By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Paranoid 2024”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
May 26, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio at Valley Dale Ballroom
I’ve always liked this venue as it’s a two-level room with good lighting and the crowd is perhaps 400. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
1. “Los Desperados” Gringo Loco, Arez, and Latigo defeated Cole Radrick, Davey Bang, and August Matthews at 11:21. Radrick has a wrap on his head; he opened against Arez. Arez hit a deep armdrag. Matthews and Latigo entered and traded faster lucha reversals, went for simultaneous dropkicks, and had a standoff at 2:00. Loco and Bang then entered and also traded fast-paced offense. Arez ran up Bang’s back. The rudos began working over Matthews, with Latigo hitting a punt kick to the groin at 5:30.
Matthews hit a flip dive to the floor on the heels. Arez flipped to the floor on everyone, then Gringo hit a flip dive onto everyone at 8:00. Bang hit the Spears Tower. Bang and Matthews hit stereo 450 Splashes for a nearfall. Arez hit a top-rope doublestomp. Arez and Latigo tossed Matthews in the air and Loco hit a Vader Bomb for the pin; it wasn’t a perfect finish but it was good action. Bang and Matthews need to start picking up wins here; they always put in good showings.
* A video package aired of highlights from the Chicago show 24 hours earlier.
2. Megan Bayne defeated Dark Sheik at 10:43. They locked up and Megan is every bit as tall, and perhaps the same weight or close to Sheik’s. Sheik hit a spinning heel kick and a dropkick. Bayne hit a Bulldog Powerslam at 1:30, then a double-underhook suplex. She hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex, and was just tossing Sheik around. Such power! Bayne hit a fallaway slam. They traded forearm strikes at 6:00, with Bayne knocking Sheik to the mat. Sheik hit a German Suplex. Sheik dove off the top rope to the floor on Bayne at 9:00. Bayne nailed a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Megan really showed her power game here against an opponent of equal size.
* More footage from the Chicago show, where the Rejects stole a win against Zilla Fatu and Nick Gage.
3. “The Rejects” John Wayne Murdoch and Reed Bentley defeated “To Infinity and Beyond” Cheech and Colin Delaney at 10:59. I admittedly am not a big fan of any of these four. Delaney and Bentley opened. They quickly all brawled to the floor. Reed and Bentley picked up a woman in the crowd and rammed her feet-first into Cheech and Delaney. The Rejects worked over Cheech. Delaney got the hot tag at 7:30 and hit some punches and a Stundog Millionaire. Cheech hit a German Suplex. Bentley hit a Tombstone Piledriver for a nearfall. Delaney and Cheech hit a team stunner move for a believable nearfall at 9:30. Murdoch hit a top-rope Canadian Destroyer on Delaney through a board bridge for the pin. Solid.
* More footage from Chicago, this time of general manager Matt Cardona announcing that Blake Christian has been stripped of the GCW Title after 40 successful title defenses over nearly a year as champion. Please read my thoughts on this from the Chicago show. Unless Blake has signed some type of ROH/AEW deal that prohibits him from working GCW anymore, this is a massive booking mistake. The video package concludes with showing Joey Janela being dropped across the back of open chairs.
* Back to the venue, Kevin Blackwood came out first, then his scheduled opponent, Joey Janela, came out and spoke. Janela’s ribs are heavily taped after that assault 24 hours ago. Jimmy Lloyd came out and ripped Janela and Columbus, calling it a “B-town” and Cardona doesn’t do B-Towns. Lloyd said Janela has not been medically cleared to compete tonight! Janela left the ring and charged at Lloyd! Jimmy had security escort Janela out of the building. He told Blackwood has a new opponent!
4. Microman defeated Kevin Blackwood at 6:51. I admit I struggle to get into these cartoonish matches but fully acknowledge the crowd LOVES this, as Microman hit some armdrags. Blackwood hit a big boot that leveled Microman and he stomped on Microman. Microman hit a flying headbutt to Kevin’s groin at 4:00. Microman went for a Vader Bomb but Blackwood popped up and hit a German Suplex and a Buzzsaw Kick for a nearfall at 5:30. Microman hit a back suplex that defies logic and believability. Microman finally hit the Vader Bomb for the pin. He just never loses!
* More of the sit-down interview with Dave Prazak, Effy and Mance Warner.
5. 1 Called Manders defeated Brayden Toon, Isaiah Broner, and Joshua Bishop in a four-way at 9:02. Four big guys here.All four brawled at the bell, with Manders and Broner trading chops. Bishop and Broner traded chops alone in the ring and Bishop hit a plancha to the floor at 1:30. Toon hit an Asai Moonsault onto them. In the ring, Toon missed a second-rope moonsault, and Manders tossed him stomach-first on the ropes. Broner speared Toon at 5:00. Bishop speared Broner! Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Bishop for a nearfall and they were all down.
They all got to their feet and chopped the man to their right, going around in a circle. Bishop hit a Black Hole Slam on Broner for a nearfall. Bishop hit a Razor’s Edge on Manders at 7:30. He then hit a Razor’s Edge on Broner, tossing him onto Manders! Toon hit an Air Raid Crash on Bishop for a nearfall! Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Toon for the pin. That was a really entertaining big-man match, and having four guys kept the action moving.
6. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Jordan Oliver and Myron Reed to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 13:51. Oliver and Reed won their match 24 hours ago, and as I noted, they were dubbed “Injustice” when they teamed in MLW a few years ago. Garrini and Oliver opened. Ku and Myron then brawled. Oliver hit a dropkick on Garrini at 1:30. Reed and Oliver tried stereo planchas but they were caught, and ViF slammed their opponents’ back into each other. Garrini hit a sliding clothesline on Reed for a nearfall, and ViF began working Myron over. Oliver got the hot tag at 6:30 and hit a basement dropkick on Garrini. They traded chops.
