PWG All Star Weekend 8 Night 1 DVD Review

-Taped from Reseda, California

-Your hosts are Excalibur and some guys who were lucky they didn’t get released by WWE last Friday

-Kevin Steen vs. Willie Mack

Match in Five Words or Less: HEFTY

Match Summary/Analysis: Glad these two husky young men can finally meet in a PWG ring. Hard shoulder tackle exchange but Steen cuts him off. Leg lariat by Mack. Steen powders and rips a picture of El Generico up. A bit of stalling before the beating commences. Hard strikes by Steen but Mack is more than able to respond. Steen falls down and fakes a knee injury. Immediate poke to the eye. Back to the striking. Kick to the spine. Mack says something and eats a boot to the face. Steen mocks Mack and his fans. Steen can’t bodyslam Mack, so he bites him. Well, that’s gross. Slap right in the face. Back and forth again. Enziguri by Steen. Front flip leg drop. Mack sent outside. Chop and leaping kick. Back in the ring for a series of fist drops. Forearms by Steen. Steen sweeps mack’s legs and nails a springboard senton to the back. Steen has a conversation with someone in the crowd before kicking Mack hard in the back. Series of two counts. Steen says it was six. He teases another kick to the spine but… applies a chinlock. Mack hits a lariat, back elbow, and another clothesline. Exploder out of the corner. Superkick by Steen. F-5 gets a long two count. Steen actually gets the crowd to chant the “F” word in  a hilarious bit. Steen ever so slowly heads to the top rope. Mack with right hands. Steen knocks him down. Step-up moonsault by Steen! Charge in the corner and dropkick. Samoan drop. Up and into a moonsault press. Steen picks Mack up and just tosses him. Cover for two into a sharpshooter. Mack reverses into one of his own. Steen reaches the ropes. Shots by Mack. Steen counters into lungblower. Up to the top for a swanton. Mack gets his knees up. Chocolate powerbomb! 1-2-NO! Mack climb up top. Steen shoves him hard. PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! Mack rolls outside! Steen has to get the man back in the ring. Steen trips coming back in the ring, so Mack rolls him up and gets three. Finish didn’t particularly make Mack look like anything except lucky, but this was a very fun opener. I’m stunned Steen had a 20 minute match before having to wrestle later, but you certainly can’t accuse him of not giving Mack his best.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Kevin Steen/18:53/***1/2

-Fightin’ Taylor Boys (Brian Cage-Taylor and Ryan Taylor w/Chuck Taylor) vs. The Dynasty (Joey Ryan and Scorpio Sky)

Match in Five Words or Less: Thank Goodness For Sky

Match Summary/Analysis: Chuck Taylor is finally reunited with his half brothers.  Thank goodness Ryan is back in the tag team division and teaming with a guy who I’ve always liked in Scorpio Sky. Feeling out process between Sky and Ryan. Very good exchange of nearfalls and attempted kicks. Ryan Taylor looks to have bulked up.  Brian and Ryan in. Both guys attempt to go for a finish early, but neither hits. Right hands by Ryan. Northern lights suplex by Ryan. Brian with a solid roll-up and sitting DDT. Taylor Boys work over Ryan. Nice double teams from them as well. Chinbreaker by Ryan and a tag to Sky. Pair of kicks and rana. Splash in the corner. Missile dropkick. Ryan Taylor fares no better. Crossbody by Sky gets two. Ryan stomps away. Dropkick by Ryan. Amazing how much better Ryan is in tag team matches when he doesn’t have to carry the load. Heat segment on Taylor. Not sure who’s supposed to be playing which role in this match. Ryan flips away and gets a hot tag? Brian Cage-Taylor in. Series of moves climaxing with a vertical suplex from the outside into the ring. Back submission. Sky sunset flips. Jawbreaker done in the style of a lungblower. Both men are down. forearm exchange between Ryan and Ryan Taylor. Kick by Ryan Taylor. Powerslam by Joey Ryan gets two. He loads up for a superkick. Twisting  forearm by Ryan Taylor. Sky hits and he tries taking out both Taylor boys. Chaos ensues as all four men battle and exchange finishers. Headscissors by Sky on Brian Cage-Taylor. Acecrusher by Sky. Ryan covers for two. Ryan pulled out of the ring. Forearm by Ryan Taylor back in the ring. Double slam on Sky. Ryan hits a spear. Electric chair slam. Cage-Taylor taken out. Ryan eats a kick while going for a dive. Ryan lifted on Brian’s shoulders. Ryan Taylor hits a dive and somehow Sky is nailed in the melee. Hard discus clothesline by Cage-Taylor. Cover for two as Sky breaks the count. DDT by Ryan on Ryan Taylor on the apron. Series of kicks by the Dynasty. Sky hits a leaping acecrusher. Ryan covers for the win. A solid back and forth tag team match.  I’m so glad Joey Ryan doesn’t have to be in main event singles matches now. Just put him with Sky, and they can do whatever in that division. I’m not opposed to giving them the belts as long as Ryan doesn’t wrestle for the world title ever again.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: The Dynasty/15:05/***1/4

