Review: Marco vs. Slash (Thunders Arena)

Full disclosure: This match was provided to me by Thunders Arena

"Yeah, now you got the Dad-bod goin'. Can't keep up with me. Is that why you're doing so many ball claws? Because you know you can't wrestle any more?" 

-- Marco, Marco vs. Slash, New Years Eve 2016

The above lines come during The Break around the 9-minute mark of this 21-minute match, but for me, it was the true start of Marco vs. Slash. The entire 90-second flex-rest period brings the story of this encounter into focus. It launched my imagination and gave the whole thing a purpose. More importantly, it is The Break that actually turned this from being okay into a winner for me.

There are surprising layers when Slash battles Marco

This is the second of the three matches Thunders sent me this month, but the third I'm covering. It was an interesting and risky decision, because I've been much less effusive about Marco than other bloggers. I actually bought matches like Dolf/Steel (ring) and Beast/Steel with my own hard-earned money, so from that angle it all worked out for Thunders, giving me a match I wouldn't have purchased while getting my money for the ones I would.

So, what did I think? Well, I already spoiled that in the opening paragraph. Let me re-phrase my segue as, "Why did I end up liking this?"

At the start, the action begins right away. Always a plus for me. Marco and Slash are silent and serious as they roll around. It's not quite a submission match, but it's that type of thing. Back-and-forth. A couple of bearhugs mixed in with mat stuff. Unfortunately, Movimus this ain't. Submission/mat wrestling isn't as easy as they make it look. I was kind of just going with it, but not really feeling it.

Beefy Slash's bulge becomes a target

Marco can't resist grabbing the mound
of mature manmeat

It's open season in an over-the-knee backbreaker

At 8:30 in, we start The Break.

Slash is sweaty and tired. He paces while young muscleman Marco flexes. New Year's Eve is normally a time to look ahead, but Slash wants to look back. Like the high school quarterback at a 20-year reunion, he remembers the good old days. How he was hotter than Marco. How he was a star, baby. Okay, that's not a direct quote, but it's the sentiment.

And for someone like me who remembers his brief run as Jace Bradley at BGEast, it's true. He was freaking hot. You know, I wonder if Slash knows he's even been relegated to the "retired" section of the Thunders profiles? Ouch.

Slash suddenly needs a moment

Let me be clear, I'm not making a value judgment on current Slash. This is the plot. The guy is still hot to me, but the whole point of The Break is Slash's reminiscing. It’s about Slash as an aging hunk who sweats more, tires faster and gets dominated by young studs like Marco. The plot is that time has turned him from blond and buff into balding and beefy.

It's not exactly light or fun, but it's a real story and I like it. Now, as Marco dominates for the rest of the video, you have a reason to care. The action changes from simple and plodding back-and-forth to dramatic and tense. The silence now has meaning and things don't have to be said. Marco does throw out an “old man”, but you don't need it. The whole thing is now new breed owning old school.

Marco dominates daddy Slash

Mighty Marco's in control

Slash's roaming hands explore young muscle

In the end, I really got into the narrative. Slash drives the story, opening the door with reflection and self-deprecation. Marco is good here, engaged in the plot with minimal mugging or breaking. The story is the reason to buy and my advice is to treat the first 9 minutes as the warmup then get going for the next 12.

So that's my take. What's yours?

Alex