Story Preview: January 2019 (Warning: Spoilers)

What's up for January? Well, if you're type who likes to be spoiled, click and find out ...

2018 Year in Review + 2019 Preview

I'd always been told that time moves faster as you get older, but I think it's just hitting me now. This year flew by like it didn't even happen. Wow. I was really glad to get a few weeks off here at the end of the year, although it's the by-product of not taking much vacation during the year. Oh well. This year did, in fact, happen and this is the time of year when we get to look back and forward.

Aryx provided me with a
high point in 2018!

Review: Aryx Quinn vs. Mitch Colby

Closing out my December reviews, let's check out Mitch Colby vs. Aryx Quinn, another BGEast favorite that pairs two hot hunks. Interestingly, this match has largely been ignored. I'll often ask, "What are other bloggers saying about this match?" Nothing really. Joe used an image for a post on scissors. It came up in Bard's interview with Aryx (more on that below), but otherwise, I couldn't find any coverage of it. Maybe it's not that good for anyone else?

Well, let me explain why I like it and you can decide for yourself.

Two mega-stars collide in this inter-generational battle.

The Cast: Who's Who (December 2018)

Guys,

We closed the year with one newbie, a lot of fan favorites and maybe a couple of new fan favorites? Interestingly, I saw on Twitter that Derek Bolt did a porn video bottoming for Jay Landford, the base model for Handsome Hart Mitchell. Maybe Hart can come to life?

Anyway, this is the last cast post for 2018, but there are a lot more returning and new guys planned for 2019. More on next year in a few days in my usual wrap-up post.

Encounters: Model Roommates 2

Travis/Stunning Shane Tatum = Trevor Signorino (Model)

The Bat + SuperStar in “What a Croc!”

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Review: Dev Michaels vs. Kid Karisma (BGEast)

On one of my Kid Karisma reviews, a commenter wished things had gone the other way. The match, not my review. He wanted to see the smaller heel get put in his place, which I think is a natural feeling. I threw out Dev Michaels vs. Kid Karisma as a great place to see a more dominant performance by a big man against the ginger superstar.

Boy and Tarzan get ready to battle it out.

Review: Jonny Firestorm vs. Exavier (BGEast)

While I was looking back, I started with BGEast, because they're the oldest videos that I have. I settled on early Wrestler Spotlights, as they usually had really good matches. I did young Aryx Quinn, so I decided to also cover young Jonny Firestorm. They kind of go together, both living in that coveted insider role, both heels who could job and having had a great match against each other (reviewed here).

I was all set to review the second match on the compilation, but I realized that it's no longer for sale, so it seemed pointless to post about it. Instead, I'm doing the third match, Jonny Firestorm vs. Exavier, which is now second, I guess.

It's an indie pro wrestler battle.

2018 Cavey Awards: Promotions

It's time to wrap up the 2018 Cavey Awards.

2018 Cavey Awards: Matches

Welcome back to the 2018 Cavey Award ceremony!

2018 Cavey Awards: Wrestlers

Welcome to the fourth annual Cavey Awards!

CLAW 6: Ryker vs. Hollywood

The Ring at Xenia X-Gym

“Hi, I’m Ryker. Nice to meet you, sir.”

Review: Alexi Adamov vs. Jaxx O'Doul (BGEast)

The hardest part about this post was deciding which of the 24 Alexi Adamov matches at BGEast to write about. He's so amazing, but all of his work is pre-blog for me. So the world was my oyster, but that also made for a ton of debate. Part of doing old videos this month was to save time, so I had to just make the call. Then it hit me to accomplish "two needs with one deed" (a more politically correct version to "two birds/one stone") and review an Alexi video against another guy that I want to review.

And so, I chose Alexi Adamov vs. Jaxx O'Doul. I like both guys, have covered neither and it's a good match. It's not actually either guy's best video, but it is worthy of a review.

Young guns go for it in this early battle.

