PWG 2013: About As Guerrilla As It Gets

Dalton · July 20, 2021

I love that update. Please do more every now and then!

Atticus · July 20, 2021

TEN \\ Reseda, CA \\ 2013.08.03

1. A fun opener saw the PWG debut of the Boston native

Biff Busick

and the crowd instantly fell in love with the intensity Busick brought to this one, showing no fear going up against the larger

Willie Mack

.

Candice LeRae

also found herself receiving a strong reaction from the crowd as she hit a suicide dive turn tornado DDT on

Ryan Taylor

. We also saw

Peter Avalon

, Taylor, and Busick all hop onto the back of Mack in an attempt to bring the big man down, but he countered it into a massive Samoan drop.

B-Boy

cleared the ring for Mack as he and LeRae made sure it stayed that way for Mack's Chocolate Thunder Bomb on Taylor to get the night started right.

2. Capitalizing off the crowd energy from Is Your Body Ready?

Samuray del Sol

showed what he's capable of with a nice win over the debuting

Anthony Nese

. For his first showing in PWG, Nese was no slouch, but del Sol just had a bit extra going for him and while Nese's combination of speed and strength was impressive, it just wasn't enough to overcome del Sol; a luchador eager to make his presence felt in Reseda.

3. The debuts kept rolling in for the East Coast with The Beaver Boys,

Alex Reynolds

and

John Silver

, putting up a great effort against The Inner City Machine Guns. And in a match featuring

Ricochet

and

Rich Swann

, Silver was by far the smallest man, but that didn't stop him from being the MVP of this contest. While Swann and Ricochet have some experience under their belt, the Beaver Boys' strong chemistry nearly saw them pick up the upset win following an insane sequence; a rolling elbow from Reynolds, step-up enziguri from Silver, stunner from Reynolds, and a German suplex from Silver onto Swann, but Ricochet was quick to break it up just in time. Speaking of Ricochet, it'd be his 630 Senton onto Reynolds that secured the win.

4. It was

ACH

who broke the string of losing debuts tonight with a win over

AR Fox

in a match that left the Reseda crowd speechless. The textbook definition of blink and you might miss as gravity itself couldn't keep these two men grounded. No surprise to see this one spill outside as ACH and Fox took turns trying to one-up another with jaw dropping dives. In the closing seconds of this match, Fox looked to set up his Lo Mein Pain, but ACH would fight it off and knock down Fox long enough for The Best 450 Ever from the second rope after a grueling near 20 minutes of nonstop action.

5. In the final match before heading into intermission,

Chuck Taylor

and

Johnny Gargano

bounced back after their loss last month as Forever Hooligans dropped another since their debut as a team in PWG. Despite that, these two didn't go down without a fight as

Rocky Romero

nearly took Gargano's head off with a gnarly leaping knee and

Alex Koslov

would follow his lead with an enzi-knee right to the side of Taylor's head at one point. A main event anywhere in the world and the last few minutes of this match showed why as we got some finisher spam to end this. A Tiger Suplex from Romero on Gargano, an Awful Waffle onto Romero, and then Koslov's crossface on Taylor, but the Russian wasn't aware that Gargano was the legal man and once referee Justin Borden informed him, he released the hold only for a recovered Gargano to catch with a Hurts Donut for the win.

6. Back from intermission and back for his first match since March,

Paul London

continued his winning ways in PWG against

Kyle O'Reilly

in a match some may call an upset despite London's veteran status over O'Reilly, who has been eager to carve out a name for himself like Adam Cole has. A London Calling crashing down onto O'Reilly's back would seal the deal for London. An interesting blend of styles here as it might've been a bit surprising to see London hold his own against O'Reilly's technical ability, but it was London's agility and O'Reilly's striking ability that truly set these two apart. A surprise for sure as we head into back-to-back championship matches.

7. And the first championship match of the night didn't disappoint as

Adam Cole

was able to retain yet again thanks to a surprise crucifix rollup onto

Drake Younger

while

Kevin Steen

was recovering on the outside. The fans were rooting hard for the deathmatch hero as he lived up to expectations, pulling out trash cans, tables, chairs, and even a traffic cone into the match. And in case you thought the weapons weren't enough, the three men used the American Legion Post to their advantage too with Younger spiking Cole with a piledriver onto the carpeted area. Steen also added another dent to Younger's head after throwing a steel chair right into his head and immediately following up with a cannonball senton onto Cole, who was trapped inside of a trash can. A ferocious match that somehow saw all three men able to walk away and Younger receiving a standing ovation from the Reseda faithful.

