BG Says: PWG Use Your Illusion 4

October 23, 2004 – Los Angeles, California

Your hosts are Disco Machine & TARO, with Excalibur chiming in through AOL Instant Messenger.

VS.
UK Kid VS. Tony Stradlin
The commentators don’t talk over UK Kid’s drawn out promo, making me want to cry. Even Paul T’s interruption can’t save it from being a waste of three minutes of my life. They lock up and UK Kid gets a backslide for 1. Stradlin gets a headlock but Kid reverses to his own. Stradlin gets a quick roll up for 2. Kid bails and has a seat in the front row. He stalls so long that the commentators start talking about WarGames ’93. Back in the ring they knuckle up and Kid gets a northern lights suplex. He puts on a butterfly hold but Stradlin reverses to a wristlock. UK Kid goes for a headlock but Stradlin reverses to a hammerlock. Kid goes for a kick to the back but Stradlin dodges it and puts on an armbar. Kid grabs a headlock but gets tripped up. Stradlin gets all excited and puts the armbar back on. Good lord enough with the damn armbar! Kid dropkicks Stradlin to the floor. Back in the ring Kid hits a back elbow for 2. He puts on a seated abdominal stretch but Stradlin hiptosses out. Kid hits a big boot in the corner for 2. He puts on a sleeper hold but Stradlin fights out. Kid ducks a discus elbow but falls victim to an enziguiri. Stradlin hits a clothesline for 2. He hits a T-bone suplex for 2. He dumps Kid to the floor and follows him out. Kid blocks a blind charge and goes for a hurricanrana but Stradlin cuts it off with a powerbomb. Back in the ring Stradlin gets 2. He sets Kid on the top rope but Kid fights him off and hits a missile dropkick for 2. Stradlin gets a roll up for 2. He gets another for 2. He hits a crazy kick to the face and a roaring forearm for 2. Stradlin blocks a blind charge and goes for a sunset flip but Kid sits down and picks up the win at 12:35. Another match where Kid wrestles someone more talented than himself and ends up not looking like a total goofball because of it.
Rating: **1/2

VS.
Puma VS. Topgun Talwar
Puma kicks off the match with a legvice and they trade front facelocks. He grabs a headlock but Talwar comes back with a wristlock. Puma gets a roll up for 2. Talwar puts on a hammerlock but Puma reverses to a toehold. He puts on a front facelock but Talwar reverses to a sleeper hold. Puma hits a dropkick and a back heel kick. Talwar stalls a bit but comes in and grabs a leglock. Puma goes for a cross armbreaker but Talwar blocks and gets to the ropes. Puma hits a dropkick for 2. He puts on the cross armbreaker but Talwar takes the fight back to the ropes. He pounds on Puma in the corner and hits a clothesline. He hits a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for 2. He hits a basement shoulder block for 2. He puts on a sleeper hold and switches to a surfboard stretch. Puma blocks the Dangah Zone and hits a top rope armdrag. Talwar bails but Puma follows him out with a hurricanrana. Back in the ring Puma hits a leg lariat for 2. He hits a tombstone piledriver for 2. Talwar comes back with the Sky High for 2. He hits a reverse DDT for 2. He sets Puma on the top rope but Puma blocks the Dangah Zone and puts on the Pumalock for the win at 11:25. That’s what I’ll be calling his version of the cloverleaf. Perfectly solid match the whole way through.
Rating: **3/4

