PWG: Mystery Vortex 7 Review

PWG Mystery Vortex 7

August 1st, 2021

Los Angeles, California - The Globe Theater 

PWG World Champion - Bandido (since 12/19/19)

PWG World Tag Team Champions - VACANT 

Commentary: Excalibur 

THE FIRST PWG SHOW IN A YEAR AND A HALF.

1) Tony Deppen vs. Jack Cartwheel 

Deppen is introduced as “the man who is responsible for the show being delayed” and proclaims to the crowd after the bell rings that he had to shit and there was no toilet paper so that’s what took him so long. I can’t think of a better way to start PWG’s first show in almost two years. Cartwheel is over as fuck despite this being his PWG debut. He IS from the general area, though, so that’s probably why. He hates a beautiful set of dives which also was such an apt way to start this return for PWG. 

This was honestly a blast of a match. PWG is graded on such an entirely different weird scale for me so be warned if you are used to my other reviews and haven’t read any of my PWG ones. Although, since I’ve reviewed PWG regularly it’s been like 3 years so who knows.. how I rate this stuff may have changed too as I’ve become a lot less generous with the infamous snowflakes. None the less, yeah, these guys went out and killed it to start the show, busting out all kinds of flips and spots and working the exact style of match that PWG is known for. Deppen is such a good heel, but it wasn’t really about that and if anything Jack Cartwheel was the star here as he was flying all over the place. When all is said and done, Deppen wins a super fun opener in just over 10 minutes.

Match rating - **3/4

2) JD Drake vs. Brody King 

PWG: SIXTEEN Review

PWG: Sixteen

July 26th, 2019

PWG World Champion - Jeff Cobb

PWG World Tag Team Champions - The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz)

Commentary - Excalibur

WOW. It's been a long ass time since I've covered PWG. As with everything else review wise/wrestling wise, my coverage fell off in 2016-17 and I managed to catch back up, but I admittedly still have most of 2018 and all of 2019 left to cover. However, I'm jumping back in here with Mystery Vortex VI & Sixteen.

This is PWG's 16th Anniversary show. 

1) Trey Miguel vs. "Uptown" Andy Brown

Hell yeah. Awesome opener here. Miguel has become a consistent part of the PWG roster in 2019 and Brown is on his second? appearance, I think. Regardless, this was the perfect first match to get me back into the groove of PWG which tells me both these guys fit right in just fine. Good shit to start the show. Miguel wins with a meteora.

Match rating - ***

2) Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent?) vs. The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson)

The former Super Smash Bros are making their first PWG appearance in 6 long years. Shout out AEW. None the less, I am big stoked on it and they more than deliver because this was everything I'd want their first match back to be. Aside from the DQ finish, that is. Yes, PWG had a disqualification. The first one since like 2005, I think? So I can't really complain especially when these two teams had a match coming up for AEW, you knew they had to be protected. This still delivered big time though. Justin Borden disqualifies the Best Friends when he catches Trent delivering a low blow, which was in actuality just him returning the favor to Uno, but Justin didn't see that. Great match despite this.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Darby Allin vs. MJF

"PWG shouldn't have been birthed 16 years ago, it should've been aborted." -MJF

I never thought I would like MJF in PWG, but dear fucking lord after that opening promo, I LOVE MJF in PWG. He had the crowd so riled up, even myself at home was gasping. Darby Allin is the perfect first match for him here considering he's become the newest sensation in the promotion following his insane guerrilla warfare match with Joey Janela last month. This was the perfect dynamic and they killed it. Pre-match, MJF said he would beat Darby with a headlock takeover, but turns out, after all the back & forth, DARBY beats MJF with a headlock takeover. Insane pop for it, too.

Match rating - ***1/2

4) Bandido, Flamita, & Rey Horus vs. Black Taurus, Puma King, & Laredo Kid

MAMA MIA. This was vintage PWG classic trios action with mostly new, fresh names. Bandido is the most popular guy in the promotion right now and as we know because this show is a year old -- is on his run to winning BOLA and becoming the PWG Champion, so he leads the charge here in this bonkers trios, lucha rules contest. This was everything you would want it to be and then some. Some have called it one of the greatest PWG matches of all time. I'm calling it god damn amazing. Barnburning action from 6 of the best in the world <3 

Match rating - ****1/4

Post match, they all get a standing ovation and take a photo together. Bandido responds to a Black Taurus chant by taking the mic and saying “Welcome to PWG” - real awesome moment here. 

5) Joey Janela vs. Jungle Boy (w/ Luchasaurus) 

Janela is coming off his first big PWG match/main event where last month at Mystery Vortex VI, he and Darby Allin had a guerrilla warfare match. Joey and Jungle Boy are also fresh off AEW’s set of Fyter Fest events. They have a great match here that sees Janela hit a psycho driver which I feel like is foreshadowing in the case of a potential Super Dragon return in the future. I feel like Janela would probably be one of Dragon’s top opponents if he was to have one more match. Jungle Boy fought from underneath for most of this, but definitely had his flurries. This didn’t reach awesome territory, but it was an insanely fun PWG style spot filled match. Janela wins with an elbow drop. 

Match rating - ***1/2

6) Brody King vs. David Starr 

These two are getting the co main event slot which is kinda wild when you think about it. It’s cool that they are getting this opportunity, though. Brody is the first home star that PWG has had from California in a long time and he’s already blowing up in other places so I can see why they’d be positioning him so high. And as much as I enjoy Brody, this one didn’t really do much for me. It had a small source of focus in David targeting Brody’s arm/hand which I enjoyed, but aside from that it just felt like spots with no real heat behind it. Still not the worst thing in the world, just not what you’d expect in this spot on a PWG card. 

Match rating - **1/2 

7) The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) vs. LAX (Santana & Ortiz) - Ladder Match for the PWG World Tag Team Titles 

Now, I want to preface this by saying, this is not the craziest tag title ladder match in PWG history. I say that only because I feel like things are always compared to matches like the Threemendous III classic and that’s a super unfair comparison. So, yeah. Now that that’s out of the way - THIS RULED. It immediately had that chaotic PWG energy and all four men showed out and gave us a worthy main event on the 16th anniversary show. Santana & Ortiz did some stuff I have never seen them do before or even since. Wentz & Xavier, particularly Wentz, looked amazing. Wentz got most of the big spots in this match including the final one which was a running step up ace crusher to Santana sending him flying off the ladder which allowed Xavier to grab the titles and get the win for The Rascals. Awesome main event with flying ladders, chairs, and bodies everywhere. 

Match rating - ****1/4 

And onward we march to the 2019 Battle of Los Angeles....

Make sure to follow @TheTeamPWG on Twitter for all updates on my reviews/posts on this blog <3

PWG: 2007 Battle of Los Angeles Night Two Review

2007 Battle Of Los Angeles - Night Two 

September 1st, 2007

PWG World Champion - Bryan Danielson

PWG World Tag Team Champion - Kevin Steen & El Generico

Commentary - Excalibur, Bryce Remsburg, & Dino Winwood 

So yes, this is random, but I still have a lot of old shows to catch up on and for some reason I reviewed Night One and Night Three of this tournament, but not Night Two so yeahhhhh. Time to fill that void.

1) TJ Perkins & Ronin vs. Karl Anderson & Bino Gambino 

This wasn’t anything special aside from it being cool to see good brother Karl Anderson and young TJP. Ronin has always been a semi bright spot in these PWG local matches. He is ok here and hits an AWESOME Death Valley Driver on Bino for the win. 

