NYWC: Angry Andy (And Nick!) Review April Reign

Fusion Championship Match

Mike Mondo (c) vs. Papadon

When I saw this on paper, I knew the match itself was going to be good. It almost has to be, since these are two of the most talented in-ring workers NYWC has ever had. Period.

I wasn’t disappointed.

Match started slow, with a lot of Memphis-style stalling by Mondo, who wouldn’t get in the ring with Papadon. More on that later. Then we got a series of pin-reversal spots… you know, the ones you do with good timing and a little bit of bravery in the WWE 2K games. Then these guys stepped it up, busting out some big moves and good strikes. Finish saw Mondo grab the championship and try to hit Papadon, but the ref snagged the belt. While the ref was busy getting the belt out of the ring, Mondo poked Papadon in the eye, then hit him with his snapmare driver for the finish. For me, this was the best in-ring match of the night.

BUT…

When Mondo was on powder patrol in the beginning of the match, Papadon taunted him… a lot. The taunt that stuck, leading to chants throughout the match, was “little girl.” In the same crowd was a whole section of…you guessed it… little girls. A “baby Mikey” chant, or a “you’re a wuss” chant, or even a “new champ” chant would have been way better here…for all involved.

Nick says: Andy pretty much nailed it with regards to the match itself, but god that “Little Girl” chant was literally the worst part of the entire show. I am sure Papadon doesn’t mean any offense by it, and I’m not trying to be a schoolmarm or anything, but there are better ways to degrade your opponent without belittling women or little girls, especially when they are half the kids in the crowd and your opponent looks like a pale white manbaby with a gym membership (with all due respect to the baby-faced Mr. Mundo). I’m not trying to stand on a soapbox, but even speaking almost purely from a place of business, there’s a reason why Ms. Marvel and a host of other female-driven comics have been so successful: they don’t actively alienate half their audience.

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