Review: Brad Honeycutt vs. Nick Milani (MBW)

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

Okay, I'm going to start with another aside. I dislike Blogger's new interface for posting. To me, it's an example of folks trying to justify their existence and changing things simply to change them. It is free and I make them zero money, so I try not to look a gift horse in the mouth. It's just that so far, it seems worse in every way. I can't think of one actual improvement that I've found so far. Ugh.

Glad to get that off my chest. Now, let's get to business. And that business is wrestling. Specifically, Brad Honeycutt vs. Nick Milani. Luckily, this video isn't disappointing. It's actually quite good.

Brad and Nick tussle on the mats.

Review: Ty Alexander vs. Ray Naylor (BGEast)

First, please let me start with an aside. For those of you that read my most recent story (Encounters: Labor Day), you know the story and the inspiration. A big ginger stud (in a white singlet for part of it) faces a hairy dom (inspired by Bull Barrett). In fact, the original story had the narrator moving to England, but I changed the base model to be Maxon, which kept him stateside.

Anyway, three days later on actual Labor Day, Bull Barrett (@bullybarrett) replied to a tweet by a 6'4"/260-lbs Australian stud named Northside Giant (@NGiant86), who was modeling his brand new white singlet. They had some back-and-forth about a meeting on the mats and I was immediately, "Cool, that's just like my story!" What a fun coincidence.

Labor Day

This year has been a lot of work, so let's really recognize Labor Day. This is for all the wrestlers who work hard for our pleasure.

This year's song is the classic Sixty Minute Man by Billy Ward and his Dominoes, 1951

Sixty-minute man, sixty-minute man

Encounters: Labor Day

Pre-Match.

“Fuck. Time’s movin’ slower than a possum in the sun.”

The waiting really is the hardest part. The morning went fast enough. I laid out the mats, hung one up on the outside wall of the stone shed. Inside the shed is ready for post-match fun. I put out a cooler with water. Towels. We’re gonna sweat. Actually ironed my gear for the first time ever to look extra crisp. Set up a camera. We’re both gonna wanna remember this one.

Come on, man. I’m ready.

No New Story Today

Guys,

Well, it’s happened. I did not compete a new story in time, For over 5 years, I kept a regular schedule with a new story on the 1st and 15th. I won’t claim this was planned. Work has been very stressful for the past two weeks. I have a story started, but just couldn’t  get the motivation to work on it. So, I’m not sure when I’ll get back with stories but I do plan to do it soon.

I didn’t want to leave people wondering or worrying. Everything is fine in the larger scale. Just busyness and business got in the way.

Alex

The Cast: Who's Who (July 2020)

Guys,

My double dose of CLAW went over like I thought it would, but I thought both stories were good. And I was glad to bring Jeff back, although the four-year gap may have resulted in a lot of readers not even knowing/remembering who he is.

CLAW 9

Koke = Khuslen Khan (Model)

Review: Brendan Byers vs. Gabe Steel (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Muscleboy Wrestling has their new catalog out. Six new videos, of which they sent me four to check out. You'll notice no disclosure at the top, because instead of talking about any of those, I'm talking about one they didn't send me. I appreciate the gesture but when I looked at catalogue 21, it was Brendan Byers vs. Gabe Steel that intrigued me the most and it's the one I had to watch.

This is a match i needed to see!

Review: Steve Mason vs. Ivan Guerrero (Hunks Wrestling)

Full disclosure: The video was provided to me by Hunks Wrestling.

Iván Guerrero could be my new favorite thing in the world, replacing the Happy Endings reunion special which had a good four-day run. He's smoking hot but my ever-changing NFTITW designation is about way more than that. He's got a cool detached self-confidence that's sexy and scary. His smirking smugness and condescension would probably be irritating in real life, but in a wrestling video, it's hot as fuck. I wish I understood everything he says. HW subtitles the plot-driving bits but I feel like every word from his mouth is likely a gem of pure bitchy dismissiveness.

Steve clearly had no idea what he was in
for when he picked up my man Iván.

