Gauntleted, Part 2

Let’s continue the review of Jesse Sorenson wrestling in a Gauntlet Match on the 8/18/11 episode of Impact Wrestling.  After defeating his first two opponents with a devastating twisting Neck Breaker, the good-looking rookie faces off with veteran Kid Kash (who should really drop the “Kid” from his name — Sorenson is the “Kid” here…)  Sorenson surprises Kash by rolling him up and sitting on his face, winning the match.  The final contender in the Gauntlet, Austin Aries (shirtless at ringside in a pink vest) is watching in shock as the veteran Kash is defeated.

In pro wrestling, nothing builds up Fan-Love for a wrestler more than seeing the wrestler overcome impossible odds.  Putting Sorenson in a Gauntlet situation where he must defeat multiple wrestlers will cause the fans to fall head-over-heels for the kid.  He bravely faces off with each man, each one more muscular and experienced than the last, without complaint and without backing down.  His situation becomes even more dire when Kid Kash, infuriated over his humiliating loss, delivers a post-match Money Maker — a deadly Chickenwing Pile-Driver maneuver — that leaves poor Sorenson dazed and rag-dolled.

By the time Aries peels off his vest (to reveal a stunning ripped physique) and climbs in the ring, there isn’t much left of poor Sorenson.  Exhausted over the series of battles he’s already fought, and broken by the deadly Money Maker, he is a dishrag for Aries to use and abuse.  A-Double stands with one foot on the victim’s chest in a classic pose of victory, but Sorenson isn’t going down like a punk, so he kicks out.

The Gauntlet Match almost implies a Gang Rape as Sorenson is handed off from wrestler to wrestler, used by a series of abusers.  This point was driven home in following week’s episode of Impact Wrestling when Kid Kash  referred to Sorenson as his “Boy” and his “Son”, and said he was going to spank him.  And while grappling with Sorenson, Aries yanks and gropes Sorenson’s red trunks several times, threatening to pull them off to humiliate him.  The implication is that our young hero is not only being physically abused, but also sexually mastered.

A wrestling match is supposed to tell a story, and this Gauntlet Match does a great job of that.  Your heart has no choice but to support the over-matched young hero in his shiny red trunks and tall black boots.  You wish he could somehow defeat the odds, and you yearn to see more of him, alive and well, in future episodes.  The match also teaches us some important things about the wrestlers involved:

• Sorenson is young, but also a bad-ass with a deadly finisher and a lot of spunk
• Kid Kash is a sore loser and a bully, eager to get revenge on the young upstart
• Aries is cocky and full of himself, and loves to show off his smoking body.