BG Says: PWG European Vacation – Germany

February 18, 2006 – Essen, Germany

I don’t really know where to begin with this review. While it’s great that PWG not only branched out of California but actually left the United States by debuting in Germany here, the presentation is absolutely horrendous. I don’t know who they co-promoted the show with (though my guess is wXw) but everything is a mess. The ring is tiny, the hard camera sits above one of the turnbuckles in an awful position and the mat looks like it’s a stretched out garbage bag. Not to mention the fact that the fans are actually at ringside, banging on the apron where in ROH you’d see them banging on the barricade. The entire visual is very distracting.

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

Commissioner Winwood starts the show in the ring as usual. He ridicules Samoa Joe for missing the show and makes up for his absence by doing his island dance. He thanks everyone for coming out and that’s all she wrote.

VS.

Topgun Talwar, Tommy End & Tengkwa VS. Ronin, Disco Machine & Excalibur
Disco and End start. They play to the crowd and then go into a hold exchange. They trade armdrags and tag out to Ronin and Tengkwa. Ronin and Tengkwa go through a lucha exchange. Tengkwa puts on an octopus stretch and gets a roll up for 2. Ronin regains control with a forearm. Tengkwa hits a dropkick and tags to Talwar. Excalibur tags in only to have Talwar bite his fist. Talwar pulls down his straps and trips Excalibur. He puts on a sleeper hold but Excalibur counters to a roll up for 2. Excalibur pulls off Talwar’s singlet, revealing a skin colored singlet complete with faux pubic hair. End, Tengkwa and Talwar triple-team Excalibur. Excalibur throws Tengkwa across the ring. Disco tags in and hits a snap suplex for 2. Ronin tags in and hits a running forearm for 2. Disco tags in and hits a back suplex for 2. Ronin tags in but Tengkwa hits him with a top rope dropkick. End and Talwar come in and take control with the help of Tits McGee. Talwar clotheslines Disco and Excalibur in the corner. Excalibur hits End with a German suplex. Talwar hits Excalibur with a DDT for 2. Disco hits the Chokebreaker on Talwar for 2 when End makes the save. Ronin hits a lariat on End for 2. Tengkwa and Ronin trade forearms until Tengkwa hits a facebuster and a standing moonsault for 2. End dives onto Excalibur on the floor and Tengkwa follows suit. In the ring Talwar hits Ronin with the Chipotlé for the win at 15:17. This was a fun enough opener with no botched spots, but the insanely close crowd kept them from being able to hit more than a couple highspots to the floor. It was good to see the New S.B.S. together again.
Rating: **¾

VS.
Baron Von Hagen VS. Ricky Reyes
Reyes gets a takedown and dominates Hagen on the mat. He puts on a headlock and tackles Hagen down. He unleashes the leg kicks and puts on a grapevined leglock. Hagen gets to the ropes. Reyes stays on the leg and kicks Hagen’s back and chest for 2. Hagen catches a kick and hits an exploder suplex. He dumps Reyes to the floor and chops him. He sits Reyes on a stool and teases the Olé Kick, only to simply roll Reyes into the ring. Reyes dropkicks Hagen’s knee and puts on the STF. Hagen gets to the ropes. Hagen hits a back elbow and whips Reyes hard into the corner. He hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. He hits a backbreaker and an elbowdrop for 2. He hits a bodyslam for 2. Reyes comes back with kicks and a side suplex for 2. He puts on a leglock but Hagen gets to the ropes. Reyes puts on an anklelock but Hagen gets to the ropes. Reyes foreams him down in the corner but Hagen comes back with a lariat out of nowhere for the win at 9:51. This was actually rather exciting when Reyes was in control but Hagen slowed things down so much so that nobody could be entertained. Luckily the match was bookended with Reyes dominance.
Rating: **

