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Guerrilla Reviewfare: PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2017 (Stage 2) Review
Image Credit: PWG
Loading...The first stage of 2017’s BOLA tournament was a rock solid 2 hours of pro wrestling. Not only did the tournament itself provide a handful of good matches and successful debuts, but the one non-BOLA affair we were treated to is sure to be one of the most memorable of the weekend. But with all due respect to Stage One, the show we’re talking about here is the real draw of the bunch. The most glaring addition is the presence of Kenny Omega in the main event, teaming with his Elite stablemates The Young Bucks to take on the super team of Pentagon, Fenix, and Flamita. That alone was enough to sell the entire trio of BOLA events, but that’s hardly the only thing to look forward to. PROGRESS Champion Travis Banks makes his big debut against Mark Haskins, Donovan Dijak makes his big singles debut after tearing down the house on Stage One, Joey Janela makes a somewhat unlikely trek into Reseda, and WALTER touches down in my most anticipated PWG debut all year. At that point, the main event is simply icing on an already fantastic cake… so let’s get on with it.
We are TAPED from the American Legion in Reseda, CA.
Your hosts are Excalibur and Chuck Taylor.
BOLA First Round: Donovan Dijak vs. Trevor Lee
Donovan Dijak has already made a big splash this weekend, of course teaming with Keith Lee last night in an excellent losing effort against The Chosen Bros. Trevor Lee’s 2017 has largely been under the radar when it comes to PWG, but there aren’t many guys better to have a good match with when you really need it.
Trevor Pearl Harbor’s poor Donovan with a super German Suplex, but Dijak catches him on the floor with Feast Your Eyes! Lee boots him out of mid-air as he tries to follow up, but Dijak just heaves him about anyways. Lee pulls Justin Borden in his way to stop Dijak from diving on top of him, so Dijak grabs him up by his throat to the apron… only for Lee to maneuver his way into a MUSHROOM STOMP on the apron. Lee is finally able to hit his running PK from the apron as he continues working the big man over. Trevor threatens to Biel Trevor across the ring, but Dijak counters with a Belly-to-Belly and starts mounting his comeback. Trevor sits himself on the top rope, but Dijak is still able to superkick him in the face followed by a Fireman’s Carry Spinebuster for a two count. Dijak measures for Feast Your Eyes, but Trevor goes at Dijak’s eyes to escape immediate danger. Dijak tries coming back, but his eyes are giving him too much trouble, and he soon falls victim to an Everest German from Trevor Lee. Dijak telegraphs a Mushroom Stomp and hits a nasty Chokebreaker for a two count! Dijak heads up top for a Tornillo, but Trevor tries the Avalanche German… only for Dijak to land on his feet! Dijak tries a Discus Lariat, but TREVOR COUNTERS INTO A TURNING CROSSBODY! DIJAK KICKS OUT! DIJAK ALLEY OOPS TREVOR INTO FEAST YOUR EYES! Donovan Dijak advances in 12 minutes. ***1/4 Hard to ask for much more than this out of a curtainjerker, really. Dijak’s size doesn’t prevent him whatsoever from playing an effective babyface, especially against a guy in Trevor Lee who’s so damn solid at playing the bastard bad guy. They worked it very smart too, as the heat wasn’t based around Trevor Lee being a superior wrestler; he was outworked on both sides of the coin athletically and technically. He got his shots in by attacking Dijak from behind and going at his eyes to set up his usual offense. But even with all that, Dijak was too much to handle, and Trevor Lee got what was coming to him. Professional wrestling done right.
