#ProjectReseda: PWG Bad Ass Mother 3000 Night 2

PWG BAM 3000 Night 2

Frankie Kazarian comes out and we are told that his opponent was supposed to be B-Boy yet he can't make it due to personal issues. So Excalibur says he has a replacement and that replacement? California indy stalwart Lil Cholo! This is in fact my first look at Lil Cholo aside from his stuff recently in Lucha Underground and I've heard a lot of great things about his early stuff. This should be FUN.

Frankie Kazarian vs Lil Cholo

These two start off like most matches at this time, with lots of back and forth lucha-based back and forth spots until they come to a stalemate. Cholo looks pretty solid though and does a springboard twisting body press that looks good. Kazarian isn't going to be out matched though and shows off some impressive stuff as well. We have a whole new venue for this second night which has a MUCH better crowd so far so that is a plus. Kazarian is still obsessed with the katahajime but Cholo doesn't give a fuck. Cholo nearly kills himself trying a dragonrana variation when he lands square on his shoulders. He's ok though and gets back in the groove of things. We get a really odd finish but nonetheless this is a decent opener. **

NOSAWA vs Christopher Daniels

This should be pretty damn good. I failed to mention during the first show that NOSAWA has the Juggalo Championship Wrestling World title with him which is a cool WWF Winged Eagle replica with a red leather strap so I mark out to that. Daniels is the man as has been stated so this will be fun to watch. Daniels starts us off putting a hurtin' on NOSAWA but he's quickly taken over by NOSAWA's quickness and a sweet Shining Wizard. Action spills out to the floor and Daniels takes advantage with a beautiful Arabian Press moonsault. NOSAWA cuts him off with a superkick and has some sign language for all of us American scumbags. He's whipping our bald hero (who was a heel last night) as punishment for American imperialism I suppose. Can I just say sorry? I guess not because he has Daniels in a Fujiwara armbar before giving his elbow an old fashioned stomp. A STO gives us all hope for Daniels' success and the raucous crowd of maybe 50 people is on board. Blue Thunder Bomb for only two. I really dug this match and both guys did fantastic I thought. ***

Joey Ryan vs Adam Pearce

Pearce is just HEAT. This is a fun one. I marked out to him demanding Rick Knox open the ropes for him ala Ric Flair because you can't get more pompous than that I feel. Pearce wins my heart even more by fucking with a fan and then finding himself holding back his manager before cracking and laughing his balls off. Pearce claims Ryan pulled his hair, all 1/6th of a centimeter that he has on his head. Both guys trade body slams before Ryan wins the advantage and locks in an armlock on the canvas. Pearce keeps finding himself on the canvas despite using all his might to get the advantage because Ryan is a TECHNICAL WIZARD DUH. Pearce is a master worker and I'm pretty sure he can deal with anything you throw his way. Pearce totally pulls the “ow my knee hurts, gimme a break” spot but Ryan catches him in the act but can't avoid an enzugiri. Pearce is my early favorite of these first PWG shows because of how he is the old school kind of worker in a sea of indy dudes doing a million moves with little reasoning. Not that that approach is terrible, it got PWG noticed ultimately but you'll always need that anchor of a worker in my view. This is my favorite match of PWG in the early going because of the nice mesh of styles between both guys and they really don't fuck anything up. We get our first PWG reft bump and holy shit is Pearce a DICK. We get a damn smart finish that lets you know that no one loses anything in this one. ***1/2

