The Cast: Who's Who (October Part 4)

Guys,

Here are the cast from the previous two stories ...

The Cave Undercard 9

Cody = Leighton Stultz (Model)

Route 69: Bad Boys S102

"I don't know, sir."

"I told you, call me Lou. What don't you know, Logan? You don't know if you wanna be a big-time wrestling star?"

"What? No! I do." The prettyboy isn't quick. He has to think. I wait, secretly admiring his smooth, tight body in his pro gear - red tights, blue trunks and blue boots. He finally tries to explain to me, "I do want to be a star. I've told you how this is my dream, sir. I mean, Lou. It's just that, well, I mean, I'm only 19. I appreciate your interest in me, but a long-term contract? That sounds scary."

Logan

"What? It should sound exciting, Logan. I want to help you make it. Just like I helped all these guys."

Review: Hollywood Erotic Pro 2 (Can-Am)

This might be somewhat surprising, but I don't watch a lot of Can-Am. I say surprising because they probably have the videos that most closely mirror much of the action I write about – hot musclemen wearing skimpy gear in multiple round wrestling, often with sex stakes. Their talent is usually very attractive. And the clean black environment they often use is exactly what The Cave would look like.

Scott Summers flexes over Jamie Stroud

So you’d think I’d be all over their stuff. But I’m not.

I can identify a few reasons why I don’t watch them more often. On a basic level, they don't have downloads and I find their website to be a confusing mess. It makes it tough for me to buy from them. In terms of the product, in spite of the hotness of their talent, I often find their action subpar. And sex stakes don’t usually interest me, even though I include them in 95% of my stories.

The Cave Undercard 9: Mimik vs. Spartan

"Cody, it sucks that I can't be at the taping today. Stupid clients and their Saturday appointments. Biggest match of the year and I'm missing it!"

I smile at my boyfriend Jae as we lie in bed, spending a few minutes cuddling before we have to get ready for work. We're both personal trainers, but today I'll be focused on my side gig as co-owner of The Cave, a gay-oriented, superhero-themed wrestling video company.

Jae

I tease, "Aw, poor baby. Just be glad you have clients. You're doing better than a lot of personal trainers starting out." Then it hits me, "Wait, what're you talking about? I'm not wrestling, so how can it be the biggest match of the year?"

Me (Cody)

Jae apologizes, "Sorry. I meant, the biggest match you can get without having The Bat in action, of course. Your matches are in a class by themselves, oh great and mighty Cody."

The Cast: Who's Who (October Part 3)

Guys,

Here are the cast from this month's stories ...

The Cave: The Adventures of SuperStar 8

Cody/The Bat = Leighton Stultz (Model)

Route 69: Bad Boys S101

"Fuck. I'm getting antsy, little man. Where is this Kyle guy? Where the fuck is he?"

I respond, "I was early, Nick, so -."

"Course you were ... uh? Dylan? This is the biggest fucking thrill a skinny loser like you'll ever get in your life, little man. I don't give a shit that you're here. If you had any fucking pride, you wouldn't be."

Yep, I'm Dylan

I calmly smile, taking more of the abuse I've had to endure since I arrived at Nick's house. I hold back what I really want to say, knowing it'll be worth it in the end. I breathe in slowly then continue, "I'm just saying. It's only a few minutes past 3, Nick. If he doesn't know the area -"

Review: Ty Alexander vs. Braden Charron (Wrestler4Hire)

I am a fan of Ty Alexander. He seems like a cool dude who loves wrestling. I don't know him, but I base this on his fantastic social media presence where he models a huge array of pro wrestling gear and underwear for his followers. From what I've seen, Ty is a fun guy who seems very passionate about, and engaged in, our hobby.

From Ty Alexander's Tumblr

My personal favorite is the Trophy Boy gear, a brilliantly crafted persona that I have yet to see in action anywhere. I find it wonderfully fantasy-inspiring. If you're not following Ty Alexander on Tumblr and Twitter, I think you're really missing out.

So I was planning on reviewing Ty Alexander vs. Mason Brooks, which I enjoyed, but Bard then Jose beat me to it (here and here). Then I figured on talking about Mad Mykel vs. Ty Alexander from BGEast at some point, but Bard just posted on it (here). I haven't even watched it yet, so if I do review it, I will be quite late to the party.

Review: Jersey vs. Luke (Thunder's Arena)

It's Jersey vs. Luke

I haven't watched a Thunder's Arena ring match,  yet. I have bought three Dirty Daddy ring matches (vs. Tak, Brian Cage and Marco), but I just haven't gotten around to watching them. I feel like I should be excited to see them, but I kind of not. I'm sure they're mostly good, but they don't feel special at all.

I get the feeling that Thunder's Arena aspires to be the new king of gay-oriented wrestling video companies (whether they want to call themselves that or not), what with the move into ring matches, the ambitious release schedule and the aggressive aquiring of talent. And of course, there's nothing wrong with it.

It's just that lots of people have ring matches. Part of Thunder's unique offering is the house atmosphere. They are the only company that has this buddies-hanging-out-and-roughhousing thing. It's tough to pull off, but it creates a special feeling of camaraderie between the guys when the chemistry is right.

