WWE // 2008 // 540 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Franck Tabouring (Retired) // January 9th, 2009
He's the Rated-R Superstar!
Love him or hate him, Edge has accomplished a whole lot during his ten year pro wrestling career. Including twenty-six of his best matches, WWE: Edge -- A Decade of Decadence honors Edge's efforts and his contribution to the WWE. From title matches to hardcore battles, this set has it all!
Here's what this collection has to offer:
Disc 1
* Edge vs. Owen Hart
* Edge & Christian vs. New
Brood
* Edge & Christian vs. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz
* Lance
Storm vs. Edge
* Edge vs. Test
* Edge vs. Mr. Perfect
* Kurt
Angle vs. Edge
* Edge vs. Kurt Angle
* Edge & Hollywood Hogan
vs. Billy & Chuck
* Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero
Disc 2
* Edge vs. Randy Orton
* Shawn Michaels vs. Edge
*
Kane vs. Edge
* Matt Hardy vs. Edge
* John Cena vs. Edge
*
Mick Foley vs. Edge
* Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer & Beulah vs. Edge,
Mick Foley & Lita
* John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Edge
Disc 3
* John Cena vs. Edge
* Rob Van Dam vs. Edge
* Randy
Orton vs. Edge
* Undertaker vs. Edge
* Batista vs. Edge
* Rey
Mysterio vs. Edge
* Undertaker vs. Edge
* Edge vs. Undertaker
* Edge vs. Owen Hart at Breakdown in 1998
Edge's match against
Owen Hart is an interesting battle to kick off this collection, and although the
Rated-R Superstar still looks a little insecure at times, he delivers a series
of visually pleasing maneuvers that keep the entertainment factor of this
9-minute battle at a decent level. Near falls are abundant and surprises remain
scarce, but this matchup marks a solid start.
* Edge & Christian vs. New Brood at No Mercy in 1999
Wow,
this one sure delivers first-class wrestling entertainment. It's a ladder match
with $100,000 suspended over the ring, and whoever grabs it first wins the match
and the cash prize. Hardcore matches without any rules are always fun, and this
fast-paced 15-minute battle between Edge & Christian and the Hardy brothers
features plenty of solid ladder action with impressive high-risk maneuvers.
* Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz at WrestleMania
in 2000
This one is even more entertaining than the preceding hardcore
match. This triangle ladder match is for the Tag Team Championship, which means
this time, the titles are suspended above the ring, and the first wrestler to
grab a hold of them wins it for his team. At 23 minutes, this is just a crazy
battle, complete with awesome high-risk dives and other fast-paced moves that
all somehow involve ladders or/and tables. All three teams show off their
incredible flexibility, and it's plenty of fun to watch.
* Lance Storm vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2001
This one's for the
Intercontinental Championship, and neither Storm nor Edge shy away from showing
off their skills via a variety of powerful kicks and risky maneuvers. A pretty
ridiculous twist (keep an eye on the referee) messes up the ending a bit, but
that's the only complaint I have about this otherwise entertaining matchup.
* Edge vs. Test Survivor Series in 2001
In this Championship
Unification match, Test and Edge deliver a series of interesting maneuvers that
keep the fight fast-paced enough despite an absence of surprises or high-risk
stunts. It's by no means a bad matchup, but let's just say it may be a little
bit more boring than others. It's pretty long at 11 minutes as well.
* Edge vs. Mr. Perfect at Sunday Night Heat in 2002
Clocking in
at only 3 minutes, this one is short but entertaining to watch. Some moves we
get to see are not as well-coordinated as others, but both wrestlers put on a
decent enough show.
* Kurt Angle vs. Edge at Judgment Day in 2002
Edge's match
against Angle at Judgment Day is a Hair vs. Hair match, which means the
loser will have all his hair shaved off. Despite this ridiculous rule though,
the 15-minute battle these two athletes deliver boats first-class pro wrestling
action with a bunch of powerful moves and strong kicks and punches. Very
entertaining indeed.
* Kurt Angle vs. Edge at SmackDown in 2002
It's time for a
steel cage match! Edge and Kurt Angle already proved they have what it takes to
offer audiences a great show, and this battle is no different. At 15 minutes,
this cage match features some impressive dives and plenty of steel action,
complete with a nice surprise and a decent enough finish. It's certainly not the
best match on this disc, but it's definitely a great addition to this
collection.
* Edge & Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Billy & Chuck at SmackDown
in 2002
It's always good to see Hogan in action, and in this Tag Team
Championship match, he certainly turns up the heat and helps Edge delivering a
solid fight against Billy & Chuck. Nine minutes is just the right length for
this kind of battle, and although this one is predictable and slows down a bit
in the middle, it picks up a lot of pace towards the ending, giving viewers
exactly what they want to see.
* Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero at Unforgiven in 2002
This match
starts out quite slow, with both Eddie and Edge using mostly kicks, punches and
a series of submission maneuvers. The last half of this 14-minute brawl is more
fun to watch, with both wrestlers opting for more risky moves before wrapping it
all up in style. That concludes Disc One.
* Edge vs. Randy Orton at Vengeance in 2004
Even though this is
an Intercontinental Championship Match, the show Orton and Edge offer us is not
that memorable. The battle lasts for 25 long minutes, and both athletes engage
mostly in slow-moving submission holds while only pulling off a few interesting
high-risk maneuvers. This one's too boring or my taste.
* Shawn Michaels vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
Edge faces Shawn
Michaels in a Street Fight, which means there are no rules in this matchup, and
the wrestlers can take the action anywhere they want. If you enjoy hardcore
battles, you'll like this 15-minute battle. From sticks to chairs and ladders,
the two athletes use everything they find around the ring to deliver a bloody,
decent enough show.
