Review: Mark Muscle vs. The Mountain (W4H)

Sorry, gym rats and bodybuilders. In the world of pro wrestling, FAT > MUSCLE. I remember as a kid, it was a common sight to watch big fat guys mauling muscular bodybuilder types. It never seemed wrong. It was just the way of the wrestling world. And seeing the suffering of the muscular jobbers stirred something in me, but I didn't understand the theme until Wrestling Arsenal gave it a name. FAT > MUSCLE (sample posts here and here).

Two different kind of big boys battle it out.

Wrestler4Hire has tapped into this unique specialty taste. I must also give credit to Muscle Domination Wrestling who has been doing these videos with The Mountain for a long time, allowing him to crush many familiar muscleman. Currently, both sites feature The Mountain squashing Mark Muscle, the 6'4" muscleman. Since Wrestler4Hire's video is free to me as part of their streaming offering right now, it's the version I'm focusing on.

Mark Muscle is huge, especially for the underground wrestling world. He's 6'4" tall when most guys are below the average height. Mark has incredibly broad shoulders, sculpted pecs and a great bubble butt. Once again, he's back as a narcissist who's more interested in posing than wrestling. His pale green singlet is stretched tight, barely able to contain his massive proportions.

Adding insult to injury with a vicious fish hook.

Mark's such a hot stud.

On the other side, The Mountain is a perfect foil for the gym-built bodybuilder. He brings massive size, a bad attitude and power to the ring. I am impressed with his skills in the ring. He moves really smoothly and is a compelling presence.

Interestingly, and maybe a brilliant analyst like Wrestling Arsenal could come up with a psychological point on this, The Mountain proudly wears classic black trunks, actually exposing more flesh than the singlet-clad Mark. Perhaps it's a subliminal message about his intrinsic power and confidence versus the mere appearance of those things in Mark.

CLANG! SPLAT!

Of course these two don't get along. The Mountain is angry from the start, while Mark is oblivious. The bodybuilder has no interest in The Mountain or wrestling, preferring to worship himself. Even as the loud, brash beast is yelling at him, Mark can only think of how special he is. The bodybuilder just can't help himself. He shows off, his flexing muscles and bouncing pecs acting like a red cape in front of a massive bull named The Mountain.

In my review of Mark Muscle vs. Austin Cooper, I mentioned that there's a trend with positioning Mark Muscle as a jobber. While in some cases, you really need to suspend your disbelief, this is a squash we can believe in. The Mountain throws his body around with abandon, splashing on big Mark repeatedly to punish the bodybuilder.

Ouch.

KER-SPLAT!

Mountain finds a better use for Mark's singlet.

This 18-minute match includes bearhugs, chokes, low blows, and assorted general abuse. The Mountain works power moves, but his body is his best weapon. Splashes play a roll, including on the mat and in the corners. The singlet stays on for most of the video, finally getting stripped off at the 13 minute mark.

Mark is squashed, but he's resilient. Right up until the end, he's continuing to taunt the rotund wrestler. One final defiant pec bounce sets The Mountain off and results in a crushing sleeper that finally puts Mark down for good. At 18 minutes, this video is probably just right. We get the point and have all the devastating moments that fans of this theme would look forward to.

Here's a gratuitous butt shot, just because I can.

Early on, Mark shows off with big bearhug.

Nighty, night, Mark.

In the end, this is a fun video that appeals to a very specific taste. The Mountain moves well and is good at keeping the action going. I'm definitely up for watching him continue his destructive ways. On the other side, Mark does a fantastic job selling the moves while still staying true to his character. I think he's probably underrated as only a big body, when he also brings star charisma and attitude to every video he's in.

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

Alex