VS.
Scott Lost & Chris Bosh (c) VS. Scorpio Sky & Quicksilver [PWG Tag Team Championship Match]
Bosh, divinely inspired, dubs his tag team Arrogance in his pre-match promo. Lost approves, and it was good. Bosh wins me over during Lost’s drawn out promo on So Cal Val by being subtly hilarious. AXP got this title shot by beating S.B.S. at the last show. Lost and Quicksilver start. They lock up Quicksilver sets the tone with a hard slap. Lost gets a wristlock but Quicksilver reverses to a hammerlock. Lost reverses to a sleeper hold and gets a crucifix pin for 2. He puts on a front facelock but Quicksilver gets the hammerlock back on. Bosh tags in and gets slapped by Sky. Bosh and Quicksilver knuckle up and Quicksilver goes to work on the arm. Bosh gets a hammerlock but Quicksilver reverses to a wristlock. Sky tags in and sledges the arm. He puts on a wristlock and unloads with forearms. He hits a hurricanrana into an anklelock and makes me his new biggest fan. Lost tags in and gets armdragged. Quicksilver tags in and they sandwich Lost between kicks for 2. Quicksilver hits a vertical suplex for 2. He hits a bodyslam and tags to Sky. They hit a rolling spinebuster for 2. Bosh tags in and clotheslines Sky into a backbreaker. He puts on a headlock and hits a low blow. Lost tags in and hits a leaping vertical suplex for 2. He hits a side slam for 2. He hits a dropkick for 2. Bosh tags in and hits a knee to the nuts. He hits a fisherman’s suplex for 2. Bosh drop toeholds Sky into a gutbuster by Lost for 2. Lost puts on a legvice. Sky comes back with a roll up for 2. Lost cuts him off with a leaping clothesline. This guy leaps before everything. Sky hits the Smackdown DDT for 2. Bosh and Quicksilver tag in and Quicksilver cleans house. He whips Lost into Bosh and hits Lost with an enziguiri. Sky comes in and AXP hit stereo leg lariats. Arrogance falls to the floor so AXP follow them out with stereo planchas. Back in the ring Sky launches Lost into a Quicksilver spear … sort of. It gets 2. Bosh comes in and gets hit with a Shining Wizard from Sky. AXP hit a leapfrog legdrop for 2 when Lost saves. Sky hits Lost with a Samoan drop for 2. Bosh dumps Quicksilver to the floor and launches Sky onto him. Bosh and Lost hit suicide dives onto the AXP. Back in the ring Lost hits a northern lights suplex on Quicksilver into a backbreaker from Bosh. It gets 2. Lost dumps Sky and hits a hurricane piledriver on Quicksilver for 2. That should have been the finish. Quicksilver blocks the Superman spear and hits a facebuster. Bosh runs in with a clothesline into a backbreaker. Sky hits Bosh with a backbreaker. Lost dodges a dropkick and hits a gutbuster on Sky. Lost goes for a superkick on Sky but hits the referee. He hits another gutbuster on Sky and goes for the Sharpshooter. So Cal Val distracts him on the apron so Lost shoves her off. Babi Slymm comes from the back and Lost holds Sky for a beating. Slymm hits Lost by mistake so Bosh comes in and argues with him. Slymm hits Bosh with a spear and bails out of the ring. Sky goes for the pin fall but the referee calls for a disqualification giving Arrogance the win at 20:50. Really bad finish and lack of structure aside, this match rocked the shit for twenty minutes. Where does Slymm’s allegiance lie?
Rating: ****