BOLA First Round: Joey Janela vs. Sammy Guevara
Joey Janela is the replacement for the injured TK Cooper, who broke his ankle during PROGRESS’ summer tour of the US… and if you haven’t heard of him, you probably aren’t following independent wrestling closely enough. The guy has made a name for himself by doing some of the most insane things this side of Sick Nick Mondo, and he’s talented enough inside the ring to actually follow up on it. That fearless style of wrestling, combined with his odd personality, has made him something of a hot commodity on the indie scene. You might have seen GIFs of his various matches with Lio Rush, his match with Marty Jannetty during his Spring Break show, or the YouTube documentary that familiarized me with him. Someone on a messageboard I frequent once described Janela as a guy “you should hate everything about, but you just can’t.” And that’s really an apt description for him. Sammy Guevara on the other hand debuted in July in a fun little match against Rey Horus, but hasn’t really had the chance to properly break out with the match I know he’s capable of. But if anyone is able to bring out the insanity in someone, it’s the Bad Boy.
They start with a few middle fingers before throwing hands until Guevara dropkicks the Bad Boy out of the ring for a Tope Suicida. He lets Janela off too easy though, and Janela comes down with one of his own! Guevara takes him out long enough for an INSANE SHOOTING STAR PRESS off of the top rope to the floor! He takes Janela back into the ring for a cocky Samoan Drop for a 1 count. He postures too much as he ascends the ropes, and Janela catches him with a DVD into the opposite corner for a 2 count. They trade some hefty Fucking Unnecessary kicks to the back until Guevara hits a sweet hesitation Shooting Star after Janela dodges a pair of Moonsaults, ala Kota Ibushi. Janela hits the Kevin Owens Package Side Slam for a two count of his own. Janela heads to the outside and brings out a couple chairs for good measure. He sets one up seated in the corner but gets knocked into it for a monkey flip, but Janela TAKES THE CHAIR WITH HIM and lands! Janela catches Guevara running and DVDS HIM THROUGH THE CHAIR! SAMMY KICKS OUT! Janela boots Guevara to the outside and comes out on top of him with a HUGE CROSSBODY! Janela heaves him back into the ring for a diving doublestomp, but that only gets 2. Sammy rolls to the apron and Joey tries to follow up with a diving, but Sammy moves and JOEY SWANTONS HIMSELF ON THE APRON~! Eat your heart out, AR Fox. He barely makes it back to the ring where Guevara hits a springboard Swanton, hitting it for 2. Guevara goes up top, but Janela dodges a 450 and locks on an STF! He transitions into a nasty Crossface, but Sammy turns over and is able to get to the ropes. Sammy superkicks Janela, but Janela is more than happy to trade strikes with him until they hit stereo clotheslines and both go down. Janela cracks him with a lariat, but Guevara suckers him in for a nasty Educated Curb Stomp for 2. Guevara grabs the second chair and sets it up, but Janela cracks him again, this time with a Rolling Elbow. Janela sets him in the chair and goes up top for a Swanton, but Guevara moves and JANELA CRASHES THROUGH THE CHAIR! GUEVARA WITH A BURNING HAMMER ON THE CHAIR~! JANELA KICKS OUT~! SUPERKICK FROM JANELA! REVERSE RANA FROM GUEVARA! 630~! Sammy Guevara advances in an insane 14 minutes! **** When I was scanning through the coverage of this show live, I was surprised to see that many people thought Joey Janela and Sammy Guevara had the Match of the Weekend thus far. I thought that Janela especially would make an impression, but I had no clue it was going to be to this extent. No disrespect meant to either man, but in a tournament with marquee names like Matt Riddle and Ricochet, your mind doesn’t exactly latch onto Joey Janela and Sammy Guevara to be the ones to make a statement. But that’s the great thing about pro wrestling; you can be surprised at the drop of a hat, and this match was a total delight. The real beauty of this match was that it wasn’t a completely thoughtless spotfest. There was a rhyme and reason to why these two did some of the maniacal things they did. Joey Janela is nothing even resembling an advanced technical wrestler. He takes inhumane risks and puts himself through pure Hell to win his matches. That’s the only way he could match up to Sammy Guevara’s freaky athleticism. Guevara could run circles around him… but he wasn’t willing to completely devour himself to get farther in the tournament. Janela brought chairs out and muscled Guevara through them, and even dove through one to try and get the victory. Guevara’s physical talent was just too much to overcome though, as sometimes heart and grit isn’t enough to overcome skill. But that doesn’t mean Joey Janela didn’t make himself a star in Reseda after this match, because he absolutely did. I can’t wait to see how he blends in with the different styles of PWG down the line because both he and Guevara absolutely tore it up here.
