My BGEast BESTIES Ballot

Last year, I declined an offer to nominate anyone for BGEast's annual awards. This year, when asked, I decided to just go ahead and do it. It was fun and it makes a nice blog post.

The ballot had 15 categories on it, which I divide into three areas: Action, Wrestlers and Body Parts. I was asked to rank my top three in each from catalogues 117-124 inclusive. Some of this mirrors my Cavey choices, but some doesn't. I don't do body awards, for example. And it's BGEast only, of course. Some of these matches and wrestlers I have reviewed this year. A couple I still plan to review. And a couple I never got to reviewing. Still, I don't think most of it will surprise any regulars readers of this blog.

Action: Outside of the Best Overall and Best Ring Match, this was challenging to pick this year. I had to just suck it up and make some hard choices, but if I was doing it again, I might change my mind. I'll be interested to see if Cole vs. Josh does well. One of the biggest BGEast fans I know agreed with me, but will the rest of the nominating committee?

Best 2017 Overall Match:

1. Joshua Goodman vs Cole Cassidy (reviewed here)
2. Kid Karisma vs Jobe Zander (reviewed here)
3. Jonny Firestorm vs Lane Hartley (reviewed here)

Last year, my Cavey Fave Match winner won it all
at the Besties, too. Will we match again in 2017?

Best Ring Match:

1. Joshua Goodman vs Cole Cassidy (reviewed here)
2. Kid Karisma vs Jobe Zander (reviewed here)
3. Jonny Firestorm vs Kirby Stone (reviewed here)

Kid vs. Jobe was another outstanding match
and it used the ring environment beautifully.

Best Mat Battle:

1. Kid Karisma vs Chace LaChance (reviewed here)
2. Jonny Firestorm vs Christian Taylor (reviewed here)
3. Austin Cooper vs Kerry Cunningham

My favorite mat battles happened outside.

Best Squash:

1. Jonny Firestorm vs Lane Hartley (reviewed here)
2. Lane Hartley vs Kirk Donahue (reviewed here)
3. Kayden Keller vs Carter Alexander (reviewed here)

Lane's cool destruction of Kirk was squash-tastic.

Sexiest Match:

1. Ty Alexander vs Steve Mason (reviewed here)
2. Chase Addams vs Toney Rico
3. Calvin Haynes vs Nino Leone (reviewed here)

Ty and Steve heated up the shack.

Best Submission:

1. Kayden Keller vs Carter Alexander (reviewed here)
2. Kid Karisma vs Ethan Andrews (reviewed here)
3. Ty Alexander vs Steve Mason (reviewed here)

Kid's match vs. Ethan had great submission moves.

Hottest Liplock:

1. Calvin Haynes & Nino Leone (reviewed here)
2. Ace Aarons & Ash DeLeon
3. Ty Alexander & Steve Mason (reviewed here)

There were two ways to go with this.
The fact that I chose dominant for the first two ...

... over this romantic kiss between Ty and Steve
probably says something about me.

Wrestlers: This was tough, too. Heels and Debuts were easy, but Babyfaces and Jobbers weren't. I take the descriptions literally and won't put in someone who doesn't strictly fit the bill. By my definition, Jake Jenkins was neither a Babyface nor a Jobber in his only eligible appearance (vs. Tony Law). And Ty Alexander wasn't a jobber in either of his matches. The Caveys have taught me to not vote for superstars based on their legacy. However, for Babyface, I didn't see a better option than Biff Farrell. Oh well.

Top Babyface:

1. Kirk Donahue
2. Christian Taylor
3. Biff Farrell

Christian seems like a good guy to me.

Top Heel:

1. Kid Karisma
2. Jonny Firestorm
3. Cole Cassidy

Cole was certainly cruel enough to make it.

Jobber of the Year:

1. Calvin Haynes
2. Denny Cartier
3. Kirk Donahue

Kirk is a winner at losing.

Debut of the Year:

1. Zip Zarella
2. Ace Aarons
3. Steve Mason

Zip was easily my fave debut of the year.

Body Parts: This is an area where, based on past Besties, I am on an island. Yes, Kid Karisma is awesome. I love him and his body. He could easily sweep everything except the bulge award. But there are lots of other great bodies at BGEast. I love Calvin Haynes' body. And Mitch Colby's. And Carter Alexander's. And so you'll see them on my ballot.

One lens I used for Best Body was this: "If I was forced to choose a body other than my own, what would I choose?" I wouldn't choose to be short or skinny (not that there's anything wrong with that). So, why would I vote for short and skinny (not that there's anything wrong with that) for the Best Body award?

My one vote likely won't make a difference, but I do like my choices.

Yes, Kid is awesome, but so are other guys.

Best Body:

1. Calvin Haynes (5'9"/200-lbs)
2. Mitch Colby (6'2"/206-lbs)
3. Carter Alexander (6'1"/184-lbs)

What a MAN. I just love
Calvin's beefy, bulging body.

Mitch was back and looking great.

Carter's body is a winner in my book.

Best Abs:

1. Carter Alexander
2. Mitch Colby
3. Kid Karisma

Kayden appreciates Carter's abs, too.

Best Bulge:

1. Steve Mason
2. Josh Goodman
3. Jobe Zander

Newbie Steve Mason jumped to the top of my list.

Best Butt:

1. Ty Alexander
2. Calvin Haynes
3. Kid Karisma

Calvin is perhaps surprising, but definitely deserved!

So that's my list. We'll see if I have any impact at all. Obviously there are a ton of guys making nominations, so we'll see how it all works out!

Got opinions? Of course you do. So share them!

Alex