By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “GCW vs. New South Wrestling II”
Streamed on FITE.TV
June 25, 2023 in Florence, Alabama at Singin’ River Brewery
This show aired on Fite+. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay and Carmen Michaels provided commentary. As the show’s name suggests, this is a battle between two promotions. They used this building last year; maybe 100 people are seated below the hard camera and only a a couple on the stage across from the hard camera. This building is so narrow there is no seating on the sides.
* The New South promoter hit the ring to warm up the crowd. He vowed they were going to show why they are the best in the south. Nick Gage joined him in the ring. They took turns playing to the crowd.
1. Jack Cartwheel defeated Brogan Finlay at 7:10. On Saturday, Finlay turned on GCW and joined New South. Cartwheel hit a shotgun dropkick. Finlay suplexed Jack into a corner for a nearfall. Cartwheel hit his slingshot senton at 4:00. Jack did a cartwheel from the top rope to the mat, splashing on Brogan. Finlay hit a top-rope elbowdrop for a nearfall. Jack hit a Sasake Special to the floor, somewhat catching himself in the ropes going over. In the ring, Jack hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash for the pin. A non-stop sprint to open the show. GCW 1, New South 0.
2. Cole Radrick defeated Tyler Franks at 8:56. Franks has a passing resemblance to Ludvig Kaiser. Prazak said this was supposed to be Franks vs. Starboy Charlie, but Charlie injured his knee last night and couldn’t wrestle here, so Radrick was shuffled from a different match to this one. Franks placed Radrick’s feet on the top rope and hit a swinging neckbreaker at 3:00. Franks hit a series of European Uppercuts, and Carmen Michaels said that Franks was one of New South’s top prospects.
Radrick hit a 619. Franks hit a Shining Wizard. Franks hit a swinging slam for a believable nearfall. Franks put Radrick on his shoulders and spun him to the mat for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Radrick hit a spin kick to the head, then the Little Sebastian’s Curse pumphandle sit-out powerbomb for the pin. Solid; the wrong man won. GCW 2, New South 0.
3. Hunter Drake defeated Alec Price at 9:17. Drake has the long floppy hair; think of a shorter Matt Riddle. Price is the talented Boston native who is seemingly everywhere right now, and he jawed at the fans as he walked to the ring. Drake hit a springboard crossbody block. They went to the floor, where Price threw Hunter into the rows of fans. In the ring, Price was in charge, hitting a sideslam for a nearfall at 3:30. Price hit a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall.
Hunter hit a spin kick to the head, then a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall at 6:30, then a Cameron Grimes-style stomp to the chest for a believable nearfall. Hunter missed a top-rope 450 Splash. Price hit a half-nelson suplex and his running knees in the corner, then a superkick and a powerbomb into the corner for a nearfall at 8:30. Hunter nailed a Canadian Destroyer, then the top-rope 450 Splash for the clean pin. That was really, really good. GCW 2, New South 1.
4. Donnie Primetime, Rolando (Freeman) Perez, Walker 13, and Stunt Marshall defeated Jimmy Lloyd, Jordan Oliver, 1 Called Manders, and Bobby Flaco at 19:29. Flaco should be on New South; he moved over because of Starboy Charlie’s injury (which forced Radrick out of this match.) Walker 13 wears white and black, and white mime face paint; it makes me think of DC’s Two-Face. Rolando Perez wrestles as Rolando Freeman in NWA; he’s the shortest man in the match, and he opened against Flaco with standard reversals. Lloyd and Donnie entered at 2:00 and traded punches. Stunt Marshall entered; he’s a Black man and I don’t think I’ve seen him before.
Manders and Walker 13 entered at 3:30, and Walker is even a little taller and thicker than Manders. Team New South began working over Flaco in their corner. Manders bodyslammed Walker 13. Manders did a gorilla press several times on Perez before dropping him to the mat at 7:00. All eight brawled again. Flaco hit an X-Factor faceplant on Donnie. Oliver made the hot tag at 9:30 and traded blows with Donnie, and he hit a Northern Lights Suplex and the Acid Kick, then his sit-out powerbomb for a believable nearfall.
Marshall entered and hit a release suplex on Oliver, and they traded chops, then hit simultaneous clotheslines at 12:00. Lloyd and Perez made the hot tag for each squad, with Lloyd hitting a Dragon Suplex and a running neckbreaker for a nearfall. Walker 13 entered and hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a Vader Bomb on Lloyd for a nearfall. Manders entered and squared off with the tiny Perez. Rolando chopped him, which had no effect. Manders picked up Rolando and tossed him to the floor on two opponents. Manders and Walker 13 again traded chops at 14:30.
Manders hit a German Suplex; Walker hit a German Suplex and a running back elbow. Everyone got back in the ring again. Flaco hit a top-rope crossbody block. Flaco hit a stunner on Donnie. Manders hit a huge clothesline on Walker. Oliver hit a springboard doublestomp to the floor. Lloyd dove through the ropes to the floor. Walker dove through the ropes onto everyone at 17:30, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Stunt hit a flip dive to the floor. Rolando hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor on everyone; it appeared almost no one caught him. Flaco hit a top-rope flip dive onto everyone.
In the ring, Flaco hit a springboard stunner. Primetime hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Primetime hit a fireman carry flip on Flaco to the mat, and Stunt made the cover for the pin. Lots of action in that one. GCW 2, New South 2.
