wrestling / Video Reviews

Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Sells Out – Volume 2 – Disc 3

August 27, 2015 | Posted by TJ Hawke
PWG Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Logo Image Credit: PWG
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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: PWG Sells Out – Volume 2 – Disc 3  

PWG Sells Out 2 - The Best of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Volume 2

 

All Star Weekend
January 6, 2008

Bryan Danielson vs. Cima

This was a really long match with a very specific in-ring story that did not pay off at all. Not only that, but there was an awful finish. They did a variation of the Austin/Hart Survivor Series corner pinfall. Cima tapped out while Dragon fell to a three count. The fans wanted five more minutes. Dragon said no. Cima said he could do five more days. Cima got a translation for that and changed his offer to five more seconds. He changed it again to six more seconds. Danielson tried to schoolboy him, but Cima kicked out.

That is just a very annoying finish to a rematch that existed because the first match went to a time-limit draw. I know that Cima was the Dream Gate Champion at the time of this match and obviously could not job, but that just tells me that the match should not have been booked in the first place. It’s the type of booking that turns a potentially great match into merely a good one. (***1/2)

After the match, Cima told the fans that Dragon Gate may come to America and said PWG should go to Tokyo. I really hope that American DG company works out. No reason for that to fail whatsoever.

 

Pearl Habra
January 27, 2008

Low Ki(c) vs. El Generico [PWG World Championship]

As you would expect, they ended working a Low Ki match because everyone must adapt to Low Ki’s style when they work him. Generico is not bad at working that style, but it certainly forces him to be less exciting than we know he can be. Ki won when Generico submitted to the Dragon Sleeper. A good match that could have been more exciting. Lol Ki.  (***1/2)

 

DDT4
May 18, 2008

Kevin Steen & El Generico(c) vs. Roderick Strong & Jack Evans [PWG World Tag Team Championship]

This was the finals of the 2008 DDT4. They worked hard and did lots of stuff! The crowd was fairly into it as well. It’s nothing to get too excited about, but it was a satisfying tournament final. I also appreciated it a bit more the second time around. Good stuff. Roddy and Jack won when they hit Skipping a Generation. (***3/4)

 

Life During Wartime
July 6, 2008

Human Tornado(c) vs. Chris Hero (w/ Candice LeRae) [Guerrilla Warfare Steel Cage for the PWG World Championship]

Despite my general lack of knowledge of pre-2009 PWG, I have seen a ton of matches and segments from this feud. After seeing so much of it, I can safely say it is truly one of the few stories in PWG that has made me uncomfortable. I admire the ambition to tell a story that involves a very real issue in society (spousal abuse). However, these types of stories in pro wrestling are problematic due to the nature of the business. Wrestlers usually turn heel and face in a promotion several times throughout their career because everyone does whatever it takes to stay over. So, despite Tornado becoming one of the most despicable heels in PWG history during this feud, he became a babyface a year later because his babyface act was fresh again. Characters having different shades to their characters is great, but stories/characters about racism, sexism, homophobia, etc will always be cheapened in an art form that is dependent on creating a good vs. evil dynamic in almost every match.

With that said, I can also appreciate the work done within the feud. The intensity and hatred conveyed by these two was incredible and not seen enough on the indies. The payoff here was the exact right balance of violence and character work. It was not just violence for the sake of violence; you could see in Hero’s eyes how much he hated Tornado and how much he wanted to hurt him.

The finish of the match was very convoluted, but the feud arguably earned it. There were ref bumps, interference from Claudio Castagnoli and Necro Butcher, and Candice was heavily involved in the finish. She actually kissed Tornado (who initially refused*) and convinced him that she was with him all along. It was a trick though, and she ended up giving him a super TND. That allowed Hero to defeat Tornado. He won the feud, got the title, and now has a girlfriend. While far from perfect, it’s certain an epic and noteworthy feud. (****)

*In possibly the worst moment in PWG history, the crowd chanted “You’re a faggot!” at Tornado when he refused a kiss from Candice.

 

All Star Weekend
August 30, 2008

Kevin Steen, El Generico, & Susumu Yokosuka vs. PAC & The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson)

This was exactly what you think it would be. This kind of match has been done to death in PWG, and it does not make much of an impact on me anymore. Luckily, this one has PAC and Yokosuka to make it a little bit more fresh and unique. Steen was eventually finished after More Bang for Your Buck and British Airways. A fun match and a great effort from all involved. (***3/4)

 

Battle of Los Angeles
November 1, 2008

Nigel McGuinness vs. Austin Aries

Their two ROH world title matches during Nigel’s reign are two of my favorite matches in Ring of Honor history. The emotion and intensity of those matches was just completely missing here, sadly. It felt like a dumbed down, greatest hits version of those matches. The match is still a breeze to watch, but they did nothing of note during it. Nigel won with the London Dungeon. (***)

 

Battle of Los Angeles
November 2, 2008

Low Ki vs. Chris Hero

The was the finals of the 2008 BOLA. Hero was the PWG world champ at the time. Ki never lost the title in early 2008 but had to vacate it due to a knee injury. This match had an incredibly physical tone that you rarely see in American wrestling. Ki in particular was just laying in the shots and one koppou kick clearly caught Hero full on the nose. The match was worked without clear structure, but that actually worked really well because of the story of these two just being dead on their feet after a grueling tournament. Ki won clean but would would not return to PWG until 2011. (***3/4)

 

Watch some of these wrestlers for free!

El Generico vs. PAC [2012]

El Generico vs. PAC [2007]

Chris Hero vs. Kevin Steen

El Generico vs. Chris Hero

The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico

8.5
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
While the early years of PWG always provide a few clunkers on these PWG sets, this was easily more than worth watching. I love checking out as much PWG as I can, as I missed so much of it before 2009. I believe this set is available as an MP4 on Highspots, and you should definitely pick it up.
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