By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Tha G Code”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
September 15, 2024 in Rochester, New York at Water Street Music Hall
This is a nightclub and it appears packed, including fans lining a second tier; attendance could be in the 500-600 range. The ring is right next to a stage. There are barricades! I believe they are required by New York’s wrestling commission. Dave Prazak provided commentary; Rob Sanderson and Emil Jay switched off for color commentary.
1) “To Infinity & Beyond” Cheech and Colin Delaney vs. “The Pillars” Malcolm Monroe III and Tommy Vendetta. I’ve said this before, but bald Cheech now looks very much like Sonjay Dutt. MM3 and Vendetta wrestled on Saturday’s GCW show as well. Cheech and Monroe opened. Colin and Vendetta (think Mark Briscoe) locked up at 2:30; Vendetta poked him in the eyes and was booed. The Pillars worked over Delaney in their corner. Delaney hit a stunner. Cheech hit a frogsplash on Vendetta for a nearfall at 11:00. The Pillars hit their team cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Infinity hit a modified Magic Killer for a nearfall at 12:30. Cheech powerbombed Monroe onto Vendetta and got the pin. So-so match.
“To Infinity & Beyond” Cheech and Colin Delaney defeated “The Pillars” Malcolm Monroe III and Tommy Vendetta at 13:10.
2. Masha Slamovich vs. Man Like Dereiss in an intergender match for the JCW Title. Standing switches to open. They are fairly similar in height but he has a clear muscle mass advantage. He overpowered her in a test of strength, forced her shoulders down, and got a nearfall at 4:00. Masha hit a stiff kick to the spine, then a running penalty to the chest as well. He hit a snap suplex for a nearfall at 7:00. She hit a missile dropkick, then a rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall. Masha got a sunset flip for a nearfall. He hit a spinning back suplex for a nearfall at 11:00, then a Flatliner move for a nearfall.
Masha hit a Frankensteiner, then a Shining Wizard for a believable nearfall at 13:00. Dereiss hit his kip-up stunner for a nearfall. He went for a springboard move but she caught him with a superkick! Masha hit a White Knight Driver (piledriver) and she immediately locked in a rear-naked choke. Dereiss passed out; he did not tap out. Good match. They shook hands afterwards.
Masha Slamovich defeated Man Like Dereiss to retain the JCW Title at 14:55.
3. Dark Sheik vs. Maki Itoh vs. Brooke Havok vs. Sawyer Wreck. Sawyer was in a disgusting death match less than 24 hours ago; I really don’t know how these death match wrestlers recover and go back out there that quickly. It goes without saying how Sawyer towers over her opponents. Itoh and Brooke traded shoulder tackles, and Maki began ‘crying’ when she got knocked down, and the crowd booed Havok. Maki yelled at Sawyer, and now Wreck began crying at 3:00. This is eye-rolling at this point; I mean, “this is sports entertainment.” Maki hit a series of punches in the corner. She hit a snap suplex on Brooke, then one on Sheik. Sawyer easily bodyslammed Itoh.
Brooke hit a running neckbreaker. Sheik hit a slow-motion spin kick on Itoh at 5:30. Itoh hit a stunner on Sawyer. Brooke kissed Sheik on the lips then hit a pumphandle powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Sawyer kissed Brooke on the lips then hit a spinning back fist, then a chokeslam with a jackknife cover to pin Havok. Definitely a unique match.
Sawyer Wreck defeated Dark Sheik, Maki Itoh, and Brooke Havok at 7:29.
* A video package aired of Zilla Fatu beating Blake Christian recently.
4. Zilla Fatu vs. Gringo Loco. Worth reiterating that Zilla still only has about 30 matches under his belt but he is just so fluid in the ring. A feeling-out process early on. Fatu hit a head-scissors takedown, and they had a standoff at 2:30. Zilla dove onto the floor and crashed onto Loco, sending Gringo into the guardrail. They brawled at ringside; so weird to actually see guardrails at a GCW show. Loco got a door from under the ring and slid it in at 5:00. He hit a moonsault across Fatu’s legs for a nearfall. Loco hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. Zilla grabbed his left shoulder in pain.
