By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW/JCW vs. The World
Streamed on TrillerTV+
April 4, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at The Auditorium at Penns Landing Caterers
This event just before midnight EST on Thursday night. Even though it was late, this building was packed with maybe 800 fans. Nick Knowledge and Veda Scott provided commentary.
1. Jordan Oliver defeated Aigle Blanc at 11:33. Oliver has spent nearly the entire winter wrestling all over Europe, along with some Japan dates. Blanc is a French wrestler in a mask, and with his long flowing blond hair coming from under the hood, I always write it could be Matt Riddle. These two have fought before. Good reversals and a standoff at 1:00. Oliver went for the Acid Bomb but Blanc blocked it, and Aigle hit a Dragon Suplex. Oliver caught him with a dropkick and a German Suplex. He hit a superkick at 3:00. Blanc hit a springboard crossbody block and a twisting suplex for a nearfall. Oliver hit a tornado DDT for a nearfall. Nick noted that Blanc was already bleeding from the chest from some hard chops.
Blanc hit a huracanrana and a moonsault to the floor. In the ring, Blanc hit a coast-to-coast missile dropkick at 6:00, then a Tombstone Piledriver for a nearfall. Blanc hit a second-rope twisting superplex. They suplexed each other over the top rope to the floor, and Oliver hit a brainbuster on the floor! In the ring, Blanc hit a German Suplex and a hard clothesline at 8:00. Oliver nailed a Clout Cutter for a nearfall, then the Acid Bomb for a believable nearfall.
Blanc dropped Oliver face-first on the top turnbuckle, then hit a DDT onto the apron, then he hit a top-rope 450 Splash for a believable nearfall at 10:00. This has been really sharp. Blanc leapt off the ropes, but Oliver caught him with a stunner. Oliver hit an Acid Kick, then the second-rope Acid Bomb (face-first Razor’s Edge) for the clean pin. That was a sharp match.
2. Griffin McCoy defeated Session Moth Martina at 7:44. McCoy has recently appeared in MLW, and he’s a bit taller than average, maybe 6’2″. Martina is the blonde, British party girl who always has a drink in her hand, and she had a run in the ROH Sinclair era. He is much bigger than she is. McCoy got on the mic and said he’s upset to be wrestling in front of these “piss-smelling virgins.” He said he just got back from a European tour, which earned him a “Please go back!” chant. Funny. He is upset that he came back here to “wrestle some drunken bimbo.” She danced to the ring with two beers. The bell rang, and she backed him in the corner, and the height difference is more substantial than I expected.
They tied up but she ground her butt against him, which threw him off his game. He slapped her and she was holding her cheek, then slapped him back. He began stomping on her in the corner and I don’t like this. He hit a Helluva Kick at 2:30, then a basement dropkick in the corner for a nearfall. He hit a roundhouse kick that dropped her. He tied her up on the mat. She crawled to a corner and drank from her beer at 5:00, and she spit it in his face! She hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. She leapt off the ropes but he caught her legs and hit a powerbomb. She hit a sunset flip powerbomb out of the corner, then she dove through the ropes onto him at 7:00. She got a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall in the ring. He raked her eyes and pinned her. I just couldn’t get into this because the size difference is just too much to be believable.
3. JCW Champion Masha Slamovich vs. Syuri went to a time-limit draw at 30:00; Slamovich retains the JCW Title. Nick said Syuri was trained by Tajiri. Masha carried her JCW title belt with her. Syuri wore a metallic red-and-gold outfit, similar to Hikaru Shida’s gear. A feeling-out process and basic reversals early on. Syuri applied a head-scissors lock at 3:00. They traded deep armdrags. Syuri hit a stiff kick to the spine, so Masha hit her own. Syuri hit a second one and sat down to let Masha hit her own. Syuri hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip at 5:00 and she applied a sleeper. Masha hit a Helluva Kick and her rolling kick to the face for a nearfall at 7:30, and she tied up Syuri on the mat.
Masha hit a running knee to the jaw for a nearfall at 9:00 and remained in charge. She switched to a half-crab, but Syuri reached the ropes at 11:00. Syuri hit a head-scissors takedown and a bulldog, and she applied a crossarm breaker. They got up and traded forearm strikes and overhand chops. Masha hit a running knee and they were both down. Syuri charged at Masha, but Masha caught her with a roundhouse kick at 14:30. Syuri flipped Masha off the top rope with a hammerlock on! She switched to a double armbar, but Masha reached the ropes. They traded roundhouse kicks, and Syuri got a nearfall at 17:00, and she went back to twisting the left arm. Masha applied a crossarm breaker.
