We've been getting movies from World Wrestling Entertainment for about a year now. Apparently, Vince McMahon -- yes, we're going to assume that the WWE owner himself ships out the videotapes -- thinks that Penn students are a prime market for shoulderblocks, bodyslams and pinfalls.
We didn't agree, until now. You see, the great thing about professional wrestling is that you can skip watching it for 10 years and not miss a beat. The same wrestlers who fight today are essentially the same ones who were top stars when you were in third grade. The only people who aren't still around are the ones who are, unfortunately, dead. Trust us -- the only reason Andre the Giant isn't the current WWE World Champion is that he's been dead for 10 years.
The best example -- and the most entertaining part of Wrestlemania XIX -- is Mr. McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan (in a Street Fight "20 Years in the Making").
While fans of technical wrestling will probably want to skip this one, everyone else should see it -- if only for the interference by "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. And for the ending, where Hulkamania drops the leg. It's just like third grade, except the opponent isn't Earthquake.
The other tape we received is Rey Mysterio 619. Here's what to do with this one: skip the VHS and pick up the DVD. The documentary aspect is pretty boring and seems forced. The entertaining part is the full-length matches included as a bonus on the DVD. Mysterio is a high-flying wrestler, and it's actually pretty entertaining to watch in spots.
If you're a non-wrestling fan, you've already stopped reading this review (probably). And if you're a wrestling fan, you're wincing because we wrote "high-flying" instead of "lucha libre."
We apologize. But, if you watched wrestling at all when you were little, you have to catch the McMahon-Hogan match. It's a hoot.
