By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Don’t Tell Me What To Do”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
July 20, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Indianapolis Marriott East
This show is the final event of three straight nights for GCW.
* The event opened with a video package from the show Friday in Sauget, Mo. (suburban St. Louis.)
* To the venue. This is a plain convention hall in the hotel. The crowd is maybe 250. Dave Prazak and Nick Maniwa are back on commentary.
1. Davey Bang and August Matthews defeated Hunter Drake and Bobby Flaco at 10:31. Matthews and Flaco opened. Bang hit his axe kick to the back of Hunter’s head for a nearfall at 1:30, and B&M worked Hunter over. Flaco got a hot tag at 4:00 and hit some dropkicks. B&M hit their team doublestomps on Hunter’s back for a nearfall. Flaco hit a stunner on Bang and a DDT on Matthews. Hunter made the hot tag at 7:30 and hit a double missile dropkick. Hunter hit a running Shooting Star Press onto both opponents.
Flaco dove to the floor on one opponent, and Hunter hit a top-rope moonsault onto the other. We got a “this is awesome!” chant as they got back into the ring. Flaco hit a top-rope doublestomp. Hunter hit his modified Code Red for a nearall but August made the save. Bang hit a clothesline, then the Spears Tower on Drake. Bang then hit a 450 Splash onto Drake for the pin. Good energy here; these four started this show off on a good tone. Also, Bang and Matthews were overdue for a GCW win.
* A video package aired of Raj Dhesi’s debut (the former Jinder Mahal) at the show on Friday.
2. Myron Reed defeated Jack Cartwheel at 11:17. This should be a barnburner! They shook hands and both did cartwheels, which got a ridiculous pop. Jack hit a dropkick and did another cartwheel, just to get a pop from the crowd. He did his slingshot senton at 2:00. He set up for a dive to the floor but Myron caught him and Myron hit a stunner. Reed hit a Rocker Dropper leg drop for a nearfall. Myron put Jack’s feet on the top rope and hit a Flatliner for a nearfall at 4:00. Jack hit his cartwheel powerslam and a flying clothesline, then a leaping neckbreaker. Jack nailed his Crucifix Driver for a nearfall at 5:30; this has been every bit as good as expected. Jack hit a cannonball into the corner.
Myron hit a Stundog Millionaire, then a doublestomp to the back, then a slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Nice move! Reed went for his stunner over the top rope to the floor, but Jack blocked it. Jack then hit a Canadian Destroyer on the floor, which rightfully drew a “holy shit!” chant. Jack then nailed the Sasake Special to the floor at 8:30. In the ring, Jack nailed a top-rope Phoenix Splash, but Reed grabbed the ropes to break up the pin. Jack missed a Swanton Bomb, but he hit a Superkick. Jack hit a German Suplex for a nearfall, and he locked in a crossarm breaker at 10:30. Myron hit a superkick, then a kip-up stunner and an Air Raid Crash for the pin. That was really, really good.
* A video package aired of the Mance Warner-Hoodfoot ultraviolent match from a day ago.
3. “The Rejects” Reed Bentley and John Wayne Murdoch defeated 1 Called Manders and Cole Radrick at 6:51. All four brawled at the bell and immediately went to the floor. Murdoch whipped Radrick into a wall at 1:00. The Rejects slammed Manders into the ring post. In the ring, Bentley tied Manders in a Camel Clutch at 4:00. Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Murdoch. Bentley dragged Radrick off the apron and beat him up on the floor, so Cole wasn’t there to tag in. Manders finally made the hot tag at 6:00, and Cole hit some punches and kicks on each opponent. Radrick hit a second-rope crossbody block on both heels, then a springboard double stunner. Cole dove through the ropes onto Bentley and was fired up. However, Murdoch kicked the ropes as Cole re-entered the ring; he rolled up Radrick out of nowhere for the pin!
* Side note: Cole seems fine here and I saw nothing that would indicate a legit injury. I mention it because he posted a picture online this week of him in a walking boot and an indication he will be out of action for a while.
* Footage aired of Megan Bayne beating Shane Mercer a day earlier.
4. Rachel Armstrong, Dex Royal, Morgan Dash, and Count Noctis in a four-way went to a draw/no finish at 7:00. Armstrong is coming off a loss to Billie Starks on Thursday’s GCW show. Dash made an impressive GCW debut a day earlier; he’s a good high-flyer but I’m guessing he’s maybe 5’4″. I’ve not seen Noctis before; he’s young but he has intentionally gray hair and he wore a half fishnet shirt. Rachel and Dex each hit kicks on Noctis, then all three kicked Noctis. Dash and Rachel hit dropkicks on Dex. Dex hit a top-rope crossbody block and he traded offense with Rachel.
