By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Sorry Pal 2025”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
January 10, 2025 in Rochester, New York at Water Street Music Hall
GCW returned to the poorly-lit concert hall they used last time here. This looks MUCH better than last time, though. I think we have some additional lights in here. It is once again packed with maybe 400 fans; they draw well here. The ring is right next to a stage. Rob Sanderson and Emil Jay provided commentary.
* Absent tonight are Super Crazy, who missed a flight, and Zayda Steel and Spectral Envoy, as apparently a lot of sickness has been going around. So, some of the lineup has been re-worked. (Really bummed that the Masha Slamovich-Zayda match is canceled.)
* The show opened with a madman Atticus Cogar, wearing his orange prison jumpsuit, ranting and raving about Megan Bayne.
1. “Gahbage Daddies” Alec Price and Cole Radrick vs. “High Seas” Captain Nick Ando and Cloudy. High Seas are regulars in greater New York; yes, Cloudy has been wrestling for 20ish years and was in a lot of early ROH shows. Before the bell, Violence is Forever joined Sanderson on commentary. High Seas attacked from behind to open. Price hit a senton, and GD worked over Cloudy’s left arm early on. Cloudy dove through the ropes and barreled onto Radrick at 3:00. In the ring, they ‘wish-boned’ his legs and worked Cole over. Cole hit an OsCutter on Cloudy and they were both down at 6:30.
Ref Scarlett Donovan missed a hot tag and ordered Price back to his corner. Price finally got the hot tag at 8:00 and hit a huracanrana. He hit a springboard Blockbuster on Ando, then a top-rope doublestomp and pinned Cloudy. Wow, Alec was barely in that one.
Alec Price and Cole Radrick defeated Cloudy and Nick Ando at 8:51.
* Radrick got on the mic, and the crowd chanted “New champs!” Cole vowed that in nine days, they will win the tag titles. Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini attacked them from behind. Cheech and Colin Delaney ran in to make the save, and our next match — scheduled for ‘later tonight’ — was underway!
2. “Violence is Forever” Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku vs. Cheech and Colin Delaney for the GCW Tag Team Titles. They brawled to open. I’ve said this before, but Cheech is looking a lot like Sonjay Dutt these days. ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon spin kick-and-brainbuster combo, but Delaney leapt off the nearby stage and into the ring to break up the pin at 3:30. Ku and Delaney did the spot where they suplexed each other over the top rope to the floor. In the ring, Garrini hit a hard headbutt on Cheech. Garrini and Delaney traded chops and forearm strikes. Delaney hit a scoop slam at 6:00.
Ku hit a running knee on Delaney for a nearfall. Cheech hit a German Suplex on Garrini. Delaney hit a tornado DDT on Garrini. Ku hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Delaney. Ku hit a running knee on Delaney for a nearfall at 8:30. Cheech and Delaney hit a double stunner move. Cheech hit a spear through the ropes onto Ku, who was on the stage. Delaney hit a backpack stunner for a nearfall at 10:30, which got a “bullshit!” chant. Sanderson said the title reign is now 434 days. ViF hit a Spike Piledriver on Delaney for a believable nearfall. Delaney hit a springboard stunner on Garrini. He tried it on Ku, but Kevin caught him and hit a brainbuster for the pin. A good match but hampered by the fact no one thought the champs were losing the belts here.
Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated Cheech and Colin Delaney to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 12:13.
* Garrini got on the mic and vowed they will retain their titles at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
* Promoter Brett Lauderdale joined Emi Jay in the booth; this is where he gave the updates on Zayda Steel and Super Crazy being absent tonight.
3. Sidney Akeem vs. Marcus Mathers. Akeem (f/k/a Reggie/Scrypts) is now 16-0-1 in GCW. WWE ID prospect Mathers wore gold pants and a black-and-yellow jacket; that might be new gear. This should be tremendous. They locked up at the bell, and Mathers went for the leg on the mat. Mathers hit a shoulder tackle at 2:30 but Akeem quickly kipped up. Akeem hit some kicks and took control. He hit a basement dropkick to the back at 5:00. Mathers hit a top-rope crossbody block and he kept Akeem grounded. He hit a high back suplex at 8:00. Akeem hit his twisting crossbody block, then a step-up mule kick at 10:30.
Akeem hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Mathers hit a fadeaway stunner and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 12:30. Emil said this is the most trouble Sidney has been in through his GCW run. Akeem hit a pump-handle sideslam for a nearfall. Mathers hit a flying clothesline. Akeem went for the Final Act, but Mathers avoided it and got a rollup. Mathers missed a top-rope doublestomp, but he hit some kicks and an enzuigiri, then a superkick. Akeem hit a German Suplex; Mathers hit a Poison Rana at 16:00, but Akeem rolled out of the ring and onto the stage. Akeem hit a Canadian Destroyer then the Final Act (double backflip into a stunner) for the pin. Good match.
