By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “So High”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
July 19, 2024 in Sauget, Illinois at Pop’s Nightclub
This is the second of three consecutive nights of GCW action. Dave Prazak and Nick Maniwa provided commentary. This is a well-lit room; I like this space. The crowd is maybe 200-250. Because of the computer issues that plagued worldwide air travel, Joey Janela, Dark Sheik, Masha Slamovich and Danhausen were all unable to make it to the show.
* The show opened with a highlight video clip from Thursday’s event in Louisville, Kent.
1. Gringo Loco and Arez defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews at 13:01. Loco and Bang opened. I will reiterate that Bang’s new shorter haircut just immediately made him look older; he doesn’t look like a kid anymore. They traded fast-paced reversals to open. Matthews and Arez entered at 2:00. Bang hit a standing moonsault on Arez. Loco hit a brainbuster on Bang at 5:00. Arez twisted Bang’s left arm and kicked out the elbow. Loco hit an axe kick on Bang for a nearfall. Loco hit a Lungblower move to Bang’s chest at 7:30, and Arez hit his one-footed moonsault.
Bang hit a huracanrana on Loco, then a handspring-back-elbow on Arez. August got the hot tag and hit a top-rope crossbody block, then a cool armdrag spot by launching himself off of Loco! Nice! Bang hit his moonsault to the floor while Matthews hit a flip dive to the floor. B&M hit their team doublestomps, and Bang nailed the Spears Tower for a nearfall on Loco, but Arez made the save at 10:30. Arez hit a double DDT, and he ran up his opponents’ backs. Loco hit a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall. Loco hit a powerbomb on August. Loco hit his Base Bomb/swinging powerbomb on Bang, and Arez immediately hit a top-rope doublestomp on Bang for the pin. Really good action; that was better than any match on Thursday.
* A video package aired of Hoodfoot beating Jimmy Lloyd a day ago.
2. 1 Called Manders defeated Broski Jimmy Lloyd at 6:34. Jimmy came out first and did his routine where he demanded the fans “show him some respect.” Manders immediately hit some loud chops. Manders hurt his shoulder against the ring post at 3:00. Lloyd got a chair and jabbed it onto Manders. Manders nailed his running Bulldog Powerslam for a nearfall at 5:00, and he got a door from under the ring and slid it in. Lloyd hit the Radio Silence/flying leg lariat for a nearfall. He threw a chair at Manders’ arm, then at his head. However, Manders hit a hard clothesline and another Bulldog Powerslam through the door in the corner for the pin. Short but satisfying; this didn’t’ need to be any longer than this.
* A mysterious video shot outdoors was shown again; it also was played Thursday. Two people were walking and we could see Allie Katch in the background. I have no idea what this is about.
3. Galeno Del Mal defeated Jack Cartwheel at 10:22. These are two of my top 20 indy talents. Galeno is the massive luchador I always compare to DC’s Bane; he just wrestled on the Japan show where AJ Styles faced Naomichi Marufuji. They stood toe-to-toe and Galeno has a massive size advantage. They locked up and Galeno easily shoved Jack to the mat. Jack got a rollup for a nearfall at 1:30! Galeno powerbombed Jack onto the ring apron, and Jack collapsed to the floor and sold the pain in his back. In the ring, Galeno hit a shotgun dropkick and was in control. He applied a modified Texas Cloverleaf at 3:30, but Jack reached the ropes.
Galeno hit a bodyslam and a big splash to the mat. Jack fired back with a second-rope huracanrana at 5:30, then an enzuigiri and a tornado DDT. He nailed the Fosbury Flop to the floor. In the ring, he did a top-rope cartwheel-into-a-doublestomp. Galeno hit a running kneestrike to the forehead for a nearfall at 9:00. Jack hit a superkick; Galeno hit a jumping knee to the sternum; Jack hit a suplex for a nearfall. Nice sequence. Jack missed a top-rope Phoenix Splash. Galeno immediately hit a twisting neckbreaker for the pin. Another great match; again, this was better than matches on Thursday’s show.
* A video package aired of Myron Reed vs. Mance Warner from Thursday, with Mance retaining the GCW Title.
