by Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
If you happen to haven’t watched Match for Homicide, you’re actually lacking out on a terrific movie.
In my work as a author within the {industry}, I’ve lined quite a lot of names from the bodybuilding world. One case that stood out (and stayed with me) entails Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan.
I’ve printed a few articles on them up to now that you could find linked under:
Their story is darkish, unsettling, and tragic. That’s why the documentary-style movie Match for Homicide deserves a stable highlight. It revisits their rise, the spectacular fall, and the crime that shocked the health {industry}.
The film was launched again in 2024, and I observed it was free when scrolling by way of Tubi the opposite evening and determined to observe it.
I’m no film critic, nevertheless it was a tremendous documentary of what occurred between Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan that put them behind bars. If you happen to’re a fan of the {industry} or have heard of the story between these (as soon as) health icons, I positively suggest you watch the film.
Let’s dive deeper into Match for Homicide now that I took the time to sit down down and watch it.
The Storyline
Match for Homicide chronicles how Craig Titus (as soon as a high skilled bodybuilder) teamed up with Kelly Ryan (a health champion) and employed a younger assistant, Melissa James.
The narrative follows the looks of success: competitors wins, enterprise ventures, and the glamorous health life. Then the cracks seem.
Based on the movie, issues took a sinister flip when James moved in to help the 2 of them. The movie tracks the stress, the allegations of theft, the suspected affair, and in the end the horrific homicide of James.
The ultimate scene of the film showcases their foiled plan to go on the run as they each get arrested in Boston.
Why Match for Homicide Hits Exhausting
As somebody who’s written deep dives into this case earlier than, I admire how Match for Homicide pulls no punches.
- It retains the information intact: the burnt automobile trunk, the physique discovered within the pink Jaguar registered to Kelly Ryan, the duct tape round James’s head.
- It marks the timeline clearly: December 14, 2005, the physique of James was present in a burning automobile within the desert close to Las Vegas.
- It portrays the proof: surveillance footage of Kelly Ryan buying lighter fluid utilizing James’s card; taser residue discovered within the dwelling; investigators linking the charred automobile to the couple.
My View as a Health-Business Author
I’ve lined Craig and Kelly once they had been competing, once they had been huge names within the {industry}. So, watching this movie felt private. It was nearly like I knew them on a private stage.
Match for Homicide doesn’t simply recount the crime… it provides context. It reveals how fame in health can masks reckless habits. It reveals how competitors, picture, and enterprise intersect with darker impulses.
The documentary is extraordinarily well-written and follows the information of the case. It has sharp, gripping scenes. It doesn’t drag you alongside or have you ever yawning. It makes use of the bodybuilding-world backdrop to intensify the stakes: from posing routines to non-public dramas to deadly penalties.
The Details You Ought to Know
- Craig Titus pleaded responsible in 2008 to second-degree homicide, kidnapping, and arson. He was sentenced to 21–55 years in jail.
- Kelly Ryan pleaded responsible to arson and entered an Alford plea to battery with a lethal weapon inflicting important bodily hurt. She acquired two consecutive phrases of three–13 years. She was launched on parole in October 2017.
- Craig Titus is incarcerated, and in accordance with Nevada parole information, his earliest doable launch date is December 23, 2026.
- Kelly Ryan is out of jail and dwelling a life out of the general public highlight.
It ought to be famous that I’ve tried to do some digging, and I can’t discover any particulars on what Kelly Ryan has been doing after her launch again in 2017. She should be hiding out and conserving a extremely low profile, as nobody has appeared to have noticed her. Actually, that’s a disgrace. I feel she has so much to supply in well being and health and may also help many individuals. Did she mess up her life? Sure. However she did her time, and hopefully she is selecting the items again up and beginning recent.
The subsequent query is, what is going to Craig do when he will get launched on the finish of 2026? Will he observe swimsuit and keep quiet (which doesn’t appear to be his fashion)? Or will he come out and bounce proper into the highlight once more? Solely time will inform.
Why Match for Homicide Works
From my perspective, the documentary succeeds for quite a few causes:
- It blends health tradition with true crime, two genres I usually take pleasure in, and offers a compelling crossover.
- It honors the timeline and proof, which supplies it credibility.
- It holds up a mirror to the fitness-industry excesses — the massive physiques, the massive egos, the massive dangers.
- It’s accessible: even somebody unfamiliar with bodybuilding can observe the rise-and‐fall story.
What Are My Remaining Ideas on Match for Homicide?
If you happen to’re into health tradition, true crime, or each, Match for Homicide is a must-watch. It provides greater than sensationalism — it provides context, accountability, and a chilling look into what occurs when ambition and darkish secrets and techniques collide.
And from somebody who’s written about Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan of their heyday — I can let you know this movie brings the story full circle. It’s well-produced, fact-based, and doesn’t pull again. In case you have the time, this is without doubt one of the higher recountings of that case.
