By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Back 2 the Bay”
Streamed on FITE TV
July 17, 2022 in San Francisco, California at The Midway
This building looks like a factory with a really high ceiling. The crowd is perhaps 500. Kevin Gill provided commentary. Lighting is a bit dark from the hard camera but looks great from the ringside cameras.
1. Cole Radrick defeated Midas Kreed at 8:12. Radrick is the Gomer Pyle-meets-James Ellsworth dorky looking guy with the cult following. Kreed is Black with his hair in dreadlocks, looking similar to Wes Lee. Kreed hit a nice Asai Moonsault to the floor at 5:30, then a stunner in the ring. Radrick hit a Lionsault in the ring for a nearfall. Kreed hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Radrick hit a twisting sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Solid opener.
2. Gringo Loco defeated Komander at 12:54. I noted that Komander is a masked luchador and reminds me of Laredo Kid or Rey Horus. They shook hands and traded reversals. Komander hit a pair of hurancanranas. Gringo Loco hit a Styles Clash for a nearfall at 4:00. Loco did a Gorilla Press over his head and dropped Komander stomach-first to the mat. Komander walked the top rope and hit a double stomp on Loco as he was lying on the apron. Komander then walked the tight rope, dove at Loco, and hit a huracanrana on the floor at 8:00. That was impressive!
In the ring, Komander hit a huracanrana as Loco was caught in the ropes. Komander then hit an impressive tightrope-running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 10:30. Loco hit a top-rope moonsault for a believable nearfall. Loco hit a Spanish Fly and a running powerbomb for a believable nearfall. They fought on the ropes in the corner, where Loco hit his twisting sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Really, really good lucha-style match.
3. “Bussy” Effy and Allie Katch defeated Dark Sheik and Anton Voorhees to retain the GCW Tag Titles at 11:25. Gay comedy early. Voorhees hit a cannonball in the corner on Katch at 2:30. Sheik hit a slingshot legdrop on Katch. Katch hit a Vader Bomb on Sheik. Sheik hit a top-rope legdrop on Effy for a nearfall at 6:00. Effy hit a Blockbuster on Sheik through a door set up in the ring, scoring a nearfall. Effy hit a Pedigree at the same time Allie hit a stunner, and they scored simultaneous nearfalls at 8:30.
Effy and Voorhees came off the ropes and both crashed onto a door set up between two chairs. Katch put Sheik on her shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver through a door set up in the corner, and everyone was down. Gay humor, with Katch and Sheik locked in a lengthy kiss, until the men were able to separate them. Katch and Effy hit simultaneous Tombstone piledrivers for the pin. Adequate; the crowd liked this more than I did.
4. Alex Zayne defeated Tony Deppen at 15:49. Again, Zayne just returned days earlier from a lengthy tour in Japan and Australia. (Note: I am watching this after having seen them team up in the ROH pre-show.) Test of strength to open, then standing reversals. Deppen hit a dragon screw leg whip in the ropes at 5:30, then a dropkick onto Zayne’s left leg, and he was in control. He went for a senton splash, but Zayne got his legs up, and they were both down at 8:00. Zayne hit a knee strike to the jaw and a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Zayne hit his forward roll-into-a-huracanrana out of the corner. Deppen hit a tombstone piledriver and immediately applied a Figure Four leg lock, but Zayne reached the ropes at 11:00. Zayne hit his roundhouse kick from the mat. Zayne tried a springboard move but crashed awkwardly to the mat; the announcers immediately covered for him by saying the knee is hurt. Deppen hit a Death Valley Driver on the ring apron at 14:00. Deppen hit a running forearm to the back of the head for a nearfall.
Deppen set up a door between two chairs in the ring. They traded hard slaps, and they fought on the ropes in the corner. Zayne hit a second-rope swinging faceplant through the door. Zayne then hit his pump-handle sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Good match between these two indy vets; this easily could have been the main event and no one would have complained.
5. Joey Janela defeated Starboy Charlie at 22:51. Charlie, a teenager who is just coming back from an injury, had a good match two days earlier with Blake Christian. Basic standing switches early. Charlie hit a nice mid-ring Shooting Star Press at 2:00, then a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Janela came back with a belly-to-back suplex for a nearfall. Janela hit a baseball slide dropkick through the ropes at 5:00. Charlie hit an Asai Moonsault, with them crashing into rows of empty chairs. In an impressive feat, Janela picked up Charlie for a vertical suplex, but he walked all the way around ringside, out into a hall, in a different door and back to ringside, before dropping him on empty chairs. Yes, Charlie is light, but that took some strength.
In the ring, Janela hit a wheelbarrow suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. Janela mooned the crowd for no particular reason and was in control of the offense. Charlie hit a snap suplex at 11:00, then a second-rope crossbody block. Janela hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. They traded mid-ring forearm shots. Janela hit another Wheelbarrow suplex for a nearfall at 16:00. Charlie hit a jumping piledriver, and they were both down.
Charlie nailed a shotgun dropkick, then a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Janela hit a Tombstone Piledriver for a nearfall at 17:30. He went for a top-rope elbow drop, but Charie got his knees up. Charlie hit a second-rope corkscrew press for a believable nearfall, and the crowd was hot. Janela nailed a top-rope superplex brainbuster for a believable nearfall at 20:00. Janela hit a package piledriver for a believable nearfall, and Janela was stunned that move didn’t get him the win. Janela missed a moonsault, and Charlie immediately applied a Fujiwara Armbar on the mat. Janela nailed a Burning Hammer/inverted DVD for the pin. Solid match but unnecessarily long.
