-Taped from Los Angeles, California
-Your hosts are Excalibur and some guy named Colt Cabana. Never heard of him.
–Fightin’ Taylor Boys (Brian Cage-Taylor & Ryan Taylor) vs. Famous B & Chris Kadillak
–Match in Five Words or Less: A Taylor Boys Push?
Match Highlights: Kadillak and Famous B are two of the real stand-outs amongst the newcomers who’ve recently made their way to PWG. Taylor and Kadillak start out very quickly with a feeling our process. I can’t even begin to call what they do. B and Cage enter. Shoulder tackle by Cage. B lands on his feet but gets rolled up. Inside cradle. Dropkick. Armdrags but Cage backs off. Running dropkick by Kadillak sends Ryan Taylor down. Both faces take the opportunity to dive. Kadillak is fairly reckless. B covers back inside. Cage hip tosses B into his knee back first. Taylors work B over. Good combinations. These Taylor Boys are really coming into their own. B hits a chinbreaker. Springboard cross body caught into a backbreaker. B counters a whip into a roll-up. Cross body hits this time. Kadillak tags in and hits a running knee. Leg lariat on Taylor. Bicycle knee on Cage. Roll-up on Taylor gets two. Back fist and a spinning facebuster. 1-2-NO! Cage hits a European uppercut. B tags in as his partner gets bodyslammed. B goes up and over with a kick. Kadillak hits a shooting star cannonball. Leaping leg drop by B gets two. Ryan goes up and over. Cage hits a clothesline on Kadillak. Roundhouse kick on B. Cage hits a Superman suplex on Kadillak. Swanton misses on B. Leg lariat by B. Cage clotheslines B. They both end up outside. Kadillak out of a suplex. O’Connor roll blocked. Cage catches Kadillak. Ryan hits a tope suicida on both Kadillak and B. Cage has Weapon X blocked. Taylor hits a Go 2 Sleep. Discus lariat by Cage. Assisted Canadian Destroyer gets Ryan and Brian the victory.
Match Analysis: Good to see the Taylors pick up a win in the opener. If PWG is going to sustain itself, they’ve got to start giving the locals a chance. This team is starting to establish itself, and I hope they can continue putting in strong performances. This wasn’t the best match ever, but it accomplished its purpose.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: The Fightin Taylor Boys/10:06/**3/4
-BxB Hulk vs. Jimmy Susumu
Match in Five Words or Less: Not Boring
Match Highlights: Weird to see these two wrestle in the second match of this show. Excalibur says Jimmy means “idiot” in Japan. New interpretation of that word. Some mat work to start between these two long-time Dragon Gate roster members. Shot to the midsection and head from Hulk. Dropkick misses. Jimmy hits a knee to the gut. Hulk blocks a whip but sweeps the leg. Standing moonsault met with knees. Off the ropes with another knee to the gut. Chinlock. Hulk hits a running axe kick. Jimmy rolls outside. Kick to the gut and elbow from Hulk. Another kick to the head. Cravat. Knees to the neck. One final dropkick. Roundhouse kick takes Jimmy down again. Stretches him out and delivers even more kicks. Single leg crab and stomps. Jimmy reaches the bottom rope. Chop in the corner. Whip on Hulk. Jimmy misses a charge. Exploder. Powerbomb blocked. Up and over. Hulk with a pele kick to the back of Jimmy’s head. Exploder into the corner by Jimmy. Jumbo No Kachi hits. Running kick. Kick to the chest. Standing flipping senton gets two. Kick to the head immediately followed by a flatliner. Jimmy follows Hulk to the top rope. Elbows. Headbutt by Jimmy. Exploder off the top. 1-2-NO! Springboard leg lariat by Hulk. Pumphandle countered. Chops and kicks. Kneelift sends Jimmy down. Pumphandle driver for a nearfall. Crowd thought it was three. Kicks to the face. Jumbo No Kachi! A second one! 1-2-NO! Aikata gets Jimmy a win this showcase match.
Match Analysis: Not an epic contest but it is the second match of the afternoon. Interesting to see Hulk doing so many jobs in the states ever since his huge heel turn really catapulted him to the main event scene in Dragon Gate Japan. Good match. Nothing to write home about.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Jimmy Susumu/11:07/***
-Davey Richards & Harry Smith vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
Match in Five Words or Less: American Bulldogs vs. Rockers 2.0?