Match rating - *3/4

2) CIMA vs. Human Tornado (w/ Candice LeRae) 

Really and truly feel like I’ve seen this match and honestly this whole show but cannot find where I reviewed it if I did so fuck it ima keep going. Human Tornado is someone you’ve probably seen me mention in other reviews as a talent I’m so sad wasn’t able to hang around into PWG’s peak because he undoubtedly would be a star somewhere right now. So talented and so much personality. CIMA is a goat and this match is a lot of fun. CIMA accidentally sliding drop kicks Candice at ringside early on, Tornado hits an insane dive over the top rope and over the railing into the crowd on CIMA which leads to the finishing run. They trade moves, CIMA allows Candice to hit a flying drop kick on Tornado as revenge for him treating her like shit. This leads to CIMA hitting the iconoclasm and the SCHWEIN for the win. 

Match rating - ***

Tornado acts as if he’s gonna be nice to Candice after the match as he shakes her hand and hugs her only to attack her and stomp her out. Candice :((((( Tornado leaves and comes back and hits her with DND, he goes to lock her in a submission aND CHRIS HERO WITH THE SAVEEEEE FUCK. Chills on that one, not gonna lie. The Hero/Tornado feud is one of my favorite things. OH FUCK THEY START BRAWLING AG RINGSIDE GOD DAMN. Crowd is hype and I am too this fucking rules. Great pull apart that I wasn’t expecting. Hero is such an innocent baby face at this point lol. So much sympathy in his face as he checks on Candice and takes her to the back.

3) Shingo Takagi vs. Scott Lost (w/ Jade Chung)

Now this, my friends, is the match I’m most excited about on this card. Shingo is an all time favorite of mine, mostly thanks to my discovery of him in PWG, and his 2007 was filled with amazing matches. Scott Lost is another talent like Human Tornado that deserved so much more out of pro wrestling. None the less, back to this match. It wasn't quite on the level I hoped, but it was solid for what it was. First portion was whatever, but the action was good near the end, Shingo wins to advance. 

Match rating - **3/4

4) Kevin Steen vs. Necro Butcher

"Corn is his favorite food." -Bryce Remsburg

This was interesting. You’d probably expect a straight up brawl considering Steen is a brawler by nature and Necro is a death match legend however instead Steen targeted the leg/knee of Necro and tried to make it a wrestling match. Necro makes a comeback and smacks Steen up with an awesome lariat and some punches before pinning him wITH AN OCONNOR ROLL.

Match rating - **1/2

5) Nigel McGuiness vs. Davey Richards

There was a time where I enjoyed Davey Richards matches, but 2020 is not that time, even in retrospective. But I actually kinda liked this. They do some shenanigans early on with Nigel getting a kiss from his girlfriend at ringside to heal the hand Davey was working on, Davey then goes to ask for a kiss following a low blow and she obviously declined and Nigel pulled Davey’s tights down from behind his back baring his ass for all of California to see. They get back in the ring and settle into an honestly awesome final 8-9 minutes. Amazing Nigel lariats and a Tower of London. Good selling & bumping from Davey, god I love Nigel. Fuck. He wins, maybe my fav match on the show so far?

Match rating - ***

6) El Generico vs. Tony Kozina 

OLE OLE OLE OLE OLEEEE. Kozina has been showing out against all the PWG regulars in shows leading up to this match. This was another pretty fun outing for him with him clearly trying to impress. Having Generico as an opponent in PWG is as good of an opportunity as you’ll get. Some crazy little spots down the stretch and close falls for Kozina, but in the end Generico puts it away with the BRAINBUSTAAA. 

Match rating - **3/4

7) Dragon Kid vs. Susumu Yokosuka 

DRAGON GATE SHOWCASE. Exchanging of holds and mat work to start, Dragon Kid speeds things up and goes for a 818 and gets the crowd on their feet for a round of applause. He cuts Yokosuka off on his way back in the ring and starts taking it slow on him with chops and a drop kick or two. It’s not long before the first insane head bump of the match as Yokosuka hits a spring board lariat onto Dragon Kid who is on the apron and his head smacks the hardest part of the ring. Love love love this match so far. Yokosuka works over Dragon Kid with a stretch hold and starts focusing on the head and neck following that bump. This goes on for a few minutes. Nice pop for Kid finally getting separation with a back body drop followed by a head scissors sending Yokosuka to the floor and a hurricanrana on the floor to follow that hellll yeah let’s go!! They start heading towards the finishing run here. Yokosuka hits an exploder off the top rope for a near fall. They go into too much insane shit to call from here but I was straight gasping at my computer. To me, that says a lot for a match that happened 13 years ago on a lower level indie (at the time). The Dragon Gate guys were really something special in this time period and their performances in the US will always be a major nostalgia buzz for me. I’m glad I took the time to check out this show solely for this match. It’s no MOTY contender or epic, but god damn is it not so much fun. Great main event to close the show. Dragon Kid advances !! 

Match rating - ***3/4

PWG: Mystery Vortex VI Review

Mystery Vortex VI
May 10th, 2019

PWG World Champion - Jeff Cobb
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz (The Rascalz, Strong Hearts)

1) Trey Miguel vs. Tony Deppen

Two new faces here and they popped off a super fun opener that I think will open the door for definite future appearances. Mystery Vortex has a history of awesome opening debut matches and this continued that. Trey Miguel wins with a sick meteora.

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Chuck Taylor vs. Orange Cassidy

Orange Cassidy in PWG seems like something that should've happened a long time ago and now it has and went even more phenomenal than I expected. This definitely felt like the passing of the comedy wrestling torch in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Chuck being at the forefront of that style here for the past 10-11 years with names like Kikutaro also having successful stints would make you think there's nothing someone could do that would wow the smart PWG crowd, but Orange Cassidy did just that. This was so much fun.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Jeff Cobb (c) vs. Jonathan Gresham - PWG World Title Match

Super early in the card for a world title match, but this ruled as you'd probably expect. A lot of people are tired of Cobb's title run already and while I don't hate Cobb, I think this being so early on the card shows why. Gresham looked really good here and I wish we could've gotten a shocker of a title change, but you can't win em all. Good back & forth pure wrestling and very worth a look despite how negative most of this review may have sounded.

Match rating - ****

4) Brody King vs. Jake Atlas vs. Trent?

A lot of people called this the showstealer and although it's not my match of the night, I can see why it is for some people. Jake Atlas is going to be the next big star in PWG and I'm calling it now. Brody is already a prized possession in the promotion's eyes so he got the w here and Trent is always a good hand and has been for the past six years. Everything here meshed perfectly and it was a pretty nutty three-way even though on paper it looks like a random ass pairing.

Match rating - ***3/4

5) Jungle Boy vs. Puma King

Jungle Boy is BIG time over. This only went 8 minutes and was fun while it lasted. I really enjoy Puma King. Nothing else to really jaw about here.

Match rating - **3/4

6) The Rascals (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) (c) vs. Flamita & Rey Horus - PWG World Tag Team Title Match

Another lovable spotfest title defense for the strong hearts duo of the Rascals. Flamita & Horus don't normally team together, but if I remember correctly some injuries/absences plagued this card and caused some shuffling to have to be done which is how we got here. You knew Flamita & Horus weren't winning, but it was still a blast to watch these four guys do their thing.

Match rating - ***1/2

7) Darby Allin vs. Joey Janela - Guerrilla Warfare Match

This is a match that had no build or heat aside from both of these young guys being known for being absolutely nuts. To me, it was a vintage PWG set up for them to make themselves stars and give the fans their respective moments to remember and they really did just that. The first every balcony spot in the new venue took place in this match and will leave you breathless among many other things. Darby Allin rules and it was so sick seeing him get a main event like this and completely crush it! To me, this match is the reason to buy this show.

Match rating - **** 

PWG: 200 Review

PWG: 200
Los Angeles, California
March 1st, 2019

The 200th PWG show celebration.

PWG World Champion - Jeff Cobb
PWG World Tag Team Champions - The Rascals (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz)
Commentators - Excalibur & Rick Knox

As of this writing, I'm a solid year behind on reviews, but got my hands on this early so I decided to go ahead and dive into it!

