Melee

Rock Hard Wrestling's latest release is a three-way melee, as advertised, three men in the ring together until one gets eliminated, setting up the climactic one-on-one contest. My money's on Josh Steel to make this show interesting. Matt Engel has already had his shot at a one-on-one with Josh. For the less experienced Justin, this is his first crack at the smug but likable surfer-boy-turned-bodybuilder. Matt and Justin soon figure out that the way to go here is to gang up on Josh. Josh practically invites it, leering at his two opponents like they could use some sand kicked in their faces. Josh is the yummiest morsel in the ring, and he knows it, but inviting a two-on-one beatdown could be a fatal decision.

Matt and Justin are as yet unknown quantities to me, with, between the two of them, less than half the ring experience of Josh. Josh can wrestle, no doubt about it, and he's got appeal, cock-loads of it. In the beginning it looks like he is going to make short work of his opponents. He twists skinny Justin up into a knot while holding Matt at bay with a mule kick to the midsection every so often. But when Matt snags him in a full nelson, stretching the hunk out for Justin's punches (and a contemptuous slap), it looks like the two are clearing the way for them to take on each other.

Justin squares off against "pretty boy" Matt, believing precipitously that Steel is out of the picture, but Josh immediately bulldozes him to the mat. Matt tries to take advantage of the situation with an elbow drop, but Justin squirms out of the way. Matt gets a charley horse, and Josh gets a good laugh at the expense of his knuckleheaded opponents. But will he get the last laugh? In the end will he get the pleasure of bumping these two wannabes' heads together? It all depends on whether Matt and Justin can effectively pool their resources, and whether these two united are a match for Josh alone.