BOLA First Round: Travis Banks vs. Mark Haskins
A solid piece of matchmaking here, as both men have been PROGRESS’ top babyface at different points in time and are actually quite similar when you get down to it. Banks of course just recently defeated Pete Dunne at Alexandra Palace to win the PROGRESS Title, a year after Mark Haskins beat Marty Scurll for it at Brixton only to relinquish the belt due to a retirement scare. It’s also been a year since Mark Haskins debuted in PWG with his big run in 2016’s BOLA, which means Travis Banks is in prime position to do the same.
Both men try their hands at some early catch sequences, but neither man gets much of an advantage. Haskins tries a flash Jacknife Pin but only gets a very preliminary two count. They go at it with kicks, and Haskins uses a leg kick to knock Banks on his ass before knocking him back down with a kick to the chest. Banks has no qualms giving Haskins his receipt, but Haskins recovers and dives out on top of Travis with a fake-out Tope Suicida. Banks gets his bell rung with a few chops, but catches Haskins running in with a boot. Haskins gives him the same treatment, superkicking him as he builds a head of steam. The match eventually finds its way back into the ring, where Haskins takes control. Haskins telegraphs a Sunset Flip and uses it to Curb Stomp Travis’ arm, using that to transition into some limbwork. Haskins abandons that to try and work some more kicks, but that only serves to piss Banks off as he powers up and lands a sliding knee that sends Haskins to the floor for a pair of Aries-esque Heat Seeking Missiles! Banks has Haskins in a second rope Tree of Woe, and he hits him with a BEAUTIFUL running Cannonball while he’s hung up. Banks hits a running PK from the apron as Haskins tries to catch his breath, before setting him in a chair for running Cannonball through it! Kiwi Krusher scores for Banks back inside, but only for 2. Haskins avoids a barrage of Banks attacks and slides into a Star Armbar, but Banks escapes. They keep trading their strikes until both men fold each other up with stereo Bicycle Kicks. They rise up to their feet and throw leather with forearms until Banks superkicks Haskins mid-swing on the ropes. Banks hits him with a Busaiku Knee, but Haskins REBOUNDS INTO A MAGNUM DRIVER for a two count! Banks looks for his springboard kick, but Haskins counters BEAUTIFULLY into an Ankle Lock… but Banks counters into Garga-No Escape… COUNTERED INTO THE STAR ARMBAR! Banks follows with a wacky double stomp to the back but only gets 2! 540 Kick scores for Banks… and that’s it at 18 minutes? Something went awry there. Homeboy didn’t even count three and just said to ring the bell. ***1/4 Aside from that colossally bungled finish, this match was just the sort of tight, perfectly executed professional wrestling that you’d expect from Mark Haskins and Travis Banks. They had a really cool little storytelling tool in the middle of all the grappling where they’d try to test each other’s will with the stiffest kicks this side of Davey Richards, and it made for some really entertaining transitions. Not only that, but those competitive trades of kicks soon devolved into uber-intense staredowns and trades of even stiffer forearms. It’s the little things like that and the way they’re built that really makes you understand how good guys like Mark Haskins are. It was mostly a stoic trading of holds beyond that, but that built excellently in intensity as well so it’s not like they didn’t cover their bases. It’s just a shame that they weren’t able to build to a satisfying conclusion, but they were very impressive in the 17 minutes before it.
