Bazotter: The Art of Wrestling, 3 of 3

Here is another great drawing by Bazotter inspired by pro wrestling and celebrating the power and strength of a brawny, masculine, confident wrestler.  As the conqueror takes a seat on his masked opponent’s chest to savor his victory (and the spoils of war), our attention is drawn to those thick biceps, that massive, hairy chest and stomach, that impressive bulge.

The artist calls this drawing “Wrestlebear John” and, as we’ve seen in the past, he is incorporating an actual person, a friend of his, into his fantasy wrestling universe:

“Yes he’s a real person. First man I ever wrestled.  It’s my way of saying thank you. I have drawn us many times.”

Another theme often seen in his drawings is the combination of violence with gentle intimacy, the rough looking fighters sharing a passionate moment.  As the artist himself describes it:

“TOUGH AND TENDER.  It’s about being tough and tender.  You can quote me on that!”  (Hey, I just did.)

So we see the big brute display his bicep, allowing the other man to touch it.  The message being sent is that men need not limit their relationships only to brutality and aggression, but may enjoy tender moments too.

That sense of “tough and tender” is captured in this drawing of a goateed older gentleman, his eyes closed as he savors the body contact while tightly embracing his powerful opponent, resting a cheek on the other man’s strong back.

We get the sense that Bazotter really took his time when drawing this facial expression to get it just right, carefully sketching the subtle details of a face in ecstasy, that buzzed, dizzy, peaceful feeling that washes over you when you bond physically through body contact.  The wrestler may not be a handsome young Adonis, but he is undeniably sexy and sexual nevertheless.

As we step back to examine the entire image, we see the “tough and tender” motif repeated: a clenched fist, tight body contact, flexing muscles, bulging trunks.

For me, the real genius of Bazotter’s work — what first drew me to it — is his ability to depict not only the look of wrestling (with us in the role of spectator) but also the feel of wrestling (with us in the role of participant).  He is somehow able to capture and convey the physical sensations of pleasure, the intimate feelings of bonding, the warm hyper-awareness you experience when in contact with another man’s hardness and strength, which you are familiar with if you’ve ever wrestled another guy.

In the blog Ringside at Skull Island, the writer Joe accurately described these same sensations in words when he wrote about “real memories of wrestling my friends in college or boyfriends in bed — his pounding heartbeat as he holds my head in a side headlock, his bony cock bluntly colliding with mine, my inner thighs against his ribcage as I pin his wrists to the cold floor-tiles.”

Bazotter conveys these same memories of wrestling with old friends in his drawings.  In this “Reverse Hugs” drawing for example, the dominant man is again shown with that satisfied smile on his face, eyes closed to savor the pleasure of gripping and holding.  The victim’s face is not visible, but his hearty excitement is unconcealed by the stretchy fabric of his trunks.  One of Bazotter’s talents is the ability to draw stretchy, straining, distorted spandex which occurs when a tent is pitched in a pair of wrestling trunks.  As he described it to me:

“I spent a long time working it out.  It’s the promise without being promising — Not showing a cock just the bulge in the drawings.”

During my conversations with Bazotter about his art and our mutual love of wrestling, I shared some of the things that I enjoy seeing in a match — some well-muscled bodies, handsome, masculine combatants, a rookie suffering, the patterns of stars or stripes on the gear, that sort of thing.  In response, Bazotter did me the honor of creating this drawing, targeted to press my unique hot buttons:

I must admit, he really got inside my head and captured many of my wrestling turn-ons: those red trunks over star pattern tights (like a superhero), long, stretchy yellow tights with black side stripe, good looking wrestlers with hard bodies.  Thanks Mr. Bazotter — this is my favorite of everything you’ve ever drawn.

As with most Bazotter drawings, we’re treated to a feast of subtle images that make pro wrestling exciting to watch: the straining muscles, the bare flesh, the poses and facial expressions telling a tale of domination and submission.  The wrestlers are clearly getting off on their match as much as we’re getting off from watching it.

If you want to see these and other great images by this talented artist, including super-sized versions of his drawings, check out Bazotter’s Yahoo Group.

Below are some links to classic Brit Pro wrestling matches on YouTube that the artist told me have inspired his work:

• Wayne Bridges vs. Baron von Schultz — In which a thickly built (and well-oiled) hero defends his nation’s honor against a sadistic German aristocrat.  Can the Home Town Boy’s stretchy blue trunks (with stars on the hips) survive the onslaught of this goateed Kraut in long black tights and boots?

• Terry Rudge vs. Tom Tyrone — In which a bald brute in a curve-hugging red singlet tortures the arm of the young Golden Boy in navy blue speedo.  Don’t miss the veteran’s tight Headscissor at 2:35, his thick thighs straining, his red boots locked together unbreakably.  And the riding Crotch Armbar by the old Heel at 13:35 is just merciless.

• Pat Roach vs Colin Joynson — In which a chubby villain in blue singlet and his big bearded opponent wearing too-small black trunks force each other to grunt and groan loudly.  As the artist said: “Turn the sound up and close your eyes.  Listen to these two bulls going for it…awwwwww!“