By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “No Compadre”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
March 29, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois at Thalia Hall
GCW is coming off a pair of shows in New Jersey that I would consider sub-standard compared to other events they’ve put on over the past 12 months. While trying to avoid spoilers, I’ve seen a lot of positive comments about this show.
* Zayda Steel vs. Megan Bayne was canceled, as Megan wound up going to Milwaukee instead for AEW. The Zayda-Bayne match was postponed until Sunday’s show in St. Louis.
* A video of the New Jersey highlights opened the show, then we went to the venue. Lighting is good here and if it’s not a sellout, it’s close; they have drawn well here. Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary; the A Team is back! (I was only hearing them out of the left speaker but it was quickly fixed before the first match began. Prazak said there are nine matches on the show.
1. Jack Cartwheel vs. Dante Leon. Both men have toured Japan; I don’t know if they’ve faced each other before but it would seem likely. Standing switches to open. Jack hit a headscissors takedown, and Leon bailed to the floor at 1:30. Leon hit a superkick on the floor. In the ring, Leon hit a stunner for a nearfall, then a Swanton Bomb on Jack’s back for a nearfall, but he clutched his lower back upon getting up. Jack did Roman Reign’s fire-up motion and went for a spear. Funny. Leon applied a Sharpshooter, but Jack got to the ropes at 4:00. Jack applied a Muta Lock, but Leon reached the ropes.
Jack nailed his Crucifix Driver at 6:30. Leon hit a release suplex. Jack hit an enzuigiri and a German Suplex and they were both down. This has been a sharp opener. They traded forearm strikes, and Jack hit an enzuigiri, then he nailed his Sasake Special to the floor at 8:30. In the ring, he hit his slingshot elbow drop for a nearfall. Leon nailed a spin kick to the ear; he flipped Jack to the mat and got a believable nearfall at 10:00. They traded rollups. Jack did a backflip-into-a-neckbreaker, then his rolling Death Valley Driver, then his Skytwister Press (corkscrew moonsault) for the pin. A very good match; that’s my style of action.
Jack Cartwheel defeated Dante Leon at 11:48.
* Highlights of the Mr. Danger-John Wayne Murdoch death match aired. Not my style of a match. They are going to have a rematch in an upcoming death match tournament in June.
2. Dark Sheik vs. Brooke Havok. Reversals on the mat to open; trans athlete Sheik is taller and visibly stronger. Brooke hit some armdrags and a missile dropkick at 2:30. Sheik hit a 619 and a slingshot senton. Brooke kissed Sheik; Sheik gave a kiss back. (So much for treating the women like serious athletes, I guess. The fans chanted “One more time!”) The kisses continued between forearm strikes. Sheik locked in an STF at 5:30. Sheik hit a Cena-style Five Knuckle Shuffle, then a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. “We’re headed towards the Collective (in Las Vegas) … and nothing else!” Veda said. Funny. Sheik hit a spin kick to the face, then the top-rope guillotine leg drop for the pin. Decent.
Dark Sheik defeated Brooke Havok at 8:12.
* A video package of The Gahbage Daddies defeating Hallowicked & Frightmare to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles.
3. Isaiah Broner vs. Sam Holloway. I first saw Sam in Cleveland’s AIW, so I’m assuming these two have competed before. Veda noted that Sam is a “shockingly large individual;” I’ve noted the WWE ID prospect is very likely the 6’8″ he’s listed at. Prazak said they’ve traded wins. Sam hit a big boot early on, then a slingshot shoulder tackle. Broner hit Samoan Drop for a nearfall at 1:30. They fought on the floor and traded chops, and Broner pushed Sam’s head into the ring post. They got into the ring, and Broner hit some chops and forearm strikes. Veda pointed out that Isaiah has his lower back taped up. Broner hit an F5 and got a nearfall at 5:00. Sam nailed a big dive over the ropes to the floor, then a frogsplash in the ring for a nearfall. Broner hit a hard clothesline for the pin. As Dave noted, it was quite a “hard-hitting contest.”
Isaiah Broner defeated Sam Holloway at 7:17.
4. “Gahbage Daddies” Alec Price & Cole Radrick vs. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini vs. Davey Bang & August Matthews vs. “Hot Commodity” Trevor Outlaw & Hayden Backlund in a four-way for the GCW Tag Team Titles. Bang and Matthews are a top Chicago tag team and have wrestled on AEW Rampage. Price and Radrick came out third and as they stood on the stage, ViF attacked them! Garrini attacked Cole’s knee, and Ku hit a piledriver on the stage. The bell rang but the champs were laid out on the stage! Prazak said it appears Radrick is “seriously hurt.” (The rumor is Cole has a legit ACL tear, leading to this injury angle.) Hayden slammed August onto his teammate Bang at 3:00. HC hit a team DDT out of the ropes on Bang. Cole was taken to the back; Price was still recovering on the stage. Right on cue, Alec was just taken to the back at 5:00.
In the ring, ViF worked over Bang. Prazak said he just got word that Cole is headed to “a local medical facility.” The crow was really quiet; they wanted to see the champs! Hayden got in, but Dominic immediately tossed him to the floor. ViF went for Chasing the Dragon on Bang, but August made the save. Bang hit his moonsault to the floor, while August hit a flip dive on the other side of the ring. B&M hit a team top-rope doublestomp. Bang nailed the Spears Tower on Ku at 8:30, but Garrini made the save. ViF hit a team flying knee. Alec Price returned to the ring and hit a Swanton Bomb that popped the crowd. Alec hit some running knees in opposite corners on ViF. Price hit a pop-up dropkick. He hit a Blockbuster on Bang. “Alec Price is going to do this on his own!” Veda said, as Alec hit a dive onto several guys. Alec hit his 720 DDT on Hayden, but Ku pulled Alec to the floor! Ku jumped on the prone Hayden and got the stolen pin! New champions!
