This was a tough one this year. I knew my favorite match right away but beyond that, it took some thought. There were a lot of good matches but what were the great ones? In the end, I chose nine.
Same as I did last year, I narrowed down the list of runner-up matches first then I slotted them into arbitrary categories. I say arbitrary because I don't want to leave out a great squash, for example, just because there's a slightly better one. Or leave out a match because it didn't fit some pre-determined box.
What were my favorite 2020 matches?
What were my favorite 2020 matches?
2020 Favo(u)rite Match: Brendan Byers vs. Bull Barrett (Muscleboy Wrestling)
What I said then: "I absolutely loved this video. It was a beast, just like the two MEN battling on the mats. It's been a while since I've lost myself in an experience like this."
Hands down, my favorite/favourite video of the year and one of my all-time favo(u)rites, too. It is just so perfect. This video launched a thousand fantasies in brain.
Maybe one reason why it's so great for the viewer is that it was also great for the wrestlers. In the comments for my review, Brendan said "This match was intense and the chemistry was undeniable. One of my top favorite matches I’ve ever had." On Twitter, Bull called Brendan a "fantastic guy". It's like the definition of modern masculinity with mutual respect underlying the action.
All in all, they loved it and I loved it.
2020 Favorite Gimmick: Kayden Keller vs. Chase Addams (BGEast)
What I said then: "I loved this battle between the bad boys. It feels like a lot of thought and energy went into how things should play out. They've got some real chemistry and they both proved they're skilled at winning or losing."
Putting these two together was magic. I was worried about the rope stipulation but these guys made it work. More than that, the rope actually enhanced the action. Both studs got to shine brightly and there are so many hot moments in it that I love to re-watch.
2020 Favorite Surprise: Rob Palomino vs. AJ Johnson (Spotland Scrappers)
What I said then: "AJ is a delight. Rob's so cute. The biggest difference between the two studs is that Rob is wrestling to win and AJ just enjoys the act of hurting his opponent. Rob's about the destination and AJ's about the journey. #teamAJ #enjoytheride"
Spotland was a new adventure for me this year. I didn't know what to expect when I watched this one. I bought it for Rob but it quickly subverted my expectations and I ended up loving AJ. He was so much more than I expected as he kicked pony boy ass. Sexy pro fun.
2020 Favorite Story: Cameron Matthews vs. Graham Varnett (Wrestler4Hire)
What I said then: "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."
Thankfully, I was led to this match. It's a classic evil promoter hazing a naive rookie scenario executed perfectly. Cameron holds nothing back as he humiliates the scrawny wannabe, all under the watchful gaze of a hapless but ultimately complicit referee.
2020 Favorite Squash: DJ Beckham vs. Bobby Bryce (Wrestler4Hire)
What I said then: "Bobby is a beautiful young boy victim and DJ is a hot manly heel. The bearded badass is relentless and ruthless, a heel who obviously enjoys his work. The cute ginger goes between being vulnerable and resilient. It all just comes together for a good time (unless you're Bobby, I guess)."
What made this one so memorable for me were the contrasting wrestlers, hot action and pitch perfect performances. DJ and Bobby are ideal archetypes for this kind of match. The the action delivers everything I wanted. It's all just classic squashy goodness.
2020 Favorite Soundtrack: Rex Bedford vs. Dash Decker (88Wrestling)
What I said then: "Rex breaks down the big man with easy confidence. He lets loose with vicious trashtalk, but always calmly. Basically, the King of RHW 1.0 is treated as a joke by the King of 88W. Rex repeatedly calls his shots and then follows through with humiliating precision."
Here's one that I knew I had to recognize but I wasn't sure how. I was confused by this video at first but it really is a great humiliation match. When I did the review for this match, I used quotes for pretty much every image because there were just so many great ones. There are lines that I couldn't get out of my head for weeks after hearing Rex degrade muscle stud Dash. The trashtalk is vicious, cutting and makes this match hot as fuck.
2020 Favorite Foreign Language: Steve Mason vs. Ivan Guerrero (Hunks Wrestling)
What I said then: "The storyline is great but the chemistry and performances really elevate it. The interplay is great and there's a palpable heat between them. Iván is a freaking super-hunk and he so obviously knows it. I'd love to hate Iván, but frankly, I simply love him too much for that."
This might have trashtalk equal to the Rex/Dash match but only some of it is translated from Spanish. What is subtitled is damn hot. This has a great story - a random pickup results in a match between a seasoned mat stud and a muscular novice. It subverts expectations and Ivan's ice cold arrogance is stunning.
2020 Favorite Discovery: Johnny Lightning vs. Cliff Conlin (BG Wrestling)
What I said then: "You don't see this combination of muscle guys and intense action as often these days. Both musclemen and the action are timelessly hot, so they worked just as hard for me as a really good video made yesterday. If you haven't seen them, they're new to you."
This 90's (?) match still feels contemporary but it's rare to see one that features bodybuilders who can take a bump. Nowadays, it's usually the lightweights who are fearless and the bodybuilders are afraid of everything. There are obvious exceptions but the fact is that these guys have it all and they're willing to use it. I loved this match and feel lucky for "discovering" it.
2020 Favorite Mask vs. Mask: El Fuego vs. Cheetah Boy (UCW)
What I said then: "This is how I like my mat action - personality, pro-style tension and heightened drama to drive intensity. El Fuego is always a lot of fun. Cheetah Boy is a rookie but he jumps right in and his attitude fits at UCW really well."
I love masks and loincloths. This match has both but doesn't stop at the gear. The guys bring a ton of nasty attitude to the ring and a willingness to get vicious as they fight for top. The loser gets unmasked but the entire journey is more than worth the price of admission.
So those are my favorite matches of 2020. Please let me know some of your favorites in the comments!
Alex
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