Originally published on Fanbyte as part of “FanFyte’s Best of the Month: October 2021” on November 9, 2021
It shouldn’t be a shock that the best US indie tag match of the year features Violence is Forever. The team of Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini have been the best tag team on the independent scene for a couple of years now. Here, they make their return to SUP as the Tag Team Champions for the promotion’s first show back with live fans.
Their opponents: “Hoodfoot” Mo Atlas & Chase Holliday, representing The Lost Boys. This is a great showing from them as they combine a mix of old school heel tag work with a hard-hitting sensibility to produce something real special in this match. Nothing establishes this better than the opening moments of the match where Holliday antagonizes Garrini on the apron, drawing his attention on the floor, which allows Hoodfoot to cheap shot Ku in the ring.
Hoodfoot, in particular, really shines in this match. He’s got a great physical charisma which he combines with some stiff strikes and fun selling throughout the match. The workhorse of the bout is Kevin Ku though, who spends most of the match in-ring for his team as the face in peril to compensate for Garrini’s back injury. Ku is one of the finest practitioners of the Steamboat Rule—always fighting back even when at a disadvantage to show that he’s never out of the fight.
Well-structured, explosive, and violent—just what you want from a modern tag match.