Review: Impact vs. Brock (Thunders Arena)

For my brief December trip down memory lane, I think I hit on a good one here. Impact from Thunders Arena is the perfect guy to look back at. His wrestling career ended before I was a blogger and he doesn't get a ton of coverage. Some of you might not even know who he is. But for a brief moment, damn, was he the finest thing around? Maybe not THE finest, but definitely one of the finest. And so, I decided to post about Impact vs. Brock because I think it's a great video for him.

Impact was a real shooting star.

Review: Jonny Firestorm vs. Paladin (BGEast)

When I was thinking about older matches to review, I don’t know why this BGEast match didn’t occur to me first. I’ve used it often enough as a reference point. Jonny Firestorm vs. Paladin might not be a classic for anyone else but it obviously is for me. When I needed characters to ground my BIGBeast series, these guys were perfect. Here’s why I love it and why you might.

This instant rivalry turned into
an instant classic for me.

Review: Aryx Quinn vs. Danny Gage (BGEast)

There are obviously a lot of older matches that I could review. I've been watching gay wrestling videos for almost 20 years. My choice today is somewhat random in a broad sense. I was scrolling through my hard drive and Aryx Quinn vs. Danny Gage from BGEast just kind of popped. Why? I picked it because there's a very specific plot point that makes it special to me.

Love me some OG Aryx.

Review: Tarzan the Magnificent

Something a little different. Due to work travel and holidays, I'm actually only home six nights total between now and Christmas, meaning any content I need uploaded before then has to be done now. I didn't want to go dark, but watching a bunch of new stuff isn't really possible. Instead, I decided to look for reviews of things that I've already watched and liked.

A very magnificent Tarzan.

Encounters: Model Roommates 2

This is a sequel to ENCOUNTERS: MODEL ROOMMATES 1

"I don't wanna do it. I HAVE to do it, Jordan.”

I hop out of my convertible, which I can’t afford (hey, it’s LA and we all need a cool car). I’m on the phone with my buddy Jordan. Other than my roommate Porter, Jordan’s the only other guy who knows I’m here. Where’s here? A low-budget motel, outside room 9. I just called to let him know I arrived. He questions my sanity.

I don't want to be a wrestler for hire.
I have to be a wrestler for hire.

Story Preview: December 2018 (Warning: Spoilers)

Here we go ... how does 2018 wrap up? You can either wait and be surprised or click and be spoiled. It's all in your hands.

The Cast: Who's Who (November 2018)

Guys,

As we close in on the end of 2018, I'm finishing the year with some simple stories focused on one-on-one matches. This month, we had two fan faves and two new wrestlers.

The Cave Undercard 25

Valet = Jon Cossu (Model)

Review: Rhino x 2 (Thunders Arena)

I think it's fair to say that Thunders Arena entire brand is built on high quality musclemen. Still, I continue to be impressed by their ability to keep finding the hottest muscle studs. It's nothing short of remarkable. I'm already excited to see what they do with "Loki", a very familiar and very handsome model-bodybuilder.

Anyway, Rhino was the hot new guy a couple of months ago, but I can't always keep up. However, the chance to check him out finally arose, so I took the leap. While Thunders always finds the best beefcakes, that doesn't always result in the best matches.

Okay, Rhino, let's see what you've got ...
(beyond your cute face and perfect body)

Review: Lane Hartley vs. Kid Karisma (BGEast)

It's been a while since I was interested in all three matches on a BGEast compilation. The last one might actually have been Ty Alexander's Spotlight way back in March. Well, catalogue 132 is closing out the year on a high note with Ringwars 30. It has two must-buys - Ty Alexander vs. Brendan Byers (reviewed here) and Lane Hartley vs. Kid Karisma. And the third match features the incredible Mr. Joshua Goodman.

It's little heel vs. big pro.

Happy Thanksgiving, America!

For most of my visitors (53%), today is Thanksgiving Day. Personally, I actually get to enjoy two Thanksgivings every year, the first happening in October and then this one in November. I guess that means I should be doubly thankful, right? So what have I been doubly thankful for this year? So very many things, but here's a sampling of a few 2018 highlights.

I'm thankful for ...