VS.
Frankie Kazarian (c) VS. Ricky Reyes [PWG Championship Match]
Babi Slymm is with Kazarian, so I’m wondering where that leaves Arrogance as it relates to the First Family. I’m not really sure what Reyes has done to earn a title shot, and even the commentators note that Reyes’ associate Puma is more qualified to be in his position. They lock up and Reyes gets a headlock. Kazarian gets one of his own but Reyes gets his back on. After Reyes bails Kazarian puts him in a headlock. He keeps it on through Reyes’ attempts at escape so Reyes goes to the corner. Kazarian misses a big boot and Reyes gets an armbar. He stays with it like Kazarian stayed with the headlock until Babi Slymm distracts him. Kazarian hits a dropkick and chokes Reyes in the ropes. He hits a bodyslam and a slingshot legdrop for 2. He puts on a choke hold as Slymm and Puma argue on the floor. Reyes fights out of the choke but falls victim to a slingshot DDT. It gets 2. Reyes hits a spinebuster and an elbowdrop. He hits a backbreaker for 2. He whips Kazarian hard into the turnbuckle and puts on a Steiner Recliner. Kazarian’s back is cashed out so Reyes kicks the back of his neck. They miss a bunch of moves on each other and then clothesline each other down. They trade forearms on their knees and then more on their feet. Reyes hits a back bodydrop and a trio of rolling German suplexes for 2. Kazarian ducks a kick and hits the Flux Capacitor for 2 when the bridge falls due to his bad back. He climbs the ropes but Reyes dodges the dropkick and puts on a sharpshooter. Kazarian gets to the ropes so Reyes dropkicks him. Kazarian whips Reyes into the referee. Reyes hits a huge German suplex but the referee is out. Slymm enters the ring but Puma rushes in and splashes his drink in his face. Slymm hits the Birdman Slam on Kazarian in his blinded state and Reyes gets 2. Kazarian hits the scariest piledriver I’ve ever seen. Ever. Seriously, like ever. It gets 2. It should have gotten the win. It was that scary. I could go on. Reyes blocks the Wave of the Future and hits a northern lights suplex for 2. Kazarian comes back with the Wave of the Future for 2. He goes for another but Reyes blocks. Kazarian hits an axe kick to the back and the Wave of the Future for 2 when Reyes gets his foot on the ropes. Reyes hits a neckbreaker and a tombstone piledriver for 2. That was pretty nasty too. Kazarian comes back with the Wave of the Future out of nowhere for the win at 20:03. Reyes’ selling was pretty lousy and there were a couple awkward moments. However, Kazarian’s selling was great and this was easily the best Ricky Reyes performance I’ve seen. They really just beat the holy crap out of each other.
Rating: ***1/2

Excalibur comes out of cyberspace to join the commentary team in the studio.

VS.
Mike Quackenbush, Gran Akuma & Icarus VS. Larry Sweeney, Jigsaw & Hallowicked
This is a showcase match from Chikara Pro Wrestling. I originally tried doing play-by-play for this match, but it’s so fast paced and in a style I’m so unfamiliar with that I quickly realized there was no way I could succeed. This was like an ROH scramble match but better choreographed and performed. Excalibur calls the spots in which everyone gets involved “some circus shit” which I can assure everyone I will be using in the future. Larry Sweeney is everything the Heartbreak Express wishes they could be. The commentators call this Caucasian Lucha Libre and for the most part it’s bad ass. Jigsaw takes bumps like he’s a pinball, despite probably being the largest man in the match, and a gay face. Some of the scariest moves ever are executed in this match, but it’s Hallowicked reversing a sunset flip that picks up the win for his team at 16:21. I almost don’t feel comfortable rating this, but from my virgin-to-Chikara eyes the following looked appropriate.
Rating: ***1/2

VS.
Super Dragon VS. Joey Ryan [Iron Man Match]
These two had a rivalry going earlier in the year that ended in the first Guerrilla Warfare match. The feud was restarted when Dragon, having recently lost to Samoa Joe by count out, got involved in Joey Ryan’s match with the Samoan and cost him his chance to beat the big man. Ryan came out later that evening and cost Dragon the tag team titles, telling him that he had been selfish earlier in the evening, and that they needed to settle their differences in a less barbaric way than before.