8. The only thing hotter than the American Legion Post itself was the crowd for the main event as The Young Bucks somehow kept the PWG World Tag Team Championships in their possession after a low blow from

Matt Jackson

onto

Eddie Edwards

allowed for

Nick Jackson

to climb up and retrieve the belt. Plenty of superkicks to go around in this one and bodies too as

Michael Elgin

and

Brian Cage

tossed everyone around with such ease. We even saw Cage just about destroy

Roderick Strong

with a powerbomb through a ladder mere minutes into this one. Despite not possessing the speed of the Bucks or the power of the Unbreakable F'N Machines, the DojoBros more than held their own as they decided to just stiff the absolute hell out of everyone instead.

The Bucks were unfortunate enough to experience that firsthand as Edwards and Strong landed back-to-back combos on the brothers, including a gutbuster from Strong onto Nick that set him up with a lariat from Edwards that turned the Buck inside out. There were also some questions regarding the stability of the ladders and if they'd be able to withstand Elgin and Cage, thankfully they did as we were treated to a superplex off the ladder from Cage and Edwards, shockingly not ending the men right through the center of the ring. Undoubtedly match of the night and as Kevin Steen helped his dastardly friends out of the ring, the 10th anniversary show came to a close with the fans chanting "PWG!"

Quick Results

<div style="margin-left: 1em;">1. B-Boy, Candice LeRae & Willie Mack def. Biff Busick, Peter Avalon & Ryan Taylor - Mack pins Taylor; Chocolate Thunder Bomb [14:07]

2. Samuray del Sol def. Anthony Nese - del Sol pins Nese; del Sol Driver [12:26]

3. The Inner City Machine Guns (Rich Swann & Ricochet) def. The Beaver Boys (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) - Ricochet pins Reynolds; 630 Senton [14:38]

4. ACH def. AR Fox - ACH pins Fox; The Best 450 Ever [18:20]

5. Chuck Taylor & Johnny Gargano def. Forever Hooligans (Alex Koslov & Rocky Romero) - Gargano pins Koslov; Hurts Donut [15:45]

6. Paul London def. Kyle O'Reilly - London pins O'Reilly; London Calling [20:49]

7. PWG World Championship Title Three-way Guerrilla Warfare Match: Adam Cole © def. Drake Younger and Kevin Steen - Cole pins Younger; Crucifix Rollup [15:12]

8. PWG World Tag Team Championship Title Three-way Ladder Match: The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) © def. DojoBros (Eddie Edwards & Roderick Strong) and Unbreakable F'N Machines (Brian Cage & Michael Elgin) - Nick retrieved the belts [17:20]</div></div>

Overall Prediction Results

DGenerationMC: 12/14

Mootinie: 12/14

Historian: 11/14

kanegan: 11/14

scmurph01: 11/14

Blodyxe: 10/14

CGN91: 10/14

Dalton: 10/14

falling_star: 10/14

TheBigBad1013: 10/14

Dwells2015: 9/14

Rampaaage: 9/14

Hollywood: 8/14

GooverDan: 3/6

Atticus · July 20, 2021

Appreciate the crazy turnout again! Means a lot, gang. And again, hopefully I'm keeping track of the predictions. Gonna keep track of the overall and do the BOLA 2014 participant for the winner, so try and keep me honest if I mess up. Math isn't my strong suit, no matter how simple!

Young Bucks © vs. DojoBros vs. Unbreakable F'N Machines
I feel like ladder match spells title change
B-Boy/LeRae/Mack vs. Busick/Avalon/Taylor
I will always pick LaRae

Another tempting title change was in my mind for this, but felt it was just a bit too early for the Bucks to drop the titles. Gonna try and milk these two before New Japan comes for them. Or even WWE.

Also a Candice mark. Especially after her match at ELEVEN. Always thought she was going to win BOLA one year or even the belt.

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Paul London

Kudos for being the one to pick Paul London!

I love that update. Please do more every now and then!

Glad you liked it! I think I do as well. Maybe just work around with the formatting, but should provide some fun and some misdirection in it the universe. Definitely some interesting things that have already played out that you guys will get to see in the upcoming months.

Next up is the Battle of Los Angeles and I'll have a little write-up for the participants in the next day or so along with the card for the first night.

DGenerationMC · July 21, 2021

Also a Candice mark. Especially after her match at ELEVEN. Always thought she was going to win BOLA one year or even the belt.

I think Candice blowing up the way she did inadvertently derailed any chance of her becoming the first ever female PWG World Champion. IIRC she got a ton of Japan bookings after ELEVEN that went well into 2015-16, which kinda why she disappeared from PWG after 2014.

falling_star · July 21, 2021

Good stuff all around, man. Really enjoyed the Wrestling Observer update and TEN was a great show. I was this close to picking Paul London, too!

