By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “No Sleep”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
June 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas at Premier Arena
This is a large pole barn and it appears to be at capacity with 250 or so fans. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
* Jimmy Lloyd came out first and demanded the fans show him respect, and he ran down the city and the venue.
1. Dulce Tormenta defeated “Broski” Jimmy Lloyd in an intergender match at 6:18. The masked Tormenta got a huge pop. She hit an armdrag and he stalled on the floor. In the ring, Lloyd hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 1:00. Tormenta hit a bulldog, then she hit a tornado DDT, then a dive to the floor onto Jimmy at 3:30. In the ring, Tormenta hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Jimmy hit a Fameasser flying leg drop for a nearfall. She hit a running Meteora/double knees and a Canadian Destroyer for the pin. Good action.
* A video package showed highlights of Sidney Akeem (f/k/a Reggie/Scrypts) facing Jack Cartwheel from a recent show in Los Angeles. Sidney will face Ninja Mack on Saturday!
2. Joey Janela defeated Chris Carter at 9:26. Carter is white and wore all Black; Prazak said he’s competed in GCW in past Texas-based shows, and he looks scrawny next to Janela. Cater hit a huracanrana at 1:30, then a spinning kick to the head. He hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor on Joey and got a nearfall back in the ring. Joey hit a German Suplex, then a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. Carter hit a springboard huracanrana, He went for another dive, but Joey caught him and hit a Death Valley Driver on the floor. He brought Carter into the ring and hit another Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 5:00. They brawled on the floor.
Carter leapt off a balcony and hit an elbow drop down onto Joey, who was on a board bridge, at 7:30. In the ring, Carter hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall. They traded blows on their knees, then while standing. Joey hit a clothesline. Carter hit a springboard Canadian Destroyer. Joey grabbed Chris, hit a Package Piledriver, and scored the pin. Good action, although Janela’s refusal to sell big moves – that dive off the balcony – is really becoming a turnoff for me; he shrugged it off and never sold it for a second.
3. 1 Called Manders defeated Brick Savage at 7:07. I noted on Twitter/X that I’m really looking forward to this, as it should be really hard-hitting. Brick has the size and overall look of Bronson Reed, with a big bushy beard. (He’s not as rotund as Bronson but it’s a decent comparison.) Manders hit a chop; Savage hit a shoulder tackle and a splash into the corner, then a slingshot crossbody block at 1:30. They brawled to the floor; Manders charged at him but Savage hit a Pounce that sent Manders into the crowd!
Manders hit a DDT as they got back into the ring at 4:00 but he sold pain in his lower back. Savage hit a German Suplex. He grabbed Manders by the groin and hit a back suplex and got a nearfall at 6:00. Manders hit a clothesline but only got a one-count and that shocked the commentators. The crowd chanted “you f—ed up!” at Manders. Savage hit a standing powerbomb. Manders hit another hard clothesline to score the pin. Only complaint is I wish this had gone longer. Really good hard-hitting action. They shook hands and hugged afterward.
4. Jordan Oliver defeated Fuego Del Sol at 13:55. Oliver is a legit 6’1″ or so, and he towers over Fuego. Quick lucha-style reversals at the bell and a standoff at 1:30. The commentators again are saying Oliver is battling a sore knee. They went to the floor, where Oliver hit some very LOUD chops; Prazak noted it was very hot in this room, and Fuego poured some water on his sore chest. Fuego hit a summersault flip from the apron onto Oliver on the floor at 4:30. Back in the ring, Fuego hit a European Uppercut and was in charge of the offense. Jordan fired up and hit a superkick; he hooked a leg and hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 7:30.
Fuego hit some dropkicks into the corner, then a Lionsault Press onto a standing Oliver for a neafall. Oliver hit a clothesline and they were both down at 10:30. They got up and traded punches. Oliver set up for the Acid Bomb but Fuego escaped and got a rollup. Fuego attempted a Fosbury Flop but he barely grazed Oliver upon landing. In the ring, Fuego missed a top-rope Phoenix Splash. Oliver immediately hit a Buzzsaw Kick; he set up for a Shellshock but Fuego avoided it. Fuego missed a standing moonsault. Oliver hit a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover for the pin. The crowd booed the finish as they were really behind Fuego. Really good action.
* Jordan Oliver left the ring. Fuego was still in the ring and was attacked from behind by Charles Mason! Mason hit some chairshots to the back as the crowd chanted “Who’s that guy?” He ripped at Fuego’s mask. Jordan Oliver ran back into the ring to chase off Mason. Prazak was irate over this “uncalled for attack.” The crowd switched to chanting, “We don’t know you!” (I find this bizarre; if they know and follow the GCW product, then they know Charles Mason.) Oliver challenged Mason to a match in Toronto next week!
5. Sam Stackhouse defeated Bobby Flaco, Shota, Epydemius Jr., Calibus, and Mago in a scramble at 8:19. This is a bonus, unannounced match. Again, this is NOT Shota Umino. Three masked luchadors here: Epydemius wore orange, Calibus wore red, and Mago wore black. Stackhouse is at or near 400 pounds; I don’t think anyone else is even at 180 pounds. The five lighter guys all attacked Sam at the bell, but he brushed them off and hit clotheslines, and all the lighter guys huddled on the floor. Sam dove through the ropes onto them; a bowling ball/bowling pin comparison is very accurate, and the crowd chanted “holy shit!”
