Sometimes pro wrestling fans experience a match that sticks with them. A match that clicks all the boxes on what they want and love from the sport of professional wrestling. My son Emmett and I witnessed one of those matches last night. The match was between NWA Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis and Jaysin Strife during Magnum Pro Anniversary Volume X. It is now forever etched in our minds as one of those memorable bouts. In a highly competitive contest, the NWA Champion left Omaha with his belt firmly intact. Nick Aldis retains NWA Title at Magnum Pro Anniversary Volume X.
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A divided crowd brought the atmosphere of this match to an eleven. Both wrestlers had their fair share of supporters, some cheering for the champ while others hoping for the shocking upset. This division extended to my son and I, with him rooting for the Magnum Pro ace and supporting the old school promotions top guy. Dueling chants of support were made throughout the match and Emmett, and I were as vocal as anyone.
Aldis retains NWA Title at Magnum Pro Anniversary Volume X
Strife, the franchise player for Magnum Pro, entered first. His attire on the night, a homage to former ECW Heavyweight Champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas. Complete with boot tassels, this was a nice wink to long time wrestling fans. Aldis, the reigning NWA Champion, entered wearing the ten pounds of gold and looking like a quintessential NWA Champion.
Both men meet in the middle of the ring to go over the rules and we get our first dueling of chant of the night. Aldis‘ size advantage controls the early portion of the match, with the NWA Champion asserting himself whenever possible. But Strife responds with a fury of strikes sending the champ reeling to the outside in effort to re-strategize. The NWA Champion, impressed by Strife’s ability, offers a handshake, which leads to him regaining the advantage.
Aldis & Strife Take The Fight To One Another
In one of the matches more impressive moments, Aldis catches Strife mid-cross-body block. From here, the NWA’s top guy hoists his challenger into a vertical suplex, stalling for just a few seconds before sending him crashing to the mat.
Each time Strife mounts a comeback, Aldis quickly regains the momentum. However, a sleeper hold by Aldis puts him in a precarious position when Strife counters the hold with a side suplex. The challenger is able to pick up the pace at this point coming so close with near falls that had the Magnum Pro audience on the edge of their seats.
In a perfect representation of this hard-fought battle, at one point, Strife locked Aldis in the figure four. The champion however makes it to the ropes causing for the hold to be broken. A vertical suplex from the top turnbuckle by Strife is followed up by a tombstone piledriver by Aldis.
Both false finishes brought the crowd to a fever pitch. The end comes when Strife attempts a splash from the middle rope, but Aldis once again catches him before locking in his version of the cloverleaf.
With Magnum Pro faithful cheering him, Strife fights his hardest to escape the clutches of Aldis, but in the end, the fiery challenger is forced to submit. After the match, the two exhausted warriors shake hands in the ultimate act of respect with the audience, giving them a standing ovation.
