Welcome to the fourth annual Cavey Awards!
Each year of this blog, I've taken three posts to honor my favorite wrestlers, matches and promotions from the world of gay wrestling videos. Yes,
every single man who puts himself out there and wrestles for us deserves recognition. Whether it's a stud that I rave about, one of the ones I don't, or the ones I've never even watched, you help keep this whole thing going. And
I really appreciate every company that spends the money and time to release gay-oriented wrestling videos. All of the wrestlers and producers are amazing and I know that all have fans who would give them an award.
The Caveys are simply my way to recognize a few of MY personal favorites. I use the word ‘favorite’ deliberately. I don't claim these are the ‘best’. That suggests some kind of objective standard and ranking. These are 100% subjective and 100% mine. And I doubt anyone will agree with me on all of these. And that's cool. I respect your opinion.
The rules are simple:
- Eligibility includes any and all videos purchased by me OR provided to me by producers for promotional purposes. My viewing in 2018 is what matters. If I didn't watch it, it obviously doesn't count. And there are no carryovers, lifetime awards or legacy picks.
- Matches: I must have first watched the match between December 1, 2017 and November 30, 2018. It does not matter when the video was produced, released or purchased. It doesn't matter when or if I blogged about it. It is only the date of my first viewing that matters.
- Wrestlers: I have seen all nominated and winning wrestlers in eligible action during the eligibility period. Only wrestlers who appeared in an eligible match (see above) were considered for an award. Wrestlers are judged ONLY on 2018 eligible matches and nothing else.
- Promotions: I must have spent money with them during the eligibility period in order for the promotion to be considered. As well, the promotion can't have asked me or another blogger not to be covered. For the 2018 Caveys, there are a whopping 12 eligible promotions: BGEast, Black Wrestling Network, Can-Am, 88Wrestling, Krushco, Movimus, Muscle Domination Wrestling, Muscleboy Wrestling, Thunders Arena, UCW, Wrestler4Hire and Wrestlingmale.
In order to avoid any recency bias, I do look back at a lot of the videos that I watched earlier this year. In fact, 7/10 of my favorite matches happened in the first half of 2018 eligibility. Category-wise, I swapped some out to suit the year, as I usually do. So Favorite Hairy Hunk is no longer a category, while Favorite Jobber gets split and there are two new Muscle categories. You'll see what I mean.
If you think I missed something or someone that was awesome, tell me about it in the comments. If you want to share your favorites, the comment box is waiting for you. I'd love to read your opinions and it'll take you two seconds. Unless you're using Safari, in which case it might not work at all. It doesn't for me.
I always start with the guys who make it all happen - the studs in speedos who put it all on the line for our amusement. I think it was a rough year
(as you'll see on Day 3), but there were way more than enough studs to do this three times over. These are just personal recognitions by me, so I hope they're not taken too seriously by winners or non-winners.
Who are my favorite wrestlers of 2018?
(1) Favorite Wrestler
Winner: Austin Tyler (Muscleboy Wrestling, UCW, Wrestler4Hire)
Wow, what a year for Austin Tyler. For me, he had the best match of 2018 at two different promotions (MBW, UCW) and just always showed up with a big performance. In fact, Austin aka Gorilla featured in my top four UCW favorites this year, including the two tag matches.
I reviewed Austin a whopping nine times this year as he proved to be one of the most reliable wrestlers in the business. I love his body - those thick legs, stuffed trunks and smooth strong torso - and that now-famous white gear. But mostly, I love his attitude and energy. Congratulations to the 2018 winner.
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| Congratulations Austin! |
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| Yeah, hug your buddy, Austin. |
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| Nick wants more? Me, too! |
(2) Favorite Heel-Jobber
Winner: Ty Alexander (BGEast)
I decided to create a third category between heels and jobbers because I think there's more nuance to the category than the binary titles suggest. It was hard to compare one guy against another. I actually originally thought about just featuring this category with no separate heel and jobber choices, but once I mapped out wrestlers I wanted to recognize, I changed my mind.
