Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Battle of Los Angeles Night 1 2012

September 1, 2012
Reseda, CA

Commentators: Excalibur, Davey Richards, Joey Ryan, Roderick Strong, & Kevin Steen

Joey Ryan starts the show with a promo. He makes a slightly racist joke about Willie Mack and Tyler Perry. Whatever. What happened to Joey Ryan and Scorpio Sky’s tag team? That was fun.

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Joey Ryan vs. TJ Perkins
I believe I saw their match in NWA Hollywood, which main evented an early episode of television. I think it was good. I don’t really remember though.

Joey didn’t want to lock up, so TJP started the match with his hands behind his back to make them slightly more equal. That didn’t last long. “This is TJ Perkins’s second Battle of Los Angeles, but it would have been his fourth if he made the other two that he was booked for,” Excalibur. Joey Ryan and Legion Larry got into a scuffle on the outside. Back in the ring, Ryan cut off TJP and worked him over for a while. TJP eventually pantsed Ryan, revealing the latter’s thong. Ryan came back with a spear. TJP came back with a neckbreaker. TJP hit the Nifty Powerbomb: 1…2…NO! Ryan came back with an exploder. Ryan hit a spinebuster for a nearfall. TJP came back with a springboard dropkick and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Ryan speared TJP to the floor. Back in the ring, Ryan hit a superkick, but TJP came back with a superkick and the detonation kick: 1…2…3!

This was another fine Joey Ryan singles match. Ryan doesn’t interest me as a singles guy, so I’m at least glad that TJP won the match. I don’t know if Joey Ryan is going to be allowed to film many more (if any) PWG DVDs, but if this is how he’s going to be used, I can’t say I will cry at the loss. If nothing else, it would open up the opportunity for someone way more fresh.
Match Rating: **1/2

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Roderick Strong vs. Drake Younger
I’m the one asshole who didn’t like Younger’s PWG debut match at Threemendous III, but I expect this one to be better.

Roddy jumped Drake at the bell, but Drake fought back and hit a somersault plancha off the top rope. It looked like Roddy barely caught him, but there wasn’t a great camera angle for it. Back in the ring, Drake was in control. Roddy cut him off with a couple of kicks. Roddy worked him over after that. Roddy hit a Drunk Slam for a nearfall. Drake eventually caught Roddy with a spinebuster for a nearfall. Younger hit the Falcon Arrow (He’s done the deal!): 1…2…NO! Roddy avoided a Drake’s Landing. Younger then hit a brainbuster: 1…2…NO! Roddy came back with an urinagi backbreaker for a nearfall. Roddy hit an Ace Crusher out of an Outsider’s Edge position: 1…2…NO! Strong Hold! Younger escaped and hit a half-nelson suplex, followed by a DVD. Another half-nelson suplex: 1…2…RODDY GOT HIS HAND ON THE ROPES! They ended up on the apron, and Roddy gave Drake a backbreaker on the turnbuckle! AHHH! That was nasty. That got a nearfall. Roddy hit a discus elbow, a gutbuster, and the Gibson Driver: 1…2…3!

This was so much better than Drake’s debut in PWG. Drake took a lot of nasty stuff in this match as well, but they actually used that to tell a story, instead of just masturbating in the middle of the ring. Roddy has definitely been producing good stuff in PWG this year, and it’s not getting as much attention as the work probably deserves.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Eddie “Eddie Edwards” Edwards
O’Reilly got a mixed reaction, as the whole Team Ambition fiasco had recently happened.

Not much of note happened early on. They traded strikes and submission attempts. Eddie eventually got control after an enzuigiri, and he worked O’Reilly over for a while. O’Reilly came back with some kicks and a saito suplex for a nearfall. O’Reilly hit a big Dragon Suplex and a bridging Regalplex: 1…2…NO! They traded some big strikes. Eddie nailed him with a kneeling superkick, Eddie hit a German. O’Reilly came back with a Brogue Kick, but Eddie then took him down with a lariat. “That referee looks like Butthead,” Davey Richards giving his two cents on the situation. O’Reilly hit a DDT and then transitioned into a guillotine. Eddie reversed it into the head stomp/single leg crab. O’Reilly went limp and the ref called for the bell.

