BG Says: PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2005

September 3, 2005 – Los Angeles, California – Night 1

This is a King of the Ring style tournament that takes place over two nights. Much like WWE’s King of the Ring, ROH’s Survival of the Fittest and Race to the Top, IWA Mid-South’s Ted Petty Invitational and ECWA’s Super 8 this is a tournament that decides who is going to be the guy to watch in the company. The show is only sold as a two-disc event with both nights included so it’s all getting jammed into one review here.

Disco Machine and Excalibur tackle commentary, and as usual be sure to switch the audio channel over to hear them.

SoCal Val & Dino Winwood start off the show with a pair of trophies in hand. Winwood announces that TJ Perkins has been injured, but will be replaced by his perennial rival Davey Richards. Jon Ian brings each participant to the ring one by one for a photo op. Kevin Steen and Super Dragon have a little stare down after the photo is taken.

VS.

Hook Bomberry, Topgun Talwar & Human Tornado VS. Excalibur, Disco Machine & Chris Sabin
Sabin was too hurt to wrestle in the tournament and so Romero is taking his place. He did feel healthy enough to team with Excalibur and Disco Machine in order to get his hands on Human Tornado to stake a claim at the tag team titles. Hook and Excalibur start. Hook hits a snapmare and unloads with kicks to start. He hits a head scissors takedown and a dropkick to the face. He dropkicks Excalibur to the floor where Ed Powers shoves him onto his back. Talwar and Disco tag in and fight on the mat. Talwar’s stripper thong is absolutely disturbing. He puts on the pectoral wristlock but Disco fights out. Disco pulls down Talwar’s panties revealing pubic hair glued to his crotch. Disco hits a vertical suplex and hog ties Talwar with the underpants. He rubs them in Talwar’s face and hits a hurricanrana. He hits a pair of dropkicks and tags to Sabin. Tornado tags in and gets angry when Sabin steals his afro pick. He forces Sabin to dance in response. He hits an armdrag out of a knuckle lock but Sabin returns fire with a knee to the gut. Tornado gets a head scissors takedown and hits a hurricanrana. He hits the tornado clothesline and follows up with the splits kick. Hook tags in and runs into an armdrag. Sabin hits a thrust kick and a dropkick for 2. Excalibur tags in and chokes Hook in the ropes. He hits a bodyslam and a kneedrop for 2. Sabin tags in and hits a backbreaker and a double jump elbowdrop for 2. He hits a dropkick to the back of the head for 2. Disco tags in and hits an elbowdrop. Hook comes back with an enziguiri and tags to Tornado. Excalibur tags in and walks into the Shoryuken. Tornado hits the Pounce and follows Excalibur to the floor with the wall dive. Back in the ring Sabin unloads forearms on Talwar. Talwar comes back with the Rydeen bomb for 2. Disco hits a powerslam and the Chokebreaker on Talwar for 2 when Hook saves. Hook hits the Michinoku driver on Disco for 2 when Excalibur saves. Excalibur hits a tornado chinbreaker and Tiger Driver ’98 for 2 when Tornado saves. A low blow has no effect on Tornado and he hits Excalibur with the Pimp Slap and a neckbreaker for 2. Sabin dumps Tornado and hits an enziguiri and the Cradle Shock on Talwar for 2 when Tornado saves. Tornado dumps Sabin and hits the Regalplex on Excalibur for the win at 15:06. Did I mention how distracting Talwar’s whale tail and pubes were? This was mostly comedy but accomplished it’s goal in getting the crowd into the show.
Rating: **½

VS.
Rocky Romero VS. Frankie Kazarian [Round 1 Match]
Romero is sporting a wide Mohawk here. Kazarian takes Romero down to start but Romero quickly comes back with a cross armbreaker attempt. They jockey for position until Kazarian takes control. Romero goes after the cross armbreaker again but Kazarian powers out. They lock up and Romero hits a flying mare. They fight to the floor where Romero baits Kazarian into chopping the post. Back in the ring Romero stays on the arm in brilliant fashion, faking a chop and putting on a wristlock. Kazarian falls for the Lady in the Lake but luckily rolls into the ropes. Kazarian hits the Edge-O-Matic and puts on the Mark Nulty Special. Romero gets to the ropes. Kazarian hits a Manhattan drop and a neckbreaker for 2. He puts on a stranglehold and then traps Romero in the Kazmission. The fans will Romero to keep from passing out and he gets to the ropes. Romero kicks out Kazarian’s knees and hits heel kick to the face. He hits a springboard armdrag and rolls Kazarian up for 2. Kazarian comes back with a roll up for 2. Romero gets a crucifix pin for 2. Kazarian gets a body scissors takedown for 2. He gets a roll up for 2 and a crucifix pin for 2. He goes for another roll up but Romero twists his hips and rolls Kazarian up for the win at 11:02. This was a great way to start the tournament, as it was paced differently than most matches and featured some very cerebral wrestling. They could have tacked another 5-10 minutes onto this easy and it could have stolen the show. I’d say the right guy went over too.
Rating: ***

