Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, a notable independent promotion based in Southern California since its inception in 2003, has consistently featured the best talent and the most must-see matchups in all of professional wrestling. Boasting lineups similar to an All-Star Game in other sports, each of the promotion's shows is something special.
With such packed cards, PWG has made a habit of pairing wrestlers who aren't usually tag teams together in an attempt to get as many talented performers as possible on their shows. Many of the promotion's pairings were actually quite interesting in hindsight.
10 Matt Riddle & Jeff Cobb
From December 2016 to April 2018, Jeff Cobb and Matt Riddle teamed together as The Chosen Bros in PWG. Cobb and Riddle delighted PWG crowds with their hard-hitting tandem offense, which seemed all the more devastating to their opponents since both men in this tag team thrived in legitimate combat sports.
Interestingly, The Chosen Bros are actually the most recent duo to hold the PWG World Tag Team Championships other than the current champions, Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz of The Rascalz. Cobb and Riddle were forced to disband The Chosen Bros shortly after losing the titles, as Riddle signed a deal with WWE in July 2018.
9 Ilja Dragunov & Shingo Takagi
Shingo Takagi, who made his first appearance on a PWG show all the way back in 2006, returned to the promotion for the 2018 Battle of Los Angeles. During his triumphant return to Reseda, Shingo joined forces with Russian star Ilja Dragunov to face Timothy Thatcher and WALTER on Night 1 of the 2018 BOLA in September 2018.
Following a tough battle, the unlikely pairing was unsuccessful against Ringkampf on Night 1. In an interesting turn of events, Shingo and Dragunov shared the ring again on Night 2. Only this time, the two were opponents. Shingo defeated Dragunov en route to his surprise appearance in the 2018 BOLA finals.
8 Zack Sabre Jr. & Marty Scurll
Before he was "The Villain," Marty Scurll was a tag team specialist with partner Zack Sabre Jr. The duo formed a successful pairing in the United Kingdom early in their careers, performing together on the UK indies as The Leaders of the New School.
By 2017, Scurll and Sabre Jr. had already curtailed teaming together on a regular basis in order to focus on their singles careers. In a move that delighted their American fanbase, the duo decided to reunite in PWG. Performing under the updated moniker LDRS, Scurll and Sabre Jr. showcased their skills in a handful of stellar tag team matches in 2017.
7 Timothy Thatcher & WALTER
WALTER and Timothy Thatcher started teaming together in German promotion wXw during the latter half of 2016. The hard-hitting pair adopted the moniker Ringkampf and the philosophy "Die Matte ist heilig," which translates to "The mat is sacred." WALTER made his much-anticipated PWG debut in the 2017 Battle of Los Angeles, while Thatcher had been working for the promotion sporadically for a few years.
The duo first teamed together in Reseda at Mystery Vortex V in January 2018. Although Ringkampf had success as a team in PWG, WALTER and Thatcher are remembered by fans as good friends, but better enemies due to their memorable bouts against each other.
6 Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Haskins
Mark Haskins and Flash Morgan Webster teamed up to face The Young Bucks on Night 2 of All-Star Weekend 13 in October 2017. Haskins and Webster, both of whom hail from the United Kingdom, were relative newcomers to the American independent scene at the time. The duo did test Matt and Nick Jackson, but they came out on the losing end.
Although these two weren't successful as a tag team, they've still gone on to have success in their respective careers. Webster is currently signed to the NXT UK brand and Haskins is under contract with Ring of Honor.
5 Brian Cage & Michael Elgin
Brian Cage and Michael Elgin first teamed together as The Unbreakable F'n Machines during the 2013 DDT4 tag team tournament. Following a brief run with the PWG World Tag Team Championships during their debut appearance on January 12, 2013, Cage and Elgin worked together in a PWG ring on a fairly consistent basis until July 2017.
Both men were rising stars when The Unbreakable F'n Machines first formed, and their value as singles performers steadily rose as the years went on. Cage and Elgin stopped working PWG shows in late 2017. Interestingly, the two men later squared off for the Impact World Championship at Slammiversary XVII in July 2019.
4 Rich Swann & Ricochet
The 2013 DDT4 tag team tournament boasted one of the most stacked fields in the event's history. The tournament's overall significance to PWG lore can't be understated, especially since it featured the debut of The Inner City Machine Guns tag team.
Rich Swann and Ricochet had been teaming together regularly in Japanese promotion Dragon Gate and Dragon Gate USA since early 2012, but the Reseda crowd had never seen the two high-fliers on the same page prior to January 2013. The duo went on to become fan favorites in PWG, teaming together in countless battles until their final appearance at the 2015 Battle of Los Angeles.
3 Chris Hero & Tommy End
Tommy End and Chris Hero met in singles competition at Don't Sweat The Technique in April 2015. Hero was the winner on that particular night, but when The Knockout Artist needed a partner to face Fenix and Pentagon Jr. on Night 2 of the 2016 Battle of Los Angeles, End agreed to team up with his old foe in tag team action.
Unfortunately for End and Hero, the pair was unsuccessful in their bid to upset The Lucha Bros. End and Hero both left PWG in late 2016 and signed WWE contracts. The duo went on to become Aleister Black and Kassius Ohno, respectively, in NXT.
2 Eddie Edwards & Roderick Strong
Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong are two of the most influential performers to ever work on the American independent wrestling scene. Edwards and Davey Richards made up The American Wolves, a highly successful tag team in several promotions. Strong was primarily a singles competitor, but he forged several memorable alliances along the way.
Edwards and Strong first banded together in Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2010. The team, named The Dojo Bros, returned to action two years later and made their PWG debut at Mystery Vortex in December 2012. Edwards and Strong continued teaming together over the next year until Edwards left PWG to sign a TNA contract.
1 Chuck Taylor & Kenny Omega
Chuck Taylor was a man of many tag teams in PWG. His most memorable alliance was the one he forged with partner Trent Beretta, which still lives on in AEW to this day. But his most interesting team in PWG was one most fans likely don't remember at all.
Taylor and Kenny Omega worked together as a duo dubbed Men Of Low Moral Fiber throughout 2009, even entering the DDT4 tag team tournament. They feuded with El Generico, now known as Sami Zayn, and filmed funny skits together. Their videos look like vignettes from an episode of Being The Elite, which is ironic since both men now appear on the humorous YouTube series each week.