Modtrom Video Presents... JAPW 2 Extreme 4 NJ McReview
Pic Credit: http://www.modtrom.com

This tape features alot of the earlier stuff in JAPW, as it spans 1998-2000. Most of these matches take place in the infamous Charity Hall, in Bayonne, NJ. These matches were what JAPW was all about, until The Christine Wittman deal, which put a ban on such hardcore wrestling in NJ. JAPW at that time, were known for their hardcore breed of wrestling, rather than being one of the top indy feds, like they are today.

This tape is long and has alot of good stuff on it, so let's get into it. Also, since people have asked, I'll just give the general synopsis of the match, instead of the full play-by-play.

The tape starts off with some plugs for the production staff, as we see the Modtrom.com promos.

From 12/99
Christmas Tree Death Match
For the Vacant JAPW Suicidal Title
Low Life Louie Ramos d. Homicide
This match was very simple. The ring had two dressed up Christmas Trees in two of the four corners. There were alot more weapons littering the ring. Homicide and Louie started the match by trying to toss the other in the trees. Both would tease going into the tree, until Homicide finally dumped Louie into a decked out Christmas Tree. This match was really brutal, and showed flashes of brilliance, that wrestling fans would later know Homicide to have in him. Homicide did hit his tope con hilo on Louie, as Louie sat in a steel chair on the outside. After alot of violence and weapon shots, the match slowed down as both guys brutalized each other. When both Christmas trees were destroyed, Louie and Homicide found barbed wire and ripped each other up with it. Louie would eventually win this match after giving Homicide three Death Valley Drivers on a barbed wire Christmas Tree.
Pretty bloody match to open the tape with. I've seen this match before, and I liked it then, and I like it now. At times it seemed that both guys were able to kick out of anything, but that was the style of JAPW, due to ECW's influence on the indy wrestling scene, back then.

From 1/99
The Big Unit (Rick Silver/Dan Desire) d. Glenn Strange/Jay Lover
This match was the first of many Glenn Strange and Jay Lover matches on this tape. Glenn Strange looks alot like Ray Sager, minus a hundred pounds. Watching this match, was like watching a backyard match, but only in a real ring with real fans cheering. These guys got hit with every weapon you can think of and still came back up for more. With everyone bloody, Glenn Strange asks someone on the JAPW staff to "GIVE ME THE FORK." When no one obliges, Strange says again "GIVE ME A FORK." I'm sure some Wo-Hop restaurants have heard Glenn say that before. Boo-ya! Strange gets pissed at the ref early on here, and lays him out with a legdrop on a chair. Towards the end of the match, Lover accidentally hits his partner Strange with a chair. Lover fights off The Big Unit by himself. Strange eventually gets up, and he beats up his own partner. Strange flips up and curses up and down the aisle, on his way to the back. This sets up Rick Silver, as he gives a version of the cobra clutch to Jay Lover. Jay Lover taps out, and The Big Unit are your winners.
Alot of garbage wrestling in this match, yet entertaining if you like the hardcore style. Instead of building up the weapons, these guys just bludgeoned each other early and often. The fans loved it though.

From 3/00
Barbed Wire Bat Street Fight
The Bad Breed (Axl and Ian Rotten) d. Low Life Louie Ramos/Homicide
This match was like watching two singles matches going on at once. Louie paired off with Ian in the ring, as Axl/Homicide brawled throughout the building. This was a fight and a half. Towards the end of the match, Homicide went to hit a tope con hilo on Axl, but missed badly, as he landed on a chair. This set up a Bad Breed double team in the ring on Louie. The finish of this match saw Ian hit an elbow drop, from a ladder, crashing Louie through a table in the ring. This got the pinfall.
POSTMATCH: Bad Breed puts over Louie and Homicide in a promo.
So far the best match on this tape, up to this point. Bad Breed dominated alot, but alot of the big moves were built up and everyone worked hard.

From 1/00
Fans Supply The Weapons Match
Da Hit Squad (Monsta Mack/Mafia aka Danny Maff) d. The New G's aka The Black Birds
This match was odd, as The New G's/Black Birds had the New Jack music playing throughout the match. Maybe it was an angle at the time that aligned The New G's with New Jack, but since it wasn't explained on the tape, it was odd to see this team wrestle to New Jack's music. Da Hit Squad brutalized these two throughout the match. I don't know how these guys kept coming back up, as they would get the shit knocked out of them, only to come back for more. At one point in this match, the Black Birds tried taking Maff out by hitting him with various weapons in the head. Maff "samoaned" them, and no sold the head shots. Maff then beat the crap out of them. Mack brutalized these two as well, as he powerbombed one of them through a solid table. Mafia picked up the win for his team, after hitting a top rope headbutt, for the 1-2-3.
Solid hardcore match, but The Black Birds wouldn't stay down for shit. They were also wrestling in sweatpants. You could definitely see who was the better tag team in this match.

