By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, MLW, ROH, 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 “The Coldest Winter 2”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
February 3, 2024 in Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center
This show was sold out in advance and there are perhaps 700-800 fans here. Dave Prazak and Jordan Castle provided commentary.
1. Nic Nemeth defeated Matt Cardona (w/Steph De Lander) at 12:36. Prazak and Castle were blown away that this match is opening the show. Cardona grabbed the mic but he was distracted by the fans booing him and he demanded they show him respect. He said this match should have happened at WrestleMania, and not in GCW. Nic got a nice pop. The bell rang but Matt grabbed the mic and said “we don’t have to wrestle tonight.” He told Nemeth to lay down so he could get the pin and “I can finish my story.” Funny. Nemeth laid down but he hopped back up when Matt turned his back. Nic hit a superkick for a nearfall. Cardona hit a low blow and a Radio Silence/Fameasser for a nearfall at 3:00.
Nic got a chair and he cracked it across Cardona’s back. SDL hopped on the ring apron and stole Nic’s chair. Matt tossed a different chair at Nic’s face. SDL choked Nic in the ropes. Nemeth hit a Fameasser for a nearfall at 7:30. Cardona hit a “Rock Bottom” uranage and he hit a “People’s Elbow” for a nearfall, including all of the Rock’s signature arm waves. Nemeth hit a “CrossRhodes” swinging faceplant (Castle did call it that, saying “that’s how you nearly finish a story”) for a nearfall at 10:00.
Powder was tossed into Nic’s eyes. SDL speared Nic through a door in the corner, and Matt got a nearfall. Ryan Nemeth hopped in the ring and hit a stunner on Matt. Nic superkicked SDL. Matt again hit Radio Silence on Nic for a believable nearfall at 12:00. Jordan Castle’s mic got really quiet. SDL got a beer bottle but she accidentally hit it on Matt. Nic superkicked Steph, then he hit a Danger Zone leaping neckbreaker to pin Cardona. Fun match.
2. Chris Bey defeated Man Like Dereiss at 14:10. I always compare British star Dereiss to a young Shelton Benjamin in looks, and he’s a great talent. Some fast-paced reversals and a feeling-out process. Dereiss hit a bodyslam for a nearfall at 2:00. Bey dove through the ropes onto Dereiss. In the ring, Bey was in charge and hit some running chops. Dereiss hit a missile dropkick at 6:30. Dereiss hit a spin kick to the head. He missed a top-rope 450 Splash, but he hit a hard back elbow. Dereiss hit an impressive German Suplex, then a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:30. They traded rollup for nearfalls. Bey hit a rolling elbow. Dereiss went for a stunner but Bey avoided it. Dereiss hit a kip-up stunner. He hit a superkick, but he again missed a 450 Splash. Bey nailed the Art of Finesse springboard stunner for the pin. Good action.
3. Kerry Morton defeated Mike Jackson at 9:26. Kerry is just a heat magnet. I believe Jackson is now 74 and he just has no business being in the ring. (If I was promoter, I wouldn’t want the risk of him getting seirously injured or dying in the ring.) It is his first-ever match in California, which is just wild. Morton got on the mic and referred to himself as a “real professional wrestler” and the crowd chanted “Shut the f— up!” at him. Jackson hit an armdrag and the crowd popped. He hit a shoulder tackle for a nearfall, and he worked the left arm. They brawled on the floor and Morton accidentally hit the ring post at 4:30.
In the ring, Jackson walked the top rope while holding Morton’s hand. Morton hit a suplex at 7:00 and celebrated and was booed. Jackson hit a Canadian Destroyer and a Rude Awakening neckbreaker for a nearfall, but Morton got a foot on the ropes. Morton got a rollup, put his feet on the ropes for leverage, and scored the cheap pin. Okay match; Jackson does more than you’d think for his age but it seems like he’s stopped doing a dive through the ropes, which is a good idea.
4. Alexander Hammerstone defeated Charles Mason at 14:15. Mason wore a reddish-tan suit. Needless to say, Hammerstone is taller, thicker, more muscular. Mason attacked and had an early advantage. They brawled to the floor in front of the fans. Hammerstone did a Guerrilla Press and tossed Mason onto several of these hard, wood chairs at 3:00. In the ring, Hammerstone slammed Mason back-first into the corner. Mason hit some punches and Hammerstone was bleeding from the forehead; Mason wiped it on his own face. Mason bit at the cut.
