Night 1 was an absolute belter of a way to kick off proceedings and I'm expecting good things here too, so let's get into it.
Round 1 - Trevor Lee vs Donovan Dijak
Lee attacks Dijak at the bell, sending him to the floor. Dijak immediately hits the Feast Your Eyes but elects to go for a top rope move instead of the pin and gets caught on the way down. Lee gets his trademark small package but it only gets 2.
Lee takes control by outpowering the big man with caveman power. Dijak goes for the Feast Your Eyes again but Lee fights it off and hits an impressive deadlift German suplex. Dijak hits the chokebreaker for a good near fall.
The finishing sequence is great with Lee attempting a German froim the ropes, only for Dijak to flip out and land on his feet. They exchange strikes and Dijak flips out of another German attempt. He runs off the ropes but Lee catches him in the backflip crossbody for a great near fall. Dijak reverses a suplex attempt and forces Lee into the corner, where he flips him onto his shoulders and hits the Feast Your Eyes for the win.
That was a really strong way to kick off the night. Trevor Lee might be the most underrated wrestler in the world right now. ***1/2
Lee takes control by outpowering the big man with caveman power. Dijak goes for the Feast Your Eyes again but Lee fights it off and hits an impressive deadlift German suplex. Dijak hits the chokebreaker for a good near fall.
The finishing sequence is great with Lee attempting a German froim the ropes, only for Dijak to flip out and land on his feet. They exchange strikes and Dijak flips out of another German attempt. He runs off the ropes but Lee catches him in the backflip crossbody for a great near fall. Dijak reverses a suplex attempt and forces Lee into the corner, where he flips him onto his shoulders and hits the Feast Your Eyes for the win.
That was a really strong way to kick off the night. Trevor Lee might be the most underrated wrestler in the world right now. ***1/2
Round 1 - Joey Janela vs Sammy Guevara
Janela is replacing the injured TK Cooper, who suffered a nasty ankle injury on PROGRESS' US tour. Joey Janela is a madman though so this could be fun. He comes into the match with a broken finger he suffered while wrestling the legend that is Glacier. He has also wrestled Marty Jannetty and Scott Norton this year. He also got thrown off a roof by John Zandig once.
The match starts off quick with Guevara sending Janela to the floor and hitting a suicide dive. Janela then hits a suicide dive of his own. Not to be outdone, Guevara hits a shooting star to the floor. We are about 3 minutes in.
Guevara meanders on the top rope so Janela grabs him and gives him a DVD into the corner. Guevara heads to the top rope and goes for a moonsault and lands on his feet after Guevara moves. He goes straight into another moonsault attempt, but Janela moves again, and he finally hits a shooting star press.
Janela decides that this match needs chairs, so he goes and gets some. Janela does his monkey flip chair spot, which is always good, and hits a DVD onto the bent and broken chair. That looked rough as fuck.Janela tries to hit a swanton while Guevara is on the apron but he moves and Janela just eats shit on the bump. Janela is a crazy person. As Chuck Taylor puts it, 'Fucking Christ in Heaven, what the fuck!'.
Janela beats the count at 19 and Guevara shows him how to hit a successful senton. He tries for a 450 but misses and Janela gets him in an STF but Guevara escapes. They exchange strikes and hit double clotheslines for the double down.
Janela murders Guevara with a backfist and a lariat but it's not enough. Guevara fights back and hits a quality curb stomp for a near fall. Janela sits Guevara down in a chair and heads up top. He goes for the senton but Guevara moves and Janela just flattens the chair. Guevara picks him up, BURNING HAMMER ON THE CRUMPLED CHAIR! JANELA KICKS OUT!
It's a brief reprieve though, as Guevara hits the reverserana and the 630 for the win. That was fucking mental. Joey Janela is an actual crazy person. I had a smile on my face through all of that match. Wrestling can be a wondrous thing if you open your mind to all of it. ****1/2
Round 1 - Travis Banks vs Mark Haskins
It's great to see Banks branching out into other countries as he has been the breakout star of 2017. They go straight to the strikes, they don't call Banks the Kiwi Buzzsaw for no reason. They end up on the outside and Haskins throws some chairs at Banks. Haskins should know better, you don't throw chairs at Banks. He will just punch them out of midair.