Match Highlights: This was supposed to be Eddie Edwards wrestling instead of Harry Smith. Travel issues prevented us from seeing the Justin Houston dream match of dream matches. Richards can barely contain his anger at the Bucks. He begins the contest with Nick. Series of lock-ups. Shoving match. Nick slaps Richards. Uh oh. Richards gets a slap of his own. Armdrag into an armbar. Smith comes in with a kick to the arm. Smith works the left arm. Hammerlock powerslam. Richards hits a double sledge before knocking Matt down. He hooks the arm and rolls Nick up. Smith in for a powerslam. Stalling vertical suplex. Richards actually knocks Matt out of the ring while this happens. Snapmare into a neckbreaker. Kick to the back by Richards. Nick brings Richards in the corner. Matt rips at the eyes. Right hands in the corner. Whip. Richards escapes and knocks Nick down. Bucks recover. Nick dropkicks Richards outside. Matt tries a stalling bodyslam… but has to set him down after just four seconds. Richards hits a handspring elbow. Nick tags in and maintains the offensive advantage for his team. Springboard senton. Choking by Matt. Bucks work the arm. Double hip toss into the double dropkicks. Richards up and over out of a suplex. Enziguri on Matt. Dropkick on Nick. Harry Smith tags in. Clotheslines for everyone. Belly-to-belly suplex on Matt. Bodyslam on both Bucks. Bucks sent into each other. Superkicks to both men. Nick Jackson covered but only two. Chinbreaker by Nick. Smith catches him. Tag by Richards. Powerslam by Smith. Richards hits a heabutt. 1-2-NO! Matt sneaks in by Smith and breaks the count. Nick catches Richards with a boot out of the corner. Alarm Clock. Matt gets punted in the chest. Double foot stomp on Nick gets two. Kick right to the head gets two. Right into the anklelock. Richards catches Nick in an anklelock. Matt rakes the eyes. Smith knocks Matt out of the ring. Matt rams Smith into the rails. Reverse rana on Richards. Double superkicks. 1-2-NO! Smith breaks the count just in time. Matt out of the way of a boot. Double superkicks on Smith. Richards hits a northern lights suplex while applying a hold. Kick exchange between Nick and Richards. Low blow. Matt dropkicks Smith back down to the floor. More Bang for your Buck gets the Bucks a big rebound victory.
Match Analysis: Unless PWG was planning on bringing Richards and Smith back as a team, it didn’t make sense for them to do anything but go under. Smith didn’t seem out of place in this contest and looked pretty good tossing the Bucks around. I wish he could appear on more indy shows because to have someone of his pedigree and talent not working regularly is something that hurts wrestling. The Bucks were their usual great selves and Mr. Richards… he didn’t anger me too much in this match.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: The Young Bucks/13:34/***1/4
-Naruki Doi vs. Willie Mack
Match in Five Words or Less: Biggest Victory Of His Career
Match Highlights: Mack is coming off a second consecutive victory over one Chris Hero. Now he has his biggest test to date in the form of former Open the Dream Gate champion Naruki Doi. We get a “Doi” vs. “Mack” chant. Basic to start as they take turns working the arm. Mack hits an armdrag. Doi with one of his own. Up and down with a heel kick to the ribs. Stomp on Mack. Choke on the bottom rope. Neckbreaker. Off the ropes with an elbow. Low kick to the knee. Doi focuses on the knee but becomes distracted by the chants. Choking in the corner. Cannonball in the corner. Mack hits a clothesline. Back elbow. Bodyslam. Leaping leg drop. Headbutt but Mack almost does damage to himself. Doi hits a kick out of the corner. Samoan drop followed by a standing moonsault. Running elbow and kick as Mack is strung in the ropes. Cannonball on Mack. Mack blocks a firemen’s carry and hits an exploder. Frog splash misses. Doi 5. 1-2-NO! Slaps to the face. Mack hits a clothesline. Bakatori sliding kick. Mack hits a sitdown spinebuster. Running clothesline into the corner. Springboard dropkick for two. Mack heads to the top turnbuckle. Doi sweeps the legs. Shot to the head. Doi sets up for a top rope move. Superplex. Elbow drop hit with authority. One apparently isn’t enough, so he hits two more. 1-2-NO! Chops by Doi. Mack screams in his face. Cross body caught. Chocolate Thunderbomb gets Mack his biggest win yet.
