Matt Riddle's Voice Was Hoarse, His Throat Was Dry

Matt Riddle v. David Starr Legacy Wrestling 12/5/15 - GREAT

PAS: Really a tale of two matches. Starr was a collegiate wrestler and the parts of the match where he and Riddle roll are really great. Riddle has some big takedowns and Starr does a nice job sitting out and countering. Some of the cooler worked amateur scrambles I have seen. There are parts of the match where Starr needs to get in his goofy 2010's indy shit and when he does that the match falls apart a bit. Finish run I didn't care for. Still there was enough cool stuff that I ended up really enjoying the match as a whole.

ER: This match had me, and lost me for a bit, then pulled me back in. I liked parts of this that Phil didn't, and felt that "goofy indy shit" wasn't totally fair as the only thing Starr did that I really disliked was his little springboard clothesline while Riddle was on the apron. Everything setting up the apron spots felt forced. His dive looked pretty ugly too. Ugly enough that when Phil said he was a collegiate wrestler I assumed he was a guy new to pro wrestling, like Riddle, and that sloppy dive was more like a "Sean McCully tries a dive in Z-1 because whythefucknot and half his body hits the apron on the way down". But then I looked and Starr has been wrestling for several years, so that theory went out the window. I liked all the fractured grappling in the beginning, a nice break from tests of strength or collar and elbows as a feeling out process. Couple of guys rolling, getting takedowns, and then breaking before diving in for something more serious. It felt right in terms of a feeling out. I loved all of Riddle's big takedowns that he would bail on, fit nicely into his cocky persona, just tossing Starr into the air and walking away, big double leg and walking away, yanking a kimura and just breaking. It made Starr's Germans at the end more satisfying, seeing Riddle toss him around early and not even attempt to capitalize. I loved how Riddle's ambitions got the best of him in the end, as he hits his killer springboard spinning front kick, but then goes for it a bit later, misses and throws himself off balance, allowing Starr to blast him in the back of the head with a rolling elbow and a trapped arm German. I'm surprised Phil didn't like the finish as he tends to dig shots to the back of the head leading to a finish.


COMPLETE & ACCURATE MATT RIDDLE