Professional Wrestling Alliance

[jlamb]

Like a lot of TNM7 users I've had tons of stops and starts with various circuits over the years. I find that I always try to enforce some rules on myself or try to stay era specific and burn out after a little while. I decided to take a different approach with this circuit by combining everything I love about wrestling -- the in-ring action, the faction based approach of NJPW, the WWF Superstars era of enhancement matches -- and combine them into a fantasy circuit. So I built a created a circuit filled with some of my favorite wrestlers of today mixed with some of my favorites from years past. There are a few names that will probably jump out at you when you browse the starting roster. All I'll say is that there are only a handful of wrestlers that will not appear in this circuit -- guys like Chris Benoit, Buck Zumhofe and Joey Ryan have zero chance of showing up. Other than guys like that no one is off the table; Hulk Hogan might show up six months from now but will he be sporting the red and yellow or his Hollywood persona? All of this is to say that the Professional Wrestling Alliance exists in a weird time vortex where almost anything can happen.

There will be two shows a week: the main one being PWA Pro Wrestling and the other PWA Proving Grounds, somewhat in the vein of classic WWF Superstars. These shows will build up to supercards that will occur every two to three months.

There will be three titles that wrestlers will compete for under the PWA banner: the PWA Heavyweight Title, the PWA Tag Team Titles and the PWA Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Starting roster [Affiliation]:

Adam Page [The Elite]
AJ Styles [Bullet Club]
Bobby Fish
Brian Pillman Jr
Cash Wheeler [FTRKO]
Chris Jericho
Cody [The Elite]
Colt Cabana
Dax Harwood [FTRKO]
Dean Malenko
Eddie Guerrero [Reyes de Lucha]
Fenix [Reyes de Lucha]
Great Sasuke [SUPER J]
Hayabusa [SUPER J]
Hiroshi Tanahashi [Golden Army]
Jey Uso [The Bloodline]
Jimmy Uso [The Bloodline]
Jinsei Shinzaki [SUPER J]
Johnny Kashmere
Jushin Liger [SUPER J]
Karl Anderson [Bullet Club]
Kenny Omega [The Elite]
KENTA
Kota Ibushi [Golden Army]
Kyle O'Reilly
Luke Gallows [Bullet Club]
Matt Jackson [The Elite]
Maxwell Jacob Friedman [Blood Money]
Nick Jackson [The Elite]
PAC
Pentagon Jr [Reyes de Lucha]
Randy Orton [FTRKO]
Ren Narita [Golden Army]
Rey Mysterio [Reyes de Lucha]
Rob Van Dam
Roman Reigns [The Bloodline]
Sabu
Sami Zayn
Shawn Spears
Shota Umino [Golden Army]
Tama Tonga [Bullet Club]
Tanga Loa [Bullet Club]
The Blade [Blood Money]
The Butcher [Blood Money]
Tim Storm
Tom Lawlor
Tracy Williams
Trent Acid
UltraMantis Black
Wardlow [Blood Money]

[jlamb]

PWA Pro Wrestling - Year 1, Week 1

The show opens with Jim Ross, Joey Styles and Mike Tenay as they welcome the viewing audience to the first ever episode of PWA Pro Wrestling. They run down each match on tonight's historic card before spending considerable time hyping tonight's massive main event -- a ten man tag between The Elite and Bullet Club! They then pitch to the ring for the first match in company history!

Match #1
Jushin "Thunder" Liger [SUPER J] vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

A nod to one of the most notable wrestling matches in American televised wrestling history, Jushin Liger and Brian Pillman Jr. clashed in a spirited battle. Age is but a number for Liger as he moved around the ring in a way that would shock the viewer to find out that he is more than 30 years older than his opponent this evening. Pillman has a great future in this sport and displayed flashes of brilliance but Liger's years of experience led to a clean victory thanks to the devastating Brain Buster in the center of the ring.

Jushin Liger pinned Brian Pillman Jr. with the Brain Buster in 0:08:55.
Rating: *** 1/2

After the match Liger attempted to shake Pillman's hand but was blown off by the youngster. Liger stood in the ring with his hands on his hips before celebrating his historic victory. Mike Tenay made a point to mention the history Liger had with Pillman Jr's father and made the very good point that he could serve as an excellent mentor, especially since the youngster is not currently affiliated with a group in the Professional Wrestling Alliance. Speaking of Super J, it's time to go back to the ring for the second match of the evening.

Match #2
Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio) vs. SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki)

This match was nearly 20 minutes of non-stop action contested between six of the greatest high flyers in professional wrestling history. Jim Ross, Joey Styles and Mike Tenay spent the majority of the match alternating between being in awe of the action in front of them and pushing hard that this was just a sampling of what the viewer can expect from the Professional Wrestling Alliance. It looked like the match was destined to hit the 20 minute time limit but in the closing seconds Reyes de Lucha were able to isolate Jinsei Shinzaki and hit him with a quick sequence of moves capped off with a Spike Package Piledriver to pick up the victory.

Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio) defeated SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) when Pentagon pinned Shinzaki after the Spike Package Piledriver in 0:19:14.
Rating: ****

After the match the six competitors embraced. The camera panned to the entrance way where Arn Anderson, head of the PWA Championship Committee, appeared to make an announcement. Over the next few weeks the inaugural PWA Six Man Tag Team champions will be decided in an eight team tournament. Two quarterfinal matches are scheduled for next week: Blood Money (The Butcher, The Blade and MJF) vs. Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) and Golden Army (Kota Ibushi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino) vs. Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio)!

Match #3
KENTA vs. Dean Malenko

This match served as a stark contrast in style to the previous bout while also establishing the fact that the PWA will have something for everyone. Malenko and KENTA went at each other in brutal fashion -- KENTA with his vicious strikes and Malenko with his debilitating submissions. Malenko worked towards his dreaded Texas Cloverleaf submission the entirety of the match and eventually had KENTA locked in it for nearly two minutes before releasing the hold when it was clear that his opponent would not submit. KENTA fought to his feet but was ultimately felled with one of the stiffest dropkicks seen this side of the Pacific.

Dean Malenko pinned KENTA after a dropkick in 0:12:55.
Rating: ***

Renee Young tried to grab a word with Malenko as he made his way up the aisle but The Iceman cut her off before she could get a question out, saying that he didn't come the the PWA to talk into a microphone. Malenko pointed to the ring where KENTA was having his leg checked out and said that his work speaks for itself. As he stormed off the commentary team talked about how Malenko, a man with no allegiance currently, could be a trusted ally or a very dangerous foe for anyone here in the PWA.

Match #4
Hiroshi Tanahashi [Golden Army] vs. Eddie Guerrero [Reyes de Lucha]

One night in and fans of the PWA were already treated to a dream match between two legends of the sport and the leaders of their respective units -- that just so happen to be meeting next week in the first round of the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament. Both men use a variation of the same finisher -- Tanahashi's High Fly Flow vs. Guerrero's Frog Splash -- and both connected with it during the match. Much like the previous match, it wasn't a finisher that ended a match but a desperation dropkick that knocked Guerrero to the mat from the top turnbuckle as he himself was looking to deliver his Frog Splash.

Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Eddie Guerrero after a dropkick in 0:12:28.
Rating: *** 3/4

The two wrestlers shook hands before the camera faded to the back where an irate Chris Jericho was in the middle of berating backstage correspondent Tony Schiavone. Jericho went on and on about how there was a conspiracy building against him, one of the living legends of professional wrestling. How else could he not be booked on such a monumental card? Before Jericho's rant could continue, Roman Reigns walked into frame and said he wasn't booked, either. He offered a match next week and after some hesitation Jericho agreed! The announcers immediately said that the match between Reigns and Jericho would be the main event of next week's show before pitching it back to the ring for tonight's semi-main event.

Match #5
The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) [The Bloodline] vs. Rob Van Dam and Sabu w/Bill Alfonso

When you talk about great tag teams The Usos are often overlooked. It's clear their mission here in the PWA is to cement themselves as one of the all-time great teams as they put on a tag team wrestling clinic against the extremely formidable duo of Rob Van Dam and Sabu. RVD and Sabu took whatever opportunity they could to introduce chairs and tables to the match -- all allowed by the lenient referee of the match, Todd Sinclair -- but it wasn't enough to overcome the crisp tag work of the Usos. As is often the case with RVD and Sabu there was a hint of dysfunction while the brothers were perfectly in sync. Jimmy Uso ultimately scored the victory for his team after countering a somersault slam with a sunset flip.

The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defeated Rob Van Dam and Sabu when Jimmy pinned RVD after a sunset flip in 0:13:50.
Rating: ** 1/2

Van Dam and Sabu shoved one another after the match but Bill Alfonso earned his money for tonight by getting in-between of his charges to calm them down. Joey Styles pointed out that when RVD and Sabu are clicking they are a tough team to beat but when there is acrimony between the two they are liable to beat themselves. Jim Ross pointed out the fact that The Usos will likely be involved in the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament with Roman Reigns and that The Bloodline can get some real momentum if Reigns beats Jericho next week.

Before throwing to the main event for the evening, Mike Tenay runs down the list of competitors that will appear on PWA Proving Grounds later this week. Wardlow, FTR, UltraMantis Black and the Guerrillas of Destiny will all be in action while PAC will meet "Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams in the featured contest.

Match #6
The Elite (Adam Page, Cody, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)

It was fireworks from the start as ten of the most notorious wrestlers in the sport today shared the ring in a match where it was clear there are some severe underlying issues between the groups. All ten men had the chance to shine throughout the contest but some of the more interesting matchups came when Kenny Omega and AJ Styles paid off, The Young Bucks and Gallows and Anderson went at it and when Cody went, well, apeshit after Tanga Loa attempted to hit Apeshit on Brandi Rhodes. Despite his best efforts, referee Jim Molineaux eventually lost control of the match when all ten men started brawling all over the ringside area. Even though the PWA utilizies a 20 count instead of the standard ten, the added time wasn't enough for the legal men to return to the ring so this match ended due to a double countout.

Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) and The Elite (Adam Page, Cody, Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) battled to a double countout in 0:24:21.
Rating: **

The boos from the crowd over the non-finish quickly turned into cheers as chairs and other weapons were added to the equation post match. It took a legion of backstage officials to separate the two groups. There has always been talk of bad blood between these two factions but after seeing how quickly things devolved tonight it's clear that whatever beefs exist will be settled inside of a PWA ring.


Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches:
- Bullet Club vs. Blood Money
- Reyes de Lucha vs. Golden Army
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Proving Grounds - Year 1, Week 1

Joey Styles and Rick Rude start the show by welcoming the audience at home to the first episode of Proving Grounds. They run down the list of stars that will be appearing on tonight's show and spend considerable time talking about the main event, a one-on-one clash between PAC and "Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams.

Match #1
Wardlow [Blood Money] vs. Timothy Bailey

Wardlow is perhaps the most exciting young prospect in the PWA. His freakish combination of strength, speed and agility will make him a force to be reckoned with once he gets a little more professional seasoning. The official results will say that Timothy Bailey lasted five minutes with Wardlow but the truth is that the big man from Cleveland could have ended the contest at any point. Wardlow thoroughly deconstructed his opponent in a match that may not have been very entertaining but certainly drove home the point of how dangerous he is.

Wardlow pinned Timothy Bailey with the F10 in 0:05:00.
Rating: -*****

Styles and Rude preview next week's Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament quarterfinal match between Wardlow's Blood Money compatriots The Butcher, The Blade and MJF and the Bullet Club team of AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Match #2
FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) [FTRKO] vs. Bryon Roach and Derrick Jarvis

FTR and their running buddy Randy Orton will find out who they'll face in the quarterfinals of the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament on the upcoming episode of PWA Pro Wrestling. Wheeler and Harwood are two of the best tag team wrestlers in the world and Randy Orton is on track to becoming one of the all-time greats in the sport which has to make FTRKO one of the favorites to win the tourney. Roach and Jarvis provided little resistance this evening as the boys from Kill Devil Hills put on a tag team wrestling clinic from bell to bell.

FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) defeated Bryon Roach and Derrick Jarvis when Wheeler pinned D. Jarvis after the Goodnight Express in 0:04:53.
Rating: DUD

The screen pivoted from the ring to a short video package highlighting how the next episode of Pro Wrestling's main event between Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns came together. Following that a Proving Ground's exclusive promo with Chris Jericho aired where "The Painmaker" talked about the mounting "conspiracy" against him. He said that after he beats Roman Reigns he will declare himself the World Champion of the PWA. Arn Anderson and the rest of the PWA Championship Committee may have something to say about that dubious claim to the title, though...

Match #3
UltraMantis Black vs. John Martinez

There are plenty of masked competitors in the PWA and there are certainly those that have an air of mystery about them but none hold a candle to the self-proclaimed "Great and Devious" UltraMantis Black. Styles and Rude talked about how not much is known about this competitor and the audience didn't find out much more about him as he made quick work of his opponent, John Martinez.

UltraMantis Black pinned John Martinez with the Praying Mantis Bomb in 0:01:45.
Rating: * 1/2

After the match Black grabbed his ornate staff and begun chanting some sort of incantation over his fallen opponent. After he finished the lights went out and when they came back on both Martinez and UltraMantis Black were nowhere to be found. Styles and Rude seemed puzzled by the spectacle that they just witnessed and quickly pivot to recap the massive ten man tag main event of the last episode of Pro Wrestling between Bullet Club and Elite. They note that nothing was settled as the match ended with a double countout and point out one of the pivotal moments of the match when Tanga Loa attempted to hit his Apeshit finish on Cody's wife, Brandi Rhodes. That segues into the next match.

Match #4
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) [Bullet Club] vs. Rene Bradley and Jeremy Ouellet

Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa's entrance took longer than the match itself. An extended beatdown before the bell rang to officially start the match left Rene Bradley wounded and easily susceptible to a vicious jumping DDT from Tama Tonga.

Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) defeated Rene Bradley and Jeremy Ouellet when Tonga pinned R. Bradley after a jumping DDT in 0:00:38.
Rating: 1/4*

After the match Tanga Loa walked up to the ringside camera blew a kiss to Brandi Rhodes and said that they still have some unfinished business.

Styles and Rude run down the card for the upcoming episode of Pro Wrestling and announce two more matches: The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) vs. The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega vs. Sami Zayn.

Match #5
"Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams vs. PAC

PAC has made his name around the world while Tracy Williams has been a stalwart of the smaller independent scene in the United States and bother are hungry to elevate their status in the sport here in the PWA. Neither competitor is currently aligned with a faction which means their path to fame and fortune leads to the PWA Heavyweight Championship. Every win and loss matters as the Championship Committee decides the best way to determine who will fight for the belt and how it will be contested. Williams and PAC fought with great urgency in a spirit back and forth affair but PAC ultimately scored the victory with an impressive springboard 450 splash.

PAC pinned Tracy Williams after a springboard 450 Splash in 0:08:07.
Rating: ** 1/2

Styles and Rude thank everybody for tuning in as the show goes off the air with the victorious PAC mean mugging the ringside camera.


Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Roman Reigns vs. Chris Jericho
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches:
- Bullet Club vs. Blood Money
- Reyes de Lucha vs. Golden Army
The Backseat Boyz vs. The Young Bucks
Kenny Omega vs. Sami Zayn
..and more!

[LillaThrilla]

Certainly making the most of TNM with that roster.

[jlamb]

PWA Pro Wrestling - Year 1, Week 2

Jim Ross, Joey Styles and Mike Tenay welcome everyone to another episode of PWA Pro Wrestling and run down tonight's card, highlighted with two Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches as well as a massive one-on-one main event match between "The Painmaker" Chris Jericho and Roman Reigns. Ross reviewed the closing minutes of last week's episode where The Elite and Bullet Club ten man tag ended in a double countout that segued into a whild brawl. As a result of what happened, Arn Anderson and the PWA Championship Committee announced that The Elite and Bullet Club are being held to a temporary no-contact order this week in an effort to help cooler heads prevail. Speaking of Bullet Club, they are kicking off the action tonight in the first quarterfinal match of the PWA Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament against MJF, The Butcher and The Blade aka Blood Money.

Match #1
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match
Blood Money (Maxwell Jacob Friedman, The Butcher and The Blade)w/The Bunny vs. Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows)

Bullet Club has justifiably earned the reputation of being the bad boys of professional wrestling due to their antics all over the world but tonight they were served up a dose of their own medicine as Blood Money utilized every underhanded trick in the book to maintain an advantage. AJ Styles spent most of the match being worked over and cut off from his tag team partners. He was able to make a tag Karl Anderson after low blowing MJF while referee Jim Molineux was distracted by The Bunny. From there the match turned into a sprint with all six men getting in on the action at some point. The finish saw the biggest man in the match, Luke Gallows, score a flash pin over the second biggest man, The Butcher, via an inside cradle.

Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) defeated Blood Money (Maxwell Jacob Friedman, The Blade and The Butcher) when L. Gallows pinned Butcher after an inside cradle in 0:10:23.
Rating: ** 1/2
[The Bunny interfered against Luke Gallows.]
[The Bunny interfered against AJ Styles.]

After the match MJF threw a tantrum in the ring while Bullet Club celebrated in the aisle with their signature Too Sweet hand gesture. The view switched to the back where The Elite's representatives in the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks, were seen watching a monitor closely. All three men are in action tonight but are clearly very interested in what Bullet Club is up to. A graphic popped up on the screen highlighting the other quarterfinal matches in the tournament that will occur next week: The Elite (Omega, Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) and The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso) vs. FTRKO (Randy Orton, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood)!

Match #2
"Filthy" Tom Lawlor vs. Shawn Spears

The only commonality between these two competitors is that they are both unaffiliated. Tom Lawlor spent years as a successful mixed martial artist before transitioning to the sport of kings while Shawn Spears is a bit of a journeyman who has been on the scene for over a decade now. Just as their respective paths to the PWA have been wildly different, their wrestling styles also clashed. Lawlor spent most of the match working towards a submission victory but Spears was able to weather the storm and turn the contest into a more traditional pro wrestling affair. "Filthy" Tom has a bright future in this sport but he'll need to leave his ultimate fighting instincts in the octagon as the cagey veteran Spears slipped on the dreaded black glove~! and crunched Lawlor on the chin with it before finishing the match with a Fireman's Carry Neckbreaker.

Shawn Spears pinned Tom Lawlor with the Fireman's Carry Neckbreaker in 0:12:44.
Rating: ** 3/4

Renee Young caught up with Shawn Spears after the match and asked him about his plans here in the Professional Wrestling Alliance. Spears said that he doesn't have a tag team partner and he isn't a member of a faction so his path to fame and glory is winning the PWA's singles championship. He added that he'll utilize his perfect pro wrestling skills to keep winning and to force himself into whatever competition the Championship Committee comes up with to crown the initial champion. Before pitching it back to the broadcast booth, Young mentions that he has heard from her sources that Arn Anderson will be making announcements in the coming weeks regarding how the PWA will crown it's inaugural World Champion and Tag Team Champions.

Match #3
The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) [The Elite]

Whether it's their match next week against SUPER J or what happened with Bullet Club at the end of last week's show it was clear that The Young Bucks minds were elsewhere tonight. It's undisputed that the Bucks are one of the best tag teams in the world but they didn't bring their A game tonight and they were taken to their limits by the upstart indie team of Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid. This match was all action from start to finish but it was clear that the Bucks were a step slow but luckily enough The Backseat Boyz just didn't have enough in their offensive arsenal to put them away.

The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) and The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) battled to a draw in 0:20:00.
Rating: ** 3/4

Matt and Nick offered their opponents handshakes after the match but The Backseat Boyz laughed in their faces and bailed. One would imagine that these teams will cross paths again in the not-so-distant future.

Backstage, Jushin Liger found Brian Pillman Jr. warming up for his match with Colt Cabana. Liger offered him some words of encouragement and wished him good luck but Pillman once again the lengend off and gave him a shoulder bump as he walked by.

Match #4
Colt Cabana vs. Brian Pillman Jr.

Colt Cabana has been a stalwart of the independent scene for almost two decades now and brings a wealth of experience and ring savvy to the rings of the PWA. Brian Pillman Jr. is a guy who has a wealth of potential and the pedigree to be a big star in this sport but it's clear in his actions towards Jushin Liger that he needs to get out of his own way. Pillman showed some flashes of brilliance one again but Cabana's years of experience helped him ultimately score the pinfall victory.

Colt Cabana pinned Brian Pillman Jr. with the Superman Pin in 0:11:26.
Rating: * 3/4

Kenny Omega is shown warming up for his match against Sami Zayn later on tonight when AJ Styles' voice can be heard from off camera. The camera panned to Styles standing at the other end of a long hallway backstage. Styles sarcastically wished Omega good luck, ripped on Sami Zayn and said that when Omega's ready for real competition to give him a call.

