By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Jimmy Lloyd’s All Grown Up”
Replay available via Fite.TV
February 17, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada at FSW Arena
* The show opened with a fun video of Jimmy Lloyd walking around Las Vegas. We headed to a very tiny room with maybe 150 present; this is the FSW Arena, and banners of some of their top past stars like Chris Bey and Eli Drake are visible on the wall. It is well lit and has a high ceiling. Emil Jay provided commentary.
1. “East West Express” Nick Wayne and Jordan Oliver defeated Arez and Komander at 13:34. Oliver is coming off of four victories in one day last Saturday’s J Cup tournament. This seriously could be the main event. a clock appeared at the top of the screen, which immediately makes me think we are going to a time-limit draw. Oliver and Komander opened and traded quick reversals. Wayne and Arez tagged in and traded fast-paced reversals, with no one getting the advantage. Komander hit a top-rope crossbody block on Wayne at 3:00. The EWE began working over Arez.
Komader hit a tornado DDT on Oliver for a nearfall at 7:00. Wayne entered and hit a Dragon Suplex and a Canadian Destroyer on Komander. Arez tied Wayne in the ropes. Komander leapt off of Arez’ shoulders and hit a double DDT at 10:30. Komander walked the top rope and hit a springboard Shooting Star Press. Very cool. EWE hit Mafia Kicks. Arez hit a swinging powerbomb on Wayne for a nearfall at 13:00. Komander hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash, but accidentally onto his partner! EWE hit a team Clout Cutter on Komander for the pin. (NOTE: the clock on the screen is exactly the time I had.) Fun opener.
2. Cole Radrick defeated Dante Leon at 12:12. Leon has just returned from a Japan tour with NOAH; he’s good but has the most ‘indy looking ring gear’ of anyone today. Emil Jay noted how both men competed in the J Cup last week as they traded reversals early on. Radrick missed a Lionsault. Leon hit a huracanrana, then a second-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 4:00. (NOTE: the clock at the top of the screen is gone. Strange.) They brawled to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans.
Back in the ring, Leon hit several kicks. Radrick hit a clothesline to the back of the neck for a nearfall at 7:30. Leon hit the flipping stunner (Sol Ruca’s finisher) from the corner, then a dive through the ropes. Dante hit a modified Spanish Fly from the corner and got a nearfall at 10:30. Radrick hit a second-rope Clout Cutter. Leon went for the flipping stunner again, but this time, Radrick caught him, and Cole hit a sit-out flipping powerbomb for the pin. Ok match.
3. Rob Shit defeated Kit Osbourne in an intoxication match at 10:22. The rules of this match is that when you kick out of a pinfall attempt, you must drink a beer or a shot of alcohol. I’ve seen Rob a few times and he reminds me of a 1980s rocker. Osbourne has a beard and his hair in a bun and he’s giving off Dolph Ziggler heel vibes. Rob got a rollup for a nearfall just seconds into the match, so Kit took a shot of Jagermeister. They brawled to the floor, and fans held Kit’s arms so Rob could chop him. Rob hit a springboard splash for a nearfall, so Kit grabbed a Coors Light, but he spit it in Rob’s face and got a Russian legsweep for a nearfall, so Rob drank a beer at 4:30.
Kit hit a running Stomp to the head for a nearfall, so Rob chugged from the Jagermeister. (I have to wonder if that is really liquor in there!) Kit got another nearfall, so Rob really chugged from that bottle. Rob hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 7:00. Kit took a drink; his hair was down now and he looked like Brian Myers. Kit hit a low blow uppercut, and a swinging neckbreaker. He ripped apart a can and jabbed the metal piece into Rob’s forehead. Rob hit a brainbuster for the pin. Fun twist on rules but not a match I need to see again, either.
4. Ciclope defeated Matthew Justice in a coffin match at 11:31. What appears to be a real casket was brought to ringside. Ciclope and Extremo Miedo have been tag champions for a while now, but I don’t see them often in singles matches. Ciclope hit a rolling cannonball in the corner seconds into the match. Justice went to the floor and whipped several chairs into the ring. In the ring, he beat up Ciclope with chairshots. They brawled to the floor and each took turns trying to put one another in the casket. They got back in the ring, sat on chairs, and punched each other at 5:00.
Justice hit a top-rope frogsplash onto Ciclope, who was lying on a wood board bridge, to get a nearfall. Ciclope hit a DDT from the ring apron to the floor, with Justice landing in the coffin. Justice blocked Ciclope from closing the lid at 8:30. In the ring, Cicope speared Justice through a door that was propped against the ropes. They fought on the ring apron, and Ciclope again knocked Justice down onto the open coffin. Justice flipped Ciclope onto the closed casket, majorly denting the top of the coffin. Justice went for a top-rope kneedrop, but Ciclope moved and the knee hit hard on the casket. Ciclope shoved Justice into the casket and closed the lid for the win.
