Views from the Hawke’s Nest: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla DDT4 2007 – Night 1

May 19, 2007
Burbank, California

Commentators: Excalibur & Disco Machine

 

Don Fuji vs. Stalker Ichikawa Z
What a simpler time 2007 was.

Fuji dominated the match. Stalker tried to come back by walking on the ropes but he crotched himself. Stalker managed to get a fan to help him crotch Fuji, but that barely phased Fuji. Fuji started using chairs to attack Stalker. Stalker came back with various amusing maneuvers. Stalker even got a nearfall with La Magistral Cradle. Stalker nearly concussed himself with a failed German. He came back with a dragon screw and shining wizard! He then accidentally brained himself with a chair: 1…2…3!

I really love me some Stalker Ichikawa. If I had to watch him more often, I would probably appreciate him less though. I don’t get to watch nearly enough Don Fuji. He’s been one of my favorite DG guys for a while.
Match Rating: **3/4

 

Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match
The Briscoes (Jay & Mark Briscoe) vs. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli)
These guys have had some beloved matches over the years.

The crowd seemed to side with the Kings of Wrestling. Neither team could get firm control for a long time. The Kings appeared to get control after they avoided stereo pescados from the Briscoes. They worked Jay over for a bit. The Briscoes eventually cut off Claudio after some illegal tag team maneuvers. Claudio was worked over for a long time. Claudio eventually caught Jay with a springboard uppercut. Hero then made a hot tag. The teams started going back and forth. Jay eventually gave Claudio a stunner, and Hero then ate the springboard Doomsday Device: 1…2…3

It’s really odd, but if this match happened the exact same way between two indie teams in 2014, I probably would not have liked it at all. Something about this match just worked for me despite being quite lengthy for reasons that I’m not sure were entirely justified. I really enjoyed this.
Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Bino Gambino vs. TJ Perkins
Excalibur and Disco Machine spent a lot of time talking about Oregon Trail. They are older than I am. TJP pretty much completely dominated the match until Gambino avoided a diving crossbody. Gambino then started working TJP over. TJP eventually hit an enzuigiri and then made a comeback. This match has been surprisingly good by the way, which seems to be the story of the show. Gambino managed to catch him with a facebuster variation. TJP came back with a high kick, a brainbuster, and a brainbuster: 1…2…NO! Gambino came back and got a nearfall with a lionsault. Gambino went to use a hockey stick, but TJP blocked it and got La Magistral Cradle: 1…2…3!

This match went on a little too long, but it was fairly enjoyable all the way through. TJ Perkins is probably one of my favorite wrestlers in the world and adds a lot to most shows. This show has a ton of variety right now, which is making for a fun viewing experience.
Match Rating: **3/4

 

Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match
Havana Pitbulls (Rocky Romero & Ricky Reyes) vs. Trailer Park Boys (Josh Abercrombie & Nate Webb)
Ricky Reyes is the enemy of enjoyable pro wrestling. Nate Webb??? Josh Abercrombie???

The match was back and forth early on and surprisingly fun. The Trailer Park Boys eventually isolated Reyes and worked him over. Reyes managed to hit a neckbreaker on Abercrombie, and Azucar then made a hot tag. The teams started going back and forth quickly enough and that is where the match fell apart for me. Reyes eventually tapped Abercrombie out with a dragon sleeper.

This match got off to a solid start, but the match needed a strong closing stretch. Unfortunately, I think the match basically fell apart after the heat.
Match Rating: **1/4

 

Cima vs. Bryan Danielson
Dragon got the first advantage, but Cima quickly got control. He was working over Dragon’s neck a bit. Danielson slowed him down with a Kitchen Sink and then did the surfboard. Danielson then started targeting the left arm. Dragon was in control for a long time until Cima hit a superdrol and then a Silver King dive. They started going back and forth in the ring. Cima hit Venus and an iconoclasm. He then got a nearfall with a Perfect driver. Dragon blocked a frog splash and came back with a tope suicida. Dragon got the crossface chickenwing. Cima survived, but Dragon transitioned into a bridging German for a nearfall. Cattle Mutilation! Cima got to the ropes. Cima got the Gannasuke Clutch for a great nearfall and then hit a massive superkick. Schwein: 1…2…NO! Dragon came back and rained down the elbows. They traded slaps. Cattle Mutilation! Jon Ian started counting down from ten, and Dragon transitioned to a pin: 1…2…NO! Time limit draw!

This match was pretty dynamite in a few ways. I really liked how each man had a clear strategy. Dragon went after an arm. Cima went after the neck. If Cima had been in control longer, he may have been able to finish Dragon with the Schwein. They also managed to keep up a really good pace for a thirty minute match. My only real nitpick is that Cima should have probably been selling his arm a bit more down the stretch.
Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match
Muscle Outlaw’z (Naruki Doi & Masato Yoshino) vs. Arrogance (Chris Bosh & Scott Lost w/ Jade Chung)
Lost was worked over after a bit. Lost tagged out after hitting Yoshino with a dropsault. Yoshino was then worked over. Yoshino eventually caught Lost with Sling Blade. Doi then made a hot tag. The teams started going back and forth. There were a bunch of movez and nearfalls. Jade Chung interfered, but Lost accidentally attacked her. Doi gave Lost a pescado. Yoshino hit Bosh with Lightning Spiral: 1…2…NO! Torbellino! Sol Nacient! Bosh tapped out!