Review: Chase Addams vs. Kayden Keller (BGEast)

It’s one thing to be a heel. It’s quite another to be the “top heel”. By its very nature, a heel vs. heel battle ranks the nasty boys on toughness, smarts and skills. I said the same thing in my last two reviews of Kayden Keller, battles against Brendan Byers and Rolf Fulton, using them to rank three of BGEast's bad asses. Now, Kayden is back facing Chase Addams, both guys putting their “top heel” aspirations on the line. Wow, Kayden sure isn’t ducking anyone, is he?

It's go time for the top heels.

Review: Garrett Thomas vs. Mighty Vinny (W4H)

Like a lot of people, my Twitter timeline has been filled with ordinary-looking objects that are actually cake. It is/was one of those momentary trends that both amuses and terrifies. I'll go on record and say that I don't think either of these guys are cake, but without slicing them open, there's no way to be sure. However, they're both pretty sweet and tasty looking. See how I brought that around?

Trying to show the boss up? Bad move, kid.

CLAW 10: Jeff vs. 'Lethal' Lee Evans

Dusty Inn. A Bar and Motel West of Tucson AZ.

“Man, that was rough, Ben.”

Me. Jeff.

Review: Rob Adonis vs. Lee Thomas (NewPro Wrestling)

This match has come up in blog conversation a couple of times. The first time was on Sean Pford's Inner Jobber blog when he saw an image and wanted an identification. I was able to provide it (a rare feat for me). While that post is gone, it directly led to my review of Pepper Parks vs. Brad Smith from NewPro Wrestling. This time, Rob Adonis vs. Lee Thomas from NewPro 5 came up on my review of Young Ady vs. Max Morrison as a related teacher vs. student video.

It's teacher v student in this
"vintage" match.

Review: Paradise Loft (Spotland Scrappers)

Paradise Loft features the Spotland Scrappers debut of Lewy "Ripper" Paradise. Seems like this must have been a big deal at the time. It's not called Smiler Loft, after all. Of course, that wouldn't be nearly as clever a title ... I mean,  they've got a wrestler named Paradise wrestling in a loft. The title practically writes itself. Still, I figured the tattooed prettyboy was meant to be the primary draw.

Paradise looks pretty sweet to me.

Review: Ty Alexander vs. Kenny Star (BGEast)

In the past, I've done special posts on or around July 4th, including red-white-and-blue trunks, Wade Cutler and "fireworks". Last year, I was on vacation in the two weeks prior so I missed it, but I did share vacation pics from Alaska. This year, I wasn't sure what to do, so I chose a regular review. There is a little bit of fortuitous wardrobing as Ty Alexander comes to the mats wearing appropriately themed trunks and shoes.

Ty makes this video somewhat themed for the day.

CLAW 9: Koke vs. Xander

Ben’s Office at CLAW

“A heel turn?”

“Yep.”

“Oh.”

I try to hide my disappointment, shocked that Ben would do me like this. I’m Mateo, the best face at Championship League of American Wrestling aka CLAW. Or at least I was. I thought I was doing great, but now my character is being changed. Probably to make way for a new face wrestler. Probably Ryker. He’s a loser with a sob story and nice-guy-Ben is falling all over himself to give him a chance to rebuild his failed career. Now at my expense.

Story Preview: July 2020 (WARNING: SPOILERS!)

This is my first preview post this year. I feel pretty confident that I'll get this month's stories done. If you're curious what my 201st and 202nd stories are, click and find out! But be warned, YOU WILL BE SPOILED!

Review: Young Ady vs. Max Morrison (Spotland Scrappers)

I would be a terrible eyewitness, apparently. When I bought Young Ady vs. Max Morrison from Spotland Scrappers, I briefly looked at one preview image on their transactional site and saw a rugged badass who I assumed to be Max Morrison. I liked Young Ady against Rob Palomino, so I thought, "Oh cool, I want to see him face this guy!" Yeah, turns out that guy is Young Ady, just with a different haircut.

Like literally, that's the only difference. Same guy. Same GIANT pec/shoulder tattoo that I somehow missed? The guy I wanted to see face Young Ady is ... Young Ady.

