Heroes of World Class Wrestling
by Brian Harrison
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DVD details
Director: Brian HarrisonBrand: Image Entertainment
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, Director's Cut, DVD-Video, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 180 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-12-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Big Vision
DVD Reviews of Heroes of World Class Wrestling
DVD Review: World Class Champtionship Wrestling like you never knew.
Summary: 5 Stars
Absolutely incredible. Kevin Von Erich walks back into that sacred arena one more time.
Just incredible you will learn soo much about what happenned during those times a tribulation and triumph.
DVD Review: DVD Review
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a good documentary about the history and the making of World Class Championship Wrestling. It's a DVD I would recommend to anyone.DVD Review: The Von Erich Claw
Summary: 4 Stars
My first exposure to World Class was via a fuzzy UHF channel in the Los Angeles area aroung the mid-eighties. Back then, watching as a little kid, the Sportatorium looked like some cheap "gymnasium-closet". Nonetheless, the in-ring action was thrilling to watch.
So when I first heard about this DVD-set about World Class, I was pretty thrilled. The documentary itself is full of old-footage as well as current appearances by all the well-known players from the World Class era(Kevin Von Erich, Skandar Akbar, Gary Hart, Bill Mercer, Marc Lawrence, etc).
As well made and imformative as the documentary was along with all the little extras, the downfall of this set will always be the fact that it contains no matches.
Still, for the historical value and Kevin Von Erich's last visit to a depleted Sportatorium, this DVD set is worth a try.
DVD Review: The OTHER Side Of The World Class Story
Summary: 4 Stars
Before I get started, just let me point out for the record that I saw WWE's documentry on World Class first so eventhough this one came out before WWE did their version, just keep in mind that I saw this version after that one. Now just like I stated in my review for the WWE version of his documentry, I'll be honest in that I didn't have the chance to see World Class until I got WWE 24/7 a year ago as it wasn't available to me growing up but after seeing the wonderful WWE documentry & founding a new respect for what I saw there & on the 24/7 channel, I decided to give this video a try. The format of this DVD was different than the usual ones I see (like WWE and others like Forever Hardcore & History Of TNA) in that this came off more as a mix of a documentry movie (like Beyond The Mat). You'll see & hear from various familar faces like Kevin Von Erich, Skandar Akbar, Gary Hart, Bill Mercer along with comments from Chris Adams via an old RF Video shoot interview he did before he died.
The documentry begins talking about the orgins of Fritz Von Erich & World Class Championship Wrestling with the advanced camera & audio production along with bringing in Bill Mercer. The idea of doing something different as far as brining in new young talent such of the Von Erich boys, Chris Adams, Great Kabuki, and the Freebirds is discussed next. The high number of syndication markets the show got is talked about next with very interesting details of how they kept getting new syndication every week along with even getting bigger ratings than the popular Saturday Night Live & even got high ratings than the local territories did in their own markets...including the WWE. Scandar Akbar's devistating stable of Kamala, Missing Link, and the Super Destroyers called Devistation Inc. is profiled next along with their feud with the Von Erich's. How the NWA Champions toured the territory, Brusier Brody, and the companies big events called "Star Wars" were talked about next before the thoughts of WCCW alumni regarding Mike Von Erich as a wrestler were discussed next followed by the personality profiles they would do on talent including showing the one with Jimmy Garvin & Sunshine working on the Von Erich's ranch. David Von Erich's death due to stomach problems in Japan is heavily discussed next including the story how thousands showed up to the funeral & burial before moving on to the tribute show & Kerry winning the NWA Championship. Highlights of the Freebirds/Devistation Inc./Von Erich rivarly is shown next before going into Chris Adams turning heel on Kevin & joining up with Gary Hart. Gino Hernandez's run is profiled next showcasing how he lived the high life, his association with Nickla Roberts, forming the dynamic duo with Chris Adams, and the hair feud with the Von Erichs. Highlights of the Midnight Express & Fantastics' feud is shown before heavy discussion regarding the Mike Von Erich shoulder injury that led to his toxic shock syndrome & how he was brought back too soon. The Lance Von Erich incident is briefly mentioned before the heavy drug problems of Gino Hernandez that led to his death is heavily discussed with some people thinking that it was more than just a drug overdose. Brief notes regarding pulling WCCW out of the NWA due to the politics of Jim Crockett along with the ESPN deal were shown before the negative effects of Fritz Von Erich still respecting the old school "territorial code" is talked about. Kerry Von Erich's motorcycle accident, absence for 18 months, and the lifetime effects of that accident were focused on next before the suicide of Mike Von Erich was talked about along with how his memorial show showed how WCCW was on a downward spiral. The downfall of the company in regards Fritz's selling the company, attendance dropping, failed merge with AWA before Jerry Jarrett changing it to USWA is noted over before going into the details of the murder of Brusier Brody in Puerto Rico & how that effected people to the point where a wrestler on this documenty stated that he will never go to Puerto Rico. The suicide deaths of Chris & Kerry Von Erich, Fritz' death due to cancer, and Chris Adams murder close out the documentry before Kevin Von Erich takes one last emotional walk through The Sportatorium before the building is torn down.
