Episode 459: Tony Watches PWG with Excalibur!

·1 hr 57 min·5 clips

Tony Schiavone, wrestling's iconic voice, gets emotional about his dog before diving into his first-ever full PWG match.

The episode begins with host Tony Schiavone sharing a personal moment of missing his dog before introducing the main activity: watching a Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show for the first time. Co-host Conrad Thompson joins, and they are soon joined by special guest Excalibur, a PWG founder and current AEW commentator. They watch PWG's 'Steenwolf' event from October 22, 2011. Excalibur explains he chose this show because it features the first ladder match between Kevin Steen and El Generico and showcases many wrestlers who would become stars in AEW, WWE, and elsewhere. He reveals that 80 current AEW employees have worked at least one PWG match. The conversation delves into PWG's home, the American Legion Hall #308 in Reseda, California, described as a leaky, moldy, yet iconic 'Mecca' for indie wrestlers. Excalibur details PWG's razor-thin business model, relying on DVD sales and selling out 500-seat shows. He shares his own wrestling career, which ended in 2008 due to multiple concussions, leading him to focus on commentary. Stories include the Young Bucks' evolution in PWG, the DIY tag team titles made of cardboard, and a backstage shoot fight between Chris Hero and Eddie Kingston. The episode mixes match commentary with anecdotes about celebrities attending shows, fan chants originating in indie wrestling, and the lasting friendships formed on the indie circuit. They watch matches featuring TJ Perkins vs. Rocky Romero, Ricochet vs. Chuck Taylor, and The Young Bucks vs. Future Shock (Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilly), with Excalibur providing historical context on each performer's career trajectory.

As heard by us

A loose PWG watch-along with real warmth for DVD-era indie wrestling history.

Tony Schiavone moves from missing Bug, who made it 14 years, into the pleasure of settling in for a match, and that tonal swing gives the episode its shape: personal, casual, and always drifting back toward wrestling.

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Why you'd press play

You get a PWG watch-along, a 500-seat Legion Hall story, and the DVDs that found fans in mall stores.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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