By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, Impact Wrestling, MLW, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
GCW “Holy Smokes”
Replay available via Fite.TV
March 4, 2023 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at The Showboat
Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary. The venue is packed; this might be in the 800 range tonight.
1. Gringo Loco defeated Shane Mercer, Jimmy Lloyd, Alec Price, Carlos Romo, and Grim Reefer in a six-way scramble at 7:21. Price and Romo both wrestled a few hours earlier in this venue. Mercer hit a pop-up powerslam on Reefer. Lloyd dove to the floor. Price hit an awkward-looking Fosbury Flop to the floor. Loco hit a moonsault on Romo, then a flip dive onto everyone else at 2:30. Reefer lit a joint and hit a summersault flip to the floor on everyone.
In the ring, Reefer hit a piledriver on Romo. Reefer put Loco in a crossface. Mercer hit a piledriver on Lloyd. Loco hit a Clout Cutter on Price. Lloyd hit a package piledriver. Mercer applied a sleeperhold on Romo on the mat. Price hit some Yes Kicks on Mercer, but it just ticked the muscular Shane off. Mercer tossed Price at Lloyd. Loco hit a Canadian Destroyer on Mercer. Loco hit his spinning powerbomb from the second rope to the mat on Romo for the pin. As always, fast and furious; no one does scrambles like GCW.
2. Jordan Oliver defeated Alex Coughlin to retain the JCW Title at 18:27. Coughlin, a New Japan dojo grad, is making his GCW debut here. (Emil points out he’s been on Bloodsport shows, which are GCW affiliated.) Oliver has added some muscle mass, but he still looks slender compared to Coughlin. Good mat wrestling to open. Oliver hit a plancha at 4:30. In the ring, Coughlin hit an overhead release belly-to-belly suplex. Coughlin tied Oliver’s head and foot and pulled them toward each other; this looks painful.
Coughlin switched to a cross-armbreaker. They got up and traded chops at 7:30. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick, but he’s selling a left arm injury. He couldn’t get Coughlin up for a move as he’s trying to shake feeling back into the arm. Coughlin hit a Black Hole Slam at 12:00 and a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, then a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall. They got up and traded deafening chops, and they switched to openhand slaps to the face.
Oliver hit a stunner. They traded rollups. Coughlin nailed a fallaway slam for a nearfall at 17:30 and he again went to a cross-armbreaker. Oliver hit a superkick, a standing powerbomb, and he applied a Boston Crab, leaning all the way until his own head was on the mat! Coughlin tapped out. Really good match; they weren’t always 100% on the same page, but this was a strong showing. “Their chests will be purple for the remainder of the week,” Prazak said.
* Quick recap. Masha Slamovich won a Royal Rumble on New Year’s Day, last eliminating Blake Christian. After the match, Blake beat her up, cementing his heel turn. Akira made the save, leading to the next match:
3. Blake Christian defeated Akira at 9:05. Akira jumped Blake before the bell, as Prazak recapped what I literally just wrote. They brawled to the floor, where Akira chopped Blake in front of the fans. In the ring, Akira hit a release German Suplex at 3:00, and he applied an STF. Blake fired back with an enzuigiri and a snap Saito Suplex. He choked Akira with his T-shirt. Akira hit a neckbreaker over his knee at 7:30. Blake hit a second-rope DDT through a door-bridge set up in the ring. The fans chanted, “You still suck!” Blake hit his Rollins-style Stomp to the head, pushing Akira’s skull onto a folded chair. Good match, but surprisingly short, and even more surprisingly, Blake didn’t cheat to win.
* Blake put Akira’s head in a chair and hit a running knee on the side of the head. The crowd loudly booed. Blake called for Masha (she’s in California tonight!)
4. Joey Janela defeated Veny in an intergender match for the GCW Extreme Title at 16:11. I recall seeing Veny in an early AEW tournament during the pandemic. I admittedly don’t know much else about this Japanese star. Janela has a significant size and weight advantage, making this match absurd. Janela didn’t bring the belt to ringside, and the fans taunted him for forgetting it. She tied up his left arm early on. Janela dropped her with a shoulder tackle. She hit a huracanrana and a running Shooting Star Press, sending Janela to the floor to regroup.
