It's that time of year again! PWG returns with it's 11th annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament, a three night extravaganza that encompasses the greatest Independent wrestling talent from around the WORLD in one building for a weekend of action where they will all be fighting for the trophy with ever growing prestige. Over the years, names like TNA's Davey Richards, Dragon Gate Japan's CIMA, WWE's Sami Zayn (as El Generico), and NJPW's Kenny Omega have won the tournament with stars such as AJ Styles, Claudio Castagnoli (Cesaro), Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan), and Kevin Steen (Owens) all having past history in the tournament despite never winning it.
The tournament originally began as a two night event in 2005 in which AJ Styles & Chris Bosh battle in the finals. In 2006 & 2007, the tournament got even bigger and went to three nights with talent from Dragon Gate making their presence felt. In 2008, PWG went back to the two night format and eventually dropped down to one night in 2011 before building back up to two nights in 2012 & 2013. Following the success of the prior years shows, 2014 saw BOLA expand to three nights and host arguably it's most stacked line up ever which is really saying something when you look at how loaded some previous editions of the event have been. You had Ricochet, AJ Styles, Kyle O'Reilly, Adam Cole, Zack Sabre Jr, Kenny Omega, & Chris Hero, among others, all under roof fighting for the same trophy. It was an undoubted success and produced arguably the best three PWG shows of the year.
With that taken into consideration, it seems as if PWG decided to up the anty even more this year by sticking with the three night format and offering an even more diverse line up than last year. You have PWG originals, the best on the American Indies, talent from Lucha Underground & AAA fame PLUS the UK's finest. Nearly every corner of the world is represented here and every style will be showcased. Technicians & strikers like Chris Hero, Zack Sabre Jr, Tommy End, Biff Busick, Timothy Thatcher & Drew Gulak. Luchadors like Drago, Aerostar, Fenix & Angelico. Dangerous individuals like Pentagon Jr and Super Dragon, who will be in non tournament action. Highflying stars like Ricochet, Rich Swann, Matt Sydal, Andrew Everett, and the UK's own Will Ospreay. And that's just for starters!
To give the entire rundown, here's how the tournament works:
There's 24 competitors in this single elimination tournament. First round matches take place on Nights 1 & 2 with the quarter, semi & final round matches taking place on Night Three. To top all the tournament action off, there will be a number of non-tournament contests that are mindblowing simply on paper. Speaking of those, we're gonna kick this preview off running down the non-tournament bouts with predictions from our staff along with the results from the reader's vote we took via polls on here and Instagram.
Ricochet & Rich Swann vs. Jack Evans & Angelico
First up, you have the team of Ricochet & Rich Swann, the Inner City Machine Guns, taking on Jack Evans & Angelico on Night One. All four of these men are involved in the tournament itself so it's going to be interesting to see how they pace themselves in this contest considering they are all fast paced, quick individuals. ICMG may have the advantage on paper due to how long they've been teaming and competing singularly in Reseda however I'd venture to say that Jack & Angelico will be much more well rested as Ricochet is going to be coming off a HUGE match in New Japan with KUSHIDA. With Jack & Angelico looking to prove themselves as a team in the Guerrilla after losing to The Young Bucks last month, I'm thinking we may see somewhat of an upset here. Either way, this match is going to rule on so many levels.
Ethan's pick to win: Ricochet & Rich Swann
Alex's pick to win: Ricochet & Rich Swann
Big Boy's pick to win: Jack Evans & Angelico
Reader's pick: Jack Evans & Angelico (100% of the vote)
MAN! Jack & Angelico really must have won over the hearts of many at Threemendous IV because they completely shut out the Inner City Machine Guns in the reader's vote. Although not as many people voted in this as in some of the other matches due to the poll being accidentally left off the actual site thus leaving the Instagram votes to speak for themselves, it still says alot that those who did get the chance to vote all picked Jack & Angelico over two PWG veterans.
Mount Rushmore 2.0 (Roderick Strong & The Young Bucks) vs. Zack Sabre Jr, Tommy End, & Marty Scurll
In the main event, non tournament attraction of Night One, you have the evil geniuses behind Mount Rushmore 2.0, The Young Bucks & PWG World Champion Roderick Strong taking on The UK's finest, Zack Sabre Jr, Tommy End, & Marty Scurll. Boy, oh, boy. This is gonna be insane. You will have a number of first time exchanges in this one such as End/Roddy and Scurll/Roddy, but you also have the history between Zack Sabre Jr and all three members of Mount Rushmore as he has been at odds with them since the day he stepped into PWG one year ago. It was on Night One of the 2014 Battle of Los Angeles in fact, when Sabre stepped in to help Chuck Taylor & Kenny Omega battle The Young Bucks & former Mount Rushmore member Adam Cole. Sabre's team came out on top so I'm sure The Bucks will be looking for revenge here. On top of that, Sabre & Roddy developed quite the rivalry earlier this year in PWG and elsewhere as they battled for the World Title in a highly praised contest at Don't Sweat the Technique and then just as recent as a few weeks ago, tore the house down at an EVOLVE event. The next chapter of their rivalry unfolds in this contest that will also see Marty Scurll's first taste of PWG action.
