By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Take a Picture”
Replay available via Fite.TV
January 21, 2023 in Huntsville, Alabama at Von Braun Center
The crowd is perhaps 500, and this appears to be a large convention center room. Dave Prazak and Carmen Michael provided commentary, but a variety of partners hopped in over the course of the show to join Prazak. This show features wrestlers from New South Pro Wrestling who will be new to me.
* The show opened with the same classy, short video tribute for Jay Briscoe that aired before Friday’s show. We then headed to the ring, with GCW champion Nick Gage coming out of the back, and we had another 10-bell salute, and the fans began chanting, “Man Up.” Gage said Briscoe was one of the toughest men he ever met.
1. Hunter Drake defeated Brogan Finlay, Yoya, Marcus Mathers, Terry Yaki, Donnie Primetime, Brandon Williams, and Jimmy Lloyd in an eight-man scramble at 8:46. I don’t know Primetime or Williams. They immediately did a multi-person submission spot. Mathers hit a swinging neckbreaker on Lloyd. Yaki hit a powerbomb move on Yoya. Donnie Primetime, who has long, curly blond hair, hit a top-rope move and was wildly booed. Williams hit a shotgun dropkick on Lloyd at 3:30.
Yaki and Primetime hit simultaneous dives to the floor on opponents. In the ring, we had double Towers of Doom. Mathers and Drake then hit simultaneous 450 Splashes at 6:00. We had simultaneous Canadian Destroyers, and suddenly, everyone was down. Yoya hit a flipping DDT on Mathers. Brogan nailed a top-rope elbow drop on Yoya. Yaki hit a second-rope DDT on Primetime. Hunter Drake hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Terry Yaki for the pin. A fun match with non-stop action.
2. Blake Christian defeated Cabana Man Dan at 15:32. I’ve seen Dan before; he looks like the guy who hangs out at the pool/beach, with hair, beard and height similar to Tony Nese; he wrestles barefoot. He’s a 20-year pro. Blake, who is actually taller, stalled on the floor at the bell. In the ring, Blake hit some hard chops and immediately bailed to the floor again. Dan hit a head-scissors takedown on the floor, then a double stomp to the chest as Blake was lying on the floor at 4:00. In the ring, Blake hit a move and Dan immediately sold pain in his left knee. Blake immediately began targeting it.
Dan got a rollup attempt at 7:00, then a backslide for another nearfall. They fought on the ring apron, and Blake hit a chop block to the damaged left knee. He teased a flip dive, but told the fans they don’t deserve it. Dan nailed a tornado DDT at 9:30, and he crawled toward his flip flops in the corner; he went to hit Blake with it, but Christian blocked it, and Blake tossed it into the crowd. Dan hit a Code Red out of the ropes at 11:00. Blake hit a top-rope double stomp onto Dan’s shoulder for a nearfall, and Blake looked surprised he didn’t get the win there.
They traded forearm shots. Blake hit a Superman’s Punch, then a superkick. Blake hit a Shotgun Dropkick into the corner at 13:30, but he couldn’t hit the Curbstomp. Dan hit Blake with the flip-flop across the chest, then an STO uranage for a nearfall. Dan hit a diving uppercut for a nearfall. While the ref was distracted, Blake hit a chairshot to the back of Dan’s damaged knee. Blake then hit a springboard 450 and the Rollins-style Curbstomp for the tainted pin. Good match. Once again, Blake put Dan’s head in a chair; he went to kick it, but Hunter Drake jumped in the ring to make the save.
3. Gringo Loco defeated Arez at 15:45. Loco lost a day ago to Hijo Del Vikingo, so he really needs a bounceback win here. Emil Jay joined the commentary team. They immediately hit some quick lucha reversals and a standoff, with the crowd chanting “GCW!” They traded slaps to the face. Arez hit a doublestomp to the back, then a dive through the ropes. Arez hit a second-rope moonsault to the floor at 2:30.
Arez hit a catapult senton into the ring, but he missed a top-rope doublestomp. Loco hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Loco got chairs from under the ring and tossed them in. He tied Arez in the Tree of Woe and hit a slding dropkick onto a chair over Arez’ face at 5:30. Arez hit a springboard flip dive to the floor, sending Loco crashing through a door bridge set up on the floor. Arez hit a senton onto the broken door that was on top of Loco. Arez then smacked Loco over the head with the door debris.