Ricochet & Matt Sydal vs. LDRS (Zack Sabre Jr. & Marty Scurll)
This ought to be quite the interesting clash of styles if nothing else, as this is a pair of tag teams that could really not be any more different. The LDRS have had a fabulous year as a tag team in PWG, having barnburners with Best Friends and reDRagon in between their exceptional efforts as singles competitors. Ricochet and Matt Sydal have definitely taken a back seat in terms of focus, but their effort in the crazy main event of Nice Boys… definitely didn’t go unnoticed.
Scurll and Sabre attack Sydal and Ricochet in the middle of their entrance, and it’s a Pier Sixer. Scurll tosses Ricochet into the ring, and the bell officially rings. They trade some passes and do-si-do’s before Ricochet and Sydal dive onto the LDRS at the same time with Tope Suicidas… and DOUBLE SPACEMAN PLANCHAS! Sky Crank scores for Sydal and Ricochet, and they work over Zack as Marty tries mouthing off to Rick Knox. Zack neck cranks Sydal long enough for Scurll to get rid of Ricochet, and the momentum shifts just like that as Sydal is in a bad way. The LDRS pull off some “Memphis bullshit” as they use Ricochet’s protests to distract Rick Knox from their cheating. Zack toys with Sydal a little bit, which earns him a paintbrush slap or two, so Zack shoots low and goes for Sydal’s bad ankle. Sydal hits a double Frankensteiner on both LDRs, and he finally gets to Ricochet for the hot tag, and TREVOR CLEANS HOUSE. He turns Scurll inside out with a missile dropkick and measures for the Benadryller, but Scurll has the fingers! Ricochet counters out, but rusn right into a lariat from The Villain. He measures for the Chickenwing now, but Ricochet sees it coming from a mile away and enzuigiris out of it. Ricochet tags back into Sydal, who hits Sabre with Meteora for 2. Here It Is Driver countered into a nasty Front Facelock from Sabre, who takes a nasty Snapmare Driver in response for 2. Ricochet and Sydal hit an assisted Lungblower, followed finally by the Here It Is Driver from Sydal for 2. Zack counters out of a Benadryller with a lifter, but Sydal saves the day… only for Scurll to hit him with a huge Sliding Knee. Scurll turns right around into a rolling dropkick from Ricochet, and everyone’s down. Ricochet and Sabre trade strikes until Zack eats a double Benadryller. Scurll pulls Knox out of the ring before 3, but Sydal dives out on top of him in return. Sabre uses this distraction to start twisting Ricochet up in a submission, and Scurll locks in a Chickenwing on Sydal as Sabre wrenches on a Rings of Saturn! Ricochet is able to get to the ropes, and Sydal gets it on the adjacent side of the ring. Double Rolling DDT scores for Ricochet, and he tags in Sydal proper as they have the LDRs reeling. They measure for the double Shooting Stars, but Scurll shoves Rick Knox into the ropes to crotch Sydal… and Ricochet dives right into a Sabre Triangle! Ricochet powers out of it, but Scurll jumps right on him with a Chickenwing and falls down with it. SYDAL BREAKS IT WITH A SHOOTING SYDAL PRESS~! That leaves Sydal and Sabre in the ring together, and Sydal nearly gets the pin by counting a flying lifter with a Backslide. European Clutch gets two for Sabre, but he rolls through a super Rana and gets the pin in 21 minutes. *** This was a little long considering the amount of material they actually had for the match, but it was still as solid and easy to watch as you’d expect. Scurll and Sabre are just fantastic as the slightly sadistic, bastard heels who use the fact that they have all the technique in the world to toy with their opponents. They tried their hardest to keep the flying team of Sydal and Ricochet grounded, and they ultimately used that technique to pick up the duke. There really wasn’t much in the way of genuine excitement or urgency to really make this match into something worth the liberal timeslot they had. I suppose you could qualify it as a disappointment if you’re really into Sydal and Ricochet as a tag team, but this was more or less what I expected out of this match, which was a psychologically and technically sound piece of tag team wrestling.
