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.

I'd seen Devil Devitt back in the day against Jonny Firestorm. I thought he had a great body but I'd be lying if I thought SUPERSTAR! I'm obviously not psychic. Now that he's back, it's tough to be objective. I'm excited to see him because of who he has become (and I feel the need to check out him against Matt Striker, too). Regardless of his current superstardom and how it impacts my assessment, the guy is ripped and his ass is spectacular in his blue bike shorts.

Is it weird that I've never seen a Paul Hudson match? He's done a ton and it's right in my era for buying DVD compilations but I just can't remember seeing him wrestle before. I kind of thought he was a jobber but not based on this encounter. He hangs with the more muscular Devitt and is impressively aggressive. I can't say much more about his personality (or Devitt's) because this is a quiet match with the sounds of suffering and submissions being the main vocalizations.

Not a huge fan of shorts in the ring,
but Devitt certainly makes the case for them.

Paul, you can't slow him down with a handshake.

Man, that's some vicious mockery.

Devil Devitt vs. Paul Hudson is a Pros in Private match. Like the other two matches on this compilation, there's no real reason for the "private" part in 2020. The match could easily happen out in public. The action is less overtly sexually-charged than many indie shows nowadays. Even the lack of live audience is exactly how wrestling has happened for the past three months. Only now are shows with audiences re-starting.

That's not to say that this isn't a good match. I just wanted to set expectations in case you were hoping for something more overt. In fact, it's a very good match. It's competitive, going back-and-forth with each guy earning multiple submissions before a final flurry of some big pro moves that puts an end to it. To the surprise of no one who reads my stories, if a match is long, I like it broken up into multiple submissions (vs. long matches with only one at the end). This video delivers on that, which means it delivered multiple time for me. I love hearing guys submit, so each time they do, it's time to pause.

Devitt's knee takes a beating.

Always love the suspended surfboard.

No respect from the lightweight.

Action-wise, the wrestling's really good. It's all really professional and intense. It's mostly a ground game with painful-looking submission holds. There are a couple of good power moves. I didn't GIF those, but there's a piledriver and a suplex variation that I cannot name. I stuck with the things you'll see the most ... Devitt and Hudson bent, twisted and displayed, selling the pain and punishment.

Seeing the sexy devil bent, trapped and submitting were my favorite parts but the whole thing is good. Paul is a very creative heel, someone who'd make my list of most innovative based on this video. He dishes out a ton of leg punishment and Devil's limping is right on point. I love old school strategy and how it builds. And he combines the stump puller with a figure-four. What? Love it!

A stump puller AND a figure-four? What?

That's right, give us a spin.

A leg hold. An elbow drop. An arm hold?
It's so many things at once!

In the end, Pros in Private is a really solid compilation with three highly entertaining and satisfying matches on it. Devil Devitt vs. Paul Hudson is a definite winner, especially if you like prolonged leg punishment and creative submission holds.

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RINGSIDE: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

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

Alex