Search - Armageddon 03/Royal Rumble 04: Tagged Classics on DVD

Two Nights of Evolution

R.A. McKenzie | New York | 12/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Coming soon from the WWE is a Tagged Classics of two PPVs: the Dec. 2003 RAW-only ARMAGEDDON, and the annual January event ROYAL RUMBLE 2004.

There seem to be a few common themes with these double-DVD sets:
* A few good matches
* A lot to criticize
* Little reason to buy, especially if you already own either of the PPVs.

Nevertheless, I'll try to be helpful to those who're curious:

*****ARMAGEDDON 2003*****
---This was RAW's 3rd brand-only event, and it mostly receives lukewarm reviews. In my opinion, it's nothing special. However, I think a lot of people forgot that this PPV was meant to be a throwback to the Four Horsemen's dominance from the NWA's heyday. Evolution was an incredible faction that I wish was still around. But more importantly, there are a couple of decent matches on the card. The best contest is easily Shawn Michaels versus Batista; "The Animal" hadn't had a better match in his young career. On the other end of the spectrum, the IC Title Match between Randy Orton and Rob Van Dam (the champion) is a "love-it-or-hate-it" affair. I've read just as many positive comments as I have negative ones. Orton's slower-paced offense could really test you if he was cocky enough, and on this night, he was pretty full of himself. The main event between Kane, Triple H, and Goldberg (the World Heavyweight champion) entertained me. It's nothing special, but it gets the job done.

I guess that last sentence summarizes ARMAGEDDON 2003. In the end, a chapter in Evolution's story has been told, but it was a long three hours to endure.
_____________________________________________

*****ROYAL RUMBLE 2004*****
---I'll start with the 30-Man Royal Rumble. While everyone's got their own favorites and criteria for enjoying these battle royals, I consider this to be one of the top five. I may be naive, but I still get goosebumps watching the last few participants in this match. It could've gone in so many directions. In addition to that little factoid, I love how the match keeps going, with wrestlers doing more than just punching, kicking, and hoisting.
The rest of the card leaves much to be desired. The opening Table Match is a monumental disappointment, especially because it was for the World Tag Team Titles. The Cruiserweight Title Match between Jamie Noble & Rey Mysterio is also underwhelming. There's no reason these two couldn't have stolen the show; I've seen them do it on SMACKDOWN TV for free! The Eddie/Chavo grudge match is still a strange one to me. Every time I watch it, I'd never have guessed that "Latino Heat" would win the WWE Championship just one month later. There've been better champion pushes, that's for sure.
Once you get over the initial shock of seeing Hardcore Holly in a WWE Championship Match, the match never takes off. It's way too short for anything significant to happen. Say what you will about Brock Lesnar's WWE legacy, but he was skilled enough to deserve better than this.
I actually really enjoy the Last Man Standing Match between Shawn Michaels and Triple (the World Heavyweight champion). I don't mind the draw finish, either. The two opponents delivered a very competitive display, and are always a pleasure to watch.

The 2004 ROYAL RUMBLE PPV redeems itself in the end, if you can stomach the first hour.
_____________________________________________

ARMAGEDDON 2003 isn't worth buying, even with the neat Evolution/Horsemen parallels. The 2004 ROYAL RUMBLE isn't a very good PPV overall, but its last two matches (clocking in at about 100 minutes combined) are well worth your time. I recommend you buy the second PPV, and ignore this boxed set."