2021 Ongoing MOTY List: Lorcan vs. Kushida

19. Oney Lorcan vs. Kushida WWE NXT 4/20

ER: This was Kushida's first title defense after winning it at the Mania TakeOver, and he throws out the open challenge. I wasn't expecting Oney Lorcan to be the guy who answered the challenge, but Lorcan just might be the best challenge answerer in NXT. Lorcan has been maybe more underutilized this year than any year he's been in WWE. His role is technically more high profile - he and Burch have been the NXT tag champs for 6 months at this point - and he's been wrestling less than ever. Since the tag title win this is just his 9th match, showing up on TV every 3-4 weeks to remind everyone how much he kicks ass. This is one of those matches that sets itself apart in minute one, almost immediately feeling different than any other Kushida match I've seen. Kushida in trunks and ankle tape suddenly makes him move and wrestle like a year 2000 BattlArts undercarder, and my god is that a good thing. The mat scrambling with he and Lorcan was great, Lorcan trying to smother while Kushida scrambles, both locking in really snug headscissors and both working cool Indian deathlock escapes, some hard kicks, real spirited stuff. 

Lorcan goes up top and takes a mean spill when Kushida kicks him off to the floor. The editors do that thing I hate where we go to commercial with Lorcan bumping to the floor, then come back to see him working like a standing bow and arrow, minimal idea how he got back into control. But the work is so strong that it really doesn't matter, with Kushida targeting Lorcan's arm in cool ways (dropping elbows on it, posting it on the ropes and leaping off onto it) while Lorcan just works body punishment. Lorcan throws some chops in this match that made me exclaim aloud, alone. I swear they're the hardest chops I've heard in pro wrestling this year. Kushida breaks out of an abdominal stretch by going after Lorcan's arm again, and the more Kushida goes after his left arm, the harder Lorcan hits with his right. Loved his corner clothesline and the blockbuster was timed perfectly. Lorcan was great at selling Kushida's punches, great at staggering into the ropes, and I loved how Kushida dropkicked him right in the ear after his hiptoss. Great finish, with Lorcan getting his arm kicked out while on all fours (great sell where his arm looks like it's flopping around at the elbow) and Kushida locks in the nastiest hoverboard lock I've seen from him to get the tap. This match was the tightest I've seen Kushida look during his WWE run, and it's no shock that Lorcan is the guy to push him. Awesome match. 

PAS: Lorcan in a high profile singles match is always going to be worth watching, and Kushida bothered me less here than he normally does. I liked his punches, had nice thud for something clearly worked, and I dug all of his flying arm attacks. I really could have done without all of his cartwheels, but thankfully when it got down to brass tacks he mostly shelved that stuff. Lorcan is a punisher, as always. Those chops had real force behind them, more Tenryu than Flair, and I always love him as a pace pusher and he does that here. I hate the momentum shift during the commercial, but the finish was great, and this was a real treat. 

2021 MOTY MASTER LIST