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Combat 1

  Sylvain de la Fosse aux Molosses vs Yung des Typhons et Pythons.

  In his debut match for W&L, Yung cuts an impressive figure; his strong, compact frame houses a cool determination, and his careful and well-executed warm-up is undoubtedly as much designed to psyche-out the opposition as it is to prepare for battle. Sylvain, on the other hand, is a picture of innocence; butter simply wouldn’t melt in his mouth as he casually stretches his way to concentration.

  But….as everyone knows, looks can be deceiving (especially within the arena of combat) and, for his opening shot, ‘meek and mild’ Sylvain picks the startled Yung up like a rag doll and mercilessly dashes him against the wallbars! That sure is one way to welcome a newcomer to W&L!

  In the early stages, the fighters exercise caution and stay at very close quarters; Yung uses his body cleverly, and the power and flexibility of his legs present a particular danger to anyone unwitting enough to get caught in their grip. Having been trapped on a couple of occasions, Sylvain gets wise to the dangers and instead chooses to take from behind, applying one vicious chokehold after another. Chameleon-like, Yung mirrors this tactic, and before long the advantage see-saws between each guy in a dazzling display of textbook submission holds.

  In the latter stages of the bout, the temperature in the gym has increased considerably; being so evenly matched makes for great wrestling of course, but for the fighters themselves, it can be intensely frustrating. Both guys start to lash out as frustration takes hold: improvisation overtakes technique (welcome back, wallbars!) and tempers begin to fray.

  By the end, one fighter leaves the mat in a mood fit to kill – but which one?

Combat 2

Christophe de la Fosse aux Molosses vs Yvon des Typhons et Pythons.

  If ever there was someone out to make an impression, it’s our second debut grappler, Yvon. Strongly-built, and with swarthy good looks, he wastes no time at all in attempting to stamp his authority on his younger opponent, - W&L’s ‘Mr Moody’ - Christophe.

  An explosive combination perhaps? You bet!! After a good deal of sizing-up, it becomes clear that for both wrestlers there’s only one real objective – to inflict as much pain as possible. And boy, do we know about it! Seldom has a wrestling match been this loud; even at the outset, with Christophe being viciously choked from behind, Yvon positively revels in being the dominant male and rubs a whole ton of salt into the wound by launching a menacing barrage of taunts and insults, directly into his suffering opponent’s ear! “Enjoying it, are we?...Go on, defend yourself!!”. Those who know of Christophe’s reputation will hold their breath as they realise just how dangerous a game this is; Yvon might well enjoy playing the torturer to Christophe’s helpless victim, but with every insult thrown he’s unwittingly adding more fuel to a situation already on the verge of turning critical! By this stage, Christophe is positively incandescent with rage!

  Now the business of inflicting pain and injury really begins - and in the time-honoured tradition of all great submission matches, once one area of the body becomes weakened and vulnerable, it’s only a matter of time before further damage is done. For Yvon, it’s an elbow – for Christophe, it’s his leg. Watching a couple of evenly-matched fighters is exciting enough, but having two with a handicap each to contend with really does up the ante and set the pulse racing! You simply can’t predict the outcome, as any number of manoeuvres can change the whole complexion of the match in an instant. Vulnerable as each guy is, both battle on as if life itself is at stake. One minute, Christophe dominates and towers above his cowering and almost pathetic opponent - like a lion going in for the kill - the next, his ‘prey’ unleashes a surprise counterattack and before you know it the tables are well and truly turned.

  In the end, this becomes a really desperate - even primal - battle for control and, ultimately, pride. You’d better have a cold beer standing by for this one!

Combat 3

  Elvis du Kosto des Lascards vs Omar des Typhons et Pythons.

  This third bout is not only a real treat in terms of athleticism and stamina, it is arguably about as close as anything could get to encapsulating the essence of real man-to-man combat. Compared with the first two bouts, the pace has slowed right down, and the intention to harm and inflict pain couldn’t be less in evidence. (Indeed, there appears to be a great deal of mutual respect going on here). Instead, each grappler takes the opportunity to feel the power of his opponent and, in so doing, experience his own physical limitations.

  Elvis – with his stunning physique (outstanding in every respect) – would be a daunting challenge for any wrestler, but in fact his raw power is balanced beautifully by Omar’s greater reach and more fluid technique. Both guys are focussed on the job in hand – make no mistake – but overall this is as good a demonstration of male combative power as one could wish for.

  Highly recommended!