Atticus · July 22, 2021

2013 Battle of Los Angeles Preview: Part 1

Samuray del Sol is the first entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Samuray del Sol - The King Of Flight

Height & Weight

5'6", 169 lbs

Hometown

Chicago, Illinois

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

All Star Weekend 9 - Night One (March 22nd, 2013)

Outside Achievements

Brian Kendrick's King of Flight Winner

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

A luchador on the verge of blowing up at the national level, but first, he's making a pitstop in Reseda for his first Battle of Los Angeles tournament. A staple of the Illinois wrestling scene, Samuray del Sol has seen 2013 become his breakout year, working just about every major independent that he can and since making his debut earlier in the year for PWG, del Sol has become a real fan favorite. With all the buzz around his name, there's a lot of pressure for del Sol to perform, and winning BOLA could very well make him a made man in the world of professional wrestling.

He's no stranger to this tournament format, having won the King of Flight tournament hosted by Brian Kendrick back in March, besting Paul London, AR Fox, and Ricochet in a single night. Could we see Samuray del Sol pull it off again?

Roderick Strong is the second entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Roderick Strong - The Messiah of the Backbreaker

Height & Weight

5'10", 212 lbs

Hometown

Tampa, Florida

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

All Nude Revue (February 12th, 2005)

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Achievements

Three-time PWG World Tag Team Champion

2007 DDT4 Winner

2008 DDT4 Winner

Outside Achievements

Former ROH World Champion

Former ROH World Television Champion

Former ROH World Tag Team Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

8th appearance

One of the veterans in the Battle of Los Angeles is none other than a man who has not only competed in 8 BOLAs in the past, but he's also participated in 5 DDT4 tournaments and won two of them. That man, of course, is Roderick Strong. Having made it to the finals two times (2007 & 2009), will this be the year Strong finally puts together the run of his career to win the elusive Battle of Los Angeles trophy? Difficult to say for certain, but it does look promising for Strong, looking to be in the best shape of his career.

Yet despite all this, Roderick Strong almost feels a bit overlooked and for that reason, he could be seen as a dark horse favorite to win it all. Strong will no doubt look to prove that he should be the clear cut favorite, not just the dark horse.

Ricochet is the third entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Ricochet - The Future of Flight

Height & Weight

5'10", 173 lbs

Hometown

Paducah, Kentucky

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

2010 Battle of Los Angeles - Night One (September 4th, 2010)

Outside Achievements

Former Open The Brave Gate Champion

Former Open The Twin Gate Champion

Two-time DGUSA Open The United Gate Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

3rd appearance

Ricochet's first appearance in PWG was in the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles tournament and while he fell short against Claudio Castagnoli in the first round, there's absolutely no shame in that and it was enough to get a call back. And since then, the world has just watched in awe as Ricochet's stock has rapidly risen over the years, even earning himself a spot in his first ever Best of the Super Juniors earlier in the year, putting up a respectable 10 points. He's also stepped foot in the rising PROGRESS Wrestling in England as well as wXw in Germany and Ricochet has shown no signs of slowing down.

Why would this tournament be any different? At the age of 24, Ricochet is already an eight year veteran of the industry and has seen more of the wrestling world than some of the other veterans in this tournament.

ACH is the fourth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

ACH - The Last Hero

Height & Weight

5'9", 185 lbs

Hometown

Austin, Texas

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

TEN (August 3rd, 2010)

Outside Achievements

Current AAW Heritage Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

Hailing from Austin, Texas, there's a reason you'll hear the crowds all over the country chant "GO! GO! ACH!" A wrestler as electrifying as the Dragon Ball Z character he idolizes, ACH is on track to have a breakout year. Becoming a full time member of the Ring of Honor roster earlier in the year, ACH has only given us a sneak peek at what he's capable of. No doubt that ACH earned his spot in this tournament after his match against AR Fox at PWG TEN a few weeks prior and he's determined to keep coming back. And what better way to do that than by winning the Battle of Los Angeles?

An underdog in the tournament, but there's a sneaky strength to ACH that some unfortunate soul (or souls) in the tournament may overlook and that might just be what ACH needs to go Super Saiyan.

Kevin Steen is the fifth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Kevin Steen - Mr. Wrestling

Height & Weight

5'10", 252 lbs

Hometown

Marieville, Quebec, Canada

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Free Admission!! (Just Kidding) (November 13th, 2004)

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Achievements

Three-time PWG World Champion

Three-time PWG World Tag Team Champion

Outside Achievements

Former ROH World Champion

Former ROH World Tag Team Champion

Former 2CW Heavyweight Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

7th appearance

There aren't many men who are synonymous with PWG still wrestling for the company, but the three-time PWG World Champion Kevin Steen is one of them. Steen's done just about everything there is to do in PWG, but won the Battle of Los Angeles. And given his history with Adam Cole, there's no question that Steen will want to finish his business with the PWG World Champion, and winning this would give him the one-on-one title shot he wants. Easier said than done, but who are we to doubt the ability of Kevin Steen?

