Following our recent trip to Mexico, checking out CMLL, this time let’s go north a tad and meet up in Reseda, California and look at one of wrestling’s kings of consistency. Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, established in 2003, has built a name themselves through hard work and dedication rarely seen elsewhere. 
A large reason that PWG is seen so fondly through the eyes of their dedicated fans is the talent that the promotion brings in. Throughout the years, they’ve made sure to typically only seek out the best of the best on the indie scene to fill their cards. Names like AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins all have worked there in the past, to name a few.
Their current lineup of frequent flyers is actually rather elite, too. The current PWG Champion is Zack Sabre Jr, who even newcomers to the outside world of wrestling should remember from the Cruiserweight Classic. The Tag Champs are the Lucha Brothers, Penta el OM and Rey Fenix, who many likely know best from Lucha Underground as Pentagon Jr and Fenix. I’d mention other noteworthy names, but really once you start watching the promotion, if you’re new to the indie scene, you’ll realize that most are noteworthy and that me attempting to elaborate on this would create a rather long ramble that no one really wants to go through.
You may wonder, how exactly PWG manages to fill their shows with so many talented names. Loose alliances with places like ROH and Impact, and utilizing freelancers which are common place, is their secret weapon.
PWG doesn’t run a tv format promotion. To watch them, you’ll need to actually support them. Buying dvds is the easiest way. If you want a nice history lesson, they have a series named PWG Sells Out that is well worth the cash. Outside of that, really any modern show is worth your time as well. For those who prefer to live in the now, Highspots has a network service that happens to also be a great way of watching PWG, as well as several other feds. Just remember to not be an asshole and to stay away from the sites that undermine these workers.
The big annual shows for PWG include the Battle of Los Angeles tournament, the Anniversary shows, All Star Weekend, Mystery Vortex, and the DDT4 tag tournament. They also run a variety of shows outside of these to fill the gaps. The BOLA series tends to be their big-deal shows. It’s a massive tournament that fills a weekend and is sure to induce goosebumps. Mystery Vortex is a semi-newer themed show, where the cards are meant to all be a surprise beforehand. While there are some minor stories from time to time, you can really jump into any show cold and it’ll be ok.
Now, while I mentioned that the talent is a big reason why PWG is considered so fondly, I’d be remiss not to mention the fans themselves. They shove into a tiny building with an average temperature of 200 degrees, and have passion rarely seen elsewhere. The crowds truly make the shows even better, and there’s always a chance to see someone famous turn up from time to time. The two refs also happen to be highly respected, as are Super Dragon and Excalibur who run things backstage. Plus, commentary for the shows is always a nice bonus to things with wrestlers joining Excalibur very often.
Now, please take this time to go watch a PWG show. Just one. If you don’t like it, at least you tried. If you do, congrats on finding a new promotion to watch.
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