Why am I bringing ring matches up when I'm supposed to be reviewing Jersey vs. Luke?

The Cave: The Adventures of SuperStar 8

"Hey Cody."

"Hey Jae."

Me, Cody

Jae. He needs a shave.

The Cast: Who's Who (October Part 2)

The stars of the latest stories ...

The Cave 13

Cody/The Bat - Leighton Stultz (Model)

Review: Mitch Colby vs. Skotch English (BGE)

While there was a lull in newer matches I wanted to watch a few weeks ago, I decided to go back in time and watch an older BGEast match on VOD. Not only is the match older, but the wrestlers are more on the mature side. It's Mitch Colby vs. Skotch English.

Two big men battling

Skotch English is a guy I've been interested in for a long time, but I've never seen him in a BGE match before. I was just never in the mood when I had the time to watch a VOD.

The Cave 13: The Bat vs. Ram

"You ready, Cody?"

I smile at my best friend Ryan, "The Bat is always ready."

The Bat in the locker room

The Cave: The Adventures of SuperStar 7

"You know, Jae is looking amazing, Cody. I mean, he always looks amazing, but I couldn't help noticing as we were watching Aquarius vs. Diablo. It looks like he's bulked up chest and shoulders, but his waist is still in competition shape."

Jae, looking great

Review: Jersey vs. Talon (Thunder’s Arena)

I’ve already teased my opinion of this match in my review of UCW's Max Ryder vs. Tyson Hammer, but I did want to do a full review. I prefer doing positive reviews and Jersey vs. Talon from Thunder's Arena definitely qualifies.

I liked this match quite a bit for a few reasons - the talent, the action (albeit limited) and the storyline are all on point.

The studs make this match. Jersey remains a go-to stud for me. His adorkable looks, body and personality return, wrapped up in his second best gear (red speedo). He also gets to show off some awesome power, with two long-held bearhugs and a nice full nelson. Jersey is having fun and I'm right there with him.

Jersey is still so hot

The Cave: Who's Who (October Part 1)

I've been practicing with photo manipulations and 3D images. My goal was to be competent by July. Well, I missed on creating 3D images for my Tarzan story post, despite some help starting out from Lucky Stallion, but I did manage to do three photo manipulations that appeared in July. Two of them are below ... can you guess which ones? I kind of hope not, because that means they're pretty good.

While I wasn't able to do 3D images for my Tarzan story, Lucky Stallion was ... there are four big, beautiful images at his Patreon site and by supporting his efforts, you can see them (and a lot more) in hi-res glory!

Anyway, here are the stars of July's three stories, plus a few original and transformed images.

The Cave Undercard

Cody/The Bat = Leighton Stultz (Model)

The Cave Undercard 8: Aquarius vs. Diablo

"And then to top it off, I hear he's been badmouthing me to everyone for months, saying I'm so old. Can you fucking believe it? I wasn't too old when I was the one making the money. Now that I'm out of work and he's got the great job, it's over. I'm the one who got him in shape, pulled together and finally fucking self-sufficient. He was still living with his parents when we met! But now, I'm suddenly some boring old man who can't keep up with him.”

Larry pauses then adds, “We were together for ten years. How can I have been so wrong about somebody? I've never felt so betrayed."

I shake my head, "What a load of shit. We never heard him badmouth you or we would’ve set him straight, that’s for sure. He's obviously an asshole. You're better off without him. You know that, right?"

My best friend Ryan chimes in, "Cody's right. We're here for you, Larry."

Larry nods, "I really appreciate you guys supporting me. You're good friends."

I tell him, "Besides, guys will be knocking down your door now that you're single." Ryan smacks me. I look over, “What?” He mouths that it’s not the time. I raise an eyebrow. I say, “Apparently Ryan disagrees with me, but I think that the best thing to do is get back out there, Larry.”

Inspiration: Good Into Great

Have you ever watched a match and thought, 'I wish it hadn't ended that way?' Or, 'I wish this was a squash'? Or just watched multiple segments over and over. I certainly have.

For the past few years, I've been all about digital files. I only buy downloads. And I've ripped all my favorite DVD matches, just like I copied all my VHS tapes onto DVD. Now, I can watch what I want, when I want and where I want. I've got AppleTV when I want them on the big screen. I've got my iPad when I want something simpler or I'm traveling. It really does suit my needs.

A couple of years ago, I took that to the next level. I've had iMovie for a long time. It's stupidly simple to use. With the ease of video editing, why should I settle for an match I like, but could be even better? Or long intros I don't want to see? For example, Can-Am's Brian Cage vs. Jimmy Jacobs has 7 minutes of set-up for 15 minutes of action. Yeah, no. Not interested in that. With iMovie, I could make it into a tight, action-packed match

The Cave Undercard 7.4: Independence Day

"Fuck. Really?"

"Yeah. I wanted to be the one to tell you."

"Okay. Thanks."

We just stare at each other. We don't show any emotion. We don't get worked up. We don't cry, 'cause guys like us just don't do that. We don't react at all, but it's tense.

He says to me, "Okay, well, good luck, Echo."

I respond, "Same to you, Squatch."

"When?"

"Tomorrow. Oh-four hundred."

"Shit. Fast."

"Yeah, they don't waste time."

Squatch just nods as he stands there in his underwear in front of his locker. I mean, what else can he do? I'm going home. He's staying. Half a world away. The big stud is happy for me, but I get that it's bad for him. He's a lifer in the army. I'm not and never was. We knew this day was coming, but it's still a tough thing, me getting my discharge. It's especially tough for two guys who've been as close as we've been.

Sasquatch aka Squatch

Review: The Enforcer vs. Marauder (BGEast)

So when I was trying to think about what to review this week, I was stumped. I did just finish a good match from Heel Bash 1, but it's been talked about elsewhere and I didn't have anything to add.

That match did get me thinking about how much I like heel vs. heel action. I originally thought it was rare, but then I realized that's it's actually not that unusual to have two guys who act like heels wrestling each other. It's seems like it's actually the default persona for a lot of guys nowadays.

What is kind of unique is to have two established guys with full-on, undefeated tough guy reputations face off. Chet and his opponent are rookies, so having one lose isn't that big a deal. But having an established heel lose, in character, to another heel is a big deal. I say "in character" because there are heels like Jonny Firestorm who often morph to their role.

A good example is Joe Mazetti at BGEast, who has faced guys like Aryx Quinn, Bulldog Barzini and Cole Cassidy. All of them are well-established heels with dominant records for whom losing would be rare (except for Aryx, who loses a lot). Or when Alex, Dash or Ethan Andrews face off in Rock Hard Wrestling.

Two beefy heel beasts - Mazetti vs. Barzini

Review: #430 Ryder vs. Hammer (UCW)

This review could also be titled “UCW Saves the Day!”

So last week, I was whining about a few mediocre/bad matches I'd watched. And I was all settled on Jersey vs. Talon as the one to reverse the trend. However, I was checking out UCW and noticed a brand new match featuring two guys I really like - Max Ryder vs. Tyson Hammer.

Now, I already have the #399 Ryder/Hammer match. I liked it, but I wasn't looking to buy another. I tend not to buy match-ups more than once, unless there's a compelling reason to do so. With this one, that compelling reason was right on the UCW cover page.

This image definitely got my attention!

The Cave Undercard 7.1: Canada Day

"Ryan? Hope you don't mind me let-- oh, Corey. Didn't know you were here. Where's Ryan?"

Corey turns then takes a big bite of the apple he's holding. CRUNCH! I'm a little surprised to see this young (19 years old) musclestud standing buck naked in Ryan's kitchen, but it does explain why my best friend and business partner didn't answer the door. We're supposed to be meeting, but we all went out last night (including the under drinking age Corey). Ryan obviously enjoyed a very late night.

Corey leans against the kitchen counter, confidently relaxing as I wait for a response. The young stud chews slowly, with his usual smirk on his face. When he swallows, he finally says, "Shower."

The Cast: Who's Who (September Part 3)

Guys,

Here are the stars of the latest stories ...

Route 69 S309: Zanesville OH (Jeff)

Jeff = Steve Kuchinsky (Model)

The Cave Undercard 6: Mimik vs. Mr. X

"Okay, let me check you out before you head to the ring."

As the handsome young stud drops his white robe to show me his gear, I don't know what to say for a second. Corey just smirks as he pulls on his mask and adds a long red cape. The look in his eyes tells me he knows what I'm thinking, but he's only 19, so I give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he's just confused.

I finally ask, "Is this a joke?"

Review: Dozer vs. Bolt (Thunder's Arena)

I’ll start with a warning. I’m feeling a little salty after watching several disappointing matches in a row, including this one. This review might come across as a little more critical than my usual fair. This match isn't horrible, it's mediocre. Bolt is apparently popular and this match in particular has four 5-star reviews. I, however, am in a different place.

Grrr, I'm on a bad run with my video choices.

I've been buying a lot of Thunder's Arena stuff lately, thanks to Jersey, the massive volume of their recent releases, some decent sale prices, and my lack of interest in what other folks have been offering. To wit, at the time of writing ...

• Rock Hard Wrestling has only posted one match, but I'm Austin-Coopered out
• BGEast's catalogue 109.3 had only two matches I was interested in, one of which I already reviewed here and Bard reviewed the other here
• UCW hasn't featured the guys I'm most interested in, although #429 (Diesel/Victor) looks interesting
• Same with Movimus, but I see that Nero Angelo is back, so I probably will buy that

Anyway, so lots of Thunder's Arena. I find them kind of like the arrogant bad boy of the gay wrestling world. They are often openly derisive of other sites and wrestlers, like an obnoxious heel who has an inflated view of themselves and disrespects everyone else (like a Xaq).

I bring this up because when they profiled the 5'7"/150-lbs Bolt, they made sure to point out that it was Rock Hard Wrestling that found him, but he "refused" to wrestle for them because their guys are too small. He wanted the challenge of TA's bigger guys.