Sidney Akeem defeated Marcus Mathers at 16:37.
* A video segment aired for PCO’s return to GCW at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Jan. 19. They went through the lineup of the show, and they are still advertising El Hijo Del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem, so I guess they are confident Vikingo’s knee is okay.
4. Rhyno vs. Broski Jimmy Lloyd. GCW has chosen to spell it “Rhyno” in their ads. I hope this is a four-minute squash. Jimmy came out first to berate the crowd, saying he’s “happy to be back in Buffalo,” which of course drew boos. He said Rochester is “definitely not an A-town.” He vowed there is no way that Rhyno is hitting him with a Gore. This is Rhyno’s first GCW match in about three years. He hit some shoulder tackles early and set up for a Gore, but Lloyd rolled to the floor. So, Rhyno followed him and they brawled at ringside. (Hey, they have barricades here! Need these in more GCW cities.)
Rhyno hit a suplex on the floor at 2:00, and he slid a table into the ring. Lloyd took control in the ring, hitting some punches and choking Rhyno in the ropes. Rhyno hit Lloyd with a chairshot to the head, and Lloyd fell to the floor and crashed through a table on the floor at 5:30. In the ring, Rhyno hit a short-arm clothesline, but he missed the Gore and crashed into a chair wedged in the corner! Jimmy hit a Broski Boot in the corner, and he nailed the Radio Silence flying leg drop for a nearfall. Rhyno hit a belly-to-belly suplex, then a Gore through a table in the corner for the pin. Decent action; you know what to expect here.
Rhyno defeated Broski Jimmy Lloyd at 7:59.
* A video aired of the Charles Mason-Richard Holliday feud. Back to the venue, Parrow and Holliday came to the ring. Holliday said he doesn’t wrestle in “D-towns like Rochester.” He called out Charles Mason. Mason came to the ring and brawled with Holliday and Parrow.
5. Parrow vs. Charles Mason. Holliday joined commentary. Mason went for a top-rope crossbody block but Parrow caught him. Parrow got several chairs and jabbed one into Mason’s stomach. Holliday got on a mic and demanded that Parrow keep beating up Mason and not to pin him yet. Mason hit a DDT on the ring apron at 3:30. Mason hit a Death Valley Driver onto two open chairs, but Parrow landed on his head. Scary. Holliday left commentary and attacked Mason. When the ref tried to intervene, Holliday shoved the ref, so the ref called for the bell. Mason and Holliday brawled after the bell, with Mason hitting his rolling Death Valley Driver. Parrow hit his sit-out piledriver on Mason, and Holliday hit some chairshots to the back.
Charles Mason defeated Parrow via DQ at 5:49.
* Some old footage (pre-dating when I started watching GCW anyways!) aired of the feud between Effy and Atticus Cogar. Nothing in that video package made me want to go back and see their battles.
* Another video package aired of the feud between Homicide and Grim Reefer vs. Tony Deppen, Kerry Morton, and Griffin McCoy. Who will be Homicide’s mystery teammate. I’ll just throw Low Ki’s name out there for some fun speculation.
6. Masha Slamovich vs. Griffin McCoy for the JCW Title. Masha was slated to fight Zayda, who is sick. Masha has now held the belt 336 days, so about a month from a full year since she beat Jordan Oliver! (Oh how about Jordan Oliver as Homicide’s mystery partner?) Masha immediately applied a rear-naked choke but McCoy escaped. She hit a running knee to the chest and got a nearfall at 1:30. They brawled to the floor. In the ring, she hit a Helluva Kick and her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall at 5:30. Griffin hit a hesitation dropkick in the corner. He put her on his shoulders and hit a sideslam for a nearfall, and the crowd rallied for Masha.
Griffin hit a stiff kick to the spine, then another. He hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 8:30. She applied a front guillotine choke. She jumped on his back and applied a rear-naked choke, but he shrugged her off and threw her to the mat. She hit a pump-handle back suplex, and re-applied the rear-naked choke on the mat, and McCoy tapped out. Fun match.
Masha Slamovich defeated Griffin McCoy at 10:13 to retain the JCW Title.
* Highlights aired of the Rumble match that finished just minutes before midnight on Dec. 31, won by Megan Bayne.
7. Megan Bayne and Joey Janela vs. “The Pillars” Tommy Vendetta and Malcolm Monroe III. Joey again wore a headdress like Bayne’s. The Pillars are Michigan guys. Ref Dan Perch now joined commentary with Emil. The short MM3 opened against Janela. This match is made up of guys who had their scheduled matches canceled. Bayne and Vendetta entered at 2:30 and brawled, and she hit a double-underhook suplex. The Pillars began to work over Bayne. Janela got a hot tag at 6:30 and hit a top-rope crossbody block on both opponents, then a Death Valley Driver on MM3 on the ring apron. He hit a German Suplex and a brainbuster on Vendetta for a nearfall.
