By Nathan P Hunt
This event was actually the first British wrestling event that I had attended in several years and it made me fall back in love with the scene in this country. Having no idea what to expect in terms of production or talent, I was blown away by the level of talent that we have in the UK & I continue to be pleasantly surprised with every event I attend, whether they be HXC shows or any of the others I have had the pleasure to see around the country. As this is the event which re-sparked my interest in the UK scene, I picked up a copy at the latest HXC show to revisit it & see it from a different perspective.
Professionally presented, the initial impression is certainly a positive one as the disc and case themselves don't have that common failing amongst too many independents of being cheaply produced. With slick opening graphics and menus, strong commentary by Magic Mark and Dave Rayne, as well as good camera-work, the professional appearance doesn't falter when the disc starts to play.
The opener between Loco Mike Mason and Mexican Eagle (with Leah Owens escorting Mason and subsequently playing a prominent role in the match) is a strong comedy outing with a smattering of hardcore action & inventive, entertaining spots. Ashton Smith & Sam Bailey Vs The Brotherhood Of Purity starts intensely & features crowd-pleasing high spots with strong, well performed & varied offense from each side. This is a really good showing from four of the best young, local talents and all give cause to believe that they have promising futures.
Zack Gibson's open challenge is answered by one of the UK's biggest & best as T-Bone nominates himself to take the place of an injured Dave Mastiff. With crowd heat at an impressive high for this one, the two enter a fast-paced blitzkrieg of maneuvers & fundamentals in an excellent show of psychology, emphasising the power of effective selling in building a dramatic performance.
Davey Richards Vs Mikey Whiplash is an outstanding wrestling match showing great technical and chain wrestling from the outset, peppered with signature hard striking, particularly from Richards. A genuine crowd pleaser, this is one of the highlights of a card stacked with solid matches.
The match is available in full on HXC's YouTube channel:
Mad Man Manson Vs Euan G. Mackie is a good comedy bout, as anyone would expect. This includes some spots and antics which leave even comedy match veteran Dave Rayne saying that it was "the oddest thing I've ever seen in a wresting ring", which is high praise indeed. Cyanide Vs Danny Hope follows it with a sports-entertainment style big-man-Vs-smaller-man matchup with more light comedy and deliberately cliché exchanges which make for a highly entertaining outing. It has to be said that the hardcore game of Pass The Parcel is up there with any comedy wrestling segments from anywhere in the world.
Finally the main event of Jimmy Havoc & Clint Margera Vs Crazy Mary Dobson & Mad Man Pondo is a hardcore bloodbath which involves brutality, insanity & outright sadism. The four deliver everything the fans could have expected from a death match main event and more besides, as they construct a genuinely cringe-worthy and jaw-dropping performance, remaining equally entertaining throughout.
The extras for this DVD set include promos by Mad Man Pondo, Crazy Mary Dobson, Jimmy Havoc & Clint Margera. Jack Jester's dramatic return on the show is included in full, as well as effective trailers for HXC's other DVD offerings. Overall this two disc set is a great buy, well worth the cost and a great addition to any wrestling fan's collection. A well rounded card with eclectic styles and high quality performance, this has something to satisfy any wrestling fan and is a good introduction to some of the current crop of British talent.
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Company: HXC Wrestling
Date: 5th October 2013
Venue: MMU Student's Union, Oxford Rd, Manchester
This event was actually the first British wrestling event that I had attended in several years and it made me fall back in love with the scene in this country. Having no idea what to expect in terms of production or talent, I was blown away by the level of talent that we have in the UK & I continue to be pleasantly surprised with every event I attend, whether they be HXC shows or any of the others I have had the pleasure to see around the country. As this is the event which re-sparked my interest in the UK scene, I picked up a copy at the latest HXC show to revisit it & see it from a different perspective.
Professionally presented, the initial impression is certainly a positive one as the disc and case themselves don't have that common failing amongst too many independents of being cheaply produced. With slick opening graphics and menus, strong commentary by Magic Mark and Dave Rayne, as well as good camera-work, the professional appearance doesn't falter when the disc starts to play.
The opener between Loco Mike Mason and Mexican Eagle (with Leah Owens escorting Mason and subsequently playing a prominent role in the match) is a strong comedy outing with a smattering of hardcore action & inventive, entertaining spots. Ashton Smith & Sam Bailey Vs The Brotherhood Of Purity starts intensely & features crowd-pleasing high spots with strong, well performed & varied offense from each side. This is a really good showing from four of the best young, local talents and all give cause to believe that they have promising futures.
Zack Gibson's open challenge is answered by one of the UK's biggest & best as T-Bone nominates himself to take the place of an injured Dave Mastiff. With crowd heat at an impressive high for this one, the two enter a fast-paced blitzkrieg of maneuvers & fundamentals in an excellent show of psychology, emphasising the power of effective selling in building a dramatic performance.
Davey Richards Vs Mikey Whiplash is an outstanding wrestling match showing great technical and chain wrestling from the outset, peppered with signature hard striking, particularly from Richards. A genuine crowd pleaser, this is one of the highlights of a card stacked with solid matches.
The match is available in full on HXC's YouTube channel:
Mad Man Manson Vs Euan G. Mackie is a good comedy bout, as anyone would expect. This includes some spots and antics which leave even comedy match veteran Dave Rayne saying that it was "the oddest thing I've ever seen in a wresting ring", which is high praise indeed. Cyanide Vs Danny Hope follows it with a sports-entertainment style big-man-Vs-smaller-man matchup with more light comedy and deliberately cliché exchanges which make for a highly entertaining outing. It has to be said that the hardcore game of Pass The Parcel is up there with any comedy wrestling segments from anywhere in the world.
Finally the main event of Jimmy Havoc & Clint Margera Vs Crazy Mary Dobson & Mad Man Pondo is a hardcore bloodbath which involves brutality, insanity & outright sadism. The four deliver everything the fans could have expected from a death match main event and more besides, as they construct a genuinely cringe-worthy and jaw-dropping performance, remaining equally entertaining throughout.
The extras for this DVD set include promos by Mad Man Pondo, Crazy Mary Dobson, Jimmy Havoc & Clint Margera. Jack Jester's dramatic return on the show is included in full, as well as effective trailers for HXC's other DVD offerings. Overall this two disc set is a great buy, well worth the cost and a great addition to any wrestling fan's collection. A well rounded card with eclectic styles and high quality performance, this has something to satisfy any wrestling fan and is a good introduction to some of the current crop of British talent.
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