Colt Cabana vs Super Dragon

This is what we all love about early PWG; Dragon going face to face with some asshole in the crowd before he even gets in the ring. It is one of the boys though because they exchange a couple of shots before Dragon decides he wants to go wrestle. Will Dragon give Colt a concussion? We have to stay tuned! Colt is actually the one to jump the bell and beat on Dragon in the corner. We all know this is just setting up for a masterpiece of redemption. Dragon goes to Turnbuckleville a little bit before he dropkicks Colt out to the floor. Dragon pursues and chops Colt like hell. Colt thinks he'll return the favor but only meets ringpost with his chop and Dragon takes advantage. Dragon just loves to stomp the dogshit out of people and this match isn't any different. Dragon applies a headlock and the pace slows a tad until we get into a shoulder tackle battle along with some back and forth reverses. Pretty slick stuff. Dragon finds himself in a sleeper but manages to shitcan Colt through the ropes and expound upon that with a TOPE CON HILO THROUGH THE ROPES! Dragon is a madman for sure. Colt is on a bicycle after that and we get proto Violence Party in the corner. Colt gains control though for a moment until he eats a double knee that looked to be setting up for something but Colt snatches Dragon mid air and hits a nice butterfly suplex. Dragon creams people with lariats and it makes this Arkansan fucking HAPPY. I dig that the finish of this comes out of nowhere too but it isn't too shocking that it hampers the match. ***

Hardkore Kidd comes out and bitches on the mic. No one really gives a fuck and also, he is wearing a mask with no explanation at all. He just keeps harping on how everyone there is a midget to him until Hook fuckin' Bomberry shows up and stretches his bitch ass! This is hilarious and of course Al Katraz shows up to save his boy's ass but Apollo Khan has Hook's back. Paul T comes out, who is said to be the commissioner of PWG AND NOSAWA's manager? Thanks for that backstory I guess.

Hardkore Kidd and Al Katraz vs Apollo Khan and Hook Bomberry

Khan and Katraz didn't impress me in the debut show so I'm leery of this one. I'm hoping for Hook to keep this one decent. Khan gets his ass kicked by Katraz early before getting a little hope going with armdrags. The crowd is pretty dead for this. In comes Kidd and hook and the fans noticeably find interest. It's the biblical story as always here with these two while Hook tries to figure out how to stretch Kidd like a bitch ala just five minutes ago. We get back and forth headlock work until Hook nails a nice dropkick just to fall into another headlock but finds himself straddled on the top rope. In comes Al Katraz again and he joins in on double teaming Hook. A reverse suplex adds to Hook's problems and he's gotta get Khan in the ring. I'm actually fairly happy with the tag work of Kidd and Katraz because they do well cutting off the ring on Hook. Khan gets hit off the apron, of course occupying Rick Knox long enough for double teaming to level Hook some more. Hook gets a sunset flip! But he can't get the win and eats a clothesline. This surprised me for the most part and I love the old school feel to it. With that said, Khan hits a dropsault and lands on his feet so there's that. **1/2

Frankie Kazarian vs Christopher Daniels

TNA is representin' in Cali with this one and it's a premature collision between The Addiction tag team of 2016 which is extra intriguing with this one. These two were amongst the elite of the independents in the States at this time. A test of strength gets us started and Daniels gets a sweep on Kazarian. Kazarian finds a way to gain control with a hammerlock and Daniels gets to his feet to get a headlock takedown again. Kazarian later gets a Fujiwara armbar on Daniels. I like that these guys don't start this thing with highspots which so many people do even now, they take it to the mat and work themselves to the spots they want to do. PSYCHOLOGY EH? Things amp up though and this one is good. I definitely took these two for granted back in 2003 and to be able to revisit them now is really cool. It is really funny how people totally condemned these guys for doing too much when this is really tame by 2016 standards. Daniels hits a sweet delayed vertical suplex because Davey Boy Smith needs more pimping! Things devolve into a mini brawl exchange for a bit which is nice. I forgot how glorious Daniels' Blue Thunder Bomb was until these shows came to me. These two get this crowd GOING with this one and it might very well be the match of the tournament. ****

