By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Aura”
Streamed on FITE TV
November 13, 2022 in Providence, Rhode Island at Fete Music Hall
This appears to be a small night club, and the fans are PACKED in, right up to the ring. I don’t think there is room for chairs. Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary, and they are perhaps my favorite indy commentary team, as they bring such passion and knowledge. The match began and fans are still literally standing with their hands on the ring. Maybe 600 or so people here. There is a permanent stage near the ring.
The winter storm around Buffalo caused Jonathan Gresham to miss the JCW show on Saturday, but he was able to make it here for his main event match against Mike Bailey.
1. “Los Macizo” Ciclope and Extremo Miedo defeated “The Mane Event” Jay Lyon and Midas Black to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 6:36. Miedo still has his shoulder taped up from an injury he sustained here a month or so ago. I always compare the masked Lyon to Evil Uno in size as well as athleticism for being a bit bigger. Los Macizos attacked before the bell. The volume is really quiet so I really had to turn up the TV to hear it. Miedo hit a dive to the floor on Lyon. Midas hit a crossbody block to the floor. Lyon hit a dive through the hula hoop off the stage onto his opponents.
Lyon hit a LIonsault on Ciclope, and Midas followed with a frogsplash for a nearfall. Ciclope hit a rolling cannonball in the corner on Lyon at 6:00. Midas and Miedo yelled at each other; Ciclope caught an unaware Midas with a running forearm to the back of the head for the pin. Satisfying and fast-paced, so they got a lot in for this being so short.
* Matt Cardona came to the ring, with a belt over his shoulder and another around his waist. He got on the mic and berated the crowd, then said, “All hail the death match king,” which got a lot of boos. He did the same promo I’ve heard a few times, noting that he’s ranked 13th in the world according to Pro Wrestling Illustrated. He said he “put this f—ing company on the god-damn map.” He put over the “young and hungry” locker room, and he said he’s impressed with his opponent tonight, Jordan Oliver. However, he got Oliver confused with his partner, Nick Wayne. Oliver came out, got on the mic and told Cardona to shut up, and he called himself one of the best young talents on the scene.
2. Jordan Oliver defeated Matt Cardona at 11:44. Oliver immediately hit a Rough Rider legdrop for a nearfall, and Cardona bailed to regroup. Oliver hit some kicks and a dropkick, and he set up for a German Suplex, but Cardona hit a low blow mule kick. Cardona hit Rude Awakening neckbreakers and was in control. Cardona ripped his shirt off and choked Oliver with it at 4:00. Oliver hit a sideslam, and they were both down. Cardona hit a Lungblower move to the chin, then yanked Oliver to the mat by his hair to get a nearfall at 7:30.
Oliver hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Cardona hit some stomps and was back in charge. Oliver hit his sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00, then another sit-out powerbomb for another nearfall, and the crowd was fully behind him. Cardona hit another low blow kick, then the Rough Rider legdrop for a believable nearfall. Cardona grabbed one of his title belts, but Oliver hit a low blow of his own, then the Cloud Cutter for the pin.
* Nick Gage replaced Veda Scott on commentary for the next match.
3. Tony Deppen defeated Dylan McKay, Leon Slater, and Ninja Mack in a four-way at 13:28. Slater is the Black, British teen who I describe as a taller Lio Rush. This is Mack’s GCW return after a lengthy tour of NOAH in Japan. Slater hit a handspring-back-double elbow, then a second-rope crossbody block. Dyln hit a tornado DDT on Deppen at 3:30, then a Fosbury Flop onto everyone on the floor. Mack hit a corkscrew press for a nearfall. Mack hit a stellar handspring-back-dive over the top rope to the floor at 5:00.
Leon hit a running dive off the stage onto his three opponents. In the ring, Slater hit a coast-to-coast across-the-ring missile dropkick. Slater hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Deppen for a nearfall at 8:00. McKay went for a Shooting Star Press, but Deppen got his knees up to block it, and everyone was down. They got up and all four brawled. McKay hit a enziguri and a Poison Rana on Mack. Deppen hit a top-rope Superplex. Leon hit a 450 Splash for a nearfall, and the crowd chanted “Slater!”
Deppen and Slater traded forearms at 12:00. Deppen hit a top-rope stunner on Slater. Mack hit a spin kick on Deppen. Mack went for a top-rope Phoenix Splash, but Deppen ran over and caught him with a kneestrike on the way down, allowing Deppen to pin Mack. That was a fantastic four-way, and Slater is the real deal.
* Deppen got on the mic and complained about being under-used despite being here since day one. He called out Nick Gage, who of course, was seated next to Prazak on commentary. “I’m coming for your belt!” He said he will win the title on Dec. 16 in Los Angeles, “and I’m sending your ass back to rehab.” Really good, intense promo.
