A-Kid (c) VS Zack Sabre Jr - White Wolf Wrestling Campeonato Absoluto 4/14/2018
JJZ: I picked this match for one reason. I want your opinion of it. It got a 5 star rating and put A-Kid on the map. This is my second viewing so I'm watching with different eyes than you. I'm almost positive this is our first match from White Wolf. Which is a promotion from Spain. Also a first for us that I can recall. Local star champion VS independent super star. White hot crowd. Stiff and tight as can be. I don't need to say anything else. E n j o y.
CJD: Damn, what a dope match. ZSJ coming out to "Mother" by IDLES is my favorite thing ever right off the bat and the entrance really sets the tone. Apparently A-Kid comes out to Papa Roach which is considerably less cool unless you're a backyard wrestler with frosted tips wearing a sleeveless t-shirt and JNCOs. Then you'd be the Pope of Chili Town. He should stick with this generic royalty free theme they used for this video, it's actually pretty tight. Better than his NXT UK theme. But I digress.
Circa 2015 you and I had a very underrated wrestling podcast with our good friend Mr PB, which unfortunately I'm realizing has vanished from the ether of the internet. And I remember we discussed pretty often how the new crop of indy talent of guys like ZSJ, Thatcher, Busick, and Gulak were exactly what we had been craving. That we were burnt out on the Richards-itis as we called it that had plagued indy wrestling for the previous 5 years or so, and that a return to fundamentals and actual grappling is something we hoped would continue to gain popularity. Fast forward to this match and not only has that hope been fulfilled, but a younger crop of talent influenced by that generation is starting to create their own buzz. And while A-Kid had no buzz that we heard about going into this match, I have to think that ZSJ is the exact type of wrestler he'd been studying as he was cutting his teeth. And it creates such a sublime match with this once in a lifetime opportunity and boy what a buzz did he create for himself as a result.
I hate to sound like a broken record about star ratings but whether or not this is 5 stars is meaningless to me. This is so much of what's great about pro wrestling captured in a beautiful moment in time. I'm glad Meltzer gave it 5 stars to get eyes on it, but if I'm going to take out my red pen yeah there's probably some criticisms I'd have. But I'd rather not waste my time on them, because the positives here are enormous. The grappling feels like such a struggle. The big moments are huge but never outstay their welcome. The small moments make it so you can't turn away or even blink. ZSJ carries himself with such a presence that I don't even mind his ridiculous basketball shorts. I actually find them kind of endearing. I'm so glad you finally got me to make time for this one, and I'm so glad it exists. It's matches like this that make you feel like all the time you invest as a fan is worth it.
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