VS.
Quicksilver VS. Davey Richards [Round 1 Match]
Winwood sings Quicksilver to the ring, getting him crazy over with the crowd. They trade holds, kicks and chops to start. Richards hits an overhead suplex and a snap suplex for 2. He puts on a chinlock and kicks Quicksilver’s back. He hits a back elbow for 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Quicksilver gets to the ropes. Quicksilver hits the Silver Slice and a springboard clothesline. He hits a leaping back elbow and a leg lariat. He hits a climbing enziguiri for 2. Richards boots the face and hits a lung blower. He hits a forearm and a clothesline for 2. Quicksilver gets a roll up for 2. Richards hits a tiger suplex for 2. He kicks Quicksilver to the mat and hits a basement dropkick. Quicksilver rolls to the floor so Richards follows him out with a suicide dive. Quicksilver whips Richards in to the apron and hits a backdrop on the floor. He climbs the steps to hit a swinging DDT on the floor. Back in the ring Quicksilver hits a moonsault for 2. Richards blocks the Silver Slice but Quicksilver dodges the German suplex. Richards hits the German suplex into the turnbuckle for 2. He climbs the ropes but Quicksilver cuts him off and hits a super Quick Qrusher for the win at 10:55. After a rather standard match that finish felt unnecessary.
Rating: **½

VS.
Joey Ryan VS. James Gibson [Round 1 Match]
Ryan has ditched the goofy pants but retained the silly sash. Gibson has a belt with him too, the ROH World Championship belt. Gibson puts Ryan on the mat with an armbar and turns it into a hammerlock. He counters an armbar from Ryan to a headlock and hits an elbow to the face. Ryan hits a cheap shot but Gibson puts him back in the armbar. Ryan goes to the eyes and hits the STO. He snaps Gibson’s arm against the top rope and then rams his shoulder into the post. Back in the ring he hits a hammerlock bodyslam and a northern lights suplex. Gibson gets an armbar takedown and keeps the hold on. Ryan rolls out and dumps Gibson to the floor. Gibson swings back in and hits a knee to the face. He hits a powerslam for 2. He hits back elbows and a snap bodyslam. He hits a second rope elbowdrop for 2. Ryan hits a knee to the gut and a boot to the face. He hits a superkick for 2. Gibson blocks a second superkick but Ryan dumps him to the floor again. Photographer Shane Kidder gets wiped out again, so please check out ShanesPhotos.com to help pay for his pain medication. Ryan hits Gibson with a swinging DDT off the apron to the floor. Gibson gets back in the ring at 19. Ryan sets Gibson up top but Gibson fights him off and comes off the top with a kneedrop. He hits a brainbuster for 2. He puts on the cloverleaf but Ryan gets to the ropes. Gibson puts a guillotine on in the ropes but the referee calls for the break. Ryan falls to the floor so Gibson follows him out with a suicide dive. Ryan tries to trick the referee into thinking that Gibson hit him with a chair and when that doesn’t work he rolls Gibson up for 2. Gibson puts on the guillotine but Ryan gets to the corner. Gibson casually hits the tiger driver for the win at 15:59. Man oh man that was boring. I mean technically there was nothing wrong with it but it never came close to being engaging.
Rating: **¼

VS.
Chris Bosh VS. El Generico [Round 1 Match]
Bosh attacks Generico from behind to start. He whips Generico with his denim vest but Generico comes back with a springboard dropkick. Bosh puts on a toehold but Generico comes back with a headlock. Bosh dodges a basement dropkick so Generico hits him with a dropkick to the back. Generico goes for a knuckle locked springboard something but Bosh cuts him off with a gutbuster. Bosh hits a bodyslam and a fistdrop for 2. He hits a backbreaker for 2. Generico bails so Bosh follows him out and hits a vertical suplex on the floor. Back in the ring Generico hits his swinging DDT. He hits a leg lariat and a back elbow. He hits a standing moonsault but misses a double jump moonsault. Bosh dumps him to the floor and goes for his head scissors takedown but Generico tosses him back on the apron and violently boots his face. That was so sick. He rams Bosh’s head into the post and hits a double springboard moonsault for 2 back in the ring. Bosh hits the Chris Bosh Special out of nowhere but Generico comes back with a half nelson suplex for 2. He sets Bosh up top but Bosh comes back with a crazy sunset bomb and a backbreaker for 2. That really should have been the finish. Bosh climbs the ropes but Generico pops up and hits the turnbuckle brainbuster. Bosh rolls to the floor and makes Generico roll him back into the ring, giving him enough time to get his foot on the ropes before a three count. Bosh blocks the brainbuster and hits the Steiner Screwdriver for the win at 12:42. The complete lack of selling was annoying but the match was otherwise fun.
Rating: **¾