Ty Alexander had a banner year. He was a mouthy doormat in his earlier-filmed matches, but in his newer ones, you can see how he's evolved into a more powerful badass who just happens to lose. He convincingly dominated Toney Rico and Brendan Byers for long stretches, plus the Trophy Boy out-heeled Jonny Firestorm at Wrestling with Pride. And that's what makes him my favorite heel-jobber.
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| Okay, that's the first qualification for this award. |
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| And there's the second one. |
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| Congrats, Ty! |
(3) Favorite Face-Jobber
Ace Owens (Wrestler4Hire)
I went back-and-forth on this, but I'm happy with my selection. Ace played the good guy jobber beautifully this year. Even when he has an attitude, he's so cute that I think it's impossible for him not to be a hero. I love his hair (getting pulled), his silky smooth body (getting pummeled) and his adorable face (etched with pain). And of course, his tight little gold trunks at the end of the year cinched the deal.
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| Ace can hardly contain himself. |
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| Winning for losing? Not everyone is impressed. |
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| You're right, Max, Ace has earned a nap. |
(4) Favorite Heel
Chase Addams (BGEast)
This is a tough division because it's debatable what makes a heel nowadays. And especially since I've differentiated between heels and heel-jobbers, who really belongs here? To me, Chase does. The guy is dominant, nasty and unencumbered by the rules. He delights in his work, which seems to be bending opponents like pretzels and making them beg for mercy. I watched him several times this year and he sure feels like a great heel to me.
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| A winning heel is creative. |
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| A winning heel makes 'em scream. |
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| A winning heel enjoys his job. |
(5) Favorite Rookie
Alex Costa (Muscleboy Wrestling)
This is the most shocking result of the year in the wrestler choices. I was sure Cason would win. Like 100% sure. I actually would've lost a bet on it and I'm the one who makes the choices. What happened was this ... when I was looking at my favorite matches, Alex had several in contention right up until the end and one winner
(find out which one tomorrow!), while Cason had none after the first cut. This made me re-think everything. And here we are.
Alex Costa is my favorite rookie of 2018, because of his amazing hairy body, his sweat, his personality and his wrestling. At first, I thought he was a one-dimensional jobber, but boy, he proved me wrong. The guy is delicious to watch, whether he's winning or losing. Every one of his videos was a winner, whether he was or not.
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| He's the right size, but no, Alex, he's not your Cavey. |
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| Alex: "Want to get fucked by a Cavey winner?" |
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| Bruno enjoys Alex's winning taste. |
(6) Favorite Erotic Wrestler
Bruno the Beast/LaBestia (BGEast, Muscleboy Wrestling, UCW)
This was surprisingly easy once I looked at my favorites matches where he had two semi-finalists and one winner
(find out which one tomorrow!). Bruno had some amazingly sexy erotic matches with Ty Alexander, Alex Costa and Ryan Sparks, but the guy oozes so much sex appeal that even his PG-rated match against Chase Addams felt incredibly sexy.
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| Guess what, Alex? Bruno's a winner, too. |
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| Come on, Chase, Bruno's win doesn't diminish yours. |
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| Ty's more than happy to celebrate with Bruno. |
(7) Favorite Porn Crossover
Aspen (Muscleboy Wrestling, Thunders Arena)
This was a surprisingly hard choice. Until I started to work out these awards, I didn't realize just how many porn guys also worked hard to impress on the mat and in the ring. Most of them were at Muscleboy Wrestling, but there were a few spread all over the place. It's great to see them use their hard bodies for hard-hitting action, too.
Aspen stood out the most to me, because he really seemed to throw himself into the wrestling side of things. Not that standouts like Gabriel Cross, Derek Bolt and Quin Quire didn't, but Aspen added a few wrestling-only appearances against muscle studs like Brute, Joey King and Nick Flex, which I appreciated.