Match #5
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Match
Golden Army (Kota Ibushi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino) vs. Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio)

This match was all action from the start as these are six of the premier athletes here in the PWA. Reyes de Lucha possessed the cumulative experience edge and that proved to be advantageous throughout the match. Hiroshi Tanahashi, general of the Golden Army, very much believes in the Japanese pro wrestling tradition of having young boys around. Ren Narita and Shota Umino have a ton of potential but are lacking in match experience. Kota Ibushi may be one of the best wrestlers in the world but his presence wasn't enough to overcome the combined decades of experience Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio possess. Still, the Golden Army were almost able to take Reyes de Lucha to the 20 minute time limit but ultimately Shota Umino fell victim to a Spike Package Piledriver after a flurry of double and triple team offensive maneuvers.

Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio) defeated Golden Army (Kota Ibushi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino) when Pentagon pinned Umino after the Spike Package Piledriver in 0:19:30.
Rating: ***

With the victory, Reyes de Lucha set themselves up to clash with Bullet Club in the first semifinal match of the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament in two weeks.

Mike Tenay ran down the wrestlers that will appear on this week's episode of Proving Grounds. Wardlow, Rob Van Dam and Sabu will be back in action while reDRagon and Randy Orton are set to make their PWA debuts. The featured contest will see Adam Page take on Tim Storm. Don't miss it!

Match #6
Kenny Omega [The Elite] vs. Sami Zayn

Whether it was the taunts from AJ Styles or the desire to score a victory for The Elite tonight, Kenny Omega was absolutely locked in. Sami Zayn is a world traveled veteran and extremely talented in his own right. That said, for tonight at least, Omega was on another level. Omega broke out all of his patented maneuvers but momentarily lost control of the match when he attempted to deliver a message-sending Styles Clash that Zayn was able to escape from. Omega eventually regained control of the match with back-to-back V Triggers followed up by a spinning Doctor Bomb that looked to be straight out of Street Fighter II to secure the victory.

Kenny Omega pinned Sami Zayn after the Doctor Bomb in 0:09:07.
Rating: ***

The camera cut to the back where Tony Schiavone was standing by with Chris Jericho, who is holding a black satin bag. "The Painmaker" rambles on and on about a mounting conspiracy against him and made a bunch of excuses for why he's going to lose his upcoming match against Roman Reigns. Jericho said that it isn't fair that Reigns has The Usos watching his back but since he is the "last real babyface" he'll overcome the odds and be victorious. Schiavone asks Jericho what is in the bag but is blown off.

Match #7
Roman Reigns [The Bloodline] vs. Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho is one of the all-time greats of this sport which is why he attitude leading up to this match was such a surprise. Every time a microphone has been put in front of him he's gone off about a conspiracy against him and talked about how he is the uncrowned champion of the PWA. Add in his line about being the last real babyface -- despite being a massive jerk to just about everyone in the company in front of AND behind the camera -- and it is hard to figure out where he is at mentally. That said, Jericho can still bring it in the ring when he has to and tonight was one of those occasions as Roman Reigns brought the big fight to him. Jericho and Reigns had a classic back-and-forth, straight-laced wrestling match that ultimately ended when Jericho won with his patented Walls of Jericho submission hold. No run-ins from The Usos, no conspiracy, just a clean victory for Jericho!

Chris Jericho made Roman Reigns submit to a Boston crab in 0:13:26.
Rating: *** 1/2

After the match Jericho celebrated like he just won the biggest match of his life. He rolled out of the ring and grab the black satin bag from the timekeeper's table and produced what can only be described as a very cheaply made toy belt. Jericho rolled back into the ring and paraded around the ring with his belt. The show goes off the air with the image of Jericho holding his belt high in the air. Has the "uncrowned world champion" crowned himself?


Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches:
- SUPER J vs. The Elite
- FTRKO vs. The Bloodline
"Iceman" Dean Malenko vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
KENTA vs. Eddie Guerrero
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Proving Grounds - Year 1, Week 2

Joey Styles and Rick Rude welcomed everyone to the second episode of PWA Proving Grounds. They talked about what happened on the last episode of PWA Pro Wrestling, focusing mainly on Chris Jericho's huge submission victory over Roman Reigns. Styles noted that Jericho has been driving people crazy all week with his talk of being the uncrowned World Champion of the PWA. The co-hosts ran down the list of wrestlers that will be appearing on tonight's show before pitching to the ring for the first match of the evening featuring the debuting reDRagon.

Match #1
reDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish) vs. Rosario Hopkins and Matuesz Marshall

Fish and O'Reilly -- a world traveled junior heavyweight tag team looking to make the step up in weight class and competition -- had no issues dealing with Hopkins and Marshall. Each member of reDRagon had a minute to shine before Fish finished Marshall off with a high knee that he calls the Flying Fish Hook.

reDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish) defeated Rosario Hopkins and Mateusz Marshall when B. Fish pinned M. Marshall with the Flying Fish Hook in 0:03:31.
Rating: *

After the match, O'Reilly and Fish paraded around the ring and motioned that the Tag Team Titles will be around their waists when the time comes. Styles noted that Arn Anderson is expected to make an announcement regarding how the tag belts will be contested in the coming week.

Match #2
Wardlow [Blood Money] vs. Bryon Roach

Wardlow looked incredibly impressive in his systematic destruction of Timothy Bailey last week on Proving Grounds. This week Bryon Roach stepped up to the plate but was summarily dealt with. The Blood Money team of MJF, The Butcher and The Blade fizzled out of the Six Man Tag Team Title tournament this past week on PWA Pro Wrestling but Wardlow kept his winning ways going by putting Roach away with the F10.

Wardlow pinned Bryon Roach with the F10 in 0:06:38.
Rating: -3/4*

The Elite are ready for SUPER J
The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega were in the back with Renee Young talking about their Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament match against SUPER J this coming week on PWA Pro Wrestling. The Elite said that they still have Bullet Club on their mind but they won't be overlooking the trio of Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki. Young asked Omega about his confrontation with AJ Styles last week and he said that since he already has a match that his great friend Cody stepped up to fight Styles in the main event of the next show.

Match #3
Randy Orton [FTRKO] vs. John Buckner

Randy Orton and FTR are set to do battle with The Bloodline in the other Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament quarterfinal match this week on PWA Pro Wrestling but Orton wanted a tune-up match ahead of that clash. The official PWA record will say that John Buckner lasted eight minutes but in reality Orton had the match won in about a minute. Orton took his time dissecting Buckner before finishing him off with an RKO.

Randy Orton pinned John Buckner with the RKO in 0:08:08.
Rating: -*

After the match Orton grabbed a microphone and taunted his upcoming opponents, paying specific attention to Roman Reigns and his recent submission loss to Chris Jericho. Orton said that he understands if Reigns wants to forfeit now but if he doesn't then he plans on punting his head so hard that it lands in the front row.