Steen made it to the finals back in 2011 before losing to long-time friend/rival El Generico and back in January, the two made it to the final of DDT4 before losing to The Young Bucks. With that chip on his shoulder as well as the fact that Generico has gone on to bigger, better things, this might be Steen's tournament to lose.

Michael Elgin is the sixth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Michael Elgin - Unbreakable

Height & Weight

5'10", 237 lbs

Hometown

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Death To All But Metal (May 25th, 2012)

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Achievements

Former PWG World Tag Team Champion

Outside Achievements

Former AAW Heritage Champion

2011 ROH Survival of the Fittest Winner

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

2nd appearance

A finalist in his first appearance, Michael Elgin will no doubt look to replicate his success from last year, and do what's necessary to take him to the next level. It may be easy to forget what Elgin can do inside the ring as a singles competitor as he's spent most of 2013 in PWG alongside his tag team partner Brian Cage, even becoming a PWG World Tag Team Champion for an hour, but Elgin is capable of winning this whole thing. Though with last year's tape made available to the competitors, Elgin will have to up his game this time around.

Will Elgin manage to shock the system and win the whole thing this year?

Chuck Taylor is the seventh entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Chuck Taylor - The Kentucky Gentleman

Height & Weight

6'1", 200 lbs

Hometown

Murray, Kentucky

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

All Star Weekend 7 - Night One (August 30th, 2008)

Outside Achievements

Two-time IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion

Former CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion

Two-time CHIKARA Campeonatos de Parejas Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

3rd appearance

The discussion about what kind of wrestler Chuck Taylor is is an interesting one. Some see him as a comedy guy only and know him from his infamous CHIKARA and IWA-MS clips, scaring kids and occasionally threatening to kill them. But once you look past all of that, you get an extraordinary wrestler and former multi-time champion throughout the independents. It's very easy to underestimate Chuck Taylor and honestly, he'd probably agree with you, but we like to think Chuckie T has a chance and if there was ever a time for something strange to happen, it'd be in Reseda.

If Taylor was to ever take himself seriously (or even a bit more serious), he'd be a legitimate threat. And who knows? Maybe this year will be the year?

Drake Younger is the eighth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Drake Younger - Psycho Shooter

Height & Weight

5'9", 196 lbs

Hometown

Indianapolis, Indiana

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Threemendous III (July 21st, 2012)

Outside Achievements

Former CZW World Heavyweight Champion

Former CZW Tag Team Champion

2007 Tournament of Death Winner

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

2nd appearance

Even in defeat, it's hard to argue that 2013 has not been Drake Younger's year in PWG. The fans love him and it's easy to see why given Younger's never-say-die attitude and his willingness to put his body on the line to win. If things had gone just a bit differently, we'd be talking about PWG World Champion Drake Younger, but alas, here we are. Younger has had an incredible life transformation to get to this point and he wants nothing more than to get one more shot at Adam Cole before the year is over.

However, there are some critics in the tournament that question Younger's stamina in the tournament and if his wartorn body will be able to hold up in multiple matches. Younger will look to silence those critics with a potentially heroic run over BOLA weekend.</div>

lifting from dean for the Twitter announcement because I could not for the life of me think of a way to do that. Hope you guys enjoy this little preview, I've got most of the 2nd part written up and might post it later tonight? Or early tomorrow and then the card for Night One will follow shortly after that. So maybe 3 posts tonight if I'm feeling frisky.

I think Candice blowing up the way she did inadvertently derailed any chance of her becoming the first ever female PWG World Champion. IIRC she got a ton of Japan bookings after ELEVEN that went well into 2015-16, which kinda why she disappeared from PWG after 2014.

Ah, you know, I never even considered that. Even watching PWG at the time, I was still pretty ignorant to other going-ons in the wrestling world, so that'd make sense. I also always wondered if there was some behind the scenes falling out with Joey/Candice and Dragon/Excalibur, especially after Joey opened Bar Wrestling, because I thought it was super weird she never got a send-off match in PWG before heading to WWE.

Good stuff all around, man. Really enjoyed the Wrestling Observer update and TEN was a great show. I was this close to picking Paul London, too!

Appreciate it! London was definitely a sneaky pick.

