By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Sunday Night Special”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
May 19, 2024 in Ridgefield Park at The Mecca
No matches were announced in advance, and I think that may have hurt, as attendance is only in the 80-100 range. Dave Prazak and Grim Reefer provided commentary. I have never heard Grim Reefer speak before and at ‘first listen,’ he sounds a lot like Eddie Kingston, so it really threw me off. Ring announcer Emil Jay showed he has a blank sheet of paper; even he doesn’t know the matches for this show.
1. Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated Hunter Drake and Brayden Toon at 11:34. Toon and Drake are from the South but have competed in GCW in the past. I have often compared the rotund Toon to a young Kevin Owens, as he is agile for his size. Matthews and Drake opened, and Hunter hit a head-scissors takedown. Toon entered and hit a second-rope moonsault on Bang at 2:30. Bang hit a diving forearm to Hunter’s back, and his team worked over Drake. Brayden entered and hit a running Shooting Star Press at 7:00, and Prazak praised his athleticism.
Brayden picked up Matthews for a Razor’s Edge and tossed him onto Bang. Drake hit a flip dive to the floor by launching off Toon’s back. Toon hit an Asai Moonsault. In the ring, Toon hit a Jay Driller for a nearall at 10:00, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Matthews nailed a Crucifix Driver on Toon, then a flip dive to the floor on Toon. Bang and Matthews hit their team doublestomps on Hunter’s back. Bang hit the Spears Tower on Drake, then a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin. Good indy-style match.
* We had a replay from the show a day ago, of Marcus Mathers, with the aid of his 4ish-year-old brother and his dad, battling Mance Warner. I loved this. This led to Mance Warner coming out to a chorus of boos, and he replaced Grim Reefer for play-by-play.
2. Cole Radrick defeated “The Mecca” Brian Johnson at 7:56. Radrick once again has the brass ring around his neck that gives him a future match of his choosing. Johnson competed on Saturday’s GCW show as well; he was in ROH at the end of the Sinclair era. Johnson has the height and weight advantage, and he barked at the crowd and Radrick, as the fans were behind Cole. Johnson hit a backbreaker over his knee at 2:00 and he stomped on Cole. He applied a Boston Crab and stayed in control. Cole hit a “You can’t See Me” falling punch. Johnson applied an abdominal stretch. Cole hit an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall at 6:30. Johnson applied a Boston Crab but Radrick reached the ropes. Cole hit his springboard stunner, then he slammed Johnson to the mat for the pin. Okay match.
* Mance Warner left commentary and brawled with Radrick in the ring, as they are facing each other soon in a hardcore tournament. Mance then got on the mic and berated the crowd and Radrick. He hit a low blow and pulled out his screwdriver. Allie Katch ran into the ring to make the save before Warner could use it.
3. Matt Makowski defeated Akira at 9:11. An intense lockup on the mat as this began. Matt hit some hard overhand chops in the corner, so Akira fired up and hit his own chops. Akira hit a Northern Lights Suplex at 3:30; his chest is raw from those chops, and he went for a crossarm breaker on the mat. Akira grapevined the leg in the ropes, and Matt was hobbled. Akira dove through the ropes onto Matt at 5:30. Back in the ring, Akira kicked out the left elbow and was in charge. Akira hit a suplex for a nearfall. Matt hit a German Suplex, then another. Akira suplexed Matt into the corner at 8:00. Akira went to the top turnbuckle, but Matt shook the rope to make him fall. Akira hit a second-rope Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Matt hit his own Michinoku Driver, then a Shining Wizard for the pin. Very good action.
* Footage aired from Saturday’s show, where Nick Gage (and Zilla Fatu) challenged John Wayne Murdoch to a tag team match next week in Chicago. This brought out Murdoch! Prazak pointed out that Murdoch’s thumb is taped up so he too can do a Samoan Spike!
4. John Wayne Murdoch defeated 1 Called Manders at 10:42. Murdoch knocked Manders’ cowboy hat off, and he hit the Samoan Spike, but it hurt JWM more than it hurt Manders. They brawled to the floor, and Manders hit some chairshots to the back. Murdoch got a staple gun and used it on Manders’ back and armpit. He put a plastic bag over Manders’ head at 3:00. They got back into the ring, with Murdoch in charge. He put on Manders’ vest! This angered Manders, who hit some chops. Manders hit a backbody drop onto a sideways chair at 5:00! Ouch! Murdoch responded by hitting a low blow.
Murdoch hit a chairshot across a (somewhat protected) head. They traded chops and Manders hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 7:00. Manders now grabbed the staple gun and used it on Murdoch. Murdoch hit a Flatliner move and tied up Manders on the mat at 9:30. Manders hit a headbutt. Murdoch hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer through a door bridge for the pin. Decent brawl and I consider this a mild upset.
* The video package for the Tournament of Survival aired again. Too violent for my tastes.
* GCW owner Brett Lauderdale joined Prazak on commentary.
