By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Blood On the Hills 2”
Streamed on FITE+
October 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center
This is the ornate, beautiful building with a high ceiling and they always draw here. Dave Prazak and Jordan Castle provided commentary. Prazak called it “one of the busiest weeks in GCW history.” The crowd is in the 500 range; I don’t think this is a sellout but still a really good crowd. Castle announced that Joey Janela is sick and off the show.
1. Jordan Oliver defeated Jordan Cruz to retain the JCW Heavyweight Title at 13:24. This is Oliver’s 18th defense of the title belt. NJPW Strong alum Cruz is muscular and much thicker than Oliver, and I’m a big fan of both Jordans. Oliver charged and hit a Helluva Kick. Cruz hit two Tiger Bomb powerbombs for a nearfall. Oliver hit a huracanrana. Oliver hit a superkick at 2:00; he came off the ropes but Cruz caught him with a knee in the back. Oliver hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on the floor. In the ring, Oliver stomped on Cruz’ damaged knee and worked it over.
Oliver hit a second dragonscrew legwhip. They fought on the top rope, where Oliver hit a Frankensteiner. He immediately hit a top-rope moonsault, then he applied the Figure Four Leglock and got a nearfall at 6:00; Cruz got to the ropes. Oliver nailed the Clout Cutter for a believable nearfall, but Cruz kicked out and Oliver was shocked. Oliver hit a superkick. Cruz hit a belly-to-belly suplex at 8:30 and they were both down. Cruz nailed the second-rope superplex for a nearfall, but he was selling the damage done to his knee. Cruz hit a straight punch to the jaw and they were both down. They got up and traded chops.
Cruz hit some European Uppercuts. Oliver hit some chops and another basement dropkick on the damaged knee, then another Dragonscrew Legwhip. There was a smattering of boos, as the fans rallied for local Cruz. Cruz hit a German Suplex, a kneestrike and a neckbreaker over his knee for a believable nearfall at 13:00. Oliver hit an Acid Kick, then another. He applied a Boston Crab in the center of the ring, and Cruz tapped out. That might be the best match of the whole show; great opener.
* A video package aired of highlights from the GCW show in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday.
2. Lil Cholo defeated Bobby Flaco at 3:49. Indy veteran Cholo is over 200 pounds and the tiny, dork Flaco is listed online as 5’9″ and 161 pounds. Flaco is from the Georgia area and I’m baffled they would bring him to Los Angeles. Cholo hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 1:30. Cholo hit a delayed vertical suplex. Flaco hit a tornado DDT. Cholo hit a stunner for the pin. Short and harmless.
* Cholo got on the mic. He said he is about to celebrate 25 years of being in pro wrestling, and he got a “thank you, Cholo!” chant. Out of nowhere, Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini jumped Cholo and beat him up, earning loud boos! Los Macizos hit the ring for the save, and our next match is immediately underway!
3. “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo defeated “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 8:11. Los Macizos just regained the belts in Tokyo. They brawled at the bell. Ku hit a chairshot to the backs of both Macizos. Prazak noted that ViF beat Los Macizos in Detroit a few months ago. ViF worked over Ciclope in their corner early on. Ciclope hit a double suplex at 5:00 and made the hot tag to Miedo. However, Ku threw a chair at Miedo’s head. The crowd swore at ViF. Ku hit a doublestomp onto Ciclope’s chest, sending him through a door bridge. ViF beat up Miedo with door shards. Garrini hit a lungblower move to Miedo at 7:00. Effy and Allie Katch came to ringside and provided a distraction! They yelled at ViF. Cholo got in the ring and threw a chair at Garrini. Miedo got a quick rollup on Ku for the pin! Hard-hitting while it lasted.