Super Dragon: 0 – Joey Ryan: 0
They lock up and Dragon gets a monkey flip. Ryan takes Dragon to the mat and puts on a hammerlock. Dragon reverses to a leglock but Ryan fights away. Ryan gets a wristlock but Dragon reverses to a sleeper hold. Ryan reverses to a hammerlock but Dragon reverses that to one of his own and puts Ryan on the mat. Ryan escapes so Dragon puts on a front facelock and drives his knee into Ryan’s face. Ryan comes back with a dropkick and puts on a front facelock. Dragon gets to the ropes so Ryan takes him to the mat with a headlock. Dragon gets to the ropes and they trade chops. They fight it out on the mat until Dragon comes up with an armdrag and a dropkick. Ryan bails so Dragon follows him out with a tope. Back in the ring Dragon hits a kneedrop for 2. He hits a snap suplex and another kneedrop. He puts on the full nelson leglock but Ryan leans back for 2. Dragon goes for the Psycho Driver but Ryan reverses to a headlock. He releases the hold and they trade chops. Dragon hits a back suplex for 2. He puts on a leglock but Ryan fights out. Ryan has trouble standing so Dragon kicks him around the ring. He hits a double stomp and goes for the Curb Stomp but Ryan scrambles to the ropes. Dragon hits an elbowdrop for 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Ryan gets to the ropes. Ryan blocks the Curb Stomp and gets kicked in the face for his trouble. Dragon hits the Curb Stomp and puts on a bow and arrow lock. Ryan rolls over so Dragon pins him for 2. Ryan blocks a blind charge and hits a neckbreaker. He puts on a figure four leglock but Dragon gets to the ropes. Ryan stays on the leg so Dragon fish hooks him. Ryan hits a kneedrop and puts on a leglock. Dragon gets to the ropes. Dragon hits an enziguiri so Ryan chop blocks him. He puts on another leglock but Dragon fights away. Dragon blocks a superkick and hits a dragon screw. He hits a roaring forearm for 2. He hits a rolling kick in the corner and climbs the ropes. He holds his knee and hits a double stomp. He climbs the ropes again and hits a senton for 2. Ryan blocks the Psycho Driver and hits a pumphandle suplex for 2. He goes for another into the turnbuckle but Dragon blocks. Ryan struggles for and hits a powerbomb for 2. He hits the pumphandle suplex into the turnbuckle for 2. That would have been a fine place for the first fall. Ryan sets Dragon on the top turnbuckle but Dragon blocks the Duff Drop and hits an enziguiri. He brings Ryan down with a butterfly superplex for 2. He sets Ryan back on the top rope and hits a blue thunder superbomb but Ryan lands on Dragon’s leg. Dragon fights through and hits the Supernatural Driver for the first pin fall at 30:19.

Super Dragon: 1 – Joey Ryan: 0
Dragon goes for the Psycho Driver but Ryan blocks and hits a pair of vertical suplexes. He sets Dragon on the top rope and hits a superplex for 2 after a long rest. Dragon blocks a superkick and hits a clothesline for 2. Dragon comes off the second rope but runs into a superkick. Ryan hits another superkick for 2. Ryan hits a tornado pedigree for 2. He climbs the ropes but misses a moonsault. Dragon climbs the ropes and hits a phoenix splash for the 3 count at 36:26.

Super Dragon: 2 – Joey Ryan: 0
Dragon dumps Ryan to the floor and pulls him off the protective mat to hit the Curb Stomp. Back in the ring Dragon comes off the top rope with a double stomp to the back of the head for another pin at 38:59.

Super Dragon: 3 – Joey Ryan: 0
Dragon walks around the ring with a cocky swagger and Ryan catches him with a roll up out of nowhere for his first pin at 39:34.

Super Dragon: 3 – Joey Ryan: 1
Ryan dumps Dragon to the floor and follows him out with a tope. Back in the ring Ryan gets 2. Ryan stomps away and hits a dropkick. He hits two more dropkicks for 2. He hits a side Russian legsweep and puts on the figure four leglock. Dragon rolls over and Ryan goes to the ropes. Ryan sets Dragon on the top rope but Dragon blocks the Duff Drop. Ryan drives his knee into the back of Dragon’s head and then lifts him up for a clothesline. He finally hits the Duff Drop for the pin at 45:31.