Kevin Ku & Dominic Garrini defeated Alec Price & Cole Radrick, Davey Bang & August Matthews, and Hayden Backlund & Trevor Outlaw in a four-way to win the GCW Tag Team Titles at 10:59.
5. Zayda Steel vs. Dan the Dad in an intergender match. Again, Steel will now face Megan Bayne on Sunday. Dan offered a tie-up with the left hand as he sipped from his coffee mug from his right hand. He knocked her down with a shoulder tackle at 1:30, then he caught her in his arms while still sipping away. She pushed him and the coffee went onto his white shirt, earning a “you f—ed up!” chant at her. Yes, this has been all comedy so far. They traded forearm strikes on the ring apron at 3:30, and she slammed him onto the apron.
On the floor, she hit some chops and did a Fargo Strut! He responded by dropping her face-first on the apron and tossed her into the ring. She went for a second-rope crossbody block but he caught her and suplexed her at 5:30. He hit a Stinger Splash and a Helluva Kick. He nailed a Spinebuster and was in charge, as the crowd chanted “Who’s Your Daddy?” as he hit an elbow drop for a nearfall. Dan removed his belt! He gave her one swat across the butt at 8:30. She hit a rolling forearm and the Unprettier faceplant for the pin. That wrapped up rather quickly.
Zayda Steel defeated Dan the Dad at 8:45.
* Footage aired of the Atticus Cogar-Fuego Del Sol feud, with Fuego now challenging Atticus to a loser-leaves-GCW match at Spring Break.
6. Gringo Loco vs. Jimmy Lloyd. A lukewarm reception for newly-turned-babyface Jimmy, but he is taking on a Chicago hero in Loco, who got the massive pop. They traded some reversals and Loco paused to dance. Jimmy hit a dive to the floor at 2:00 and they brawled at ringside. Jimmy set up a door bridge on the floor, and they fought on the apron. Loco tried to put Jimmy through the door, but Lloyd avoided it. They got back into the ring, where Loco missed a moonsault, and Jimmy threw a chair at Loco and hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 7:30.
Loco went for a top-rope corkscrew press, but he crashed onto an open chair. Lloyd immediately hit a Tiger Driver for a nearfall. Loco hit a fadeaway stunner, then a Sunset Flip Powerbomb from the apron through the door bridge on the floor at 10:00. In the ring, Loco hit a Canadian Destroyer for the pin. Fun match with the expected outcome.
Gringo Loco defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 10:42.
* Video aired of Dr. Redacted winning a death match.
7. Dr. Redacted vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Matthew Justice vs. MM3. MM3 hit a flip dive to the floor in the first minute, and they all brawled at ringside. Dr. Redacted pushed gusset plates into the arms of opponents. Justice hit Redacted with an unprotected chairshot to the head at 4:00 and I really hate that. In the ring, Murdoch slammed a door shard over Redacted’s head; Redacted immediately hit a side suplex, dropping JWM on a sideways chair. Justice hit a rolling Death Valley Driver onto a door in the corner. Redacted hit a Forward Finlay Roll on Murdoch. Murdoch hit a Canadian Destroyer. Redacted hit a Stomp on MM3, then a frogsplash on MM3 for the pin. Okay brawl but I just can’t condone those chairshots.
Dr. Redacted defeated John Wayne Murdoch, Matthew Justice, and MM3 at 9:11.
8. Effy vs. Microman for the GCW World Title. This should be all comedy. Effy did some of his gay humor early on. MM hit a huracanrana and an armdrag. Effy hit his Whoopee Cushion buttdrop at 2:30 (he came down really lightly). On another attempt, MM got his feet up to Effy’s groin. Effy slammed Microman onto the ring apron. MM dove off a stage onto Effy on the floor at 4:30. In the ring, MM hit a Vader Bomb. Effy missed a moonsault. Effy’s butt was hanging out for no good reason. MM leapt off a chair and hit a splash, then he hit some back suplexes that defy logic. MM hit a top-rope crossbody block that sent them both through a board bridge, but Effy rolled through and got the flash pin. What you’d expect.
Effy defeated Microman to retain the GCW World Title at 9:54.
9. Matt Tremont vs. Otis Cogar for the GCW Ultraviolent Title. They immediately traded forearm strikes. Cogar shoved a gusset plate into Matt’s head and whipped a chair at his head. Gross and so unnecessary. They got bats covered in tacks; Cogar repeatedly hit Tremont in the head with the bat. This is gross. Cogar cut Tremont’s head with a razor blade. Tremont jabbed wood shards into Cogar’s head and I admittedly am not watching closely anymore. Tremont had a huge roll of light tubes in his arms, and he leapt off the second rope and splashed them onto Otis and pinned him.
Matt Tremont defeated Otis Cogar to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 12:34.
Final Thoughts: Despite some glowing praise I had read for this show… it didn’t do much for me. I don’t tune in for the comedy matches or the death matches. Cartwheel-Leon was easily the best match, and even with having to write out Radrick, the tag four-way took second. I’ll go with the short, hard-hitting Holloway-Broner match for third, just ahead of Loco-Lloyd for honorable mention. I like some comedy — Delirious in particular has always been funny to me — but I just can’t get into Microman matches. And I hate blows to the head even more than I hate extreme blood loss. For fans of death matches, I think they’ll really enjoy that main event.
Obviously, I don’t think the long-term plan was for Violence is Forever to reclaim the belts at this point in time, but with Cole’s injury, it makes sense to put the belts back on them.
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