PWG Cyanide: A Tribute to Poison 2010 (12/11/10)

PWG Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison 2010
December 11th, 2010
American Legion Post #308, Reseda, California
Attendance: ???

Your hosts are Excalibur and a revolving door of color commentators.


Willie Mack vs. Peter Avalon

Avalon is lke a skinnier version of Kevin Steen in that he's a disgusting individual in all of the right ways. Mack is a newcomer here to PWG but is a regular in several other California indy promotions, but this is his debut match in PWG. He's already over with the crowd because of his look, which is that of a slightly skinnier Mark Henry with an afro-pick. Big shoulder-block from Mack to start and Mack shows some incredible agility for a man his size, flying around the ring like a luchadore. HUGE running knee from Mack sends Avalon to the floor. Mack lays in some chops but turns his back on Avalon, and Peter slides into the ring and runs back out after Mack with a big tope con hilo. Reverse STO back in the ring gets Avalon a quick two count. Avalon misses a big cross-body but then just rakes Mack in the eye and slaps on a chinlock. Avalon tries for a leg lariat but Mack catches him and just cradles him back and forth like an infant before slamming him with a big power-bomb for a two count. Crowd starts giving Avalon shit as he gets another cheap shot in on Mack and applies a camel clutch briefly. Avalon tries the leg lariat again but Mack catches him once again in a belly-to-belly hold before he literally tosses Avalon into the air and then delivers an Ace Crusher to Avalon in mid-air! I can safely say I have NEVER seen that move before. Big lariat from Mack into the corner and then a slingshot dropkick, followed by a Samoan drop and a standing moonsault! 1-2---NOO! Avalon kicks out. Avalon hangs Mack up on the top rope and then hits a springboard cross-body for a two count of his own. Avalon hits a lungblower but Mack just grabs the bottom rope at 2. Avalon tries for another big cross-body but Mack catches him and then transitions into a HUGE sitout powerbomb to finish Avalon off at 8:46! WOW, what a debut for Willie Mack here as he looked INCREDIBLE, delivering creative combinations of big power moves alongside incredible agility for a man his size, and the crowd ate up every last second of this match, chanting Mack's name almost nonstop from the start despite this only being his debut. Probably the best Peter Avalon match I've ever seen too. ***¼


Roderick Strong vs. Chuck Taylor

Now this should be pretty good as Strong (the ROH World champion) usually brings his best when he comes to PWG and Taylor can basically do no wrong in my eyes. Before the match begins Taylor says he's cold and a fan gives him his sweatshirt, but while he's trying to zip it up Strong attacks him and then tosses him out to the floor. This is definitely the more aggressive, heel Strong here. Snap suplex back in the ring gets Strong a two count. Taylor locks on a leg vicegrip but Strong counters into a half Boston crab. Taylor gets the rope break but Strong applies an abdominal stretch anyways and starts pulling out some of Taylor's hair and slapping his chest, taunting him. Taylor applies an Indian death lock but Strong gets the ropes as well. Big back suplex from Strong, but Taylor kicks out at two. Strong continues to wear Taylor down, applying a camel clutch and tearing away at Chuck's face with his fingers, fish-hookng him. Rollup from Taylor but Strong comesback with a big superkick that sends Taylor checking to see if he's bleeding. Taylor flips out of a back suplex attempt on the apron and then gives Strong a pescado arm-drag to the floor that doesn't quite hit because of how close the fans chairs are too the ring. Taylor makes up for it though with a big tope con hilo over the top, wiping out both men in a pile of chairs! Springboard dropkick from Taylor back inside and he applies a half Boston crab of his own. Big running elbow from Strong and a powerslam gets Strong two. Taylor comes back with a running enziguri but Strong hits a big sideslam into one of Strong's trademark modified backbreakers. Saito suplex gets Strong another two count and he applies the full Boston crab now. Taylor hits a Rock Bottom of all things and then hits a lionsault! 1-2--NOO! Strong kicks out at two. Taylor calls for the Awful Waffle but Strong evades and hits a sloppy torture rack backbreaker. Chuck reverses the Gibson driver with the Soul Food kick, but Strong hits a superkick and then finishes off Taylor with the Gibson driver at 14:32. Good match, just as you'd expect from these two, but these two have done much better before. Still, solid match, it's just a shame Taylor couldn't go over, but Strong is the ROH World champ so you can understand why he's being protected. ***


