By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Ashes to Ashes”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
March 9, 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at The Showboat
There was a huge crowd that I’ll estimate at 600-700. The lighting was really good. Dave Prazak and Carmen Michael provided commentary. Nine matches were announced in advance; Prazak said we have ten tonight. A note… GCW loves their death matches, and this is a building where they are allowed to have them.
* I want to point out several top Northeast talents including Lio Rush, Gringo Loco, 1 Called Manders, Ryan Clancy, Griffin McCoy, Landon Hale, and Channing Thomas are competing in wXw in Germany, so none will be here this weekend. (Other wrestlers from the U.S./Canada on that tour include Rachel Armstrong, Travis Williams, Stephen Wolf and Derek Neal.) Congrats to all of them on the added worldwide exposure.
1. Maki Itoh defeated Joey Janela, Brohski Jimmy Lloyd, Marcus Mathers, Alex Zayne, and Jack Cartwheel in a scramble to win the GCW Extreme Title at 7:31. Janela was the champion entering the match. This is a bonus, unannounced match. Lots of talent in this one. I must reiterate that Itoh is so much smaller than all these men it’s rather absurd to pretend she can hold her own in there. Itoh did a cartwheel and high-fived everyone until Lloyd shoved her to the mat, and she started crying, earning Jimmy an “asshole!” chant. All the other men hit a superkick on Lloyd. Zayne flipped Mathers onto Cartwheel in the corner. Janela hit a top-rope crossbody block on Zayne at 2:00. Jack slammed Zayne onto Joey. Mathers hit a German Suplex on Jack, then a top-rope crossbody block on Jack for a nearfall.
Itoh got in the ring and hit a series of forearms on Lloyd and a DDT at 4:00, then a Facewash. Jack missed a Kokeshi on Itoh; she hit a Kokeshi on Jack. Mathers hit a Stunner on Jack. Janela hit a Death Valley Driver on Mathers on the ring apron. Jack hit a Sasuke Special to the floor and I think he hit his mouth on the knee of a fan at ringside. Janela hit a top-rope flip dive onto everyone on the floor at 6:00. Jack hit a Cartwheel DVD on Joey in the ring. Lloyd hit the Radio Silence legdrop. Zayne hit his jump-up Frankensteiner. Mathers hit a Poison Rana on Zayne, then a flip dive to the floor. Joey hit a top-rope doublestomp on Zayne, but Mathers hit a 450 Splash to break up a pin. Itoh hit a tornado DDT on Mathers to pin him! New champion! That was a fast-paced match.
2, “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Dark Sheik and Sawyer Wreck to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 8:28. Prazak said this is their 11th title defense. All four brawled at the bell on the floor, with Ku pairing off with Sawyer. Sawyer got a nerf gun and fired several bullets onto Garrini’s back, earning a ridiculous “you sick f—!” chant. Sheik hit a top-rope dive onto everyone at 2:00. In the ring, Sheik slammed Garrini face-first to the mat. Sawyer got in and hit some clotheslines on Dominic. Garrini hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Sheik at 6:00. Sawyer hit a chokeslam-style powerbomb on Garrini for a nearfall, but Ku made the save. Ku hit a hard clothesline on Sawyer. Wreck and Sheik set up a door bridge. However, ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon spin kick-and-brainbuster combo on Sawyer, dropping her through the door bridge, for the pin. Decent brawl; I never felt the titles were in danger of changing hands here.
3, Oni El Bendito and “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo defeated Terry Yaki, Mr. Danger, and Hunter Drake at 8:09. Again, Bendito’s size and body type and ring gear reminds me of WCW-era La Parka; he’s a big luchador. Yaki and Danger are Atlanta talents and Drake is from Tennessee. Bendito hit a flip dive to the floor to start the match. In the ring, he hit a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall. The lucha team beat up the scrawny Drake, with Ciclope hitting a Wassup flying headbutt to the groin at 1:30. Yaki hit a Poison Rana. Yaki and Drake hit a team Asai Moonsault that they kind of botched; I am unhappy to hear some “you f—ed up” chants. Danger hit a flip dive onto everyone on the floor.
