FMW (Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling): King of the Death Match

Rating:
Summary: Japanese Hardcore Wrestling 101
Review: While devoted hardcore fans may be unimpressed, this tape makes an excellent introduction to Japanese hardcore for new fans, particularly those mourning the death of ECW. The women's barbed wire match and the Cactus Jack match are the best (and bloodiest) matches on the tape, while the Funk/Pogo/Tanaka/ Hayabusa match is somewhat spoiled by some spots (falling into the landmine, the bulldog into the flaming chair) that just didn't look impressive). The six-man match would have been better shown in its entirety rather than being clipped (clipping has been a problem with all the Tokyopop FMW releases). And yes, the announcers are moronic enough to make you long for Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay. Still, the good outweighs the bad enough to make the show a solid must-see.