Distributor: Freemantle Media

Release Date: Out Now

The last of the originhttps://youtu.be/003Y6yYTe58al WWE “Big Four” PPVs (the others being Wrestlemania, Survivor Series and Summer Slam, in order of creation, but arguably not importance), the Royal Rumble is fast approaching it’s 30th anniversary, and in the run up to this historical occasion, WWE Home Video presents “The True Story of the Royal Rumble”, featuring a documentary piece on the origins and highlights of the match itself, notable outings for the event as well as a selection of matches which took place on the undercard over the years.

From the outset, the title of the release sets the tone for a collection of archive matches and contemporary interview excerpts which is not sure of just what it want to be. The quality of the material is great here and the presentation equally good, but just what defines this as the “true story” of the Rumble? Is there an alternate, unofficial version floating around out there?

As usual, the front-and-centre documentary that heads up the first disc is slick, well-produced and features all of the right talking heads recounting their experiences on the card and in the match itself. But then they don’t get to talk too long, and the whole thing feels more like a glitzy, extended trailer, rather than an in-depth look at the Rumble’s roots, origins and impact on the shape that the WWF/WWE takes today.

It also seems to have an identity crisis, unable to decide whether it should be a 100% kayfabe piece, as numerous veterans refer to their time in the Rumble matches as legit, while those of more recent years openly discuss occasions on which the worked spots either failed to come off or were deliberately ignored. This contradiction makes it hard to digest the documentary, as the watcher is never sure whether to suspend disbelief or expect an insight into the real workings of the match.

This becomes all the more confusing when the subject of the fans in attendance booing the recent wins of Batista (2014) and Roman Reigns (2015) is covered, and at times it can feel like the demand for Daniel Bryan is the proverbial elephant in the room. But in the WWE’s defense, the critical misjudging of this more recent piece of Rumble history is not smoothed over in any visible manner and more treated as a genuine moment of disconnect with their audience, which unusually candid and refreshing in one of their own official releases.

One saving grace is the series of shorts included on the first disc which focus on one singular superstar or angle, such as Chyna’s historic appearance as the first female competitor in 1999 and the emotional turmoil Ric Flair faced in his return to the ring against Vince McMahon in 2002. Though by the same token, the footage of the “Miss Royal Rumble” skit from 2000, should have stayed buried, it’s only positive quality being a reminder of how far women’s wrestling has come in the sixteen years since it was inflicted on the world.

The actual Rumble matches included are chosen either for their historical importance (i.e. the inaugural 1991 match) or relevance to memorable storylines (e.g. Bret Hart and Lex Luger’s joint win in 1994, Steve Austin’s meteoric rise to win in 1997, etc). But equally notable by their absence are Rumbles of equal importance, such as the 1992 match in which Ric Flair outlasted the majority of the other 29 men in order to win the then vacant WWF World Heavyweight title.

Of the undercard matches included, many are worth checking out in their own right, such as Tazz vs Kurt Angle (2000), The Rock vs CM Punk (2013) and Charlotte vs Becky Lynch (2016). But others like The Rockers vs The Orient Express (1991) and Shawn Michaels vs Psycho Sid (1997) are essentailly padding and only worth a look out of nostalgia.

In short, this represents a mixed bag of items that will be of interest to a WWE fan that doesn’t have access to the Network or is an obsessive when it comes to the Rumble. But taken alone, the documentary is too light to be a substitute for actually watching the real thing on the Network at your own leisure, and it will leave you knowing little that could not have been learnt along the way.

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