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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Death to All But Metal 2012

July 31, 2012 | Posted by TJ Hawke
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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Death to All But Metal 2012  

May 25, 2012
Reseda, CA

Commentators: Excalibur, Kevin Steen, Rick Knox, & Joey Ryan

B-Boy vs. Famous B
Insert your “Battle of the B’s” joke here. B-Boy returned to PWG at the end of 2012. Famous B started in PWG at the show before that one.

B-Boy hit a few chops early. Famous B managed to send B-Boy to the floor. Famous B went for a baseball slide, but B-Boy blocked it and kicked him the head. Back in the ring, B-Boy remained in control. B-Boy locked in a really cool, modified Bow & Arrow. B-Boy broke the hold and went back to work on Famous B. B-Boy went to dive off the middle rope, but Famous B blocked it in mid-air with a dropkick. Famous B started a comeback. He hit a pumphandle backbreaker and an elevated Butterfly backbreaker. Famous B? More like Famous Backbreaker, amirite? Famous B hit a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Famous locked in a crippler crossface. B-Boy came back with a BUCKLE DVD! Jeeeeeezus! B-Boy hit a Double underhook into a DDT: 1…2…NO! Good nearfall. Famous B went to dive off the middle rope, but B-Boy caught him with a powerbomb: 1…2…NO! Famous B managed to toss B-Boy to the floor. Famous B went for a Fosbury Flop, but B-Boy avoided it. Famous B actually managed to land on his feet. Famous hit a superkick and a DDT on the floor. Back in the ring, Famous B hit a senton atomico: 1…2…NO! B-Boy hit a big forearm, but Famous B hit a Pele Kick. Famous B hit two superkicks, but B-Boy came right back with an Ace Crusher. B-Boy was delirious and tried to lariat Rick Knox’s head off. Both men barely responded to a ten count. They got to their feet, and B-Boy promptly hit a slightly modified Air Raid Crash: 1…2…3

This match was much different than I expected. I thought they would try to have a faster match, where they would potentially do too much. However, they did a slow burn, and they saved the big moves for the last third of the match. The story basically was that B-Boy was the hard hitting veteran, who worked smarter. Then Famous B showed how tough he was by surviving some big offense, and then he showed off what a great athlete he is. Finally, B-Boy caught him with one big move too many and (and somewhat anti-climatically) won. I enjoyed this much more than I expected going in. I should also add that crowd seemed to appreciate the match more than I did, so you may even like this match more than I did. I was initially skeptical about B-Boy’s return to PWG, but I left this match far more optimistic about. I actually really want to see Kevin Steen vs. B-Boy now.
Match Rating: **3/4

TJ Perkins vs. Ryan Taylor
Brian Cage is now getting a singles push, which doesn’t leave Ryan Taylor with much to do. TJP never has anything to do, so this match booked itself.

They traded some holds and strikes early. They were doing some nifty stuff. Taylor eventually cut him off with a Manhattan Drop and an Axe Kick. Taylor started to get the heat after that. Taylor locked in a Trailer Hitch, but TJP managed to make the ropes. They traded some strikes until TJP hit a neckbreaker. Taylor fell to the floor. TJP hit a Silverking Dropkick and a rolling senton to the floor. Back in the ring, TJP hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Rolling elbow from Taylor got a nearfall. Taylor hit a big powerbomb: 1…2…NO! TJP came back with a powerbomb of his own. TJP called for the 450 splash, but Taylor gave him a Brogue Kick. TJP gord bustered Taylor to the floor. 450 Splash: 1…2…3!!! TJ PERKINS WINS A MATCH!

I enjoyed this match quite a bit, and I definitely think it would have made for a stronger opener. TJ Perkins has had almost nothing but fun matches since he returned to PWG in September 2011, and this match was not the exception. PWG has seemingly been unwillingly to push him much higher on the card however. I think he is best served by being put into a tag team going forward. I liked his team with Kenny King, but that is probably not happening again anytime soon. I have never thought of Ryan Taylor as an entertaining singles wrestler, but I think this was the most fun effort I have seen from him (at least in PWG). Hopefully he is able to keep it up. Ryan Taylor vs. Eddie Edwards or El Generico intrigues me.
Match Rating: ***

Kevin Steen© vs. Brian Cage [PWG World Title]
Kevin Steen and the Super Smash Bros. had to catch earlier than expected flights this evening, so their matches were moved to the first half of the show. Brian Cage beat Ray Rosas at World’s Finest to earn this World Title match. There was a level of sarcasm to that last sentence.

