Marty Scurll Vs. Kazuchika Okada Could Be The Most Interesting Match At All In
By Laura Mauro
With just one day to go until ALL IN, there is one match that has the potential to be far, far better than many people are giving it credit for: Marty Scurll vs Kazuchika Okada.
Written off by some as an obvious act of patronage on the Bucks’ part, Marty Scurll vs. Kazuchika Okada has benefitted greatly from some clever buildup via the Bucks’ YouTube series, ‘Being The Elite’. And while the match undoubtedly has abundant potential in its own right – Okada is one of the world’s very best, and Scurll’s abundant charisma lends itself to almost any match – the work being done on ‘Being the Elite’ is positively transformative in terms of working a great story into an otherwise somewhat random encounter.
The groundwork was laid in Episode 112, in which Scurll and Nick Aldis talk about the newly-announced Scurll/Okada match. A seemingly casual comment from Aldis regarding Okada’s status as one of the world’s best heavyweights kickstarts a severe complex for junior heavyweight Marty, who, infuriated at the notion he might be considered a lesser wrestler, embarks on a mission to become heavyweight material.
Mostly, it’s hilarious: Scurll’s discovery that you can ‘get jacked from doughnuts’ (“eat like a man, look like a man” says Aldis, handing Scurll an entire box of Dunkin’ Donuts), several cameos from a balloon-toting Okada repeatedly taunting Scurll with the words ‘205 Live’. There’s a wonderful piece of silent comedy involving a stricken Scurll being handed several different drinks by a passing Zack Sabre Jr, who proceeds to offer him a helpful two-word assessment of Scurll’s upcoming match (let’s just say he doesn’t much rate Marty’s chances.)
But comedy aside, it’s also surprisingly adept stuff in places. Scurll’s monologue at the beginning of episode 117 is brilliantly done, an effective portrait of a man genuinely aggrieved that not one of his friends has faith in his ability. And it’s also worth remarking on the fact that this is a storyline ostensibly about male-centric body image issues and, yes, body-shaming – an unusual perspective to take on a well-worn issue, which nonetheless does remain pertinent in the world of pro-wrestling. It’s interesting to see the casual manner in which Scurll’s friends and peers insult his height and weight, and even more interesting for this to be depicted as something which legitimately bothers Scurll.
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Of course, there is also the implication that this is not entirely a size issue, and perhaps more of a Marty issue: when Scurll appeals to Rey Mysterio Jr. for help in episode 115 – ‘the greatest junior heavyweight wrestler of all time’, according to Scurll – Rey is unable to find any words of wisdom or support.
The various narrative threads leading up to the Scurll/Okada match lend themselves best to a Scurll victory. Marty winning could push an already fragile Okada over the edge: his bizarre behaviour during the G1 speaks of a man broken by the loss of his IWGP Heavyweight Championship – an accolade around which Okada has built his entire personality. It could also bolster Scurll’s confidence, and frankly, the profile of the Junior Heavyweight division: it’d be a bold move, making an explicit statement that the only difference between the Juniors and the Heavyweights is size – not ability.
As Martin McConnell notes, a Scurll victory doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready to become a Heavyweight – arguably, it’d render that transition unnecessary. But as McConnell puts it:
"Scurll can cement himself as one of the world’s top stars, and become a major player in the Bullet Club and NJPW as a whole. Scurll is already a top junior heavyweight, and his connection with the fans is second to none, but he can put himself at the top of each and every card with a good match here."
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A Scurll loss, though? Well, that’s interesting in its own right. It’s the outcome many expect, and an upset might actually upset – expect a proportion of fans to cry foul should Scurll come by a legitimate win. But a loss might set up a long-term redemption arc for Scurll – a less immediately satisfying conclusion, but if recent instalments of Being the Elite have taught us anything, it’s that we can be confident in the ability Bullet Club and co to repeatedly deliver.