Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Giant-Size Annual #4

 

July 29, 2007
Burbank, California

 

Commentators: Excalibur & Disco Machine

 

Top Gun Talwar vs. Ronin

Top Gun ran through Ronin for a while. Ronin cut him off and worked him over. Top Gun eventually made a comeback. There were some editing glitches in the middle of this match. The audio was playing normally, but the video did some weird things. Not sure if it’s an issue with my copy or with the show in general. They started going back and forth. Ronin eventually hit him with a lariat and a DVD.

I do not like to make this complaint (it’s a tad hackey and reminds me of Jim Cornette), but this felt like two guys playing dress-up and pretending to be pro wrestlers. I was not entertained at all and was thoroughly unimpressed with both guys.

Match Rating: 1/4*

 

Tony Kozina vs. Human Tornado (w/ Candice LeRae)

Tornado convinced Candice to shake his hand before the match. That was a storyline that always made me genuinely uncomfortable whenever I’ve gone back and watched any of it.

Kozina was running through Tornado early and was shockingly over while he did it. Tornado managed to use Candice distract Kozina and then wiped them both out with a tope con hello. Tornado worked Kozina over for a while. This just went on for too long. Kozina finally came back after giving Tornado a German into a turnbuckle. The match fell apart, and they botched some key sequences. There was a really labored spot where Candice went to slap Tornado, but she accidentally slapped Kozina. Tornado then mercifully ended this match with the DND.

Tornado appeared to be trying to hit Candice after the match, but Candice gave him a hug. That freaked Tornado out.

After a surprisingly hot start, this match lost me big time. They botched way too many big moments, and the heat on Kozina was not interesting. When you combine all of that with the Candice/Tornado story, it adds up to an unpleasant experience.

Match Rating: 1/2*

 

TJ Perkins & The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. Bino Gambino and The Dynasty (Karl Anderson & Scott Lost) (w/ Jade Chung)

I think Nick was only 17 or 18 at this point.

The babyfaces were just running through Bino and the Dynasty for a while. The heels were eventually able to cut off Matt and then worked him over for a while. Matt managed to fire back at Lost, and Nick made a hot tag. The match broke down almost immediately. Bino took a ridiculous bump to the floor at one point. The babyfaces then hit stereo dives. The teams started going back and forth. This sequence was clunky. There was a great finish at least, as TJP and the Bucks finished the heels with stereo 450s: 1…2…3

This match was far from perfectly executed, but the match was too fun for too long to knock it too much.

Match Rating: ***

 

Fergal Devitt vs. Davey Richards

This would be Devitt’s first and only match in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

They were both going for submissions early on. Davey eventually got the advantage on the mat and worked Devitt over for a bit. Davey actually hit a dominator into a turnbuckle at one point. Devitt finally started to fight back. Davey fought back with a superplex and then applied a kimura. Devitt got to the ropes. Devitt survived and hit a double stomp. Davey won a kick exchange. Devitt survived another kimura and a tombstone. Davey applied the kimura for the third time, and Devitt finally submitted.

This was the wrong match (long and methodical) executed by the wrong guys for the wrong crowd. The novelty of the situation (Prince Devitt competing in PWG) absolutely kept me interested in this one, but this match would have been so much better if it was worked at a faster pace and contained more high-impact action.

Match Rating: **1/2

 

Scorpio Sky vs. Joey Ryan [Street Fight for Scorpio Sky’s Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Reinstatement]

Ryan ended up getting control on the floor, and he worked Sky over. This went on for a while. Sky finally came back after putting Ryan through a seated chair. Ryan fought back, but Sky hit a snapmare driver onto a chair. Scott Lost and Jade Chung came to the ring to help Joey. When that didn’t put Sky away, Karl Anderson showed up. Sky avoided the Gun Stun and hit a TKO. Ryan thought Sky was taken out though, and Sky decided to play possum. That allowed Sky to catch Ryan with a small package: 1…2…3

The Dynasty attacked Sky after the match.

This was not much, and the fans did not seem to care about the result. It was not as bad as the first two matches on the show. It was pretty bad though. Just soulless brawling.

Match Rating: *3/4

 

Austin Aries vs. Rocky Romero

I’m not a Rocky fan, and I don’t remember seeing an Aries performance in PWG that greatly impressed me.

