By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Take A Picture”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
May 25, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois at Thalia Hall
It was dark in this venue, so it was hard to see the crowd. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
1. Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews at 11:57. A few years ago, Oliver and Reed were a tag team in MLW. Oliver and Matthews opened, then Myron faced Bang. Bang hit a Fameasser on Oliver at 2:30. Oliver hit a dropkick on August, and they worked over Matthews. Bang got the hot tag at 5:30 and hit a handspring-back-elbow on Oliver, then a crossbody block for a nearfall. Oliver hit a DDT on Bang, then a back suplex for a nearfall. Reed and Oliver hit stereo Helluva Kicks at 7:30. Bang hit a tornado DDT on Oliver, then a moonsault onto Reed as Matthews hit a dive to the floor on Oliver.
Bang and Matthews hit their top-rope team doublestomp then the Spears Tower on Reed for a nearfall at 9:30, but Oliver made the save. Bang and Matthews hit double superkicks, then double 450 Splashes for a nearfall, and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. They went for a second Spears Tower, but this one was blocked. Oliver hit a Clout Cutter. Reed hit a stunner to the floor. Oliver and Myron hit an Acid Bomb-into-a-stunner for the pin on Bang. That was a really good opener and will probably be best of the show.
* The sit-down interview with Effy, Mance Warner, and Dave Prazak aired again. While I think this feud has gone on too long, this is a good video.
2. Megan Bayne defeated Allie Katch at 9:09. They opened with an intense lockup; Bayne backed her into a corner and hit a chop and a butterfly suplex. She hit some scoop bodyslams and a splash for a nearfall at 2:00, and was dominant early on. Allie hit some jab punches. Megan hit a fallaway slam at 4:30. Allie hit her buttbump in the corner and a rolling cannonball. Megan hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Katch hit a piledriver for a nearfall. Megan hit a flying clothesline for a nearfall, and we have another “This is awesome!” chant. Bayne hit a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Good action, and it’s great to see Bayne picking up GCW wins.
* Highlights aired of a recent confrontation between Joey Janela and general manager Matt Cardona. Back to the venue, Cardona and Jimmy Lloyd came to the ring and ripped the crowd. Cardona teased he would smoke a joint, but then he stomped on it and proclaimed as long as he’s GM, “marijuana is banned for life.” However, Cardona then announced that because Blake Christian is too busy in Japan competing in the Best of Super Juniors tournament, he is being STRIPPED OF THE GCW TITLE, effective immediately. (This is perhaps the worst thing GCW has done in the time I’ve been watching. I’ll write more later.) Janela came to the ring and whined (isn’t he a babyface?) about how he was promised a title match. Cardona said he would get a shot at the title… in a gauntlet match. Cardona added that if Janela wins the next match, he will be the final entrant in the gauntlet.
3. Joey Janela defeated Parrow at 8:41. Parrow charged at Janela; Joey hit chops and punches, then a dive through the ropes, and they brawled on the floor. Parrow slammed him into a support beam. GCW owner and promoter Brett Lauderdale, as well as Cardona, joined Prazak on commentary, where Brett expressed displeasure that Blake was stripped of the title, and he peppered Cardona with questions about how the gauntlet will play out. In the ring, Parrow hit a fallaway slam at 3:00. Joey hit a clothesline and a DDT for a nearfall.
Parrow hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 6:00. He jabbed a chair into Joey’s ribs. Parrow set up a board bridge. However, Joey hit a second-rope superplex through the board bridge. Janela then hit a top-rope doublestomp for the pin. Lloyd attacked Joey from behind, and Parrow hit Joey with a chair. The heels put several open chairs back-to-back and they slammed Joey across the top of the open chairs! Ouch!
* Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” played! The crowd popped as everyone knew that means Microman was headed to the ring.
4. Microman defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 5:42. I admittedly don’t enjoy the cartoonish antics of Microman. He hit a drop-toe-hold and a 619 and a huracanrana. Lloyd took control of the offense. Cardona choked Microman on the ropes at 1:30. Lloyd got some tiny plastic chairs that are probably sold for girl’s tea party sets. Microman hit a back suplex (which of course defies logic), and he threw a chair at Lloyd. Lloyd slammed Microman onto one of those plastic green chairs. He kicked Microman but missed a Radio Silence legdrop. Microman cracked a light tube over Lloyd’s head! He hit a Vader Bomb for the pin. Exactly what you’d expect.
5. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Latigo and Arez to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 13:30. The luchadors have matching white and purple pants. Arez and Garrini opened with mat reversals. Arez ran across the back of both ViF. The luchadors hit stereo dives onto ViF. In the ring, Ku began working over Latigo. Garrini hit a sliding clothesline for a nearfall at 5:00, as they continued to work over Latigo. Ku hit some chops. Arez got the hot tag and he launched himself off of Dominic’s back and hit a tornado DDT on Ku at 7:00. Nice spot.
Arez dove through the ropes. Latigo tried a top-rope Frankensteiner rmove on Ku at 9:30; I’m not sure exactly what they were going for there; but the crowd was forgiving. Latigo and Ku traded forearm strikes. Ku hit a Lungblower on Latigo. Garrini hit a hard clothesline for a believable nearfall. Arez hit a top-rope crossbody block and a sit-out powerbomb on Garrini for a nearfall. Ku hit a top-rope doublestomp and all four were down at 12:00. Arez hit an enzuigiri on Garrini. Latigo hit a German Suplex on Garrini for a nearfall. ViF hit Chasing the Dragon spin kick-and-brainbuster combo to pin Latigo. That was really good.
6. Kylie Rae defeated Dark Sheik at 12:11. Transgender hero Sheik has a clear height and strength advantage. Brett Lauderdale rejoined commentary to tell us that Janela was taken to the hospital after that post-match assault. Sheik tied up Kylie on the mat.They took turns playing to the crowd and there was little action to describe. Sheik hit a guillotine legdrop for a nearfall at 6:30, and Sheik applied a pendulum. Sheik missed a top-rope crossbody block. Rae fired back with a superkick for a nearfall at 9:00.
Sheik hit a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall, and made a Go To Sleep motion, which drew some boos! Sheik hit a straight punch to Rae’s crotch, which Kylie no sold. (Pro wrestling has taught me that women can’t be hurt by hitting them there!) They traded rollups. Rae hit a second-rope superplex, and she applied a Crippler Crossface. Rae then hooked both arms, rolled Sheik over, and got a crucifix pin. Okay match with great crowd interaction for hometown hero Kylie Rae.
7. “The Rejects” Reed Bentley and John Wayne Murdoch defeated Nick Gage and Zilla Fatu at 11:04. Murdoch’s thumb is taped up so it can be used to hit a Samoan Spike. All four brawled at the bell and it went to the floor. Zilla hit a running dive off the apron onto Bentley on a table at 3:30, drawing a “holy shit!” chant. Meanwhile, Bentley hit a back suplex on Gage in the ring. Gage hit a chokeslam backbreaker over his knee at 5:30. Zilla crashed through a door that was set up in the corner. The Rejects hit a Magic Killer on Fatu at 7:30. Zilla fired back and hit a double clothesline, then a Samoan Drop on Murdoch for a nearfall. Gage hit a second-rope superplex, and he brawled with Reed to the floor. In the ring, Murdoch ducked to avoid a Samoan Spike, and he rolled up Fatu with a handful of tights for the cheap pin! Even though it was a cheap pin, I still am surprised with that outcome.
* Allie Katch joined commentary for the next match; I’ve never really heard her speak much but I liked what she brought for analysis.
8. Danhausen defeated MIke Bailey at 16:56. Bailey hit a Helluva Kick at the bell. Danhausen hit a bodyslam and a Stinger Splash and 10 punches to the face in the corner. They brawled to the floor, and Bailey accidentally chopped the ring post at 2:00. Bailey applied a Boston Crab on the floor. In the ring, Bailey went back to the Boston Crab, and he sent Danhausen’s throat across the ropes. Danhausen ‘cursed’ Bailey, who almost immediately tripped on the ropes. Danhausen hit a German Suplex and they were both down at 6:30 and we got a “GCW!” chant. Bailey hit his Speedball Kicks to the ribs and thighs, and a variety of kicks, then a running Shooting Star Press for a nearfall.
They went back to the floor, where Bailey hit a Superkick at 8:00. Danhausen again ‘cursed’ Bailey! Mike ran on the floor and slipped and fell; Prazak said the curse worked again! Danhausen hit a running boot. Bailey hit the Triangle Moonsault to the floor at 10:00. In the ring, Danhausen hit a second-rope German Suplex, with Mike rotating and landing stomach-first! The crowd was loud and totally into this. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Bailey grabbed Danhausen in the groin, so Danhausen did that to Mike!
Mike and Danhausen cursed referee Dan Perch! They traded rollups, and Bailey hit a superkick. The referee couldn’t count a pinfall because his hand was cursed! The referee cursed Bailey! Bailey grabbed the jar of teeth! Danhausen hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall at 14:30. Bailey hit a penalty kick then a moonsault double kneedrop, then a superkick for a nearfall. Bailey hit a Falcon Arrow, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall. Bailey hit a superkick and a Tornado Kick, but he slipped trying to do an Ultima Weapon! Danhausen poured the jar of teeth into Bailey’s mouth. He then hit a Go To Teeth (GTS!) and pinned Bailey. Supremely watchable sports entertainment stuff.