-Kenny King vs. Chuck Taylor (w/Ryan Taylor)

Match in Five Words or Less: Solid

Match Summary/Analysis: We have a DG USA golden boy versus a Ring of Honor golden boy. Only PWG could put a match like this together. King had an awful match with Davey Richards back at Titannica in October 2009. Some grappling to start. Taylor concedes King his better. King takes control. Chucky T screams. Work on the left shoulder. Taylor can’t kip up without the help from Ryan Taylor. King quickly regains the advantage. Eye poke by Taylor.  Drop toehold into a chancery. King shows off his athleticism like I haven’t seen from him ever. Not even in Ring of Honor. Ref tosses Ryan Taylor after he pulls King’s left leg. Chucky T takes advantage of the distraction. Dropkick followed by a BACKRAKE. Front rake on the referee because he’s a jerk. Knee lift takes King down. TIME FOR THE GRENADE! Elbow drop misses. King has the grenade AND HE’S NOT AFRAID TO USE IT. Series of clotheslines. Highest leg lariat I’ve seen in years. Atomic drop and a spin wheel kick. Moonsault by Taylor misses. Spinebuster hit by King. Taylor placed on the top rope. King backflips down. Taylor whiffs on a crossbody. Taylor counters a roll-up into a two count of his own. Superkick to the side of his head. Another two count. Taylor hits a uranagi. Kick to the chest for two. Springboard moonsault misses. Soul food. Suplex into a bridge by King gets two. Taylor goes to talk with the referee. Brian Cage-Taylor pulls down the top rope while King is on it. Chucky T covers for three. Very odd to see a BS finish in a PWG match, but these two at least this was a fun match from two guys who are capable of delivering. King was a million times better here than he was back in 2009, and I hope he can be booked more often in PWG.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Chuck Taylor/10:20/***

-PWG World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (champions) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime and Johnny Yuma)

Match in Five Words or Less: More Like Johnny Awesometime

Match Summary/Analysis: It seems like everyone on this show is wearing new tights or new gear. These two start before the bell even rings as Matt spits water in Yuma’s face. Crowd is behind RockNES. Goodtime starts out with Matt Jackson. Matt is wearing an Impact Wrestling shirt. I LOL’d. Bucks cheat early. Matt clothesline Goodtime over the top. Goodtime with a clothesline. Monkey flip out of the corner. Lucha like submission as Goodtime ties Matt Jackson up. Nick sent into his brother and things get a little lewd. Jacksons get a verbal argument about what just happened. Incest… fun for the whole family! Goodtime kicks Matt Jackson’s leg into Nick Jackson’s balls. The brothers are sent into each other, and they powder. Double dives. Yuma misses. Matt dropkicks him through the ropes and in the face. Yuma is going to die in a PWG ring. I’m convinced. Heat segment on Yuma.  Yuma plays into their miscommunication again to get the hot tag. Goodtime in with a giant leg lariat. Cartwheel over the top. Bucks sent to the outside. Dropkick on Nick Jackson. Moonsault to the outside followed by another dropkick on Nick and a huge dive to Matt. I don’t know what that was, but it ruled. Dropkick off the top gets two on Matt. Nick sends Goodtime into the corner and screams to signal for the Stinger splash. I laughed. Bucks powerbomb Yuma into Goodtime. Assisted pele as Matt topes Yuma . Nick covers for two. Chinlock on Goodtime.  Headscissors on Nick. Hard elbow sends Goodtime outside.Vertical suplex turned into a FALCON ARROW by Goodtime. Tag to Yuma. Strikes on the Bucks. DDT on Nick while kicking Matt. Clothesline sends them both outside. Shoulder block on Nick. Rana into the corner. Splash. Acecrusher for two as Matt breaks the count up. Reverse whip. Matt gets his boot up but misses a splash. Enziguri into an acecrusher. RockNES hits a DVD on Nick. 1-2-NO! Matt again breaks the count. Yuma and Ryan apply tandem submissions. Matt Jackson goes for a backbreakers but can’t break it. Nick does and superkicks Yuma. Tombstone piledriver but Yuma kicks out. 1-2-NO! All four men in the ring. Nick dropkicks Goodtime off the apron. Bucks smell blood. Yuma fights off the champions. He does slap like a girl. O’Connor roll. Matt hits a low blow while Nick distracts the referee. Tandem facebuster into a release German suplex. Nick covers for 1-2-NO! Goodtime sends Matt Jackson into the post. Yuma locks in a tarantula. Goodtime kicks Nick in the face. Matt dropkicks Yuma low to save his brother. Goodtime with a series of forearms before eating a superkick. Big bicycle kick of his own. Everyone down. Bucks head to their corner. A tag is executed. Really? Yuma with a sexfactor. Goodtime with a frog splash. 1-2-NO! Nick is sent moonsaulting into his own brother. German suplex by Goodtime. Double team DVD but Matt Jackson gets his knees up. Nick with a running knee. Superkick before Matt hits a draping DDT. 1-2-NO! Bucks go into superkick mode. Yuma eats one too many superkick and Matt covers for the win. Great tag team match. Goodtime and Yuma looked really good, and the Bucks as heel champions (especially with them no longer being in TNA) works so well. Really looking forward to what this title reign will bring. The only disturbing aspect of the show is the first four matches have gone at least 15 minutes. This went about three minutes too long, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL PWG World Tag Team Champions- The Young Bucks/20:32/****

