Fight Forever Match of the Week: Steve Maclin vs. Laredo Kid (11/18/2021)
Welcome to Wrestlevolve’s Fight Forever Match of the Week. Here we’ll highlight one match from the week in professional wrestling and talk about why it was one of our favorites. It could be a 30-minute epic or the exciting culmination of an entertaining feud. It might be a pay-per-view bout or a really solid TV match. Wrestling resonates with everyone differently, so feel free to let us know what your match of the week was in the comments!
It’s been just five months since Steve Maclin debuted in Impact Wrestling, but in that time, he’s gone from your prototypical powerhouse to a versatile, well-rounded wrestler who can mix powerful running strikes with impressive slams and even a little bit of flying. It’s been awesome seeing Maclin continue to grow in Impact, and his last few bouts have been some of his best yet.
On the November 18, 2021 edition of Impact Wrestling, we were treated to a fun contest between Steve Maclin and Laredo Kid. A shot at the X-Division Championship was on the line for the winner of the match, and there was a really intense, high stakes feeling in the air as the two squared off against one another.
Maclin is billed at 6’1 and weighs about 230 pounds. He has a fairly wide base, so he’s not the smallest dude, and yet he was still able to keep up with Laredo Kid. The two were running the ropes and pulling off fast-paced offense in the early goings, and then Maclin just straight-up dove through the ring ropes to the outside, colliding with Laredo Kid.
Another awe-inspiring moment in the match saw Laredo Kid standing on the top rope, stepping over to the ring post, and then performing a beautiful forward flip onto Maclin on the outside of the ring. This led to a Michinoku Driver and two bottom rope moonsaults from Laredo Kid. It was interesting seeing Maclin on the defensive, and the match helped build up both men not just as formidable, but as equals in the ring.
At one point, Laredo Kid hit the ropes and performed a cartwheel into a jumping DDT on Steve Maclin, who immediately sprung to his feet and hit a stiff short running clothesline on Laredo Kid. Both men were on the mat for a few moments. When they got to their feet, Laredo Kid hit a painful-looking poisonrana on Maclin for a near-fall.
Unfortunately for Laredo Kid, he went to the top one too many times as Maclin had him scouted, pushed his feet out from under him, and hit the running spear on Laredo Kid, who was trapped in the corner. Maclin then hit Mayhem for All and scored the win.
It’s been a lot of fun seeing Steve Maclin’s rise in Impact. Though he inevitably didn’t win the X-Division Title he earned a shot for in this match with Laredo Kid, his star continues to grow. Maclin has an ever-evolving arsenal of moves, and Impact Wrestling really has a chance to create a big new star for the company here.
The sky truly is the limit for Steve Maclin, and this match against Laredo Kid showed that he’s capable of putting on some truly great matches.
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