RADICAN’S 7/13 PWG Threemendous V report – Janela-Cobb, Riddle-Scurll, Walter-King

RADICAN’S PWG THREEMENDOUS V REPORT
JULY 13, 2018
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT HIGHSPOTS

Commentator: Excalibur

(1) DALTON CASTLE (w/The Boys) vs. DAVID STARR

Excalibur mentioned that Castle recently lost his ROH World Championship. Starr is coming off a loss to Matt Riddle. Castle hit his pose to stop Starr in mid-stride. Starr fired back with a slap to the face. Castle dug his hands down his trunks and then slapped Starr across the face. Castle eventually clotheslined Starr to the floor. He set up for a dive, but Starr got out of the way. Castle stopped and did his strut. Starr tried to get up on the apron and Castle nailed him with a punch. Castle went for a dive, but Starr slid in the ring behind him. They went back and forth and Starr hit a huge lariat. They had an awkward exchange near the apron and Starr went for a springboard, but ran right into a punch to the gut from Castle. Castle hit punches to Starr’s stomach over and over. He yelled at Starr and told him he was going to punch him until he s–t his pants. The fans chanted s–t your pants at Starr. They went at it on the outside and Castle went for his headscissors by spinning himself off the ropes, but Starr ducked it and shoved Castle into the ringpost. Starr successfully connected with an inside out clothesline on the apron a short time later and the fans booed. Starr targeted Castle’s ribs. Castle finally fired back with a big clothesline.

Castle cut Starr off up top. Starr slumped over and Castle nailed him with a running knee strike. Castle hit some big knee strikes in the corner and made the cover, but Starr was in the ropes when he made the cover. Starr slipped out of a slam attempt and hit a forearm to Castle’s back. Starr charged at Castle and got caught. Castle went for the Bang-A-Rang, but couldn’t hold on to Starr because of his back. Starr cut off Castle going for a dive and hit a DDT. Starr sent Castle to the floor a short time later and set up for a dive, but Castle got out of the way and he crashed into a pile of chairs. Castle went and got Starr and tossed him into the ring. He lifted him up and connected with a big slam for a two count. The crowd just wasn’t into the match as they went to a strike exchange. The fans began to fire up as they continued to trade blows. Starr grounded Castle with a big punch, but Castle caught his lariat attempt and hit a back elbow. Castle went for the Bang-A-Rang again, but collapsed due to his injured back. Starr then got a crossface variation and tied up both of Castle’s arms while wrenching back on his chin for the win.

WINNER: David Starr in 15:00. (**)

(Radican’s Analysis: This had some good moments, but it was clunky at times and the fans didn’t seem to care about the action much at all. At the time this match took place, Castle was really banged up and working through a string of injuries right before taking some time off.)

Starr put his foot on top of Castle after the match and the fans booed.

(2) PENTA EL ZERO M vs. REY HORUS

Horus hit a Deja Vu headscissors that sent Penta to the floor. He went for a dive right away, but Penta got out of the way and shoved him into the ground as he came through the ropes and the fans fired up. Penta put on a Kangol hat and delivered a HUGE chop on Horus back inside of the ring. Penta hit a military press slam on the outside that dropped Horus over the apron. Penta played to the crowd and Horus nailed him with an inside out springboard dropkick. He then got a running start and hit a HUGE flip dive over the top to the floor and the fans went nuts. WOW! Horus got a chair and winged it at Penta. Horus went for a springboard and Penta nailed him with a kick. Penta bounced off the ropes right into a standing Spanish Fly for a 2 count. They went back and forth and Penta caught Horus with a lung blower for a 2 count.

Both men ended up down on the mat after a back and forth exchange. Penta got up and nailed Horus with a huge overhand chop. They began exchanging strikes in the ring. Penta caught Horus with a superkick. They ended up going up top and Penta slid under Horus and hit a lung blower. The fans gasped as Penta posed in the middle of the ring. Penta followed up with a running lung blower for a 2 count. Penta set up Horus for his signature arm breaker, but Horus got out of it and hit a modified Code Red for a two count. They went back and forth and Penta hit a Canadian Destroyer on Horus off the ropes. Penta then hit the Panama Sunrise version of the Canadian Destroyer off the second turnbuckle for a near fall. WOW! The fans fired up as Penta regrouped with Horus down on the mat. Penta dragged Horus to the apron and they began trading chops and strikes. Penta went for a package piledriver on the apron and connected! That’s just nuts. Wow. The fans gasped with both men down on the outside. Penta went up top a short time later, but missed a double stomp. Penta sold his leg and Horus hit a satellite rotation style DDT for a near fall and the fans went nuts. Penta tried to climb the ropes but Horus got a running start and hit a Rising Sun variation off the second turnbuckle for the win.

