3pw:Ravens Rule

Rating:
Summary: It looks good, but it's not ECW...
Review: Although Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling has been hyped by critics (and sometimes their promoters) as a company attempting to bring ECW back, 3PW does not quite deliver the goods. I bought this DVD because I saw the main event of Sabu VS Raven VS The Sandman, expecting a classic hardcore brawl that would give me ECW nostalgia. Instead, I received some good talent, but mostly washed up guys with little to no entertainment value, along with incredibly annoying announcers and music that was digitally dubbed over all the sounds during the wrestlers' entrances, which really took away from the gritty quality hardcore wrestling is good for, replacing it only with overproduction.

The entire event was filled with obnoxious fans, not even considering the wrestlers, chanting moronic things such as "WE WANT BLOOD" or "E-C-DUB." Unfortunately, what these fans realize is that ECW is gone, and they need to focus on what they're watching, same venue, Viking Hall/ECW Arena, but it is 3PW, not ECW. These fans ruin the fun of watching pro wrestling. Now to the match-by-match breakdown:

-CJ O'Doyle VS Ricky Vega (4/10)
Alright match, nothing spectacular.

-Monsta Mack VS Roadkill (4/10)
Both big men looked kinda sloppy, but a good brawl with some ringside dives from Roadkill.

-Matt Striker VS Ruckus (6/10)
One of the better matches on the card, but not that interesting.

-Low Ki VS Joey Matthews (9/10)
This match is probably the best of the event, the blood-thirsty fans started chanting "BOR-ING," but this one would entertain any fan of fast-paced and mat wrestling, the Ring of Honor type crowd.

-Blue Meanie VS Rob Eckos (2/10)
I'm not sure why this is on here, but whatever. Not a good match.

-Damian Adams VS "Pitbull" Gary Wolfe (6/10)
A nice brawl, I liked this a lot for some reason, but nothing compared to the brutal matches the Pitbulls had in ECW that I'm used to seeing Wolfe in.

-Xavier VS Homicide (7/10)
Good, solid match.

-Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match: Sabu VS Raven VS Sandman (4/10)
This was nothing like I expected it to be. These guys are either getting really rusty in the ring, or I just expect too much. Either way, what this was billed as wasn't that neat, and watching Raven drop-toe-hold Sabu and Sandman onto chairs for 16 minutes isn't that fun.

OVERALL: 2/10
I didn't like this DVD at all. Although it probably sounds horribly cliched, I recommend ECW. It's the same type of pro wrestling, only done a LOT better, with an announcer/announcers (depending on early or late ECW) that add to the action rather than let their lack of charisma detract from it, in addition to having 3PW guys battling in their primes.