Review: Cason vs. Eagle (Thunders Arena)

We're back with a couple of Eagle matches from Thunders Arena. I'm starting with Cason vs. Eagle then I'll cover Eagle vs. Viking in two days. These were no-brainer buys based on the talent, although I'm falling out of love with the patio as a setting for videos. However, Cason and Eagle make this work, especially if you like seeing guys knocked out.

Two of Thunder's hottest musclemen play around.

Cason broke through right away, becoming a star immediately. It feels like he's been around forever, even though he's only been around for a few months. Thunders obviously recognizes his potential, because he has faced almost every top guy still on the roster. Eagle is the penultimate piece of that puzzle. Frey is the final one as they appeared together, but not against each other. I even have a suggestion for Frey vs. Cason later in this review. This is, of course, barring returns by guys like Bolt, Talon or Vinny.

I won't spend much time on the young buck’s looks (they're perfect), but instead focus on his personality. It's also perfect. Cason fits right in at the Thunders house, smoothly coming across as both cocky and charming, a hard feat. I also like how much he likes being admired by other muscle guys. He's obviously a huge showoff, which makes him confident wrestling anyone.

Of course, this isn't all about the rookie. Eagle is a hunk who always gets my attention. He's a soft-spoken guy, but feisty and confident. As he's bulked up, so has his ego. Right from the start, he's talking like he's the star of Thunders, assuming the role of established veteran against the new flavor of the (last three) month(s).

Cason loves to have guys worship his perfect body.

Eagle's not intimidated.

Eagle's just full of beefy power.

This video is back on the patio. Things start off with some posing, so I'm a little worried after seeing Cason vs. Viking (reviewed here). However, it all works out as they start jawing then wrestling fast. At 1:15, one guy surprises the other with a rear naked choke and things are on. Flexing is then mostly restricted to dominant moments where they get to show off while the other guy sleeps.

Yes, sleeps. This match is sleeper-heavy, with both guys going down to hot chokes. Seeing guys this strong, this capable knocked out is nirvana for me. We don't get to see Cason in another dragon sleeper, but Eagle rocks as the victim, bent back, chest up, arms slowly weakening. The sleepers and the post-sleeper checks are among my favorite moments in any wrestling video.

Cason's just great to watch.

Eagle trying to make those abs a little less perfect.

There are some other nice moves, besides the chokes and knockouts. I included a couple for proof, but totally wanted to spoil a lot more. The musclemen are put on display as they should be, controlled and dominated for lengthy periods. Both guys talk, getting more aggressive as things go on. I do find it funny that Cason calls Eagle prettyboy in a pejorative sense. Uh, dude? Hunks in glass houses. Anyway, they also sell like they're supposed to. And you get that amazing charisma that you expect.

I will say that Cason's abs were built to be tested with brutal body blows. I think they need to put him in an ab bashing video and I don't even like ab bashing videos. It's just that he's so perfect. If they need inspiration, they should check out Kayden Keller’s ruthless and creative destruction of Carter Alexander’s perfect midsection. Just do that with Cason in the Carter role, Frey in the Kayden role and a more convincing initial takedown.

I don't remember the patio being so limiting, but maybe it always has been. It's definitely proving to be my least favorite space lately. The guys can't really wrestle much, so maybe it's the size or skill of the studs. After all, we are looking at big men in this series of videos, especially with 6’1”/230-lbs Cason and 6’6”/260-lbs Viking. Anyway, it frequently feels more like they're trading holds, alternating between them until the ultimate conclusion where one guy officially wins. I think this could be boring, but these hunks are so good that they win me over.

There's also a lot of ambient conversation/voices in the background. I don't know the source - neighbors may be mentioned or someone in the house - but it makes some of the banter harder to understand. It didn't bother me really, but it was noteworthy. It did make me remember that this is a real house, in a neighborhood, next door to someone. Can you imagine? Woof.

There's a lot of napping in this one.

Even Eagle notices how much Cason sweats.

Eagle in a dragon sleeper is amazing.

Can't have sleepers without the check and flex.

In the end, I enjoyed this for what it is. The guys look great. There's good chemistry and there's quite a few holds. The space is limiting, so it's more hold-exchanging than I'd like, but the holds that are done are good. Eagle is in the zone, knowing exactly what to do and how to do it.

Cason is just amazing. He's jumped in and become an incredibly likable star really fast. One quote in here features two things that make me very happy, "That's right, boys. Cason's here to stay." Yay!

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

Alex