Review: Jonny Firestorm vs. Kirby Stone (BGEast)

No sooner did I upload a review commenting that the matches I want are always last to be uploaded to VOD than I go to BGEast and see two of the matches I want are available. This happened a couple of weeks ago, so I could've changed Sunday's post, but I figured I'd leave it. It was true at the time I wrote it and the broader point stands.

Of the two, I decided to watch Jonny Firestorm vs. Kirby Stone second, but review it first. Why? Well, it's the far better one. More than that, it's great on its own merits. Yes, I expected it to be good, but it's even better than I thought it would be, so I was immediately motivated to pull clips and post.

Jonny and Kirby face off in a intense pro battle.

Jonny Firestorm needs no introduction. This is an older match, but it's beefier, hairier Jonny. That works really well for this Pros in Private setting. Jonny is the savvy ring veteran heel, judging and testing the rookie Kirby. He's pure manly heel ready to dominate the young, smooth wrestler.

I raved about cutie Kirby Stone when he faced Skotch English (review here), but this performance is so much better. Dressed in pink with a smooth swimmer's body, Stone screams face-jobber. However, he's got the skill and personality to be a bad boy heel. I love this surprising twist, likely more than Jonny does, since he has to deal with the pain involved in underestimating this adorable punk.

Hairy and beefy, Jonny's ready to be a badass.

Young, smooth and sleek in pink screams, "JOBBER",
but Kirby has some surprises coming.

The contrast between Jonny and Kirby is apparent at the beginning. Jonny invades Kirby's small changing room. There's immediate tension between them that makes this immediately interesting. I like a little story to conflict and this provides that.

If you're expecting a squash, the initial locker room encounter dispels that. Kirby is aggressive and more than willing to stand up to Jonny. In the ring, the smooth stud more than acquits himself in the ring. This is a completely back-and-forth match between two young studs with a ton of skills.

Jonny get more than he bargained for.

I will never not love the piledriver.

Hey! That's one of Jonny's signature moves!

The view might be all Kirby can enjoy in this hold.

There's actually too much in this match to show. As a blogger, I had the same frustration in Kirby's match against Skotch. The action is unrelenting for 38 minutes. Which pics and GIF's should make the cut? Did I make the right choices? Argh!

As a viewer, IT IS AWESOME! These two guys use some classic moves, but also get creative, showing their pro skills. If you're going to have "Pros in Private" the action should be professional, right? These two guys bring a hard-hitting intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

A front-facing leg nelson with extra neck torture. Yum.

Jonny does not like to get shown up.

Jonny learns yoga the hard way.

In the end, these two contrasting studs put on a helluva show. This was obviously filmed years ago, but it holds up with anything I've seen this year. I love Kirby's deceptively cute, boyish looks combined with heel ferocity and skill in the ring. Jonny is always awesome, but seeing him put through his paces is awesome, especially by a kid like Kirby.

What are other bloggers saying?

RINGSIDE: PRIVATE

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

Alex

-2018