Pro Wrestling Guerrilla presents "European Vacation: England"
February 19, 2006
The Orpington Halls in Orpington, England
400 Fans
With Optional Commentary by Disco Machine, Dino Winwood, and Isaac Revell

Disco Machine, Ronin, and Excalibur vs. Aviv Mayaan, Spud, and Topgun Talwar

As you could expect, there's chaos to start the match. Ronin and Aviv get right down to it and stiff the crap out of each other. After that, Aviv Mayaan has a good segment where he hits a dropkick to Disco Machine's knee, kips up, and blasts Disco with a Shining Enzugiri. Aviv's partner Spud doesn't have as much success, though, as he's manhandled by Excalibur and later hit with a forearm shot by Ronin so stiff that it flips him over. Nasty. Spud is able to turn the tides when he nails a huge DDT on Excalibur, then we're treated to a double Pescado before Spud hits a Yoshi Tonic on Excalibur for 2¾. After some assorted finishers, including a killer Death Valley Driver by Ronin, Disco Machine puts Spud down with a Tiger Driver '98 at 9:28.

Analysis: Talk about starting with a bang. This match was really spontaneous, and very easy to enjoy. Spud and Aviv Mayaan were great- Aviv was good in his role as Ronin's foil, and Spud was a great mix of "crazy face" and "young kid face". Ronin still wrestled like Super Dragon, Jr. I usually dig Ronin for what he's worth, but in this match, he stepped up his game and really came into his dominating, "**** the world" persona. Disco Machine, Excalibur, and Topgun have been in so many PWG openers that I've lost count, but they really gave us a good performance here, mixing in with everyone else while also playing the parts of the veterans. Everyone involved pulled really hard to try and give us a good match, and they succeeded in doing just that. ***¼

Ricky Reyes vs. Martin Stone

Reyes is very submission-based during the early minutes. At one point Martin Stone asks for a test of strength (since both men were doing a lot of mat-wrestling to jockey for position) and Reyes responds by kicking Stone in the shins. Ricky Reyes manages to hit a T-Bone Suplex and a Northern Lights Suplex, but he's eventually caught with a nasty lariat and pinned at 8:22.

Analysis: That sure was short. Effective, though. Poor Ricky Reyes. Twice he's been fodder to get the foreign fans involved. Case in point: this match was meant to make the England fans think that England wrestlers were on equal ground with the PWG wrestlers. By having Ricky lose, the England fans get to celebrate a "home team" win. And by having him lose early on the card, they're made to believe that any English wrestler could win as easily as all the other wrestlers. Yet, I must say…Ricky Reyes saved face even though he lost. I still thought this was a throw-away match, but I liked some parts of it. Even though this match had obvious intentions that had nothing to do with the wrestlers or match itself, at the end of the day…it's not bad. **½

Quicksilver vs. Scorpio Sky

The match starts off at a brisk pace, until Scorpio does a throat-cutting gesture… only to put Quicksilver in a headlock. The fans chant "Holy ****" in response to the killer move. Scorpio heels it up despite the mutual friendship both men displayed before the match, and Quicksilver eventually reaches his breaking point, responding with some stiff forearms and knife-edge chops. Quicksilver manages to hit a Falcon Arrow and a Snap Driver, but Scorpio kicks out of both. To his credit, Quicksilver returns in kind by kicking out of the Floppy Genitalia. Quicksilver is finally able to put Sky down at the 15:35 mark, following a Fisherman Brainbuster and a Piledriver.

Analysis: A bit patchy at times, but the final moments made up for it. This had great action and involvement. Scorpio Sky may ask you to look at his abs, but what you'll notice is that the man has talent. Quicksilver too. Both men really took it to each other and played off the fact that they were former teammates. This match was a toss-up between *** and ***¼, but I'm feeling generous. Honestly, it's The Aerial Express pitted against one another. What's not to love? ***¼

"The Future" Frankie Kazarian vs. Andy Simmons

The crowd is mega-hating on Andy here, to the point where he eventually rolls out of the ring, grabs a mic, and berates the crowd. In response, Kazarian devastates Simmons with multiple Purple Nurples. Both men aren't ever really in control for long, until Simmons eats a nasty Ganmengiri that nails him right where his upper and bottom teeth meet. After a short nearfall exchange, Kazarian hits the Flux Capacitor at 15:52 for the win.

