Earlier this Christmas Eve night, two new competitors have been announced for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla’s Battle of Los Angeles 2022 tournament. While one may be familiar to wrestling fans, the other is nothing short of a mystery, adding intrigue to the upcoming tournament set to take place on January 29 and 30. Entering the PWG BOLA 2022 will be Buddy Matthews and an individual known simply as Phillip Five Skulls. What should viewers be aware of before PWG holds one of its biggest tournaments of the New Year? Here are the details to know.
Phillip Five Skulls is the fifteenth entrant in the 2022 Battle of Los Angeles!
— PWG (@OfficialPWG) December 25, 2021
Buddy Matthews & Phillip Five Skulls Enter the PWG BOLA 2022
Confirmed Competitors
- Jonah Rock
- Alex Shelley
- Kevin Blackwood
- Lio Rush
- Black Taurus
- Daniel Garcia
- Jack Cartwheel
- Bandido
- Lee Moriarty
- Davey Richards
- Aramis
- Jonathan Gresham
- JD Drake
- Rey Horus
- Phillip Five Skulls
- Buddy Matthews
Buddy Matthews is the sixteenth and final entrant in the 2022 Battle of Los Angeles!
— PWG (@OfficialPWG) December 25, 2021
What to Know About The Best Kept Secret and The Mystery Competitor
Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Buddy Matthews is best known for his time spent in World Wrestling Entertainment. He signed a developmental deal with the promotion in March 2013, reporting to WWE’s NXT territory. During his time on the black-and-gold brand, the man formerly known as Buddy Murphy saw success alongside Wesley Blake. Accompanied by Alexa Bliss, Blake and Murphy became NXT Tag Team Champions, holding the belts for a recognized 205 days. When Murphy made his way to the main roster in early 2018, he continued to see modest success, becoming the Cruiserweight Champion and winning the Raw tag team titles alongside Seth Rollins as the latter’s “disciple.” Furthermore, Murphy entered a storyline involving the Mysterio family, marking a temporary face turn for the Australian star. This past June, Murphy was released from WWE along with other members of the roster.
From there, Buddy Matthews has made his way across multiple independent organizations, including House of Glory, where he took on former WWE rival Malakai Black. He would also appear at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Battle in the Valley event, facing off against one of the company’s most prominent stars, Kazuchika Okada. The PWG BOLA 2022 marks the first Pro Wrestling Guerrilla appearance of Buddy Matthews and it goes without saying that all eyes will be on him.
One of the biggest mysteries heading into the PWG BOLA 2022, however, is Phillip Five Skulls. There has been considerable speculation regarding the identity of this mystery competitor, some possibilities being more common than others. These have ranged from Chris Hero, a PWG veteran in his own right, to current All Elite Wrestling star CM Punk. Fans have attempted to break down the given name of this mystery competitor, putting the proverbial pieces together in any way possible. Regardless, this will be an interesting mystery to see unravel.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. Keep up with Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on the company’s official website, as well as Twitter.