5. Effy defeated Dillon McQueen at 8:14. Both men are openly gay. McQueen carried a sparkly pink bat to the ring, and he wore pink trunks; with his dark beard and light blond hair, he looks a bit like Steve Corino. Effy clotheslined Dillon to the floor; he went for a crossbody block to the floor but Dillon caught him and slammed him onto the apron at 3:00. In the ring, Dillon hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Effy bit Dillon’s nipple, then he hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, then a Whoopee Cushion buttdrop, then a curbstomp for a nearfall at 5:30.
Effy hit a Helluva Kick and used his leg to drag Dillon to the mat for a nearfall. Dillon fired back with a German Suplex, then a powerbomb for a nearfall. Effy hit the Fameasser legdrop for a nearfall. They traded slaps to the face. Effy hit another Fame-Asser for a nearfall, then a third one for the pin. Outside of the nipple bite spot, they really went with a regular wrestling match and didn’t turn up the gay humor. GCW 3, New South 2.
* Quick backstory: After John Wayne Murdoch lost his tag match on Saturday, he turned on partner 1 Called Manders and beat him up, making clear he isn’t putting aside issues to be a “GCW cheerleader.”
6. Brayden Toon and “Akuto Death Society” Kevin Ryan and Chris Crunk defeated John Wayne Murdoch and “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo at 9:56. Toon is a bit heavy and he impressed me Saturday. Ciclope was about to start, but Murdoch tagged himself in; that’s a rocky start for team GCW. Toon hit a running crossbody block on Murdoch, sending JWM to the floor to regroup. Team GCW worked over JWM. Loc Macizos slammed Murdoch onto an opponent at 4:30, and all six brawled to the floor.
Team NS flipped Murdoch onto Los Macizos. Brayden hit a German Suplex. Keith Ryan hit a moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Crunk hit a pumphandle faceplant on Murdoch for a nearfall at 8:00. Doors were brought into the ring. Los Macizos slammed an opponent through a door, but Murdoch — their partner! — broke up the pin. Los Macizos were angry and left the ring. The ADS hit front-and-back running kicks to Murdoch’s head for the pin. GCW 3, New South 3.
7. Blake Christian defeated Brandon Williams to retain the GCW Heavyweight Title at 16:38. I am surprised this isn’t the main event. Williams has a short crewcut. Blake rolled to the floor and stalled before locking up. Standing reversals early on. Brandon went for an anklelock, but Blake quickly reached the ropes at 4:00. They traded offense while in a knucklelock. Blake hit a spear on the ring apron, then a baseball slide dropkick to the floor at 7:00, and they brawled amongst the fans. In the ring, Blake hit a 619 Legsweep move and he was fully in control.
Blake stayed focused on the left ankle, and he stomped on it. Blake hit a running knee to the side of Brandon’s head at 11:00. Brandon hit a German Suplex and was fired up. He applied an anklelock. Blake hit a German Suplex. Brandon hit a lungblower to the chest for a nearfall at 13:30. Blake hit a back suplex, then a springboard 450 Splash. He applied a Figure Four Leglock. Blake hit the ref. Brandon hit a Falcon Arrow and he applied a leglock around the neck at 15:30. Blake got a weapon, but the ref confiscated it. Brandon accidentally crashed into the ref. Blake hit the Rollins-style Curbstomp for the pin. Very good match, but the winner was never in doubt. GCW 4, New South 3.
8. Rina Yamashita and Sawyer Wreck defeated Kenzie Paige and Kylie Alexa at 14:37. I’m a bit surprised this is the main event. Kenzie and Kylie (sisters who have competed often in NWA) are small, thin, average-sized girls, so the 6’1″ Sawyer towers over them. Kenzie has an NWA title belt. The sisters opened by hitting unprotected chairshots on Rina and Sawyer’s heads. They all immediately brawled to the floor. Rina got a staple gun and used it on Kylie’s butt, attaching a dollar bill. In the ring, Rina hit a DDT onto a folded chair at 3:00, and Rina got a cheese grater, and she used it across Kenzie’s forehead, and Kenzie was bleeding. (Just to be clear, I hate this type of violence; it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman.)
Sawyer slammed a chair across Kenzie’s back, and the GCW duo worked Kenzie over. Rina swung a chair at Kenzie’s head, which was resting on an open chair. Kylie got cooking skewers and jabbed them into Sawyer’s forehead at 9:00. Sawyer got the skewers and she jabbed Kylie with them. (why????) Rina hit a top-rope doublestomp. Thumbtacks were dumped in the ring. However, the sisters dropkicked the GCW duo, who fell on the tacks at 12:00. The GCW duo, showing how crazy they are, planted gusset plates on their own foreheads. They all began trading headbutts. The GCW duo hit stereo powerbombs to score the pin. GCW 5, New South 3.
Final Thoughts: Like Saturday, this was just a so-so show compared to the top GCW events. Blake Christian always brings it, and his match wins best match. I’ll go with Price-Drake for second and Cartwheel-Brogan for third. The eight-man tag was fun and earns honorable mention; I would have instead preferred Jordan Oliver vs. Donnie Primetime and Manders vs. Walker 13 in singles matches. Much like Marko Stunt and Microman, I just can’t take Rolando Perez seriously in the ring.
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