From 2/00
Tag Team Death Match
Low Life Louie Ramos/Jay Lover d. Glenn Strange/Homicide
This match started off with Lover and Strange turning on their partners. This match quickly degenerated into a four way brawl, but at the same time, was contested under tag team rules. This match was another bloodbath, which featured interference from the infamous Foo Foo. Lover and Strange still pounded each other some, and Low Life Louie was able to pick up the pin for his team.
Boogalou, Low Ki and B-Boy are names when you think of a tag team partner for Homicide. Strange, looked, well, strangely out of place as Homicide's partner. Fun match to watch.

From 2/99
Loser Leaves Town Match
Glenn Strange d. Jay Lover
This match was bloody within 2 minutes. Lover clotheslined Strange roughly into a barbed wire board. Jay Lover followed up with a legdrop onto a chair. Lover then went to put Strange on a table, but as Strange went on the table, the table gave way and just broke! The crowd had some choice words for Strange. In the later stages of this 20 minute fight, Strange wrapped his elbow up in barbed wire, and elbow dropped Jay Lover through a table on the outside. Strange quickly moved to the outside, threw Lover back in the ring, and covered him for the 1-2-3.
Probably one of the better Jay Lover matches I've seen. The crowd was really fucking into this match. Both of these guys by no means are superstar hardcore wrestlers, but they were able to tell a story with the crowd, and killed each other here.

From 3/99
Shoots and Ladders Match
Rick Silver vs Dan Desire
Special Ref: Nick Berk
The match starts off with then-JAPW Tag Team Champions, The Big Unit, Dan Desire and Rick Silver in the ring. They say they have an innovative new match. They call it the Shoot and Ladders match. Everyone is expecting them to talk shit and bring out ladders, but instead, Rick Silver brings out the Shoot and Ladders board game. Great skit here, someone needs to steal this, ha! These guys start playing the game in the ring. Silver says he's the best and he wins this little thing. After watching this, The Sickness and The Nation of Immigration ran out, and we had ourselves a three way dance for the JAPW Tag Team Titles.

For the JAPW Tag Team Titles
The Big Unit vs The Sickness vs The Nation of Immigration went to a No-Contest in a Triple Threat Match
You had Glenn Strange/Jay Lover/Adorable Anthony in this match, as they just ran in the ring and tore apart The Big Unit. Adorable Anthony, who alot of fans may know better as Fat Frank, hit a stunner on Desire. This sets up Kane D and Homicide as they run out. Foo Foo and Lou Diamond are also involved in this. This turns into a huge fucking fight between everyone, that gets so out of control, as the referee is hit several times, that this match is ruled a no contest.
This match needed commentary, as you couldn't follow everything all at once. Just a big cluster fuck fight.

From 10/99 DHS w/Homicide vs The Haas Brothers w/Johnny D and Little Dixie went to a no contest

PREMATCH: Johnny D cuts a promo on Homicid. Johnny D turns on Homicide in this. Homicide quickly attacks Johnny D, but this brings out the Haas brothers. The Haas Brothers and Johnny D triple team Homicide. Johnny D wacks Homicide with some rough Kendo stick shots. All of a sudden, PUMP PUMP hits, and Da Hit Squad come out, leading to our main match, of the DHS vs The Haas Brothers.
This match featured alot of interference from Johnny D and Homicide. This was a pretty fun match to watch, but not the best in the Haas vs Hit Squad feud. The finish of this match was a no contest, due to too much interference and fighting.
Ok match here with more angles around it than anything else.

From 3/22/98
First Anniversary Show

Special Ref: Low Life Louie Ramos
JAPW Tag Champs Homicide/Kane D w/Don Montoya d. The Sickness (Twiggy Ramirez/Fat Frank aka Adorable Anthony) w/Foo Foo vs The Blood Angels (Damian/Lucas Dekalb)
The first fall saw Anthony pinning Damian, while his tag team partner was handcuffed to the gate and couldn't make the save.
In the second fall, Homicide/Kane D. beat the crap out of Adorable Anthony with Barbed wire and pinned him in the ring.
Really fun match to watch. Adorable Anthony is a wild man, as he wrestled in hardcore matches without a shirt on, which in turn let his bare skin take alot of abuse.

From 1/28/2000
Dixie d. Elax
Elax started things off with a big plancha. This match featured alot of rough shots. Dixie was thrown into the guardrail, then dragged face first into it. Elax then set up table, then threw a chair directly at Dixie's head. Dixie was fucking bleeding like crazy in this match. Dixie would eventually stop Elax's fire with a fisherman suplex. Dixie finally wins this match with the Dixies elbow for the 1-2-3.
This was a really good match. This was both guys first match, as they were graduates of the JAPW Wrestling school. This is one of the better overall matches, from a wrestling standpoint, on this tape.

