DVD opens up with Marilyn Mansons' "Tainted Love". Big props right there as Marilyn Manson kicks ass, and it wasn't one of his mainstream hit songs getting burn. Anyway, during Manson, we get a 4 minute music video of clips and highlights of April Hunter matches. These clips and highlights are shown in full during the upcoming matches. After a plug for April Hunter's website we go to our first match.

From Cyber Space Wrestling Federation
For the CSWF Womens Title
Trinity vs April Hunter
This was my second time seeing this match. The camera angle is untraditionally diagnal. The play-by-play man in this match is Mike Tenay. Good idea putting this match first, as Tenay's voice is a familiar one. Here is what I wrote about the match the live:

For the vacant CSWF Women’s Championship
Trinity d. April Hunter
It should be noted that Alexis Laree was the former CSWF Womens champ.
No mention of why she was stripped was mentioned. I know they might not want to have talked about what happened the last time Alexis showed up at CSWF, but they could’ve at least said this title is so important, that the WWE took our champion, making Alexis look good and CSWF look good. Instead, this match was thrown together, even though I’m not complaining, as I think April and Trinity are great wrestlers.

It should also be noted that this was booked as a CSWF vs TNA match. Where the CSWF vs TNA feud came from, I have no idea, but it sounds cool. Another note is April Hunter used to work for TNA, so it would’ve been cool if they made some mention of that, and tell April that you’re not good enough to work TNA or something, just to push the match and give a reason why these two are fighting, and put some more gusto in it.

This match was pretty good, and featured some cool psychology. April worked Trinity’s right arm, even hitting some sort of armbar tarantula in the corner. The one thing I didn’t get is that Crowbar was allowed to be at ringside and interfere in this match, while Slyk Wagner Brown was no where to be found. Very well wrestled match, but another screwjob was in the lurking. The finish saw Trinity get the win, after Crowbar tripping, then holding April Hunter’s legs down, as the ref slapped 3.

It was good during the match, Tenay mentioned April's TNA work and not ignoring it. Overall solid match, silly finish.

Up next was April's match from the A-Z Women Title Tournament in Japan.
Momoe Nakanishi d. April Hunter w/Mima Shimuda
This was a different side of April Hunter. April Hunter is like godzilla with these women from the land of the rising sun. Lots of screaming during the match to emphasis pain. Momoe is really good and fiesty, and hit 6 evil dropkicks in succession into April in the turnbuckle. April hits the Rosey from 3MW swinging bodyslam for almost 3. April should use that move more often. These Japanese women are fiesty bitches as Momoe hair dragged April across the ring. April worked alot of submission moves in this match, such as a big torso lock. This match isn't the normal April Hunter you're used to seeing. Momoe was able to make April wrestle her game. Your call if it's good or bad. On one hand, April is twice the size of her, but then again it shows the fight in Momoe. There was more submission wrestling in this match than any other April Hunter match. Momoe hit two huge dropkicks on April after hitting a huge plancha. April was able to kick out, then hit a huge powerbomb on Momoe, but only got a 2. April then hit the HeadHunter (Neckbreaker from middle rope) but still only two. April went for another powerbomb, but this time Momoe reversed it and got a three count. Really good match here. This was like a female 30 minute ROH match. Solid for Japan, but I guess as an American, I thought Momoe was able to kick out of anything short of a gunshot.

Up next was the "Beautiful Soldier" music video, this time with Evanescense's "Wake Me Up Inside" as the theme music. You know the video with the girl flying down an apartment building in her dress. These were strictly highlights of April's puroresu matches. Lots of sick suplexes that featured April landing on her neck in precarious positions. Highlights of April Hunter hitting the widows peak and the rosey bodyslam. (Any name for that?)

We go back to the United States for a match from WXW.
Here is my review of it when it happened live:
Tracy Brooks/April Hunter d. Sumie Siaki/Ranmuru Good match in this one. I thought Ranmuru looked like she couldn’t keep up with the others a bit, but she rebounded towards the end. Hunter/Brooks make a great team, but easily over powered the smaller asian team. USA chants broke out in this one. April Hunter gets the win for her team after a neckbreaker from the top rope.
I enjoyed this bout.

This match was better on tape than live. The announcers, Da Bald Guy and Marc Clemson were on fire. DBG called Ranmuru a powerranger. Clemson talks about how throwing streamers are a custom in Japan. DBG follows it up by saying, "So littering is a custom?" Clemson couldn't follow that up. Hilarious stuff here. Good match.

Across the seas we go as we go to...

April Hunter d. Leo-Na
I'm not sure which promotion this is from, but it looks like a Japanese indy show. April again was working the stiff submission style of joshi puroresu. At one point, she snapmared then with Boogalou-esque kicks, tore apart Leo-Na's back. Leo-Na was pretty good, but I thought Moema was better. Again, like Moema, Leo-Na shrieked like a Michael Jackson victim during the whole match. Lots of submissions from her as well, as she put April in a version of the sharpshooter. April takes a huge german in this match. Overall, this was a really good match, and a different style of April's wrestling. April wins with a perfectly executed head hunter.

Headlines of April Hunter starting in a movie. Music video called "Making the Movie", with some Chinese Restaurant music in the background. They show the insides of the movie business with some simulated fight scenes. This was all for some Japanese movie.They did this one sequence where April kept doing legsweeps like she was Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat. April was apparantely some evil Spider Woman or some shit. Some funny shit with an April Hunter stunt double with tits faker than April's lol. After seeing this, it is safe to say that movies are faker than wrestling! Now are there any money mark movie makers...

