1) Peter Avalon vs. Johnny Yuma
These guys might be the two smallest men in PWG, but there's no doubt that they can put on an entertaining match. They proved so here by delivering a very fun opening contest. Yuma picks up the win with the Sex Factor which viciously planted Peter's head into the mat.
Match rating - ***
2) Candice LeRae vs. Portia Perez
It was clear that this match was put together last minute because it didn't last long and it wasn't very smooth. So much so that this match might as well have been left off the card. However if a certain number of matches was advertised, I can understand having this one take place. This wasn't a good match but Excalibur going through fun facts on Portia on commentary kept me entertained.
Match rating - *3/4
3) Willie Mack vs. Roderick Strong
After an average start to the show, things really picked up here. This one told the perfect story of underdog vs seasoned veteran. Willie Mack played his role extremely well as he took a beating from Strong, but kept striking back. The most epic exchange of the match came on the outside of the ring where Roddy kept chopping Willie and began cockily jawing with fans when out of nowhere Willie hit him with one of the loudest chops I've ever heard. The crowd exploded along with Excalibur on commentary as Willie and Roddy went toe to toe at ringside in an awesome exchange. This was the match in which Willie broke out in PWG and it was so great that I never wanted it to end. If this one had went a little longer, it very well could have been a classic because the action was off the charts and the story was fantastic. Match of the night for me.
Match rating- ****
4) Low Ki vs. Akira Tozawa
It's going to be hard to follow that Willie/Strong match however if anyone can do it, it's Low Ki and Akira Tozawa. This is another match that wasn't originally scheduled but got booked when the card got switched around because of Kevin Steen not being able to make it. Alot of good came out of it though because we got the epic Willie/Strong match and this dream match between Ki and Tozawa. This was everything you would expect from a match between these two. They had some great exchanges throughout with alot of counters. The best part of the match was when they had a mid-ring stand off where they traded palm strikes. Great match that is best described by what Low Ki said after their first stale mate "I know damn well you won't see action like this on WWE TV."
Match rating - ***3/4
5) Johnny Goodtime vs. Ryan Taylor
This was a decent match, but it didn't flow well enough to be considered "good". These guys were trying super hard to put together an awesome match and it backfired. They hit some crazy moves and did some great spots however there were a few slip ups that happened at the wrong times. The crowd was seemingly not invested in the match either so that didn't help. This one is easy on the eyes though so that counts for something.
Match rating - **3/4
6) Claudio Castagnoli vs. Joey Ryan - PWG World Title Match
Things started out pretty technical here and Joey kept his word as he wrestled the match cleanly. Unfortunately, that didn't last too long becausee he soon resorted to cheap tactics when he realized he couldn't out wrestle Claudio. The most memorable part of this match was the closing sequence as we saw Claudio carry Joey Ryan up to the second rope and throw him across the ring. He's such a beast. Solid match although it was pretty lackluster for a PWG World Title Match.
Match rating - ***1/4
7) El Generico & Ricochet vs. The Young Bucks - PWG World Tag Team Title Match
Paul London wasn't at the show so he appointed Ricochet to be Generico's partner and I'm not complaining because Ricochet is awesome. This match was your basic Young Bucks match which is always very good. This isn't anything that blow you away and it's not a MOTY candidate, but it's a great tag match with enough action to keep you satisfied.
Match rating - ***3/4
Overall thoughts: Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is known for having high quality shows, so much so that when there isn't a MOTY candidate or two on a card, the show is viewed as lackluster. This is one of those shows. Based on PWG standards, this is lackluster however based on normal standards, this was a good show. Willie/Roddy was the match of the night for me, it told an awesome story and the action followed suit. The two title matches weren't as good as I felt they could've been as the World Title match almost put me to sleep at points and the tag match was just heating up when it ended. So, if you're interested in buying this show, Willie/Roddy and Ki/Tozawa are the main reasons to, with the main event tag match being a great bonus.
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