Review: Loki vs. Steel x 2 (Thunders Arena)

I'm talking two Thunders Arena matches today. These videos are complete on their own, but they're linked. The result of mat match is referenced in the ring match. The loser on the mats wants revenge. He calls himself "the best", but the winner reminds him that he beat him, so he's only "second-best". Of course he says that was only on the mat, but the winner has a point.

This creates some tension, but honestly, these two show a natural rivalry that makes the videos move regardless of wins or losses.

The big boys meet up on the mats ...

... but they get serious in the ring.

Happy Labo(u)r Day

Let's celebrate all the hard-working wrestlers out there ...

He works hard for the money;
so hard for it, honey.

Review: Cason vs. Steel x 2 (Thunders Arena)

Thunders Arena left Vegas a long time ago. They've moved on to the new Cap era (and he does look like a cutie), but I'm still wrapping up my Sin City purchases. These are the final two, both featuring gorgeous muscle studs Cason and Steel. Even though the videos feature the same talent, they are completely different in look, tone and feel.

A picture perfect pair.

Review: Bolt + Scrappy + Eagle/Steel/Viking

While in Vegas, someone at Thunders Arena clearly thought it'd be a great idea to have one big hunk dominate two smaller studs. Whether this was a fan, the wrestlers or the production crew, we'll likely never know, but we certainly see the result. As the only “small” guys on the Vegas trip, Bolt and Scrappy ended up as the sacrificial lambs not once, not twice, but three times.

I ended up buying all three for some strange reason. Must have been the way the promotions worked out that I just added one in each time I made a buy. Luckily, they were all quite different. And so, let’s see how they went.

Bolt vs. Scrappy vs. Eagle

Eagle's ready for Bolt and Scrappy.

July 4th 2018.

I've come to learn that there are a few iconic things about July 4th, US Independence Day. Flag-related showiness. Barbecuing. And fireworks. As I thought about what to post this year, I've done the flag thing before. I couldn't figure out how a food topic is relevant. Then I realized that wrestling has its own type of fireworks. I can celebrate with those.

So here you go ... wrestling fireworks. Dig in!

Matches can start with fireworks.
(Bruno LaBestia vs. Ty Alexander - BGEast)

Or end with them.
(Ethan Slade vs. Santiago - MBW)

Review: Steel vs. Cason with Scrappy (Thunders Arena)

I'm not even go to try to not spoil Steel vs. Cason with Scrappy from Thunders Arena. By the end of this post, you'll know who wins. This decision is partly because it'll be obvious from any pics I choose, but mainly because I don't think it's actually important. This video is more about the journey than the destination. It's a light-hearted muscle romp that quickly strays from any idea of a serious competitive battle.

It's Muscle-mania with plenty of surprises.

Review: Steel vs. Eagle (Thunders Arena)

The most recent Steel vs. Eagle meeting from Thunders Arena doesn't need a ton of explanation, but I'll give it to you anyway. That is what I do around here. You should know the guys and the action follows a classic Thunders model. I think you'll know if you're going to like this by the end of this post, if you don't already.

Big boys have fun.

Review: Steel vs. Frey Custom Series (Thunders Arena)

Sometimes people hurt the ones they love, right? I'm pretty sure whoever commissioned this custom Steel vs. Frey match loves the stunning young muscle god, but what a way to show it. Not that I'm judging. I love Steel and bought this from Thunders Arena pretty much right away when I saw it was Frey relentlessly wrecking him. So I get it.

And it was the right decision.

It's all downhill for Steel as Frey dismantles him.

Review: Scrappy vs. Steel (Thunders Arena)

With Thunders Arena's sales, I often buy videos in bunches to get the savings then they sit. I've owned Scrappy vs. Steel for a really long time, but somehow it got lost in my collection until now. Surprising, given the talent involved, but a lucky bonus for me now that I've re-discovered it. Yay!

Steel and Scrappy fit together nicely.

Review: Dolf vs. Steel x 2 (Thunders Arena)

Full disclosure: One of these two matches was provided to me by Thunders Arena.

Thunders Arena sent me Dolf vs. Steel on the mats (here), so I figured I'd buy their first meeting in the ring (here). Both guys are always worth a look, so I didn't mind checking things out. It was like getting the videos at half price. The 20% off promotional code they had running at the time really sealed the deal in terms of value.

I was planning on doing two posts, but I think one single review is better and based on an analysis of comments and view results, so will you. Back-to-back reviews usually don't perform well. In this case, the matches are so similar that they should be discussed together, anyway. The setting changes from ring to mat. One video has a winner, the other doesn't. Other than those two points, the vibe, action and tone are comparable, although not identical.

It's a flex off on the mats

Two big bulls bump chests in the ring

2016 Cavey Awards: Wrestlers

Welcome to the 2016 Cavey Awards.

The coveted Cavey

A year ago, I handed out my inaugural Cavey Awards to my favorite wrestlers, matches and producers. I was really happy with how it all turned out, so I definitely wanted to continue. Now, I have made some changes, but nothing too dramatic.

I am still calling the winners "Favorites" rather than "Best". I feel like "Best" sounds like an objective measure that can be argued, but someone's "Favorites" is clearly personal, subjective and can't legitimately be debated. Questioned, maybe, but not argued.

The rules stay the same. For each category, I have (a) watched the wrestler in action, (b) seen the match, or (c) purchased something from the producer. Only videos I watched for the first time between 12/1/15 - 11/30/16 are eligible, regardless of when it was released or purchased.

Now, on with the show ...

Review: Steel vs. Tank (Thunders Arena)

Nobody does muscle on muscle like Thunders Arena and Steel vs. Tank certainly qualifies. They're both big guys, but that's where the similarities stop. Among the many appealing things that made me interested in this video, there are contrasts in their age, size and gear that create inherent and engaging storylines.

This video has two surprises, one of which I liked
and one I really didn't, but overall, I liked it

Review: Eagle vs. Steel (Thunders Arena)

Strange, but ultimately satisfying. That's the best way I can describe this 27-minute video from Thunders Arena. The action, the sequencing, the cutaways and the camerawork. Much of it feels strange, like a "What did I just watch?" feeling. For 22-minutes, I wasn't really into Eagle vs. Steel, but then the last 5 are really good. It's one of those videos you need to stick with, but it ended up being worth it for me.

Like Greek gods sculpted from marble

Review: Jake Jenkins vs. Steel (Thunders Arena)

These two are my final Thunders Arena rookies, although next week I am talking about Jake and Jet again. Today is Jake Jenkins vs. Steel then Wednesday is Jake Jenkins vs. Frey. Technically Jake Jenkins is not a rookie, but he's a newbie to Thunders, so I'm counting him.

It's THE Jake Jenkins vs. some other guy

Now Steel is a 100% rookie to the underground wrestling scene. He has inhuman proportions, with massive shoulders, arms and chest that lead to a narrow waist. He's big, but maintains rock hard chiseled abs. The guy also has thick, powerful legs that Jake both admires and fears during this match. The muscleman is really quite amazing, even when he's just standing around. The whole package is nicely wrapped in tight blue speedos.