Brandon Cutler/Dustin Cutler vs. Johnny Yuma/Johnny Goodtime

Yuma just debuted last month while the Cutlers are taking a break from wrestling some of the best tag teams in the world in the likes of the Kings of Wrestling and the Briscoe brothers. The Cutlers are both wearing weird Santa hats and Goodtime and Dustin start us off, trading big kicks. Yuma and Brandon tag in now and they exchange waistlocks, jockeying for position. Nice hurricanrana from Yuma but Brandon comes back with a pair of big dropkicks. Goodtime and Yuma double team Brandon for a bit, hitting a pair of simultaneous back sentons for a two count. Dustin tags in and the Cutlers try to double team Goodtime, but he fights both of them off and tags Yuma back in, who's immediately met with a slingshot spinebuster by Dustn for a quick two count. Brandon tags in and gives him a huge sidewalk slam, but again Yuma kicks out. Both Cutler's trade quick tags now, working over Yuma with big double-team moves in their corner. Big swinging DDT from Yuma plants Dustin into the mat and he gets the hot tag to Goodtime, who throws Yuma up on his own shoulders and launches him like a missile into the Cutlers! Cheap low blow on Yuma but Goodtime makes them pay with a big double-stomp to one brother followed by a running tope con hilo to the other Cutler on the floor! Big frog splash to one of the Cutlers back inside from Goodtime, but only for a two count. Huge swinging reverse STO takes Goodtime out from Dustin, who then picks up Yuma and launches him into Goodtime on the outside floor and then follows them out with the somersault senton! Back inside Goodtime tries fighting both Cutlers off but eats a Death Valley Driver for two. Tag rules have totally gone out the window at this point if you couldn't tell. Goodtime keeps trying to fight off both men but he eats a guillotine legdrop and then the Six Second Abs double-team finisher! 1-2--NOO! Yuma breaks it up. Goodtime gives Yuma a DVD of his own right onto Dustin. Goodtime misses a senton and then the Cutlers hit the springboard double-Tombstone piledriver to win at 13:39! WOW what a finish. Tag rules broke down totally near the end but it didn't matter as this was meant to be an exhibition for both young teams and it was an excellent one at that with all kinds of creative double-team moves and near-falls. Great stuff. ***¼


Joey Ryan vs. Brandon Gatson

Ryan is the PWG poster boy and has been one of the main guys for the company since the beginning, but he's really gone downhill over the years as his in-ring work just seems to get more and more boring, yet he won the Battle of Los Angeles this year. Russian leg sweep from Gatson to start and an elbow drop gets him an early two count. Big pumphandle slam from Ryan, but Gatson kicks out at only a one count and applies an armbar to Ryan briefly. Big armbreaker off the top by Ryan and he tries working an armbar of his own. Gatson goes for a handspring back elbow but Ryan dropkicks him in the face halfway through the move and goes back to the arm work. Dropkick gets Ryan a quick two count. Gatson catches Ryan in a big boot attempt and spins him around for a stunner that gets him a two count of his own. Big lariat to Gatson on the apron and both men begin brawling around ringside. Gatson tries for the Sasuke special out to Ryan on the floor but Joey moves only for Gatson to land right on his feet and eat a stiff superkick from Ryan! Joey tries for a shoulderbreaker but Gatson rams his face into the steel post. Back inside Ryan locks on the chimora submission hold. Gatson is able to get to the ropes, but his shoulder is in bad shape at this point. Superkick into the corner by Ryan and he follows it with a swinging neckbreaker off the second rope for a two count. Gatson sets Ryan up on some chairs on the outside and then dives off the apron with an elbow drop. Back inside Ryan hits a spinebuster and then locks the chimora hold back on and Gatson taps out at 17:15. This was a bit too long for these two guys, but this was much better than I was expecting. A bit slow at times, but not bad, not bad at all. **¾