4. Dark Sheik and “Bussy” Allie Katch and Effy defeated Alec Price and Bodhi Young Prodigy and Cole Radrick at 12:02. Bodhi is still just 16, and Castle said he skipped school Friday to get to this show. I’ve seen him several times now and he looks like a high school wrestler. Price wrestled Thursday in Massachusetts. Effy and dorky Radrick opened with some gay humor. Price and Katch entered at 2:00 and they had a posing contest. Sheik entered at 3:30 and battled Bodhi, and Sheik hit a spinning heel kick for a nearfall. Effy’s team beat up on Radrick, with Bussy hitting their team buttbumps to his head. Effy hit a Whoopee Cushion buttsplash at 6:30.
Allie hit her hip attack on Bodhi as her team worked Bodhi over in their corner. Radrick went for a moonsault but Sheik kicked him. Sheik hit a Sliced Bread on Radrick for a nearfall at 10:30. Bodhi hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Sheik. Price hit a dive to the floor. Radrick hit a Swanton on Sheik. Bodhi nailed a 450 Splash on Sheik for a nearfall, but Allie made the save. Allie hit her piledriver in the ropes on Price. Effy hit a spear on Bodhi. Effy hit his Doomsday legdrop on Bodhi, and Sheik immediately hit a top-rope legdrop on Bodhi for the pin. The crowd loved this, and the last three-four minutes were really good.
* Another video package, this one of GCW’s Japan show on Tuesday. Very bloody video package isn’t convincing me to watch it. (There are two matches I might try.)
5. Jack Cartwheel defeated Tony Deppen at 14:56. Prazak said Deppen won their prior two singles meetings. Emil Jay replaced Castle on commentary. Jack did some cartwheels but Deppen hit him with a punch to the face to end the silliness and the action got rolling. Jack hit a nice dropkick. Jack dove through the ropes at 2:30 with them barreling into the hard, wood chairs. (No metal folding chairs here!) In the ring, Deppen went for a stunner but Jack somehow flipped out of it. Deppen trapped Jack’s head in the corner and hit a HARD kneestrike to the skull. Ouch. Deppen took over at this point. Jack did a ‘Cartwheel Dragonscrew’ at 6:00, then he cartwheeled across the ring into a back elbow, then a standing corkscrew moonsault for a nearfall.
Deppen hit a tombstone piledriver for a nearfall and he was livid he didn’t get the win. Deppen hit a jumping knee to the face. Jack hit a Blue Thunder Bomb; he again did cartwheels across the ring but this time Deppen hit a kneestrike to the back. Deppen hit a powerbomb at 8:00. Jack hit a standing neckbreaker. Deppen hit a German; Jack hit a German, Deppen hit a German; Jack hit a German, Deppen hit a German. Jack hit a Poison Rana, but Deppen hit a clothesline and they were both down at 9:00. Great sequence. They traded slaps to the face while on their knees. Jack nailed the Sakake Special to the floor at 11:00.
In the ring, Jack hit the Crucifix Driver for a believable nearfall, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall. Jack climbed the ropes but Tony shoved the ref into the ropes, causing Jack to fall and be crotched, and Tony was booed. Deppen hit a second-rope flipping stunner to the mat, then a running kneestrike for a believable nearfall. Deppen hit a Tombstone Piledriver for another believable nearfall at 14:00. They traded rollups when Jack suddenly got a modified O’Connor Roll and bridged up, getting the pin. Deppen was livid. That was excellent and a big win here for Cartwheel.
* A video package aired showing highlights of Jun Kasai vs. Joey Janela in Korakuen Hall. Very bloody and just not for me.
6. Sawyer Wreck defeated Jimmy Lloyd in an intergender match at 9:24. As often the case, Sawyer is taller than her male opponent. They traded chair shots and Jimmy tossed a chair at her; I hate that. They brawled on the floor and in front of the fans. Sawyer did a summersault roll from the apron to the floor but Jimmy moved, and she crashed onto an open, metal folding chair at 3:00. OUCH. (There are metal chairs under the ring; fans are on hard wood chairs.) In the ring, she hit some chairshots to the head; he got his hands up to protect himself. She hit a snap suplex onto a folded chair at 5:30. She placed a chair next to his groin, and she swung another chair at it. OUCH.
