Monday, October 24, 2016

Review: Duke Russo vs. Dave Markus (Movimus)

Full disclosure: This match was provided to me by Movimus.

I was so excited when I saw this in my inbox. I have all of Duke Russo's matches so far, so getting this in advance was very cool. Along with Mikey Hanlon, Duke's my must-buy guy from Movimus. He hasn't disappointed me in the past and he doesn't start now. I really enjoyed Duke Russo vs. Dave Markus. It showcases the best of both guys in an action-packed 26-minute match.

It's a battle of two of Movimus' hottest stars


I'd be lying if I said that a large chunk of Duke's appeal wasn't purely physical. The guy's simply born to wrestle with his powerful body and fighter's face. He moves so smoothly on the mats with an incredible awareness of his body that I'm entranced by him. I've described him as a superhero before, especially in his USA trunks. Here, he goes soldier in terrific camouflage briefs and it all works. I miss his body hair, but he looks great with or without.

Duke goes commando ... er, camouflage

Gotta love a man who knows how to use his tongue

So far, Duke's been up against some great talent: Aron, CT and Nero. All of them also wrestle for UCW, interestingly enough. Duke has not followed them to the garage, but one can hope. Here, he breaks the trend, but he's actually up against an even more popular Movimus star in Dave Markus.

Dave isn't a favorite of mine, but he always wears his gear well. He's got bright blue and yellow trunks that are tiny and hugging. While Duke has less hair, Dave has more. He comes to the mat with new facial hair. Is this a new, more aggressive Dave? It's not, but his fans should be happy with his performance.

Dave is bendy and he'll need to be

Dave's grimaces are paired with sounds of suffering

I expect Duke to dominate and he does right from the start with a nearly immediate submission. After the fast early submission, Dave gets in gear and works to control Duke. There's only supposed to be 6-lbs difference between them, but it feels like Duke is just a lot stronger. He simply powers out of trouble and whether on top or bottom, the guy just methodically forces his will on Dave. Not only is he an offensive juggernaut, he's also ridiculously resilient. It's like he can't be hurt.

In his second match against CT, Duke found his voice. He was cocky and I liked it. Here, he's back to a silent killer. Dave makes up for it, providing all the audio with amazing whimpers and moans that make me think he's been watching some Jake Jenkins videos. I don't remember Dave sounding like this before, but I loved it here.

Duke works Dave into all kinds of positions

Dave tries his best to control Duke

Dave gets powered into a cradle

In the end, this match actually lives up to the hype. It could've easily been a World Series match. It's got two of the best wrestlers at Movimus. Five falls. And at the end, it sure looks like the loser can't go on. They're both in incredible shape, getting more pumped as the action continues. Their impressive bodies look perfect as they battle and strain. For Movimus fans, this is a slam dunk winner.

Looks like Duke is liking what he sees

Dave checks out dominant Duke
What are other bloggers saying?


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

Alex

4 comments:

  1. I have a serious question even though it sounds like I'm trolling: what is it about Movimus that you and others like so much? Granted they have a roster of pumped guys who I wouldn't mind facing on the mat myself and they always wear appropriately small gear, but every time I watch one of their videos I find myself bored. I've even thought about playing background music to help. I don't know. I just always find it too quiet and too friendly. There's usually no trash talking between the guys, no gloating, and at the end the two usually shake hands. So, I honestly want to know what it is that you like so much about it. I'm really curious to get your take on the company overall. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the question. I posted the following when you asked the same question after a previous Movimus review. I think it still applies ...

      I know you don't want to read stuff like we all have different tastes, but it's true. From your other comments, I think you have very particular tastes in guys and gear. Our brains just work differently. I don't get why more Americans don't embrace hockey. Friends don't get why soccer puts me to sleep. It's life.

      With that said, here are a couple of thoughts.

      (1) I've done submission wrestling, so maybe I have more of an appreciation of it. Playing a sport often helps one appreciate a sport.

      (2) There is drama and tension in these matches, but it's just not always being constantly spelled out for the viewer. It can be just the primal need for guys to test themselves or dominate. It can be a theme like older-younger, small-big, power-skill. So it's there, but you just don't have guys saying it like you do in pro.

      (3) Exertion and effort can be sexy. The straining muscles, the sweat, the grunting ... matches like this features guys at their sexiest. In pro or promission, it's easier to phone it in. The selling is real here because the holds are more real. I still think some of it is staged, but at least they're having to work.

      (4) Constant struggle. I'm an action-first guy. I have enjoyed two out-of-shape guys wrestling more than two bodybuilders posing. I fast forward through the start of Movimus matches and I don't like Thunders matches that are heavy on posing or jokey-ness. That's what I find boring and I think people who spend $30 on that are wasting their money when you can see hot muscle guys posing for free all over the net for free.

      (5) Quality action. Maybe this goes back to having done it, so maybe I have more of an appreciation for what I'm seeing, but submission is easier to stage than pro. Too often with gay pro we see sloppy clowning around, where some muscle guy is unselling, flexing or missing every spot or hold. I think I've read that you're a huge Marco fan, but he often takes me out of the moment with his antics, which is why I seldom buy his matches. Yeah, he's hot, but his matches are very hit-or-miss for me.

      So those are a few reasons why I like this. But here's how I'll end ... there are guys who are as confused by your tastes as you are by theirs. I wouldn't try to force myself to like something just because others do. And I wouldn't spend my money trying to figure it out. Just enjoy what you enjoy and others will do the same.

      Delete
  2. To me the point is fighting, not humiliation, not scripted dialogues, and certainly not unconvincing holds that only serve to expose muscular bodies in front of camera (though there's nothing wrong about it). Maybe that's why I loving jerking off to UFC matches more than Can-Am or Thunder's Arena performances. Movimus is all about real fight, with a tantalizing touch of skimpy trunks, and that totally floats my boat. The back-and-forth built-up that leads to ultimate submission always brings me to euphoric climax.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the comment. That's a great perspective and much more succinct than mine. :)

      Delete