Ethan's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0
Alex's pick to win: Zack Sabre Jr, Tommy End, & Marty Scurll
Big Boy's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0
Reader's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0 (77% of the vote)
Mount Rushmore's dominance has spread like fire despite not even competing in any matches yet. They've wreaked havoc and took out virtually the entire PWG roster on TWO occassions so it comes as no surprise that they dominated the reader's vote for their first match as a team. It was the same story in our staff's vote as you can say aside from Alex who thinks the Euro squad will be able to knock Mount Rushmore on it's head for the first time since their formation. Only time will tell.
Pentagon Jr & Drago vs. Fenix & Aerostar
Ethan's pick to win: Fenix & Aerostar
Alex's pick to win: Fenix & Aerostar
Big Boy's pick to win: Fenix & Aerostar
Reader's pick to win: Pentagon Jr & Drago (90% of the vote)
Pentagon Jr's dominance has clearly already been felt and noted by PWG fans as only one person in the reader polls/vote picked Fenix & Aerostar to win. I guess we here at Guerrilla Fanfare have faith in the underdogs as we all picked Fenix & Aerostar.
Mount Rushmore 2.0 (Super Dragon & The Young Bucks) vs. Andrew Everett, Trevor Lee, & Biff Busick - Guerrilla Warfare Match
That tag match is only the beginning of what will be an insane night for the non tournament action alone because the main event is a type of match that is more synonymous with brutality and destruction than nearly any stipulation/match type in Independent Wrestling. It's a match synonymous with PWG as well as one of the men involved. It's Guerrilla Warfare and it's Super Dragon & The Young Bucks against Biff Busick, Trevor Lee, & Andrew Everett. At last year's anniversary show, we saw The Young Bucks BLOODY Candice LeRae with a steel chair and thumbtack superkick to the head, beyond that, over the years we've seen Super Dragon unleash pure hell on people in these types of matches. Most notably Kevin Steen in 2005 and Necro Butcher in 2006 in a match that was ironically enough, held on Night 2 of the 2006 BOLA tournament. The backstory to this match only took place over a span of a few months, but it just goes to show how much havoc Mount Rushmore 2.0 has wreaked on Reseda already. Biff finally gets his hands on Dragon in his first match back, Everett & Lee get a shot at taking down the men who ended their first reign with gold around their waists in PWG, the hatred is real and shit is going to hit the fan. #PrayForReseda - that's all I can say.
Ethan's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0
Alex's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0
Big Boy's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0
Reader's pick to win: Mount Rushmore 2.0 (55% of the vote)
Mount Rushmore sweeped this voting panel, but not by much! The reader's vote nearly handed it to the young standouts in Andrew Everett, Trevor Lee, & Biff Busick with a margin of ONE vote between MR2.0 and the babyface trio. I thought this would be a blow out in the favor of Mount Rushmore, but it turns out the fans do believe in their opposition after all. Fan support means a lot and it could very well push Everett, Lee & Busick to victory. The verdict still stands as far as these predictions go, though. Mount Rushmore 2.0 wins the war.
Now onto an inside look at the entrants in this year's tournament courtesy of Ethan (@EthanPWT) and Mark Anthony (@AnsoniiSan):
Ospreay will be facing fellow Brit Mark Andrews in the first round and if you haven't seen them face off in Progress Wrestling or Southside then you're really in for a treat, these two are certified show stealers and are definitely gonna want to top any performance they've done together before to put themselves on the map in Reseda. Expect high flying, lots of high flying Ospreay had moonsaulted off a balcony before so he'll be willing to jump off damn near anything in that American Legion hall.
- Mark Anthony
Entrant #2 - Marty Scurll
Scurll's first round match up is against Rich Swann which should be excellent, both are pretty versatile workers. Scurll is known more for his mat skills, but he can pull out some flippy shit when need be. His big advantage here is his Crossface Chicken Wing, he has so many ways to transition into it that Swann might actually want to lay off on the flips a bit here to avoid giving him his back. I believe this is a first time match up so this should be really fun to see how they adapt to each other.
- Mark Anthony
Entrant #3 - Timothy Thatcher
Timothy Thatcher has been a gem on the Independent scene for several years and has finally began making his mark in 2015. From taking the reigns as the face of Evolve to now debuting for PWG. Thatcher is getting a lot of opportunities and rightfully so. He debuted in Reseda just a few months ago at Mystery Vortex III in a short, but technically sound contest against one of his best opponents, Biff Busick. Fans who had seen him before were hyped however I'm not sure he won over newer fans due to the minimal time they were alloted. I think this will make his run in BOLA even more memorable especially considering his first round opponent.
In the first round, Thatcher faces a man that he had a MOTY candidate with in Evolve earlier this year, Chris Hero. These two are the perfect match for each other. Thatcher is the serious, traditional wrestling specialist and Hero is the same except he's somehow even more vicious when it comes to strikes. Thatcher holds a victory over Hero so we know that he has the ability to defeat him so it will be interesting to watch this battle unfold in what can be considered Hero's home turf.