4. Cole Radrick, Dark Sheik, and Sawyer Wreck defeated Effy, Mance Warner, and Matthew Justice at 10:23. Prazak said there were a few last-minute cancellations, including Waves & Curls (who just appeared on AEW Dark this week) and John Wayne Murdoch, so this is sort of a random, thrown-together match. All six brawled at the bell. Sawyer hit a top-rope summersault onto everyone on the floor; I always point this out, but she’s 6’1″ or so and taller than everyone here. Effy threw a (completely reckless) chair at Radrick’s head. That’s a bad idea at anytime, but fans are literally standing next to the action. We have three separate brawls going on.
Sawyer hit two low blows in the ring, then a double chokeslam on Mance and Justice, at 4:30. Dark Phoenix hit a catapult legdrop, then a top-rope legdrop for a nearfall on Effy. Sawyer hit a Mafia Kick on Mance as he was holding a chair. She hit a back suplex on Effy for a nearfall. Mance put the tiniest ladder you’ve ever seen around his neck and he hit opponents with it. In a funny spot, Mance climbed the 18-inch-tall ladder, and fans chanted “please don’t die!” He hit an elbow drop on Radrick and the fans chanted “Holy shit!” Good humor.
Sawyer hit a top-rope chokeslam on Effy. Justice hit her with shards of a broken door. Justice picked her up and gave her a Death Valley Driver off the ring apron through a door set up on the floor at 10:00. In the ring, Effy went for a move in the corner on Radrick, but Radrick dropped down, got a schoolboy rollup, and pinned Effy out of nowhere. Indy-riffic, and the crowd enjoyed this chaotic mess.
* Radrick got on the mic and said he’s reached the six-year anniversary of his first match. He also has an upcoming title match against Nick Gage, with his on Dec. 3rd. He said he’s not afraid of anyone. This brought Gage out from the back. Gage was unfazed by the challenge. While Gage was about to wrap up, Maki Itoh cut him off and hit the ring! He let her finish his catch-phrase. Fun segment.
5. Masha Slamovich defeated Maki Itoh at 12:03. Itoh applied a leglock around the neck as they wrestled on the mat early on. Masha dropped her with a punch and Maki bawled like a baby. Masha whipped her across the ring by her hair, then she hit a gutwrench suplex and was completely in charge. Maki shrugged off blows to her head. Itoh hit her Kokeshi falling headbutt at 6:00 and the crowd was totally behind her.
Itoh hit a tornado DDT from the apron to the floor. Back in the ring, Masha hit a clothesline for a nearfall. Itoh applied a sleeper but Masha rammed her into the corner to escape. Itoh nailed a jumping DDT for a nearfall at 9:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Maki hit a top-rope DDT for a nearfall, but Masha grabbed the ropes. Itoh missed a top-rope flying headbutt. Masha immediately hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Masha nailed a spin kick to the head, then a piledriver, for the pin. That was really, really good.
* Storyline update: When Allie Katch last competed in GCW in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, a mysterious guy handed her a box during the match. She looked at the contents, freaked out, and ran from the ring. The announcers wondered what was inside the box.
6. Charles Mason defeated Allie Katch in an intergender match at 13:15. Mason is the Messiah cult leader. She pulled out a knife and tried to stab him seconds into the match. She clotheslined him to the floor. He hit a basement dropkick to her face as she was tied in the ropes, and the crowd booed him. He dragged her by the hair on the floor. He brought her back and chopped her chest. She fired up at 5:00 and hit a series of punches. He applied a Tarantula-style move in the ropes.
She hit her running buttbump. He hit a shotgun dropkick and a rolling Death Valley Driver. This is more one-sided than most GCW intergender matches, as he is just burying her. He cranked her mouth apart. She hit a series of clotheslines and waqs fired up. She hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 8:00. She got a backslide and a kneestrike for a nearfall. He hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. He began hitting clubbing blows to her head as he stood behind her. She placed him along her back and hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 11:00.
They brawled onto the ring apron, and he blocked her attempt at a piledriver. They got in the ring and he spit water in her face, then he hit a piledriver. He put a sleeper on her on the mat and choked her out. He went under the ring and got handcuffs and tied her to the top rope. Effy ran in and made the save. However, he put a sleeper on Effy while glaring at Allie, who was crying, still helplessly handcuffed to the top rope. Mason got on the mic and said to her, “Nobody ever wanted you. These people don’t care about you. Management doesn’t care about you.” He got a chair and was about to hit Effy, but Mance Warner and Matthew Justice hit the ring, and Mason bailed. Intriguing post-match segment.