Zilla ran the length of the stage, dove over the ropes and slammed a shoulder tackle onto Loco. He hit a frogsplash for a nearfall, and they were both down at 9:00. Zilla got a chair and cracked it over Loco’s back. Zilla dove off the ropes but Loco caught him with a stunner for a nearfall. Zilla hit a Samoan Drop that sent Loco through a door bridge for a nearfall at 11:00. They hit each other with door debris. Loco ducked the Samoan Spike. Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly through a door bridge for a believable nearfall at 14:30! Loco went for a top-rope move, but Fatu caught him with the Samoan Spike as he came down, and Zilla scored the pin. A really good match, and Zilla keeps his winning streak going.
Zilla Fatu defeated Gringo Loco at 15:35.
* Breyer Wellington got in the ring; he lost in Detroit on Saturday. He ripped into the crowd. Vince Valor hit the ring. I don’t think I’ve seen him before. He’s a Buffalo native with a bushy beard and appears much taller and thicker than an average wrestler; think A-Train but without all that body hair!
5. Vince Valor vs. Breyer Wellington. Basic reversals early on. Valor got a rollup for the pin out of nowhere! Wellington was shocked. Not long enough for me to really evaluate him.
Vince Valor defeated Breyer Wellington at 3:05.
* A short intermission wasn’t edited out.
6. Marcus Mathers vs. Alec Price. Prazak talked about how these two are destined to fight up and down the East Coast. Mathers hit a shoulder tackle and they traded rollups and they had a standoff at 2:00. Price hit a springboard crossbody block. Price hit a basement dropkick to the back for a nearfall at 6:00. Mathers hit a stunner off the ropes, then a German Suplex for a nearfall. Price hit his half-nelson suplex at 9:00 and was fired up. Alec hit his running knees combo, then his top-rope flying legdrop for a nearfall.
Marcus nailed a spinning Blue Thunder Bomb. Alec hit a top-rope superplex, but Marcus held on and hit a suplex into the opposite corner, and they were both down at 12:00. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, and Alec swore at Marcus. They got to their feet and kept trading forearm strikes. In a cool spot, Price had gotten on the stage; Marcus leapt over the top rope, caught Price, and hit a Canadian Destroyer onto the stage at 14:30. They got back into the ring. Mathers went to the top rope, set up for the 450 Splash, but he sold a back injury and fell to the mat.
Mathers hit a heel hook kick. Price hit a superkick. Mathers hit a kip-up stunner and a half-nelson suplex at 17:00. Price ran the length of the stage and hit a springboard spinning tornado DDT and scored the pin. These two absolutely click in the ring. That was fun.
Alec Price defeated Marcus Mathers at 17:17.
7. Danhausen vs. Joey Janela. These two actually teamed up 24 hours earlier! UGH they have turned the lights down and I can barely see. Danhausen in the back corner of the ring has vanished in the shadows. Standing switches and Joey worked the left arm. The ringside camera is okay but the hard camera is now disastrous. Danhausen hit some punches and a bulldog at 2:00. Joey hit some loud chops. Joey hit a German Suplex at 5:30 and they were both down. Janela hit a Razor’s Edge for a nearfall.
Danhausen called five masked goons to the ring, all wearing GCW T-shirts. Danhausen ordered them to beat up Joey at 8:30! Joey hit some clotheslines and a double suplex, doing his best Hogan impression by completely clearing the ring. Janela tossed Danhausen over the top rope onto the goons. However, Danhausen pushed Janela off the top turnbuckle, with Joey crashing through a board bridge on the floor. Danhausen rolled him into the ring and got a nearfall at 10:30. Danhausen poured his jar of teeth down Janela’s throat, kicked the teeth out, and got a nearfall. Janela hit a Death Valley Driver and they were both down.
They got up and traded punches. Danhausen hit a suplex. Joey hit a German Suplex; Danhausen hit a German Suplex at 13:30. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Danhausen hit a low blow punch and hit a DDT on Joey onto the ring apron. In the ring, they traded rollups and Joey hit a running neckbreaker for a nearfall at 16:00. They fought on the ropes, and Danhausen hit a superplex onto two open chairs. Danhausen hit his Go To Sleephausen for a believable nearfall at 18:00. Danhausen hit an unprotected chairshot to the head and I really hate that. Joey shrugged it off and hit an Air Raid Crash and a package piledriver for the pin.