Entrant #4 - Mike Bailey
Speedball has been making waves all across the Indies in 2015 after years of busting ass in Canada. Bailey found his way to PWG thanks to kind words and recommendation from former opponent, fellow Canadian, and PWG Legend Kevin Steen (Owens). From the time Bailey threw his first kick in Reseda and hit his first shooting star knee drop in the legion hall, he was the PWG faithful's new favorite underdog.
The young man who's style is a combination of high flying and jiu jitsu had a number of great matches in the early part of 2015 and in only a few months as a part of the roster, he's definitely left his mark. His exchanges with Trevor Lee on the ring apron in their various meetings created a variety of buzz plus he made the bold move of accepting Roderick Strong's PWG World Title Open Challenge at Mystery Vortex III in June. The sensational move didn't lead to a victory however it would lead to one just as monumental a month later as he defeated veteran Chris Hero at the 12th Anniversary show, Threemendous IV.
It shocked many, but I mean, after all, this is the guy who owns victories over all time PWG greats such as Kevin Steen & El Generico. They WERE in his home promotion of C4 Wrestling however a victory is a victory and him being able to pin those men down to the mat for a three count just shows that he's more than able to reach the top of the mountain in PWG. I think BOLA could very well be that time considering he's got a fair amount of momentum heading into the tournament after his victory over The Knockout Artist and former PWG World Champion.
An extended stay in the 2015 BOLA tourney won't come easy for Speedball however because his first round opponent is a tall glass of water. Figuratively and literally. Drew Galloway, the former Drew McIntyre, took the Independent Scene by storm in the past year where he become a double champion in EVOLVE earning victories over top PWG talent such as Johnny Gargano and Rich Swann. Galloway has experience wrestling all around the world in front of huge crowds, but I'd still Reseda brings a whole new side to things and with this being his debut, I think that's one of the only advantages that Mike Bailey has considering the size and overall experience difference. I wouldn't put it past him though because Chris Hero had the same size & experience advantage yet Bailey was able to defeat him.
I personally think we will see Mike Bailey make it to the semi-finals of the tournament and I wouldn't be shocked if he made his way to the final round. As said before, he's one of the hottest new PWG stars and I feel like he's going to have one of his best weekends of his entire career come time for the Battle of Los Angeles. I'm sure he'll be looking to make the fellow Canadians that came to Reseda before him, Kevin Steen (Owens) & El Generico, proud. - Ethan
Entrant #5 - Chris Hero
The dream matches he could end up in are endless and it all begins with his first round match against Timothy Thatcher. Thatcher is a man that Hero is very familiar with as they had a MOTY candidate earlier in the year for EVOLVE. With that in mind, I have no doubt that this match will deliver on every level if given the time in front of the Reseda crowd. I know Hero & Thatcher will both hold up their end of the bargain.
Hero is coming into this set of shows with two pretty significant losses under his belt despite both of them being viewed by the majority as upsets. He began the year with victories over Drew Gulak and protege Tommy End only to fall to Zack Sabre Jr & Mike Bailey in his two most recent affairs. Some may see this as a negative for Hero and a positive for all the other competitors however, I see it as a sign of danger for all the other entrants. Hero has been busting his ass yet fell just short of getting a victory in his previous two bouts. I think this will make him take things up a notch and to imagine that is to imagine him potentially winning this entire thing.
If The Knockout Artist rolls into the legion hall on August 28th with a determined mindset to finish the job, I have a feeling we will see him make a march towards the finals. Hero's matches never fail to deliver so if he focuses on the little things that have caused him last second losses, it's going to be a bad weekend for anyone else that aspires to win the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles. I have no doubt in my mind that we'll be hearing "CHRIS HERO AIN'T NOTHING TO FUCK WITH" chants when all is said and done. - Ethan
Entrant #6 - Biff Busick
While Biff has been around for nearly a year, I think the biggest weekend of his PWG career is just around the corner as he is making his second BOLA appearance while also going to battle with Super Dragon & The Young Bucks in the first ever six man Guerrilla Warfare Match. I feel like this will be the time that Busick really solidifies himself in Reseda. Not that he hasn't already become a fan favorite because he is. I just think we've yet to see all that he can offer and BOLA weekend could very well be that time, especially with the huge trios match he's involved in on Night Two.
I'm skipping ahead, though, because before Night Two gets here, you have Night One, obviously. And on Night One, Busick's first round opponent is one of his partners on Night Two, Andrew Everett. For that reason, this will be a really interesting contest. It will be interesting not only because of that, but also because of the styles clash. Andrew Everett is the newest high flying sensation in PWG while Biff Busick is a hard hitting technician. This, in my opinion, puts Busick at an advantage due to the fact that he can ground & pound Everett and most likely come out on top. Sounds like a plan, right? Well, yes, until you remember that he'd be beating up his partner that he'll desperately need in Guerrilla Warfare on Night Two. What a tough position for these two to be in. I'm sure thats exactly what Dragon & The Bucks wanted though.
