Review for "WWE-Hall of Fame Ceremony 2004"

For over forty years now the WWWF/WWF/WWE has been bringing the world some of the finest wrestling action of all time. Like most sports, the WWE has it's own Hall of Fame too. Started in 1993 with it's first inductee, Andre the Giant, the WWE Hall of Fame now has over thirty inductees.

2004 marked the first year that the WWE has made inductions since back in 1996. It seems that it will become a regular occurance from here on out, which is great. These men who have devoted their lives to the sport of professional wrestling deserve to be honored.

This 2-disc DVD set released by the WWE contains the entire induction ceremony, as well as classic matches and segments from the careers of these legends. All of the inductees, minus Big John Studd(RIP) and JYD(RIP), are present at the ceremony. It is great to hear some of the stories these guys tell. Each wrestler tells how they got their start in the business and share some wonderful stories with the audience. The ceremony is almost as good as the matches. Bobby Heenan cracks the audience up with his trademark remarks and antics. He shows that his successful battle with throat cancer hasn't changed the "Weasel" one bit. Each inductee is introduced by a current WWE superstar, such as HHH introduces Billy Graham and Big Show introduces Big John Studd. Overall, this DVD is one of the best releases that the WWE has put out. Some of the matches on the DVD are must-haves for any old-school wrestling fan out there.

2004 WWE Hall of Fame inductees:
1. "Superstar" Billy Graham
2. Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
3. Pete Rose(celebrity inductee)
4. Big John Studd
5. Sgt Slaughter
6. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
7. Tito Santana
8. Harley Race
9. Don Muraco
10. Junkyard Dog
11. Jesse "The Body" Ventura
12. Vince Mcmahon

Bonus Material:

Disc One:

"Superstar" Billy Graham:
-Superstar's career (WWE Confidential - 09/06/03)
-WWE Championship Match: "Superstar" Billy Graham vs. Bruno Sammartino (04/30/77): This is the match that shocked the world, as the Superstar defeated "The Living Legend" to win the WWWF Heavyweight Championship. Classic piece of wrestling footage here folks!
-"Superstar" Billy Graham Promo (06/14/77) Great promo that showed that Graham's promo work was as great as his chiseled body.

Pete Rose:
-Wrestlemania XIV (03/29/98): This is the funny segment where Kane comes in and drops guest ring announcer Pete Rose on his head with the tombstone piledriver.
-Wrestlemania XV (03/28/99): Pete attempts to get some revenge on Kane when he dresses in a chicken suit and attacks him. Alas, to no avail--Rose gets tombstoned again.
-Wrestlemania XVI (04/02/00): Third time is not a charm for Pete Rose, as he, again, tries to get revenge on Kane by sneaking up behind him. He gets a chokeslam for his actions.

Big John Studd:
-Buddy Rogers' Interview (All Star Wrestling - 04/20/83): Classic interview with Studd and his manager, "Classy" Freddie Blassie.
-Big John Studd vs. Andre the Giant (04/25/83): This is a great back and forth match for these two big men. This match is much better than their infamous "Body Slam Match" at Wrestlemania I.

Sgt. Slaughter:
-Alley Fight: Sgt. Slaughter vs. Pat Patterson (05/04/81): This is a pretty violent match between these two legends. Patterson, WWF's first Intercontinental Champion, and Sgt Slaughter, of GI Joe fame, show that hardcore wrestling did not start with ECW.
-Alley Fight with Alternate Commentary by Michael Cole, Sgt. Slaughter & Pat Patterson
-Sg. Slaughter promo: "I Want my Country Back": This is a promo from Slaughter after Summerslam '91 in which he asks for firgiveness from the WWF fans and the entire country after he sided with Iraq in the summer of 1990.

-The Hall of Famers at Wrestlemania XX (03/14/04)

Hidden feature:
-Go to Extras. Go to Pete Rose. Go to Wrestlemania XVI. Left click. You will be treated with an advertisement for No Mercy 2002 featuring Pete Rose and Kane.

Disc Two:

Bobby Heenan:
-Atlantic City (Prime Time Wrestling - 03/21/88)
-Yacht (Prime Time Wrestling - 11/22/88)
-At Busch Gardens (Prime Time Wrestling - 12/12/88)
G-rape squashing with Andre the Giant (Prime Time Wrestling - 02/25/91)
-Bobby Heenan Tribute (WWE Confidential - 06/15/02)
-Bobby Heenan's 1st night in the business
***All of these short segments are hilarious. Any of you who know Bobby Heenan know that he was probably the funniest personality in wrestling history. These segments are truly classic

Greg Valentine & Title Santana
-WWE Intercontinental Championship: Greg Valentine vs. Title Santana (07/06/85): This is the infamous cage match between these two superstars who had been feuding for over a year by this point. Santana was seeking not only the IC Title, but also for revenge after he was "hospitalized' the previous fall by Valentine.

Junkyard Dog & Harley Race:
-Junkyard Dog vs. Harley Race w/Bobby Heenan (01/03/87): The DVD states that the match is from Saturday Night's Main Event, but it is actually their Wrestlemania III match shown. This is a good match, but it is short and cheap, due to interference by "The Brain".
-Harley Race Promo (World Wide Wrestling - 06/15/83): This is a promo from his NWA days and his feuds with Ric Flair. Classic stuff.
-Gene Okerland interviews Junkyard Dog (07/18/87): JYD was one of the most charismatic wrestlers of the 1980's, as you will see from this interview.

Don Muraco:
-WWE Intercontinental Match: Don Muraco vs. Pedro Morales (06/20/81): This is the match where Muraco wins his first IC Title. It is a slow, but well played out match. This was back when the crowd would erupt at a side headlock or a sleeper hold. Those were the days.
-Vince McMahon interview (03/20/83): Muraco was pretty good on the microphone, as he gives McMahon a piece of his mind in this interview.

Jesse Ventura:
-WWE Championshop Match: Jesse Ventura vs. Bob Backlund (03/14/82): Ventura is almost a carbon copy of fellow Hall of Fame inductee "Superstar" Billy Graham. It is obvious from this match and the promo that Graham was a huge influence on him. This match is great. There is some great action and some great humor in this match.
-Pat Patterson interview (All Star Wrestling - 01/16/82): This is an awesome interview. Jesse is just so cocky and conceited. guys don't do interviews like this anymore.

Hidden Features:

-Go to Extras. Go to Bobby Heenan. Go to Busch Gardens. Right click. You will hear Bobby Heenan explain how "Weasel" became a nickname and what he felt about the nickname.
-Go to Extras. Go to Tito Santana & Greg Valentine. Go to Greg Valentine vs. Tito Santana. Right click. You will be treated to Greg Valentine explaining how the nickname "The Hammer" came about.