PWG News: Ricochet wins 2017 Battle of Los Angeles

What's the story?

Ricochet has become the first ever two-time winner of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Battle of Los Angeles. The King of Flight overcame Keith Lee and Jeff Cobb in the finals, guaranteeing himself a PWG World Championship shot in the process.

In case you didn't know...

If the NJPW G1 Climax is the premier tournament in wrestling, PWG's BOLA can't be too far behind. Spread over three days, the single-elimination tournament starts with 24 men before whittling the field down to three for the final.

The first edition of the tournament was won by Chris Bosh back in 2005, but that is a far cry from the spectacle it is today. Some of the best of the best have prevailed in the past, including Kenny Omega (2008), Zack Sabre Jr. (2015), Ricochet (2014), Adam Cole (2012) and El Generico (2011).

A shot at the PWG World Championship is the prize awaiting the winner of the tournament.

The heart of the matter

The 2017 Battle of Los Angeles featured arguably the most stacked line-up yet, with world class talent from all over the globe taking part. The field featured a mixture of frequent competitors (Ricochet, Brian Cage, Sami Callihan) and some first-time entrants (Travis Banks, WALTER, Joey Janela), and the semi-finals were a mixture of both.

Ricochet defeated Travis Banks to advance before Keith Lee and Jeff Cobb joined him by defeating Rey Fenix and Matt Riddle respectively. It was Ricochet who came out on top, in the end, pinning Lee after Blackzilla had pinned former Olympian Cobb.

Ricochet defeated Flamita and Desmond Xavier in the first and second rounds respectively, but he and Matt Sydal came up short in tag team action on night two, losing to Zack Sabre Jr. and Marty Scurll.

What's next?

After the match, Ricochet cut a heel promo, saying he was going to win the PWG World Championship before moving on to 'bigger and better things'. It is well known that the man known as Prince Puma is about to depart from Lucha Underground, and wrestling companies around the world will be queueing up to sign the Florida-based 28-year-old.

Author's take

My money was on Matt Riddle to take home the trophy, but it is difficult to disagree with the decision to make Ricochet the first two-time winner in BOLA history. Chuck Taylor is the current PWG World Champion, and Chucky T taking on a heel Ricochet makes for an intriguing championship match-up.

Either way, it sounds like another fantastic Battle of Los Angeles is in the books.

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