You know the drill.
Highlights:
General Observations:
Match of the Night: Alex Koslov vs. Kyle O'Reilly - Great matches oftentimes aren't just the ones that are super intense all the way through. I know, I know, you know that I think that way, but it's always worth repeating. Kyle O'Reilly sometimes can be a poster child for the WRESTLING IS ALWAYS SUPER SERIOUS crowd, but like all stereotypes, it's not always true. Take this match against the Russian luchador, Alex Koslov.
Koslov was equal parts indie wrestling maven and super ham, breaking out the fuzzy hat for some Russian kick-dancing across O'Reilly's chest and back. The match definitely had moments of levity, but it wasn't a total comedy match. Really, everything worked here.
Overall Thoughts: World's Finest, by its name, suggested that this was PWG's best on display. Kevin Steen bookended the show, first in a fun brawl/squash against Pretty Peter Avalon and last in an insane three-way with Eddie Edwards and El Generico. Even if they didn't intend the show to be as such, this was the company's statement that Steen belongs in the "Best in the World" conversation with the Davey Richardses (who was scheduled to be there but had to bail), CM Punks and Ayako Hamadas of the world.
Steen certainly made his case by abusing Avalon and going into beast mode against his title opponents. There were many other people staking their claims though. This is PWG, where even the dullest wrestlers otherwise come to get a fresh new coat of paint and look better than they do anywhere else. Whether it was people we knew could go anywhere they were like the Super Smash Bros. and El Generico, guys native to SoCal like Willie Mack, Brian Cage and the Young Bucks or those who get a bad rap because of their work in, say, ROH like Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly, everyone had their Mario Starmen on them and kicked out the jams.
Maybe that was the point though. It wasn't to spotlight any one wrestler, team or even match. The name "World's Finest" wasn't a moniker laid on anyone in particular, but on the promotion itself. It's a reminder that you can't go into any PWG show expecting mediocrity, because their floor is above the ceilings of some companies.
Highlights:
- Pretty Peter Avalon answered an open challenge from Kevin Steen, only to get his ass whomped in the process, losing via Package Piledriver.
- After the match, Steen demanded his rematch for El Generico's World Championship.
- Brian Cage-Taylor nearly decapitated Ray Rosas with a discus lariat to the back of his head for the win.
- Joey Ryan dressed up as Andy Kaufmann and berated the women in the crowd before his match with Candice LaRae.
- Unfazed by her misogynist opponent, LaRae picked up the victory by reversing a Boob-plex into an O'Connor Roll.
- Scorpio Sky tapped TJ Perkins with a dragon sleeper.
- The Super Smash Bros. defeated both the RockNES Monsters and Young Bucks in an insane tag match, getting the win on Matt Jackson with the FATALITY (Gory special by Uno, top rope leaping Ace Crusher by Dos).
- Kyle O'Reilly defeated a newly freed from WWE Alex Koslov via tap out with a guillotine choke.
- Willie Mack avenged his loss from last year against Roderick Strong with an Emerald Frosion.
- Steen reappeared to make the main event title match between Generico and Eddie "Eddie Edwards" Edwards a three way. He recaptured the title by pinning Edwards after dragging Generico out of the ring following a top rope BRAINBUSTAAAAAHHHH!
General Observations:
- Avalon started out doing a spinarooni, but stopped before going to completion, giving a middle finger. Steen followed that up with a senton before doing the worst spinarooni I've ever seen. I guess the entire promotion is feuding with Booker T.
- Steen abused the shit out of Avalon's chest all match with big chops, one almost taking his nipple off. Steen at one point pointed at his hand to the camera remarking that Avalon's chest was "hard."
- I love that Excalibur calls Steen's F5 "Deep Sea Diverticulitis" by the by.
- Ray Rosas came to the ring with a fanny pack which he removed via thrusting. The fanny pack got chants all match.
- Brian Cage-Taylor is fucking jacked, guys. Like, "I'm surprised he didn't get signed by WWE based on looks alone yet" jacked.
- Seriously, he can use that jackedness too, like he did when he did the Davey Boy Smith delay-suplex from the top rope.
