WWE - Shawn Michaels: My Journey [DVD]

It's a testament to "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels (given his LONG career) that even after the From The Vaults and Heartbeak & Triumph DVD sets (that collected over 20 of his matches) and two D-X DVD's that you can encounter yet another compilation of his matches and still argue about some of his great encounters that have been missed off these collections.

And whilst My Journey cannot be said to be entirely "the best" of Shawn Michaels it's still filled with more exciting and vital encounters than a lot of wrestlers could serve up in just one collection.

Wrapped around an exclusive sit-down interview with Michael Cole, My Journey sees Shawn talk his career highlights and lowlights in an engaging manner and whilst it doesn't tell the WHOLE story (you need to see the documentary on the Heartbreak & Triumph DVD to get close to that) it covers a lot of ground without too much re-treading over already covered ground on previous releases.

What this set ultimately relies on are the matches and for the most part they deliver. The World Class and AWA matches that open Disc 1 aren't brilliant, but they are entertaining enough and required viewing for Shawn Michaels fans who have an interest in where Michaels came from. Things pick up immeasurably with WWF Rockers tag matches against The Brainbusters and The Hart Foundation; the tag team scene was packed in the late 80's/early 90's and these matches highlight three of the most talented teams of the era. The 1992 clash with Bret Hart is fun and the disc rounds out with three RAW clashes which all provide a degree of entertainment. Check out Jim Cornette's commentary on HBK's clash with the Davey Boy Smith as well; heaven forbid a 21st Century WWE commentator would attempt to explain WHY a random match was happening.

Disc 2 opens with another RAW match (against Mick "Mankind" Foley) although this does highlight one downside to the Michael Cole interview. Not for the last time on this collection, Michaels talks up a famous match with a certain opponent (in this case their classic Mind Games encounter) before we're shown a completely different match from another date. The wish not to duplicate what's already available on Michaels' other DVD's is commendable, but a little common sense in the interview would have helped. That this happens later with Ric Flair (they talk about the WrestleMania match, but show the 2003 Badd Blood one) highlights this fact and it doesn't help that the two matches they DON'T show are better than the two they do. Still, with WrestleMania classics against Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle alongside the excellent One Night Only match against Davey Boy Smith and a thrilling Casket Match against The Undertaker on show, Disc 2 definately gets the thumbs up. That it ends with Shawn's memorable "Montreal" promo on Bret Hart and Hulk Hogan from 2005, which in my eyes is one the greatest heel promos of the decade, makes it even better.

Disc 3 brings down the quality meter slightly intially (I know they probably had to squeeze a Triple H match in there, but their Boot Camp match from 2005 isn't very good) but in the end you can't really complain about a disc that gives you the classic Four-Way main event of Backlash 2007, great matches against Randy Orton and Chris Jericho and finishes it all off with arguably the greatest WrestleMania match of all time in the form of the 2009 Michaels/Undertaker classic.

As noted, the fact that at least four previous Shawn Michaels/D-X DVD's have been released means that My Journey cannot be regarded as the definitive "best of" due to the fact that some of Michaels' classics are available elsewhere. But what does remain is proof that Shawn Michaels deserves his reputation as one of the greatest in-ring workers of his era (although for me there is no doubt - he's THE best). There is enough top quality match action on this set to make this a must-have collection for any Shawn Michaels fan, or indeed any wrestling fan who appreciates that wrestling, as Shawn himself says on the DVD, can be art. Who knows if, after this year's WrestleMania, we really have seen the last of Shawn Michaels in the wrestling ring. But if we have, this is a fine way to remember him. Thank you, Shawn.

It is amazing to see how Shawn Michaels developed during the years with great matches from the 80s were all began to the 90s his golden ara and of course when he came back to the WWE.This DVD set shows some classics as well HBK comments about his career in an interview with Michael Cole.A must Buy to all WWE fans

This was a really great wrestling profile of all wrestling superstars. Shawn Michaels history throught the Awa to the WWE. His matches I saw were amazing but, The best matches I lovd was The boot camp match against Triple H, The fatl Four way match with John Cena, Edge and Randy Orten, Wrestlemania 25 match against the Undertaker but, the one I loved was the unsanctioned match against Y2J Chris Jericho. Those were my best matches of all time.