Paradigm Pro: UWFI Contenders Series Episode 4

ER: Paradigm put on a better show last week than AEW did, so we're dedicating the Wednesday night slot to Paradigm this week. Better show gets written up fresh the next week. 

YOYA vs. Don't Die Miles

ER: I liked the standing portions of this a lot more than the grounded portions. I especially liked how we started, with Morales getting a quick German and then a nice flying knee. Later he snuck in this cool hooking kick to YOYA's chin that I think should have at least gotten a knockdown. They have a lot of points to work with in these matches and they hardly ever get used, instead moving right on from the best looking strike in the match. But I thought a lot of the ground work looked bad, especially the striking. YOYA had mount and was throwing little slaps off Miles' arms, and half of them weren't even making contact with the arms. I thought Miles fighting for a fireman's carry looked good, but stuff like that kept taking a backseat to unconvincing YOYA takedowns or a standing slap sequence that went too long. I liked the finish, with YOYA hitting a Saito suplex and holding on to slip on an armbar, but for a guy supposed to be working an "in over his head" angle, I thought Miles showed far more poise. 

PAS: I liked how frantic everything was, this approximated one of those insane WEC Banatamweight fights with tiny guys just going after everything a million miles an hour. Really liked the open 20 seconds with the Miles suplex and big knee, and Yoya is so small that even a small guy like Miles can throw him in interesting ways. I thought some of the stand up exchanges were really bad, you can do fast hands stuff and have it look effective even if it isn't stiff, but this looked like two guys swatting flies. Finish was cool, and I would be into a little dudes shoot division, but I am not sure overall this entirely worked.

Tommy Kyle Dean vs. Janai Kai

PAS: Both wrestlers have Tae Kwon Doe black belts, but unfortunately this felt more like half speed dojo sparring then a competitive wrestling match. Felt like they were practicing rather than fighting and the KO shot either missed entirely or was the victim of a bad camera angle. 

ER: Yeah this really didn't feel like an actual match. This felt like two people playing a fighting game only neither person knows the button combos so 80% of the fight is high right kicks. Occasionally you get lucky while button mashing and come out with something cool (like Dean's leg scissor takedown and Kai's heel axe kicks to break the follow up kneebar), but the kicks all looked like two people practicing distance rather than trying to hit each other. The fast front spin kick by Kai into the KO hook kick by Dean had great form, but agree that it either missed by a foot or made totally silent connection. Either way, it fell flat as a finish, but it only makes sense to miss the finish kick since none of the other kicks seemed to land. 

Robert Marytr vs. Jeffery John

PAS: The start of this match didn't do a ton for me, felt a little formless and the shots weren't doing much. Then John hits a gross sounding headbutt, which Martyr sells like a MMA fighter who is dropped, including trying to take down the referee. Martyr is able to get his bearings, grab kind of a half choke and takedown, and land some sick Pride stomps to the back of the head for a KO. Great finish run will go a long way, and love Martyr as a guy with fun realistic knock out selling. 

ER: This was fun, thought it picked up early with a great Martyr knee, and that headbutt that downed Martyr was a great moment. I loved Martyr's selling, fully bought into it, thought he looked legitimately loopy and I love a well used/well done ref takedown spot. The stand up didn't always look great but I liked how both guys were using head movement and it lead to some interesting stuff. The finish was real sick, with Martyr fighting through the cobwebs and getting a real mean choke, looked like the kind of thing a big brother locks in way too hard after he catches his annoying little brother in his room, and the stomps to the head for the stoppage looked sick. 

3. Hoodfoot vs. Isaiah Broner

PAS: Tremendous atmosphere, really felt like a West Oakland fist fight between two of the baddest guys in Fruitvale. Loved all of the pissed off shit talking and mean mugging. There are basically three moments in this match, they come together throwing, and Broner grabs Hoodfoot and throws him down. They get back up again exchanging and Broner drops him with a sick short hook. They go at it again and Hoodfoot hits a fast Saito and two big swinging forearms to the head for a KO. I loved all three moments, I kind of wanted one or two more - this was maybe 2 minutes long - and it could have been a killer 3 and half minutes. I wanted Broner to get to his feet after the Hoodfoot KO, even if only to get dropped again. Still I adore Hoodfoot as a guy with one punch KO power, and he really brings something special. And I'm really into Broner too, just a pair of badass looking tough guys. I would totally be into running this back again. 

ER: This really did have a great feel to it. A lot of these matches have been fun, but they can feel a little faceless. This felt like two big personalities having a big showdown, and most importantly: These were two guys I *wanted* to see fight. Any fight has the potential to be a good fight, but I love a fight where I just want to already SEE the guys fight. Hoodfoot has become a fast favorite of mine, and Broner has a great look, great vibe. Last week we had one of my favorite sub 3 minute matches, and now we have one of the great sub 2 minute matches. This is the kind of stand and trade I can get behind, as they just start swinging arms and seemed fine to keep that up until either of their Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot heads popped off. I bought into Broner getting the potential upset, and loved how the had him drop Hoodfoot first, loved that advancing short hook he cracked him with. Hoodfoot's Saito suplex is really great, like the fast kind of backdrop drivers that Kobashi used to take right on his head, and I love how he wasn't messing around and got right to throwing those forearms. I wish we got twice as much as we did, and I don't think it honestly would have taken a ton more for me to want to add this to our MOTY List. Run this back, let 'em go 5 minutes, then let 'em take over the indies. 

2021 MOTY MASTER LIST