-The Cutler Brothers (Brandon and Dustin Cutler) vs. Austin Aries and Roderick Strong

Match in Five Words or Less: Best Reunion Ever

Match Summary/Analysis: When I first became an indy wrestling fan, Aries and Strong were the ROH tag team champions.  For that reason and so many other reasons, Generation Next  have always been my favorite tag team in indy wrestling. Their reunion here makes me deliriously happy. Aries and Brandon with some mat wrestling to start. Brandon performs some push-ups on top of Aries. When he goes down for some more push-ups, Aries kicks his arm away. I’ve seen wars start over less. Brandon puts Aries in a headscissors… and you know what happens. One –handed push-ups by Aries. Dustin blind tag and a roll-up for two. Small package for two. Cutlers work Aries over in the corner. Aries gets out of a press slam situation and tags in Roddy. Crowd wants him to chop the Cutlers. Best chant ever. Roddy fails on a series of shoulder tackles. Quick roll-up for two. Headscissors and a back elbow by Dustin. Cutlers double shoulder tackle Roddy. I like how the Cutlers are showing more cohesion as a team since their opponents haven’t teamed together since 2007. Roddy comes back with chops. Brandon drops Strong face first on the apron. Dustin completely fails on a dive. Aries hits a double axehandle to the outside. Now it’s time for Gen Next to get on offense. They take turns chopping Brandon. They break out some of their old double teams like it’s 2006 all over again. Aries seems to be in a rather jovial mood compared to normal.  Aries applies Last Chancery, and Dustin immediately bails his brother out. Strong clubbers Brandon in the corner, just kills him. He chops out of the corner. Strong drop toehold and Brandon gets knocked off the corner. Impressive double vertical suplex. Brandon with a sloppy flurry of offense. Fists in the corner on Aries. Forearm on Strong. Backbreaker. Aries sent into Strong. Aries with chops in the chest. Elbow drop on Strong. Aries low bridges Brandon but is met with a knee trying to do his missile drive. That was ridiculous. Heat segment on Aries which is fitting since he used to take all the beatings during their ROH tag title defenses. Aries out of a vertical suplex. He knocks Brandon off the apron and nails a neckbreaker across the rope on Dustin. Big flip and a hot tag. Strong comes in with fire and sends Cutlers flying. He slams Dustin down hard on his back and gets two. Aries eats a kick but comes back with a discus elbow. Strong with a backbreaker for two. Chop immediately into a brainbuster. Last Chancery. Stronghold. We’ve got duel submissions. Dustin out of the Last Chancery. Hard kicks by Aries. Aries sent flying off the top rope. Six Second Abs on Strong. 1-2-NO! Sunset leads to a knee. Dustin dives on Aries. Facebuster on Strong by Brandon gets a long two count. Aries accidentally dropkicks his partner in the corner. Brandon tosses Aries into his partner again. Strikes by Strong. Cutlers set up for the tandem piledriver. Aries grabs Brandon’s leg. Leaping knee by Strong. Dropkick in corner by Aries. Strong nails a ridiculous sick kick to get the victory for Gen Next. Young Bucks immediately after the match to set up for their tag team title match the next night. Alex Shelley is out to save his Gen Next compatriots, AND HE’S EVEN WEARING A GENERATION NEXT SHIRT! How sad is it that PWG, A COMPANY THAT DIDN’T EVEN HAVE GENERATION NEXT, was able to put this reunion together? A very long match that could have easily cut ten minutes off without losing its effect. Very good stuff and it was great to see Gen Next united again. Cutlers wrestled very sloppy throughout but worked hard to keep up.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Austin Aries and Roderick Strong/24:14/***1/4

