By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW Liverpool
Streamed on FITE TV
September 16, 2022 in Liverpool, England at Hangar 34
We have commentary but it is almost inaudibly low. This ring feels really small to me.
1. Jordan Oliver defeated Blake Christian at 11:32. They immediately traded suplexes and quick offense. Blake dove through the ropes onto Oliver, then he hit a modified 619. Blake hit some chops and remained in charge. Oliver hit a series of chops. Blake hit a flip dive to the floor at 4:30. In the ring, Blake hit a frogsplash for a nearfall. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick then his sit-out powerbomb. Oliver hit a running boot to the face in the corner.
Blake came back with his handspring-back-spin kick, then a split-legged moonsault (he initially slipped and got a “you f—ed up” chant.) Blake hit a German Release suplex at 9:00. Oliver hit a piledriver on the apron, then a Cloud Cutter in the ring for a believable nearfall. Blake hit a Flatliner move, then a top-rope 450 Splash for a believable nearfall at 10:30. Oliver applied a Boston Crab. They traded quick rollups when Oliver scored the three-count. Fantastic match; that was a sprint.
2. Allie Katch defeated Millie McKenzie at 8:17. McKenzie had a good run in NXT-UK, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s brought back once NXT Europe launches. Standing switches to start. Millie hit a swinging neckbreaker at 2:30. Katch hit her rolling cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Millie hit a German suplex, then a second one, then a third, for a nearfall at 5:00. Katch hit a spin kick for a nearfall. Millie hit a stunner and a spear for a nearfall. Allie hit a second-rope suplex, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 7:30. Allie hit a headbutt, then her piledriver for the pin. That was really good.
3. Matt Cardona defeated Mad Kurt at 17:05. I saw Mad Kurt a couple weeks ago on a Rev Pro show, and I immediately thought he looks like a nerdy real-life Where’s Waldo. Cardona carried his Internet title belt, and he talked on the mic, earning massive heat. I seriously can’t tell you what’s being said. The bell rang, they ran at each other… and they hugged! Kurt laid down on the mat. They did the familiar spot where Cardona makes the lazy cover, and Kurt rolls him over for a nearfall. Kurt grabbed the title belt and put it on, which infuriated Cardona. This is all comedy; the only problem is I think Kurt is so annoying, I want to see Matt beat the crap out of him.
Kurt got a rollup for a nearfall. He hit a chop that had no effect. Kurt removed his sweater and put it over the ref’s head to blind him. This guy has zero muscle definition; he’s a white ROH Cheeseburger in how scrawny he is. Cardona beat him up and worked him over. He hit three standing neckbreakers at 6:30. Cardona hit a second-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. He got a chair and hit Kurt with it over his back. The crowd chanted “F**k Cardona!” Cardona crashed into a chair propped up in the corner at 11:00, and they were both down.
Kurt hit three Lungblowers, then a top-rope Lungblower for a nearfall. Kurt unloaded chops that had ZERO, absolutely no, effect. Cardona dropped him with a stiff forearm at 14:00. Cardona covered Kurt but pulled him up before the pin. Kurt hit a Fameasser legdrop for a nearfall. Kurt grabbed a keyboard; he swung it at Matt, but Matt hit a low blow. Matt got the keyboard and cracked it over Kurt’s head. Matt then hit the Fameasser for the pin. Unnecessarily long.
* Just like the show a day earlier, weapons are brought to the ring and set up in the corner, so they are once again doing the death match before intermission.
4. Big Joe defeated Jimmy Lloyd, Clint Magera, and John Wayne Murdoch, in a hardcore match at 6:55. Joe hit a piledriver on Lloyd into a pile of thumbtacks for the pin. Blah. I think the crowd was stunned at how short this was. Joe spoke on the mic afterward. Murdoch confronted him. Maybe they’ll have a future match, but I really can’t hear what’s being said.
* Intermission. When we return, the sound is significantly better!
5. Cole Radrick defeated Tony Deppen, Leon Slater, and Joe Lando in a four-way at 9:27. Again, Lando is short but a really good high-flyer, who had a good run in the U.S. this summer. Slater is the teenage Black man who had a good showing on those recent Rev Pro shows. Lando hit a German Suplex on Deppen. Radrick hit a huracanrana. Radrick hit an Asai moonsault onto all three opponents on the floor at 2:30. Deppen hit a summersault from the apron onto two guys. Lando hit a Canadian Destroyere on Deppen, then a top-rope shooting star press to the floor on the other two guys.