VS.
American Dragon VS. Ricky Reyes [Round 1 Match]
A freshly shaved American Dragon is making his return to wrestling here after a four-month hiatus. They knuckle up to start and Dragon puts on a wristlock. They lock up and take cheap shots against each other; Dragon grabbing Reyes’s ear and Reyes grabbing Dragon’s hair. The referee has difficulty separating them after they go to the corner. They fight to the mat where the chain wrestling is accompanied by more shady tactics. Dragon goes after Reyes’s leg with kicks and puts on a leglock. Reyes gets to the ropes. We get the first known appearance of “I have ‘til 5 referee” here. Reyes blocks a takedown but Dragon catches him in a half crab. Reyes gets to the ropes. They knuckle up again and Dragon hits a monkey flip for 2. He puts on a cross armbreaker and then when Reyes escapes he slaps on an anklelock. Reyes puts on a cravat and kicks Dragon’s back. He stays on Dragon’s neck and then puts on an armbar. Dragon counters that to the head scissors but Reyes comes back with a cross armbreaker of his own. Dragon gets to the ropes. Reyes hits a back elbow for 2. He goes back to work on the neck but Dragon responds with European uppercuts. Dragon dropkicks Reyes to the floor and then follows him out to whip him into some chairs. Reyes returns the favor and kicks Dragon’s chest for 2 back in the ring. He hits a dropkick to the face and they trade forearms. Dragon fakes a forearm and hits a dropkick for 2. He puts on the Mexican surfboard and bends him back into a chinlock until Reyes uses the referee to pull himself to the mat. Reyes counters the airplane spin to a German suplex for 2. He puts on a figure 4 leglock but Dragon turns it over. Reyes turns it back over so Dragon rolls to the ropes. Dragon sets Reyes up top and hits a back superplex for 2. Reyes counters the airplane spin to an armbar (but in a great touch doesn’t do it immediately and has to fight a little first) but Dragon gets to the ropes. Dragon hits a shoulder tackle and a European uppercut before countering the dragon clutch into a crossface chicken wing for the win at 19:19. This was a much needed change of pace, as it was almost entirely mat based and filled with beautifully unique counters to moves we’ve come to expect form these guys. I’m shocked at how much I enjoyed this.
Rating: ***½

VS.
Christopher Daniels VS. Scott Lost [Round 1 Match]
They lock up and Lost grabs a headlock. He pulls out a permanent marker and draws a penis hole on top of Daniels’s head, referencing Bosh’s remarks at the last show that Daniels’s head looks phallic. Just in case any fan wasn’t there Lost gets on the microphone and spells it out for everyone. He hits a dropkick for 2. He rolls Daniels up for 2. He gets a backslide for 2. He hits another dropkick and gets a crucifix pin for 2. He hits the Superman Spear and catapults him into the middle turnbuckle for 2. Daniels blocks a second Superman Spear and then follows Lost out to the floor and bodyslams him onto two set up chairs. Back in the ring Daniels hits a back bodydrop and kicks Lost’s back. He hits a delayed vertical suplex for 2. He hits a backbreaker and keeps the pressure on Lost’s back. He puts on a sleeper hold but Lost counters to one of his own. He slams Daniels to the mat and hits a legdrop for 2. Daniels hits a back suplex and then stands on Lost’s back and neck. He hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He hits an Oklahoma DVD for 2. Lost hits a superkick and a back bodydrop. He hits a clothesline and a leaping forearm for 2. He hits a spinning kick for 2. Daniels hits a blue thunder bomb for 2. He hits the STO for 2. Lost goes for a leap frog but collapses to the mat, clutching his knee. Daniels takes the bait and gets rolled up for 2. Lost hits a gutbuster for 2. He hits a low blow for 2. Daniels comes back with a roll up for 2. He hits the uranage but misses the triple jump moonsault. Lost hits a spear but Daniels blocks the Sharpshooter and hits a low blow and the Angel’s Wings for the win at 14:18. These two could have done a lot more, but I’ve come to expect disappointment from Daniels. Lost on the other hand should have had a much better showing in this tournament. The finish was entertaining, so there’s that at least.
Rating: **¼

After the match Lost beats up on the referee until Scorpio Sky makes his return, rushing the ring and putting Lost down. He comes in with the mask but takes it off himself and leaves without it.

VS.
AJ Styles VS. Jack Evans [Round 1 Match]
Styles shoves Evans into the corner to start. He talks some trash about Evans’s dancing, so Evans dances. Styles responds to that by shoving him to the floor. Back in the ring they fight on the mat where Styles takes control. Evans hits a dropkick and a body scissors takedown for 1. He gets a roll up for 2. Styles hits a pair of armdrags into an armbar. He kicks Evans’s chest but Evans swings him to the floor. He follows Styles out with a double jump corkscrew moonsault and gets 2 back in the ring. He hits a back elbow for 2. He dodges a blind charge and hits a handspring elbow. He hits a springboard kick to the face for 2. He hits a leg lariat for 2. Styles comes back with a one-handed spinebuster for 2. He puts on a Mutalock and really stretches Evans back. He hits his swinging backbreaker for 2. He hits a traditional backbreaker and puts on a dragon sleeper. He turns that into another backbreaker for 2. Evans climbs the ropes and does a backflip before hitting a double stomp on Styles’s shoulder. Just to be clear, Styles was standing up straight at the time. That gets 2. He misses a springboard 630 and Styles hits a German suplex and a facebuster. Evans counters the Styles Clash to a hurricanrana for 2. They fight to the top rope and Styles collapses to the floor. Evans goes for a dragon rana on the floor but Styles counters to the Styles Clash and rolls Evans back inside for the win at 13:35. There were a few spots early on that were obviously botched but the recoveries of those botches were fantastic. For the most part this was all show and no go. All flash and no flare. All sizzle and no steak. You get what I’m trying to say.
Rating: **½