-Alex Shelley talks about teaming up with Aries and Strong one more time for a six man with the Young Bucks. If only they could have gotten Jack Evans to do an eight man. He then mentions Low Ki not being in the house since that was supposed to be his opponent tonight. This transitions into putting over his actual opponent for the night, Eddie Edwards.

-Eddie Edwards vs. Alex Shelley

Match in Five Words or Less: Another Long One

Match Summary/Analysis: Code of honor followed before the bell rings. Feeling out process in a battle of Kevin Ford’s favorite wrestler (Edwards) against Matt Waters’ favorite wrestler (Shelley).  Pace picks up as neither man can gain an advantage. Edwards with a nice rana. Chop sends Shelley down. Another chop collapses Shelley. Some fan shouts, “Come on Janetty.” Did he not get the memo that Edwards is the first man to ever triple crown in Ring of Honor and he was the damn world champion at this time? Shelley comes back with a side headlock into a facebuster. Applied headscissors.  Elbow drop by Edwards misses. Knee drops to Edwards’ face. Skull fucking ensues. Shelley takes a bow. Some fans makes a comment about this match being boring. Shelley gives him the finger. There you go. Edwards hits an armdrag. Shelley sweeps his leg. Shoulder tackle and guillotine on the top. Springboard met with a kick to the face. Edwards hits a tope suicida and doesn’t dislocate his elbow for once. Thumbs down to the heckler. Dropkick off the top rope. Running knee in the corner. Fisherman buster for two. He calls for a… chokeslam? Shelley with a forearm. Battle for a vertical suplex. Shelley goes for a DDT but is sent into the corner.  Shelley deposits Edwards outside. Edwards tries another dive but is met with a knee. Back and forth to the corners. Face plant into the middle buckle. Shelley dropkick to Edwards’ ass. Crossface but Edwards won’t tap. Roll over and Edwards almost gets two.  Kick blocked. Shelley with a kick. Edwards places Shelley on the top. Big kick. Edwards gets a running start and hits a baseball dropkick. Yoshino does a far better job on that move. Shelley crotched Edwards. Headbutt on Edwards’ shoulder. Edwards responds with some of his own before delivering a double foot stomp. Exchange of nearfalls. Edwards rolls over into a half crab. Shelley kicks Edwards in the side of the head. AIR RAID CRASH! 1-2-NO! Does Cima know Shelley stole half his offense?  Double stomp misses. Edwards hits a lungblower. Exchange of kicks. Edwards hits a clothesline. Powerbomb into a 2K1 bomb. 1-2-3! Quite the flurry to end this one. Very enjoyable contest between these two. Not sure I’d be chanting for how awesome it was after the fact but I enjoyed this for what it was even if the ending sort of came out of nowhere.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Eddie Edwards/17:28/***1/2

-Shelley talks about the possibility of seeing The American Wolves wrestle the Motor City Machine Guns. The internet would lose their collective minds if that happened.

-El  Generico and Ricochet vs. Kevin Steen and Akira Tozawa

Match in Five Words or Less: OH MY GOD!

