PWG Kurt Russellreunion 2

[Crippler]

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla presents Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning at WrestleReunion 5 on January 29, 2011!
By Silverback, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Staff Writer

Los Angeles, CA - In January of 2010, quite a few professional wrestling fans attending WrestleReunion 4 got their first taste of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com) at Kurt Russellreunion. Many of those fans decided that Pro Wrestling Guerrilla just wasn't for them. "It's too exciting," "My doctor says I shouldn't exert myself by having such a good time," and "They seem nice, but what really kept me from enjoying the show was the lack of a Legends Battle Royale" was some of the (ultra-specifc) feedback we received after last year's event. Well fear not, curmudgeonly professional wrestling fans, because Pro Wrestling Guerrilla has listened to your complaints and disregarded the vast majority of them in order to create the greatest professional wrestling event ever to take place at WrestleReunion 5: Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning!

Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning takes place on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles, CA, as a part of WrestleReunion 5, presented by Highspots. Tickets for the event are on sale now at http://www.wrestlereunion.com or http://www.highspots.com. Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning is scheduled to feature:

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship Title Match
Claudio Castagnoli (Champion) vs. El Generico (Challenger)

-- At Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's final event of 2010, Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison, the World Tag Team Champions ¡Peligro Abejas! (El Generico & Paul London) were scheduled to face the Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli & Chris Hero) in a non-title tag team dream match. However, just prior to the match starting Chris Hero requested that the champions put their titles on the line to give the fans an even more memorable match to close out the year with. ¡Peligro Abejas! accepted the challenge and agreed to put their titles on the line, but with a single caveat: World Champion Claudio Castagnoli would then have to defend his title against either Paul London or El Generico at a later date. Claudio agreed to the terms, and two title matches were made. Unfortunately for the Kings, they were defeated by the reigning champions at Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison. Now it is up to Claudio to see if he can have the same success in his first title defense at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, when he takes on El Generico.

Many fans were surprised when Claudio Castagnoli captured the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship, but when one factors in his dominant performances since returning to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, it would almost be more shocking if he weren't World Champion at this point. After an over-two-year absence from Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Claudio's comeback started at the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles, where a series of impressive victories put him through all the way to the Semi-Final Round, where he would meet eventual tournament winner Joey Ryan. Joey had the upper hand that day, but the two men would meet again a month later at The Curse of Guerrilla Island (along with the other Battle of Los Angeles semi-finalists Brandon Gatson and Chris Hero) to face-off for the vacant Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship. Claudio would prevail in that match and become the seventeenth Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion, and now at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, Claudio will defend the title for the first time against former World Champion and current World Tag Team Champion El Generico.

When looking at the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla title histories, there is a a single name that comes up over and over again: El Generico. Generico began winning titles in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in 2005 when he and Human Tornado captured the World Tag Team Championship, and in the intervening five-and-a-half years Generico has seen his share of ups and downs, but is now looking to be on top of both the singles and tag team scene once again. "Once again" because El Generico is the only man to ever hold the double crown, the World Championship and World Tag Team Championship, simultaneously, and he's done it twice. Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning will provide El Generico with the unique opportunity of becoming a double crown champion for the third time, and what better place for El Generico to make history than at WrestleReunion 5?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Singles Match
Low Ki vs. Davey Richards

-- Fun Fact: Only three champions have ever vacated the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship title, and none of those three former champions has ever gotten a chance to reclaim their title. At Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, two of those former champions will meet on the first step of the journey to regaining the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship when Low Ki faces Davey Richards for the first time in nearly four years.

As the eleventh Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Champion, Low Ki looked to be nearly unstoppable as champion until a freak knee injury proved to be the one thing that could stop the World Warrior. After surgery and months of physical therapy, Low Ki returned to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and ultimately won the 2008 Battle of Los Angeles. Most everyone expected for Low Ki to challenge then-champion Chris Hero, even Low Ki himself, until he received a call with from a 203 area code. At Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, Low Ki will make his long awaited return to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla intent on reclaiming the title he was never defeated for.

Davey Richards will be making his return to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, a scant four months after Japanese commitments forced Davey to relinquish the title after only two successful title defenses. Like Low Ki, Davey Richards is a previous Battle of Los Angeles tournament, and also like Low Ki, Davey Richards' singular goal is to recapture the World Championship title (other similarities between the two include the fact that they both kick very hard, can use high-flying maneuvers with great results, and a strong affection for dogs).