Match #4
Rob Van Dam and Sabu w/Bill Alfonso vs. Rene Bradley and Jeremy Ouellet

RVD and Sabu bounced back from a disappointing loss to The Usos on the premier episode of PWA Pro Wrestling by easily handling their opponents, the team of Rene Bradley and Jeremy Ouellet. RVD and Sabu introduced chairs into their offense early and often before Sabu finished Ouellet off with his patented Triple Jump Moonsault.

Rob Van Dam and Sabu defeated Rene Bradley and Jeremy Ouellet when Sabu pinned J. Ouellet with the Triple Jump Moonsault in 0:04:32.
Rating: -3/4*

Rude noted that RVD and Sabu looked to be on much better terms this evening and Styles added that winning cures all. If Alfonso's charges can get hot -- and stay on the same page -- they can be a formidable challenge for any team in the PWA.

At home with "The Champ"
In a pretaped video package, Chris Jericho welcomed viewers into his palatial Florida estate. He gave a very short, very over the top guided tour before settling in poolside with his very fake championship belt. He talked about how it isn't easy being the champion and that his body is worn down from the 'hellacious' schedule he keeps. Jericho said that because of all of that he will NOT be appearing on this week's episode of PWA Pro Wrestling but he will be paying very close attention to scout out any potential challengers for his very prestigious title.

Match #5
Tim Storm vs. "Hangman" Adam Page [The Elite]

In the battle of the school teachers, Hangman Page and Tim Storm met in the evening's featured contest. These two are certainly on the opposite ends of their respective career trajectories but on this night Storm gave Page everything he could handle. Rude and Styles wondered aloud about Page's role within The Elite as The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega have Six Man Title aspirations while Cody is seemingly tied up with AJ Styles and the Guerrillas of Destiny. Page looked somewhat distracted throughout the match and Storm tried his best to capitalize but to no avail. The Hangman was able to put Storm away after a Buckshot Lariat / Rite of Passage sequence.

Adam Page pinned Tim Storm with the Rite of Passage in 0:12:28.
Rating: **

The show went off the air with Adam Page halfheartedly celebrating his victory in the ring as Rude and Styles noted that he was good enough tonight but will have to get squared away when the competition gets stronger.

Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

AJ Styles vs. Cody
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches:
- SUPER J vs. The Elite
- FTRKO vs. The Bloodline
"Iceman" Dean Malenko vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
KENTA vs. Eddie Guerrero
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Pro Wrestling - Year 1, Week 3

The broadcast opened with Jim Ross, Joey Styles and Mike Tenay welcoming viewers to the the commentary position as they prepared to call another great night of Professional Wrestling Alliance action. They preview the final two quarterfinal matches in the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament as well as the night's huge one-on-one main event between The Elite's Cody and Bullet Club's AJ Styles.

Match #1 - Six Man Tag Team Titles Quarterfinal Match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) vs. SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabua and Jinsei Shinzaki)

The SUPER J squad took part in one of the most entertaining and exciting matches in the short history of the Professional Wrestling Alliance when they battled Reyes de Lucha on the inaugural episode of PWA Pro Wrestling. The match tonight was just as, if not more, exciting than that one as these six men went full throttle from bell to bell. All six men flashed moments of brilliance and both teams acquitted themselves nicely but in the end The Bucks won it with a Meltzer Driver after Matt caught an attempted Asai Moonsault attempt from Hayabusa.

The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) defeated SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) when N. Jackson pinned Hayabusa after the Meltzer Driver in 0:18:04.
Rating: ****

The crowd gave a rousing standing ovation as the teams shook hands after the match. The Elite will move on to the semi-finals next week where they will take on the winner of FTRKO and The Bloodline.

Backstage with G.O.D.
Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa are backstage with Renee Young. They take turns insulting their opponents tonight -- the Golden Army young boy team of Ren Narita and Shota Umino. Tonga said that they'll be watching Cody's match tonight and Loa adds that they'll be watching Brandi Rhodes very closely.

Match #2
KENTA vs. Eddie Guerrero [Reyes de Lucha]

Another great bell-to-bell match on PWA Pro Wrestling featured a clash in styles between KENTA's hard-hitting attack contrasted with Guerrero's lucha inspired offense. KENTA controlled a majority of the match and was able to keep Guerrero grounded. The leader of Reyes de Lucha was able to fight back and focused on weakening the legs of KENTA to lessen the impact of his kicks. The finish saw Guerrero counter a running knee strike with a dropkick that caused KENTA to helicopter in the air before crashing to the mat.

Eddie Guerrero pinned KENTA after a dropkick to the knee in 0:14:58.
Rating: *** 3/4

Guerrero quickly rolled out of the ring to celebrate his victory while KENTA limped angrily around the ring, upset about losing a match he felt he should've won.

Match #3
Hiroshi Tanahashi [Golden Army] vs. Dean Malenko

The 1/100 Ace and The Iceman made it 3 for 3 in great matches to start off tonight's show. Although Tanahashi had the size advantage, Malenko was more than able to keep pace with him in a highly technical affair. Both wrestlers were able to escape each other's Texas Cloverleaf attempts before Tanahashi ultimately took over and floored Malenko with a series of dragon screw leg whips that led to a High Fly Flow to finish things off.

Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Dean Malenko with the High Fly Flow in 0:12:14.
Rating: *** 3/4

Tanahashi played air guitar to the delight of the fans. Tenay speculated that while a decision hasn't been made as to how the PWA Heavyweight Title will be contested it would be silly not to consider Tanahashi as one of the favorites to win the belt.

Arn Anderson has an announcement concerning the Tag Team Titles
The spokesman of the PWA Championship Committee, Arn Anderson, was shown sitting at the desk in his office. He announced that in two weeks' time on the night the Six Man Tag Team Titles are decided that he will unveil the blocks for the first annual Tag Team Grand Prix. The winners of each five team block will face each other for the right to become the first ever PWA Tag Team Champions.

Match #4
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) [Bullet Club] vs. Ren Narita and Shota Umino [Golden Army]

This match was over before it started as the Bullet Club tandem assaulted the young boys before the bell rang. Tonga and Loa took turns beating on Umino before The Bad Boy hit him with a Gun Stun and threw him over the top rope for a quick countout victory.

Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) defeated Golden Army (Ren Narita and Shota Umino) when Tonga defeated Umino by countout in 0:02:29.
Rating: 3/4*

Tanga Loa grabbed the mic and reiterated the comments he made to Renee Young earlier tonight about Brandi Rhodes. Tama Tonga took the mic and simply said, "Good luck tonight, Cody. You're gonna need it."

This week on Proving Grounds
Joey Styles ran down the competitors who are set to appear on this weeks episode of Proving Grounds. Brian Pillman Jr., The Butcher and The Blade, MJF and the Super J tandem of Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki will all be in action while the featured contest will be a six man tag team match between the Golden Army team of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino and Tom Lawler, Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid!

Match #5 - Six Man Tag Team Titles Quarterfinal Match
The Bloodline (Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns) vs. FTRKO (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Randy Orton)

This will be a match that will stick with The Bloodline for a variety of reasons: they dominated the match from the start but lost due to the interference of Chris Jericho. On the last episode of Proving Grounds, the self-proclaimed Uncrowned World Champ explicitly said that he would not be in attendance this evening but that proved to be nothing but a ruse as he emerged from the crowd to waffle Roman Reigns in the back of the head with his fake championship belt while referee Paul Turner was preoccupied with getting the illegal members of both teams to stop fighting outside the ring.

