Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Sells Out – Volume 1 – Disc 2

So, here’s the deal with this review. I reviewed Disc 1 a long time ago, but the 411 system somehow lost it. Disc 2’s review was not lost though and remains in its original form with the standard recap/analysis review structure. Disc 1 and Disc 3 will be reviewed in my modified style that has no recap. I apologize for the inconsistency.

 

 

Anniversary Show
July 9, 2005

The Aerial Express (Quicksilver & Scorpio Sky) vs. Arrogance(c) (Scott Lost & Chris Bosh) [Mascara vs Campeonatos]

Quicksilver/Sky’s masks are up against Arrogance’s PWG Tag Team Championships.

The teams went back and forth for a while. Quicksilver  got cut off and then worked over. He eventually escaped, and Sky made a cold tag. The teams started going back and forth. To say this match is dead is an insult to Braden Walker’s ECW run. Such a boring match. For some reason, Quicksilver gave Bosh a sunset flip powerbomb to the floor (on a mat, thankfully). Why on earth you would do a spot like that on a show like this is beyond me. Quicksilver was killed with a chairshot. Quicksilver brought to the back. Joey Ryan showed up and gave Quicksilver a kneeling superkick. Dino Winwood got in Joey’s face. Dino gave him a powerbomb! Arrogance took out Dino and then doubleteamed Sky. Sky survived a ton of offense including the Steiner Screwdriver. Sky caught Lost with a small package to mercifully end the match. New champs. Wooo.

They all attacked Sky after the match after teasing being respectful. They took of Scorpio Sky’s mask anyway to reveal him to be…Scorpio Sky.

This is one of the worst matches in PWG history that I have ever seen. It nearly went thirty minutes and maybe thirty seconds of the match were any good. Awful.
Match Rating: 1/4*

 

Battle of Los Angeles
September 4, 2005

Ricky Reyes, Davey Richards, Joey Ryan, & Scott Lost vs. Super Dragon, Jack Evans, El Generico, & Frankie Kazarian

This was losers tag match from the 2005 BOLA.

After some decent action between the teams, Generico got cut off and then worked over. Evans made a hot tag. He got cut off. Hot tag from Kaz. The match broke down. Generico, Kaz, and Dragon did stereo tags. Davey blocked one Evans dive attempt, but Evans came right back with the Sasuke Special. The teams went back and forth. Kaz hit Lost with the Flux Capacitor, but Reyes saved the match. Dragon eventually gave Davey the Psycho Driver to end the match.

This was some harmless fun! There were some cool sequences, and everyone worked really hard.

Match Rating: ***

 

Astonishing X-Mas
December 18, 2005

Super Dragon vs. Kevin Steen [Guerrilla Warfare]

Steen attacked Dragon during the latter’s entrance, and the brawl was on. It was awesome. Steen appeared to get control, but Dragon caught Steen with a dive out of nowhere. They continued to brawl with Steen somewhat in control. Steen was firmly control as he brought Dragon into the ring finally. He put on a Super Dragon mask on and hit the Curb Stomp. That only seemed to anger Dragon who came back with a series of curb stomps. Dragon tried to put Steen through a table, but Steen ended up suplexing Dragon through it instead. Steen seemed to have control again, but Dragon ended up hitting a Togo Senton and then a slingshot double stomp. Dragon hit a curb stomp into a chair. He then put Steen’s head on a chair and a GHETTO STOMP: 1…2…NO! Dragon brought out some tacks. Steen ended up powerbombing Dragon into them though! Steen brought out a series of chairs and gave Dragon a package piledriver onto them: 1…2…NO? Steen decided to walk out. Steen brought out a barbed wire chair and bridged it between two chairs. Dragon then gave Steen a butterfly superplex through the table: 1…2…no? Ehhhhh. Dragon then gave Steen a Psycho Driver from the apron through a table on the floor. Steen was busted open. Dragon handcuffed Steen’s hands behind his back. Chairshot to the forehead. More tacks. Psycho Driver into the tacks and barbed wire table: 1…2…3

I don’t know how I feel about this one. On one hand, the effort was amazing. There were a ton of spots and sequences that I truly enjoyed. However, I just thought that it went too long and did too much (for my tastes) when it’s all said and done, and that took away from the match for me enough to not love it. Maybe I’ll like this one more whenever I re-watch it.

Match Rating: ***

 

Hollywood Globetrotters
March 4, 2006

Davey Richards & Super Dragon(c) vs. Roderick Strong & Jack Evans [PWG World Tag Team Championships]

They were working the pace of a very long match in the beginning. Evans eventually got cut off and then worked over. Evans eventually tagged out, but Roddy got cut off and worked over right after. It appeared that Evans was about to make a hot tag, but he ended up getting cut off again. Heat segment #3. Roddy tagged in and went back and forth with Davey. The teams then started going back and forth. They were busting out every sequence under the sun. In an incredible finish, Evans went for a Phoenix Splash but Dragon caught him in the powerbomb position. He then did the powerbomb/backstabber combo with Davey to retain the titles.