7. Alec Price defeated Nick Wayne at 13:45. Price got a heroes’ reaction, as I think this is his hometown. Mat reversals early and a standoff. Wayne hit a headscissors takedown. Price hit a backbreaker over his knee at 3:00 and he took control. He hit a spin kick to the back, then a kneedrop onto the spine. He hit a running knee in the corner at 7:00 and has dominated. Wayne hit a top-rope Spanish Fly, and they were both down.
Wayne hit a stunner, then a handspring-back-stunner. Wayne hit a northern lights suplex for a nearfall. Wayne hit a flip dive over the ropes to the floor at 9:30. Wayne went for a Cloud Cutter but Price caught him witha stunner. Price put Wayne on his shoulders and slammed him headfirst onto the top rope for a believable nearfall. Price tied up the legs and put his knee in Wayne’s back, but Nick reached the ropes.
Price got distracted and jawed at fans. Price hit a half-nelson suplex. Wayne hit a German Suplex and a superkick. Wayne hit a Dragon Suplex and a Code Red for a believable nearfall. He hit a superkick, and he went for a Cloud Cutter but Price caught him with a lungblower. Price hit a DDT, then a mule kick to the back of the head for the clean pin, and the crowd popped for him.
8. Shane Mercer defeated Chris Hamrick, Jimmy Lloyd, Marcus Mathers, 1 Called Manders and Dustin Waller in a six-way scramble at 8:23. Hamrick got on the mic and called a person in the crowd a “f—–” and told them to shut up. Manders took the mic from him. Manders and Harmick opened by trading forearm shots. Mercer picked up Waller and threw him into Manders’ arms, and Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam. Mathers went for a top-rope move, but Mercer caught him and gorilla pressed him onto several opponents on the floor at 4:30. Mercer then hit an Asai moonsault to the floor onto everyone.
In the ring, Waller hit a Poison Rana on Lloyd. Mathers hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Hamrick hit a sit-out piledriver for a nearfall. Manders hit a piledriver on Lloyd at 7:30. Mathers hit a 450 Splash. Mercer hit a Tour of the Islands Powerslam, then a second-rope fallaway slam on Mathers for the pin. Mercer continues to impress; I have compared him to Brian Cage, in that he can keep up with the smaller guys but has incredible strength and muscle mass.
9. Mike Bailey defeated Jonathan Gresham at 22:02. This is a rematch, as Gresham won their first meeting. An intense lockup to begin, and they quickly switched to stiff forearms. Gresham hit a dropkick at 2:00, and he went to work on the left arm. Gresham applied a hammerlock and slammed Bailey to the mat, with his arm behind the back. Gresham began working on the wrist and fingers, and he maintained his focus on the left arm. Bailey fired back with some dropkicks at 7:00.
Bailey hit a neckbreaker as Gresham was tied in the ropes. Bailey hit a kneedrop to the back of the neck as Gresham was lying on the top rope. Gresham held him upside down before finally hitting a brainbuster at 11:00. Gresham applied a Crippler Crossface on the mat, but Bailey reached the ropes. Bailey hit a mid-ring Mafia Kick. Bailey went for his Flamingo Driver but his arm gave out. Gresham snapped the arm again, and they were both down at 15:00.
Bailey hit a series of spin kicks and they stood nose-to-nose and traded chops and kicks. Gresham went for a German Suplex but Bailey landed on his feet. Gresham hit a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. Bailey hit his corner moonsault to the floor at 19:00. In the ring, Gresham hit a low blow and got booed. Gresham hit a Hidden Blade to the back of the head for a nearfall, and he went back to the Crippler Crossface. They traded rollups and Bailey hit his tornado kick in the corner. He nailed the Flamingo Driver/modified One-Winged Angel for the clean pin. That was really, really good.
Final Thoughts: Bailey got a much-needed win in a second outing against Gresham, and I wouldn’t be surprised if GCW runs this back again for another meeting. That was easily best match. I enjoyed Cardona-Oliver and I’ll give that second. The four-way with Deppen was fantastic and earned third place. Itoh is so much fun, and I must acknowledge her match against Masha for honorable mention.
I’ve criticized GCW for putting the title on Nick Gage, having him declare he will be a “fighting champion,” and has only put the belt on the line once since then. Deppen is a great choice to earn a title shot. He’s a regular on GCW and he usually finds a way to win.
I saw GCW has issued an apology for Hamrick’s use of the gay slur. His poor word choice is compounded for occurring on the same day as a deadly shooting at a gay night club in Colorado. GCW has numerous LGBTQ performers, and I’m sure the use of the ‘f-word’ didn’t go over well. Hamrick also has apologized on Twitter.
This show was far, far better than the disastrous show in Milwaukee last week, and is on par with what I’ve come to expect from GCW. The show clocked in at about three hours.
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