Match Analysis: I was hoping for a bit more since Mack is clearly being pushed toward a PWG title victory. I feel Mack needs a definitive finisher and a string of really good matches this year. It’s great that he’s beaten two international superstars, but he’s also got to rise the level of some of the best on the indy scene if he wants to be regarded in their league.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Willie Mack/12:18/***1/4
-Peter Avalon, DEMUS 316, Ray Rosas & Joey Ryan vs. Cedric Alexander, B-Boy, Candice LeRae & Mascarita Dorada
Match in Five Words or Less: ¼ MIDGET MADNESS!
Match Highlights: We’ve got indy superstars, lady wrestlers, and midgets. Quite the match. Alexander and Rosas begin. Rosas heels it up. Armdrag exchange. Alexander sweeps the leg but misses a moonsault. Off the ropes and a dropkick is hit. Swinging backbreaker across his shoulders. Avalon knocks B-Boy off the apron. B-Boy tosses a chair in the ring. Avalon cowers but actually gets the advantage. Forearms but B-Boy no sells. Running forearm. Running dropkick in the corner. Avalon ends up on the outside. Rosas carries Avalon into the corner. DEMUS tags in. Of course. Dorada comes in as well. To say the pace picks up would be an understatement. Kick in the face by Demus. He tosses him about multiple times. Charge in the corner. Dorada mocks DEMUS while on the top rope. Rana takes DEMUS outside. He fakes a dive. Ryan and LaRae tag in. Just got scummier in the ring. Ryan kisses LaRae in the corner. Shove. LaRae responds with a forearm and drop toehold. Rana out of the corner. Roll-up gets two. Crucifix also gets two. Ryan hits a boobplex. Rosas mocks the fans’ chants. LaRae sledges out of a hold. Heat segment on LaRae continues. Even DEMUS works her over. PWG really needs a sexual harassment seminar. LaRae hits a series of chops. Octopus. She pulls his tights down. Gross. Alexander tags in. back elbows. Running dropkick to the side of the head. Ryan placed on the top rope. Avalon sent head first into Ryan’s but. Ryan and Rosas are forced to… 69 each other. Dorada ranas Ryan. LaRae hits a diving DDT to the floor. DEMUS attacks. He drives the smaller man down. Chop to the back. Dorada headscissors. Asai moonsault and both men end up in the crowd. Alexander takes control on Avalon. Tope con helo. Rosas blocks a B-Boy dive. B-Boy powerslams Rosas on the apron while laying across the middle rope. That’s new. Enziguri by Avalon on Alexander. Running dropkick by Alexander. Rosas and B-Boy have an exchange. Rosas hits a German suplex for two. Dropkick by Dorada gets two. Dorada hits a Yoshi tonic on DEMUS for a nearfall. All over Dorada goes. Rana to the floor. Huge rana from the top rope to the floor. Oh my goodness. Ryan has a superkick blocked by B-Boy. Palm thrust. Ryan hits a superkick. Ballplex by LaRae. Ryan hits her in the back. Boobplex blocked. LaRae hits a reverse rana off the top rope. Shining wizard by B-Boy. LaRae hits a moonsault to pick up the win.
Match Analysis: An extremely enjoyable eight person tag. I was most glad to see LaRae actually get the victory over Ryan considering everything she’s had to overcome in these matches. Dorada and DEMUS were spectacular every time they were in the ring together. I’m excited to see their PWS match now. Fun stuff all around.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Cedric Alexander, B-Boy, Candice LeRae & Mascarita Dorada/16:22/***1/2
-Blood Warriors (CIMA & Ricochet) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma)
Match in Five Words or Less: Biggest Victories Of Their Careers