Atticus · July 23, 2021

2013 Battle of Los Angeles Preview: Part 2

Willie Mack is the ninth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Willie Mack - Chocolate Thunder

Height & Weight

5'10", 246 lbs

Hometown

South Central, Los Angeles, California

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Cyanide: A Loving Tribute To Poison (December 11th, 2010)

Outside Achievements

Former CWFH International Television Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

3rd appearance

Slowly becoming a staple of the California indy scene, Willie Mack is starting to look like a can't-miss prospect. Sometimes bordering 260 pounds, it's hard to believe it when you watch this man move around inside the ring. There's no reason a guy of his size should be able to pull off flips as smoothly as he does, but Willie Mack does it time and time again. Mack is putting together the tools for success, all he needs now is that spark to truly ignite his career. The Battle of Los Angeles could be exactly that for Mack.

The sky's the limit for Willie Mack and California may have a new star breaking out after this weekend.

Trent? is the tenth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Trent?

Height & Weight

6'1", 194 lbs

Hometown

Long Island, New York

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

All Star Weekend 9 - Night One (March 22nd, 2013)

Outside Achievements

Current DGUSA Open The United Gate Champion

Two-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

What is there to really say about Trent? He's weird. He's different. He has the looks and the tools to be at the top of the card anywhere in the world. But Trent? doesn't feel the pressure to be great. It just happens naturally, whether he's trying or not. Wrestling is the only thing Trent? knows and it shows. It even earned him a spot in New Japan and despite his "free spirit" nature, there's a reason he was signed to a developmental deal at the age of 20 years old.

If Trent? wants to, this tournament could very well be his. And maybe it will be if Trent? wants it. Then again, who knows what Trent? wants.

Kyle O'Reilly is the eleventh entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Kyle O'Reilly

Height & Weight

5'11", 195 lbs

Hometown

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Steen Wolf (October 22nd, 2011)

Outside Achievements

Current ROH World Tag Team Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

2nd appearance

It's hard to believe there was a time where Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly weren't just tag team partners, but friends. O'Reilly insists on fighting with honor, earning the respect of the fans while Cole...not so much. And maybe Cole's got a point, he won last year's Battle of Los Angeles; O'Reilly was eliminated in the first round. Cole won the PWG World Championship; O'Reilly's got nothing. But that can all change in the matter of two days. Since December of last year, O'Reilly's been forced to live in the shadow of Adam Cole and he would love nothing more than to break out of that.

Could we see back-to-back BOLA wins from the Future Shock members? Too early to tell, but Kyle O'Reilly is a man on a mission and if things go his way, we may see a war that could change the PWG landscape heading into next year.

Rich Swann is the twelfth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Rich Swann

Height & Weight

5'8", 168 lbs

Hometown

Baltimore, Maryland

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Failure To Communicate (October 27th, 2012)

Outside Achievements

Former Open The Triangle Gate Champion

Former Open The Owarai Gate Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

A current member in WORLD-1 International over in Dragon Gate, Rich Swann has been an absolute workhorse overseas the past three years and it's beginning to show. What Swann lacks in height and size, he makes up with his heart and fighting spirit. The word lately is that Swann is looking to ease back on his Japanese bookings and commit full-time to becoming a star in America. It'll be an uphill battle for Swann all along the way, but don't let him hear you say that, he's making his own odds in the Battle of Los Angeles.

Swann's infectious energy might just be what he needs to hold his own throughout the BOLA weekend and the Reseda faithful may just be chanting for him All Weekend Long.

Johnny Gargano is the thirteenth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Johnny Gargano - The Whole Shebang

Height & Weight

5'10", 198 lbs

Hometown

Cleveland, Ohio

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

All Star Weekend 9 - Night One (March 22nd, 2013)

Outside Achievements

Current DGUSA Open The Freedom Gate Champion

Current and two-time AIW Absolute Champion

Current AAW Heavyweight Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

The Cleveland native Johnny Gargano has started to show some serious interest in competing on his own as of late and so far, it's hard to argue with the results out in the Midwest and East Coast. Now Gargano's got his heart set on making his name out on the West Coast too and even if he can't pull off a BOLA win, all he needs is one opportunity to showcase just what he can do. Like him or hate him, you can't deny what Gargano is doing across the American wrestling scene and the crowd is starting to show their appreciation for him.

But Johnny Gargano isn't competing this weekend to settle for one opportunity, he's going to win the whole damn thing, and after that, he's bringing home another championship to Cleveland.

Tommaso Ciampa is the fourteenth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Tommaso Ciampa - The Sicilian Psychopath

Height & Weight

5'11", 223 lbs

Hometown

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

2013 Battle of Los Angeles - Night One (August 30th, 2013)

Outside Achievements

15th Annual ECWA Super 8 Tournament Winner

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

1st appearance

For the first few years of Tommaso Ciampa's career, he'd say he was lost. He earned himself a WWE contract, but an injury cut any chance of him making it and before the year was over, Ciampa found himself out of a job. Now, revitalized and with a new found purpose, Ciampa requested a chance to show what he's got in PWG and there's no better way to do that than making your debut in the Battle of Los Angeles tournament. And you already know given his numerous nicknames, Ciampa isn't going down without a fight.

