Battle Of Los Angeles 2011
Date: August 20, 2011
Location: American Legion Post #308, Reseda, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Rick Knox, Joey Ryan
We’re back in Reseda with PWG and it’s tournament time. This is one of the bigger independent tournaments of the year and there should be a nice lineup of talent for the whole thing. That could be quite the show as these matches tend to get time and have solid action. Let’s get to it.
As usual, there is no intro here, as music is edited out. Fair enough.
Battle Of Los Angeles First Round: Chris Hero vs. Willie Mack
Both are a good bit slimmer here than their modern appearance. They show some respect to start and it’s time to fight over warm control. Hero takes him down into a headscissors but Mack flips over into a headlock, with the fans approving. That’s broken up so Hero ties up the legs in an Indian Deathlock before switching to a front chancery. La majistral gets two on Mack and Hero nips up to quite the positive reception.
Back up and Hero tries a leapfrog but Mack accidentally headbutts him low, sending Hero bailing into the crowd for a needed breather. Hero gets back inside and some armdrags send him into the corner before they loudly chop it out. One heck of a clothesline cuts Mack off and something like a neckbreaker gets two. The No Mercy Eastern Stretch has Mack in more trouble before it’s time for another slugout.
Hero knocks him down and stomps away, setting up an apron kick to the side of the head. Back up and Mack wins an exchange of kicks to the head so Hero blasts him with a forearm. The staggered Mack ducks a big boot and hits a running kick to the chest to send Hero outside for the big running flip dive. Back in and a jumping back elbow sets up a flying shoulder and Hero is in more trouble. Hero strikes away but gets caught with a running splash and clothesline in the corner.
A running boot to the face gives Hero two but Mack hits a lariat out of the corner that would make John Cena jealous. Something like an F5 drops Hero again, only for him to come back with a suplex. A Liger Bomb gives Hero two and the discus forearm to the back of the head gets the same. They’re both down for a needed breather until Hero hits another discus forearm for another near fall. Mack charges into a boot in the corner and Hero nails a cyclone boot. Hero loads up a neckbreaker but Mack reverses into a backslide and flips onto him for the pin at 19:18.
Rating: B-. Mack is someone who has always felt like he could have been a big deal if given the chance and it’s nice to see him getting to showcase some of that potential here. On the other hand you have Hero, who looks like a different person here and looked good in defeat. He can work with anyone and the fans clearly liked him, though this could have been a few minutes shorter to sharpen things up a bit.
Battle Of Los Angeles First Round: Kevin Steen vs. Dave Finlay
As in Fit and Steen’s PWG World Title isn’t on the line. Feeling out process to start until Finlay grabs him by the face and hits an elbow. Steen goes for the leg so Finlay rips at his face as you might expect. Finlay wrestles him down and stomps on the fingers to send Steen outside. Back in and a headlock has Finlay down for a change but they’re quickly on the floor for a slugout.
They get back inside and Steen might have poked him in the eye, but Finlay uses the distraction to knock him down in quite the sneaky veteran move. Steen’s chops earn him a forearm to the face so Steen gets evil by wrapping the knee around the post. That works so well that Steen bends the knee around the rope before firing off an elbow to the face for two.
Steen kicks at the leg again and mocks Finlay with something I can’t quite understand. Finlay fights back with a knee drop and a seated senton for two but Steen Codebreakers him down. There’s the Cannonball for two but Finlay gets the knees up to cut off a dive. Back up and Steen pulls him off the ropes, setting up a Sharpshooter for the (surprising) submission at 15:02.
Rating: B-. This was one of those cool historical curiosities as Finlay and Steen represent such different generations. The good thing is that Finlay has an ability to adapt to other styles very well and that’s what we got here. Steen working the leg and then winning with the Sharpshooter was a simple story, and making Finlay tap is quite the accomplishment.
Post match both of them get a nice reaction from the fans.