FTRKO (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Randy Orton) defeated The Bloodline (Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso and Roman Reigns) when Orton pinned Reigns after outside interference in 0:09:32.
Rating: ** 1/4
[Chris Jericho interfered against Roman Reigns.]

FTRKO got out of dodge once the pinfall was counted. They looked pretty puzzled about Jericho's involvement this did not seem like a premeditated plan between the four. Jericho disappeared as quickly as he showed up and The Bloodline quickly left the ring in anger as well so Ross speculated that they'll try to get comments from all parties involved this week on Proving Grounds.

Match #6
AJ Styles [Bullet Club] vs. Cody [The Elite]

This match was a sprint while it lasted as two of the biggest names in the PWA went at it in front of a very hot crowd. It became apparent that the Bullet Club had no intentions of having this match contested fairly as the Guerrillas of Destiny made good on the promise to watch this match closely and attacked Cody once he started to get the upper hand to lead to a DQ loss for their leader Styles.

Cody defeated AJ Styles by disqualification in 0:06:13.
Rating: **** 1/4
[Guerrillas of Destiny interfered against Cody.]

AJ Styles didn't look too upset about the loss as he helped lay in the boots to Cody with G.O.D.. Gallows and Anderson came down to the ring to make it 5-on-1 before Tanga Loa turned his attention towards Brandi Rhodes. Before anything could happen The rest of The Elite ran down with chairs to chase off Bullet Club.

Before going off the, Ross relayed to the television audience that a massive tag team match between Cody and Adam Page and Guerrillas of Destiny has been signed for the main event of next week's episode of PWA Pro Wrestling!

Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinal Matches:
- Reyes de Lucha vs. Bullet Club
- FTRKO vs. The Elite
Adam Page and Cody vs. Guerrillas of Destiny
Kota Ibushi vs. PAC
KENTA vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Proving Grounds - Year 1, Week 3

Joey Styles and Rick Rude welcomed everyone to the third episode of PWA Proving Grounds. They ran down the matches set for the night before pivoting to the closing moments of the last episode of PWA Pro Wrestling. Styles noted that for the second time in three weeks the show ended in conflict between Bullet Club and The Elite. Rude wondered out loud if the two factions are two preoccupied with one another instead of what really matters -- championship gold.

Match #1
Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Mateusz Marshall

Brian Pillman Jr. has had a rough go of it so far here in the PWA and if tonight was any indication things might not be getting better anytime soon. What was widely expected to be a tuneup match turned into a competitive affair with Mateusz Marshall coming close to scoring an upset victory on multiple occasions with a variety of cradles and quick pin attempts. Pillman ended up gaining the advantage and winning after a sequence of moves that included a Shotei and a rolling koppu kick before finishing it off with the Dire Promise.

Brian Pillman Jr. pinned Mateusz Marshall with the Dire Promise in 0:08:54.
Rating: -* 3/4

Pillman Jr. spent his time in the ring post match mimicking Jushin Liger, the man who has tried to play the role of mentor after beating Pillman in the first match in PWA history.

Chris Jericho comments on his actions on the last episode of PWA Pro Wrestling
A pre-taped interview with Chris Jericho sitting poolside at his palatial South Florida estate popped up on the screen. Jericho called Roman Reigns a stupid idiot for believing that the (uncrowned) world champion wouldn't be at TV. He said that he isn't aligned with FTRKO and that, quite frankly, he doesn't even like Randy Orton but anyone who is wrestling Reigns is a friend of his. Jericho said that until he is recognized as the true champion of the PWA it is his mission to ensure that Reigns does not win gold, tag team or otherwise.

Match #2
The Butcher and The Blade w/The Bunny [Blood Money] vs. John Buckner and Bryon Roach

Another surprisingly competitive match although the interference of AJ Styles is what helped Buckner and Roach hang in for as long as they did. Styles took a lot of punishment at the hands of The Butcher and The Blade in their Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament match and had been hot about it ever since. Styles made his way down to the ring midway through the match and started interjecting himself at the expense of the Blood Money squad. Referee Jim Molineaux finally caught Styles in the act of interfering against The Blade and disqualified Buckner and Roach.

The Butcher And The Blade defeated John Buckner and Bryon Roach when Blade defeated J. Buckner by disqualification in 0:09:26.
Rating: -* 3/4
[AJ Styles interfered against The Blade.]
[The Bunny interfered against John Buckner.]

Styles backed his way up the ramp with a wide grin on his face while The Butcher and The Blade looked pretty upset in the ring. Styles and the rest of Bullet Club are definitely not making any friends in the PWA, that's for sure.

Match #3
Maxwell Jacob Friedman [Blood Money] vs. Rosario Hopkins

MJF looked very impressive in his first PWA sanctioned singles match as he took Rosario Hopkins apart with a decidedly old school offense. He finished the match off against his overmatched opponent with his variation of the Fujiwara Armbar

Maxwell Jacob Friedman made Rosario Hopkins submit to the Friedman Armbar Special in 0:05:17.
Rating: DUD

MJF grabbed a microphone after the match and ran down Hopkins, the crowd and the entire PWA locker room. He said that it's his destiny to become the first and only champion of the Professional Wrestling Alliance because he is what it needs and what it deserves. Rude commented that if MJF keeps putting together showings like this then he'll be a formidable force.

The Bloodline speaks
Renee Young sat down with Jimmy and Jey Uso and Roman Reigns to talk about their loss to FTRKO thanks to Chris Jericho's interference. Reigns said that he's upset that him and his family wouldn't be able to become the first crowned champions in company history but he knows it's only a matter of time before The Usos win tag gold and he takes the real world's title. Reigns finished up by saying that he was disappointed to lose to Jericho one-on-one but he was willing to let it go because Jericho is a living legend in the game but now that Jericho keeps sticking his nose in The Bloodline's business, well, now it's personal. VERY personal.

Match #4
Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki [SUPER J] vs. Derrick Jarvis and Timothy Bailey

The SUPER J tandem have been part of some of the most memorable matches in the short history of the PWA but on the losing end. Tonight they showed why they are one of the more popular teams on the roster as they took their opponents apart with a variety of high flying moves. The finish saw Hayabusa pin Timothy Bailey with a beautiful Firebird Splash after a vicious Jinsei Shinzaki Praying Power Bomb.

SUPER J (Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) defeated Derrick Jarvis and Timothy Bailey when Hayabusa pinned T. Bailey after the Firebird Splash in 0:08:28.
Rating: -*

Randy Orton shares his thoughts
A video of Randy Orton lounging in his bus is shown. He said that there is no allegiance between FTRKO and Chris Jericho but he didn't mind the help against The Bloodline. Orton said he respects Jericho but doesn't really like him so if he has to he'll take him out. He finished up the interview by saying he can't wait to show Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks what it means to be elite.

