By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW vs. DDT
Streamed on FITE TV
March 31, 2023 in Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center
“The Collective” is a series of 10 wrestling shows, led by Game Changer Wrestling, held over WrestleMania weekend, with all the events at the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Most of the shows have a specific theme (there is a lucha show, a show highlighting Black wrestlers, and another featuring the LGBTQ community.) This venue can probably hold 600.
This is a review of “GCW vs. DDT” from Friday afternoon, March 31, 2023. I admittedly don’t know the DDT roster at all. (The most I know is because I’ve downloaded a few on WWE2K22!). So, bear with me on being a novice with this roster. This show was mid-day (before ROH’s Supercard of Honor and WWE’s Smackdown), and I’ll put the crowd in the 400 range. Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary; they are my favorite commentary team on the indies today.
* Because I don’t know any of the Japanese guys, I copied down the announced lineup. But in the very first match, none of Loco’s announced teammates (Alec Price & Los Macizos) are with him, so it’s going to be a long night!
1. “Team GCW” Gringo Loco, Jack Cartwheel, Marcus Mathers, and Dyln McKay defeated Kanon, Daisuke Sasaki, Takeshi Masada, and Sanshiro Takagi at 9:32. Cartwheel started but McKay quickly entered. All eight brawled at 2:30. Kanon reminds me of a Kota Ibushi, but more blond hair. Takagi is 53 but looks even older, and he worked over Mathers. Loco made the hot tag at 6:00, and he hit a handspring-back-elbow on Masada, who has really long straight, black hair. Cartwheel hit his catapult elbow drop into the ring, then his Sasuke Special dive to the floor.
Kanon hit a nice dropkick on Loco in the ring. Takagi hit one stunner after another. Loco nailed a moonsault. McKay hit a Shooting Star Press, and Mathers hit a 450 Splash, and Cartwheel hit his top-rope Phoenix Splash to pin Sasaki. Really cool finishing sequence with each of the GCW guys hitting a high-flying move in a row. GCW 1, DDT 0.
2. Dark Sheik defeated Saki Akai at 7:18. My first time seeing Saki; she seems very tall; she probably towers over most of her opponents. Sheik hit a catapult legdrop. Sheik did the splits for a legdrop for a nearfall. Akai hit a Helluva Kick at 4:00. Sheik hit a German Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall. Sheik got an inside cradle for the pin. Meh. GCW 2, DDT 0.
3. “The East West Express” Jordan Oliver and Nick Wayne defeated “The Moonlight Express” Mao and Mike Bailey at 16:18. So I guess I count Bailey with the DDT roster in this one, and right on cue, Veda talked about that. Bailey and Oliver have fought against each other several times in recent months, but also teamed once, too. Mao has big, shaggy hair. Bailey and Wayne opened with quick reversals and a standoff. Oliver and Mao entered at 1:00, and Mao hit some chops. EWE hit simultaneous planchas. In the ring, Mao hit a springboard kneedrop on Oliver at 4:00.
Mao hit a Split-Legged Moonsault, while Bailey hit his Corner Moonsault to the floor. Oliver hit a clothesline on Bailey, and Wayne made the hot tag at 7:00. Nick hit a superkick on Mao, then a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Bailey. Wayne hit a suplex on Mao, but Mao bridged out, and they traded mid-ring forearm shots. Wayne hit a handspring-back-stunner, and they were both down at 9:30. Oliver hit a Northern Lights Suplex on Bailey, then his sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Oliver hit his mid-ring Acid Kick. Bailey hit his Speedball kicks to Wayne’s ribs and thighs.
Bailey and Mao hit tandem moonsaults to the floor at 12:00. Cool spot. Wayne is bleeding hard! His face is covered; that is hardway. Mao and Bailey hit simultaneous mid-ring Spanish Flys for nearfalls at 14:00 and the crowd chanted “This is awesome!” Bailey hit hit tornado kick and Ultima Weapon on Jordan. Mao went for a 450 Splash, but Oliver got his knees up. Mao and Bailey hit a team spinning slam on Oliver for a believable nearfall. Wayne hit a Canadian Destroyer. Oliver and Jordan hit a team Clout Cutter, with Oliver pinning Bailey. GCW 3, DDT O.