Arez dove off the ring apron and hit a tornado DDT onto the door debris on the floor at 8:30, and the fans chanted, “this is awesome!” Arez tied Loco in a knot in the ropes. Arez nailed a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall. Loco fired back with a double-jump stunner out of the ropes for a nearfall at 11:30. They fought on the top rope, and Arez hit a huracanrana, then a top-rope frogsplash for a believable nearfall.
Arez went under the ring and grabbed a door; he set up a door bridge in the ring. Arez hit a flipping powerbomb for a nearfall. Arez set Loco on the door bridge. However, Loco got up and hit his swinging powerbomb through the door bridge for the pin, with the door absolutely shattering as they crashed onto it. Really good match.
4. “Action” Mike Jackson defeated Marko Stunt at 11:03. Jackson, age 73, has appeared a lot recently on Impact TV; he wrestled in the WCW tapings in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Marko wore his Andre-inspired one-strap black singlet. Stunt told the crowd that he was thrilled when he learned about this match because “I got the night off,” making it clear he’s the heel here. Jackson backed Stunt into the corner, and Stunt complained of a (non-existant) hair pull. Jackson threw him on the mat and tied him up.
Jackson hit a back suplex, and Stunt bailed to the floor to stall and regroup. In the ring, Jackson hit a deep armdrag, which got a pop. Stunt did the Old School tightrope walk (Jackson’s move) and got heavily booed. Jackson crotched him on the top rope at 6:00. Jackson then did the tightrope walk. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Stunt bit Jackson’s head. Stunt missed a top-rope move. Jackson hit some (awfully weak) clotheslines and a neckbreaker at 10:00, and they were both down. They hit simultaneous clotheslines. Stunt went for a Death Valley Driver, but Jackson escaped, got a rollup, and scored the pin. The crowd popped for the finish, and was really into this throughout.
5. Sawyer Wreck defeated Billie Starkz at 8:30. I always point this out, but Sawyer is 6’1″ and just towers over her competition. Sawyer hit a Mafia Kick at the bell, sending Billie to the floor. Billie grabbed a chair and hit Sawyer with it. In the ring, Billie hit a HARD chairshot to the head; Sawyer barely got her hand up to help absorb it. Sawyer tied her in a Gory Special, and she slammed Billie for a nearfall. Sawyer hit a release suplex for a nearfall at 2:30, and she was dominating early.
Billie hit a dive through the ropes to the floor, then a second one. In the ring, Billie hit a Swanton Bomb fo a nearfall, then she hit some Yes Kicks to the chest. Billie nailed a German Suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. Billie hit a kneestrike to the jaw. Sawyer nailed a powerbomb for a nearfall, then a chokeslam for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it, and Prazak said the same. Sawyer got a door and chairs from under the ring.
Sawyer tossed a chair at Billie’s head; that was reckless and needlessly violent. Sawyer set up a door bridge in the ring. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Sawyer nailed a second-rope chokeslam through the door bridge for the pin. Decent match, and while Sawyer is so much taller and stronger, I see this as an upset, given the position Billie has been in on the GCW roster. They hugged afterward, and Sawyer carried Billie to the back.
6. Adam Priest defeated Tony Deppen at 10:53. Priest has been in a handful of AEW Dark matches; I have described him as similar to QT Marshall. They immediately had an intense lockup and this feels like a legit fight as they grappled on the mat and had a standoff at 3:00. They began trading chops. Priest applied an STF, but Deppen reached the ropes. Deppen hit a kneedrop to the back of the neck, and Priest rolled to the floor. Deppen hit a dive to the floor on Priest at 6:30.
Deppen whipped Priest into the rows of empty chairs, and they brawled amongst the fans. Back in the ring, Priest hit a German suplex. Deppen nailed a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 9:00. Priest nailed a top-rope legdrop for a nearfall. Deppen hit a kneestrike to the jaw. Priest hit a DDT and scored the shocking, clean pin. I didn’t expect that.
