WWE: Best Pay-Per-View Matches 2011 DVD Review

As part of their look back at 2011, WWE Home Video has released a DVD featuring some of the best action from their pay-per-view events that took place during the year.

Format of the DVD: This production is hosted by Scott Stanford. The 3-disc DVD set features 14 matches while the 2-disc Blu-ray version of this set features four additional matches.

Packaging Note: The match listing for the DVD is printed on the inner sleeve of the package. In addition, the back of the box lists an approximate running time of 7.5 hours.

Important Advertising Error: While the WWE has finally corrected their misstatement about the running time of their DVD sets, this DVD set features an error in its print advertising. The ad for this DVD in WWE magazine states: "This 3-disc DVD or 2-disc Blu-ray set features all the top moments from the best Pay-Per-Views of the year, including WrestleMania XXVII, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble and more!". Unfortunately, both the DVD and Blu-ray sets stopped with Vengeance, their October pay-per-view event. Because of that, there are no matches from the Survivor Series on this DVD set.

Editing Issue: The most notable edit is the removal of the Metallica and Johnny Cash songs that were used by Triple H and the Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVII. The good news is that for the matches which featured extracurricular activity after the bell, those segments are included on this set.

Match Selection: The biggest problem with this DVD is that it stops with Vengeance. The final two pay-per-view events of the year featured the Rock's first match in over seven years and both Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder winning their first singles title in the WWE. However, with the exception of those major exclusions, when I look at the match listing for the Blu-ray version, nothing major is missing. While I might have come up with a slightly different match listing (ex: replace the Orton-Christian match from Capitol Punishment with the one form Over the Limit), this one is still very good.

Overall Recommendation: I really liked this DVD and think it is a worthwhile addition to your DVD collection if you don't record the monthly pay-per view events when they air or buy the DVDs when they are released. While my review is for the DVD set, if I was buying this set I think I would spend the extra money for the Blu-ray version. Unlike most sets that are available on both DVD and Blu-ray, all of the matches on this set were recorded in HD.

For matches that are available on other non-PPV DVDs, I will note the DVD it is also available on in parenthesis and italics. In addition, I have provided a link for each event listed that contains a recap of all of the matches that took place that night.

Disc One

• Royal Rumble 2011: World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler
• Elimination Chamber 2011: SmackDown Elimination Chamber Match - World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. Big Show vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Kane vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Wade Barrett
• WrestleMania XXVII: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes (Rey Mysterio: The Life of a Masked Man)
• WrestleMania XXVII: No Holds Barred Match - Undertaker vs. Triple H

Disc Two

• Extreme Rules 2011: Ladder Match for the Vacant World Heavyweight Championship - Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (Ladder Match 2: Crash & Burn)
• Capitol Punishment 2011: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
• Money in the Bank 2011: Raw Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Alberto Del Rio vs. Alex Riley vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio vs. The Miz
• Money in the Bank 2011: WWE Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk

Disc Three

• SummerSlam 2011: No Holds Barred Match - World Heavyweight Champion Christian vs. Randy Orton
• Night of Champions 2011: World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry
• Night of Champions 2011: No DQ Match - Triple H vs. CM Punk
• Hell in a Cell 2011: Divas Champion Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix
• Hell in a Cell 2011: Hell in a Cell Match - WWE Champion John Cena vs. CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio
• Vengeance 2011: World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry vs. Big Show

Blu-Ray Exclusive Matches (source: Silvervision)

• WrestleMania XXVII - Randy Orton vs. CM Punk (Randy Orton: The Evolution of a Predator)
• Over the Limit 2011: Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
• Capitol Punishment 2011: World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. Christian
• SummerSlam 2011: Rey Mysterio, John Morrison & Kofi Kingston vs. The Miz, R-Truth & Alberto Del Rio

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.