Amazon.com: WWE: The Ladder Match : Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Edge, Christian: Movies & TV (original) (raw)

One of the most transcendent gimmick matches in sports entertainment is without a doubt the ladder match. What started out as a simple concept - the only way for a wrestler to win is to climb the ladder and get the prestigious concept - has become a genesis of some of the most memorable in-ring moments in professional wrestling history. Who could ever forget Shawn Michaels' frog splash off the ladder on Razor Ramon? or Jeff Hardy see-sawing the ladder into the faces of Matt Hardy and Christian? Or Shelton Benjamin using a ladder as a ramp to deliver a clothesline? Or a Dudley and a Hardy falling from a 20-foot ladder through a stack of four tables? This 3-disc DVD set includes some of the craziest, most spectacular and unforgettable ladder matches of all time, matches that redefined, revitalized and reinvented the concept of the "ladder match" to ensure its longevity for years to come.

Quibbles over Todd Grisham's lackluster introductions (with several wrestlers making welcoming cameos) to these matches are understandable, but overall irrelevant. The question remains: do the matches themselves deliver? The answer is a resounding "yes". WWE really outdid themselves with this DVD set and their ingenious choice of matches. Sure, the set is missing a few treasures, but in the end, the quality of the product remains spectacularly high. Not only is "WWE Ladder Match" an exceptional introduction to the ladder match concept, but also one of the best wrestling DVD sets of all time.

Ladder Match for North American Heavyweight Championship and Cash
Jake Roberts vs. Big Daddy Ritter
Stampede Wrestling, July 1979

-We kick things off with this obscurity from Stampede Wrestling in late 1970s. And it's little wonder why it is. The match is extremely slow and lethargically paced. In fact, it looks like it was severely edited, missing a few opening minutes. Even worse, they use a one-sided ladder, which means that an official has to hold it down for a wrestler to climb. This match works as an historical curosity. Otherwise, take a pass. (*½)

Ladder Match for IC Championship
Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
July 21, 1992

-Now we're getting somewhere. THIS, not the WMX match, was really the first ladder match in WWE history and it's a very good one. There are no devastating spots and very little unorthodox uses of the ladder as a weapon. It's basically a technical wrestling match with a ladder. Instead, the main drama is both men trying to grab the belt. Bret and Shawn are simply incapable of having a bad match and this match absolutely delivered in spades. Not one of both men's finest hours, but excellent overall. (****¼)

Ladder Match for IC Championship
Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon
SummerSlam, August 27, 1995

-As much as I love the WMX classic, I am so glad they included the SS1995 rematch here. Don't get me wrong. The original ladder match between HBK and Ramon is a masterpiece, but I love this match due to its amazing heat, emotional drama and brilliant psychology. The duration of the match is Ramon absolutely annihilating HBK's leg with the ladder, a tactic that Rock would perfect against HHH in the next match coming up. The only downside is the botched ending where HBK missed grabbing the belt a few times. Other than that, this match lived up to its hype and nearly equals the original. (****½)

Ladder Match for IC Championship
The Rock vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley
SummerSlam, August 30, 1998

-An unforgettable ladder match and a transcendent one for the participants involved. HHH and The Rock had a memorable feud throughout the summer of 1998 (who could forget DX's parody of the Nation?) and this would end it. And boy, did it ended it in style? This match is HHH and Rock beating the living daylights out of each other with the ladder, with the Rock particularly torturing HHH's leg. The monster pop that HHH got when nabbing the belt remains one of the most memorable of all time and he became a star. The Rock didn't do too bad either as afterwards, he became one of the company's biggest stars. Hell of a match and a hell of a way to end the feud, the first of many to come for both men. (****¾).

Terri Invitational Tournament Ladder Match
Edge & Christian vs. New Brood
No Mercy, October 17, 1999

-Oh yeah, baby. This match, the first ladder match in a tag team environment, kick-started one of the best tag team rivalries of all time and set the standard for ladder matches to come. Edge & Christian and the Hardyz (or the New Brood) were two athletic teams with a cult following before this match came along and turned them into stars. Some of the today's classic tag team spots originated from here, which included a leapfrog legdrop from Jeff off the ladder, powerbombs, reverse DDTs and neckbreaker off of it and the infamous see-saw spot. Even to this day, there is not an ounce of datedness to be found here. An absolute classic. (*****)

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships:
Dudley Boyz vs. Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boyz
SummerSlam, August 27, 2000

-Unfortunately, this DVD set does not include groundbreaking triangle ladder match from WrestleMania 2000 here. Instead, we skip to the TLC match from SS2000, which may not be as influential, but is the overall better match. This match is just crazy as all the three teams destroyed themselves with vicious ladder/chair shots and sickening spots. Amongst the memorable spots include Jeff Hardy missing the swanton bomb off the 20-foot ladder and Bubba Ray going through a stack of four tables outside. The ending where Jeff and D'Von were hanging on the belts is just unforgettable. But alas, it was E&C that walked away with the belts. I remember watching this as a kid and being incensed that the Hardyz didn't win the titles in their home state, but viewed today, this remains one of the pinnacles of the illustrious tag team division in the Attitude Era and it deservedly won numerous Match of the Year awards. Unquestionably, one of the best matches of all time. (*****).

