BG Says: PWG Zombies Shouldn’t Run

August 6, 2005 – Los Angeles, California

Disco Machine and Excalibur tackle commentary, and as usual be sure to switch the audio channel over to hear them.

Hardkore Kidd and El Jefe kick off the show with some promo time. Kidd is returning from his brief WWE stint, in which he was only on TV until December of 2004 and then spent the rest of the time until now recovering from surgery. He was released during his convalescence. Kidd kind of misses the message behind the title of the show saying that if a zombie was chasing you you’d run. It’s the zombies that shouldn’t run. He says nobody in the locker room wants to take him on. TJ Perkins runs out and attacks Kidd from the top rope.

VS.
TJ Perkins VS. Hardkore Kidd
Perkins continues his offense with a hurricanrana and a dropkick. He baits Kidd to charge him and Kidd falls to the floor. Perkins’s nose is already busted open badly as he hits a suicide dive onto Kidd. Back in the ring Perkins comes off the top rope with a hurricanrana. He climbs again but Kidd brings him down with a gutbuster. He hits a bodyslam and a double legdrop to the gut for 2. He hits a headbutt off the second rope to the groin but Perkins comes back with a Tree of Woe dropkick. Kidd blocks a bodyslam and clubs Perkins down. He ties Perkins up and hits a side slam for 2. Perkins bails and pulls Kidd down from the floor. He comes back in with a senton and then hits a forward flipping senton for 2. He puts on an inverted cloverleaf but Jefe slugs him from the floor. Kidd puts on the 3-in-1 and then releases to pin Perkins for 2. He hits a backbreaker and hits an elbow to the gut. Perkins baits Kidd to the floor and follows him out with a baseball slide. Kidd comes back with an alleyoop onto the apron. Jefe gets a few shots in and Kidd rolls Perkins back into the ring where he gets 2. He hits an elbow to the top of the head but Perkins slaps him across the face. Kidd slaps him back, taking him off his feet. Perkins dodges a blind charge and hits a springboard swinging DDT for 2. Kidd comes back with a powerbomb for 2. He goes for another headbutt to the groin but Perkins gets his boots up and then hits a 450 splash for 2. Perkins climbs again and hits another for the win at 10:38. Pretty dull for an opening match.
Rating: *¾

VS.
Rocky “George A.” Romero VS. Davey Richards
Romero is looking for revenge for his friend TJ Perkins here. Richards offended Perkins when he unmasked him. The ring announcer calls Romero Ricky Reyes during the announcements. They block and dodge each other’s kicks to start. They fight to the mat where Romero grabs an armbar. Richards takes control until Romero hits a snapmare. They knuckle up and Romero hits a northern lights suplex for 2. They exchange kicks and Richards hits a headbutt for 2. Romero puts on the head scissors and hits a pair of takedowns. Richards pulls at Romero’s nose and then goes to work on Romero’s healthy arm (his right shoulder is heavily taped). He kicks the left shoulder but Romero responds with a kick to the back. He hits another and puts on a half crab. He puts on the bow and arrow but Richards flips over and gets 2. Richards hits an enziguiri and a snap suplex. He hits a back elbow for 2. He puts on a chinlock and then hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. He goes back to the chinlock but releases to kick Romero. The kick is blocked and Romero returns fire. Richards connects with an elbow to the head and they trade strikes. Richards loses his nerve and Romero unloads with strikes. Romero slaps Richards to the floor and follows him out with a flying knee off the apron. Back in the ring they trade strikes and Romero hits a big boot for 2. He puts on an octopus stretch but Richards comes back with a capture suplex. He hits running forearm but Romero comes back with a jumping knee. Richards hits a clothesline and both men are down. Richards hits a snapmare for 2 and puts on a cross armbreaker. Romero gets to the ropes and gets a roll up for 2. He hits a hurricanrana for 2. Richards hits a tiger suplex for 2. Romero blocks a suplex but runs into an armbar. Romero slips out but Richards catches him with it again, this time on the injured shoulder. Romero gets to the ropes. Romero grabs a guillotine choke but Richards drives his face to the mat trying to suplex out of it. Romero gets the guillotine back on and really sinks it in for the win at 18:38. This was something of a coming out party for Richards, as he was able to show that even though he was new to the business he had a lot to offer. The match was quite good as well, with Richards having the better game plan but Romero’s experience giving him the victory.
Rating: ***¼

