Review: Pro Rodeo 2 (Can-Am)

Warning ... long-winded set-up coming ...

This is billed as a Cyberfights match. That kind of surprised me. I didn't really realize they were still a thing until I saw the title card of this video.

I was a big Cyberfights fan. Brett Barnes, Tyler Black, Scotty Mac and many more were popular additions to my DVD collection. There was a stretch where I bought everything they put out. I use the past tense because the website went defunct and I haven't really thought about them at all for years.

Images from Cyberfights website

Back in the day, they were the best option for seeing the hottest young pros in great gear wrestling each other. BGEast's New Pro was more authentic in setting, but most of the guys and gear weren't the same level. With Cyberfights, you got the combination of pro-quality action and gear with porn-quality studs and production.



Then YouTube came along. Now, you can find matches with a lot of the top guys for free or for a small charge in the case of something like Beyond Wrestling. Why pay for a video when there's plenty of pro action out there? What can Cyberfights offer to make it still worthwhile?

I would sum up my thoughts this way ...

Cyberfights exists to offer the hottest indie pro wrestlers in flattering authentic pro gear wrestling old school pro-style filtered through a gay lens.

So there are four components within my idea of a great Cyberfights match:

1. Talent - This is where it all starts, obviously. Even though there are a lot of hot guys floating around, they're not always paired against each other. Cyberfights always brought the best together and that could still be a point-of-difference.
2. Gear - There's no point in putting the guys in not-sexy gear, but I think part of their appeal is real pros in authentic pro trunks, boots and pads. Let other guys strip them down. Cyberfights should let us see real pros dressed as real pros.
3. Action - I say old school pro, because I think current wrestling is very seldom sexy, even with sexy guys. It's like it's made by people with ADD for people with ADD. Short, unsexy submission holds, if any. Too much back and forth, which results in no story developing. It can be entertaining, but it's not always hot.
4. The Lens - One of the biggest drawbacks of YouTube is the video production, both in quality and content. The cameras are often far and static and they usually don't focus on what we want to see. Cyberfights should offer high-quality footage shot from a gay dude perspective.

So with this in mind, how did Can-Am's Pro Rodeo 2 do as a Cyberfights match? It does pretty well. Not perfect. Not as hot as the original Cyberfights. But it's enjoyable and your enjoyment will likely only hinge on whether you like the gimmick of the match or not.

The talent is solid. Jimmy Jacobs and Rhett Titus are hot indie pros. Not as hot as a classic Brett Barnes or a Tyler Black, but I think they've got a nice look. They know their moves and how to put on a show. The action is professional and hard-hitting, but moves at a good pace that enables you to enjoy it.

"Yeah, kneel before the King"

Chokes play a big role

The gear is nearly great. Titus is perfect in his tight purple trunks, but Jimmy Jacobs looks like he's wearing a diaper. His black trunks are huge and baggy. He's a small guy and it just accentuated his small stature without enhancing anything.

Jacobs trunks don't fit great

But I do like Titus' gear

The action will probably be polarizing. As per the name, the guys bind their wrists to a 20' foot rope, which plays a huge role throughout the match. It's a part of nearly every move and hold, which you should expect, otherwise why have it? I'm betting it's one of those gimmicks that would divide the audience.

The rope gets used in all kinds of ways

It's like a new version of "stop hitting yourself"

One thing it does mean is that if you like chokes, you'll really like this match.

Titus on top

A real hangman

And the lens is solid. There's definitely some nice body displaying moves, shot from the right angle, especially with Titus in the suffering role. One of the nice advantages over YouTube is no audience. You can hear the trash talk. Even though some announcers are awesome, I think I prefer hearing the wrestlers trash talk.

Titus' chest looks great

Up close suffering

I find that Can-Am TV is never great quality video, even on the highest setting. So on DVD, this might look better, but the ring is oppressively dark. I could've used some more lighting to really see the action.

All-in-all, this was a good match. Could've been better, but if you like the gimmick, I think you'd like this one. I preferred the Jimmy Jacobs vs. Brian Cage in "Punished and Sleepered 1" much better, even with the 7 minutes of set-up (that I foolishly paid for, since Can-Am TV is a pay-per-minute) to only 15-minutes of action. It has a more interesting story for me and more re-watchable moments, but this one is still entertaining.

Can-Am's "Punished and Sleepered 1"

So what do you think? Interested? Not interested? Do you agree with my take on the ideal Cyberfights brand and experience? Comments rule!

Alex