WINNER: Rey Horus in 13:00. (***¾)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was a fun and athletic match. They did a ton of crazy stuff to the point where I thought they might lose the crowd, but they never did. This was a fun watch, but they did so much stuff that I had no idea the finish was coming when it did.)

(3) JEFF COBB vs. JOEY JANELA

The fans chanted back and forth for both men before they went at it. They went at it on the mat and Janela ended up rolling to the floor. Janela got caught with a big belly to belly by Cobb a short time later and the fans gasped. Cobb ran at Janela, but Janela nailed him with a basement dropkick. He followed up with a running knee to the face. Janela followed up with a suicide dive. He hit a second and the fans applauded. Cobb caught Janela charging at him on the floor a short time later and he lifted him up and powerbombed him onto the ring apron. Cobb lifted Janela and tossed him across the ring into the corner and the fans fired up and chanted his name. Cobb whipped Janela into the corner and he came flying off the turnbuckles due to the impact. Cobb then turned Janela upside down by whipping him into the opposite corner. Janela fired back and hit a crossbody off the top. Janela got on track and hit a running knee strike in the corner for a two count. Janela went up top, but Cobb caught him with a dropkick. Cobb then lifted Janela up for a delayed vertical superplex. WOW! They battled up top a short time later. Janela tried to fight Cobb off and eventually shoved him down to the apron. He nailed Cobb with a roundhouse kick on the apron. Janela then went up top and hit a double stomp to Cobb’s chest!

Janela went up top and hit another double stomp for a near fall. Janela went up top for a moonsault, but Cobb got out of the way. He hit a standing moonsault, but Janela moved when he went for a standing SSP. They went back and forth trading blows in the middle of the ring. Cobb eventually wiped Janela out with a HUGE lariat and both men were down. That was a TREMENDOUS exchange. Both men traded chops. Janela got on track with a slap to the face and several chops, but Cobb DECKED him with a double handed chop! Cob took the straps down and went for a clothesline, but Janela ducked it. They went back and forth and Cobb blocked a superkick. He went for the Angle Slam, but Joey slipped out and hit a big superkick for a two count. Janela went to the floor and tossed some chairs into the ring. Cobb hit a headbutt and Janela ended up seated in the chair. Cobb then picked up Janela and hit a suplex with him seated in the chair into another chair! WOW! Cobb then hit Tour of the Islands for the win.

WINNER: Jeff Cobb in 15:00. (****)

(Radican’s Analysis: Great match here between Cobb’s power and Joey’s ability to sell. The finish was crazy with Cobb suplexing a seated Janela into another chair and then hitting Tour of the Island. The crowd was really into this match.)

(4) THE RASCALZ (DESMOND XAVIER & ZACHARY WENTZ) vs. THE YOUNG BUCKS (MATT & NICK JACKSON) – PWG World Tag Team Title match

Nick and Xavier went back and forth until Nick got Xavier in a headlock takeover. The fans started a psychology chant. They went back and forth a short time later and Xavier caught Nick with a dropkick. Matt and Wentz went at it a short time later and Matt worked over Wentz with a headlock on the mat. Wentz fired back and hit a springboard tornado bodypress. Xavier and Wentz tagged in and out to work over Matt with a combination of moves in the corner. Matt fired back and set up for a dive, btu Nick said no. Wentz and Xavier got back into the ring and wiped out the Bucks with a pair of dropkicks. They then hit stereo suicide dives to the floor to wipe out Matt and Nick. Wentz went for a standing moonsault on Matt, but he got his knees up. Nick went up top, but Matt told him not to do it. Matt handed him the Book of Psychology, but he said no and hit a dive off the top. He then ran wild on The Rascalz and capped the sequence with a bulldog/lariat combination and the fans fired up. The Young Bucks hit double springboard splashes to the floor to take out Wentz and Xavier. The fans chanted for The Young Bucks. Wentz ended up taking a beating from Matt and Nick. Xavier tried to get into the ring, but the ref stopped him, so The Young Bucks took some liberties with tagging in and out of the match.