The go-home stretch was pretty fun, but it could not completely make up for the mind-numbing TRIPLE HEAT sequence that came before. Ridiculous. Long for the sake of long is just that: long for no reason and boring.

Match Rating: **3/4

 

Threemendous
July 16, 2006

Joey Ryan(c) vs. B-Boy [Steel Cage Match for the PWG World Championship]

There were weapons in the ring.

I strongly debated whether or not I should just skip this one. I know I’m not going to like it. It just seems foolish to even attempt. I’m doing it for you though…the people.

B-Boy ran through Ryan for a while. Ryan came back with a low blow. Both were busted open early on. If my recap becomes sparse, just know that I’m finally reading the Ronald Dahl letter In support of vaccination for measles. This match is clearly a barn-burner. Ryan worked B-Boy over for a while. B-Boy eventually came back with a number of plunder shots. B-Boy had Ryan on the verge of submitting, but the champ poked the ref in the eye right before he tapped out. Ryan came back with a powerbomb through a table for a nearfall. Ryan and Rick Knox went at it. Ryan sent him into the cage twice. B-Boy came back with the Go-2-Sleep for a phantom pinfall. A second ref showed up, but Ryan kicked out. Rick Knox was revealed to be busted open. B-Boy and Ryan walked out the door to battle some more. B-Boy had the advantage. He put Ryan on some chairs and did a double stomp. They got back into the ring and just kept fucking going. What the fuck. B-Boy appeared to have Ryan finished with a double stomp off a ladder and with a chair. Scott Lost interfered on Ryan’s behalf. The Human Tornado, Scorpio Sky, Chris Bosh, Excalibur, Davey Richards, and Kevin Steen all showed up. Tornado eventually took out everyone with a cage dive. B-Boy hit Ryan with a Superfly Splash through a table: 1…2…NO! OMFG, Jade Chung and Candice LeRae got involved. Joey attacked Candice because every PWG show must involve that. B-Boy hit Ryan with the chair-assisted GTS, but Chung made the save. B-Boy hit Chung with a GTS. Ryan then made B-Boy pass out with a ether-soaked cloth to retain the title.

The final few minutes appeared to be on the verge of ever-so slightly redeeming this match a tiny bit, but then they went and did an ether finish. Awful. No one should ever watch this match.

Match Rating: DUD

 

Battle of Los Angeles
September 3, 2006

Cima vs. El Generico

This was a semifinals match in the 2006 BOLA.

They took their time to get going here. Cima eventually cut off Generico with the superdrol and then worked Generico over. Generico came back after a variation of the Asai Moonsault. Cima eventually started to fight back. They started going back and forth. They traded some big nearfalls. Cima eventually finished Generico after a second Schwein.

I never got tremendously emotionally invested in this one, but I enjoyed it all the way through. Cima was Cima, and Generico was Generico.

Match Rating: ***1/4

 

All Star Weekend
November 18, 2006

El Generico vs. PAC

PAC is not the jacked up dude you know in 2012 (Yes, I started writing this review in 2012). For lack of a better term, PAC looks scrawny, but with abs. Quite frankly, he looks like a jobber. But he doesn’t wrestle like one.

They did an extended feeling out process. They ended up on the floor. PAC casually hit an Asai Moonsault. Back in the ring, PAC got a nearfall with a spike hurricanrana. Generico came back with a Blue Thunder variation. Generico got a nearfall with a leg lariat. PAC came back with a handspring with a swinging DDT. I’m not sure how that happened. PAC hit a standing backflip senton for a nearfall. PAC went for a middle rope shooting legdrop, but Generico avoided it and hit a half-nelson suplex: 1…2…NO! PAC avoided a brainbuster once and he reversed a second attempt with a snap hurricanrana: 1…2…NO! Generico came back with his Made in Japan variation: 1…2…NO! PAC came back with a super reverse hurricanrana and a standing shooting star press: 1…2…NO! PAC went for the corkscrew shooting star, but Generico got his knees up! Generico then hit a Yakuza and the Turnbuckle Brainbustah: 1…2…3!

This was just a crazy athletic exhibition, and I don’t mean that as a backhanded compliment at all. These two have always had tremendous in-ring chemistry, and it’s a delight to remember that they’ve been this good together since their early days working each other.
Match Rating: ****

 

Watch some of these wrestlers for free!

El Generico vs. Davey Richards

Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Excalibur & Super Dragon

El Generico vs. PAC

El Generico vs. PAC

8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Two discs down, one to go...