Sambus’ MDK Fight Club 2026 Review

 

The Collective 2026 is fully underway in Las Vegas as we arrive at Wrestlemania Weekend, so let’s check out some of offerings to see who steps up and impresses for the occasion.

 

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Venue: The Horseshoe

 

Looks like we are kicking off with some no-rope barbed wire action. Our special guest ring announcer for our opening contest is Nick F’n Gage. The MDK Gang give him a warm reception. Gage takes a mic, and the audio is spotty but the gist is he runs this motherf*cker. He checks to see if the crowd are ready for some crazy ass shit…they are indeed ready. Now let’s get it on! Dr Redacted’s shtick seems to be just shoving guys in the front row. OK, Nick Gage doing the official in-ring introductions is hilarious. “This mother*cker right here is…”

 

[No Ropes Barbed Wire Massacre] Slade vs Dr Redacted

Forearm shots are traded right out the gate. Headbutt from Dr Redacted, one from Slade in return. Slade’s busted open already, might be a wound re-opening from an earlier match. Slade is the first to get sent chest-first into the barbed wire. Redacted with a chair, chairshot to the back. He sets up a chair, hits a cannonball (sort of) into the back too. Dr Redacted into the barbed wire now, although he has a tshirt and thick pants on. Slade with a gourdbuster right into the barbed wire! Slade brings in a barbed wire chair, and Dr Redacted meets him on the floor with a backdrop driver through a barbed wire covered door. Rolls him back in the ring, 1, 2, kickout. Dr Redacted goes for a dive off a chair, Slade dodges and Redacted falls into the barbed wire, gets his hand stuck in the wire, leg too. Slade focuses on the leg, stomping away. Slade suplexes Dr Redacted into the barbed wire, and the entire side of barbed wire on that side of the ring rips off the posts. Dr Redacted is back to his feet, somehow. Dr Redacted blocks a chokeslam and hits another backdrop driver then throws a chair into the face of Slade. He grabs a strand of barbed wire, uses it for a sliding lariat to the back of the neck. 1, 2, no. Slade throws a barbed wire chair at Redacted and uses it for a few shots to the back. Dr Redacted flips him off, so Slade goozles him and chokeslams him out of the ring through another barbed wire door. 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Slade

Time: 9:11

Rating: **1/2 – The simple story told here focused on Dr Redacted taking a bunch of punishment and coming back for more until it became too much. Neither men are terribly charismatic so it wasn’t the most engaging watch.

*Now we get a bunch of video packages to kill time while they change the ropes.

We see footage of Joey Janela earlier in the year talking in the ring with Brodie Lee Jr. Brodie says he doesn’t want to be in Joey’s corner at Spring Break, he wants to wrestle him. Brodie accuses Janela of being scared he’ll embarrass him. This eventually leads to Janela laying him out and delivering a piledriver.

We skip to footage from a few weeks ago where Amanda Lee came out for the contract signing, and of course Janela makes some disparaging remarks about her late husband. Brodie Lee Jr dives over the table to attack Janela, signs the contract and stuffs it in his mouth. Joey Janela vs Brodie Lee Jr will be a featured match on Joey Janela’s Spring Break X.

We also see footage of the build to Marko Stunt & Jack Perry vs KJ Orso & Stackhouse, also taking place at Spring Break. Next up, it’s the build to Allie Katch vs Effy.

 

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*OK, ropes are up and the show continues. Megumi Kudo, Queen of the Deathmatch, heads to the ring. We get a video package highlighting the career of Kudo as she prepares to enter the Deathmatch Hall of Fame. Man, I need to watch more FMW, some of this stuff looks insane.

Emil Jay gives a rundown of her career. Damn, I didn’t realize she was the inventor of the Vertebreaker! She is presented with the Deathmatch Hall of Fame plaque. Kudo is offered the mic and says it’s been 30 years since she retired and she is very excited to be here, and thanks everyone for the honor. Charli Evans makes her way out for the next match, with flowers for Kudo. Next comes Vipress with more flowers. And here’s Rina Yamashita with the last bunch of flowers.

 

Charli Evans vs Vipress vs Rina Yamashita

Yamashita flips off both her opponents as we get underway, and she pulls out a chair. Rina sits down on it, but her opponents boot her in the face and go for a double pin. Evans hits a flatliner on Vipress into the middle buckle and delivers kicks to the face in both corners to both women. Vipress has a chair, Yamashita grabs one for herself, and they duel with the chairs. Sit-out spike Michinoku driver, pinfall broken up. Evans catches a knee from Vipress, hits a running knee to the shoulder. Northern Lights suplex with a bridge, 1, 2, Yamashita breaks it up. All three women get to their feet, and then all grabs chairs. They take turns throwing them at each other, Yamashita hits a suplex on the chair and pins Vipress for 2. Rina grabs a door and slides it in the ring, propping it up in the corner. Evans ends up spearing both opponents through the door, cover on Vipress, 1, 2, no. They’re up, piledriver from Vipress on Evans, 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Vipress

Time: 7:32

Rating: ** – Very abrupt finish, felt like it came out of nowhere? Still, at least a piledriver is treated like a big deal for once. A little too telegraphed with the three-way chair spots and rather by-the-numbers.

