By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Chaos in Kentucky”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
November 14, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky at Headliners Music Hall
Dave Prazak and Nick Maniwa provided commentary. This is the second time GCW has been to this venue. Lighting over the ring is good but the fans are in the shadows. I’ll estimate the crowd is 400; it appears packed. They also use guardrails here, which is not common at GCW shows, and I endorse this.
1. Myron Reed vs. Matt Diesel. My first time seeing Diesel; at first glance I will make a Cedric Alexander comparison. Reed slammed him to the mat and mockingly rubbed Diesel’s head. Diesel hit a bodyslam at 2:00. Reed put Diesel’s feet on the ropes and hit a Flatliner for a nearfall. Reed hit a DDT at 4:00. Diesel hit a clothesline. He hit a dive through the ropes on Reed, then a second. Reed hit a rope-assisted Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 6:30. He hit an impressive dive over the ropes onto Diesel. In the ring, Diesel hit a stunner for a nearfall. Myron hit a Stundog Millionaire. Diesel hit a flipping slam for a nearfall at 8:00. Reed hit a kip-up stunner, then a springboard 450 Splash for the pin. High-energy opener got the show off on the right foot.
Myron Reed defeated Matt Diesel at 8:35.
2. Masha Slamovich vs. Rachel Armstrong for the JCW World Title. I have routinely compared Rachel to pop singer Corrine Bailey Rae; she is 5’0″ and is giving up a lot of size and strength. A reminder that this is an intergender belt; men can fight for it. Standing switches to open as they worked each other’s left arm. Rachel hit a shotgun dropkick into the corner, then a moonsault for a neafall at 2:00, sending Masha to the floor to regroup. Rachel dove onto Masha. In the ring, Masha hit a roundhouse kick to the chest that leveled Rachel, then a stiff kick to the spine, then a Penalty Kick to the chest at 3:30.
Masha applied a Camel Clutch and cranked back on Rachel’s head. She hit a snap suplex at 5:30 for a nearfall. She hit a series of clotheslines and was in charge. Rachel hit a running neckbreaker and they were both down. Rachel hit a DDT for a nearfall. Masha nailed a Doctor Bomb (gut-wrench powerbomb) for a believable nearfall at 8:30, then some hard chops. They traded rollups, and Masha nailed a running knee to the chest. Masha nailed the Snow Plow/northern lights bomb for a believable nearfall at 10:00. Rachel hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall. Masha hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall, then the White Knight Driver/piledriver for the pin. That was really entertaining.
Masha Slamovich defeated Rachel Armstrong to retain the JCW World Title at 11:42.
3. Fuego Del Sol vs. Drew Parker. Death match specialist and Wales native Drew Parker had retired but is now back; I admittedly haven’t seen much of him as I don’t care for that style. Maniwa said this is Parker’s 11th match since returning to the ring. A feeling-out process to open, and Fuego hit a deep armdrag at 2:00. Parker hit a dropkick. Fuego hit a huracanrana. Parker hit a flip dive to the floor on Fuego at 3:30. Parker did a slingshot that sent Fuego into the ring post. In the ring, Parker was in control, and he tied Fuego’s arms in the ropes. Parker hit a stunner for a nearfall at 6:30. Fuego hit some dropkicks into the corner.
Fuego launched off the ring post and hit a flip dive to the floor on Parker at 8:30; that seemed dangerous. In the ring, Fuego was now in charge. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Fuego hit a Crucifix Drive, then a doublestomp to the head for a nearfall at 10:00. Parker hit a sit-out piledriver for a nearfall. Parker avoided a tornado DDT and he hit a flying knee, then a Swanton Bomb for a believable nearfall, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Parker got a rollup, leaned back for pressure, and scored the pin. A very good match and I really wasn’t sure who was winning here.
Drew Parker defeated Fuego Del Sol at 12:21.
4. 1 Called Manders vs. Sam Stackhouse. Sam is in the 400-pound range and he immediately hit some chops. They brawled to the floor and traded chops, and Manders accidentally chopped the ring post. They got back into the ring, where Stackhouse missed a guillotine legdrop at 3:30. Manders hit some clotheslines into the corner, but he couldn’t pick up Sam for a bodyslam. Sam hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Stackhouse hit a stunner, then his rolling kick at 5:30. Stackhouse peeled off his shirt and that got a pop, as they traded blows. Manders hit a clothesline for the pin. Decent; that was the right length of match for a guy this heavy.
1 Called Manders defeated Sam Stackhouse at 7:10.
5. Larry D vs. John Wayne Murdoch. I wasn’t aware that the rotund Larry D was wrestling again. Murdoch rolled to the floor to stall at the bell and was booed. In the ring, Larry hit a shoulder block at 3:30 and he got a door from under the ring, and he tossed it onto Murdoch. Murdoch got a chain and choked Larry with it. Larry hit a clothesline that sent both of them over the top rope to the floor at 7:00, and they brawled at ringside. In the ring, Larry hit a rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 9:30. Larry hit an Alabama Slam and a running splash for a nearfall. Murdoch hit a bodyslam off the ropes for a nearfall at 13:00. Murdoch hit a low blow and got a rollup for the pin. The crowd enjoyed this a lot more than I did.
John Wayne Murdoch defeated Larry at 14:20.
* An intermission. They came back with the entertaining “People vs. GCW” vignette. This is one of the best things ever done by an indy wrestling promotion.
