By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Highest in the Room 2”
Streamed on FITE+
December 9, 2023 in Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center
This is one of the best-drawing buildings in indy wrestling, and the crowd is maybe 800. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary, and Dave said it is a sellout.
1. Jordan Oliver defeated Alec Price at 12:21. Prazak said the JCW title is NOT on the line in this one. These two are familiar foes and they opened with standing switches. They sped it up and had a standoff at 1:30. Price hit a springboard crossbody block, but he started to jaw at the fans. Oliver hit a T-Bone suplex at 6:30, then a running Facewash kick for a nearfall. He set up for the Acid Bomb but Price broke free. Prazak talked about how Price is seemingly one big win away from reaching the upper echelon of the GCW roster. Price hit an enzuigiri and a half nelson suplex at 8:30.
Price hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall, but he again is distracted by the fans. He hit a running knee in the corner. Oliver hit his Cleopatra stunner. They traded kicks and both were down, and this crowd was hot! Price hit a Rebound Lariat at 11:30. Oliver hit an Acid Kick, then a mid-ring Acid Bomb for the clean pin. (He usually hits that finisher out of the corner.) Another very good match here.
* A highlight package aired showing Matt Cardona beating Jimmy Lloyd. By losing, Lloyd must become Cardona’s “Broh-ski.” (This never works out well. Remember when John Cena was forced to be in Nexus? The unwilling partner just tears the team down from the inside.)
* Jordan Castle joined Prazak on commentary.
2. Matt Cardona, Steph De Lander, and Jimmy Lloyd defeated Lil Cholo and “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo at 8:47. Cardona and SDL came to the ring first. SDL got on the mic and swore at the crowd. She said they are turning Lloyd into a Broh-ski. Cardona cut his usual promo, proclaiming he is an indy god. They introduced Jimmy Lloyd, who came to the ring in “classic WCW” one-legged pants. (Wasn’t that what Hardbody Harrison would wear? Look him up if you don’t know his story.) Cardona and Miedo opened, but Matt tagged in Jimmy before locking up. Miedo and Lloyd traded friendly offense then they hugged, making Cardona irate. Los Macizos worked over Cardona.
Cardona held Cholo’s arms, but Lloyd was hesitant to punch Cholo. Cardona accidentally hit Steph at 5:30, and Matt yelled at Lloyd for not being a team player. Miedo slammed Ciclope onto Cardona for a nearfall. Steph hit a spear on Miedo. Cholo hit a stunner on Steph. Ciclope hit a frogsplash on Cardona for a nearfall at 8:00. Cardona hit a low blow kick on Ciclope with the ref out of position. Cardona handed Lloyd a chair and ordered him to use it on Ciclope. Lloyd clocked Ciclple over the head! Cardona immediately hit the Radio Silence/Fame-asser for the pin.
3. Ninja Mack defeated Cole Radrick, Bodhi Young Prodigy, Mr. Danger, 1 Called Manders, and Dark Sheik in a scramble at 13:26. Mack has just returned from a NOAH tour, and he’s always great to watch. I will again compare Bodhi to a 16-year-old Matt Sydal. Manders hit a shoulder tackle and he is much bigger than everyone else in this match. Mack hit some quick offense on Mr. Danger and Bodhi. Cole and Sheik traded offense. A masked man entered the ring at 2:30 and beat up everyone! Prazak said it is “Bendito” (this is not AEW’s Bandido). He hit a German Suplex on Bodhi, then a backbreaker over his knee. Ninja Mack hit a Sasake Special to the floor at 4:00.
Bendito and Ninja Mack had an awkward exchange. Bendito traded chops with Manders at 6:00, and Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline. Sheik hit a Sliced Bread on Manders. Radrick got in the ring, holding a ladder. He put the ladder on his head and knocked a few guys down while swinging it. Sheik hit a low blow punch on Cole at 8:30. The scrawny Mr. Danger (think ROH’s Cheeseburger!) leapt off the ladder, set up in the ring, and hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone on the floor. That was insane. In the ring Manders hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Mack for a nearfall. Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Manders.
Sheik knocked Manders off the apron and through a door set up on the floor at 11:00. Radrick whipped a chair at Mack’s unprotected head; I really hate that. Bendido hit a dive to the floor. Meanwhile, Ninja Mack hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash onto Bodhi, who was lying on a door bridge, for the pin. A fairly sloppy scramble but a nice dive from Mr. Danger and an impressive finisher by Ninja Mack.