Matt Jackson/Nick Jackson vs. Ryan Taylor/Brian-Cage Taylor

Young Bucks are still getting great for milking their TNA contracts everytime they come to PWG, playing it up like Hogan is their best pal and that they despise PWG for it's focus on in-ring action. Both of the Bucks get some great heat from the crowd claiming to be the best tag team in TNA and giving Hulk Hogan-esque poses to the audience. The Taylors dominate to start, isolating Matt with double-team moves and then taunting the Bucks with some posing of their own. Brian delivers a big delayed vertical suplex and then tags Ryan in, who hits a jumping knee for a quick two count. Brian tags back in quickly and hits a russian leg sweep for another close two. Brian tosses Matt off his shoulders right onto Ryan's knees, but Nick trips Ryan up and Matt is finally able to get some offense in. Nick tags in and hits a dropkick, but can only get a one count. The Bucks trade frequent tags, trying to isolate Ryan in their corner. Matt hits the devastating BACK HANDSPRING BACK RAKE! This is what's so brilliant about these two kids, they've toned own their offense since becoming heels and love to tease the crowd that they'll perform an incredible move only to give their opponents something old-school and silly like a back rake. THAT is how you work a match as a heel kiddies. Bucks continue isolating Ryan, wearing him down with a sleeperhold. Excalibur starts getting into a big discussion about comic books with Joey Ryan on commentary, which is fun to hear. Hot tag to Brian now and he hits a reverse Angle slam on Matt! The Bucks send Brian to the floor and try for one of their trademark series of high risk moves, but Brian catches Matt and has him in the electric chair position for Ryan to dive through the second ropes and wipe out both Bucks with the tope suicida! Cool spot. Double stomp off the top from Matt and it's chaos from here with all four men trading huge moves at a fast pace in the ring. Reverse gourdbuster on Matt by Brian. 1-2---NOO! Max kicks out. Seemingly everyone hits a big superkick on one another and some fans in the crowd start chanting "TNA!" for the Bucks, which the rest of the crowd hates and they turn immediately on the TNA mark, chanting "TNA sucks!" The Bucks hit a double-DDT off the top rope on Brian, but Taylor kicks out at one and is fired up now. He hits a series of right elbows and then clotheslines Nick over the top rope. Matt sends him to the floor and teases a tope, but Ryan interrupts him and tries for the Go 2 Sleep only for Matt to evade it. Bucks try for the More Bang for Your Buck but the Taylors prevent it and Nick gets a big lariat from Brian for two. Ryan rolls through a swanton attempt but the Bucks hit a series of superkicks and then the More Bang for Your Buck and that puts Ryan away at 14:58. Great showcase for these two teams here as the Taylors went toe to toe with the Young Bucks, who are practically PWG legends and came off great even in the loss. ***¼


Kevin Steen vs. Akira Tozawa

Tozawa, a Dragon Gate regular, has made a big name for himself in PWG in 2010 with incredible matches against guys like Chris Hero. Steen you should know from ROH obviously but PWG was one of the places he really got his foot in the door in this business, so both of these guys are over huge with the PWG faithful. As far as I know, this is their very first singles encounter. Before Steen can even get to the ring, Tozawa FLIES through the second rope and spears him in the aisle-way with the tope suicida! Both men begin trading forearms at ringside, brawling over to the Christmas tree where Tozawa slams a wrapped present on Steen's head! I guess they don't celebrate Christmas in Japan. Steen grabs a present of his own and smashes it over Tozawa's head and glass flies everywhere as apparently someone was recieving a pane of glass for Christmas this year. Steen, being the sick fuck that he is, merrily begins eating pieces of glass. Excalibur & Chuck Taylor's commentary is gold here. They finally make their way back to the ring where Tozawa starts laying in chops as the fans try to get under Steen's skin with an "Ole!" chant. Tozawa tries to bodyslam Steen but he's too big and Steen just slams him down with his own body weight. Steen does an amazing single push-up, which puts him out of breath, and the fans are back on his side. Steen gets tossed over the top rope by Tozawa who then flies out after him with another tope suicida, only to have Steen catch him in midair and then powerbomb him on the edge of the ring apron! Holy shit that painful looking. Back inside Steen just starts clawing at Tozawa's face, biting him like a madman. He bites Tozawa's ear in Mike Tyson fashion and Tozawa gives him a stunner. They exchange big forearms and chops and then Steen DDTs Tozawa from the second rope. Cannonball senton into the corner from Steen gets a two count. Tozawa tries for the bodyslam again and finally gets him, sending both men and the referee off their feet as the entire ring shakes! Yakuza kick into the corner gets Tozawa a two count, as does a Shining Wizard attempt. Tozawa tries for a pumphandle slam but Steen counters with a fisherman's suplex into a neckbreaker! Another cannonball splash to Tozawa but he gets right back up and delivers a trio of big boots to Steen followed by a Saito suplex that sends Steen to the apron. Steen tries for the package piledriver on the apron, but Tozawa counters out and delivers a German suplex right on the edge of the apron! Dear GOD that was a sickening bump! Somehow Steen kicks out at two back in the ring. Shining Wizard and then a back-kick, but again Steen kicks out at two. Tozawa tries for a superplex but gets knocked off and Steen tries for the big Swanton bomb, but Tozawa gets the knees up! German suplex from Tozawa, but Steen comes right back with a lariat and the Package Piledriver! 1-2---NOOO! Tozawa somehow kicks out of Steen's finisher! Tozawa slaps Steen in the face and then lays in flurry of back elbows, but Steen slaps on the sleeper and gives him a sleeper suplex! 1-2--NOO! Tozawa kicks out again! FINALLY Steen is able to put Tozawa away with TWO more Package Piledrivers to end it at 19:20. After the match Steen rises Tozawa's hand in a sign of respect, which is kind of odd when you consider the story of this match was Steen being a sick and nasty freak who was basically trying to kill Tozawa. Tozawa kept coming back though and showed incredible heart and spirit, only being put away after 3 Package Piledrivers from Steen. Throw in some of the absolutely SICKENING bumps in this match, and we've got ourselves one incredible match. ****¼