Ring of Honor has only gotten a glimpse of what Tommaso Ciampa brings and now it's Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's turn to see what the Psycho Killer has in store for California.

Brian Cage is the fifteenth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Brian Cage - The Machine

Height & Weight

6'0", 264 lbs

Hometown

Chico, California

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Seven (July 30th, 2010)

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Achievements

Former PWG World Tag Team Champion

Outside Achievements

Former FCW Florida Tag Team Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

3rd appearance

Occasionally you'll hear a wrestler's nickname on the independents and scoff at it. That's not the case with Brian Cage, who might literally be a machine. The transformation of Cage has been nothing short of incredible over the few years and there's a reason he's drawn comparisons to Wolverine in the past, granted, a couple inches taller. Cage possesses the strength of some seven-foot tall giant, but the agility of a cruiserweight. He won't be pulling off 630 Sentons anytime soon, but blink and you might find yourself on the receiving end of a nightmarish combo from Cage.

It's hard not to find a reason to call Brian Cage a favorite in the tournament. There aren't many out there like him and the Battle of Los Angeles is lucky enough to witness him try to win it all.

Paul London is the sixteenth entrant in the 2013 Battle of Los Angeles!

Paul London - The Intrepid Traveler

Height & Weight

5'10", 180 lbs

Hometown

Austin, Texas

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Debut

Express Written Consent (February 21st, 2009)

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Achievements

2010 DDT4 Winner

Former PWG World Tag Team Champion

Outside Achievements

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion

Two-time WWE Tag Team Champion

Former WWE World Tag Team Champion

Battle of Los Angeles Experience

2nd appearance

Not even a few months into his career, Paul London had his first match in the WWE and would go on to become a staple of the early ROH rosters before signing full time in mid-2003 with the WWE. Unfortunately, you know how his story ended there and even London would admit he was a bit lost after his release. But now fully healthy and with a goal in mind, London returned to PWG to finish what he started back in 2010, this time, by himself. A three match winning streak since his return earlier in the year is one way to show how serious London is taking this, including an upset victory over Kyle O'Reilly a few weeks ago.

London's known for his breathtaking Shooting Star Press, but over the years, London has truly perfected his craft and he wants the world to know it. The story of Paul London may have closed back in 2008, but now, it might be time for the sequel.</div>

Atticus · July 23, 2021

August 30th, 2013

Six-Person Tag Team Match

Adam Cole & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) vs. AR Fox, Candice LeRae & TJ Perkins

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

"Psycho Shooter" Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

"The Intrepid Traveler" Paul London vs. Willie Mack

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

Ricochet vs. Trent?

2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match

"The Kentucky Gentleman" Chuck Taylor vs. "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen

Prediction Sheet

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles?

Blodyxe · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? O'Reilly

Hollywood · July 23, 2021

Prediction Sheet

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? Kevin Steen

CGN91 · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? Roddy

kanegan · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? I would say Gargano

BennyBXB · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? Ricochet!

I haven't really known anything about independent wrestling until this year. Only just starting now to learn the big names. I'm excited to watch the careers of these guys play out, knowing that I only knew them after they had already hit it big. So many future stars in this tournament. The dollar signs have to be surrounding Steen right now, but he has to get at least one more big opportunity. Not against Cole, though.

Mootinie · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

This one is hard to call since it was the 2013 final in real life. Elgin was a pretty big deal at this point, he got to the final of 2012's BOLA and he would win the RoH title in 2014 so yeah I'm going with him here.

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Still a bit early for ACH isn't it? The kinda guy that's a couple years off being a player.

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? I'm going to go with Michael Elgin. He owes Adam Cole for beating him in the 2012 BOLA final and although I rate Steen highly, I think he's too obvious a pick to win the whole shebang.

Blodyxe · July 23, 2021

I find it fascinating that everyone picked different BOLA winners so far. Keep the traditions, lads from the future <img alt="

" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

DGenerationMC · July 23, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? Kyle O'Reilly

falling_star · July 26, 2021

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? Brian Cage

Dalton · July 26, 2021

Prediction Sheet

Cole/Young Bucks vs. Fox/LeRae/Perkins

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Michael Elgin

Drake Younger vs. Johnny Gargano

Roderick Strong vs. Tommaso Ciampa

ACH vs. Samuray del Sol

Brian Cage vs. Rich Swann

Paul London vs. Willie Mack

Ricochet vs. Trent?