Back in the ring, Haskins hits some stiff kicks and knee strikes. He is in control now and hits an outside in drop kick into the corner. Haskins lights up Banks with more kicks but Banks powers through and hits some kicks of his own, sending Haskins to the floor. He follows up with 2 low suicide dives.
Banks hits a lung blower in the corner and follows it up with a cannonball. They head to the floor and Banks hits a cannonball into the chairs. Back in, Banks hits a Kiwi Krusher for a 2 count. They work some good transitions a both hit big boots for the double down.
They get into an all out strike exchange but Haskins rolls through and hits the sit out Samoan drop. They exchange pin and submission attempts, with Haskins catching the attempted Slice of Heaven by Banks. Banks sends Haskins into the corner and hits a double stomp to the back.
Travis Banks hits the Slice of Heaven and even though the ref doesn't count three he says he does and Banks is the winner. I don't know what happened there. This wasn't the best match that either man has had this year but it was still a fun encounter. The shonky finish didn't help either. ***1/2
Non Tournament Match - LDRS (Zack Sabre Jr & Marty Scurll) vs Ricochet & Matt Sydal
LDRS attack during the entrance and they brawl before the bell. At the bell Zack and Marty show their affection for each other. The faces get the advantage though and hit stereo suicide dives and stereo Frosbury flops.
They maintain the advantage with speed but the willingness of the Brits to bend the rules (we love it) allows them to isolate Sydal and beat the piss out of him. He manages to get the tag to Ricochet, who lights them up like Blackpool illuminations (look it up).
Sydal hits a Meteora for 2 and then hits a nasty looking snapmare driver that spikes Zack vertically. They hit a lung blower, blue thunder bomb, Here It Is Driver sequence but Scurll breaks up the pin. Scurll saves Zack again by pulling referee Rick Knox out of the ring.
Sydal & Ricochet head up top for shooting star presses but Scurll pushes Rick Knox into the rope, cutting off Sydal. Ricochet gets his move off but is caught in a triangle choke by Zack. Ricochet powers out but is immediately put in a chickenwing by Scurll. To save the match Sydal hits a shooting star press onto Scurll and Ricochet. Sydal hits a hurricanrana but Zack rolls through into deep pin and picks up the win for his team.
That was an excellent tag match. Not quite as good as the one yesterday but great stuff in it's own right. It was a completely different style to that match too. Zack is so much better as a heel. ****1/4
They maintain the advantage with speed but the willingness of the Brits to bend the rules (we love it) allows them to isolate Sydal and beat the piss out of him. He manages to get the tag to Ricochet, who lights them up like Blackpool illuminations (look it up).
Sydal hits a Meteora for 2 and then hits a nasty looking snapmare driver that spikes Zack vertically. They hit a lung blower, blue thunder bomb, Here It Is Driver sequence but Scurll breaks up the pin. Scurll saves Zack again by pulling referee Rick Knox out of the ring.
Sydal & Ricochet head up top for shooting star presses but Scurll pushes Rick Knox into the rope, cutting off Sydal. Ricochet gets his move off but is caught in a triangle choke by Zack. Ricochet powers out but is immediately put in a chickenwing by Scurll. To save the match Sydal hits a shooting star press onto Scurll and Ricochet. Sydal hits a hurricanrana but Zack rolls through into deep pin and picks up the win for his team.
That was an excellent tag match. Not quite as good as the one yesterday but great stuff in it's own right. It was a completely different style to that match too. Zack is so much better as a heel. ****1/4
Round 1 - Sami Callihan vs Jeff Cobb
Immediate pump kick from Callihan. Cobb is unfazed and hits a stalling vertical suplex on the second rope. Callihan goes for a low suicide dive but Cobb catches him. Callihan reverses out and hits an exploder suplex on the floor.
Callihan goes for a cannonball into the chairs at ringside but Cobb catches him again and hits a powerbomb on the apron. Cobb then shows his ridiculous athletic ability with a picture perfect standing moonsault.
