It's that time again, time for another WWE compilation highlighting the best that was from the year (or most of a year, more on that in a
moment) in Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown (save for the oddball SmackDown airing on a different night). It wasn't long ago when
the WWE released these
"best of" sets separately, one each
for RAW and SmackDown. That hasn't been the case since last year's doubled-up Blu-ray. Packed-together releases mean, perhaps, a little
less content, but it also means less money out-of-pocket. Nevertheless, the release is as simple as they come, chronologically highlighting the best
matches and moments from January on through to early November. It's hours upon hours of WWE entertainment and an excellent set for those
reliving the year's finest, catching up on what happened, just casually getting into WWE, or viewers who simply want some high-power entertainment
that blends action, humor, drama, and a wide array of characters more coherently and with greater purpose than some Hollywood movies.
The Straightedge Champ.
This year's compilation begins with the throttling of longtime John Cena friend and ally Zack Ryder at the hands of a very angry Kane in a
brutal, one-sided Falls Count Anywhere match that sees the action spill into the stands. A high-energy "Champion versus Champion" match
between WWE Champion CM Punk and Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan follows. The set includes a powerful six-man tag-team match that
includes Sheamus, Randy Orton, and The Big Show squaring off against The Miz, Cody Rhodes, and Daniel Bryan that's arguably last year's most
compelling tag
match, besting even those from the multitude of Pay-Per-View events. Later, Punk battles Mark Henry, number one contenders are decided, and
names like The Rock, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Ryback dot the landscape of the year's finest Monday and Friday night activities.
WWE announcer Josh Matthews hosts the program, occasionally interjecting between matches and moments to introduce the coming event or shed
a little more light on the backstory of the match or moment about to play. Otherwise, this is a no-frills, straightforward production that offers
matches and moments in their entirety, as they were aired on Monday and Friday nights, with breaks in the action only where commercials would
have been. Full intros are included, and the program briefly lingers at the end of a match for any relevant fallout. Fans familiar with last year's RAW
and SmackDown compilation -- or any recent WWE compilation, for that matter -- know exactly what to expect. This is a well-constructed set, its
only flaw the cutoff of everything from mid-November forward; one can only think that the WWE believes, and has data to back up, that this will sell
better when released closer to the year it highlights, even if that means shortchanging the best of RAW and SmackDown from most of November
and all of
December. It would be nice if WWE included the "best of" moments from those months in the following year's supplements, just for completion's
sake. Otherwise, fans should enjoy this set a great deal.
Disc One (4:23:29 total runtime)
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Kane vs. Zack Ryder. RAW -- January 23, 2012.
RAW Moment: Chris Jericho "Speaks." RAW -- January 23, 2012.
Champion vs. Champion Match: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan. RAW -- January 30, 2012.
No Disqualification Match: Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett. SmackDown -- February 3, 2012.
RAW Moment: John Cena Has Some Choice Words for The Rock. RAW -- February 20, 2012.
6-Man Tag Team Match: Randy Orton, Sheamus & Big Show vs. Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes & The Miz. SmackDown -- March 9, 2012.
RAW Moment: The Rock Concert. RAW -- March 12, 2012.
Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship: Santino Marella vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger. RAW -- April 2, 2012.
RAW Moment: Brock Lesnar Returns. RAW -- April 2, 2012.
WrestleMania Rematch: Randy Orton vs. Kane. SmackDown -- April 6, 2012.
SmackDown Moment: Daniel Bryan Tells Off AJ Lee. SmackDown -- April 6, 2012.
RAW Moment: John Cena & Brock Lesnar Confrontation. RAW -- April 9, 2012.
No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship: CM Punk vs. Mark Henry. RAW -- April 16, 2012.
World Tag Team Championship Match: Primo & Epico vs. R-Truth & Kofi Kingston. RAW -- April 30, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus. SmackDown -- May 18, 2012.
RAW Moment: Big Show Goes on a Rampage. RAW -- May 28, 2012.
Fatal 4-Way Match to Determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs.
The Great Khali. RAW -- June 11, 2012.
RAW Match: Heath Slater vs. Vader. RAW -- June 11, 2012.
