Friskies

Cheetah Boy vs Axel, Match 710 (UCW)

Better than anybody else, better than one might think possible, UCW mixes lighthearted fun with brutal punishment. In Match 710, for instance, Axel pulls out a spray bottle and catnip to train his feisty opponent, Cheetah Boy. It's corny, but UCW has never aimed for sophistication. The masked feline makes his second appearance at the site, following a terrific mask-vs-mask contest against El Fuego in January. Like most cats, though, Cheetah Boy is hard to train. This match's moments of levity do nothing to diminish the intensity of this assault, the jungle wildness of which is spellbinding.

At first, Axel speaks dismissively to his masked opponent, assuming him to be a kid of maybe 15. "You wanna be my play toy?" Cheetah shoots back. And quickly the two engage in a shoving contest that ends with Axel binding the newcomer in a full stock hold, with Cheetah's head tucked between Axel's thighs. This ends in a headscissors, one of the hottest holds in wrestling, especially the way Axel stretches it out, taunting his prey for being too easy. He bullies the new kid, subjecting him to one humiliating abuse after another.

In the time-honored fashion of underground wrestling, Cheetah Boy reverses with a low blow. For two minutes he gets to show off his moves to a stunned and discombobulated Axel. Axel briefly regains control, but Cheetah gnaws - literally gnaws  - Axel's calf, forcing another release. Spirited give and take ensues. Cheetah Boy fights like an animal, targeting any body part his opponent is careless enough to leave unprotected. By contrast, Axel relies on tried-and-true scientific offenses to curb and subdue the jungle boy.

By the midpoint, Axel loses his cool and goes full-on beast on the recruit. Then, his adversary lets the cheetah out of the cage, and the two engage in the sort of catfight that knows nothing of  technique and fair play - just gouging, tearing, wringing, and grinding. The upshot of this savagery is an airplane spin and body-slam finisher, the victor sitting on the loser's face for a three-count pin and remaining in place for a showoff-y double biceps pose. 

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