Chuck Taylor vs. Kevin Steen

Bonus: Who is going to win the Battle of Los Angeles? O'Reilly

Atticus · July 28, 2021

2013 Battle of Los Angeles - Night One \\ Reseda, CA \\ 2013.08.30

1. Opening BOLA 2013 is a fun one as

Kevin Steen

defeated

Chuck Taylor

in their first round match up. A slightly more serious Taylor showcased his wrestling ability here as Steen was willing to yuck it up with him, but was just as hungry for this win. Neither man wanted to be the first one eliminated from the tournament. A battle of crowd favorites and Taylor did enough to make them believe, but not enough to actually get the job done against Steen.

2. We haven't seen

Trent?

since March as he's fresh off a Best of the Super Juniors run and here he looked for revenge against a man who beat him in that very same tournament in

Ricochet

. Trent? didn't have any issue letting Ricochet know he hadn't forgotten their last encounter and was eager to get that win back at any cost. Even saw a bit of disrespect from Trent? at one point when he scraped his boot across Ricochet's face, but karma came back in the form of a 630 Senton and first round exit. After the match, there seemed to be no hard feelings as Ricochet offered a hand to Trent? and he reluctantly accepted it.

3. A hell of a challenge for

Paul London

awaited him in the form of

Willie Mack

, but it was a challenge he would beat. It had been some time since London faced a wrestler of Mack's caliber and it was obvious that Mack gave him some serious trouble early on, but the longer the match went on, the more London was able to figure him out. Of course, Willie Mack isn't someone you want to face too long, especially in a tournament format. However, London would escape this one with minimum damage and MAck definitely earned the respect of the veteran.

4. Another David vs. Goliath matchup, but this story didn't have as happy an ending as the previous match.

Rich Swann

tried his damndest, using that incredible speed and agility of his to try and tire

Brian Cage

out, but that man is an F'N machine for a reason. There was plenty of gas in the tank for Cage. A massive 450 Splash from Swann nearly gave him the win, but Cage would kick out and it was all downhill for Swann after that. Mr. GMSI advanced to the next stage of the tournament.

5. Since his debut in PWG,

Samuray del Sol

has done nothing, but constantly wow the crowd and tonight was no different as he seemingly met his match in

ACH

. The Reseda faithful watched a classic unfold before their eyes thanks to incredible moments such as del Sol popped off the turnbuckle for a reverse hurricanrana that resulted in a 2.9 and ACH coming back later in the match with a massive frog splash for a near fall of his own. Eventually the match would slow down and give the fans a chance to catch their breath after ACH's Best 450 Ever put this one to rest.

6. Prior to this match,

Tommaso Ciampa

uploaded a video on YouTube, highlighting what finally being in BOLA meant for him and he didn't waste that opportunity. Unfortunately his first night ended in a defeat against

Roderick Strong

, but Ciampa did more than enough to earn another chance down the line. A completely different match than the one before as these two fought one another like they had been rivals for a decade. Ciampa packed on a bit more muscle compared to Strong, but that didn't mean Strong's strikes were any weaker as he drilled Ciampa a couple times with some sick knee strikes. What finally won Ciampa over with the crowd was not one German suplex, not two, not three, not four, but FIVE in a row on Strong, who kicked out of the final one just in time. An impressive showing from both men, definitely ones to keep your eyes on.

7. The battle of underdogs followed and it was

Drake Younger

who would leave this one with his hand raised. Tonight marked

Johnny Gargano

's first singles match in PWG and without Chuck Taylor by his side, Gargano proved that he could hang with the best of the best, even in defeat. This was a surprisingly scrappy match as Younger was well aware of his cardio shortcomings and tried to wrap this one up as quickly as possible. And it worked. Gargano wasn't quite ready for this strategy from Younger as the deathmatch icon literally clawed his way out of the Garga-No-Escape at one point, allowing Younger to stay alive long enough to eventually hit his Drake's Landing a bit later on.

8. Our final first round match of the tournament saw

Kyle O'Reilly

respond in a huge way after his loss to Paul London earlier in the month as he not only beat last year's runner-up

Michael Elgin

, but he made the man tap out. While you wouldn't know it by looking at him, Elgin's an agile man and that mixed with his power made for a dangerous combination that O'Reilly had to weather the storm against. O'Reilly's signature Brainbuster wasn't even enough to keep Elgin down. And things looked dire for O'Reilly as Elgin was setting him up for that Spinning Liger Bomb that had put down so many, but O'Reilly caught Elgin off-guard by pulling him down into the Triangle Choke that booked O'Reilly's spot in the next round.

9. The last match of the night would also be the first non-tournament action we'd see until Night Two.

TJ Perkins

would make his first PWG appearance since his meniscus tear earlier in the year and there was definitely a bit of ring rust on display.

AR Fox

and

Candice LeRae

did their best to make up for it, but

Adam Cole

and The Young Bucks were just too much for them. A match of the night performance regardless though as Perkins refused to let his time away from the ring slow him down.