* Janela got on the mic and put over Starboy Charlie, earning applause. Just like two days ago, Janela reiterated what Blake Christian said, that he should be called “Starman Charlie” now. Charlie got on the mic, but was attacked by Juicy Finau and Jacob Fatu.
* Intermission
6. Jordan Oliver defeated Titus Alexander at 13:09. An intense lockup to start, and Titus stomped on Oliver in the corner. Oliver hit a hurancanrana and unloaded a series of chops. Titus hit a backbreaker over his knee at 4:00, then a double stomp on the chest. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, Oliver hit an impressive butterfly suplex and a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 7:00. Titus hit a vertical suplex for a nearfall, and they were both down.
Oliver hit a cutter out of the corner. Titus hit a Chaos Theory rolling German suplex, and they were both down again at 11:00. They fought on the ring apron. In the ring, Oliver hit his Cloud Cutter off the ropes for the pin. Good match.
7. Mike Bailey defeated Jack Cartwheel at 13:07. They avoided each other’s big moves early and had a standoff. Cartwheel went for a flip dive to the floor, but Bailey cut him off. Bailey dove on him, and they brawled on the floor. In the ring, Bailey applied a half-crab at 3:30. Bailey hit his flipping kneedrop for a nearfall, the a series of kicks in the corner. Cartwheel hit a missile dropkick. Cartwheel hit his impressive catapult body press onto Bailey at 6:30.
Cartwheel hit a superkick and a crucifix takedown, and they were both down. They traded hard chops. Bailey hit a flying double kneedrop for a nearfall at 9:30, then a moonsault kneedrop. Cartwheel hit his impressive handspring flip to the floor at 11:30. Cartwheel hit an awesome Poison Rana out of the ropes, but he missed a corkscrew press. Bailey hit his spin kick in the corner, then nailed his modified One-winged Angel for the pin. Really, really good match.
8. Nick Wayne defeated Kevin Blackwood at 9:55. Quick reversals and Blackwood hit a T-Bone out of the corner. They traded mid-ring forearm shots. Wayne hit a handspring-back-stunner and a Fisherman’s Suplex for a nearfall at 3:30. Wayne hit a Full Nelson Suplex for a nearfall. Blackwood fired back with a series of spin kicks to the chest and a double stomp to the chest for a nearfall at 5:30. They fought on the ring apron, and Wayne hit a superkick, and they both tumbled to the floor.
In the ring, Wayne applied a Figure Four Leglock, but Blackwood reached the ropes at 8:00. Wayne went for a Cloud Cutter, but Blackwood caught him with a kick to the back. Blackwood then nailed a Death Valley Driver and a top-rope double stomp for a nearfall. Wayne hit a huracarana, then he nailed the Cloud Cutter for the pin. That was really, really good, too.
9. Ciclope and Miedo Extremo defeated “The South Pacific Savages” Juicy Finau and Jacob Fatu at 11:26. Finau is wearing a singlet with one strap, like Andre the Giant, rather than his Blue Meanie half-shirt today. They immediately brawled to the floor. Fatu hit a dive to the floor. In the ring, the Samoans were in charge. Ciclope hit an unprotected headshot on Juicy at 3:30. Unnecessarily stupid and dangerous. Fatu hit a Swanton Bomb, and he got a door from under the ring.
However, Ciclope hit a crossbody block, sending Fatu through the door, set up between two chairs, at 6:00. More doors were set up in the ring. Finau tossed Ciclope through a door, and it shattered. Ciclope hit a Canadian Destroyer. Extremo hit an armdrag off the top rope to the ring, then a top-rope dive to the floor on both opponents at 9:00.
Miedo and Ciclope set up a pair of doors across open chairs on the floor. Ciclope hit a moonsault from the apron onto Fatu as he was lying on the door. Miedo hit a frogsplash on Juicy for a nearfall, then a 450 Splash for another nearfall. Miedo got a rollup for the pin on Juicy, and Finau was surprised. The Samoans continued to beat up Ciclope and Miedo after the bell. That brought out Janela and Starboy Charlie, who hit the Savages with chairs. I guess Janela just turned babyface again? They agreed to a tag match the next time GCW is in the area.
Final Thoughts: In my eyes, this show had five really good matches, but I’ll give Deppen-Zayne best match, followed by Komander-Loco, with Cartwheel-Bailey third-best. On a day with so many good matches, I have to give honorable mention to both Blackwood-Wayne and Oliver-Titus. Loco-Komander was really good, and it was almost entirely free of any botched spots; they clicked well together and it was really entertaining.
Like any Janela match, he completely no-sells any piledrivers, which really harms the quality of the match. That match would have been better if it was tighter and shorter. The main event was a solid hardcore match, and I’m pleased to report there were no sightings of glass panes or staple guns or light tubes anywhere. Those unprotected chairshots to the head still must be eliminated; it truly added nothing to the match, but there will be long-term repercussions for those strikes.
The show clocked in at 3 hours, 15 minutes.
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