Match Highlights: RockNES Monsters start immediately. They send Cima and Ricochet out. Double dives. Armbar by Yuma on Ricochet. Goodtime with a low dropkick. Splash by Yuma. Goodtime flapjacks on Ricochet. Double armbars. For the RockNES Monsters, this is serious! Cima comes in with a senton. RockNES Monsters quickly regain the offensive advantage. Snapmare and double stomp by Cima. He puts on Yuma’s do rag and plays air guitar. He plays some drums. Tag to Ricochet. Right headbutt Yuma tries to fight out of the corner. Ricochet delivers a series of blows to the throat. Back to the corner. Goodtime hits a backbreaker and then transitions into a gutwrench suplex. Knee drop. Cover for two. Kick exchange. Atomic drop by Goodtime. Yuma mocks Cima but that doesn’t pay off. Spiked Mohicans go to work. Drop toehold into a reverse figure four. Goodtime refuses to be hit with the northern lights suplex. Dropkick by Goodtime but Yuma is still in pain. Ricochet low bridges Goodtime. Kick to the back. He bridges Yuma on his back. He smashes Yuma into the middle buckle. Crucifix pin for two. Spiked Mohicans stack the Monsters up. It’s like a human centipede. Cima dropkicks Goodtime in the butt. Mohicans focus on Yuma. Everyone except Yuma has a bandanna on. Makes sense as to why he’s being beaten up. Yuma hits a DDT. Tag to Goodtime. Assisted clotheslines from the Monsters. Goodtime cross bodies Yuma into the Mohicans. Mohicans cut Goodtime off. Goodtime sends Ricochet into the corner. Mushroom stomp and a dive on Cima. Goodtime splashes Ricochet. Running kick by Ricochet misses. Another hits. Up and over he goes in the corner. Springboard acecrusher. Standing cannonball senton for two. Yuma kicks Cima. Double stomp and elbow drop by Cima. Double stomp on Yuma gets two. Yuma with a kick and sexfactor. 1-2-NO! Neckbreaker/stomp combo from the Monsters. Cima ducks an enziguri. Ricochet hits a springboard dropkick on Goodtime. Kick to the gut by Ricochet. Lungblowers from each man. Standing shooting star press gets two. Yuma won’t die. Goodtime sent in the corner. Double knees by Cima. Swinging kick by Ricochet. Another set of running knees. 630 by Ricochet gets two. Forearm exchange between Yuma and Ricochet. Enziguri by Ricochet. Elbow by Yuma. Stomp out of the corner. Ricochet with a kick. Goodtime hits a reverse rana. Superkick by Cima. Goodtime takes out Cima using Ricochet. DVD. Falcon arrow. RockNES hit the double death valley driver to GET THE WIN!
Match Analysis: Remember what I said about Willie Mack earlier? Goodtime and Yuma stepped up and delivered a great performance. They were far more serious than they ever have been before. They stepped up to the Spiked Mohicans level. One thing that could have made the match (and really the entire show) better is the crowd. They didn’t seem up for anything and didn’t even pop all that much for the huge upsets victories. If this were Reseda, they’d have blown the roof off. Still a very good wrestling match between these two and props to the international stars for putting over the local guys.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: RockNES Monsters/22:23/***1/2
-Masaaki Mochizuki vs. Roderick Strong
Match in Five Words or Less: Ouch
Match Highlights: I expect a lot of hard kicks and much violence in this encounter. Feeling out process ends quickly. Chop by Roddy. Mochizuki with some ridiculous kicks. Strong responds with a bodyslam. Stomps in the corner. Another kick and a vertical suplex. Chinlock. Mochizuki reaches the bottom rope. Mochizuki takes him up and over. Sweep of the leg and a running kick to the spine. Strong takes a walk. Mochizuki hits a double sledge. More kicks. He drives Strong knee first into the apron. Mochizuki continues to focus on Strong’s left leg. Strong goes for chops but Mochizuki responds with low kicks. Enziguri but Mochizuki applies an anklelock. Kicks in the corner. More chops by Strong. Kick to the chest by Mochizuki. Enziguri by Strong. Back elbow. Belly-to-belly suplex. Running forearm. Back suplex. Half nelson backbreaker but his back isn’t doing very well. Stronghold attempt. Mochizuki counters into an anklelock. Kick to the chest. Strong hits a chop. Combo ends with a running kick. 1-2-NO! Suplex blocked. Elbow by Mochizuki. Strong hits a boot. Elbow. Drunk slam gets two. Strong enziguris Mochizuki on the top rope. Backbreaker on the turnbuckle. Mochizuki kicks Strong away. Kicks. Strong hits a leaping kneelift. Gutbuster by Strong. Tiger driver. 1-2-NO! Mochizuki hits a knee strike. Running yakuza to the corner. He places Strong in the corner. Running knee strike. Kick to the head. Superplex into a two count. Flush kick to the head. Chop by Strong. Mochizuki with a series of kicks. Off the top with a springboard twisting kick.