See, doesn't he look rough and tough?

The Cast: Who's Who (June 2020)

Guys,

June is in the books. Jae made a triumphant return against a popular newbie. And I marked my 200th story on the blog. Yay. As usual, my milestone stories are mainly written for me, something different that I find interesting. I'm an X-Men fan, so alternate futures are natural for me. It's one of their two staple (ie. cliche) storylines (along with the Phoenix, which I also brought into the story).

Fun fact ... the opening in the gallery was originally conceived as how I'd introduce The Cave in a visual medium, like a comic book. Cody and Ryan would've faced off with robbers at a bank branch, quickly establishing their different personalities and the pro wrestling world - forearms not firearms, chairs as the weapon of choice, and pro wrestling gear as designer fashion. I changed the way it would play out and the location (will there be bank branches in 2041?) but I was happy to have the thought live somewhere.

The Cave: The Adventures of SuperStar 19

Jae/SuperStar = Mike Carr (Model)

Review: Johnny Greco vs. Jesse Zane (Muscleboy Wrestling)

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

Jesse: "Dude, word on the street is that you like to lose."

I wonder what streets Jesse is hanging out on where they talk about jobbers? I've already raved about Bull Barrett's sophomore video against Brendan Byers (reviewed here). Now, I've had a chance to watch his rookie opponent, Johnny Greco, in his second match against self-proclaimed MBW champ Jesse Zane. Bull crushed it in his second match. Can Johnny do the same?

Jesse: "You don't fucking know what you're in for." 

Review: Devil Devitt vs. Paul Hudson (BGEast)

In the catalogue description for Devil Devitt vs. Paul Hudson, BGEast gives a lengthy explanation as to why they stopped selling Devil Devitt matches and why they've start again. I totally get why they did it but I'm glad to see acknowledgement of how far wrestling has come on LGBTQ+ acceptance. I know I definitely see it from the wrestlers I follow on Twitter.

Hey, buddy. Welcome back.

Review: Joey McCoy vs. Nick Flex (MBW)

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

In case you didn't see, I posted my 200th story this week. I feel pretty proud of myself, I must say. It's something I've been working towards for a while and was a bit of a distraction on top of a heavier than ever work schedule. Now, I can hopefully get back to chilling and watching some wrestling. I have watched a couple of review-worthy things, including Joey McCoy vs. Nick Flex from MBW.

Silly, Joey, you can't move Nick's arm!

AMU 200: NEXTGEN

San Diego CA. 21 Years from Now.

“Wow. What’s it called, Jody?”

“World’s Finest.”

“It’s ... it’s amazing. Your fathers are going to love it. And it’s a real sculpture by Shaka?” I nod. Miles shakes his head, “The guy’s amazing and blowing up. His stuff is going to be worth a lot.”

“Already is. Just since I’ve been working for him, prices have gone up ten-fold, he moved into this fancy gallery and his work is global now. I got him at just the right time.”

Me (Jody).

Review: Cheetah Boy vs. El Fuego #698 (UCW)

If you were designing a match for me, putting one of the wrestlers in a loincloth is one way. Or having both guys wear masks works, too. But combining masks and loincloths is unique and I'm all-in. In this case, there's also an early threat and implied promise of one guy actually losing his mask. That's always a thrill because let's face it, it's the ultimate humiliation for any masked wrestler.

Cheetah Boy: "You like that? It's been in my ass!"

Review: Scrappy vs. Kenny Star (Muscleboy Wrestling)

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

Is there anything in this world as reliable AND exciting as Scrappy? Sure, there are reliable cars, appliances and people, but reliable usually means boring. And there are obviously a ton of exciting things. But nothing I can think of is BOTH the way young Scrappy is. The guy just keeps on delivering hit after hit. He's like the Beatles of the gay wrestling scene.

Scrappy's got the power ...
to thrill me every single time.

