This review was commissioned by Pat_speed over on my Ko-fi account.
I imagine that my distance from the scene hurts this a lot. I’m not too familiar with either man’s work, and Wahlberg’s work in the WWE as Grayson Waller has done little to endear me to him. There’s also this really great sense of connection with the crowd in this match that’s a bit confusing to me if only because the presentation and structure of the match is telling me one thing while the crowd is telling me something else entirely. Again, I confess my lack of knowledge on the Australian independent scene when I say this, but what appears to be happening is that Wahlberg is cast as a heel in this match but that he’s gotten over enough with the local crowd to receive a hero’s welcome.
I’m very open to be corrected on that front, but Wahlberg’s whole shtick here reads as one of the most punchable people on the planet. The overblown boxing-style entrance, the American flag-themed tights, all his seconds and lackeys at ringside. Meanwhile, UGG comes to this with a relatively down-to-earth vibe, just coming in with his title and very heavy hands to defend his spot. And yet, this crowd is massively pro-Wahlberg, with only a section of very passionate female fans cheering on UGG for the most part.
It’s an odd disconnect because Wahlberg feels very annoying, and he seems happy enough to lean into that, but there are some compromises in the match structure that further muddy the story this appears to be telling. Much of the early bout sees UGG just fully dominating. Not only does he wipe out Wahlberg’s entourage at the bell, he just thrashes the challenger all around the ringside area for most of this. Wahlberg’s comebacks are centered around trying to get these flash submissions in to take out UGG, and there’s also a big table bump UGG takes about halfway through to try to wear him down as well. Wahlberg’s performance doesn’t do much for me personally. His strikes are hit and miss, his submissions far from intricate, and the odd response from the crowd means that he never quite reads as sympathetic even if the match tells us we’re meant to find some value in him.
It’s that last bit that really bothers me in the grand scheme of things. Heel or not, this match wants to make something of Wahlberg, and I just feel that it uses some of the more cliche shorthand to get that message across. There’s a big one count kickout for UGG’s finish in the back half that feels just a little too obvious for what they want to achieve, a neon sign screaming “This guy’s legit” when not much else in the match has been there to back that up.
UGG himself is pretty fun though. I love how grounded he feels throughout this, just throwing his big hands, real connected to the women in the crowd, taking big bumps and everything. He’s maybe a little too high flying for the kind of wrestler I wish he was, but he’s anchoring this match really well.
There’s no denying how fun a hot crowd in a small room like this is though. As someone that lives in a country with a small independent circuit, I empathize with getting swept up in these kinds of things. For an outsider like me looking in though, it’s a struggle. Seems like a good time if you’re there though.
Rating: **1/2
