2017 Cavey Awards: Matches

It's day two of the 2017 Cavey Awards.

Today, we're focusing on the matches. Even pairing the best wrestlers doesn't mean the match will be a winner. So here are my favorites where hot studs combined to produce magic. I shared the rules yesterday, but as a reminder, matches are eligible if I watched them for the first time between December 1, 2016 and November 30, 2017.

The biggest change with my annual tweaking of the categories is the elimination of the favorite ring, mat and outdoor awards. What? Yep. Location seemed unimportant this year and many of the matches didn't really use their setting. Similar to the Hairy Hunk category yesterday where I looked at how integral hairiness was to the wrestler, I looked at how integral the setting was to the video and found I had no winners by that criteria. For example, you could've moved any of the outdoor matches inside and had the exact same video.

Instead, I'm giving awards that recognize the essence of what ring, mat and outdoor matches are. You'll see awards for favorite pro-style, submission, erotic, etc. The only location award I have now is “Creative Use” and that's going to a match that really used the environment in an interesting way. You definitely couldn't move it anywhere else.

So, here we go with my Favorite Matches of 2017.

1. Favorite Overall: Cole Cassidy vs. Josh Goodman (BGEast)

You know a match is a home run when it sticks with you. I watched and reviewed this way back in January, but come November 30, I still knew it was the winner without even looking back. Everything about it works. The guys, the action, their chemistry and Josh’s jungle trunks are perfection for me. There were a ton of great videos this year, but this is one that I can see myself loving for years. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Yeah, this one was a winner right from the start.

Mr. Joshua looks pretty darn proud.

Looks like Cole found a better trophy.
Oh well, I can't compete with that.

2. Favorite Creative Use of Location: Cameron Matthews vs. Jason Stone (Wrestler4Hire)

Hotel/motel room matches are quite a traditional location for many of us, but this one isn't just a re-located mat battle on mattresses. In this case, you get a great grudge match with lots of action, drama and sexy studs doing their thing. And you couldn't just put this match anywhere else. It wouldn't be the same without things like the beds, bathroom or hair dryer. From beginning to end, the motel room plays a role, enhancing the excitement and fun of the video. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Jason's pretty excited about winning a Cavey.

Cameron thinks he's the reason the won.

Looks like Jason has his speech all ready to go.

3. Favorite Squash: Scrappy vs. Viking 1 (Thunders Arena)

There are probably more squashes than any other type of match, but in many cases, they're the hardest to pull off. With no tension and one-sided offense, it's quite easy for them to feel dull. However, when you get it right, it can be thrilling.

This video was a huge hit with me. Viking makes a great big heel and Scrappy can do anything. I love the chemistry between these two. They're both super-charming. The combination of Viking’s complete confidence against the smaller stud’s never-say-die attitude makes this both sexy and intense. I just loved it. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

4. Favorite Chemistry: Scrappy vs. Finn McCool (Thunders Arena)

I talk about chemistry a lot. It's undefinable, but you know it when you see it. It's that electricity between wrestlers that makes you believe whatever they're selling. Scrappy and Finn just seemed like they were really into each other and the moment. The whole thing just felt right. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Finn thinks he's the reason they won.

Scrappy grabs his third 2017 Cavey.

But actually, it takes two to win this award.

5. Favorite Erotic: Justin Powers v JJ Allen (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Taking things up a notch, here's the erotic match winner. Call me crazy, but nudity and sex are not requirements to be erotic. Generally, I'm more into the groping, grabbing, sexual wrestling than the 'sex' portion of these videos. Usually the oral is 'meh' and watching a guy jack off bores me to tears. And so, there were a lot of options.

Justin Powers seems to be into everyone he wrestles. This was a tough call, between his match with Dante and this one. I went here, because JJ seemed more into it than Dante. I really enjoyed the inter-play here and the raw sexual tension. By the end, I was as into the action as they were into each other. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Justin and JJ win big. And they got a Cavey, too.

