2013 Year in Review: PWG

[Big Red Machine]

This one will actually be a lot shorter than my other Year in Review columns, and the reason for that, quite simply, is that PWG has put on a lot fewer shows than WWE, TNA, or ROH. As with the last few years for PWG, they ran only a few shows, but made sure that each show was. at the very least, great. No matter which PWG show you get, you can't go wrong.
Unlike last year, though, this year had several very important things happen in PWG. The first was a series of departures, with first El Generico and then Sami Calihan and Samuray Del Sol leaving for WWE and capped off by the American Wolves going to TNA. Losing so many big names would be a major problem for any promotion, but PWG has not only persevered, but they have thrived. They did a fantastic job of seeking out new talent to replace the old, and, with the support of PWG's rabid fanbase, they already have a new crop of stars in Tomasso Ciampa, Jay Lethal, Rich Swann, AR Fox, Trent?, (as well as Trent?'s "Best Friends" tag team with Chuck Taylor), and especially Johnny Gargano.

One other important aspect of this year in PWG has been the increase in storylines. 2012 in PWG, great as it was, really only had one on-going story (the resolution/reconciliation of Steen and Generico) and one angle (the Adam Cole heel turn and title win). This year, they have built up various contenders for Cole whose title matches all felt like real title chases, and even these title chases have had stories of their own behind them like the 2 match series between Sami Calihan and Drake Younger. This reached its peak with the formation of the Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling at Battle of Los Angeles 2013: Night 2, which immediately set up feuds between various combinations of the PWG World Champion Adam Cole, PWG World Tag Team Champions the Young Bucks, and Kevin Steen one side, and Kyle O'Reilly, Rich Swann, Ricochet, Joey Ryan, and Candice LeRae. Hell... Joey and Candice even teamed up to challenge for the tag titles, a thought that was just plain unthinkable last year!

2013 was a great year for PWG, and with the return of Chris Hero, the rise of new stars, and the constant presence of old ones, combined with the awesome Reseda crowd and PWG's dedication to putting on great wrestling matches, I expect more big things from them in 2014.