411’s Buy or Sell 9.05.08: Colin Delaney, The Young Bucks, Jack Evans, and More

Posted by Michael Bauer on 09.05.2008

The 411 staff looks back to last weekend’s huge Pro Wrestling Guerilla shows as Bayani Domingo battles Mike Campbell!

Welcome everyone to WEEK Seventy Two of BUY or SELL. For those of you who haven't been with us since the beginning, here's the Reader's Digest version of what this column is all about. BUY or SELL is very much like 411's long-running Fact or Fiction column. The main difference is that BUY or SELL focuses on topics like the U.S. Independent scene, Lucha Libre, Japanese Wrestling and pretty much anything else that isn't mainstream wrestling, WWE and or TNA. This allows for these areas to get a bit more press and for you, our loyal readers, to learn even more about the sport of professional wrestling.


Week Seventy Two's Match-Up:
Truth B Told... he hasn't mised a PWG in a Dog's Age - Bayani Domingo vs. Puroresu Writer and Reviewer from the City of Orange Mike Campbell!

Despite his involvement this weekend, Colin Delaney will not become a CHIKARA regular again.

Bayani Domingo : SELL. What else is he going to do? I know a lot of WWE-jects get nice lucrative jobs either on the Indy scene (ala Matt Hardy/James Gibson), in foreign companies (Mexico/Japan), or get shuttled into TNA, but I just can't see two of those options being real possibilities for Colin Olsen. For one there is no real money to be made from TNA signing him as well as him not really fitting in with the company since they already have comedy goofs on the roster. AAA and CMLL seem like stretches considering there are bigger names being released and even in Japan he'd have problems fitting in since he was by in large a jobber. CHIKARA is where Colin got his start and I can't imagine that after a few months of trying to find "greener grass" he won't end up back in CHIKARA where his antics will find their way home.

Mike Campbell : SELL. CHIKARA is where the Olsens more or less made their name, with all those goofy promos and a couple of great matches. Not to mention that there's already an angle going on with Jimmy Olsen that perfectly sets up Colin's return. Unless Colin's ECW tenure gave him a case of the swollen head syndrome and he asks for huge amounts of money, he'll definitely go back to being a regular.

1 for 1.

CHIKARA should run more specialty matches, like their first ever Steel Cage Match that occurs this weekend.

Bayani Domingo : SELL. They do enough gimmick shows as is. Not to say that's a bad thing, but considering that they have a lot of unique concepts, shows, and even titles as is it doesn't make sense to try and take their promotion into a whole new direction. When I think of CHIKARA I think of whacky characters and whacky tournaments, a whole lot of both in fact. I'm not thinking TLC, Steel Cages, and CHIKARA Scrambles (which incidentally includes 9 kinds of cheeses, 4 kinds of Bologna, and dos kinds of ice creams). While the occasional gimmick match is fine, I think sticking with their formula of somewhat Tournament heavy schedules is just fine. Then again I wouldn't mind seeing the first ever "CHIKARA King of the Ant Hill" Match.

Mike Campbell : SELL. Part of specialty match is that it's just that, special. Look at how much TNA has downgraded the importance of 'Six Sides of Steel' because they do an entire PPV of only that match. There's a reason that hair and mask matches aren't a regular occurance in CHIKARA, because less is more. The less that it's done, the more important it seems.

2 for 2.

The Young Bucks will parlay their Dragon Gate and PWG success into an RoH tryout.

Bayani Domingo : BUY. Right now the ‘bucks are on a roll of a lifetime after finishin g just out of the semi-finals in the Dragon Gate Summer Adventure Tag League as well as winning the PWG Tag Titles from the hottest tag team in the Indies right now, The Age of The Fall. I really can't see a reason they wouldn't get the opportunity considering the dearth of tag teams in RoH right now, coupled with the fact that RoH has employed similar teams in "Irish Airborne" and "Special K". not necessarily in terms of gimmick, but in terms of pure spottiness. Not to say the ‘bucks haven't improved loads since their time in DG, but they really do have a great babyface vibe to them that the crowd might really dig, oh and of course who doesn't dig "MmmBop". RoH has given shots to other West Coast regulars like Human Tornado, El Generico, TJ Perkins, Karl Anderson, and Super Dragon and I can't see why the ‘bucks wouldn't get the same opportunity. If nothing else you'd hope that the AoTF would put in a good word for them.

Mike Campbell : BUY. If there's one thing that can be said about ROH, it's that they're always keeping their eyes open for potential new talent. If nothing else, they've got their Dragon Gate experience to add to their resume, and if there's one thing that Gabe loves, it's guys who wrestle in Japan.

3 for 3.

SWITCH~!

This year's ASW7 card was an adequate replacement for the postponement of BoLA '08.

Mike Campbell : BUY. I don't know what the BOLA was supposed to feature this year, but with the Young Bucks winning the PWG Tag Titles from AOTF (a very hot team on the indies right now) and the debut of Chuck Taylor, plus the PWG Title finally having a little stability with two successful title defenses from Hero, it sure seems like PWG went out of their way to try to make up for it.