If Busick advances, which I think he will, I'm hoping we get to see him face someone like Tommy End or Zack Sabre Jr. We got a taste of Busick's technical prowess at Mystery Vortex III against Timothy Thatcher however it was only that - a taste. Regardless, it's a huge weekend for the Star Destroyer and I think he has a good chance to stamp his name into the PWG history books.
Entrant #7 - Mark Andrews
Entrant #8 - Brian Cage
This year seems to be different though as Cage looks to come into the tournament fresh and that's a bad sign for the other competitors. With his last two BOLA attempts being stopped only due to things out of his control, I don't see any way around him tearing through this year's competiton and finding himself in the final six.
Cage's first round opponent is someone I'd say he's familar with as he's a fellow LU/AAA competitor, Aerostar. Aerostar is a flashy and extremely talented athlete, but I think Cage has the clear advantage over him due to the way he combines power & athleticism into one lethal package. With it being BOLA weekend, I'm not ruling anyone out however in my predictions column, I've got Cage taking this one and advancing to the second round for the second time in his PWG career. Hopefully this time, he will make it there without injury. - Ethan
Entrant #9 - Ricochet
In the history of PWG, no one has ever won BOLA twice. Much less, two consecutively. This year, Ricochet has a big chance to do so. He's kept his momentum from last year's BOLA going in 2015 with victories over Matt Sydal, Andrew Everett, & Akira Tozawa. However, him running the table, picking up that trophy, and making history won't come easy. The competition this year is arguably even more stout than last year with many different styles being meshed.
This is no better represented than in Ricochet's first round match as he faces Zack Sabre Jr on the second night of the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles. Ricochet has proved in the past that he can hang with technical wrestlers and even come out on top, but I don't think any opponent of his has been as well versed in the technical/submission style of wrestling as ZSJ. Ochet's first round match alone is a chance to prove himself even further. It's crazy to think a man who won one of the most stacked wrestling tournaments, arguably, ever still has something to prove, but in 2015, the talent pool is so vast that EVERYONE is out with something to prove.
The desire of having something to prove is what I think could lead Ricochet back into the finals of BOLA this year. He's going to not only be defending his rep and PWG in this international star filled tournament, he's going to be defending the trophy he won last year and I don't think Ricochet will let a defeat come easily. After all, he is the King!
Entrant #10 - Tommy End
The baddest motherfucker in this whole tournament, if you haven't seen Tommy End wrestle I really don't know what you're waiting for, he's had some great bouts this year with guys like Chris Hero (twice), Andrew Everett, Biff Busick, Drew Galloway the list goes on. This is his fourth tournament of the year and he will be participating in his fifth in October when he and his partner Michael Dante join the wXw World Tag Tournament. the intensity in his strikes are almost unmatched, he'll kick your head off with the slightest of ease due to his kick boxing background, not too many people bring as much realism to wrestling as Tommy End, hopefully he makes it far so we can get a few dream matches.
End's first opponent is Drew Gulak. This is going to be a really intense hard hitting match with a good amount of submissions being traded. End is known more for his ferocious strikes but he can work the mat and has tapped people out to his Dragon Slayer submission before so it'll be cool to see if he can avoid Drew's ankle lock (Drew's gonna wanna work that so Tommy won't be able to put as much power into his kicks) and get the win.
- Mark Anthony
Entrant #11 - Trevor Lee
It's crazy to think someone who was virtually unknown on the larger scale a little over a year ago is now in his second Battle of Los Angeles tourney and one of the hottest properties not only in PWG, but in the Independent Wrestling world as a whole. Last year, we saw The Carolina Caveman make a dash to the semi-finals, defeating then ROH World Champion Michael Elgin in the process, in a streak that proved himself to everyone as a sensation to be reckoned with.
Since that time, Lee has earned victories over Adam Cole and Chris Hero plus teamed with Andrew Everett to win the DDT4 Tournament along with the tag team titles. In other words, he's gotten even better and is thus, even more dangerous. Because he isn't just a talented young man with the ability to win. He now has confidence and experience on his side. In fact, as odd as it sounds, he has more experience and success in this tournament than the majority of the men involved.
The other big difference in this year and last year's tournament for Trevor may be a disadvantage, though. Last year, he was, as I mentioned before, a relative unknown. He only had a few PWG appearances under his belt and most of his other work wasn't widely available so it was hard for opponents to scout him. Beyond that, most viewed his victory over Kevin Steen, a month prior, as a fluke which only helped matters as far as Trevor Lee shocking the world goes.
Speaking of shocking the world, should the NC native win this tournament, that's exactly what he would do considering how vast the field is. That just goes to show how huge of an opportunity this tournament is and based off Trevor Lee's track record, he's going to take full advantage of that because he's never failed to do so. He got big matches with Steen, Cole, Elgin, & Hero and he WON. He got a spot in BOLA and made it to the semi-finals. He got a spot in the other tournament that PWG runs, DDT4, and he swept the whole thing with Andrew Everett.
This month, he enters BOLA with all of that under his belt. Victories over former world champions, tournament experience & success, and momentum. Is that a recipe for victory? I would say so and I think the Head Honcho would agree.
- Ethan
Entrant #12 - Pentagon Jr.