With both men aiming for the same target a collision between the two was inevitable, so the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla Board of Directors decided "Why wait? Let these two destroy each other for the fans at WrestleReunion 5! They'll be the real winners in this confrontation.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Attraction Singles Match
Mr. Ãguila vs. Rey Bucanero

-- With some fans traveling from all over the world for WrestleReunion 5, this may be the first time that they are able to see a live Pro Wrestling Guerrilla event. But after flying all that way, some fans may feel the need to take in some lucha libre. After all, coming to Southern California and not checking out some lucha libre would be like going to Philadelphia and not having a Cheese Steak. Exactly like that. So rather than having the WrestleReunion attendees risk traveling down to Mexico (and potentially waking up in a bathtub full of ice and missing a kidney), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and Highspots decided to bring the lucha libre to you! Plus, all of our kidneys are tip-top, so we'll save the abduction/unwanted surgical removal thing until we really need it. So, in a special attraction match for Mr. Ãguila and Rey Bucanero will continue their bitter rivalry at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning!

This match will actually serve as a rematch for their December 2010 headlining contest at Arena Mexico where Rey Bucanero defeated Mr. Ãguila in a brutal cabellera vs. cabellera (hair vs. hair) match. Shortly after he agreed to be part of WrestleReunion 5, Mr. Ãguila requested that he be able to redeem himself after his loss (and haircut) by continuing his rivalry with Rey Bucanero in the United States, and Highspots and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla were happy to oblige! What took place next was weeks and weeks of intense negotiation, but just recently all of the pieces fell into place, and we are proud to present this main event-caliber match as a part of Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Championship Title Number One Contenders Match
The Cutler Brothers (Brandon & Dustin Cutler) vs. The Fightin' Taylor Boys (Brian Cage-Taylor & Ryan Taylor) vs. RockNES Monsters (Johnny Goodtime & Johnny Yuma) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)

-- While one half of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Tag Team Champions is fighting for the World Championship Title, and the other is conducting interstellar humanitarian missions on the war-torn planet of Tuchanka (in the Aralakh System), the top tag teams in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla will face off at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning to determine the number one contenders for the titles. Only one team of the four, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), has ever held the World Tag Team titles before, and they are the most dominant tag team in history to hold the titles, so they are clearly the team to beat in this match.

However, The Cutler Brothers (Brandon & Dustin Cutler) proved that they may have unlocked the secret to beating the Young Bucks, picking up their first ever victory over the former tag team champions at the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles. Not only that, but the Cutlers defeated the RockNES Monsters at Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison as well, giving them a leg up on two-thirds of their competition in this match.

But don't count out the RockNES Monsters just yet. Fans who were in attendance at WrelsteReunion 4 saw that Johnny Goodtime was willing risk life, limb, and permanent personal well-being in order to secure a victory, and his performances over the course of 2010 show that he's only become more reckless over time! And with a slightly more level-headed Johnny Yuma fight at his side (only slightly, this guy is nuts, too), the RockNES Monsters may prove to be biggest wild card in this match.

That leaves just one more team: Brian Cage-Taylor and Ryan Taylor, The Fightin' Taylor Boys. After being defeated by The Young Bucks in December, The Taylors received a phone call expressing the disappointment of the Taylor family around the world. From England to Canada to Japan, the Taylor family was heartbroken, but none more so than Papa Taylor himself. With Chuck Taylor called away on "important Jap beatin' business" (his words, not ours), it now falls to Brian Cage-Taylor and Ryan Taylor to not only redeem the Taylor name, but to insure that the Taylor Boys have a chance to win the World Tag Team Championship titles in 2011.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Jake "The Snake" Roberts Retirement Match
Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Sinn Bodhi (with Stacy Carter)

-- There are few names that strike fear in the hearts of the inner child of the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla staff members, but Jake "The Snake" Roberts is one of them. While never the most physically gifted athlete, Jake Roberts was peerless when it came to psychological warfare inside the squared circle. One could even say "he wrote the book on it," which would make Jake Roberts professional wrestling's Sun Tzu, an assessment we would all agree with. But like every book, the story of Jake Roberts' career as professional wrestler must come to an end, and we are honored to have the final page written at Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning.

To many fans, the choice of a final opponent for Jake "The Snake" Roberts may seem odd, however once put in the proper context, it truly makes sense. Sinn Bodhi was always an admirer of Jake Roberts, even well before his career as a professional wrestler began. Once he began traveling the world to ply his trade, Bodhi used many of the techniques that Roberts perfected in order to undermine the confidence of his opponents. But it wasn't until 2009 when Sinn Bodhi was a performer with the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow, which also featured Jake "The Snake" Roberts, that Bodhi began to learn from the master himself. Since then, he has become known as Jake Roberts' protégé, and the honor of facing the legendary in-ring tactician in his final match falls to Sinn Bodhi. Will Bodhi be able to prevail over his teacher, or will Jake "The Snake" Roberts prove that he's got a final trick up his sleeve?

