I recently came across a very entertaining match on YouTube featuring Jordan Devlin as the out-matched but ballsy Baby-Face against a much larger, more vicious opponent known simply as Walter. This is perhaps the most common trope in pro wrestling meant to turn us on with plenty of one-sided abuse inflicted on the heroic but oh-so-helpless martyr. The match, which some are calling the 2018 Match of the Year, is from the Over The Top (OTT) wrestling federation in Dublin, Ireland where they prefer their wrestling violent and their Baby-Faces well punished.
Damn, they’re glistening with sweat before the bell even rings — you just know this is gonna be a hot one! And to turn up the hotness just a bit more, Devlin’s best friend forever — David Starr — is at ringside (and shirtless!) encouraging his boy and cheering him on. Apparently these two ruggedly handsome and fit studs are involved in a Bromance.
According to an intro video, played on an old TV screen before the match begins, Jordan Devlin has been defeated by Walter before. We see Walter engulfing our hero in his thick arms and legs and forcing him to tap out. This sets an ominous tone, as if Walter is a Master of the Sleeperhold and can ruin Devlin again any time he wishes.
Walter is a classic Beast Heel — 320 pounds of cruelty and dominance. The commentators compare him to that big kid in your school who didn’t know his own strength. I dig that Walter wears trunks (rare for a monster his size) and those extra tall, extra dangerous boots.
Walter unleashes hell on poor Devlin, throwing him around like a toy, dropping that crushing bulk on his exposed body, and repeatedly kicking him in the head just to be a dick. If you enjoy seeing the David harmed by the Goliath, this one will pitch a tent in your trunks for sure.
Jordan Devlin is a scrappy little fucker though. One of his favorite attacks is to lean in and ruthlessly Headbutt his victim in the cheek to stun him.
He reminds me of another buff Irish lad — Finn Balor, who I believe trained Devlin. Here he tries for a Sleeper Hold of his own to subdue the monster, but Walter shakes him off like a bull whisks away an annoying fly.
At 15:05 into this half-hour long torture session, Walter applies this spine crushing Boston Crab. He steps on the back of Devlin’s head, then just SITS HIS MASSIVE WEIGHT RIGHT DOWN ON DEVLIN’S LOWER BACK TO BREAK HIM IN HALF! (Please don’t kill him, I just discovered him!)
The camera zooms in on Devlin’s dramatic O-faces, his puppy-dog demeanor twisted in agony as he struggles to reach the ropes. Why oh why did this 185 pound dude agree to get in the ring with a 310 pound killer whale?
We soon see that Walter is not just a big galoot, he is a big galoot who knows how to fight and wrestle. Fuck is he brutal!
The commentator describes Devlin’s suffering in detail, adding to our pleasure with spicy trigger words to verbally incite us:
“Devlin is down and hurt. Devlin is down and broken, but Devlin is not beaten!”
Then it happens. At 29:05 into their violent, sweaty battle, big Walter secures his deadly fucking Sleeper Hold.
This Sleeper did me in, I gotta admit. Those massive arms clamped decisively around Jordan’s neck. Jordan’s beautiful face relaxing into an expression of helpless submission as the camera pans in. The commentator’s voice straining as he approaches climax. The ref raising our hero’s weak arm and letting it drop like a wet dishrag. And they still wrestle in Ireland!!
Devlin grits his teeth and tightens his fist in an adorable act of rebellion. It all worked for me — I was finished! I think Devlin escaped somehow but I was wiping my eyes and catching my breath by then so I didn’t really see what happened next.
If you can make it through that gorgeous Sleeper scene, let me know how it ended. Hopefully big cruel Walter didn’t hurt my new favorite Baby-Face too badly. If this match is typical of the pro wrestling in Ireland, then I think I need to start watching more Irish wrestling. I think I need a nap now…
Walter is like Samoa Joe, probably not the most gorgeous man on earth, but he certainly knows how to torture all these fine looking lads. I didn’t make it through the match either because Devlin writhing in the ring is such a beautiful sight.
battle-porn, I agree with your Samoa Joe comparison. I was thinking about saying that in my write-up. Bot are super-huge and ruthless, both love to Sleeper…
This match is quite a find!
Epic in every way… great post!