2019 Ongoing MOTY List: Cain vs. Trevor

Cain Justice vs. Trevor Lee CWF Mid-Atlantic 1/5

PAS: This has been the match I have most wanted to see in CWF for a couple of years, and while it wasn't a stone cold classic, it was really fun to watch these two guys stretch it out for a long match. Cain has just turned face, and this was worked like a mentor student match, with Lee putting over Cain as the future of the company. Much of this was on the mat with Lee stretching and pounding on Cain, and Cain getting some reversals, I especially liked the triangle armbar out of the flipping powerbomb, Cain had a couple of big roll up nearfalls, but I would have liked to see Trevor survive the Twist ending, and Cain get at least one reversal out of the STF. This was an impromptu challenge on an RGL show (their rookie showcase) so it had a pretty small crowd, and it really reminded me of the Regal vs. Brookside Power Plant match which showed up on YouTube last year. If Lee is NXT bound I hope we get a big time version of this before he goes, if it doesn't happen I am glad we got this.

ER: This is a match we've both been waiting to happen, delivered differently than we maybe expected it to happen. It's a long match that was paced nicely and filled time admirably, but both men felt a little lackadaisical so while the moves themselves felt like they ramped up appropriately, the emotion felt the same to me at the 30 minute mark as it did at the 1 minute mark. I'm not usually one clamoring for MORE EMOTION in a wrestling match, we've seen enough heavy breathing Godspell curtain call selling from Gargano this past year, but there was a little something missing here. I lead with that complaint, which is somewhat mean for a match I liked. I don't really think there was a single misstep here, it all just felt a little passionless. And typically Impromptu Gym Shorts Lee matches have plenty of passion. Here, both came off more irritated than anything. Still, these guys can work, and work they did. As I said the time was filled admirably, starting with a bunch of nice grappling, quick mat exchanges, nasty wrist work from Lee, a couple tough stomps to Cain's posted arm, stomping on Cain's fingers, and Cain paying him back with a couple nice stretches. All the mat stuff looked great, and I loved how the strikes were integrated. Starting with Lee going for an apron punt - which I thought was a weird tonal shift - I immediately thought it fit the tone perfectly when Cain expertly caught the punt and made Trevor regret it. The moves are worked in logically and executed great, with a cool delayed brainbuster from Trevor, and a couple of great superkicks from Cain. But Cain never really felt like he was in a position to win, never felt like he even got Trevor close to a nearfall, and it was a little disheartening to see these two go so long and the match to feel so competitive, while also feeling that Cain never really had a chance. These two are great, and the match was a ton of fun, but I've liked several Trevor title matches against lesser opponents more than this one. I say they just do a Best of 7 series so we can just get every single kind of match we'd ever want them to have against each other.


2019 MOTY MASTER LIST