2016 Ongoing MOTY List: Attitude v. Lee

29. Brad Attitude v. Trevor Lee CWF-Mid Atlantic 12/30

PAS: This was the apex of a months long feud between the two that started with Attitude turning on Lee and braining him with a beer bottle, and then taunting him at shows that Lee wasn't booked at. Finally to get his hands on Attitude, Lee agreed to a match with a 30 minute time limit, where if he didn't beat Attitude he would lose the belt, also if he got DQed he would lose the belt, but Attitude could wrestle the match no DQ. It is a nifty piece of wrestling bullshit which feels like something The Bullet would have to do to get his hands on Jimmy Golden.

Attitude is awesome in the build up to this and in the match. He is working a failed prospect gimmick, a guy who had his shot at the big leagues (he was on a bunch of early EVOLVE shows and was a WWE developmental guy) but washed out and is now bitter. Now this kid he helped train is the new hot shit indy star working PWG and TNA and he can't take it, this was like if David Carr broke a beer bottle over Derek's head.

Early in the match Attitude dickishly taunts Lee, stalling and killing time, trying to get Lee intentionally DQ'ed, however by the end of the match, all of that is out of the window and he is clearly trying to prove he is better and pin the champ. You don't usually see that kind of character arc in a wrestling match. Lee is fine in this, although it really feels like Attitudes match, I did his firery die on the sword attitude, and he did a nice job of conveying his fury at Brad, but stopping short of losing his cool and his belt. He also took a nasty side of the head chair shot, which either busted him open legit or was a nice excuse for a blade job.

Finish is something I am a little torn on, during Attitude's rampage he had cut the ponytail of one of the refs. After a couple of other refs are laid out  that ref come out slow counts for Attitude and looks the other way as Lee smashes Brad in the head with the bottle. I get that it makes narrative sense, but it feels like a cop out, the better story was either the valiant babyface overcoming impossible odds and prevailing anyway, or the dastardly heel stacking the deck too high. Having Lee win by out cheating Attitude is kind of weak sauce.

ER: Tough match for me to review, as I thought the ending betrayed a lot of what Lee was fighting for all match, and doesn't really solve anything. A struggling marathon runner doesn't run 26 miles and then get a piggyback ride for the final 300 yards. This feud can still take some more turns, and in the moment Lee smashing a bottle over Attitude's head could have felt satisfying, so some of this may make a lot more sense in a couple months. But that's a tough way to look at something as it happens. "This could get better!" There was so damn much that this match did well, but I weirdly felt let down by Lee using the bottle. The tangled stip worked within the match, and the commentary crew did a great job of getting it over. Even when Lee kind of slipped up and used a kendo stick to choke Attitude, they did a great job of covering for everybody and explaining why the ref might not have gone for an immediate DQ. I liked both men in this, but this did feel like Attitude's stage. His stips, his stage, makes sense. Overall I thought things went too long, but there was a lot to like here. I thought the timing on the first ref bump was masterful, with the ref getting backed into the corner behind both men, Lee throwing a high kick and Brad ducking at the last minute. The beating Lee took was pretty wild, that chairshot on the apron with the side of the chair was sick. Announce crew did a great job of putting over how Attitude was going above and beyond to beat the champ, even pointing out after his moonsault into the crowd that he used to fly, but never did any longer after an ACL/MCL injury. Phil is right, Attitude's arc within one 30 minute match was impressive. That ending, though...even though while well executed, it just doesn't set right with me. This is a very polarizing match within my own brain.

2016 MOTY MASTER LIST