Friday, February 12, 2016

Review: Viggo vs. Raya (BGEast)

It's not new to see wrestlers working for multiple producers these days. So Viggo making the leap to BGEast's Florida ring shouldn't surprise me, but it does a little. He's one of those guys whose been around and in a lot of videos (20+), but he never struck me as a superstar. Maybe because he hasn't gotten a lot of love from blogs or Tumblr.

Viggo looks great in the BGEast ring

While I'd never watched a Viggo match before his Jersey match, it wasn't for any particular reason why. There's just too much content to buy nowadays. I liked the Jersey match, so I was cool with seeing more. For some reason, seeing him at BGEast made me more interested. I looked at Viggo then at his opponent, rookie Felix Raya, and figured I'd go for it.

Raya admires himself


Both guys are handsome and ripped, but in most other ways, they're a great contrast. Felix Raya is stunning, a well-groomed, dark-haired model-type. He's in skimpy aqua trunks that look great in front. Viggo is bigger, sporting great gear - tight and tiny yellow trunks, black pads and short wrestling boots. Raya is a rookie, while Viggo is only a rookie at BGEast. Viggo shows his confidence as he shoves the preening Raya out of the way to watch himself flex.

Viggo moves in

"My name is Viggo. If I want your
space, I take it. That's how it works."

Viggo brings some of the moves he's used in Thunders, like the full nelson, over-the-knee backbreaker and bow and arrow. He also does a lot of flexing. However, you'd never mistake this for a Thunders match. It's a completely different experience.

I think the match showcases some of the differences between BGEast and Thunders Arena. It's slower, but not in a bad way. The moments and holds last longer, given time to breathe. I'm no Viggo expert, but I think he gets to show off a different side of himself. The match is methodical. It's not flawless, but it's logical and the guys sell the action.

It starts with a lot of low blows. There's a full nelson and scissors in there, along with a flip, but the low blows set up all the action for the first five minutes. In Viggo's match against Jersey, it was lighthearted 'beanbag' abuse. Here, the conflict feels more intense. One is frat boys fooling around in the house, while this is more serious with arrogant competitors in a ring.

Viggo goes low early

Viggo spreads Raya open

Viggo switches his focus to Raya's back, continuing his steady breakdown of the handsome hunk. It's classic pro action as he targets one body part at a time. Viggo kind of talks trash, but it's said in a calm, soft way. Viggo enjoys his dominance, but he's not a loud, stomping barbarian heel.

Ray gets punished

A classic over-the-knee backbreaker

Nice looking camel

The sexy side of confidence

I don't like spoiling matches, but I will here, because I don't think it hurts enjoyment. This is pretty much a 20-minute squash. In my experience, squashes are a select taste, so no one should be fooled into buying this to see Raya as anything other than Viggo's plaything. While Raya responds to the early assault in kind, he can't handle Viggo. After three moves, the dark-haired rookie is done.

Raya's blink-and-you'll-miss-it offense

Raya is no match for the bigger stud

"I hurt your body a long time ago, but your spirit's
already gone, too. You're just a shell of a man."

In the end, I enjoyed this match. The guys are sexy. The gear exquisite. The methodical break down enables Viggo to show off what he can do in a different setting and at a slower pace. On the other side, Raya is straight out of central casting, looking familiar in the jobber role at BGEast.

So as a fan, it was a hit with me. And as a blogger, I liked how it contrasted BGE vs. Thunders in terms of look, tone and feel.

What do you think? For Viggo fans, did you like his BGEast debut? And what about Felix Raya? Are you interested in seeing more matches with him?

Alex

4 comments:

  1. Shouldn't Central Casting be capitalized because it's a name of a casting agency?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the proofread, but I'm going to leave it as is. "Straight out of central casting" is an expression that according to both Merriam-Webster and Collins is not capitalized when used in the context I'm using it.

      Merriam-Webster ... central casting
      : the department of a movie studio responsible for casting actors especially viewed as a source of people who are stereotypical of their role in appearance, behavior, or nature -> a politician right out of central casting

      Collins ... central casting
      noun
      : a nominal casting agency that delivers stereotypes to films or, figuratively, to real life situations -> straight out of central casting

      Delete
  2. I gotta show some love for this match, I really enjoyed it. I thought both guys were great. My first time seeing Viggo, and I was impressed. (In general, I prefer the more "serious" in-ring wrestling vibe to the frat house fun--but of course there are always counter-examples!)

    ReplyDelete