VS
Super Dragon VS. Kevin Steen [Round 1 Match]
They try to knuckle up to start but Steen begs off. They lock up and Steen forces Dragon to the ropes. They trade slaps and Dragon takes Steen to the mat. He pins Steen for 2 and puts on a front facelock. Steen puts on a headlock but misses an enziguiri and Dragon goes back to his front facelock. Steen goes after the arm so Dragon responds in kind. He stretches Steen’s arm while kicking his face but Steen comes back with a leglock. Steen blocks a lariat and puts on an armbar. The fans call him boring so he keeps up the same strategy for a while. He hits an elbowdrop and snaps Dragon’s neck against the top rope. Dragon dumps him to the floor and follows him out with a topé. He hits a kneedrop and but Steen rams him into the apron. The fans call for a chop to the face so Dragon hits it on Steen. Back in the ring Dragon gets 2. He puts on the Mark Nulty Special but Steen gets to the ropes. He puts on a butterfly hold and hits a DDT for 2. He blocks a blind charge and gets a head scissors takedown. Steen comes back with a double stomp and slaps Dragon across the face. He hangs Dragon over the top rope and boots him to the floor. He follows Dragon out with a senton over the top rope. That can’t have felt good. He hits a legdrop but refuses to chop Dragon’s face because the fans want to see it. He walks over Dragon to get back in the ring and break the count and then rolls Dragon back inside. They trade chops and Steen hits a superkick for 2. He puts on the leggy nelson but Dragon gets to the ropes. Dragon dodges a dropkick and hits the Curb Stomp. Steen blocks a second attempt but runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He puts on a leglock and kicks Steen’s face. Steen blocks a blind charge and hits a somersault axe kick off the second rope. Dragon hits a German suplex and a blue thunder bomb for 2. He hits a kneedrop and climbs the ropes. He comes down with a senton bomb for 2. He rolls Steen onto his stomach and climbs again. Steen pushes him to the mat and hits an enziguiri for 2. He hits a powerbomb for 2. Dragon comes back with a lariat for 2. He sets Steen up top but Steen fights him off and hits the moonsault. Steen climbs again and hits the 450 splash for 2. Dragon rolls to the floor so Steen follows him out and tosses Dragon into the wall. Dragon dodges a second attempt and hits a backdrop on the floor. He powerbomb Steen into the wall and rolls him back into the ring. He comes off the top with a double stomp to the back of the head for 2. He hits the Psycho Driver for 2 when Steen slips in a crucifix pin for the win at 33:02. Eh, they probably could have cut ten minutes out of this match and made it a lot more interesting. Steen’s control portion was pretty dull for the most part. They threw in a few nods to their past matches, which is always a nice touch, and the punishment Steen took near the end was brutal.
Rating: ***¼

After the match Dragon gives Steen his due and asks for a handshake. Steen gives it to him and they hug. Well that’s ridiculous so it’s obviously a set up for Dragon to hit the Supernatural Driver. Excalibur and Disco Machine run out and chase Dragon from the ring. Considering how rare it is in independent wrestling to see the babyface get any kind of advantage during a feud this was a nice change pace.

September 4, 2005 – Los Angeles, California – Night 2

The night begins with Dino Winwood in the ring. He talks about his friend Scorpio Sky returning to PWG last night. Being the Co-Commissioner he was able to sign a match between his friend Sky and the man who humiliated him a few months back, Scott Lost. Sky comes out and reflects upon what Lost did to him. He knows people were wondering where he was, so he tells us. He went home to Africa and goes on to describe it in detail. He found himself when little kids started following him around chanting “Scorpio Bom Ba Ye, Scorpio Bom Ba Ye” which means “kill him.” Now that the match has been signed he’s going to do just that to Lost.

The New S.B.S. and probationary member Ronin come to the ring to complain about Chris Sabin. Excalibur is mad that Sabin allowed him to be pinned last night, so he wants a six-man match against him right now.

VS.

