KLIQ WEEK continues here at WDN and it’s too sweeeeeeet!
Check in exclusively with us every day during this special week because we’re spilling the beans on match content planned for “THE KLIQ RULES”, the new WWE DVD and Blu-ray release that’s planned to feature a documentary on The Kliq and more than 20 matches.
The 1-2-3 Kid is the subject of today’s reveals. Triple H, Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall will also each get their own days of match reveals during KLIQ WEEK.
Click here to pre-order “THE KLIQ RULES” DVD/Blu-ray with Amazon.com.
— Razor Ramon vs. The Kid
RAW • May 17, 1993
— “Cry Baby” Match
Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid
In Your House • February 18, 1996
— Triple H vs. X-Pac
Backlash • April 25, 1999
“THE KLIQ RULES” WWE DVD and Blu-ray set is on the way for next month, officially in stores across the United States from July 28th. The scheduled release dates right now to overseas markets are August 5th for Australia and September 7th for the UK and Europe.
As we’ve reported, WWE reached out to Mani Mohtadi to interview him for the documentary on the upcoming Kliq DVD/Blu-ray. They did the same with Mani’s friend, Jason Cosmides.
They were the two fans in attendance at the Madison Square Garden live event on May 19th, 1996 who captured the infamous “Curtain Call” incident on video while bootlegging the full show on Jason’s camcorder, as they did with a number of shows through 1995 and 1996.
Mani has been in touch with WDN this week to share details on how his interview with WWE came to be, his experience shooting with them, and what it meant to his personal life.
It was on January 25th, 2015 that my friend Jason Cosmides told me that WWE wanted to talk to me in regards to the footage we shot at The Garden. Jason, my best wrestling friend, happened to make the magic happen that night. It was his idea to go to the Nassau Coliseum and Madison Square Garden house shows and bootleg them (sneak in camcorders to the shows and tape them).
He had a vision after he bought a bootleg copy of Diesel winning the title in ’94 at The Garden… the quality of the video was so bad that Jason decided that he wanted to do his own bootlegging. I started the journey with him going to house shows in ’95 and ’96 and taping them with a small camcorder. We would always get away with it because we were only 16 years old at the time and we would get past security most of the time without a problem – if we had an issue we would say, “oh, it’s just a camera”. My only guess was that the security didn’t think that a couple of young 16 year olds would want to video tape a wrestling show.
The WWE contacted us because Jason made a comment on the official WWE website which had featured the “Curtain Call” video in 2014. The WWE told me that we were hard to find in their efforts to reach out to us for the upcoming DVD. Jason said that he would be interested in doing the WWE DVD only if I go in with him and I shared that sentiment. Since we did it together, we go in together.
I was called on January 26th by WWE producers regarding coming in and sharing my story of the filming that night and being the crazy kid screaming “OH MY GODDDDD, OH YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, OHHHHH YEAH, THIS THE KLIQ, THIS IS THE KLIQ”. After I hung up the phone I looked back and reminisced about when I had a wrestling hotline (also aged 16) called The Wrestling Warzone and put my life into it, making it very popular in ’96 to ’97 with a 1-800 news line, Q&A hotline and a merch hotline which I would run all by myself daily! I also looked back on how I resurrected the Iron Sheik’s fame on YouTube and developed a friendship with him – spending hours and hours to garner a big online wrestling following calling myself “Manican2000”.
I felt like the “Curtain Call” was the moment in wrestling that I never got my due for until now. After I got off the phone with WWE producers the first time I was shaking because this was the moment I was waiting for all my life since shooting it. I walked into my brothers room and told him I finally made it to the WWE… and he stopped me and said “because of the footage, right”? I put my hand out and he didn’t shake my hand for a few seconds until it sunk into him. Over the next 2 weeks I was in contact with the WWE by phone and text about coming into their TV studios and doing the interview for the “KLIQ RULES” DVD. We agreed upon a date when I would come in to Stamford, CT. It was set for Febuary 6th.
On February 5th, the night before the interview, I was staying at the Marriot Hotel in Stamford. I could not sleep well so I stayed up late and woke up early. I didn’t expect anything less considering this would be my day to finally break my silence for the first time ever regarding that night. When I made my way to WWE’s TV studios that morning I drove through that long entrance gate, then reached the intercom… I buzzed and they said “good morning, WWE” – that’s when I felt like I was actually home.
I spent quite a few hours there, meeting lots of employees, producers etc. It seemed like an endless maze inside as every room (about 60 or so) appeared to have someone editing something in there whether it was NXT, RAW, SmackDown, or promos. There are a lot of things I can’t divulge about my experiences until a later late but it was a great experience seeing where it all happens as far as video goes and being a fan for over 28 years made it much more unreal. I marked out even as a 35 year old man (though I didn’t show it) just as much as I did as a 16 year old kid at the “Curtain Call” (where I definitely did show it). I had the privilege to check out the main video vault which had thousands of videos all in black with numbers and letters on them, all master copies. Then I checked out another video vault which had that gigantic lock and wheel type steel door.
