By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Save Me”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
August 18, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah at The Clubhouse
This is GCW’s fifth show in a seven-day stretch, starting with three straight nights in Tokyo, followed by their Saturday show in Los Angeles. This is a small venue with a stage, and the room is packed with maybe 200 fans. This is GCW’s debut in this market, and seven matches were announced in advance. However, Effy and Joey Janela missed the LA shows, so we’ll see if they are back in the U.S. yet for this one. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
* Jimmy Lloyd came to the ring and cut his usual heel promo about how much this city sucks and he demanded the fans show him respect. He boasted about his world travels in the past week or so.
1. 1 Called Manders defeated Broski Jimmy Lloyd at 6:22. Manders hit a clothesline at the bell and got a nearfall! Manders hit the Sheamus-style blows to the chest while leaning Jimmy against the ropes. Jimmy hit Manders as he was in the ropes, and he choked Manders. Lloyd hit a Fameasser legdrop for a nearfall at 3:00. Jimmy got chairs from under the ring and threw them into the ring. Lloyd hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall. Manders nailed the Bulldog Powerslam for a believable nearfall at 5:30. Lloyd hit some superkicks, but he crashed onto an open chair. Manders immediately hit a decapitating clothesline for the pin. Good action and this didn’t need to be any longer.
2. Gino Rivera defeated JKM at 10:18. This is a bonus unadvertised match. JMK wears a Spiderman-style red mask, and I’ve compared Gino to former ROH wrestler Ricky Reyes; I’ve seen both men on prior GCW shows on the West side of the country. They traded quick reversals and they are clearly quite familiar with each other. JKM hit a twisting springboard crossbody block at 1:00, then a dive through the ropes onto Gino. They fought to the floor. In the ring, Gino hit a cannonball splash in the corner at 3:00. JKM hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall. Gino ripped at the mask at 5:00 and was booed. Gino hit a German Suplex, but JKM hit a step-up mule kick, and they were both down at 7:00.
JKM hit a Sling Blade clothesline and a doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Rivera hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner, then a senton for a nearfall. JKM hit a Grimes-style Cave-in stomp to the chest at 9:30, then a superkick and a Superman Punch. Gino ripped off the mask! JKM covered his face with his hands, and Gino covered him for the cheap pin! Prazak was irate at Gino’s tactics. Good action.
3. Blake Christian defeated Marcus Mathers at 12:52. Mathers is finally getting the recognition he deserves, as he’s faced the best-of-the-best in the past week. He came out first and wore his Phillies-inspired gear. Blake carried his “real GCW” belt, as he was stripped of the title while competing in NJPW. Blake immediately hit some shoulder thrusts into the ribs at the bell. Mathers hit a mule kick to the sternum, then a dive through the ropes at 1:00. “It’s been quite the week for Marcus Mathers,” Emil noted. Blake hit a Helluva Kick and a stomp on Marcus’ arm.
Blake threw Mathers shoulder-first into the ring post. Blake twisted Mathers’ arm and stomped on it again. Mathers hit a stunner and a German Suplex, then a top-rope twisting crossbody block at 5:00 for a nearfall. Blake hit a Lethal Injection for a nearfall. The crowd responded with a “you still suck!” at Blake. They traded forearm strikes and Blake hit some spin kicks. Mathers hit an Ospreay-style heel hook kick and a stunner for a nearfall at 8:00. Blake hit a half-nelson suplex but he couldn’t hit a stomp to the head. Mathers hit a modified powerbomb for a nearfall, and the crowd rallied for Mathers.
Mathers hit a superkick, so Blake hit one. Mathers hit his second-rope Canadian Destroyer and a Tiger Driver powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00. Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, and he snapped the right arm behind Marcus’ back! Blake dove through the ropes onto Mathers on the floor, then hit a top-rope 450 Splash. Blake then hit the step-up Stomp to the head for the clean pin. That was a really good match, and it’s nice to see Blake sometimes win clean, just because he’s a better wrestler.