1) Jake Atlas vs. Jungle Boy vs. Trey Miguel

Trey Miguel is debuting and Atlas & Jungle Boy are still cutting their teeth, but all three men rocked it here. This reminded me a lot of the highly regarded Trevor Lee/Cedric Alexander/Andrew Everett three way from Mystery Vortex II in 2014. Just three fresh guys going out to make an impression and doing so very successfully. Crazy multi-man matches are a PWG tradition so this was a great way to kick off a show like this. Jungle Boy wins with a crucifix bomb on Trey Miguel. Sad he only has a few more appearances before going full time for AEW.

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Puma King vs. Laredo Kid

PWG: Neon Knights Review

Neon Knights
February 16th, 2018
Reseda, California

PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor

PWG World Tag Team Champions - Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle)

Commentators - Excalibur

1) Brody King vs. Adam Brooks

"Adam Brooks traveled 18 hours to get here, Brody King traveled 18 minutes." -Excalibur

Brody has a black eye heading into this match and it looks ruff. None the less, this is his debut and they rocked the house in this opener. Things got a little sloppy near the end, but not enough to ruin the fun in what was all in all, a great showing for both guys. You can't really go wrong with a PWG opener as long as you keep the formula simple.

Match rating - **3/4

2) Dalton Castle vs. Joey Janela

"I like my strawberries when they're dipped in chocolate and I got a nice hunny to look at." -Joey Janela

Castle comes to the ring with the ROH Title in tow. I started watching this a week or two ago and had to cut it off for whatever reason so I just started it from the beginning and rewatched it and this wasn't half as bad as I remembered for a 20 minute long Dalton Castle match with no backstory. They did some comedy early on and kept me pretty interested throughout and threw some cool sequences in there. This certainly shouldn't have went 20, but it wasn't a trainwreck at all. Janela is starting to get over well with the PWG crowd and I honestly wouldn't mind if Dalton Castle just stayed in ROH from now on.

Match rating - **1/2

3) David Starr vs. Travis Banks

Always dug David Starr, this is his PWG debut and I'm glad he finally made it here. Travis Banks has yet to impress in his first few showings so this was a little rocky to start, but all in all ended up being a pretty solid match. They brawled outside the ring for a while and threw some bombs in the final few minutes for some near falls that got the crowd hype. Decent showing for both guys.

Match rating - **3/4

4) Zack Sabre Jr vs. Flip Gordon

Alright so I've never been the biggest fan of Flip Gordon, but holy shit. He's insanely athletic and was in major show off mode here which was the perfect opposition for the attitude of ZSJ. And speaking of Sabre, I'm sold on him being a Top 5 PWG All-Timer at this point. He just literally can't have a bad match and on shows like this, he brings it up to that level that makes it feel like an actual PWG show even though the undercard is lacking. So, yeah, this was a great match. Sabre was Sabre and Flip was flippy and vibrant. Some expected a lot more out of this, but I was honestly pleased with what we got. Sabre gains a victory to hopefully up his momentum after losing the PWG Title a few months back and losing to Keith Lee at the last show.

Match rating - ***3/4

5) Keith Lee vs. Matthew Riddle

Sabre/Flip got the momentum going and these two knocked it completely out of the park by following it up with this show-stealing match up. Keith Lee has came in and had nothing but bangers, aside from his match with Zack last month oddly enough, and this was another one on that list. His rise to the top of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has been nuts. Just crazy match after crazy match. Bask in his fucking glory as he & Riddle destroy each other and the crowd eats up every bit of it. Awesome match here and another win for Lee.

Match rating - ****

6) Chuck Taylor (c) vs. Trent? - PWG World Title Match

"I'm gonna kill my best friend." -Chuck Taylor

PWG: Mystery Vortex V Review - Ricochet's Farewell

January 12th, 2018
Reseda, California

PWG World Champion - Ricochet

PWG World Tag Team Champions - Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle)

Commentary - Excalibur, Chuck Taylor, & Rick Knox

First show of 2018 and the entire line up is a MYSTERY. Let's rock.

1) David Starr vs. Fred Yehi

"Welcome to Mystery Vortex V, sorry, I already shit on David Starr." -Excalibur

Two debuts here and two equally long introductions. I've known of a David Starr for a minute so it's sick seeing him finally get a shot in PWG. Neither man can get an advantage early until Yehi hits an exploder suplex on Starr on the floor that put things into motion. This went 18 minutes which normally can be bad for PWG openers, and while it wasn't PHENOMENAL, it wasn't a trainwreck either and they kept my attention for most of the match thanks to the personality of Starr, among other things. Some time definitely could've been shaved off to make it better, but this was really fine how it was. Yehi locks in a koji clutch, and Starr reverses out of it into a pinning predicament to get the win.

Match rating - ***

2) Joey Janela vs. Flash Morgan Webster

"This has bad news bears written all over it." -Chuck Taylor

I've been super iffy on a lot of the recent PWG debuts, but Flash hasn't done me wrong yet and after nearly getting killed by Janela here, I don't see that changing. Dear Lord, this was nuts. From a death valley driver on the apron to the most impactful package piledriver I've ever seen, Janela gave Flash a BEATING. Flash did get some spots in though including putting on his helmet for a dive on the floor which was funny. But in the end, a brainbuster off the top rope that will make your toes curl is what would put him away. Janela with the victory here.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Rey Fenix vs. Sammy Guevara

These guys came out of the gate with a fever pitch and it was so SCARY. The danger of the Janela match transferred over to this nutty spotfest that saw a 630 senton only two minutes in and neither man able to stand at the five minute mark which was received by a standing ovation. These two threw literally everything out there and more. The finish was sort of weak, but you can't fault them after the craziness that ensued in the duration of this jawn. Guevara gets a huge victory over the former PWG World Tag Team Champion.

Match rating - ***3/4

4) Zack Sabre Jr vs. Keith Lee

PWG: All Star Weekend 13 - Night Two Review

October 21st, 2017
Reseda, California

PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor

PWG World Tag Team Champions - Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle)

Commentary - Excalibur


1) Adam Brooks vs. Jonah Rock

Now this is more like it! Wasn't a fan of the Brooks match on Night One, but Jonah Rock brought the hype from his match with Keith Lee last night and Brooks matched it. These boys tore it down and had a perfect little PWG opener that ended with a fuckin liger bomb off the second rope followed up by a brainbuster. YES.

Match rating - ***1/4

2) The Young Bucks vs. Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Haskins

This was everything you would expect from a Young Bucks match in Reseda. Absolute pandemonium in every possible way. You had comedy early on including a Marty Scurll run in that saw Rick Knox join in for a "six boots" spot that spawned a tumultuous chant. Then things broke down and it was admittedly a lot crazier than I expected considering it being early in the card and Webster & Haskins being fresh faces. They did an insane Meltzer Driver spot that basically made the YB's give the move to themselves. I don't even have the words to describe it, just check this shid out. The finish was great and played off the leg work/submissions that popped up throughout the match.

Match rating - ****

3) Marty Scurll vs. Joey Janela

PWG: All Star Weekend 13 - Night One Review

October 20th, 2017
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

PWG: 2017 Battle of Los Angeles - Night Three Review

 

September 4th, 2017
PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor (since 7/7/17)
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Fenix & Penta El Zero M (since 3/18/17)

Commentators - Excalibur & Chuck Taylor

1) Ricochet vs. Dezmond Xavier

This was a fun opener with Ricochet playing the veteran like almost always these days. Xavier is super similar to a young Ricochet so it was cool to see them mixing it up in Xavier's first ever BOLA. Rico has really become a gatekeeper and it's wild especially when you think back to his matches with Generico that are almost seven years old. But none the less, Ricochet and Dez trade flippy shit. Rico advances with a flat liner.

Match rating - ***

2) Marty Scurll vs. Travis Banks

I'm mad burnt out on Scurll at this point and new talents in PWG normally take a minute to get over so this could've easily been a big flop. Banks managed to keep me pretty interested though and this wasn't bad at all. He gets the shocking victory with a roll up and this totally doesn't overstay it's welcome so I can't complain.