Even though I have many pictures of my experiences I can only provide a few here. I was there for 3 and a half hours. Most of that time was for the interview but I’m sure it will be heavily edited. The WWE has treated me so well, especially over the last 4 months. I recently got a WWE tattoo on my left wrist, something I didn’t think I would ever do considering the logo will probably change in a few years. I got it not just because of the whole Kliq DVD but because WWE saved my life. A lot of people were cool with the tattoo, though I’m sure many thought it was stupid and weird, but it was my way to say thank you and thank you saving my life.
I won’t go into too much detail but not long ago I was planning on ending my life. I felt like I had nothing left to provide or do related to professional wrestling but all I’ve cared about in life is professional wrestling, ever since I was 6 years old… until that call came in. My outlook on life has changed now and I’m happy to be attending WWE shows again after years of hiatus. My first show was Summerslam 1988 and my most recent was RAW at the Nassau Coliseum on May 25th, 2015.
“THE KLIQ RULES” will have me share everything about that night in the documentary portion of the DVD. Obviously, I haven’t discussed too much about that night at The Garden here with WDN now, but it’s worth the wait!
Mani Mohtadi
Look out for more match reveals for “THE KLIQ RULES” DVD all this week!
Plus, hear from Jason Cosmides on his side of the story filming the MSG “Curtain Call” and what ultimately happened to all of the WWE shows he bootlegged back in the day.
Click here to pre-order “THE KLIQ RULES” DVD/Blu-ray with Amazon.com.
“I felt like the “Curtain Call” was the moment in wrestling that I never got my due for until now.”
Seriously….for what? Capturing an historic moment on film? Yeah. That’s great. But that’s all you did. Get in there, wrestle, pay your dues to get rewarded.
Im really happy to c the Razor Vs The Kid match as well as Triple H Vs X-Pac match in this list❗️
Maybe blu-ray extra – One night in Chyna!
Im happy they have the tag match from tve Action Zone from Oct. 94…Hopefully they add Shawn Michaels vs Hunter Hearst Helmsley from RAW in May of 1996…they should’ve replaced the first Razor vs Kid Match on RAW with the $10,000rematch a month later.at least they have the crybaby match from In Your House in Feb of 1996… It maybe a long shot but I was hoping for Razor vs HHH and Diesel vs Shawm from MSG in May of 96 but I’m not sure if there were official WWF cameras were rolling on that night. We shall find out before this week is over.
They had cameras there, but I think they only filmed certain things.
I wish I could go to see the WWE’s video vault.
I hope Sean Waltman’s return to WWE in 1998 is on this set. That was a great segment. He cut one of his best X-Pac promos that night after WM14.
I would’ve preferred to see the tag team championship match between Quebecers vs Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid on Raw or the $10,000 challenge match between Razor & Kid over the first two matches listed above.
They could be included in the Hall portion of the listing.
This guy is how old and living with his brother? Plus, that tattoo is pretty sad man. I can only support WWE for their releases on DVD & Blu-Ray. Their product since 2011 is terrible.
No WMX Ladder Match, no buy!!!!
To be honest, I’d be surprised if that match didn’t make it. I’d like for them to add the Summerslam 1995 match too, but that’d probably be asking too much.
This set doesn’t need the Mania match. That one’s been on countless DVDs already. I think the SummerSlam rematch is only on one DVD.
Eh…that Kid vs Razor match has been shown a bunch of times. A better choice would have been Kid vs Razor from a few weeks later. That’s the match where Razor put up money to get the match and Kid stole it. That’s also never been shown on DVD or Blu-ray.
On the plus side, the Ramon/Kid match only lasted a couple of minutes, so at least it’s not taking up too much space.
This is shaping up to be a pretty damn good release match wise. The only down side is any and all matches featuring Triple H. He can’t wrestle his way out of a wet paper bag and he has no mic skills or charisma whatsoever. The rest of the Kliq members are and always have been fun to watch. Despite the presence of Triple H (as of today) this will more than likely be a first day buy for me.
So far,I’m liking the content for this set.Pac Vs Triple H At Backlash 99 is a really good match and I’m glad it made this set.Can’t wait for it to be released.
Very interesting comments from Mani.
I always thought that WWE should have done (or do) a documentary about the fan culture of pro-wrestling and specific fans who have shaped promotions.
I’m interested in the Kliq release and I hope that the documentary is just as good as I hope it will be.