PWG Battle of Los Angeles Entrant Rundown

PWG has announced the full list of participants for their annual Battle of Los Angeles tournament and it is quite the eclectic mix. With that in mind, I thought I would do a quick rundown of the competitors and what chance I think they have of winning. 

Adam Brooks

The 'Loose Ledge' has been impressive in his performances in both the US and UK, including in PWG, and he should provide a good match against whichever opponent he is given. 

Chance of winning: Not great. He may well make it to the second round though.

Bandido

He had a pair of great matches at All-Star Weekend 14 and he is beginning to become a favourite among the PWG faithful. There are a number of possible matchups that could steal the show on nights 1 or 2. 

Chance of winning: Middle of the pack. It wouldn't be completely out of the question but it would be a surprise.

Brody King

He has impressed in PWG this year and is another in the line of modern big men. His tag match against Ringkampf has made me really want to see a singles match against WALTER.

Chance of winning: A dark horse outsider. I don't think he will win but he may pick up a big name scalp along the way.

Chris Brookes

All around lanky UK wrestler that is beginning to make a name for himself on the worldwide stage. He has a chance to impress the PWG crowd and make himself a regular fixture.

Chance of winning: He could well lose in a valiant first round effort against someone like Riddle or Cobb. 

CIMA

Won the 2007 BOLA tournament, where he beat Roderick Strong and El Generico in the final and lost to Davey Richards in the 2006 final. He is still one of the world's most consistent performers and is pretty much guaranteed to have at least one stand out performance. 

Chance of winning: It is certainly possible, though I think a semi-final exit would be the betting favourite.

Darby Allin

Has made his name in Evolve and, to a lesser extent, FIP. Recently had a great match against WALTER and is on the verge of breaking out. He is also a crazy person and a first round match against Joey Janela could be fucking nuts.

Chance of winning: The more I think about it the more a first round exit to the more established Janela makes sense. 

David Starr

If you need somebody for your wrestling tournament then Starr is your man. He has been in a ton of them and regularly makes it into to the latter stages. This could be because he consistently performs at a very high level. 

Chance of winning: Doubtful. Literally anything from a first round exit to a loss in the final is possible though.

DJZ

He has had a sneaky good 18 months. He plays the dickhead heel really well and that Daft Punk suit is fucking brilliant. Should be a blast to watch. 

Chance of winning: Nope. He should be great in the 10-man tag on day 3 though. 

Flamita

Young but incredibly talented high flier that has been impressive for the last few years. He will inevitably have a crazy, athletic spectacle with somebody during the tournament. 

Chance of winning: I would say that it's unlikely. 

Ilja Dragunov

This is Dragunov's PWG debut and I cannot wait for it. He is the wXw champion and has been absolutely killing it since he returned from injury. An intense wrestler that is among the best in the world and has a ton of potentially incredible matches on the horizon. 

Chance of winning: You wouldn't think a debutant would win but I definitely wouldn't put it beyond the realm of possibility. I would welcome it too. 

Jeff Cobb

A former BOLA finalist and PWG tag team champion that always puts in good performances, and due to his combination of strength and athleticism he can put on entertaining matches with anyone on the roster. 

Chance of winning: I would expect a run to the semi-final at best but if he were to win, a match with WALTER would be great.

Jody Fleisch

Well, this one caught me off guard. There was a time when Fleisch was arguably the best high flier in wrestling, but that was a while ago and I haven't seen a great deal from him in recent years so I'm not really up to date on how good he is in the current climate. The dude is jacked though.

Chance of winning: I would say less than zero.

Joey Janela

Good old batshit crazy Joey Janela. His match against Sammy Guevara at last year's tournament was a joy to behold and he could definitely provide something similar this year. 

Chance of winning: I honestly couldn't say. He is the kind of wrestler that you can do anything with and nobody would question it. 

Jonah Rock

The big bastard Australian has improved nicely during his time in PWG and has recently competed for the PWG Title. Given the right opponent, he is definitely capable of putting together a memorable match. 

Chance of winning: Definitely possible. PWG seem to be high on the guy and that is really all that matters.

Matt Riddle

Bro. 

Chance of winning: Pretty good. He's Matt Riddle.

PCO

If he is only in the tournament to have a follow up to his Mania weekend match with WALTER it will still be worth it. That match was crazy and one of the most fun matches I've seen this year. 

Chance of winning: I would say a first round exit is quite likely. He should be good fun throughout the weekend though.

Puma King

I don't watch a great deal of lucha libre so I am not that familiar with King's body of work. 

Chance of winning: I have no basis for my assessment but I'll say that he has no chance.

Rey Horus

He has been on the PWG roster for a year or so now and he is always good value for something exciting. I would expect him to be part of a lucha vs Dragon Gate 6-man tag on one of the days.

Chance of winning: Semi-final is his upper limit.

Robbie Eagles

Another product of the burgeoning Australia/New Zealand wrestling scene. He has recently started to make a name for himself in America and has a chance to make a statement here. 

Chance of winning: He could pick up an upset victory in round 1 but I doubt he will go further than that. 

Shingo Takagi

For years now Shingo has been one of the unsung heroes of the Japanese wrestling scene. If he wrestled for a company that got more eyes on it, he would be talked about as one of the world's best. 

Chance of winning: He could absolutely win it. In an ideal world, the final will be three from him, Riddle, WALTER, and Dragunov.

T-Hawk

T-Hawk is one of those Dragon Gate wrestlers that I forget exists. He will put in a good performance in his first round match and look great as part of the inevitable 6-man tag.

Chance of winning: The least likely, by a way, of the DG wrestlers to make a major impact on this tournament.

Timothy Thatcher

Hard hitting, no nonsense technical brawler that delivers most of the time in a PWG ring. He was half of one of the best matches of the year against WALTER and that would be a great match to see again. 

Chance of winning: While the story of Thatcher winning and facing his Ringkampf partner for the title is an interesting one, I don't see it happening.

Travis Banks

WWE UK Tournament finalist and current PROGRESS champion. He had a good showing in last year's BOLA and has been getting better and better all the time. I would expect him to put some great performances in here too. 

Chance of winning: A definite possibility. With the relative name value, he now holds, and his talent, a deep run in this tournament seems nailed on. 

WALTER

The current PWG champion has been among the best wrestlers in the world this year. Every time he steps in the ring he delivers and the possibility of seeing him face the likes of Shingo is mouth watering. 

Chance of winning: While it would be out of the ordinary for the champion to win the tournament, he is definitely among the favourites. Should he lose earlier in the tournament, they will have a ready made title match waiting for them in the future.