4. Zilla Fatu defeated Sam Stackhouse at 10:08. Stackhouse is near 400 pounds Zilla still hasn’t reached 40 matches in his career but he’s just got a presence to him, much like Jacob Fatu. An intense lockup with neither man going down. Stackhouse hit a Samoan Drop at 2:00, and he peeled off his shirt, and that always draws a reaction. Zilla hit an axe kick to the back of the head. They went to the floor, where Zilla hit some loud chops. Zilla slid a door into the ring. He missed a top-rope doublestomp, and Sam hit a spin kick for a nearfall at 6:30.
They began trading forearm strikes, and Sam hit a Black Hole Slam. Zilla fired back with a spinebuster. He speared Stackhouse through the door in the corner at 9:00, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall. Stackhouse ducked the first Samoan Spike, but Zilla hit the second Samoan Spike to the throat for the pin. This match really mirrored Manders’ match, so it was wise of them to not have them back-to-back.
5. Sidney Akeem (f/k/a Reggie/Scrypts) defeated Myron Reed at 10:18. I was not a fan of Reggie’s WWE run so I have been pleasantly surprised with the matches he’s put together in GCW; they have really highlighted his athleticism and hidden his weaknesses, like his punches. Myron is coming off that really good match against Mance Warner a day ago. An intense lockup to open and they sped it up with quicker reversals. They both missed dropkicks and had a standoff at 2:00. Sidney hit a dropkick that sent Myron to the floor. In the ring, Myron hit a Mafia Kick for a nearfall.
Sidney hit a variety of kicks and a twisting crossbody block for a nearfall at 6:00. Sidney hit a top-rope summersault, splashing his butt onto Myron for a nearfall. Myron caught him and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:30. Myron hit a flip dive over the turnbuckle and crashing onto Sidney! An impressive dive. They began trading forearm strikes. They hit simultaneous crossbody blocks; they kipped up and hit clotheslines, then they traded German Suplexes. Myron hit a spin kick to the head. Sidney hit two backflips, caught Myron’s head, and hit a stunner for the pin. Great athleticism; promoter Brett Lauderdale deserves kudos for picking great opponents that match Sidney’s style.
* Footage aired of Effy vs. wrestling journalist Sean Ross Sapp from Thursday’s show.
6. Cole Radrick and Effy defeated “The Rejects” John Wayne Murdoch and Reed Bentley at 8:10. All four brawled at the bell. Reed powerslammed Effy onto the ring apron. Murdoch hit a snap suplex on Radrick for a nearfall at 1:30. Effy got a chair and hit Bentley across the back. Effy hit a Helluva Kick on Bentley. The Rejects slammed Radrick onto a door at 5:30 but it didn’t break. Reed hit a senton for a nearfall. They tossed Cole through the board in the corner, and this time it broke. In an awkward spot, Cole tossed Murdoch onto Bentley, who had just sat down to take that bump. Effy hit a double spear. Radrick dove through the ropes onto Bentley, while Effy hit a flying leg lariat for the pin. Just okay.
* Two masked men jumped in the ring and attacked Effy after the pinfall. Manders ran in for the save and clotheslined a masked man and they fought to the back. A big, muscular masked man jumped in the ring and attacked Effy! He peeled off his mask and it is Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal!) The crowd chanted “Holy shit!” Prazak shouted that “The Maharaja is here!” Some ring attendants helped a dazed Effy to the back.
7. Hunter Drake defeated Camaro Jackson, Ken Broadway, Morgan Dash, and Bobby Flaco in a scramble at 7:35. I again will compare Hunter Drake’s looks to Matt Riddle, but much smaller and scrawnier. Camaro is the powerhouse who is in the top-tier of the St. Louis-based Glory Pro Wrestling. I’ve seen a lot of Broadway in New York-based House of Glory. I am fairly certain I haven’t seen Dash before; he seems undersized compared to Broadway and Camaro. Ugh, the dork Flaco is back, too. Morgan hit a running Shooting Star Press on Flaco. Hunter hit a Dragon Suplex. Camaro speared Hunter into a corner, then he hit a Stinger Splash at 1:30. Camaro did a DEEP squat while holding Hunter for a delayed vertical suplex. Nice!