* The well-done video package aired promoting Nick Gage vs. Jun Kasai. Not my style of match but this is a very well done video.
4. Santana Jackson defeated George South at 12:21. A Michael Jackson tribute act is sick and disturbing in 2023; where is the Jeffrey Epstein tribute act? Or a Bill Cosby cosplay act? Just disgusting. Also, every Santana match is exactly the same. George South is 61 and has no business being in the ring; Emil says it is South’s first match in Los Angeles in 35 years. Santana hit the Moonwalk DDT for the pin. The crowd thoroughly enjoyed this.
5. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Masha Slamovich and Rina Yamashita to retain the GCW Tag Titles at 11:06. I’m a bit surprised Masha wasn’t at the Impact event with Mike Bailey. These two women rarely lose to men in GCW so anything could happen here, and they all brawled at the bell. Garrini has a massive size advantage on Rina. Masha dove to the floor but Kevin caught her and slammed her onto the ring apron. All four brawled on the floor. In the ring, ViF worked over Rina in their corner. Masha made the hot tag at 5:30 and she hit a Helluva Kick on Ku. Rina suplexed Garrini onto Ku and got a nearfall.
Ku snapped Rina’s fingers. Rina grabbed his groin, then she hit a clothesline. Garrini hit a hard back suplex on Rina at 8:00. Garrini hit a Lungblower on Masha. Ku hit a running knee on Masha for a believable nearfall. The women hit a team Razor’s Edge on Ku for a nearfall at 10:00, but Garrini pulled the ref from the ring. Rina hit a German Suplex on Garrini. Ku hit a brainbuster on Masha. ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon kick-and-brainbuster combo to pin Masha. Solid match; the size difference here made it really hard for me to take this match seriously.
6. Big F’n Joe defeated Sawyer Wreck in an intergender match at 8:48. Joe wore his button-down shirt, tie, but no pants, showing off his white briefs. He has really started to look like Brodie Lee. She might have the height advantage but he has the clear overall size and strength advantage. They immediately traded forearm strikes and they brawled to the floor. In the ring, she hit a sideslam for a nearfall at 5:30. She was bleeding from her forehead. Joe is too. She grabbed him by the throat. Steph De Lander hopped in the ring and hit Sawyer with a chair! Joe immediately hit a Death Valley Driver through a door in the corner for the pin.
* A video package aired showing Jacob Fatu brawling with the Second Gear Crew.
7. Jacob Fatu and Juicy Finau defeated Effy and Mance Warner at 8:42. Mance pounded on his forehead so he was bleeding literally before he got in the ring or took off his jacket. Effy and Fatu opened, and Fatu hit a senton. Juicy hit a rolling cannonball onto Effy in the corner. Effy hit a top-rope dive to the floor onto everyone at 2:00. Juicy hit a dive through the ropes onto Effy. Effy hit a DDT on Fatu on the ring apron. Effy hit a chair across Juicy’s back, but Juicy put Mance through a table in the corner at 5:30. Fatu hit a Swanton Bomb on Effy. Juicy hit a frogsplash for a nearfall, but Mance made the save. Mance repeatedly hit Juicy with a chair across the back. Fatu hit a standing powerbomb on Effy. Juicy splashed Mance through a door in the corner. Juicy hit a moonsault — yes, a moonsault — on Mance. Fatu hit his own moonsault to pin Mance.
* Mance was selling an ankle injury, as Fatu did land awkwardly on his legs on that moonsault to finish the match. Effy helped Mance to his feet, and they hugged. However, Mance attacked Effy from behind with a chair, and he hit a running knee to Effy’s forehead. The crowd loudly booed Mance.
8. Blake Christian defeated Starboy Charlie to retain the GCW Title at 16:27. Blake got on the mic and was booed, as he pointed out he is 1-0 all time against Charlie. Charlie hit a dropkick and a running Shooting Star Press. Blake hit a spear on the ring apron, then he dove through the ropes onto Charlie at 3:00. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Blake hit a backbreaker over his knee, then a half-nelson suplex at 5:30, and he celebrated. Charlie applied a crossface on the mat. Blake applied a Texas Cloverleaf, but Charlie reached the ropes at 9:00. Charlie hit a Poison Rana and they were both down.