Match rating - **3/4

3) Keith Lee vs. Donovan Dijak

"These two are doing their damnest to break this ring." -Chuck Taylor

Okay holy fuck, who allowed this to be so insane? Best match of this whole tournament by a long shot that gave me flashbacks to peak PWG. Just two hungry, fresh talents out with something to prove and a fire hot crowd behind them eating it all up. So much crazy stuff here from a chokeslam to the apron to Keith Lee landing on his feet off a sunset flip, and everything in between. They also upped the aggression with loads of shit talking throughout the match. They also played off the fact that they teamed together on Night One very well by bringing out the gear they wore and Dijak establishing himself as a shitbag by using it to distract Keith. This was stiff, this was high impact, this ruled. Lee advances and he is quickly becoming THE GUY in Reseda.

Match rating - ****1/4

4) Zack Sabre Jr vs. Rey Fenix

PWG: 2017 Battle of Los Angeles - Night Two Review

2017 Battle of Los Angeles - Stage Two
September 3rd, 2017

PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor (since 7/7/17)
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Fenix & Penta El Zero M (since 3/18/17)

Commentators - Excalibur & Chuck Taylor

1) Donovan Dijak vs. Trevor Lee

Dijak kicked off his first PWG weekend in an insane fashion last night and continues it here with a hot ass opener. Lee hits a fucking german on him off the second rope from the bell and that completely set the tone for this one. Just crazy, crazy stuff with a super into it crowd. Dijak gets the win, thank the lord because Trevor Lee doesn't have good matches in PWG any more unless it's with a hot newcomer like Dijak.

Match rating - ***3/4

2) Sammy Guevara vs. Joey Janela

WHAT THE FUCK. All I have to say is burning hammer ON A CHAIR for a two count. This was absolutely ignorant in the best possible way. Joey Janela is known for being reckless and he was nothing short of that here in his PWG debut showing everyone how much it really means for him to have this opportunity. Guevara was the perfect first opponent for him because even though he's only one show in, he's already developed a heel aurora about him so the crowd ate up all the belligerent, wild offense and attempts of Janela. Good stuff.

Match rating - ***3/4

3) Travis Banks vs. Mark Haskins

Super hot start to the show comes to a halt here. I've never seen Banks before and this is technically Haskins' second BOLA, but you'd never know it. He's easily been the most forgettable of the Brits to come through in the past few years and it's a shame because I've heard great things about his work elsewhere. He just hasn't defined himself in PWG so his matches hold almost no weight and with Banks being in his debut match, this came off as nothing more than a decent little exhibition. Then the finish got botched and fully tanked this one for me. Sad day.

Match rating - **1/2

4) Leader of the New School (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scurll) vs. Ricochet & Matt Sydal

Sabre & Scurll bumrush Ricochet & Sydal during their entrance. Aggressive heel Sabre and Scurll is still hot and it rules. Ricochet and Sydal had a MOTY candidate earlier this year with the Bucks and Penta & Fenix, but have been pretty quiet since. This was a good comeback match, I guess you could say because they looked awesome here and the crowd was feeling it heavy. Sydal got isolated early which built towards the Ricochet hot tag. Lots of great tag team work on both ends here albeit nothing that will blow your skirt completely up. They did a thing where Sydal had to hit an SSP on Ricochet to get him out of the chicken wing which was really cool. It probably would've meant more in a higher stakes match with more emotion, but it was still sick. The finish ruled with Sabre & Sydal trading different pinning combinations for close falls before Sabre finally got the victory whilst flipping off the crowd. Ricochet was like a millisecond too late to break it up. Sabre & Scurll scurry off afterwards.

Match rating - ***3/4

5) Sami Callihan vs. Jeff Cobb

Poor Jeff Cobb. Amazing night for him last night and now he has to face one of the least interesting faces in PWG right now. Never thought the crowd would have so little of a response to Callihan, but literally nothing he does gets any sort of reaction. The stretch muffler was locked in amidst a quiet crowd. It was bad. Cobb did his best here though and the finish was indeed awesome. I hate that Callihan kicked out of tour of the islands the first time, though. Anyways, Cobb catches him with a second one after a cool little exchange and gets the win.

Match rating - **1/4

6) Michael Elgin vs. Matthew Riddle

This match had to fight an uphill battle since Callihan/Cobb was pretty much a stinker. They did a good job of bringing life back to this show and this crowd, though. Plenty of make you jump out of your seat moments like Elgin hitting a hurricanrana and other crazy acrobatic moves. The final few minutes were nail biting with a tombstone piledriver switch off until Riddle was finally able to hit it for the win. Elgin has made it to the final round of BOLA twice, but this year he's out in round one! Big win for Riddle and great showing for him here.

Match rating - ***1/2

7) Keith Lee vs. WALTER

This was an absolute slugfest and very smartly worked. They gave you just enough of what you wanted to see, but left some to be desired. And since I'm writing this in retrospect, it's a good thing because they would clash again later down the line. But as said before, this was exactly what you'd expect and even though the finish abrupt, this was still a great match. Keith Lee advances.

Match rating - ***1/2

8) Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero M, & Flamita

This was exactly what you would expect from a dream match such as this. Omega is back for his yearly appearance in PWG and the roof blows off the place for the first ELITE match ever in Reseda. So much crazy stuff here, I can't even begin to recap it all. Not a MOTY candidate, but loads of fun and an awesome main event to finish off the night.

Match rating - ****

Final thoughts: Only thing really worth taking a look at here is the main event. There are several other solid matches like the LDRS/Rico & Sydal tag, Lee/Walter, & Guevara/Janela, but nothing absolutely must see and everything else besides those are skippable.

PWG: 2017 Battle of Los Angeles Night One Review

September 1st, 2017

PWG World Champion - Chuck Taylor (since July 7th, 2017)
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M (since March 18th, 2017)

Commentators: Excalibur & Chuck Taylor

The Battle of Los Angeles has become more than just a tournament for PWG. It's literally a spectacle that culminates the best of independent wrestling and gives you a peak at who is going to be that next big star to head to WWE or NJPW. With past winners including current WWE/NXT stars like Sami Zayn & Adam Cole and current NJPW stars like Kenny Omega, the tournament holds a high level of prestige.

But for PWG itself, it's the most important part of the year and has honestly become more like the start of a new year/era each time it rolls around. For the simple fact that, you get a lot of new and returning faces, and a true glimpse as to where PWG is heading within the next year calendar year. It's like the start of a new year/season and for me, it's a perfect time to really view the landscape of PWG at the moment and for the coming year.

1) Brian Cage vs. Dezmond Xavier

"The baby blue badass, big Brian Cage." -Chuck Taylor

Brian Cage in BOLA openers has been a thing since like 2013 and it has admittedly gotten sort of old however this was an exception. Xavier has only had a few matches in PWG since debuting this year, but this was definitely his best yet. Finally seeing him against someone outside of the Callihan/CZW bunch allowed him to show some separation from the stigma a lot of those guys have. He played the perfect role in this match and neither man did too much or too little. They kept it short & sweet. Xavier taunted Cage early saying "it's BOLA 2017, I'm gonna need to see more than that" to which Cage responded with a set of frankensteiners. That really set the tone for this match. Cage muscled Xavier around, Xavier used his speed to try to tire down Cage. In the end, Xavier monkey flips Cage for the victory. Big win for him considering this is Cage's fifth BOLA tournament, having made his first appearance in the tourney in 2010.