Match #5
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino [Golden Army] vs. The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) and "Filthy" Tom Lawlor

A very exciting match closed out this edition of Proving Grounds as the Golden Army team of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino teamed up to take on the makeshift trio of The Backseat Boyz and Tom Lawlor. The match was a back and forth affair up until the closing seconds which saw the fundamentally sound Umino avoid a high-flying missile dropkick from Johnny Kashmere and cradled him for the quick victory.

Golden Army (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ren Narita and Shota Umino) defeated The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) and Tom Lawlor when Umino pinned J. Kashmere after a side step in 0:19:05.
Rating: ** 1/2

The show ended with Tanahashi and the young boys playing air guitar in the ring while Styles and Rude plugged the next episode of PWA Pro Wrestling.

Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Quarterfinal Matches:
- Reyes de Lucha vs. Bullet Club
- FTRKO vs. The Elite
Adam Page and Cody vs. Guerrillas of Destiny
Kota Ibushi vs. PAC
KENTA vs. Jushin "Thunder" Liger
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Pro Wrestling - Year 1, Week 4

The broadcast opened with Jim Ross, Joey Styles and Mike Tenay welcoming viewers to the the commentary position as they prepared to call another great night of Professional Wrestling Alliance action. They ran down the card for tonight, highlighting the night's top matches pitting Bullet Club and Reyes de Lucha in one Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament semifinal and The Elite and FTRKO in the other. They also touch on the continuing issues between Bullet Club and The Elite leading into tonight's main event tag team match between the Guerrillas of Destiny and Adam Page and Cody!

Match #1
Jushin "Thunder" Liger [SUPER J] vs. KENTA

The two stars from Japan engaged in a highly physical affair to kick off this episode of PWA Pro Wrestling. While KENTA could be considered the superior strike, Liger was more than able to hold his own in that department before finishing the match off with his signature Brain Buster.

Jushin Liger pinned KENTA with the Brain Buster in 0:07:34.
Rating: ***

Cody sits down with Adam Page
The two members of The Elite sat down to talk about tonight's main event match against the Guerrillas of Destiny. Cody told Page that he couldn't imagine having anyone else by his side other than The Hangman and that he's ready for war tonight. Styles noted that there have been some rumblings about Page has allegedly been feeling unfulfilled but standing next to Cody in his fight against Bullet Club has seemingly invigorated him.

Match #2
Rob Van Dam and Sabu w/Bill Alfonso vs. Sami Zayn and Shawn Spears

RVD and Sabu came into this match with their eyes on the prize -- a spot in the inaugural Tag Team Grand Prix to crown the first ever PWA Tag Team champions. The makeshift team of Sami Zayn and Shawn Spears was able to hang in for longer than expected, mostly due to the the less-than-harmonious chemistry between Bill Alfonso's charges. The Manager of Champions interjected himself liberally throughout the match and ultimately turned the tide for his squad to win with their Rolling Thunder finish.

Rob Van Dam and Sabu defeated Sami Zayn and Shawn Spears when RVD pinned S. Zayn after the Rolling Thunder in 0:14:06.
Rating: *** 3/4
[Bill Alfonso interfered against Shawn Spears.]
[Bill Alfonso interfered against Sami Zayn.]

At home with "The Champ" Chris Jericho
The perspective switches to a pre-recorded video of Chris Jericho sitting poolside with his championship belt prominently on display. Jericho said that he saw the comments Roman Reigns and Randy Orton made on this past week's episode of PWA Proving Grounds and he'll address them in due time. The real reason he wanted some TV time tonight was that he will be defending his title on the next episode of Proving Grounds against a very worthy opponent.

Before pitching to the next match Jim Ross wonders out loud how one can defend a title that doesn't actually exist.

Match #3
Kota Ibushi [SUPER J] vs. PAC

PAC went a long way in establishing himself as a dominant force in the PWA after a decisive victory over Kota Ibushi. From a talent perspective, Ibushi is one of the top wrestlers in the world but PAC negated that by blitzing him at the bell and not letting up. The finish saw PAC counter a rana attempt with a vicious powerbomb that folded the SUPER J representative in half and led to a surprising three count.

PAC pinned Kota Ibushi after a power bomb in 0:04:35.
Rating: ** 1/4

Renee Young entered the ring after the match to grab a quick word with PAC. He said he isn't in the PWA for fun and games but only to inflict pain and suffering. PAC said that Chris Jericho can run around with a fake belt but when the time comes to crown a champion he will be the one to claim the prize.

Match #4
Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki [SUPER J] vs. The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid)

This contest matched up two more tag teams that have their eyes set on competing for the PWA Tag Team Titles in the Tag Team Grand Prix. The Backseat Boyz may not have the name recognition as other teams in the division but they've been impressive in tag action, taking The Young Bucks to the limit two weeks ago. Tonight they took the next step in their career progression but actually defeating the internationally celebrated tag team of Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki.

The Backseat Boyz (Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid) defeated SUPER J (Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) when Acid pinned Shinzaki after a DDT in 0:09:49.
Rating: ** 3/4

After the match Tenay went to great lengths to talk up the international credentials of Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki to drive home the point of how impressive The Backseat Boyz victory was. Kashmere and Acid were afterthoughts to some but an impressive draw with The Young Bucks and a victory tonight over SUPER J likely secured their spot in the Tag Team Grand Prix.

Match #5
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinal Match
Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs. Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio)

AJ Styles had to have known that running in on The Butcher and The Blade's match on the last episode of PWA Proving Grounds would come back to bite him at some point. That point was this evening as The Blade was able to capitalize on Bullet Club's propensity to cheat and distract the referee from the action in the ring to influence the outcome of the match. The finish saw Bullet Club triple teaming Fenix in the neutral corner until referee Bryce Remsburg interjected and forced Gallows and Anderson out of the ring. While they were arguing The Blade appeared out of nowhere and slid a stop sign into the ring to Fenix, who promptly cracked Styles over the head with it. Fenix slid the sign back out of the ring to The Blade and covered Styles for the somewhat surprising victory to secure a spot in the tournament final for the PWA Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Reyes de Lucha (Fenix, Pentagon Jr. and Rey Mysterio) defeated Bullet Club (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) when Fenix pinned Styles after hitting him with a road sign in 0:14:53.
Rating: ***
[The Blade interfered against AJ Styles.]

AJ Styles lays out a challenge
Once AJ Styles came to he was absolutely irate. He grabbed a microphone from ringside and challenged The Blade to a match next week on PWA Pro Wrestling. Blade, already at the top of the ramp smiled and nodded in approval.

Match #6
Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinal Match
The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. FTRKO (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Randy Orton)

This match saw a major clash in pro wrestling philosophy as the old school FTRKO faced the high impact, high energy Elite trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Harwood and Wheeler were able to grind the match to a snail's pace for a majority of the match but the turning point saw a hot tag from Nick Jackson to Kenny Omega who immediately handed out V-Triggers to all three of his opponents. Once the match turned into a track meet The Elite were able to take control and ultimately secure their spot in the finals after a 450 Splash from Nick Jackson to Cash Wheeler.