This match was definitely a case of too long for no reason unfortunately. I think the Dragon Gate style works better with strict time restrictions. You just start to get numb to it all when they go back and forth for seemingly minutes on end.
Match Rating: **3/4

 

Ronin vs. Joey Ryan [2007 BOLA Spot vs. Hair]
Ronin was running through Ryan early on. Ryan cut him off after a thumb to the eye, and he worked him over after that. Ronin came back with a big lariat and an exploder. Ryan came back with a tope suicida. Ryan then got a nearfall in the ring with a folding powerbomb. Ryan set up for the Mustache Ride, but Ronin hit a corkscrew suplex. Superkick from Ryan. Another superkick. Ronin then got a nearfall with a big DVD. Ryan panicked and hit a low blow and then pulled off Ronin’s mask. Small package: 1…2…3!

This match was okay. They did some decent stuff, but the in-ring story was nothing to really get invested in.
Match Rating: **1/2

Ryan cut a promo about how he’s going to win BOLA. Scorpio Sky came out. Ryan said Sky was a worthless piece of shit. Sky then attacked him.

 

Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match
Super Dragon & Davey Richards vs. Roderick Strong & PAC
Davey and Dragon haven’t teamed apparently since the middle of 2006 when they lost the tag titles.

The crowd really disliked Dragon and Davey. After some back and forth action, Davey got cut off and was worked over for a while. Davey finally cut off PAC with a gourdbuster on the ropes. Dragon tagged in, and PAC was then worked over. This went on for a long time. PAC eventually hit a sunset flip powerbomb on Davey. Roddy tagged in and made a comeback. PAC got involved right away which killed the beatdown he just received. PAC seemed loopy after some bad bumps on his head. The teams were going back and forth. I wouldn’t say the match fell apart exactly, but this is where they lost me for a bit. They did a “hit all the movez until they all collapse” sequence. More back and forth action. Davey ate a super ‘rana, a gutbuster, and a shooting star press while he was standing. Ouch on that last one. This is going on too long. Roddy took out Dragon with a pescado. Davey called for the DR Driver, but PAC reversed it into a small package: 1…2…3

Davey and Dragon seemed to split up after the match. They were not happy with each other.

This match just went too damn long when push comes to shove. They did some really cool things down the stretch, but I did not find the whole package to be very satisfying. It felt long for the sake of going long.
Match Rating: **3/4

 

El Generico(c) vs. Kevin Steen [PWG World Championship]
Steen attacked Generico before the bell. He got two quick nearfalls. Generico came back with a yakuza and a tope con hello. Generico went for his turnbuckle DDT, but Steen reversed it into a backbreaker. Steen got into it with a fan and then called him a faggot. Derpa derp. Steen was in control for a while. He was doing a lot of talking. Generico appeared to be starting a comeback, but Steen cut him off. Generico hit a big yakuza out of nowhere and finally made a comeback. Steen went for the Package Piledriver, but Generico avoided it. They were going back and forth. Steen got a couple of big nearfalls. Generico avoided a moonsault and hit a Buckle Exploder. Steen came back with the Turnbuckle Brainbuster: 1…2…NO! Generico came back with a half-nelson suplex and then a Package Piledriver: 1…2…3!

This was a really good main event, but these two would have some truly epic matches in 2010 through 2012 that blow this one away. The crowd heat for PWG during this time really held the shows back from reaching their full potential. If they performed this match in Reseda from 2009 through 2011, it probably would have come off much better.
Match Rating: ***3/4

 

Check out some of your favorite PWG wrestlers in free matches!
The Young Bucks vs. The Hardys
The Briscoes vs. The Hardys
The Young Bucks vs. Kevin Steen & El Generico
Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. Super Dragon & Excalibur
Claudio Castagnoli (Antonio Cesaro) vs. Kevin Steen
El Generico vs. Chris Hero
The Young Bucks & Petey Williams vs. Paul London, Brian Kendrick, & Jay Lethal
The Young Bucks vs. Chris Hero & Claudio Castagnoli
Low Ki vs. Super Dragon
Johnny Gargano vs. Eddie Edwards
Akira Tozawa vs. Johnny Gargano
Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano vs. Chuck Taylor vs. Arik Cannon
Chris Hero vs. CM Punk
Bryan Danielson vs. Drake Younger
Akira Tozawa vs. Brian Cage
AJ Styles & Matt Sydal vs. Austin Aries & Roderick Strong
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Colt Cabana
Akira Tozawa vs. Zack Sabre, Jr.
Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
ACH vs. AR Fox

For more information on PWG, check out their:
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6.5

The final score: review Average

The 411

As usual with 2007 PWG, this show was a mixed bag. The positives were really good, but the negatives felt like such wastes of space, time, and energy. Probably the biggest problem with this show is that the non-tournament matches delivered more consistently than the tournament ones. The Havana Pitbulls and Trailer Park Boys were subtractions by addition and didn't need to involved in this one at all. While I did enjoy the Briscoes/Kings match more than I expected, the other two DDT4 matches were just too much. I'm holding out hope that Night 2 makes this show seem better overall.