Another hit, from this year’s Oney Lorcan.
Shayna and Candice have seven or eight minutes together in a clear showcase match for heel champion Baszler going into another Takeover special later in the month. It is not the sort of thing you expect a lot from, and that in the hands of lesser wrestlers, could have easily topped out at simply being very good.
Thankfully, these are not lesser wrestlers.
Candice is perhaps not in her element here, nor would she ever again truly be in her element under a corporate wrestling environment, given that her element is bleeding a ton and fighting men in front of the hottest crowd in all of pro wrestling in hyperemotional independent wrestling stunt brawls, but she does a really good job. Above all, even without the smoke and mirrors, what always worked for Candice is that she was naturally likeable and sympathetic, and it‘s largely through that that she succeeds here. The other part is down to skill and talent and effort too, to be fair, as when Candice’s arm is attacked, she does a very good job with it for the rest of the match. She never forgets, always keeps it present in an astute viewer’s mind, and makes the work feel like it matters, all while also making a series of terrific underdog babyface comebacks.
Shayna Baszler is why this match is great though.
Her attacks on the arm, and in general, are unreal, and unlike anyone else‘s attacks in professional wrestling. It is not only mechanically beautiful, but performed with such aggression and hostility behind every movement. Everything that Shayna does to the arm is not only the meanest and grossest shit that I’ve ever seen, but it is also either brand new or so rarely put to use that it may as well be. It is a perfect antagonistic attack, capable of eliciting both shock and awe in equal measure.
The match also packs a great little narrative punch too.
Baszler originally catches Candice in the way she did nearly a full year prior in the Mae Young Classic, countering Mr. Toad‘s Wild Ride (the less commonly used name, but the one we will all be more comfortable using) into her rear naked choke, only for LeRae to make it to the ropes this time. Classic pro wrestling booking to show improvement, which also makes every nearfall and big piece of offense after that from Our Hero feel like a major accomplishment and step forward. A cradle almost does it, and a Tornado DDT off the top gets even closer, but with the hurt arm, Candice goes for more, and it’s that classic mistake, the Disease of More, that results in her undoing.
Candice misses a Lionsault, and after a real nasty punt up into the face, Shayna goes immediately into the rear naked choke to win.
Going into a major title match on a Takeover, it is the exact perfect match to have and with the exact perfect message behind it. Not only is Shayna meaner and more technically skilled than anyone in the division, but she also has an unmatched killer instinct at this point, finally pairing her aggression with the experience to make the most of it. More than any other match in her NXT tenure to date, Shayna Baszler leaves looking like a wrestler who cannot be beaten.
It is not quite her best work in this field in 2018, but no other wrestler on Earth in 2018 was better at these squashes/showcase matches than Shayna Baszler, and this is one more wonderful bit of proof.
HANDWERK 