Ladder Match for a Contract for the Cruiserweight Championship:
3 Count vs. Jung Dragons vs. Jamie Knoble & Evan Karagias
Starrcade, December 17, 2000.

-This is from the dying days of WCW as the company was going down in flames before being bought in 2001. This was when the cruiserweights were taking stage after the departure of the Radicalz, mesmerizing fans with spectacular high-flying action. It's nice that they included a WCW match here and the match certainly delivers as a enthralling train wreck. The only downside is that the match is not as refined as the other WWE ladder matches, mostly due to the lack of booking at the time, as each spot seems more blatantly planned than tightly choreographed. But for anyone else who just doesn't care about in-ring storytelling and want to see human bodies fly in beautiful form, this match will whet your appetite. (***½)

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho.
Royal Rumble, January 21, 2001

-Boy, do I feel depressed now. This is the first Chris Benoit match I've seen in 7 years, so you can already guess where my sentiments lie. This was the culmination of the Benoit/Jericho feud of 2000 as they were engaged in a series of great wrestling matches before they settled it in this brutal classic. There was no "car crash" spot or meticulous choreography; just an intense brawl between two guys beating the hell out of each other with ladders. These guys literally destroyed themselves as Benoit got a chair after an attempted tope and even missed a diving head butt off the top of the ladder. The match also marks the debut of the "Walls of Jericho" on the ladder and it looks very impressive even to this day. While this match may be hard to watch today given Benoit's actions, there's no denying that it remains as exciting today as it was back in 2001. (****¾)

Tables, Ladders and Chairs II Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships:
Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz
WrestleMania X-Seven, April 1, 2001

-Amazingly, this match was even better than the one from SummerSlam 2000. And get this? It wasn't even the best match of 2001. That shows you how good WWE was back in the day. There was so much craziness, so many sickening bumps throughout the match, as even the accomplices (Lita, Spike Dudley, Rhyno) got involved and were pulverized. The highlight of the match, without question, is Edge spearing Jeff Hardy from a 20-foot ladder. I remember watching it as a youngster and even I stood up and cheered when it happened. This match basically took all the positive aspects from the Tag Team, triangle and first TLC match and merge it together to become a grand spectacle of human carnage and destruction. Like you don't know what this gets. (*****).

Tables, Ladders and Chairs III Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho
SmackDown, May 24, 2001

-Often overlooked for a variety of reasons (including, of course, Mr. Benoit himself), this match happened during a period when Benoit and Jericho were being pushed as main eventers against Steve Austin and Triple H. Unfortunately, that push was squandered due to HHH and Benoit's injuries, the latter caused by this match. While it may not be as frantic as the previous TLC matches, the match was more dramatically satisfying as Benoit was injured after going through a table and he and Jericho struggled to overcome many odds to keep the belt. Of course, there wouldn't be a TLC match without spots and there were an abundant, including Christian 3D off the ladder through a table and Jeff Hardy leapfrogging over a 20-foot ladder on Bubba Ray Dudley through an announcement table. This was, unfortunately, the last great ladder match from all three teams involved, as most of their subsequent matches as both singles and tag team competitors never came close to the magic they delivered in matches like this. (****½).

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Christian vs. Edge
No Mercy, October 21, 2001

-Case in point, this match. That is not to say that this match was bad; in fact, it's very good. But there was no sense of astonishment that made the earlier ladder matches so special. Of course, this match is best known for two former partners going at it in a match that they helped define together as a team. It was a skillfully choreographed match, with both men make effective use of the ladder, but it needed a couple of epic spots to make it memorable. On the bright side, seeing Edge use the conchairto on his brother on the ladder made for a very satisfying end. (***½).

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam
Raw, May 27, 2002

-Eddie Guerrero's triumphant return and battles with RVD were few highlights of an otherwise dismal year for WWE, particularly RAW. They had two previous encounters for the IC title before settling the score with this match on RAW. This match was a fast-paced, high-spot dazzler that showed that Eddie was back on top form after a year-long absence. Eddie and RVD literally beat the tar out of each other with the ladder, with Eddie performing a hilo, a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a sunset-flip power bomb and RVD performing his signature moves with it. The only flaw, like the HBK/Ramon match, was the ending, where it looked like RVD was going for a five-star off the ladder, but wound up falling. Otherwise, this was one of the best matches on WWE TV for the year. (****½).

Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Championship:
Undertaker vs. Jeff Hardy
Raw, July 1, 2002

-THIS, however, was NOT one of the best matches on WWE TV that year. I don't mean to sound like a contrarian, but I cannot understand the love that this match gets from fans. Jeff Hardy was a shell of his former self at the time and, as much as I love Undertaker, heel or face, I hated the American Bad A-- gimmick. This match was hyped as Jeff Hardy's once-in-a-lifetime shot at the Undertaker's WWE Championship and it sure looked like it. Even though the story was Jeff being the underdog, Taker treated him like a joke, where he had the match won a couple of times and chose to inflict more punishment and Jeff only performed one spot that was memorable, that being the somersault tope off the ladder on Taker. Of course, Taker wins and Jeff Hardy earns his respect. Unfortunately, this did nothing for Jeff Hardy's career at the time as he relinquished in midcard hell before being released in 2003. Sluggish and dull, with a couple of good spots (**½)

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships:
Kane & the Hurricane vs. Rob Van Dam & Jeff Hardy vs. Bubba Ray Dudley & Spike Dudley vs. Chris Jericho & Christian.
Raw, May 27, 2002

-Just to show you how badly the WWE was doing in 2002: they promote Hurricane as a participant in the match and he doesn't even show up. So Kane has to go at it alone, taking on all the three teams without his partner. With the exception of that subplot, this match is basically a rehash of all the TLC matches, compressed in TV form. It's a fun match to watch, but there was little drama throughout the battle (only Kane's struggle to win on his own felt gripping) and the winner could be seen coming from a mile away. Thankfully, they ended showing the match just before HHH came out and accuse Kane of being a murderer, jumpstarting the reviled "Katie Vick" angle. Another interesting note: this was the match where Bubba Ray Dudley sustained such a nasty concussion that he completely forgot everything that happened in the match. (***½)

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Christian vs. Chris Jericho
Unforgiven, September 12, 2004.

-When Edge suffered a groin injury in late 2004, he was forced to forfeit the Intercontinental belt. The contenders for the belt were Jericho and the returning Christian. Their shot at the IC title would be decided in a ladder match. This was by-the-books ladder match: good, but nothing special. Clearly, they were off their game that night as the pacing was all over the place and they rehashed most of the spots they've done in the past. But it was still a solid match and Jericho winning the Intercontinental title was a pleasant surprise. (***¼).

Money in the Bank Ladder Match:
Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian vs. Kane
WrestleMania 21, April 3, 2005

-The first Money in the Bank ladder match and undoubtedly the best. Chaos abounded everywhere as all six men used the ladder to destroy one another. This was inspired chaos, the likes not seen since the TLC matches in 2001. I especially loved the way Kane was used here, as an indestructible force that could undermine everything. But the star of the match was Shelton Benjamin, who delivered two of the most memorable spots: the T-bone suplex off the ladder and the jaw-dropping running clothesline off the ladder on Jericho. Watching that for the first time left me in utter awe. Even to this day, I'm still amazed. Benoit's head butt off the ladder on Kane is also another highlight. But in the end, the victory went to Edge, getting the win of his career and starting his run as a bona fide main eventer. Absolutely fantastic. I'm glad they put this match on the set. (****¾).

Ladder Match for Dominick's Custody
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
SummerSlam, August 21, 2005

-How do you screw up a solid feud between two great athletes? By inserting a stupid storyline in it. That's exactly what happened to Eddie and Rey in the summer of 2005, as they no longer feuded over who the better wrestler was, but who would get custody of Rey's son Dominick. To be fair, a phenomenal ladder match between these two would make up for a laughable storyline, right? Unfortunately, the match was merely good. Rey and Eddie are incapable of having a lousy match and this wasn't one of them. But the storyline overtook the match, with Dominick and Vicki Guerrero interfering in the match. Nor did it help that it featured a botched sunset-flip bomb and a sloppy backdrop, which both stood out like sore thumbs. When Rey grabs the briefcase and dangles on the hook, one doesn't get the sense that they saw a great match, but that they're glad that the feud is over. (***¼).