For those who've never seen Pentagon Jr, you're in for a real treat. He's someone that is just as, if not more, intimadating than Super Dragon. He's got a DEADLY armbreaker that has put many a wrestler's career at a standstill and he simply has an aurora about him that you will feel as soon as he enters the room. To think about him competing in Reseda gives me goosebumps and I don't expect anything less than an epic weekend for Pentagon Jr. I really hope we get to see him face off against the likes of Zack Sabre Jr and Chris Hero. I also long for the day that he comes face to face with Super Dragon. The dream confrontations are almost endless.
Before any of that can happen though, Pentagon must defeat a fellow luchador in the form of Drago. They meet on the first night of action with the winner advancing to the second round of the tournament. I'm sure it will be a competitive match, but I think in the end, the viciousness of Pentagon Jr will earn him the victory. Him making it to the quarter/semi finals is almost a guarantee in my opinion. PWG, meet Pentagon Jr!
Entrant #13 - Drew Gulak
His first round opponent Tommy End is the perfect match. With it being technique vs strikes, It reminds me of the Hero/Sabre match from a few months ago on paper however Gulak is more of a traditional pro wrestler as opposed to the British influenced/made ZSJ. However, one thing this comparison reveals is something pretty benificial to Gulak. When a striker and a technical specialist last clashed in PWG (Hero/Sabre), the technician won. Does this mean Gulak will take home the victory? I think it does indeed put the ball in his favor.
Gulak is someone who hasn't reached his full potential in Reseda, but as I've said before, it's only a matter of time before he makes a big splash. While PWG is a land of it's own, Gulak has found success in other Indies such as CZW where he is a former World Champion. It says a lot that he, a technical master, won the world title in the Combat Zone, a company known for ultraviolence. With that in mind, I would keep an eye out for him in what will be his second Battle of Los Angeles tournament. The field is vast and I think most are underestimating Gulak, the question is, will it come back to bite them in the ass?
Entrant #14 - Angelico
Angelico is best known for teaming with Jack Evans in AAA where they held the tag team titles for nearly a year. In 2015, he added more to his resume by becoming 1/3 of the first ever Lucha Underground Trios Champions by risking it all and diving off the top of platform into the ring which left fans with a moment they'll never forget. It went viral on social media outlets such as Twitter and got him a lot of press.
As you can see, Angelico has been most successful in tag team work which makes his upcoming run in BOLA even more intriguing. On top of that, the man he's facing is his former partner and PWG veteran, Jack Evans. This is a match that is not only a draw to PWG fans, but also to AAA fans who have never seen them face off. It was a smart business decision to pit these two against each other on all fronts.
This match is also a huge opportunity for Angelico. To PWG fans, he's new and while he's made his mark, imagine what a victory over a man like Jack Evans who is a former PWG Tag Team Champion & DDT4 winner would do for his stock in the Guerilla fanbase? I can't wait to see what Angelico has up his sleeve during BOLA weekend.
Over the years, we've seen a number of "flippy" matches in PWG and many will say that this will fall under that category. While I do agree, I still believe it will be a contest of his own as the lucha influence will be strong and the past tag team history between the two will make for an interesting story to be told. In the end, only one member of this beloved team will make it to the quarter finals.
Entrant #15 - Trent?
Last year around this time, it seemed like Trent was really starting to break out in PWG. He won the crowd over in the latter part of 2013 by teaming with Chuckie T and having a great match with Kyle O'Reilly at BOLA, he & Chuck then won the 2014 DDT4 tournament to kick off the year and just as the summer was about to get going, an injury kept Trent out of BOLA. He was still involved in last year's festivities in a number of ways, but a cast and crutches kept him from competing.
Due to the impact he made last year despite not being able to wrestle, I feel like success in this year's Battle of Los Angeles is imminent and due for one half of Roppongi Vice. His first round clash against Trevor Lee is going to be a definite determining factor as to whether or not I'm correct in my assumptions. Trevor's been tearing through PWG for the past year and a half while Trent has been struggling. Is that me writing off the Best Friend? No! In fact, it's me saying that I'm thinking Trent is going to be back with a mission and he could very well be the man to derail Trevor Lee's train of success. Either way, it's sure to be a highly entertaining contest when these two polarizing personalities step foot in the ring on Night 1!
Entrant #16 - Andrew Everett
Since then, Everett has been making up fully for the time he lost in PWG. Great contests against the likes of The Young Bucks and Rich Swann, winning the DDT4 tournament with Trevor Lee, and now entering his first ever Battle of Los Angeles tournament. Not only that, he also will be competing in his first ever Guerrilla Warfare Match on Night 2 as he and company battle Mount Rushmore 2.0, the group that cost himself & Trevor Lee the tag team titles. Needless to say, it's a HUGE weekend for Andrew Everett. Would I be remiss to say it's the biggest weekend in his career? I don't think so.
His first round opponent is his partner on Night Two, Biff Busick. As mentioned before, it's going to be one interesting contest that's equally as hard to predict. Some think we will shenanigans in this match from Mount Rushmore and while I wouldn't doubt it, I can't wait to see how the highflyer meshes with the hard hitting technician.
