Roughing It

Donovan Dijak vs Biff Busick, Life Sucks and Then You Die (Beyond Wrestling)

The two moonsaults, amply awesome, qualify as the least interesting things about this 27-minute match. Donovan (in red) and Biff (in black) keep most of the action close to earth: canvas, ropes, ring posts, and floor. The men relentlessly keep this match as tough and ugly as possible, inflicting every possible abuse, mental or physical, and seemingly determined to crack every bone in both their sweat-slick bodies. Midway through, the fighters are already worn down to nubs, yet they won't stop punching, kicking, wringing, and ball-busting. They get sloppy-brutal all over each other for the final 15 minutes, and it's wonderful. Too often I forget somebody out there still produces matches like this.

And here I thought I had nothing to post today. Yesterday I bought and downloaded a video, watched half of it, realized it was stinking boring, and then saw that the last half had not downloaded. By then I had already decided not to watch the rest - so I hope the money gets used to shoot something worth watching next time. Then I read an overlooked email from Jim (Tennessee Jim) recommending this Beyond Wrestling brawl from two summers ago - and it's like, wow, life had meaning and purpose again. 'Sick vs 'Jak is not crisp choreography. It's the sort of thing I'd expect to see in a tent in the Model T days, standing on sawdust, the smells of bootleg whiskey and cheap cigars filling the air.

Here's what Jim had to say:

As much as I'm a mark for Biff, Dijak wins the hotness award from me for this match because of, (1) his flop sweat, (2) his primal vocalization whether giving or taking punishment (there's no announcer), and (3) the increasing presence of a slightly growing bulge in his trunks. Much give and take here, much of it rough. Thought of you when I found and watched it last night. Two pros getting into it. Who could ask for anything more?


Visit Beyond Wrestling here.