Super Dragon: 3 – Joey Ryan: 2
Ryan pins Dragon again for 2. He ties again and gets 2. He dumps Dragon to the floor and rams him into the apron. He sits Dragon on the top rope and goes for a Duff Drop to the floor. Dragon blocks and goes for a Supernatural Driver to the floor but Ryan blocks. Dragon suplexes Ryan from the apron to the floor in a crazy moment. Back in the ring Dragon gets 2 when Ryan grabs the bottom rope. Dragon beats on Ryan in the corner and climbs the ropes. He hits another double stomp to the back of the head but Ryan kicks out. Dragon goes for another pin but it only gets 2. Ryan blocks the Psycho Driver and puts on a figure for leglock. Dragon goes for the ropes but Ryan rolls away and Dragon taps out at 53:33.

Super Dragon: 3 – Joey Ryan: 3
Ryan pins Dragon for 2. He puts the figure four leglock back on and Dragon thinks about tapping but toughs it out and gets to the ropes. Dragon hits an enziguiri from a seated position. He strikes Ryan on the mat and goes for a spear but hits the post and falls to the floor. The referee starts counting him out but Ryan stupidly goes out after him. Ryan hits the Duff Drop to the floor and my asshole actually tightened up due to the nastiness of it. Honestly, the way Dragon landed there is no way he should still be alive. With seconds left Ryan rolls Dragon back into the ring but the time limit runs out. Ryan begs for overtime and the referee gives it to him. Ryan goes for a pin but Dragon rolls to the floor. Ryan gets Dragon back into the ring and pins him but so much time has passed that Dragon is able to kick out. Ryan tries twice more but it only gets 2. Dragon goes for a HARD running forearm but Ryan ducks. They trade German suplexes and Dragon hits a tiger suplex for 2. Ryan blocks a clothesline but Dragon catches him with one on the rebound for 2. Dragon hits the Psycho Driver for 2. He sets Ryan on the top rope but Ryan bails to the floor. Dragon follows him out and hits the Psycho Driver. He rolls Ryan back into the ring and picks up the win at 6:08 of overtime.

There were so many things I enjoyed about this match that I probably couldn’t list them all if I tried. With that in mind I’ll just go through a few of them. Both men taking it easy because they knew they had to go an hour leading to the long stretch before the first fall was cool. Dragon then knocked Joey loopy and was able to pick up two quick pins with some of his devastating offense. Joey then had to fight back from behind but used moves that he’d been building towards, like the Duff Drop and the figure four leglock, to get things tied up. Then there was Ryan powering through in the last five minutes to hit the Duff Drop to the floor, honestly one of the scariest bumps I’ve EVER seen in wrestling, only to find he’d waited too long was devastating. Then Dragon capped it off by giving Ryan a taste of his own medicine by hitting his finisher on the floor and putting away the feud for good. The match flies by in what feels like no time. There was little time-wasting nonsense except for near the end of the match where it made sense. It was missing a few of the intangibles that would have really put it over the top into a territory where I’d be gushing about it for a while, but a lot of that was due to the fact that it was in front of a smaller crowd and it was still something totally worth going out of your way to see.
Rating: ****1/4

Highlight the banana on the main menu to reveal the these bonus shenanigans.
This time around it’s just the Duff Drop to the floor from a different angle, a slow motion shot of the first angle, and then a slow motion shot of the new angle. I really don’t understand how Super Dragon can walk after that. If you don’t come away from this review with an urge to pick up the DVD, at least download a clip of the Duff Drop. I want to know if anyone has the same physical reaction to it as I did.

The Reference
See Use Your Illusion 3.

The 411:  Use Your Illusion 3 may have had more big names, but this was easily the better show. Two matches at **** or higher, two more really good matches and a couple of under card matches that weren't bad make this a high recommendation. The craziness of that one bump almost makes me forget that UK Kid was on this show, so go out and get it now. You can pick this up at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s website, Highspots.com, or Blue Thunder Video where the prices are low and the selection is deep.

Final Score:  9.5   [  Amazing ]