Dash hit a Go To Sleep move on Rachel at 3:30. Noctis hit a powerbomb high on Dash’s shoulders. Ouch. Rachel dove through the ropes onto Noctis. Dash hit an impressive flip dive to the floor; he’s a good athlete. Dex hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press to the floor on all three! Dangerous move. Dash hit a Shooting Star Press in the ring. We had a mis-timed spot where Rachel came off the ropes too late to break up a pin. However, Raj Dhesi (Jinder Mahal!) hit the ring and clotheslined Dex at 7:00, and he tossed Noctis to the floor, and he chokeslammed Dash! He grabbed Rachel and put her in a Cobra Clutch. Several refs ran into the ring to coax Raj to let her go.
* Matt Cardona power-walked to the ring, wearing a suit. He asked Raj who gave him the authority to be here. “Oh wait, I did!” he shouted, and the crowd booed, chanting, “F— Cardona!” He said he will “save” GCW by bringing in superstars like Raj. Raj got on the mic and said he’s the most selfish guy in this business. He said GCW and indy wrestling “is complete shit.” He hates the locker room, with “marijuana everywhere.” He said Effy is a “piece of shit” who represents these people. This brought Effy to the ring. Cardona held him at bay. Effy got on the mic and wondered why Dhesi would come and attack him, but he remembered “it worked for Cardona and it worked for Jarrett.” Cardona made the Effy-Dhesi match for Aug. 2 in Cleveland. The crowd booed, because they want it now. Cardona said Effy already has a match … right now!
5. Shane Mercer and Blake Christian defeated Effy and Joey Janela at 12:37. Mercer and Blake attacked Effy from behind, and it appeared we were going to have a handicap match. However, Joey Janela ran to the ring to be Effy’s partner! Joey hit a diving back elbow on Mercer at 2:00. Blake hit a stunner on Effy, then a Fosbury Flop to the floor on Effy, landing on a hard chair in the front row! In the ring, Blake hit a dropkick on Effy’s back, then a sliding German Suplex. The heels backed Effy into their corner and worked him over. Christian snapped Effy’s arm across his shoulder at 6:00.
Effy hit a Northern Lights Suplex and he made the hot tag. Janela hit a German Suplex on Mercer, then a top-rope crossbody block on both heels. He hit a Death Valley Driver on Christian for a nearfall. Effy hit a top-rope Blockbuster, then Helluva Kicks onto each heel. Janela hit a superkick on Blake and suddenly everyone was down at 8:30. They got up and traded punches. Mercer hit a fallaway slam. Blake hit a frogsplash, and they were all down again at 10:30. Janela constructed a door bridge on the floor. He leapt in the ring and sent both himself and Mercer through the board bridge. Effy tied up Blake, but Raj Dhesi returned and grabbed Effy. It allowed Blake to hit a jumping knee, then his step-up Stomp on Effy to score the tainted pin.
6. Galeno Del Mal defeated Arez at 11:35. Again, Galeno is listed at 6’5″ and 297 pounds; he is just a beast of a masked luchador and he towers over Arez. Some lucha reversals early on and a standoff at 1:30. Galeno hit a Buckle Bomb and a shotgun dropkick. He tied Galeno in a half-crab move, but Arez reached the ropes. Arez hit a Pele Kick at 4:30 and a dropkick but it barely budged Galeno. Arez hit a dive to the floor on Galeno. In the ring, Arez nailed a top-rope elbow drop for a nearfall. He hit a doublestomp for a nearfall at 7:00, then a top-rope doublestomp for a nearfall.
Galeno hit a reverse suplex, dropping Arez stomach-first to the mat for a nearfall. He nailed a rolling elbow. Arez hit an enzuigiri. Galeno fired back with a discus clothesline and they were both down at 8:30. Arez hit a one-legged Lionsault for a nearfall. Galeno hit a half-nelson suplex for a nearfall. Arez hit a top-rope doublestomp to the back, then another to the chest for a nearfall at 10:30, and Arez was frustrated he didn’t get a win there. Galeno hit a twisting suplex off the second rope for the pin. That was really, really good, too.