Review: DJ Beckham vs. Bobby Bryce (Wrestler4Hire)

This is a followup to my last Bobby Bryce review. The young ginger is a cutie pie who loves to play to the camera. He spends most of this match reaching out to the camera with his eyes and hands, begging for us to save him. Sorry, kid, but that ain't happening. Last time, Wrestler4Hire put him in a competitive match. Let's see how he does in a squashier affair.

Ginger ail.

The Cave: The Adventures of SuperStar 19

Cody's and My Living Room

PING!

“Jae?”

“Cody.”

“They left a voicemail.”

“I know.”

The Cast: Who's Who (May 2020)

Guys,

For the second year in a row, I used my May 1st post to share a story from a guest writer. You're all on notice that you have 11 months to write something and send it my way to keep the tradition going! Anyway, that means only one story with casting I know about this month. However, there were five hot hunks in this one, so it all balances it out in the end.

Rival Pro Wrestling 7

Ramsay = Nick Sandell (Model)

Review: Lane Hartley vs. Kelly King (BGEast)

It's interesting watching a BGEast "Pros in Private" match in the context of the current climate. It's on trend and relevant, given that the big guys are basically featuring "pros in private" matches on TV nowadays, making the guys adapt to working without crowds. Lane Hartley vs. Kelly King is a complete match that could easily be featured on TV and be one of the hottest matches on any show.

Kelly and Lane don't need a crowd
when they battle for top ... stud.

In Search of the Elusive Perfect GIF

So, I'm a little obsessive about silly things. Not so much that it derails my life but enough that it makes me waste time. Like creating "perfect" GIFs. I succeed very, very rarely, but when I do, I feel a sense of pride. Internal pride, that is. The only time I remember someone else actually mentioning it was the guy behind Bearhugger.net who featured my Derek Bolt elbow dropping Dax Carter GIF. Given pretty much no one actually cares about, why even mention it?

Well, I've actually created two recently that I consider "perfect", which made me decide to make this post. That and I didn't have a match to review. I'm still obsessed with Bull/Brendan (review here).

One person was enthralled with this GIF.

Review: Brendan Byers vs. Bull Barrett (MBW)

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

All of the quotes under the images come from Pat Benetar's "Sex as a Weapon" which is a pretty good title for this one. I admit that I got lost in Brendan Byers vs. Bull Barrett pretty fast. It might be the best thing I've watched all year, because it made me forget about everything but the video. I longed to be there and be part of it (alternating between wanting to be Brendan and Bull), the raw intensity is that strong.

You know you’re already my obsession,
Sex as a weapon.

Review: Scrappy vs. Jesse Zane (Muscleboy Wrestling)

I haven't reviewed a Scrappy match for three months. Remarkable. There's no wrestler I've blogged about more in my 5+ years of blogging. There's no wrestler who's won more Caveys, including being my Favorite Wrestler twice in the last three years. The gap wasn't deliberate, just a confluence of events that led me to not seeing the young stud in action. Shame on me.

Scrappy!

Review: Cameron vs. Graham Varnett (W4H)

Cameron: "I knew when I saw your picture that I was going to take you on today, I was going to stretch you out, beat you up, and make you scream, 'I quit, I quit'."

In my review of Cameron Matthews vs. Max Quivers, commenter Mbros83 wrote, "I think [Cameron] makes a better heel ... when he shows his dark side, it’s perfection." When I asked for suggestions, Mbros83 replied, "Absolute favorite is W4H Cameron vs Graham Varnett." Imagine my surprise to find it currently streaming on Wrestler4Hire! I'd obviously missed it, because I normally watch all Cameron matches (but it was still on page one, so it hasn't been up that long).

Cameron: "I want more than a vocal submission.
I want him to surrender it all."

Rival Pro Wrestling 7: Ramsay vs. Lance

Rival Pro Wrestling. Locker Room. Now.

My buddy rubs my left pec and steps into me, “Ramsay, we can fuck any time you want, but as your friend, I think you should clean up, grab a towel and head to Javi’s office for a chat.”

