Usual very good show. Every match was good in its own way. Easy show to watch. A lot of long matches and for the first time for me at PWG, the crowd did get tired and while there were big pops, you could see the difference once it past 11 p.m. So many of the regulars were in Japan for the Super Juniors or, in the case of the Young Bucks, were supposed to be there but were injured.
Adam Cole beat Dalton Castle. Different “Boys” than in ROH.
Michael Elgin beat Kamaitachi when Kamaitachi came off the top rope and Elgin caught him in mid air and gave him a brainbuster. Kamaitachi takes flat back bumps off the concrete too often. Because of no ramp and seats so close to the ring Kamaitachi didn’t do the stuff he does at Arena Mexico, but his fundamentals are great and he’s going to be one of the big stars on the U.S. indie scene this year.
Marty Scrull beat Mark Andrews. Long match. Scurll is a master performer live, a complete package and one of the most underrated workers in the business. These two worked together great. Andrews mostly sold. He’s so much better here than in TNA because he works longer matches and everyone that works here the fans see as stars because the idea is this is an exclusive members only club, both fans and wrestlers (Drew Galloway actually said that later in the show) so everyone is treated as a star.
Trevor Lee beat Andrew Everett. Fans got on both for being from TNA and they acted like they were making big money there which led to more catcalls about late pay. Real good, but it was two guys where it came off like they were friends putting on a great match. I don’t know if they could change that dynamic with this crowd.
Chris Hero beat Jeff Cobb with all the hard elbows. Everyone knows Cobb is Matanza. Because of the role, he’s a lot heavier than in the past, which he has to be since it’s in season but for this style he’d be better a little lighter. Still, he did the missed moonsaults, all the deadlift German and gut wrenches and other suplex series. Hero mostly used the hard strikes. Even though Hero win, the match was to get Cobb over and he won the people over big about three minutes in with an awesome dropkick and the gut wrenches. There was the loud “Please come back” chants when it was over.
Drew Galloway beat Michael Elgin with the Future shock DDT. Galloway was to work with Brian Cage, but Cage canceled to an emergency related to his son. Galloway challenged anyone to do double duty. It was late, although not late by PWG standards, but I think since people had seen Elgin, it was tough. The match was very good. Galloway has just about everything. So weird that he’s TNA champion, didn’t have the belt and this is the second time I’ve seen him live in the last two months and nobody in the crowd talks about him as champion or anything, and he’s doing a good job in that role. Also he’s a heel here or worked that way while a major face on TV.
Roderick Strong beat Sami Callihan with one of his unique backbreakers. Long match. Lots of stuff outside the ring. Callihan is really intense, shoving fans around (people he knows) and Strong is one of the best in the business. They were going along at a decent pace and then Roderick just exploded into fourth gear and turned the match around in the last several minutes.
Alberto De Rio and Paige were at the show. Del Rio and Galloway are tight. A lot of women MMA fighters were there including Shayna Baszler, Colleen Schneider, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir and there were a couple of others who came with them.