DVD REVIEW: "MCW: The Most Extreme Matches"

This two-disc set from 2013 is the usual high-calibre Melbourne City Wrestling release, beautifully filmed and well-edited by the talented Mikey Jay. It also features the cream of Aussie talent that passed through MCW during 2011-13.

Like a lot of compilation DVDs, I didn’t watch each and every match, only the ones that really appealed to me. So let’s kick off with my thoughts on the bouts I viewed.

First up, I flicked to the second match on disc one: KrackerJak v Ryan Rollins from Wrestlerock 2011. This a rare instance where I actually attended the show live. It was an interesting experience watching their Last Bastard Standing encounter again on film. It was preceded by a video package that explained how this match-up came to be – it also explained why there were so many NUT SHOTS in the match. The main thing I remember about it was the BLOOD, primarily Ryan’s. I hadn’t seen the kid wrestle for a few years and he had already come along in leaps and bounds by this point. A little over three years later and he’s tearing up AAA rings in Mexico City as Australian Suicide. Back in 2011, however, he was an annoying shit bleeding buckets as Krackers pulled out all the hardcore stops in this very entertaining death match.

I was also in Melbourne a year later to see the RCW crew from Adelaide invade MCW at the much-missed Dragonfly. It’s a pity this feud fell apart (politics, I assume), but at least it gave us a fun Riot City Street Fight for the MCW Championship at Ballroom Brawl 2012 (in the Thornbury Theatre) between Matt Silva and Chris “Mimic” Basso. This bout was a weird one – the first half feels like a squash with Mimic handing Silva a one-sided beating. But Silva eventually makes a comeback and, despite interference from TWO other RCW wrestlers, eventually scores the pinfall victory. A good match from Mimic and the soon-to-be Buddy Murphy in NXT.

KrackerJak v J-Rock (No Holds Barred – July 2012 Dragonfly)

Another good bout marred by a dead crowd, but Krackers and J-Rock kill each other with chairs and a “Give Way” sign.

I popped in disc two and immediately checked out Hard Way Inc (Mike Burr & Jay Andrews) vs KrackoLantern (KrackerJak and Jacko Lantern) in a Tables Match for the MCW Tag Team Championships at Vendetta 2013. This was memorable for the sheer violence perpetrated between these two teams, the utter bastardry of Hard Way Inc, the interference from “little” Josh Shooter being the deciding factor in the match, and the rather naughty adults-only commentary from Bass and Julian James.

 KrackerJak vs Ryan Rollins 2 (No Holds Barred – Carnie Carnage)

“Nobody fucks with the KrackerJesus…I will KILL you tonight!”

“How do you like that, KrackerFUCK?!”

Hilarious stuff from the competitors, but the lowlight of this fantastic brawl is the incredibly obnoxious commentary from some fuckbag who should’ve been aborted before birth.

Seriously, I’m surprised Krackers only verbally abused the guy and didn’t staple his limp dick to his forehead. What. An. Annoying. Fuckbag.

Really great match, though.

KrackerJak vs Tommy Hellfire vs Josh Shooter vs Mad Dog (Fatal Four-Way, No Holds Barred Clusterfuck – October 2013): Yep, this WAS a clusterfuck, featuring poor lighting, obvious editing cuts, “adults only” commentary that was more annoying than anything else, and the usual lack of match logic that comes with death matches. But the look on one chick’s face at ringside when Krackers staples pieces of paper on Mad Dog’s arms – followed by Mad Dog retaliating by stapling paper on Krackers’ lip – is priceless.

KrackerJak/Muteki vs Dowie James/Relampago (Day Of The Death Match – November 2013): more a flippety-flip showcase for the luchadors, but an entertaining brawl to end disc two.

Without a doubt, the MVP of this release is KrackerJak. I don’t need to tell any serious Aussie fan that fact – the guy is simply the king of hardcore matches (actually, he’s pretty awesome at regular matches, too, not to mention inter-gender bouts). And this DVD really is a must-buy the next time you’re perusing the merch table at an MCW show.

One more word of advice, MCW: Live commentary is passé. Stop doing it.

Ryan feels the pain in his second bout with Krackers