VS. VS. VS.
Scott Lost VS. Frankie Kazarian VS. Jody Fleisch VS. Steve Allison [Elimination Match]
Fleisch and Allison start. They trade holds at a very quick pace. The timing of one exchange is a little off and sees Fleisch standing around while Allison takes his time kipping up. Kazarian and Lost tag in and go for crossbodies at the same time. Kazarian puts on a headlock but Lost comes back with an armbar. A wristlock spot involving everyone breaks out with Lost eventually coming out on top. Everyone armdrags everyone else and then everyone misses offensive moves in an incredibly contrived sequence. Allison hits Lost with a back suplex. Kazarian tags in and runs into a slam from Allison. Fleisch tags in and runs into an armbar. Lost puts Fleisch in the Sharpshooter so Kazarian puts him in the dragon sleeper. Lost pokes Kazarian’s eyes and releases the Sharpshooter. Fleisch gets to the ropes to escape Allison’s armbar. He hits Allison with an enziguiri and a dropkick. He screws up the Phoenix DDT but gets a roll up to eliminate Allison at 5:57. Kazarian hits the momentum kick on Fleisch for 2. He hits a Manhattan drop and a neckbreaker for 2. Lost tags in and hits an Ace Crusher while Kazarian hits him with a powerbomb. That looked absolutely terrible. Fleisch pulls Kazarian off the middle rope with a hurricanrana for 2. He screws up the Phoenix DDT again and Kazarian hits him with the Wave of the Future to eliminate him at 11:11. Kazarian blocks the Superman Spear and hits a superkick on Lost for 2. Lost hits a double knee gutbuster for 2. Kazarian comes back with a spinning kick for 2. He hits a reverse tombstone piledriver for 2 when Lost gets his foot on the bottom rope. Lost is dead weight so the referee makes Kazarian back off. I’ve always hated that in wrestling; if Kazarian has to back off then Lost should be declared the loser by count out. Instead Lost shows he’s playing possum but getting a roll up for 2. He blocks the Wave of the Future and puts on the Sharpshooter for the win at 15:20. I don’t know if Fleisch called every spot in this match but it was certainly reckless and unnatural enough to make me think so.
Rating: *½

VS.
Stevie Douglas VS. Scorpio Sky
Douglas is rather hated by the German fans. They lock up and fight to the mat. Sky puts on a stranglehold and then works the arm. He slaps Douglas across the face and knuckles up with him. He powers Douglas to the mat but Douglas comes back with a sunset flip for 2. They trade roll ups for 2. Douglas puts on a headlock but Sky comes back with a dropkick. He pie faces Douglas into the corner. Douglas’s valet trips Sky and Douglas kicks his face. Douglas hits a snap suplex for 2. He hits a forearm for 2. Sky gets a roll up for 2. Douglas hits a neckbreaker for 2. His valet chokes him in the ropes and Douglas washes his face. He hits the Curb Stomp for 2, prompting the crowd to chant for Super Dragon. I guess Douglas and Dragon had previously feuded in Germany. Sky hits a DDT and a clothesline. He hits a back elbow and a leg lariat for 2. He hits an ugly hurricanrana for 2. Douglas hits a butterfly facebuster for 2. Sky hits a backbreaker for 2. He climbs the ropes and hits a missile dropkick to the back. Douglas falls to the floor so Sky dives out onto him. Back in the ring Sky hits the frog splash for 2. He hits a running forearm but Douglas comes back with a German suplex for 2. Douglas hits a half nelson suplex for 2. Sky gets a victory roll for 2 and hits a second rope hurricanrana for the win at 13:54. This was a decent back-and-forth match. Douglas wasn’t all that impressive but Sky held it together well.
Rating: **½

VS.
AJ Styles VS. Jonny Storm
Storm puts Styles on the mat with a headlock to start. They trade armdrags until Storm goes back to the headlock. Styles hits a dropkick and Storm bails. Styles fakes a dive but you wouldn’t know it because that side of the ring is too dark. The spotlight moves in time to see Styles slingshot out onto Storm and roll him back into the ring for 2. Styles hits his back and forth backbreaker but it looks awful because Storm is dead weight for him. He hits a hurricanrana and a snap suplex. He jaws with the anti-TNA fans, proving what we already knew, turning himself heel because his real-life douchiness can’t help but come through. Storm dumps Styles and dives out onto him, getting 2 back in the ring. He hits a hurricanrana and a running forearm. He hits a facebuster and an enziguiri that Styles helpfully makes look totally fake by selling it before Storm actually hits it. Storm puts on a seated abdominal stretch and hits the Rewind Hurricanrana for 2. They trade roll ups and Styles hits the Pelé Kick. He hits a back suplex and a pumphandle gutbuster for 2. Storm hits a DDT for 2. He hits a Japanese armdrag off the second rope for 2. They block each other’s finishers and Styles hits a kick to the face. He hits a brainbuster for 2. He climbs the ropes but Storm cuts him off and they botch whatever they were going for. Styles accidentally gets stuck in the ropes, stopping the match for a minute. Storm hits a reverse hurricanrana off the bottom rope for 2. Styles flips Storm around and hits the Styles Clash for the win at 13:48. They almost got their act together down the stretch but most of the match was torture. At least the Jonny Storm chant is cool. The idiot fans applaud Storm for the match and then cheer for Styles at Storm’s request, ignoring the fact that he completely shit on them.
Rating: *¾

