PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2014: Night 1 DVD Review

Pro Wrestling Guerilla’s annual Battle of Los Angeles Tournament was held at the end of August, the 29th-31st of this year. This year’s PWG BOLA had 24 competitors fighting to go all the way in the well-respected tournament.

Among the 24 competitors were PWG regulars, newcomers, familiar faces, and the first woman in tournament history.

Every year, PWG BOLA is filled with plenty of amazing moments, and always manages to skyrocket somebody to the top.

On Night 1 there would be six First Round Matches, World’s Cutest Tag Team defending their World Tag Team Championship for the first time in a Three-Way Match, and a six-man tag team match featuring the team of Adam Cole and The Young Bucks.

So, without further ado, let’s break down the action:

Bobby Fish vs. TJ Perkins in a 2014 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

The first match of the weekend would put the newcomer Fish against the returning Perkins. Perkins replaced the injured Brian Cage in the tournament.

Fish is known for delivering stiff kicks, and Perkins utilizes his athleticism. It’s a mix of styles that I really enjoy, and this match was no exception.

Fish put a methodical beating on Perkins, working on his left leg. Perkins sold the attack really well, and he did a great job of modifying his offense around his injured leg, while still using some high-flying moves.

The finish was Perkins going for a Tiger suplex, but Fish reversed it and tried to lock in the Fish Hook, but before he could bring Perkins to the ground, Perkins transitioned into a bridge and pinned Fish. It was a great finish that the crowd went crazy for, and it was a really awesome match.

Fish was awesome in his first PWG match, and I would love to see him stick around and wrestle some more PWG guys that we don’t usually get to see him work with.

Sidenote: Excalibur and Joey Ryan did a great job of putting Fish over on commentary for those who haven’t seen him, and they told the story of Brian Cage’s injury, which is the only reason Paige was even in the tournament.

Biff Busick vs. Roderick Strong in a 2014 Battle of Los Angles First Round Match

This match featured another newcomer, as Busick took on Strong, the #1 Contender to Kyle O’Reilly’s PWG World Championship.

I’ve never seen Busick wrestle before, so I did not know what to expect from him. He doesn’t look like an athletic guy at first, but he pulled off some sick moves, including a dive over the top rope and an awesome neckbreaker.

Of course, Strong also used the strength that is always surprising, no matter how many times he uses it, or despite the fact that it’s his last name.

Strong got the win with the Orange Crush Backbreaker.

Busick was really impressive throughout the match, I would certainly expect to see him in PWG again.

Strong is really trying to get heat with the crowd, but it is not working, they still love him.

Cedric Alexander vs. Trevor Lee in a 2014 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

This is the first match of the night wher both men have competed in PWG before. Of course, Lee made his PWG debut in March, but he made the biggest impact in when he beat Kevin Steen at 11 in July.

Both of these guys are from North Carolina (Lee from Cameron, Alexander from Charlotte), so I had expected that they had wrestled before, and Excalibur even mentioned them having some matches together in the past. From the second this match started, these two showed an insane amount of chemistry, and it was very evident that familiarity played a role in them having a really good match. I don’t want to sell them short though, they are both very talented.

After Alexander delivered a dropkick in the corner, he brought Lee to the center of the ring to try and finish him off. Alexander got him in suplex position, but Lee reversed it and brought Alexander up for a suplex, but released him and caught him for a powerbomb and the win.

Another awesome match.

World’s Cutest Tag Team vs. Christopher Daniels and Frankie Kazarian vs. Inner City Machine Guns in World Tag Team Championship Title Three-Way Match

Loud “F*** TNA” chant for Daniels and Kazarian. Loud “Inner City/All Night Long” chant for Ricochet and Rich Swann. However, they were all nothing compared to Candice LeRae and Joey Ryan, who were appearing for the first time as champions, and got a massive ovation from the crowd before loud “Candice” and “She’s Hardcore” chants from the crowd.

Also before the match started, Ryan gave his lollipop to a willing fan, who then received “You sick f***” and “You got herpes” chants from the crowd.

The match started with Ryan and Daniels, as only two wrestlers would be legal at one time. Before they made any contact, Ryan started asking different sections of the audience if they wanted LeRae, with each section replying with cheers. However, as Ryan went to tag her in, Daniels played the heel and stopped him.

When Candice eventually did get in the match, Daniels was no selling her offense at first, but LeRae caught him by surprise and took control. Her offense was only stopped by Swann tagging himself in.

After that the match had a hot start, with members from all three teams mixing it up. It would eventually slow down though, with most of the work being done by Ryan, as he sold for Daniels and, mostly, Kazarian.