7. Cole Radrick defeated Allie Katch in an intergender match at 10:13. Radrick is the dorky looking kid. They traded standing switches. Radrick hit a heart punch at 2:00 that dropped Katch. Katch hit a senton for a nearfall. Radrick hit a clothesline to the back of the neck for a nearfall. He nailed a hard forearm shot to her jaw at 4:00. She got up and hit a forearm, but he dropped her again with a punch. Katch hit a Stinger Splash, her buttbump in the corner, and her rolling cannonball for a nearfall.
Katch hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Radrick hit a 619 and a stunner, then a DDT. He applied a Rings of Saturn-type move, but she reached the ropes at 8:30. They traded more punches. Radrick missed a Lionsault. She flipped him and got a nearfall. He hit a spin kick to her head and a Blue Thunder Bomb for the pin. Not my type of match.
8. Chrisjen Hayme defeated Corey Hollis at 8:30. I don’t know Hayme; he’s bald and wearing a black vest, so he’s basically dressed like Steve Austin. I think I’ve seen Hollis; he looks a lot like Curtis Axel. Hayme hit a deep armdrag and a head-capture suplex, sending Hollis to the floor. Hayme hit an Asai moonsault at 2:00. In the ring, Hollis hit a clothesline and was in control.
Hayme hit a belly-to-belly suplex into the corner at 6:00. Hayme hit a clothesline and a stunner. Hollis hit a DDT for a nearfall, and he applied a Crippler Crossface. Hayme hit a running kick, then a Burning Hammer for the pin. That was not good. At all.
9. “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Extremo Miedo defeated “The East-West Express” Nick Wayne and Jordan Oliver for the GCW Tag Team Titles at 18:53. Fans chanted “new champs!” before the bell. Jordan slammed Oliver onto Miedo. Miedo hit a standing neckbreaker on Wayne, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. They brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Ciclope slammed door shrapnel on Oliver’s head at 5:00. Miedo slammed Oliver’s head into the ring post. In the ring, Wayne hit a snap dragon suplex in the ring on Ciclope, then a Canadian Destroyer on Miedo at 8:00.
Oliver hit a sit-out powerbomb on Miedo for a nearfall. Miedo hit an X-Factor faceplant on Oliver. Ciclope hit a double Northern Lights suplex. Miedo and Oliver traded forearm shots at 11:00. They all traded blows in the middle of the ring. Ciclope hit a headbutt. Suddenly, everyone was hitting each other with chairs and door shrapnel, and everyone was down at 12:30. Miedo set up for a Razor’s Edge to the floor, but Wayne escaped and hit a Code Red on Miedo for a nearfall.
In an incredible spot, Wayne hit a Spanish Fly from the ring apron through a door bridge set up on the floor; the boards separated, so Wayne really landed stomach-first on the hard cement floor. In the ring, Oliver hit a German Suplex and a Clout Cutter on Ciclope for a beleivable nearfall at 15:30, and the crowd chanted, “Fight forever!” Ciclope nailed a clothesline on Wayne for a nearfall. Wayne hit a Spanish Fly on Miedo. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick. Ciclope nailed a Doomsday Clothesline on Oliver for a believable nearfall at 17:30.
Los Macizos hit a Canadian Destroyer onto a door on Oliver for a nearfall. Miedo hit a Razor’s Edge on Wayne into a door set up in the corner, then he hit a sit-out piledriver for the clean pin. That was a wild, entertaining match. They all got up and hugged.
Final Thoughts: That was a great main event and easily was best match of the show. Gringo-Arez was a strong match for second place, with Blake-Cabana Man Dan for third. I’ll give the Deppen-Priest match honorable mention, and it was a nice surprise to see a GCW regular lose to an outsider, as that rarely happened over the first two days of the weekend.
I said throughout Marko’s AEW run that I wanted to punch him in the face and see him get beat up; he is just a natural pest heel, and he showed that here.
When Gage won the GCW Title, he vowed he would be a “fighting champion.” He has since competed on fewer than half the shows since then, often serving as emcee to introduce shows. Yes, he has defended against Lio Rush and Tony Deppen, but the champion should be more active.
GCW will be back in action on Sunday with a show against the New South roster.
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