From PROWRESTLING.NET

Pruett's PWG DDT4 2013 review - A farewell to El Generico including a reunion with Kevin Steen, a whole lot of streamers, and a tribute from the locker room, The Young Bucks win the PWG Tag Championships, and more!

Posted in: MISC Live Events, MUST-READ LISTING
By
Jan 18, 2013 - 09:50 AM

By Will Pruett

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla live event
Reseda, California at the American Legion Post #308

This was the most crowded I've ever seen a PWG show. The line to get in wrapped around the parking lot further than I've ever seen. They packed people in, including establishing "standing room only" seats behind the actual seating on the sides of the room. This was a massive crowd by PWG standards and they came to say goodbye to El Generico.

The show started with Excalibur coming out and announcing that the Tag Team Championships were on the line in this tournament, meaning that whenever the champions were in a match, they were defending the titles. He also reminded people not to bring open containers, to return empty pitchers to the bar, to move if anyone is about to land on them, and to recycle. Recycling is a big thing.

1. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) defeated The Inner City Machine Guns (Rich Swann and Ricochet) in a first round match. Swann and Ricochet entered to Lionel Richie's "All Night Long," which made this the best wrestling entrance of 2013. They danced around the crowd as they went to the ring. This was a fast-paced, high flying match that didn't burn the crowd out.

At one point, Rich Swann asked the crowd "Y'all want to see some dropkicks?" When the crowd answered in the affirmative, the Inner-City Machine Guns delivered quite a few dropkicks. The Young Bucks were the perfect antagonists, as they usually are in PWG. Matt Jackson was able to roll up Swann in a Small Package for the win.

2. The Unbreakable F-cking Machines (Michael Elgin and Brian Cage) defeated The Super Smash Brothers (Player Uno and Stupefied) in a first round match to win the PWG Tag Team Championships. This match was all about the displays of power from Elgin and Cage, who were a very fun tag team. While Elgin lifted Stupefied up for his delayed vertical suplex, Cage tagged in and took Stupefied while he was in the suplex position. He held him there for another 30ish seconds, then Elgin tagged in and took him back.

At one point in the match, Player Uno told Stupefied to put his boot up, because they're evil now. This made me laugh. Later in the match, Player Uno dislocated his shoulder and was working to put it back in place. He was stretching on the ring ropes and worked the remainder of the match with it hanging at his side. I talked with Stupefied later in the show, who mentioned this is a frequent issue for Uno, it was just a little worse here. Uno was out greeting fans at intermission as well.

3. Future Shock (PWG World Champion Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly defeated The Dojo Bros (Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong) in a first round match. This match was really fun. Adam Cole was doing his standard "Evil Adam" schtick telling his opponents to "suck his dick" at every opportunity. This lead to said dick being chopped and hit repeatedly by Edwards and Strong.

Kyle O'Rielly looked frightened as this was going on as he hung out on the apron. The match eventually shifted its focus from Adam's dick to getting the win. At that point, it was still fun and exciting. Adam Cole pinned Roderick Strong after hitting him with the PWG World Championship.

4. Kevin Steen & El Generico defeated The Briscoe Brothers (Jay and Mark Briscoe) in a first round match. The Briscoes and Kevin Steen entered, then the entire crowd stood. As El Generico's music began to play, it was impossible to hear. The people singing along drowned it out. Generico was greeted with a huge ovation and, as he entered the ring, a flood of red and green streamers. It was an amazing site and an amazing moment to be a part of.

This match was the story of Steen and Generico. They didn't get along. Their tags were chops or slaps. They wanted to win, but wouldn't really look out for each other. The Briscoes wrestled a solid match, but not much that they did here stood out. In the end, it was The Briscoes setting Generico up for the Doomsday Device, but Generico rolled up the holding Briscoe for the pin.

After this match, Generico attempted to shake hands with Steen, but Steen walked away.

Intermission.

5. The Young Bucks defeated The Unbreakable F-cking Machines in a semi-final match to win the PWG Tag Team Championships. This might have been the best match of the show. The Bucks bumped all over the place for Elgin and Cage. Elgin and Cage were perfect, powerful foils for the Bucks. I can't remember every spot or every moment, but I can promise you, this is one you have to see. In the end, both Matt and Nick pinned Elgin.

