[2002-12-20-MLW] Sabu vs La Parka

[Jetlag]

 

I remember loving this match years ago and it's really nice of MLW to upload this in excellent quality. Some fun early wrestling exchanges where they mesh better than you expect and Sabu hits everything cleanly. They even did a good build, for example by avoiding the obvious table bump early on or La Parka understanding the Camel Clutch is a finisher. But the crowd keeps calling for tables, so the match turns into the usual Sabu bombfest. Parka really outbumps Sabu here, take a big Necro bump where he nearly overshoots the table and just flying into the turnbuckle. Sabu grabbing the scissors (backstory?) and carving Parka up added some needed grit to this spotty type brawl. There was also a great exchange where Parka was working over Sabus body with stiff kicks while Sabu tried these lunging desperate punches. These two are really decent pro wrestler aside from the hardcore stuff, so you get Parka expertly covering up a Sabu botch or selling his blood loss and making the walk back into the ring seem important etc.

[TonyPulis'Cap]

No collar and elbow tie up to start this one - La Parka just fires a chair at Sabu to say "let's f***ing go!" But after a gentlemen's agreement they both put down the chairs and start to feel each other out, but there's an aura to these guys to where you feel the madness can erupt at any time. While there is some mat wrestling at the beginning, the match always feels on a knife edge. 

Sabu is the first to go to the air, sensing he is overmatched on the mat. While there are some nice exchanges, the crowd seems distracted until the tables and weapons come out - very much a post ECW crowd vibe going on. Perhaps sensing that, they take it to the outside and we get some crowd brawling, but the two guys intensity and brutality makes it compelling, highlighted by the mental table spot that La Parka takes to the outside.

You can now tell things are going to the next level - and on that note Sabu just goes to town on La Parka's head with a pair of scissors, resulting in a badly mangled mask and even more mangled face. La Parka's head is a bloody mess. Sabu is like the shark smelling blood just brutalising Parka and hitting him with all his big triple jump spots. The crowd is now firmly invested and on his side. 

Down the stretch there are nasty kicks and punches from both guys as we enter the 'war' stage of the contest. With his tattered mask, skeleton gear and all the blood, La Parka is like a character from a horror movie and Sabu can't put him away until a final triple jump moonsault does the trick. The blood and intensity in the exchanges puts this next level, where the violence between the two lives up to the mayhem that it promises. (****)