Upcoming WWE DVDs

Courtesy 411:

WWE Armageddon 2006 - Release Date: 1/16/07

ECW: Extreme Rules - 2 DVD set - Release Date: 1/30/07
"A two-disc compilation that showcases some of the best matches of the return of ECW, as well as vignettes about the newest Extremists. Hosted by Tazz and Joey Styles, ECW: Extreme Rules highlights both the new Extremists (such as Big Show, C.M. Punk, Test, Kevin Thorn, etc.) as well as the ECW Originals (including RVD, Sabu, Sandman, Dreamer, and Balls)."

WWE New Year's Revolution 2007 - Release Date: 2/06/07

The New & Improved DX - 3 DVD set - Release Date: 2/20/07
"The New and Improved D-Generation X will be a 3-disc release covering the reformation of the group that includes promos, matches and the chaos the duo of The Game and HBK caused Mr. McMahon."

WWE Royal Rumble 2007 - Release Date: 2/27/07

Royal Rumble Anthology - Release Date: 3/13/07
"January 28, 2007 will be the 20th Anniversary of the Royal Rumble. WWE fans have always loved this unique match, and when a WrestleMania championship opportunity sweetened the winner's pot, the Royal Rumble became one of the most important annual events on WWE's calendar. This DVD set will depict, in their entirety, the first 20 Royal Rumbles in a handsome collector's box. The first 12 Royal Rumble events have never been available on DVD."

WWE No Way Out 2007 - Release Date: 3/20/07

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen - Release Date: 4/10/07
"One of the first, and coolest, factions in sports-entertainment was The Four Horsemen. This multi-disc release will cover the creation of the Horsemen and is filled with exclusive iterviews from many of the Superstars who were part of this groundbreaking group as well as rivalry highlights and complete matches."

WWE WrestleMania 23 - Release Date: 5/22/07

WWE Backlash 2007 - Release Date: 5/29/07

Great Families of Wrestling - Release Date: 6/05/07
"Some of the greatest WWE Superstars have come from family legacies that include the names McMahon, Von Erich, Funk, Hart, Guerrero, Orton, Gagne, Colon, DiBiase, Rhodes and more. Relationships and long held secrets from fathers, sons, brothers and grandsons of sports-entertainment will all be explored in the Great Families of Wrestling DVD."

WWE Judgment Day 2007 - Release Date: 6/19/07

ECW One Night Stand 2007 - Release Date: 7/10/07

WWE Vengeance 2007 - Release Date: 7/24/07

WWE Great American Bash 2007 - Release Date: 8/21/07

The Ladder Match - Release Date: 8/28/07
"Follow the evolution of the Ladder Match and see how it has evolved into one of the most popular matches in WWE today. From the first Ladder Match with Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon at WrestleMania X to the inaugural Money in the Bank Ladder Match that took place at WrestleMania 21, witness why the Ladder Match has become a staple in WWE."

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling - Release Date: 9/18/07

WWE SummerSlam 2007 - Release Date: 9/25/07

WWE Unforgiven 2007 - Release Date: 10/16/07

Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man - Release Date: 10/23/07
"Relive some of the Rey Mysterio's classic rivalries with Superstars like Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, Mark Henry, Randy Orton, JBL, Chris Benoit. Also, Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man will showcase some of the high-flying Superstar's most memorable tag team matches with partners RVD, Eddie Guerrero and Batista."

WWE No Mercy 2007 - Release Date: 11/06/07

John Cena: This Is My Life - Release Date: 11/06/07
"John Cena is more than just a WWE Champion. In 2005, Cena released his highly successful debut CD, "You Can't See Me" and in 2006 he starred in his first major motion picture, The Marine. Cena has reached the next level of Superstardom, and John Cena: My Life will chronicle his meteoric rise to the top of the sports-entertainment world with highlights from his biggest matches and exclusive interviews."

Steve Austin's Life and Legacy - Release Date: 11/20/07
"A career-spanning retrospective of the Rattlesnake that highlights Austin's amazing career and his legendary rivalries with Bret Hart, The Rock, Mick Foley, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Undertaker, Kane, Scott Hall, Eddie Guerrero and more. Stone Cold Steve Austin's Life and Legacy will also include footage and matches from WCW, ECW, and his Smokey Mountain days."

WWE Cyber Sunday 2007 - Release Date: 12/04/07

WWE Survivor Series 2007 - Release Date: 12/26/07

ECW December to Dismember - Release Date: 01/01/08

My responses, barring PPVs, since we don't know yet whether those will be good.