Joey Janela defeated Danhausen at 19:25.
* The next match was supposed to be a tag match, but Mad Man Pondo couldn’t make it. 2 Tuff Tony came out first and challenged his opponents to a handicap match.
8. “Hiigh Seas” Cloudy and Nick Ando vs. 2 Tuff Tony in a handicap match. Tony wore his white JCW shirt. These High Seas guys wrestled the last time GCW was in Rochester maybe six months ago. Ando wears a ship captain outfit. They attacked Tony, but they are each much smaller than him. Tony hit a superplex on Ando at 1:30. Cloudy dove onto Tony. Tony hit a Lionsault on cloudy for a nearfall at 5:00. Violent J showed up and hopped on the ring apron! Tony tagged him in at 6:30. Tony lit his own fist on fire (I just think that is so stupid) and hit a punch on Cloudy. Violent J then covered Cloudy for the pin. Not my speed or style of match.
2 Tuff Tony and Violent J defeated Cloudy and Nick Ando at 7:35.
9. Effy, 1 Called Manders, and Megan Bayne vs. Matt Cardona, Jimmy Lloyd, and Mance Warner. Lloyd cut his usual heel promo, demanding the crowd show them respect. No sign of the injured Steph De Lander. Lloyd and Bayne traded offense early. Matt tagged in, but she hit some punches on him, and she suplexed Cardona at 2:00. Manders tagged in and hit a flying shoulder tackle on Cardona. The heels began working over Manders in their corner, with Cardona choking him in the ropes. Effy tagged in and was about to fight Mance at 6:30, but Lloyd struck Effy from behind. Effy hit a top-rope Blockbuster on Cardona.
Effy hit a flying Fameasser leg drop on Cardona. Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Mance at 8:30. Mance hit a low blow punt kick on Manders. Mance threw a door. Effy hit a rolling Death Valley Driver on Cardona through a door in the corner at 10:00. Bayne hit a chokeslam on Lloyd. She was setting up for a piledriver, but Cardona hit her in the back with a chairshot! Cardona went for his own Fameasser leg drop, but she caught him, hit a standing powerbomb with a jackknife cover, and pinned Cardona! Matt was shocked he lost there.
* The babyfaces celebrated the win, but the heels attacked with chairs. Cardona held a chair over his head, about to swing it at Bayne, and he had to comically wait for Joey Janela (clearly missed his cue!) to run up and grab the chair from him to save Megan.
Effy, 1 Called Manders, and Megan Bayne defeated Matt Cardona, Jimmy Lloyd, and Mance Warner at 10:24.
Final Thoughts: Three really strong standout matches here that stand above the rest. Alec Price and Marcus Mathers are doing this dance together so well and they are really locked in. I’ll give that best match ahead of a strong Loco-Zilla Fatu match. A very good Dereiss-Masha Slamovich match takes third. The main event was fine for honorable mention.
My usual issues with a Janela match… he kicks out of finishers that would put away any other wrestler (a superplex across two open chairs, for example) and his general non-selling. Throw in that he single-handedly beat up five goons and kept going, and it becomes a bit eye-rolling. It makes me think of all the times Hulk Hogan would limp to the ring in the late 1990s in WCW and chase away all the heels by himself. The matches with the Rochester-based wrestlers didn’t click for me; they are fine local talents but none of them made me say “I want to see them on GCW shows from Los Angeles to Atlanta,” either.
The women’s four-way was a big disappointment. Lots of talent in that match and they did a lot of comedy early with crying, took turns kissing each other (because it’s apparently still 2002 and fans want Hot Lesbian Action) and they wrapped up early. Those four are very capable of having an excellent match that turns heads. They didn’t have that here.
I think indy wrestling forgets the value of production sometimes. GCW has a great core of wrestlers, but this was an afternoon show and when the sun started to set, the shadows coming in the windows really messed with the lighting in the ring. It will be tough to convince a casual viewer to watch this show, particularly the second half, when it is so challenging to see, especially from the hard camera. My complaints aside, check out those top four matches.
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