BB2

Jordan Clarke's war cry at the 15:22 mark of this match seems to confirm my earlier impression that Movimus is upping the hell-yeah in its matches this year. It's more of a roar or animal yowl, and maybe it signals one more step in the redefinition of the company's approach to underground wrestling, from staid pursuit of sport and the tallying of points towards something a bit more emotive and dynamic.

Jordan originally picked Max Anderson as the man he wanted to wrestle in his debut in May. The two wrestlers found themselves at something of a stalemate at times. They were almost too perfectly matched in ability and size. At the close of that contest, feeling they still had unfinished business, the two requested this rematch. 

Max and Jordan are as well matched as I could hope for. (As some of you know, an even match is something of a fixation of mine). They are sturdily built mat battlers, Jordan's torso and limbs somewhat more solid than Max's, Max's somewhat more agile. Both are blond, which is why Movimus is calling the rematch, like the first match, the "Battle of the Blonds." 

Beyond the surface similarities, there's a kind of chemistry between them, a friendly but fierce competitiveness that can only be satisfied by making the other man submit. Neither holds anything back. If not exactly reckless, they are vehement in their drive to prove themselves the better man and bold in their use of force to get what they want. They're also smart enough to recognize that wrestling is about outmaneuvering one's opponent, and that requires mental focus and strategy. 

Both are good guys. There's no "heel." Their temperaments are compatible, but in some ways opposite to each other, too. Max is taciturn. Jordan is expressive and spirited. Max sinks deep into himself, unwilling to waste energy in playing head games with his antagonist.  Jordan is exuberant, vocal, quick to respond to each new stimulus or turn in the action. In the jargon of Myers Briggs, Max seems like an INTJ personality (introverted-intuitive-thinking-judging), while Jordan leans in the other direction, ESFP (extroverted-sensing-feeling-perceiving). I find the temperamental dissimilarities as fascinating as their physical similarities, especially as they manifest during competition.

Before I get too caught up in psychology, though, I should remind myself that this is fundamentally a muscle sport. From start to finish, I was engrossed in the match as a corporal event, without any impulse to analyze or theorize as I was just doing. The match's momentum builds through four tense falls, which are gratifyingly physical.  And hot. Without showboating or overdoing it, these two athletes kept my fingers on my fly for the full nineteen minutes.