By the end of the match, the action really heated up. There was a lot of high-flying from Kazarian, Ricochet, Swann, Ryan and LeRae, as the ending saw her use a springboard off the ropes to get on Swann’s shoulders, and hit a reverse hurricanrana to retain.

This match did get a little slow at times, but it was a really good match overall.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Michael Elgin in a 2014 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Funny note from the introductions: the Boston-born Ciampa, who is usually billed from Sicily, was billed from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, because he recently bought a home there. Excalibur later referred to him as “The Sicilian Psychopathic Home Owner”.

Ciampa came out pushing Elgin’s buttons, as Excalibur explained he pie faced Elgin when he came out, before the camera started rolling. Then, he used some antics during the introductions. It didn’t help Ciampa though, as Elgin completely dominated the beginning of the match.

Ciampa would later gain control, and he was dominant for a while.

Both men used some pretty awesome power moves in this match, but that was expected.

This was a good, physical match, also expected, one that Elgin won with a vicious clothesline.

Brian Myers vs. AJ Styles in a 2014 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Another newcomer on the PWG scene, as Brian Myers, formerly known as Curt Hawkins in WWE, made his PWG debut against a guy who hadn’t wrestled for PWG since 2006, a guy who main evented the very first PWG show, Styles.

Styles, as he has done in ROH, came out wearing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He also did another thing we have seen him do in the past, which is encourage the “F*** TNA” chant.

Myers, who obviously knew that Styles would be the fan favorite in this one, played the heel really well throughout the match. Myers did have a small section of the crowd behind him.

The finishing sequence started off on the top rope, as the two men battled to try and have control over the other. Styles would eventually attempt to set Myers up for a Styles Clash off the middle rope, but they didn’t quite get it. They saved it as much as they could by having Myers tap out to a Boston crab from Styles.

After the match, Styles hit Myers with a Styles Clash, twice.

This match just didn’t quite connect, as Myers seemed a little out of place. Trent? was the same way when he arrived, so I expect Myers to get it together if he is given the chance.

Drew Gulak vs. Kyle O’Reilly in a 2014 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Welcome to PWG, Drew Gulak. Your first match is against the PWG World Champion.

Gulak is another guy I didn’t know much about, so I don’t know if it was a normal match for him, but I really liked how this match featured a lot of things we hadn’t already seen on this show. That’s something that’s difficult to do when everybody before you has already done everything.

After some strikes to the head, O’Reilly hit a brainbuster, held the arm while going for the pin, so that when Gulak kicked out, O’Reilly could lock in the Cross Arm Breaker for the submission victory. O’Reilly has used this finishing sequence before, and it’s one of the most well-executed, and best finishes in the world.

This match was really different from every other one that took place at this show, and I liked it a lot because of that. During a three-hour wrestling show, it is easy to see a lot of stuff over and over, but O’Reilly and Gulak put on a unique show that was really entertaining to watch.

Adam Cole and The Young Bucks vs. Kenny Omega, Zack Sabre, Jr. and Chuck Taylor

One last newcomer for the night, Sabre, Jr. started the match against Cole, and he showed no signs of being nervous. He didn’t move too fast, and he looked fantastic. Cole also sold everything like he got shot because he is a great seller.

There was a Trent? appearance in this match. Trent? was supposed to be in the tournament, but suffered an injury to his knee, and was replaced by Candice LeRae. When Cole and The Young Bucks had Taylor’s head positioned in a chair, and they were ready to decapitate him, Taylor’s Best Friend Trent? came out and made the save. Trent? had a chair and was ready to start swinging, but Cole attacked his injured knee from behind.

There were three referees, Rick Knox was pulled to the outside by Nick Jackson, then pushed in the way of a Sabre, Jr. suicide dive. Patrick Hernandez was pulled out of the ring by Trent? when he returned to the ring, then superkicked by Matt Jackson. Then, Trent? put on a referee’s shirt and made the three-count, as Omega pinned Cole after he hit Croyt’s Wrath, which was followed by an Awful Waffle from Taylor before the pinfall.

An unbelievable match, it’s amazing how many great six-man tag matches Cole and The Young Bucks put on, and how they can do it with any three men across the ring.

After the match, Omega got on the mic and talked about some familiar faces that had left since he was last here, as the crowd chanted “Ole”, “Steen”, and “Drake”. He said that PWG still manages to assemble the best talent on the planet and put them all together for this insane weekend, as the crowd cheered.

Overall Impression

Amazing show. There was only one match that didn’t hit on all cylinders, and that was Brian Myers vs. AJ Styles, but that wasn’t a bad match by any means.

The matches were great. The crowd was awesome. All the newcomers looked good in their PWG debuts. It was a fantastic night to kick off a huge weekend of shows.

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