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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: The Many Adventures of El Generico – Disc 2

April 30, 2015 | Posted by TJ Hawke
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Views from the Hawke’s Nest: The Many Adventures of El Generico – Disc 2  

The Many Adventures of El Generico

Guerre Sans Frontieres
September 4, 2009

El Generico vs. Shingo Takagi
The crowd wants to know where Shingo’s mullet is. They should have asked the monkey that he abused. I recall this being the greatest match ever. Let’s see if it lives up to my memory. Shingo dominated the early portion of the match. Generico went for his diving tornado DDT through the ropes, but Shingo caught him and hit a suplex on the floor. Shingo was in complete control until Generico hit a tornado DDT and a fosbury flop. Generico then got a nearfall with a diving crossbody. Generico got another nearfall with a Michinoku Driver. Shingo came back and locked in a single leg crab. Generico survived but Shingo got a nearfall with a pop-up DVD. Generico came back with a corner exploder, a yakuza, and a half-nelson suplex. Shingo came back back with a brainbuster. Generico came back with a yakuza and a brainbuster: 1…2…NO!!!!!! The bell rang anyway. Excalibur yelled at the bell ringer. Shingo came back with the Stay Dream: 1…2…NO! MADE IN JAPAN: 1…2…NO! GENERICO SHOWED FIGHTING SPIRIT! Shingo ate a mafia kick, but he then hit a Pumping Bomber! LAST FALCONRY: 1…2…3!

This has to be considered one of the greatest matches in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla history. It featured one of my favorite dynamics that a match can have: the bigger guy dominates the valiant underdog until the latter makes an exciting comeback. This structure works in every single setting that I’ve seen it applied in. Both men were so on point here, as they executed that classic dynamic to near perfection. This is a match that every El Generico needs to see.

Match Rating: ****1/2

 

Speed of Sound
August 28, 2009

El Generico vs. Chuck Taylor [Reseda Street Fight]

Taylor recently lost his hair in Chikara. They ended up in the bathroom. Generico gave him a swirly. Chuck got control after that and worked him over. Generico came back with an Arabian Press Moonsault, but Chuck cut him off again on the floor. Chuck beat him up some more until Generico hit a swinging DDT off the wall. Chuck managed to get the advantage again in the ring with some plunder. Generico fought back yet again. He hit a garbage can-assisted coast-to-coast, but Taylor kicked out. Generico introduced a table. Chucky T put Generico through the table though and then finished him with an Awful Waffle on the broken table.

This was a solid plunder match. As much as I am fan of Sexy Chucky T, he’s certainly not my favorite singles performer. I did enjoy this mind you, but it just never got out of second gear.

Match Rating: ***

 

Battle of Los Angeles
November 21, 2009

The Young Bucks(c) (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico [PWG World Tag Team Championship]

Steenerico had a lot of success early on, but the Bucks did eventually cut off Generico. They worked him over for a while. Generico escaped the beatdown, and Steen made a pedestrian hot tag. After a minute, Generico recovered enough to hit a dive on Matt. The teams started going back and forth. Steenerico seemed to have the match won after a half-nelson suplex/frog splash combo, but Nick kicked out. The Bucks fought back and hit Steen with More Bang for Your Buck! Save by Generico! Ref bump. Steenerico had Nick finish. Rick Knox ran in, but Matt made the save. Stereo sharpshooters from Steenerico. Geezus, Generico later ate a German on the apron. Steen ate a million superkicks: 1…2…NO! EARLY ONSET ALZHEIMER’S: 1…2…3!

This was very good, and it might be the best match I’ve ever seen these two teams have together. They did not reinvent the wheel; they just executed the standard PWG tag team match very well.

It’s somewhat odd to think about, but these two teams never seemed to bring the best out of each other despite arguably being the two best indie teams from the last eight years or so.

Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Kurt Russellreunion
January 30, 2010

El Generico vs. Jushin Liger

Liger got control early, and he hit some of his trademark offense. Generico managed to get him to the floor, and he wiped out Liger with the Big Boy Moonsault. Generico then came back win the ring, but Liger hit a brainbuster to slow his roll. They went back and forth. Liger hit the LIGER Bomb: 1…2…NO! Liger then finished him with the brainbuster.

The fact this existed at all helped to carry it to slightly abover-average status. Generico worked very hard to make Liger look good, and he largely succeeded.

Match Rating: ***1/4

 

We saw the Peligro Abejas team win the PWG tag titles from The Young Bucks. We then got to watch the infamous promo from after that show. ***** promo.

Media preview

 

Seven
July 30, 2010

Peligro Abejas(c) (El Generico & Paul London) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. The Cutler Bros. (Brandon & Dustin Cutler)

Peligro Abejas were late getting to the ring, but they got there soon enough and immediately hit stereo dives. The chaos continued. Everyone was busting their ass in this one. I need to amend a previous statement: once the chaos started, it never stopped. The Bucks used an actual garden rake to do a back rake. A table was introduced. London put fire crackers on it. He eventually gave Matt a superplex through said table. HALF-NELSON SUPLEX FROM GENERICO TO NICK ONTO A SEATED CHAIR! FUCK FUCK FUCK! The Bucks and Cutlers went at it. London hit his excellent tope con hello onto two of them. The Cutlers brought out a second table. Nick ended up 450ing one of them through the table. London took out a bunch of people with the SSP to the floor, and Generico then hit Nick with a turnbuckle brainbuster: 1…2…3!

