Bodywork

Loki vs Van Acker, Vegas Battles 121 (Thunders Arena)

Van Acker rubs Loki the wrong way, and a series of confrontations erupt, none of them to Van Acker's advantage. Like previous Vegas Battles, this one injects college-boy roughhouse into Vegas luxury; only this time in a massage room with limited battle space. I've said previously that I love fights in tight enclosures, and this one kinda does the trick for me, largely because Loki's smooth body radiates strength and fury. Van Acker, an inept and handsy masseur, is the whipping boy - not entirely new territory for him.

Loki's conversion from kid-brother cute to headstrong is convincing enough, except when he smiles. Then the jig is up, temporarily at least. He just can't pull off a smirk or a scowl. His face is more awww than argh, though I admit his heel turn is fascinating in large part because his is not the typical look for badass-ness. That's a good thing, breaking stereotypes. A heel can have a baby face. Why not? I imagine getting beat up by somebody cute as a button could be a satisfying though bewildering experience. Van Acker would know best, of course, assuming he recovers.

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