This was a good midcard match. They didn’t seem to go out there to steal the show, but I enjoyed the match for what it was. The match seemed to be structured so that O’Reilly would be the tecnico, which made the “Eddie!” chants a little awkward as O’Reilly started his comeback. That dynamic may have contributed to the “midcard” feeling that this match had.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
B-Boy vs. Brian Cage
This matchup doesn’t excite me, but both men have been very over with the PWG crowd lately.

Cage hit his hip toss backbreaker. B-Boy went for a slingshot move, but Cage caught him with a bridging Northern Lights suplex for a nearfall. B-Boy came back with his dropkick in the corner. B-Boy was in control of the match after that. B-Boy got a nearfall with a gourd buster. Cage came back with a backbreaker/neckbreaker combo. Cage then hit the Fucking Machine Suplex: 1…2…NO! Cage hit a crucifix driver for a nearfall. B-Boy got a triangle choke. Cage reversed it into a weak Rampage Powerbomb. B-Boy locked the triangle choke back in, but Cage reversed that into a fucking awesome Rampage Powerbomb Backbreaker: 1…2…NO! B-Boy came back with an Ace Crusher and a swinging DDT: 1…2…NO! Cage came back with a release German suplex. Cage went for his double jump Lionsault, but B-Boy avoided it. B-Boy then hit the arm-trap Dragon suplex, followed by the Shining Wizard: 1…2…NO! Good nearfall. They traded a bunch of forearms. B-Boy then hit an eye poke/small package combo: 1…2…NO! Cage avoided another Shining Wizard and hit Weapon X: 1…2…3!

I had very low expectations for this match, but that may have caused me to enjoy it more. People have enjoyed B-Boy’s comeback matches a lot more than I have, so I can’t be too hard on PWG for using him as often as they have.
Match Rating: **3/4

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Kevin Steen vs. Ricochet
Steen was the PWG World Champ at the time of this match. I don’t know what he gets for winning BOLA. I assume it’s a match of his choosing.

Steen makes fun of Ricochet for being from Kentucky. Ricochet made his pecs bounce around. Ricochet spat in Steen’s face, and Steen then broke him with a powerbomb. That was sickening. Possibly the greatest powerbomb ever. Ricochet avoided the apron powerbomb, and he then hit a no-hands corkscrew plancha. “Is this real life, Joey Ryan,” Excalibur expressing my inner monologue. Steen avoided a middle rope corkscrew plancha, and he then squashed Ricochet with a Hero senton. Steen proceeded to destroy Ricochet. Ricochet eventually came back with a springboard Meteora. Ricochet then hit an Ace Crusher and a standing shooting star press. Steen came back with a sleeper suplex: 1…2…NO! RICOCHET CAME BACK WITH THE BACKSLIDE DRIVER: 1…2…NO! WTF! Steen came back with a Liger Bomb: 1…2…NO! Ricochet hit his rolling Pele Kick, followed by his Trouble in Paradise. Ricochet went for the 630, but Steen avoided it. Ricochet avoided a package piledriver and hit a Dragon suplex. Brian Cage came out, but Steen gave him a package piledriver. Ricochet hit a reverse hurricanrana, and he then followed it up with a Phoenix Splash: 1…2…3!!!

This was fantastic. The dynamic between these two was perfect, and I honestly think they could have an even better match down the line (and I would love to see a rematch). This match stole the show (and it ended up being my favorite match of the whole tournament).
Match Rating: ****

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Willie Mack vs. Sami Callihan
This is a first-time matchup.

Mack sent Sami to the floor and hit a tope con hello. Sami came back with an exploder on the floor. Sami tried for the countout win. Mack made it back in the ring, but Sami proceeded to work him over. Sami hit the DVD and the BOING Splash: 1…2…NO! Mack came back with a super exploder suplex. Mack hit the Samoan Drop/Standing Moonsault combo: 1…2…NO! Mack hit a pop-up forearm for another nearfall. Mack hit a lungblower, but Sami got his leg on the ropes. Mack went for a moonsault, but Sami superkicked Mack’s leg out. Sami went after that leg, but Mack came back with a DVD. Sami hit a saito suplex. Sami hit a big lariat for a nearfall. Sami hit two more lariats: 1…2…3!