I think this year will see Andrew Everett make a run to the top similar to how Trevor Lee did in 2014. He's healthy and he's got a lot of motivation to match what his partner did in last year's tournament. It's not going to come easy with the Guerrilla Warfare Match happening on Night Two, but I think Andrew Everett could very well flip his way into the finals of the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles.
Entrant #17 - Fenix
He's not going to need to channel his inner-violence at BOLA however as he faces a very respectful and equally athletic competitor in the form of Matt Sydal. It's a dream match for anyone who is a fan of the junior heavyweight style and will most likely be the perfect introduction for Fenix as Sydal rarely has a bad match with anyone and based off seeing both men compete numerous times, I imagine their styles will mesh extremely well. I'm just not sure the roof will be high enough for some of the things that take place in this contest.
Fenix is set for action on two nights of BOLA as he will be in LU showcase tag team match teaming with Aerostar. It's been awhile since we've seen luchadors in PWG. I'd almost venture to say Los Luchas, Phoenix Star & Zokre, were the last two to represent that area of pro wres aside from guys like Jack Evans. I think Fenix and his fellow AAA/LU competitors are going to have a fantastic weekend and possibly usher in the second coming of lucha in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.
Entrant #18 - Rich Swann
It's weird to think about considering how synonymous he has become with the PWG brand as he's been a part of the roster since late 2012. I think this year is his best opportunity yet to make a memorable singles run happen in Reseda. The field is filled with newer talent, so much so that Swann could be looked at as a veteran in the line up. Just like I said in my write up about Drew Gulak, most fans are so hyped about the debuts & returns that they are overlooking guys like Swann and I think it's giving them a chance to leave an even bigger impact on this tourney.
Swann's first round contest is against one of the aformentioned debutees, Marty Scurll. It's a true clash of styles that is going to test the technical ability of the highflying Swann. I think Mr All Night Long will see this as a chance more than a challenge, though. A chance to prove his worth, show off all his skills, and ultimately take home the Battle of Los Angeles trophy.
Entrant #19 - Jack Evans
Jack came closest to winning BOLA in 2006 when he defeated Genki Horiguchi & Claudio Castagnoli in the first two rounds only to fall to Super Dragon in the semi-finals. What makes this significant? Well, of the three BOLA tourney's that Jack took part in (2005, 2006, & 2007), 2006 was the only one held in the legion hall in Reseda. Is it a coincidence that it happened to be the building he performed best in? I'm not sure although I do believe it will give him an advantage this year because unlike many of the competitors in this year's tournament, Evans has experience and even a fair bit of success in Reseda & BOLA.
In the first round, we will see the former PWG Tag Team Champion do battle with his long time tag partner and the guy he brought with him to face The Young Bucks in the main event of Threemendous IV last month, Angelico. Placing the two against each other is pretty much a guarantee for an awesome match due to how much they've been in the ring together.
I personally think Jack could have one of the best performances in BOLA this year considering all the dream matches that we could possibly see happen. Just thinking about him in the ring with Mike Bailey or Andrew Everett gets me hype. So, am I saying that I think Jack Evans has a chance to go far in BOLA and potentially steal the show? YOU KNOW THIS, MAN!
Entrant #20 - Drago
While Drago has never competed in PWG before, he's a long time veteran of the professional wrestling game. Debuting in the late 90's, Drago has dawned an array of characters over the years and has become one of the most recognizable superstars in Mexico. Most recently, he came to notorioty on El Rey's Lucha Underground.
Being a luchador, Drago falls under the category of guys such as Fenix & Aerostar who are also in this tournament. He does have a unique brand of his own though. As soon as you see his gear, ring presence, and tongue (yes, you read that write), you'll be intrigued right off the bat.
Drago's first round opponent is fellow AAA/LU competitor Pentagon Jr. It's a tall task and a clash of styles in which Drago is going to have to move quick and try desperately to avoid his deadly armbreaker. However, these two are PARTNERS on Night 2 so I'm curious to see if that will effect the usual viciousness of Pentagon Jr and thus give Drago a chance to capitalize. I can't wait to see what happens when Drago and all of the LU/AAA stars invade Reseda on this weekend!
Entrant #21 - Matt Sydal
This year's Battle of Los Angeles will mark 12 months of having ReBourne back in Reseda and it's been a true joy having him around. Amazing matches against the likes of Ricochet & Kenny Omega, not to mention his short lived tag team with Chris Sabin that I hope reunites soon considering they were one of the only teams to be able to defeat The Young Bucks. Needless to say, I'm extremely hyped to see what he has in store for us at BOLA.
This will be his FOURTH Battle of Los Angeles which I say gives him a big advantage over a number of the other combatants. Sydal's first BOLA appearances came in 2006 & 2007 where he didn't won, but had impressive performances on both occassions. He fell to PWG legend Kevin Steen in Round 1 in 2006 and in 2007, he made it to the quarter finals where he & Alex Shelley had an awesome contest that he unfortunately came out on the losing end of. And as I mentioned before, he made his way back into PWG last year for the Battle of Los Angeles and made it to the quarterfinals once again by defeating Chris Hero.
