Reseda, California
PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M
Commentators: Excalibur & Rick Knox
1) Brian Cage vs. Flash Morgan Webster
Flash was one of the debuting talents I enjoyed in BOLA so I'm stoked to see him here again. Not so stoked on another Cage opener, but this was fun regardless. It just feels like they've had him in this same role for YEARS. None the less, there was some pretty wild shit thrown in here like Cage giving Webster the Deep Sea Diverticulitus on the ring apron which I lost my mind for. But in the end, Flash would pick up the upset victory by somehow reversing out of the screwdriver into a pinning combination.
Match rating - ***
2) Adam Brooks vs. Mark Haskins
So, neither of these guys are bad, but glory to god this was way too long. It was 18 minutes and felt like 30 minutes. There's no backstory and both men are relatively new, there was no reason for this to go this long. Or maybe I just couldn't invested and it hindered it for me. Either way, this wasn't anything special. A couple of good exchanges here or there and the last few minutes weren't terrible however the first three quarters of the match can't be overlooked. Brooks did some decent heel work and Haskins spent the match fighting back and eventually grabbed the victory via submission.
Match rating - **1/2
3) Trevor Lee vs. Joey Janela
"Trevor Lee is, of course, on the Adam Cole diet plan." -Excalibur
Another attempt at a character based match that didn't quite land for me although it was still better than Brooks/Haskins as it didn't drag at all, if anything it felt like it ended abruptly before they could really get going. Lee gets some INSANE heat and it rules. Janela does some crazy stuff. Then next thing you know, this is over and Janela upsets the Carolina Caveman.
Match rating - **1/2
4) Keith Lee vs. Jonah Rock
"To see a man of that size fly through the air with no control of his body is quite a sight to behold." -Rick Knox
KEITH LEE DOES IT AGAIN. BASK IN HIS MF GLORY. Not only does Lee continue to establish himself as THE guy in PWG right now, he also brought out the best of Jonah Rock that Rock desperately needed in order to get some traction in Reseda. His debut match against Sabre was solid, but Rock really shined here. Just an absolute fucking powerfest that will leave you breathless on multiple occasions. Rick Knox's reactions on commentary also make this even more nutworthy. Great, great stuff here. Lee plants Rock with his finisher after an insane back & forth battle of near falls to get the win.
Match rating - ****
5) Flamita vs. Rey Horus vs. Sammy Guevara
From big boys to small bois. Love the style variety on PWG shows lately. This was a wild display from three guys looking to regain some traction following BOLA. Sammy went for a SSP to the floor at one point and somehow landed on his god damn feet after his target moved out of the way. They also did a crazy ass sequence of moonsaults and shooting star presses with everyone dodging one another then piling a top one another. This match is worth watching for that sequence alone. The first few minutes were a little spotty but once they got things flowing this fucking ruled. Guevara picks up the victory when all is said and done.
Match rating - ***3/4
6) Ricochet vs. WALTER
WALTER is coming out of his debut PWG weekend. Ricochet is one night away from his BOLA victory earned PWG World Title shot. This was everything it could be considering the cirucmstances. You couldn't have them go all the way here and make Ricochet look beatable (even though he's already well established) or tire him out before such a big match. You also could NOT just put Ricochet over WALTER clean. So, they did well here in giving everyone the back and forth action you'd want from these two while also protecting both men. Ricochet low-blows WALTER while in a sleeper and flips through into a pinning predicament for a cheap victory after 15 or so minutes of action. This would be some more great foreshadowing of things to come as far as Ricochet's character development.
Match rating - ***1/2
7) Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero M & Rey Fenix) (c) vs. Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle) - PWG World Tag Team Title Match
I'll say it right off the bat, Penta & Fenix are my favorite thing in PWG since they debuted, and honestly since the Roddy era and I was so sad to see them lose the belts here. The match ruled, though as would expect, with all four men down after a barnburner exchange that brought the crowd to it's feet barely a minute or two in. That would set the pace for a crazy tag team display. The Lucha Bros are just nuts with the offense they deliver and Cobb & Riddle are specimens in their own right. The finish is batshit. I gif'd it for you. Enjoy and go watch this match! Not a MOTY candidate, but loads of fun and new champs are crowned !!
Match rating - ****
Overall thoughts:
Decent first night, that sorta kept the momentum from the end of BOLA going, but honestly not really. Felt like filler to get to night two with the Rico/Walter match suffering from that, although the main event was super fun and Keith Lee delivered another worthy performance worth a look.
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