Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Presents As The Worm Turns on Saturday, February 27!
By Silverback, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Staff Writer
Solvang, CA - After the smashing success that was Kurt Russellmania (now available for pre-order on DVD), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla steams ahead into 2010 with As The Worm Turns at American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, CA, on Saturday, February 27! While some fans may criticize the staff of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla for apparent laziness in coming up with a creative show title, please note that the title is more of a reference to Henry VI, Part 3 than it is to the totally awesome Faith No More song. If that explanation makes sense to you, congratulations on being part of the .001% of professional wrestling fans that enjoy both good music and classical literature. We hope that alienating the other 99.999% of professional wrestling fans will prove to be a sound business strategy in the long run.
Though Kurt Russellmania did feature a number of "guest stars" who will most likely not have a recurring role in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, it does not make the effects of their single appearance any less profound. Take, for example, professional wrestling legend The Great Muta, whose use of the Poison Fog on Scott Lost caused such serious harm to Lost's eyes that he initially thought he was blinded. For days, Scott's vision was clouded, tinted green, and covered in tiny specs, but it was not until Scott Lost visited an opthamologist that he discovered the true cost of the damage: $79.99, to replace the contact lenses that were stained by Muta's dokugiri attack.
Another ripple in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla pond at Kurt Russellmania came from the battle between Super Crazy and the former Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion, Human Tornado. In a fast paced, back and forth contest, Tornado picked up the victory over the high flying Super Crazy, and it looked like Tornado would be joining forces with Chuck Taylor at As The Worm Turns to take on the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Champions Matt and Nick Jackson, The Young Bucks. However, it turned out that Human Tornado's victory over Super Crazy was so impressive and so decisive that Tornado believed he could never again live up to the destruction he doled out at Kurt Russellmania, and therefore his only remaining course of action was to retire. Or at least, that's what we think, anyway.
Human Tornado has been a part of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla since the company's inception in 2003, and over time came to play a bigger and bigger role in the identity of the promotion, and everyone here at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla is eternally grateful for his contributions and sacrifices. We would like to wish Human Tornado the best of luck with all things in the future, and would like him to know that there will always be a place for him in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, should he see fit to return.
As The Worm Turns takes place on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, CA, and will feature:
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship Title Match
Kenny Omega (Champion) vs. Davey Richards (Challenger)
-- After surmounting seemingly insurmountable odds at the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles, Kenny Omega walked, or more accurately, limped away as the newly crowned Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion. Shortly after winning the world championship, Omega was called in for an extended tour of duty with DDT in Japan, forcing him to miss Kurt Russellmania and his first title defense as champion. It was probably a good thing for Kenny that he wasn't there, because based on the in-ring chatter alone, some of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's heaviest hitters are nearly bursting at the seams for a shot at Omega and the title. At the top of that list are two of the toughest competitors in professional wrestling today, former World Champion Chris Hero and 2006 Battle of Los Angeles winner Davey Richards.
Both Hero and Richards made appeals to the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Board of Directors for a shot at Kenny Omega, however it was ultimately Davey Richards that got the nod. Chris Hero, who lost the World Championship to "American Dragon" Bryan Danielson at Guerre Sans Frontières, did not receive his contractually guaranteed title rematch, and is therefore owed a title shot. To further plead his case, Hero pointed out that while he was not victorious in three way-contest with Rob Van Dam and Roderick Strong at Kurt Russellmania, Hero was not defeated either, therefore his standing should not be effected. Davey Richards provided a much more compelling argument, by A), defeating former Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen, and B), shouting "KENNY OMEGA! I'M COMIN' FOR YOU!" into the microphone. In the face of such overwhelming evidence, it's easy to see why Davey Richards was granted the title shot, and Chris Hero will continue to wait, possibly facing the winner of the World Championship title match at As The Worm Turns.
With all the talk of the challengers, what of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion Kenny Omega? He returns ready to take on the world, hot off the heels of another highly successful tour of Japan with DDT, even taking part in a 108-Man Battle Royal that spanned two decades and four promotions. Omega's 2009 Battle of Los Angeles victory and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship title win were even recognized by the Japanese television broadcasters, making it clear that Omega is the hottest North American import to Japan since nandrolone or the Xbox 360. Omega's title match with Davey Richards at As The Worm Turns will mark the first time that two Battle of Los Angeles winners have ever met for the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship. In 2006, Richards had to beat a field of twenty-four competitors to win the tournament, whereas in 2009, Omega only bested a field of sixteen. Does the deeper field in 2006 mean that Richards had a bigger challenge to overcome, or were the higher stakes Omega faced in 2009 a larger obstacle? Which man will come out on top at As The Worm Turns?!