ECW: Extreme Rules - 2 DVD set - Release Date: 1/30/07

Matt has heard me go on and on before about how I wish ECW would stop emphasizing the difference between ECW Originals and the new guys, and start emphasizing that this IS ECW now, and folks like Big Show, Test and C.M. Punk are just as ECW as Sandman, Tommy Dreamer and RVD. Maybe it would let the fans get past that as well. Just this week I was reading yet again some net guy opine that RVD needs to beat Big Show for the title, and then fight ONLY ECW Originals for it, and that's stupid.

Why is it stupid? Because you cannot base a whole federation around people who were big five or more years ago. There's just not enough of them who are still over and can go. I hope this is leading up to an eventual "Originals vs. Extremists" feud, because otherwise it seems rather self destructive.

But enough rant, it is high time that the new ECW got some DVD love... one hopes that some classic matches are put on as well though.

The New & Improved DX - 3 DVD set - Release Date: 2/20/07

Me wanty. I always wanted them to re-release the original DX video, and this should supersede it. This probably means that DX is sticking around until February at least though, which is a good thing. I like them.

Royal Rumble Anthology - Release Date: 3/13/07

Gah. WWE wants my wallet. I'm a sucker for the Royal Rumble. I would love these, but would never have the money.

Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen - Release Date: 4/10/07

Well, this is the companion piece everyone always asked for after the first Ric Flair DVD package, so the Ric Flair fans will be happy. I still need to get that one. Burning question is considering WWE marketing, could we see a Horsemen reunion come April?

Great Families of Wrestling - Release Date: 6/05/07

This could be interesting. I do like how they left it at "more" just to make sure no one was offended.

The Ladder Match - Release Date: 8/28/07

This one's going to have a lot of classic stuff on it, but could really suffer from people already having the matches elsewhere.

The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class Championship Wrestling - Release Date: 9/18/07

The WWE film vault strikes! Note the Von Erichs are getting their own feature, and then essentially their own DVD in the space of just over 3 1/2 months.

Rey Mysterio: The Biggest Little Man - Release Date: 10/23/07

Rey was needing an update. I got 619 free with Mania 22, and basically all his WWE matches on there are free TV matches, and not too long after his debut at that.

John Cena: This Is My Life - Release Date: 11/06/07

I believe this is Cena's first DVD since Word Life, so he was in need of an update too, since that was fairly early in his career. This one is a tossup for me.

Steve Austin's Life and Legacy - Release Date: 11/20/07

Well, this one truly will be a career retrospective, since by all signs, Austin really cannot go anymore. Especially since by all reports, Austin's a perfectionist, and wouldn't WANT to go if he couldn't go out there and give the fans a great match. This could be good. I'm going to e-mail JR and say they should include his debut match as Steve Williams vs. "The Punisher" (Mark Callaway before he became The Undertaker) as a bonus feature, with alternate commentary by JR and Austin. It's on one of of my bargain DVDs and I believe it's WCCW, so WWE should have the rights to it.

It does strike me as ironic that the two people we always complained needed a DVD were Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho... and now, barring rehiring, neither will ever get one.

Well, Jack is not in jail... yet.

Because of all the hubbub Jack has generated, Judge Friedman decided to indeed recuse himself from the case, after filing a complaint with the Florida Bar against Jack, stating that "I'll let Thompson be someone else's problem."

Thompson was reportedly in rare form, apparently finding it appropriate to bring a large posterboard sign into the court, with the judge at one point warning him "If you touch that thing one more time..." And at one point, four police officers were brought into the courtroom.

Thompson for his part, issued one of his lengthy press releases earlier today accusing Bully of "clearly teaching kids to be violent in response to bullying" (and name dropping Columbine again), and claiming that the game "routinely rewards the use of explosives, slingshots point blank to the face and the crushing of craniums with baseball bats and metal fire extinguishers." He claims that Take Two lied about the content of the game and now he's still going to get his injunction against them.

He explains away his violation of the gag order by basically alleging the judge violated his own orders and promises and thus made it okay for Thompson to "blow the whistle" on him, and implied the judge is out only for revenge.

He also tries to explain away all this as merely his own First Amendment rights, and tries to tack on a bit about how Bully is pornographic merely because it allows (not mandates or even encourages, just allows) boy-on-boy kissing.

So: Sum total, Jack has yet another Bar complaint against him, and has simply delayed the contempt charges a few days as they go in front of another judge for whom Jack won't be able to pull the bias argument.

