Back home in Las Vegas after an incredible 2 days in California for PWG's 2012 Battle of Los Angeles!
I have attended BOLA every year from 2009-2012 and, while they have all been great, I think this was the best one yet as it was booked awesome on both nights and it was a 2 day tournament where (unlike the 2 day BOLAs in 2009 and 2010) you could not automatically eliminate about 1/2 of the competitors. Lots of surprises and lots of incredible matches!
on Saturday night I sat in the front row next to a group of guys who, as you can see in the picture above, before the show started had their beer pitches set up on the ring apron (and they ordered alot more pitchers later too.) But they were really cool because they had some extra red plastic beer cups from the bar and offered me some of their beer which I accepted. I only drank a couple of cups, but I don't turn down an offer of free beer.
Before I first went to my seat though I got to talk to Davey Richards and I bought the new DVD for PWG's Threemendous III.
I think my favorite matches from the first night were Roderick Strong vs Drake Younger, Sami Callihan vs Willie Mack, Ricochet vs Kevin Steen, and Davey Richards vs Michael Elgin.
After the show I got my Willie Mack NWAH card signed and then I went back to my hotel room at the Hojo's about a block and a half away.
When I woke up on Sunday, I went to this Mexican restaurant on Reseda Boulevard which had a breakfast buffet so I had build my own tacos and margaritas for brunch.
Then to kill some time (other than PWG there isn't alot to do in Reseda) I went to the movies. I wanted to see Expendables 2 but the times did not work out so instead I saw the new bootleg gangster movie Lawless (it was good, definitely worth seeing.) Then I drove to the Legion Hall for the 2nd night of BOLA.
Before the show I got to talk to Davey Richards once again and I also got to talk to El Generico too. I wore my new black PWG shirt that I bought at Threemendous III back in July.
The Quarter-Finals match between Brian Cage and Michael Elgin was insanely awesome! Lots and lots and lots and lots of near falls including when Kevin Steen got revenge on Cage for the previous night by interfering- yet Cage still kicked out. At one point, Elgin had Cage suspended in the air for 65 seconds before finally delivering the suplex. Elgin finally won to advance. (I also really liked Elgin's semi-finals match against Ricochet too! Although Adam Cole won the tournament, I would say Elgin was definitely the overall top star for PWG this weekend.)
After he lost to Elgin, Cage was again attacked by Steen who was then attacked by his other enemies the Young Bucks. Referee Rick Knox (who has also been feuding with the Bucks recently) and El Generico then ran out to the ring where Knox challenged the Bucks and Cage to a match against him, Generico, and another wrestler. Knox then asked Steen to team with him and Generico for tonight, but Steen looked at Generico and flicked him off before walking away to the back.
It was really cool seeing Davey Richards joining Team Sleaze and (along with Kyle O'Reilly) teaming up with Joey Ryan in a non-tournament 6 man tag match tonight! That was awesome and I really hope to see Ryan and Richards team up more in the future for PWG!
After the match, Joey Ryan was going to make a speech but some a-hole in the front row wearing a CZW shirt and a hat (he was sitting about 10 seats to my right) had to put himself over and ruined the moment as the crowd chanted for him to sit down (they chanted loudly "Sit the F**k down! Sit the f**k down!") as he was standing against the ring apron and tapping the ring apron while taunting Ryan with his CZW shirt after Ryan's team lost to Drake Younger's team (while Ryan was trying to make his speech) and then when the fan refused to take his seat the crowd chanted "Throw him out. Throw him out." Unfortunately that fan was not tossed, but at the end of the show he was shoved aside by Kevin Steen on his way to the ring to talk to Adam Cole after Cole won BOLA to get an upcoming title shot against Steen for the PWG World Championship. I don't recall ever seeing that fan at PWG before and if he is going to act like that then I really hope he does not come back.
At intermission I talked to Brian Cage and I bought his DVD that he was selling for $10.
The post intermission six man tag match started off as a handicap match of Knox and Generico vs the Bucks and Cage. But when Knox was beat up and lying on the ground while Generico was in trouble in the ring, Steen came out to look at Knox before jumping on the apron and extending his hand out to Generico to tag him in which got a huge reaction from the crowd. It was really awesome seeing Steen and Generico working in tandem tonight as a tag team for the first time in nearly 3 years! But after their team won the match, Steen flicked Generico off once again.
I admit I was surprised that Cole won BOLA- before this weekend he had only appeared in PWG 3 times and none of those appearances was a singles match (all tag matches with O'Reilly as Future Shock.) Cole, as the Panama City Playboy, played the heel all weekend and I am looking forward to seeing what he does next in PWG (who obviously has big plans for him as he just won BOLA.) Afterward, Steen entered the ring to congratulate Cole but got attacked by Cole.
After the show I said hi to Willie Mack and I also got to talk to Eddie Edwards and to Excalibur (Excalibur is on crutches but he told me he only has to have those crutches for another 2 weeks.)
I had a great time spending a good portion of my 3 day Labor Day weekend in California to attend PWG!