BOLA First Round: Sami Callihan vs. Jeff Cobb
It’s safe to say that I haven’t exactly enjoyed many of Sami Callihan’s contributions to the wrestling business this year. His crew of wrestlers have detracted heavily from the PWG shows they’ve been on, and as a result have made for PWG’s weakest year of events since 2014. Sami himself has actually been quite serviceable and even great at times, but the bad outweighs the good in my goofy opinion. His chemistry with Cobb is actually very intriguing to me as he looked fantastic against Keith Lee in March, and I’m even more interested in how the Olympian deals with his crazy sprinting style.
Sami boots Cobb in the face before the bell, and we’re off. Cobb hoists himself up and just sprints at him for a big uppercut. Cobb dropkicks him as he gets to the second rope, meeting him up there for a STALLING SUPERPLEX. Sami has no choice but to blind Cobb with the ring apron and punch away, getting some separation. Cobb threatens to suplex Sami to the outside, but Sami breaks out and hits his step-up lariat to knock him to the floor. Cobb catches a Sami Lope, but Sami escapes that too and gives him an Exploder on the floor. Sami tries a Cannonball into a seated Cobb, but Cobb catches him mid-somersault and Powerbombs him on the apron! Cobb brings it back into the ring for the Gorilla Press/Standing Moonsaultm followed by a hammer throw. Cobb tries an Avalanche Belly-to-Belly, but Sami bites out of it and hits a middle rope X-Factor for a two count. Sami drags him off the second rope with a DVD for 2. Sami manages to counter a couple pop-up suplexes with guillotines, and he eventually puts on a Stretch Muffler. Cobb hits Tour of the Islands, but Sami kicks out. Sami counters another one into a Crucifix in a cool counter, but he dives right into another one for the win in 12 minutes. **1/2 Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling, but quite clearly the least impressive match of the tournament thus far. I think it boils down more to a lacking structure than anything Sami or Cobb did in execution, but it didn’t really click to the fullest extent and felt quite inconsequential compared to what we’ve seen so far this weekend. It was a little too long to be a fruitful Sami Sprint™ too, which probably didn’t help matters either.
BOLA First Round: Michael Elgin vs. Matt Riddle
On paper, this has Match of the Night written all over it. Elgin has been a bit hit and miss in his PWG efforts this year, but when he’s motivated, it’s hard to find a guy I enjoy watching more. On paper, it would seem his chemistry with Matt Riddle would be obvious. Riddle’s entire year has basically been spent having phenomenal hoss fights, and Elgin is about as much of a hoss as you can get… so what’s not to love?
Riddle is able to hoist Big Mike up with a wrestling side slam, and the King of Bros laughs about the fact that he did it in front of Ronda Rousey. Big Mike responds in kind, but Riddle hilariously does a condescending “Oh No” face as Elgin tosses him back. Riddle tries a flying armbar, but Elgin simply chucks him off. Big Mike gives him a stiff shoulder tackle, and he even plays the Ronda Rousey card himself in a hilarious spot. Riddle tries a jumping knee, but Elgin just one-arm Powerbombs him out of midair. Elgin takes to just bludgeoning this poor bastard with elbows and chops. Elgin hits a crazy Blockbuster variant, followed by a Vader Bomb for 2. Riddle tries an Exploder, but Elgin just elbows right out of it and puts a stop to that business. Riddle ducks out and nails a trio of running forearms in the corner before finally hitting the Exploder and a running Broton for 2. Riddle follows up with the deadlift Gutwrenches before suplexing him back. Elgin catches a Riddle kick and just crumbles him with an elbow, but Elgin runs into a German from Riddle… but Riddle postures too much and eats one of his own. He runs into a Uranage from Elgin, followed by a second rope double stomp to the back of the head. He DOES THE DEAL with the Falcon Arrow, but Riddle miraculously kicked out. Elgin tries