Pro Wrestling Ponderings

• Johnny Goodtime def. Charles Mercury
• Chuck Taylor def. The Human Tornado
• The Cutler Brothers def. Malachi Jackson and Jerome Robinson
• Roderick Strong and Kenny Omega fought to a No Contest
• Scott Lost def. El Generico
• Davey Richards def. Nick Jackson
• Joey Ryan def. Necro Butcher

As you’ll see, there are a couple of mild (to major, in my mind) upsets from this night. First of all, Chuck Taylor defeated long-time PWG stand-out The Human Tornado. Let’s not forget, Tornado is a former PWG World Champion. He’s also only one of two men to hold the PWG World Title on two separate occasions. For Taylor to come in and defeat him, for his first singles victory (Over someone +penis and -ovaries) no less, is a huge deal. Taylor has been riding a considerable wave of momentum after DDT4 and now he keeps that going with a singles victory over Human Tornado.

Kenny Omega also fought Roderick Strong to a No Contest. While he didn’t get the victory, he also didn’t get pinned, and I think that says a lot, as Strong is always a favorite in his matches. I think a lot of people expected Omega to look good in a loss, and this was a time limit draw, so Omega didn’t escape defeat by cheating either. It was a good booking move and I like that it keeps Omega strong, while not sacrificing Strong’s place in the PWG pecking order.

In what I think is the biggest upset of the night, Scott Lost defeated former two-time Guerrilla Crown Champion (Yes, I made that up. Yes, I’m egotistical and think it’s genius) in a solid contest. What does this mean for Scott Lost? Could he be moving up the PWG singles ranks, after many long years of tag team glory? I’d like to think so, and this can only mean good things for Scott Lost and PWG as he will never miss a show, unless it’s due to injury, so they’ll be able to count on him to show up when needed.

Davey Richards defeated one half of the PWG Tag Team Champions, Nick Jackson, which would make you think he is in line for a Tag Title Shot. I wouldn’t call this an upset, as Davey is just so focused and intense that I could see him beating just about anyone at anytime. Who does he choose as a partner, though? He’s already shown he can’t beat them with Roderick Strong as his partner. Super Dragon is growing fatter at an exponential rate that puts him on a crash course with a fully developed planet. Not Pluto. He eclipsed that thing years ago. Maybe he needs to bring in his… wolf pack? I’m not ashamed, by the way, of that blatant and terrible pun.

Finally, with Joey Ryan defeating Necro Butcher, he’s all but locked up a title shot at the Anniversary Show. Not an upset, as I think we all saw this coming, but ya know what? It works. I’m looking forward to his match with Hero.

Where do we go from here? PWG announced their anniversary show for Friday, July 31^st. They’ve got a lot of options for matches, and this is shaping up to be a very, very, very big show. It’s got every chance to shine, but will it? With this card, I think it could get there. Keep in mind this is not the official card, and nothing has been released so far by PWG.

THREEMENDOUS II

Chris Hero (c) vs. Joey Ryan

PWG World Championship Match

This is what they’ve been building to. I think it would be a great place for a heel turn by Hero. He won the belt at this event last year, a culmination of all his hard work. Since then, us as fans have slowly given him more and more shit. Something’s bound to give. On the other side of the coin, perennial uber-heel Joey Ryan has been getting more and more baby face cheers. Does Joey Ryan end the second longest reign in PWG history? Or does Hero successfully defend, and pass Joey Ryan as the longest reigning PWG World Champion? It’s a compelling story, and I think these two would shock a lot of people and put on an epic, see-saw type of match whether either guy can win in the end. Who wins.

PWG World Tag Team Championship Match

The Young Bucks © vs. The American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards)

Here’s the thing. I had Omega and Taylor penciled in here, and I wouldn’t mind at all if they got the shot. But as a tag team, their momentum got stalled after The Secret Of Guerrilla Island. As for Davey Richards, he just beat Nick Jackson, and he’s in line for a tag title shot. His list of partners has been shortened incredibly, and it would make a lot of sense to bring in Edwards for this show. It’s a debut in a huge position, and it gives you an almost absolute top-flight match for one of your top shows of the year. They’re vicious, intense and are perfect foils for a baby face team like The Young Bucks. I see no reason to take the belts off The Young Bucks right now, but the match would be off the charts, and I think their ROH standing would really improve the Wolves’ chances in the minds of the fans.

Bryan Danielson vs. Paul London vs. Roderick Strong

THE DOLPHINS EXPLODE! Or something similar. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a hate thing. If you want, this could be for membership. Whoever loses gets kicked out of the Hybrid Dolphins and is no longer allowed to be a part of the tag team? Or we could just do the old ROH idea, with this being the first match that sets off a round robin tournament on shows in the future. I think that would be a great idea, no matter how obviously it gets ripped off. Singles matches between these three wrestlers could do nothing but help PWG and their show qualities.

Men Of Low Moral Fiber (Chuck Taylor and Kenny Omega) vs. El Steenerico

I debated Taylor and Omega vs. The Motor City Machine Guns, but that’s asking entirely too much. I think this match is much more plausible, and it could again steal the show. Steen and Generico are such powerful presences in PWG that, no matter who they face, there is always a chance of them winning. At the same time, Taylor and Omega are finding their groove in PWG, and are becoming a force to be reckoned with. The quality of this would be through the roof, and would give you a different kind of tag match than the Tag Title match. This would almost assuredly be more spotty, and that’s not a bad thing. It gives you a balance and a variety that you need for super cards like these.

Tyler Black vs. Scott Lost

This one wouldn’t have a lot of back story. It would, however, provide the show-stealing type of match that PWG prides itself on, and Lost is certainly on the way up in singles competition. Tyler Black is always up for a show-stealing match, and I think this would be a great mid/upper-mid card match to add importance and continue the elevation of Scott Lost. Then again, it’s Tyler Black, and he’s always got that underdog charm to him. He could win this match just as well as Lost. I’ve also wanted to see this match, singles-wise, since I watched The Dynasty vs. Age of the Fall back at All-Star Weekend 6, Night 1.

Karl Anderson vs. Claudio Castagnoli

I don’t have an answer why. I really don’t. For some reason, this match interests me and I’d love to see how it goes. It’s been a while since Claudio has been around, so it wouldn’t be difficult to put him in the face role.

Winner: Karl Anderson

Dark And Lovely (Human Tornado and Scorpio Sky) vs. The Cutlers

This show needs an opener, and this is a solid, solid opener. It wouldn’t have to be a long match, and they could certainly get the crowd pumped up with spots and what have yous. There’s nothing really to say about this match. No build up. Just a quick, hot sprint to get the crowd pumped up.

So there it is. What’s your thoughts? And if you say Taylor/Omega vs. Cabana/Generico, I’ll find you and kill you. Seriously. Past that, please share any thoughts and ideas you’ve got for this show! I plan on going to this show, as it’s been way too long since my last live PWG show (100, entirely too long). Then I can get in on these new-fangled pod casts everyone seems to be doing. Until then. Take it easy, and go watch some indy wrestling!