Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Promotional material for the DVD set reads: "The saga of Undertaker and Kane has taken many sordid twists since the inferno that left their souls forever charred. The combustible combo has buried their deep-seeded rivalry on several occasions, always close enough to the surface to ignite at the touch of a spark. Still, their blood bond makes them an indomitable force in the ring. And every so often, old wounds close up long enough to unite WWE’s darkest duo under one common purpose – destruction. In this DVD, see the Brothers of Destruction scorch their path of wreckage through WWE. Seven devastating matches against some of the greatest tag teams of the new millennium are presented in their entirety. Witness WWE’s most volatile Superstars, The Deadman and the Devil’s Favourite Demon, on the same page before they tear each other apart once again!"
Unlike many of the traditional WWE DVD releases today, there is no in-depth documentary look at the characters, which in a way makes sense given the unique cloak and the creative leeway their storylines and personalities are often given. After all, you can't go too in-depth talking about a Deadman and his half-brother/half-demon sibling without stretching things, even for professional wrestling.
So, the DVD wisely collects matches from across the last decade or so, featuring bouts from WWE television and PPV broadcasts that range from 2001-2008.
The set opens with an April 2011 bout against Edge and Christian from Smackdown for the Tag Team titles with some good, frenetic action showcasing everyone with Steve Austin, Triple H and even Rhino showing up. By far, the best thing on the DVD for in-ring action.
From there, it's the Brothers against The Dudley Boyz ina Tables Match from Raw in July 2001. This isn't as satisfying as the match is more or less a backdrop for the Diamond Dallas Page stalker angle, which only serves to reinforce that Page was horribly miscast in that role for his WWE debut.
From here the focus is on Undertaker and Kane taking on WCW Invaders. They battle WCW Tag Team champions Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire in what's pretty much a slaughter to set up a cage match (also featured on the set) against DDP and Kanyon that also serves to spotlight the majesty and the power of the Brothers.
The set then jumps ahead, noting that the duo went their separate ways but reunited five years later. This sets up matches that spotlight the pair against Miz and John Morrison (ECW TV), the unique pairing of Big Daddy & Mark Henry and a Smackdown bout against Mr. Kennedy and MVP. While these matches all spotlight the theatrics and the dominance of the tag team, they would lack for anyone seeking back and forth competitive bouts.
The Brothers' dominance in WWE is the key lesson to be taught on this DVD. If you want great technical wrestling and scientific finesse, this isn't the set for you and WWE probably realizes that, instead focusing a product for the audience that will most likely embrace it - the die-hard Undertaker and Kane fans.
With all that said, DVD collectors may be interested in a series of bouts that have never been released on DVD from the WWE Invasion era storyline, including what would today on paper be considered some legitimate dream matches against The Dudley Boyz and the Edge and Christian tandem.
Blu-Ray Addendum: For those of you in Europe, a Blu-Ray edition was released, featuring matches that were likely the best from an in-ring standpoint including The Shield vs. Team Hell No & Undertaker from an April 2013 Raw and an excellent 2001 bout featuring the Brothers vs. Triple H and Steve Austin that is so good, it's worth the price of the Blu-Ray edition. So, if you are in that market, look for the Blu version.
As an overall product, the set delivers what it promises - a collection from a pretty unique and celebrated tag team. If you are an Undertaker or Kane fan, you know what you are looking for and with this DVD, you'll be getting it.
Mike Johnson can be reached at MikeJohnsonPWInsider@gmail.com.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
