Review for WWE Wrestlemania 18: Tagged Classics

If there was one man who embodied the past of wrestling, it's Hulk Hogan. If there was one man who embodied the future of wrestling, it's The Rock. The greatness of wrestling is that unlike boxing where you couldn't put an old Muhammad Ali against Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson, but in wrestling you could get this 'dream match'. The idea of Hogan vs. Rock was so huge that many people forget what the actual main event of this PPV was (Though don't tell Triple H that!).
This is also the final PPV of the WWF, before the change to WWE and almost feels like the last squeezing of the Invasion with the nWo into the WWE (Though there was still the debut of Scott Steiner and Goldberg and Bischoff to come). The actual PPV being dominated by the Hogan/Rock match, the rest of the matches seem a little flat with only a few matches: Kane vs. Kurt Angle, Ric Flair vs. Undertaker, Women's Triple Threat and Jericho vs. Triple H being true highlights. The tag team elimination match was good, but compared to the TLC matches from 16 and 17 is a little lackluster and the three other title matches (European, Intercontinental and Hardcore) almost afterthought matches that didn't really have the impact that they should have had. The real disappointment for the night was Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall. This match should have been more and because of Kevin Nash's injury it just felt odd to watch. Hogan vs. The Rock was a spectacle of a match. I won't go so far as to say it was amazing or Match of the Year as PWI voted it, but certainly a great match to watch and one that is proof against all those people who say that Hogan never put anyone over.
This set also includes so many extras that I forgot just how good WWE DVDs (or Wrestlemania DVDs) used to be. Unlike now, when they only included the Hall of Fame ceremony and the dark match, here we have eleven featurettes including Superstars revealing their favourite Mania moments, Top Five Finishes, Mr. McMahon's Byte This! interview and a behind the scenes of the making of a number of life size casts created for the Axxess Weekend. These included a wonderful look at Stacy Keibler getting her legs and ass cast. Of course, the best extra included is the entire Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior match from Wrestlemania 6, which was the first Mania that I ever watched.
WWE Wrestlemania X8 was an ok PPV, made great with a wonderful set to accompany it. This is what all WWE DVDs should be like. They should give me at least an hour's worth of stuff to keep me watching beyond the PPV finishing. This PPV has a little bit of something for everyone and that makes it a must-have item for all WWE fans.