All four brawled in the ring. Radrick did some comedy with heart punches. Slater hit a pair of dropkicks into the corner. Slater hit an insane dive over the corner turnbuckles, over the guardail, onto two guys on the floor at 6:30. Crazy spot. In the ring, Slater hit a Coast-to-Coast (across the ring!) dropkick for a nearfall on Lando. Lando hit a stunner on Radrick. Slater hit a 450 splash on Lando for a nearfall, and they were all down again. The crowd is hot, and this action is great. Radric hooked Lando’s arms and hit a sit-out powerbomb move for the pin. That was a fun sprint.
6. Joey Janela defeated Nick Wayne at 16:18. Jordan Oliver, who frequently tags with Wayne, joined commentary. Wayne hit a flip dive to the floor early in the match, then a Lungblower move to the jaw in the ring. Janela hit a nice German Suplex. Wayne hit a stunner; he went for a standing moonsault, but Janela got his knees up at 4:00. They brawled out to the entrance ramp. Wayne leapt out of the ring, caught Janela’s head, and hit a stunner. Wayne was selling a knee injury from that blocked standing moonsault. Janela nailed a top-rope brainbuster for a nearfall at 7:00.
They brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Wayne hit a moonsault off a balcony, down maybe 10-15 feet to the floor, at 8:30. In the ring, Wayne went for a Cloud Cutter, but Janela blocked it. They traded rollup attempts. Wayne hit a Code Red for a nearfall at 10:00. Janela hit a decapitating clothesline, and they were both down. Janela rolled to the floor and got a door from under the ring. Wayne hit a huracanrana. Janela hit a Spanish Fly, then he speared Wayne through the door, set up in the corner. Janela hit a package piledriver for a believable nearfall at 12:30. Janela hit a top-rope doublestomp onto a door shard on Wayne’s chest for a nearfall.
Janela went for a Swanton on the ring apron, but Wayne moved, and Janela crashed onto the apron. Wayne hit a series of kicks to the face, then a Cloud Cutter for a believable nearfall at 15:00. They fought in the corner, but Janela shoved Wayne off to the floor. Wayne jumped back into the ring, but right into a superkick; Janela collapsed onto Wayne for the pin. That was really good.
7. Effy defeated Session Moth Martina in an intergender match at 10:30. I mentioned this in my review from a day earlier; Martina is the party girl who likes to drink and dance. Allie Katch is now on commentary, and she noted that she beat Martina a day ago. I noted this recently, that Effy is far taller than I expected. This should be all comedy. She flirted at the bell. She grinded her butt into his crotch, but as an openly gay man, Effy showed his complete disinterest. She tried to get him to touch her breasts. She grabbed his head and shoved it into her breasts. (NOT kid-friendly!) I can truly say I’ve never seen a match like this one.
Effy backed her in the corner and hit some forearms at 3:00. He got tied in the Tree of Woe, and she karate chopped him in the groin! Effy tied her in a Tarantula in the ropes, and he made lewd tongue motions. She hit him with a kendo stick over his groin. She tied his legs in the corner and hit another shot to the groin with the kendo stick. Effy hit a Blockbuster for a nearfall at 6:00. Martina hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall. She shoved the kendo stick toward his butt, and Effy expressed his delight.
Effy got the kendo stick on hit her with it. He nailed a Helluva Kick in the corner. Martina hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall at 9:00. Effy hit a TKO Stunner for a nearfall, and he applied a Dragon Sleeper move. She hit a headbutt. Effy hit his Famouser, with the kendo stick across her throat, to score the pin. Lewd, but mostly fun.
8. Drew Parker defeated Alex Colon in a hardcore match at 15:44. Parker is a Brit, but he apparently competes a lot in death matches in Japan. My only time seeing him before was at a GCW show in the Los Angeles area. Death matches are sooo stupid; Parker threw darts at Colon’s back, and Colon just stood there and took it. Parker hit a V-Trigger knee strike, with a light tube pressed against Colon’s face, to score the pin. Both guys bled a lot. The crowd in attendance really liked this spectacle.
Final thoughts: Oliver and Blake are two of my favorite indy guys this year, and that match was exactly what I would have hoped for. With Oliver’s height, added muscle mass and improving in-ring skills, I could easily see him accepting an NXT contract if Triple H starts signing indy workers again. So, that narrowly earns best match.
Wayne-Janela was so good, and it earns second-best. The four-way was really entertaining, and earned third best. I recently compared Leon Slater to Nick Wayne, and that holds up. Both are 17, have good physiques, and in-ring skills far beyond their ages. Millie-Allie was a strong-but-short women’s match; it’s one of the better singles matches I’ve seen from Katch.
The show clocked in at just under three hours.
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