Fear No Evil

Joey Nux vs Zach Altovito, Mat Rats (Wrestler4Hire)

They say the test of a true wrestler is how he fares against a stronger opponent. At 6'3", 225#, Joey Nux rarely gets the opportunity to face that test. Zach Altovito, 5'10", 245#, presents an opportunity, sort of. I wish the fight were more give and take, but it would diminish the joy of watching Joey submit Altovito over and over and over again - however carefully. He makes the man tap so much in this Wrestler4Hire match that Zach should think about changing his name to Gregory Hines.

Bad joke, given the circumstances. Joey goes rather easy on the guy on account of the fact that Zach is wrestling with an injury. Those are Zach's crutches we see in the background from time to time. Inevitably, the 15-minute video disappoints as competition, so it's not really a fair example of what either man is capable of. It's more like a training session with Joey (the trainer) putting Zach (the client) through his paces. Time will tell what Altovito can do at 100 percent.

My personal test of a true wrestler is how much his eyes brighten when he has the upper hand on an opponent, even a partially incapacitated one. In this respect, Joey stands high among the truest wrestlers ever to step onto a mat or into a ring. The uninhibited joy that flashes across Joey's face when he has Zach in a tight wristlock or leglock or chinlock tells me that Nux is wrestler to the core of his being. There's a touch of sadism in the gleam in his eyes, but so far in his career Nux has been anything but a heel.

A determined competitor, a fair and square victor, Joey Nux represents the sort of heroic and triumphant babyface I'd like to see more of in wrestling. I disagree with a common assumption in underground circles that a wrestler who wins and, further, a wrestler who takes delight in the downfall of his opponent is necessarily then a heel. I do love heels, if I wrestled I would want to be a heel, and I have no doubt that Joey would make a fantastic one. I love heels for their villainy, cowardice, and arrogance, but I also love watching them knocked off their high horse every now and then, and for that to happen the sport needs more Axels (the early version especially), more Brad Rochelles, more Nick Flexes, and more Joey Nuxes.

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