Jonny Firestorm - 5'5, 145 lbs David vs (comparatively) Goliath Babyface/babyheel Jonny strangles the bigger stud from behind Nick's injured leg feels the wear and tear on his joints as he's cranked in the single-leg boston Slapdown Powerbomb! Nick slams Jonny to the mat with authority Premature celebration? Naughty Nick Naughton flexes truimphantly over a grounded Jonny
Out of the Past, a Heel is Born!
The BGE Vault contains an insane number of gems that have yet to be seen by our fans. This is one of those gems, one of the earliest matches that either Jonny Firestorm or Nick Naughton did for BGE. It goes without saying that Firestorm became one of the most feared and respected heels in BG East. There was a time, though, where he straddled a line between a babyface and the heel he would one day become. And at one point, "Naughty" Nick Naughton was a BGE heel that new meat was thrown to in order to be broken in. But this is Nick's inaugural trial match. The Boss set this match up because he knew the potential each man possessed. So it's no surprise that this match helped shape Jonny Firestorm and Nick Naughton into the definitive wrestlers that fans of BGE came to love.
As Nick is posing in the ring, he glimpses the diminutive Jonny making his way to the ring. "Where's your other half?" he asks. Jonny is completely unfazed: "A short joke. Ha fucking Ha. I've fought bigger, badder, and meaner guys, and I always rise to the occasion!" When Jonny poses in the mirror, Nick launches a sneak attack. But though this match is early Firestorm, a green-around-the-ears Jonny is more experienced than your average wrestler! Before Nick even knows what's happening, Jonny has him reeling on the ropes.
But Nick is a solid hunk who won't stay down for long. Jonny bounds into the ropes to shoulder-block Nick only to painfully bounce off a wall of muscle. Another attempt gets the same result. But Jonny's taken down bigger and he won't give up. Jumping back to his feet and running full-throttle into the ropes, he ups the ante with a flying shoulder-block that staggers Nick. One more flying shoulder-block and Jonny topples the giant.
Knocking a Big Man down isn't the same as keeping him down, though, and before Jonny knows what's happening he's being lifted off the ground into a flying full-nelson. Putting his height advantage to good use, Nick cranks it on, making the Firestorm scream and beg for release. He's let go, but only to be laid low with a solid elbow drop to the head. But Nick is still a novice and hasn't learned to minimize the time he spends basking in self-confidence. He takes far too long, allowing Jonny to not only recover, but strategize a tried and true method of taking the Big Man down and keeping him there: go for those legs!
A flying tackle straight to Nick's leg knocks him to the mat. And now fans can see the Firestorm that makes wrestlers wet themselves to this day. Jonny always had the heel mentality within him, even from his earliest days, and it's on full display here. Using the ropes, ignoring Nick's protests, he begins stomping on the already injured leg. A high-flying elbow drop to the leg buys Firestorm enough time to drag his opponent to the corner, where he wraps the battered leg around the post and begins slamming it into the solid frame.
Even with such a sound strategy, Nick isn't out for the count just yet, fighting back every chance he gets and executing power moves even if he just has one working leg. But Firestorm keeps going back to the leg, showing shades of the master submission expert he'll become, locking on traditional boston crabs and figure 4 leglocks along with uniquely patented Firestorm leglocks that leaves Nick hobbling in the ring.
A truly classic Big vs Small match where the small guy isn't the underdog people expect, this match is loaded with technically flawless submission moves that will steal your breath. This is a rare opportunity to see the genesis of two wrestlers, particularly Firestorm, that simply shouldn't be passed up! Three extraordinary Ringwars with some of our biggest stars!
Naughty Nick running out of steam in a chinlock/leglock bow-and-arrow variation
Spread 'em! Like a dog with a bone, Jonny continues to destroy the bigger man's legs
Nick sets the budding heel on fire with an arching leg nelson
Nick looks to extinguish the heel's flickering flame with a punishing headscissors
Jonny rides the big guy down to the mat with a bodyscissor/sleeper combination
A lean, ripped Jonny finds himself in trouble in a full leg nelson
Nick Naughton - 5'11, 205 lbs Birth of a Heel: Jonny brings the big bad boy to his knees with a side headlock Nick the Naughty smirks as he drops the budding heel boy down to his knees Jonny works a figure-four headscissor to devastating effect as beefy Nick squirms Go for the legs! Jonny works the bigger man's legs to level the playing field Jonny's heel mentality blooms as he works a bodyscissors/face claw combo
Celebrating 45 Years of BG East - - AND 21 of The Arena! - - Join ArenaPlus for free VODs In our 45th Anniversary year, membership in The Arena (now in its 21st year) is your chance to get any Video on Demand (VOD) at a discount, or rent for longer (7 days) AND buy our "forever-stream" OTA (Own-To-Arena) full Products and OTA-Matches, all for only $13.95 a month with loads of free video content and a 'Free VOD for the Week' match; Or join our new ArenaPlus for only $79.95 a month and get up to 40 free select VODs as 7 change every week. See 'Arena Plus' in the Arena page menu to see what's streaming now!
STREAM ANY MATCH --- HERE & NOW! Almost all BG East matches are available for streaming, right here, right now (some of the newest releases are coming soon). If the 'Watch VOD' next to the match title on the Series page is YELLOW, it means you can rent the VOD stream right now for 24 hours on your computer or device. No membership needed!… [read more]Or, join The Arena & rent matches at a big DISCOUNT and longer-rent-time options (simply renting 3 VODs a month, or enjoying our weekly 'Free VOD for the Week' pays for your membership - in addition to all the other free photo and video content on The Arena). For many products and now matches, you can OWN the stream forever using Own to Arena (OTA) whenever your Arena membership is active (see "Jump to..." drop-down menu above). Only matches that say 'Watch VOD' in RED are exclusive to the Arena. BG East Match Description pages allow you to rent and stream matches as well, with or without Arena membership. Full VOD List on bgeast.com[read less]