Battle Of Los Angeles First Round: El Generico vs. Claudio Castagnoli
This should work. Castagnoli backs him into the corner to start and they trade shoves, with Castagnoli getting the better of things. A front facelock is broken up so Castagnoli goes back to the wristlock. Generico breaks that up as well, only to be taken back down into a front facelock on the mat. That’s switched into an armbar, with the fans bringing Generico back to his feet.
Generico reverses into an armdrag but Castagnoli is right back with a neck twist to put him down again. We hit the trapezius hold for a bit, with Generico fighting up and hitting the springboard armdrag. Generico hits ocho right hands in the corner but Castagnoli sends him into the buckle and fires off some knees. A backbreaker stays on the back and Castagnoli grabs a crossarm choke with knees in the same back.
That’s broken up so Castagnoli hammers away some more, including some chops to put him down. Generico’s comeback is cut off with another backbreaker for some near falls. There’s a hard whip into the corner to stay on the back as commentary chatters on, occasionally even acknowledging the match. Generico runs the corner for a hurricanrana which doesn’t exactly work, allowing Castagnoli to hit a trio gutwrench powerbombs for two.
Back up and Castagnoli misses a pump kick and falls to the floor, allowing Generico to hit a big running flip dive. Back in and Generico’s high crossbody is countered into a nasty tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for another near fall. Castagnoli switches gears by trying a torture rack backbreaker but Generico reverses into a hurricanrana into the corner. The Helluva Kick connects but another is countered into an INCREDIBLE looking Swiss Death for two, with Generico reversing into a rollup for a red hot two.
The Riccola Bomb is countered so Castagnoli blasts him with a clothesline for two more. They go up top where a super Riccola Bomb is broken up. Castagnoli muscles him up for another anyway, with Generico reversing into a super hurricanrana. A jackknife rollup gives Generico the pin to blow the roof off the place at 15:20.
Rating: B+. These two had some incredible chemistry together and it’s no surprise that they tore the house down anytime they faced off in NXT. This was another awesome match between them, as Generico knows exactly how to fight from behind against a power monster like Castagnoli. Heck of a match here and the kind of match that gave PWG its reputation.
Battle Of Los Angeles First Round: Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong
They fight over the ropes with a lockup to start until Strong goes after the wristlock. Edwards takes him down into a hammerlock as commentary talks about the fans coming to love this venue. That’s broken up and we get another standoff as this is firmly in first gear thus far. Strong’s headlock doesn’t get him very far so he sends Edwards outside instead. They chop it out with Edwards staggering around the ring, eventually getting backbreakered onto the apron.
Edwards is right back with a brainbuster onto the apron, followed by a moonsault off of said apron to drop Strong again. Back inside and Edwards staggers him with a headbutt but Strong manages a catapult to send him throat first into the bottom rope. A seated abdominal stretch keeps Edwards in trouble, followed by a running shot to the face for two. The waistlock brings Edwards back up for some shots to the face and they strike it out.
Edwards grabs a suplex to put Strong down and we get a needed double breather. Strong tries to fight out of the corner until an enziguri cuts him off again. Edwards’ half crab sends Strong bailing over to the rope and he’s back up with some hard shots to the face. A basement superkick drops Edwards for two and the Strong Hold goes on to keep him in trouble. The belly to back spinning facebuster gives Edwards two and they chop it out again.
Strong’s Sick Kick gets two but Edwards catches him with a superkick. A top rope double stomp to the apron crushes Strong again and a second to the back gets two. Edwards’ Diehard Driver is countered into a rollup for two and it’s a pinfall reversal sequence for two each. Strong’s Stronghold into a half crab but Strong slips out, only to get small packaged to give Edwards the pin at 17:52.
Rating: B. This was more of a technical match, which shouldn’t be a surprise given who was involved. Sometimes you need people like these two who can remind you that it’s a wrestling show and it helps that the two of them can do so well with this style. Good stuff here, and the time went by rather quickly, which is always a nice feeling.
