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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Matt Rushmore

December 9, 2013 | Posted by TJ Hawke
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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Matt Rushmore  

October 19, 2013
Reseda, California

Mount Rushmore came out to start the show. They made fun of recycling and global warming. Matt Jackson aped Scott Hall. It was amusing. Matt then ran down Joey Ryan. Matt then was wondering why this mark (Excalibur) was still in the ring. Steen then tried to start some shit with LEGION LARRY! Larry was ready to throw down, but Excalibur held him back. Excalibur then talked a bunch of shit to them. He announced that the Board of Directors had made the Young Bucks match a title match with Rick Knox as the referee. The Bucks went to superkick Excalibur, but Kevin Steen saved him because he wanted to keep Excalibur on commentary.

Commentators: Excalibur, Roderick Strong, Johnny Gargano, Kevin Steen, Rich Swann, & Chuck Taylor

Peter Avalon & Ray Rosas vs. The Realest N—-rs in Professional Wrestling (Willie Mack & B-Boy)

I’m trying to think of a least interesting match that PWG could book. It’s amazing how much better this would be if any other SoCal wrestlers were added to each team, and it became a trios match.

Mack hit Rosas with a POUNCE early on. That was good at least. Norv Fernum ate some chops from B-Boy. Roddy revealed on commentary that he had never faced Fernum before. I demand that matchup. B-Boy eventually got cut off with fanny pack offense. B-Boy tagged out to Mack who made a comeback. As cynical as I must seem about this match, the crowd has been pretty into it. As a result, the match has been more than watchable. Ermagawd, PPRay just cut off Mack for a SECOND heat segment. Avalon went for some move, but Mack reversed it into an Ace Crusher. The teams went back and forth for a LONG time. The crowd was genuinely into all of it though. Avalon went for a pescado but Willie caught him and hit an apron powerbomb. B-Boy then hit Rosas with a Shining Wizard and then a brainbuster: 1…2…3

There is no denying that this match worked as an opener. If they only shaved a few minutes (or five minutes, preferably), they could have had a really strong opener. Instead, it was just an effective opener. All four guys seemed to be working very hard here at the very least.
Match Rating: **3/4

Kevin Steen vs. ACH
Steen attacked ACH before the bell and then mauled him for minutes on end. By the way, Steen is wearing tassels. It’s pretty awesome. ACH eventually managed to send Steen to the floor. ACH did a feint dive. Steen killed him with a lariat. ACH tried for a pescado, but Steen just walked away and ACH crashed to the floor. Steen then got some water from the bar. It’s important to stay hydrated, kids. ACH finally came back with an Arabian Press Moonsault. ACH tried for a package piledriver, but Steen was too heavy. ACH avoided the cannonball splash and hit the slingshot cutter: 1…2…NO! Steen went for the F-Cinq, but ACH reversed it into a stunner. ACH followed that up with an Air Jordan. ACH got a nearfall with a crossover splash. ACH hit a sunset flip powerbomb and then locked in the Koji Clutch! Steen got to the ropes. Steen came back with an apron powerbob and then a sleeper suplex in the ring for a nearfall. Steen finished him with a package piledriver: 1…2…3

Steen put ACH over before giving him two more package piledrivers.

I’ve already heard about some people being underwhelmed by this match, but I’m a sucker for the dynamic they had going. Steen beat the shit out of ACH for a long time. ACH eventually made a comeback, and it was a lot of fun. Thumbs up! That being said, I think these guys could have a much better match down the road.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent?) vs. AR Fox & Rich Swann
The match started with some gaga. Fox hit the kick-flip moonsault. There was some more gaga after that. Swann was worked over for a bit. He eventually tagged out and Fox made a flippy comeback. Fox did a bunch of dives. The teams went back and forth. All four guys went down after a bunch of kicks to the head. “You can tell which girls have had relations with the wrestlers by how fast they stand up to cheer,” – Kevin Steen. Trent? hit Swann with the Sexy Chucky Knee: 1…2…NO! Swann gave Trent? a twisting piledriver and a standing 450. Fox hit a regular 450, but Chucky made the save. Trent? gave Swann a super belly-to-belly. Chuck then hit Fox with the Awful Waffle: 1…2…3

This was a good midcard match. I was somewhat surprised at the result, but it does not bother me or anything.
Match Rating: ***1/4

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Drake Younger vs. Tony Nese vs. Brian Cage
This started hot and heavy. Ciampa gave Younger an Air Raid Crash on the apron. Drake came back with a moonsault to the floor. I don’t know how it’s possible, but Brian Cage somehow looks bigger than ever. Everyone traded movez. Cage looks fat from having so much muscle. Cage hit the Fucking Machine Suplex. Ciampa hit a TOPE CON HELLO~! A lot more movez were hit. This has been awesome by the way. More movez! Nese gave Drake a one-armed powerbomb over the top rope and onto Ciampa and Cage. Amazing. Ciampa killed Nese with a lariat and Project Ciampa, but Cage made the save. Cage and Ciampa botched Weapon X. Drake hit Cage with a swinging DDT. Drake gave Ciampa the Drake’s Landing: 1…2…3

PWG does not do four-ways often enough. I think they’ve only done two of them in the last two years, and both of them have been a ton of fun. I would have had Ciampa or Nese go over, but there’s no denying that the crowd loved seeing Drake win.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Roderick Strong vs. Johnny Gargano

Gargano tried to avoid chops by wearing a fan’s hoodie for a bit, but it proved ineffective. They teased their submission finishers. They traded strikes. Gargano had the advantage for a while. Roddy finally cut him off with a unique backbreaker. Roddy was in control after that. Gargano made a comeback. Gargano went for a dive, but Roddy somehow reversed it into a wheelbarrow-urinagi backbreaker on the apron. Roddy was in control again. Gargano fought back with elbow strikes. Gargano hit a superkick, a lawn dart and then locked in the Gargano Escape. Roddy escaped. Sick Kick: 1…2…NO! They went back and forth. Gargano hit the Hurt’s Donut: 1…2…NO! Roddy came back with a gutbuster/backbreaker/Gibson Driver combo: 1…2…NO! They traded strikes. Gargano got the Gargano Escape, and Roddy had to tap!