Jimmy crotched her on the top rope and shook it, and “she looked at him like he’s so stupid,” Emil said. Funny. Lloyd hit a forward Finlay Roll off the ring apron through a door bridge on the floor at 7:00. In the ring, he hit her over the head with door shards. However, she speared Jimmy through a door in the corner for a believable nearfall. She hit some unprotected shots over his head with door shards, and I hate that. She chokeslammed him onto a chair lying on it’s side and scored the pin. I liked that more than most hardcore matches, and worth noting that neither bled.
* A video package aired showing Blake Christian defeating Jordan Oliver in Korakuen Hall. Jordan Castle returned to the booth. Prazak said this is Paul London’s GCW debut. I’ve said this before, but London 2023 is just not London 2004. He’s now ‘Fat Elvis’ in a one-piece, and just not agile anymore. He sings show tunes or opera on his way to the ring, and he’s really off-key. I was such a HUGE London 2004-era fan and it hurts my heart so see him as a shell of himself. Blake hit the ring second and he got on the mic, and said he was excited when the match was announced… until he checked out London’s recent matches. “You’re just not as good as you used to be. You’re singing, your dancing, you look like Elvis.” Blake got in his face and called him “old and washed up.” London slapped him in the face and the match is underway!
7. Blake Christian defeated Paul London to retain the GCW Heavyweight Title at 15:27. London hit a belly-to-belly suplex seconds in. Castle said this also is Blake’s 18th title defense. They brawled to the floor. London removed a trash bag from a can, but Blake stole it from him. They kept brawling away from the ring, and London hit Blake with the garbage bags, with one ripping open and spilling debris everywhere. They finally got back in the ring at 6:00. Blake hit a springboard flying uppercut. Blake hit a handspring-back-enzuigiri. He snapped London’s arm backward with a sickening snap sound at 9:00.
Blake hit a series of punches in the corner. London hit a spin kick out of nowhere and they were both down. London dropped Blake stomach-first. Blake hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest at 12:00 and he jawed at the referee. London hit a top-rope doublestomp to the back, then a face-first powerbomb move. Blake held the ref out of position, and he hit a low blow kick on London. London avoided the Stomp and he hit an enzuigiri. London went to the top rope but Blake hopped to his feet and cut him off. London bit Blake’s forehead. London missed the Shooting Star Press! Blake nailed a 450 Splash for a believable nearfall. Blake then nailed the Rollins-style Stomp to the head for the pin. Castle raved about London’s showing.
* Another video package from Korakuen Hall, with Rina Yamashita vs. Masha Slamovich.
8. Santana Jackson defeated JTG (Jay the Gawd) at 10:42. If you haven’t seen JTG since he left WWE, he’s grown out his dreadlocks and he’s in tremendous shape. (He’s been under-utilized in NWA). HOWEVER, having a Michael Jackson tribute act in 2023 is sickening and short-sighted. Michael Jackson was a well-known (albeit never convicted) pedophile and honoring him this way is just disgusting. Maybe next time GCW can have a Danny Masterson or Jeffrey Epstein tribute act for fans to laugh at. I can’t wrap my head around this. I like JTG so much and I’m saddened he’s in this match.
JTG is much taller and stronger, which Castle pointed out. JTG hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall at 3:00 and he dominated the shorter Santana. JTG spun Santana multiple times before hitting a Black Hole Slam at 7:00. Santana went under the ring and came out with a wolf head on. He hit an elbow drop for a nearfall at 9:00. Santana ‘bit’ JTG in the neck and JTG spasmed and collapsed. JTG stood up and he now had a wolf mask on. “The Thriller” began playing. Santana, the ref and JTG started dancing. However, Santana hit a DDT for the pin. The crowd loved the silliness.