5. Brandon Kirk and Kasey Catal defeated Charles Mason, Richard Holliday, and Parrow at 8:58. Kasey is of below-average height; she often fights men but I don’t find her particularly believable. It was initially going to be a regular tag match, but Parrow jumped in the ring and attacked Kirk and Catal, and Emil Jay announced this was now a 3-on-2 handicap match. Lauderdale said that general manager Matt Cardona has been tipping the scales in the favor of the heels. Holliday beat up Catal. Parrow tagged in and beat up Kirk; he made a one-foot cover at 4:00.
Kasey hit a double DDT on Mason and Holliday. Kasey hit a Death Valley Driver on Parrow at 7:30 and that POPPED the crowd. Mason tried a sleeper, but she bit him. Holliday ripped off a protective mask she had on her face. Parrow accidentally kicked Holliday. She hit a low blow on Parrow, and Kirk immediately hit a stunner. She jumped on Parrow for the pin.
* We saw footage of Matt Cardona’s confrontation with Joey Janela from a day earlier. Back to the venue, where Jimmy Lloyd came to the ring and cut his Cardona-style heel promo. He demanded some “enhancement talent” come to the ring so he could squash them.
6. Jordan Oliver defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 7:30. Oliver was sorely missed last night. Oliver hit a Helluva Kick at the bell, and Lloyd rolled to the floor. Back in the ring, Jordan hit a basement dropkick. Jimmy choked Jordan and kept Oliver grounded. Jimmy hit a bodyslam for a nearfall. Jordan hit a stunner for a nearfall at 3:00. Jordan hit a German Suplex and was fired up. Jimmy hit a low blow uppercut when the ref was out of position. Jordan hit a standing powerbomb and turned it into a Boston Crab at 5:00, but Jimmy reached the ropes.
Oliver hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor; he hit some hard chairs on his way down and he was limping (and I don’t think he was faking that pain!) In the ring, he went to the top rope but Lloyd shook the ropes. Jordan hit a second-rope Blue Thunder Bomb for a believable nearfall. Jimmy hit a Radio Silence flying leg lariat for a nearfall at 7:00. Jordan avoided being hit by Lloyd’s title belt, and Jordan hit the Clout Cutter for the pin. Good action.
7. Griffin McCoy defeated Charlie Tiger at 8:16. There is a storyline here, as these two have been Young Dumb N Broke teammates, but the four-man faction has broken in half. Tiger climbed through the ropes and immediately speared McCoy. They brawled on the floor and traded chops. Tiger hit another spear as McCoy was seated in the front row. He put McCoy on his shoulders and shoved him into the ring post at 2:00. Back in the ring, Tiger remained in charge. McCoy took control and hit a stiff kick to the spine. He hit a plancha to the floor at 4:00.
McCoy went for a frog splash but Charlie got his knees up. Charlie hit a snake-eyes on the top turnbuckle, then a back suplex, then a spear into the corner. McCoy leapt off the ropes but Tiger hit a headbutt. Tiger hit a Doctor Bomb or a believable nearfall at 7:00. Griffin went for a low blow but Tiger caught the leg, and Charlie hit a headbutt. Griffin pushed the ref into the middle of the ring to distract Tiger, then he hit a spinning back fist and a springboard spin kick for the pin.
8. Ruckus and Nick Gage defeated “The Mane Event” Jay Lyon and Midas Black at 6:43. All four brawled at the bell. Ruckus hit a twisting press to the floor onto TME. In the ring, Gage suplexed Midas. Gage and Ruckus hit a team suplex on Midas, then they dropped Lyon onto Midas. Lyon dove through the hoop and the ropes onto Gage and Ruckus at 2:00. Midas hit a top-rope doublestomp on Ruckus, and Lyon covered Ruckus for a nearfall. TME hit a team drop-toe-hold, sending Gage onto an open chair.
Midas hit a 619, and Lyon hit a Lionsault on Ruckus. Gage hit a spinebuster on Lyon. Midas came off the top rope, but Gage caught him and hit a uranage. Ruckus hit his cartwheel-into-a-back elbow in the corner. Midas hit a spear on Ruckus and they were all down. Lyon hit a spin kick onto a chair in Gage’s hands; Gage’s late selling of this move was a bit comical. Midas went for a doublestomp but he crashed through a door bridge. Gage hit a chokeslam backbreaker on Lyon for the pin. Okay match; a bit on the short side for a main event. Gage got on the mic and spoke about how much fun it is to still be able to team with Ruckus.
Final thoughts: An okay show. Like Saturday’s GCW show, nothing bad at all but certainly nothing must-see. If I had this roster to book a show, I would have paired Jordan Oliver with Matt Makowski and let them dazzle us. I’ll go with Akira vs. Makowski for best match, and the Murdoch-Manders brawl was decent for second. The youngsters in the opening tag match busted their butts to take third place. I will reiterate my Brayden Toon comparison to Kevin Owens… Brayden isn’t a huge man, but you don’t see anyone his size doing Asai Moonsaults or running Shooting Star Presses.
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