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship Title Match
The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson - Champions) vs. 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber (El Generico & Chuck Taylor)
-- The Young Bucks, aka Matt and Nick Jackson, aka Generation Me, aka Max and Jeremy Buck, are currently the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Champions, and have the record of the longest title reign in company history all wrapped up by an extremely wide margin. In fact, The Young Bucks have done more in the first reign as World Tag Team Champions than almost any other team in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. The only record that Matt and Nick Jackson have failed to meet or exceed has been the number of successful title defenses, currently held by the most dominant tag team in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla history, Super Dragon and Davey Richards. With a victory at As The Worm Turns, Generation Me can tie Dragon and Richards' record, which would officially make Max and Jeremy Buck the most dominant team Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has ever seen.
This statistical tidbit does not sit well with quite a few members of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla locker room, but one particularly perturbed individual is the recently retired Human Tornado. As it was mentioned before, Tornado has been a part of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla since the early days of the promotion and believes that it is a travesty that the Bucks will be remembered as equals to the team that ended the only World Tag Team Championship title reign of 2 Skinny Black Guys. That is why Tornado, in his last act as a member of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla roster, petitioned the Board of Directors to allow his tag team partner, Soul Brother Number Two himself, El Generico, to take his spot in the incredible pairing with Chuck Taylor at As The Worm Turns. Maybe it was because they were in a good mood after Kurt Russellmania, or just that they simply were appreciative of all that Human Tornado has done for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, but the Board of Directors acquiesced, and on February 27 The Young Bucks will attempt to tie Super Dragon and Davey Richards' record, while 2 Skinny Black Guys of Low Moral Fiber attempt to end the Bucks' reign of terror.
Singles Match
Chris Hero vs. Alex Shelley
Singles Match
Chris Sabin vs. Roderick Strong
-- Though Chris Hero maintains that he was not pinned in the three-way match at Kurt Russellmania, it is worth pointing out that he didn't win the match either, so technically it still counts as a defeat. Roderick Strong, on the other hand, was on the receiving end of a Five Star Frog Splash courtesy of Rob Van Dam (who, thanks to the musical stylings of Kushinator, we now know is "The Whole F'N Show" and uses the "VanSassinator," among other moves). Neither Hero or Roderick wanted to start out 2010 this way, but being the true professionals that they are they will both attempt to "make lemonade" out of the situation. Unfortunately for them, the lemons that they have been dealt happen to be partners in one of the most dynamic tag teams in professional wrestling today.
Originally, Chris Sabin and Roderick Strong were set to face off at the 2009 Battle of Los Angeles until a neck injury sidelined Sabin and forced him out of the tournament. Roderick would ultimately advance to the final round where he would be defeated by eventual tournament winner Kenny Omega. Chris Sabin would like to point out that it is unlikely Roderick Strong would have made it past the first round, had their match taken place, and to prove that point, Sabin plans on defeating Roderick in decisive fashion at As The Worm Turns. A victory over a perennial title contender like Roderick would do wonder for Sabin's standing in the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla title picture, and Roderick can't afford to lose if he has any hopes of a rematch with Kenny Omega, so it is pretty much guaranteed that this will be a hotly contested battle.
Chris Hero has had his rematch with the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion slip through his grasp twice already, and he doesn't plan on doing anything as silly as losing to Alex Shelley to allow that title shot to slip away a third time. Hero, the longest reigning former World Champion in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla history, has made it his mission in 2010 to get back on top and reclaim the title, but standing in his way is a man who would love nothing more than the opportunity to prove he truly is one of the best technicians in the world, Alex Shelley. Both Hero and Shelley are as methodical and technically sound as they come, however as part of the Motor City Machine Guns, much of Shelley's professional wrestling prowess gets overlooked, especially when employing some of his flashier maneuvers. A victory over former champion Hero, and a future victory over World Champion Kenny Omega or Davey Richards, would do much to remind the world of the extent of Alex Shelley's in-ring capabilities.
Singles Match
Brandon Gatson vs. "The Professional" Scott Lost
Six-Person Tag Team Match
Brandon Bonham, Candice LeRae, & Joey Ryan vs. The Cutler Brothers (Brandon & Dustin Cutler) & Christina Von Eerie
Tag Team Match
Johnny Goodtime & Jerome "LTP" Robinson vs. Malachi "CK" Jackson & Ryan Taylor
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's As The Worm Turns takes place Saturday, February 27, 2010, at 8:00 PM at American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, CA. American Legion Post #308 is located at 7338 Canby Ave., Reseda, CA 91335. Front Row tickets are $25, and General Admission tickets are $20. Online tickets orders are subject to the PayPal Service Charge (2.9% + $0.30). Tickets purchased in advance allow for priority admittance to the venue, along with guaranteed event seating. Online tickets sales for this event will begin on Monday, February 8, 2010 at 5:00PM, and end on February 24, 2010 at 11:59PM. Any remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the door. Video recording devices are not permitted. Card subject to change.