"You're a Big Man Now But He'll Cut You Down to Size"

Tyler Matrix vs Shawn Shultz, Next Man Up, 17 May 2017 (Pro Wrestling Freedom)

"Tyler's gonna kill you! Tyler's gonna kill you!" the crowd chants in support of the current PWF Tri-State champion - and bad guy Shawn does everything in his power to piss the husky young champ off and make that prediction come true, including fleeing the ring, poking Matrix in the eyes, and prematurely claiming victory. I operate on the principle that, deep down, villains want their asses kicked, so the higher they raise the ante, the more certain comeuppance is on its way. And the longer the heel dominates and humiliates the hero, the more sudden and bruising the righteous retaliation. I like the leisurely pace of Shultz's strikes, suggesting both the gratification he gets in causing pain and the businesslike calm with which he transgresses.

The childishness of the chant makes me think of after-school fights and, curiously, the Angels' 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back," which - and I am not exaggerating - stiffened my baby schlong like nothing else that year. Especially the part that went "You're gonna be sorry you were ever born / (Hey-la-day-la my boyfriend's back) / Cause he's kinda big and he's awful strong." The gleeful predictions of retribution tap into something primal - a desire for justice, sure, but perhaps even more, a desire for an adrenaline-charged fight to the finish.

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