wrestling / Video Reviews
Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla DDT4 2007 – Night 2
Image Credit: PWG
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May 20, 2007
Burbank, California
Commentators: Excalibur & Disco Machine
Stalker Ichikawa Z(c) vs. Top Gun Talwar [Open the Owarai Gate]
As you would guess, there was a lot of gaga in this match. Stalker failed a lot early on, but he found success after he starting shoving his fingers up Talwar’s ass. Stalker came up short on the Superfly Splash though. Talwar then pinned him with the Chipolte. Aren’t they supposed to vote on the winner after the match?
Wikipedia tells me that this championship was “conceived during a visit to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.” Since it was on Wikipedia, it must be true. Regardless, despite pinning Stalker, Top Gun did not win the belt. The match itself was decent comedy. I’ve seen better though (including Stalker’s match the night before).
Match Rating: **1/4
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament Second Round Match
The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. The Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes & Rocky Romero)
The Pitbulls were in control early on. I was not all that engrossed. The Briscoes came back and worked over Reyes. The teams were trading control pretty much to be honest. Romero was worked over some. He eventually escaped, and Reyes made a mild tag. Jay hit a pescado. Azucar hit a tope suicida. Mark hit a moonsault to the floor. The teams went back and forth in the ring after that. I found it very boring. The Briscoes eventually finished Romero with the diving legdrop/shooting star press combo.
I found this to be so fucking boring, but the crowd was into it. Thus, I shall give it partial credit. This felt like a 2014 Briscoes match trying to be a 2007 Briscoes match. The Havana Pitbulls consist of two of my least favorite indie wrestlers of the last fifteen years. Surprisingly, they do not make for an interesting team!
Match Rating: **
Kevin Steen vs. Ronin
I have to admit that I did not feel the need the pay attention to this when it started. I started the match over though and paid attention for you…the people. Steen was in complete control. He talked a lot and hit a pescado on Ronin. He took a pic of Ronin after the dive with a fan’s camera. Ronin made a comeback in the ring after blocking a senton. Steen hit a frog splash for a nearfall. Ronin avoided a package piledriver. Steen hit a superkick and then finally hit the package piledriver: 1…2…3
This felt rather pointless to be perfectly honest. I’m not used to seeing filler on PWG shows, and I do not like it!
Match Rating: 1/2*
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament Second Round Match
PAC & Roderick Strong vs. Muscle Outlaw’z (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino)
Roddy and PAC isolated Doi early. Doi managed to tag out, but Yoshino then got worked over. Muscle Outlaw’z came back and worked over Roddy. PAC tagged in and made a big comeback. He botched a Space Flying Tiger Drop and had to then do a Fosbury Flop. The teams started going back and forth. There were tons of nearfalls. PAC took out Doi with another Fosbury Flop. Yoshino then ate a gutbuster, Sick Kick, and a Gibson Driver: 1…2…3!
This was satisfying enough, but you would think these four could put together something more fun. It’s crazy how poorly the Muscle Outlaw’z’ matches age all these years later. There is something about their PWG matches especially that just leaves me so cold. Their matches almost always needed to be shorter.
Match Rating: **3/4
El Generico(c) vs. Cima [PWG World Championship]
Cima had previously defeated Generico in the 2006 BOLA.
Cima tied Generico’s mask to the rope. Generico had to rip his mask to escape. Generico was in control after that until Cima caught him with an Ace Crusher during a slingshot move attempt. Cima looked to be in control, but Generico fired back and hit a dive. Generico hit a Michinoku Driver in the ring for a nearfall. Cima fought back. He hit a superkick and a Perfect Driver for a nearfall. Cima reversed a double pumphandle vertical suplex powerbomb into a guillotine DDT. Generico avoided one Schwein attempt, but he couldn’t avoid the second one: 1…2…NO! Generico came back with a pair of brainbusters, but Cima kicked out of both of them. Generico then hit a third one: 1…2…3!
I enjoyed this quite a bit. Not much of note happened, but they kept it light and fun all the way through. I’ve grown very cold over the years to Cima singles matches. Generico is pretty much a great opponent for everyone though.
