Thirst Quencher

Zack Reno vs Mason, Match # 867 (UCW)

Mason is amazing once again. He debuted at UCW in a heated fight with none other than Axel, a roughneck who knows how to beat a body up. So does Mason, which is why his second match set him up against Jason Anders, UCW's meanest and foulest man on the roster. It wasn't easy, but Mason shut Jason's piehole up good. He showed no mercy (not that Anders merits or even wants mercy). In this his third match for the company, Mason faces his second former UCW champ, sexy, hot-tempered Zack Reno.

Zack has played both sides of the heel/hero divide, and in this and some of his earlier matches, he combines the two. I like the new model Zack Reno. A LOT. He played up cuteness and comedy for a while - and indeed the man was handsome and witty. Right now, we get the rough and punishing Reno, and he shines in the role, as expected. The faceoff between Reno and Mason gives me chills. When these guys twist balls or punch guts or poke an opponent's eyes, I feel like I'm watching real god-damn-you-to-hell hostility ... realistic and sexy - at least, sick fucks like me find it sexy.

This match establishes Mason as a central component of UCW's new-era overhaul. Changes in the organization have been evident for a while. It has gradually upped the levels of hyperreal violence. The sex appeal of a fighter is not the same as the sex appeal of a go-go boy or the boy next door. Lovers of brutal paybacks should flock to this high-grade version of underground wrestling. Things haven't reached the point of broken bones, asphyxiation, or blood - nor should it. Nor should it move towards out-and-out sadism (among its other flaws, it's too damn slow for wrestling). This match is pure rage, and that's what I've been thirsty for - and UCW and a few other promotions have me licking my lips.

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