4. Effy defeated Ocean Avery at 11:30. Prazak noted what I wrote above, that Effy missed the LA show due to travel issues out of Japan. Ocean is a thick tattoo-covered guy; think of Killer Kross but with a mustache. He’s also been on GCW West Coast shows. A feeling-out process and Effy stomped on Ocean’s elbow. They traded shoulder tackles. Effy hit his Helluva Kick at 3:30. Avey stomped on Effy and kept him grounded. Effy hit his Whoopee Cushion buttdrop. Avery hit a German Suplex for a nearfall at 7:00.
Effy hit another Helluva Kick, then a Blockbuster and a spear for a nearfall. Avery hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall at 9:00. Avery dropped him stomach-first and hit a basement dropkick for a nearfall. Avery hit a suplex for a nearfall. Effy hit a Fame-asser for a nearfall, so he hit another one and scored the pin. Solid match. I’ve written it before, but Effy is deceptively tall and thick, and it was really notable here.
* Footage aired of the Sidney Akeem (Reggie/Scrypts) vs. Rich Swann match from a day ago. This was really good action.
5. Gringo Loco defeated Jack Cartwheel at 16:04. I’ve seen these two fight before, notably in Demand Lucha in Canada, and these two were tag partners a night ago. Jack did several cartwheels on the way to the ring. The bell rang and we got a “Both these guys!” chant before they locked up. They took turns playing to the crowd before locking up. Gringo worked the left arm. They did some lucha offense and had a standoff at 3:30. Jack hit an enzuigiri. Loco hit a sit-out powerbomb. He pushed Jack against the ropes and hit a loud chop. Gringo flipped Jack mid-air and slammed him face-first for a nearfall at 6:30. Loco hit a twisting top-rope moonsault and got a nearfall. They got to their feet and traded forearm strikes.
Jack hit his cartwheel Death Valley Driver at 9:00. Jack hit a neckbreaker, then a cartwheel-into-a-back elbow and a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall. Jack hit the Sasuke Special to the floor! They fought on the top rope and they both did a moonsault to crash stomach-first to the mat, and Loco got a nearfall at 12:00. Jack cartwheeled off the top rope and doublestomped on Loco’s chest. He went for a top-rope Phoenix Splash, but Loco got his knees up to block it, and Gringo got a rollup for a nearfall. Gringo got a chair and hit Jack with it at 14:30. Gringo went for a springboard move but Jack hit him with the chair. Loco nailed the second-rope twisting Base Bomb for the pin. Really good action and the crowd was fully into this.
6. Joey Janela defeated Tombstone Jesus at 18:59. I don’t know Tombstone Jesus; he looks like an 1800s sheriff and he has a white beard and is probably in his late 50s. Like Effy, good to see Janela got home. (I’ve said this before about Joey; his methodical style is perfect for older wrestlers so they don’t get too blown up.) I also will reiterate that Joey has lost a bit of weight around the waist and looks great. A knuckle lock to open. They brawled to the floor. Joey hit a running back elbow, sending TJ from the apron and through a table set up on the floor at 5:00. In the ring, Joey whipped TJ through a door in the corner and got a nearfall at 7:00.
Janela hit a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron; in the ring he got a nearfall at 9:30. They got up and hit double clotheslines and were both down. Joey brought some tables into the ring and he hit TJ with a chair across the back. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 14:00. TJ chokeslamed Joey through a door bridge and got a nearfall. Joey hit a suplex onto an open chair. Janela tossed chairs at him and hit an unprotected chairshot to the head. Gross. He repeatedly hit him with trash can lids. He hit a top-rope doublestomp on door debris on TJ’s chest and scored the pin. I didn’t care for this but the crowd liked it.
7. Masha Slamovich defeated Starboy Charlie in an intergender match at 14:42. Masha was at a West Coast Pro women’s show on Saturday. He knocked Masha down with a shoulder tackle. They avoided each other’s offense and had a standoff at 2:00. He grounded her and worked her left arm. Masha hit a doublestop to the chest at 4:00, then a snap suplex for a nearfall. Masha tied Charlie in a Camel Clutch. She hit a spinebuster and tied him up on the mat. She hit a headbutt. He dropped her head-first on the middle rope at 7:30 and hit a Russian Legsweep and a kneedrop on her forehead. Charlie hit a Sliced Bread out of the corner for a nearfall.
