FIVE COURSE GRAPS #30 — Ben MacDonald
© Photography by World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Ceasefire, Revolution Pro Wrestling
Something I’ve always liked to do when watching wrestling is pick out specific and small moments and try to draw them back to various points of influence in wrestling history. Wrestling’s history often finds itself going back to… well, itself and I always find it fascinating to see what sources the wrestlers of today will draw from to craft their own history, influence and visions for professional wrestling.
I had an idea of how I wanted to explore wrestling history while also drawing back to the wrestlers of today that I love and here I am finally executing it, look at me go. So now I must answer the question that some of you are hopefully asking, what is Five Course Graps?
The main reason I started this whole Wrestling Odyssey thing was to have a way for me to explore as much wrestling as I possibly can, while also having a medium through which I can review and express my thoughts on everything I see. While writing has taken much of a backseat in my creative endeavours in recent times due to burnout and general writer’s block, I am proud to say the desire is back thanks to this new Five Course Graps idea I have.
The gist is simple enough: I ask someone who works/has worked in professional wrestling in any major capacity for 5 matches that are major influences on their style of wrestling, tastes in wrestling, what they want wrestling to look like etc. and review them for this blog to both explore wrestling I (likely) haven’t seen and to get a better understanding of what influences the wrestlers of today.
We head from the capital to get on up and go down to the south coast to Margate as we peer into the wrestling mind of ‘Big Country’ Ben MacDonald. A product of the Thanet wrestling academy and regular in Pro Wrestling Colossus, Ben’s rise has been as big as he is as he’s become one of the most beloved big men in British wrestling, still in the relative infancy of his wrestling career with his earnest big man wrestling feeling like a breath of fresh air in an era of big men who can also do acrobatics, with his talents having taken him to promotions like PWCeasefire & Wrestling Resurgence. With our Ben introduced, let’s take a look at the 5 matches Ben MacDonald would say made Ben MacDonald.
MATCH #1: KEITH LEE vs DOMINIK DIJAKOVIC, 16/2/20
Double hoss in the first match, that’s on brand for big Ben.
Lee vs Dijak honestly feels like the last ‘travelling rivalry’ of modern wrestling. With the nature of indie wrestling post-pandemic, it’s very rare you see 2 wrestlers become so intertwined with each other on a global scale from JUST matches, negating any objective narrative beyond what happens in the ring. It makes this match feel so special because this was the first time it had happened under the bright lights and as per, this means they have to deliver more than ever before.
“Big man, will flip” was the archetype of big man wrestlers through the 2010s. Gone were the days of lumbering dudes who only did big boots, if you wanted to be a successful big bloke in the 2010s then you had to be willing to bust out a hurricanrana or a somersault. Keith Lee is the man who defines this mould more than anyone for me, his heftier frame but elegance in execution made him feel 1 in a billion, until everyone tried to copy him. Dijak is a man of the same breed, but with slightly different genetics as his heft comes more in height, not weight, but his physical capabilities make him an absolute specimen and it’s why he & Keith became synonymous with each other through the latter half of the 2010s and the very start of 2020 with this, their most famous match.
The match is nothing short of a bombfest. From the word ‘go’, both men are busting out headscissors, somersaults, pounces, powerbombs, dives, the LOT. It’s actually insane to comprehend just what both men are capable of in this match. Both men bring out the warchest in an attempt to finally fell the giant across from them but the nature of the match makes it a metaphorical dick measuring contest to see who can out-’hell yeah’ the other. It breeds a toxic element into the match as both men are forced to plunge deeper and deeper into what their capable of, putting themselves at risk as a key moment in the match sees Dijak do a springboard front flip into Keith Lee at ringside. That combines with repeated attempts to lift Keith Lee up and further reverberating impact caused by Keith that it soon becomes too much, and the energy runs dry. Dijak goes for a Feast Your Eyes but his back gives way, and Keith has just enough in him to finally nail the Big Bang Catastrophe to win the match after a spectacle, if one lacking in any real depth.
I will always have a soft spot for this style of wrestling, but my love for it has definitely dwindled as years have passed. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, but I still think it could’ve been greater if there had been a bit more room for nuance. Then again, who cares about nuance when Dijak’s hitting a fucking Stardust Press?
When asked to offer insight on the match, Ben said:
“This is the match that got me into wrestling. The larger impact it had on me though, is that it showed me that big fellas could MOVE. I could’ve never attempted half the stuff I’ve learned without seeing the stuff these two do.”
SHIBRUVA RATING: 8.2/10
MATCH #2: TAKESHI MORISHIMA vs NIGEL MCGUINNESS, 6/10/07
Nigel McGuinness had become the darling favourite of ROH at this point in it’s history. After his Pure Championship run saw him become a cult favourite, it was his feud with Bryan Danielson through 2006 that saw him become one of the promotions top dogs and 2007 finally saw him claw back to challenging for the world title after a months long odyssey. The only issue is that the trail his journey took him on lead him to a mountain.
