Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has announced the full field for the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles tournament taking place September 14 through 16 in Los Angeles. After announcing the first twelve entrants spread out over the last week, tonight PWG announced the final twelve competitors in this year’s tournament.
On Friday it was announced that Matthew Riddle would be the eleventh entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles and Darby Allin would be the twelfth. This will be the PWG debut for Allin. Riddle has had 18 matches in PWG, and this will be his third Battle of Los Angeles. Riddle was defeated in the first round by Kyle O’Reily in 2016 and made it to the semi-finals in 2017 where he was defeated by Jeff Cobb.
Adam Brooks is the thirteenth entrant in the tournament. Brooks made his PWG debut in October 2017 at All Star Weekend 13 and has had five total matches in the promotion. This is his first BOLA.
Flamita is the fourteenth entrant announced for the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. Flamita made his PWG debut at the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles, where he was defeated in the opening round by Ricochet.
The fifteenth entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles is Jonah Rock. The Australian native has had eight matches in PWG, first debuting at the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles where he lost in the first round to Zack Sabre Jr.
DJ Z is the sixteenth entrant in the tournament. The Impact Wrestling regular will be making his PWG and California debut.
Timothy Thatcher is the seventeenth entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. Having made his PWG debut in 2015, this will be his second appearance in the tournament. He was defeated by Chris Hero in the first round of the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles.
T-Hawk was named the eighteenth entrant in the tournament. The Dragon Gate and OWE regular wrestling out of Tomakomai, Japan will be making his PWG and California debut.
The only wrestler in this year’s tournament to have won the Battle of Los Angeles, CIMA was named the nineteenth entrant. Wrestling out of Dragon Gate in Japan, this will be CIMA’s third Battle of Los Angeles, having previously competed in the 2006 and 2007 editions. CIMA made it to the finals of both of his previous Battle of Los Angeles tournaments, winning the 2007 edition.
Jeff Cobb was named the twentieth entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. Cobb has the most matches in PWG among all competitors, currently at 19. This will be his third BOLA, appearing previously in 2016 and 2017 tournaments. He made it to the finals of the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles.
The twenty first entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles is Travis Banks. Having just made it to the finals of the WWE’s UK Tournament, this will be the second BOLA for Banks. At the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles he was defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champion Ricochet.
Bandido was named the twenty second entrant in the tournament. Having made his PWG debut at March’s Time is a Flat Circle, this will be his first BOLA.
Current PWG World Champion WALTER was named the twenty third entrant in the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. This will be the second BOLA for WALTER, who was defeated by Keith Lee in the first round in 2017. No reigning PWG World Champion has won BOLA, though Chris Hero was scheduled to win in 2008 but Low Ki refused to take part in the match if he was going to lose and got the finish changed.
Shingo Takagi was named the twenty fourth entrant in this year’s tournament. Wrestling out of Dragon Gate in Japan, this will be Takagi’s second Battle of Los Angeles, having competed in 2007.
The 2018 Battle of Los Angeles will be taking place on September 14 through 16 at the Globe Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. The tournament’s first round matches will be taking place on night one and two with the second round through the finals taking place on night three. The winner of the tournament traditionally earns a PWG World Title match.
Ticket information has not been announced.
2018 Battle of Los Angeles Entrants
1. PCO
2. Brody King
3. Jody Fleisch
4. Ilja Dragunov
5. Robbie Eagles
6. Joey Janela
7. Puma King
8. David Starr
9. Rey Horus
10. Chris Brookes
11. Matthew Riddle
12. Darby Allin
13. Adam Brooks
14. Flamita
15. Jonah Rock
16. DJ Z
17. Timothy Thatcher
18. T-Hawk
19. CIMA
20. Jeff Cobb
21. Travis Banks
22. Bandido
23. WALTER
24. Shingo Takagi
Previous Winners
2005: Chris Bosh
2006: Davey Richards
2007: CIMA
2008: Low Ki
2009: Kenny Omega
2010: Joey Ryan
2011: El Generico
2012: Adam Cole
2013: Kyle O’Reilly
2014: Ricochet
2015: Zack Sabre Jr.
2016: Marty Scurll
2017: Ricochet
Chris Hero was the champion during BOLA 2008, so I really don’t know what you were talking about re:Low Ki. That tournament’s final was Low Ki beating Hero to build to a rematch that never happened due to Ki signing with the WWE. Takagi’s not only been in the U.S. before, he’s been in BOLA before. He lost to the eventual winner, CIMA, in 2007. And he also was in Dragon Gate USA, ROH, FIP, and indies in TExas and Hawaii, so you’re WAY off there.
You are right on Shingo. Was working quick and got him mixed with someone else.Fixed it
Chris Hero was scheduled to win BOLA and Low Ki got the finished changed. He then stiffed Hero with Kawada kicks during the match to top it off, because he felt Hero was “unprofessional”.
But Hero was the champion at the time, so Low Ki winning makes far more sense. And you’re the ONLY person I’ve ever heard this from. Pretty sure you’re wrong. And at any rate, Low Ki accusing anyone else of unprofessional behavior is the height of hilarity. Especially considering that with his behavior re:GCW Bloodsport during Mania Weekend, where he graduated to being a thief.
I can confirm that Super Dragon had Chris Hero booked to win the 2008 BOLA tournament, but was forced to change it because of Low Ki’s behavior. He wanted to build up Hero as champion.
My source on the story is pretty solid, but I wasn’t in the room. Andrew worked for PWG at the time, I’m sure he can chime in.
I think the issue between Low Ki and Hero stemmed from a supposed move stealing or something petty.
That’s…REALLY stupid if it’s true, then. Have Hero beat Ki in the final, then book a rematch? When the champ already won?
That wasn’t the plan. The plan was to make Hero the unbeatable champion. Low Ki scammed his way into winning without telling PWG that he was WWE bound.
I got that, but I just don’t see the need in having the champ win the big annual tournament. There’s a reason that’s rarely done.
If you think it wasn’t needed, that is your opinion and I don’t have any desire to argue about it. I’m just stating the facts about Low Ki’s win and to confirm what Steve wrote.
A their? Can you elaborate?
Thief* sorry.
Basically, Low Ki was supposed to have a no-ropes, shoot style type match with Matt Riddle for a GCW promoted show called Matt Riddle’s Bloodsport. Then, well…things got messy. http://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/gcw-response-low-ki/#.WzfwANJKiM8
For the record, Chris Hero actually told me on Twitter directly that this story’s bullshit.
Okay dude.
Not sure what Chris Hero said, but it was a decade ago and wrestling and all. It was no secret when it happened and people directly involved with the booking confirmed it at the time. I reconfirmed it with someone who would know recently, and Andrew, who worked for PWG at the time is confirming it too. There is no reason to just make up a 1 sentence thing buried in the middle of a preview.