Wrestlemania 30 is only 41 days away. Wrestling fans are currently in the thick of what is commonly referred to as "the Road to Wrestlemania." This is hands down the most exciting time of the year for us. The road begins with Royal Rumble, which occurs at the end of January and is arguably the second greatest event, wrestling or otherwise, of each year. Since that pay-per-view on January 26, 2014, I have been occupying my days reliving classic WWE moments with the help of the New York Public Library. Were you aware of the large collection of WWE DVDs the library carries? NYPL has the tools you need to properly celebrate the season, and here are some highlights:
WWE Superstar Collection: Daniel Bryan
The Road to Wrestlemania began with Batista's lackluster return (not to mention a lukewarm welcoming by the fans) and victory at Royal Rumble. This means he will headline Wrestlemania 30 and battle the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton for the title on April 6. Unfortunately, that's not exactly the match the fans have been asking for. The WWE universe have spoken, shouted, cheered, and chanted "YES!" repeatedly—we want Daniel Bryan as our champion. This bearded, grungey, 5'10" submission specialist is not your typical wrestler archetype. His organic popularity is due to his relentless hard work, technical prowess and infectious "YES!" chant. Not to mention his large beard (so hot right now). "WWE Superstar Collection - Daniel Bryan" is a collection of six matches, beginning with his time at NXT. I'd prefer a more thorough documentary that includes his indie circuit days, but this will do for now!
The History of WWE : 50 Years of Sports Entertainment
With 390 minutes (on 3 discs!) of enthralling history, I'm sure you'll learn a fact or two that you can whip out at your Wrestlemania party and impress (or annoy) your friends with. This thorough DVD set chronicles the evolution of WWE from small, regional promotion into a worldwide phenomenon. Say goodbye to an entire weekend!
Wrestlemania 29
What better way to prepare for the Super Bowl of wrestling than to watch last year's event? Watch The Undertaker defend his streak against CM Punk in the "Greater New York City Area" aka New Jersey! Other matches include Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar and, as the cover of the DVD suggests, John Cena vs. The Rock.
The History of the World Heavyweight Championship
Beginning with the early National Wrestling Alliance and continuing to World Class Wrestling and the current home of the championship at WWE, this collection also includes over 20 championship matches, held from 1961 to 2009. Relive (or experience for the first time) Pat O'Connor vs. Buddy Rogers, Harley Race vs. Dusty Rhodes, Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton and many more iconic moments.
These selections are just scratching the surface of what the NYPL has to offer WWE fans (or those with a casual interest) of all ages and wrestler alliances. Be on the lookout for future wrestling-related blog posts by yours truly, highlighting the awesomely vast collection of WWE books and DVDs available from the New York Public Library!