Excalibur and Disco Machine come to the ring with Ronin. Excalibur gets on the microphone to guarantee that Kevin Steen will become the PWG Champion tonight. Because Steen is busy Excalibur and Disco have recruited Ronin to be their teammate. Los Luchas haven’t made it to the building for their scheduled match so Excalibur calls out SoCal Val to tell the New S.B.S. who their opponents are. Val comes out and brings out the team of Gunning for Exciting Hookers.

VS.

Disco Machine, Excalibur & Ronin VS. Topgun Talwar, Hook Bomberry & Mr. Excitement
Talwar has a thong on over his singlet, but he strips it off before the match begins. He and Hook have white powder all over their faces. Ronin and Hook start. Hook takes Ronin to the mat but Ronin powers up and hits a cheap shot in the corner. Hook hits a hurricanrana and a head scissors takedown. He hits a dropkick and Ronin retreats. Disco and Talwar tag in and Talwar sneezes into his hand before asking for a knucklelock. Disco knuckles up, despite his partners telling him not to. Talwar puts on a head vice with his pectoral muscles and spits Disco out. They trade headlocks until Disco gets a roll up for 2. He beats Talwar violently until the referee calls for the break. Talwar spears Disco’s back and tags to Excitement. Excalibur tags in and they trade forearms. Excitement gets a takedown and they brawl on the mat. Excalibur gets a takedown and shoves the referee away to beat on Excitement so Talwar shoves him off. Excitement elbows Excalibur to the floor and tosses him into the wall. Things have completely broken down as Ronin and Disco beat on Talwar. Excalibur slams Excitement to the floor and Disco hits a snap suplex on Talwar for 2. Disco hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop. Ronin tags in and hits a snap suplex for 2. Excalibur tags in and hits a chinbreaker. He puts on a chinlock and tags to Disco. Disco hits a back suplex for 2. Ronin tags in and hits a back elbow. Talwar and Hook hit a dropkick/Chipotlé combo and Talwar tags out. Gunning for Exciting Hookers takes control with triple-team maneuvers. Talwar hits his clotheslines in the corner on Disco and Hook follows up with a dropkick to the face for 2. Hook hits a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Excalibur comes in and rolls Hook up for 2. He hits a German suplex for 2. Excitement hits Excalibur with a backdrop driver and the exploder into the corner for 2 when Ronin saves. Ronin hits the lift-up forearm and the DVD for 2 when Talwar saves. Talwar hits the Rydeen bomb for 2. Disco hits the Chokebreaker on Talwar for the win at 16:40. After the match Excalibur grants Ronin probationary status in the New S.B.S. because of his help in the match. The match was pretty sloppy and never exciting.
Rating: **

VS.
Joey Ryan VS. Claudio Castagnoli
I guess Ryan is trying to look like a Jedi but he looks more like a pirate. He avoids Claudio to start. Claudio grabs a headlock and then puts on a wristlock. Ryan comes back with a cravat but Claudio flips out of it and gets a crucifix pin for 2. He puts on a headlock and frustrates Ryan with his technical prowess. Ryan hits a knee to the gut but Claudio comes back with a dropkick. He asks the crowd how long he should hold Ryan in a delayed vertical suplex for and then does what they ask before hitting the suplex and getting 2. Ryan was blatantly holding himself up there. He hits a neckbreaker and slugs Claudio down. He hits another neckbreaker but Claudio catches him with a roll up for 2. Ryan hits a clothesline and a dropkick for 2. Claudio counters a swinging DDT to a lift-up European uppercut. He unloads with uppercuts and hits a back elbow. He hits a clothesline and a back bodydrop. Ryan bails so Claudio dives out after him. Ryan moves but Claudio recovers and hits a European uppercut on the floor. Back in the ring Claudio hits a European uppercut off the top for 2. Ryan blocks the Ricola Bomb and hits a German suplex. He rolls through and hits another and then hits a fisherman suplex for 2. Claudio comes back with the Burning Hammer for 2. That’s frigging ridiculous. The fans ask for another but instead Claudio climbs the ropes. Ryan crotches him (why is he standing after a Burning Hammer?) and hits the Duff Drop for 2. Claudio sandwiches Ryan with European uppercuts and Ryan bails. Claudio goes after Ryan and bumps the referee by mistake. Ryan throws powder in Claudio’s face and puts on the crossface chicken wing for the win at 14:15. Claudio was still all about looking fancy and hitting European uppercuts at this point in his career, but he dragged Ryan to a watchable match.
Rating: **½