Vendetta hit a discus clothesline on Joey at 8:00. The Pillars hit a team rolling cannonball in the corner on Joey for a nearfall. Joey hit some stunners. Bayne got some hot tags and she hit some bodyslams. She hit a double suplex at 9:30 and was fired up. MM3 hit a stunner on Bayne. Joey hit a Canadian Destroyer on MM3 for a nearfall. Bayne hit a double clothesline. Joey hit a Dragon Suplex. He hit a dive through the ropes at 12:00. MM3 hit a flip dive through the ropes and nearly went into the crowd. Bayne hit a dive through the ropes onto the opponents. MM3 hit a Poison Rana on Joey in the ring. MM3 hit some superkicks. Bayne hit a Doomsday Device clothesline on MM3, and Joey covered Malcolm for the pin. Good match but hampered because no one thought Joey and Bayne were losing.
Megan Bayne and Joey Janela defeated MM3 and Tommy Vendetta at 13:37.
* Atticus Cogar appeared on the stage. Bayne was ready to fight him now! Bayne and Joey went to the back, leaving Atticus alone in the ring for our next match.
8. Atticus Cogar vs. Effy. I presume we have some outside interference by Mance Warner at some point. They brawled early on, and Cogar bit Effy’s fingers. They brawled at ringside, and Effy hit him with chairshots. In the ring, Cogar hit a moonsault as Effy was tied in the ropes at 7:00. Effy hit a Northern Lights suplex and a Whoopee Cushion buttdrop. (Emil called it a ‘John Tenta splash.) Effy hit a Stomp for a nearfall at 10:00. Cogar hit an Air Raid Crash onto an open chair on its side for a nearfall. (That seems particularly and unnecessarily dangerous.) Cogar got some cooking skewers and jabbed them in Effy’s butt. Gross.
Effy hit a flying Fameasser for a nearfall at 15:00. Otis Cogar jumped in the ring and speared Effy, then he hit a uranage, and he pulled Atticus onto Effy, but only got a nearfall. Otis handed his brother some more cooking skewers, and Atticus repeatedly jabbed them into Effy’s forehead until Effy was bleeding. Otis was flipped into Atticus. Effy speared Otis. Mance Warner jumped in the ring and hit Effy with a chairshot to the back. Atticus hit a snapmare driver and pinned Effy. Blah. I liked nothing about that. Not the brawling, and certainly not the bleeding, the weapons, the interference. Nothing.
Atticus Cogar defeated Effy at 18:22.
9. Mance Warner vs. Drew Parker vs. Ciclope for the GCW World Title. Again, Mance was slated to face Super Crazy; he came out last and argued with a lot of fans at ringside. Basic brawling early on; Ciclope still hasn’t removed his pink jacket. Parker hit a springboard stunner at 2:30 on Mance, then he dove through the ropes onto Ciclope. Mance slid some doors and a ladder into the ring. Mance slammed Drew onto the ladder at 6:00. Ciclope powerbombed Drew through a table and got a nearfall at 8:30. They started whacking each other over the head with door shards.
Drew hit a piledriver on Ciclope for a nearfall at 12:00, and he threw a chair, then he hit a stiff unprotected chairshot over Ciclope’s head, and I just can’t stand that. Drew went into the balcony! He’s 20 feet up! He hit a Swanton Bomb onto Ciclope, who was lying on a table! (The table didn’t break, as they both just rolled off the table to the mat.) Drew went for the cover, but Mance hit a running knee on Drew and pinned him. That was an insane bump from Parker.
Mance Warner defeated Drew Parker and Ciclope to retain the GCW World Title at 14:02.
Final Thoughts: GCW’s no-DQ rule (but it being left to a referee’s discretion) is such a mess. The Effy-Atticus match doesn’t work for me because there are just no consequences for cheating. But we had a different match earlier in the show with far less outside interference that led to a quick DQ. Mathers-Akeem was the reason to tune in here and that earns best match. I’ll go with Masha-Griffin for second, and ViF vs. Cheech/Delaney for third. For fans of the death match style, they’ll love that main event, especially that big, dangerous bump by Drew.
GCW has spent the past six or so weeks building entirely toward Hammerstein Ballroom on Jan. 19. The problem with that is that the winners on most shows in recent weeks have felt a bit too obvious. And while Brett Lauderdale has worked hard on making it a big show, the Effy-Mance feud is entirely played out, while Allie is simply not believable against bigger, stronger men. This is not the match I would have chosen to headline their biggest show of the year. And where is Blake Christian? Is he really not on the biggest show?
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