By Silverback, PWG Staff Writer
San Onofre, CA – This past weekend at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s (http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com) Dynamite Duumvirate Tag Team Title Tournament (DDT4), the fifteenth PWG World Tag Team Champions were crowned as Roderick Strong and “The Man That Gravity Forgot” PAC overcame some very daunting odds. However, if the unlikely partners thought that they had made it through the toughest part of their title reign, they were sorely mistaken. PWG Commissioner of Wrestling Dino Winwood has decided to keep his streak of tough title defenses for new champions alive. In fact, PWG World Champion El Generico will have his work cut out for himself too, especially after his hellacious weekend of title defenses at DDT4. Who will be challenging the champions for the PWG titles at “Roger Dorn Night” on Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 5:00PM at the Burbank Armory in Burbank, CA? None other than Ricky Reyes, Rocky “Azucar” Romero, and “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. We’ll leave it up to you to figure out who is going for what title.Despite their loss to Jay & Mark Briscoe in the semi-finals of the DDT4, Reyes and Romero showed Commissioner Winwood that their tag team abilities have not deteriorated one bit since their last appearance in PWG together almost a year ago. Impressed by their teamwork, and their low transportation costs compared to PAC and Roderick Strong, Dino Winwood considers the Havana Pitbulls to be the top choice when it comes to contenders to the PWG World Tag Team Titles. When told of Dino’s partly financially motivated decision, Ricky Reyes responded angrily in some unintelligible dialect, originally thought to be Cuban. After Rocky Romero finished explaining that Cuban people speak Spanish, not Cuban, and that Reyes was in fact speaking English, but shouting, he went on to say that the Pitbulls look forward to challenging for the titles, and that he personally would show no remorse when it came to facing off with sometime partner Roderick Strong. Will the Pitbulls’ focus and determination prove to be too much for the newly crowned champs, or will Strong & PAC pass their first test as champs, and continue worry Dino Winwood about PWG’s bottom line?
While the DDT4 weekend did focus primarily on the crowning of new PWG World Tag Team Champions, the PWG World Championship was defended twice in as many nights, and in some of the toughest title defenses PWG has ever seen. El Generico took it in stride that his championship was not the focal point of the weekend, instead he quietly set about settling scores, evening up rivalries, and cementing his position as one of the premiere champions in PWG’s nearly four year history. On Night One of DDT4, El Generico defeated long time rival “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen in the rubber match of the PWG series, and more importantly, retaining the World Title. On Night Two, El Generico went on to beat CIMA, who had previously defeated Generico in the 2006 Battle of Los Angeles, giving each man one victory a piece in singles competition against each other. Now, El Generico is forced to look to the future, and thus, to look to “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson. Danielson and CIMA went to a hard fought 30-minute time-limit draw on Night One of DDT4, and defeated former PWG World Champion Joey Ryan on Night Two, logically making him the number one contender for the PWG World Championship. Unlike the season finale of NBC’s Heroes, Commissioner of Food & Beverage Excalibur is not one to openly fly in the face of logic, and therefore signed the title match for June 10.
With both PWG World Championships on the line at “Roger Dorn Night,” what else can fans expect to see? We’re glad you asked, because at 5:00PM on Sunday, June 10, at the Burbank Armory, 3800 W Valhalla Dr., Burbank, CA, 91505, you will see:
PWG World Championship Match
El Generico (c) vs. “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson
PWG World Tag Team Championship Match
“The Man That Gravity Forgot” PAC & Roderick Strong (c) vs. Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes & Rocky “Azucar” Romero)
Human Tornado (w/ Candice LeRae) vs. Super Dragon
— When Super Dragon returned from his ankle injury at All Star Weekend V, he and Davey Richards made sure everyone knew they were back, and were a force to be reckoned with. However, PAC & Roderick Strong reckoned them, reckoning them so well in fact that the former champs were reckoned right out of the tournament by the future champs. This proved to be more stress than the already fractured relationship could handle, as Davey Richards walked out on his partner during the 8-Man Tag Team Match at DDT4. Seemingly without a partner, Super Dragon is forced to turn his attention back to singles competition, and ultimately the PWG World Title. And what better place to start than with former World Champion Human Tornado? Tornado has been keeping his pimp hand strong in and out of the ring lately, but will he be able to deal with whatever Super Dragon has in store?