Both men were over at the start. Steen was then even more over for making fun of a fan for wearing a DX shirt. Steen counted Cage’s abs to start the match. Cage overpowered Steen early. Steen seemed flustered, but he challenged Cage to a test of strength. Cage then promptly won the test of strength. Steen finally bit Cage’s hand. Steen went for a running cross-body, but Cage CAUGHT KEVIN STEEN! Cage hit a powerslam. Steen gouged Cage’s eyes, but Cage came back with a flatliner. Steen reversed a suplex attempt into a suplex of his own. Steen crotched Cage on the top rope and then hit a cannonball splash in the corner. They started brawling on the floor. Steen interacted with the Terminator 2 dancing fan, which automatically justified the cost of this show. Back in the ring, Steen was in control. Cage managed to send Steen to the floor, and Cage then hit a TOPE CON HELLO~! Cage mostly landed on the chairs. Ouch. Back in the ring, Cage hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Cage moved Steen to the apron, where he tried for the Fucking Machine Suplex. Steen reversed it into a suplex on the apron: 1…2…NO! Steen went for a senton atomico, but Cage blocked it with his knees. Cage then hit a Torture Rack Neckbreaker: 1…2…NO! Steen ended up on the apron, and this time, Cage was able to hit the Fucking Machine Suplex: 1…2…NO! Cage went for a discus lariat. Steen avoided it, but Cage then managed to come back and hit one! Cage went for a sloppy cover, but Steen reversed it into a crucifix pinfall: 1…2…3!!!

Steen put Cage over after the match.

I really enjoyed this match. Brian Cage getting a title shot didn’t make any kayfabe sense, but he was, and is, extremely over with the crowd, and this match made him seem like a credible world title contender. The most important result of this match is that I am now very interested in seeing Cage as a singles guy in PWG going forward, which is not something I could have said going into this match. Kevin Steen was excellent here. His interaction with the crowd was especially amusing (even more so than usual), and he really did a great job of helping to get Cage over even more with the crowd.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Super Smash Bros. (Player Uno & Stupefied) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) [PWG World Tag Titles/No Disqualification]
Kevin Steen and Super Dragon were forced to vacate the PWG Tag Titles, because Super Dragon had been out with an injury ever since Kurt Russellreunion in January.

SSB sent both Bucks into the crowd right away. All four men were brawling on the floor and in the crowd. The Bucks are under appreciated brawlers. A lot of their matches in PWG have been brawls. The crowd was very hot for this match. At one point, Stupefied ended up on the stage, near all the sound and commentary equipment. Stupefied did a somersault plancha onto everyone. That apparently concluded the outside brawling, as they made their way back to the ring. The SSB were in firm control. There was a lot of chair based offense. Stupefied went for a springboard move, but Nick threw a chair at him. The chair actually got wrapped around Stupefied’s neck as he fell to the floor. That was awesome. The Bucks double teamed Uno for a bit after that. Nick casually hit Stupefied with an Asai Moonsault. Matt went for a handspring back rake, but Uno blocked it with a chop. The Bucks went to attack Uno with chairs, but he avoided it. Stupefied then hit a double Pele kick on them. The SSB then hit the Alabama Slam/Backstabber combo on Matt: 1…2…NO! Stupefied pull out a table on the outside. The Bucks came back with some brutal double team moves on Uno. Matt killed Stupefied with a Silverking DDT on the apron. Nick started jawing with Rick Knox for not counting faster. Uno gave Nick the Falcon Punch. The SSB then hit Matt with a double team Tombstone Piledriver on the RING APRON. Jeeeeezus. All four men somehow got to their feet, and they all traded forearms until the Bucks kicked each of them in the balls. Stupefied avoided More Bang For Your Buck. The SSB then gave Matt the GET OVER HERE suplex out of the ring and through the table that was set up earlier. Awesome. They pushed Matt back in the ring, but Nick pushed him back out of the ring. Nick tried to take them both on, but the SSB gave him FATALITY: 1…2…MATT PULLED RICK KNOX OUT OF THE RING! SUPERKICK TO RICK KNOX! The Bucks somehow got back in control. Stupefied ate a More Bang for Your Buck, as a new referee came out: 1…2…RICK KNOX PULLED OUT THE NEW REF! The Bucks tried to attack Rick Knox, but he avoided the attack and Matt accidentally superkicked his brother. Rick Knox then killed Matt with a lariat!!! FATALITY TO MATT: 1…2…3!!!!!

After the first four shows of the year, this almost definitely has to be the PWG Match of the Year. The only thing that really comes close to it is the main event of Kurt Russellreunion. This match had all of the great action and crowd investment that we’ve come to expect from PWG tag title matches with the Young Bucks, but this was arguably even more special because of how the match solidified the Super Smash Bros. as one of the best tag teams on the planet. Kevin Steen was on commentary for the match, and it has to be noted how much emotion he added to the presentation. Just a terrific twenty minutes of professional wrestling.
Match Rating: ****1/2


The RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma & Johnny Goodtime) & Candice LeRae vs. The Dynasty (Joey Ryan, Peter Avalon, & Ray Rosas)
The Dynasty seem to be no longer billed as The Dynasty. I shall do it anyway. That’s just how I roll. These are six people who had nothing else to do. Apparently PWG didn’t agree that Joey Ryan and Candice LeRae no longer needed to be in the same ring.