Match Analysis: To this point, these two have put on the best match. Strong took a beating all in the name of entertaining us. Mochizuki put on a strong performance, but he’s never going to have the all out four star classics he has in Japan for whatever reason. Still, this was another very good wrestling match in what has been a series of them for the most part.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Masaaki Mochizuki/14:22/***1/2
-El Generico (PWG World Champion), Pac & Masato Yoshino vs. Super Dragon, Kevin Steen (PWG World Tag Team Champions) & Akira Tozawa
Match in Five Words or Less: Insanity
Match Highlights: Dragon shoves Generico before the match. I love that Steen and Dragon are destroying the tag titles more and more. Dragon decks Pac off the apron. Steen says gravity apparently remembered Pac. Generico and Dragon battle. They slap each other. Hard forearm by Dragon. Generico with two of his own. Dragon responds. Snapmare into a headscissors. Into the corner for a chop by Dragon. Generico gets one of his own. Generico with a series of armdrags. Dragon heads outside. Yoshino out quicks Steen next. Headscissors. Steen tags in Tozawa right away. Pac joins him. Shoulder tackle by Pac. Series of flips. Kick to the gut by Pac. More flips. Dropkick off the top rope. Pac takes Tozawa in the corner. Generico works him over. Tozawa comes back with forearms. Bodyslam by Generico. They take turns double sledging Yoshino’s arm. Elbow off the ropes. Yoshino stretches Tozawa out. Pac with a knee drop. Tozawa taken in the corner. Chop. Bicycle kick misses. Running knee by Tozawa. Two tope suicidas and a combo kick. Generico yakuza kicks Tozawa down. Dragon pulls Generico off. And it’s chaos. All six men battle around ringside. Generico actually tornado DDTs Dragon into the crowd. Steen rolls back in to break the count. Then he powerbombs Generico on the ring apron. Heat segment on Generico. Tozawa bites the champion’s ribs. Lots of trash talking by Steen. Super Dragon chops Generico right in the side of the face. Steen gets a little lewd. Elbow drop across the ribs. Tozawa with chops and punches in the corner. One big punch in the corner. Steen and Dragon stand on Generico’s balls. Dragon strangles Generico. Tornado DDT and the champion can finally end the beating with a tag. Yoshino and Tozawa exchange chops. Running neckbreaker. Steen blocks a suplex. Pac tries helping. Steen nearly gets them both over before finally being suplexed. Pac hits a huge dive on Steen. Tozawa sends Yoshino in the corner. He hangs Tozawa in the ropes. Dropkick misses. Pac stops an Everest suplex. Tozawa takes Pac up and over. Pac hits an acecrusher. Twisting splash off Yoshino’s back. Steen sends him in the corner but gets booted. Draping DDT for two. Swanton met with knees. Dragon comes in but can’t get the Psycho Driver. Generico hits a half nelson suplex for two. Dragon whipped in the corner. Yoshino hits a back elbow off Generico’s back. Dropkick/senton combo. Elbows by Tozawa. Backdrop driver. Dragon hits a combo kick. Steen hits a cannonball splash. Poor Yoshino. Tozawa hits a springboard knee strike for two. Pac sent outside. Dragon holds the knees. Generico crotches Steen and makes the save. Running yakuza on Steen. He calls for the brainbuster. Dragon prevents it. Blue thunder powerbomb off the middle gets only two. Boot out of the corner. Pac misses Steen. Steen catches him in a powerbomb. Deadlift German by Dragon. Everest by Tozawa. 1-2-NO! Another attempt but Yoshino makes the save. Reverse DDT. Dragon tombstones Yoshino. Exploder by Generico. Steen kicks Generico hard. Pac hits a German suplex. Everyone is down. Forearm exchange between Steen and Generico. Yakuza kick blocked by a Dragon suplex. Package piledriver into the running knee. 1-2-Pac breaks the count. Pac hits an enziguri on Dragon. Reverse rana. Reverse rana on Steen! Reverse rana but Tozawa breaks free. Bicycle kick. Yoshino hits torbelleno. Yakuza kick and brainbuster. Phoenix splash finally ends the proceedings.
Match Analysis: There were a lot of high expectations for this match, and I’d say they lived up to them in every conceivable way. These six tore the house down in what has to be the first real match of the year contender up to this point as far as North America goes. I loved all 27 minutes of this. Everything from Generico getting his ass handed to him to the insane sequences that came toward the end. Props to all six guys for an incredible capper to Wrestlereunion.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: El Generico, Pac, and Masato Yoshino /27:15/****1/4
The Verdict: This was not the greatest PWG show off all time. In fact, this was weaker than a lot of recent PWG shows. Nonetheless, the streak continues as the final three matches atoned for some of the lesser first half matches. Also, having Mack and RockNES Monsters makes the show feel slightly more special. Another thumbs up show from PWG. I know you’re shocked.
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