RockNES Monsters vs. Dynasty
That would be Johnny Goodtime/Johnny Yuma vs. Joey Ryan/Scorpio Sky for a future Tag Team Title shot. It’s a brawl to start with the Dynasty being sent outside, where Goodtime hits a nice Asai moonsault. The brawls continue in the crowd, with Goodtime stopping for a drink before taking Ryan inside…for the opening bell, as apparently the first two and a half minutes or so were just a bonus.
Goodtime kicks Ryan down and hits him with a leg lariat before Sky comes back in to take his place. We settle down to a more standard tag format, with Yuma coming in to hammer away. Goodtime gets two off a cradle but Ryan is back up to slam Yuma into chairs on the floor. Back in and Sky stomps the heck out of Yuma in the corner, followed by Ryan’s dropkick connecting for two. Sky works on Yuma back as commentary talks about 80s movies.
A clothesline cuts off Yuma’s comeback attempt but he sends the villains into each other. That’s enough for the tag off to Goodtime as the pace picks up in a hurry. Everything breaks down and Goodtime kicks Ryan onto Sky for a double near fall (Fans: “THAT WAS FOUR!”). Sky breaks up a powerbomb with a spear though and Ryan hits a reverse exploder suplex to drop Goodtime. Ryan dives onto Yuma as Sky gets two off a rollup. Back in and Goodtime hits a kind of weird X Factor with his feet for two. Sky and Goodtime hit stereo frog splashes but Sky rolls Goodtime up for the quick win at 12:15.
Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one as much, though it wasn’t bad. Sky is another guy who can look smooth in there with anyone and Goodtime/Yuma had a fine enough showing. Ryan has never done much for me in the ring but not everyone can be that kind of a star. Not a bad match at all, but it was a step down after everything else on the show thus far.
Post match the Young Bucks run in to beat both teams down. The Bucks talk about being the most controversial tag team in wrestling today and they haven’t shaken any hands (a reference to Booker T., who the fans have been cheering for since the Bucks showed up). Nick mocks the Spinarooni pose and talks about burning bridges on the first day of their WWE tryout.
They’re rock stars who will do anything they want, whenever they want, because they are bigger than TNA, WWE or the Battle Of Los Angeles. You can’t have a show without them though so they would love some opponents. The fans want the Kings Of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli/Chris Hero) and that’s exactly what they get, both carrying chairs.
Hero says the Bucks suck on the microphone and calls them the best crybabies he has ever seen. PWG made them stars but they went to Florida to become Generation Me…and they lost to Eric Young and Shark Boy? Castagnoli mocks Shark Boy’s pose in a funny bit before Hero issues the challenge for the title match tonight. Matt agrees and spits at Hero before leaving…and Castagnoli does a Spinarooni.
Battle Of Los Angeles Semifinals: El Generico vs. Willie Mack
Commentary starts us off by explaining that Joey Ryan is NOT allowed to talk about baseball, but doesn’t bother to explain why. They bump chests to start and yes of course we’re going to have a dance off (minus the music). Mack does a reverse Worm and Generico does I think something Michael Jackson inspired. That’s too much for Mack, who kicks him in the ribs and we’re ready to get a bit more serious.
Mack gets in a shot to the face but has to avoid a quick Helluva Kick attempt. Instead Generico does some dancing kicks in the corner, including a low blow behind the distracted referee’s back. Mack is right back with a heck of a fall away slam to send Generico crashing out to the floor. Back in and Mack drops a big knee to the chest and then does it again to the mask.
Mack drives him chest first into the buckle and Generico can’t hit the Blue Thunder Bomb. A heck of a clothesline puts Generico down again but he is able to hit the Blue Thunder Bomb on the second attempt. Now the Helluva Kick connects but Mack cuts him off with a Samoan drop. A step up enziguri gives Mack two, followed by a running corner clothesline. Generico follows him into the other corner with another Helluva Kick though, setting up the brainbuster to finish Mack at 10:30.