"Hey, baby, can I keep the trophy?"

Sorry, JJ, Justin's keeping this one all to himself.

6. Favorite Submission Match: Dario Espinoza vs. Ray Mousi (Movimus)

Based on my views, I think actual submission matches are a specialty taste. We seem to prefer choreographed mat work. There were options I liked from BGEast and Krushco, but I decided on Dario vs. Ray fairly early. Duke Russo almost snuck in at the wire and stole this, but a lot of what I liked in that match was the pro-inspired power moves.

So I stuck with Dario and Ray as my top choice. I loved this battle for so many reasons. The studs. Their size and power. The hard-hitting action. The storyline. It's not about theater, but there's a serious beefy battle for supremacy here that excites me. It comes from the natural energy and intensity of these studs. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Big Dario impressed me.

Watch the foot, Ray, you both won the Cavey!

I hope that's not his trophy-lifting arm.

7. Favorite Gimmick Match: Guido v Chet/Alvin (Wrestler4Hire)

There are a lot of matches that can fit in here, depending on how you define ‘gimmick’. In this case, I think this two-on-one fits the bill. I raved about it after watching it and my opinion remains the same. Chet and Alvin con the arrogant Guido into a handicap match then take full advantage. They do what I thought would only happen in fiction, coincidentally mirroring my commissioned story, CLAW 3, posted on 12/15. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

C'mon guys, you can share the award!

Looks like Chet and Alvin found a better trophy.

Guido will look great on their mantle.

8. Catchweight: Austin Cooper vs. Mark Muscle (Wrestler4Hire)

Technically, I think a catchweight match is any big vs. small battle. For my purposes, though, it's only when a smaller guy beats a bigger guy. I love small taking down big, but it's also tough to make any kind of believable. Now, I can suspend my disbelief, but I like it when the wrestlers at least try to convince me it's legit.

When Austin faced Mark Muscle, they played up the size difference. When Austin took control, he did it through the most obvious means: going low. Manhood and legs were the targets and it work for me. I was all-in watching the veteran superstar take down the giant. Mark suffers beautifully and Austin proves once again that he knows how to work a match as well as anyone. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Austin and Mark make this match work.

Yep, that's one way to take down a big man.

And that's another. Way to go, guys!

9. Favorite Pro v Pro: Beast vs. Joey King (Thunders Arena)

There are more options than ever these days, so this isn’t an easy choice. In fact, none of the pro vs. pro stuff was easy. So I narrowed it down and re-watched them. This was the winner by a hair. Tomorrow, I might have a different choice, but for today, I'm feeling pretty darn good with this winner.

Beast and Joey are both majorly hot pro studs. They work great together. There's the kind of tension and macho posturing I love from pros. There are some cool moves that I actually feel. It all combines into a terrific ring battle. Congrats! MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

 Congrats, guys - BOOM!

 Uh, guys? CRACK!

I'll tell you later. THUD! OOF! POW!

10. Favorite Fun Match: Ace Owens vs. Nick Justice w/Minion (Wrestler4Hire)

I like my fighting fictional and phony. I like superheroes punching each other, but never watch boxing. I love pro wrestling and hate MMA. While I'm all for light-hearted battles, I don't like wrestling as a joke, either. This match is fun and light, but it's also a really good match. Ace and Nick show off their skills, while the cute Minion is perfectly entertaining without being distracting. MY ORIGINAL REVIEW HERE

Minion tells Nick they won.
Looks like Ace already knows.

Is Ace claiming the Cavey for his own?

Aw, how sweet. The winners are hugging it out.

Congratulations to the 22 wrestlers and 5 promotions involved in these 10 great matches. I'm happy with the changes that allowed me to recognize a better variety of matches.

Now I'd like to read what you think. What matches stood out to you this year and why? You can use my categories or make up your own. There are no wrong answers!

Tomorrow, the Caveys finish up with my favorite promotions of 2017!

Alex