Syuri got up and hit some Yes Kicks to the chest. Masha caught the leg and grapevined the limb on the mat, but Syuri reached the ropes at 20:00. They fought on their knees and traded headbutts. Masha hit a roundhouse kick to the head for a nearfall, then an Air Raid Crash into the corner for a nearfal at 22:00. Masha nailed a Sister Abigail swinging faceplant! She set up for the White Knight driver, but Syuri blocked it and got a rollup. Masha applied a double-armbar, but Syuri reached the ropes. Syuri hit a Buzzsaw Kick to the head for a believable nearfall at 24:00, and she went back to a crossarm breaker. Syuri tied up an arm and leg in a modified bow-and-arrow, but Masha again reached the ropes.
They traded more roundhouse kicks. They began slapping each other in the face. Syuri hit a running knee to the chin for a nearfall at 27:00. Is there a 30-minute time limit? Masha rolled Syuri around on the mat and got a nearfall. Sure enough, we got a two-minute warning right at 28:00. Masha applied a Fujiwara Armbar, but Syuri reached the ropes. Syuri applied her own crossarm breaker. Syuri hit a German Suplex for a nearfall; Masha hit her own German Suplex for a nearfall. Syuri hit a roundhouse kick to the head at 29:59; the bell sounded as she dove onto Masha, and we have a draw. That was excellent. I think they lost a bit of a steam after about 22-23 minutes, but it was superb.
4. “Los Desperados” Gringo Loco, Arez, and Latigo defeated “Team Dragon Gate” Shun Skywalker, Yamato, and Dragon Kid at 14:03. Dragon Kid, as the name suggests, is much shorter and even with his mask, is clearly younger, too. Veda noted the matches these guys all have had over the course of Thursday. Shun and Latigo opened with lucha reversals. Yamato and Arez entered at 1:30. Dragon Kid and Loco then tagged in at 3:00, with DK hitting a nice satellite head-scissors. The rudos began stomping on Dragon Kid; the crowd is fairly quiet, still coming down from that excellent women’s match. Arez ran up Shun’s back at 6:00. Nick Knowledge noted it is about 1:30 a.m.
Loco hit a slingshot powerbomb on Dragon Kid. Loco hit some LOUD chops in the corner on Yamato. Latigo hit a hard kick to Yamato’s inner thigh; Nick pointed out it was a legal kick. Yamato entered and hit a Northern Lights Suplex at 9:00. Shun shoved teammate Yamato aside, so he could hit some offense on Arez! Latigo hit a top-rope Frankensteiner on Shun! Loco hit an inverted frogsplash on Shun for a nearfall at 11:00. Yamato and Arez traded hard chops for maybe a minute, and Yamato’s chest was turning bright red. Yamato hit an enzuigiri. Dragon Kid hit an impressive huracanrana on Loco! Arez and Latigo hit a team neckbreaker move, and Loco hit a moonsault on Yamato for the pin. Fun match, and fans pelted them with money.
5. Rina Yamashita and “The Astronauts” Fuminori Abe and Takuya Nomura defeated Alec Price, Cole Radrick, and 1 Called Manders at 11:05. The Astronauts just beat the heck out of each other hours early in a Bloodsport match, but they are back to teaming up. Radrick and Abe opened; Abe has the shortly-shaven hair. Price entered and hit a springboard crossbody block on the Astronauts, and a leaping senton on Rina. Manders entered at 2:00 and hit a stiff kick to Rina’s spine. He dropped her with a forearm strike. She went for a testicular claw but he blocked it. Rina hit a bodyslam on Manders!
Nomura entered and hit a series of kicks on Manders’ chest; Manders fired back with some hard chops! Manders hit a brainbuster and they were both down at 5:00. Price re-entered and hit a superkick on Nomura. Abe entered and hit a huracanrana on Alec. Abe hit a punch to Price’s jaw and they were both down. Rina and Radrick tagged in and traded forearm strikes, and Cole hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Rina applied a crossface Chickenwing, and the Astronauts tied up the others. Manders hit clotheslines on each Astronaut.
Rina got the Testicular Claw on Manders! Manders dove through the lower ropes onto the three heels. Price leapt off Cole’s back and splashed onto his opponents at 9:00. In the ring, Price and Radrick hit kicks to Rina’s head, and Price monkey flipped Cole onto her for a nearfall. A board bridge was set up in the ring. Price hit a top-rope Blockbuster. Radrick hit his springboard stunner. Rina hit a Trash Compactor piledriver along her back on Cole for a nearfall. She gave Cole a Razor’s Edge overhead powerbomb through the board bridge for the pin. Good action.
