Thunders Arena is usually in the $30 range but they were highlighting some for $20. I saw
Beast vs. Blayne is one of those. I figured I must have it but I just couldn't remember it. When I double-checked, sure enough I didn't own it. Shocking, I know, but it made buying it an easy decision. It took me a minute to get to watching it but this fun blast from the
(recent) past was worth the wait.
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| Yes, yes, yes! |
For all the hot hunks that have come through Thunders over the years,
Beast ranks way up my list of the hottest. I just love his solid muscular body, which is thick and yet ripped. Here, the ruggedly attractive beefcake is packed in tight red trunks, looking smoking hot. The powerful hunk knows how to work in the ring, being an indie pro wrestler. And he has a confident, cocky air about him.
Blayne's another beauty but he's so much more than his flawless body and classically handsome face. If I'm talking lists, the three-time
Cavey winner is near the top of my list of all-time Thunders greats. Beyond his incredible looks, I love his attitude. He's always entertaining and eager for whatever the sadists in charge of the Arena have in mind for him.
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| Fuck yes. |
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Even Blayne's abs feel that much
beef pounding into them. |
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| Up and down. |
Beast is the actual beast here. Blayne was still a rookie, clearly and definitively outmatched in every way by the mighty muscleman. However, he doesn't just lie down for the big man. We've seen big pros lose matches in the Arena, where sexy plots often overrule skill, size and logic. I won't claim this is back-and-forth but Blayne has a few moments that keep things interesting. However, that's the obvious B-plot. The A-plot is seeing Blayne suffer.
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| Blayne's smaller but he's strong. |
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| Rookie's gotta watch out using those Irish whips. |
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| Yeah, celebrate Blayne. |
Action-wise, this is a short video
(16 minutes) but the guys lock up right away, providing a full 15-minutes of wrestling. It's mostly submission holds designed to display and break Blayne's chiseled physique. He suffers really well but as I said, he gets to upend the powerhouse pro a couple of times. The guys flex and show off, but not excessively and when they do, they're so hot that I loved it. There's a lot more action than I'm showing, so that's a good sign there's a lot here.
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| Off the ropes right into a slam. |
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| Big men don't bend that way. |
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| Pure sexy beast power. |
In the end, this video reminded me why I loved both these guys so much. Beast is a perfect muscle heel and Blayne is a beautiful victim. The wrestling is hot and the action keeps going throughout. The gear is right on point and the ring is used well with a lot of rope action. I'm very happy that I finally found this.
What are other bloggers saying?
So that's my take. What's yours?
Alex
A blast from the past! Beast is my favourite wrestler and yet I didn't know he was in the indies. I wonder if he's still wrestling. I admit I still hold out hope for seeing him return to Thunders, but at least we have so many great matches from him.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this one wasn't a squash. Beast is always good at selling, (you know a match is good if you can get him in a camel clutch) and it's nice to see Blayne's aggressive side, especially back then. It's clear who the winner will be but it's nice to see him earn it.
Yeah, Beast was awesome. He and Billy came in together and initially I thought I’d like Billy more. Then I watched Beast in action. He really got into the whole vibe and impressed.
DeleteThis match contains one of my favorite dialogue exchanges of all time:
ReplyDeleteBLAYNE: (groaning in Beast’s bodyscissors) “Your legs are so strong!”
BEAST: (matter-of-factly) “Yeah, I know.”
Beast is still one of my Top 5 Favorite Thunders wrestlers, and I miss him very much. Besides being a fantastic performer and athlete, I found everything about him to be an interesting dichotomy: His face looked boyish yet manly; his appearance was gruff but he was soft-spoken; he seemed brutish but was very articulate; and, of course, he was a stocky guy yet had one of the best sets of abs in Thunders history — and that’s saying something! They weren’t bulbous like a bodybuilder’s or shredded like an underwear model’s, but they were very thick and well-defined. They were, in a word, perfect. Plus the sweatier he got (and the guy could SWEAT!), the more hi-def they became! I was completely taken by his look.
I have to disagree with the “heel” label, tho. I don’t think I ever saw Beast truly play heel in any of his matches — not when Marco insulted him or when Brute threatened him or even when Scrappy interfered in a great match he was having with Steel... although that last one did piss Beast (and me) off quite a bit. Instead, I view Beast’s actions similar to what would happen if someone trespassed in a gorilla’s territory; the "beast" would defend his turf, perhaps violently, but not necessarily maliciously. His demeanor reminds me a lot of Ram from The Cave.
I wasn’t aware that Beast was an indie pro. Do you know what ring name he went by and/or what federations he wrestled for?
And thank you for bringing some much-deserved attention to this often overlooked star! :)
-JS
Thanks for the comment from another big Beast fan. Agree with everything you said about him.
DeleteAnd that’s fair on the heel comment. I didn’t think I ever called him a heel but I see I did in the wrap up. I made that classic mistake of defaulting to using heel and jobber as opposites. He’s not a nasty guy, just a big, strong, dominant dude.
Beast is amazing! Didn’t realize he was an indie wrestler. What’s his ring name?
ReplyDeleteHe is amazing. I don’t know what his ring name was. I just remember that he and Billy were pro wrestlers. Or at least I’m pretty sure that they were. It’s been a few years now and I might be confusing him with someone else.
Delete