... "discovering" Alex Costa (January)

Quick Hits: Cooper v King + Ace v Quivers (W4H)

I'm reviewing these two videos from Wrestler4Hire together for a reason. It was hard to review these 'matches' because there's not a lot to say, but I did want to cover them. They're very focused scenarios starring three popular studs and one familiar archetype.

It's two focused fights for your pleasure.

Review: Ty Alexander vs. Brendan Byers (BGEast)

BGEast is launching catalogue 132 soon. The first videos are up on the Arena, starting with a new Ringwars compilation. It's a winner with four superstars (Ty Alexander, Josh Goodman, Lane Hartley and Kid Karisma) in action, plus two popular hunks (Brendan Byers and Joe Robbins). I've already watched two of the matches and both are good.

I'll review Lane Hartley vs. Kid Karisma soon, but I watched Ty Alexander vs. Brendan Byers first, so I'm reviewing it first.

Past faces present and the future looks great.

The Cave Undercard 26: Bird Boy vs. Monitor

The Cave Ring

Xaq and Cody

“A rookie? UH! You’re wasting my - AH! - time with a rookie? FUCK, THAT HURTS! C’mon, Cody, stop cheating!”

I calmly say, “Bending your fingers back in an armbar is not cheating, Xaq. If you don’t like the pain, do something about it.” I smirk, knowing he’s too distracted by my reveal of his next wrestling match to counter effectively. I’m such a bastard but he has to learn.

Review: Dash Decker vs. Ethan Andrews (88Wrestling)

Rematches are tough to do, especially when they follow a great first match. I used to avoid them, but I have done more than a few now, mostly from Thunders Arena or the same guys facing off at a different promotion. Regardless of my feelings, when 88Wrestling announced Dash Decker vs. Ethan Andrews, it was pretty much a must-buy. How'd it go?

Hm, Dash vs. Ethan? Yes, I'm all in.

Review: Ace Owens vs. Elite Eliot (Wrestler4Hire)

Wrestler4Hire has done it again. They've brought two hot young pro wrestlers together for a private showdown. They're both young and cocky. Ace Owens is normally the good guy, while Elite Eliot is versatile, playing face and heel depending on the situation. I wasn't exactly sure how this one would go, but I figured it'd be well-done. And it is.

Things start out friendly in this pro vs. pro battle.

Review: Derek Bolt vs. Jeremy Daniels (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Full disclosure: This video was provided to me by Muscleboy Wrestling.

In his debut, Derek Bolt proved he's built for wrestling. The hairy bodybuilder was more than impressive as he faced another impressive rookie in Quin Quire. So when Derek Bolt vs. Jeremy Daniels appeared on catalogue 10, it was a no-brainer to check out.

Derek and Jeremy hits the mats.

Review: Ash DeLeon vs. Kenny Starr (BGEast)

There are a lot of wrestlers who go from place to place nowadays. It shouldn't be a surprise to see any wrestler in any promotion, but I admit that I actually was surprised to see Kenny Starr's smiling face on BGEast's catalogue 131 home page. Even with an extra 'r' on his last name, Ash DeLeon vs. Kenny Starr was immediately interesting to me.

Is Kenny happy he went to BGEast?

Review: Halloween Havoc 2018 (Thunders Arena)

Full disclosure: These videos were provided to me by Thunders Arena.

The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" is one of the greatest rituals of Halloween, running for almost 30 years. For about ten of those years, the special actually aired on the Sunday AFTER Halloween in November. They did it because of the World Series and this year gives me more appreciation for their scheduling dilemma.

Why? Because here we are on the first Sunday after the big day and I'm highlighting a 13-year gay wrestling video Halloween ritual. Thunders Arena sent me the four 2018 videos, but they came on 10/29 and you know my schedule is full at the end and beginning of every month with a Who's Who, a preview and a story. This is my first opening to talk Halloween.

Did any of this year's Halloween videos grab me?
(Cason + Eagle w/Bolt)

The Cave Undercard 25: Jungle Jamie vs. Valet

Cody’s Gym

“No thanks, Cody.”

“What? Jamie! You're turning down sex? You?”

Jamie's looking great.

