Jigsaw

Jigsaw vs Anthony Bowens, 16 February 2016, Essex (LDN)

The year after this match, Anthony Bowens (mygodthosepecs!) announced he was bisexual (then, a couple of years later, out-and-out gay). Jigsaw, his opponent in this match, is thought to be gay by many - not admissible evidence except in wishful-thinking or where-there's-smoke-there's-fire logic. Several years before this match, I startled myself by how stricken I was with Jigsaw, watching him wrestle Low Ki live at EVOLVE 12 in Charlotte, North Carolina. I was walking on air after that show, which also got me live and in person with Johnny Gargano, Ricochet, El Generico, and AR Fox! In recent years Jigsaw has wrestled less frequently, though he still makes appearances in my lust lists (here and here). This match reminded me of that night in Charlotte.

It is also a reminder that Jigsaw and Bowens are great ring performers. Theirs is not the flashy TV-centric charisma of a Hulk Hogan, but they know how to jumpstart a crowd and tell a story without an elaborate backstory. Jigsaw stands at a statuesque six-foot-two; his mask and long tights draw attention to his well-formed torso. It's less showy than five-foot-ten Anthony's billowing muscle, but it makes my mouth water nonetheless. The guy is built like a horse. Bowens is a boulder, eye-poppingly gorgeous and mean as a skunk in this match. When a ringside fan tells Bowens off, Jigsaw holds the heel's arms to give the fan a free shot at his chest. There's nothing original about it, I have seen it many times before, but I love the way it breaks down the fourth wall. (There is nothing quite like a live show, especially when the performers connect with the fans.)

When I first fell for Jigsaw, I couldn't explain the attraction. I still can't.  All there is to see is his torso and arms, and they are not herculean by a long shot. I like his energy - cool but valiantly forceful in a fight - and for lack of a non-holistic word for it, I sensed a pleasant aura (or maybe it was just unbridled lust). I have a habit of melting in the presence of men who are taller than I am, so maybe that plays into it. The mysteries of attraction, right? They are truly pieces in a puzzle.

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