Limb from Limb

Jaden Marsh vs Case "CT" Thornton, The Rematch (Movimus Wrestling)

In this Vegas rematch between able newcomer Marsh and an ornerier than usual Thornton, Movimus brings its roughest, most suspenseful match in memory. Jaden especially feels the pressure, determined to redeem himself after taking a licking from Case back in March. We get some hint of things to come when Marsh invades Thornton's space while the man is still doing his warmup stretches--a noteworthy breach of protocol I don't remember seeing previously at Movimus. Back in March Jaden fully demonstrated his resilience and skills but found himself frustrated by CT's frustrating habit of staying one step ahead. Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that at times in this fight Jaden literally goes for the jugular.

CT, too, has something to prove, or so it seems as he packs this match to the hilt with molto aggressive headlocks, scissor holds, and gracilis-snapping stretches. Jaden, however, absorbs the pain, which is immense, and turns it into not just a stubborn refusal to tap out but a series of strategic counter-attacks, bordering on gratuitous torture. This is a tug of war with muscle and tendons instead of a rope. I would imagine these guys are still feeling residual pain from the punishments dealt here.

Unusually intense even for submission wrestling, the 24-minute match (not counting the opening warmups) is authentic give and take from beginning to end. In my opinion, this one is far more grueling, thus more engrossing than the first, in which the two played nice by comparison. The idea of a "feud" (to pull a word from Movimus's online match description) is all the more welcome--and based on the wrestlers' ferocity, perhaps unavoidable.