Davey Richards vs. “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen
— After Davey Richards was pinned by PAC in the opening round of the DDT4, he pointed the finger of blame at everyone he could for the loss. Fortunately for Davey, that finger never made its way back to himself, instead landing solely on Super Dragon. “If he had made it back into the ring in time, we’d be champions right now.” fumed Richards “I mean, Roderick wasn’t even holding him that tightly! I’ve seen Dragon slip out of tighter spots just to avoid shaking someone’s hand. But with the hanging in the balance, he can’t move his ass?” Whether or not Davey’s assessment of the situation is correct, his relationship with Super Dragon is over for good. “Mr. Wrestling” Kevin Steen’s relationship with Super Dragon was never stable enough to end up in a meltdown at a big tag team tournament in Burbank, but that didn’t stop Steen from finding success on his own in PWG. After feeling somewhat disheartened by wrestling the past few months, Steen has recently tied up loose ends with Joey Ryan and Ronin, and also challenged El Generico for the PWG World Title. Though he lost, the usually hot headed Kevin Steen simply stated “He was the better man tonight. That’s not going to stop me though.” Will the new found maturity of “Mr. Wrestling” be the first step on the journey to reclaiming the PWG World title, or will Davey Richards stop looking over his shoulder for Super Dragon long enough make his way back into the title picture?
Tyler Black vs. Joey Ryan
— Secure in the knowledge that he is guaranteed a spot in the 2007 Battle of Los Angeles, Joey Ryan made it clear to Commissioner Winwood that he intended to coast all the way into PWG’s annual tournament. “Easy matches only, please.” Joey said. “In fact, I don’t even need matches. Just give me a gallon of baby oil and a microphone and I’ll entertain those fans more in 5 minutes than the rest of PWG could do in 5 years.” Dino didn’t think this was such a great idea, and instead decided to pit the former PWG World Champion against one of the fastest rising stars in professional wrestling, Tyler Black. Black, who along with Jimmy Jacobs as Do It For Her (DIFH), turned quite a few heads at All Star Weekend IV, was virtually guaranteed a spot in DDT4 until Jacobs’ ACL injury and subsequent surgery put DIFH out of the tournament. With Jacobs in physical therapy, Tyler Black asked to be given a shot to prove himself on his own, and that’s exactly what Dino Winwood did. Now it’s up to Black to not only defeat Joey Ryan, but also to win over the fans, and deal with whatever Joey’s The Dynasty stable-mates may throw at him. No one ever said earning a place in PWG was easy.
Arrogance (Chris Bosh & Scott Lost, w/ Jade Chung) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt “Mr. Instant Replay” Jackson & “Slick” Nick Jackson)
— While Tyler Black does not have an easy path ahead of him, the same can be said for the Young Bucks as well. Born and raised in the high desert of Southern California, where oddly enough, people speak with Southern accents despite being just 70 miles outside of Los Angeles, Matt & Nick Jackson have come a very long way in their very short careers, and June 10 will see their biggest test yet. Though that test may be somewhat easier than on June 10 than it would have been a year ago. After watching her team lose in the first round of the DDT4, Jade Chung is determined to refocus Arrogance’s attention on what made them champions in the first place: well executed tag team wrestling. While Chris Bosh has enjoyed chit-chatting with fans, and Scott Lost has engaged in what some may call “questionable,” others may call “retarded,” antics with an umbrella, their team, and thus their hopes of recapturing the titles have suffered. Arrogance any day of the week would prove to be formidable opponents for the debuting Young Bucks, but a completely focused Arrogance could prove to be disastrous for the Jackson brothers.
Plus Ronin, Top Gun Talwar, PWG Commissioner of Food & Beverage Excalibur, Commissioner of Wrestling Dino Winwood, and more!
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s “Roger Dorn Night” takes place at the Burbank Armory on Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 5:00PM. The Burbank Armory is located at 3800 W Valhalla Dr., Burbank, CA, 91505. General Admission tickets are $20 and will be available at the door. For more information, please visit http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com. Card subject to change.