Match rating - ***1/4

2) Marty Scurll vs. Flash Morgan Webster

This was straight up way better than I expected. Scurll cut a pre-match promo to remind everyone he's the reigning BOLA champion having won the tournament last year. He then tells Webster that he's Mr. PWG and he has five seconds to get out of his ring. This sets up the perfect babyface retaliation for Flash who headbutts Scurll and everyone thought he got a three count out of it, but Scurll's foot was on the ropes. This match starts out WHITE HOT with both men throwing caution to the wind with a lot of crowd bumps. Scurll literally throws Webster from the ring to the floor into the audience at one point. They made you think the debuting Webster really had a chance with how they built everything. Good stuff. Scurll eventually taps Flash out with the chicken wing in the center of the ring. Another great showing for a first time talent in BOLA.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Rey Fenix vs. Rey Horus

Many people gave this the title of match of the night, but I just didn't see it. Fenix is currently one half of the tag team champions and Horus is in his second PWG appearance ever. This was certainly a notch up from Horus' debut against Sammy Guevara. They busted out a ton of crazy stuff, the only negative was that it lost it's flow on a couple occassions which is what kept me from going higher with my rating. However, this still ruled and was a pretty great lucha showcase and completely different from the previous two matches. Fenix gets the win and advances.

Match rating - ***1/2

4) The Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matthew Riddle) vs. Keith Lee & Donovan Dijak

Here comes the emotions. This is Donovan Dijak's first AND final weekend in PWG before he heads to NXT, but as some of you may already know, it was a highly acclaimed weekend for him as he reportedly had two MOTY candidate contests. This being the first one and I will see that it definitely lived up to expectation although I wouldn't put the MOTY label on it BUT this still fucking ruled. Four guys beating the dog shit out of each other. Two monsters against an olympic athlete and former MMA fighter, where can you go wrong? Cobb & Riddle already have a victory over the Young Bucks since they started teaming in PWG and this match completely put them over to me because 1 - it was amazing and 2 - they won. Awesome stuff here, definitely check this one out.

Match rating - ****1/4

5) Matt Sydal vs. Penta El Zero M

The crowd really needed a breather after that last match so they were pretty quiet here despite this sorta being a dream match. Plus, Sydal & Penta were involved in the insane three way tag title match back in March so you'd think this would have a lot of hype, but it just felt like your average, solid mid card match from the two. Nothing bad albeit nothing spectacular either. Penta gets the win.

Match rating - **3/4

6) Zack Sabre Jr vs. Jonah Rock

After his classic with Chuckie T last month, ZSJ is STILL on fire as a heel despite losing the title and I fucking love it. He's taunting Jonah Rock from the get go and it's literally the best thin ever. Jonah is in his PWG debut, arguably his biggest match to date, actually, as this is his first appearance on American soil. Jonah does have some slight connection to PWG in the past though, as he was a member of TMDK in NOAH over in Japan with Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls, both of whom had one off appearances for PWG back in 2008 or so. But yeah, this was really good. Zack played cocky submission specialist like always. Jonah tried to over power him. Simple, but super solid stuff. Sabre advances.

Match rating - ***3/4

7) Ricochet vs. Flamita

"God damn unnecessary." -Chuck Taylor

This was not the mind blowing spot fest that you would expect from these two. However, that does not mean this was bad. In fact, it sorta exceeded my expectations. We got some jaw dropping fast sequences, but this was structured more like a wrestling match than a performance with it getting way more brutal than one would expect. Ricochet has really changed his game over the years and it's sick to see. Flamita is in his debut weekend here and in the main event which is CRAZY, but he is the first Dragon Gate guy to roll through Reseda since Akira Tozawa's stint. None the less, this was a great match, just not what you'd expect from a PWG main event, but I wasn't disappointed. Ricochet hit a neckbreaker on Flamita on the apron and apparently fucked up his back pretty bad. Flamita hit a 450 and somehow dislocated his finger and Knox put it back in for him thankfully cause it looked NASTY for a minute. In the end, Ricochet triumphs over Flamita in his PWG debut. Can the King become the first ever two time BOLA winner?

Match rating - ***3/4

Final thoughts: Good first night of BOLA '17. Only one must see match, but everything else is more than solid and worth a look. We got the introduction of some new talents (Webster, Flamita, & Dijak) and the solidifcation of a few others (Cobb, Riddle, & Lee) and I'm sure there will be more of this throughout the tournament which makes me stoked.

PWG: Pushin Forward Back Review

July 7th, 2017

PWG World Champion - Zack Sabre Jr (since 5/3/16)
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M (since 3/18/17)

Commentators - Excalibur

1) Rey Horus vs. Sammy Guevara

"Who the hell is Brian Cage?" -Sammy Guevara

Debut weekend for both of these men and they certainly put on a show here. It went a little long for opener and for this sort of exhibition style, but it was still enjoyable. Guevara showed a good bit of personality which I didn't expect however it definitely works for him. Lots of flashy stuff thrown into 15 or so minutes.

Match rating - ***

2) The Young Bucks vs. Unbreakable F'n Machines (Michael Elgin & Brian Cage)

"The Biz has Clizzed up!" -Excalibur

Nick Jackson's high pitched "Break it Down" in the mic as the crowd is chanting "The Elite" made my life. This is a rematch from DDT4 2013 where the Bucks defeated Elgin & Cage to regain the tag team titles. Pretty sure that gave them the definitive shortest title reign in PWG Tag Team history, but I'm not entirely sure. Either way this match is four years in the making and it's sorta surprisingly great. I've been burnt out on UBFM for a minute, but the Bucks pulled a helluva match out of them here AND put them over. They really are the greatest tag team in the world.

Match rating - ***3/4

3) Keith Lee vs. Lio Rush vs. Trent?

Keith Lee & Lio Rush met last month so this is a sorta a rematch with Trent thrown in. They run the smaller guys team up to take out the big guy story. Then Rush turns on Trent when he asks for a hug. HUGE BOOS. Then Keith Lee demolishes em both. Solid stuff.

Match rating - ***1/4

4) Sami Callihan vs. Dezmond Xavier vs. Dave Crist vs. Jake Crist

"Rick Knox has utterly lost his mind." -Excalibur

This match is the start of Rick Knox being the low-key MVP of the night. It's a Callihan and friends four way so you know it's just spots. Knox got in on the fun and hit like five dives and a front flip off the top turnbuckle to the floor. It's fucking bonkers. Classic PWG fun. Dezmond Xavier wins and yay because I like him more than anyone else in this match, at the moment.

Match rating - ***

5) Ricochet vs. Trevor Lee

First time ever match here that I've been wanting to see for a while. Now I'm kinda not as stoked on it, though, because Lee has gotten stagnant for me. It's still really good, though. They go with a straight moves fest instead of trying to develop some story thank god cause I doubt I could sit through that right now. Plus, ZSJ/Chuck is gonna give us a banger in that regard later. But, yeah. This was as awesome as you'd expect. Ricochet wins after a bunch of STUFF.

Match rating - ***3/4

6) Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Chuck Taylor - PWG World Championship Match

"No I'm not counting that, you hit him with the fuckin' belt!" -Rick Knox to Zack Sabre Jr

YEAH BABY. Round two between these two. Zack has ran through everyone from Kyle O'Reilly to Dick Togo during his reign as champion, but the light hearted beloved Chuckie T continues to be a thorn in his side. This starts off real slow and I love it. Just Zack toying with Chuck, out wrestling him, bullying him, etc. It makes you want a Chuck win even more. Zack targets the left arm and they work it all the way to the end. Chuck pops a awful waffle out of no where for the first near fall then things really shift into high gear. Zack bullies a ring crew guy into taking the bottom rope off because Chuck keeps finding ways to reach it out of submissions. Crowd was literally chanting "holy shit" at one point just because of Chuck reaching the ropes out of that hold where Zack stretches his opponent's arms in ungodly ways. Everyone was out of their set for the final 15 of this. Just fantastic stuff all the way around. Sabre resorts to trying to get DQ'd. Knox won't do it AND he won't count when he hits Chuck with the belt. WHAT A HERO. Chuck brings tacks in only to eat them several times, but he mounts a comeback and pins Zack with the awful waffle. NEW CHAMP and it feels so rewarding. Chuck has been dedicated to PWG for nine years and was one of the reasons I got hooked on this promotion in the first place so this really brought a tear to my eye.

