Big Grown Man

Spencer Slade vs Elijah Dean, 11 January 2020, Altoona (Imagine Wrestling)

I can only vaguely imagine what it must be like to be a deaf pro wrestler. Spencer Slade shows no sign of his disability. He speaks to the fans in an unimpeded voice, and he works the ring like a veteran even though he made his professional debut only last year. Watching him, though, I become more intensely aware of the rhythms of pro wrestling. It's the rhythms that the crowd responds to. The pace can be hypnotizing, and the occasional skipped beat signals a turn in the action or catches me by surprise and gets my adrenaline going. I figure the tempo of moves and reversals plays a role in keeping deaf and hearing wrestlers on track. It's muscle memory at work.

Everything about Slade suggests he's aiming for WWE. He has the body type and swagger McMahon likes. He approaches the ring looking like Randy Orton, geared up like Kurt Angle. More power to the kid if that's what he wants. The sight of him makes me swallow audibly. He enters the ring the heavyweight champion (already, in just a year) and the fans' favorite. He carries the weight of achievement and expectation well. He is coolly intimidating. Challenger Elijah Dean puts up a bold offense - but I can't see him leaving the ring with anything but a new medical condition.

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