Yaki went for a dive but Bendito caught him and slammed him on the mat at 3:30. Miedo set up a double-decker door bridge on the floor. Yaki hit a Canadian Destroyer. Bendito hit a wheelbarrow German Suplex. Drake hit a nice Code Red on Bendito. Miedo suplexed Drake on the ring apron. Danger hit a springboard spin kick and a Lionsault. Ciclope CLOCKED Danger over the head with an unprotected chairshot at 6:00 and I really hate that. Bendito hit a cool Asai Moonsault to the floor. Ciclope hit a twisting second-rope superplex on Mr. Danger onto a pile of open, upside-down chairs and that also is unnecessarily reckless. Miedo hit a Razor’s Edge over the top rope on Hunter through the double-decker door bridge! In the ring, Bendito top-rope Shooting Star Press on Danger for the pin. Good action but some dangerous spots, too. “That was pure chaos,” Prazak said.
* We had a pre-recorded video with Danhausen, who said he’s headed to Atlantic City.
4. Danhausen defeated Charles Mason (w/Parrow) at 10:02. Mason wore his tan suit. He got on the mic and complained how the deck has been stacked against him. “I didn’t come here to face a f—ing clown,” he said. Danhausen entered the ring, glared at Mason, then he spiked Parrow! Parrow was helped away from ringside as Mason hit some punches on Danhausen. They brawled to the floor and Mason was bleeding from his forehead. In the ring, Mason hit his rolling Death Valley Driver at 2:30. He hit a discus clothesline for a nearfall; he’s really bleeding from the forehead. Mason hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 5:30.
Danhausen got his jar of teeth, but Mason hit a low blow; he got the jar of teeth and dumped them in Danhausen’s mouth! He mockingly cursed Danhausen. Danhausen hit a low blow, and he spit the teeth into Mason’s mouth! Gross. Danhausen hit a kick to the face for a nearfall. Mason nailed a piledriver for a nearfall. Mason got a plastic bag and he put it over Danhausen’s head! The ref pulled Mason off of him. Mason got the spike and hit Danhausen in the forehead with it at 9:00 but only got a one-count. Danhausen hit a DDT. He hit Mason in the head with the spike! Danhausen hit a Go To Sleep kneestrike for the pin. That was fun.
* Numerous weapons were brought to the ring, including barbed-wire boards. Sigh. So it begins…
5. John Wayne Murdoch defeated Brandon Kirk at 13:20. Murdoch was bleeding from his forehead almost immediately. Murdoch got some type of knife and jabbed it in Kirk’s earring hole. Kirk was bleeding too. Kirk crashed through a barbed-wire door in the corner at 9:00. Murdoch hit a piledriver for the pin. Yuck.
6. Microman defeated Tony Deppen at 6:58. I hate fun so I’m not going to enjoy this either; I want to see Deppen punt him into the crowd. Deppen got on his knees but still easily shoved Microman to the mat. Microman ran into a big boot and Deppen got a nearfall at 2:00. They went to the floor where Deppen curled MM in his arms. In the ring, Microman hit a Lungblower to the back, then a huracanrana at 4:00. He hit a dropkick that sent Deppen to the mat, then a bulldog. Microman hit a 619 and a tornado DDT for a believable nearfall. He hit a back suplex. Deppen slammed Microman to the mat for a nearfall at 6:00. Deppen missed a senton. Microman hit a Vader Bomb for the pin. Ridiculous; the crowd loved it.
7. Blake Christian and Shane Mercer defeated Cole Radrick and Alec Price at 13:08. Cole and Blake opened and Blake out-wrestled him and paused to do some crotch chops and was loudly booed. Cole hit a huracanrana at 2:30. Price tagged in and hit a springboard crossbody block. He launched off of Cole’s back and hit a senton. The muscular Mercer tossed Price onto Radrick. Blake hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor. The heels began working over Cole. Mercer hit his impressive powerslam on Radrick for a nearfall at 6:00. Blake hit a spear on an upside-down Radrick on the ring apron and got a nearfall. Blake hit a T-Bone Suplex, but he missed a top-rope elbow drop.
