given you the ability to choose individual matches.

Of course I recently picked up the Mick Foley DVD and that's just fantastic and delivers everything it claims.

WM 20 is very tempting. Look forward to hearing some reviews for it. I want it for one reason: Chris Benoit

 

[Casey Trowbridg]

Eric, this is the list of extras I found on Highspots.com

Disc 2
Extras:
WWE Confidential
The Rock 'n' Sock Connection
NYC Press Conference
Pre-Match Comments:
Billy Kidman
Rey Mysterio
Molly
Mean Gene Okerlund
Post-Match Comments:
John Cena
RVD & Booker T
Mick Foley
Big Show
Christian
Chavo Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero Sr.
Superstar Billy Graham
Molly
Fans
Sunday Night Heat - March 7, 2004
Dudley Boyz vs. Lance Storm & Val Venis
'Byte This' with Eddie Guerrero - March 12, 2004
TV Promos
Wrestlemania XX
Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit
Brock Lesnar vs. Bill Goldberg
Kane vs. Undertaker
Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle
Rock 'n' Sock vs. Evolution

Easter Eggs - Hidden Features - Disc 2:
On the Main menu, select EXTRAS, click down. You will be treated a Wrestlemania Recall featuring Big John Studd vs. Andre the Giant from Wrestlemania I.
On the Extras page, select GENE OKERLUND PREMATCH INTERVIEW, click right. You will be treated to a Wrestlemania Recall featuring Andre the Giant vs. Hulk
Hogan from Wrestlemania 3.
On the Chapters page, select SHAWN MICHAELS vs. CHRIS BENOIT vs. TRIPLE H, click right. You will be treated to a Wrestlemania Recall of Shawn Michaels entering
the ring from Wrestlemania XII.
On the Extras, select WRESTLEMANIA XX TV PROMO, left click twice. You will be treated to a Wrestlemania Recall of Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon from Wrestlemania
XVII.

Disc Three- Extras & Special Features:
The Mania of Wrestlemania
The Success of Undertaker
The Homecoming: The Rock and Stone Cold
The Prodigal Son has Returned: Shawn Michaels
The Rookie: Brock Lesner, The Veteran: Kurt Angle
A Study in Contrast: Rock's Adrenaline & Stone Cold's Stress
Stone Cold Steve Austinv vs. The Rock
The Adrenaline Rush
Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesner
The Aftermath - Kurt Angle
Deleted and Extra Scenes:
Triple H vs. Booker T
Hulk Hogan vs. Mr. McMahon
Behind the Scenes - Jesse Ventura Voice-Over Session
Wrestlemania's Ten Greatest Matches Ever (matches are highlights only):

10. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit - Wrestlemania X-7 - April 1, 2001
9. Hulk Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior - Wrestlemania VI - April 1, 1990
8. Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michael - Wrestlemania XIV - March 29, 1998
7. Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff - Wrestlemania - March 31, 1985
6. Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - Wrestlemania XIII - March 23, 1997
5. The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan - Wrestlemania X8 - March 17, 2002
4. Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage - Wrestlemania III - March 29, 1987
3. Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels -Wrestlemania X - March 20, 1994
2. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian - Wrestlemania XVI - April 2, 2000
1. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels - Wrestlemania XII - March 31, 1996
Wrestlemania Gallery
Results, photos and facts from the first 19 Wrestlemania events
Trivia

Easter Eggs - Hidden Features - Disc 3:
On the Special Features menu, select TRIVIA, left click twice. You will be treated to a Wrestlemania Recall featuring The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan
from Wrestlemania X8.
On the Mania of Wrestlemania menu, select THE PRODIGAL SON HAS RETURNED, click left. You will be treated to a Wrestlemania Recall featuring Razon Ramon
vs. Shawn Michaels from a ladder match at Wrestlemania X.
On the Special Features menu, select the Wrestlemania XX Gallery, hit Wrestlemania X8 and then select FACTS, left click twice. You will be treated a Wrestlemania
Recall featuring Triple H vs. Chris Jericho from Wrestlemania X8.
On the Special Features menu, select the Wrestlemania XX gallery, hit Wrestlemania XIX and then select RESULTS, left click twice. You will be treated to
a Wrestlemania Recall featuring Brock Lesner vs. Kurt Angle from Wrestling XIX.

I'll start watching and reviewing when L.A. and San Antonio finishes.

 

[Eric_B_C]

Sounds like a loaded disk, though as I say, I got fleeced on X-Seven so reserve judgment

Shows how much I thought "bleh" to the CW match. My first thought on seeing his name was "Kidman had a match?" What really stinks is they could have given that CW tournament match about 10 minutes longer to really bust out some great wrestling... But no, they had to pimp the Playboy thing... A match that was about as erotic as wet grass.