DVD extras include an alternative documentry beginning, footage of the Von Erichs & Bill Mercer going on a duck hunt, David Von Erich's last interview & match on the World Class show against Freebird Terry Gordy, Bill Mercer & WCCW Executive Producer Mickey Grant infont of the Sportatorium one last time (the audio is very bad on this one), trailers for the documentry, various audio interviews & segments, and the section of the ROH shoot video with Jim Cornette where he talks about his time in World Class including a funny & gross story regarding Percy "Paul Bearer" Pringle & french fries.
Unfortunally I saw WWE's documentry on World Class before this one so things I would normally point out as a negative in regards to the documentry itself, I can't because whatever was missed or glanced over in WWE's documentry (Devistation Inc., Brusier Brody, Jim Cornette & Midnight Express, Star Wars, Fritz's & Chris Adams deaths) was picked up here & visa versa (Freebirds, AWA merge, seperation from NWA, Lance Von Erich). Very similar to how the "Forever Hardcore" documentry on ECW was to "Rise & Fall Of ECW," both are a perfect alternative to the other. Now outside of the documentry, one big negative I felt was that for a DVD set on a wrestling promotion who actually owned their own footage, there weren't any matches from the feuds they highlighted in the documentry past David's last match. You would think that when you own footage & wrestling matches of popular wrestlers & legends that you would want to put matches on here to attract that non-average viewer/fan of World Class featuring Ric Flair, Jake Roberts, King Kong Bundy, Midnight Express, Junkyard Dog, Rick Rude & Percy "Paul Bearer" Pringle. I personally would have enjoyed those more than the bonus audio interviews. In the end, it's the exact same thing I said about the WWE documentry...this isn't just a documenty I just recommend as a wrestling fan who wants to "take a walk down memory lane" in regards to World Class Championship Wrestling but also one I would recommend for parents to show their children as well who are wrestling fans when teaching them the dangers of heavy drug use & the negative effects of suicide.
DVD Review: Pretty good
Summary: 4 Stars
Just go this one too. It's pretty good. I had no idea some of those folks were so messed up. Very sad. It's a good documentary - but very sad at the same time.
Description of Heroes of World Class Wrestling
In 1983 World Class Championship Wrestling and its franchise stars, the Von Erich brothers, were known around the world. A small Dallas based promotion running out of a shack of a venue, the Sportatorium, World Class was one of the most syndicated television programs in America, making the Von Erichs household names. Run by legendary wrestler Fritz Von Erich, a.k.a. Jack Adkinsson, World Class made his oldest sons, Kevin, David and Kerry, three of hte biggest stars in the world of wrestling. Little did anyone know that just as the Von Erichs and World Class were reaching worldwide stardom they would begin a downfall that would cast a full eclipse on their meteoric rise to fame. Directed by Brian Harrison who, as a ten year old in 1983, watched on television as wrestling's world of staged combat between good and evil took a sharp turn into a surreal and tragic reality. Harrison heads to Texas to find his childhood hero, Kevin Adkisson, a.k.a. Kevin Von Erich, the oldest and sole surviving Von Erich brother. Harrison pays tribute to the prime years of this legendary era and its fallen stars.General DVDs
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