Aries got control first and worked him over. Rocky then got control and went after the left arm. Aries came back after he managed to hit the heat-seeking missile. Rocky came back again and got the cross armbreaker. They started going back and forth. Rocky went for the flying armbar, but Aries then reversed it into a schoolboy: 1…2…3

The action here was solid for sure, and I appreciated Rocky consistently trying to set up the flying armbar. That’s all fine and dandy, but they never made me care about the match. That is a common issue with old PWG shows.

Match Rating: **3/4

 

After some last-minute changes, Bryan lost out on his title match. He made an open challenge…

 

Bryan Danielson vs. Necro Butcher

Bryan grounded Necro early on. After briefly trading headbutts, Bryan grounded him again. Necro got busted open first. Bryan got busted open when Necro threw chairs at his face. Bryan got angered by that, suplexed Necro on some chairs, and then worked him over in the ring. Necro survived the Cattle Mutilation, but Bryan then killed him with the elbows until the referee ended it.

Just a very good and compact brawl. I liked how Bryan tried to make it a wrestling match but adapted to Necro’s game. He got the better of Necro that way and then ended up finishing with a combination of his finishers. This really made Bryan look very strong.

Match Rating: ***3/4

 

El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. PAC & Roderick Strong© [PWG World Tag Titles]
Strong and PAC were supposed to face the Briscoes, but they no-showed. Generico was the PWG World Champion at the time.

PAC and Roddy cut off Generico early, and they worked him over for a bit. Generico was eventually able to hit PAC with a leg lariat. Steen tagged in. Steen and PAC worked over PAC for a while. PAC came back with a shooting star knee drop on Steen. Roddy and Generico tagged in. Roddy and PAC made a big comeback. Steen killed PAC with a lariat: 1…2…NO! Steen then hit PAC with the pumphandle neckbreaker: 1…2…NO! PAC came back with a reverse hurricanrana, and Roddy hit then hit Steen with the Sick Kick. PAC wiped out Generico with a plancha! PAC hit Steen with a 450 elbow drop: 1…2…NO! Roddy and Generico struck it out. Steen went for a super F-5 on PAC (I think), but slightly fucked it up. Steen then hit PAC with a moonsault and Generico hit him with a Superfly Splash: 1…2…NO! Generico wiped out Roddy with a plancha. Steen hit PAC with a package piledriver, and Generico then hit him with a brainbuster: 1…2…3! New champs!

The structure of the match was paint-by-numbers for the major independent wrestling companies of the last fifteen years, but it was executed just about as well as it can be done. I enjoyed this from the beginning until the very end.

Match Rating: ****

 

As Generico and Steen celebrate in the ring, a bloody Bryan Danielson comes out and tells asks Steen to go to the back. Dragon challenges Generico to a PWG World Title match, because that was the originally scheduled main event. Dragon slapped Generico and it’s on!

 

El Generico© vs. Bryan Danielson [PWG World Title]

Generico almost immediately hits the Big Boy Moonsault. Back in the ring, Dragon locked in the Calgary Crab. Generico made the ropes. Dragon worked him over for a while. Generico came back and got a nearfall with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Generico hit a swinging DDT, but Dragon came back with a saito suplex. They traded running strikes. Generico hit a pair of Yakuzas and then a half-nelson suplex. Dragon went for Cattle Mutilation, but Generico escaped and hit a brainbuster: 1…2…NO! Dragon ended up on a turnbuckle, and Generico hit a Yakuza. Dragon avoided a turnbuckle brainbustah, and he came back with a super back suplex. CATTLE MUTILATION! Generico made the ropes! Dragon locked it in again! Dragon then delivered some knees to Generico’s head. Tiger Suplex from Dragon. Dragon then rained in the elbows before locking in Cattle Mutilation again! Generico taps out!

These two have been 1-2 for best wrestler in the world for about five years now (again, written in 2012), but they never met up as often as I liked. Luckily, whenever they did meet up, the results were usually awesome, and this match was not an exception. I hope I get to see another proper Danielson heel run, as he’s just so great in the role.

Match Rating: ****

 

Check out some of your favorite PWG wrestlers in free matches!
The Young Bucks vs. The Hardys
The Young Bucks vs. The Hardys II
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
The Young Bucks vs. Super Smash Bros.
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
Bryan Danielson vs. Drake Younger
Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Cage
AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
ACH vs. AR Fox

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

I prefer wrestling shows to be more consistent from beginning to end, but there's no doubt that the final three matches of this show turn a weak show into good (if not very good) show. I especially liked how they crowned the new champion. Having Danielson go over Necro Butcher clean in a brawl was a great way to make him look strong right before he won the title. Check this show out if you can.