10 Wrestling "Botches" That Were Totally Intentional
9. Nick Jackson Sells Worked-Over Ankle
Across 2018, the Young Bucks refined their meta spot monkey spoof act as they evolved into a babyface role.
Their breakneck matches were still twisting, pulsating masterclasses, but were elevated by considered, authentic-feeling selling, anguished facial expressions, and sudden, jarring moments of peril that made it seem like all hope had been lost. Their best New Japan Pro Wrestling match was against EVIL and SANADA at Dominion 2018.
For a start, there was an actually good tower of doom spot in it. No sh*t. It made sense because Nick, who had f*cked his ankle by smashing it against the ring post, had to take his time to set up the stereo superplex. He and Matt strategised mid-match, to make the spot feel significantly less like the laborious set-up that it almost always is, but the ankle had been hurt so much that EVIL was able to execute the double powerbomb.
In another great spot, Nick attempted to complete the Meltzer Driver, but couldn't support his ankle and tumbled dramatically to the canvas. He engineered sympathy through a mistake that doubled as a heart-pounding swing of momentum.
The Bucks evolved this layer of storytelling further still in AEW...