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Singles Match
Chris Hero vs. "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen

-- In nearly eight years of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, only fourteen men have ever been able to call themselves World Champion, and not counting current champion Claudio Castagnoli, thirteen men want to have that title back. By all accounts, winning a World Championship is perhaps the most addictive thing in professional wrestling. Your life changes for the better: you become more popular, you make more money, loose women throw themselves at your feet, and thanks to the Ric Flair clause of 1978, all champions receive a reusable Fast Pass to Space Mountain at Disneyland. That's a pretty good deal, right? Now imagine having all of that taken away. Sure, your life might be the same as before you won the title, but now you've had a taste of what it's like to champion, and you can never go back. After losing the title, you are consumed with the need to get that title back (if for nothing other than the huge time savings at Disneyland).

That is exactly the situation Chris Hero and "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen find themselves in. Like Low Ki, El Generico, and Davey Richards, Hero and Steen are dead set on recapturing the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship, and will take on anyone if it means bringing them a step closer to the title. At Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning, Chris Hero and Kevin Steen will attempt to derail each other's quest to become top contender for the Pro Wrestling Guerrilla World Championship, all while advancing their own quest. For Hero, a win here could mean an eventual showdown with fellow King of Wrestling Claudio Castagnoli, a possibility both men are aware of and have accepted. For Steen, a win here could mean that he could ride Space Mountain 250 times, beating his previous record of 221, which was set during his first reign as champion in 2005.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Singles Match
Shane Helms vs. "Hollywood Submission Machine" Joey Ryan

-- Since winning the 2010 Battle of Los Angeles, Joey Ryan has been saving (and savoring) his Winner's Choice match that comes as a part of winning the tournament. For those unaware, the winner of the Battle of Los Angeles has the opportunity to challenge any opponent for any match, any time in the next calendar year. Previously, this opportunity has been cashed in for shots at both the World Championship and World Tag Team Championship, and Joey has made it very clear that he will be using his opportunity for a shot at World Champion Claudio Castagnoli. Now that the who and the what have been taken care of, it's all just a matter of when.

Joey Ryan has stated he is going to do everything he can to get in the head of the World Champion before he cashes in his shot at the title. Claudio Castagnoli already admitted that he respects the technical and submission wrestling abilities of Joey Ryan, but it is Joey's goal to make Claudio fear him. Now, we can't imagine Claudio Castagnoli being afraid of many things (spiders, perhaps?), but after the way Joey dismantled 2010 Battle of Los Angeles semi-finalist Brandon Gatson at Cyanide: A Loving Tribute to Poison, perhaps there is something to be afraid of in Joey Ryan.

Unwittingly thrust into the middle of all this is international superstar Shane Helms. When asked to be a part of WrestleReunion 5, Helms was more than happy to have the chance to connect with his fans and compete in front of everyone in attendance in Los Angeles that weekend. Now Shane Helms finds himself in a position where Joey Ryan wants to use Helms to show Claudio Castagnoli that no one is safe from the "Hollywood Submission Machine." One can only imagine that Shane Helms has no intention of allowing Joey Ryan, or anyone else for that matter, to use him as subpar sparring partner.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Legends Battle Royale
The Barbarian vs. "Dangerous" Danny Davis vs. Shane Douglas vs. Terry Funk vs. Mike Graham vs. Sean Morley vs. Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart vs. Barry Orton vs. Bob Orton vs. Ken Patera vs. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper vs. Rock Riddle vs. Tatanka vs. Tito Santana vs. Vampiro vs. Savio Vega vs. Warlord

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Eight-Person Tag Team Match
Cedric Alexander, Brandon Gatson, Candice LeRae, & Willie Mack vs. "Pretty" Peter Avalon, Caleb Konley, "The Manscout" Jake Manning, & Christina Von Eerie

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning takes place on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at the LAX Hilton as a part of WrestleReunion 5, presented by Highspots. The LAX Hilton is located at 5711 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90045. Event information is available at http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com. Ticketing information for Kurt Russellreunion 2: The Reunioning and WrestleReunion 5 can be found on the official WrestleReunion 5 website, http://www.wrestlereunion.com. Video recording devices are not permitted. Card subject to change.

RANDOMNESS..