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.

Brad Honeycutt has been a special find at MBW. He's got a great body, knows wrestling, and has one of the most expressive faces I've seen. He's a Scrappy/Joey McCoy level facial contortionist. While some might find it hammy, I find it awesome. Probably because selling big is what I think pro wrestlers should do. Smoking hot in his orange ensemble, he's all-in to prove himself.

Unfortunately, if you're a newbie trying to prove yourself, Gabe Steel might not be the right opponent. The tanned beefcake is a powerhouse. And regardless of what his perpetual smile suggests, he's not going to just go easy on you because you're a rookie. In fact, as he descends the stairs (I'm liking this new ring with the stairs ... very dramatic), Gabe is practically salivating at the chance to break Brad in.

Brad: "I'm picking you apart like it's nothing!"

Gabe: "You're gonna bend who?"

Brad: "Look how easy it is for me to beat you up."

The story is as simple as two guys booked to wrestle. No extra drama is needed. There's no attraction or underlying tension. It's just two fierce competitors facing off and frankly, that's more than enough. Brad's verbal game is as tight as his body, with him dishing out some top-notch trash when he's on top. Gabe is more focused on crushing the rookie, speaking with his muscles more than his mouth.

The video is a three-in-one. It's a whole match that plays out as two squashes. After about three minutes of intros, one guy is on top for 12 minutes (and I thought it might actually be a total squash) then the other guy is on top for 11 minutes. I liked it, because you really get into the sustained punishment. If you're drawn to Gabe getting beat up, you can do that. If you're into brand getting beat up, you can do that, too. There is a clear winner via three-count, but it'd be easy to imagine a different result given the structure.

Gabe: "I expected more."

Brad: "You're a joke, like the rest of
the jobbers in this federation."

Brad: "Guys like you make me feel like
a real man while I kick your ass."

Action-wise, things go pretty smoothly with these extended runs of domination. It's hard-hitting as the guys do a great job trying to bend and break each other. There are extended periods of focused torture, which I always like. Legs get worked over hard, especially by Brad to keep the big man down. The smaller muscleman impresses with a few big moves, on top of his submission holds.

Gabe shows off his strength. I loved the big body slams, the suplexes (including one I had to use two GIFs to show because he holds Brad up sooooo long), and an impressive triple over-the-knee backbreaker, easily powering the smaller stud up for another and another. Brad is pretty bendy, making a great toy for the beefy brute.

Whatever goes up ... wait for it ...

... wait for it ... must come down.

Brad: "You'll wake up and you'll know
you're not half the man Brad Honeycutt is."

In the end, this has something for everyone. I enjoy the simple story and classic feel to the action. It's a true pro wrestling match with nothing but pride on the line. The men deliver a great performance with solid action and the long stretches let you really get into it. I can see myself re-watching it as a squash (especially of Gabe) when I want a quick hit.

I have to say, this catalogue has been really good so far with three big winners. I still have Scrappy vs. Jesse Zane to watch, but I can now declare it a winner.

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RINGSIDE: BARREL OF FUN

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

Alex