Cobb moves to the strength game and hits a Tour of the Islands but Sami kicks out. Not many people do that. Callihan gets hit with a second TotI, though, and that is enough for Cobb to progress to round 2. Good match but not one that will stand out come the end of the weekend. ***
Round 1 - Matt Riddle vs Michael Elgin
Now, this has potential. Riddle takes Elgin down and alerts him to the fact that Ronda Rousey just saw that. Elgin returns the favour and chills on the ropes. Elgin knocks Riddle down with a shoulder charge and tells him that Ronda Rousey saw that shit too.
Elgin takes control with some hard strikes and a flipping neckbreaker. You can't keep Riddle down for long though and he fights back with an exploder and a high senton. He then hits two really impressive deadlift gutwrench suplexes.
Elgin hits the falcon arrow, he did the deal, but it's not enough. Riddle hits a Bro 2 Sleep into a German suplex but that isn't enough either. Elgin hits a superplex but Riddle powers up. They exchange strikes and Elgin decapitates him with a lariat.
Elgin hits a frankensteiner! The big man with the athletic prowess. He then cartwheels off the top rope to avoid Riddle before hitting a frog splash for a good near fall. Elgin hit a buckle bomb followed by a BT bomb but Riddle still isn't done.
Elgin goes for a burning hammer but, after a series of reversals, Riddle hits a Gotch style tombstone to pick up the win. That was an excellent match. I had a ton of fun with that one. Both men are having great years and this was another belter to add to the resume. ****1/4
Round 1 - Keith Lee vs WALTER
The big dudes are back. I am a fan of both of these guys so I'm expecting good things. They start off with some classic wrestling but it isn't too long before they get to the real business at hand, slapping the shit out of each other.
WALTER lands some nasty chops but Lee fires back with a massive pounce. They trade chops and suplexes in a battle for big man supremacy. Some of the chops sound evil. The insane heat appears to be getting to them a little bit.
Lee hits a super impressive spirit bomb but it's not enough to put WALTER away. WALTER hits a massive shotgun dropkick and follows up with a big boot in the corner. He transitions that into a German suplex and a humongous lariat that flipped Lee inside out. Only good enough for a 2 count though.
Lee hits a big spinebuster and heads up top but WALTER cuts him off and hits a powerbomb. Both men are up and they exchange some nasty chops. WALTER goes for the sleeper but Lee reverses it into a Samoan jackhammer for the win.
That wasn't quite as good as I was expecting but part of that could be down to the fact that it was so hot and both men are over 300 pounds. Still a really fun, hard hitting match though. ***1/2
Non Tournament Match - The Elite (Kenny Omega & Young Buck) vs Rey Fenix, Penta El Zero M & Flamita
Main event time and on paper this looks like it should be great. We start off at a million miles an hour with the Bucks and Flamita and Fenix trading moves but the crowd loses their collective minds when Omega and Penta get in the ring at the same time. They are loud.
Penta gets the better of Omega so the Bucks come in to lend support and do some sweet ass tag moves. Team Lucha manages to fight back and hits some stereo dives. I think Flamita hits the light fixture.
More sweet ass tag work from The Elite. I am just now noticing that this match has no commentary. Doesn't need it. There is a spot where Fenix keeps getting run into an increasing number of boots in the corner, it's funny. The Elite then repeatedly call for a brainbuster, this match is not serious at all.
We are back to an insane level of speed and it is impossible to call everything. There is a pop up hurricanrana from Fenix and Penta that is pretty sweet and Omega hits a bunch of snapdragon suplexes. Nick Jackson hits a swanton on the entire of the Lucha team at the same time while they are draped on the rope.
Fenix gives Penta a hurricanrana to the floor so that he lands on everyone. Unique. They hit Omega with a spike package piledriver but it isn't enough to put him away. Stereo sharpshooters by the Elite.
I'm now just going to name moves. Wheelbarrow cutter, Ki Krusher, superkick, Eclipse, double underhook backbreaker, V-trigger, double superkick, reverserana, another V-trigger, superkick, assisted facebuster, wheelbarrow German suplex, assisted tombstone, One Winged Angel. That was the finishing stretch.
That was a blast. You won't find it popping up on any match of the year lists but it was a really fun way to finish the show. It wasn't in any way serious but why should it be. ****
Overall Grade - A
Another top notch show from PWG. There were another four matches that hit **** or higher and while it may have been a touch worse than Day 1, it's splitting hairs really. The Guevara vs Janela match is complete fucking insanity and is a joy from start to finish.
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