Hook Bomberry, Chris Sabin & TJ Perkins VS. Excalibur, Disco Machine & Ronin
Hook and Excalibur start and Hook hits a dropkick to the face. He sends Excalibur to the floor and things break down. Perkins hits a crossbody on Disco and Sabin hits a dropkick on Ronin. The New S.B.S. and probationary member Ronin end up on the floor so our heroes dive out onto them. Back in the ring Perkins rolls Excalibur up for 2. Sabin tags in and hits a dropkick for 2. Hook tags in and hits a dropkick for 2. Excalibur blocks a blind charge and hits an Ace Crusher. Disco tags in and hits an elbowdrop and a snap suplex. Ronin tags in and hits his lifting forearm. He hits a running forearm and tags to Disco who tags to Excalibur. Excalibur hits a kneedrop off the second rope and puts on a camel clutch. Ronin kicks Hook in the face and tags in illegally. Hook hits an enziguiri and tags to Sabin. Excalibur tags in but Sabin is cleaning house. Sabin kicks off Disco and Ronin to hit a swinging DDT on Excalibur. Excalibur dumps Sabin but Perkins hits him with a senton. Disco hits the Chokebreaker on Perkins. Hook hits the Michinoku Driver on Disco. Ronin hits the DVD on Hook. Sabin dropkicks Ronin’s face and hits an enziguiri and the Cradle Shock on Excalibur for the win at 7:08. This went from the feeling out process right into the final stretch of finishers.
Rating: *½

VS.
Rocky Romero VS. Quicksilver [Quarterfinal Match]
They knuckle up and Romero puts on a wristlock. He switches to a headlock before getting a unique head scissors takedown variation. He does it again but Quicksilver gets to the ropes. Quicksilver grabs a headlock and slaps Romero across the face. Romero responds in kind but Quicksilver gets a head scissors takedown. Romero quickly hits a big boot but Quicksilver comes back with a forearm for 2. Romero hits a knee to the gut and kicks the back. He hits a bodyslam and a pair of kicks to the chest. He hits a pair of kneedrops for 2. He hits a back bodydrop and they trade slaps. Romero wins that exchange for 2. He puts on a camel clutch but Quicksilver comes back with a crossbody for 2. Romero hits a clothesline and puts on a sleeper hold. He floats into an octopus stretch but Quicksilver counters to an abdominal stretch. Romero hits a hiptoss to escape and follows up with a kneedrop for 2. Quicksilver hits two enziguiris and a reverse head scissors takedown for 2. He hits the Quick Qrusher for 2. Romero hits a flying knee strike and a bodyslam. He climbs the ropes but Quicksilver cuts him off. Romero gets a victory roll into an ankle lock but Quicksilver gets to the ropes. Romero hits a shinbreaker but Quicksilver shoves him away and blocks the roll up Kazarian won his opening round match with for the win at 13:08. This was kind of disappointing compared to Romero’s showing in the first round. It was decent but I won’t remember it after the next match is over.
Rating: **½

Chris Bosh gets on the microphone and calls “Jamie Knoble” gay for wearing another man’s name (James Gibson) on his tights. He says that his last name may be Gibson, like another racist that he very much respects, but his first name isn’t Mel so the respect doesn’t carry over. I’ve heard that James and Mel may have more in common that Bosh lets on. Gibson of course responds with a kick to the gut to start the match.

VS.
Chris Bosh VS. James Gibson [Quarterfinal Match]
Gibson is still the ROH World Champion at this point. He hits a bodyslam before Bosh can take his vest off. He hits a seated dropkick and punts Bosh’s ribs. He chops Bosh hard to get the crowd behind him and then hits a dropkick. Bosh rolls to the floor so Gibson follows him out with a very slow suicide dive and lands on his head on the floor. Back in the ring Gibson hits a legdrop but Bosh comes back with the STO backbreaker. It gets 1. He chokes Gibson on the bottom rope and puts on a hammerlock. He hits a backbreaker and mugs for the fans. Gibson hits a Manhattan drop but Bosh returns fire with a back suplex. He hits a fistdrop and puts on an abdominal stretch. Gibson hits a hiptoss to escape but misses an elbowdrop. Gibson puts on an abdominal stretch and hits a backbreaker. He hits a pair of short-arm clotheslines and a back bodydrop. He hits a spinebuster for 2. Bosh blocks the tiger driver and hits a backbreaker for 2. Gibson puts on the guillotine but Bosh hits a suplex to escape. It gets 2 but Gibson holds on with the guillotine. Bosh gets to the ropes. Gibson hits a knee to the head and goes for the tiger driver. Joey Ryan and Scott Lost run out and distract Gibson long enough for Bosh to roll him up for the win at 10:39. Not great, but solid enough to make Bosh look more credible in the tournament. After the match Gibson stands around in the ring because it’s his last match with the company. That’s a pretty cheap way to get heat.
Rating: **¾

