By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “You Wouldn’t Understand”
Streamed on FITE TV
June 18, 2022 in New York, New York at the Melrose Ballroom
Dave Prazak, Nick Knowledge and Kevin Gill rotated on commentary. The show opened with a nice video montage from the last show in New York. Wrestlers are already in the ring!
1. Blake Christian defeated Jordan Oliver, Jack Cartwheel, Alec Price, Cole Radrick, John Wayne Murdoch, Kommander, in a seven-way scramble match at 9:33. Blake has cut his hair short; the ponytail is gone. My first time seeing Kommander; he is a short luchador in a mask. Kommander and Cartwheel traded quick offense early. Blake hit a backbreaker over his knee on Radrick. Price hit a dive to teh floor at 4:00. Blake hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone. Cartwheel hit his handspring flip to the floor. In an impressive spot, Kommander walked on the top rope from one corner to another, then hit a flip dive onto everyone. Great balance.
Price hit a double stomp to Kommander’s chest. Murdoch, the biggest man in the match and a hardcore wrestler, began working over everyone. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick on Murdoch at 6:00. Cartwheel hit a Death Valley Driver on Radrick. Kommander hit a tornado DDT on Cartwheel. Blake hit two brainbusters on Kommander. He went for a third, but Oliver snuck up behind him and hit a German Suplex. They did a tower spot out of the corner with Price hitting double Blockbusters at 9:00. However, Blake hit a mid-ring double stomp on Price to score the pin. That was a sprint, with all seven having a chance to shine.
2. “Action” Mike Jackson defeated Joey Janela at 13:08. I saw Jackson wrestle on a show from Atlanta a few months ago; he is 72 and wears a blue singlet. He’s in amazing shape for his age. They traded mat reversals Early in the match, Jackson dove through the ropes, and the crowd chanted “holy shit!” In the ring, Janela hit a German Suplex at 4:00. Jackson hit some shoulder tackles.
Jackson did the Old School walk along the top rope (while holding Janela’s hand), before hitting the drop on the arm. They went to the floor, with Jackson now walking on the top of the guardrail. However, they vanished in darkness because of poor lighting. In the ring, Janela hit a Death Valley Driver, but Jackson kicked out, and he yanked down the straps on his singlet, to the roar of the crowd They traded punches, and Janela hit a superkick for a nearfall at 10:00. Janela got a chair, and he hit a top-rope double stomp onto the chair as it was lying on Jackson’s chest, to get a nearfall.
Janela got a door and set it up in the ring. Jackson hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 12:30. Jackson hit a top-rope frogsplash onto Janela as Joey was lying on the door, and Jackson got the shocking pin. Fun match, and Janela did his best to protect the senior citizen.
3. Jack Evans vs. Ninja Mack at 8:07. Prazak talked about this being a high-flying dream match. An intense lockup to start, and they traded good reversals, and they took turns doing handstands. Evans hit a springboard spin kick at 4:00. They brawled on the floor. Evans hit a cartwheel-into-a-spash from a short stage. Back in the ring, Evans hit a German supex out of the corner.
Ninja Mack fired back with a corkscrew senton for a nearfall at 7:00. Evans hit a Northern Lights suplex, then a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Evans missed his top-rope 630 Splash, and he came down HARD on his neck. Mack covered him and scored the pin. The referee checked on Evans and it appeared he is legit injured. Mack helped him to his feet and held his hand above his head. Evans was helped to the back. I can’t believe that was the planned finish, so hopefully Evans is just momentarily stunned.
4. Masha Slamovich defeated Marko Stunt in an intergender match at 12:11. While I don’t like intergender matches, she is taller and probably heavier than Stunt. Stunt is wearing a black singlet with one strap, like Andre the Giant. She out-wrestled him early on, and she hit a gut-wrench suplex. They brawled to the floor, where she hit a modified Stomp on the thin mat at 2:30. Stunt hit a huracanrana, then a dropkick in the corner. He nailed a running knee to the side of her head as she was lying in the corner.