Review: Bobby Bryce vs. Zach Reno (W4H)

Bobby Bryce vs. Zach Reno from Wrestler4Hire is a match I've actually been sitting on for a while. I had it ready to go then I got distracted and didn't remember about it until I saw Bobby Bryce vs. DJ Beckham on streaming. I thought about doing both together, but I'd already pulled like 13 GIFs from this one alone. Plus, they're very different matches, so it would've been a really long post.

Is young Bobby Bryce ready to be a wrestler for hire?

Review: Cameron Matthews vs. Max Quivers (W4H)

Cameron Matthews in the catalogue description: "There’s something stimulating about seeing how much hurt and humiliation I can take, testing my survival instinct, exploring my pain threshold, especially against opponents who are way, way bigger than me. Max Quivers is way, WAY bigger than me ... and this time, he paid to bring the pain, and it’s my job to give a paying customer what he wants."

Not that I needed to be sold on Cameron Matthews vs. Max Quivers from Wrestler4Hire, but the video description definitely made me even more interested when this popped up on streaming. The opening quote is some great insight into Cameron's jobber mentality - he's a great wrestler, but he gets "stimulated" by offering him up to bigger men to test himself. Sounds like a plan to me.

Is Cameron about to shock the world!

Review: Brad Honeycutt vs. Gabe Steel (MBW)

Brad Honeycutt: "Steel has been known to bend. And in some cases, Steel has been broken. Today, I'm gonna bend you. And I'm gonna break you."

Brad Honeycutt vs. Gabe Steel is one of the three matches to which I was immediately drawn from this latest Muscleboy Wrestling catalogue, along with Bull vs. Greco (reviewed here) and Byers vs. Brody (reviewed here). They make a great set, actually. Each one leans more "muscle" than "boy" but they have very different vibes and they've all been really good in their own way.

The musclemen are all business in this one.
The asskicking business, that is.

Review: #703 El Fuego vs. Wolf Boy (UCW)

Conversations are weird these days because there's not really much new. At least in my life or the life of my family and friends. We're all dutifully staying sheltered and safe. However, there is some news in the blogosphere. Gym Dude has a new story on Mangler's blog (all you Gym Dude fans can thank me, since, by using transitive property, I am 100% responsible for this). And on Twitter in a reply to Ash DeLeon on 4/27, Bard teased a blog reboot (for which I am roughly 0% responsible).

So, some good news. And here's more good news, El Fuego is still a masked stud that I love watching in action.

All right, guys, let's get it on.

Fan Fiction: "When Are We Gonna Wrestle?"

I received this as a gift from two fans of the blog with permission to publish it.

They even supplied all the images.

“When are we gonna wrestle?”

Every time I was in Mike’s presence, I’d ask him that question. This went on for a few years. Finally, he relented – but with conditions: we would wrestle in our underwear. I insisted that we be shirtless (I actually wanted us to wrestle nude but I had to compromise.) He agreed to go shirtless but countered that we should also be barefoot. (I wanted to wear socks.) I suggested that we video the match so that we could watch it together later. He agreed, rather reluctantly, after I suggested that we wear black satin, full-face masks to remain anonymous. I also promised that I would disable the audio so that our voices wouldn’t be heard.

There was one more condition to the match but I’ll get to that later.

The Cast: Who's Who (April 2020)

Guys,

Things continue to be nuts but safe, which is the most important thing. Only one new stud this month, but he's a beast and one of my favorite Twitter follows. Trace Trainer aka Foster Longhorn is also the subject of my "Editing Images 101" page, all in prep for this story! I did not include the transformations for the secondary characters this month as I didn't create new pics for them.

The Cave Undercard 30

Luke/Super Soldier = Logan Franklin (Model)

Review: Brendan Byers vs. Rex Brody (Muscleboy Wrestling)

Well, given that I, like many of you, are now on lockdown until June, it seems like we all need some good vibes. There are a lot of things that can make a good wrestling video for me. Some are internal, like my mood, and some are external, like the quality of the action. One of the biggest things for me is the chemistry between the wrestlers.

Muscleboy Wrestling clearly gets the chemistry right in Brendan Byers vs. Rex Brody.

What the world needs now.