Takeshi Morishima is a big ass dude. His imposing frame and demeanor made him a monster attraction in 2007 ROH as he constantly felled challenger after challenger on his excursion from NOAH. There is something about Morishima that I see in Ben; beyond just the frame, the imposing and diminishing nature in his entrance as he shoots dirty looks at the fans with a grimaced look on his face feel like hallmarks of Ben’s entrances whenever he wrestles. Nigel comes in with the belief of the world behind him and it is belief that spurs people on to reach the zenith. Immediately, Nigel’s strategy becomes apparent: topple the giant as fast and as relentlessly as possible to minimise damage, but the giant has both brawns and brain so Morishima quickly cottons on to Nigel’s lariat-spamming tactics as he begins to work the arm. Sadly, Morishima’s counter-strategy of limbwork falls to the wayside as his offence becomes more ‘routine big man’ as the match progresses, which then closes any space Nigel had to do more visual, sympathetic selling. I wouldn’t say it’s a huge takeaway from the match but I do wonder how the match looks if Nigel has to gut through the damage on his shooting arm with repeated swings of the axe to chop Morishima down.
With nuance left on the shelf, the match ultimately becomes a war of attrition as big moves are traded & kicked out of repeatedly. The format of the match, what with the hot reversals start, slower middle and finisher trading & kickouts near the finish almost make this feel like a King’s Road match condensed into 15 minutes. However, that condensing comes with the loss of so much room for detail, something that McGuinness typically thrives with even with shorter runtimes. It becomes a rare blip in form for Nigel that he’s not being attentive to the admittedly short heat segment on JUST his arm as he opts for more routine ‘indie’ framework. Likewise, there was an element of panic from Morishima with how all-in McGuinness was going but that quickly dissipates once he abandons the arm for more brutish offence.
This match is good, don’t get me wrong, but the match itself doesn’t feel reflective or level with the huge moment that comes at the end of it as Nigel finally becomes the ROH World Champion after a match that could’ve been so, so much more.
When asked to offer insight on the match, Ben said:
“It was after one of the first PWColossus shows that I was introduced to ROH by Connor Mills, and this was his recommendation for me to watch. Morishima is easily one of my biggest influences as a wrestler, both with his ROH run and his longer career in NOAH.”
SHIBRUVA RATING: 7.9/10
MATCH #3: CHRIS HERO vs TOMOHIRO ISHII, 10/11/16
*This match cropped up on fellow big man Joshua James’ matchlist a few weeks back so after a re-watch, this review has been lifted. (and also slightly edited)
Get Shibruva’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
The growing trend in this matchlist makes a lot of sense, and it’s no wonder why.
Chris Hero is probably your favourite wrestler’s favourite wrestler. A big fella who was shameless in his size, Hero carved his niche out of being a big motherfucker that wouldn’t throw you around, but he would throw your brain around your skull by rocking it with strikes, his brute force nature a perfect clash for someone as brutish and as resistant as someone like Tomohiro Ishii.
Hero establishes very early and very potent dominance for the first half of the match, genuinely pasting Ishii pillar to post as all Ishii can do is just absorb as much as he can with Hero being a fantastic cocky prick throughout. The tide turns when Hero throws some punches to the head that pretty much ricochet off Ishii’s head like ping pong balls as the revelation is made that Ishii’s head is pretty fucking hard.
From there, the match transitions to sheer bombs being thrown non-stop. Big boots and those famed elbow strikes are obviously Hero’s go-to but Ishii busts out fucking EVERYTHING. Suplexes, right hooks, elbows, lariats, headbutts, the dude nails Hero with everything he can to hack this absolute giant of a man to the ground with Hero doing everything he can in desperation to stay up. The match just DOES NOT LET UP with the energy being kept at a very high but very steady level, never really dipping into a lull as Ishii keeps going and going through everything with the no-selling not feeling too excessive, with a great no-sell in particular coming off the back of a piledriver. The finish comes soon after that with a BRILLIANT touch of detail in Hero hitting Ishii with the Gotch Style Piledriver, the finisher of Ishii’s noted rival Minoru Suzuki.
A very lovely and digestible bombfest with a wonderfully succinct runtime, fun moments, a great Hero performance and a great Ishii performance too. I very much enjoyed this.
When asked to offer insight on the match, Ben said:
“I can say at this point in my career that Chris Hero is my favourite wrestler. Another example of a wrestler showing me what a big guy can do, and his all round ability and match structure are both things I’d love to reach at some point. While my favourite match of his is against Mark Haskins for PROGRESS, this match served as my introduction to both hero and Tomohiro Ishii.”