For the JAPW Tag Team Titles
April Hunter/Slyk Wagner Brown d. The Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz to become the new JAPW Tag Team Champions
I've seen this match about 20 times now, but never have reviewed it. I think this was one of April Hunters best matches, and one of the best tag team matches the DRS have ever had. This match had it all, emotion, great action and a great story. Both teams looked really crisp here. This is one of those matches that make Mike Zevon want to get the tape lol. Slyk hit a perfect Holy Slyk on EC Negro in this match. All the big moves were hit in this match, from the Head Hunter to the Dirty Rotten Driver, to a huge moonsault from the ring to the floor by Slyk to the DRS. Finish sees KC Blade put April Hunter in the Animal LOD position. Negro goes up to the top rope, but misses a flying elbow, as April Hunter rolls up Blade to win the tag titles. Just an excellent match that emplified tag team wrestling.

Get your chopsticks and sushi as we go back to Japan for another April joshi match.

Shimoda and April Hunter d. Yoshida and Leo-na
Or as billed, the Z Spirits vs Team Arison
This match was held in a much larger venue than the other matches from Japan. We have a Japanese announcer during this match to make things more confusing to your typical round eyed American fan. April's partner, Shimoda, seems like the female Hulk Hogan, in crowd response and respect. Lots of good tag team moves by April and Shimoda. April hit a standing moonsault in this match. All these Japanese women wrestlers always fucking scream like an altar boy in a coffessional booth. Man my writing style is starting to bite off Dennis Miller. Back to the match, we see alot of submissions, as April's team work the legs of their opponents. I forgot to mention that April's silver attire matches the ring, in a metallic fashion. April got a huge pop as she did her tartanula armbar. Big time moves from Yoshida and Leo-na, including a tiger driver followed up by a Benoit headbutt. One thing I noticed about these refs in Japan, is that they all count deliberately, and halt before making a three count. Something I liked about Yoshida in this match, was whenever she tried to pin April, she hooked her arms, due to the size advantage. April again in this match hit that Rosey swinging bodyslam, she does that move perfectly. April wins the match for her team with the Headhunter. Another good match, to continue the trend. Then again, this is a best of tape, so they better be good lol.

"Head Huntress" was up next, which was another music video. The music was another one of these fake ass Nirvana bands. (Then again, I call any long haired band trying to cry about their parents and try to sing about angst a fake Nirvana, as Nirvana was the groundbreakers of that style and the best band of all time, but alas I digress...) I think the song was "Head Strong" by Trust Company or one of those one hit wonders. Anyway, these were some of April's American highlights, including work from JCW, JAP, WXW, ACW, USA PW and more. One sick spot in this video was April getting hit by a car, WWE style. We close this with another plug for aprilhunter.com

We go to another real life video, called Konnichiwa! (A japanese word for us astute wrestling fans) "Visiting The Land of The Rising Sun"
This was the Video Dairy of April Hunter and Allison Danger.
They go to the Arison training facility. We see people training before their matches. We see some unique submission moves by April and gang. We see them go to the World Famous "Ribera Steak House". This is where every American wrestler goes to get a jacket. A Ribera jacket is a sign of accomplishment in pro wrestling. Shit even HHH and Stephanie McMahon were there. April and Allison talk about how small shit is in Japanese hotel rooms. We even get to see Japanese porn. What's with all the rape in Japanese porn these days? Shit they even got Domino's pizza in Japan. We go to an arena, and we are shown what the show looks like before it gets set up and filled with fans. Highlights of Allison Dangers and April Hunters matches are shown. Wordlife. This is pretty entertaining shit, but came DANGERously (pun intended) close to being a twisted episode of Sweet Valley High.

Final McWord:
For $20.00 you get matches you can't get anywhere else. If you're a fan of women wrestling I would recommend it, and if you're a fan of April Hunter, than what are you waiting for, a McTape review? The music videos were produced nicely. I thought it was cool seeing Big Red's Japanese matches, because there are no other ways of seeing them. I think some of April's biggest U.S. career stuff was left out, such as winning the JCW Womens Title, Winning the Super 8, Winning the WXW Womens title and her work in NWA-TNA, so there is alot of great stuff still to come if April releases a Part II.

April Hunter has easily more than earned her a way to a WWE job, and after watching 2+ hours of April, it's still amazing she's not there. I think that April should definitely keep using that swinging bodyslam and tarantula armbar, because in every match the crowd went nuts. Another thing I noticed is that whenever she went for the Headhunter, it was two kicks to the opponent's chest, then the Headhunter. She really has mastered that move, as a few times, she hit it so perfectly, that it looked like she could teach it to Zack Gowen.

Overall, check it out if you're of good wrestling. The "inside" videos were also cool to see as it opens up what life on the road is like and gives you the real April. This is a must for any April Hunter fan.

For more on April Hunter go to http://www.aprilhunter.com
To purchase this go to: http://www.aprilhunter.com/cool_stuff/cool_stuff.htm directly.

Also, check out the DOI interview of April Hunter at April Hunter DOI Interview

Wow, after two hours of watching chicks wrestle and touch each other it's time to find that Vasel... I mean no. I really gotta go now.

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com