- Rosas went for a flying headbutt from the top with Cage all the way across the ring. He hit it. MAD AIR, that had to have been three-quarters across the ring.
- Joey Ryan totally embraced the role of Kaufmann in this match, from his gear down to his mannerisms.
- Kevin Steen, describing Ryan's offense from the broadcast booth: "Is that him just trying to put her into positions that are sexually degrading?" Later on, he'd remark that he wished LeRae would "rip his dick off." God bless you, Kevin Steen.
- Ryan superkicked LaRae in the face then did a whole bunch of victory laps. Easily the best moment of this match. Wrestling needs to have such obviously scuzzy villains like Ryan sometimes.
- The three-way tag match was supposed to be for the straps with Steen and Super Dragon involved, but Dragon was still too hurt to wrestle (and actually still is). I'm not sure the match needed that team in it though.
- The Bucks, despite being the only heels in the match, did their best Elves-and-Rohirrim-taking-a-stand-at-Helm's-Deep impersonation in the beginning of the match.
- I always will dig the Space Flying Tiger Back Rake by Matt Jackson. Always.
- The biggest star of this match to me was Stupefied/Player Dos. Dude was all over the place. Amazing.
- Any wrestler who has the hammer and sickle on his gear is aces to me. So naturally, I dug Alex Koslov. Later on in the match, he'd break out the babuschka dance kicks while wearing a fuzzy hat. Promotions in America, BOOK THIS MAN MORE.
- Maybe the best wrestling move sequence in the match happened during the Mack/Strong match. Mack had Strong in a bear hug, and as Strong was fighting to get out of it, Mack transitioned into a cravate cutter.
- There was one point in the main event where Steen and Generico traded spits at each other. You have to have a good rapport with the other guy to be able to do that.
- There were several spots during the match where all three guys were entangled in massive combo moves. One saw Steen doing a backpack senton splash with Generico on his back onto Edwards. The second saw Edwards grasping Generico in a reverse capture suplex and getting German suplexed by Steen simultaneously. The last one just saw Steen going into beast mode putting both guys on his back and doing a Samoan drop.
Match of the Night: Alex Koslov vs. Kyle O'Reilly - Great matches oftentimes aren't just the ones that are super intense all the way through. I know, I know, you know that I think that way, but it's always worth repeating. Kyle O'Reilly sometimes can be a poster child for the WRESTLING IS ALWAYS SUPER SERIOUS crowd, but like all stereotypes, it's not always true. Take this match against the Russian luchador, Alex Koslov.
Koslov was equal parts indie wrestling maven and super ham, breaking out the fuzzy hat for some Russian kick-dancing across O'Reilly's chest and back. The match definitely had moments of levity, but it wasn't a total comedy match. Really, everything worked here.
Overall Thoughts: World's Finest, by its name, suggested that this was PWG's best on display. Kevin Steen bookended the show, first in a fun brawl/squash against Pretty Peter Avalon and last in an insane three-way with Eddie Edwards and El Generico. Even if they didn't intend the show to be as such, this was the company's statement that Steen belongs in the "Best in the World" conversation with the Davey Richardses (who was scheduled to be there but had to bail), CM Punks and Ayako Hamadas of the world.
Steen certainly made his case by abusing Avalon and going into beast mode against his title opponents. There were many other people staking their claims though. This is PWG, where even the dullest wrestlers otherwise come to get a fresh new coat of paint and look better than they do anywhere else. Whether it was people we knew could go anywhere they were like the Super Smash Bros. and El Generico, guys native to SoCal like Willie Mack, Brian Cage and the Young Bucks or those who get a bad rap because of their work in, say, ROH like Roderick Strong and Kyle O'Reilly, everyone had their Mario Starmen on them and kicked out the jams.
Maybe that was the point though. It wasn't to spotlight any one wrestler, team or even match. The name "World's Finest" wasn't a moniker laid on anyone in particular, but on the promotion itself. It's a reminder that you can't go into any PWG show expecting mediocrity, because their floor is above the ceilings of some companies.