Veny set up for a moonsault, but Janela yanked her foot, causing her to crash to the floor. He powerslammed her onto the rows of empty chairs at ringside; that was uncomfortable to watch. He nailed a running boot as she was seated in a chair at 4:00. Back in the ring, Janela was comfortably in charge of the offense and getting booed. He nailed a snap suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Veny hit a perfect top-rope Frankensteiner, sending him again to the floor. She nailed a top-rope moonsault to the floor on him.
Back in the ring, she hit a top-rope missile dropkick for a nearfall. He slapped her in the face and hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 8:00. He climbed to the top rope, but she crotched him. On the ring apron, she hit a German Suplex, drawing a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, she hit another German Suplex and a sueprkick. He fired back with a clothesline. She hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 10:30.
They got up and traded forearm shots, which is just absurd. She went for a moonsault, but he caught her and hit a tombstone piledriver for a nearfall. The back of her top has come a bit undone; we’re not close to a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ but it’s distracting. Janela set up a table bridge in the ring. She took the shirt off entirely and tossed it aside. She hit a top-rope moonsault kneedrop on Janela, who was lying on the door bridge for a nearfall at 14:00. Janela hit a German Suplex onto the door, which still hasn’t broken. In a funny spot, Janela jumped on it repeatedly until it finally broke.
They began hitting each other over the head with door shards. These are unprotected blows to the head, which I hate. She hit a Canadian Destroyer. He hit a superkick, then a package piledriver for a believable nearfall at 15:30. Janela hit a top-rope brainbuster suplex for the pin. If you can set aside the man-on-woman violence and the unprotected shots to the head, this was entertaining stuff.
5. Effy defeated Slade at 9:22. Again, Slade is the bald guy with a goatee with a passing resemblance to Oney Lorcan. I’ve written this before, but Effy is surprisingly big, and he has a height and overall size advantage. They immediately traded punches, and Effy hit a back suplex. Slade set up for a dive, but Effy cut him off. Effy applied a Tajiri-style Tarantula, then a top-rope Blockbuster for a nearfall at 2:00. They fought to the floor. Effy hit a running Whoopee Cushion from the apron onto Slade on the floor.
Slade tossed Effy into the rows of chairs. In the ring, Effy hit Slade repeatedly across the back with metal chairs. Effy hit a Whoopee Cushion at 8:30, then a hard Curbstomp for a nearfall. Effy hit his Fame-asser Legdrop for the pin. Good, hard-hitting match; Effy steered clear of his typical raunchy gay humor and really had a fight here.
* Charles Mason came out of the back, distracting Effy. Parrow hopped in the ring from the other side and hit a sit-out piledriver on Effy. Billy Dixon hopped in the ring and hit Slade and Parrow with a steel chair. Mason got on the mic and said Billy Dixon owes him. Mason said he’s been paying Dixon’s mother’s hospital bills.
* Nick Knowledge joined Prazak on commentary. The SAT have three men wearing red warmups and monkey masks joining them to ringside, and they are dubbed the “Spot Monkeys.”
6. “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Extremo Miedo defeated “The SAT” Joel Maximo and Jose Maximo to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 12:38. Los Macizos have defended these titles nonstop, but usually against teams not on the GCW roster, which takes away some of the mystery of who will win. The SAT are in their camouflage gear they wore last week on a different show I watched. Seconds into the mat, the SAT hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Ciclope for a visual pin, but the ref was on the floor. Miedo hit a springboard moonsault onto SAT’s “Spot Monkeys” entourage. All four brawled on the floor, going to the far corners of the building.
In the ring, Los Macizos got a nearfall at 3:30, and they worked over one of the Maximos. The Maximos began working over Miedo in their corner. Ciclope made the hot tag at 7:30, and he hit a double Northern Lights suplex on the Maximos. The SAT hit their Washing Machine faceplant on Ciclope. Miedo hit a Blue Thunder Bomb. Ciclope hit a Shining Wizard. A Maximo hit a sit-out powerbomb on Ciclope, and they were all down at 9:00.The three “spot monkeys” pulled Los Macizos to the floor.
