Which of these is cheating?

Wouldn't pitch and power have arrested the descent faster than power alone?

Pitch alone would have translated forward momentum into a climb, which
would have increased altitude but would have also slowed the aircraft
significantly. Perhaps the pilot was too close to stall for that.

I have also read that pilots approach the deck with full throttle so
that they can go around if the arresting hook fails to catch a cable
on the deck.

My days as a Naval Aviator ended in 1954. Carrier approaches were
made quite differently from today's. We dragged around the base leg
just above the altitude of the deck at whatever power it took to
maintain airspeed just above a stall, and chopped the power when (if)
we we got a cut.

Today, approaches are "straight in," a lot like a VASI or ILS
approach. Power is not "full," it is whatever it takes to stay on
glide slope and correct airspeed.

When the wheels hit the deck, THEN full power is added for a possible
go-round.

vince norris