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| Smile big, Aspen. You're a winner. |
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| Aw, a big happy hug. |
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| Nick, don't hate. Aspen has to announce his win. |
(8) Favorite Pro Crossover
Elite Eliot (Wrestler4Hire)
This one might seem counter-intuitive. After all, Austin Tyler is a pro crossover and my favorite wrestler of the year. How can he not be my favorite pro crossover? The reason is that Elite Eliot maintains that pro persona in his style and action, while in most of Austin's matches, he doesn't play it up. Am I splitting hairs? Maybe, but no matter how you slice it, Eliot deserves an award and I'm happy to give him one.
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| Eliot: "Hey, did you hear? I won a Cavey!" |
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| Garrett: "What the fuck is a Cavey?" |
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| Congrats to two winners. |
(9) Favorite Young Muscle
Cason (Thunders Arena)
Well, in an upset, Cason didn't get my favorite rookie, but he certainly couldn't lose this award. What is this award? After all, age is just a number. The Young Muscle Cavey is about more than just age, it's about that youthful cockiness that certain wrestlers have. That "fuck, I'm amazing, I can do anything" arrogance that so many young studs have. It came to me as I thought about a heavyweights category and I was looking at Cason and Vinny. I realized how different they were and made it about age.
Cason is physical perfection, but more than that, he's cool, charming and always down for whatever comes along. The amazing hunk frequently referred to his age in relation to his muscles -
"I'm only 20 and I look like this?" His swagger and looks combined to make him one of the most watchable and entertaining wrestlers of 2018.
As one of my 2018 favorite wrestlers who won't appear on my 2018 favorite matches list, I don't think he's had a signature bout yet, but he's had signature moments. Blayne's climb of shame. Bicep kisses (both ways). The pool in Vegas. Bolt's birthday party shenanigans. The Halloween Scream parody. I'm definitely look forward to a lot more from him.
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| Yep, that's a winner. |
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| Dude, wake up ... Cason won! |
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| Sorry, Scrappy, Caveys aren't for sale. |
(10) Favorite Mature Muscle
Butch.J (Wrestlingmale)
And last, but certainly not least, the Mature Muscle Cavey. The counterpoint to the Young Muscle award. While many only value youth, these bodies are just as beautiful, just as watchable and just as lustable. But what sets them apart is that they carry themselves with a different kind of confidence. These guys have seen more, done more and have nothing to prove other than that they can kick your ass.
Of all my award winners, I watched Butch.J the least. It was only three matches, but what matches they were. I absolutely loved the hairy, beefy muscle stud this year. He more than held his own against hairy young bucks, dominating Muscle Beast and jobbing for Stefan. And no matter what, he's simply a gorgeous, confident slab of beef.
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| You won! You won! You won! |
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| Uh, that's a trophy, Stefan, but not a Cavey. |
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| Enjoy the hug then get back in the ring, big guy! |
Congratulations, men. Ten Caveys handed out to ten deserving wrestling studs. You all deserve the recognition and appreciate your hard work this year.
Now, faithful reader, I need something from you. I only watch a small percentage of the videos put out every year. Who were your favorite wrestlers in 2018? Write your reactions and choices in the comments section. There's no right or wrong and it only takes a few seconds. Just be respectful of my choices and anyone else's.
Tomorrow, I will award Caveys to my top ten matches of 2018!
Alex
Deserving winners all, but I highly recommend you consider Thunder's newest muscle monster, Vidar, for next year's awards. He's named after a Norse deity (undoubtedly due to his Scandinavian looks), and his body has the flawless perfection of a god. His physique looks like that of a superhero, and he oozes confidence and dominance. He's only been in 4 Vegas matches at Thunder's thus far, none of which were heavily promoted for some reason despite the fact they were incredible. I'm hoping we see A LOT more of him in the coming year!
ReplyDelete- JS
Thanks! This lastest round of Thunders’ new videos are on the radar for next year. I bought a few Loki matches.
DeleteHonestly, Vidar is not a guy I will ever buy or watch. He might look flawless, but from what I have seen of his online persona, he is highly flawed and not someone I would ever support.
How ironic, many feel the same way but about cason. He is so boring.
DeleteBoring I can handle. Homophobia, not so much.