The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) defeated FTRKO (Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood and Randy Orton) when N. Jackson pinned Wheeler with the 450 Splash in 0:15:59.
Rating: ** 1/2

After the match Reyes de Lucha came out from the back and motioned that the Six Man Tag Team Titles will be around their waists next week.

Match #7
The Elite (Adam Page and Cody w/Brandi Rhodes) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) [Bullet Club]

Bullet Club and The Elite have had issues with each other since night one and if tonight was any indication those tensions won't be going away anytime soon. The Guerrillas of Destiny have been accosting Brandi Rhodes for weeks now and tonight was no different as they spent more time talking trash to her than focusing on their opponents, Adam Page and Cody. Brandi Rhodes finally hit a boiling point and at the first opportunity she smacked Tanga Loa in the back of the head with one of her high heels right in front of the referee. Almost immediately the rest of Bullet Club appeared and jumped in the ring, followed by Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Senior referee Earl Hebner saw enough and threw the match out.

The Elite (Adam Page and Cody) and Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) battled to a no contest in 0:10:08.
Rating: ** 1/4
[AJ Styles and Karl Anderson interfered against Cody.]
[Brandi Rhodes interfered against Tama Tonga.]

For the third time in four weeks, PWA Pro Wrestling ended with Bullet Club and The Elite brawling wildly around the ringside area. Tama Tonga and Adam Page found themselves alone in the ring and The Bad Boy ended up standing tall as the show faded to black after hitting a Gun Stun on Page.

Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Finals:
- The Elite vs. Reyes de Lucha
Adam Page vs. Tama Tonga
AJ Styles vs. The Blade
Eddie Guerrero vs. Great Sasuke
..and more!

[jlamb]

PWA Proving Grounds - Year 1, Week 4

This episode of Proving Grounds started with Joey Styles and Rick Rude standing ringside to run down the list of stars set to appear on the show. They pumped up the night's main event confrontation between Blood Money's Wardlow and Tim Storm before throwing it to the first match of the evening.

Match #1
UltraMantis Black vs. Mateusz Marshall

UltraMantis Black continues to be an interesting case here in the Professional Wrestling Alliance. While it's understood that most of the competitors here are looking to prove that they are the best of the best it's whispered that Black has other reasons for being here. While no one has been able to talk to him on record he has been overheard talking to himself about something or someone called the Eye of Tyr. We will see where that pursuit takes us, but tonight was all about Black and his opponent, Mateusz Marshall. The youngster was able to put up a valiant fight and lasted longer in the ring that most probably expected him to but ultimately, he was felled by a vicious Praying Mantis Bomb.

UltraMantis Black pinned Mateusz Marshall with the Praying Mantis Bomb in 0:07:59.
Rating: -3/4*

As he did several weeks ago after defeating John Martinez, UltraMantis Black stood over his fallen opponent while holding his staff and began chanting...something. Once again, the lights went out and when they flashed back on Black and Marshall were nowhere to be found.

Match #2
Ren Narita and Shota Umino [Golden Army] vs. John Buckner and John Martinez

Narita and Umino occupy a fascinating place in the pecking order of the PWA. They are considered young boys in the Golden Army and still need some additional seasoning before they're ready to take on the best and brightest that the PWA has to offer. But they are clearly better than a lot of the local young competitors that are featured on Proving Grounds as they made quick work of the duo of John Buckner and the aforementioned Martinez, who looked none the worse of wear after disappearing for a few weeks thanks to UltraMantis Black.

Golden Army (Ren Narita and Shota Umino) defeated John Buckner and John Martinez when Narita pinned J. Buckner with the Narita Special #3 in 0:04:48.
Rating: -*

After the match, Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid, The Backseat Boyz, appeared by the entrance and sarcastically applauded Narita and Umino before challenging them to a match this coming week on PWA Pro Wrestling. Narita and Umino aren't the types to back down and they quickly nodded in agreement. Rude noted that The Backseat Boyz are still looking to lock in their place in the upcoming Tag Team Grand Prix so every potential win matters to them.

Match #3
World Heavyweight Title Match?
Chris Jericho vs. Bryon Roach

The Chris Jericho delusion tour continued as he once again came to the ring wearing a fake championship belt. He kissed the belt before handing it over to a bewildered Rick Knox who promptly tossed the toy out of the ring which drew the ire of the 'champ.' Much like his title, this match was a farce as Jericho easily dissected Bryon Roach before finishing him off with his spinning back elbow known as the Judas Effect.

Chris Jericho pinned Bryon Roach with the Judas Effect in 0:04:50.
Rating: -* 1/4

Renee Young tried to get a word with Jericho after the match but he quickly blew her off saying that he was going to go out on the town to celebrate his hard-fought title defense. Young asked about Roman Reigns and Randy Orton, but Jericho glared at her before forcing a smile and raising his arms in the air triumphantly. Styles and Rude questioned Jericho's involvement with Orton and Reigns and made a point to talk about the fact that he doesn't have any backup.

Match #4
Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki [SUPER J] vs. Derrick Jarvis, Jeremy Ouellet and Rene Bradley

SUPER J was bounced from the Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament in the first round by eventual finalists Reyes de Lucha in a tremendous match. Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki are likely headed to the Tag Team Grand Prix and Great Sasuke has a big-time matchup with Eddie Guerrero on the next episode of PWA Pro Wresting so they were locked in this evening and quickly dispatched of their opponents.

SUPER J (Great Sasuke, Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki) defeated Derrick Jarvis, Jeremy Ouellet and Rene Bradley when Hayabusa pinned J. Ouellet after the Firebird Splash in 0:01:53.
Rating: **

Cody meets with Adam Page again
Once again, Cody sat down with Adam Page to personally thank him for going to war with him against the Guerrillas of Destiny. Cody said he couldn't imagine having anyone else by his side and pumped Page up for his upcoming one-on-one match with Tama Tonga.

Match #5
Tim Storm vs. Wardlow [Blood Money]

While Maxwell Jacob Friedman gets all the attention for his prodigious gift of gab it's his Blood Money running mate and personal bodyguard Wardlow who many insiders are earmarking as the next big thing in professional wrestling. He's obviously incredible powerful but also has the agility of a man 100 pounds lighter. Tim Storm has been up and down the roads over the years, but one must imagine he has never run into someone like Wardlow. The match wasn't very competitive as Wardlow tossed Storm around the ring with a bunch of high impact moves before finishing him off with a massive release German Suplex.

Wardlow pinned Tim Storm after a release German suplex in 0:03:36.
Rating: * 1/4

Wardlow posed for the hard camera and was quickly joined by his associate Maxwell Jacob Friedman. The show ended with MJF moving in front of the victorious Wardlow and mugging for the camera.


Next week on PWA Pro Wrestling

- Six Man Tag Team Title Tournament Finals: The Elite vs. Reyes de Lucha
- Adam Page vs. Tama Tonga
- AJ Styles vs. The Blade
- Eddie Guerrero vs. Great Sasuke
- The Backseat Boyz vs. Shota Umino and Ren Narita

..and more!