Up and Adam (Part 1)

Sometimes things just come together. Today's two posts are a by-product of three almost simultaneous events ...

First, Jose at La Sustancia P was kind enough to share the name of his GIF program with me. Up to now, I've been using GIFYouTube, which involved me making clips, editing them down in iMovie, uploading them to YouTube, converting them with fingers crossed that they turned out okay. I was excited to have a better alternative that didn't require me to spend a ton on PhotoShop.

It's GIF-tastic!
(Adam Page vs. Roy Wilkins CWF)

Next, Wrestling Arsenal guest-posted at La Sustancia P, which reminded me how much I miss his blog. Among the many, many things I love about Wrestling Arsenal is the view of pro wrestlers. Doesn't the image below just cry out for one of WA's pithy lines? You've got the beefy heel, relaxing against the bottom rope, arm being raised in victory, as he stares at the smooth young buck he's just beaten 1-2-3 in the ring.

Adam Page's audition for WA's "Suffering Sunday"
(vs. Ray Kandrack CWF)

And finally, I caught up on some Ring of Honor episodes I'd DVR'ed (also viewable at Wrestling Network). The lead match in one featured Adam Page, which reminded me how much I like him. Now, in Ring of Honor, Page is a heel, saying things like, "Roderick Strong, I'm not your young boy any more and at Final Battle, I will make you my bitch". He's beefed up with a thicker midsection and a little more scruff. The trucker hats and bright colors are out; a black vest and trunks are in. And the dazzling smile has been replaced by an adorable scowl. But for today, let's remember simpler days, before his heel turn.

There's so much to like about Adam Page
(vs. Walter Eaton CWF)

So here we are. Three isolated events that combine and result in a two-part "Adam Page Pro Wrestler" post with a few test GIF's.

Now, these GIF's (and images) are built from CWF (Carolina Wrestling Federation) YouTube videos. They have the most easily found Adam Page matches, so they were the simplest source for this post. These won't be as crisp as GIF's from HD wrestling videos.

Some things need a GIF
(vs. Xsiris CWF)

And some things don't
(vs. Roy Wilkins CWF)

I don't analyze wrestling as deeply as Wrestling Arsenal. His view is always mind-opening and brilliant. Maybe this is bad for a writer to say, but I don't look for the subtext or bigger meaning in this stuff. All I see is a cute, young, fluffy-haired country boy running around in bright trunks and looking hot while doing it.

The plight of a young, up-and-coming wrestler
(vs. Xsiris CWF)

The announcers put Page's character in context in the CWF match vs. Zane Dawson:

"Don't let Page's good looks fool you. Guys take a look at his long luscious hair, and his beautiful body and those silky thighs, and they think, 'but this is just a prettyboy high-flier who can't really fight', but I assure you Adam Page is a scuffling country boy. He knows how to fight."

Long luscious hair
(promo w/Ric Converse CWF)

Beautiful body
(vs. Ray Kandrack CWF)

Silky thighs
(vs. Roy Wilkins CWF)

The hair! It's not often you lead with a discussion of a wrestler's hair. But it's the first thing the announcers above mention and you can see why. Adam Page's hair is special, whether it's the way it poofs out from under a trucker cap, bounces when he moves, or gets grabbed by his opponents (especially how it's grabbed by his opponents). This is where my lack of ability for deep-analysis fails me ... I can't explain hair-pulling as a thing, but I just know that Adam Page's hair is designed to be pulled, yanked and used to control him.

Manhandled by his hair
(promo w/Ric Converse CWF)

That's a tight grip
(vs. Zane Dawson CWF)

Adam Page somehow manages to pull off being a prettyboy and a tough guy. The farm boy background helps, as the idea of attractive, yet masculine farmhands and good old boys is well-established in pop culture.

This is turning out to be pretty big post as I play with my new toy (speaking of the GIF creator, not Adam Page). In order not to overload folks on mobile (I get a lot of views on iOS and Android), I'm splitting it into two posts.

In Part 2, I'll pull mostly from two of the better matches I found yesterday on YouTube ... a TV Title match against Trevor Lee and a number one contender match against Zane Dawson.

Alex