DeleteHi Alex,
DeleteThe last anonymous comment in this string wasn't from me. I happen to think Cason is awesome. As you mention in your reviews, he's fun-loving and pretty much up for anything, and whenever he sticks his tongue out, it makes me melt a little inside! :)
I'm so sorry to hear that about Vidar. That's probably why Thunder's hasn't been promoting him very much. It's a shame on multiple levels. For one, it's sad that he can't be more friendly and accepting -- although I do find it a bit odd that a homophobe would end up competing for TA. Perhaps he's had an epiphany and is trying to change his mindset with a little immersion therapy? (We can only hope!)
It's also extremely unfortunate that you must deny yourself the pleasure of watching Vidar in action -- although I totally respect your decision and commend you for standing by your values. However, Vidar's match against Cap is LITERALLY what dreams are made of, and his match against Cason is a true clash of the titans!
I truly hope Vidar has realized the error of his ways and is genuinely apologetic for his past comments and attitudes so that you and others might one day be able to enjoy his body of work (with the emphasis on "body", lol!). Even the most dreadful people can make a change for the better, and sometimes all it takes is spending a little time with those you "fear" and don't understand to realize they're not really bad people at all. I'm hoping Vidar's time with the Thunder's crew broadens his perspective and changes his mindset in this regard.
- JS
Oh, I get the appeal, but there are lots of hot guys and hot matches out there. I can afford to ignore a few bigots.
DeleteAnd no worries. I never thought that was you and even if it was, I don’t mind if people think guys I like are boring. To each his own.
A couple of years back, there was a similar discussion about this topic on this blog. Im sure everyone that follows this blog remembers, that it had to do with a video that was overtly Homophobic. Or the character was overtly homophobic, and the actual producer understood the audiences point, and not only apologized but also edited the video.
DeleteBTW its not about censoring. With my Tumblr blog being almost completely invisible thanks to Tumblrs new Censorship, I understand censorship. Its that this is blog, and gay wrestling, is for a specific audience. And this audience pays money. And that audience has the right to support or not support something or someone.
I cant even argue on behalf of the old school "homophobic character", because for people that suffered homophobia, it wasnt funny or entertaining, it was the continous abuse that they went in real life, psychological and physical. In fact that character was a threat. And another thing to remember. In most of the world, gay men, go through a life of living hell, even worse than in USA. Its not something to joke about or take lightly as it was culturally normal to do. So there are other guys out there as Miller states.
If Vidar changes or not, it doesnt matter. He can have a life doing other things and life will probably give him opportunities to see things from a different angle. You never know. Life has a way of teaching things that are not the methods used by society. Im sure it will happen. I dont wish Vidar ill will. Not at all. Nobody is perfect. But its ok to take a stand and support people that also take a stand. So I support Miller on this decision. Kudos.
I genuinely do not get Ty Alexander. And it's not a looks thing. I could happily support a wrestler who isn't a bodybuilder or underwear model type, but his attitude is just so judgmental. I mean, I followed him for a couple of months on facebook and insta, and in that brief time he said negative things about at least a dozen other wrestlers, but went off on some random guy who started a facebook page about muscle men jobbers (or something like that) for making a video where he ranked his favorite wrestlers.
ReplyDeleteTy was included (which, given the name of the group, was quite generous at all), but not as highly as he thought he should have been, so he then went off on the guy and the group for daring to enjoy something other than what he does. And the overall irony was, I only discovered the poll he found so offensive because he posted about it on his facebook page to mock Chase Addams for not being ranked as high as he was.
I don't know. He just strikes me as shady as hell.
I wouldn’t know about all that, but Ty and Chase have a frenemy thing on social (Chase’s Twitter page headline includes “Ty is still a loser”) so that wouldn’t bother me. Not every wrestler is for everyone, but I think Ty’s matches are really, really good and he’s really, really good in them.
DeleteI don’t usually let outside stuff impact me, especially for heel wrestlers. MJF says the rudest stuff on social, but I love him.
The only two exceptions so far where outside wrestling activity has impacted my viewing and reviewing are (1) intense, unapologetic homophobia (see above); and (2) serious/disgusting criminal activity, which has only arisen once and I deleted two reviews featuring a specific indie pro wrestler.