Myron and Ku re-entered and traded chops. Myron hit a kip-up spin kick. Ku hit a flipping powerbomb for a nearfall, and he applied an anklelock. Reed tried his stunner to the floor but it was blocked. Oliver hit a plancha on Garrini. Oliver hit a moonsault to the floor as Reed hit a dive over the ropes to the floor at 9:00. Cool visual. Oliver hit a German Suplex on Ku for a nearfall. Ku hit a double knees on Oliver, and Garrini NAILED a decapitating clothesline on Jordan for a believable nearfall. This has been really good.
Garrini set up for a Muscle Buster, but Oliver escaped. Oliver hit a huracanrana. He leapt off the ropes, but Garrini caught him and applied a sleeper; Myron made the save at 11:30 and all four were down. Reed and Ku traded forearm strikes. All four began brawling. Oliver nailed the Clout Cutter on Garrini, and Reed hit his stunner over the top rope to the floor on Ku! Oliver set up for the Acid Bomb but Ku fought free. ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon spin kick-and-brainbuster combo to pin Reed. That was stellar action.
7. Trish Adora defeated Haley Dylan at 7:50. Prazak said this is Hale’s GCW debut; I’ve been watching her in Canada and Northeast independents for about a year now. An intense lockup to open. Haley choked Adora in the ropes. Trish hit some chops and forearm strikes, then a Stinger Splash at 5:00. Haley hit a German Suplex; Adora hit her German Suplex from her knees for a nearfall. Haley hit a spinning back fist and a rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 6:30. Trish nailed a Bubba Bomb and got a nearfall, then a backbreaker over her knee and the Lariat Tubman clothesline for the pin. Solid action.
8. Charlie Tiger defeated “Beef” Gnarls Garvin, Jeffrey John, and Swinger to retain the Unsanctioned Pro title in a four-way at 7:51. This is NOT Johnny Swinger, but he’s doing the same sort of gimmick. Tiger and Beef began brawling on the stage, before Tiger got into the match; I start my stopwatch on first contact.In the ring, Swinger gyrated. Beef hit a dropkick. He mounted Swinger and punched him repeatedly. Tiger and Beef brawled, with Charlie hitting a Death Valley Driver into the corner at 5:00. Beef hit a Black Hole Slam on John. Tiger hit a Jay Driller to pin Swinger. This was disjointed and far worse than I anticipated, and I’ve generally liked Beef and Tiger in past matches. I don’t think I’ve seen Swinger before, but he didn’t look ring-ready to me.
* A video package aired that showed Mance Warner beating up Cole Radrick.
* Allie Katch came out, dressed in blue jeans and T-shirt, and she joined Prazak on commentary.
9. Effy defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 7:41. Effy hit some Atomic Drops early on. Effy hit a running boot in the corner at 1:30. Lloyd took control of the offense and kept Effy on the mat. Effy hit more Helluva Kicks, then a Blockbuster for a nearfall at 5:00. Mance Warner came out of the back and sat down next to Katch on commentary! Jimmy stomped on Effy and hit a Broski Boot in the corner. Efy hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall, then a TKO stunner, and he applied a Dragon Sleeper. However, Mance grabbed Allie by her hair, and they brawled on the stage, as Mance taunted Effy (they are under a no-contact order with each other.) Jimmy grabbed his store-bought title belt, but Joey Janela confiscated it. Effy then hit a flying leg lariat for the pin. The crowd liked this.
* Alec Price ran out of the back and attacked Mance Warner, and our next match is immediately underway! Effy sat on commentary.
10. Mance Warner vs. Alec Price ended in a no contest at 18:25. They brawled up the stairs to the second level, then back down another staircase. They brawled briefly to the back, then returned to the stage, and looped their way around ringside. Price hit a running clothesline as Mance was seated on a chair at ringside. Chairs and tables were thrown into the ring, and this feels a bit dangerous. Mance swung a chair that ricocheted off the top rope and hit his head. Price threw a chair at Mance’s head; I hate that. Price hit his running boots in the corner. Price swung a chair at another chair over Mance’s groin. Price hit a top-rope flying leg lariat.
Price hit a clothesline to the back of the head. He hit some European Uppercuts in the corner and was fired up. The ref got pushed in the way, allowing Mance to hit a clothesline. Mance got a chair and he jabbed it into Price’s lower back, then ribs. Price hit a tornado DDT that sent Mance through a door bridge in the corner for a believable nearfall. Mance purposely punched the ref, then hit a low blow kick on Price. He grabbed the mic and reiterated that Effy agreed not to touch him in order to get him in a cage match. He said that means he doesn’t care about winning, he wants to ruin careers. Mance hit a chairshot on Price and taunted Effy. Effy finally got in the ring and stood across from Mance, but he resisted punching him, as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts: One absolutely stellar match here, as Violence is Forever vs. Reed and Oliver is a standout. Price-Mance was a good brawl and I’ll give that second, particularly the way they wove in the story of Mance wanting Effy to punch him, and Effy resisted the temptation. The show-opener six-way was really good for third, with the Manders’ four-way good for fourth. A decent show; not as good as the Chicago show 24 hours earlier but still an entertaining outing. I know I’m in the minority here, but I hate seeing a talented guy like Kevin Blackwood being brought in for a comedy match against Microman.
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