VS.
Christopher Daniels VS. Chris Hero
It’s interesting at this point to hear Daniels refer to Davey Richards as a guy as worthy of an X-Division title shot as Hook Bomberry or Topgun Talwar. He says the X-Division Championship won’t be on the line in PWG again until someone proves that they are worthy. Hero says that WHEN he wins he wants another title shot. Daniels stalls to start by stretching so Hero mocks him. Hero hits a pair of armdrags to frustrate Daniels. They lock up and Hero puts on a wristlock but Daniels gets to the ropes. Daniels goes to the hair to get the advantage. Hero rakes the head in response. Daniels goes for an armdrag but Hero dodges is and puts on a cravat. He rolls Daniels up for 2. He gets a crucifix pin for 2. He goes back to the wristlock and hiptosses Daniels to the floor, wiping out Shane Kidder. That had to hurt, so check out Shane’s website by clicking on this link and maybe donate a little to his 2-year-old hospital bill. Hero dives us onto Daniels. Back in the ring Hero hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker but Daniels comes back with a neckbreaker. Daniels hits a clothesline to the back of the neck stays focused on that body part. He hits a back suplex for 2. He hits a dropkick for 2. He hits a back elbow for 2. Hero comes back with a sunset flip for 2. He hits a dropkick but Daniels goes to the neck to cut him off. He hits a neckbreaker for 2. He hits a vertical suplex and the Arabian press to the back and puts on a crossface. The cameraman is awful and films the submission from behind. Hero gets to the ropes. Daniels sets him up top and hits a palm strike. Hero blocks the superplex and hits a dropkick. He slugs Daniels down and hits a back elbow. He hits a clothesline and a dropkick. He hits a powerslam for 2. He hits a powerbomb for 2. His neck gives out when he goes for a suplex and Daniels hits the DVD for the win at 18:54. Hero actually had his foot on the bottom rope but Daniels moves it away before the referee can see it. That’s just bad officiating is all that is. This was very different from their previous match. That match was a completely mat-based clinic whereas this was a more traditional evil heel vs. honest babyface match. It was a very good match but not as uniquely interesting as their first encounter in PWG.
Rating: ***½

