Presented by Riot City Wrestling
Reviewed Friday 16th March 2012
Riot City Wrestling (RCW) is one of Adelaide's top professional wrestling outfits, presenting monthly bouts in North Adelaide. Their annual entry into the Adelaide Fringe is a two-night 'Strength Cup', randomly matching 8 contestants to decide who will be the next challenger for the RCW Title. The four bouts were interspersed with the first women's semi-final and all the usual hype, plot twists, vitriol and action that these high-flying events have come to be known for.
These are professional athletes and gymnasts who have chosen combat as their preferred medium to demonstrate their talent, as opposed to circus acts or Olympic trials. Their skills cannot be denied as they leap, twist, flip and throw each other in rapid succession, often much faster and harder than you will see anywhere else.
Wrestling is interactive theatre, and the RCW crew keep the punters involved from start to finish. Champs are cheered, villains are booed and the underdog finds inner strength as the crowd claps and chants their encouragement. They play to the audience and find ample comedy in the action, even if their emotive acting can sometimes look a bit dubious. Special mention must be made of Concrete Davidson, whose debut with Riot City Wrestling was a comedy highlight, adopting a 19th Century carnival sideshow persona, complete with flexing poses and gentlemanly behaviour.
The ultimate winner of the 2012 Strength Cup was Mean Street's Tama Williams (pictured), the Maori warrior whose bad attitude, vicious streak, and great wrestling skills will be a nice counter to the good guy champ, Chris ‘Mimic’ Basso when they face off in the near future.
The RCW's high octane entertainment is well worth a gander. Keep an eye on their website for dates and details of their monthly events.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis, Performing Arts Critic, Glam Adelaide.
Adelaide Fringe – Riot City Wrestling Presents Megaslam
Riot City Wrestling website
Venue: Estonian Cultural Hall, 200 Jeffcott St, North Adelaide
Season: Fringe season ended. Monthly events staged. See RCW website for details
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