VS.
Kevin Steen VS. Chris Bosh [Number One Contender Match]
A few people in the crowd call Steen a virgin, so he has to remind them that he lost his virginity a few months ago. He now reveals that his deflowering occurred at the hands of an ugly prostitute. Bosh starts to talk but Steen attacks him. Steen chops him hard and poses for a picture. Bosh hits an armdrag and a hurricanrana. He hits a kneelift and Steen bails. Bosh climbs the ropes and dives out onto Steen. Back in the ring Bosh puts on the titty twister. Steen returns the favor so Bosh bits his face. Steen bites Bosh’s nipple. Steen climbs the ropes but Bosh slams him to the mat. Steen goes to the eyes and does the Flair strut. He shakes a fan’s hand and wipes it on his shirt. Bosh bites Steen’s… um, crotch? Steen comes back with a back suplex and the somersault legdrop for 2. They choke each other until the referee calls for the break. Steen hits a senton for 2. He bites Bosh’s nipple again. He hits a clothesline and the cannonball in the corner. He pokes Bosh’s eyes and stands on his throat. He puts the Gory Special and hits a facebuster for 2. Bosh hits the stunner and the Chris Bosh Special. He hits a backdrop driver for 2. Steen slaps him across the face and hits the pumphandle neckbreaker for 2. He climbs the ropes but the Swanton Bomb hits knees. Bosh hits a backbreaker for 2. Steen rolls to the apron so Bosh hits him with a DDT there. Bosh goes for a crossbody off the apron but Steen catches him and hits a fall away slam into a load bearing post. That gets 2 back in the ring. Steen sets Bosh up top but Bosh catches him with a sunset bomb and a neckbreaker for 2. Steen hits a gutbuster and climbs the ropes. He hits the 450 splash for 2. They block each other’s finishers once and Steen hits the package piledriver for the win at 16:07. This wasn’t as good as their first encounter but was definitely the best match of this show so far.
Rating: ***¼

VS.
Joey Ryan © VS. Emil Sitoci [PWG Championship Match]
Ryan draws heel heat by referencing Hitler before the match. Sitoci grabs a headlock to start. He hits an armdrag and Ryan backs off. Ryan puts on a wristlock but Sitoci escapes with another armdrag. He puts on a front facelock but Ryan escapes. Sitoci hits a series of armdrags and Ryan bails. Sitoci slingshots Ryan back in and hits a gutbuster. He hits a double stomp but Ryan comes back with an armbreaker. He hits a hammerlock bodyslam and keeps the hold on. Sitoci botches a second rope back elbow, allowing Ryan to drop a leg on his arm. Ryan hits a hammerlock northern lights suplex but Sitoci comes back with a leglock. Ryan gets to the ropes. Sitoci hits a moonsault press. He hits a hurricanrana and then hiptosses Ryan to the floor. He dives out onto Ryan and rolls him back into the ring. He hits a Russian legsweep and a split legged moonsault for 2. Ryan hits a superkick for 2. He goes for a cross armbreaker but Sitoci gets to the ropes. Sitoci hits a powerbomb for 2. Ryan goes to the eyes and sets Sitoci up top. Sitoci fights him off and hits a stunner. He hits a Yakuza kick for 2. Ryan hits a low blow but Sitoci returns the favor and hits a snapmare driver for the win and the title at 13:46. Another referee comes out and says that because of the low blows that preceded the finish the match must continue. Ryan attacks Sitoci from behind and then whips him into the referee. Another referee comes in, misses a low blow but sees Ryan roll Sitoci up for the win to retain at 14:04. This was your typical Joey Ryan match, complete with an unsatisfying finish.
Rating: **¼