Stunt hit a hard chop, so she unloaded several on him, then a headbutt. They avoided each other’s big moves, then she hit a spin kick to the head at 6:00. They fought in the corner and he kicked her legs, sending her crashing onto the turnbuckle. Stunt hit a brainbuster for a nearfall, and the announcers criticized him for not hooking the leg. Masha hit a spin fist and a German Suplex. Marko hit a running knee, and they were both down at 8:30.
Masha hit another spin kick for a nearfall. Stunt hit a double stomp to her chest. Masha nailed a Dragon Suplex for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Stunt hit a DDT as her feet were on the ropes. Stunt hit a chokeslam, but she popped to her feet! The crowd chanted, “you f—ed up!” She hit a release German Suplex. She put Stunt along her back and hit a modified Tombstone piledriver for a believable nearfall. However, she immediately hit a package piledriver for the pin. I’m not surprised by this outcome, as Masha has come so close to beating other men in recent shows.
5. Gringo Loco, ASF, and Drago Kid defeated Joel Maximo, Jose Maximo, and Will Maximo at 14:03. They all shook hands before the bell. The Maximos are dressed identically and I can’t tell them apart. Gringo started and traded good offense. Drago got in and hit some quicker moves. ASF tried a flip to the floor but was caught. A Maximo dove through the ropes and nailed ASF. Gringo hit a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, a Maximo hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Drago Kid at 3:30, and the Maximos began working him over. They hit the Washing Machine spinning faceplant on Drago Kid at 5:30.
ASF hit a frogsplash after jumping off Loco’s shoulders. Loco then hit a moonsault for a nearfall. The Maximos tied ASF upside down in the corner and they all hit dropkicks on his face. Drago Kid got in and hit a huracanrana. Loco tagged in at 10:30, and he hit a top-rope corkscrew press for a nearfall. A Maximo hit a German Suplex on Drago Kid. Suddenly, everyone was down. The Maximos hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Drago Kid at 13:00. Gringo Loco hit a top-rope Falcon Arrow to score the pin. Good match, and I’m surprised to see the Maximos lose here.
* A band member from Wheatus was supposed to play Nate Webb’s theme song, “Teenage Dirtbag.” However, Charles Mason walked out, wearing a full black suit. He is doing a gimmick similar to Joe Gacy or Sinister Minister.
6. Charles Mason defeated Nate Webb at 4:46. Webb came through the crowd and attacked Mason from behind. This feud has been going a few months, so it’s heated. Webb went for a dive through the ropes but stopped awkwardly, and Mason hit a DDT on him. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Mason hit a belly-to-back suplex for a nearfall at 3:00, and he ripped at Webb’s mouth. Webb grabbed a chair and did a top-rope moonsault with the chair in his hands. Mason got out his piano wire. The Wheatus member jumped on the ring apron, but Webb accidentally hit the band member. Mason hit an Air Raid Crash to score the pin. That was unexpectedly short. After the match, Mason choked the band member with his piano wire, and the crowd loudly booed.
7. Homicide beat Grim Reefer at 9:13. The commentators talked about the number of times these two have wrestled each other over the years. Homicide hit an Exploder Suplex. They brawled to the floor at 3:00. Grim Reefer leapt off a chair and did a flip onto Homicide in the crowd. They got back in the ring, but Reefer lit a joint at 5:00. He hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall, then a Russian leg sweep off the second rope for a nearfall. Homicide took the joint and smoked it, and he hit a stunner.
Homicide hit two rolling suplexes, but Reefer blocked a third, and Reefer applied a Crippler Crossface on the mat. Homicide shoved Reefer into a chair in the corner, then he hit a second-rope stunner for the pin. Decent match.
8. Jimmy Lloyd, Ciclope, and Miedo Extremo defeated 1 Called Manders, Mance Warner, and Matthew Justice in a six-man tag at 7:54. All six brawled at the bell. Ciclope dove through ropes to the floor, then Mideo hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor. Justice launched off a chair in the ring and dove onto everyone. Ciclope and Miedo hit unprotected chair shots to Justice’s head in the ring. (I hate that.) Mancer threw a chair at Miedo’s head. (I hate that too.) Doors were brought in the ring. Manders leveled Miedo with a clothesline for a nearfall at 5:00. Warner threw another chair at Ciclope’s head.