* Another video package from Korakuen Hall, this one of El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. Gringo Loco. Worth reiterating this was Vikingo’s Japan debut.
9. Gringo Loco and Arez defeated Aramis and Rey Horus at 25:38. Intriguing that the luchadors are in the main event. Aramis is in red and Horus is in blue tonight. Loco and Aramis opened with some quick lucha reversals. Aramis hit some deep armdrags, then a huracanrana off Loco’s shoulders. Arez entered and traded offense with Aramis, with Arez hitting a brainbuster at 2:30. Horus entered and battled Arez. Horus hit a top-rope huracanrana on Loco, then a huracanrana to the floor. Aramis and Horus hit stereo flip dives to the floor at 4:30.
In the ring, Aramis and Horus hit some quick team offense on Arez. The heels backed Aramis into a corner and hit some chops. Arez hit his quick stomps on Aramis’ back at 8:00. Loco hit a running faceplant, then a top-rope moonsault onto the back. Aramis hit a top-rope dive into an armdrag. Horus hit a top-rope springboard corkscrew press to the floor at 11:30. Awesome. Aramis and Loco fought on the ropes and they crashed to the mat; Emil and Prazak weren’t sure who got the worst of that move. Arez nailed a Poison Rana on Aramis at 13:00. Horus hit a swinging faceplant on Arez and suddenly everyone was down, with the fans chanting, “lucha libre!”
Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Aramis, but Horus immediately hit a tornado DDT on Loco. Arez hit an enzuigiri and a Lionsault. Aramis hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Arez and everyone was down again at 15:30, and the crowd chanted “Fight forever!” Loco and Arez went under the ring and got some metal chairs, so Aramis and Horus went under the ring and got wood doors. They jumped back in the ring and all four brawled. Loco fired Arez at the babyfaces, and Arez hit a double DDT. Loco hit a flip dive to the floor at 17:00. Arez hit a second-rope flip dive to the floor.
A double door bridge was set up on the floor. In the ring, Horus hit a satellite DDT on Loco at 19:30. In a coool spot, Horus dove onto Loco in the ring while Aramis did a moonsault off the ring post onto Arez on the floor. I had no idea where Aramis was going! Loco hit a fadeaway stunner on Horus. Aramis came off the ropes but Loco caught him with a powerbomb at 21:30. Loco hit a Swanton Bomb move on Aramis for a nearfall. Arez got a chair and CLOCKED Aramis over the head with it 23:30. That was vicious. In the ring, he hit a chairshot on Horus’ head, too. Arez and Loco set up a door bridge in the ring. Horus and Loco fought on the top rope. Arez joined too. Aramis leapt off the ring apron and put Arez throught he door bridge on the floor. However, Loco hit the Base Bomb/swinging top-rope powerbomb through the door bridge in the ring to pin Horus. Fantastic.
Final Thoughts: GCW is so hit-or-miss. I really didn’t like the Atlantic City shows a week ago because they had too many death matches with too many light tubes, etc. This show, however, is GCW at or near its best. The main event was stellar, just absolutely stellar. Fans got to see the very best of lucha libre and those four absolutely click in the ring. I’ll actually go with Cartwheel-Deppen for second best, as Deppen is a great foil for these high-flyers. I can’t believe that, as good as the Jordans’ match was to open the show, I’m only giving it third place, because most nights, that’s easily best.
I’ve already voiced my objection to using a Michael Jackson tribute act so I’ll leave it there. And while I am not thrilled with Paul London’s 2023 act, the crowd was into it and they put together a good match. I certainly hope that tonight could lead to more JTG in mainstream indy shows because he has worked hard to re-invent himself. I seriously have few negatives. I don’t think anyone bled tonight! When’s the last time you could say that about a GCW show? As I noted, the Lloyd-Sawyer match isn’t my preferred style but topped all expectations. This show gets a big thumbs up from me.
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