SHIBRUVA RATING: 8.3/10
MATCH #4: ILJA DRAGUNOV vs WALTER, 29/10/20
*This match popped up last week on Donny Ravarro’s matchlist so after a rewatch, this review has been lifted.
I am of the opinion that Ilja Dragunov’s famed intensity can sometimes be hung out to dry, often down to nothing of his own doing. While it can come off as forced at times, a lot of that intensity’s undoing is down to it not being matched by his dance partner in the ring. With WALTER, though, I don’t think the intensity is enough.
These two put on a suffocating match. There is barely any downtime in this match because the two can’t fucking stop hitting the soul out of each other’s bodies. From the bell going it’s an endless cavalcade of chops, lariats, throws, errant swings, submissions and all manner of blood, sweat and tears staining the floor they wrestle on. The attitudes in this match fascinate, Ilja’s resilience borders on inhuman in how endless it is but the way WALTER treats him is what makes it work. This match isn’t exactly 50/50, but Ilja still gets a LOT of offence in on WALTER and yet WALTER still looks down on him with a lifted nose and a smug, diminishing look. WALTER is aware of who he is and the reputation that being The Ring General comes with and so he does everything he can to uphold that. He takes wrist control and punishes this pretender for daring to step to his throne after everything they’d been through, even with Ilja’s endless reserve for punishment.
The motion that is brought into the match is fantastic. There’s something about both men’s selling in this match that makes it feel so authentic. The ragdolling, the jelly legs, the stumbling and staggering, the falling that feels human, the energy in this match helps elevate it to a level that’s then rocketed by the action. If you do not end up grabbing at your body parts and making gutteral sounds at what these two do to each other in this match then I don’t think you have a soul. The chops, man, the fucking chops.
Lest we forget the setting. NXT:UK is shit and I will always stand by that but this stands as one of the VERY FEW good matches that this wretched brand put on, this also being the 2nd best one (WALTER vs Bate is the best). The empty arena this takes place in means the noise from the chops, slaps, lariats and everything in between reverberates more as layers of skin explode and sweat fills the air like air freshener that actually smells rank. It makes everything so much more unfiltered, raw, honest and unapologetic about the borderline murders both men are committing.
I adore this match. It is a bright spot in a terrible time on an even more terrible brand and even if I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Ilja, I will always point to this as the jewel in his crown. A match that has to be seen, and heard, to be believed.
When asked to offer insight on the match, Ben said:
“Possibly the most obvious choice on this list given my style. It can’t be a big guy’s list without WALTER on it. Physicality, intensity, brutality, this match has it all. Ilja is one of my favourite non-heavyweight wrestlers (you should really watch his PROGRESS matches with Cara Noir) and WALTER is the perfect modern big man. Magic.”
SHIBRUVA RATING: 9.7/10
MATCH #5: SUNSHINE MACHINE vs DIAMOND EYES, 27/8/26
It’s important to preface that there will undeniably be some bias here because I was in attendance for this match (spot the tall prick who’s hand is constantly getting on the hard cam whenever they put it up) as it kicked off All In Weekend 2026 this past August. The show itself was an absolute marvel and it’s matches like this that give PWCeasefire so much more of a rabid following.
What makes the matches so special is that there’s no real consequence. The wrestlers are allowed to be free of their chains meaning they can go BOLLOCKS TO THE WALLOCKS and have it not need to be critiqued because frankly, going into a Ceasefire show and expecting a layered masterpiece is just silly. Ceasefire is a company run on vibes and a great premise, not a masterful narrative so when you put 4 of the best high octane wrestlers in the country in one ring with no restriction on what they can do, you get one of the best sprints of 2026.
The energy in the room helps it MASSIVELY as everyone in the building is super up for it (despite the uncomfortable temperature and cramped environment) but even if you ignore that, the pace at which this match happens is spectacular. There’s no downtime, no room to catch your breath as all 4 men play out increasingly more mental spots with increasingly more mental bumps, with Mills in particular busting out some particularly nutty tumbles. It’s almost hard to quantify in words how this match plays out with just how fast everything happens, between combo moves, unbelievably stiff strikes, head drops and some great moments of drama and tension with submissions.
While it’s tough to recall specific spots from the match because of its frantic nature, I can’t recommend this match enough as it’s mindless in its consumption, but I mean that as the biggest compliment because given its environment, there was no other way this should have played out. Also, I was standing in front of Ben for this match, isn’t that nice?
When asked to offer insight on the match, Ben said:
“If I had more matches, all 4 of these guys would’ve appeared on the list individually without question. My favourite match I’ve ever seen live. The epitome of tag team wrestling, performed by 4 of the best wrestlers you can find. Single handedly made me a fan of tag team wrestling, something I’d never previously explored before. Watch this match.”
SHIBRUVA RATING: 8.3/10