Considering many of this year's entrants are debuting in BOLA, I think Sydal's chances at winning are highly increased. The fact that he's been on his A game as of late just adds fuel to that fire. Speaking of the debuting competitors, Sydal's first round opponent is one of them. The luchador named Fenix is the first adversary of Matt Sydal in this year's tourney and I have no doubt in my mind that they will tear the house down. It's a dream contest for me and many others however in the end, I see Sydal coming out on top as he's my darkhorse pick to win this entire thing.
Entrant #22 - Aerostar
Aerostar may have to use the aforementioned speed in his PWG debut as he faces a tall task in the form of Brian Cage in the first round. While both men compete in a number of the same promotions, they are pretty much polar opposites. Cage is bulky & muscular while Aerostar is more of a cruser/junior heavyweight. If Aerostar uses his speed & agility correctly though, I think he has a chance to come out on top. Either way, I expect him to have a great debut weekend between this contest and the tag bout he's invovled in on Night Two. I can't wait to see what objects he finds himself jumping off of in the legion hall.
Entrant #23 - Zack Sabre Jr
ZSJ's first round opponent is Ricochet. Expect him to try to keep the pace a bit slower and try to keep Ricochet grounded, good amount of limb work will be done for sure. They've faced each other in singles and tag matches which were really good but haven't faced each other at all this year (that I know of atleast) where they both seem to be on another level so expect them to really turn it up for the first round.
- Mark Anthony
Entrant #24 - Drew Galloway
Galloway is set to face Mike Bailey in the first round so I don't really know what to tell you to expect here. They've never faced each other and Galloway has the advantage in almost everything, he's bigger, stronger, more technically sound and more experienced, but Bailey has major heart and has beaten guys much bigger than him before (though at 6'5, Galloway may be the biggest). Galloway seems to like to play his opponents game in his matches so this might stay off the mat and be a strike heavy bout, the unpredictability of this match makes it very exciting.
FIRST ROUND MATCHES & PREDICTIONS:
Brian Cage vs. Aerostar
Mark Wilder (@seethekidwin)'s pick: Brian Cage
Alex (@parkourcannxn)'s pick: Brian Cage
Big Boy's pick: Brian Cage
Reader's Pick: Brian Cage (100%) (15 votes)
Brian Cage's track record and history in PWG plus his size advantage looks to have given him the edge in what the reader's thought about this match as well as our staff's picks. On the site poll, Cage got 100% of the votes. That's a landslide. Looks like the PWG fans have faith in GMSI to make a definite impact in BOLA this year.
Biff Busick vs. Andrew Everett
Ethan's pick: Biff Busick
Mark Wilder's pick: Biff Busick
Alex's pick: Andrew Everett
Big Boy's pick: Andrew Everett
Reader's pick to win: Biff Busick (75% of the vote)
While Busick won this vote by a fairly big margin, the premise of this contest being a toss up still stands with two site staff members picking Everett while the other two picked Busick. This was the hardest match for me personally (Ethan) to predict with both men being partners on the second night, but opponents on the first. The perks of BOLA Weekend!
Will Ospreay vs. Mark Andrews
Ethan's pick: Will Ospreay
Mark Wilder's pick: Will Ospreay
Alex's pick: Will Ospreay
Big Boy's pick: Will Ospreay
Reader's pick: Will Ospreay (86% of the vote)
What a sign of confidence for Will Ospreay. I think a lot of people are underrating Mark Andrews which is going to make his debut all the more impressive. These two are undoubtedly going to tear the house down in a quality junior heavyweight bout, but it looks like Ospreay is the favorite to win by a very large margin.
Trevor Lee vs. Trent?
Mark W's pick: Trevor Lee
Alex's pick: Trevor Lee
Big Boy's pick: Trevor Lee
Reader's pick: Trevor Lee (61% of the vote)
Trevor is a favorite amongst many to win the entire tournament so it's not surprise that he swept the staff vote as well as the reader's vote. Although Trent? did come close to catching him, Trevor walked away with several more votes than Greg. I think the fact that Lee is in Guerrilla Warfare kept the margin of victory in this poll from being extremely wide for the Carolina Caveman.
Pentagon Jr vs. Drago
Mark W's pick: Pentagon Jr
Alex's pick: Drago
Big Boy's pick: Pentagon Jr
Reader's pick: Pentagon Jr (83% of the vote)
Pentagon Jr has really dominated in the polls as he & Drago got picked to win their tag team bout on Night 2 by a pretty sizeable margin. If our predictions are correct, he looks to be the most successful of the AAA/LU competitors during BOLA weekend.
Matt Sydal vs. Fenix
Ethan's pick: Matt Sydal
Mark W's pick: Matt Sydal
Alex's pick: Matt Sydal
Big Boy's pick: Matt Sydal
Reader's pick: Matt Sydal (52% of the vote)
This one was a lot closer than expected in the reader's vote. Sydal only won by a single vote which is somewhat surprising, but it shows that Fenix isn't an underdog by any means. I think we will see Fenix spread his epic highflying abilities to a whole new audience at BOLA.
