Under Destruction

Derrick Cole vs Chad Daniels, Match 701 - Best of 5 Sleepers (UCW)

UCW is known for its tough, raw matches, and there's no sparing of newcomers. New hire (but familiar face and name) Chad Daniels endures a trial by fire in his first match for the company, taking on the infernal Derrick Cole. Against a plywood backdrop, the two engage in a best-of-5-sleepers battle. The plywood gives the contest the feel of a tool-shed fight, and the splintery walls play a role in the mayhem, beginning when Derrick ramrods Chad's head against it (second shot above).

Twenty minutes in, Daniels and Cole are tied 2 to 2. I was expecting a squash. Both men pull every trick in the book to win. Victory is always in grasp, but far from certain. The final eight minutes find both just a hair's breadth from a knockout at any moment. Surprisingly, Chad is almost as free of scruples and a sense of fair play as Derrick - a surprise to me and Derrick both. It's been over a year since I last saw Cole in action, and I had forgot how fiery he can be in a give-and-take fight. He's either immune to pain or he likes it. He wears the same insane grin up to the second he blacks out.

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