Wentz blocked a springboard X-factor from Nick and hit a pump kick to his face. He began crawling to his corner, but Matt tripped Xavier from the apron to the floor. Matt got on the apron and asked for the tag and Wentz knocked him down. Wentz then hit a big running knee to Nick’s head. Xavier finally got the hot tag and ran wild. The action broke down and Nick took a combination of moves from The Rascalz. Wentz hit a dive to the floor off Xavier’s back. Xavier went for a handspring dive, but Matt ran into the ring and planted him with a modified psycho driver.. WOW! Matt applied a sharpshooter and Nick took care of Wentz by flipping through the ropes and wiping him out on the floor. Xavier struggled, but eventually got to the floor. Xavier fired back a short time later and hit a handspring Pele kick on Matt. The fans fired up and chanted for both teams with Matt and Xavier down on the mat. Wentz and Nick tagged in and went at it exchanging blows. Wentz went for a springboard tornado dive, but The Young Bucks caught him. The Bucks set up for The Meltzer Driver, but Wentz hit a headscissors takedown that sent Matt into Nick with a headscissors. Wentz followed up with a springboard cutter for a great near fall.

Both teams went back and forth as the action broke down. Xavier hit a lope suicida on Nick. Wentz came off the top with a senton on Matt. Xavier then hit a tornado dive off the top and Matt kicked out at the last second. WOW! Both teams went back and forth again at a rapid pace. Xavier tried to send Wentz into the corner with a flying dropkick, but Matt got out of the way and he nailed the ref. Nick slid The Book of Psychology to Matt, but Wentz put his foot on it. Nick nailed Wentz with a superkick and Matt nailed him with the Book of Psychology. The fans chanted Psychology again and The Young Bucks hit The Meltzer Driver on The Book of Psychology. The ref recovered and made a very slow count and Xavier broke the pin up at the last second. Xavier was going for a handspring, but he ate a double superkick to the front and back. The Young Bucks were going for More Bang For Your Buck on Wentz, but he turned it into a crucifix pinning combination on Matt for the win.

WINNERS: Desmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz in 18:00 to retain the PWG World Tag Team Championship (****)

(Radican’s Analysis: They did a lot of comedy around The Book of Psychology bit from Being the Elite. The action itself was non-stop and the fans fired up as the match went on once The Young Bucks stopped doing the “psychology” spots. There were some great teases of finishes late before Wentz got the surprise pin in the end.)

Trevor Lee got on the mic before facing Rey Fenix. He thanked PWG for getting a bigger building. He said a lot of people are worried because they won’t see the one star they want to see at BOLA. He said he’d be at Impact making millions of dollars. Lee said he had said he would leave PWG as heavyweight champion and that’s not going to change. He said he won’t do it at BOLA, but he said when PWG sees the support of the fans for him, they will have to give him a title shot. The fans booed as Lee posed on the turnbuckles. Lee said, “Now as for this Mexican I got right here in the ring…” and Fenix wiped him out.

(5) REY FENIX vs. TREVOR LEE

Fenix went up top and hit a huge senton atomico for a near fall right off the bat. Fenix sent Lee to the floor and set up for a dive. He then held himself in the ropes when Lee went to duck out of the way. They went at it in the ring and Fenix went for a springboard, but Lee caught him. Fenix got out of Lee’s grasp and hit a rolling frog splash. Fenix went up top a short time later, but Lee shoved the ref into the ropes to crotch him. Lee measured Fenix and hit a PK from the apron to the floor. Lee went to work on Fenix and the fans booed. Lee whipped Fenix hard into the corner a short time later and made the cover for a 2 count. Lee hit a flapjack a short time later that sent Fenix crashing throat first into the top rope. He made the cover a short time later for a two count. Lee continued to work over Fenix for a long period of time. He went after Fenix’s mask at one point and the fans booed, as that’s a big sign of disrespect. Lee teased tossing Fenix into the crowd from the outside, but instead he tossed him back into the ring. Both men traded chops, but Lee ended up raking Fenix’s eyes. Fenix fired back and went on the attack. He charged at Lee, but Lee pulled the ropes down on him and he went to the floor. Fenix ended up charging at Lee as he climbed up top a short time later and he hit a one man Spanish Fly off the top and both men were down.