VS.
American Dragon VS. Christopher Daniels [Quarterfinal Match]
Maybe Dragon can light a fire under Daniels’s ass. Dragon asks for a handshake early on but uses it to stomp on Daniels’s hand. They lock up and Dragon grabs a headlock. Daniels counters to a wristlock but Dragon comes back with a dropkick. He goes back to the headlock and dominated Daniels on the mat for a while. They knuckle up and Daniels overpowers Dragon. Dragon fights back with a backdrop for 2. He hits another for 2 by holding onto the knuckle lock. He frustrates Daniels with multiple pin attempts but Daniels finally comes back with a sunset flip for 2 before bailing. Back in the ring Daniels stomps on both of Dragon’s hands but Dragon comes back with a bodyslam and the Earthquake splash for 2. Daniels hits an arm screw and then slams Dragon’s arm to the mat. He puts on an armbar and rams Dragon’s shoulder into the corner. He goes back to the armbar but Dragon comes back with a shoulder tackle. Daniels kicks the arm and then kicks it against the top rope. He stuns the arm and rolls Dragon up for 2. Dragon comes back with a spinning kick, something I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do before. He uses his good arm for chops and a European uppercut. He kicks Daniels in the corner and hits a butterfly suplex for 2. He puts on the Mexican surfboard and rolls back to pin him for 2. He sets Daniels up top and hits the superplex for 2. He puts on the Cow Killer but Daniels gets to the ropes. Daniels goes to the eyes but Dragon comes back with a jackknife pin for 2. Daniels hits the uranage and hits the triple jump moonsault for 2. He goes for the Angel’s Wings but Dragon counters to a backdrop and hits the roaring forearm. He gets 25 revolutions in the airplane spin and puts on the crossface chicken wing for the win at 18:23. I suppose it’d be unfair to expect Dragon to be in control the entire match, but it sure was fun when he was. This was probably the worst match I’ve seen between the two, but the standard is high enough that it left us with something entertaining.
Rating: ***¼

After the match Dragon reminds Daniels that he said if anyone beat him in a PWG ring he’d give them a shot at the TNA X-Division title. He says that since Daniels not only lost but actually tapped out that he give him a shot at the championship. Daniels says he didn’t tap out but was actually trying to get Dragon’s arm off his throat. He says it was a case of bad officiating and denies Dragon his title shot. Dragon keeps egging him on until he accepts.

VS.
AJ Styles VS. Kevin Steen [Quarterfinal Match]
Before the match Steen gets on the microphone and talks about how much his match against Super Dragon took out of him. More specifically he mentions that the Supernatural Driver that Dragon gave him after the match really messed him up. He asks that Styles kindly lay off his knee and his neck throughout the match. Styles seems to agree. That is until the bell rings and he kicks out Steen’s knee and elbows his neck. He unloads with said strikes until the referee pulls him away. Steen rolls to the floor and whips Styles into the post. Back in the ring Styles sweeps Steen’s legs. He goes for an Irish whip but Steen’s knee completely gives out. Steen asks for the referee to get him some tape which he uses as a distraction to hit Styles with his knee brace. He quickly puts the brace back on and hits a back suplex for 2. He hangs Styles on the top rope and boots him to the mat for 2. He hits a neckbreaker over his knee but is slow to cover and only gets 2. He climbs the ropes but Styles cuts him off and stretches his back over the post. He snaps Steen’s neck against the post and climbs the ropes. Steen shoves the referee into the ropes but his knee keeps him from gaining the advantage. He does counter the inverted DDT to a gutbuster and climbs the ropes. Styles cuts him off and hits a fireman’s carry into a neckbreaker. He climbs the ropes and hits the Spiral Tap for the win at 7:01. That was a pretty clever way to get the champion out of the tournament without making him look too bad. They packed a nice story into a short amount of time.
Rating: **¾

VS.
Samoa Joe & NOSAWA VS. Topgun Talwar & Kikutaro
Joe and Talwar start. Talwar’s cocaine binge is not enough to give him the courage to stand toe to toe with Joe. He walks towards the entrance so Joe pulls him back to the ring by his nose. Talwar puts on a bearhug but Joe casually pushes him away. Talwar tries a chop and shoulder tackles but Joe feels nothing and nonchalantly trips him. Talwar stomps on his toes but Joe dodges a crossbody. He kicks Talwar’s butt so Kikutaro tags in. NOSAWA tags in but he and Kikutaro have trouble locking up. They knuckle up and Kikutaro goes to the ropes. Kikutaro wants an arm wrestling match but when NOSAWA meets him on the mat he springs up and stomps his back. NOSAWA dropkicks the knee but the Shining Wizard is blocked. NOSAWA blocks one from Kikutaro and shake hands out of respect. Joe and Talwar tag in and have a sumo showdown. Joe hits a belly-to-belly suplex and a climbing knee in the corner. He hits a delayed vertical suplex and tags to NOSAWA. NOSAWA kicks Talwar’s back for 2. Joe tags in and they wrap Talwar’s legs around the post. Joe hits the Big Joe Combo for 2. NOSAWA tags in and puts Talwar in a camel clutch for a dropkick to the face from Joe. That gets 2. Talwar hits the Rydeen bomb and tags to Kikutaro. Kikutaro hits a clothesline but a bulldog is blocked. He hits a superkick and a DVD. He climbs the ropes but misses a moonsault. NOSAWA hits a buzzsaw kick for 2. Kikutaro dropkicks the knee and hits the Shining Wizard. NOSAWA hits a standing Shining Wizard and tags to Joe. Joe hits a Manhattan drop and a big boot. He hits a senton for 2. Kikutaro goes to the eyes and tags to Talwar. Talwar hits the Chioptlé for 2. He hits the clotheslines in the corner but Joe catches him with the STJoe. He sets Talwar up top and pokes Kikutaro in the eyes. He hits the Muscle Buster on Talwar for the win at 11:35. This was all comedy as you’d expect, but nothing was particularly funny. After the match Kikutaro asks Talwar to quit doing all drugs except for marijuana.
Rating: **