"My first match in PWG was nine years ago, and son of a bitch if I'm not gonna defend this for nine more." - Chuck Taylor

Match rating - ****3/4

BREAKING: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla announces venue change for 'Time Is A Flat Circle'

Current PWG World Champion Chuck Taylor
Photo cred: Mikey Nolan

As some of you know, the next event on the PWG calendar, "Time Is A Flat Circle" takes place on March 23rd during the same weekend NJPW will be in Los Angeles for their Strong Styled Evolve event. Moments ago on PWG's Twitter account they released the info that the show will now not be held at the acclaimed Legion Hall in Reseda, but would instead be at Globe Theatre in Los Angeles!

This announcement came with the discovery that they accidentally sold more front row tickets than they had available so they are moving to a bigger venue to accomodate.

I'm not sure if this is a one off thing or a permanent thing,  however, I'm extremely stoked on it. Based off pictures that I found when researching the place, the Globe Theater looks like an insanely nice venue that will give PWG an entirely new professional vibe and definitely more room for the audience.

This is the first time an event has been held outside of Reseda since the annual string of Kurt Russell Reunion shows in 2010, 2011, & 2012. And those are the only three shows that have been held outside of Reseda since 2008. So, this is essentially the first new venue for the company in over a decade and what a card they have to kick it off with as it includes a slew of debuts, the returns of Flamita & Will Ospreay, plus Chuck Taylor defending the World Title against Keith Lee.

PWG: Man On The Silver Mountain Review

June 16th, 2017
PWG World Champion - Zack Sabre Jr (since April 2016)

PWG World Tag Team Champions - Fenix & Penta El Cero M (since March 2017)

Commentators - Excalibur

Why does the title of this show make me think of John Silver, the Beaver Boys, and their ever short-lived run in PWG last year?

1) Trevor Lee vs. Chuck Taylor

This is the second meeting between these two and this one is under vastly different circumstances as Chuckie T is on his first big run as a main eventer so it's shocking to see him in an opener. It's a good change of pace, though, because I was dreading another Trevor Lee opener after he somehow managed to bring his match with Keith Lee last month down to a subpar level. This little banger with Chuck certainly set the mood off right, though. Fun stuff all around and the finish was so fucking clever as Chuck pinned Lee with a crossbody which holds a lot of weight since one of Trevor's calling cards is always the reverse crossbody into a pin. Brilliance.

Match rating - ***1/4

2) Dezmond Xavier vs. Jason Cade vs. Jake Crist

Three way between some newcomers here and this one got a lot of heat from most reviewers, but dang if I didn't really enjoy this. Yes, it was nothing but spots, but it was fun as hell to me. I didn't see the difference between this and other three-ways like Alexander/Everett/Lee from years ago that got so much buzz. I think it's just because of the rep some of these guys have, particularly Crist, that leaves people sour. But it is what it is. Xavier gets the win here after a wild match that never slowed down, and rightfully so because I think he's the best one out of this bunch. This kept the show going at a good pace, as well.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Keith Lee vs. Lio Rush

This ruled so hard. Keith Lee owned his role as the bigger man and Lio Rush owned his role as the smaller man. Simple formula executed to perfection equals a hell of a match. Little things like Rush finally getting some steam only to attempt a dive on Lee and not even move him were the tipping point for me. This was built up so perfectly with Lee dominating, Rush hanging in there and building up a flurry of offense, only for Lee to shut him down. The ending with Rush kicking out of some big moves at one, only to be unable to mount any offense and fall flat was the perfect anti-climatic finish. Lee finishes Rush off with an insane ass sit out powerbomb.

Match rating - ****

4) Unbreakable F'N Machines (Michael Elgin & Brian Cage) vs. War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)

This show was on a roll and now it comes to halt for me. I just can't get into either of these teams, but this was not all that bad. Just a slug fest from start to finish and it didn't go too long which was a dread/worry I had so I can't complain too much. Short, sweet, and to the point. Elgin & Cage get the victory.

Match rating - **3/4

5) Sami Callihan vs. Matt Sydal

Chuck Taylor: "The Nightmare on Helm Street, that's what Shane Helms called it in WCW."
Excalibur: "Well, do you think that's what Sami Callihan calls it?"
Chuck: "He might, he's white trash just like the Hurricane."

This was weird. Decent little sprinter between two veterans, I guess is the best way to put. I feel like the only reason they are on shows anymore is for name value. Matt Sydal does deliver from time to time, though. I'm probably being too harsh. Any way, yeah, this was what it was, nothing memorable, but pretty packed with action. Callihan wins for god knows what reason.

Match rating - **1/4

6) Jeff Cobb vs. Trent?

So, after Callihan/Sydal and nothing else on this show being all that enthralling, I took a breather from this show that ended up lasting a few weeks. I sadly don't remember much about this match aside from it being the solid outing you'd expect, but not quite to that next level that I feel they could take it in the right setting. Below is the rating I had jotted down for it. Cobb comes out with the win after a competitive match.

Match rating - ***1/4

7) LDRS (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scurll) vs. ReDragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish)

WELL I WILL BE DAMNED. This was awesome. I totally didn't expect either considering my breather from this show spawned me trying to watch this match & finish this show on several different occassions and not even being able to make it a few minutes in. When I turned this on tonight, though, it FLEW by. Guess my attention span just sucks and I have too much going on personally to focus. None the less, this seriously rocked. Sabre is still crushing his role as cocky heel champ. O'Reilly is in his secondary run in Reseda, but still does his act flawlessly and has a special heart in the fans eyes for his initial run in the promotion. Scurll also thrives in PWG and he & Fish more than play their parts well in this match led by two all time PWG greats. Amazing, gritty wrestling with plenty of submissions. Kyle having both Sabre & Scurll locked in two different submissions at the same time is must see. I swear, Kyle & Zack can't have a bad match together, or even a subpar match moreso. In the end, the LDRS come out on top and leave the ring with a chorus of boos despite the killer match.

Match rating - ****1/4

-Sabre & Scurll continue to beat on Kyle & Bobby post-match. CHUCKIE T makes the save and runs them off. Verbal exchange between Chuck & the champion. They face off next month at the anniversary show PUSHIN FORWARD BACK.

Final thoughts: Lee/Rush and LDRS/ReDragon are well worth your time. The openers are solid, just skip UBFM/War Machine and Callihan/Sydal.

PWG: Head Like A Cole Review

1) Trevor Lee vs. Keith Lee

The battle of the Lee's! It sounds appealing, but is honestly so skippable. Some good taunting by Trevor early on before this thing falls into stale territory. This is where my comment about this show having such mixed reviews comes into play. I saw some people give this the same rating I am, whereas some said Trevor Lee was the only good thing about this. To me, that's an outrageous climb considering the only thing I enjoyed about this Keith Lee's few shining moments. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, though so onward we go. Couple hot minutes near the end that ALMOST made up for the boring first half/mid portion. Keith Lee wins therefore I leave with a decent taste in my mouth. It's crazy how Trevor Lee went from the person I was most excited to see on PWG shows to more of a malcontent.

Match rating - **1/2

2) ReDragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) vs. Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle)

NOW WE'RE TALKIN. Grappling at it's finest here with four men who do it better than arguably anyone else in the world. Nice stalemates to start between all four men, O'Reilly pairing off with Cobb and Fish pairing off with Riddle. Both teams do some isolation work and showcase their true tag team skills before things sorta break down. The Fish/Riddle work from early on leads to some intense work between the two that leaves Fish bleeding the hard way from his left (I think) eye. That turns up the intensity level even higher for the closing sequence of high power moves with both teams busting out everything to gain the victory. In the end, the Chosen Bros get the big win with the Bro to Sleep on Bobby Fish. They remain undefeated.