Miedo hit a powerbomb from in the ring, tossing Jose Maximo onto the Spot Monkeys on the floor. They then hit a Doomsday clothesline on Joel Maximo through a table bridge for a believable nearfall. Los Macizos nailed a top-rope Spanish Fly on Joel for the pin. Prazak was shocked that they used the SAT’s signature move against them, saying “it pours salt in the wounds.” They all hugged and celebrated together.
7. El Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Alex Zayne at 23:07. Zayne has barely been in GCW in the past six months, as he’s been competing predominantly in New Japan; I’m confident in saying I haven’t seen him compete yet in 2023; right on cue, Prazak said it’s actually his first match of the year. Vikingo is only about 5’4″ so Zayne has quite the height and weight advantage. The fans chanted “GCW!” during the ring introductions, and they shook hands before locking up. Vikingo applied a bow-and-arrow hold, picked up Zayne, and slammed him stomach first to the mat. They sped it up, with neither hitting a move and we had a standoff at 3:00. Vikingo hit a springboard missile dropkick.
Vikingo hit a double jump move, going from one rope to another, before hitting an armdrag. Neat move. Vikingo then hit a dive to the floor. He hit a top-rope corkscrew press to the floor. Just graceful. Zayne whipped him into the rows of chairs, and Alex set up some metal folding chairs and made a door bridge at ringside. For whatever reason, this took way too long to set up, as Zayne set up a second door bridge. Finally back in the ring, Zayne hit a uranage at 10:00, as Prazak noted the massive height difference in this one.
Vikingo fired back with a spin kick to the top of the head. Vikingo hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. They traded forearm shots. Vikingo hit an enzuigiri and dropped him in the corner. Zayne cut off what Vikingo was planning to hit from the top rope. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Vikingo went for his flip off the top rope, trying to hit a mid-flip Poison Rana; it didn’t hit and Vikingo landed awkwardly on his head. Luckily the crowd was forgiving. Vikingo hit a mid-ring Poison Rana; Zayne hit a kneestrike, and they were both down at 15:00. Prazak noted the door bridge was still set up on the floor.
Vikingo hit a stunner. They fought on the ring apron, with Zayne powerbombing him onto the ring apron. Zayne set up for a dive to the floor, but Vikingo struck him with a chair to the head. Vikingo hit a tombstone piledriver on the ring apron, and he placed Zayne on the door bridge. Vikingo then hit his jump from the second rope inside the ring, hitting a 630 Splash onto Zayne’s chest, as Alex was on the door bridge. That was perfectly done. Vikingo dragged him in the ring but only got a nearfall at 19:30.
Zayne hit an enzuigiri, then a second-rope swinging faceplant for a believable nearfall. VIkingo hit a uranage and he set up Zayne in the corner. Vikingo went for a Shooting Star Press, but Zayne got his knees up to block it. Vikingo hit a mid-ring huracanrana for a nearfall. He hit a Meteora running double kneestrike, then a top-rope 630 Splash for the pin. Good match; the crowd was very forgiving on a couple of spots that weren’t perfectly done.
* Side note: On GCW’s New Year’s Eve show, El Hijo Del Vikingo fought Joey Janela. The match was blacked out on the original broadcast; we at home instead had a long intermission. That match has now been re-inserted into the replay, so fans can now watch it. I watched it recently and highly recommend going back to view it.
* A short music video aired to promote the next match. When we returned to ringside, there is a glass pane set up in the corner of a ring, and rolls of light tubes set up. Yuck.
8. Rina Yamashita defeated Kasey Kirk in a hardcore match to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 18:50. Kasey danced her way to ringside. She’s wearing a thin, see-through full-body outfit; I don’t see how that is going to protect her much from getting cut. They shook hands. They appear to be about the same height, probably about 5’4″. They immediately cracked each other over the head with light tubes. They both nearly were thrown into the glass pane but were able to hit the brakes.
Rina’s face was bloody, and she jabbed a broken light tube into Kasey’s forehead. Yuck yuck yuck. Rina hit a curbstomp onto a folded chair for a nearfall at 5:00. Kasey speared Rina through the glass pane and she jabbed a cheese grater on the forehead. No thank you. They brawled to the floor, near a board covered in barbed wire. Rina hit a top-rope superplex through the barbed-wire board. She rolled Kasey back in the ring but only got a nearfall.
