Search - WWE: Tagged Classics 2003 - Royal Rumble/No Way Out on DVD

A Worthy Purchase w/ Few Exceptions

R.A. McKenzie | New York | 05/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just wrote a review on the "BACKLASH/JUDGMENT DAY" Tagged Classic set, where I basically wondered why in the world WWE would re-release those PPVs. But then I saw this package deal, and realized the WWE might be onto something. The "ROYAL RUMBLE/NO WAY OUT" combo is a good buy, with only a few restrictions.



Here's a quick recap of the PPVs:

* ROYAL RUMBLE 2003

---In my opinion, the absolute best of the Royal Rumble PPVs. Everybody knows about the Angle/Benoit classic. Also, I think most will agree the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match is one of the best. This 30-Man Rumble isn't just a battle royal where a bunch of guys pile up. There's some good wrestling, funny moments, and few shockers as well. The undercard for the PPV is also pretty good. Brock Lesnar and Big Show have a fun opener, there's a solid World Tag Team Titles contest, & even Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson have a Divas Match that isn't just a catfight (they actually try to wrestle!). Overall, I really like this PPV, and consider it one of 2003's best.



NO WAY OUT 2003

---Overall a decent card, but by the end, we've got some problems. First off, the undercard is pretty good. Jeff Hardy and Chris Jericho's opener is a treat, as is the World Tag Team Titles Match. However, 3 of the 4 main events don't deliver. Team Angle's 3-on-2 Handicap against Brock Lesnar & Chris Benoit is pretty good; all 5 of those guys were exceptional athletes back then. However, Rock/Hogan II wasn't nearly as much fun as their Toronto classic. Stone Cold's WWE return is predictabily a relentless beatdown squash on Eric Bischoff. And the HHH/Steiner rematch was just as disappointing as their "ROYAL RUMBLE" matchup. There are some good matches here, but this PPV runs out of gas by the end.



So we get one excellent PPV and one average PPV for an awesome price. However, there are a few reasons you might want to pass this offer up:

* Angle/Benoit is available on Chris Benoit's "HARD KNOCKS" DVD, and the "ROYAL RUMBLE ANTHOLOGY: VOL. 4" DVDs. Both of those are worth the investment.

* WWE hasn't added any Extras to these DVDs. They are the original 2003 releases, which weren't filled with great bonuses to begin with.

* "NO WAY OUT 2003" is not worth buying if you already own "ROYAL RUMBLE 2003". It's not bad, but I wouldn't lose sleep over it.



It comes down to this: if you want to see "ROYAL RUMBLE 2003" for a great price, then pick this up. But if you're just curious about "NO WAY OUT 2003", you might be disappointed."