* Darin Corbin hit the ring, told everyone to shut up, and said he can’t believe that GCW is throwing a party and not inviting “the hottest free agent” in wrestling. The crowd booed him. (Darin is a Minnesotan and I don’t know what he’s doing in Las Vegas.) A surprise return as Jai Vidal hit the ring to a huge pop. We have an impromptu match!
5. Jai Vidal defeated Darin Corbin at 2:21. Corbin attacked from behind before the bell, and he hit a spear for a nearfall just seconds into the match. Jai hit a series of punches and a spin kick to the head, sending Darin to the floor. Jai hit a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Jail applied a Sharpshooter, leaned back for pressure, and Darin tapped out. Short and to the point.
6. Mike Bailey defeated Extremo Miedo at 17:41. They traded reversals early on with neither man getting the upper hand. They began trading stiff forearm shots in the center of the ring. Bailey hit his moonsault kneedrop, then his speedball kicks to the ribs. Miedo hit a dragon screw leg whip at 4:00, and Bailey immediately began selling pain in his left knee. Miedo applied a Jamie Noble Trailer Hitch leg lock, but Bailey reached the ropes. Miedo hit a basement dropkick on the knee. Bailey hit his corner moonsault to the floor, and they were both down at 6:00.
In the ring, Bailey hit a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Miedo hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Miedo hit another Dragonscrew Legwhip from the corner and an enziguri, then a clothesline and they were both down at 8:00. Miedo tied him in a Surfboard move. Miedo dove through the ropes and barreled onto Bailey on the floor. He hit another one. They brawled into the crowd, and Miedo applied another Surfboard move on the risers at 11:00.
They traded kicks on the ring apron. Bailey hit his moonsault kneedrop. In the ring, Miedo hit a German Suplex. Bailey hit a huracanrana and a spin kick to the head. Bailey went for a moonsault kneedrop, but Miedo blocked it at 14:00. Miedo hit a second-rope back suplex for a nearfall. Bailey nailed a Poison Rana, and he set up for the Flamingo Driver, but Miedo blocked it, and Miedo hit a huracanrana from the corner, then a sunset flip powerbomb. Miedo hit a sit-out piledriver for a nearfall, and he has a bloody nose now.
Miedo went for a top-rope Swanton Bomb, but Bailey got his knees up. Miedo hit a German Suplex. Bailey fired back with his tornado kick in the corner, and he nailed the Flamingo Driver/modified One-Winged Angel for the pin. That was an excellent match. They hugged afterward.
7. Dark Sheik defeated Santana Jackson at 10:45. Santana does the Michael Jackson gimmick, dancing his way to the ring. Dark Sheik wore a 1960s-style airline attendant outfit. Lots of comedy. Sheik removed the outfit and wrestled in a skin-tight full-bodied outfit. Santana did an Old School tightrope walk while doing Michael Jackson’s signature hand motions. The crowd is quiet, as the action has been minimal. Sheik missed a Cena-style elbowdrop at 6:00.
Santana vanished under the ring and came back out wearing a wolf mask (think the “Thriller” video.) Santana hit a spear, some Michael Jackson dance moves, and an elbow drop. Sheik hit a stunner. The crowd tried to rally for them, but this match was DOA. Sheik missed a top-rope legdrop at 10:00. Sheik hit a pump-handle sit-out powerbomb for the pin. The comedy was ok; the action was not.
* Jimmy Lloyd hit the ring. It’s his 25th birthday and the crowd chanted “Happy Birthday!” at him. He said he has a death match, and to celebrate, they are taking the ropes down and putting up barbed wire instead. They took a long break to set up; luckily I wasn’t watching live so I fast-forwarded over it.
8. Jimmy Lloyd defeated Effy in a no-ropes, barbed wire death match at 9:51. Lloyd hit a dropkick, sending Effy into the barbed wire. Effy shoved Lloyd’s head into the barbed wire. Lloyd hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 4:30. Effy had several cuts on his back from the barbed wire. Effy hit a TKO stunner. In a crazy spot, Lloyd hit a Death Valley Driver from the ring through several open chairs set up on the floor. Back in the ring they traded punches.
Effy hit a Fameasser legdrop for a nearfall at 7:30. Lloyd hit a chairshot over the head, then a piledriver onto an open chair for a nearfall. Lloyd applied a Crippler Crossface on the mat. He put barbed wire in Effy’s mouth, pulled back on the wire, and Effy tapped out. Blah.
* Several wrestlers brought a cake in the ring. The candles were lit, he blew them out, and in the great wrestling tradition, the wrestlers smashed it in Lloyd’s face.
Final Thoughts: Definitely a mixed bag. Bailey vs. Miedo was really good and earns best match. The opener was really good too and earns second best. Ciclope-Justice earned a very distant third best.
Hardcore matches don’t do much for me, and I didn’t care at all for the Sheik-Santana match. The crowd was into the show, but it was surprising to see so few fans in attendance.
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