6. Griffin McCoy, Shane Mercer, and Kerry Morton vs. Cole Radrick, Alec Price, and Jack Cartwheel. McCoy, Mercer and Morton came out to Triple H’s “Time to Play the Game” theme and they were billed as “Triple M,” and they spit water in the air. Funny. Kerry and Jack opened, and Jack did some cartwheels that the crowd mockingly cheered for. He dropkicked Mercer to the floor at 2:00. Price and Radrick hit stereo superkicks. Alec hit a springboard crossbody block. Mercer caught Price on a dive and slammed him on the ring apron. In the ring, the heels hit a slingshot suplex on Price, and Mercer hit a Tour of the Islands-style powerslam on Price for a nearfall at 4:00. Cartwheel got a hot tag but he couldn’t budge Mercer.
Jack hit a standing neckbreaker on Mercer, then a Crucifix Driver on Griffin at 6:00. Cole hit a flying forearm on Kerry and a bulldog, then a springboard stunner. Price hit the Emergency leg drop on Griffin for a nearfall. The heels hit a team Spike Piledriver on Cole for a nearfall at 8:30. Price hit a DDT on Griffin, then a springboard Blockbuster on Mercer. Jack hit his slingshot elbow drop on Kerry. Jack hit his rolling Death Valley Driver on Kerry. Radrick hit a Lionsault. Jack nailed the Sasuke Special to the floor on the heels at 10:00. In the ring, Price hit a top-rope doublestomp. Jack hit a top-rope corkscrew press; his legs hit the ropes and he landed awkwardly. Jack and Alec piled onto Griffin for the pin. Looks like Jack is okay.
Cole Radrick, Alec Price, and Jack Cartwheel defeated Griffin McCoy, Shane Mercer, and Kerry Morton at 10:42.
7. Miyu Yamashita vs. Brooke Havok. Miyu wrestled on the Defy shows in Seattle last weekend. A feeling-out process to open as they traded standing switches. Miyu hit a stiff kick to the spine at 3:00. Miyu hit a running kick to the side of the head, then a running kick from the apron as Brooke was on the floor. They traded chops on the floor. In the ring, Miyu tied her up but Booke reached the ropes at 7:30. Brooke hit a pump-handle sideslam for a nearfall and a series of punches, but she missed a Swanton Bomb at 10:00. Miyu launched off the corner and hit a spin kick. Brooke gave her a middle finger but Miyu grabbed it and snapped it. Miyu hit another stiff kick to the spine and some Yes Kicks to the chest.
They got up and traded forearm strikes at 12:30. Miyu hit a release German Suplex. Brooke hit a sideslam. They traded blows and both collapsed to the mat, and this crowd was hot. They traded more forearm strikes while holding onto each other’s left wrist. Havok hit a DDT for a nearfall at 15:30. Miyu dropped her snake-eyes in the corner, then hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Miyu nailed the spinning Skull Kick and scored the pin. Good action and certainly longer than expected.
Miyu Yamashita defeated Brooke Havok at 17:13.
8. Broski Jimmy Lloyd vs. Ciclope. Lloyd cut his usual heel promo, saying he’s headed to the back to get out of this shit-hole. He berated Ciclope, so Ciclope punched him and the match was underway. Ciclope hit a Thesz Press and some punches. Ciclope hit a baseball slide dropkick to the floor at 3:00. In the ring, Lloyd threw a chair at Ciclope and I really hate that. Ciclope hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer. Lloyd hit a low blow uppercut and a Radio Silence flying leg drop for a nearfall at 4:30. Ciclope hit a hard back elbow and a frogsplash to the back and scored the pin. I have no problem with this being short and to the point.
Ciclope defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 5:42.
9. Mance Warner vs. 2 Tuff Tony for the GCW World Title. Mance jawed at the fans. Mance stalled on the floor and the crowd chanted “chicken!” at him, so Tony followed him to the floor and they fought at ringside. Tony held back Mance’s arms so fans could chop Warner. In the ring, Mance WHIPPED a chair at Tony’s head at 4:30. Disgusting and just so unnecessary. He jabbed a chair into Tony’s sternum, then some chairshots to the back, and he choked Tony in the ropes. Tony hit a series of punches in the corner. Mance powerbombed Tony through a door bridge for a nearfall at 10:30. Mance chokeslammed him for another nearfall.
Tony hit a Pele Kick that popped Prazak at 14:30, then a top-rope flipping axe kick as Mance was draped on the top rope. Tony got his bottle of alcohol and soaked his hand. He lit the hand of fire but accidentally hit the Flaming Punch on the ref! Mance hit a low blow and a running knee; he went for a cover but we had no ref. Ref Scarlett Donovan hopped in the ring and made a two-count, and the crowd popped for the kickout. They got up and traded punches. As Tony picked up Mance, Mance’s legs struck Scarlett and she went down.
Tony hit a Lionsault and he soaked his hand again. He nailed the Flaming Punch at 18:00 but we had no ref again! Mance nailed a top-rope superplex through a door bridge and they were both down. Mance hit a running knee on door debris placed next to Tony’s head, and he struck him with more chairshots for a nearfall. Mance hit a DDT onto the door debris and scored the pin. Decent brawl; the crowd was into it.
Mance Warner defeated 2 Tuff Tony to retain the GCW World Title at 21:38.
Final Thoughts: A better show than it looked on paper, especially since it didn’t have ring generals Mike Bailey, Gringo Loco or Blake Christian in the lineup. I enjoyed the six-man tag for best, Brooke-Yamshita for second and Diesel-Myron Reed for third. This is a show where I’m sure people will have a very different list of top matches than I did. While the brawling matches aren’t my style, I applaud that they had a good main event that didn’t involve anyone bleeding, nor any use of barbed wire, glass panes, light tubes, gusset plates or pizza cutters. And I like that there are guardrails to keep fans safely at a distance. We just don’t need those unprotected blows to the head.
It was your first time seeing Diesel because it was literally his first match. They said that during his entrance