Match Summary/Analysis: As if this card couldn’t be more awesome, now we’ve got a dream tag team match. Steen is on his second match of the night, but he got a lot of rest time due to just about every match nearly going 20 minutes. This is the first time since Final Battle 2010 that Steen and Generico have been in the ring together. They start before the bell rings, and their partners try to break the fight up. What kind of world is this when Akira Tozawa and Ricochet are the voices of reason? The Dragon Gate guys start things off. Ricochet is definitely improving in getting his personality out there.  Tozawa applies a headlock and gets into a screaming match with the Reseda fans. He tells them to shut up. Tozawa in Reseda is just plain magic. Kick exchange. Pace picks up. Kick by Tozawa sends Ricochet to the apron. Steen pulls him down face first. Generico and Steen resume their brawling ways. Tozawa dives and almost takes his partner out. Steen gets him up in a fireman’s carry position and tosses him on Generico and Ricochet. This is already ridiculous. Steen powerbombs Generico on Ricochet.  Strike exchange between Steen and Generico. Choking by Steen. Punt to Generico’s back.  Heat segment on Generico. Tilt a whirl backbreaker takes Ricochet down. Tag to Ricochet. He doesn’t maintain the advantage long. Steen chops him and then proceeds to bite him.  Tozawa with a kick in the butt. Bodyslam and standing senton. Tag to Steen after a chinlock. Kick to the back. Springboard moonsault before biting him again. Chop exchange between Tozawa and Ricochet. Fake out by Tozawa. Punch in the face. Awesome. Steen mocks the fans cheering for Ricochet. Standing dropkick. Steen mocks Generico for wanting to tag in. Snapmare and a kick to the head. Rana by Ricochet. Tozawa quickly tags in. Flatliner by Ricochet. Hot tag to Generico. Series of clotheslines. Back body drop. Steen in. He takes a clothesline. Chops to the chest followed by…a DIVE ONTO STEEN! Things start breaking down. Blue thunder bomb by Generico on Tozawa. Reverse senton by Ricochet on Tozawa. Generico covers for two. Tozawa no sells right hands. Steen grabs Generico. Ricochet uses his partner as a springboard to execute a shooting star press. Generico hits a Michinioku driver on Tozawa. Bicycle kick out of the corner by Tozawa. Saito suplex. Good God. Steen tags and knocks Ricochet off the apron. Stunner by Steen. Ricochet in and he gets dropped for a backbreaker. Sharpshooter by Steen. Generico kicks his former partner. Steen spits in his face. YAKUZA KICK IN THE FACE! Tozawa tags. Forearms on Ricochet. He responds with a leaping enziguri. Series of roll throughs before a SHINING WIZARD! Boot by Ricochet. Tozawa sent down. Flipping kick by Ricochet. Tozawa catches Ricochet. Yakuza kick/619 combo. Pescado on Steen by Generico. Ricochet hits a phoenix splash n Tozawa. 1-2-NOOOOOOOO! Elbows by Tozawa. Kick misses. Deadlift German suplex but Generico breaks the count. Half nelson suplex on Steen. Steen responds with a clothesline. Everyone is down. Everyone might be dead.  Steen and Generico have a vicious strike exchange. Steen gouges Generico’s eyes. YAKUZA KICK IN THE CORNER! STEEN COUNTERS A BRAINBUSTER INTO A PACKAGE PILEDRIVER! TOZAWA HITS A SHINING WIZARD! 1-2-NO! Steen powerbombs Ricochet. He goes up for the moonsault. Ricochet gets up and joins him at the top. REVERSE HURANCANRANA! 1-2-NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  Tozawa goes ballistic on Ricochet. Generico goes ballistic on Tozawa. Yakuza kick countered. Battle on the apron. Ricochet superkicks his own partner. Tozawa German suplexes Generico on the apron.   STEENALIZER ON RICOCHET! 1-2-3!!!!! This is the PWG match of the year. It’s not even close. This was borderline ridiculous, but I loved every minute of it. Crazy spots and bumps taken by all four men. I guess Steen is the one who stood out simply because he was already on his second bout of the show. Everyone shakes hands with each other except Steen and Generico.  Tozawa soaks in another loud ovation from the crowd in Reseda. I feel sorry for the two bastards who have to follow this match up.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Kevin Steen and Akira Tozawa/24:28/****1/2