PWG World Tag Team Title Match
El Generico/Paul London (C) vs. Chris Hero/Claudio Castagnoli

Claudio is hot off of last month's main event where he was crowned the new PWG World champion, so tonight he's looking to add to that gold with Hero by taking the belts from Peligro Abejas (Generico/London) tonight. Claudio says if either Generico or London can pin him or Hero in this match, he'll give them a shot at his World title. Hero and London start us off with a feeling out process, Hero trying for a leg vicegrip but London countering out with agility. Generico and Claudio tag in now and lock-up, but Claudio is easily able to overpower the much smaller Generico. Generico hits a pair of armdrags and then tries for a German suplex, but Claudio is too big and he's sent into the corner. Hero and London tag back in and London hits a running shoulderblock for a near-fall. The Kings wipe out both of their opponents with big tandem running boots, but they wait too long and London kicks out at two. Claudio works on London's arm for a bit, wrenching away. Hero tags in and does the same. Hot tag to Generico and he hits Claudio with a big cross-body off the top. Top-rope hurricanrana to Hero, but Claudio wipes Generico out seconds later with a big lariat for two. Backdrop suplex to Generico and the Kings are back in control briefly until Generico hits a blue thunder driver on Hero. London back-drops Claudio over the top and then hits a series of forearms on Hero, pancaking him for a two count. Claudio breaks it up and London uses Claudio to just do a moonsault onto Hero, but again he kicks out at two. Claudio is sent to the floor and Generico follows him out, performing a HUGE Arabian moonsault to the floor! Meanwhile inside the ring London rolls up Hero. 1-2--NOO! Hero kicks out. Spinning big boot from Hero gets him a quick two as well. The Kings hit their signature Giant Swing/dropkick combo but Generico breaks up the pin attempt. Big Yakuza kicks to both of the Kings from Generico, but Claudio just tosses him into the air and catches him mid-air with a stiff European uppercut! 1-2---NOO! London breaks it up and then flies to the outside, taking Hero out with the tope con hilo! Generico tries for the Ricola Bomb but Generico counters with the Yoshi Tonic (which is basically a Canadian Destroyer from a seated position). Somehow Claudio kicks out at two though. Generico tries a cross body off the top but Claudio catches him and gives him a big backbreaker. Hero tags in and he takes off the elbow pad, signalling for the roaring elbow. All four men are in the ring now as London spears Claudio to the floor and Generico sneaks up behind Hero and rolls him up for the mild upset win at 15:21! Yet another very fun tag match on a card full of them, and a fine way to cap off the show. This sets up Claudio vs. Generico for the PWG title too, so the whole thing served a purpose besides just being high-octane fun. ***¼


After the match London thanks all of the fans and wrestlers and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy new year. London is blabbering a bit, but he's Paul London so that's what he does.


Backstage London and Generico cut a promo. Elsewhere Chris Hero says 2010 was disappointing for him because he didn't win the PWG title, but promises 2011 will be his year. We get a few words with Joey Ryan and the Taylor Boys as well, and that will do it.

Bottom Line: Excellent show here as the worst match of the night was rated at **¾ and the best exceeding ****. Steen vs. Tozawa was both creative and incredible and deserves to be seen by everyone. Throw in a few great tag matches and a huge debut for the new Willie Mack and this was about as good of a wrestling show as you could ask for. Easy Thumbs Up.


Score: 8.5/10