Best of JAPW Volume 1 DVD McTape Review

"Best of JAPW Volume 1"
All matches take place from 2001-2004

Sonjay Dutt d. Roderick Strong
From 2/28/04 in Rahway, NJ
I have reviewed this match several times. Here is the live review of the match:
Sonjay Dutt d. Roderick Strong JAPW wasted no time, by starting off with a fast paced match to open the show. The match started off with straight off wrestling. Sonjay Dutt is incredible to watch. Roderick Strong, the man of a 1000 backbreakers, whipped out about 20 or so tonight. About halfway through the match, the action spilt on the outside. Sonjay hit an asai moonsault, popping the crowd huge. While on the outside, Strong threw Sonjay violently into the railing. Back in the ring, Roderick busted out some back breaking offense, by doing a fireman carry into a back breaker and a side backbreaker. The action went back outside, and in a Rob van Dam ECWesque fashion, Sonjay Dutt leaped off the top rope, and somersaulted into the fourth row, wiping out Strong. HOLY SHIT! chants flooded the arena after that. They went back inside and after exchanging alot of two counts off various back breakers and pinning combinations, including headscissors from Sonjay and a suplex into a back breaker from Strong. Sonjay finally wins this electric match by jumping off the top rope, and hitting the West Coast Pop (Hurrannacarrana into pinfall) on Strong for the 1-2-3.
PAW Match. Fucking excellent. The only people who weren't happy with this match were the people who had to follow it.

Here is the Modtrom Tape Review of the Match:
Sonjay Dutt d. Roderick Strong First thing first, I dig both of these guys ring music. This was a great fucking match. There's nothing more I can really say, both guys killed each other, and luckily didn't burn out the crowd for the rest of the show, because the match was that good. Clemson shows off his savvy and knowledge by running down the accomplishments of both wrestlers. Roderick Strong, if you haven't seen him on tape yet, this is the tape to get. This shows some of his best work plus the show is fucking great too. Give JAPW props for being the first northeast indy to use him. (Unless you count ROH as an indy) There was alot of action in this match, and the crowd certainly appreciated it. Like I said in the live review, Sonjay dove into the fourth row by somersaulting into Roderick Strong. Holy fucking crap! This was a back and forth match, and I'd like to see JAPW do it one more time. These guys totally gel. The announcers say what I'm thinking, and that is, "this is only the first match!" I didn't realize this live, but Sonjay throws a nice exploder. He also hit a nice Macho Man like elbow. Just watching Roderick Strong come up with new ways to punish the back is amazing. The near falls in this match ranged around the 20 mark. The fans in the front rows had their "2" foam fingers- they got alot of use out of them. Sonjay wins this with what is called "The Indian Summer" by Marc Clemson. The Indian Summer is a west coast pop from the top rope.
One of the best matches of 2004. Easily.

The DVD version of the match is alot clearer. The match hasn't changed, and still holds up today. It's one of the better matches of the year. Good way to kick the DVD off.

For the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship
(c) Ric Blade d. Trent Acid w/Johnny Kashmere
From May 2001 in Philadelphia, PA at the ECW Arena.
This was a wild bout with alot of HOLY SHIT spots, and just endless craziness. At one point in the match, with Trent Acid laying on chairs on the outside, Ric Blade did a running tope swanton bomb. Just incredible. Trent Acid in this match, hit a wicked yakuza kick, flooring Blade. He also moonsaulted Blade into several chairs. The finish of this match saw Ric Blade, climb a 25 foot scaffold, and swanton Trent Acid through a table in the middle of the ring. Blade retains his championship.
Great wrestling, great spots, great match. Whatever happened to Ric Blade anyway? The last time I remember seeing him was in February 2003.

Tables Match
For the JAPW Tag Team Titles
Dan Maff aka Mafia w/Johnny D. d. The Solution (Papadon/Havok) and the Dirty Rotten Scoundrelz (EC Negro/KC Blade) in a triple threat match to win the tag team titles by himself
1/18/03 from Woodbridge, NJ
I've seen this match about 12 times, and I could watch it 12 more times. This was the match where Mafia became Dan Maff. The elements of him being a singles star shone in this match. The Solution have improved from this match in their wrestling ability. The DRS have improved immensely since this match. With that being said, this match is still great and holds up over time.
The story of this match was that Monsta Mack was hurt and Da Hit Squad were getting stripped of their JAPW Tag Team titles. The Solution vs The DRS would decide new champions. Instead Mafia, with his manager Johnny D., turned it into a triple threat, and we had another moment in JAPW history.
There were are alot of sick moves in the match. The sickest perhaps, is what Mafia did to EC Negro. With a table propped in a corner, Mafia put Negro's chest on the table at a 45 degree angle. Mafia then ran at full steam and cannonballed Negro through the table, making contact with Negro's back, and bending Negro in a way you shouldn't be bent. His head was almost at his ankles, going backwards. Just a must see move. The DRS and Solution throughout the match would double team Maff with pretty moves such as a double flapjack into a double diamondcutter, but when push came to shove, neither team would let the other team pin Maff. After alot of tables getting broken all over the place, lastly ending with Havok powerboming Mafiak, Havok fallaway slammed Blade over the top rope. Negro and Papadon then clotheslined each over the top rope. With Mafia still hurt, Havok went to administer more punishment. Mafia instead countered with a small package and picked up the pinfall victory.
Another great match, and it should be, since it's on a Best of DVD. Even with some miscues, everyone covered them up and made the match really good. For any Maff fan, this is one of his first main singles matches, and it was a match where Maff made everyone take notice of his singles wrestling.

