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| One half of California's destruction Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein |
1. Sami Callihan vs. Willie Mack, PWG Battle of Los Angeles first round tournament match, September 1
Look, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has announced a fine slate of first round matches on the whole for their annual megatournament. Any of them could be main events in various arenas around the country. Roderick Strong vs. Drake Younger, Ricochet vs. Kevin Steen, and Adam Cole vs. El Generico are all able to get salivary glands going. Davey Richards and Michael Elgin had a fantastically regarded match on the East Coast on 'Mania weekend and get to reprise it here. Don't get me wrong; it's a fine slate. But c'mon, Callihan and Mack, tangling for the first time ever, stiffing each other, launching bombs, going balls to the wall in what should be one of the most epic hoss fights on the independent level? How could that not be the feature match of the first round? I expect this match to be the last straw at sending California into the sea, and it will be glorious.
2. Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler, WWE SummerSlam, August 19
This match hasn't been officially announced yet, but c'mon now, you know it's going to be. They've been telegraphing it for two weeks, and given the two involved, it would be an upset if it didn't steal the show. There's some uncertainty as to whether Jericho is sticking around after SS, but if he's not, then what a send-off, however temporary, for him to go out on. Ziggler gets a lot of comparisons to Curt Hennig (and rightfully so), but there's a little bit of young Jericho in him. What better way for him to really ascend to the main stage than to have a classic with the real Jericho at WWE's second biggest PPV event of the year?
3. Sara del Rey vs. Hailey Hatred, AIW Girls' Night Out 7, August 4
The Queen of Wrestling will have a few matches after this one on her farewell tour to the indies, but this one might be the best of the lot. While del Rey has become America's Queen, Hatred made Japan her bitch, and now she's coming home for some more domestic dominance. Along with the Mia Yim/Allysin Kay cage match that tops the card, Girls' Night Out 7 looks to be a harder hitting event than most men's-only shows. I'm jealous of the Cleveland crowd for getting to see the Queen perhaps passing the torch to the true successor to her crown, even if it's at the chagrin of some other worthy contenders.
4. ACH, Anthony Stone, Mark Angelosetti and Jakob Hammermeier in the Young Lions Cup semifinals/finals, Chikara Shoot a Crooked Arrow and Ring of Wax, August 17 and 18
The pairings for their mini-tournament to crown the next Young Lions Cup winner have not been announced, but that field looks pretty sharp. Headlined by ACH, the other three aren't to be taken lightly. Okay, maybe we can take Hammermeier lightly, but then again, the guy has made a quantum improvement since bursting on the scene in 2010 as the loutish BDK ring announcer. I would be utterly shocked if ACH didn't at least make it to the finals, which if happened would guarantee two more chances for a Chikara ring to behold his splendor. Selfishly, I want to see him win the entire thing because ACH and Chikara are a match made in heaven. That being said, any of the other three would be fine Cupholders themselves.
5. Kevin Steen (c) vs. Eddie Kingston, ROH World Championship Match, Boiling Point, August 11
The rematch the world has been waiting for will happen on Steen's home turf this time. Their match in Chicago for Chikara ended with a kick to the groin by Steen, and I'm sure the War King hasn't forgotten about it. These two guys can wrestle 50 more times this year, and I'll look forward to each one with the same fervor as the first. It will be interesting though, seeing as branded ROH talent hold the Campeonatos de Parejas, whether Kingston's chances to win here are a bit better than normal. Double Champion War King? I'd be down with that.
6. Jaykus Plisken (c) vs. Rachel Summerlyn vs. ACH, Anarchy Championship Match, ACW Fall from Grace 2012, August 5
Even if this was just a straight-up rematch from their From Innocence to Insanity title bout, I'd be down with it. Adding Rachel Summerlyn, Anarchy's Ace, to the proceedings can only improve it. She said to me on The Wrestling Podcast that she wanted to win the title, and you know what? As much as I've grown as a fan of ACH's in the last year, I want her to win the title too. She'd be a kick-ass Champion too. Anyone who denies it can kiss my hairy white ass.