Im sorry but how can you say this about Ty? He is one of the most humble people i have ever come across. Im sorry butni totally disagree with this post!
DeleteHe has an opinion which i value and respect alot, if he was such a monster as you make him out to be then why is he one of the best wrestlers on the underground wrestling scene? The work he does is amazing so if you are gonna nit pick at his comments then you need a reality check!
I have spoken to him many times and class him as a great online friend, and not once jas he shown himself to be shady unless its needed.
I think Cason would have won rookie of the year on any year, but he faced a titan of his own in Alex Costa. I mean from the first video Mr Costa had it. Hotness, weirdness, jobberishness and of course MBW style matches. But he wasn’t such a jobber after all. As the year went on he only got better. And hotter. So I agree with you this choice completely, although in a way surprising, because in my mind it would have been Cason. But once you put Alex Costa in the picture, Cason gets slammed and pinned with a 10 count.
ReplyDeleteAlthough at least he gets the consolation prize of New Young Muscle. He can get better though and I think he has room for growth. Since he came to Thunders, he has been a magnet for talent, so lots of points there. But the raw talent is there.
I’ll give a more nuanced post with my picks. Im pretty sure they will be different. Except for those two!
Alex Costa kind of snuck up on me. It’s the combination of all his matches and his evolution that made him a star.
DeleteFricks Sexy Cave Picks:
ReplyDeleteFavorite Wrestler: Alex Costa (MBW) Runner up:Cason (THUNDERS)
Favorite Heel: Justin Powers (MBW)
Favorite Jobber: Alex Costa (when he jobbers) MBW
Favorite Face : Cason (THUNDERS)
Most Dedication to Underground Wrestling : Scrappy (VARIOUS)
Most Growth: Scrappy (VARIOUS)
Future Potential: Franco Vetti (BG EAST)
Honorable Mention : LOKI, Cason (THUNDERS)
Top Muscle Daddy: Nick Flex (MBW)
Favorite Muscle Boy : Franco Vetti (BG EAST)
Very nice list! I love the potential category for those rookies who didn’t get a bunch of videos. Franco was great in his lone match ... fingers crossed he’s not the subject of a OHW post in a few years!
DeleteYAY! You liked it! Im crossing finger in both hands and my toes on both feet. Hopefully the guys over at BG EAST are reading these posts. BIFF FARELL is on my radar thanks to that BG EAST match against Franco Vetti. So for sure that match will be featured tomorrow on my comment on your post. I wanted to put him here, but wasn't sure. Best Face turned Heel? What you think? His performance was really good on that match!
DeleteThe best part of doing your own awards is that you can do whatever you want. If you want to recognize Biff, you can. Favorite Heel Turn. Favorite Fireplug. Favorite Blond Muscleman Who Beat On Franco Vetti’s Perfect Abs. It’s all your call.
DeleteBTW I meant to say hopefully the guys at BG EAST are reading and book Franco Vetti for more matches. If not, maybe MBW can come to the rescue! Or any other good promotion! NO. DONT EVEN THINK OF OHW! HAHAHA. OHW's should be arrested for cruel and unusual punishment, and for crimes against humanity! HAHA
ReplyDeleteThe optics of most these guys don't move me. Exceptions are Steel, Cason, Vinny ( mature? In his 30s, maybe?), Mitch Colby.
ReplyDeleteBut the big visual hit for me is the tremendously hunky stud in the match versus Costa. Who is he?
The three Alex Costa images are, in order: Armond Rizzo, Quin Quire and Bruno the Beast.
DeleteAs for Vinny, he claimed to be in his 40’s against Cason, so I ran with that for his consideration for mature muscle. If it was a joke, oh well.
Thanks. After looking all of them up, it turned out that the fellow I wanted to know about was Alex himself. I feel stupid.
ReplyDeleteI found a few more Images of him, but not enough. Want more, ne d more!
That’s funny. Well, if you’ve checked out all my Alex Costa reviews, make sure to visit Joe at Ringside. He has done even more posts on the hairy muscle hunk.
Delete