WOTY: Braden Charron

The ballots have been counted and in a surprise victory, Braden Charron has been named wrestler of the year!  The voters on the selection committee explain that this award isn't necessarily for any particular thing Braden did over the past year, but instead is a recognition of his many years of quality wrestling action.  Of course, it didn't hurt that Braden's submission included a pic of him in a red, white, and blue singlet.  Pandering to a voter's patriotism is a smart move (we are in an election year after all).  But the committee was swayed by his stellar performance in a 2 on 1 match in Can Am's East Coast Mat Battles.  Braden's opponents Cameron Matthews and Chris Richards find out the hard way that it takes more than just two skinny dudes to take down a muscle stud like Braden.  I don't think this is what they had in mind by double teaming:

Stayed tuned in the coming weeks and hopefully we'll get to see more of Braden in action.

Mat Battle

A few years ago Can-Am Wrestling released a collection of matches called East Coast Mat Battle, and one contest has Braden Charron wrestling Cameron Matthews.  Braden is one of my favorite wrestlers out there because he has big muscles and knows how to use them.  How much punishment can young Cameron's back take as this Grade A side of beef delivers a series of bodyslams, backbreakers, and bearhugs?  Braden even effortlessly presses Cameron up overhead, leaving no doubt who the true alpha wrestler is.  Check out those biceps!

Babyface Wrestlers

 

I was looking through my stash of wrestling photos the other day and came across these from a match featuring Austin Cooper and Cameron Mathews.  I can't believe I haven't used these in a post before.  I'm not sure where I originally found these, but checking out the BG East website, the action comes from a match called Babyface Brawls (although "babyface" doesn't immediately come to my mind seeing these two dudes battling it out).  Usually I don't give BG East a lot of attention in my blog as compared to the matches at Thunders Arena, Rock Hard Wrestling, and other companies.  But this match here looks pretty awesome, so maybe BG East deserves some further consideration.

March Madness

You don't have to be a mad or angry person to be a wrestler, but these emotions can come in handy when you're engaged in a combat sport.  Sometimes you have to call on these emotions in order to gain that extra strength you need to take control of your opponent and win the match.  I'm not so sure why Rob Terry looks so mad all the time when he's about to bodyslam another dude.  It's not like he doesn't have the muscles to crush almost any guy who steps in the ring with him.  I guess he's just mean.

The Face of Wrestling

There's a certain intoxication you get when you take control of another dude in a wrestling match with a power move like a bodyslam.  It's brought on by the mixture of sweat, muscle, and testosterone and reaches a peak as you lift your opponent off the mat.  The sensation is so overpowering that you can't keep it hidden.  An expression comes across your face, a look of cockiness, arrogance, a sneer, a barely contained rage.  Perhaps a combination of them all.  It's the face every alpha male wrestler strives for.

Matt Xstatic

Canadian wrestler Matt Xstatic comes in at 5'10" and 175 pounds, which makes him a boy among men in the world of pro wrestling.  I love watching little dudes wrestle.  You go in kind of arrogant and cocky, thinking it's going to be easy, looking forward to dominating the smaller guy.  But next thing you know he goes Tazmanian Devil all over you.  He's got his arm in your crotch, hoisting you up in the air, and you're moments from becoming a pancake on the mat.  You get what you deserve when you underestimate a wrestler like Matt Xstatic.

Cameron Matthews

Thunders Arena just released a new wrestling match featuring Cameron Matthews going up against Lex. I've only looked at the preview, but it seems like a good one. Even though Matthews has been wrestling for many years, he's got this boyish innocence about him, like he's just a kid who wants to play with the real men of wrestling. Perhaps to promote this image, Thunders Arena bills him as 5'11" and only 165 pounds, but he looks a lot beefier than that to me. In fact, he looks like a mean muscle stud here when he bodyslams Lex. I have to say I really like this bodyslam because Matthews shows excellent technique. He's got a great hold of Lex's body and lifts him up high. Matthews keeps Lex up for several seconds, which is what you want to do when you bodyslam another dude. You want him to think about what's coming before it happens. Lex kicks his legs a bit as Matthews holds him up, which is a nice touch. You love to see your opponent helpless like that. In the video preview, Matthews taunts Lex by saying, "Oh, look how strong I am!" I love it. Wrestling is about showing how strong you are by dominating another dude. And a nice bodyslam is about the best way to do it.

Fear Factor

I get a laugh sometimes when I see pics of bodyslams, and the guy being carried around has a look of abject terror on his face, or at least one of extreme discomfort. I mean, the guy in the third picture looks like he's auditioning for a hemorrhoid commercial. C'mon guys, why the fear? Think of when you were a little kid and being taken for an airplane spin by a bigger brother or someone. If someone like Scotty Mac were carrying me around like this, I'd sure have a smile on my face. This is the highlight of the bodyslam because things aren't going to get any better when the slam comes. Only the dude in the last picture has the right attitude. Enjoy the ride while you can, my friend. Enjoy the ride. (Note: Top photo from Cyberfights, second and fifth from BGEast, and the fourth from Thunders Arena. All sites have great wrestling action. Anyone know where the third photo comes from?)

The Butt

So, you lift up your buddy into the air, and you want to humiliate him just a bit before the bodyslam. What do you do with your hand in his crotch? Sometimes a guy will ball his hand into a fist, but most times you just place the palm of your hand on the other guy's butt. And don't be afraid to squeeze his butt while you walk him around in dominating fashion. Wrestling is not a sport for the squeamish. Show your victim who's boss.

Gorilla Press - Part 2

Although pro wrestling has given us the gorilla press for a while, in recent years, many internet video wrestling companies have also gotten into the act. As a result, some of my favorite muscle stud wrestlers like Aryx Quinn, Braden Charron, and Alexi Adamov have hoisted overhead some of their hapless opponents. I can hardly wait to see who's next.