Analysis: Both men were wrestling mostly for comedic purposes. Add in some hilarious commentary, and you've got a good match. Andy Simmons is good at generating heel heat, but he's only marginal as an effective wrestler. He's a pudgy guy that thinks he's better than everyone. I totally haven't seen that before. Kazarian is his usual charismatic self, and was able to work well with Simmons. The match was just a bit bland at times, but the Flux Capacitor was a welcome treat. This only adds to the show…but it's one of the weaker matches of the night. ***

Pro Wrestling Guerilla Heavyweight Championship Match: Joey Ryan © vs. "The Wonderkid" Jonny Storm

Jonny pressures the arm to get the match going. Joey quickly resorts to cheating, but Jonny manages to sneak in his trademark Avalanche Moonsault Armdrag. Joey Ryan is able to hit a Suicide Dive, and Jonny still works the arm. As you could expect, Joey constantly cheats to help himself. Jonny is able to combo a Tope with a DDT, then delivers a truly nasty (but in the good way) Inverted Avalanche Hurricanrana for 2¾. Joey Ryan is able to hit the Mustache Ride, but is shocked when Storm kicks out of it. The ref is then knocked out and even has powder thrown in his eyes, all thanks to Joey Ryan. Ryan then brings in the belt to clock Storm with it, but Storm wrestles it out of Joey's grip. The referee recovers from his blindness just in time to see Storm holding the belt, and disqualifies him at 15:19.

Analysis: These finishes suck, people: in real life, in storylines, in everything. Don't deny it. I know that PWG wants to book Joey Ryan as the perfect arrogant, coward heel. That's cool. But it's taking away from Joey Ryan. I'll come right out and say it: Joey Ryan puts on too good of a match to have this cheap of a finish. It's a nod to both men when I hate a finish like this, because it takes away from the match's quality. Make no mistake, this one was a quality match. Joey Ryan blends cheating and stiffness and headdrops better than most. Jonny Storm is easy to cheer for and utilizes an effective mix of high flying and agility-based moves. Both men knew their characters well, and this was one crisp match. There's no sloppiness at all during the fast moments, and some methodic wrestling during the down time. It'll do, but man…that finish right there. ***

"Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen vs. "The Generic Luchador" El Generico

A short-arm lariat grounds Generico, and from there it's a constant Steen stiff-fest. Steen is completely dominant here, and even manages to hit a Double Stomp to Generico's back. At one point, Generico is put into a Tree of Woe and Steen cannonballs right into him. Generico is finally able to get some offense in, and hits a Slingshot Moonsault before dazzling us with a 180° Moonsault over the top rope. The fans chant "One More Time", and Generico goes back up top before hitting an Avalanche Somersault Senton, sending both men right back into the crowd. Generico then tries his Ropewalk-into-Tornado DDT spot, but Steen turns it into a backbreaker for 2¾. Generico responds with an Exploder Suplex into a turnbuckle, a huge Yakuza Kick, and a Half-and-Half Suplex, but can't manage to put Steen down. The fans start a "This Is Awesome" chant right before Generico kicks out of a 450 Splash. Kevin Steen is finally able to score the victory at 18:45 via a twisting Package Piledriver. Post-match, the fans give both a standing ovation.

Analysis: This is awesome, just like the fans say. I love these guys. This was a very good match: the pacing was excellent, the moves were diverse, the story was developed, and this match is a huge highlight of the show. Steen started in control, but his cockiness led to disaster. Generico simply wouldn't give up, ever. The match itself was a clever balance, and not solely a match of "who can stiff each other worst and drop each other on their heads the most". Everything was worked in well, in every way. Nothing else left to say except this: this match is great. ***½

Jody Fleisch vs. A.J. Styles

The crowd tries to get at A.J. by mocking TNA, but he's able to calm them down, unlike the fans in Germany, whom he calls "retarded". Styles then hits his Kip-Up Hurricanrana and that Dropkick of his. Fleisch responds with (basically) an Avalanche Spinning Heel Kick, but he was going for a Hurricanrana. Fleisch manages to take control of the match, and even hits a Springboard Shooting Star Press to the outside. A.J. nails the Pelè and a Pumphandle Gutbuster, but can only get 2¾. Fleisch manages to get 2¾ as well when he hits a Springboard Twisting Tornado DDT and a Standing Shooting Star Press. After a pin-for-pin exchange, Styles manages to sneak in the Styles Clash and gets the win at 19:21.

Analysis: Good, in fact pretty good, but some notable errors cost this one. Most of this match just felt too contrived. It's "highspots for the sake of highspots". You're respectful of the fact that these guys can flip and sell well, but all that flipping doesn't necessarily contribute to the match. The occasional botching throughout this match also hurt. Both showed a lot of heart, though. Think of it as "A.J. Styles vs. European A.J. Styles"…both positively and negatively. Both were charismatic and did their thing well, and at times this match had a great pace. Aside from the fact that it felt too contrived, this only further stacked the card. ***¼

Pro Wrestling Guerilla Tag Team Championships Match: Super Dragon and Davey Richards © vs. Arrogance ("The Professional" Scott Lost and "Photogenic" Chris Bosh)

