PWG Eight Final Card

[cero2k]

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla "Imaginatively" Names Eighth Anniversary Event EIGHT;
Takes Place July 23; Company May Have Used Same Joke Last Year; Could be Running Out of Ideas
By Silverback, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Staff Writer

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship Title Match
Claudio Castagnoli (Champion) vs. Davey Richards (Challenger)

-- In the last eight years there have been three men to vacate the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship: Low Ki, "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson, and Davey Richards. Bryan Danielson is currently working with National Geographic and researching the flora and fauna of the entire Equatorial Amazonian region, or something, and cannot challenge for the title. Low Ki received his shot at reclaiming the title on Night Two of All Star Weekend 8, and while he came very close, was ultimately defeated by current World Champion Claudio Castagnoli. That leaves Davey Richards.

Davey Richards was the last man to hold the World Championship before Claudio, but was forced to vacate the title due to commitments in Japan. Now that his schedule has stabilized, Davey is prepared to take back the title he fought so hard to claim in the first place. While he might seem to be at a severe size disadvantage against Claudio Castagnoli, Davey has been fighting larger guys all his life and is well aware of how to level the field. On the other hand, Claudio proved at All Star Weekend 8 that he is fully capable of dispatching opponents of all sizes, defeating Chris Hero and Low Ki on consecutive nights.

Both Claudio Castagnoli and Davey Richards had to overcome much to capture the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship title. Both men plan on leaving the main event of EIGHT with the title around their respective waists. Will the champion add to his legacy at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's eighth anniversary, or will the challenger reclaim the title and finish the chapter of history that has gone unwritten?

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship Title Match
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson - Champions) vs. The Dynasty (Joey Ryan & Scorpio Sky - Challengers)

-- When Matt and Nick Jackson first won the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship titles, no one expected their reign to last for very long. After all, they were just a pair of young, happy-go-lucky kids that could do some nice flips. Fifteen successful title defenses later and The Young Bucks had become the most dominant tag team in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla history. Now that they are two defenses into their second title reign, tag teams around the world have taken notice and are jockeying for a shot at The Young Bucks, but at EIGHT, the challengers will be a team from close to home.

Not only were Joey Ryan and Scorpio Sky featured on the very first Pro Wrestling Guerrilla event eight years ago, they also played a big part in the Jackson brothers' professional development. At one point in time, the Bucks really were just skinny kids that did flips, but by training with Joey Ryan and Scorpio Sky, Matt and Nick Jackson were able to build a foundation that has allowed them to flourish as the top tag team in professional wrestling. When The Dynasty reformed at All Star Weekend 8, their goal was to return to the top of the tag team scene. Now, eight years after their Pro Wrestling Guerrilla debut, The Dynasty has chance to prove that the masters are still the masters, not the students. But has this opportunity to challenge The Young Bucks come too soon after reuniting for Joey Ryan and Scorpio Sky?

Dream Rematch I
"The Man That Gravity Forgot" PAC vs. "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen

-- He might be "The Man That Gravity Forgot," but PAC is certainly not the man that fans forgot. Since his last match in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, nearly three years ago at All Star Weekend 7, fans have been clamoring for his return, and at EIGHT, those fans will get their wish. For those that have never experienced what the Newcastle, England native can do inside of (and above) a professional wrestling ring, we would like to direct your attention to February 24, 2007 and Holy Diver Down, where PAC took on "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen in a match that, to this very day, is still spoken about in reverent tones.

Since that rainy day in 2007, each man's career has taken them down very different paths. Kevin Steen went on to become one of the best known independent professional wrestlers in North America, cementing his position near the top of that list after his brutal feud with long-time rival El Generico. On the other hand, PAC began wrestling in Japan for Dragon Gate in late 2007, and since then, thanks to his innovative, high-flying style, he has become a full-time member of the Dragon Gate roster. PAC's role in Dragon Gate has severely limited his professional wrestling appearances outside of Japan, but he left an indelible mark on Pro Wrestling Guerrilla during his first tour of duty, so we are just as excited as the fans to see how the world's best high-flyer has grown as a professional wrestler in the last three years.

Dream Rematch II
Chris Hero vs. Low Ki

-- If you are a fan that missed the PAC-period of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, you also may have missed the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, and more specifically, the final round match between Low Ki and Chris Hero. After a grueling weekend of hotly contested tournament matches, Hero and Low Ki met in what would be politely described as an Ass Kicking Contest. And that's the polite description. The tournament was up for grabs, and it seemed like both men were attempting to end each other's career, if not life. Every strike was thrown with not just bad intentions, but malicious, hateful intentions.

Though he won the match and the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles, this match would be Low Ki's last match in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla until 2011 due to professional obligations to the World Wildlife Fund. Despite losing the match and tournament, Chris Hero's career flourished immediately after the loss, becoming the winningest champion in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla history, and one of the most accomplished tag team wrestlers in the entire world.

Both Low Ki and Chris Hero were defeated by Claudio Castagnoli at All Star Weekend 8, and now find themselves on the fringes of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla title picture. A victory here for either man would do much to help restore their standing as a top competitor to the title, but if their first encounter was any indication of what to expect, neither man may be the same, or alive for that matter, after the rematch.

Tag Team Match
El Generico & Ricochet vs. Alex Shelley & Roderick Strong

-- The Dynasty were not the only team to reunite at All Star Weekend 8; Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, and Roderick Strong once again joined forces and put pretty much all of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on notice. Though it seemed they would compete as a trio, with Austin Aries out of action for an indeterminate length of time, that leaves just Shelley and Strong to settle scores both new and old.

Unfortunately for El Generico and Ricochet, they now find themselves in the sights of Alex Shelley and Roderick Strong. Originally set to meet in singles competition at All Star Weekend 8, the rivalry between Generico and Ricochet seems to have been squashed, or at least set aside, as the two men work toward a Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship title match. Even though their record as a tag team stinks (0-2), each man possesses enough raw talent that if the two were ever able to cooperate they could become the most dangerous tag team in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

Can Ricochet and El Generico work out the kinks afflicting their less than perfect union, or will Alex Shelley and Roderick Strong run roughshod over the tag team competition in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla?

Singles Match
"Pretty" Peter Avalon vs. Brandon Gatson

Tag Team Match
Fightin' Taylor Boys (Brian Cage-Taylor & Ryan Taylor) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma)

[yourcrapsweak]

PWG Seven was my show of the year in 2010, and seeing this card, there is no doubt in my mind this could be show of the year 2011 in my book.

[cero2k]

Just started thinking. What are the chances Davey Richards will be a double World Champion??