Mason ripped at Hammerstone’s mouth, and he hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 7:00. Hammerstone hit a hard clothesline and they were both down. He hit a big backbody drop at 9:00, then a powerslam and a butterfly suplex for a nearfall. Mason spit fluid in the eyes and he hit a clothesline. Mason hit a DDT on the apron and they both fell to the floor at 11:30. In the ring, Mason hit some kicks, but Hammerstone caught him and hit a chokeslam. Hammerstone then hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall. Mason applied a Dragon Sleeper, but Hammerstone was able to flip Mason in his arms, hit the Nightmare Pendulum swinging sideslam, and score the pin.
* Hammerstone said the only reason he fought Mason is that Richard Holliday wasn’t here tonight. Mason attacked from behind with a steel chair and took out a knee.
* Clips aired of the bloody Effy-Mance Warner match last week in Tampa, Fla.
5. Gringo Loco, Latigo, and Arez defeated Starboy Charlie, Bodhi Young Prodigy, and Titus Alexander at 18:24. I think Titus is 25, Charlie is 20, and on a FSW show this week, they said Bodhi is still just 16. Emil Jay joined commentary. Loco and Bodhi opened; I describe Bodhi as a teenage Matt Sydal. They traded quick lucha reversals to open. Arez and Titus entered and traded quick reversals and had a standoff at 3:00. Charlies and Latigo then entered and squared off, with Charlie hitting a running Shooting Star Press. Latigo hit a brainbuster for a nearfall. Arez leapt off someone’s chest and hit a dropkick. Bodhi tried to walk the top rope but the heels kicked him off, and they began working Bodhi over.
Loco hit a powerbomb on Bodhi. The rudos backed Charlie into a corner and took turns hitting chops at 8:00. Bodhi hit a tornado DDT on Loco, then a stunner on Arez, then a Poison Rana on Latigo at 10:30. Charlie and Titus hit stereo flip dives to the floor. Bodhi hit a top-rope corkscrew press to the floor on everyone. Titus hit a Lethal Injection. He hit a backbreaker over the knee on Latigo for a nearfall. Titus tossed Bodhi onto Loco in the corner. Bodhi hit a 450 Splash. Latigo hit a dive through the ropes. Loco hi a springboard Vader Bomb onto Bodhi at 15:00, then he dove to the floor.
Charlie hit a piledriver on Latigo fo a nearfall. Arez hit a series of kicks on Charlies, then a running powerbomb for a nearfall. Titus hit a Chaos Theory rolling German Suplex for a nearfall. Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Charlie. Bodhi hit a mid-ring huracanrana on Loco. Loco hit a double Base Bomb. Arez and Latigo hit stereo superkicks. Loco hit his twisting moonsault to pin Bodhi. Every bit as fun and chaotic as you’d expect it to be.
6. “Bussy” Effy and Allie Katch vs. Masha Slamovich and Rina Yamashita ended in a no-contest at 14:30. Effy and Masha opened and traded chops and forearms. Rina and Allie entered at 1:30. Allie slammed her breasts into Rina; Rina was angered by this. Allie hit a running buttbump. Allie and Effy hit their team buttbumps and crotch thrusts on Rina’s head, and Effy hit a Whoopee Cushion buttdrop for a nearfall at 4:00. Masha entered and hit a series of snapmares on Katch. Rina ran the ropes and jabbed fingers into each opponent’s butt. Very crude but the crowd loved this. Masha hit a senton Allie for a nearfall at 7:00. Effy hit a top-rope double Blockbuster, then a Helluva Kick on Rina.
Effy hit a Death Valley Driver on Masha, dropping her on Rina. He hit a double flying Fameasser legdrop for a nearfall. Rina hit an Air Raid Crash on Allie for a nearfall at 9:30. Allie hit a back body drop on Rina. Rina hit a frogsplash. Effy speared Rina and everyone was down. They all got up and traded punches. Rina grabbed Effy’s groin, then he also grabbed Allie’s groin. Allie responded by putting Rina’s other hand on her groin, then kissing Rina on the mouth. Effy hit a second-rope flying leg lariat on Rina for a nearfall.
Rina hit a enzuigiri on Allie. Allie hit a piledriver for a nearfall, but Mance Warner hit the ring at 14:30 and stomped on Allie! Prazak shouted that Mance isn’t booked on this show. Mance pulled out a screwdriver and jabbed it into Allie’s forehead, and the crowd loudly booed Mance. (In theory, GCW doesn’t have disqualifications, but this is the second straight Effy match that ended in a draw.) Effy and Masha and Rina all hopped in the ring and hit some punches on Mance. Some raunchy humor early that the crowd enjoyed before the violence at the end.