According to GamePolitics.com, Jack Thompson is currently facing Contempt of Court charges in Florida.

Basically, prior to the release of Take Two's newest game Bully, Jack demanded in Miami-Dade Circuit Court for Bully to be viewed prior to its release, and its release to be restricted or even prohibited by the court.

Judge Ronald Friedman took the unprecedented step of demanding Take Two produce footage of the game for viewing in closed session. Mind you, civil liberties people would be up in arms if a court demanded a movie or book pre-release for possible restriction.

Despite the request not being entirely proper (for example, it was not properly bonded because the game would have released in the time that was taken), Take Two produced footage, but requested a Gag Order related to the closed session, which Judge Friedman granted. After the session, Judge Friedman announced that while he found the game inappropriate for his own children, there were things on television just as bad or worse, so there was no valid reason to restrict it.

Jack went into full on temper tantrum mode (breaking his promise to accept it should he be ruled against), filing several "emergency appeals" which allegedly directly cited things from that closed session, and thus allegedly violated the gag order, which would comprise indirect contempt of court. Jack could face jail time, but fine and censure is more likely.

Jack's response to this has been essentially wild threats. And it's even more complicated.

After Friedman ruled against him, Jack announced that he was going to run against him for his judgeship when Friedman is up for re-election in 2008, and as a result is now demanding that Friedman has to recuse himself.

Jack could be facing a "show cause" hearing as early as today. A "show cause" hearing is where Jack is informed a complaint has been registered against him and that he must show cause why it shouldn't be acted on.

Today was also the day he gave to the ESRB as a deadline to re-rate Bully as an M (as opposed to its current rating of T) or face a lawsuit, basically based on his claim that he had ONE "hardcore gamer" willing to testify that all these bad things Jack claimed to be in the game were in the game and that Take Two lied to Judge Friedman. The ESRB has yet to comment.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

THQ's "WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007" is coming out soon, and the full roster has been announced. Let's check it out...

Featured Wrestlers:

1. Batista
2. The Big Show
3. Bobby Lashley
4. The Boogeyman
5. Booker T
6. Carlito
7. Chavo Guerrero
8. Chris Benoit
9. Chris Masters
10. Daivari
11. Edge
12. Finlay
13. Gene Snitsky
14. The Great Khali
15. Gregory Helms
16. Hardcore Holly
17. Joey Mercury
18. John "Bradshaw" Layfield
19. John Cena
20. Johnny Nitro
21. Kane
22. Ken Kennedy
23. Kid Kash
24. Kurt Angle
25. Lance Cade
26. Mark Henry
27. Matt Hardy
28. Mick Foley
29. Paul Burchill
30. Psicosis
31. Randy Orton
32. Rey Mysterio
33. Ric Flair
34. Rob Van Dam
35. Shawn Michaels
36. Shelton Benjamin
37. Super Crazy
38. Trevor Murdoch
39. Triple H
40. Umaga
41. The Undertaker
42. Viscera
43. Vito
44. William Regal

Divas:

1. Candice Michelle
2. Jillian Hall
3. Lita
4. Mickie James
5. Torrie Wilson
6. Trish Stratus

Legends:

1. Bam Bam Bigelow
2. Bret Hart
3. Cactus Jack
4. Dude Love
5. Dusty Rhodes
6. Eddie Guerrero
7. Hulk Hogan
8. Jerry Lawler
9. Jim Neidhart
10. Mankind
11. Mr. Perfect
12. The Rock
13. Roddy Piper
14. Shane McMahon
15. Steve Austin
16. Tazz

Non-Playable Characters:

1. Jim Ross
2. Jonathan Coachman
3. Lilian Garcia
4. Michael Cole
5. Mike Chioda
6. Nick Patrick
7. Stephanie McMahon
8. Theodore Long
9. Tony Chimel
10. Vince McMahon

Features include the newly-added "Money In The Bank" match and the ability to run up ladders (similar to Shelton Benjamin in the real life Money In The Bank matches), overhauled table matches and TLC matches, and alternate title belts (like John Cena's spinner belt, an NWO title belt, and Steve Austin's "smoking skull" belt). Season mode will apparently be re-worked somewhat as well, with more realistic storylines and more freedom in how one wants to play.

And for those of you who own an Xbox 360, a special edition of the game is going to be sold for a limited time by EB Games and GameStop. The game will come in a special aluminum case, along with a bonus disc from WWE's "History of the WWE Championship" DVD and a copy of "The Ultimate WWE Trivia Book."

"WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007" will be released November 14th for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable.