Review: Billy the Kid vs. Talon (Thunders Arena)

I decided to stop doing reviews on back-to-back days because it seems like too much. Too much for me, but mostly too much for you. I'm still in that “analyze and optimize” phase of blogging. In my year-end post last year, I mentioned that 2-3 days was optimal for posts and that's still true. However, obviously I've made an exception here.

Why? Well, in many ways, Billy the Kid vs. Talon is the match I wanted Beast vs. Talon to be. It's a fast-paced, hard-hitting bout that does more in 11 minutes than Beast vs. Talon did in 21. The domination is hotter. The action is better. And the guys seem more into it. Despite being more like a mini-match, I just enjoyed it a lot more.

Thunders Arena knocked it out of the park for me here. I'd definitely recommend this one. So instead of leaving a lukewarm review up for a couple of days, I decided to come back right away with this.

Big boys going at it hard

Talon and Billy are gorgeous. Talon’s in his standard blue squarecuts, flipping and flopping around. No pro boots, but his red sneakers work fine. Billy is in full pro gear, with tight trunks stretched on his beefy body and black pads and pro boots.

Talon is ripped

Billy knows to open up

Right from the start, the intensity of Billy the Kid vs. Talon grabs you by the balls and doesn't let go. It's like we're joining the match in progress as the video opens with the guys wrestling. No flexing. No intros. No banter. Just a full-on battle between two studs who're used to winning. Talon's record against pros is impressive, but Billy is all man and won't go down easy, if at all.

Talon looks great, but there's very little flexing,
which makes me happy

Billy slaps on a tight crossfire
and Talon sells it perfectly

Spread 'em, Talon!

A big ol' Southern rassler like Billy makes me turn into a Jim Ross wannabe as I call him "a tough SOB" (meant as a compliment, of course). He starts out like "a house afire" as he kicks Talon’s ass for the first few minutes. Billy brings a hot attitude here, not the earnest rookie who faced NJustice (although I obviously liked him there, too - reviewed here).

When big Billy goes down after a mere hip toss and lies there moaning, I did think, "uh oh, here we go again." But no! The action picks up immediately. There aren’t really any slow moments, with only a couple brief pauses. It's almost like I edited it down myself.

It does feel like one guy is more dominant, but not a ton. I didn't time it, but I'd say that it’s pretty back and forth, with both guys going on a run of multiple moves before they switch. Highlights include a long-held full nelson, bearhug and the winner coming back to deliver more punishment, forcing another submission.

Talon's hip toss

I enjoyed this 30-second full nelson

Talon loves to thrust his hips out as he
dominates a sweaty and shiny Billy

Billy gets it - he knows that when
you're in a ring, use pro power moves

In the end, I had a great time watching this match. The non-stop action really delivers. It's a great muscle match, with powerful moves, domination and suffering, and big bodies beautifully on display. I now have three Billy matches and all three are winners. That's damn good. And Talon is really good here, doing a good job in the ring.

So that's my take. What's yours? Any thoughts?

Alex