Review for WWE: The Ladder Match 2: Crash and Burn

The ladder match is one of the best stipulation matches that the wrestling world has. First introduced to the mainstream in 1994 it has become a staple that almost every notable Superstar has been a part of. If you look at this set you will see a Who's Who of Wrestling. In fact it is difficult to think of anyone who has not competed in one and this set (along with the first) showcases just how good these superstars can be at flying up and off these ladders.

Hosted by Christian, who along with Edge had so many perfect ladder matches it would have been nice if he played this straight as some of the jokes are a little lame and made me want to reach for the remote. However, the set features 21 matches that covers WWE, WCW and also two rare matches from Smokey Mountain and OVW. The lack of ECW and even more obscure uses of the ladder would have made this set better.

Of the 21 three of them were Money in the Bank which was a little overkill, but if you are a fan of these matches I can understand why they are here and all three are excellent. The problem I have with this set (as with many of these 'specific stipulation' sets) is that after you have seen one ladder match you more or less have seen every spot, every move and every use of the ladder that you can. True some are hugely innovative, particularly the tag ones and the ones with multiple people, but a lot of them feel like another one recycled which can at times get a little boring.

However, many of them are wonderful showcases of particular talents such as HBK vs Razor Ramon at Wrestlemania X, which I think is one of the best matches. EVER! Rob Van Dam vs Jeff Hardy is definitely one of the best high flyer matches I have seen and any match that features the Hardys, Edge and Christian, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk and Eddie Guerrero are some of the best matches that I have ever seen.

If you don't have the first set you may sit wondering where a particular match is, but this is rectified by purchasing the first set which is also a 'must have' item. I thought Ladder Match 2: Crash and Burn is an excellent collection of matches and if you are able to dip in and out you will find gems that you may have never seen before and some that you will enjoy rewatching again and again.