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The Main Event DVD Review
By Brett Schwan
Available at JohnnyOva.com
"The Main Event" is far from your every day, professional wrestling DVD. This DVD combines in ring action along with testimony from wrestlers regarding their religious beliefs. In addition, this DVD features the last ever public tag team match featuring Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand.
The DVD begins with some brief comments by Buff Bagwell, Ted DiBiase, and Hawk regarding the combination of wrestling and religion. Candid shoot interviews with these three stars would be dispersed throughout the DVD (mainly between matches). They were all very informative and at no time did they make you feel as if you were getting religion bashed over your head.
As The Hacker and Tyson Dukes start their match "Money, Money, Money" plays over the sound system. Enter Ted DiBiase. DiBiase gives his classic "everybody has a price" speech before telling Hacker that he can take him to the top and make him a star. Hacker accepts DiBiase's offer and shakes his hand.
The match continues. DiBiase interfered as often as possible to give The Hacker the advantage. A decent match overall. Dukes applied a cloverleaf on Hacker but DiBiase distracted the ref as Hacker tapped out. Dukes confronted DiBiase. Hacker dodged toward Dukes who backdropped him to the ring apron. As Dukes attempted to suplex Hacker back into the ring, DiBiase pulled his leg out from under him and held it as Hacker scored the pinfall.
Showtime Eric Young defeated Joey Legend in a decent match. Legend dominated the majority of the match, overpowering Young. Legend picked up Young for an airplane spin but Young countered with a crucifix for the three count.
In a ladder match for the PWA Lightweight Championship, "The Agenda" Johnny Ova (with Bobby Riedel) faced Chris Sabin. This was the best match on the DVD. Ova took the quick upper hand and left the ring to get the ladder. Sabin hit a baseball slide into the ladder and Ova. The two men then brawled outside of the ring where Sabin fell off the stage (the ring was set up on a stage in the building). Ova jumped off the stage with a huracanrana onto Sabin. Back in the ring, Sabin made his way up the ladder only to be knocked off by an Ova drop-kick. The two men battled back and forth. Ova started up the ladder but Sabin grabbed him and powerbombed him to the mat. Sabin then climbed to the top and grabbed the title to win the match!
The Road Warriors, Buff Bagwell and Greg Valentine are all introduced and are being interviewed at ringside when Ted DiBiase comes out. Ted declares that he is going to buy the Road Warriors. The Road Warriors then turn down Ted's million dollar contract offer, his follow up 10 million dollar contract offer, and his final "blank check" offer. Buff and Valentine say they'll take it though. All 4 men then hit the ring and the match begins.
Buff attacks Animal as he in kneeling in the corner praying. Animal eventually tags in Hawk who is beaten down by the typical heel double team antics. Animal makes the hot tag and is able to clothesline both opponents. Animal lifts Buff (as if he's going for a reverse atomic drop) and Hawk comes off the top rope with a clothesline. (I guess you could call it a modified Doomsday Device). After the match, Buff and Valentine attack Hawk with a chair, busting his head open, until The Missing Link makes the save. I never even saw that one coming. Link looked as if he hadn't changed or aged a bit!
The lights are then out and only red spotlights remain as Hawk gets beaten down and shackled by "demons". The reverend comes out to talk to Hawk. Hawk talks about his own demons and his use of drugs, steroids, and alcohol. Hawk talks about how he doesn't want to live and how he needs help. He is told about how Jesus died for him and how Jesus is the solution. The reverend then leads Hawk in prayer as Hawk asks Jesus for help. When the prayer is over, Hawk is able to break the shackles that were placed on him. The reverend speaks of how Hawk, having accepted Jesus, know has his name written in the lambs book and how Hawk can now achieve eternal life. (The naysayer in me can't help but realize that Hawk died three weeks later.)
Animal then comes out and speaks about how he found Jesus. Ted DiBiase interrupts but is told to "shut your trap" and he does. He stands by as Animal, Greg Valentine, and Buff Bagwell all talk about their being saved. Valentine talks about all the places he has wrestled and how his biggest mistake was not knowing Jesus Christ. Buff says that you need to believe and those who do not will go to hell.
This is followed by a reenactment of the crucifixion. DiBiase then talks about his being and evangelist and ordained. The DVD ends with a John 14:16 quote and a dedication to the memory of Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand.
The matches on the DVD ranged from good to excellent. The first two matches were good. They were followed by an excellent ladder match which only shows how amazing both Ova and Sabin are in the ring. The last match was a typical "old school" tag match. I couldn't help but watch it knowing that it was Hawk's last appearance.
The interviews that were shown between matches were very interesting. To hear Buff talk about how he came to the first show not knowing there would be a ring set up in the church and how shocked he was, was very interesting. To hear Hawk discuss all his demons was heart breaking. To learn of Ted DiBiase's background was also very interesting.
Overall, the DVD was both entertaining and informative. Personally, I could have done without the crucifixion recreation, but other than that, it was well worth the watch. If nothing else, the DVD is a great tribute to the late, great Mike "Hawk" Hegstrand.
For more information be sure to check out JohnnyOva.com.