Fenix made the cover, but only got a two count. Fenix went for a springboard a short time later, but Lee got his knees up. The fans booed as Lee made the cover for a two count. The fans definitely aren’t very high on Lee’s offense in this match. Fenix tried to fire back with some hard strikes, but Lee fired back. Lee hit a pump kick, but Fenix bounced back through the ropes and hit one of his own. Fenix went to spring off the ropes, but Lee caught him with his spinning powerslam for a two count. Lee caught Fenix with a big mushroom stomp off the ropes a short time later for a near fall. Lee argued with the ref before going up top. Fenix ran up to meet him up top. Lee gouged his eyes and Fenix ended up grabbing the ref and shoving him into the ropes to crotch Lee and return the favor from earlier in the match. Fenix hit a sick step up kick on Lee. He followed up with the Muscle Bomber for the win!

WINNER: Rey Fenix in 13:00. (***¼)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was a good match, but it didn’t get to the next level until the end when they had an exciting finish. It wasn’t exciting when Lee was on offense and the crowd heat died way down until they were able to bring the fans back into the finishing sequence. This was a very one-sided match for the most part after Fenix jumped Lee when he addressed him as Mexican during his pre-match promo.)

(6) MATT RIDDLE vs. MARTY SCURLL

Scurll ran at Riddle and nailed him with an umbrella shot to the gut. Scurll hit his signature kick from the apron to the floor. He tossed Riddle back into the ring and charged at him, but Riddle popped up and nailed Scurll with a flurry of strikes. Riddle capped the sequence with a big exploder suplex. Riddle hit a gutwrench suplex and held on for another. Scurll tried to grab the ropes to prevent it, but Riddle got him up and hit another one. Riddle no-sold a chop in the corner from Scurll and then dropped him with a big chop of his own. Riddle got Scurll up and eventually went for Bro To Sleep, but Scurll blocked it and ended up tying his legs up and then he lifted them up and stomped down on them. Scurll then went to work on Riddle inside the ring. The fans tried to fire up behind Riddle, who tried to leverage out of Scurll’s grasp. At the last second, Scurll countered Riddle and hit a back stabber. Scurll went after Riddle’s fingers, but Riddle a big knee to the head and a fisherman’s buster for a two count. Scrull hit a fake out kick to Riddle’s leg and then stomped down on his fingers. Riddle and Scurll went back and forth. Riddle hit a jumping punch, but Scurll wiped him out with a clothesline. Scurll hit a swinging DDT and then rolled through into a brainbuster, but he only got a two count.

Scurll set up for the chicken wing, but Riddle cut him off and hit a powerbomb and flipped him through into a bicycle knee for a 2 count. They went back and forth and Riddle went for a Pele kick, but Scurll caught it and snapped his toes apart! The crowd chanted “you sick f—k” at Scurll. Riddle held his injured foot, so Scurll stomped his other foot. Remember, Riddle wrestles barefoot. Scurll went for the Chicken Wing, but Riddle blocked it and eventually jumped backwards onto the Matt with his weight on top of Riddle. Suddenly, Scurll popped up and went for the Chicken Wing again, but Riddle rolled through and hit a jumping tombstone. Riddle then got the Bromission and Scurll tapped out.

WINNER: Matt Riddle in 12:00. (***3/4)

(Radican’s Analysis: This was just getting really good when it ended. They had some good back and forth counter exchanges during the second half of the match that got the crowd into the action. The finish seemed to come out of nowhere, as Scurll was in control and Riddle countered him and quickly won the match.)

The main event introductions began and the fans booed that Brody King vs. WALTER was supposed to be a non-title match against PWG World Champion. King got on the mat and told WALTER to put the title on the line. WALTER agreed.

(7) WALTER vs. BRODY KING – PWG World Championship match

King caught WALTER with a dropkick during the early going. They went back and forth off the ropes. Both men went for chops and failed to connect before coming to a stalemate and the fans fired up. King bridged up with all of WALTER’s weight on him, so WALTER let go and stomped down on his throat. OUCH! WALTER took King over to the ropes and hit him with some punches to the chest with King tied up in the ropes. WALTER went for another punch, but King blocked it and hit some HUGE chops. They went back and forth and WALTER hit some elbows. He grabbed a cravat and then tossed King to the mat and stomped on his head. WALTER hit a neckbreaker/DDT combination on King a short time later. These two men had only previously faced each other in a tag match during “All Star Weekend” earlier in the year. WALTER continued to dominate the action. WALTER blocked a dropkick and grabbed a Boston Crab. He then turned it into a STF. King struggled, but managed to get to the ropes. WALTER told King to bring it and he tried to fire back with some trikes, but WALTER fired back and grabbed a sleeper before turning it into a butterfly suplex for a two count. King finally countered a suplex attempt and hit one of his own.