Price got the hot tag at 8:00 and hit a doublestomp on Blake’s collarbone, then on Shane’s collarbone! He hit a splash, slipping a bit coming off the top rope. Blake applied a crossface on Radrick while Mercer also had Price tied up. Price hit a superkick. Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly on Price at 10:30 and suddenly everyone was down. Cole hit a summersault off the apron to the floor on the heels. Price dove over the top rope onto all three. Price hit a Swanton Bomb on Blake for a nearfall at 12:00. Mercer tossed Price onto Radrick, then Mercer hit a leaping Tombstone Piledriver on Price. Blake immediately hit the Springboard 450 Splash on Price for the (relatively clean!) pin. Good match.
8. Effy defeated Mance Warner in a strap on a pole match at 23:11. This match actually has a storyline to it and I presumed it was going on last. Mance beat up a fan before he ever got in the ring. Effy immediately hit a Helluva Kick in the corner. They brawled on the floor. Effy whipped Mance into rows of chairs at 1:30, and he hit Mance with a chair. In the ring, Effy hit him with a door. Mance was bleeding from the forehead. They traded punches. Mance went to get the strap but Effy cut him off, and Effy hit a Burning Hammer through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 6:00. Mance slammed door shards on Effy.
Effy powerbombed Mance across an open chair at 8:00. Effy got the strap and he whipped Mance across the back with it. Mance got a spike and he jabbed Effy with it, and he whipped Effy with the strap. He hit a running knee to the face for a nearfall at 10:30. Effy hit a spinebuster through a door for a nearfall. Mance choked Effy with the strap. Effy escaped and choked Mance with the strap. Mance hit a uranage across an open chair for a nearfall at 14:00. Effy hit a second-rope Blockbuster and a Helluva Kick. Effy hit a Muscle Buster across two open chairs for a believable nearfall. Effy hit a Stomp for a nearfall at 16:00.
Effy threw several chairs into the ring; several of them struck Mance. He slammed Mance onto the chairs and got a nearfall. Mance hit a uranage onto a pile of chairs for a nearfall at 18:30, then more chairshots to the back. Mance got an electric drill. Allie Katch came to ringside and jawed at Mance. Several other babyfaces joined her. Price, Radrick and Dark Sheik all beat up Mance. Allie hit a piledriver. Effy got the strap and he whipped Mance some more. He hit his flying leg lariat for the pin.
9. Abdullah Kobayashi defeated Matt Tremont at 13:15. Abdullah waddled to the ring; he’s heavy and appears to be quite unhealthy. I don’t generally watch death matches so I’ve never heard of him. I’ve written this before, but Tremont is looking more and more like Big Van Vader. They traded shoulder tackles and this looks like it’s in slow motion. Tremont went through a glass pane in the corner at 1:30. They brawled on the floor and Tremont’s right arm was all cut up. Ugh. Back in the ring, Tremont dumped thumbtacks at 7:30 and he bodyslammed the massive Abdullah on them. Tremont planted a fork in the top of Abdullah’s head. Yep, Abdullah is walking around with the fork in his head. Gross. Abdullah threw light tubes at Tremont, then a fan, or rake, of light tubes. He hit an elbow drop for the pin. Blah.
10. Nick Gage defeated Ryuji Ito at 14:16. They brawled on the floor. There are numerous rolls of light tubes in the ring. Gage suplexed Ito onto a bundle of tubes at 5:30. Gage hit a second-rope fallaway slam onto light tubes and he used a pizza cutter on the forehead at 8:00. Ito hit a Frankensteiner, sending Gage through glass. He hit Gage with the massive light tube structure for a nearfall at 11:00. Ito hit a frogsplash onto a pile of tubes on Gage’s chest for a nearfall. Gage hit a second-rope piledriver through a glass pane for the pin. Yuck.
Final Thoughts: Too many death matches. When I used to go to the IWA-Mid South shows in northwest Indiana, you had a single death match to close the show. Having three or four of them is just too much for me. The show opening scramble was the most fun part of the show. I’ll give the Blake/Mercer tag match second, and the Bendito/Macizos six-man takes third.
Too many deathmatches? GCW started off for years as almost every match being a deathmatch during a show.