Holy fucking shit. This is everything that I want from a professional wrestling stunt show. When it’s as well-executed as this, it’s just as entertaining and satisfying as any other kind of pro wrestling match. If you have never seen this match, you owe it to yourself to watch it. It’s one of my favorite matches ever.

Match Rating: *****

 

The Curse of Guerrilla Island
October 9, 2010

El Generico vs. Ricochet

Ricochet had just debuted at the 2010 BOLA, and he was the clear breakout star of the tournament. This was his follow-up match.

The story early on was that Ricochet was consistently a step ahead of Generico. Generico finally cut him off with a backbreaker and then worked him over. Generico rarely worked tweener in a match, and it was always fresh as a result. Ricochet fought back eventually and wiped out Generico with a no-hands dive over a turnbuckle. They started going back and forth in the ring. They connected on some big movez. They kicked out of a lot of stuff. For the finish, Ricochet avoided the turnbuckle brainbuster, hit a cartwheel poison ‘rana, and then defeated Generico with the 630.

This match was very well-done, as Ricochet was absolutely made to look like a future star in this match. Generico controlling the match felt very fresh and made me long for more matches where he gets to work wrestlers over.

Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Battle of Los Angeles
August 20, 2011

El Generico vs. Claudio Castagnoli

This was a first round match in the 2011 BOLA (that Generico would go on to win). Claudio had recently dropped the PWG title and was on his way to the WWE.

Claudio controlled the match from the start. Generico fought back, but Claudio dropped him on a turnbuckle to get control yet again. Generico fought back, and they fucked up a diving ‘rana. An angry Claudio then destroyed him with a series of gutwrench suplexes. That’s how you recover from a botch. Generico fought back with a tope con hello! Back in the ring, Generico went for a diving crossbody, but Claudio caught him and reversed it into a backbreaker. One of my favorite spots ever. Claudio went for the UFO, but Generico reversed it. Yakuza! Brainbuster reversed into Swiss Death! Crucifix pin by Generico: 1…2…NO!!!!! Generico avoided a Ricola, but Claudio then hit a lariat.

This was yet another great chapter in one of the best, modern in-ring rivalries. Claudio was so on point here, as he was 100% focused on winning this match after losing his PWG World Championship a month earlier. That helped to make Generico’s win all the more significant and impressive. Some of the spots and sequences down the stretch were absolutely breathtaking on top of the wonderful story. Great match.

Match Rating: ****

 

Steen Wolf
October 22, 2011

Kevin Steen(c) vs. El Generico [Ladder Match for the PWG World Championship]

My body is finally ready to revisit this one.

Generico hit a very early tope con HELLO. Steen quickly got control and used a ladder as a weapon on Generico. He gave Generico a back body drop onto a bridged ladder. It looked unfortunate. Generico was fighting back sporadically, but Steen was mostly destroying him for a long stretch of time. Generico finally started to come back after giving Steen a Michinoku Driver onto the side of a ladder. He then gave Steen a half-nelson suplex onto another ladder. Steen came back and powerbombed Generico through a bridged ladder. They started going back and forth with big spots. Steen ended up giving Generico the turnbuckle brainbuster. The Young Bucks ran out and prevented Steen from winning. Steen and Generico both recovered enough to climb. They battled on the top of the ladder. Generico gave him a sunset flip powerbomb onto two bridged ladders. Generico then got the belt and tore down part of the ceiling with it.

The Young Bucks returned and attacked both men this time. They also tossed Rick Knox to the floor. They challenged Steen to a Guerrilla Warfare match. The lights went out. SUPER FUCKING DRAGON RETURN! Curb stomp to Matt! Psycho Driver to Nick!

On re-watch, it’s clear that they basically just worked the standard structure for a PWG main event, but everything involved a ladder. That upped the stakes and violence appropriately for such an epic feud. I liked how the ladder spots got progressively more and more dangerous throughout the match with the final one being an emphatic exclamation point. A great main event in what seems destined to be one of the longest and best feuds of the last fifteen years.

Match Rating: ****

 

Watch El Generico matches for free!

Just released today: Sami Zayn vs. Alex Riley

El Generico vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Nick Jackson vs. Jigsaw [One of the best Chikara matches ever]

El Generico vs. PAC [2012]

El Generico vs. PAC [2007]

El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. Super Dragon & Excalibur

El Generico vs. Chris Hero

El Generico & Kevin Steen vs. The Young Bucks

El Generico, KENTA, & Kevin Steen vs. Chris Hero & The American Wolves

El Generico vs. Davey Richards

El Generico vs. Jigsaw

El Generico vs. Samuray del Sol

El Generico vs. Player Uno

El Generico & Twiggy vs. zombies

El Generico vs. Twiggy

El Generico vs. Zombified

El Generico vs. Big Van Walter

El Generico vs. Buxx Belmar

El Generico & Paul London vs. Jake Manning & Joey Silvia

9.5
The final score: review Amazing
The 411
This is one of the easiest recommendations in the world. It's a collection of good to great matches of one of the best wrestlers in the last fifteen years in the one American indie that understood how amazingly special he was from the beginning until the end of his time in the company. Buy this set from Highspots or PWG. It is 100% worth it.
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