GLOW wasn’t your typical wrestling show. So when they announced release of their footage on DVD, fans expected a lot. In the release of their second in a set, The Very Best of GLOW Volume 2, fans expected changes that made Volume 1 weak. Sadly, no changes were made.
The disc is built around one complete show and two bonus matches. Being an official DVD, there are no extras that are brought to the table. Behind the scenes footage, unaired footage, audio commentary, where are they now or back stories could have made this DVD a real hit with fans. With some of the original girls still floating around with web sites and blogs, it would have been easy to get them to record some audio commentary for the DVD. Because the bonus footage only features already aired matches, it is missing out on a great opportunity that WWE DVDs draw fans with.
The main feature is a complete episode from Season 3 of the promotion. The season was strong but lacked the charisma and breakout stars that the first two seasons had. The third season was oversaturated with characters that weren’t contradicting from the next. Also, with most girls leaving after Season 2, characters were introduced to replace the missing stars. We saw MTV for Vine, Tulsa for Dallas, Liberty for Americana, Susie Spirit for Vicky Victory, just to name a few. The WWE had their own failures with copycats, like Siva Afi for Jimmy Snuka and Cpl. Kirschner for Sgt. Slaughter.
One major problem GLOW encountered was management problems. Although their syndication was growing, arguing over money really hurt the promotion. The wrestlers and the writer (yes, one writer wrote all of Season 3 and 4 himself), earned very little money while Matt Cimber, the director, was suspected of taking large bonuses while sharing none with the wrestlers.
The main feature of the DVD contains two interesting bouts. One name features Ninotchka, shown as an American sympathizer (having dropped her Russian gimmick), similar to the roll Nikita Koloff was portraying with the NWA at the time. At the time, Ninotchka was being phased out and was rarely shown in her post-Russian gimmick. Also, we see the finals of the “Run for the Rubies,” a tournament that crowned a new GLOW champion. The final was given more time than most matches aired. No, do not expect a five-star match, but it is very different than most bouts fans remember.
Luckily, the two bonus matches feature footage from Season 2, where we seen such stars like Tina Ferrari (Lisa Moretti, better known as Ivory), Hollywood and Attaché.
Will this be the format of all future DVDs? Ursula Hayden, owner of GLOW hinted at some changes.
“We have shot some new footage that will be released on the future,” Hayden told SLAM! Wrestling. She explained that some of the original girls will be back, and she hopes to preview the new footage on Volume 3.
She would not hint what Volume 3 would feature.
This is another DVD that is a must for the hardcore GLOW fans but the casual or nostalgic fans won’t benefit from this DVD. With new footage looking to be released in the future, the casual fans may finally draw interest in the DVDs.
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