ZeeWI: Lashley vs. El Patrón

On Sunday, July 2, Impact Wrestling will present its Slammiversary extravaganza LIVE on pay per view. The event appears to be the culmination of the super intriguing battle between Impact Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling, with title unification matches set for both the Heavyweight and Women’s Championships.

The main event, as we found out this past Thursday, will see Impact World Heavyweight Champion Lashley take on Global Force Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Alberto El Patrón, in a heated rematch from March of this year, which saw El Patrón make his shocking Impact debut, receive an immediate title shot due to how handsome he is, and then defeat Lashley for the championship.

Unfortunately, due to the circumstances surrounding the victory, El Patrón would relinquish the belt, returning it to Lashley. Since then, the Champ has been content to sit back and watch as guys like Patrón, James Storm, Ethan Carter, III (MY BOY EC3), and then-Global Force champion Magnus squabbled over who was truly the number one contender.

In the ensuing weeks, we’ve seen EC3 and Storm engage in a brutal feud, one that saw Carter whip Storm repeatedly with a strap a few weeks ago. Magnus, feeling lucky that everyone in Impact was willing to believe that his title was some sort of “golden ticket” to a belt for which he wasn’t a contender, made a lot of noise, only to bite off more than he could chew when he went up against El Patrón, and it cost him the Global Force title.

With both EC3 and El Patrón feeling that they were the rightful top contender, the decision was made to have them face off in a cage, with both the #1 contender spot and El Patrón’s GFW Participation Trophy on the line, and in the end, it was El Patrón who got his hand raised in victory.

While it has been a crazy couple of months getting here, the good news for both champions is that they have a solid month to prepare for the other, without (hopefully) any further distractions. The two have their one previous matchup to use as a reference, but both have to know that the other is working on some new tricks, too. So, what are the keys to victory for either man? Let’s break it down!

Alberto El Patrón

The Global Force Champion is a known commodity, but that doesn’t make him an easy opponent by any stretch. El Patrón has a near complete package, able to draw off his lucha libre roots when he needs to fly, paired with competent striking and grappling from days long since past as a part-time MMA competitor. Hey, he fought freaking Cro Cop, that’s something!

El Patrón’s biggest difference maker could be his kicks. He has a wonderful array of leg and body kicks, as well as a superkick that he’s willing to throw whether his opponent is standing or kneeling. If he can work the kicks enough to get Lashley’s attention, it could serve to open up his grappling game, allowing for takedowns. As well, El Patrón could look to weaken Lashley’s arms by forcing him to constantly block the kicks, which would set up his cross armbreaker quite nicely.

Should he find that the striking game isn’t working, his speed should serve as the other counterbalance in this contest, allowing him to keep the space he needs to survive against a brute like Lashley. El Patrón’s elusiveness doesn’t get the credit it deserves, but the man is fully capable of getting out of a bad situation at almost any moment, and he’ll need to use this ability to the fullest if he wants to stay in the match.

El Patrón also has to be considered to be the man with the superior conditioning, which will most likely be his biggest savior if he can survive the early moments. Lashley’s build just isn’t conducive to the best cardio, especially when compared to El Patrón. Lashley has been known to eventually tire out – seen in both Impact and Bellator – if he’s unable to get a quick victory. That isn’t to imply that he will completely gas out – Lashley has definitely dug deep and gutted out a tough victory before – but if El Patrón can stay alive and keep moving, he stands a great chance of drastically slowing down Walking Armageddon.

One thing about El Patrón that could be his fatal flaw is his tendency to take his eye off the ball at the most inopportune times.

Back in 2011, then-Alberto Del Rio was involved in a huge match with Christian for the World Championship. The title had been vacated by Edge due to injury/retirement, and with Del Rio in line for the shot, Edge’s friend was inserted into the match. El Patrón had the match in hand, climbing to the top to grab the belt, and then… he allowed himself to be distracted by Edge, who was honking a horn in a truck on the ramp. This momentary lapse was all Christian needed to topple El Patrón, and grab the belt himself.

If El Patrón loses his focus for one split second against Lashley, he could be on the receiving end of a night-ending spear.

Yet, in this columnist’s opinion, that flaw might not even be El Patrón’s biggest possible hindrance heading into the match. Instead, I wonder if the machismo – that is, his bullheaded pride, his unwavering belief in self – will prove to be his undoing. If El Patrón decides that he wants to wrestle Lashley’s match – that he wants to match his power, to stand and trade punches, to try and straight up outwrestle the man – his night might end sooner than he ever dreamed possible.

Outside striking. Movement. A superior gas tank. Staying focused. Fighting smart. These are, to me, the keys to Global Force’s Champion leaving Slammiversary as the new Impact Champion, as well.

Lashley

The gameplan for the Impact World Champion is no mystery, and it never is. He needs to hit hard, hit fast, and hit often. Lashley needs to swarm El Patrón from the start and never let up. When they’re on the feet, he needs to close distance and land heavy punches and forearm shots. When they’re on the ground, he needs to force El Patrón to carry every pound of his frame, to sap all the energy out of his opponent.

Lashley can usually count on an ability to intimidate his opponent before the match begins, but yours truly doesn’t see that working on El Patrón. This could serve to throw Lashley off of his game, so one would hope that he’s more focused on the fight itself, and not so much on the usual pre-match mind games.

While not as fast as El Patrón, Lashley is still surprisingly fast and agile for a man of his size. This shouldn’t catch El Patrón completely off guard since they have wrestled before, but it can be easy to forget for a moment that this isn’t your usual muscle-bound grappler. If El Patrón takes a second to pander to the fans, he could find himself quickly in Lashley’s grasp, and eating a devastating suplex.

Where I think Lashley should try to force his will is both in the clinch, and then on the ground. While both have MMA experience, Lashley is the one who currently competes in the cage, and it is Lashley who has a respectable record (albeit not against the all-time greatest fighters). Lashley has shown a great style of attack in the cage that sees him land a takedown, and once there, alternate between fishing for submissions and administering ground and pound. Grounding El Patrón takes away his best chances of victory, and allows Lashley to do maximum damage with minimal effort.

Lashley, similar to his opponent, must also be careful not to get too arrogant in there. The man has been dominant in Impact for over a year now, and one can see in his face that he’s almost bored with it all at this point. In El Patrón, he faces a very capable – and decorated – champion wrestler who has beaten him before, circumstances be damned. If Lashley heads into Slammiversary believing that his opponent has absolutely nothing to offer, he could be in for a very rough night.

As mentioned at the start, his path to victory is clear and direct. He cannot let up. He needs to overwhelm El Patrón from the start, force El Patrón to carry his weight, and force El Patrón to make dumb decisions in the name of being brave. He also needs to make sure to conserve his energy, and to not discount his opponent. If Lashley can do this, then he leaves Slammiversary with a title that I’m sure he’ll really cherish, as well as the Global Force Championship.

The Pick

On paper, this is a really tough one to call. El Patrón owns the actual victory, and has been on an incredible run since debuting in Impact. Wins over Lashley, EC3, and Magnus have shown that he’s as good as he’s ever been, if not better.

Lashley, however, has something to prove. He feels his loss was a cheap one, and doesn’t really count. A win of his own would do a lot to get people believing that.

As someone who was on Team TNA during the Global Force Invasion, make no mistake: I’m pulling for Lashley to win this one. A win for El Patrón is a win for Global Force, and that’s not something I desire. However, I just have a feeling in my gut that I’m not going to get what I want. El Patrón is on fire, and I don’t see it burning out at Slammiversary.

Winner: Alberto El Patrón