PWG MYSTERY VORTEX (FSM 90; Feb 2013)

Information - DVD Region: All Regions - Distributor: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla - Price: $14.99 - Other info: 148 mins - Release: Out now - Weblink: www.ProWrestlingGuerrilla.com

Coming at the tail end of arguably their best year yet, PWG's Mystery Vortex summarizes why the company is one of wrestling's most exciting and dependable properties.

A World championship Guerrilla Warfare bout is the main event of the evening, with veteran brawler Kevin Steen and wrestling's hottest up-and-comer Adam Cole putting on a wild spectacle that will have viewers cheering and wincing in equal measure. From F5s on ladders, to spitting a mouthful of thumbtacks, Steen is in his element in this environment, but it's Cole who shines brightest, as he more than holds his own, and proves that he's at the level of one of Reseda's favourite sons.

One of the company's founders, Joey Ryan, bids farewell to PWG in a solid match against team-mate Scorpio Sky. While not a stand-out contest from a technical point of view, long-time fans will get a kick out of the numerous call-backs to the pair's history in southern California. Likewise, the light-hearted digs at Ryan's new employers at TNA will undoubtedly get a laugh or two from most.

High-flyer Rich Swann almost steals the show in his performance against El Generico, who, in a rare occurrence, works in a very subtle heel role. This allows Swann to truly shine as a lightning-quick babyface, whose flurries against "The Generic Luchador" have the live crowd coming out of their seats on several occasions.

The show kicks off with one of the finest openers you'll see all year, as Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong battle it out with The Young Bucks in a red-hot tag team contest. With a no-nonsense, hard-hitting style, Edwards and Strong are wildly entertaining as they kick, chop and suplex the irritating Bucks, who deliver a typically excellent performance. The winners of this bout earn a non-title contest with The Super Smash Bros. this same night, which is yet another must-see bout for fans of tag team wrestling. Player Dos in particular gives an exhilarating performance, including a fiery hot tag that would put many to shame, as he dives over the bottom, middle and top ropes consecutively onto a confused opponent.

The calibre of talent, as well as the sheer variety of styles, is what makes DVDs such as this an easy recommendation. Mystery Vortex does everything you've come to expect from PWG, yet still feels fresh and exciting.