By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Jersey J-Cup Session 2”
Replay available via FITE.TV
February 11, 2023 in Jersey City, New Jersey at White Eagle Hall
This is a 20-person tournament, and ‘Session 2’ features the quarterfinals, semi-finals and finals. The winner will receive the Jersey Championship Wrestling title. This is a packed crowd. It appears we are in a night club setting, and there is a second level; so no problem with a low ceiling. The lighting over the ring is really good.
Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary. Just to reiterate — each of these eight have already wrestled once earlier in the day.
1. Mike Bailey defeated Komander in a quarterfinal tournament match at 12:36. They stood on opposite corners and refused to start. Komander hit a head-scissors takedown. Komander walked the top rope, but Bailey kicked him off. Bailey hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip and he was in control. They traded overhand chops at 5:00. They traded chops to the back, when Bailey changed it up and hit some stiff kicks and a standing moonsault for a nearfall.
Komander hit a DDT. He walked the tight rope from one corner to the other, but Bailey hit a top-rope Dragonscrew Legwhip, and he applied the Jamie Noble Trailer Hitch leglock on the mat at 8:00. Komander nailed a top-rope Spanish Fly, and they were both down. Komander dove through the ropes and barreled into Bailey on the floor. Bailey immediately nailed his corner moonsault to the floor. Bailey missed a moonsault kneedrop. Komander immediately walked the tight rope from one corner to another, before hitting a flying body press at 11:30.
In the ring, Komander hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall, and he got a crucifix takedown for a believable nearfall. Komander went for a springboard Shooting Star Press, but Bailey got his knees up.. Bailey hit the Tornado Kick into the corner, then the Flamingo Driver (modified One-Winged Angel) for the clean pin. Fantastic opener. Prazak noted that Bailey is still limping from the beating he took in a first-round win against Jonathan Gresham.
2. Jordan Oliver defeated Charles Mason in a quarterfinal tournament match at 14:54. Mason was loudly booed. If you read my review from the morning show, I predicted Oliver would win the tournament. Mason is wearing his ugly red jacket again. “I don’t get it either,” Prazak said of the outfit. Mason caught him with a Mafia kick and some stomps in the corner, and he was in control early on. Oliver hit a dropkick, then a plancha at 4:00.
Back in the ring, Mason regained control; he ripped off his shirt and tossed it at Oliver. He kicked at Oliver’s left arm and he worked it over. He fish-hooked the mouth. Oliver hit a flying back elbow, and they were both down at 8:00. Oliver hit a series of stomps in the corner, to the point the female ref had to pull him off. Oliver hit a T-Bone Suplex, then a Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Jordan went for a Tiger Suplex, but his arm gave out. Mason immediately hit a rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 10:30, and he applied a sleeper on the mat.
Oliver ran Mason into the turnbuckle to escape the sleeper. Mason applied it again, so Oliver rolled them both through the ropes to the floor. They traded blows on the ring apron. Jordan nailed a superkick at 13:00. Oliver hit a stunner back into the ring. Mason hit a hard clothesline. Mason put Oliver along his back and hit a sit-down piledriver for a nearfall. Oliver nailed the Tiger Suplex and a Mafia Kick, then his sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Oliver immediately hit the second-rope Clout Cutter for the pin. It took a little while to get going, but it was a decent match; I never once thought Mason was winning here.
* Nick Knowledge replaced Veda Scott on commentary. They switched off several times during the first show, too.
3. Joey Janela defeated Lio Rush in a quarterfinal tournament match at 10:19. Janela, of course, has the height and weight advantage. Nick said these two have had several battles in the past. They hugged but then immediately traded forearm shots. Janela hit a dive through the ropes. Lio hit a dive through the ropes. They hit simultaneous clotheslines and were both down at 2:00. Janela hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Lio hit his spin kick while lying on the mat to score a nearfall. Janela hit a flying back elbow at 4:30.
Rush hit a moonsault off the ring apron, caught Janela’s head, and turned it into a DDT on the cement floor. In the ring, Janela hit a pair of Dragon Suplexes. He made the ‘gun pointing’ hand motion (is he Kenny Omega?), then he hit a V-Trigger. He set up for a One-Winged Angel, but Lio hit a Poison Rana. Lio hit his stunner out of the ropes for a nearfall. He went for a top-rope frogsplash, but Janela got his knees up to block it.
Janela nailed a package piledriver for a nearfall at 8:30. Lio hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly and a spin kick for a nearfall. Janela nailed a short-arm clothesline, then a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for the clean pin. Really good match, but surprisingly short. They hugged after the match.
4. Blake Christian defeated Cole Radrick in a quarterfinal tournament match at 11:55. Radrick won a six-way scramble earlier today to advance to this match. The crowd was fully behind the James Ellsworth-meets-Gomer Pyle dork Radrick. They traded some quick rollup attempts early on. Radrick hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Blake hit a dive to the floor. They fought on the floor, with Radrick barreling his body onto Blake, as Blake was seated on a chair.