They traded forearm strikes at 9:30. She hit a pair of spin kicks to his head for a nearfall. They traded rollups. Masha nailed a Shining Wizard and got a believable nearfall at 11:00. Charlie hit a kip-up Pele Kick and a Brainbuster for a nearfall. He hit a uranage and a corkscrew senton. He missed a top-rope Shooting Star Press, and she immediately applied a rear-naked choke! He fought to escape, so she hit a back suplex for a believable nearfall at 14:00. He nailed a roundhouse kick to the head but he couldn’t get her up for the package piledriver. He went for a Pele Kick but she kicked him in the face! Masha immediately hit the White Knight Driver (piledriver) for the pin. That was really entertaining.
8. “Team Bonesaw” Bonesaw William Cutting, Princess Deathwish, Vintage Mike Burke, and CJ Frost defeated “Team Tox” Dan the Man, Jonathan Monroe, Drake Matthews, and Dr. Theodore Tox at 6:46. Prazak said this is a showcase match for the local talent. Just to be clear, Princess Deathwish is a man. This motley bunch of guys look like adults who went to a Halloween store and bought D-list superhero outfits. Seriously, Dr. Tox wore a green outfit that looked more cheesy super villain than wrestling gear. This crowd sat SILENT. I thought maybe they would know the locals but they just don’t! The difference in talent level from the prior match to this one is a gigantic gap. All eight started brawling at 4:30. Prazak and Emil are making an effort here. One of Team Bonesaw hit a swinging faceplant for the pin. Well, that happened.
9. Mance Warner defeated Manny Lemons to retain the GCW World Title at 15:51. Mance jawed at the crowd on his way to the ring and ripped up signs. Lemons has a thick brown beard and short hair and he’s fairly muscular. Mance stalled on the floor and spoke on the mic and this was taking forever to get going. The bell rang but Mance stalled on the floor. In the ring, Lemons hit some chops in the corner at 3:00. They brawled to the back, then back to ringside. Mance got weapons from the back, like a crutch and a garbage can.
They brawled in the ring, and Lemons hit a clothesline at 9:30. Manny hit a Death Valley Driver through a door in the corner and got a nearfall. Lemons slammed Mance onto an open chair for a nearfall at 12:00. They traded forearms while on their knees. Mance started hitting him over the head with weapons. (He didn’t dare do that to Kazarian 20 hours ago!) He chokeslammed Lemons onto a trash can for a nearfall. Mance hit him with more weapons and finally got the pin. A merely okay brawl. There was zero suspense over who was winning here.
Final Thoughts: Like so many GCW shows, this started hot and faded as it went. Blake-Mathers is definitely a reason to tune in. Mathers has moved into the top-tier of indy talents, largely as he has transitioned out of a tag team and into a singles star. Cartwheel-Gringo was a very close second; as I noted, I’ve seen that one before. I wouldn’t argue with anyone who liked that more. Masha continues to be so believable against men in intergender matches, and her match with the ultra-talented Starboy Charlie takes third. That’s a good top core of matches. Good to see Effy and Janela back from Japan, too.
The brawling matches with Janela and Warner, respectively, didn’t work for me at all, but the live crowds enjoyed them. It really struck me as I watched this show, with a bunch of wrestlers who are not known on national TV, how much this crowd of 200 people are such diehards they know them, their storylines, their offense, what to expect next, etc.
I don’t want to keep bashing the showcase eight-man tag. But it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a disjointed match with guys seemingly running around with their heads cut off. On a show with GCW wrestlers who literally are getting booked around the world — many of them were in Japan in the past week while Cartwheel just returned from the UK — the quality drop off to those locals was just startling. Prazak is too much of a professional to say anything negative, so kudos to him.
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