IMG Credit: Pacific Coast Wrestling
Title Wave
Date: August 20, 2016
Location: Oak Street Gym, Torrence, California
Commentators: Todd Keneley, Christian Cole
This is (likely) the final show I’ll be doing from these guys as I ordered another box of DVDs and after getting annoyed at FIVE duplicates, I had this: the fourth show from Pacific Coast Wrestling. Their debut show was so dreadful that I skipped the second but their third was actually pretty awesome. Now we’ll see what happens when they bring in titles, which could be rather interesting indeed. Let’s get to it.
The announcers welcome us to the show and talk about how important champions can be. That’s very true, and while it’s a little early to have them, you can only go so far with the one off matches over and over again.
Opening sequence.
Jacob Fatu vs. Jorel Nelson
Fatu, with some guy named Cesar Black, would move on to become the MLW World Champion and is part of the Anoa’i family (son of Tonga Kid/Tama, nephew of Umaga and Rikishi). Cesar offers a quick distraction and Fatu forearms away, setting up a Samoan drop to put Nelson on the floor. Just because he can, Fatu hits a big flip dive to the floor, followed by the spinning release Rock Bottom back inside. The springboard standing moonsault has the fans going even nuttier for Fatu (fair enough) and a clothesline turns Nelson inside out.
The Stinger Splash hits post though and Nelson gets in his token offense. Some Rocky Johnson style left hands set up a crossbody to give Nelson two so Fatu superkicks him into the corner. The running Umaga attack sets up the double jump moonsault to finish Nelson at 4:48. We’re told that Fatu advanced in the tournament but also that we’ll be seeing our first tournament match next. From what I can tell, this wasn’t a tournament match, which is a good idea as you don’t want to have Fatu losing here.
Rating: C+. Well that worked. Fatu is an athletic freak and this was an outstanding performance as he completely destroyed Nelson with one cool move after another. You shouldn’t be able to move like that with that kind of size and Fatu made it look easy. If that guy isn’t signed to one of the big companies soon, they’re both completely insane.
Post match, Cesar asks where the competition is.
Scorpio Sky training video as he’s coming for the Light Heavyweight Title.
Light Heavyweight Title Tournament Semifinals: Mr. 450 vs. Kevin Martenson
There are only three people in each tournament as the winner gets Sky for the title. 450 is from Puerto Rico where he held all kinds of titles. An early kick to Martenson’s leg makes him wipe it down with a towel, followed by some circling. Martenson slips out of a headlock takeover but can’t nip up, leaving 450 to lay over the ropes. The offer of a handshake leads to a slap off, followed by Martenson suplexing him down.
A springboard crossbody and a dropkick put Martenson on the floor but a suicide dive is cut off by a dropkick. Martenson knees him in the corner and we hit the chinlock with a knee in the back. That’s broken up so it’s a pump kick from 450, followed by a kick to the back to put him on the floor. Now the suicide dive can connect and a second one is good for a bonus.
Back in and 450 gets two off a middle rope elbow, followed by a springboard tornado DDT for the same. Martenson is right back with a stomp to the back of the head and a brainbuster for two of his own. For some reason Martenson tries going up top, allowing 450 to hit a German superplex. The 450 finishes Martenson at 10:38.
Post match 450 promises to win the title.
World Title Tournament Semifinals: Brian Cage vs. JR Kratos
Hoss battle time with Cage making his debut, despite having a heavily wrapped leg. They bounce off of each other with some shoulders until Kratos’ jumping version puts Cage down. Cage does the same thing but gets sunset flipped for two. They botch a headscissors but Kratos sells it anyway, only to pop back up to block the 619. An overhead belly to belly ends Cage flying and it’s a whip into the barricade to make it worse. Cage is rocked enough to take it back inside, where he nails an enziguri on Kratos.
Rating: B-. There were a good number of botches here but what mattered here was having both guys beat each other up and look cool doing it. Cage would get better but you could see what would make him so entertaining here. I really don’t know how Kratos hasn’t gotten a job in a bigger promotion somewhere as he would be fine as a hoss monster.
Kratos congratulates Cage but he’ll be back. This lackluster promo is probably part of why he hasn’t wrestled on a bigger stage.
Here are the Almighty Sheik and MK for a chat. MK gets in his trademark SHUT UP (the height of creativity) and brags about the Sheik being awesome. The only reason Sheik isn’t in the title match is fear and prejudice (fair enough as he’s undefeated). MK has a bag and Sheik will be holding the key. Sheik rants about being above the law, meaning he can’t break the law. The NWA and PCW have tried to contain him and that will not work because he is WAR. Sheik declares war on PCW to wrap it up.
Willie Mack isn’t particularly worried about anyone in particular in the tournament. He wants to inspire young fans all over the world like wrestlers have done to him before. Tonight is something special because he can be the first champion ever.