Rating: B-. The ending was good here, with Generico catching Mack for the fast win. Generico is pretty clearly the crowd favorite, which says a lot when he’s out there with someone as charismatic as Mack. At the same time, this was trimmed down a bit, which is likely due to Generico being in his second of three matches in one night. Fair enough, and it didn’t hurt things in any major way.
Battle Of Los Angeles Semifinals: Kevin Steen vs. Eddie Edwards
Non-title. They trade shoulders to start and bounce off the ropes a bunch until Edwards gets taken down with a drop toehold. Back up and they trade forearms, with Steen going to the eyes to cut over. Edwards tries his own eye poke but Steen grabs the hand and makes Edwards poke his own eye in a funny bit. A dropkick works a bit better as Steen is knocked out to the apron, where a knee to the back puts him on the floor.
Steen gets sent into the chairs on the floor but is fine enough to come back with a Fameasser over the ropes to take over again. Steen slowly kicks away and hits a backbreaker before getting cocky, as he tends to do. A bite to the ear draws what sounds like a MICHAEL COLE chant but Edwards low bridges him to the floor. That means the suicide dive can connect to drop Steen and they get back inside.
Edwards bites Steen for a change and they strike it out, only for Steen to come back with the pop up powerbomb. Edwards fights out of trouble in the corner and grabs a half crab, setting up an exchange of kicks to the face. Steen’s package piledriver attempt is countered into a fisherman’s buster but Steen hits him with a kind of weird pumphandle brainbuster onto the knee. The Sharpshooter goes on and Edwards taps at 12:34.
Rating: C+. The result here was only in so much doubt as Steen was not only the World Champion but also potentially facing El Generico in the final. If you have one of them you have to have the other, so Steen going over here made sense. Edwards was able to give him a good fight, which isn’t a surprise, but there were some big odds against him here.
Post match, respect is shown.
Tag Team Titles: Kings Of Wrestling vs. Young Bucks
The Bucks are defending. We have to clarify that it’s a title match, with Excalibur saying that yeah, he might have jumped the gun by calling it such. Castagnoli backs Matt into the corner to start as commentary plugs social media platforms. Nick tries to get in and trips on the rope to fall on his face.
Back in and Castagnoli grabs a headlock takeover to grind away before hitting a hard shoulder. Nick’s attempt at running the rope is cut off by a quick trip, leaving the fans even more enamored with Castagnoli. Hero comes in for a big right hand and some chops before Castagnoli tortures Nick’s knuckles. Castagnoli orders Nick to kick his boot but since that isn’t happening, Nick gets stomped on the head instead.
It’s back to Hero for a wishbone, which works so well that the Kings do it two more times. Matt tries to make a save and gets a double wishbone, with the fans rather approving of the damage to such areas. A double slam gets two on Nick as this is totally one sided thus far. Castagnoli sits down and uses his legs to stretch Nick’s legs, then does the same to Matt (without letting go of Nick) for daring to interfere.
Hero comes in to grab a double chinlock, followed by a backsplash for two on Nick. An ankle crank goes on as Hero is seemingly enjoying the torture. Yet another wishbone connects but for some reason Nick pops up and drives Castagnoli into the corner for the tag to Matt. Castagnoli shrugs off the right hands and ties up all four limbs to lift Matt up, because that’s something he can do.
Back up and Nick gets in a cheap shot, with a Randy Savage finger spin, before begging Castagnoli not to hit him. This goes as you would expect, though Matt gets in a cheap shot to knock Castagnoli outside and into a chair. Back in and Matt hits Rolling Thunder (yes with the RVD pose) and the Bucks take over for the first time. Commentary gets into a discussion about whether wins or losses matter in declaring the Bucks the greatest tag team in the world.
The alternating beating continues, with Nick helping Matt get two off a sunset flip. Some back rakes have Castagnoli in more trouble but he rams them together without much trouble. A double bulldog drops the Bucks and he rolls over for the tag off to Hero. The discus forearm sends Nick into the corner and Hero starts alternating the running forearms in the corners.