Justice hit a frogsplash on Lloyd. Suddenly, everyone hit finishers and everyone was down at 6:30. Lloyd hit a piledriver on Manders for a nearfall. Justice got flipped over the top rope and threw a table on the floor. Ciclope rolled up Manders for the pin out of nowhere. Certainly a wild brawl, even though I hate those unprotected chair shots.
Intermission. Weird to take one with just two matches left.
9. Effy and Allie Katch defeated Jay Lyon and Midas Black to retain the GCW Tag Titles at 7:44. This was an open challenge, so Lyon and Black were mystery opponents. Lyon wears a colorful blue mask with red hair. Effy and Jay Lyon opened. Lion hit a flip dive through the ropes. The challengers hit a team slam on Effy for a nearfall at 3:30. Allie made the hot tag and she hit rolling cannonballs in the corner on each opponent.
Black hit a spear on Allie Katch. Katch hit a stunner on Lyon while Effy hit a move on Black, and they had simultaneous nearfalls. Black nailed a frogsplash on Allie at 7:00, but Effy pulled her from the ring before she could be pinned. Effy hit a spear on Black, then a Famouser leg drop on Lyon to pin Jay. The crowd enjoyed this a lot.
10. Jon Moxley defeated Tony Deppen to retain the GCW Title at 17:12. An intense lockup to start, with the crowd chanting,” Moxley’s gonna kill you!” Moxley nailed a stiff kick to the spine at 1:30. Deppen hit his own kick moments later. They traded hard chops. Deppen hit a second-rope dropkick, then he dove through the ropes onto Moxley at 4:00. In the ring, Moxley applied a sleeperhold on the mat. They traded more punches and forearms. They fought on the ring apron, and Deppen slammed Moxley’s shoulder against hte mat at 6:30.
In the ring, Deppen began working over the injured right arm, and he twisted the arm and fingers, then stomped on the elbow. Moxley hit a clothesline with the right arm, but immediately sold the pain it caused him and they were both down at 8:30. Deppen tied him in a standing Octopus mmove, keeping the pressure on the injured right arm. They fought in the corner, and Moxley hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall.
They traded more stiff forearm shots, with Moxley dropping Deppen. Moxley nailed a piledriver for a nearfall at 11:30. Moxley immediately hit the elbows to the side of the head, then he applied a sleepr on the mat. Deppen reversed it and hit his own elbow shots to the head. Deppen nailed a Shining Wizard for a nearfall, and the crowd was going nuts. Deppen applied a sleeper and the crowd was chanting “new champ!” Moxley reached the ropes. Moxley suddenly hit a stunner for a nearfall and they were both down at 13:30.
Moxley got back to his feet first, but he couldn’t hit the double-arm DDT. Moxley hit a half-and-half suplex but Deppen popped to his feet. Deppen applied a modified Triangle Choke on the mat, but Moxley was able to escape. Moxley hit stomps on Deppen’s head while he was holding Deppen’s wrists. Deppen hit a second-rope Lungblower to the chest, then a second-rope double stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Moxley again applied a sleeper, then the elbow shots to the side of the head. Moxley went for a cover but Deppen kicked out. Moxley hit a decapitating clothesline, then the double-arm DDT to score the pin. Fantastic match.
* Blake Christian walked out onto the stage, and he got in the ring. Moxley held his GCW title above his head, and they glared at each other, without saying a word. The screen in the background displayed that they will face each other July 29 in Nashville.
Final Thoughts: The main event was stellar. Moxley had an equally brutal match a week ago against Mike Bailey, and now he had a war here with Deppen. Easily best match of the show, and nothing else was even close.
I enjoyed that scramble that opened the show, and that gets second best. The Masha-Stunt match was certainly memorable, so I’ll give that a distant third-best. This was a solid show with a stellar main event, and the crowd certainly enjoyed what they saw. The show clocked in at about 3:00 hours.
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