Journey Pro’s opening card is filled with a variety of the rich tapestry that makes us love wrestling so much. High-flying daredevils. Technical wizards. A powerhouse of no equal. Showmen of incredible charisma. What Kevin Ku and Gary Jay bring to the table is something much more … primal.
Fans of Jay (of which our region has many, all of which he has earned) know that his incredible bruising style has earned the respect, admiration and fear of competitors across the country.
To stare into Gary Jay’s eyes in the ring is to see the soul of a man who has taken a punch much worse than the one you are about to throw. It is to see a man who has been to the brink so many times he gets mail there, but never settles down to stay. It is to see a man who will beat you when you realize that you have nothing left to throw at him … and he’s only getting started.
The Gary Jay Movement is a dedication to a hard scrabble life philosophy lost entirely on those who have had it too easy, who are confused when things don’t go exactly as planned. Gary doesn’t need a plan. Gary has fists, elbows, and a variety of ways to throw them into you at high velocity, all of which you will experience … and not come out the same.
He will walk up to you and he will look you in the eye, unflinching. He doesn’t care about your personal brand. He doesn’t care how many Twitter followers you have. He doesn’t care about your “superstar look”.
He will look you in the eye and simply say to you … “You should be afraid now.”
And I can assure you, he isn’t wrong.
Kevin Ku is not afraid.
Ku is a man cut in the same mold as Gary, but from a different material altogether. He is bruising, and strong, quick and unrelenting, with a cockiness and ferocity born of youth, talent, and determination. He combines these with a surprising technical acumen and … a combination of brutality and the knowledge of how to maximize that brutality is incredibly daunting indeed.
Ku’s seething, just boiling under the surface anger is a resource that he draws upon to reach greater and greater heights, a chip on his shoulder that provides the well of his motivation.
But this anger is not unfocused, and it is not wielded recklessly. Ku is precise with his attack, and will strike when the time is right. No matter how tough a man is, the human body has natural limits … and these are ones that Ku knows precisely how to exploit.
KEYS TO VICTORY
GARY JAY
- Strike first, strike fast, strike often. A well placed shot to the dome can disorient tactics and throw any opponent off their game plan. Following it up with five or six more never hurts either.
- Don’t be afraid to show off some traditional wrestling. Jay is an underrated grappler and has more than a few tricks up his sleeve for anyone expecting him to be one note. Dusting off some of those won’t hurt.
- Take it outside. Not that there was anyway Gary Jay wasn’t going to do this, but taking the fight into the bar area is always a place he feels like home, and where he can do some serious damage.
KEVIN KU
- Use a technical, measured approach. Rather than exchanging strikes, Ku can apply holds and pressure points to weaken Jay’s arms, and preserve energy until his opponent’s defenses become more labored.
- Use kicks and reach to keep distance when standing. Ku has an excellent dropkick and other powerful leg strikes, and should use these liberally to seek out openings and do damage.
- Use any means necessary. Ku has beaten Jay in the past by using some pretty nefarious tactics. There’s no shame in dancing with who brung you … and if Ku can find an opening, he should exploit it.