15 Greatest Match Finishes In Modern Wrestling History
12. Bullet Club Vs. Will Ospreay, Matty Sydal & Ricochet - PWG Battle Of Los Angeles 2016
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla to you was either exhilarating or obnoxious, depending on whether you've watched it or whether you have listened to Jim Cornette's description of the invisible hand grenade spot.
Even those who were willing to accept its elastic approach to what makes "sense" weren't into all of it, but that was the point. PWG was a haven of unadulterated expression. That was often a synonym of self-indulgence, true, but when something hit, the high was incredible.
PWG played in front of around 300 hardcore ultras. These fans had seen everything, yet demanded more. The wrestlers chosen to work there - and that was a sign of virtually guaranteed TV stardom for a few years in the mid-2010s - were locked in a competition to make the taste-making, discerning crowd lose their minds. It was far more difficult than a certain narrative might suggest. They would not pop for any old easy, shallow spot-fest; the Young Bucks tried that as babyfaces, and Bryan Danielson and Roderick Strong were once cheered for legitimately kicking their heads in.
When the Bucks turned heel, they got over by flexing their creativity in front of the fans. They were cleverer than the "ball-knowers" - so clever that the knew the heat was in their dented pride. Those fans entered meltdown mode at the finish of this demented six-man. It wasn't a flexing, soulless dance.
This was counter-heavy pro wrestling that put in the work to earn its delirium. Ricochet beckoned Sydal in the ring; Ospreay grabbed Ricochet's face to scream tactics at him. The finish wasn't just obviously mapped in the back; the teams made it seem as if it were unfolding in real-time.
The Bucks were foiled attempting More Bang For Your Buck, but Matt won back the advantage with a maverick Tombstone reversal from a Ricochet tilt-a-whirl. Before Nick could execute the Meltzer Driver, Ospreay cut him off at the pass with an awesome top-rope Oscutter. Sydal one-upped the Meltzer Driver by using the shooting star press as a set-up before all three babyfaces executed perfectly synchronised stereo shooting stars for the win.