DVD Review: The Spectacular Legacy of the American Wrestling Assocation (AWA)

DVD Review: The Spectacular Legacy of the American Wrestling Assocation (AWA)

By: Bill

After viewing this, my overall reaction was that this was a fairly gutsy marketing decision by the WWE to put this together. Maybe I'm totally off on this, but I'd have to imagine the subject matter of this DVD is pretty far outside the interest realm of the modern-day WWE fan. However, I guess that if you already own the matches and intellectual property behind this DVD, then the cost for the interviews and putting the DVD together probably isn't all that high.

That being said, if you watched the AWA growing up (like I did), you will really enjoy this DVD. Will it knock your socks off? No. However, it will definitely hold your interest and give you insight into what made the AWA tick and what, ultimately, caused its downfall. I say that it will "give you insight" because it doesn't really give you all of that definitive an answer. More or less you are led to believe that it's the combination of a few things, but the ultimate decision is really left to the viewer.

My major complaint about this DVD has to be the music. This is kind of a creepy analogy, but it's the best way to describe it. You know how when you're surfing the Internet, and you stumble onto a memorial page that has embedded music? All of a sudden, there's this loud, sad piano music blaring through your computer's speakers. That's what this entire DVD was like... loud, sad piano music. In a way, I found the music somewhat condescending towards the AWA legacy.

If you are not familiar with the AWA, and/or you've never heard of Verne Gagne, this DVD will be totally lost on you. Even if you are a relatively new fan of professional wrestling, Dusty Rhodes, Roddy Piper, the Road Warriors, the Four Horsemen...they are still things that are still fresh in the mind of modern-day professional wrestling fans. The AWA? Not so much. Hence my earlier comment about this DVD being a gutsy marketing move.

Some notable things about this DVD:

If you watched AWA as a kid, this DVD is worth a look. If you are not familiar with the AWA, definitely give it a pass.


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