Toby Klein Chucks a VCR at Necro's Head and Into our Hearts
Toby Klein Chucks a VCR at Necro's Head and Into our Hearts
Or the spectacle of American deathmatch wrestling in 7 minutes.
Let’s start with the VCR, shall we?
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that if this match has any lasting impact on the pro wrestling canon (as well as Necro Butcher’s body), it would be the moment at the five minute mark of the match when Toby Klein throws a VCR into the Necro Butcher’s skull.
The word “throw” is an important one here. Klein doesn’t merely “drop” the VCR—holding it above Necro and letting gravity do its work—but rather, he throws the thing. The camera gets a great view of the wind up Klein makes as he propels the VCR right into the top of Necro Butcher’s head. The grotesque sound of that heavy, compact device of plastic and metal clunking into Necro’s dome might be one of the most horrific things in wrestling history.
It’s one of those moments that’s a stark reminder of what makes pro wrestling so distinct among all the different mediums of entertainment. It’s one built entirely on the spectacle of pain. Regardless of how much of that pain is expressed or exaggerated, all forms of professional wrestling take a physical toll on the performers, and sometimes that toll is having an electrical appliance hucked at your brain.
It’s also a moment that perfectly capture the tone of this particular style of deathmatch wrestling. 2000s American deathmatch wrestling is a style that has, by necessity, been conducted almost exclusively in independent promotions. Because of this, it has a vibe that’s entirely distinct from the grandiose spectacle of an Onita match or even from a more contemporary comparison in Big Japan.
There’s something real down and dirty about the whole thing.
I mean this in a complimentary way, but also as just a matter of fact. We’ve got the classic Smart Mark Video production on this match complete with title card and pre-HD footage quality. The show’s being conducted in the IWA Arena in Clarkesville, Indiana. It looks like a shoddily constructed warehouse with fans howling at the bloodshed. It all looks low rent, but it’s the best possible version of that to enhance what this match needs.
The fans are a key ingredient here too. Not only are they enraptured by the reckless violence on display, they also contributed the gimmickry for this particular match. Hell, someone in that crowd probably contributed the infamous VCR. When fans get to bring the weapons, it’s always the oddities that stand out most. A bundle of tubes wrapped in barbed wire is cool, but a Santa wrapped in tubes and barbed wire is even better.
Beyond all that, I don’t think this match’s reputation endures quite as strongly if the action itself didn’t hold up. In this context, “action” mostly means Necro and Klein taking turns whacking each other full force with whatever they can get their hands on. But it’s the moments between all the chaos that round things out. Their chops and headbutts to start would be thrilling in any setting. Necro Butcher also famously has one of the best punches in the game, and we get to see a fair number of haymakers in this.
But action also refers to the finish, which bucks the trend of what the match had set up in an interesting way. As Klein tries to put the finishing blow on Necro after the iconic VCR shot, Necro slips past him and grabs a Sleeper instead. And Klein works that thing with all the skill and effort of a true, goddamn Pro Rassler. He flails, desperately trying for the ropes, before falling to the mat in Necro’s grasp. He makes to grab a contraption of tubes and wire to maybe make a comeback before finally fading away into defeat.
What a worker.
Combined with the VCR blow that precedes it, the finish tells a real simple pro wrestling story. Pro wrestling a spectacle of pain, yes, but the other side of that is survival, and even trascendence. Necro Butcher gets his head bashed in with a VCR, but the crazy motherfucker still comes back to win the match in the end too.
And he does it with a wrestling hold.
IS IT BETTER THAN 6/3/94? Kind of wish it was, but it isn’t quite.
Rating: ****1/4