Matt Jackson

was in top form for this one and was handing out superkicks like candy with his brother right alongside him. But perhaps the most interesting wrestler of this match would be Candice LeRae.

Slowly, but surely, LeRae has become a fan favorite in PWG and tonight's performance demonstrated why that is. A never-say-die attitude from LeRae as a Balls-plex onto

Nick Jackson

was followed by a suicide dive turn tornado DDT onto Matt on the outside and she dished out a taste of their own medicine with a superkick to Cole to cap that off. And despite his cold streak lately, Fox was on fire with his Lo Mein Pain onto Nick would've won them the match if not for Matt saving his brother. Ultimately, it'd be the tag team experience of The Young Bucks that helped clean up the ring for Cole's Straight-jacket German Suplex onto Fox to put a bow on the first night of BOLA 2013.

Quick Results

<div style="margin-left: 1em;">1. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Kevin Steen def. Chuck Taylor - Steen pins Taylor; Package Piledriver [15:55]

2. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Ricochet def. Trent? - Ricochet pins Trent?; 630 Senton [19:38]

3. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Paul London def. Willie Mack - London pins Mack; London Calling [14:30]

4. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Brian Cage def. Rich Swann - Cage pins Swann; Weapon X [11:31]

5. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: ACH def. Samuray del Sol - ACH pins del Sol; The Best 450 Ever [19:23]

6. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Roderick Strong def. Tommaso Ciampa - Strong pins Ciampa; End of Heartache [14:46]

7. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Drake Younger def. Johnny Gargano - Younger pins Gargano; Drake's Landing [10:21]

8. 2013 Battle of Los Angeles First Round Match: Kyle O'Reilly def. Michael Elgin - O'Reilly submits Elgin; Triangle Choke [18:50]

9. Adam Cole & The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. AR Fox, Candice LeRae & TJ Perkins - Cole pins Fox; Straight-jacket German Suplex [19:22]</div></div>

Overall Prediction Results

CGN91: 19/23

DGenerationMC: 19/23

Mootinie: 19/23

kanegan: 18/23

Blodyxe: 17/23

falling_star: 17/23

Dalton: 16/23

Hollywood: 16/23

Historian: 11/14

scmurph01: 11/14

TheBigBad1013: 10/14

Dwells2015: 9/14

Rampaaage: 9/14

BennyBXB: 6/9

GooverDan: 3/6

Atticus · July 28, 2021

Appreciate the predictions, gang! Fun first night and in true BOLA fashion, the card for for Night Two is going to be a mystery~ ooOOoOoooOoOOooO how exciting! Results for that should be up tomorrow or Thursday, followed by a lil news update, and next card. Also props to CGN91 for a perfect night one!

I haven't really known anything about independent wrestling until this year. Only just starting now to learn the big names. I'm excited to watch the careers of these guys play out, knowing that I only knew them after they had already hit it big. So many future stars in this tournament. The dollar signs have to be surrounding Steen right now, but he has to get at least one more big opportunity. Not against Cole, though.

Definitely an exciting time for independent wrestling then and now really. It's crazy to look at BOLA tournaments from the mid-2010s and seeing how many guys are signed to WWE, AEW or NJPW. If I'm not mistaken, I think everyone in the irl 2014 BOLA signed with one of those 3 companies at some point. Glad to have you on board!

I find it fascinating that everyone picked different BOLA winners so far. Keep the traditions, lads from the future

Enjoyed this aspect as well! Wouldn't be BOLA without feeling confident about a winner only for them to lose in the first round. LOOKING AT YOU, 2017 TREVOR LEE.

falling_star · July 28, 2021

Fantastic show!

Dalton · July 28, 2021

Killer show, although Samuray del Sol lost!

BennyBXB · July 28, 2021

Definitely an exciting time for independent wrestling then and now really. It's crazy to look at BOLA tournaments from the mid-2010s and seeing how many guys are signed to WWE, AEW or NJPW. If I'm not mistaken, I think everyone in the irl 2014 BOLA signed with one of those 3 companies at some point. Glad to have you on board!

Delighted to be here. VERY MAD AT SOME OF THE RESULTS but excited to see how the tournament continues.

How DARE you beat Samuray AND Gargano :'(

Mootinie · July 28, 2021

Well, my pick fell at the first hurdle.

It's a good job I'm not a gambling man.

Kijar · July 28, 2021

Well, expecting a baby has had me mad busy, but glad I found my way to this!

You already know how I feel about you and PWG diaries. Excited to see what's next.

I missed that show, but I'll go for the Bonus: I'm torn between Steen, Rico, and Roddy.. though I love London and Cage at this point IRL going through to the next round. I'll pick Roderick Strong by a hair.

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PWG 2013: About As Guerrilla As It Gets

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