Joey Ryan vs Super Dragon

This pairing is one of the most legendary of all PWG history and even today these two could go out and make you give a fuck. Ryan wants a handshake and Dragon wants to slap the taste out of his mouth. Fuck yeah! We get an actual wrestling match though. Ryan wants to take Dragon's arm with him but Dragon responds with some ground and pound shit. They spend quite a while on the mat or working towards getting there which is refreshing. Ryan shows some courage and actually throws some right hands on Dragon but of course, he pays for it like they all do. Dragon's DICKISH ways are just other worldly. Grounded butterfly lock has Ryan in all kinds of trouble but Dragon is lookin' for that strap BABEH. The story revolves around Dragon just absolutely beating Ryan's ass and Ryan does everything he can to survive and win. It is very solid in doing that also. Ryan is an evil man and the pumphandle suplex into the corner on Dragon shows that because it is NASTY. Speaking of nasty, Dragon double stomps Ryan on the floor because he is a DICK! Ryan finds a way to get the advantage and shows some pretty good offense in doing so. Dragon just murders Ryan with his spinning heel kick to the back of the dome! Much like the previous match, albeit not as good in my book, this one delivers big on what these two can and will end up doing. In one of the absolutely insane spots I've ever seen, Ryan takes a bullet and hits Dragon with his second rope swinging neckbreaker ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR WITH NO GODDAMN PADDING. This is wild as hell. ***1/2

M-Dogg 20, Scorpio Sky, and Disco Machine vs Scott Lost, Tony Kozina, and TARO

We get the Losers Multi-Man that would become a bit of a staple for PWG's singles tournaments. With the six involved, I feel pretty good about this one but we shall see. Scorpio says TARO is a damned CHEATER OMG! Scorpio has the Wrestling Rulebook with him also and despite it being coverless, it is quite thick so there are way more rules than I knew existed. Scorpio wants TARO's “button” move to be banned. TARO snatches the rulebook and finds a passage that says “all buttons are legal”. That's that then and we start off with TARO and Scorpio! TARO is just too damned stout for Scorpio to bring down but M-Dogg takes a shot at it. Chops are on the menu here and Kozina comes in now to give M-Dogg a little wrestling lesson. Kozina starts to do just that with a takedown and some chain work but M-Dogg finds a way back to his feet and does some lucha reversals to gain control. Long story short, this is a decent multi-man with some pretty good guys in there mixed with some so-so ones. We get a dive collage by many and Tony Kozina actually pulls out a fucking awesome dive. Disco nails TARO with a straightjacket piledriver that is FANTASTIC. Don't expect a lot of rhyme or reason in this one, it's meant to be a little highlight reel and it does well in that. **

Frankie Kazarian vs Joey Ryan in the Finals of the PWG Title Tournament

Ryan comes out looking like a wounded warrior with his ribs taped thanks to that kamikaze mission he went on to get here. Kazarian is comparably fresh as a daisy yet pro wrestling has shown that when it comes to gold, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN FOLKS. Joey Ryan is just insane because he suplexes Kazarian from the ring out to the floor and at least he doesn't go with him or I'd say he's downright stupid. This kind of insanity makes Kazarian throw some evil out there and whip on Ryan like hell. Ryan keeps showing heart though and finding a way to keep himself in the match and throw some offense around. Kazarian again with his katahajimes, man but I'm slowly learning to love them despite somewhat poor application. Ryan drills Kazarian with a rebounded superkick that looks really good. This is not flawless but few things are yet it does what it should; finalize a pretty grueling tournament and gave PWG their first World Champ. The booking of this really set the tone for how they'd be for years to come which isn't a bad thing. I'm sure most people expected Ryan to gut it out and pull out the win for various reasons, one main one of course being he was part owner of the company yet PWG went a different direction. Not to mention at this time, Kazarian is arguably the most talked about guy on the indies around the whole WWE run not to mention his TNA stuff. ***

Overall Show Rating: B. As I stated about Night 1, the shows are getting better each time so I'm pretty psyched to continue my trek through this stuff. This is definitely the rough draft of what would become Battle of Los Angeles so it is very notable in that due to the popularity of BOLA now. Your first glimpse at what would make PWG successful, an uncanny eye for talent. As a good tournament should, this show also created more than one star.