-PWG World Championship: Claudio Castagnoli (champion) vs. Chris Hero

Match in Five Words or Less: These Poor Bastards

Match Summary/Analysis: Code of honor followed beforehand.  Bit slow to start as they work over a test of strength.  This is very different than anything you’d see in the previous match, but it’s well done. Claudio tries giving his partner a Charlie horse. They bridge up and appear to be in a stalemate. Referee Rick Knox has to untie them. Claudio works a headlock next.  Armdrag by Hero. Armdrag by Claudio. Hero with another armdrag. Wow was that great. LUCHA KINGS! Claudio takes a breather. Hero locks in a cravat. Roaring elbow misses. Back to the mat as Claudio works Hero’s arm.  Whip in the corner followed by a monkey flip. Hero responds with one of his own. Uppercut. Claudio brings Hero in the ring and applies a chinlock. Hero puts his foot on the ropes. Chop exchange. Claudio hits a gutwrench suplex but misses a knee drop on the arm. He slams the arm on the top rope. Armbar but Hero reaches the rope. Claudio applies another armbar. Chinlock but Hero takes him to the ropes. Jawbreaker. Chops by Hero but he sells his arm. Claudio rips Hero down and focuses on the injured right arm. Claudio slips off the middle rope. Hero covers for two. Claudio counters into an armbar. Chuck Taylor comments on the looseness of the ropes. Hmmm.  Guillotine on the arm. Hero hits an elbow strike. Claudio goes for the arm. Hero flips over the top rope. Claudio hits a European uppercut and teases a dive. He bounces off AND THE TOP ROPE BREAKS. The look on his face is the scariest thing you’ll ever seen. Claudio takes apart the ring. He looks angry and I don’t blame him. Claudio then dives anyway on Hero. That was awesome. Good thing these guys are familiar with each other and can improvise the final few minutes of this match. If this were two rookies, they might crap the bed. Hero in with chops. Claudio cuts him off. He lifts Hero up and tosses him on the middle rope. Elbow drop. Now Hero has wrestled in a PWG match with no bottom rope and no top rope. Press slam turns into a guillotine. Hero comes back with a one-footed dropkick. Stomps by Claudio. Hero spits in his face. Boot exchange. Roaring elbow by Hero and both men are down. Chops by Hero.  Springboard moonsault for two. That was impressive. Charging elbow. Knee to the gut by Claudio. Another elbow by Hero into a two count. Boots by Hero. Claudio rips him down and hits a deadlift German suplex with ease. Giant swing. After 18 revolutions, Claudio hits a bicycle kick. Series of uppercuts. Hero with another boot. Off the ropes with a second one. Claudio counters into one of his own. European uppercut by Claudio. Water slide for two. Ricola bomb but Hero won’t go up. Boot by Claudio. Hero clobbers Claudio out of the ring. No hands asai moonsault. Stomp by Hero immediately followed by an elbow strike. 1-2-NO! Stretch plum but Hero has to break the hold. Boots but Claudio gets mad. Chop exchange. Pop-up European uppercut by Claudio gets two. UFO! 1-2-NO! Claudio places hero on the middle (now top rope). Hero’s spine hits the post hard. They battle. Hero applies a cravat and hits  a cutter. Moonsault misses. Leaping European uppercut by Claudio. Roaring elbow by Hero. A second one. Twisting boot. 1-2-NO! Stretch plum applied again. Elbow to the back of Claudio’s head. 1-2-NO! Crowd seems completely gassed at this point. Backslide by Claudio for two. Hero goes for the Ricola Bomb. Claudio hits an uppercut. Strike exchange. Hero hits an assisted elbow strike. Claudio nails an uppercut yet again. Both men are down. Short lariat. 1-NO! A second lariat. 1-2-NO! Ricola bomb! 1-2-NO! Uppercuts. One final well-placed uppercut sends Hero down for the count, and Claudio mercifully retains his championship. An epic contest that may have gone too long but was the best contest these two have ever had. Both these guys rule, and it’s easy to see why these two are going to be in WWE soon.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL PWG World Champion-Claudio Castagnoli/40:51/****

–Hero is angry about losing and even angrier about the top rope breaking. He turns his focus to Willie Mack and is that boy in trouble based on this promo. Hero needs to redeem himself this all star weekend.

-Line of the Night: Excalibur in a moment of honesty after the semi-main event, “What the hell did we just see Chuck Taylor?”

-Finish of the Night:  Steenalizer for the win!

-MVP: Kevin Steen was a part of a fantastic opener and then was in the match of the night six matches later. Pretty easy to pick him although Claudio and Hero get a special mention for their work in the main event under the circumstances.

-The Verdict: There are three matches at four stars plus on this show. That’s an automatic thumbs up. The only complaint I have is the show went too long. Otherwise, you’ve got a collection of tremendous matches. You’ve also got a number of different types of contests as well. The main event was completely different than even the rest of the card. Hero and Claudio finally had the type of match I’ve always expected them to have together, but they could never seem to deliver. Another incredible show from PWG and probably my choice for best single indy show of the year. Buy this DVD now!

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