Match Rating: ***1/4
Don Fuji vs. Bino Gambino vs. TJ Perkins vs. Human Tornado
The match was all back and forth action from all four competitors. Don Fuji was not used in great ways this weekend, but he seems to be one of those performers that makes the best out of everything. Tornado hit a massive tope con HELLO on Fuji. Eventually, TJP and Fuji ended up on the floor, and Tornado finished Gambino with the Cancun Tornado.
Fuji and Cima beat up Stalker Ichikawa after the match because they’re jerks!
This four-way overachieved quite a bit for me. Much like the Cima/Generico match, they kept it light and fun the whole way. Don Fuji carried this one in terms of my interest, but everyone did stuff that got the crowd to care. Thumbs up.
Match Rating: **3/4
Bryan Danielson vs. Joey Ryan
I really am not interested in this one. Danielson vs. Steen would have been preferable!
The story early on was that Dragon completely dominated Ryan with wrestling holds. Ryan eventually came back by going after the left arm. They started going back and forth. Ryan suplexed Dragon to the floor. Dragon fought back with a headbutt and a forearm. They went back and forth some more. Eventually, Dragon made Ryan tap out with Cattle Mutilation.
I thought this was okay. The opening section of the match with Danielson messing with Ryan was by far the best part of the match. I thought they should have stuck with that story instead of going into obligatory indie wrestling tropes/cliches down the stretch.
Match Rating: **1/2
The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli) & The Trailer Park Boys (Josh Abercrombie & Nate Webb) vs. Arrogance (Chris Bosh & Scott Lost), Super Dragon, & Davey Richards (w/ Jade Chung)
All you need to know about this match is that Spyder Webb tried to play MIND GAMES with Super Dragon by walking around like a tyrannosaurus rex. That has to be one of great moments in the history of professional wrestling.
Okay, I will tell you a little bit more. Abercrombie was worked over for a while. He eventually avoided a German from Davey, and the match broke down into PANDEMONIUM. If this was Inter Species Wrestling, it would be PANDA-MONIUM! Davey and Super Dragon had Claudio set up for a double team move, but Arrogance convinced Davey to walk out on the match. Claudio schoolboyed Dragon: 1…2…3
Well, that finish was not good at all. I was prepared to be forgiving of the overly long heat sequence until that awful storyline finish. The action after the heat was good and all, but it felt meaningless after the finish. Every single sentence of this analysis was about how much I disliked the finish. IT WAS REALLY BAD, FOLKS!
Match Rating: **1/2
Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament Finals for the PWG World Tag Team Championships
Briscoe Brothers (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. PAC & Roderick Strong
Jay was the first to get isolated. The Briscoes eventually fought back and isolated PAC. PAC handspringed into a ridiculous satellite DDT. Roddy then made a hot tag. The teams started going back and forth. PAC hit the SSP where he knee dropped Mark and hit Jay with the splash from it. Incredible. (Only got a nearfall. Nothing will top that.*) PAC and Roddy avoided the SSP/Guillotine legdrop combo. Roddy hit Mark some big moves, and PAC then hit the 630: 1…2…FOOT ON THE ROPES! PAC hit Jay with a British Airways to the floor. Strong Hold on Mark! He taps out!
*I was wrong.
The match was pretty standard for the time for the first 80-90% of it, but the finishing stretch really put it over the top. Mind you, everything that came before the finish was perfectly fine. It just did not stand out or grab me much. They really got the place unglued for the final few minutes though. Huge props to all involved for that.
Match Rating: ***1/2
Check out some of your favorite PWG wrestlers in free matches!
The Young Bucks vs. The Hardys
The Briscoes vs. The Hardys
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Super Dragon & Excalibur
Claudio Castagnoli (Antonio Cesaro) vs. Kevin Steen
El Generico vs. Chris Hero
The Young Bucks & Petey Williams vs. Paul London, Brian Kendrick, & Jay Lethal
The Young Bucks vs. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Low Ki vs. Super Dragon
Johnny Gargano vs. Eddie Edwards
Akira Tozawa vs. Johnny Gargano
Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor vs. Arik Cannon
Chris Hero vs. CM Punk
Bryan Danielson vs. Drake Younger
Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Cage
AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Colt Cabana
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
ACH vs. AR Fox
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