Shows You Should See By Shaun Nichols

Shows You Should See: PWG Guerrre Sans Frontieres 4/9/2009

The Cutler Brothers (Brandon & Dustin Cutler) & Charles Mercury vs. Los Luchas (Phoenix Star & Zokre) & Malachi Jackson vs. Johnny Goodtime, Shane Haste & Jermome "LTP" Robinson  **3/4
Candice LeRae vs. Christina Von Eerie  *1/4
Human Tornado vs. Scott Lost  **1/2
Karl Anderson vs. Roderick Strong  ***1/4
Naruki Doi vs. Joey Ryan  ***
El Generico vs. Shingo Takagi  ****1/4
Brian Kendrick & The Young Bucks vs. CIMA & Motor City Machine Guns ****
Chris Hero vs Bryan Danielson  ****1/2

This show as been described as the 2009 Indy show of the year, and whether that is accuarate or not is surely up for for debate but what you can't argue with is that this is a really great show. Unlike a lot of independent shows PWG are fully aware of the issues of setting up a card and appreciate that that a card should build upwards.
The card starts with with a 3 way tag match which allows a number of their local wrestlers to feature on this show, there isn't a great deal of psychology in this match but what there is a number of big moves, one after the other. And while you can criticise that they did too much what they did do is set the card up in the best way possible. Fans really did love this move and it was a very entertaining way to kick off one of the best shows of 2009.
Next we have the debut of Christina Van Eeerie in PWG, who is still there by the way. I've seen a number of reports about this match from people that really liked this, fans at the show seemed perfectly happy with this as well by the well. I however have been a fan of AJW in the 1990's and have seen the greatest womens wrestling matches that have ever been seen. As a result I can call this as it was, it wasn't horrendous but had nothing to recommend it. LaRae wins in the end.
Matches continue quick and fast, PWG DVD's don't show the ring entrances which means things flow as well as they can. Scott Last also didn't wait for the ring introductions before attacking Tornado. As long established PWG stars the fans really enjoyed this and so did I for the short time it featured. This was booked as a typical 8 minute match and that's exactly what they delivered.
The first match that was given over 10 minutes was ROH's Roderick Strong against the equally stiff Karl Anderson, for those not aware of Karl Anderson and what he can bring to the table, the easy comparison is to Strong's ROH feud with Erick Stevens. Full of stiff kicks, forearms and chops the match did successfully build to its conclusion and was completely different from anything we had seen so far.
The first Dragon Gate star of the evening was Naruki Doi battling the 'Sleazy One' and while it was an absolutely fine encounter, as a big Doi fan I did expect more from this match. Fans were very appreciative from what they saw but the matches that were yet to come would surely illustrate what was to follow.
What didn't disappoint any wrestling fans was Shingo facing the greatest babyface of the independent scene: El Generico, fans were sad when they saw Shingo without his mullet. This was quickly forgotten especially when Generico dived from the ringside area through the ropes to the other side of the ring and Shingo caught him and dumped him. Generico is so awesome as the babyface that you can't help feel for him that the fans were struggling with their desire to cheer Shingo. This saw numerous big moves and ridiculous close falls until Shingo finally put Generico with a second Made in Japan (Last Falconry)
Speaking of dream matches was the semi main event and a welcome return for CIMA & Machine Guns, throughout the early minutes of this the babyfaces dominated every stage of the encounter. Rather than switching to an extended period of having the heels get the heat on one of their opponents, they decided to trade the advantage one way and then the other. The finale saw all six man hitting all manner of big moves and making the save to the extent that I thought I was watching classic NJPW from the late 1990's.
The main event delivers on a completely different level, the challenger Danielson is wrestling in his last PWG match before he left for the WWE, the champion Hero has held the title over 12 months. Fans completely fell in love with this match. Story is worked that the champ Hero is trying to prove that he rather than Danielson is the best in the world. Chris Hero is that good the fans are doing duelling chants saying that Hero sucks followed by Let's go Hero chants. You'll also see the largest number of elbows thrown by Hero than probably in other match. Fans end up trying to distract the ref when Danielson looks like he will be counted out. The main event goes a very enjoyable 40 minutes plus to end one of the best indy shows you could see in 2009 or any other year.
PWG realised that they should build this card up, by the time we see Doi vs. Ryan we have only just got past the one hour mark. They realise that they have three fantastic matches to end the show and that they want want those matches to be the important matches of the show. I've often wrote about shows struggling with pacing the show and as a result the show doesn't come off as well as it should have done PWG completely avoids this. All three matches deliver great matches, they are also delivered in three completely different ways and as a result all three matches come away as memorable in their own right. In short this is one show that you should go out of your way to see.