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."

The story is pretty simple. Cameron saw Graham Varnett online and convinced him to tryout for W4H. This is his introductory match. A welcome of sorts with the boss that proves to be much more than a simple test. It's about hazing the new guy as he's brought to his knees (literally), used and abused by the veteran superstar, all under the watchful eye of incompetent then complicit referee, Todd the Rod.

One of the very common tropes in pro wrestling is the nefarious boss. From Kid Leopard to Vince McMahon, the heel-in-charge is a dynamic that makes for great drama in front of the camera and in stories.It's not like Cameron doesn't warn the guy. That opening quote of my review is in the opening of the video. Cameron's still in his t-shirt when he says it. So Graham could've run for the hills. He sticks around, wanting to see what being a jobber feels like.

Cameron: "I must say, I'm proud of myself,
finding you on the internet."

Cameron: "What, are you scared? This ain't my first time."

Cameron: "Let's see how flexible you are."

The newbie is a tall, lean and lanky young sport. A handsome fellow, he's got a swimmer's build in tiny red speedos with long arms and legs, but also a dusting of hair to man him up. From the start, we see that the rookie is flexible but is Graham bendy enough to take abuse from a superstar wrestler? (Spoiler: he's not as he gives early and often.) I get why Cameron recruited him and immediately put him into a jobber role.

Cameron: "Come on, you got more in you."

Cameron: "Gimme a leg, ref. GIMME A LEG!"

Cameron: "Bow down to me and beg. That's a good boy.
Kiss the boots. You could be a star someday."

Action-wise, this is a 100% squash designed to cruelly tear down the newbie. Cameron isn't satisfied with a submission. Or two. He wants to break the rookie's spirit and set the tone from the start. Wrestling is a man's sport and Graham needs to be put in his place. By the end, the tall stud is willingly calling Cameron 'Sir', crawling on hands and knees, and submitting in mind, body and soul.

The "match" is a great combination of submission holds and power moves. The standouts take advantage of Cameron's incredible skill and experience paired with Graham's lean bendy body. Hopefully he's a tactile learner because he gets to feel a lot of holds while applying none. There are little things I like, too, like how Cameron creatively uses the ref to punish the jobber more. And there's a lot of humiliation thrown in like false pins and boot kissing.

Cameron: "Second dirtiest player in the game."

Cameron: "Say I'm the greatest!"
Graham: "You're the greatest, Sir."

Cameron: "Crawl over to the referee like
the pig you are and kiss his feet."

In the end, Cameron decides to take his jobber frustrations out on an eager rookie, showing his "dark side", just as Mbros83 said. This actually makes a good match for the Max Quivers match. In that one, Cameron is stimulated by taking punishment. Here, he's stimulated by dishing it out.


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RINGSIDE: BROKEN IN

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

Alex