World Title Tournament Semifinals: Willie Mack vs. Pentagon Jr.
Both guys are rather over here. During his entrance, Pentagon does the Cero Miedo pose with a young girl and it’s rather adorable. We start with some dueling fan chants until Mack punches him in the face after a minute and a half. The pace picks up and Mack sends him to the floor, only to have a suicide dive broken up. Pentagon chokes with the camera cord and there’s a kick against the barricade.
Mack gets sent head first into an open chair, which slides across the floor in a cool visual. Back in and Mack hits a DDT and a clothesline as Pentagon is knocked right back outside. hat means the big flip dive, much to the fans’ approval. A whip sends Pentagon over the barricade and Mack hits a big flip dive to an even bigger reaction. They fight into the crowd with Mack suplexing him onto the chairs as the camera is having issues keeping up with t em.
A chop off goes to Pentagon and they head back inside, where a Backstabber gets two on Mack. Pentagon’s superkick doesn’t do much good as Mack grabs a Samoan drop into the standing moonsault. Pentagon is right back with a basement dropkick for two as the fans are split on their cheering. Mack grabs a t-bone suplex for his own two and the middle rope Canadian Destroyer gets the same. That’s shrugged off though and the Fear Factor finishes Mack at 11:33.
Rating: C+. I like both guys here but this was a little disappointing. They beat each other up for a good while but the ending came out of nowhere and the ending gives us a World Title match between two people who haven’t wrestled around here before. That’s understandable when you have three shows prior to this one, though it’s still kind of a weird way to go.
Hammerstone arrived earlier and found out that his match with Sami Callihan is now against Yoshi Tatsu. He doesn’t seem to mind.
We see highlights of Douglas James vs. Tyler Bateman in a pre-show match with James winning off a small package. Bateman learned that James hits hard and James is proud of his win.
Hammerstone vs. Yoshi Tatsu
Alas, no WWE music for Tatsu. Hammerstone gets headlocked to start so it’s the headscissors escape into a standoff. A waistlock works a bit better for Hammerstone until Tatsu takes him down into a surfboard. Back up and Hammerstone runs him over with a shoulder, only to get dropkicked out to the floor. That means a slingshot dive as Tatsu is looking quite good here. Hammerstone is fine enough to drive him back first into the apron, followed by some corner clotheslines….for the pin at 5:30? Hammerstone looks stunned and that had to be another botch.
Rating: D+. Well that happened. The ending sucked the life out of anything they were doing (which wasn’t much in the first place) and it was clear that both guys were very confused by what was going on. It wasn’t a terrible match or anything but the ending is the only memorable thing about the whole deal.
And never mind as the match is going to continue with a fresh referee. Thankfully commentary is covering for things by saying Tatsu’s shoulder was up and never slipping out of the story they’re supposed to be telling. Hammerstone starts in on the back before switching over to the chinlock. A suplex is broken up and they slug it out with Tatsu getting fired up off an exchange of forearms.
Tatsu gets two off a spinwheel kick but Hammerstone hits a belly to back swinging faceplant for two of his own. A dragon suplex gives Tatsu a delayed two but Hammerstone is right back up with a bicycle kick. They headbutt it out from their knees with Hammerstone getting the better of it, setting up the Nightmare Pendulum (and a good one at that) for the pin at 14:08.
Rating: C-. That botch in the middle didn’t do it any favors but they had a decent enough match to warrant the extra time. Hammerstone is one of the best looking prospects you’ll see in a long time and having him beat a former WWE star is a good idea. At least he won again with his finisher in the end so at least the botch didn’t hurt things.
Yoshi gets a respectful chant.
Reno Scum is ready to take advantage of the opportunity they have tonight.
Tag Team Titles: Reno Scum vs. Keepers of the Faith
For the inaugural titles and the Keepers are Dom Vitalli/Gabriel Gallo. The audio is really bad for the Big Match Intros, though the belts do look rather shiny. Thornstowe and Vitalli start things off with Thornstowe getting shoved down. That lets him do a cartwheel to show off a bit as they don’t seem to be in any hurry.
We get a standing backflip for a bonus but Vitalli would rather talk some trash instead of trying one of his own. A clothesline drops Thornstowe and a swinging sitout Rock Bottom gives Vitalli two. Gallo comes in to powerslam Luster as Scum can’t get anything going so far. Thornstowe finally gets in a cheap shot in the corner so Luster can send Vitalli outside.
The double teaming in the corner begins and it’s a shoulder into a double stomp to crush Vitalli again. Gallo gets drawn in so the double teaming can continue with Vitalli having been busted open. A running knee to the head in the corner makes it even worse and Luster pounds on the cut.
