Review: Cameron Matthews vs. Jonny Firestorm (BGEast)

It's usually a bad sign when a movie or comic book is endlessly delayed. Being put on the shelf is the worst sign because you just know it's a complete dud. At some point, it gets released for contractual reasons, not because anyone believes in it. BGEast consistently challenges this entire premise by filming great matches with all-star talent then putting them on the shelf for years and decades.

Maybe I need to view these matches differently. Think of them as fine wine, because Jonny Firestorm vs. Cameron Matthews has aged amazingly well. 

Jonny starts this classic fast -
attacking Cameron right away!

When this was filmed, someone was probably really impressed by the two young upstarts hitting the ring. Skinny, fresh-faced pro wrestlers with big dreams and bigger attitudes. But I doubt anyone realized that this match would feature two superstars for an entire generation! Maybe that's why it sat on the shelf? I know I've discovered stuff in my basement and thought, "Oh, I forgot all about this!"

Cameron's decked out in a pair of BGEast's most iconic babyface trunks - shiny blue with white trim. Jonny's in black speedos with stripes in front that feel like fire to me. Or maybe that's just the guy inside them.

The boys came to play!

Cameron looks great in a neckbreaker.

Jonny looks great stretched out. 

The match is not a squash. Jonny dominates more and Cameron suffers more (I didn't time it but it feels that way) but both guys are dominating right up until the end. The back-and-forth style works brilliantly. Jonny's pretty intense throughout but Cameron's intensity increases as he gets increasingly tired of taking crap from his smaller opponent. I like the narrative here - it's really compelling.

Jonny helps his buddy into the ring.

The pup does a bulldog!

That's how a pro sells a whip!

Action-wise, the guys already have skills developed. The moves are professional, crisp and well-executed. This is a hot pro match that holds up against anything produced at the time or since. They spend a lot of time outside the ring, dialing up the brutality. While they might be young and skinny, they're tough guys, too. I pulled 22 GIFs and images before narrowing it down to 10, so there you go.

There's a definitive winner but I didn't post the finishing move. You can see that and the flex-with-bicep-kiss finish for yourself.

Cameron's had enough -
time to fight fire with fire.

Jonny does a beautiful suplex
then rolls Cameron over ...

... for another one immediately
(I love when guys do this).

In the end, I'd love to do this time warp again. I get immense joy from these newly released classics because they always deliver. Cameron and Jonny prove that they were superstars from day one.

What are other bloggers saying?

RINGSIDE: YOUNG CAMERON/YOUNG JONNY

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

Alex