Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Failure to Communicate 2012

Reseda, California
October 27, 2012

Commentators: Excalibur, Kevin Steen, Eddie “Eddie Edwards” Edwards, Sami Callihan, & Rick Knox

Joey Ryan vs. Ryan Taylor
Excalibur and Kevin Steen were burying the last season in the Office to start the show. Excalibur made a joke about TNA barring Joey Ryan from PWG commentary. Wait, I cannot tell if Excalibur was joking. Anyhoo, stuff happened, and Joey eventually got the advantage. Taylor came back, but Ryan hit a spear. Scissors kick from Taylor got a nearfall. Taylor got a nearfall with a Regalplex. Taylor got another nearfall with a lame buzzsaw kick. Joey hit a pair of superkicks. Joey went for a choke, but Ryan hit a wacky, flipping neckbreaker: 1…2…3.

This was a match. It was neither bad, nor good. It was a match.
Match Rating: *3/4

Michael Elgin vs. Eddie “Eddie Edwards” Edwards
Elgin is working this match and the PWG Title main event. That seems strange, but I shall not complain about getting to watch this match.

They traded lots of strikes to start the match. They went back and forth until Elgin cut him off with an Air Raid Crash. Excalibur and Kevin Steen bickering about the names of movez is great. EEEE came back with a murderous Yakuza kick and a tope suicida. They went back and forth in the ring. Enzuigiri from Elgin. Funplex by EEEE: 1…2…NO! EEEE locked in the single leg crab. Elgin escaped and hit the CHAOS THEORY: 1…2…NO! Elgin hit a backfist, but EEEE came right back with an amazing lariat, a superkick, and a Tiger Suplex: 1…2…NO! Elgin came back with a Buckle German, a backfist, a Buckle Bomb, and an Elgin Bomb: 1…2…3!

This match came out of nowhere and was one of my favorite PWG matches of 2012. They did lots of a great movez, and the fans responded perfectly to everything. I loved this.
Match Rating: ****

Famous B-Boy (Famous B & B-Boy) vs. The RockNES Monsters (Johnny Yuma & Johnny Goodtime)
This does not seem promising. The Bs were running through the Monsters early on, but they managed to cut off the Famous B with an apron move. They worked Famous B over for a bit. B-Boy managed to tag in at one point, and he made a mild comeback. It was okay. The teams went back and forth. It was aight. Famous B ate the Sex Factor and a Superfly Splash, but he kicked out. B nearly killed himself on a tope con hello. Out of nowhere, Yuma caught B-Boy with a schoolboy and a handful of tights: 1…2…3

This was not anything special. After some early amusing moments, my interest in the match gradually decreased until I just wanted it to be over.
Match Rating: **

Davey Richards vs. Sami Callihan
Sami quickly hit a tope suicida, and they then brawled on the floor. Davey hit the soccer punt from the apron. Davey was in control for a while. He locked in various submissions, but Sami survived. Davey got some heat for saying he was better than Danielson. The fans chanted “No!” Sami came back with some face wash kicks and a figure four (Davey made the ropes). Davey came back with a German and a cross armbreaker. Sami reversed it into the Stretch Muffler. Davey escaped, but Sami got a nearfall with a lariat. Davey came back with a superplex/brainbuster combo. Davey got a nearfall with a tombstone and another one with a ghetto stomp. Davey killed him with a soccer punt, but Sami stayed alive. Sami came back with a saito and a lariat. They traded lots of slaps. Sami got the Stretch Muffler, and Davey had to tap out.

Davey controlling a match, and Sami making a comeback is a dynamic that I enjoy a great deal (and I think both men are better off those roles). When you combine that dynamic and their style in a compact match (and of course, the PWG crowd, I think it’s a recipe for fun. Others may disagree, but that is why art is subjective. They worked the exact match you would expect these two to have, which means they probably did not win over any cynics. However, they got the crowd into the match, which is really all that matters.

That was a very poorly written paragraph. I give the paragraph ¼*.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Rich Swann vs. Roderick Strong
“I’m glad Eddie Edwards is with me, because he knows as much as I do about Rich Swann,” – Excalibur.

Swann was supposed to work Generico here, but the last minute Kenny Omega addition to card meant that things were reshuffled. I think Roddy was originally going to be challenging the Bucks for the tag titles with EEEE. My memory could be off though.

Swann did some Rich Swann Style stuff early on, and the crowd exploded. Naturally, Roddy got control and tossed Swann around for a bit. This went on way too long, but Swann finally came back and hit a corkscrew tope con HELLO. Roddy came right back with a knee strike and a backbreaker. Roddy hit a Drunk Slam and a gutbuster for a nearfall. Swann managed to hit a Lethal Injection for a nearfall. Swann then hit the 450 Splash: 1…2…NO! Roddy avoided a frog splash and then tossed Swann a mile into the air for an Orange Crush Backbreaker: 1…2…3

I was a tad underwhelmed by this considering the talent in the ring. I think Swann is better off as a tag team wrestler, as his comebacks and whatnot are far more interesting than the “downtime” in his matches.
Match Rating: ***

Willie Mack vs. Brian Cage
Mack and Cage have actually had a bit of a FEUD in PWG. I know. That’s almost unheard of in our favorite wrestling promotion. Both men had been gunning for the PWG World Title in 2012, but neither man was successful.