* Nick Knowledge replaced Veda Scott on commentary.
4. Kazusada Higuchi defeated Starboy Charlie at 11:38. Charlie is replacing Blake Christian, who of course was over at the ROH show. My first time seeing Higuchi; he’s tall and broad; not fat but big. He towered over Charlie. A quick internet search says he’s 6’1″ but he sure seems bigger than that. Higuchi hit a hard chop that dropped Charlie. Charlie applied an Octopus in the ropes. Charlie went for a top-rope crossbody block, but Higuchi caught him and hit a bodyslam at 3:30.
Higuchi hit another brutal chop; Nick Knowledge said Charlie’s soul left his body on that one. Charlie fired back with a Thesz Press and punches to the face. Higuchi hit a clothesline in the corner. Charlie hit a running powerbomb. They traded chops, and the commentary team wondered why Charlie would want to do that. Higuchi hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Charlie hit an Asai moonsault at 9:00. In the ring, Charlie hit a shotgun dropkick, then a corkscrew press for a nearfall. Charlie’s chest is RAW. Higuchi hit a Doctor Bomb for a believable nearfall. Charlie applied a crossface. Higuchi hit a spear. He applied a claw to the head and hit a slam for the pin. Really good big man-little man matchup. GCW 3, DDT 1.
5. Yuki Ueno defeated Joey Janela at 10:21. Ueno also has short hair and looks like NJPW’s Yoh. Mat reversals and standing switches early on. Ueno hit a half-nelson suplex for a nearfall at 5:00, but he missed a double-jump moonsault. They traded forearm shots. Janela dove through the ropes, with them crashing onto empty chairs on the floor. Ueno hit a twisting plancha to the floor at 7:00. In the ring, Ueno hit a frogsplash. Janela applied a Fujiwara Armbar. Ueno hit a German Suplex; Joey hit a German Suplex. Joey hit a superkick; Ueno hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 9:00. Janela hit a brainbuster. Ueno hit a Frankensteiner and a swinging neckbreaker for the pin. Good match. GCW 3, DDT 2.
6. Tetsuya Endo and Jun Akiyama defeated Tony Deppen and Homicide at 12:17. Endo has a great physique and reminds me of Sanada. Jun is older and bald. Deppen and Homicide teamed at the tail end of the Sinclair ROH era. Homicide and Jun started with standing reversals and arm holds. Prazak recalled watching Akiyama on videotapes when he was in high school. Deppen and Endo entered at 2:30, with Deppen immediately twisting the left leg. Deppen hit a dropkick for a nearfall, while giving a middle finger toward Jun. All four brawled to the floor at 5:30, with Endo pairing off with Deppen.
Homicide bit Jun’s wrist! Back in the ring, Deppen and Homicide worked over Jun in their corner. Homicide hit some thrusts to the throat at 8:00. Endo entered and hit a delayed vertical suplex on Homicide for a nearfall. Homicide countered with a standing neckbreaker. Deppen hit a top-rope doublestomp. Endo hit a backbreaker over his knee on Deppen at 11:00, then a standing powerbomb. He applied a Boston Crab, but Homicide made the save. Homicide hit a stunner on Endo. Jun hit an Exploder Suplex. Jun hit a pretty Shooting Star Press to pin Deppen. Good match. GCW 3, DDT 3.
7. “Second Gear Crew” 1 Called Manders, Mance Warner, and Matthew Justice defeated Chris Brookes, Mizuki Watase, and Shunma Katsumata at 15:20. Brookes is really tall. Shunma wears clown makeup. Mizuki has blond hair and he wore a suit. Both teams brought weapons to the ring. The DDT team attacked the SGC and everyone immediately brawled to the floor. Mance (recklessly, unnecessarily) threw a chair at an opponent’s head, with fans standing nearby. Mance is already bleeding fro his forehead at 2:00. Shunma hit a dive onto the SGC.
In the ring, Manders removed a boot and he hit each opponent over the head with it. However, a bucket of LEGOs were dumped in the ring, and Manders hurt his feet on them. (I have two young boys; I step on LEGOs daily and it HURTS!) Mance put his head in a folded ladder, and he swung it around and hit his opponents. Shunma tried the same thing but it didn’t work. Justice speared Shunma, earning a huge pop at 5:30. Mance and Justic hit repeated chairshots on the ladder, which was lying on Shunma.