the Buckle Bomb, but Riddle counters out and hits Bro 2 Sleep, followed by another German for 2. A simple PK doesn’t keep Elgin down and he tries another Falcon Arrow, but Riddle counters into a Guillotine. Elgin puts Riddle up top for a Superplex, but Riddle pops right back up! Pele… but Elgin rebounds with a lariat! Elgin hits a STEP UP FRANKENSTEINER of all things, and rockets Riddle down to the floor with it! Riddle dodges a Pescado, but eats a Jerry Lynn legdrop through the ropes. Elgin heads up top but CARTWHEELS OFF when Riddle rushes him and hits a Gibson Driver. Elgin gets back up top and comes down with a gorgeous splash, but Riddle very narrowly kicks out. Buckle Bomb scores, but Elgin counters Bro 2 Sleep with a Schoolboy Powerbomb. CRUCIFIX LIGERBOMB! RIDDLE KICKS OUT! Elgin puts Riddle up top for a Burning Hammer, but Riddle COUNTERS INTO A BROMISSION… NO, DRAGON SLEEPER… COUNTERED INTO A BROSTONE… NO… CRADLE BROSTONE! Matt Riddle advances in 18 minutes. ***1/2 Not the unbelievable barnburner these two could quite obviously have, but it was the perfect prototype of a match you’d want in its spot in the card. Riddle is absolutely excellent at selling and especially working nearfalls, so working from underneath against an active bruiser like Michael Elgin really works into his skillset. He’s able to use his explosiveness sparingly and really make it mean the most, which works well psychologically to take Big Mike off his game. That means that all his flash submissions and hope spots are of the utmost significance and really have a hand in wearing down the big man. He used his speed and grappling acumen to get on top, and that especially rang true for the finishing sequence as he hit the Cradle Tombstone. It told a simple story, but it was a story that was incredibly well-executed and was built around two wrestlers who are fantastic at building a long match.
BOLA First Round: Keith Lee vs. WALTER
Hands down, 100%, absolutely the match I was looking forward to most during the entire weekend. PROGRESS Atlas Champion Big Van Walter has been one of the most consistently great pro wrestlers on the planet. His rivalry with Matt Riddle in PROGRESS is my non-Japanese Feud of the Year and a series of matches I implore you to check out. His opponent in Keith Lee is just about on equal footing this year in terms of quality, as he has been a man possessed since he left ROH in February. He has yet to have anything even resembling an average match since he burst onto the scene, and that’s not an abberation I forsee here.
The crowd is YOKED for this match, as you’d expect. It’s a grappling exchange early as Walter looks to impose his will. It soon devolves into the trading of shoulder tackles until Walter lariats Lee out of mid-air during an attempted leapfrog. Walter tries working his chops in, but Keith hits the ropes hard and POUNCES~! Walter out of the air. Walter tries the Sleeper out of a counter, but settles for a German… only for Keith to pop up and toss him back with a Belly-to-Belly! Walter himself pops right back up and throws some chops before trying the Sleeper again! Walter hits another German, followed by a Butterfly Suplex to finally get Lee to stay down. Lee hoists Walter up for a Fireman’s Carry/Rolling Elbow for a two count. Walter clubbers him in the corner, but runs right into an STO from Lee on the rebound. Walter meets Keith Lee up top and hits a HUGE Avalanche Butterfly Suplex, but can’t follow up. Walter tries a Piledriver, but can’t get Keith up… and KEITH HITS A SPIRIT BOMB~! WALTER KICKS OUT! Walter locks on a Sleeper out of nowhere, but Keith rolls him out… SO WALTER HITS A SHOTGUN DROPKICK~! YAKUZA KICK! GERMAN! HUGE LARIAT~! LEE KICKS OUT~! Walter counters Ground Zero with another Sleeper, and he falls down with it! Lee is able finesse a pin out of it, which means Walter has to break the choke to kick out. Walter just STIFFS THE SHIT out of poor Keith with another trio of lariats, but he runs right into a Ron Simmons Spinebuster! Keith heads up for a Moonsault, but Walter threatens to German him