DEAN~!!! 2 Day 5: Lee Moriarty vs. Matt Mako

DEAN~!!! 2 5/24/25

Lee Moriarty vs. Matt Mako

MD: I'm a big fan of modern Pure Rules matches. Any match with a constraint is a match where you are forced to be creative. Maybe that sounds counter-intuitive but structure forces meaningful, driven, focused innovation in the same way that total freedom might allow for unbridled, wasteful, senseless innovation. It's not all the time in either case, but to me, it tends to be inherent in the nature of pro wrestling. 

When you get the right two opponents (or since Moriarty is a given, the right opponent for Moriarty), you end up with interesting, thoughtful bouts, ones that thread the needle between technique and imagination. I really liked how they set this up. Mako's the master of the cross-armbreaker and he went right for it twice. In a normal match, that might open him up to counters or wouldn't have much impact on a fresh opponent who could fairly easily get to the ropes. Here, though, that meant Moriarty had to blow two rope breaks right from the start. Moriarty countered with an early Border City Stretch but just mathematically, he was on a path towards defeat.

So he opened things up, using his speed and finesse to start attacking the arm instead. Thus the game of chess, one where the path of least resistance bumped up against strategic thinking and quick reactions, kicked into a higher gear. Mako utilized pins to force Moriarty into position for submissions. Moriarty made a brilliant and unexpected roll to lure Mako in. Both carried the damage to their respective arms with every move and counter move, even as they saw their rope breaks evaporate to zero. 

In some ways it became a race to the finish on who would get their hold on first (and therefore last), fully recognizing that any attempt to do so would be marred by the damage already done. Moriarty got Mako into position but couldn't lock him up fully. But he, fluid master of his own style, compensated by utilizing his foot in place of his arm and retained his title. It was a wrestler's duel underneath flickering, two practitioners of pressure and pain matching wits and mettle under flickering, unstable lights, fully grounded and just a little surreal, just how wrestling ought to be.