This review is dedicated to the memory of Terry "Sabu" Brunk. R.I.P.
Sabu (w/Bill Alfonso) vs. La Parka, MLW King of Kings, War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale, FL, December 20, 2002.
Historical background: Well, there isn't one. This was their first meeting. MLW billed itself as "hybrid wrestling", combining different wrestling styles.
Sabu has an American flag on his head as opposed to his usual keffiyeh and has an Insane Clown Posse hatchetman on his tights. Parka throws his chair at Sabu to start. Parka takes the chair, sets it up and stands on it as Joey talks about the diversity of MLW. Parka places the chair outside the ring. Sabu throws his own chair at Parka but Parka gets out of the way. They circle each other and Sabu dives at Parka's legs but gets nothing. They circle each other again and Sabu consults with Alfonso. Parka runs at Sabu with a kick. They tie up and Sabu grabs Parka's leg and takes him down to the mat. Parka counters and turns it into a cross-armbreaker but Sabu makes the ropes. Parka releases the hold and both guys get back to their feet. Sabu points to the sky as Joey talks about Sabu improving as a wrestler and being less reckless than he was back in ECW. Parka does a crotch chop to Sabu, which gets booed. They tie up and Parka gets a rear waistlock and takes Sabu down to the mat. Sabu reverses it and goes for a pin but only gets 2. Parka kips up and Sabu objects. Alfonso gets on the apron to give Sabu some advice. They tie up again and Sabu gets a waistlock takedown into a Camel Clutch. Parka escapes and applies a Camel Clutch of his own. Sabu grabs Parka's legs and escapes the hold and looks for a leg submission as Parka grabs Sabu's hair. Parka drags Sabu to his feet and into the corner. Parka chops Sabu. Parka goes for a cross-corner whip but Sabu reverses it, sending Parka into the corner and launches himself with a second-rope slingshot sidekick and follows that with a slingshot somersault legdrop for 2. Sabu goes back to the Camel Clutch as the crowd chants, "We want tables! We want tables!" Parka escapes the hold. Parka whips Sabu into the opposite corner and follows but Sabu kicks him in the face. Sabu follows with an elbow and goes for a Sunset Flip but Parka escapes and dropkicks Sabu. Parka rolls Sabu over and goes for the pin but Sabu gets his foot on the bottom rope. Back to their feet, Parka punches Sabu and forces him into the corner. Parka sets up Sabu on the top turnbuckle. They exchange blows. Parka climbs to the top rope and he and Sabu continue exchanging punches. Sabu shoves Parka off but Parka lands on his feet on the apron. Sabu goes for a Tornado DDT but Parka blocks it and clotheslines Sabu back over the ropes into the ring. Parka goes for a slingshot somersault senton but Sabu rolls out of the way. Parka sends Sabu for the ride but Sabu comes back with the leaping Tornado DDT. Both guys are down and Sabu crawls over and goes for the pin but only gets 2. Sabu applies another Camel Clutch. Sabu releases the hold and kicks Parka. Both guys back on their feet and Sabu goes for another Tornado DDT but Parka blocks it. Parka comes off the ropes with the spinning leg kick. Sabu rolls out to the floor but Parka follows him. Out on the floor, Parka grabs Sabu by the hair and launches Sabu over the guardrail into the first row! Parka gets a chair and climbs over the guardrail. Parka hits Sabu over the head with the chair but Sabu gets his hands up, with Joey questioning how much good that would have done. Parka drags Sabu through the crowd by his hair while the crowd chants "ECW! ECW! ECW!" The crowd switches to a "Sabu!" chant while Parka punches Sabu and whips him into the guardrail. Parka walks past Sabu, steps over the guardrail onto the ring steps and climbs back into the ring as Alfonso runs over to Sabu with some more encouragement. Parka climbs up to the top turnbuckle and dives over the guardrail onto Sabu! Parka recovers, climbs over the guardrail and grabs a ringside table that has a chair on it, but Parka pushes the chair to the floor as Sabu follows him over the guardrail. Parka grabs Sabu and sends him facefirst into the ring steps as Joey talks about how the table could backfire on Parka given Sabu's history with tables. Parka gets back on the apron and into the ring and he and Sabu trade shots. Parka grabs a chair and just