6. “Team GCW” Mike Bailey, Tony Deppen, Charlie Tiger, Terry Yaki, Mr. Danger, Marcus Mathers, and Calvin Tankman defeated “The World” Lou Nixon, HoHo Lun, Shota, Ricky Knight Jr, Mizuki Watase, Ryuji Ito, and LJ Cleary in a 14-man tag. I think this is Bailey’s fourth match of the day. Nick wondered if these two teams can co-exist and asked why there is only one referee. They all immediately brawled to the floor. All of Team GCW took turns hitting moves on Cleary in one corner. The World team began working over the slender Mr. Danger. Shota hit a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:30. Tankman tagged in and traded forearms with Knight. Knight hit a Samoan Drop on Cavin! Bailey hit a missile dropkick.
They did a big 12-man suplex spot, with just two not involved. Team World hit some blows on Bailey in the corner. Watase hit a top-rope doublestomp. Tankman launched Yaki onto everyone on the floor. Tankman then hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone at 10:00. In the ring, Deppen hit a jumping knee on Watase. Bailey nailed a Tornado Kick. Mr. Danger hit an insane springboard 450 Splash to the floor on all of Team World to take them out. It allowed Bailey to nail the Ultima Weapon on Watase for the pin. A fun match but with this much talent, I wish it could have gone a bit longer.
7. Mao & Yoshihiko defeated “Boisterous Behavior” Leon Slater & Man Like DeReiss and “Los Macizos” Ciclope & Miedo Extremo and Norman Harras & Robert Dreissker in a four-way tag. Notable in the final match is that Leon Slater was involved. He missed the Defy Wrestling show earlier in the day as he apparently had not arrived from the UK yet. Yoshihiko is the full-sized mannequin doll, which tells me this match will have some comedy to it. Slater hadn’t arrived for a Thursday afternoon show, so I’m glad he is here now, just a few hours later. My first time seeing Harras and Dreissker.
Harras is tall with long hair but a receding hairline, and is reminding me of Waylon Mercy. Dreissker is a shorter, thick powerhouse; think Scott Norton. Dreissker and Dereiss opened. BB worked over Harras. Ciclope hit a top-rope doublestomp on the head. Yoshihiko ‘entered’ at 4:30 and ‘worked’ with Mao to beat up Miedo.
Harras grabbed the mannequin and tossed it DEEP into the crowd and got a mocking “You sick f—!” chant. Harras got a forward Finlay Roll on Ciclope for a nearfall at 6:30. On the floor, Mao was helping resuscitate Yoshihiko. Ciclope hit a dive to the floor; Miedo then hit his own dive at 8:30. In the ring, Miedo began bodyslamming people onto Mao and Yoshihiko. Veda noted it is now 2:30 a.m. there; she will be back here for an 11 a.m. show! Slater hit an impressive dive to the floor. In the ring, BB hit a Team 3D on Yoshihiko. Slater hit a Doomsday Blockbuster on Ciclope for a nearfall at 11:00. Yoshihiko began beating up everyone, and the crowd loves this silliness.
Yoshihiko hit a big dive to the floor, nearly hitting the ceiling, and earned a “holy shit!” chant. In the ring, Dreissker hit a sit-out powerbomb on the doll, and Harras hit a moonsault. They did a tower spot out of the corner and everyone was down. Mao and Dereiss squared off and traded forearm strikes. Mao hit a punch to the jaw, then a twisting kick. Dereiss hit a release German Suplex at 14:00. Los Macizos hit a Doomsday Device clothesline. Harras hit a flying European Uppercut. Mao and the doll hit a Rainmaker on Dreissker. The doll hit some headbutts on Harras, then an airplane spin, knocking several people down, then hit a hurancanrana on Harras for the pin. Some good action here mixed with the expected silliness.
Final Thoughts: Masha vs. Syrui was fantastic and best match. I do contend the match peaked a bit early, but don’t read that as me taking anything away from the quality of the match. It was stellar and definitely worth checking out, even without a clean winner. Oliver-Blanc was really good; their series is now 1 win, 1 loss, 1 draw, so hopefully they’ll have a fourth match soon.
The only thumbs down is that intergender match. Some women can make intergender matches work. Some guys, notably Mike Bailey, are really good at them, in some aspects because he is shorter and closer to their size. Anyone who sees Griffin across the ring from Session Moth Martina knows that in a legit fight, he would beat her in under a minute. At times it was just uncomfortable to watch him toss her around. It was a good reminder why you don’t see intergender matches in WWE. I know GCW/JCW does it because it’s their niche and they want to be an alternative to WWE, but the majority of wrestling viewers don’t want to see it.
A very good show, one well worth checking out.
Dragon Kid is 48 and a twenty-year veteran.
Yeah he even was in wcw for a brief time. Tough to be clearly young while also having appeared for wcw 27 years ago