4/12 Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in Reseda, Calif: 100th Show featuring Paul London, Bryan Danielson, Austin Aries, Chris Hero, Sonjay Dutt, El Generico, Colt Cabana

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla
Reseda, Calif.
Report by Mike Roe

Excalibur opened the show, calling out PWG Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks after their match against the Motor City Machineguns Saturday night at PWG 99, and said that while they would be going on to defend the PWG tag belts in Dragon Gate if they won tonight, they were going to have to defend them tonight first. The Young Bucks came out and talked about how great it was to wrestle the Machineguns, but they wanted to wrestle a team that they'd wrestled all over Southern California but had yet to wrestle in PWG, that being the Cutler Brothers.

1. The Young Bucks (PWG Tag Team Champions Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) beat The Cutler Brothers (Brandon Cutler and Dustin Cutler) to retain their championships. They wrestled a very athletic match with a lot of great double team moves, but the Cutlers didn't seem to get much of a reaction outside their big spots. They did some comedy stuff with one of the Cutlers using a resistance band, putting it around the neck of one of the Young Bucks and then exercising with it on the outside. Then later in the match, one of the Young Bucks escaped and put one of the Cutlers in the resistance band, so his partner was choking him. The Bucks hit their finisher on both Cutlers, and they both pinned the Cutlers piled on one another. There was a "Please come back" chant after the match, which I thought was a bit much, though the Cutlers are fine.

2. Roderick Strong beat Scott Lost. This was a great match, and I don't understand why Scott Lost isn't doing more on a national level. There was a great spot with Lost hitting an ace crusher out of nowhere on the outside. Strong ended up hitting the Yakuza kick on Lost for the win.

3. Bryan Danielson beat Kenny Omega. This may have been the funniest wrestling match I've ever seen. They did a bit early where Danielson was working joint manipulation spots on Omega, particularly on his elbow. Omega responded by putting an elbow pad on. When Danielson went for the elbow again and Omega was still yelping in pain, he took off one of his knee pads and put that on over the elbow pad. When Danielson went for the elbow again, Omega no sold it. So, Danielson pulled the knee pad off and ended up stretching Omega's elbow with Omega screaming out once more.

They wrestled a bit, and Omega said that Danielson was the best WRESTLER in the world, but that he wasn't the best at everything. Omega asked for a test of strength, so Danielson got down on the mat and put his arm up for an arm wrestling match. The ref kicked it off, and despite attempted cheating, Omega was still defeated. Danielson then challenged Omega to THUMB wrestling. Omega won. Since they'd traded wins, Danielson asked for a rubber match of sorts, and Omega finally got the regular test of strength that he'd wanted. Danielson started getting the best of it, so Omega kicked him and they wrestled a little.

Omega challenged Danielson to "The Spot," which he explained was The Spot That Never Ends, "it just goes on and on my friends." He then started doing the running crisscross spot, which Danielson joined in on, but Omega quickly became winded and said Danielson must be some sort of superhuman. Finally, Omega asked Danielson what his REAL name was, since no one is named "American Dragon." Danielson said his name was John Jacob Jingle Heimer Schmidt. Omega replied that that name is his name too. He then broke into the related song and dance, dancing arm in arm with Danielson as the crowd sung along. Omega suddenly went for a backslide, but he failed. They wrestled more seriously for a bit, and Omega ended up tapping out to a triangle choke.

4. Joey Ryan beat Paul London. This was the best wrestling match on the show. Ryan came out smoking, London came out wearing the spacesuit he used as his entrance attire before. He'd threatened "Easter Bunny Revenge" the night before, and he delivered, clocking Ryan over the head with a chocolate easter bunny, which shattered. London hit the shooting star press and would have gotten the victory, but Scott Lost ran down and pulled the ref out, allowing Ryan to hit London with a chairshot while the ref was still out before getting the pinfall victory.

Intermission

5. Austin Aries, Chuck Taylor, & Human Tornado defeated B-Boy, Scorpio Sky, & Candice LeRae. An OK match. Chris Hero had challenged Human Tornado to this match involving his girlfriend Candice at PWG 99. She was the most over babyface on her team by a wide margin. A lot of comedy stuff with various heels wanting to wrestle Candice, as well as Chuck Taylor hitting his grenade elbow drop and everyone on the aprons bumping to the outside. Candice was going for her finisher, but Aries countered and hit a brainbuster suplex for the victory.

6. Davey Richards beat Tyler Black. Another decent match. I feel like they need to develop Black's character more with the local crowd, as the match seemed a bit lifeless. Richards won with a Texas cloverleaf submission.

7. El Generico beat Sonjay Dutt. Dutt really seemed to be mailing it in. I understand that TNA's killed his spirit, but he did a lot of cheap heat stuff that was really boring, such as a fan calling him "retarded" and Dutt yelling back "Your mother's retarded!" Wow, creativity. The best bit in the match was Dutt doing the Jarrett strut. Generico hit a top rope brainbuster suplex for the win.

8. PWG Champion Chris Hero defeated Colt Cabana to retain the PWG Championship. A decent babyface/babyface main event that was kind of ruined by this kid in the crowd yelling out stuff during the match. Cabana tried to play off it, but it just encouraged the kid to yell more stuff. This led to a "This is awkward!" chant by the crowd. Even the referee asked the people around the kid "Who's responsible for this kid?", but no one took responsibility. There were chants during the match when dives were set up of "Land on the kid!" It took what should have been a serious, epic main event and made it into a comedy match that they never were able to get the crowd really into. Fans also gave Cabana a hard time about his Scotty Goldman history in WWE. Hero won with rolling elbow strikes.

After the match, Hero said that Scotty Goldman was gone and that Colt Cabana was back in PWG. Hero thanked Cabana for the match. Cabana left and went to the back.

Joey Ryan, who'd been on commentary, stood up and started cutting a promo while Hero was still in the ring. He said that Chris Hero is a good PWG champion, but you know who was a GREAT PWG champion? Joey Ryan. He noted that Hero was defending the PWG belt all over the world, but that Ryan was the one who'd made that a world title by defending it around the world. Ryan noted that it wasn't that long ago when the Dynasty (Ryan's tag team/faction) was running things in PWG, and that maybe it's time for that to happen again. Scott Lost ran out in street clothes (including a rather goofy looking hoodie) and attacked Hero from behind. Ryan joined in on the beating on Hero.

Paul London and Bryan Danielson ran out for the save, and Ryan and Lost bailed to the outside. Hero challenged them to a tag match, but Ryan pointed out that it would be 3 on 2 and would be unfair. (What's with the babyfaces challenging the heels to a match that's unfair for the heels?) The babyfaces taunted the Dynasty, including a couple rather lame gay jokes, but the Dynasty didn't bite and left. Still, obviously setting up a 6 man match once Ryan and Lost find a third partner. I'm hoping for a heel turn by Danielson or London, but I doubt that will happen, so should be interesting to see who the extra man is. They invited fans back for the next show on May 22nd, and Danielson got on the mic and noted that this was his birthday, and that he wouldn't object if fans wanted to bring him gifts!

Overall, a fun show with a somewhat disappointing last couple matches, and one match (Omega/Danielson) that will be burned in my memory forever as one of the most fun, wacky things I've ever seen.