Yay, the match starts with Peter Avalon trying to hump LeRae. The Monsters then took down Avalon’s pants and started to hump him. The Monsters then fisted Avalon. What the fuck is going on. All the rudos ended up on the floor. The tecnicos hit stereo (well, almost) dives on them. Back in the ring, the rudos managed to cut off Yuma. Avalon tried to molest Yuma. Yuma was worked over for a while. Goodtime tagged in, and he ran mild on the rudos. The crowd was politely appreciative. LeRae got on Goodtime’s shoulders, and they got set to do a double team dive. Ryan blocked it, and now, we get the rematch I never need to see again: Joey Ryan vs. Candice LeRae. Yuma thankfully broke it up. LeRae managed to give Ryan a Ghetto Stomp to Ryan’s crotch. Ok, that amused me. Yuma gave Rosas a Sex-Factor. Avalon gave Yuma a twisting brainbuster. LeRae hit Avalon with a stunner. Ryan lightly tapped LeRae in the head. Goodtime gave Ryan a Brogue Kick. The rudos tried to give Goodtime a triple team superplex, but LeRae gave Ryan and Avalon falling ball plexes. The Monsters then hit Rosas with a Mushroom Stomp/Ace Crusher combo: 1…2…3

This was a very flat match to come out of intermission. It was going to be hard for any match to follow that PWG Tag Title match, but I was hoping this match would have had a chance given that there was an intermission in between the two matches. As I made clear in my recap, I in no way need to see any more of the Joey Ryan/LeRae rivalry. Candice LeRae is very talented, and I think she is being wasted right now.
Match Rating: **1/4

Willie Mack vs. Michael Elgin
This is Elgin’s debut in PWG. Mack has defeated Chris Hero, Naruki Doi, and Roderick Strong in his last three PWG singles matches.

They traded some chops early. Elgin caught him with a powerslam for a very early nearfall. Mack hit a running shoulder tackle. Excalibur actually put over Elgin’s ROH match with Davey Richards during the match. They traded some forearms until Mack hit a Stinger Spash and an enzuigiri. Elgin then murdered Mack with a Buckle German Suplex. Jeeeeezus. Elgin laid Mack on the ring apron, so that he could hit a leg drop. Back in the ring, Elgin hit a bridging Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Elgin then hit a delayed vertical suplex, where he held Mack in the air for 26 seconds. That was another nearfall. Once again…Jeeeeezus. Mack came back with a lariat and a body slam. Mack got a nearfall with a legdrop. Mack hit a superkick, but Elgin immediately responded with an enzuigiri. Mack hit a release Northern Lights suplex for a nearfall. ELGIN CAME BACK WITH A CHAOS THEORY: 1…2…NO!!! Ho. Lee. Shit. Elgin went for a top rope twisting senton, but Mack avoided it. Mack went for the My Dick Explodes. Mack hit the lariat in the corner, but Elgin blocked the slingshot dropkick and hit a motherfucking delayed deadlift powerbomb: 1…2…NO!!! That was awesome. Mack came back with the Samoan Drop/Standing Moonsault combo for the nearfall. Mack then hit a seated Tombstone Piledriver: 1…2…3

I loved this match, and it was probably my favorite Willie Mack match since his first match with Roderick Strong in early 2011. This was a perfect PWG debut for Elgin. I hope PWG books him vs. Kevin Steen soon.
Match Rating: ***1/2

El Generico vs. Ricochet
These guys actually have had somewhat of a long-term feud in PWG. Ricochet defeated El Generico in October 2010 (in a great, great match). In 2011, Ricochet was Generico’s replacement partner in a tag title defense after Paul London couldn’t make a show. Ricochet lost the match and the titles. They then lost two more matches together in 2011.

In their other PWG singles match, Generico played the rudo (to an extent). Now, Ricochet is being more of the rudo. Ricochet had the advantage early. Generico came back with a lariat. Generico had the advantage after that. Ricochet came back with a standing 640 senton. Generico ran to the floor after that. Ricochet chased him and brought him back to the ring. Ricochet hit a delayed slingshot senton. Ricochet was now in firm control. Ricochet went for his corner 619, but he got caught in the ropes. Generico just killed him with a Yakuza kick that sent Ricochet to the floor. Ricochet wandered over to the entrance ramp. Ricochet must not have been studying his Generico PWG tapes, because that allowed Generico to hit his somersault plancha. Excalibur made a reference to The Third Man. I

After the match, Generico slapped Ricochet in the face repeatedly until Ricochet shook his hand. Ricochet got on one knee, and Ricochet finally shook his hand.

I don’t think these two topped their first effort in 2010, but this was an excellent main event all the same. Ricochet’s cockiness made for a great dynamic, and it made Generico’s ability to finally hit the corner Yakuza all the more satisfying. This main event probably doesn’t mean that much in the grand scheme of things for PWG, but it definitely ended the show on a very strong note.
Match Rating: ****

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or at my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com.

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The 411: This was my favorite PWG show of 2012 so far. The PWG Tag Title match was a true MOTYC, and the last two matches ended the show on a fantastic note. I still don't think PWG has reached the levels they reached in 2011 yet, but it's hard to complain when you get a great show like this one. Buy it as a $9.99 MP4 or as a $14.99 DVD.
411 Elite Award
Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]  legend

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