off the second rope, but instead settles for a Powerbomb! Keith is able to kick out. They trade wild chops until Walter just kicks Lee’s leg out from under his leg! SLEEPER… COUNTERED INTO GROUND ZERO! Keith Lee is your winner in 18 minutes. ***3/4 Incredibly this didn’t end up being the best match of the first round, but it was still an absolute treat to watch. Walter is one of those big guys that isn’t really as athletic as his Keith Lee/Donovan Dijak/Chris Hero counterparts, but makes up for it in spades with his striking and ability to put together an exciting wrestling match. That makes for a super intriguing clash of styles with almost anyone, even wrestlers on his level in size. Keith Lee had the element of quickness here, which means Walter had to work his chops, strikes, and suplexes to really be able to match Lee’s athleticism. His biggest successes came when he was just clobbering poor Keith with chops and lariats, all to set up his patented Sleeper. Unfortunately for him, Keith Lee was just too well-rounded to fall to Walter’s sound psychology. As soon as Keith found a seam, he hit his move and put Walter away. My one minor nitpick would probably be that they went a little too long, but not to the point where I think it would have been signifcantly better otherwise. It was still a delighfully stiff hoss fight and that’s all I ever wanted from this.
The Elite (The Young Bucks & Kenny Omega) vs. Rey Fenix, Penta El 0M, & Flamita
Of course, the match everyone’s been waiting for since it was announced over the summer. Everyone and their dog knows about Kenny Omega and the groundbreaking last two years he’s had, being one half of one of the great in-ring rivalries of all-time against Kazuchika Okada and his two Match of the Decade (!) candidates with Tetsuya Naito in the last two G1 Climaxes. That’s not all he’s got under his belt obviously, but it’s definitely enough to make his return to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla a must-see affair. He and the Bucks are in the midst of their hottest run ever, and they’re being given the chance to make the most of it against a dream team in Fenix, Flamita, and Pentagon here. Even with the technical issues plaguing this match – no commentary and lack of camera angles – it’s hard not to be over the moon for this.
Matt Jackson and Fenix start things off, and the crowd is just losing their minds here. Neither man is able to really get their shit in early, as they counter out of everything they try. Nick and Flamita try their hand at it, and Flamita gets the first real move out of the match in with a step-up Frankensteiner. Nick isn’t one to lay down for it though, and we’re soon in the midst of a Lucha Standoff. The crowd REALLY loses it when Kenny Omega finally tags in, and even more so when Penta faces off with him. Kenny counters Cero Miedo with a slap to the face, so Penta just chops him and TEARS HIS OWN SHIRT open so Kenny can have a go. Kenny dodges a Slingblade and tries a V Trigger, but Penta slips under and finally hits the Slingblade. He tries an early Fear Factor, but the Bucks break it with a double dropkick. Flamita falls victim to a furious triple team from The Elite as his partners regroup outside. The Elite measures for Terminator dives, but the Lucha Bros 2.0 stop them and hit HUGE TRIPLE DIVES~! The ring is pretty noticeably sloping on one side at this point, continuing PWG’s bad luck with rings in 2017. The Elite ends up back in control and starts working Fenix over in their corner. Kenny Omega gets a little too gungho with his armbreakers, and he ends up accidentally hurting Nick Jackson instead. They end up recovering from the breakdown though and hit a glorified Demolition Decapitation on Fenix as Pentagon talks shit in the background. Kenny taunts him as he works his brother over in the ring, and he runs Fenix into FOUR BOOTS~! in the corner. He calls for SIX boots now, but the Bucks aren’t exactly sure how that one’s going to work logistically. They end up getting a fan from the crowd for it, but Fenix turns it around and Kenny goes