VS.
Quicksilver VS. Super Dragon
Dragon takes Quicksilver down to start and puts on an anklelock. They trade holds on the mat and Quicksilver goes for a cross armbar but Dragon keeps his arms locked. Dragon puts on the Kayak and kicks Quicksilver’s head. He kicks Quicksilver’s back and hits a shoulder tackle for 1. He puts on a headlock and hits a double stomp to the back for 2. Quicksilver comes back with a dropkick and Dragon bails. Quicksilver dives out onto him and rolls him back into the ring. He hits a clubbing blow and puts on a chinlock. He hits a dropkick for 2. He hits a bodyslam and smacks Dragon across the face. He gets a little cocky, kicking “dirt” onto Dragon’s shoulder and then gets a cocky cover for 2. He hits a pair of elbowdrops but Dragon slaps him down after a springboard attempt. He beats Quicksilver in the corner and chops his face. He follows Quicksilver to the floor and chops him against the apron. He hits a snap suplex on the floor and just shoves Quicksilver’s head into the post. Back in the ring he gets 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Quicksilver gets to the post. Excalibur critiques Super Dragon’s taunting of Quicksilver because he’s beating a dead horse. Dragon and Quicksilver trade strikes, which predictably goes badly for Quicksilver. Dragon hits a back suplex and puts on a leglock. When kicking Dragon’s head doesn’t get him out of the hold he goes to the ropes. Dragon puts on the leggy nelson but Quicksilver rolls back for 2 and then gets to the ropes. Dragon shoves Quicksilver to the floor so Dragon follows him out and gets a headlock takedown on the floor. Back in the ring he sets Quicksilver in the Tree of Woe and stands on his crotch. He hits the Knee of Woe and then puts on a figure 4 leglock. Quicksilver gets to the ropes and then hits a spinebuster into the corner. He hits the Silver Slice for 2. He hits a springboard clothesline for 2. He sets Dragon up top but Dragon headbutts him down and hits a senton bomb for 2. He hits a German suplex and a tiger suplex for 2. He climbs the ropes but Quicksilver knocks him down hard for 2. He hits a reverse AND inverted hurricanrana for 2. Dragon goes the apron so Quicksilver hits him with a sunset bomb to the floor. Rather than let Dragon get counted out he struggles to roll him back into the ring and gets 2. He sets Dragon up top and puts on the Cristo. That’s stupid and Dragon agrees so he slams Quicksilver to the mat to escape the hold. That gets 2 so Dragon hits the Barry White Driver for the win at 24:38. Dragon’s silly mood seemed out of place here, as witnessed by the fans being less and less responsive to it as the match went on. Quicksilver looked good for fighting through Dragon’s rough offense though. Had the first half of the match been more dramatic this could have been very special, but as it is it’s an exceptional midcard match.
Rating: ***½

SoCal Val comes out to introduce the competitors in the match for the vacant PWG Tag Team Championship. She also announces that Joey Ryan and anyone else not directly involved in the match are banned from ringside. No matter how much she bans people from ringside however there are always people interfering for Arrogance anyway. It is for that reason that she has appointed Dino Winwood as her co-commissioner and enforcer. Joey Ryan comes out and tries to beat Winwood down but Dino comes back with the F-5. Do not mess with that little fat man.

VS.
Human Tornado & El Generico VS. Scott Lost & Chris Bosh [PWG Tag Team Championship Match]
Arrogance offers Tornado and Generico a chance to forfeit the match and just give them the titles. They then attack our heroes from behind. Generico and Tornado come back with stereo dropkicks. Generico catches Lost with a series of armdrags and puts on an armbar. Tornado tags in and gets a head scissors takedown and a hurricanrana. He hits a tornado clothesline but Lost blocks a bulldog. He hits a spinning enziguiri for 2. Generico tags in but Lost pokes his eyes and tags to Bosh. Lost hits a cheap shot and counters the corner Yakuza kick with the Chris Bosh Special (uppercut to the crotch). Lost follows up with a spinning kick getting 2 for Bosh. Bosh hits a fistdrop for 2 and tags to Lost. Lost puts on a chinlock and hits a dropkick for 2. Bosh comes in illegally and bites Generico’s face. He chokes Generico with his wrist tape and Lost pulls Generico to the floor. He hits a snap suplex on the floor and Bosh flips out of the ring to hit a head scissors takedown. Bosh throws Generico into a fan and through a row of chairs. He slams Generico’s head into the wall and then tags to Lost. Generico dodges the Superman Spear and Lost his the post. Tornado tags in and hits a dropkick on Bosh. He hits the Shoryuken on Lost but Lost comes back with a low blow. Tornado no sells it and hits the Pimp Slap on Bosh and the Pounce on Lost. Bosh hits a backbreaker on Tornado but Generico dumps him to the floor. He hangs Lost over the second rope and hits a Lionsault before following Bosh to the floor with a double jump moonsault. Tornado gets some major hang time with a dive onto Arrogance. Back in the ring Tornado hits a backbreaker on Bosh for 2. Bosh counters a springboard dropkick to a backbreaker and tags to Lost. Lost opens up a parasol and uses it to hit a flying elbow on Tornado for 2. Generico dumps Bosh to the floor but Lost hits him with a dropkick. He puts Generico on Tornado and puts the Scorpion Deathlock on both of them at the same time. Tornado and Generico power out and Lost bumps into Bosh. Tornado hits Lost with a Cactus clothesline just before Bosh drops Generico’s neck on the top rope. Bosh climbs the ropes but Generico blocks a sunset bomb and hits a dropkick. He hits the corner Yakuza kick but Lost nails him with a northern lights suplex onto Bosh’s knee. Tornado hits an implant DDT on Lost for 2. Generico flips Bosh all around before hitting a powerbomb and Tornado hits the Regalplex on Lost. Generico follows up with a brainbuster on Lost for the win at the titles at 16:53. Fun match all around.
Rating: ***½