* Kane vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
Clocking in at 11 minutes, this
is a decently entertaining match, even though neither Kane nor Edge show they
audience what they are really capable of. The wrestling action is fast-paced
enough though, and that's what matters in the end.
* Matt Hardy vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
We're in for another
Street Fight, and this time, it's Edge versus Matt Hardy. This is a much more
intriguing and fast-paced hardcore match than the previous one, with both Edge
and Hardy delivering a variety of impressive stunts. Even the ridiculous ending
is kind of fun to watch.
* John Cena vs. Edge at New Year's Revolution in 2006
Edge goes
head to head with John Cena for the WWE Championship, but believe it or not, the
battle between these two superstars is a joke. At 3 minutes, this is one of
matches that fail miserably from start to finish. What the heck were the WWE
writers thinking?
* Mick Foley vs. Edge at WrestleMania 22 in 2006
Hardcore fans
should definitely be pleased with this 15-minute blast of a match at
WrestleMania. Foley, as usual, takes plenty of risks to give his fans
exactly what they want, while Edge, who's had a series of decent hardcore
battles before, proves he's got what it takes to wrestle at this level. This may
be a brutal fight, but it sure is darn entertaining as well.
* Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah vs. Mick Foley, Edge, and Lita at
ECW: One Night Stand in 2006
Want more extreme wrestling? You got
it. While I don't consider this 6-Person Tag Team Match to be one of Edge's
personal best, I admit it's still a solid battle. At 18 minutes, the six
athletes get enough opportunities to show off their hardcore skills, using
plenty of damaging gadgets to make the matchup look that much more dramatic.
Very entertaining indeed.
* John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Edge at Raw in 2006
The WWE
Championship is on the line in this Triple Threat Match, and Cena, Edge, and Van
Dam start off very strong with plenty of hard kicks before moving on to a horde
of impressive high-risk maneuvers that keep this 7-minute battle exciting until
the very end. That's it for Disc Two.
* John Cena vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2006
For a WWE
Championship Match in a pay-per-view, this battle between Edge and John Cena is
decent but not mesmerizing. We get to see a couple of solid moves and submission
holds, but overall, something's missing in this one. Too bad, because it could
have easily been a great one.
* Rob Van Dam vs. Edge at Raw in 2007
I always enjoy watching
Van Dam wrestle because he's someone with great flexibility who delivers a bunch
of crazy moves. Heck, he even makes simple kicks look impressive. His fight
against Edge is a highly entertaining one, despite its more or less
disappointing ending.
* Randy Orton vs. Edge at Raw in 2007
Clocking in at 14
minutes, this match between Orton and Edge doesn't include any major surprises,
but if you're a fan of table action, you won't be disappointed with this
one.
* Undertaker vs. Edge at SmackDown in 2007
I really don't know
what this mess is doing on this disc. At one minute only, I can't even call it a
real matchup. Anyway, this one certainly is a missed opportunity.
* Batista vs. Edge at Vengeance in 2007
This World Heavyweight
Championship comes with a twist that spices things up a bit during the second
part of the matchup, but other than that, Edge's battle against Batista is
standard but still solid wrestling entertainment. It's not Edge's best
championship match, but it's definitely intriguing enough to be featured in this
collection.
* Rey Mysterio vs. Edge at Royal Rumble in 2008
Mysterio and
Edge both deliver a strong PPV performance in this World Heavyweight
Championship matchup, which is rather short compared to others but still
includes enough variety to keep the crowd engaged until the bell rings.
* Undertaker vs. Edge at One Night Stand in 2008
With extreme
rules in place, this Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the World Heavyweight
Championship delivers the goods. Edge and the Undertaker use many of their
available props and put on a solid show in the attempt to grab the title,
turning this main event into quite an electrifying duel.
* Undertaker vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2008
It's Undertaker
versus Edge one more time, and this time, they go head to head in a Hell in a
Cell Match. At 27 minutes, both wrestlers put on a solid show, delivering some
tough moves in and outside the ring. To make it more diverse, they also bring
all sorts of gadgets into play, including tables, ladders, chairs, and even a
camera. Amusing indeed.
Overall, this is a pretty solid collection with tons of awesome matches and plenty of Edge. Diehard fans of the Rated-R Superstar should have no trouble enjoying these nine hours of wrestling action to the fullest extent. Disc Three features a couple of mediocre battles, but all in all, the good surpasses the bad in Edge -- A Decade of Decadence.
Picture quality and audio transfer on all three discs works just fine. Some earlier matches obviously don't look as sharp as the most recent ones, but considering the nature of this material, I have no complaints as far as the technical aspects of this collection are concerned.
Interestingly, this set features more special features than you usually find on WWE releases. Besides a 5-minute piece showcasing the best of Edge and Christian backstage and during interviews, the set also includes two bonus matches. One of them is a dark match from 1997, during which Edge competed against Christian. The second one is an Intercontinental Championship Match against Jeff Jarrett in 1999. Although neither of these matches are impressive, they are quite useful if you want to track Edge's evolution as a wrestler in the WWE over the past ten years.
If you're an Edge hater, you probably won't enjoy this collection that much, but for those who think Edge is a first-class entertainer, this set includes a horde of interesting matches showcasing his skills, failures, and successes.
Not guilty!
Review content copyright © 2009 Franck Tabouring; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Video: 88
Audio: 88
Extras: 75
Acting: 85
Story: 85
Judgment: 82
Perp Profile
Studio: WWE
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 540 Minutes
Release Year: 2008
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* Best of Edge & Christian
* Bonus Matches
Accomplices
* None