All Continental Classic 2023 reviews linked here.
There are many shortcuts to my heart, and one of them is an extended opening sequence built around a headlock. In this instance, it serves an added narrative significance as well. Eating two losses in a row on spirited, headlong performances, Mark Briscoe’s playing a more cautious game now to try to stay in tournament contention.
It’s such a clean segment, from both ends. I love Mark dropping into the headlock and even Swerve adjusting Mark’s limbs to gain leverage. It’s a slow start that allows the match to build upon itself, which this does with the kind of steady upward momentum that we haven’t seen in a Swerve match since the Danielson bout on TV.
This is maybe my favorite individual performance from Swerve I’ve seen in a long time. Perhaps he could be a little meaner in control after that big suplex on the concrete, but he makes up for it in small ways. I’m a big fan of how he constantly pulls at Mark’s beard to gain the leverage advantage on the mat, and even deeper in the match, his cut offs come from underhanded things like using Mark’s tights to drop him into the turnbuckles.
His strikes are also getting crunchier every week, he hits some real great body shots in this throughout his control. Those fancy set-ups he’s fond of are kept to a minimum, and in some cases outright improved. For example, the handstand that he often uses to go into a headscissors, he instead uses here to get to his feet and kick Mark right in the face. A much more impactful climax to make the set up feel a little more worthwhile.
The whole match is extremely well structured too. Beyond the escalation of action, and how moves into Swerve’s control and Mark’s comeback, there’s the smaller stories moving from moment to moment. Mark counters a Swerve 450 by getting the knees up and rolling him up, so Swerve counters a froggy bow by getting the knees up and rolling Mark up.
All in all, a strong effort from both men. It’s performances like this I hope to see more of from Swerve, and I’m eager to see what he pulls off with Mox next week. Meanwhile, Mark continues to shine as the unlike MVP of the gold league. No misses on his record yet.
Rating: ***3/4
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