Unfortunately for Chris Bosh, the PWG Tag champs start the match off with a game of "who can slap Bosh's chest the hardest?" Scott Lost is then subjected to much of the same. The complete decimation of Arrogance continues, with Lost being on the receiving end of a Straightjacket Surfboard/Double Stomp combo. Add to that some kicks that nearly knock out him out, and Lost is in a bad way before he manages to tag in Bosh. Arrogance is finally able to squeak out a lead by isolating Davey Richards, but even the Lion**** to Davey causes Super Dragon to come in and kick Bosh as a rebuttal. Dragon then hits the Badunkadunk to Arrogance, and blasts Bosh with a Curbstomp. Scott Lost one again becomes the whipping boy of Dragon and Richards, as he's Lyger Bombed into a corner, nailed with an enzugiri, and killed with a lariat, among others. Davey Richards tries a Shooting Star Press, but gets caught with knees. Super Dragon and Davey hit the Powerbomb/Lungblower combo, but it's kicked out of. Chris Bosh is eventually able to hit the Maximum Bosh on Super Dragon, but Davey saves his partner. Super Dragon is finally able to score a pinfall on Bosh at 31:42, but only after he combo's a German Suplex with a Dragon Suplex and follows it up with a Psycho Driver.

Analysis: Holy hell. PWG's ends its European Tour with a bang. I loved this match, plain and simple. Super Dragon and Davey Richards were a force of nature, here. I'm talking comic book super-villain levels of reckless mayhem and destruction. Bosh and Lost had to endure some truly harsh stuff throughout this match. To their credit, Arrogance was the perfect anti-heroes. They were the yin to Dragon and Davey's yang. It's hard to find a match where two men are so in-tune with one another that they're practically telepathic. This match had four. But, it was not without its flaws. With all the fantastic moves and the clever pacing and everything, nobody sold anything all that well. Stuff that's portrayed as KO moves were quickly recovered from and no one stayed down for long. It's one of the match's only flaws, but it's a really big one. That, and mostly that, is the reason that this match still falls short of my personal favorite PWG match. Still, it's close. We're getting goodness the likes of which we'll probably only see in PWG, and it's every bit as enjoyable as any main event I've seen recently, of any promotion. ***¾

The D.V.D. Extra's are a small bonus here, mostly because the promos are really good. Aside from a hilarious spot where Frankie Kazarian "returns" some ring gear to Disco Machine and Excalibur, Kevin Steen shines here. There's a bit where Steen watches Scorpio Sky do the Big Wiggle and Sky says, "Who am I?" Steen replies, "Not funny. That **** with my uncle scarred me for life". Then, he cuts a pre-match and absurdly hilarious promo. Highlights include him saying he's wrestled Generico 700 times, and when he wins the title back from Joey Ryan, he's going to show it off to all the ladies. Steen then remarks "And when they get so tired of me that they allow me into their car, I'm gonna go have sex for the second time! Yeah!" The promo ends with Steen saying he's going to get something to eat, and A.J. Styles walks by the camera and mutters, "What a surprise that is."

Final Thoughts: P.W.G. needs to come back to Europe whenever they get the chance. They've produced two fantastic shows, and left two rabid crowds who would be ready to come back for more. The "European Vacation" shows are an absolute blast, as they mix European wrestlers and European flare with traditional P.W.G. excellence. This show gives me no reason to stop liking P.W.G. There's not a single bad match, here. P.W.G. is still my favorite independent promotion, and its shows like this that make you want to support them. Great matches like these don't come cheap, and I have no intention to stop putting my money on P.W.G.

Also, P.W.G. needs to come back to Europe if only to have the triple-team commentary of Disco Machine, Dino Winwood, and Isaac Revell. These three are hilarious, informative, and really contribute to a match. They do a bit of over-kill every once in a while, but other times I was laughing out loud and really into matches, even during their lukewarm parts. Disco Machine is a veteran of PWG's commentary, and it shows. Isaac brings the "European comedy", but helps move along the show with his positive words and informative tone. Dino Winwood is just plain hilarious, but he knows more than enough information to contribute to the discussion of a match.

Overall, this show is great. From beginning to end, nothing dipped below good, and only one match was average. That's hard to find these days. The lighting of the arena was solid and clear, the camera angles were crisp and easy to follow, the crowd was rabid but well-tempered, everything that could've gone wrong didn't happen and anything that could've helped did. P.W.G. started out strong in 2006, that's for sure. For a show that's coming up on and will quickly become 9 months old, you're going to enjoy it just as much as you would anything else. I advise you to pick up both the European Vacation shows, along with Card Subject to Change 2. Highspots has a great deal where these three shows and even a bonus one are yours for $35. If you'd rather have just one for the standard $14.95, this one is the best of all. No matter how you buy it, where you buy it, why you buy it, or even who you're buying it for…buy this. I'll give it my personal seal of approval, two thumbs up, whatever. I loved this show, I know you will too, and I want P.W.G. to keep on putting shows like these together. So…buy it, love it, be happy that you're supporting a great indy promotion.

Overall Rating for Pro Wrestling Guerilla's "European Vacation: England": ***½