Back in the ring, Blake raked the face and got booed. They again brawled to the floor, and Blake jabbed a wood stake near the eye at 4:30. They got back in the ring, and Radrick was struggling to see after a prolonged attack on his left eye. Radrick hit a clothesline to the back of the head at 8:00, and they were both down. Radrick hit an enzuigiri and was fired up as he hit a modified Air Raid Crash for a nearfall. Blake nailed a half nelson suplex.
Blake hit a top-rope double stomp for a nearfall. He went for the Rollins-style Stomp but Radrick moved. Cole hit a stunner. Radrick hit his pump-handle sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 11:00, and some of the crowd chanted “That was three!” Blake hit his Rollins-style Stomp for the pin. Ok match; I am a huge fan of Blake but this never quite got rolling.
* 15-minute intermission. Luckily, I’m not watching live so I was able to fast-forward to the second half of the show.
5. Jordan Oliver defeated Joey Janela in a semifinal tournament match at 28:56. Basic mat reversals early. Oliver rolled to the floor and clutched at his sore left arm. Janela hit a shoulder tackle at 4:00. Oliver hit a dropkick, sending Janela to the floor. They traded blows on the floor, and Jordan accidentally chopped the ring post. Back in the ring, Janela began targeting the damaged hand. In the ring, Jordan nailed a deafening chop tat sent Janela to the floor at 7:30.
Back in the ring, they traded punches. Janela climbed the ropes; Oliver bodyslammed Janela off the top rope (think the Ric Flair spot). Janela hit a Blockbuster, and they were both down at 11:30. They traded blows on the ring apron, then traded superkicks. Oliver shoved Janela head-first into the ring post, and Janela crashed to the floor. He stood up and he was bleeding from the forehead. In the ring, Oliver hit a Helluva Kick and the Iconoclasm faceplant slam for a nearfall at 14:00.
Janela hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor; there really isn’t a lot of room to work with in front of these fans. Janela came up limping. Oliver hit an Iconoclasm on the ring apron; he rolled Janela in the ring and hit a Pedigree for a nearfall at 17:00. They traded slaps to the face while on their knees; they stood up and traded forearm shots and chops. Prazak wondered how either of these guys would wrestle another match later. They both collapsed at 21:00.
Oliver set up for the Clout Cutter but Janela blocked it. Janela hit a Razor’s Edge overhead powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Janela nailed a top-rope superplex, and the referee counted to three at 24:08. Two referees talked at length over who won, as we have an apparent double-pin. The match was ordered to re-start, and Janela immediately hit a superkick and a top-rope doublestomp, but he clutched at his sore ankle. Oliver suplexed them both over the top rope, and they landed on the floor. They traded more blows on the floor.
In the ring, Oliver applied a Boston Crab, and he sat down for pressure; Janela reached the ropes at 27:00. Oliver hit a modified Doctor Bomb for a nearfall. Oliver again went for the Clout Cutter, but Janela turned it into a German Suplex. Janela hit a clothesline. Oliver nailed the Mafia Kick, then the Clout Cutter for the pin. Really entertaining match.
6. Mike Bailey defeated Blake Christian in a semifinal tournament match at 17:02. Bailey came out first. Blake jumped in the ring and attacked him from behind; he went for a cover, but the female ref said the match hadn’t even started. She rang the bell; Blake charged at Bailey, but Bailey caught him with a superkick and a series of chops, then his speedball kicks to the thighs and ribs. Blake hit a basement dropkick on Bailey’s damaged left knee. Blake slammed the knee against the ring post at 3:00.
Blake tied up Bailey in a surfboard move, and he tied him up on the mat. Bailey fired back with a series of kicks and a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 7:30. Blake hit a dragon screw leg whip and a kick to the back of the leg. Blake nailed a half nelson suplex. Bailey hit a moonsault double kneedrop, and they were both down at 9:30, with the crowd chanting, “Speedball!” Blake hit a flying forearm into the corner. Bailey set up for the Flamingo Driver, but Blake escaped. They traded kicks, and Bailey hit another moonsault double kneedrop. Bailey hit the Triangle Moonsault to the floor, and they were both down at 12:30.
Blake hit a step-up enzuigiri. He applied a Figure Four on the mat, but Bailey reached the ropes at 14:30. Blake hit a springboard dropkick, then the Fosbury Flop to the floor. He hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall (he didn’t get all of it. They weren’t on the same page on what Blake wanted to do there.) Blake missed a springboard 450 Splash. Bailey nailed the Tornado Kick and he set up for the Flamingo Driver. Blake turned it into a rollup for a nearfall and he grabbed the ropes for leverage, but the ref saw it. Blake yelled at the ref, then he charged at Bailey. Bailey caught him with a mid-ring Spanish Fly and scored the pin. Blake was shocked. An excellent match between two of my favorites.