Night Two:
Rich Swann vs. Marty Scurll
Mark W's pick: Marty Scurll
Alex's pick: Marty Scurll
Big Boy's pick: Marty Scurll
Reader's pick: Marty Scurll (77% of the vote)
This is really shocking to me. The Inner City Machine Guns have been a big part of PWG for two years or more and Ricochet even won BOLA last year yet the polls wouldn't indicate it. Scurll defeated Swann by 12 votes to win the reader's vote. It looks like the Euro talent have truly taken the hearts of the PWG fans and Scurll hasn't even debuted yet!
Jack Evans vs. Angelico
Ethan's pick: Jack Evans
Mark W's pick: Angelico
Alex's pick: Jack Evans
Big Boy's pick: Angelico
Reader's pick: TIE
What a coincidence. Both Jack & Angelico recieved the same number of votes and many people even refused to vote on Instagram because they couldn't pick between the two. It's a great illustration of how much the fans enjoy this duo even though Angelico just debuted at the last show.
Chris Hero vs. Timothy Thatcher
Mark W's pick: Chris Hero
Alex's pick: Chris Hero
Big Boy's pick: Chris Hero
Reader's pick: Chris Hero (60% of the vote)
Despite losing in an upset to Mike Bailey last month, Hero's rep as an all time great in PWG and Indy Wrestling as a whole still stands. It's a rematch here from their MOTY candidate in Evolve earlier in the year and their series is tied. Hero looks to take the lead with the fans behind with a victory here.
Drew Gulak vs. Tommy End
Ethan's pick: Tommy EndMark W's pick: Tommy End
Alex's pick: Tommy End
Big Boy's Pick: Tommy End
Reader's pick: Tommy End (77% of the vote)
Tommy End picks up all the votes from our site staff along with 77% of the readers vote here making him the big favorite in this contest. It doesn't come as much of a shock due to how receptive the crowd in Reseda was to End's recent match with Hero. Not to mention how well it was recieved amongst the online community. If our predictions turn out to be true, it looks like we'll be graced with three Tommy End matches in BOLA this year!
Mike Bailey vs. Drew Galloway
Mark W's pick: Mike Bailey
Alex's pick: Mike Bailey
Big Boy's pick: Mike Bailey
Reader's pick: Mike Bailey (56% of the vote)
SPEEDBALL! He sweeped this vote against the larger and vastly more well known former Drew McIntyre. The former DGUSA/Evolve champion and WWE Superstar may think he has it easy facing someone that he has an advantage on in a number of ways, but these votes show why Bailey is no walk in the park. As if taking Roddy & Chris Hero to their respective limits weren't enough, the fans in Reseda and now, online have showed where their allegiance lies!
Ricochet vs. Zack Sabre Jr
Mark W's pick: Zack Sabre Jr
Alex's pick: Zack Sabre Jr
Big Boy's pick: Zack Sabre Jr
Reader's pick: Zack Sabre Jr (80% of the vote)
This one is pretty surprising on paper. Last year's BOLA winner Ricochet doesn't have the odds in his favor in the polling at all this year. As the votes rolled in, I was surprised that Ricochet lost by a huge margin for the second time in the voting system. The first coming in a shutout poll loss to Evans & Angelico when it came to he & Swann's match with the lucha duo and now this. Fans seem to doubt how Ricochet will fare on this weekend however I think the King could take this opportunity to remind fans why exactly he won last year's tournament.
2015 Battle of Los Angeles Winner Predictions:
Ethan's pick: Biff Busick
Alex's pick: Zack Sabre Jr
Big Boy's pick: Trevor Lee
Reader's pick: Zack Sabre Jr
ZSJ won the Reader's Vote just slightly over Trevor Lee who got the second most votes with Tommy End & Angelico surprisingly rounding out the pack. This year's BOLA is really a toss up. There's no clear winner and it could go almost any way. This makes for a very interesting tournament and combined with the vast variety of talent, I think it will help make for one of the best tournaments of all time.
Closing thoughts: Well, thats all for this year's Battle of Los Angeles Preview & Predictions extravaganza. It was fun doing this once again and it marks the first one done here on TeamPWG/Guerrilla Fanfare so thanks to everyone who reads this for supporting.
Before I close things out fully, I have to thank a number of people who helped out in various ways.
Thanks to @BrianDaBrain for the sweet graphics. Be sure to check out his stuff on PWPondering's RedBubble store by clicking here!He'll be at BOLA live as will Mark W (@seethekidwin) who has helped me in a lot of ways with getting this site going. He's also a great graphic designer and gave his predictions here for the tournament matches. Be sure to give both of these guys a follow!
Thanks to Mark Anthony (@AnsoniiSan) for giving insight on the Euro entrants in this year's tourney and to Alex (@parkourcxnnon) and Big Boy (@BigBoyJameis) for giving their predictions.
I also have to give a huge shout out to my boys at WrestlingHeads Radio. They did a great BOLA Preview show earlier this week, be sure to check that out by clicking here!
Once again, thank you all for reading, supporting, and spreading the word. Here's to an awesome Battle of Los Angeles weekend!
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