Bayani Domingo : SELL. Sorry to piss on Campbell's parade but I called the ‘bucks winning the title a week ago. It seems like a 50/50 proposition that PWG follows a big no-show with a title ‘hot shot' in order to make up for it. That isn't necessarily bad, but it just seems like sometimes it doesn't exactly fit. I was at last year's BoLA and this year's ASW7 and let me just say that there is NO replacement for BoLA. Although I'm starting to think that BoLA is much more for the fans than the wrestlers as the "BoLA curse" has struck yet again. Bosh won the first BoLA and he retired last year, Davey Richards won and is now gone to Japan after losing his title shot, then last year's winner CIMA got injured and never got to cash in his shot on top of having to give up the Dream Gate Title in DG. I thought this year's ASW7 was "good" but not "great". Just like last year's BoLA it started slow and ended up picking up. Only unlike last year's BoLA there was no 3rd night that really blew everyone away. If you look at the line-up it was pretty stacked, but the matches themselves just not quite as spectacular as you'd expect from a BoLA card. Every single year there is at least one or two matches during BoLA that are incredible and this year's ASW7 seemed to lack that one really amazing match in my opinion although Strong/Black and PAC/Hero came close. Not to say ASW7 wasn't good, but it just couldn't fill the shoes of the most anticipated show of the year. it seems like after every BoLA I seem to fall in love with PWG all over again and this time I have a feeling I'll find it hard to remember more than maybe 2 or 3 matches after this show. Even the awesomeness that was "Smooth" Chucky T couldn't bridge the gap, although he did try his damnedest.

3 for 4.

Chris Hero would be much better of as the heel champion of PWG.

Mike Campbell : SELL. This is only a temporary sell though. I think it's a bit too soon to say that he'd be *MUCH* better off. There's no question that he's a great heel, but one thing people love about PWG is that they do their own thing and don't pander to what other feds are booking. If the fans continue to boo him as champion, then he should definitely be turned. But it's too early tell if that's the case.

Bayani Domingo : BUY. Damn you Campbell and your semantics. I'm more anti-semantic if you will. Or does that mean I hate the Jews? Not sure. Really this has nothing to do with PWG "getting on the bandwagon" but rather what is in PWG's best interest and what they could book more easily. I think Hero would make a better heel champion just based on his reactions thus far in PWG. He was booed when he won on Night 1, then it seemed like after we all got lectured we had to clap for him and be polite just because most of us felt a little guilty. Still the standing ovation at the end of the match was more for PAC's efforts and the quality of the match it self than for Hero's win. It's getting to the point where people might be getting a little tired of the constant post match promos and even the way Hero is presenting himself seems like it could set up for a heel turn at any moment. I know I don't enjoy being "lectured to" and sometimes "pandered to" on a regular basis. Sometimes it feels like Hero is basically saying that "I'm PWG now since I'm the champion so I speak for all of PWG and you WILL listen to me whether you like it or not". I personally think that his ‘heat' with Kingston did more to hurt him than help him as it just seemed to be a bit uncalled for to bring that into PWG since Kingston is actually very well liked in the promotion. What PWG is truly lacking right now is a big ‘heel' especially after Tornado left and I believe that he has potentially better feuds on the horizon as a "heel" than as a "face", starting with rematches against Necro Butcher and Low Ki. PWG tries to support the "babyfaces" but they can't help loving the "mega heels". Unless it's Joey Ryan.

3 for 5.

Jack Evans will never be allowed to step inside a PWG ring again.

Mike Campbell : SELL . I don't think he'll be back anytime soon, but you can't speak in absolutes, especially in this business. It's happened dozens of times before, if the fans want someone bad enough, then the booker or promoter needs to bring them in. It's why Paul E. brought Sabu back in '95 after he no-showed, it's why ROH brought back Low Ki in 2004. This isn't much different, if the PWG fans demand Jack Evans, then Jack Evans will eventually be back in PWG.

Bayani Domingo : SELL . I don't think we'll see Jack this year again. The fans don't want him back right now and aren't willing to forgive him so soon so I can't imagine they'll be a ground swell of support in the next few months. But you know, there is the possibility that if they are desperate come BoLA that he'll make a return in order to put someone else over. I have heard first hand that many of "The 6" are pissed off at Jack and he's becoming a liability now, both financially and in regards to morale. Sucks to see such a popular guy go down the tubes, but right now there is a real backlash on using him as his popularity is being outweighed right now by his inconsistency. PWG has threatened to "ban" other wrestlers and so far it has happened only a few times before: Adam Pearce, Teddy Hart, and Kanyon being prime examples. Then again I think Kanyon has been "banned" from pretty much everywhere, RoH, TNA, Wendy's, Pinkberry, the state of Idaho. the true test here is going to be whether PWG is willing to keep big draws like Jack and the Briscoes out or if they are going to bow to pressure and the almighty dollar if the opportunity arises. While I don't think this is a full on "ban" for Jack I believe this is going to be one hell of an "after school detention".

4 for 6!


The Seventy Second edition of BUY or SELL finishes at 4 for 6. Stay tuned for next week when two new men will go head to head with a whole new set of topics.