England’s top lightweight faces the debuting Greek in a right-arm supermatch with the future of both men in the division on the line.
Tom “The Lean Machine” Holland will face debutant Petros “Moustache of Hope” Peridis in the lightweight division in Budapest, and the match carries real weight for both athletes, since each of them needs a statement win to make a name for himself among the best lightweights in the sport.
Holland arrives as England’s best
Holland comes into the match riding a 3-1 victory over Justin Bishop at EVW 24, a dominant result that, together with his performance at Arm Wars, makes him the best lightweight in England. His game is built on an exceptional hook with a tremendous amount of side pressure, which he uses to finish opponents, and he pairs it with the ability to cup one of the greatest pronations in the division, a combination that makes him a threat to everybody on the table. The clearest proof of how dangerous that hook is came against Mindaugas Tarasaitis, whom Holland hooked and forced to give up, a result that shows how much force he can generate once he controls the position.
Peridis, the rising star from Greece
Peridis is a rising star from the ancient and historical country of Greece, and his arrival in this match is a landmark moment for his nation, as he is the first Greek athlete to compete at East vs West. He is one of the most versatile armwrestlers in the weight class, with a great toproll, an open arm toproll and a ferocious press, which gives him several different ways to attack a single opponent and makes him hard to prepare for.
How might it play out?
The matchup turns on a simple question: who gets to dictate the grip? Peridis’s toproll has the ability to tire Holland’s wrist, and his fast press poses a huge threat to Holland inside. It is not easy to open Holland’s hand when he commits inside, but Peridis knows how to attack an opponent’s wrist and make it vulnerable, which is the first step toward breaking the structure Holland depends on.
Peridis’s versatility makes him one of the most dangerous opponents Holland has ever faced, even though Holland has more top-stage supermatch experience than his adversary. That experience could prove valuable in a match where the early exchanges will carry a great deal of pressure.
If Holland gets Peridis into a hook, the chances of him losing drop severely, and the central question is whether he can get him there. A match of Holland’s hook against Peridis’s toproll would be a much easier battle for the Englishman, but the Greek’s kingsmove is what makes him such a huge obstacle, because it gives him a way out of the hook exchange before Holland’s side pressure can take over.
Who do you think wins? Let us know in the comments.
