Dear Fans and Subscribers, we are excited to bring you our fist competitive escape challenge! In MX-88 Akela ( stats ) tries to immobilize or submit Andreas ( stats ) in 11 set positions, within one minute each, unless Andreas escapes earlier.

Akela’s first ever competitive mixed wrestling match was against Andreas, MX-58, whom she defeated decisively. If this challenge took place a year ago, we would have no doubts about the outcome. However, since then Andreas has improved rapidly, both technically and physically. He is fitter than ever now, and is a difficult opponent for any lightweight. Will Akela be able to maintain the 11 positions against Andreas today?

As you know, all previous escape challenges were released under NC type. This is mostly because some of the positions are domination holds rather than effective submission holds or pins and require either a scripted setting or great difference in physical abilities to keep an opponent down or immobilized for 1 minute. It was interesting to see which of the set holds would be effective in a real setting, and there were a couple of surprises for us in this contest.

MX-88 is our first real competitive escape challenge. In order to carry this out in a competitive setting, we had to modify the rules slightly. Since some of the holds are actually submission holds (triangle, figure-4, lotus lock), and a 100% application of these holds may lead to a surrender, a submission is also counted as victory for the round for Akela.

Victory poses are an integral part of the usual NC escape challenges. Unfortunately, we forgot to do victory poses for the rounds that Akela won. However, on second thought, since this is an MX title, performing them in a competitive setting between rounds that go back and forth would not make sense.

Here is a full description of the Escape Challenge style including the list of holds used:

This style consists of 11 rounds – 11 immobilization challenges. One of the competitors, the immobilizer, has to hold their opponent (or submit) in each of 11 pre-defined holds / pins for one minute, within which the competitor being held tries to escape. If there is no successful escape, the point for the challenge is awarded to the immobilizer, otherwise her/his opponent receives a point.

The competitors take position for each hold and are instructed to start the challenge. 10 seconds before the time limit (at 50 seconds), they are informed about the timestamp. If the immobilization has been achieved, and point rewarded, the immobilizer performs a victory pose, while maintaining the hold whenever possible.

The holds, in the sequence they appear in the video, are:
1. Schoolgirl pin with arms pinned above
2. Reverse schoolgirl pin with arms pinned below
3. Mounted triangle
4. Grapevine pin
5. Lotus lock
6. Full-nelson / bodyscissors combo
7. Figure-4 headscissors with arm trapped
8. Reverse headsit (with face buried in feet)
9. Foot ch*ke (ankle scissors with arm control)
10. Gogoplata-style pin (with ankle across the throat)
11. Victory pose pin (one-foot-on-chest pin)

Match outline: introductory interviews, all the challenges listed above (6 minutes), concluding interviews.

File info: ~6.5Mbps bitrate, 1280x720 HD video, MP4 file.

MX-88: Akela vs Andreas - escape challenge