Rina placed Kasey along her back and hit a piledriver. They traded more shots with light tubes. Rina clocked her over the head with a chairshot, with Kasey’s hands behind her back. Kasey hit a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Rina slammed her across several open chairs in the ring for a believable nearfall, and she was stunned it didn’t get her the pin. Rina hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Rina hit a top-rope frogsplash onto a pile of light tubes across Kasey’s stomach for a believable nearfall; the kickouts are just absurd at this point. Rina hit a Razor’s Edge overhead powerbomb onto a pile of folded chairs for the pin. That was brutal.
* While the ring was mopped and cleaned, a stylish video aired of the Allie Klatch-Charles Mason feud. They will meet in the Sunday afternoon show in a cage match.
9. Maki Itoh defeated LuFisto at 10:49. Give LuFisto credit for some significant weight loss in recent months. Prazak talked about how Maki is “gang-affilated” with Nick Gage as she mimicked his ring entrance. LuFisto attacked from behind. These two are also roughly the same height, closer to 5’0″. Itoh did her fake cry. LuFisto hit a snap suplex and she applied a Camel Clutch at 2:00, then she switched to an anklelock. She hit some hard chops and was in charge. Itoh repeatedly banged her head against the top turnbuckle to fire herself up at 5:30, and she nailed the Kokeshi falling headbutt.
Itoh hit a DDT onto the ring apron. In the ring, they traded forearm shots. They himt simultaneous headbutts and were both down at 8:30. Itoh hit a DDT. She then hit a second-rope DDT for the pin. An enjoyable match, far more style than the prior match.
* Nick Gage, who wasn’t announced as being on this show, came out of the back. He got in the ring and he’s wearing his (rarely defended) GCW Title belt. (When he won the title, he vowed to be a fighting champion.) He thanked the fans for coming out to see him and keep his passion in wrestling going. He handed the mic back to Itoh so she could lead the crowd in the “MDK all f’n day!” chant. They really need to figure out how to get the title off him and onto someone who can compete more than once every other month.
* A video package aired previewing the next match. When we return, there are numerous glass panes set up in the ring, along with a ladder that could be 16 feet tall. This is Drew Parker’s final death match in the United States. Good for him for getting out of these garbage matches while he can still walk, and doesn’t become the next J.C. Bailey.
10. John Wayne Murdoch defeated Drew Parker in a death match at 14:27. Parker, a Welsh native, seemed genuinely emotional before the match began. He immediately pushed a cheese grater onto Murdoch, and JWM was bleeding early on. Parker threw darts at JWM’s back. (Just insane that Murdoch stands there and lets himself be hit by darts puncturing his back.) They began putting each other through glass panes and hitting each other with light tubes.
Murdoch hit a Canadian Destroyer from the ring apron onto door bridges set up on the floor at 9:00. Parker hit a top-rope Swanton Bomb to the floor, crashing onto a pane of glass that shattered. In the ring, Parker hit a mid-ring Meteora. They were both covered in blood and the ring was covered in glass. Parker hit a Kota-style Kamigoye kneestrike, with lighttubes between them. Murdoch hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 13:30. Parker applied a modified Anaconda Vice on the mat, and Parker tapped out. Meh. Overly violent and gross.
Final Thoughts: A couple of missed spots aside, Vikingo-Zayne still gets best match. That flipping 630 to the floor will wind up all over social media because it was flawless. I am a huge fan of Zayne and he had a great showing in New Japan in the last half of last year, but I think he did show a bit of ring rust here. Oliver-Coughlin was really good and earns second best. I’ll go with the Blake-Akira match for third place, and despite my distaste for intergender matches, the action in Janela-Veny was really good and earns honorable mention.
The two hardcore matches are admittedly also not my style. Outside of those two matches, this show topped my somewhat low expectations, as Slade-Effy was a good brawl, and the Los Macizos and Itoh-LuFisto matches didn’t turn into a pseudo-hardcore affairs like I feared. GCW was missing some top regulars tonight, as Masha Slamovich, Mike Bailey and Nick Wayne are in California, while Tony Deppen is competing on a show in Italy.
GCW fills a niche because it offers matches you would never see on TV. The hardcore matches are too violent, and the man-on-woman offensie wouldn’t be allowed either. Obviously, I watch GCW despite these matches, not because of them.
Be the first to comment