Fifty Matches That Made 2019 Their Bitch


In October I shared the 40 posts most readers visited over the preceding 12 months. The present list is dedicated to the matches that stood out for me personally in 2019. These would not be everybody's choices, obviously. And given how fickle I am, I could compose a significantly different list next week. I had only one standard that had to be met: that they evoke a physical response in me (not always erotic, but, to be honest, usually erotic).

The year brought back some of my favorite wrestlers of the past (notably a rebooted Brendan Byers), bade farewell to some who took their bows and signed contracts with major promotions (namely Austin Tyler), and introduced me to new talents who soon became favorites (Braden Trelisse, for one). There were tragic exits, also - among them, the deaths of wrestler Jayden Mayne and promoter John Capparelli - and, here at year's end, I remember them for their contributions to underground wrestling.

Also, the year was ripe with evidence that underground wrestling is offering substantially better fights than 90 percent of  mainstream wrestling (indie and big show), which is weighed down by silly gimmicks, convoluted angles that go on for too long, acrobatics (often impressive, though bearing no resemblance to wrestling), and more emphasis on blowhard than hard blows ... or tight holds. The indie workers catching some quick cash in the underground do some of their most inventive and dramatically compelling work in the underground. Though the gay wrestling scene too has its share of posing and silly antics, I saw tougher, meaner contests this year with more guys with backgrounds in college and indie wrestling who are not just farting around in front of the camera.

Here then I give to you my "bests of" for 2019. Note: I blogged on all these matches in 2019, but some of them were produced and released in previous years.







Comments

  1. The list of best wrestling blogs of 2019 is very short: Ringside at Skull Island. Thanks for the great work.

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  2. Thanks for the tribute to Jayden Mayne. I was very fortunate to have a final match with my bestie the day before he passed. I miss him tremendously.

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