Mack had a lot of success early on, but Cage managed to cut him off with a backstabber. Cage was in control after that for a while. Cage went for Mack’s Samoan Slam/Moonsault spot, but Mack avoided. They went back and forth. Mack got a nearfall with a Saito. Mack got another nearfall with the Samoan Drop/Moonsault combo. Mack hit a spear and went for a moonsault, but Cage avoided it. Cage came back with a Fucking Machine Suplex: 1…2…NO! It was of the snap variety. Mack came back with a powerslam: 1…2…No. Mack hit the Chocolate Thunder Bomb: 1…2…NO! Cage went for a Discus Lariat, but he accidentally hit the ref. Mack then got a phantom pinfall with another Chocolate Thunder Bomb. Cage recovered and kicked him in the balls and hit the Weapon X: 1……2……3.

This was an okay match with an unnecessarily bad finish.
Match Rating: **1/2

Kenny Omega & El Generico vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)
Omega got a massive “Welcome Back!” chant, as he had not been in PWG since early 2010.

Omega and Generico hit stereo tope con hellos early on. Omega looks like he forgot all is gear except for his trunks. Back in the ring, Omega challenged Matt to an arm wrestling match. The fans LOST their minds for this. Omega had Matt close to being pinned, but Nick squished Omega with a Superfly Splash. Omega killed Nick with a Dudebuster and tagged out to Generico. Generico was cut off though, and the Bucks worked him over for a while. Generico was eventually able to tag out to Omega, who made a great comeback. The teams went back and forth. SUPERKICK PARTY. Omega fired back with Dragon suplexes. Omega went for the Golden Shower, but Omega avoided it. Generico with a double Yakuza, and Omega hit a Hadouken on Nick! Matt made the save! Omega ate the double tombstone: 1…2…NO! Ref bump. Omega avoided the More Bang for Your Buck. Generico gave Nick the Turnbuckle brainbuster! Omega then gave Matt an AVALANCHE CROYT’S WRATH! Rick Knox ran in from commentary to make the count: 1…2…3!

Omega put over the Reseda crowd after the match.

This was a great match; it had plenty of drama, comedy, and fantastic moments that will stay in my mind for a while. Kenny Omega is perfect for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, and it’s only a shame that he cannot appear in the company more. I hope he is able to make an annual appearance.
Match Rating: ***3/4

Kevin Steen© vs. Ricochet vs. Michael Elgin [PWG World Championship]
Steen did not have the physical belt, because Adam Cole stole it at BOLA.

Ricochet actually dominated early on. He lots of flips and dives. They were doing “one man out, two men” stuff early on. Thankfully, that did not last too long. They all did a bunch of stuff. Most of said stuff was quite fun. Steen had Elgin the sharpshooter, but Ricochet saved Elgin with a Meteora. Steen gave Elgin an apron bomb. HOLY SHIT. Ricochet hit Elgin with a shooting star press to the floor and then another SSP onto Steen in the ring: 1…2…NO! Reverse hurricanrana to Elgin. Steen then gave Ricochet a massive powerbomb and then package piledrove (piledrived?) Ricochet onto Elgin: 1…2…3.

This was a fun main event. I expected it go a bit longer, but I always prefer that matches leave me wanting more instead of overstaying a welcome.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I’ve done at 411mania.

Watch some free matches featuring PWG wrestlers (in non-PWG matches, sadly):
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Sami Callihan
Sami Callihan vs. Masato Yoshino
RVD vs. Sami Callihan
Kevin Steen vs. Claudio Castagnoli
El Generico vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Jigsaw vs. Nick Jackson
Davey Richards vs. Kota Ibushi
El Generico vs. Samuray Del Sol
El Generico vs. Player Uno
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) & Petey Williams vs. Jay Lethal, Paul London, & Brian Kendrick
El Generico vs. Chris Hero
The Young Bucks vs. The Kings of Wrestling
El Generico vs. Davey Richards
Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin

For more information on PWG, check out their:
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The 411: This was a really strong PWG show with lots of fun matches. However, as a show, it did not meet the near-impossibly high standard that PWG has set for itself. Some of the matches just did not need to be on the show at all, and some of the matches under-performed. Obviosusly, I recommend that you pick this show up though. It's PWG. Even their shows that are just "very good" are better than almost every other show produced in America. Go to the PWG website to buy this show.

Final Score:  7.8   [ Good ]