Review: Z-Man x 2 (BGE/Can-Am)

Z-Man/Zack Johnathan is clearly one of the biggest and most prolific stars in the wrestling video community. And it's no wonder. He has an incredible body, big personality and he's talented both jobbing and in competitive matches. No matter the challenge, it seems like he always brings a cocky and confident attitude.

Z-Man is pumped and ready to face the pro wrestler

Yeah, he's making sure EVERYTHING is ready

I have matches featuring Z-Man from four different companies, so choosing something to review wasn't easy. I settled on these two matches, because they have some natural connections. First, they're from BGEast and Can-Am, the grand daddies of wrestling video companies. And they both feature the fitness model against rising pro wrestlers - Kelly King and Lane Hartley.


Now, if you follow Kelly King or Lane Hartley in their pro wrestling alter egos, you know that they are really good buddies. They hang out together. They wrestle for the same promotions. They wrestle tag together. They workout together. And they travel together.

"Gym time, sucka!" - How King wakes Hartley up on the road

So I figure they probably have a good-natured rivalry about this stuff, comparing notes on things like who beat up Z-Man better. At the end, we'll see who I think did the better job.

Z-Man vs. Kelly King (BGEast)

Long before I knew Kelly King was going to wrestle for BGEast, I had created the character of Dante for him. I thought he was a hot stud, but never thought he'd show up in this world. When he did, he quickly became a must-buy. And putting him against Z-Man made this a no-brainer.

Z-Man is not impressed by King's beefy pro body, but I am

Maybe he should be more respectful

Or maybe not ... looks like he's holding his own

This 30-minute video has 2 minutes of challenge, 27 minutes of action and 1 minute of the winner taunting the loser. There are some great pro moves here, like the ultimate finisher. I can't even name or show them, but they're pretty awesome.

Enjoy the view

Z-Man's working it

Can't go wrong with a classic

Choking out the big boy

King is clearly the bigger, stronger man, but when Z-Man has the hammer, he suffers like a stud. This is not a squash, but King is dominant more than Z-Man. The match flowed very well, with the guys working well together.

When the winner finally ends things, it's with a fast, killer pro move you don't usually see in this world. However, there are still some great long-held submission holds that stretch the guys out, especially Z-Man. The lighting and camerawork are on point to admire both guys' bodies, especially Z-Man's.

Yeah, look at that ... perfection

Oh, that's pretty perfect, too

He works hard for that body; it's only polite to appreciate it

Z-Man vs. Lane Hartley (Can-Am)

I think Lane Hartley is a hot stud. I know he's bulked up and gotten hairy, which is great for his pro career, but I fell for him thanks to his first pics in the red speedo at BGEast. Honestly, that's the Lane I'm more into. That's the Lane that appears here in tight green trunks.

Just chillin' ... Z-Man gets a lecture on being a pro

I really wanted to see him vs. Z-Man. This is not the only video with this match-up, but it's the only one I've seen. Can-Am released theirs in an online format first, so I went with it. I do have a 3-minute beatdown of Z-Man at the end of the Hartley/Python Thunder's match, but I don't count that.

The premise of the match is Z-Man wants to go pro with wrestling. So he faces three working pros to prove he can make it. It's a great premise and part of a series featuring Austin Cooper and Eddy Brock (Big Sexy).

This 25-minute match has about 1 minute of intro then solid action right through to the end.

Pro wrestlers are powerful

Pro wrestlers cheat

It does offer some back-and-forth, with Z-Man getting a few different holds on Hartley. It's not a ton of time, but at least he gets a chance to show his stuff, including a suplex and figure-four.

Z-Man has his moments

Will a figure-four give him the upset?

The featured move in this match is the piledriver. There are multiple ones used. It's also one of my complaints. Being a kid in the 80's, I think piledrivers are finishing moves. To see them used then the victim still fighting back is weird to me. maybe just  personal thing.

If it helps, your ass looks amazing right now

Spreading your legs won't help, but I still appreciate it

Maybe you're not quite ready to be a pro

Match vs. Match

So which pro beat up Z-Man better?

They both dominate the fitness model very well. Both guys sell convincingly, as you'd expect from successful pro wrestlers. Both are cocky, but Hartley is more talkative. I think they're both really hot, with strong pro builds, but I prefer King. He's beefy, but still defined in that thick pro wrestler way.

You can't go wrong with either one, but in the end, the action, flow and chemistry worked better for me in the BGEast match.

There are more body-displaying moves in this match and the action is a little more logical to me. In addition, the video is far superior, from the quality of the look, lighting and sound to the camera work. So, unless you're a huge fan of piledrivers, I would say that the King match is the better match.

Have you seen either video? What did you think?

Alex