From 11/12/99
No Rope Barbedwire and Fire Match
Fat Frank and J-Lover w/Lou Diamond, Glenn Strange, Foo Foo d. Low Life Louie and Frankie Starz
PREMATCH: Great promo from Louie
This was a wild match. There was fire, barbed wire, tables, light bulbs, chairs and all sorts of violence. Just a sick match to watch. Towards the end of the match, Frankie Starz fucks up a spot where he would be piledriver into a board of fire, as he wouldn't jump for the piledriver. The finish of this match saw Jay Lover rock bottom Louie for the 1-2-3 to get the win.
POSTMATCH: Fat Frank cuts a promo on Frankie Starz. Frank calls him a fucking pussy for not jumping up for a piledriver. Frank said that Starz ruined the match. I guess some things never change.

From July 1999
All Weapons Legal Battle Royal Cluster Fuck Match
A bunch of JAPW guys, who have been featured on this tape are in the ring having a battle royal. Some guys in this battle royal are: Da Hit Squad, Homicide, Fat Frank, The Sickness, JAPW Students, and more.
During this match, Glenn Strange takes a barbed wire baseball bat, lights it on fire and wacks Louie with it. Rough. The battle royal never had a winner, as it gets broken down to 6 guys, which would set up a 6 man tag at a future JAPW show. Those 6 guys were Homicide, Jay Lover, Glenn Strange, Lou Diamond, Kane D, and Louie Ramos. In JAPW history, they'd go on to wrestle for the Suicide Title at a then-upcoming JAPW show.
Fun match to watch with lots of crazy action.

From 3/22/98
New Jack/Axl Rotten/Spike Dudley d. The Dudley Boyz (Big Dick/D-Von/Bubba) w/Sign Guy Dudley and Joel Gertner
PREMATCH: Joel Gertner cuts one of his classic introductions. Bubba interrupts to call Mary Kate a rat. How nice. Joel was on the money with this promo, and cuts another infamous Bubba fucking your mother line. Great stuff.
The finish of this match saw Spike Dudley hitting the acid drop on Big Dick. Ref Molineaux goes for the three, but a Pro-Dudley referee comes out and breaks it up. Jim Molineaux fights off the Dudley referee, just in time to count three, after a New Jack DDT to D-Von Dudley.
Another good match on this tape. This match was obviously just like watching an ECW match.

From 8/99
For the JAPW heavyweight title
Cage Match
Chino Martinez d. (c) Homicide
DHS are in the crowd watching, encouraging Homicide to kill Chino. Homicide pounds on Chino and tosses him all over the cage. Homicide just squashed Chino here with top rope elbows, DVD's and victim kicks. With Homicide just toying around with Chino, New Jack ran out. New Jack attacked Homicide and cut Homicide open. New Jack threw Chino on top of Homicide and Chino picked up the cheap victory to become the new JAPW Heavyweight Champion.
This leads into some promos and hype for the next show. This al turns into a brawl between Dan Maff and New Jack.
The match wasn't all that, as Homicide just tore up Chino. This match set up New Jack vs Homicide in JAPW. Good story telling in this match.

From 8/99
Cage Match
Low Life Louie Open Challenge
This was billed as Louie vs New Jack, but it turned into...
New Jack/Jason Knight d. Low Life Louie/Homicide
This match was just a complete bloody fight. This was the beginning of the New Jack vs Homicide feud, and both guys killed each other. The finish of this match saw New Jack pinning Louie after a 187 dive.
Brutal way to close the tape, as there was alot of violence.

Before going to a blank screen, a plug for "2 Extreme 4 NJ" II was shown. Another volume of head splitting violence should be fun.

Final McWord
I'm surprised the tape doesn't come bloody, as every match here spilled plasma. It was really cool watching JAPW's history unfold on this tape. Watching people like Glenn Strange, Adorable Anthony, Jay Lover and others was fun and I couldn't believe all the blood they spilled. Watching Louie grow as one of the top JAPW guys was good to watch. This match also shows the progession of Homicide, as he stood out from all the other hardcore wrestlers, as he combined wrestling with brawling.

This tape isn't for the squeamish, as every match is hardcore and bloody. My favorite matches on the tape were the Homicide/Louie XMas Tree Match, Dixie vs Elax and Glenn Strange vs Jay Lover, in the retirement match.

Overall- worth picking up if you have a thirst for blood. I'd also recommend this tape for any old school JAPW fan or anyone looking to see what JAPW was about, before they were the top dogs of NJ. Also, if you're a Homicide fan, I'd pick this up, as alot of his early work, before he became one of the top level indy talents today, is featured here.

To pick up this tape go http://www.modtrom.com or go to https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr directly. The cost is 15 bucks, and it's worth it for any hardcore wrestling fan.

For more on JAPW, visit http://www.japw.net

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com