Camaro and Broadway traded blows. Flaco hit a missile dropkick on Broadway, then a top-rope crossbody block, then a splash to the floor. In the ring, Camaro hit a Pounce on Hunter, and Prazak made a Monty Brown comparison. Camaro did a Gorilla Press on Hunter, tossing him onto several guys on the floor at 4:30. Flaco hit a Poison Rana on Drake for a nearfall. Broadway hit a powerbomb on Flaco, then a Flatliner for a nearfall at 6:00. Camaro hit a hard clothesline on Broadway. Dash hit a huracanrana and a 619 on Camaro, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall. Hunter hit his modified Code Red to pin Broadway. Good non-stop action, but I’m a sucker for a good scramble.
* The next match was supposed to be Blake Christian and Shane Mercer vs. Megan Bayne and Joey Janela, but again, Janela is among the wrestlers who couldn’t make it to the show. So, this was instead turned into a singles match.
8. Megan Bayne defeated Shane Mercer (w/Blake Christian) in an intergender match at 10:54. Bayne has a patch over her right eye. Blake carried “the real GCW World Title” that he never lost; he joined commentary. Mercer has muscles on his muscles and he suplexed Bayne, but she popped up and suplexed him at 2:00, and Shane rolled to the floor to regroup. She dove to the floor on him. In the ring, Mercer hit a Tour of the Islands-style powerslam for a nearfall at 4:00. He easily hit a Guerilla Press for a nearfall. He slapped her in the face, so she returned a harder slap, and she got a rollup for a nearfall at 7:00.
Bayne nailed an Exploder Suplex, then another, then a fallaway slam for a nearfall. Blake on commentary was getting livid at Mercer. He grabbed her by the throat but she broke free and she hit an F5. He popped up and hit his Jackhammer move. She hopped up and hit a leaping clothesline! She nailed a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00. He went for Moonsault & Battery but she escaped! She hit a spear! Bayne then nailed the Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. She is so tall and strong, I fully believe she can beat many men (but not someone as strong as Mercer.)
* Blake rolled into the ring and superkicked her. He pulled at the eye patch she was wearing, then hit a running Rollins-style Stomp to her head. Prazak said it was insult to injury.
* The nice canvas was removed so the guys in the main event could bleed all over an old, beat-up mat.
9. Mance Warner defeated Hoodfoot in a death match to retain the GCW Heavyweight Title at 24:19. Again, I don’t watch a lot of death matches, but I have a vivid memory of Hoodfoot being cut so deep just two minutes into a match that it had to be stopped. Mance rolled to the floor and grabbed a fan by his shirt; I just don’t think that’s called for. The bell rang but Mance rolled to the floor. Hoodfoot missed a dive and crashed to the floor at 2:30. They brawled on the floor. Hoodfoot cracked the first light tube of the match over Mance’s head at 5:30. More brawling in the ring as Mance slammed Hoodfoot’s head on an open chair.
They took turns whacking each other over the head with light tubes and gouging each other’s foreheads and I lost interest. Mance stabbed his screwdriver into Hoodfoot’s shoe at 13:00. Mance whipped a chair at his head, then another, and I hate that far more than the light tubes and blood. Just so unnecessary. Mance superplexed Hoodfoot through a door bridge for a nearfall at 18:00. Mance jabbed cooking skewers into the top of the head. So gross. Hoodfoot got a pane of glass and slid it into the ring at 23:00. However Jimmy Lloyd jumped in the ring and hit Hoodfoot with a bundle of light tubes. Mance hit a low blow and he chokeslammed Hoodfoot through the glass pane. Mance then hit a DDT onto the pile of glass for the pin. Gross and just not my thing.
Final Thoughts: A night and day difference from the GCW show a day earlier, where I was wondering where all of GCW’s regular stars were. As is often the case, GCW shows open hot. I’m such a big fan of both Galeno Del Mal and Jack Cartwheel, and I’ll narrowly give them best match over the opening lucha tag. Sidney Akeem-Myron Reed takes third. I said it earlier, but promoter Brett Lauderdale continues to find the best uses for Sidney, highlighting his strengths and hiding his weaknesses. The surprise appearance of Raj Dhesi popped the crowd; we’ll see how his matches look as I’m admittedly not a fan. Zilla Fatu continues to be a force and just a natural in the ring. I just can’t reiterate how much better this show was than Thursday’s outing, from the quality of the lineup, the matches, and even better lighting and overall production.
LOVE these people who go to a GCW show and then complain about the violence. Sorta like the ones who join offensive humor groups on social media and then complain because the jokes are offensive.