Michael Todd gave Devon Larratt the same problem in several different forms. Each answer revealed which version of Devon had reached the table.

At first, Devon solved Michael by climbing. Later, Michael’s open defensive position absorbed Devon’s pressure and exposed a gap in his finishing plan. Devon then studied the position deeply enough to borrow parts of it for himself.

By 2021, the lesson had changed again. Devon controlled the wrist, protected center, and blocked the shoulder path that Michael needed for the press.

The First Solution Came Through Height

Early Devon still trusted the inside lane. Against Michael’s open arm, however, driving sideways into the defensive frame only made the finish harder.

The better answer was upward. Devon climbed the hand, rebuilt his rise, and kept taking higher purchase until Michael’s wrist had to carry more of the load. Once the cup returned, Devon could bring the shoulder forward and finish from a stronger connection.

That adjustment belonged to the puller described in our article Devon Larratt Was an Inside Puller First. Outside pressure created access to an inside finish.

The Loss Expanded the Problem

When they met again years later, Michael’s king’s move was stronger and Devon’s old inside base had already been altered by elbow damage and reinvention.

Taking height was no longer enough. Michael could open the arm, keep rotation through the strap, and force Devon to finish across a long defensive line. Devon spent energy trying to convert hand control into a pin while Michael preserved the structure that mattered.

Devon’s September 2018 loss to Michael supplied a harsh distinction. Winning the hand and finishing the arm were separate jobs.

Devon’s next development showed how seriously he took that distinction. His own outside defense became more committed. He learned to keep pronation alive with an open arm, accept ugly center position, and make opponents continue pulling after the wrist appeared compromised.

The influence was technical rather than imitative. Devon adapted the principle to his longer levers, climbing habits, and endurance.

The 2021 Answer Closed the Press

The later meeting looked different because Devon denied Michael’s transition before it formed. He kept a stronger wrist, held more center, and prevented Michael from bringing the shoulder fully behind the hand.

That left Michael between lanes. The open defense could slow the match, but the press needed a shoulder path that Devon’s hand control and center pressure restricted.

The result also supports the argument that Michael Todd eventually outgrew the king’s move. A defensive structure can become a ceiling when elite opponents understand the entry and remove the transition.