Charlie hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, then a shotgun dropkick. Blake hit an inverted senton at 11:00, another backbreaker over his knee, and a 619. He hit a diving headbutt for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. They stood up and traded chops, and Charlie pulled down the straps of his overalls so they could keep chopping each other’s chests. Blake hit a double-underhook DDT for a nearfall at 14:00. Charlie nailed a piledriver for a nearfall, but Blake got his foot on the ropes. Charlie hit a Pele Kick as Blake was seated on the top turnbuckle at 16:00. Blake set up for a Lethal Injection, but he rolled up Charlie, hit the Rollins-style Stomp to the head, and scored the pin.
9. Johnny Gamechanger and Taya Valkyrie defeated Nick Gage and Maki Itoh at 17:39. Johnny and Taya were introduced as “the mayor and first lady of Slamtown.” Lots of posing and standing around at the bell; Johnny and Itoh finally locked up at 2:00 to begin the action. Taya and Gage traded forearm strikes at 4:30. Gage and Itoh hit team Kokeshis on Taya. Maki hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 6:30. Taya kept Itoh in their corner. They hit a front-and-back kneestrike, with Johnny making the cover for a nearfall at 9:30. Nick finally made the hot tag at 11:00 and hit a powerslam on Taya.
Nick got two kendo sticks and he flipped one to Johnny! Nick repeatedly struck Johnny with it, then he hit a spinebuster. Johnny hit a corkscrew plancha to the floor on Gage at 15:00. In the ring, Gage hit a DDT on Taya. Gage hit a Facewash kick onto a chair placed over Johnny’s face. Gage hit a corkscrew dive onto Johnny. Taya shoved Gage through a door placed in the corner at 17:00. The women fought in the middle of the ring. Taya set up for Road to Valhalla, but she rolled up Itoh, had a handful of tights, and scored the cheap pin! Maki was furious at the outcome and screamed for Taya to come back into the ring.
* Itoh spoke in Japanese, with Gage ‘translating’ that Itoh “wants that bitch one-on-one.”
10. Andrade El Idolo defeated Joey Janela at 28:53. This is Andrade’s debut in GCW, and of course, occurs hours after he scored a pin on Bryan Danielson on AEW TV. An intense lockup to open and this has a nice big-match vibe to it. Andrade hit a shoulder tackle at 3:00 and he kept Joey grounded. They brawled to the floor, where Andrade accidentally chopped the ring post at 7:00. In the ring, Andrade was back in control. Joey hit a German Suplex at 10:30. Joey hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 14:00. Janela nailed a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron! In the ring, they traded forearm strikes, and Andrade hit some Dragonscrew Legwhips at 16:30.
Andrade hit a running double knees in the corner for a nearfall. Andrade nailed a top-rope doublestomp as Joey was tied up in the ropes, and they both fell to the floor at 19:30. In the ring, Joey hit a top-rope superplex, and they were both down at 21:30. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing. Andrade hit the Three Amigos rolling suplexes, which popped the crowd. Janela hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor, with them both crashing onto the hard wood chairs at 24:30. That is an insane bump. In the ring, Andrade hit a bodyslam. He went for a moonsault, but Joey got his knees up. Joey hit a package piledriver for a nearfall at 26:30, then a top-rope double-stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Andrade hit a back elbow, then he applied the Figure Four Leglock, and Joey tapped out.
Final Thoughts: Give Andrade credit. No one would have complained if he did 15-18 minutes, but he put his working boots on and had a great match here, doing a lot of big spots. Yes, it goes to personal tastes, but I’ll go Blake-Charlie for best, the Oliver-Price opener for second and the main event for third. I won’t argue with anyone who has the main event on top. Those three matches definitely carried the show.
It sure is cool to see Johnny and Taya in GCW… but Nick Gage is about as mobile as George South these days. Speaking of which, the crowd LOVED the South-Santana match, which actually had almost no action; those two knew how to milk crowd reaction while barely wrestling a lick. My usual complaints with GCW: I don’t care for the unnecessary blood loss or the intergender matches. I think anyone being honest would say that scramble is not in the top half of GCW scrambles this year, but it did have the two big spots. I sure would love to have more Ninja Mack in GCW! And just once… I’d like to see someone forced to join a faction become fully into that faction, rather than resist it and destroy it from the inside.
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