This was a very cool matchup, and it pretty much lived up to my relatively modest expectations. Roddy has not been interesting for a long time, but I can definitely get behind more unique matches like this for him to be in.
Match Rating: ***1/2

The Young Bucks© (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. Joey Ryan & Candice LeRae [PWG World Tag Championships]

Candice started the match with a double Ballplex. Ryan followed it up with a tope con hello! Candice then hit a moonsault to the floor. Joey and Candice continued to rub absolutely wild! That was fantastic. Ryan eventually got cut off. Candice made an amazing comeback. The Bucks cut Candice off after that and worked her over for a while. Joey eventually made a hot tag. Joey Ryan should always be in a tag team. It’s really just that simple. Joey speared Nick to the floor. Candice dropped Matt on his head with a Ballplex. Joey hit Nick a Ballplex. Candice then hit him with the tope suicida DDT. Joey got a nearfall with a superkick. The Bucks came back with some amazing offense. They caused Joey to give Candice a tombstone. Candice came back with reverse rana on Matt. Matt almost got pinned with a double superkick, but Nick pulled Knox out. Candice got killed with a tandem tombstone, but Joey pulled Knox out. Nick wiped out Joey with a Deadman plancha. Candice rolled up Matt for an amazing nearfall. Candice then ate More Bang for Your Buck: 1…2…3

This was easily the match of the night. The Young Bucks vs. Joey Ryan + a partner formula has been pretty much guaranteed greatness in PWG since 2009 (and possibly longer), and this match was not the exception. The last two shows have made Candice LeRae a legitimate main eventer in PWG. LeRae vs. Adam Cole is a matchup that must happen in 2014.
Match Rating: ****

Adam Cole© vs. Kyle O’Reilly [PWG World Championship]

Neither guy could get a firm advantage for a long time. They went back and forth for a while. O’Reilly went for his apron dropkick, but Cole caught him with a superkick. Cole was in control after that. He was going after Kyle’s left knee. Kyle eventually fought back, and they traded strikes. They both went down after Kyle hit the Rebound Lariat. Kyle made a big comeback; he got a nearfall with a high kick to the dome. Cole came back with the thigh brainbuster for a nearfall. They ended up on the apron, and Cole gave Kyle a scoop slam. Ouch. Kyle almost got counted out, but he got back in the ring. They went back and forth some more. KO locked in a couple of submissions. Cole survived them and got a good nearfall after a few superkicks. Kyle got another triangle and then connected of a Penalty Kick. KO hit a combo of moves that finished with a brainbuster for a nearfall. Kyle locked in the cross armbreaker! The Young Bucks ran in! KO and Knox teamed up to take them out. Cole kicked out KO’s injured knee and hit the Panama Sunrise: 1…2…NO! Kyle got another cross armbreaker, but Kevin Steen pulled out Knox just as Cole was about to tap. Knox jumped on Steen’s back, but Steen reversed that into the F-Cinq. Steen gave Kyle a package piledriver as another referee showed up: 1…2…3

That’s one of those bad WWE finishes that almost completely ruins a main event. PWG is a company that basically has ten PPV cards a year without the hassle of having to book/watch television to build it up. As such, I’ve come to expect that their main events will not leave a sour taste in my mouth. This finish left a very sour taste in my mouth. These two put in a great effort, but that finish was a crummy way to end any show, let alone a PWG show.
Match Rating: ***1/2

Mount Rushmore beat up Kyle some more. Rich Swann and AR Fox tried to make the save. They failed. Drake Younger came out and had a little bit more success. He eventually failed, too. The entire roster had to come out to chase Mount Rushmore away. Johnny Gargano got the microphone and put over PWG. He then challenged Cole to a title match. The crowd seemed to want a KO rematch more. KO gave Gargano his blessing. Gargano’s promo did not light my world on fire. That match should be awesome though.

Thanks everybody for reading! You can send feedback to my Twitter or to my email address: [email protected]. Also, feel free to check out my own wrestling website, FreeProWrestling.com. Check out a full/organized list of all the wrestling show reviews I’ve done at 411mania.

Watch some free matches featuring PWG wrestlers (in non-PWG matches, sadly):
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Sami Callihan
Sami Callihan vs. Masato Yoshino
RVD vs. Sami Callihan
Kevin Steen vs. Claudio Castagnoli
El Generico vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Jigsaw vs. Nick Jackson
Davey Richards vs. Kota Ibushi
El Generico vs. Samuray Del Sol
El Generico vs. Player Uno
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
The Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) & Petey Williams vs. Jay Lethal, Paul London, & Brian Kendrick
El Generico vs. Chris Hero
The Young Bucks vs. The Kings of Wrestling
El Generico vs. Davey Richards
Davey Richards vs. Michael Elgin


For more information on PWG, check out their:
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DVD Store
Youtube Page

The 411: If the main event delivered a reasonably clean-ish finish, Matt Rushmore is probably one of top three shows of the year for PWG. As it is, it's just a very, very good show with only one match you absolutely must see. Clearly though, I recommend that you pick up this show. It's just not as great as some of the recent PWG shows.
 
Final Score:  7.5   [ Good ]  legend

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