Try, Try, Try Again

Drew Adler vs Tracer X, 2018 Palmetto Classic (Palmetto Championship Wrestling)

This is a big vs little match not because Tracer X at 5'10" is little but because Drew Adler is 6'4". I found myself drawn into it even though it deviates from my shortlist of preferences in pro wrestling. Typically I prefer matches with  opponents who are evenly matched in size and weight and style. Clearly in this case I am not a stickler in these matters. 

Adler of Savannah, Georgia, is a brawler, and Tracer of Asheville, North Carolina, is a high flyer, but the wrestlers make magic out of their differences. At one point shortly after the ring lights go out at the 08:45 mark, Tracer attempts to take Adler down with a plancha or flying crossbody. Outside the ring, Adler catches him in mid-flight and shoves X between the ropes and back into the ring. Undeterred, Tracer attempts the tactic again, this time with the result he was aiming for. The proverb "If at  first you don't succeed, try, try again" holds the ring drama together and sheds light on X's character more than once. By the way, when the ring lights fail, the houselights are sufficient illumination for the remainder of the match.

A feature of a lot of regional wrestling and some underground wrestling is that the audience still decides who's the heel and who's the babyface. I prefer this to promoters' dictating the heel and babyface roles. Here, for the most part, the crowd seems to like both these wrestlers (though Adler gets a few isolated boos). The standout moment for me is when Adler grinds his shoulder to Tracer's midsection in the fourth GIF below.

Visit Palmetto Championship Wrestling's Facebook home here.