 

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[GCW Ultraviolent Championship] Otis Cogar © vs Toby Klein

Cogar and Klein start off by trading right hands. Spinning heel kick from Klein knocks Cogar to the floor. Trash can is pulled out and Klein smacks Otis with it. Both men get busted open early. Chair shot to the back from Cogar. Cogar pulls out a blade from his shoe, and digs it into the forehead of Mr Insanity Toby Klein. Ewww, he drives the blade between the fingers of Klein, that’s grim. Now they both sit on chairs and trade strikes. Klein boots Cogar off his chair and pulls a fork out of his pocket, and the fork finds a new home in Cogar’s forehead. Yikes he’s really digging it in there. Cogar throws a chair at the face of Klein, it must have caught him hard as Klein is pouring blood out the side of his head. Cover, 1, 2, 3.

Winner and STILL GCW Ultraviolent Champion: Otis Cogar

Time: 7:15

Rating: * – I’m not a fan of blades, and the fork stuff wasn’t gimmicked in the slightest. That’s not enjoyable to watch, personally. Another finish that came out of nowhere, although they may have just called it seeing as Klein had that gusher. Hey, they advertised it as Ultraviolent and they delivered on that front; it was just not for me.

*Post-match, Jayson Xavier attacks Klein. The Bulldozer Matt Tremont is here to grab the chair that Cogar was about to hit Klein with, and he attacks Otis. Tremont looks for something like a Rock Bottom but Otis escapes, only for Klein (head now wrapped in a towel) to toss him back in the ring. Atticus Cogar is here now, attacking Tremont. Otis Cogar goes up top and delivers a moonsault to Matt Tremont.

 

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Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka vs Mr Danger & Bear Bronson

I love a bit of Tanaka, haven’t seen his matches recently so I’m looking forward to this. Similarly, I’ve seen relatively little of Hayabusa 2.0. Bronson/Tanaka are our opening duo, Tanaka tries a few shoulder blocks but can’t knock Bronson down. Lariat rocks him, Tanaka tries a body slam but can’t get it, Bronson responds with a body slam of his own. Bronson misses an elbow drop off the middle rope, Tanaka with a double underhook which is countered, sit-out drop by Bronson and a tag to Danger. Hayabusa tags in too, dropkick and a senton from Danger, cover for 2. Dropkick from Hayabusa, Bronson comes in but gets low bridged to the floor. Hayabusa with a tope con hilo to wipe him out. Danger is right there for a springboard moonsault!

Back in the ring, Bronson chops Hayabusa in the corner and a clothesline knocks him down. Bronson back to the middle rope and he hits the big elbow drop this time. Mr Danger in, allows Bronson to lift him up for an elevated splash, cover for 2. Danger with a rear chinlock to slow the pace down. Bronson tags in, delivers a powerslam for another 2 count. He knocks Tanaka off the apron, and now Danger pulls out a table. Bronson props it up in the corner and positions Hayabusa in the opposite corner, whipping him into it but Hayabusa puts the brakes on and counters with a hurracanrana, sending Bronson through the table. Tanaka in with a stunner/DDT combo on both Danger & Bear! Tanaka and Bronson square off, trading forearms, and the crowd fire up. Bronson tosses a chair to Tanaka and grabs one for himself. Swing and a miss, chairshot right to the skull of Tanaka, one to Bronson too. They no-sell the shots, rolling elbow, Hayabusa in with a superkick, big boot from Danger. Bronson with a black hole slam to Tanaka. Hayabusa with a missile dropkick to take Bronson out, and all four men are down. Mr Danger tags in, Hayabusa with a springboard bulldog. Tanaka gets Danger up on the buckles, superplex delivered. Hayabusa with the moonsault, 1, 2, Bronson breaks it up. Bronson with a Fire Thunder Driver on Tanaka ON TOP of Hayabusa! Danger hits a lionsault to follow up, 1, 2, NO. Mr Danger pulls out another table, Bronson finishes setting it up on the outside. Bronson lays Hayabusa on top and the table gives way. Another table is brought out to play. Hayabusa is laid out on top, SPRINGBOARD 450 through the table from Mr Danger! Back in the ring, Danger nails a swanton, 1, 2, Tanaka breaks it up. Bronson is thrown to the outside, Danger goes up top and delivers a 450 but Hayabusa has the knees up. Falcon Arrow from Hayabusa, he goes up top, 450 of his own! 1, 2, 3!

Winners: Masato Tanaka & Hayabusa

Time: 15:24

Rating: ***1/4 – These shows at The Collection should absolutely be about showcasing talent to the world, and it was a real treat to see Mr Danger get such a spotlight here, looking good throughout. Tanaka did Tanaka things, with Bronson matching him in the intensity stakes. A lot of leeway given here in terms of illegal partners dishing out offense, but I guess if we’re lax on tables and chairs that’s to be expected. Enjoyable main event, delivering what you’d expect.

*Tanaka and Hayabusa stand tall in victory, and with that, we’re done! But not before one last video package for Atticus Cogar vs Hayabusa at Spring Break X, and that’s a fantastic video, I’ll give them that. Cogar says the new Hayabusa has every tool the original Hayabusa had, except the scars…and he promises to give Hayabusa those necessary scars at Spring Break.

 

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

For a show that began after midnight, the crowd impressively stayed alive. It also refreshingly didn’t even break 2 hours, and while there’s a chunky bit of downtime after that barbed wire rope match, it means the show is never in fear of outstaying its welcome. Kudo getting her flowers (literally and metaphorically) was a neat moment, and the main event was a fun. Personal preference meant I didn’t enjoy the Ultraviolent championship match, and the rest of the show was largely forgettable; it’s a harmless way to kill 2 hours if you want some mindless action.