SoCal Val and Winwood come out to the ring to call out Joey Ryan and Scott Lost. Dino tells them that if they interfere in another match tonight they’ll be fired. That could be tough considering together they own 1/3 of the company. Dino pushes Lost to the entrance, but that leaves Val wide open to eat a superkick from Ryan.

VS.
Chris Bosh VS. Quicksilver [Semifinal Match]
Former tag team championship partners collide! Quicksilver controls to starts and knocks Bosh to the floor. He follows Bosh out and goes for a chair shot but only hits the post. Back in the ring Quicksilver hits a back elbow and a body scissors takedown. He hits a bodyslam and slaps Bosh across the face. Bosh hits a backbreaker and a fisherman suplex. He puts on a surfboard stretch and then chokes Quicksilver on the bottom rope. He puts on a chinlock and hits another backbreaker for 2. Quicksilver hits a springboard hurricanrana and a leaping forearm. He hits a climbing kick to the head in the corner for 2. He sets Bosh up top but Bosh comes back with a sunset bomb. Quicksilver hits the Silver Slice for 2. Bosh hits the STO backbreaker for 2. He climbs the ropes but Quicksilver brings him down with a spinebuster for 2. Bosh blocks a monkey flip by dropping Quicksilver back-first on top of the post. Bosh follows him to the floor and hits a fall away slam into the post. Back in the ring Bosh gets 2. Quicksilver hits a dropkick to the back of the head and Bosh bails. Quicksilver follows him out with a missile dropkick. Bosh gets up on the apron so Quicksilver hits him with a sunset bomb to the floor. Bosh get his hands back into the ring before being counted out but the crowd appropriately calls it bad officiating. Bosh hits the Steiner Screwdriver out of nowhere for the win at 14:48. While there were some very big spots they were linked together with slow motion wrestling. I understand they both wrestled earlier in the night, so while it made sense within the context of the tournament it didn’t make for much of an interesting match.
Rating: **¼

VS.
AJ Styles VS. American Dragon [Semifinal Match]
They fight on the mat to start. Dragon largely stays in control and Styles is forced to repeatedly go to the ropes. Dragon grabs a headlock but Styles counters to a hammerlock. Dragon fights out and hits a cheap headbutt. They go back to the mat but this time Styles has better luck. He gets frustrated and goes after Dragon with forearms. Dragon kips up so Styles shoves him down hard for 2. They have some fun with shoulder tackles until Styles hits a dropkick. Dragon hits a monkey flip but Styles suplexes him to the floor. Styles follows him out with a plancha which gets 2 back in the ring. He hits a standing moonsault but aggravates his knee. That’s karma for you. Dragon blocks a blind charge and hits a European uppercut off the second rope. Rather than put on the Mexican surfboard he hits the thigh stomp. He kicks Styles’s back and hits a kneedrop for 2. He tries to wrap Styles’s own leg around his head but Styles blocks it. Styles goes for a guillotine but Dragon blocks and hits a European uppercut. Styles hits the reverse DDT and they knock each other down with spinning strikes. Dragon looks for the crossface chicken wing but Styles blocks and hits a hammerlock back suplex. He hits a pumphandle gutbuster for 2. He climbs the ropes but Dragon cuts him off and hits a super armbar takedown. He puts on the crossface chicken wing but Styles gets to the ropes. Styles puts the Cow Killer on Dragon but his knee is too hurt to keep it on. Dragon uses that injury to put the move on Styles and then rolls him up for 2. He sets Styles up top but Styles counters the back superplex to a crossbody for 2. Dragon gets a roll up for 2. They trade strikes and Dragon goes to the eyes. Dragon gets going with the airplane spin but Styles uses his momentum to roll Dragon up for the win at 20:00. This was somewhat reminiscent of their ROH match from November of 2003, but with even less crowd heat if you can believe that. The last few minutes were very, very good however and the finish was great.
Rating: ***½