SmackDown Moment: Santino Marella Hosts "Sign of the Night." SmackDown -- June 22, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler. SmackDown -- June 22, 2012.
RAW Moment: D-Generation X Reunites. RAW -- July 23, 2012.
Fatal 4-Way Match to Determine the #1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Title: Rey Mysterio vs. Kane vs. Daniel Bryan vs.
Alberto Del Rio. SmackDown -- July 27, 2012.
2-on-1 Handicap Match: Ryback vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks. RAW -- August 6, 2012.
Disc Two (2:57:46 total runtime):
RAW Moment: CM Punk & John Cena Have Words. RAW -- August 20, 2012.
RAW Moment: Daniel Bryan & Kane Attend Anger Management. RAW -- August 27, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes. SmackDown -- August 31, 2012.
Falls Count Anywhere Match: John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio. RAW -- September 3, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Randy Orton vs. Damien Sandow. SmackDown -- September 7, 2012.
RAW Match: Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston. RAW -- September 24, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Beth Phoenix vs. Natalya. SmackDown -- September 28, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Ryback vs. Tensai. SmackDown -- September 28, 2012.
RAW Match: Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow. RAW -- October 1, 2012.
SmackDown Match: Daniel Bryan & Kane vs. Alberto Del Rio & David Otunga. SmackDown -- October 5, 2012.
SmackDown Match: CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler. SmackDown -- October 5, 2012.
RAW Match: CM Punk vs. Mr. McMahon. RAW -- October 8, 2012.
RAW Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler. RAW -- October 22, 2012.
RAW Match: John Cena & Ryback vs. CM Punk & Dolph Ziggler. RAW -- November 5, 2012.
Falls Count Anywhere Match: Randy Orton vs. Alberto Del Rio. SmackDown -- November 6, 2012.
Raw & Smackdown: The Best of 2012 is another high quality visual release from the WWE. Though light aliasing, slight ringing, and occasional
blockiness dot the landscape, the image is generally fantastic. The Josh Matthews segments suffer most of the problems, including an unnaturally warm
push that reddens his skin. The primary wrestling moments, however, look great. Details are generally fantastic; just look at the texture of Kane's
leathery red mask, the seams on the padding around the ring, or the intricate facial or tattoo details visible on close-up shots. Clarity is outstanding; the
image is supremely sharp and robust, very crisp and accurate even some distance away from the camera, far back up into the crowds. Colors are
fantastic, too. They're very well balanced and consistently accurate across the board. Wrestler trunks, digital signage, the apron around the ring, even
multicolored signs scattered throughout the audience look great. Black levels are deep but a bit blocky, and flesh tones are fine in the wrestling
segments. The various issues are a little more obvious the closer to the screen one sits, but from casual viewing distances this one appears to only
rarely commit any visual sins.
Raw & Smackdown: The Best of 2012 features a satisfying Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, a staple of WWE Blu-ray releases. There's a good
general presence to the dueling theme music that plays at the beginning, but it does lack that last little bit of energy and oomph even at reference
levels. The same goes for all the music throughout; wrestler intro music, for instance, delivers a very well-defined structure and natural spacing all
around the stage, but it seems slightly reserved and dialed down. It does drift into the back for a pleasant all-encomapssing surround sound element
that does well to place the listener in the middle of the action; the same may be said of general crowd cheers and ambience. In-ring dialogue and
ringside narration play evenly and smoothly from the center. This track could use a boost in musical presence, but it's otherwise rock-solid in every
regard.
Raw & Smackdown: The Best of 2012 is another dependable Blu-ray release from the WWE; it's dependable in how well it's put together,
dependable in the entertainment level of the selected matches and moments, and dependable in its omission of most of November and all of December.
Fortunately, the good far outweighs the bad, and this set delivers two discs worth of WWE entertainment at its Monday and Friday finest. There are
plenty of memorable matches, several great moments, and most every current -- and a few former -- WWE Superstar on display. The set offers great
video
and solid lossy audio. A few bonus matches, moments, and interviews are included and are exclusive to Blu-ray. Recommended, and a must-own for
WWE fans and WWE Home Video collectors.
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