Teenage Bodywreckers

Having just been broken in himself (by Ethan Andrews), surfer blond Josh Steel, 5'11", 160#, breaks in Rock Hard Wrestling's new boy wonder Brodie Fisher, 5'8", 170#, in a fight the company is billing Teen Muscle Scuffle. There's a lot to love about this match even before the two square off, as both youths (neither of whom is old enough to remember the Clinton years--ouch!) are strongly built, fresh faced, and ready to bring their "muscle" to the "scuffle."

In his debut, Brodie comes on strong--confident, mouthy, talking trash at ninety miles an hour, just daring handsome Josh to try and do something about it. Josh is happy to take the bait, laughing at the new boy's pointed "Justin Bieber" dig just long enough to snatch the guy's head and snapmare him to the mat. Sweet!

It's great to see a couple of young punks like these two take to pro wrestling so naturally--no stiffness (not much anyway), not a hint of camera-shyness, and the kind of raw and salty energy only the young bring to this kind of show. These two are out to win fans, all right, and they have the knowhow to do it, and in me they've already got a cheering section.

A fierce, sudden opening assault stuns Brodie, and he rises to his feet, his drained face looking chastened and determined to pay Josh back. Josh isn't done with him yet, though, twisting him into a Boston crab. Brodie stretches, trying to clasp the bottom rope, telling the blond longhair to "just wait" till he gets free!

Brodie gets his chance when he ducks under Josh's clothesline attempt and tackles him round the waist. A few stomps to soften him up, and then Brodie hurls the taller wrestler into the corner for some fist and boot rolfing. Brodie shows off his strength by lifting Josh up on his shoulders only to slam him down to the mat for some more humiliating kicks.

The wrestlers complement each other nicely: blond versus brunet, tan versus pale, swimmer's build versus tough and compact, Miami Vice smooth versus Goodfellas volatility. Brodie's got the killer eyes, and Josh conveys an insouciant air of entitlement. As feuding antagonists or (I speculate) as future tag partners, Josh gives Brodie class, and Brodie brings out Josh's sensuality.

Whatever their futures together, they bring out the fight in each other in this, one of the most satisfying Rock Hard matches to date. Each wins a round, which luckily means we get a third round, too seldom seen in debut matches, so Rock Hard must know it's on to something here. Good news for everybody.

(Thanks to Bob at Rock Hard for use of the four exclusive photos above.)