Match rating - ***1/2

3) Michael Elgin vs. Shane Strickland

Basic fun little big man vs spotty smaller guy here. A lot of people hate on Strickland, but to me they just take stuff too seriously. This was about as easy on the eyes as you can get. Strickland does flips and Elgin does power moves. It doesn't go too long and its straight & to the point. I'll take that over a drawn out opener like Lee/Lee earlier with no specific story that just goes long to hit the 15 minute mark and for no other reason, any day of the week. Elgin lays down Strickland with the Elgin bomb and walks out with the victory.

Match rating - **3/4

4) Adam Cole vs. Sami Callihan

The Panama City Playboy gets the streamer treatment and a massive ovation as this is his last PWG show before heading off to NXT. Five and a half years after debuting in Reseda, taking the promotion by storm with a long reign as World Champion, Cole is making his exit. And what better opponent than career-long rival, Sami Callihan? These two started in pro wrestling together back in CZW and brought their rivalry over to PWG in 2012-2013 in a series of bouts that ended with a 60 minute Iron Man Match at "Is Your Body Ready?" in June of 2013 for the PWG World Championship. This wasn't quite the same as any of the other meetings though as there was no bullshitting around. The two had a long staredown at the beginning of the match only for things to explode into a brawl filled with chair spots and stiff blows. In the end, Cole falls to his arch rival after getting caught in a cradle pinning combination. After the match, Cole gets one last "Adam Cole Bay Bay" before bowing out. Thanks for the memories, Adam.

Match rating - ***1/4

5) Mark Haskins vs. Lio Rush

I'm not quite sure why this is so high on the card considering there's no real backstory and neither of these guys have brought anything too notable out since debuting in PWG, but none the less, we are here and it's a decent little showcase for both men. Definitely better than the opener and Elgin/Strickland. Not much to talk about, though. Rush wins with a frog splash.

Match rating - ***

6) Penta El Zero M & Fenix (c) vs. The Young Bucks - PWG World Tag Team Championship Match

These two teams were involved in my pick for PWG Match of the Year thus far back in March in a three way tag match that saw the Lucha Bros win the titles. So, I'm pretty stoked for this and I'll say right out of the gate that it definitely delivered. It's not on the level of the aforementioned bout, but it's definitely a fine counterpart. Just these two teams doing their thing flawlessly in front of a hot crowd eating up every second. Penta & Fenix continue to break out new double team moves that I've yet to see from them in Reseda and The Bucks continue being the best at what they do. To most people's surprise, Penta & Fenix retain here after a crazy match.

Match rating - ****

7) Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Trent? - PWG World Championship Match

The Bucks & The Lucha Bros got the crowd warmed up nicely for this main event and boy, was it a barnburner. This feud between ZSJ & Chuck has brought us some awesome stuff so far and this was no different. This match got set up from that amazing tag match a few months back where Trent pinned ZSJ, earning the Best Friends a big victory. So going into this, ZSJ seems slightly vulnerable considering he HAS been pinned by Trent during this reign before. And them starting the match with Trent going for the same move that put ZSJ away and seeing the champion escape quickly & frantically to the outside makes it even more believable. Everything about this ruled. ZSJ is being a dick and torturing Trent. They do a lot of teasing and building towards stuff. Everything meant something. ZSJ's work on Trent's leg was a story that continued coming up through the very last second of the match when Trent went for a second crunchie and couldn't hold the weight. This was just fantastic stuff with a hot finishing stretch. ZSJ retains by tying Trent up in a precarious position following the failed crunchie attempt.

Match rating - ****1/4

PWG: Game Over, Man! Review

PWG World Champion - Zack Sabre Jr
PWG World Tag Team Champions - Rey Fenix & Penta El Zero M
Commentators - Excalibur, Chuck Taylor & Rick Knox

April 21st, 2017

1) Rey Fenix vs. Lio Rush
Fenix comes to the ring with his newly won PWG World Tag Team Championship. I guess Penta wasn't available tonight so Fenix is in singles action against Lio Rush and lorda mercy I was stoked for this. Two of the quickest guys to come around in recent years going at it in front of the hottest crowd? Triple yes. Anyway, this was definitely a treat to watch, Fenix & Rush played it smart by not going all out as if it were a top of the card match, which sorta disappointed me only because we may never see these two go at it again with Rush headed to WWE, but this was a suffice one time encounter and a perfect opener. My favorite Rush match since his debut in Reseda. He hit a damn spanish fly to the floor for christ sake!

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Adam Cole vs. Matthew Riddle
 
"Matthew Riddle going by the name on his birth certificate tonight, but of course, Adam Cole not going by his real name which is fat piece of shit." -Excalibur

Adam Cole is back, ladies. After a month off due to some sort of injury which caused him to miss Nice Boys and his match against Sami Callihan, the Panama City Playboy steps in the ring with more cockiness than ever. He mocked Riddle in every way shape or form, even making MMA jokes. It was good shit and made for an exciting vibe for the whole match. Once again, much like Rush/Fenix, this was one of those good while it lasted matches that never fully kicked into extremely high gear, suffice without a doubt, however.

Match rating - ***1/4

3) Jeff Cobb vs. Keith Lee
"Take your bets now on whether or not the ring survives this match." -Chuck Taylor
Chuck said it best, y'all. This was exactly what you would expect from Cobb & Lee - a slugfest. However, it did continue the trend of the night with it never really going into big match overdrive like you expect from PWG. It came pretty close though with these just two monsters throwing each other around in multiple unreal displays. I hope we see Cobb & Lee lock horns again because I feel like this is just a taste of what they can do. This was also the first time we've seen Keith Lee get to show his personality in PWG and it ruled.

Match rating - ***1/2

4) Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin
Rematch from the finals of the 2013 BOLA tournament here and it's crazy to see the difference in where each guy is in their career from then to now. This was honestly really akin to their 2013 match except without the high stakes vibe and the fact that the crowd here actually was more into Elgin than O'Reilly, or so it seemed. The stiffness was equal or better than their 2013 encounter which makes sense considering both men's time in Japan and boy, it showed here. Just a straight slugfest with Kyle targeting Elgin's shoulder which they played off well. But in the end, Elgin planted O'Reilly with a buckle bomb and a sit out powerbomb to get the three count.

Match rating - ***1/4

5) The Young Bucks vs. War Machine (Hanson & Raymond Rowe)
I've never been a huge War Machine fan so I was immediately kinda uninterested in this and considering the YB's just had one of their best matches this year last month in Reseda, it was hard to get invested in this. It started sorta slow and basic then built into a pretty heated final half with some nice sequences that actually pulled me into things. Bucks pick up a rebound victory after losing their tag titles at the last show.

Match rating - ***

6) Zack Sabre Jr vs. Dick Togo - Non Title Match
DICK IS BACK. Tonight is cool because the last time Dick was here, his opponent was EL GENERICO. AND the last time there was a Reseda Street Fight, it was between Chuck Taylor andddddd EL GENERICO. OLE BITCH. But yeah.  Dick's last PWG appearance was late 2011 when he challenged Generico for the PWG World Title in a HELLUVA match, no pun intended. That was more of a dream match between two fan favorites whereas this is Dick coming into a non title match with the top heel in the fed, currently. So the setting and outlay of the match was completely different. Zack was short, sweet, and dickish. This wasn't full of spots, it was all about portraying Zack as the asshole cheapskate World Champion. He worked over Togo's legs and took every opening to brutalize the veteran. It was a pretty stiff match, with Togo firing back with nothing but brute force to try to counteract Sabre's attack. The finish was brilliant as Zack pinned Togo with a Gedo Clutch as a double fuck you considering Togo & Gedo used to team together. Sabre with the cheap victory.

