Match Review: Daniel Makabe vs. Judas Icarus

DANIEL MAKABE VS. JUDAS ICARUS

(Jan 10, 2020 – 3-2-1 Battle Presents Hindsight 2020)

Makabe was introduced to the world when he wrestled Tim Thatcher in 3-2-1 Battle. A match that became a trilogy. Now, with more eyes on 3-2-1 Battle and the Seattle scene we’re starting to get introduced to newer workers. Judas Icarus is one of those. Half of the Strays tag team with Elliot Tyler he’s only 21 years old. Icarus wrestles in dungarees and barefoot. He starts this match at a million miles an hour and Makabe has to slow him down with holds only for Icarus to go nuts on him with strikes.

It’s not a perfect match or anything and they telegraph their intentions a few times but the ideas at play are tremendous. One thing logically leading to another. Like Makabe going for his big punch, Icarus covering up and Makabe spotting an opening by stamping on the exposed foot. It’s all done at breakneck pace. The innovation is neat. At one point Makabe ties Icarus in the ropes upside down and punts him in the top of the head.

Makabe controls the pace nicely and knows when to slow things down and grab a hold to let the match breathe. Icarus does a good job of selling the holds and showing his desperation to get out of them, which extends to hitting a low blow.

Makabe isn’t a technical bore, some wrestlers can be, and allows Icarus plenty of outlets for his offence but occasionally he shuts that offence down with a technical hold. He doesn’t dominate the match. It’s a generous performance. I also buy into the idea of Makabe being surprised by someone coming flying at him because I know how short sighted he is, which also plays into his normal game plan being to grab a hold. Things get a touch sloppy when they try for the Cattle Mutilation as a near finish. You can’t really drag your opponent into the ropes on that hold so it goes a bit wrong. The pacing does result in the match getting a bit ragged towards the conclusion too.

There’s still some cool shit keeping up the motif of the match. Like Icarus going for a DVD and getting trapped in an armbar, having to fight out of that and hitting a DVD over his knee. Makabe eventually finishes with his cross legged Cattle Mutilation variant. This was really Solid.

Final Rating: ****1/4