9. Mance Warner defeated Cole Radrick at 10:07. Mance attacked from behind to begin the match and immediately hit some chops, and they brawled on the floor. In the ring, Mance hit a clothesline. He threw a board into the ring at 4:00. Radrick hit a Blue Thunder Bomb onto an open chair, then an Air Raid Crash onto the board bridge in the corner at 6:00. Radrick hit a Swanton Bomb onto the board shrapnel that was lying on top of Mance for a nearfall. Mance chokeslammed Radrick through a board bridge for a nearfall at 8:00. Mance got the ring bell and struck Radrick in the head with it, and Cole was bleeding. Mance then hit a DDT for the pin.
10. Dralistico defeated Gringo Loco at 19:59. They immediately traded forearm strikes. Dralistco nailed a flip dive to the floor. They brawled on the floor and I feel like lighting is acceptable; not ideal but passable out of the ring. In the ring, Loco hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 2:30. Loco hit him with a chair over the head and was in charge. Loco hit an F5 slam for a nearfall at 5:30. He nailed a moonsault for a nearfall. Dralistico tried a huracanrana to the floor, but Loco caught him and slammed Dralistico onto the edge of the ring! Ouch! He ripped at Dralistico’s mask. Dralistico leapt off the stage and hit a huracanrana to the floor at 8:30!
Dralistico now nailed Loco with a chairshot to the head; I hate those, as it didn’t seem like Loco did much to protect himself there. In the ring, Dralistico hit a springboard Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes, and Dralistico hit a huracanrana for a nearfall. Loco has a bloody forehead. He hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly for a nearfall at 11:30. Dralistico hit a springboard huracanrana, as Gringo was tied in the ropes. He leapt off the ropes, but Loco hit him with a board shard at 14:30. Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly for a nearfall.
Dralistico hit another top-rope huracanrana to the floor at 16:30; Loco really struck an open chair hard while going down. In the ring, Dralistico hit a springboard Lungblower for a nearfall. He hit an overhead release suplex into the corner and they were both down. Gringo hit his swinging powerbomb from the ropes for a believable nearfall at 19:00, but Dralistico reached the ropes to break the count. Dralistico hit a Poison Rana, then an impressive springboard Crucifix Driver for the pin! Wow, I can’t believe that Loco lost IN GCW IN CHICAGO. That was really good; there were two or three spots that weren’t perfectly hit but nearly everything else was smooth, and the crowd was forgiving of any mis-timed spots.
Final Thoughts: I need to address the Blake Christian decision first. I will just politely assume that Blake has a new ROH contract that will prevent him from working future GCW shows. After all, about 4-6 weeks ago, he got pulled out of a GCW six-man tag on a Saturday in California to appear in an ROH taping that night. BUT, if Blake’s contract situation isn’t the reason… pulling the title off of him makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Christian has been champion for nearly a year, scoring 40 — yes 40! — successful title defenses in that time. He has taken on nearly every regular on the roster. He’s taken on big lumbering guys like Tank, or small comedy guys like Danhausen. He has dazzled against Jack Cartwheel and carried some less-stellar wrestlers to passable matches. He has carried the brand. But he’s been a hated heel the entire time, and the crowd would have LOVED to see SOMEONE beat him for that title, whether that was Joey Janela, Alec Price, Jordan Oliver, heck, even Nick Gage. So, to just strip him of the belt, with no payoff of a title change, is just a terrible idea. Geez, they put the title on Jon Moxley two years ago, and when it was time for him to lose it, they loaded the match with some outside interference, so Moxley dropped the belt but was protected in the process. Point being, if Moxley can willingly drop the strap, I’m sure Blake could, too.
I was REALLY down on the two GCW shows last weekend in Philadelphia and New Jersey, noting the lack of star power. Well, the top stars were back here, with Jordan Oliver, Gringo Loco, Mike Bailey, and Violence is Forever all delivering in big matches, and all were absent last Saturday. (Oliver was on the Sunday show.) Sure enough, those wrestlers above were in the best matches here, as I’ll go with the main event for best match, Oliver/Reed’s tag for second, the Violence is Forever tag for third, and Bailey-Danhausen for honorable mention. I think this looks like an attractive venue to watch a wrestling show and I hope I can get to see one there eventually. This is definitely a better GCW show than either last week, and well worth checking out.
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