King fired up and ducked WALTER’s strike attempts and connected with his own strikes. WALTER got tripped onto the middle rope by King, who followed up with a cannonball senton. King then hit a suicide dive to the floor and the fans fired up big time. Both men were so to get to their feet, but they eventually began trading bombs on the floor. The ref’s count reached 19 and both men dove into the ring and continued to trade blows. WALTER grabbed a sleeper, but King got out and hit a deadlift German, but he ended up suplexing WALTER right onto his own head. WALTER jumped on top of King and hit some big chops and then grabbed the sleeper. King shook off the hooks from Walter and managed to roll into the ropes. That German looked brutal. WALTER hit a German and King got up and WALTER waved at him to come at him only for King to eat a HUGE clothesline. King hit an elbow strike, but WALTER fired back with a shotgun dropkick! WALTER hit a powerbomb and then applied a STF when King kicked out at two. King struggled, but managed to once again get to the ropes. The fans chanted for both men as WALTER went back on the attack. WALTER held onto King’s arm and dragged him into several forearms. King put his hands behind his back and WALTER hit several big forearms and then a DDT for a 2 count. Excalibur mentioned how hot it was in the building with the temperature being 90 in Los Angeles.

WALTER got up and hit some big chops to King’s chest. WALTER slapped King across the back of the head and King fired up and hit a big chop of his own. WALTER fired back with a HUGE chop. WOW! BOth men began tagging each other with chops and the fans fired up. WALTER hit a high kick and a forearm. King caught WALTER coming off the ropes and hit Cradle Shock for a two count. WALTER blocked a piledriver, but WALTER turned it into an air raid neckbreaker. WALTER then lifted King up and wiped him out with a lariat for a nearfall. WOW! WALTER hit some big punches on King and King fired back with some chops and strikes of his own. He hit a lariat, but WALTER wouldn’t go down. King bounced off the ropes and WALTER nailed him with a lariat. WALTER then lifted King up and hit a sitout tombstone piledriver for the win. WOW!

WINNER: WALTER in 19:00 to retain the PWG World Championship. (****¼)

The show ended with the fans chanting for both men.

(Radican’s Analysis: This was a great main event. It was a nice change of pace from the fast-paced style of matches that came before it on the undercard. These two had a great hard-hitting match. I was impressed with King’s ability to exchange blows with WALTER, who appears to hit and chop harder than anyone in wrestling. I love everything about WALTER with his old school heavyweight look and King is a big man that fits in the same mold, although he’s not quite as imposing as WALTER in size and appearance, he’s close. This was a great way to cap the show.)

Overall score: (8.0) – There were no bad matches on the card, but there was no total blowaway match either. What PWG delivered on this show was a lot of really good in-ring action, although the frenetic pace of the matches made them start to blend together, as several matches got off to quick jump starts and were wrestled at a breakneck pace.

The card got off to a slow start by PWG standards with an average match between David Starr and Dalton Castle, but it picked up from there for the most part. The highlight of the undercard was Joey Janela vs. Jeff Cobb, which was structured to favor Janela’s strengths as a brawler and Cobb’s power. I really enjoy Cobb’s power and he had great chemistry with Janela, who bumped well for him, especially for the crazy sequence with the chairs before the finish.

Most of the other matches on the card were good to great. PWG has such a diverse roster right now, as they’re bringing in a lot of international talent to fill the void left on the U.S. independent scene with so many wrestlers being scooped up by WWE. It’s really cool to see a local guy getting a chance to shine in PWG, as Brody King took on PWG WALTER in the main event.

WALTER and King had a great match that featured a lot of hard-hitting action. Both guys would be top picks of mine to start a Hoss division on the independents. WALTER is unique in his appearance and charisma. He hits hard and looks like a killer in the ring between his striking ability and the way and jumps on his opponents to apply submissions.

Overall, this is a show well-worth checking out. It wasn’t the best PWG show I’ve seen recently, but it featured a number of really good matches and the crowd really turned things up for the matches that delivered on the card, especially Cobb-Janela and WALTER-King.

You can purchase this show at highspots.com. For more information on PWG, visit prowrestlingguerrilla.com. 

Contact Sean at radicansean@pwtorch.com. Follow him on Twitter @sr_torch.