into the boots! Kenny isn’t happy and measures for a Brainbuster, but Fenix knees himself out of it. Matt is able to jump on him though as he tags in, and he tries a Brainbuster this time… only for Fenix to knee out of it too! Nick tries his hand at it, but Fenix’s partners now come in to stop the madness. The Elite tries a triple Brainbuster, but Fenix, Penta and Flamita all suplex out of it. Fenix bursts into a HUGE comeback, taking out all of The Elite in one fell swoop with wacky Lucha stuff. Pentagon postures a little too much and nearly falls victim to a Doomsday Device, but luckily his partners save him! PARTNER ASSISTED SUPER FRANKENSTEINER FROM FLAMITA! SPLASH FROM FENIX! NICK BREAKS IT WITH A SWANTON! Nick starts cleaning house on the Lucha Bros and tags Kenny in for a triple Buckle Bomb on Penta, and eventually a SNAP DRAGON SUPLEX FOR EVERYONE! The Elite gets too caught up in their own celebrating which means Kenny takes a low blow, but Penta kicks out of a triple Superkick directly after. The Elite sets everyone up on the ropes for a hanging Swanton from Nick. Kenny eats a C4 while trying a V Trigger, and the Bucks eat a barrage of superkicks from the Lucha Bros. Fenix HURRICANRANA’S PENTAGON ONTO EVERYONE OUTSIDE~! FEAR FACTOR/DOUBLE STOMP ON KENNY! FENIX HITS A TORNILLO ON THE BUCKS! SPLASH ON KENNY FROM FLAMITA! Kenny kicks out. The Bucks put Flamita and Penta in double Sharpshooters while Fenix tries to break, but FENIX SPRINGBOARDS RIGHT INTO A V TRIGGER! SHARPSHOOTER ON FENIX! All three Luchadores end up making the ropes. DOUBLE MELTZER DRIVER… FENIX DROPKICKS OUT OF IT! O FACE ON PENTA FROM MATT! V TRIGGER ON FLAMITA! DOUBLE SUPERKICK ON FENIX! REVERSE RANA FROM OMEGA! V TRIGGER ON FLAMITA AGAIN! MORE BANG FOR YOUR FUCK! ONE WINGED ANGEL! Kenny Omega pins Flamita to win in 27 minutes. **** Not a patch on the unbelievable trios main event we were treated to during last year’s Night 2, but that’s hardly something I can penalize this match for. In fact, this match had a lot of things actively working against it, and aside from some small issues here and there, it bypassed all its disadvantages and came up with a final product befitting of its place and hype. As the match wore on, the ring pretty much began disintegrating around them and it was quite clear that the ropes weren’t going to be able to hold up for some of the more convoluted spots these six men were capable of. With less advanced wrestlers this usually means a lot of panicking and standing around; but with six men of this caliber, you would hardly notice anything was wrong. Even with the issues, everything came off super cohesive and the match built just as solidly as it would otherwise. And for DVD viewers like myself, the single ringside camera can be really disorienting and distracting if you aren’t prepared for it. You miss a few spots here and there and the lack of a steady hard cam means you really have to deal with your fair share of shaking and moving. The lack of commentary doesn’t actually bother me so much though as The Young Bucks especially are so vocal and animated during their matches that you hardly notice it. But with all of that said, this match still ended up being just as much of a delight as you would think. Kenny Omega came in with his working shoes on and really made sure everyone – the fans and PWG alike – got their money’s worth. He played all the hits of course, but he also made sure he made himself a legitimate part of match, if not the centerpiece. He’s never been a guy to phone it in, but with all the insanity he’s been through this year, one could forgive him for taking it lightly. And while he didn’t take any real risks, he didn’t need to. He’s a great worker and he did what great workers do. And even better for us fans, he had several great workers around him to pick up their share of the work too. Your mileage will undoubtedly vary regarding the technical issues, but if you can see past them, you’ll find yourself incredibly happy with the 27 minutes we got.
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