7. Zilla Fatu defeated Hoodfoot at 8:56. Hoodfoot was in a violent death match 24 hours ago; I am a bit surprised he is wrestling again so quickly. Zilla is in blue pants today. They traded shoulder tackles. Zilla hit a flying forearm at 2:30. They brawled to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans. They got in the ring; Hoodfoot peeled off an outer shirt and they traded blows. Fatu hit a uranage for a nearfall at 6:00. A door bridge was set up in the ring, and Hoodfoot suplexed them both through the door for a nearfall. (Pretty sure Hoodfoot’s back got more of that board than Fatu’s back did!) Fatu hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Zilla missed a Samoan Spike. However, moments later he hit a leaping Samoan Spike to the throat for the pin. Decent brawl.
8. Nate Webb defeated Broski Jimmy Lloyd at 8:18. Lloyd got on the mic and ripped Indianapolis. Lloyd pointed out all of Webb’s contemporaries who made it big, while Webb is still toiling away on the indies. Webb hit a flip dive to the floor on Lloyd, and they brawled on the floor in front of the fans. Lloyd jabbed a chair into Nate’s back. In the ring, Lloyd tossed Webb head-first into a chair that was wedged in the corner at 4:00. Webb hit a spin kick onto a chair in Lloyd’s hands and they were both down. Webb hit a modified Canadian Destroyer at 6:30. He got a chair and hit his top-rope moonsault, but Lloyd got his feet up to block it. Lloyd hit the Radio Silence flying leg lariat for a believable nearfall. Webb then hit a moonsault off a tall ladder for the pin! Decent action.
9. Mance Warner defeated Megan Bayne to retain the GCW Heavyweight Title at 16:14. Again, Mance was in a violent death match a night ago; it sure would be nice if he sold the pain and injuries from that match. Megan has an eye patch from when Mance gouged her. Mance attacked her from behind and they immediately brawled to the floor, where he whipped her into the ropes. He hit her with a door, then he slid the door into the ring. He shoved her into the ring at 3:00. She got up and hit a series of forearm strikes, then an impressive deadlift German Suplex. (Seriously, how many women can do what she just did there?) Megan hit a flying clothesline, and she got a chair! She tossed it into his hands and hit a Mafia Kick onto it for a nearfall at 5:30.
Bayne slammed Mance’s head onto the door in the corner. Mance caught her with a straight punch to the jaw, then a headbutt. He chokeslammed her through the door in the corner and got a nearfall at 7:30. He slammed a door shard across her back, and he set up several open chairs in the ring. However, she chokeslammed him across six open chairs for a nearfall at 9:30. He pushed her to the mat and choked her, and he gouged at her damaged eye. Megan hit a second-rope superplex through a door bridge, and they were both down at 13:00. Blake Christian got in the ring! Who is he going to hit?
Joey Janela jumped in the ring and brawled with Blake, and Blake scampered away. Mercer jumped in and attacked Joey. Joey dove through the ropes onto Blake. Mercer grabbed door shards and beat Bayne with it. Bayne speared Mercer through a door in the corner! Megan hit a Tiger Driver powerbomb on Mance for a believable nearfall at 14:30. She got Mance on her shoulders, but now Jimmy Lloyd jumped in and struck Megan with a chair. Jimmy threw a chair but it struck Mance! Megan chokeslammed Lloyd! She nailed the Tombstone Piledriver on Mance for a nearfall, but Lloyd pulled the ref from the ring! Mance rolled her up from behind, put his feet on the ropes for leverage, and scored the cheap pin.
Final Thoughts: First I’ll give GCW credit. They had a Mance Warner-Effy feud that kept going and going … and going and going. They finally got out of it and immediately moved into this Mance-Blake-Janela-Bayne four-way scenario. I presume this has to end in a four-way match between them. So, some decent storytelling, and Effy is now clearly distracted with a new feud with Raj Dhesi. All that said, all of Mance Warner’s matches in 2024 involve such a ridiculous amount of interference. At least this one had an actual finish to a match.
I loved Galeno-Arez for best match, just ahead of Myron-Cartwheel. The fun-but-overbooked main event takes third, just ahead of Blake/Mercer’s tag against Effy/Janela. I will reiterate this three-show stretch started flat with not enough ‘star power’ on that Thursday night. But with Cartwheel, Galeno Del Mal, Arez, Gringo Loco (Friday only), Megan Bayne and Zilla Fatu the past two nights, the star power and quality of the top matches was greatly improved. Dex Royal remains one to watch on the undercard. I don’t know if Bang is ready to shed Matthews, but it feels like he’s ready to be a breakout singles star, too.
>>She got up and hit a series of forearm strikes, then an impressive deadlift German Suplex. (Seriously, how many women can do what she just did there?) <<
Any other woman who is right at 6'0" tall and 190 lbs…..