I believe that Fit Finlay and William Regal are some of the most insanely underrated wrestlers of all time. It is not by just casual fans, either. It is by critics, too. Their matches don’t get the acclaim they deserve. Critics look down on fans who love spot-fest matches, but they show their hypocrisy when they underrate Regal and Finlay matches. They will give a slop-fest Jeff Hardy match higher than the masterpieces like Finlay and Regal had, because they didn’t tickle their feathers with high-stakes drama, near falls, big spots, or crazy sequences. Both men’s no-frills, all substance, little style, bare-at-the-bones, and unadulterated style was awesome, and a refreshing alternative to the sports entertainment spectacle content.
Regal and Finlay brought us back to wrestling’s roots, origin, and tradition, but with their own spin. That spin was to lay stuff in as hard-looking as possible. They were two tough-as-nails, rugged, and no-nonsense brutes. They were two highly gifted and technically sound wrestlers, who really knew how to sink in a hold, how to really deliver a European uppercut, or to deliver a short-arm clothesline.
They beautifully meshed styles like catch and chain wrestling, mat wrestling, and physical brawling. They used submissions as a way to torture their opponents, twisting and turning limbs, rather than just applying them nonchalantly as a rest hold, which symbolized the rest of their work: everything had a purpose. They put an elbow in the face for a pinfall. They would even try to force their will by holding down their opponent for a 3-count rather than knocking them out. They did all these things that were layered with psychology that others didn’t do or did half-heartedly.
As mentioned, they don’t get the acclaim they rightfully deserved in their respective primes because they weren’t filled with charisma. They didn’t astonish crowds with their flashy move set or glitzy charisma. What they lacked in elegance, they made up for with toughness. As Jim Ross would describe them, they were tougher than a two dollar stake.
They were technically sound wrestlers. They dialed in on the nuances of pro wrestling. If one is not the most athletic or can’t pull off the complex moves, one ought to zero in on the fundamentals and the basics. They mastered basic moves and added their own variation to them to make them stand out. What most of the variation was making it look like it hurt a lot.
This match was bowling shoe ugly in the best possible way. Both had an old-school, no-nonsense British style. They honored the traditions and history of wrestling and made the ring their sanctuary. Even though they were close friends backstage, there was no love lost between their matches. They knew that they could lay it on each other, and both brought out the best out of the other. They were highly competitive, hungry, and determined wrestlers, and the harder one hit the other, the more a good ol' fashioned receipt was coming, and they looked forward to it. They were ring masochists. Pain was their pleasure.
When there is effort being applied to a submission or even a transition move, as a viewer, you’re fully invested. You want to watch to see the strategy, the game plan, the whole works of what you’re seeing. You want to understand the art behind it, the sophistication — the reasoning behind it.
It is a tug-of-war, a battle of strength, will, and skill. Everything is done with empathetic oomph to it. It makes you truly believe these two hate each other and want to dish out as much punishment as possible, but they also want to win, and that is the main objective seen in this match.
It is a mix between a psychological masterpiece and a visceral bar room brawl. It doesn’t need flashy moves or spots. It doesn’t need smoke and mirrors or bags of tricks. It doesn’t need false finishes or fiery comebacks. It doesn’t use any of the clichés to stimulate the crowd. It just tells its story at its own speed. It’s methodical, it’s deliberate, and it’s surgical, but still, sure, the crowd isn’t losing their minds; they aren’t on the edge of their seat, but they are engaged throughout. These two weren’t the most prominent characters nor having excellent character development on TV, but they were still able to hold the audience’s attention through their storytelling.
A better finish, and I probably would have given this the full 5* score. As is, **** 1/2, and they would end up doing better than this together. In WWE, for example, when they faced each other, they were well established, more seasoned, and knew how to involve the crowd more. Their matches to come are unheralded classics.
