2 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE 205 Live (Jan 10)

Ups...

2. An Unseemly Means To A Fine End

Dar Alexander III
WWE.com

In the 2001 science fiction time travel mystery Donnie Darko, Drew Barrymore’s Karen Pomeroy teacher character told her students of the “cellar door” phonaesthetic principle. Those two words, in combination, are the oft-cited example of the most aurally beautiful in the English language. Or at least, they were - for there is nothing as wonderful-sounding as the manner in which Noam Dar pronounces Alicia Furxxxx.

As horrendous a moral lesson WWE have imparted with what is a particularly poor taste storyline, given the wider cultural landscape, the match itself did benefit from the meaning, no matter how dubious, behind it.

It is a credit to both Dar and Alexander that they have chosen to run with something so abysmal; on the night, they transcended the soap opera limitations of the storyline they too must find hackneyed. Infusing their strikes, in particular, with considerable oomph, it was an immersive and believable match which adhered to - and almost excused - the source material.

The finish was a dreadful near-reset of the Women’s Revolution - but that was one aspect of it beyond their control.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!