Review: Ty Alexander vs. Austin Cooper (BGEast)

Ty: "Austin Cooper? I'm not impressed. I thought you'd be taller." 

Austin: "Yeah? I thought you'd be smarter."

Ty Alexander got his first Spotlight on this latest BGEast catalogue. I figured I'd eventually check out all three matches, so I OTA'ed it. This compilation runs through three different Ty's - early, middle and recent. He's got one superstar opponent and two far less famous dudes with only five total matches between them.

I decided to start with the second match, which is obviously the oldest of the three. It features the superstar - THE Austin Cooper. I didn't choose this because it's Austin, though. I chose it because I figured chronological order was the best way for me to experience this Spotlight, even if BGEast put it in a different order.

Even in this early match, Ty has his cocky attitude.

Ty Alexander is thinner and twinkier in tight pink rubber squarecuts. The body and booty haven't fully developed yet, but his cocky jobber swagger is in full force. I don't think Ty's brand new here, but Austin calls him a newbie. Despite Austin's bigger muscles and greater experience, the rookie has no fear. He mocks and mouths off from the start and keeps his attitude on full blast.

By this point, Austin Cooper was probably well on his way to stardom when this was filmed. The dialogue confirms that he already has a reputation, but so do his muscles and confidence. I think that BGEast generally used Austin more as a jobber than other places, but he's the dominant heel here in dark underwear, boots and accessories.

Ty thought Austin Cooper would be taller.

Austin thought the newbie would be smarter.

Ty Alexander vs. Austin Cooper must have been sitting around in the BGEast vault for some time. There's the guys' looks, but I also know this because it's shot in 4:3 ratio, before HD was popular. I expected this to be a rookie squash, but it's not. It's not 50/50, Austin definitely dominates more, but Ty's moments on top are impressive and last for a good length of time.

After some banter, the guys get into it for a lengthy match featuring a ton of action. It's actually more GIF-able than JPG-able, but I held back to avoid giving too much away. The guys play well off each other. They both sell everything really well when they're losing and trash talk when they're winning.

Coop is a powerhouse, especially
against original lightweight Ty.

Defying expectations, Ty puts up a fight.

Austin: "I'm going to kill you!"
Ty: "No, you're not. You're going to do nothing!"

We don't see too many airplane spins. It's fun.

These two run through a great selection of moves. Austin uses his power and creativity, while Ty show a lot of skill for a rookie. There's a "climb of shame", sped up below. Like a good heel, Austin enjoys it. Like a good jobber, Ty's pathetically weak, even giving Austin an ineffectual fist that the muscleman doesn't even notice.

I'm undecided if I think BGEast did the right thing holding this back. Austin is excellent at showcasing rookies and this is no exception. He sets Ty up really well, so this could've launched Ty. However, Ty has done pretty well without it and honestly, I probably would've passed on it if they'd rolled it out back in the day. So, maybe they did the right thing.

Another "Climb of Shame"? It's my lucky day.
I sped this up 2X, but you get the idea.

Muscle and experience overwhelms attitude.

Those are some powerful arms.

In the end, this older match is a great way to start to Ty's Spotlight. Austin's the star and the muscle stud, but rookie Ty has the presence that makes him a future star. I especially like the surprising amount of back-and-forth. At Thunders, I think Austin's their absolute best at working with new guys, so it's nice to see that he did it at BGEast, too.

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

Alex