For the JAPW Double Crown Championship
JAPW Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight Champion Low Ki vs Homicide w/Johnny D. vs Xavier
Whoever made the pin would win the JAPW Heavyweight Title. Whoever didn't get pinned would win the Light Heavyweight Title.
8/18/2001 from Philadelphia, PA in the ECW Arena
There are some elements in this match you need to know before watching. This show was a week after the MECW debacle, where John Collins ran a super budget show, never ran again, and got in trouble with the law. This match also took place during the height of the Xavier-Low Ki feud in 2001.
The story of this match was that Low Ki held both championships. With light heavyweights being the top JAPW wrestlers, Low Ki was able to win the JAPW Heavyweight title. Both championships are prestigious and defended in this unique match. Homicide was a heel at this point, and aligned with Da Hit Squad and Johnny D.
Earlier in the same show, we are shown footage of Xavier injuring Homicide. Good stuff here, that would later set up the match.
The match itself was very good up to the finish. All three guys went all out, and Homicide showed signs of blood. We saw alot of submissions and big time moves. During one point in the match, Homicide/Low Ki hit a double cop killa on Xavier. Brutal. The match was going along fine, until Da Hit Squad ran out. Monsta Mack distracted Ref Hanson for what seemed like an eternity. Mafia got in the ring and hit a burning hammer on Low Ki. With Xavier already out of it, Mafia put Homicide's body on Low Ki. Mafia hopped out of the ring, and Mack told Hanson to go look at the ring. Hanson turned around and made the three count. Homicide would become the JAPW Heavyweight Champion, and Xavier was awarded the Light Heavyweight championship.
This match was similiar to the Kurt Angle/Chris Benoit/Chris Jericho Wrestlemania match for the European and Intercontinental titles, in the fact that the champion lost both belts. The difference was Low Ki was pinned, where Kurt Angle wasn't when he lost his titles. I didn't like the fact that there was interference, and it took so long to do it. It did establish Homicide and Da Hit Squad as a major heel force in JAPW at the time. It just was so obvious and ruined a good match.
Verdict: Good match, wack finish.

MAIN EVENT of the DVD
Teddy Hart d. The Amazing Red
From 4/24 in Rahway, NJ
Here is the live review of the match:
Great fucking match. This was like a WWE PPV Main event type of match. Lots of good wrestling with strong brawling. This match went into the crowd at various parts of the match and was just a huge fracas. The crowd was 50/50 in this match. Many anti TNA chants broke out in this match due to Red signing with TNA. Chants of FUCK BOB RYDER! FUCK JEFF JARRETT! and FUCK TNA! broke out. You know you're an internet legend like one Ryder, when your name is blasted by 700 strong. I can't really describe everything that happened, as it was one of those matches you just had to see. Get the tape from www.modtrom.com, it's worth it. These guys fought in the bleachers, it was fucking nuts. Hart tossed Red into about 20 fans. Teddy ripped off Reds TNA shirt to a big pop. At one point in the match, Hart started kissing Jill Love. Red tapped Hart in the shoulder. Hart told him to go away. Red then turned Hart around and opened up. Great stuff. Teddy Hart pinned Red after some wild ass corkscrew press from the top rope. Good job by both guys. I don't think Red is 100% after watching him the last few matches.

This match translated well on DVD. This was a good way to close off the DVD as well, considering that Teddy Hart vs Homicide will be on the next DVD. Showing a good Homicide and good Teddy Hart match on this DVD sets up the next DVD.

Final McWord
Let me just mention some things first about the DVD. Fat Frank hosts the thing. He hypes up all the matches and tells you the backstories behind them. Mark Clemson and Da Bald Guy are the commentators. If there was one thing I'd change about the DVD, it would be that they used the live show commentators. I would rather hear Da Bald Guy and Clemson commentate the matches, talking about the match and meaning of it in JAPW. I guess the commentators only really affect the hardcore JAPW fan, because you already have seen these matches and heard the commentary through Modtrom already. For the national fans who see this DVD in a store, it wouldn't affect them. Clemson/DBG do a good job in this, and you can hear Clemsons progression from the 2001 matches to the 2004 matches, as he misnames moves, such as calling a "Kiss your X goodbye" a falcon arrow in a 2001 match.

As far as the matches selected, I have no problem with them. All 5 are good matches, and give you something different in each one. JAPW has alot of footage to use, considering they have been around for 7 years, so narrowing down match selections must be really difficult.

The DVD is a Best-of. It certainly represents that. For someone who has never seen JAPW before, you will get into it and want to know more. For someone who knows JAPW, it just makes it that much more enjoyable.

As far as any extras, the only options given to you is that you can watch the matches individually. I just let the whole DVD play out.

Also, the graphics and presentation of the DVD are phenomenal. It is very professional looking, and is just like a WWE DVD, except for some lighting issues in the ECW Arena during the Blade-Acid match.

They also announced matches for the second DVD, at the end of this DVD with:
Homicide vs Hart I
Maff vs Awesome
and the Debut of Big Van Vader in JAPW

Overall-
Highly recommended. Great DVD with great matches.

You can pick up the DVD in a variety of ways. You can:
Go to http://www.japw.net
Go to http://www.modtrom.com (The guys who's footage is used and who are very underrated when it comes to production on the indy scene)
Or go directly to: Best of JAPW Vol. I DVD

You can also pick this DVD up at the JAPW Merchandise table at JAPW events.
Also the DVD is available nationally in Suncoast stores around the country.

That's it for me. Keep checking the DOI for more updates and reviews.

Sean "The MiC" McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com