Mago and Flaco got into the ring and traded some lucha offense. Flaco hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 2:00. Calibus jumped into the ring and hit some quick kicks on Flaco. Epydemius Jr. hopped in the ring and traded lucha reversals with Calibus. Epydemius Jr. hit a flipping powerbomb. Shota battled Flaco, then dove to the floor onto several guys. Mago and Calibus traded quick offense. Sam finally re-entered the ring at 5:30 and he hit an axe kick on Mago.
Everyone started beating up Sam again. Three guys hit superkicks, and he rolled to the floor. Flaco dove off the top rope onto several guys on the floor. In the ring, Epidymius Jr. hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone. Calibus hit a top-rope flip dive to the floor and was barely caught and crashed hard to the floor at 7:30. Calibus hit a 450 Splash in the ring. Stackhouse hit a piledriver on Epydemius Jr. for the pin. I like a good scramble and this was definitely unique with one BIG guy and five really small opponents.
* Highlights aired of the Joey Janela-Mance Warner match in Los Angeles. It was hard-hitting but they both bled too much and took too many risks, including throwing chairs at each other near fans.
6. Dante Leon defeated Mance Warner via DQ; Warner retains the GCW Title at 1:35. Leon recently made his AEW debut and he’s a regular in NOAH in Japan. Mance actually came out first. (The champ should always come out last!) Mance got on the mic and he jawed at the shorter Leon. He slapped Dante to start the match. Leon hit a series of punches. Jimmy Lloyd ran into the ring and helped stomp on Leon. Mance jabbed a chair into Leon’s chest. The ref called for the bell. Another non-finish to a Warner match in a promotion that (used to!) take pride in having finishes to matches. Manders ran in to make the save and he vowed to get even with Mance on Saturday in Dallas. What a waste of Dante’s talents.
7. “Los Desperados” Gringo Loco and Arez defeated “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo at 14:51. Arez and Miedo opened with basic reversals and a standoff. Ciclope and Gringo entered at 1:00 and they traded some lucha reversals. Gringo hit a flip dive onto both opponents at 4:00, then Arez hit a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, Loco hit a top-rope fadeaway stunner for a nearfall. Arez and Gringo began taking turns in chopping Ciclope in a corner. Los Macizos hit a team flapjack on Arez at 8:00. Gringo shoved Ciclope head-first into a chair in the corner and got a nearfall.
Ciclope hit a top-rope Poison Rana on Gringo, and Miedo immediately hit a Swanton Bomb on Gringo at 10:00. Ciclope tossed a chair at Arez’ head, then he hit a pump-handle back suplex across two open chairs on Arez for a nearfall at 12:30. Arez hit a Canadian Destroyer on Ciclope through a door bridge on the floor. In the ring, Gringo got a nearfall on Miedo and the fans chanted “that was three!” Gringo nailed a top-rope Spanish Fly on Miedo through a door bridge! Arez immediately hit a top-rope double stomp on Miedo for the pin. Good action.
* A video package aired for backyard wrestling. This looks extremely dangerous.
8. Microman defeated Dark Sheik at 8:06. Sheik got on the mic and is refusing to “wrestle a baby.” Microman tossed Sheik across the ring; this action is all very absurd. Sheik tied him up on the mat and untied his mask at 4:00 and the crowd was irate! Microman did a John Cena fist-drop, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. However, he missed a Vader Bomb. Sheik hit a straight punch to the groin at 6:30. Sheik tried a coast-to-coast dropkick and came up comically short. Microman hit the Vader Bomb for the pin. What you’d expect; the crowd liked it.
* A video package aired to show the history leading to our main event!
9. Zilla Fatu defeated John Wayne Murdoch in a Houston street fight at 14:37. Numerous weapons were set up in the ring. LOTS of light tubes. This isn’t my thing. Fatu immediately hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. (That would have been funny to end it there, with all those weapons set up and unused!) He choked Murdoch on the mat. Zilla charged, but Murdoch moved, and Zilla crashed through a glass pane at 2:00. Zilla was bleeding from his mouth, and Murdoch choked him with a tiki torch. Murdoch hit a DDT onto the steel ring steps (which were placed in the ring) for a nearfall at 5:00. He cracked light tubes over Fatu’s back and jabbed him in the forehead with the shards. This got vey bloody very quickly.
We had a fan get into the ring but Murdoch clotheslined him, and he was quickly escorted out. Fatu hit a uranage onto a glass pane at 8:30. Fatu set up a door bridge in the crowd. Fatu leapt off the apron and splashed down onto Murdoch, who was lying on that door bridge at 13:00. In the ring, Zilla nailed the Samoan Spike to the throat for the pin. (He tried to set the wrapped finger on fire but it wouldn’t stay lit, which is probably a good thing.) The crowd liked this a lot more than I did. I presume it is just a matter of time before Zilla is under WWE contract.
Final Thoughts: Definitely matches of all styles on this one. I enjoyed that Oliver-Fuego match for best of the night, even though I never thought Fuego was winning. The Gringo/Arez tag takes second, just ahead of a really good but too short Manders-Savage for third. The main event was too violent for my tastes, but the crowd liked it, and there was never any doubt Fatu was winning that feud. As I noted, GCW now heads to Dallas with another show on Saturday night.
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