VS.
AJ Styles © VS. Kevin Steen [PWG Championship Match]
It’s good to see that Steen dropped the bush league look and isn’t wearing the T-shirt anymore. Steen attacks Styles from behind before the bell. He hits a European uppercut and beats Styles down in the corner. He hits a short-arm clothesline and a forearm. Styles hits a back elbow and follows Steen to the floor with a forearm off the apron. He kicks Steen’s back and punts his chest. Back in the ring he hits a backbreaker and a dropkick for 2. He puts on a chinlock and floats into a headlock. He snaps on an Indian deathlock but Steen comes back with a second rope guillotine choke. He hits a neckbreaker on that very same rope for 2. He hits an elbowdrop for 2. He puts on a chinlock and chokes Styles on the middle rope. He hits a pair of neckbreakers for 2. He boots Styles’s face but Styles catches him with a hurricanrana. Steen drops his face onto the turnbuckle and hits a back suplex for 2. He hits a drop toehold and the somersault legdrop for 2. Styles returns fire with an enziguiri but Steen keeps him from regaining control with a choke. Styles dodges a blind charge and hits the reverse DDT. Steen goes to the floor where he drops Styles head-first onto the apron. He climbs the ropes but Styles rolls into the ring and hits a hammerlock backdrop driver. He hits a pumphandle backbreaker for 2. Styles dodges the package piledriver but Steen hits the Go Home Driver for 2. Styles hits a neckbreaker for 2. Steen blocks the Spiral Tap by pulling the referee on top of himself and then hits a low blow on Styles. Styles comes back with a roll up for 2. Steen hits a gutbuster and a moonsault for 2. He climbs the ropes again but Styles cuts him off with an enziguiri. Styles goes for the Styles Clash but Steen grabs the ropes and pins Styles for the win and the title at 19:00. Styles’s no-selling got annoying about half way through and I’m really glad they took the belt off him and put it on a man in the hottest angle in the company. This was about on par with the rest of Styles’s matches as champion.
Rating: ***

Highlighting the “PROMOS” button on the main menu will reveal the following backstage shenanigans
Davey Richards tries to cut his first PWG promo as Bosh and Lost pee on a tree in the background. Richards screws up his promo and gets upset and storms off. Bosh and Lost take over and cut a hilariously casual promo promising to beat Two Skinny Black Guys for the tag titles. They invite Richards back and tell him to try again. Richards tries and fails again and again and calls Arrogance out for the pee on their pants. Eventually Richards cuts his promo on Romero and gets props from Bosh for its simplistic nature. Lost cuts the promo he wishes Richards would have cut, and it has a lot more personality… and cursing.

Claudio Castagnoli throws some leaves around to show that he has more wizardness than Joey Ryan. His English was worse here than it is now, if you can believe it.

On the other side of the building Joey Ryan calls himself more than a technical wizard, he’s a technical god. He looked really nervous cutting that promo.

The 411:  None of the matches are amazing and no storylines advance aside from the title changes, so it’s not a must-buy. However there were three ***½ matches, all in different styles. That bodes very well for this show. There were also new tag champs and a new PWG champ crowned, which also makes this show important. More a show for fans of PWG, not so much for casual fans.
Final Score:  7.0   [ Good ]