VS.
Super Dragon & Davey Richards © VS. El Generico & Quicksilver [PWG Tag Team Championship Match]
Richards and Quicksilver start by trading leg kicks. Richards puts Quicksilver on the mat and slaps him. He kicks Quicksilver’s arm so Quicksilver returns the favor. They trade strikes and Richards hits an overhead suplex. Dragon tags in and chops Quicksilver in the corner. Quicksilver dodges the Curb Stomp and tags to Generico. Generico hits a dropkick and an armdrag. Dragon hits a backbreaker and tags to Richards. Richards hits a back elbow and a snap suplex. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Generico gets to the ropes. Richards hits a bodyslam and puts on a Boston crab. Generico gets to the ropes. Dragon tags in and chops Generico down for 2. He puts on the leggy nelson and Richards kicks Generico’s face. Dragon hits a neck wrench suplex and tags to Richards. Generico hits a leg lariat and tags to Quicksilver. Dragon tags in and runs into a forearm. Quicksilver hits a leg lariat and a back elbow. He hits a hurricanrana for 2. Richards comes in and kicks Quicksilver down. Quicksilver comes back with the Cristo. Dragon breaks that up with the double stomp off the top. That’s a nice take off of an earlier Quicksilver tag challenge. Richards hangs Quicksilver in the Tree of Woe and hits a baseball slide while Dragon stands on Quicksilver’s crotch. Richards tags in and hits a backbreaker. He hangs Quicksilver on the top rope and Dragon comes off the top with a double stomp to the back. Dragon goes back to the MNS but Quicksilver gets to the ropes. Dragon hits the Curb Stomp for 2. Richards tags in and hits a boot to the face. He puts on a cross armbreaker but Generico breaks it up. Dragon tags in and goes to the eyes. Quicksilver hits a spinebuster and tags to Generico. Richards tags in and runs into multiple clotheslines. Generico hits a back bodydrop. Dragon blocks the Yakuza kick with an eye poke. Generico sends Dragon into the post and dives out to the floor after him. Quicksilver keeps Richards from diving out by hitting him with a springboard clothesline. That gets 2 for Generico. Generico and Quicksilver hit a guillotine split legged moonsault for 2. Generico hits Richards with the swinging DDT for 2. Richards hits a straight jacket backbreaker and Dragon hits a top rope senton for 2. Dragon hits a turnbuckle powerbomb and puts on the STF. Generico gets to the ropes. He blocks the Psycho Driver and hits the Half & Half suplex. Quicksilver tags in and runs into a German suplex. Richards tags in and hits a tiger suplex for 2. He climbs the ropes but Quicksilver knocks him down. Quicksilver goes for a sunset bomb but Richards blocks it. Dragon hits Generico with a lariat and Richards hits Quicksilver with a moonsault press. Dragon and Richards hit the assisted lungblower for 2. Richards hits Generico with an enziguiri. He hits a running forearm and a lariat for 2. He climbs again but Generico cuts him off. Dragon tries to save but Quicksilver pulls him away and hits an enziguiri. Generico launches Quicksilver into a dropkick on Richards and then hits Dragon with the Yakuza kick. Quicksilver hits Dragon with a reverse head scissors takedown for 2. Richards hits Quicksilver with a hanging DDT on the floor. Generico goes for the BRAINBUSTAH on Dragon but Dragon counters it to a super tiger driver for the win at 25:28. This was a great match. Both teams let it all hang out, probably to make up for the crap show that preceded this match. I’d love to see a rematch in a ring that doesn’t have incredibly wobbly ropes. After the match Richards cuts a sappy promo that seems totally out of character. He and Dragon then raise the challengers’ hands. I hate when indy companies go abroad and the wrestlers break character.
Rating: ***¾

Highlighting the PROMOS button on the main menu will reveal the following backstage shenanigans
Topgun Talwar shows off a Germany inspired erection. He claims that Hitler has returned to Germany and that he’s found him. In another promo Joey Ryan says something German in a gravely voice. Kind of a let down this time around.

The 411:  This is definitely a show for PWG fans only. Aside from the main event nothing felt like anything more than filler, and the production really made this look like a show that was filmed by a fan. I can really only recommend this for obsessive PWG fans and big Generico or Quicksilver fans. Everyone else can take a pass. Make sure to check out The Cool Kids' Table as well as my archive.
Final Score:  4.5   [ Poor ]