VS

Super Dragon, Jack Evans, El Generico & Frankie Kazarian VS. Ricky Reyes, Davey Richards, Joey Ryan & Scott Lost
Leave it to professional wrestling to have an equal amount of babyfaces and heels lose in the first round the of the tournament and thus have perfect teams for this losers match. Generico and Ryan start. Ryan grabs a wristlock but Generico takes him to the mat. Ryan goes the eyes and they trade forearms. Generico puts on an armbar and tags to Kazarian. Reyes tags in and puts on a headlock. They both go for dropkicks and trade armdrags. Lost and Evans tag in and Lost gets a roll up for 2. He hits a leg lariat to the back but Evans comes back with a spinning kick. Richards tags in and the crowd asks for Super Dragon. Richards shoves Evans into the corner so Dragon tags in. They trade forearms and go for their finishers. Dragon goes after Richards’s leg so Richards responds with a cross armbreaker attempt. Richards hits the shoulder kick but Dragon comes back with the STF. He beats Richards down in his own corner but Richards comes back with Kawada kicks. Dragon ducks a kick and strikes Richards down. Generico tags in and drapes Richards over his knee for a top rope double stomp from Super Dragon. That gets 2. Generico hits a leg lariat for 2. Richards dodges a moonsault and tags to Lost. Lost hits a legdrop and a vertical suplex for 2. He hits the Superman Spear and tags to Ryan. Ryan hits a dropkick and tags to Reyes. Reyes hits a gutwrench suplex for 2. Generico gets a roll up for 2. Evans tags in and hits flipping dropkicks on Reyes and Richards. He hits a blockbuster neckbreaker on Ryan and knocks Lost to the floor. Reyes catches him with a clothesline from behind and hits a back suplex for 2. Evans hits Lost with a big DDT and tags to Kazarian. Ryan tags in but Kazarian is cleaning house. Dragon trips Ryan and hits a backbreaker on Lost. Kazarian dumps Richards onto Lost in the corner and hits them both with the momentum kick. Dragon, Kazarian and Generico dive onto their opponents on the floor. Evans wants to follow suit but Richards cuts him off. Evans dropkicks him to the floor and follows him out with the Space Flying Tiger Drop. Back in the ring Evans dodges the Superman Spear and hits a double stomp to Lost’s head. Ryan hits Evans with a superkick and dives out onto Dragon. Lost spears Generico and stacks Evans on top of him before putting the Sharpshooter on both of them. Ryan hits a backdrop driver on Dragon to keep him from helping but Kazarian breaks up Lost’s hold. Generico hits a half nelson suplex on Ryan and the corner Yakuza kick on Lost. He sets Lost up top and Kazarian brings him down with the Flux Capacitor for 2 when Reyes saves. Reyes puts the dragon sleeper on Generico but Evans breaks it up with a double stomp. Reyes powerbombs Evans and hits an assisted lungblower with Richards for 2 when Dragon saves. Dragon dumps Reyes and hits a German suplex and a lariat on Richards for 2. Richards comes back with an enziguiri and a tiger suplex for 2. He misses a shooting star press and Dragon goes for the Psycho Driver. Reyes tries to pull him to the floor but Evans springboards off of Richards’s chest onto Reyes on the floor and Dragon his the move for the win at 19:46. This was a very refreshing change of pace and the best match of the weekend. I love when the PWG crew decides to put on a crazy spotfest.
Rating: ****¼

VS.
AJ Styles VS. Chris Bosh [Tournament Finals]
Styles is worn out before the match so Bosh attacks him from behind. He hits a stunner and Styles bails. Bosh hits the reverse head scissors takedown to the floor and keeps the pressure on back in the ring. Styles hits a lariat for 2. He hits a backbreaker but it’s onto his bad knee and he can’t capitalize. He hits a neckbreaker for 2. He hits a kick to the face because he doesn’t really know how to sell and gets 2. He hits a vertical suplex for 2. Bosh hits the Chris Bosh Special but because Styles has no testicles he is able to immediately hit the Pelé kick for 2. He climbs the ropes but Bosh blocks the Spiral Tap with his knees and hits the Steiner Screwdriver for 2. He hits a second one for the win at 5:42. All Styles needed to do in this match was sell his bum knee to make Bosh’s win believable, but instead it was Bosh hitting a killer move twice to beat him, which really makes no sense in the grand scheme of things.
Rating: *

After the match Bosh makes fun on Styles’s Bible thumping ways in a nod to Steve Austin’s post King of the Ring speech to the then religious Jake Roberts. Styles says that Jesus is off limits and gets booed out of the building. Did Styles think the LA fans were sympathetic to his homophobic, pushy and arrogant beliefs? This guy kills me. Styles is awarded with the runner up trophy and Bosh is given the winners trophy. Bosh throws hits trophy down and tells Styles to shove his holier than though beliefs where the good lord split him. Styles throws a water bottle at him just to show how much of a baby he is.

The 411:  With the exception of Romero vs. Kazarian and Reyes vs. American Dragon the first round was kind of a bust. It’s too bad that the losers match completely outshined everything in the tournament. I’m surprised there was enough buzz from this tournament to make it an annual thing, but reportedly the next year’s is a lot better. I think the mistake they made was running an injury angle with Styles throughout the tournament. I feel that he proved in the original ROH Pure Title tournament in 2004 that he isn’t the guy to count on for that in multiple matches. At any rate, the shows as a whole are solid, but a lot to get through without much waiting for you at the end. The only matches I’d really go out of my way for are American Dragon vs. Ricky Reyes to see Reyes have a great match and the loser’s match because it’s just a really fun spotfest.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]