Mixing It Up
PAC vs David Starr, Loaded #6, Newcastle (Defiant Wrestling)
This January 5 match starts 50 minutes into the full show, which you can watch here on YouTube. Starr has a height and weight advantage, not even noticeable in this match; PAC has over twice Starr's experience, again not noticeable because Starr is such a terrific ring performer. PAC also has the home advantage, yet the crowd pops for the American almost as much as for the local hero.
This contest takes about five minutes to rev up. Too long, in my opinion. Too much sulky circling-in with little acrobatic flourishes. I like acrobatics, a lot, and I'll tolerate more of it in pro wrestling as soon as Cirque du Soleil produces pier-6 brawls. I was ready to give up on this match, but once the boys made some fists and started poking each other with them, I was pulled right in.
I like messy, sweaty rasslin'. I figured PAC and Starr would be good for that sort of thing, and I was right. Once they take to fighting, the intensity level quadruples. And in the final minutes, as exhaustion takes its toll on both, they get clumsy - not like a couple of novices, rather like two brutes in an authentic brawl - the action slows down while sustaining the suspense.
It's great seeing PAC wrestle. Even as a high flyer, he was often fun to watch, but with a body and an attitude like his, he needs to grapple and pummel as he does here. Earthbound is best for wrestlers. With a few exceptions, I tuned out during his Neville years. Now that he's PAC again and fighting for Dragon Gate and AEW, I hope to make up for lost time.
Visit Defiant Wrestling here.
This contest takes about five minutes to rev up. Too long, in my opinion. Too much sulky circling-in with little acrobatic flourishes. I like acrobatics, a lot, and I'll tolerate more of it in pro wrestling as soon as Cirque du Soleil produces pier-6 brawls. I was ready to give up on this match, but once the boys made some fists and started poking each other with them, I was pulled right in.
I like messy, sweaty rasslin'. I figured PAC and Starr would be good for that sort of thing, and I was right. Once they take to fighting, the intensity level quadruples. And in the final minutes, as exhaustion takes its toll on both, they get clumsy - not like a couple of novices, rather like two brutes in an authentic brawl - the action slows down while sustaining the suspense.
It's great seeing PAC wrestle. Even as a high flyer, he was often fun to watch, but with a body and an attitude like his, he needs to grapple and pummel as he does here. Earthbound is best for wrestlers. With a few exceptions, I tuned out during his Neville years. Now that he's PAC again and fighting for Dragon Gate and AEW, I hope to make up for lost time.
Visit Defiant Wrestling here.
Definitely an intense and violent battle between Starr and PAC -- I was thinking of blogging about it too but you beat me to it. I was going to write about the home-town crowd supporting their PAC no matter how ruthless and dirty he behaved. They even began chanting "bastard" (I think that's what they were saying), almost celebrating his aggressive cruelty at my poor David Starr's expense. Both wrestlers really give their all for us, tons of dangerous stunts in this one. Thanks for writing it up so succinctly -- I enjoy when you cover mainstream pro wrestling.
ReplyDeleteDon’t hold back on my account. I’d love to see Wrestling Arsenal’s analysis of this match. Your thumbs up means a lot to me.
DeleteThanks for showcasing this match. I’m excited to see PAC in AEW, especially if he feuds with Adam Page as was teased at the launch announcement.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about AEW. I hope it radically distinguishes itself from other promotions in style and business practices. I particularly want it to be the anti-WWE. PAC vs Page would be a hot feud. I saw Page wrestle live a couple of times about 5 or 6 years ago. Also, Page and I have corresponded!! ... though his correspondence was to ask me not to blog about him anymore (haha).
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