* Blake grabbed the female ref and hit her with a DDT, and the crowd loudly booed him. “What a disgusting person Blake Christian is!” Prazak shouted.
7. “The SAT” Jose & Joel Maximo defeated Jimmy Lloyd & Marcus Mathers and Dante Leon & Alec Price and Starboy Charlie & Billie Starkz in a four-way tag match at 9:02. The SAT got a huge pop; they wore camouflage gear. Mathers hit a stunner on a Maximo. Billie hit a half nelson suplex on Lloyd. Dante stomped Charlie on the back of the head. Price hit a flying legdrop on Charlie. The SAT hit a Washing Machine team faceplant move on Leon at 3:30.
Billie hit a Swanton Bomb on a Maximo. We had a double blockbuster spot from a corner. Charlie and Mathers hit simultaneous 450 splashes, and everyone was down at 6:00. Everyone got up and hit superkicks. Price hit a double clothesline. The SAT hit sit-out powerbombs for nearfalls. Billie climbed the ropes, but got shoved to the floor. The Maximos hit a team top-rope Spanish Fly on Mathers for the pin. A crowd-pleasing match.
8. Jordan Oliver defeated Mike Bailey to win the Jersey J Cup tournament at 21:23. Veda Scott said these two fought just days ago in Rhode Island, but they were a lot fresher than here. They shook hands before the bell, and Oliver has maybe a four-inch height advantage. They traded standing switches and we have an extensive feeling-out process. They opened it up and traded kicks at 3:00. Oliver hit a plancha to the floor. He went for another one, but Bailey caught him with a kick. In the ring, Bailey hit a top-rope kneedrop on Oliver’s back as Oliver was draped over the top rope at 5:00.
Bailey tied up Oliver on the mat and twisted his left arm. They traded chops. Bailey nailed a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 8:00. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall. Bailey missed an Ultimo Weapon second-rope moonsault kneedrop. They collided and were both down at 10:30. They got up and traded more chops. Bailey nailed his Triangle Moonsault to the floor. In the ring, he went for the Tornado Kick, but Oliver blocked it. Oliver hit a stunner and a superkick. Bailey hit a Poison Rana and a mid-ring Spanish Fly, and they were both down at 12:30.
They traded blows while on their knees. They got up and traded kicks. The crowd was split in cheering for the two men. They traded rollups. Bailey hit an X-Factor and the moonsault double kneedrop. Bailey hit the Tornado Kick, then the Ultimo Weapon second-rope moonsault kneedrop for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Oliver hit a Helluva Kick, then a second-rope powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Veda said Jordan Oliver was at 63 minutes of ring time today headed into this fourth match of the day.
Oliver unloaded a series of chops. Oliver hit a Tiger Suplex for a believable nearfall. Oliver hit a suplex into the corner, then the Iconoclasm for a nearfall at 19:30. He set up for the Clout Cutter but Bailey cut him off. Bailey set up for the Flamingo Driver but Oliver escaped and hit his sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall. Bailey went for the Ultimo Weapon, but Oliver popped up and hit a stunner, then a springboard Clout Cutter. Oliver hit one more flipping powerbomb to score the pin. WOW! WOW! WOW!
* GCW World Champion Nick Gage hit the ring, holding the J Cup trophy. Gage presented Oliver with the belt and trophy, and they hugged, then Gage left the ring. Oliver got on the mic and said he didn’t think he was going to make it out of the first round (against Alex Shelley.) He praised the deceased Trent Acid and Jimmy Rave for making him the wrestler he is today. “I don’t care if you hate me or like me, after today, you’ll be talking about me,” Oliver said. Great ending to a great show.
Final Thoughts: What a tremendous main event. Worth reiterating that both Oliver and Bailey had already wrestled three matches over the course of the day before this finale. Bailey pulls off the trifecta here, as I’ll give his semi-final match against Blake second-best, and his quarterfinal match against Komander for third place.
I did predict that Oliver would win this tournament, and I actually had three of the final four correct. I could have easily seen Bailey win, but Oliver needed this victory more. He can compete on all GCW/JCW shows and defend the Jersey Championship title. It’s hard to believe that MLW let him slip through their fingers. I gotta believe Oliver will be in a larger promotion by the end of the year.
I said this in my review of the first show of the day, but this really is GCW at its best. The ring looked new, the lighting was good, there was great commentary, the camera work is good with a handful of replays. And of course, some of the best indy wrestlers going today. While it was nice to have GCW ‘visitors’ like Alex Shelley, Lio Rush and Jonathan Gresham in the tournament, it turned out really cool to have the mainstays of the roster in the final four. Check this show out on Fite+, and I highly recommend it.
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