6. Kevin Steen & El Generico defeated Future Shock in a semi-final match. This match continued some of the comedy between the crowd and Future Shock. It also continued the tribute to El Generico as the standing ovation and streamers were both doled out again. Steen and Generico also continued to not get along, although they came around as this match went on.

Kevin Steen delivered a Rock Bottom to Adam Cole at one point (Rock and Steen are best friend forever). The match actually ended with Steen delivering the Package Piledriver to Cole, then rolling him to Generico, who gave him a Brainbuster and pinned him.

After the match, Steen once again refused Generico's offer of friendship.

7. Willie Mack defeated B-Boy. The noticeable disappointment in the crowd when B-boy entered was quite palpable. He may be a PWG veteran, but he isn't an act most of the building wants to see. His silly leather shorts don't really help things either.

Willie Mack is over with the PWG crowd and can do some amazing things in the ring. He also looks like he has never thought of losing weight or getting into proper ring shape. This match was, quite frankly, boring. There was a real let down from the six tournament matches. This felt like a WWE Divas buffer match. The finish came when Mack powerbombed B-Boy for the win.

8. Drake Younger defeated Sami Calihan in the second match of a best of three series in a Knockout or Submissions only match. By Knockout or Submission only, this match was a hybrid of a Last Man Standing match, a standard submissions match, and any match that can end with a flash K.O.

I don't want to disparage the effort of Younger and Calihan, who worked really hard here, but I strongly disliked this match. Younger took multiple unprotected chair-shots to the head, one after the other. This alone made this match unwatchable for me. It went too far on the spectrum of violence. It went past exciting and became stomach turning. Calihan had chairs coming at him too, but he got his hands up time after time. There was no reason for Younger not to do this as well.

With everything we know about concussions and head trauma, there's no excuse for taking that kind of punishment and fans shouldn't support it. I'd like to see Drake Younger live to have a long career.

Younger won the match after a whole of foreign object and chair violence with a flash knockout via an MMA-esque ground and pound. It was a tad bit anticlimactic. Younger and Calihan are tied at a win each in the series.

Post-match, Younger took a mic and said he wants the title shot and he will get it. Their next match will decide who gets it.

9. The Young Bucks defeated Kevin Steen and El Generico in the finals of the DDT4 tournament to retain the PWG Tag Team Championships. Before this match started, Kevin Steen's music played multiple times, but he didn't enter. El Generico's music played and both men came out to that. For this entire match, they were a team.

Highlights of this match included a Double Sharpshooter spot on The Bucks, quite a few Superkicks, Generico kicking out of More Bang for Your Buck, and so many more. It was a really great match. The finish came when Steen and Generico went for the Package Piledriver into the Brainbuster and Matt was able to roll up Generico.

As the crowd stood up and applauded El Generico, Steen started to walk away, but them turned around and hugged his former partner. At that point, he asked for a mic and said "No matter where you end up, I'd be nothing without you." Steen was very emotional, as was Generico. Soon after, the locker room started to empty as wrestlers paid tribute to Generico.

El Generico took a moment to speak and said he wanted to tell the crowd the truth. He said his name is El Generico and he has heard all the rumors. He said he is leaving to go back to Mexico and take care of his many, many children. He named a few and confessed to not knowing all of their names. He said that no matter where he goes, PWG will always be number one. He repeated that a few times.

Finally, he said if it doesn't work out, he can always come back. The crowd loved that. El Generico made a last round to say goodbye to the fans as the other wrestlers went to the back.

Pruett's Pause: I said in my earlier report that this show was special, but special doesn't even begin to describe it. This show was transcendent. It's so rare to get to be present for a night like this. El Generico's run through the tournament with Kevin Steen and farewell was absolutely amazing. When this show is released on DVD, it will absolutely be a must buy.

Hey people! Let's talk about this show and PWG! Feel free to email me at itswilltime@gmail.com or to follow me and chat me up on twitter at twitter.com/itswilltime.

© Copyright 2013 by PROWRESTLING.NET