10 Hardcore Japanese Wrestling Stipulations You Won't Believe Are Real

9. No Rope Electrified Barbed Wire Death Match

This is the sugar that Edison likes.

Look, what's the point of making something out of metal if you're not going to run a several hundred volt charge through it? It's just simple wrestling economics.

And so was born, the electrified barbed wire match. Of course, I don't think they actually ran electricity through the barbed wire, but whenever one of the wrestler's touched the knotted mass of points that constituted a ring barricade, small explosions would go off, so at least it was definitely dangerous.

Of course you want an example, you filthy animals:

As much as death matches are a somewhat acquired taste, it's worth watching this one the whole way through. It's excellent. The lady with the big V on her back, her name is Combat "Mother-In-Law" Toyoda and it's her retirement match against former friend (and possibly ex-lover) Megumi Kudo. It was reportedly the first match of its type to feature women, in a heartwarming display of equal opportunities bug-f*ck lunacy.

What works so well about this contest is that it's predominantly a wrestling match, rather than a spot-fest, with the electric barbed wire fence as a constant but rarely-incorporated threat. The tension they tease from almost almost ALMOST touching the wire is palpable through the arena, eliciting gasps and moans of unease from the crowd with every step closer.

Nutcases can proceed straight to 25.00 minutes in, however, if they want to see the dreadful thing happen.

But we're only at stage 2 of our journey. It's going to get worse isn't it? Oh yes. Oh very much yes.