By Nathan P Hunt
Promotion: Revolution Pro Wrestling
Date: 15th June 2014
Format: DVD
Site: http://www.revolutionprowrestling.com/shop/dvd-s/summer-sizzler-2014
Set in the historic York Hall at Bethnall Green, which has hosted some of the country's best and most memorable wrestling events since the building opened in 1929, RevPro bring a card which is jam-packed with some of British wrestling's elite as well as an impressive helping of international names. It was this formula which prompted me to take a look at this particular offering from one of the rising UK promotions, and it proved to be a baptism by fire. Already familiar with the talent, being a fan of the UK scene from elsewhere, it is how talent is used and the other factors which contribute to the viewing experience which tend to matter most when checking out a company for the first time, but obviously the in-ring product still has to be of a high quality, and Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) deliver here on all fronts. I'll certainly be checking out more of their offerings on DVD and on YouTube as well as hopefully attending a show in person sometime soon.
The DVD starts strong with a wild brawl erupting in the Undisputed British Tag Team Championship match between England's Calling (Joel Redman & Martin Stone, who fans may remember from NXT as Oliver Grey and Danny Burch, respectively) & The Kartel (Sha Samuels & Terry Frazier). The match remains intense for the most part and succeeds in getting the crowd into the action for the rest of the card, getting vocal reactions to provide that all important audio backdrop. Then, the action in Bad Luck Fale Vs Dave Mastiff is intense and impressive, although the match is short. Still, it's a very good offering and a better pace than you would expect from most superheavyweight contests. Meanwhile, the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Match between Marty Scurll & Kevin Steen (now known as Kevin Owens) is a uniquely British blend of incredible grappling action peppered with comedic shennanigans. One of several highlights of this disc, the bout includes some great exchanges and builds to a genuinely exciting conclusion.
Listed on the DVD description as an 'International Dream Match', Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Zack Sabre Jr. certainly is as advertised for fans who are familiar with either of these incredible performers. A beautiful blend of high flying, hard striking and chain wrestling, this is a clinic which demonstrates why these are two of the hottest prospects in the world. The match which follows it, 2 Unlimited (Jay & Patrick Sammon) Vs Will Ospreay & Jake McCluskey, is a well executed cruiserweight style tag match. Good performances by all involved and some impressive high spots and double teams mean that this can't be considered a lull in the show and the four work hard to create some eyebrow raising moments and keep the crowd alive in the penultimate position. Adam Cole Vs Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) is the main event of the show and Devitt's Bane outfit (from Batman... just in case that needed any clarification) is impressive and over with the audience in attendance, as is Cole. The two take the Shakespearean approach to storytelling, starting big to get the crowd's attention and then taking it down and building the match from the ground up. The performances from both is amazing and a pleasure to watch. A post match attack on Devitt by the members of heel faction The Revolutionists (Sha Samuels, Terry Frazier, Marty Scurll & Josh Bodom) led to an impromptu and crowd-pleasing handicap match with Devitt teaming with fellow Bullet Club member Bad Luck Fale.
The footage is of a high quality throughout and the sound is consistent, which is a major plus. There's nothing more annoying than DVDs where the sound levels and quality are all over the place, but no need to keep adjusting the volume here. Professionally presented in terms of the actual disc and packaging, the box can happily sit alongside your other discs, and not be hidden away with your pirated bootlegs. The commentary is decent and adds to the action to tell the story of the bout, which is exactly what it is supposed to do and is entertaining as well. Combine this with a vocal and invested crowd throughout the show and the electric atmosphere that there must have been at the live show is almost palpable.
All in all, this was a highly entertaining DVD and I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of pro wrestling. It offers a bit of something for everyone and every match delivers a high quality of action. A good introduction to RPW, the UK scene or independent wrestling in general for any of the uninitiated or a good, solid addition for established fans of any or all. Basically the only bad thing about it is the 'Summer Sizzler' name, which is a little on the cheesy side for my liking, but if that's the ony bad thing to say about a DVD, then it's safe to say that it's well worth watching.