"Loser Leaves Raw" Ladder Match:
Edge vs. Matt Hardy
Raw, October 3, 2005

Speaking of feuds ending, we have this. Edge and Matt Hardy had an intensely personal feud throughout the summer, due to Lita having an affair with Edge, and this match would settle it The loser, of course, leaves RAW. This ladder match, as one reviewer pointed out, was more of a fight than a ladder match. But the ladder was used inventively by its participants, including one by Matt where he sandwiches the ladder on Edge (it could be seen on the DVD set when opened). Kendo sticks, chairs and a table were also involved, but Lita proved to be the ultimate factor as she prevented Matt from winning by tying him up around the ropes with her legs. Edge wins to become one of the WWE's biggest stars while Matt Hardy will be stuck in SmackDown midcard until his release in 2009. Very good TV match. (***½).

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the WWE Championship:
Edge vs. Ric Flair
Raw, January 16, 2006

-This was after Edge cashed in the Money in the Bank to become WWE Champion. This match was a change of pace from previous ladder matches as it was not an epic spotfest or a brutal brawl, but a classic story of a washed-up underdog going for one last shot against a younger, healthier champion. Despite reservations of Flair being in this environment, this was a fantastic match that told a great story and got the fans involved. There were moments when Flair really looked like he was going to win. There was even a moment when Flair took a suplex off the ladder and we felt that he was done for. Even though Edge won the match, Flair proved to the world that he was still the man. THIS was how the Jeff Hardy/Undertaker match should have been like. (****).

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the WWE Championship:
John Cena vs. Edge
Unforgiven, September 17, 2006

-Man, Edge is everywhere on this set. He and John Cena had a fantastic feud in 2006, which all came to a head at Unforgiven in Edge's hometown of Toronto, Ontario. The stipulation was that if Cena loses, he goes to SmackDown. Wow, is SmackDown really that bad of a show that going there is considered a form of punishment? Anyway, the TLC match rocked my socks off. Edge shows why he is the master of this environment, and no matter how you feel about John Cena, you cannot deny that he delivers the goods on PPV, which this match shows. Seeing Cena FU Edge off the ladder through two tables was truly a sight to see. It's not perfect; there are a few minor botches, such as failed sunset-flip bomb through a table and a weak chair shot by Cena, but overall, a tremendous effort by both men. (****¼)

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship:
Jeff Hardy vs. Johnny Nitro
Raw, November 20, 2006

-After a three-year long absence, Jeff Hardy made his return to the WWE, this time, in better form. As soon as he returned, he feuded with Johnny Nitro over the Intercontinental Championship. One of their best matches was the ladder match on Raw, the week before Survivor Series 2006. Even though Nitro has never been in a ladder match, watching this match, you would think he was in many beforehand. There was an onslaught of terrifically sick ladder spots, including a dropkick by Nitro off the ladder and Jeff missing the swanton bomb on Nitro and hitting the ladder instead. One of the most personal favorites is Nitro throwing a ladder at Jeff and his head being wrapped around the ladder. This match proved that Jeff Hardy was back with a vengeance and that Johnny Nitro was the future of the company. An underrated classic. (****½)

Fatal Four-Way Ladder Match for the WWE Tag Team Championships
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. the Hardyz vs. MNM vs. William Regal & Dave Taylor

-The last match on the set and a pure delight for ladder match fans of all ages. The match was originally scheduled to be London/Hendrick vs. Regal/Taylor in a normal tag team match, but to make a good match even better, Teddy Long makes it a fatal-four way ladder match which will also involve MNM and the Hardyz. And thank God cause this match is terrific. It's sloppy, messy and a complete utter trainwreck, but in a good way. There was non-stop action everywhere as bodies were literally thrown off the ladder onto the hard canvas. This match is, of course, notorious for the infamous sea-saw spot that destroyed Joey Mercury's nose and it's pretty sickening to watch. There's even a good dose of comedy in Regal/Taylor's fear of climbing ladders. Kendrick/London barely retain the belts in a hard-fought battle. What a great way to end this DVD set. (****½)

With multiple ****+ matches and not a single DUD in sight, this has to be one of the greatest wrestling DVD sets of all time. This set is so good that you won't notice there's anything else missing. Okay, there's the obligatory WMX classic and the triangle ladder match at WrestleMania 2000, but then there's also Christian vs. RVD on RAW September 2003, Edge & Christian vs. Hardyz on RAW September 2000, Rock vs. Mankind on RAW February 1999, RVD vs. Jeff Hardy in SummerSlam 2001, Syxx vs. Eddie Guerrero in Souled Out 1997 and the Money in the Bank matches in WrestleMania 22 and 23. But overall, that's very nit-picky.

I cannot recommend this DVD set enough to all wrestling fans, particularly those that love ladder matches. As an introduction to the ladder match, it is sublime. As a collection of high-quality matches, it is absolutely superb.

Strongest recommendation to buy immediately.