The Bucks fight up so Hero tries a top rope springboard moonsault, which only goes so well (given his size, that’s not bad). An assisted Sliced Bread gives Nick two but Hero slips out of More Bang For Your Buck. The assisted 450 hits Hero (with Nick’s knees crashing into Hero’s ribs) for two more but Castagnoli tags himself in.
A quick powerbomb gets two on Matt and it’s time to go swinging. Hero adds the dropkick (Castagnoli LOVED that spot) for two, with Matt making the save. Matt and Hero brawl to the back so Castagnoli gives Nick the UFO (no hands spinning torture rack bomb) for two more. Then Matt rolls him up with feet on the ropes for the pin to retain at 21:50 (it’s as sudden as it sounds).
Rating: C+. I wasn’t liking this one as much as I was expecting a match which involved the Bucks having various parts of them stretched in painful ways. The ending really hurt it though, as you had the Bucks getting beaten up for the entire match and then winning on a fluke rollup. I’m not sure if that’s what is considered to be getting heat, but it was more annoying than anything else.
Post match Hero and Nick come back, with the Kings wrecking the Bucks again. We get an unconscious handshake as well.
Battle Of Los Angeles Finals: El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
Non-title. Generico jumps him as he gets in to start fast (because these two are required to fight forever). Steen fights up and sends him outside for the big running flip dive and they trade chops around (the rather small) ringside. Steen drops him onto the apron and goes to mock a kid in a Generico mask, as a heel should do.
Back up and Generico gets in a boot to the face, setting up the Arabian moonsault to drop Steen again. The big flip dive to the floor mostly misses for Generico, though Steen goes down anyway. Steen gets sent face first into a wall and Generico knocks him around ringside again. A tornado DDT (off the wall of course) cuts off Steen’s comeback and leaves commentary stunned.
Back in and Steen hits a cutter before getting into a battle of middle fingers with the kid in the Generico mask. The regular Generico hits a Michinoku Driver for two but the Helluva Kick is countered with a superkick. Steen’s brainbuster onto the knee gets two more and we hit the Sharpshooter again. For some reason, Steen lets it go and slowly chokes away but takes WAY too long going up.
Steen bites the slightly exposed face (Excalibur: “Kevin Steen, you sick f***.”), setting up the package piledriver for two. The Sharpshooter goes on in the middle of the ring but Generico manages to crawl over to the ropes. Back up and Steen spits on him in the corner but charges into the exploder in the corner.
Another suplex drops Steen and Generico hits his own package piledriver for a VERY close two. The Helluva Kick makes Steen smile so Generico does it again for the same result. Instead the brainbuster gives Generico two and they head out to the apron. Another Helluva Kick sets up a NASTY brainbuster and Steen is finally done at 13:43.
Rating: B. This is on the list of feuds that works no matter what they’re doing and it makes sense to put the two of them together in a high level spot. They beat the fire out of each other and made it fun at the same time, with the walk up the wall DDT being a highlight. There was something great about seeing Generico just unloading on Steen until he couldn’t get up anymore, as it fits perfectly with the idea of surviving to the end of a tournament.
Post match Generico gets the trophy (and of course Steen flips him off) and brings the Generico kid into the ring. Steen breaks the trophy and runs off like a good heel. We get quite the celebration with the broken trophy as the OLE chants are on. The fans want a speech and, after being confused about a PA announcement about beer, Generico apologizes for his bad English and thanks the fans to end the show. Generico would beat Steen for the title in about two months.
Overall Rating: B. This was a lot of fun and having Generico getting a great moment with the win (the part with the kid was a great bonus). There is nothing bad on the whole show and while you might not like the Bucks (fair enough), there was enough of them getting tortured to make things better. Overall, it’s a simple and easy to follow show that doesn’t require a high knowledge of PWG, making this a good one to watch if you just want some high quality action.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