This was a good match. Both men are very over with the Reseda crowd, and they played to their strengths. I know a lot of people were excited for this match, but this match easily could have been a mess. I’m glad that fear was not realized. Sami winning was the right decision, as his PWG career had started with three jobs before this match.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
El Generico vs. Adam Cole
This is Cole’s first singles match in PWG.

Generico attacked Generico from behind. Cole is in all out RUDO mode here, as he told Generico to “Suck my dick!” Generico baited him to the floor. Generico went for a tope suicida, but Cole caught him with a gamengiri. Cole worked him over after that. Cole actually went after his mask, but that just angered Generico who made a comeback. Generico hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Generico then hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Cole blocked Generico’s run up the turnbuckle DDT and reversed it into a German suplex! “I’m hard,” Kevin Steen. Cole pinned him: 1…2…NO! “I’m flaccid,” Kevin Steen. Cole hit a superkick and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Generico blocked the Panama’s Sunrise and hit a Yakuza Kick and half-nelson suplex. Generico went for a brainbuster, but Cole reversed it into a small package: 1…2…3!!!

This match was short, but it was awesome. Adam Cole just became the breakout star of the tournament with this performance. As much as I want Future Shock to be used as a team in PWG, the promotion would be insane if they didn’t use Cole as a singles main eventer from here on out.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match
Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin
Davey had some heat with the crowd because of the Team Ambition incident. This match is obviously a rematch from their MOTYC in ROH that happened during Wrestlemania weekend.

Elgin overpowered Davey early. Elgin held Davey up for a delayed vertical suplex for a 60 count. Impressive. That is definitely some Freaky Roderick Strength. Davey came back with a soccer punt off the apron and a tope suicida. They went back in the ring, and Davey was in control. Davey went for the handspring kick, but Elgin caught him and hit a torture rack backbreaker. Elgin gave him a German into a turnbuckle. They traded a bunch of strikes. Davey hit a double stomp. Davey hit a dragon screw legwhip and a missile dropkick. Davey got an ankle lock on the injured leg of Elgin. They traded a bunch more strikes. The crowd was pretty hot by now. They ended up on the apron. Davey gave him an exploder on the apron. Davey then hit the Ghetto Stomp: 1…2…NO! Davey delivered his sequences of kicks, but Elgin survived. Davey got the ankle lock again. Elgin escaped and hit a high angle Scorpion Deathdrop: 1…2…NO! Elgin went for his corkscrew senton, but Davey avoided it and made a comeback. They ended up on the top rope, and Elgin hit a Super Air Raid Crash: 1…2…NO! Elgin then hit his Corkscrew Senton: 1…2…NO!!! Elgin went for the Gamengiri, but Davey caught it and got an ankle lock. Elgin escaped and hit a big knee strike. BACKFIST! BUCKLE BOMB! Elgin then hit the spinning, sit-out powerbomb: 1…2…3!

The biggest compliment I can give this match is that I had no interest in it going into the match, but I was definitely greatly entertained by it. I wasn’t interested as I didn’t think they could top their ROH match, and I didn’t really see any story they could tell in this situation. Basically, this match was always going to feel like a “sequel” instead of being a continuation of a story. Even though that is pretty much what happened, they still managed to put on a very entertaining match. I preferred Steen/Ricochet though.
Match Rating: ****

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The 411: This was a pretty great DVD. There were only two matches that didn’t really deliver (Ryan/TJP and Cage/B-Boy), but I didn’t expect anything from those matches anyway. Steen/Ricochet and Davey/Elgin were both pretty great, and the other four matches were really enjoyable as well. Unlike Threemendous or Death to All But Metal, there isn’t any one match that makes this show worth buying on its own, but the overall quality is so high that this DVD is a “Must Buy” and an excellent start to the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles. Go to the PWG website tobuy this show. Check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I've done at 411mania.

Final Score:  8.5   [ Very Good ]