7. Sandra Moone and “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo defeated Cole Radrick, Mr. Danger, and Bobby Flaco at 10:17. Danger leapt onto Los Macizos as they walked to ringside. Cole and Flaco each hit stunners on Moone for a nearfall. Flaco and Danger hit stereo flip dives to the floor. In the ring, Radrick’s team worked over Moone in their corner. Mr. Danger hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 3:00. Moone hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Flaco. Miedo made the hot tag and he hit a backbreaker over his knee on Danger, then a Lionsault Press. Ciclope hit the “Wassup?” flying headbutt to the groin.
Sandra hit a top-rope crossbody block onto the opponents on the floor at 5:30. Miedo hit a dive onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Sandra hit a splash on Flaco for a nearfall. Danger hit a top-rope 450 Splash onto Moone, as she was lying on a door bridge, for a nearfall at 8:00, but Los Macizos made the save. Ciclope powerbombed teammate Sandra onto Cole, who was lying on a door bridge. Miedo immediately hit a top-rope powerbomb on Flaco for the pin.
8. Santana Jackson defeated Su Yung at 15:15. Imagine GCW booking a Vince McMahon tribute act, power-walking his way to the ring and treated like a babyface in 2024. Gross, right? Disturbing and short-sighted, right? So, how is it okay to have a babyface Michael Jackson tribute act? Just vile. This is Su’s debut in GCW. I’ve only seen her a few times since she gave birth. She slammed him back-first on the apron at 4:00. She applied a Mandible Claw. Sanata put on his own glove and applied his own Mandible Claw. Funny spot. Santana hit a chairshot to the back. Su suplexed him into the corner at 9:00.
Su hit a second-rope superplex across two open chairs at 11:00. Santana vanished under the ring and emerged with the wolf mask on. However, Su hit a DDT and ripped it off, but it was a Black man no one recognized. Another masked wolf-man came out but that one also was a fake. This one speared Su and hit an elbow drop for a nearfall. Santana hit the Moonwalk DDT for the pin. I fully acknowledge the crowd loves these Santana matches.
* Emil Jay announced GCW will return here on 4/20.
9. Blake Christian defeated Dark Sheik to retain the GCW Championship at 24:22. No Shane Mercer with Blake today. Sheik hit Blake with a chair as he stood on the apron to stat the match, then dove through the ropes onto Blake on the floor. Sheik hit a powerbomb for a neafall, still inside the first minute of the match. Blake hit a baseball slide dropkick, then he dove through the ropes onto Sheik at 1:30. They brawled on the floor and up onto the stage near the hard camera. Blake bodyslammed Sheik onto the stage, and he applied a Texas Cloverleaf and was booed. Back in the ring, Blake remained in control of the action.
Blake applied another Texas Cloverleaf in the ropes in the corner at 7:00 and was booed. Blake hit a handspring-back-spin kick, then a backbreaker over his knee and a 619. He hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall at 9:30. Sheik fired back with a German Suplex for a nearfall. Blake dove through the ropes onto a door being held by Sheik, and they were both down. Sheik had a cut by the eye and was heavily bleeding. In the ring, Blake speared Sheik through a door in the corner and they were both down at 13:00. Blake again applied a Texas Cloverleaf.
Sheik slammed Blake face-first into a corner pad, then hit a top-rope guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 15:30. Sheik hit a Lungblower and applied a leg-scissors lock around the waist, while choking Blake with cloth. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Blake tossed Sheik through a door bridge on the floor at 19:00! Sheik hit a punch to the groin. Sheik got a ladder and set it up in the ring, and hit a flying legdrop off the ladder, onto Blake for a nearfall, but Blake got a foot on the ropes at 22:00. Blake hit a jumping Tombstone Piledriver. Blake hit a top-rope doublestomp to the back, then a Stomp to the head for the pin. Blah; this one really didn’t work for me and the crowd was fairly quiet for a main event, too.
Final Thoughts: This show just didn’t quite click for me. The Gringo Loco six-man tag was superb and easily earns best match of the show. Dereiss-Bey was good for second, and Cardona-Nemeth was fun for third, even though I am still surprised they opened with that match. The mishmash mix of intergender matches and the Michael Jackson tribute act just leaves me cold. I’m a huge Blake Christian fan but that’s definitely among my least favorite matches in what has been an exceptional title run. GCW is back in action on Sunday, and they have a stellar lineup for the J Cup next weekend, too.
>>I believe Jackson is now 74 and he just has no business being in the ring.<>Jackson hit a Canadian Destroyer ….<<
You were saying?