Vitalli finally hits a clothesline on Thornstowe but Luster breaks up the tag by pulling Gallo to the floor in a great rug sweeping moment. The Tree of Woe makes things even worse but Vitalli slips out and gets over for the hot tag as everything breaks down. Gallo gets sent to the floor so Vitalli has to be beaten up again, only to have Gallo come back in for a spear and the titles at 15:02.
Rating: B-. The ending came out of nowhere but I was getting into the idea here with Vitalli selling well to the point where I wanted to see him make the tag. That’s tag wrestling 201 and they made it work well here. Good match and the Keepers winning the titles is the right move, even if they don’t feel like long term champions.
Post match Scum jumps the champs and hit the Scum Stomp on Gallo. Vitalli chases them off with his chain. The champs take some time getting out after a heck of a beating.
Light Heavyweight Title: Mr. 450 vs. Scorpio Sky
Again for the inaugural title. Sky gets a heck of a hero’s response and 450’s is rather strong as well. Before the match, Sky promises to bring home the gold like Michael Phelps. After a handshake, 450 takes it to the mat to start and floats over into a headlock. We hear about their respective resumes as Sky gets back up and does the Goldust deep breath. An exchange of armdrags and missed dropkicks give us a standoff, which the fans declare to be wrestling.
The staredown gives us another Goldust breath, followed by them both catching a kick at the same time. Sky snapmares him down for a dropkick to the back of the head and then a regular one to the chest. A backbreaker gives Sky two and the top rope elbow is good for the same. They head outside with Sky getting kicked in the face and taken down with an Asai moonsault for the big crash.
Sky is right back with a heck of a backdrop over the barricade and there’s the big flip dive to the floor. They’re both down though and Sky is holding his ankle, meaning both guys have to dive back in at nine. 450 is fine enough to roll some German suplexes, including a release German superplex for the big knockdown.
A Lionsault misses Sky, who is right back with a jumping knee to the face for a rather near fall. 450 is back with the Seth Rollins spin as someone pulls you up from the mat and then hit an enziguri spot. A reverse layout DDT gives 450 two more but Sky is right back with his wacky inverted Figure Four. The rope is grabbed and 450’s leg is fine enough to hit a springboard tornado DDT. The 450 gets two so he does it again to put Sky away at 16:50.
Rating: B. Lack of selling the leg aside at the end, this was the kind of high flying match that you should have had for a Light Heavyweight Title match. 450 doing the same move twice to win makes sense as it wasn’t like Sky was in any condition to get back up after the first one. Why go with something you’re not as adept at when you can hit 450 after 450 to win? It’s a logical way to go and that’s always appreciated.
Post match respect is suggested but Sky rolls away from a handshake offer.
PCW World Title: Brian Cage vs. Pentagon Jr.
For the final inaugural title. Pentagon’s music is either very quiet and I didn’t realize he was coming out at first. The bell seems to be rather quiet as well but they have a pose down anyway, followed by Cage winning an exchange of shoulders. A jumping superkick to the mask makes it even worse, followed by the Roman Reigns clotheslines in the corner. Cage starts stomping on the limbs before hooking a freaky leglock to send Pentagon over to the rope.
They head outside with Cage dropping him onto various things but Pentagon is right back with a superkick. The Canadian Destroyer is blocked and Cage muscles him up for an F5. A powerbomb against the post makes it even worse for Pentagon but it’s only good for two back inside. Pentagon is right back up with a DDT into a double stomp for two more and it’s time to slug it out. The Sling Blade gives Pentagon one and Cage’s pumphandle into a faceplant gets two.
What looked to be a buckle bomb is countered with a hurricanrana and Pentagon hits a Backstabber out of the corner. Another Backstabber into a Codebreaker gives Pentagon two more but the Fear Factor is countered into a sitout Alabama slam. Cage’s apron superplex sets up the apron superplex for the next two as they keep going back and forth. Pentagon is right back up with a trio of superkicks into the Fear Factor for the pin and the title at 11:41.
Rating: B-. This was one spot after another and that’s not a bad thing. Cage is one of those freaks of nature who can look good against anyone because there is very little he can’t do. Pentagon on the other hand is someone who can be a bit more versatile when it comes to character stuff and fans will be able to get behind him. Couple that with this taking place during the time when Lucha Underground was on fire and it’s a logical way to go.
Post match Pentagon puts over the fans and says the title is for everyone. We get a PCW chant and Pentagon promises to be back to defend the title.
Announced for next month: Pentagon defends against Rob Van Dam. The fans are rather pleased with that one.
A seven minute highlight package ends the show.
Overall Rating: B. Another good outing here as that early period seems to be completely forgotten already. This show was longer than the previous offerings and had a theme throughout, which is a nice change of pace from the collection of random matches we had seen so far. The wrestling was good and they have a direction for the future so it’s certainly a success and a step forward, with the Rob Van Dam announcement at the end making it seem even more important. Good stuff here.
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