
Watching Z-Man wrestle at Wrestlefest NYC Live was such a dizzying hit of hot nostalgia. Just being in the same room with him, after watching him wrestle on my screen for so long, was an unexpected thrill. Impressively, BG East successfully kept the secret that the mystery man advertised to face Kirk Donahue that night was none other than the homoerotic wrestling institution that is Z-Man. So, when he came jogging out to the ring, there was a legitimate, collective gasp of surprise, and I am a huge, huge fan of dramatic suspense and the unexpected in my wrestling.

Which poses an interesting challenge to me, as I sit down to review Z-Man’s latest release, Masked Mayhem 23: Muscle Bash. I’ve watched the match all the way to the end (several times, if I’m being honest), so I know who was under that red, white, and blue mask, billed simply as “American Muscle.” There is a super dramatic reveal in the last 20 seconds of the video that blows my mind almost as much as when I found out that it was Z-Man who was going to climb into the ring at Wrestlefest Live. And, honestly, I really, really want to discuss this at length, because, holy fuck, I’ve got opinions (as always)! But on the other hand, I really, really don’t want to spoil it for any of you who haven’t seen it yet and want to go along for the ride. Fuck, I hate keeping a secret!

I will say that I thought I recognized American Muscle well before Z-Man ripped his mask off at the end of the match. I mean, I couldn’t place him, but I did think to myself, “Fuck, that gorgeously ripped body looks familiar!” You can hear the masked Adonis grunting, snarling, demanding Z-Man submit, and eventually crying out in submission himself, but that didn’t give it away for me. Like me, Z-Man’s curiosity grows over the course of the match, too. There’s something familiar about this 5’8, 165 pound sculpted work of art, with his honey-toned flawless complexion, bulging shoulders, washboard abs, and roadmap of visible veins fueling all of those magnificent muscles. I honestly entertained the thought that I’m sure I’ve masturbated to that body before, because apparently my dick recognized him way before my brain.

The match itself is sensational. It’s competitive, and mean, and intense. Z-Man 2.0 is just fine with ambushing his opponent from behind, perhaps feeling a little threatened by the masked man’s absolutely on point physique. And fuck, he goes off on American Muscle like the man’s physical perfection is a personal insult. Z-Man is more savvy now than he was 15 years ago. He’s aggressive and opportunistic. When he slams American Muscle’s back into a corner, he absolutely goes to town stomping and punching the masked stud’s abs. This isn’t rookie Z-Man who was always showboating, pulling punches, and sucking on his shit-eating grin. This is a tanned, phenomenally toned, perfectly seasoned athlete who doesn’t mind cutting corners or kicking an opponent when he’s down, just so long as he’s going to walk out of the ring the winner.

The thing is, though, American Muscle is barreling into this match with every ounce as much grit, determination, and lust for milking a whimpering submission out of his opponent as Z-Man. The masked man’s suspiciously smooth counters and reversals are just more clues to add to the mystery. When he ducks out of the way of another (illegal, mind you) closed-fisted punch, American Muscle is instantly using Z-Man’s six-pack like a speed bag. Once he’s winded his opponent, the masked man snaps on a front facelock and smashes Z-Man’s legendarily handsome face with a bulldog. There’s no hesitation, no considering his next move. American Muscle is immediately stretched out on top of Z-Man, trapping the legend’s skull between those magnificently muscled thighs, and cranking cries of agony out of Z.

It’s back and forth like this for almost 24 minutes of one gut check after another. Neither stunning stud is willing to submit, long past the point that they should. It’s got a Thor vs. Captain America vibe to it, as they dish out and scarf down absolute mountains of punishment. The visuals are just fucking stunning, with these two, quite different, and yet astonishingly perfectly matched muscle gladiators demonstrating the extremes of what superhuman conditioning can endure and deliver. Early on, American Muscle is eerily silent, enough so that it’s clearly unsettling Z-Man. “No way that back can take much more,” Z-Man insists when he’s cranking on a spine-snapping chin lock with a knee pinned against the middle of the masked man’s back. And I believe Z-Man. And still, holy fuck, American Muscle just won’t give it away!

If you want a start-to-finish squash, this isn’t the match for you. If you want to see one wrestler who just clearly wants it more than the other, again, this isn’t your match. This is a slow, bruising burn that builds the suspense with a patience and persistence that takes me back to watching the last match of a classic pro wrestling show on television as a kid. The boys suffer sensationally hard. Both of them are clinging to their dignity by their fingertips about halfway through. Z-Man is moaning and wailing like a wounded animal. But, holy fuck, when American Muscle finally starts vocalizing, his grunts and whimpers and gasps of on-the-edge horrified agony are absolutely pornographic.

So, yeah, this is an intensely satisfying muscle bash marathon that has me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I swear, it’s like Z-Man has been sitting in a slow cooker for the past 15 years and he has, just this moment, reached the most succulent and mouthwatering homoerotic wrestling perfection. I’d love to put out a bounty on his nipples that future opponents can earn by sucking them hard, but honestly, I’ve never been more into Z-Man than I am right now. But fuck, the devastatingly sexy hunk behind the American Muscle mask leaves me dizzy with desire. I’ve got a list a mile long of things I want to see that body do and have done to it!

Fuck, I hate keeping a juicy secret…. but I love suspense. I can’t guarantee there won’t be a spoiler in the comments or online or in any dozen places where homoerotic wrestling fans delight in hashing over the titillating delights of new releases like this. But you didn’t hear it from me. If I were you, I’d get my own copy of this muscle on muscle iron man match to the finish, and you can savor the reveal for yourself. I, for one, certainly hope we’re going to see much, much more of both of these fantasy men in action, and then we can all talk freely about just what we think about this sleeper comeback match for a stunning hunk who’s been away far too long!













































