blasts Sabu over the head with it, knocking Sabu down to the floor. Sabu tries climbing back on the apron as Parka runs at Sabu and flies and goes through the table. Alfonso is in the ring and Sabu recovers and holds up a pair of scissors! Sabu takes the scissors and stabs away at Parka's head, cutting through Parka's mask! Sabu grabs Parka and throws him over the guardrail. Sabu gets back in the ring and Alfonso throws him a chair. Sabu sets up the chair and runs, jumps from the chair to the top rope and then from the top rope over the guardrail onto Parka in the crowd. Sabu recovers and climbs over the guardrail with Alfonso's help. Parka is seen in the crowd with his face and arms bloodied and half his mask destroyed. Parka climbs over the guardrail and slowly gets back on the apron. Sabu grabs Parka and forces him back into the ring. Sabu covers but only gets 2. Parka's blood is now staining the mat. Back to their feet, Sabu punches Parka a few times, knocking Parka down. Sabu grabs the scissors and stabs Parka in the forehead and digs it into Parka's face! Sabu punches Parka some more and whips Parka face first into the opposite corner. Sabu misses something and Parka comes back with a dropkick! Parka covers but only gets 2. Parka lifts Sabu over his shoulder and ties Sabu to the Tree of Woe as Joey talks about how brave Parka is to continue fighting under these circumstances. Parka places a chair over Sabu's face and hits a baseball slide dropkick to the chair. Parka covers but only gets 2. Parka sets up Sabu in a seated position and kicks Sabu in the back. Sabu gets back to his feet and punches Parka but falls to the mat. Parka kicks Sabu. Sabu gets up again and Parka knocks him down again. Parka kicks away at Sabu as Joey calls it a war of attrition. Parka brings Sabu back to his feet and forces him into a corner, with Sabu punching away. Parka chops Sabu and hits a cross-corner whip. Parka follows but Sabu moves out of the way and Parka crashes into the ringpost. Parka lands out on the floor and Sabu follows with a slingshot somersault senton onto Parka. Sabu pushes a chair out of the way as Joey says that Parka is trying to use what remains of his mask to protect his identity. Alfonso comes around the corner with a table, prompting a "table" chant. Sabu sets up Parka on the table and climbs back into the ring. Alfonso throws in a chair and Sabu sets it up while Alfonso holds Parka on the table. Sabu runs, leaps off the chair and sends Parka through the table with a legdrop. Joey points out that referee John Finnegan does not have the authority to stop the match, since it is an Extreme Wrestling match and can only end when one man is pinned, submits or is knocked out cold. Alfonso pours some cold water on Sabu to revitalize him. Sabu rolls back into the ring and points to the sky. The crowd switches to a "La Parka" chant, after several minutes of chanting for either Sabu, tables or ECW. Parka's blood is on the floor and he can barely stand but a sudden burst of energy enables him to roll back into the ring. Sabu covers but only gets 2. Sabu goes back to the Camel Clutch as Joey points out that there are no disqualifications or count-outs and reasserts that the only ways to win are pinfalls, submissions or knockouts. Parka doesn't submit so Sabu gets up and stomps on Parka's back. Sabu slams Parka and climbs up to the top turnbuckle. Sabu jumps off but Parka gets his feet up into Sabu's face. Parka covers and hooks the leg but only gets 2. Parka slams Sabu and climbs up top but has trouble maintaining his balance and Sabu gets up and crotches Parka on the top. Sabu punches Parka a few times, climbs up himself and hits a huracanrana to take Parka back down to the mat. Sabu covers but only gets 2. Alfonso tosses a chair in to Sabu who catches it and hits Parka with the Arabian Facebuster. THAT only gets 2. Alfonso tosses in another chair and Sabu hits the Triple Jump Moonsault and THAT gets the 3 count at 19:37! ****1/2.
Long, brutal, but definitely worth your time and you can watch it here. (For the record, Parka DID get his revenge in a Mexican Massacre Match at MLW Revolutions on May 9, 2003.)
Oh, and after the match Alfonso offers Parka some water but Parka kicks him away. Sabu offers a handshake as a sign of respect and Parka, after some hesitation, accepts it and points to Sabu as the winner.