Date: 15th June 2014
Format: DVD
Site: http://www.revolutionprowrestling.com/shop/dvd-s/summer-sizzler-2014
Set in the historic York Hall at Bethnall Green, which has hosted some of the country's best and most memorable wrestling events since the building opened in 1929, RevPro bring a card which is jam-packed with some of British wrestling's elite as well as an impressive helping of international names. It was this formula which prompted me to take a look at this particular offering from one of the rising UK promotions, and it proved to be a baptism by fire. Already familiar with the talent, being a fan of the UK scene from elsewhere, it is how talent is used and the other factors which contribute to the viewing experience which tend to matter most when checking out a company for the first time, but obviously the in-ring product still has to be of a high quality, and Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) deliver here on all fronts. I'll certainly be checking out more of their offerings on DVD and on YouTube as well as hopefully attending a show in person sometime soon.
The DVD starts strong with a wild brawl erupting in the Undisputed British Tag Team Championship match between England's Calling (Joel Redman & Martin Stone, who fans may remember from NXT as Oliver Grey and Danny Burch, respectively) & The Kartel (Sha Samuels & Terry Frazier). The match remains intense for the most part and succeeds in getting the crowd into the action for the rest of the card, getting vocal reactions to provide that all important audio backdrop. Then, the action in Bad Luck Fale Vs Dave Mastiff is intense and impressive, although the match is short. Still, it's a very good offering and a better pace than you would expect from most superheavyweight contests. Meanwhile, the Undisputed British Heavyweight Championship Match between Marty Scurll & Kevin Steen (now known as Kevin Owens) is a uniquely British blend of incredible grappling action peppered with comedic shennanigans. One of several highlights of this disc, the bout includes some great exchanges and builds to a genuinely exciting conclusion.
Listed on the DVD description as an 'International Dream Match', Shinsuke Nakamura Vs Zack Sabre Jr. certainly is as advertised for fans who are familiar with either of these incredible performers. A beautiful blend of high flying, hard striking and chain wrestling, this is a clinic which demonstrates why these are two of the hottest prospects in the world. The match which follows it, 2 Unlimited (Jay & Patrick Sammon) Vs Will Ospreay & Jake McCluskey, is a well executed cruiserweight style tag match. Good performances by all involved and some impressive high spots and double teams mean that this can't be considered a lull in the show and the four work hard to create some eyebrow raising moments and keep the crowd alive in the penultimate position. Adam Cole Vs Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) is the main event of the show and Devitt's Bane outfit (from Batman... just in case that needed any clarification) is impressive and over with the audience in attendance, as is Cole. The two take the Shakespearean approach to storytelling, starting big to get the crowd's attention and then taking it down and building the match from the ground up. The performances from both is amazing and a pleasure to watch. A post match attack on Devitt by the members of heel faction The Revolutionists (Sha Samuels, Terry Frazier, Marty Scurll & Josh Bodom) led to an impromptu and crowd-pleasing handicap match with Devitt teaming with fellow Bullet Club member Bad Luck Fale.
The footage is of a high quality throughout and the sound is consistent, which is a major plus. There's nothing more annoying than DVDs where the sound levels and quality are all over the place, but no need to keep adjusting the volume here. Professionally presented in terms of the actual disc and packaging, the box can happily sit alongside your other discs, and not be hidden away with your pirated bootlegs. The commentary is decent and adds to the action to tell the story of the bout, which is exactly what it is supposed to do and is entertaining as well. Combine this with a vocal and invested crowd throughout the show and the electric atmosphere that there must have been at the live show is almost palpable.
All in all, this was a highly entertaining DVD and I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of pro wrestling. It offers a bit of something for everyone and every match delivers a high quality of action. A good introduction to RPW, the UK scene or independent wrestling in general for any of the uninitiated or a good, solid addition for established fans of any or all. Basically the only bad thing about it is the 'Summer Sizzler' name, which is a little on the cheesy side for my liking, but if that's the ony bad thing to say about a DVD, then it's safe to say that it's well worth watching.
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