If you haven’t watched it already we strongly suggest that you watch the match before reading the review (Link: https://youtu.be/AIxLtUa4WBc). Follow Alex Kross on Twitter @AlexKross__ and Jay Turner @KickTurnerKick.
Jay Turner defeated Alex Kross via Pinfall
The match would begin with a traditional circling standoff followed by a lockup which expectedly the more technical and aggressive Kross would take the advantage in, first taking the back of Turner then driving him into the ground with a belly to back takedown into a headlock. Turner would respond by reversing the headlock into a leg scissor headlock of his own before intelligently releasing Kross as to prevent him from regaining an advantage on the ground. Turner would initiate a striking exchange with a kick to the midsection of Kross before being caught with a forearm by Kross, confusingly the more technical Kross would willingly continue with this striking exchange eventually being pushed back into the ropes. Turner would send Kross to the outside before attempting a diving maneuver, only to have Kross recover make his way back into the ring and catch him with a devastating back elbow.
Further pressing his advantage Kross would begin to target the legs of Turner, first with a few stomps then with a double knee drop. Throughout the duration of the match, Kross would not only target the legs of Turner drastically decreasing the effectiveness of his offense but he would also target the arms and midsection of Turner attempting to eliminate all options for offense. Turner, however, would not be deterred taking any and every opening to get in offense of his own using his compromised legs to create distance before heading in with more high-flying offense. This back and forth would continue for quite some time before arriving at its climax.
The finishing moments of this match would see a resilient Turner reverse an attack on his arm by cross returning to a vertical base before sending Kross into the corner for a pair of spinning heel kicks before pushing him to the opposite side then hitting a Cheeky Nandos superkick. Turner would then ascend to the top rope before landing his Make Mine a Double (630 Senton) for the victory.
Match Rating:
The match was rated ***¼ by the reviewers here TIC. Ill-timed and ill-positioned maneuvers resulting in instances of Kross grabbing at air or awkwardly having to walk back and forth to get the right positioning. There were also moments where it would have made sense to keep an opponent on the ground and proceed with offense but instead they would lift them up to hit a move, although a small critic it was really distracting especially when they did it following more impactful more (most obvious example at 4:45-4:59). The most noticeable edit was at 5:33-5:34 which could have been hidden better with a cut to the crowd, not to mention the run-up that followed could have just been done with Turner bouncing off the rope instead of just stiffly walking backward. The rating was also hurt by moments where either man seemed uncertain or confused as to what to do next so they just stood aimlessly for a second or two, this didn't happen too often but when it did happen it was quite a deviation from the general pace of the match. Presentation wise, outside of a few notable edits that could have been easily hidden there were not many notes or critics to offer from a visual standpoint. The one slightly annoying detail was the size of the venue for this exhibition match, a smaller arena or crowd would have added to the immersion and realism. An enjoyable match between two talented wrestlers which we would definitely recommend our readers give a watch.
Written By: Philip Nelson
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