Story Preview: November 2018 (Warning: Spoilers)

Happy Halloween, men. There's nothing scary in these November previews, except for some spooky spoilers. Oooooooh. Read this post at your own risk ... dun, dun, dunnnn.

The Cast: Who's Who (Oct 2018)

Guys,

New and familiar guys this month. As I said in the preview, I really liked this month's stories. That probably sounds arrogant, since I wrote them, but I don't say that every month. I plan for a lot more from our new Cave guys but Steve has one more match at BIGBeast, too.

The Cave 23

Cody = Leighton Stultz (Model)

Review: Austin Tyler vs. Joey McCoy (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Full disclosure: This match was provided to me by Muscleboy Wrestling.

Austin Tyler is definitely one of the rock stars of 2018. He's my go-to guy at UCW and his match against Nick Flex is one of MBW's best of the year. So when Austin Tyler vs. Joey McCoy was included in the ones sent to me at the launch of catalogue 10, I knew it would be one of the first ones I'd watch.

Can David beat Goliath?

Review: Kelly King vs. Toney Rico (BGEast)

When I reviewed Braden Charron vs. Tatum Riggs (review here), a reader recommended Kelly King vs. Toney Rico as the best from BGEast catalogue 130. Honestly, I probably would’ve let the match go by, but it was a forceful recommendation, the video features two wrestlers I’ve liked in the past, and there wasn’t much else in my queue. And so I decided to check it out.

This Big Boy Battle has big boys,
but 'battle' might be a little strong.

Review: Alex Costa vs. Quin Quire (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Full disclosure: This match was sent to me by Muscleboy Wrestling.

A friend e-mailed me this:
Whatever your plans are for today for TV or other things ... scratch them. You have to watch this match and then make a review of it ASAP. I’m not exaggerating. Drop everything and watch it. I’m going little by little. I’m still on minute 19 and it’s over 48!

He was talking about Alex Costa vs. Quin Quire. This match is one that I would’ve bought and watched no matter what, but with this kind of ringing endorsement and a link provided by MBW, I decided to jump on it fast. Well, reasonably fast, because like my helpful buddy, I didn’t make it all the way through this one in one shot.

These two hunks certainly grab you right away.

Review: Chase Addams vs. Bruno LaBestia (BGEast)

Back to BGEast catalogue 130. As I wrote before, this was the most interesting matchup to me. It brings two talented, creative and flirty wrestlers together. It’s heel vs. heel. And I’ve liked both a lot before. So I waited patiently for it to appear on VOD and it finally did. Yay! Now that I’ve watched Chase Addams vs. Bruno LaBestia, what did I think?

The guys enjoy some play time.

Review: Black Wrestling Network

I originally learned about Black Wrestling Network from Joe at Ringside. He posted about them multiple times from 2010 to 2013 (link to his tagged posts). I was intrigued but never acted on my interest. At that time, they were only streaming and DVDs while I was 100% downloads. And I found their website confusing and intimidating, much like I do with Can-Am and Spotland Scrappers. If I don’t post much about a known group, their website user experience could be the main culprit.

I finally decided to dive into BWN.

Review: Buck Carter vs. Toney Rico (BGEast)

Context matters so much. In all aspects of life, this is true, but now I’m forced to acknowledge how much it matters in terms of wrestling videos. A friend sent me an image from BGEast to identify. Turns out it’s a guy named Buck Carter from the upcoming Big n Beefy 7 which will be on catalogue 131. I thought the guy was hot and wanted to check him out. It also turns out I’ve seen him before and didn’t check him out when he was Wildcard at Thunders Arena. Huh.

Buck: "Dax Carter is going sky high, baby."

BIGBeast: The New Guy 6

This story is a reader commission.

Steve's Wake-Up Call

Me (Camera-boy) and Jimmy Wildfire
enjoy a moment in the BIGBeast ring.

"Time to get up, sleeping beauty." Jimmy taps Steve's face, but he just moans then rolls over onto his stomach in the ring. My boss shakes his head then unleashes a huge slap on Steve's gorgeous ass. SMACK! The bulbous butt cheek quivers and Steve wakes with a start. I can see a red handprint on the lower half where the jobber's white trunks ride up.