Mizuki hit a missile dropkick, but he too landed on the LEGOs and he sold the pain. Brookes hit a senton onto Justice as Matthew was lying on empty bins for a nearfall at 7:00. Team DDT pulled out staple guns and used them on each of the SGC. Yuck. More use of staple guns on shirts and in the groin. Shunma got slammed through a door bridge. Manders put his teammates on his shoulders and he ran at Team DDT, with Manders accidentally putting his partners through a door in the corner. Shunma dove off a ladder in the ring onto Justice, who was lying on a door bridge on the floor, at 13:00.
Back in the ring, everyone took turns smashing each other over the head with these thin doors. Mance hit two unprotected chairshots over Mizuki’s head, with Mizuki no-selling them. (Stupid.) Justice hit a flip dive to the floor. Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Shunma, and the SGC pinned Shunma. Blah. Crowd liked it though. They all shared beers after the match. GCW 4, DDT 3.
8. “Pheromones” Danshoku Dino and Yuki Ino vs. “Bussy” Allie Katch and Effy ends in a draw at 13:36. The Japanese team wears pink, and this is going to be silly stuff. Effy and Dino, who has bright pink hair, entered at 2:30 and suggestively rubbed their own bodies; they locked up and tried to kiss, but Allie jumped in between them and separated them, and the crowd booed. Silly gay humor. Effy hit his Doink-style Whoopee Cushion buttdrop at 5:30.
Ino removed his singlet; he is only wearing a jockstrap at this point. The Pheromones rubbed their butts on Katch’s head. This match would be banned in about 15 southern states at this point. Effy also removed his shorts so he also is down to his jockstrap. Finally, Allie removed her trunks and wrestled in her underwear too. I can truly say I’ve never seen anything like this match. Ino pushed Katch into Dino’s butt; keep in mind he is wearing a jockstrap. They did spots with several wrestlers getting pushed into butts of the person in front. Finally, a referee called for the bell, so I guess we have a draw.
9. Cole Radrick defeated Yoshihiko to win the DDT Heavy Metal Title at 14:47. Yes, Cole, the dorky James Ellsworth-meets-Gomer Pyle nerd is headlining this show against a stuffed doll. I guess when Ric Flair said he could have a great match against a broomstick, this must be what he meant. This is just silliness with Radrick wrapping the arms of this doll around him and grounding him with a headlock. Of course, Prazak and Veda Scott are calling this like any other match. The crowd is really into this silliness. While I did laugh a few times, I do wonder why you would headline with these juvenile antics. Radrick hit his Little Sebastian’s Curse powerbomb to pin the doll.
10. Yoshihiko defeated Cole Radrick to regain the DDT Heavy Metal Title. They shook hands, then Yoshihiko kicked Radrick in the groin, rolled him up and pinned him. I have nothing else to possibly say…
Final Thoughts: A tale of two halves. I really liked EWE vs. Bailey/Mao and that easily earned best match. Again, that’s the familiarity those wrestlers have with each other. The Homicide/Deppen tag match earns second-place, and while I’ve heard the name Jun Akiyama for years, this was a treat to see him. Higuchi-Charlie was a superb big man-little man match; there was no doubt that Higuchi was playing with his food, but Charlie fought hard in a match he never had a chance to win. Really good stuff.
I could have easily skipped the last three matches. I will reiterate, though, that the crowd was highly entertained by all three matches. They just weren’t for me.
I didn’t like that hardcore match. Too much blood, too many staple guns, too many chairs thrown, too many unprotected blows to the head. I can’t endorse any of that. I particularly have a problem with throwing chairs at an opponent when brawling on the floor, when there are no guardrails, and fans are literally standing next to a wrestler getting struck by a flying chair. If GCW really wants those type of matches, please use guardrails to keep your fans out of danger.
If the goal was to get me to find time in my week to watch DDT… it didn’t work. The good wrestling from the Japanese guys I didn’t know wasn’t good enough to off-set the silliness of the rest of the show.
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