by Itchypanda » Sun Dec 11, 2011 2:01 pm
The turnout was huge for this event. I'm not sure if waiting in the cold or trying to live beyond the expectations of Steen Wolf quelled the crowd but there wasn't much emotion in the first half of the event.
The sound guy received a lot of heat and a massive scolding by Excalibur. I'm sure the guy just wanted to hide in a rock until it was over. He basically gave away Chris Hero's return and received some very cold looks from Roddy Strong and Chris Hero before introductions to their respective matches.
Kenny King and TJ Perkins started the match but within their first set, the Fightin' Taylor Boys interrupted and an impromptu tag match occurred. Taylor Boys won in a disjointed match with missed spots but impressive work. Kenny King needs a solid match in PWG.
Strong defeated the Amazing Red. Red looked completely out of tune with the match and apologized afterwards stating "TNA didn't give me much time to train..."
Two matches in and it seemed like this was going to be the stinker PWG show of the year...dead crowd and sloppy matches.
Team Sleazy (Joey Ryan, Scorpio Sky, Peter Avalon & Ray Rosas) vs. Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Chris Kadillac and Famous B). Joey gets on the mic and states that they call off the match and make a 6-man, 1-woman movie with Candice as the "star" since they were missing a partner. Candice states she asked her ex-husband Scott Lost to come but he refused and re-iterated why their were still divorced. She introduces "New Age Punisher" B-Boy and the match is under way. Same but very funny spots in pseudo-sexual positions with Candice LeRae and Team Sleazy. In the end, Ryan and Sky finish the match for the win to their team. The crowd finally comes alive.
Willie Mack comes out and many in the crowd were surprised because he was originally booked to wrestle in the previous 8-man. Chris Hero comes out to the biggest pop of the night. Mack defeats Hero in probably the best match of their series. Hero gets on the mic and cryptically tells the crowd that he may not be seen "for a very long time" alluding to taking time off to go back home to Dayton, OH. Not sure if this has anything to do with the medical evaluation he had with the "World Wildlife Foundation" that is being speculated online. Just to note, Hero looked solid in the ring but his usually, fairly trim waistline was spilling over this night. Hero will always be a god in PWG.
RockNES Monsters defeated Future Shock in one of the best matches of the night. Great spots. Worth watching again on DVD.
Intermission and praying the sound guy fixes the issues.
American Wolves defeated the Super Smash Brothers in a very physical match that spilled out into the crowd often. Davey puts over SSB after the match.
El Generico defeated Dick Togo in a match that started slow and sped to a satisfying conclusion. Togo's spots were basic highlights of many of his finishers. Huge fan support for both men. Lots of respect and chants for Togo and, well, lots of typical "Dick" jokes in the crowd.
Steen and Dragon destroy the Young Bucks in a Guerilla Warfare Match. Very difficult to watch because the match was every where. Envious of the DVD fans who will see this properly before I do. Standing room only during this match. With everyone trying to move out of the way, no chant could properly start or sustain during this match and many did try.
In my opinion, and mine only, this card was likely the weakest for the biggest turnout in 2011. I loved the matches but the crowd was off and the first two matches were so disjointed that it quelled the audience. The 8-man should have brought the crowd back to full tilt but it didn't last long. Chris Hero's "goodbye" speech to PWG was heartfelt and partially ruined by a self-serving fan.