Luke Robert’s series, Kill City Cup, takes a page from the short-lived television series Lucha Underground, bringing the fast-paced world of independent wrestling to a dark, dystopian future. It’s 2035, and the evil Kill Corp has emerged triumphant after the Great War. Run by the dastardly Mr. Kill (Brian Kahrs), Mr. Kill is now the CEO of the world located in Kill City, where he controls all the available energy in the world.
Tired of all the whining and complaining from the tired masses, Mr. Kill created a gladiatorial tournament called the Kill City Cup, where the winner is allowed to ask Mr. Kill for one request…a wish, as it were.
At first glance, you’d think this is a mere wrestling program with a ring set up in the middle of a worn-down sound stage…I mean arena. But you’d be wrong (not really). The proceedings begin with the Ringmaster (Rye Mulls) introducing the first three competitors: Maxwell Chicago (Henry Alvarez), Hecates Hangman (Jimmy Jacobs), and Neo-Shaman (Matt Sydal). The three immediately engage in a triple-threat deathmatch. As the competitors of each bracket win, they move up the ladder, but Mr. Kill has a secret weapon in the indestructible cyborg known as The Machine (Brian Cage).
First, yeah, Kill City Cup is a wrestling show. Personally, I grew up with WWF (now WWE) since I was a young teen and living in Southern California. I had little exposure to the indie wrestling scene, which operates much like indie filmmaking.

“…the Kill City Cup, where the winner is allowed to ask Mr. Kill for one request…”
Right away, Kill City Cup pales in comparison to the highly produced and very slick WWE products. What creator Luke Robert does is take the low-budget production and give it an end-of-the-world twist to its design and characters. Along with writers Paul Glantz, Rye Mulls, and Chris Scoville, Kill City Cup successfully pays homage to B-movie sci-fi by adding cheesy flavor here and there.
Mr. Kill sits in his private seat, overlooking all the action with his Nero-like Vince McMahon persona, while speaking to the “people” between matches. Also, promos are cut, and side deals are made to pump up the audience before the match. There is a story here as one of the competitors is gunning straight for Mr. Kill. Unlike your typical sci-fi production, we’re dealing with wrestlers here. In the opening bout, Hecates Hangman fights with a spike in hand and opens up one of his competitors. Yeah, that’s real blood, and his victim is then strung up like a gutted pig in the end.
The wrestling is pretty standard indie wrestling. Gone is the polish of WWE, but there is the gritty determination associated with the indies. Matt Sydal and Brian Cage are the wrestlers I’m familiar with. Then there’s indie darlings Natalia Markova, Brian Kahrs, Gia Love, and April Hunter.
Let me make one criticism, which would be invaluable for future episodes…hire a comedy writer. The show is loaded with one-liners said after a devastating move here and there. The problem is these one-liners are pretty standard and not all that clever. Someone needs to not only punch up the one-liners but also write for the commentators during the match. I’m sure all the play-by-play is done in post and, with a little care, can elevate the action on screen.
Kill City Cup is perfect for wrestling fans (specifically indie wrestling fans) and those who love cheeseball B-movies. Hell, it’s perfect for anyone who doesn’t take their cinema too seriously. For Luke Robert, it’s a good start with the potential to improve.
For more information, visit the Kill City Cup official website.