Note to keyboard warriors worldwide: if you type the same thing over and over again, it will burst into existence. At least that's how it seems for the hordes of U.K. battle fans who bombarded the YouTube comment box with "LUNAR C" or "LUNAR C VS OSHEA" even when the sentiment has little/nothing to do with the video at hand.
Atop the bill for April 25's "Checkpoint 2" sits one of the most sought-after British clashes imaginable. This is a face-off that brings together two of the people who have garnered the most attention for the league: Oshea from the very beginning and Lunar during his startling debut and rise to popularity starting in 2011.
Oshea has battled almost everyone there is to battle, but very few that complement his style so neatly. His run of form against funny battlers, especially recent, has been absurd: even during his incoherent drunk moments he easily absorbs the crowd's affection as evidenced in his most recent clashes against Pedro. Against Harry Baker at Don't Flop's "Sixth Birthday Weekend" and The Calcium Kid at "Don't Flop Liverpool" he proved he can still pull out one of the top battles of an event. If anyone deserves the spot opposite the return of Lunar C, it's him.
How well Oshea performs on any given day is pretty much down to how much alcohol he has consumed, but so long as he avoids too much sauce he typically pulls through for the bigger performances. His battle with Tony D is a set-in-stone classic, and although he hasn't come up against any of DF's current top tier outside of the most recent ex-champ, when he writes and prepares he remains a force to be reckoned with. I have no doubt he is aware of the importance of the match-up that serves as his 85th on-camera battle, and a fully-prepped Oshea should have very few problems with Lunar.
To have a similar view count to Oshea, on seventy-seven fewer battles, shows the immediacy and impact of Lunar's appeal. He combines the whimsical, gross-out humor (popularized by, well, Oshea) with the new generation's knack for multi-syllabics. And while I'm sure he has stored up some mom-themed zingers in his three year hiatus, Osh may be the first battler (apart from an on-form Uno) who provides a real challenge for Lunar, who certainly quit while he was ahead, and before he faced some real competition.
If he's making a more permanent comeback, he will need to be armed to the teeth with slogan-worthy quotables, because Lord knows Oshea will not be lacking in that department. Who knows how the hiatus will have affected Lunar's performance? Maybe his writing has been sharpened by years of making music with top-end British emcees or producers. Or, maybe that will have tapered his hunger a little. When an emcee's battle peak only takes place over the period of a year, it's difficult to judge how vital their material will appear after a break.
Things have moved on since Lunar left. Shotty Horroh exploded and Don't Flop lost some of the knowing sense of humor that permeated many of its battles. Most post-Lunar, pre-Shotty/Arsonal newcomers rinsed multis and went for lackadaisical mom jokes as a template. Once Shotty battled Arsonal, a surge of bar-oriented performers appeared. Big J learned how to rhyme more than one syllable. The goalposts have shifted completely.
However, if you're battling Oshea you know what's coming. His style is still rooted in shitting on sharks and holding pints. It's the perfect comeback match for Lunar, as it basically gives the chance for two "Golden Ages" of U.K. battling to square off. If this battle goes to plan, it may be the perfect scrapbook entry for Don't Flop up until now, and the perfect flip-side to the immensely fulfilling Tony D vs. Shotty Horroh.
I hope, for the culture, that this comes off without a hitch. A driven Oshea vs. an on-fire Lunar C will be one of the defining assets of U.K. battling history. Let's cross our fingers that it's those ones that turn up.
Who do you have taking this? Who else would you like to see make a monumental comeback? Let us know in the comments below.
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