Match rating - ***1/4

7) Chuck Taylor vs. Marty Scurll - Reseda Street Fight
 
"I'm gonna kill this guy for real. MURDER!" -Chuck Taylor

Scurll with the villanious pre-match promo. Chuckie with the babyface fire. WE ARE LIVE, LADIES. This wasn't an overly brutal match and Chuck didn't damn near kill Marty like he did Generico back in 09 however this was certainly awesome. We saw Marty throw Chuck off the stage through a double chair pyramid, some ladder spots, a number of piledrivers, and thumbtack play. The closing moments to this match were some all time great, vintage PWG moments as Knox got laid out, so Justin came down. As Justin runs down to try to ref this thing, Chuck threw powder in Scurll's eyes and Scurll thought Justin was Chuck and popped fingers on both of his hands. Chuck then bodyslammed Scurll into thumbtacks and that man was BLEEDING. BUTTTTT JUSTIN CAN'T COUNT BC HIS FINGERS. The look on Justin Borden's face and his fingers all cramped up was the most priceless thing I've seen in a long time. The finish to the match itself was the icing on the cake with Chuckie going for the chicken wing on Scurll only to get dropped backfirst into the tacks and POP BACK UP AND LOCK IT IN AGAIN forcing Scurll to finally tap! Great main event.

Match rating - ****

PWG: Nice Boys Don't Play Rock & Roll Review

Nice Boys Don't Play Rock & Roll
March 18th, 2017

2nd show of 2017 and better than almost any show in 2016

PWG World Champion - Zack Sabre Jr

PWG World Tag Team Champions - The Young Bucks

Commentators: Excalibur, Chuck Taylor, Sami Callihan & Rick Knox

1) Sami Callihan vs. Brian Cage vs. Keith Lee
Callihan was originally supposed to face Adam Cole tonight, but if I remember correctly, an injury kept Cole from competing so Sami got to interject himself into match on the card and he chose this opener. Keith Lee is making his debut here and I'll say right out of the gate, he's the next PWG breakout star. The things this big man can do is unreal and he got a chant literally 20 seconds into this thing, and for good reason. Cage & Callihan are known for having some stinkers, but they really killed it in this one and Keith Lee being involved also upped the anty. Just a great barnburner of an opener and the start of something special.

Match rating - ***1/2

2) Chosen Bros (Jeff Cobb & Matt Riddle) vs. O14k (Dave & Jake Crist)
This was your basic tag match here. Nothing out of this world, but nothing bad either. The Crist Bros had a few wow spots that got the crowd fired up however Cobb & Riddle were the clear favorite here. Several nice hot tags for them throughout the match and one little stalemate with everybody throwing kicks then hitting the mat from exhaustion. It looks like O14k is gonna pick up a win then the Chosen Bros fire back out of nowhere with the tour of the islands and a submission hold from Riddle and they chalk up another victory.

Match rating - **3/4

3) Trevor Lee vs. Lio Rush
This was soooooo close to being better than Lio's match against Ricochet last month. I have been waiting for Rush to have that one insane, unforgettable match in PWG and it didn't happen in his debut, and I didn't expect it to happen here, but it almost did! This was good stuff, Lee jumped Rush before the bell and just beat the hell out of him. He tried to get cheap victories by letting Knox count him on the outside and it was awesome. Lee literally slung Rush from pillar to post, inside out. It was good stuff. Rush fires back, Lee chops him down, Rush fires back, Lee chops him down. It gets a little competitive, Lee rolls up Rush in a small package, 1..2..--- RUSH REVERSES - 1..2..3.. FUCK THAT WAS A GREAT FINISH. Rush beats Lee at his own game in a huge upset. Loved that. Had this went a little longer, boyyyyyyy. Still a good one, though.

Match rating - ***1/4

4) Shane Strickland vs. Dezmond Xavier
Two more debuts here! I've seen Shane Strickland a couple times and he can definitely get rowdy. I've also heard the tales of Dezmond Xavier so I'm expecting something good out of this one. Unfortunately, it didn't quite reach the level they were going for or the level it could have. You could tell the butterflies were there and rightfully so, because this is a pretty large amount of pressure, but they damn sure put in their best effort and delivered some must-see exchanges that I had never even seen before, which is something that's hard to do in this day and age of flippy shit. It just didn't flow in some parts and there were a few hiccups, but this is definitely worth watching because Strickland & Xavier both brought some insane stuff to the table. Like, dear lord, this was buck wild at a few points. I'd like to see a rematch between the two in Reseda once they've settled down in the enviroment. But until then, Strickland remains on top as he plants Xavier with a driver variation that scared the hell out of myself as well as everyone in attendance.

Match rating - ***1/4

5) Leaders of the New School (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scurll) vs. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent?)
This story is just getting started and when the turn of Sabre officially happened at Only Kings Understand Each Other, I was iffy despite the fact that the crowd did indeed go with it, but all bets were off when Sabre & Scurll entered the ring for this match and the boos were echoing. It is crazy to see Sabre take Roderick Strong, his greatest rival's role as the biggest bad guy in the company. But it's happened and it's great. Sabre is so easily a dickhead because of his natural cockiness and demeanor. The vicious side of him like this has shown in the past when he would get irritated with Roddy and jump at him and now as a heel, it is SO much more effective as he mocked Chuck with the title in the introductions and it was epic. So much old school team work from the Leaders in this, it made me fall in love with Sabre & Scurll more than ever before. Just fantastic stuff and arguably the best they've done in PWG. So many false hope spots for Trent to make the tag to Chuck. Chuck finally gets the tag and all hell breaks loose, it's super back & forth. Chuck & Scurll fight to the back as Trent & Sabre battle it out in the ring and to everyone's surprise, Trent pins the PWG World Champion when all is said and done. CRAZY. Chuck comes back to the ring and celebrates with his best friend, but Scurll comes back out to ruin the party. Sabre acts hesitant to join in on the beat down until Scurll slaps him across the face and seemingly manipulates him back into his villanious ways. Scurll powerbombs Chuck through some chairs and challenges him to a match next month. Chuck accepts and makes it a RESEDA STREET FIGHT BABY. 2009, whassup? Awesome stuff here.

Match rating - ****1/4

6) The Young Bucks (c) vs. Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. Penta El Zero & Rey Fenix - PWG World Tag Team Championship Match

"Everybody is cart wheelin' in Reseda tonight!" -Excalibur

THIS. WAS. THAT. PWG. SHIT. Best tag match in years, to be completely honest with you. I enjoyed this tons more than the highly beheld Rushmore/Ospreay, Sydal, Rico contest that Big Dave gave five stars. To me, this is your classic PWG tag team contest in every single sense of the word. That match and all the other matches these three teams have had with each other in Reseda over the past year or two have been fun, but none compare to this one. The opening exchange with one man from each team in the ring which gave us two different triple threat match ups, essentially, was super unique and awesome. The story of this being the last championship The Young Bucks still have after losing both the ROH & NJPW Junior Tag Titles gave this some extra story and incentive. Props to Sami Callihan on commentary for bringing that into consideration. This also even had some comedy in the early stages with Penta & Fenix doing the suck it and wearing the YB's gear, next thing you know all the times are doing each other's mannerisms and it's wacky as hell and the kinda stuff you only get in PWG. And on top of all of that, the spots in this match were absolutely nuts and somehow also innovative. We got a canadian destroyer on the fUCKING RING APRON from Ricochet to Penta for christsake. Not to mention, Sydal head scissoring Fenix from the apron to the floor, Ricochet's flying cutter on Fenix while Penta had him on his shoulders for a double team attempt, and numerous other batshit crazy things that took place in this match. The icing on the cake was the complete shocker of the finish that got the biggest pop since Sabre won the PWG belt as Penta & Fenix pin Ricochet to win the PWG World Tag Team Titles, dethroning The Young Bucks. UN-BE-LIEVABLE. Nick & Matt's reaction was priceless as they start throwing chairs in the ring and getting in the new champions' faces. Looks like we have another rivalry going into the heart of 2017 and I am fired UP.

Match rating - ****3/4