By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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4th Rope Wrestling “The Heels Have Eyes: For the Culture”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
April 18, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino
This is the 10th show of the 13-event Collective, featuring promotions from quite literally across the world. This began at 11:59 p.m. local time and was the final show of Friday’s four-event lineup here. The Collective logo is in the center. Lighting over the ring is really good and this is as top-notch as I’ve seen GCW look. Kazeem Famuyide, David Otunga and Ernest Miller provided commentary. There are other Fourth Rope shows available on YouTube you can check out.
* “The Hurt Syndicate” MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin came to the ring, all wearing suits; they aren’t here to wrestle. MVP got on the mic and put ove 4th Rope as the place “where pro wrestling and hip-hop meet.”
1. Mustafa Ali vs. Trevor Lee vs. Leon Slater. I presume Slater had to race to catch a plane right after this to make a 10-hour flight to the UK to wrestle the next day. Quick reversals at the bell, then the vets Lee and Ali stomped on Slater and were booed. Slater leaping over the turnbuckle on them at 2:00, but it appeared he actually hit the back of his head on the ring post; he hopped up and seemed okay. In the ring, Ali hit a running neckbreaker and a standing corkscrew splash on Slater, and they traded chops. Slater hit a handspring-back-double elbow and they were all down at 4:30. Lee hit a sliding forearm. Slater hit a Blue Thunder Bomb. Lee pushed Ali head-first into the middle turnbuckle. Slater rolled up Lee out of nowhere for the pin! Fun while it lasted anyway.
Leon Slater defeated Mustafa Ali and Trevor Lee at 5:51.
2. Moose vs. Oni King. Moose wore his X Division Title. I don’t know if I’ve seen Oni; he is Black, shorter than Moose, and also bald. Moose easily shoved Oni into the corner, then he knocked him down with a shoulder tackle. Moose hit a pump kick at 2:30. King hit an Exploder Suplex. Moose hit a spear for the pin. I have no problem with this; I always say we need more squash matches in indy wrestling.
Moose defeated Oni King at 3:41.
* Justin Roberts introduced the Hardys.
3. Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy vs. Terrell Hughes and Terrence Hughes (w/D-Von Dudley) for the 4th Rope Tag Team Titles. A big pop for D-Von, who introduced his twin sons. The twins wore identical blue gear with white trim and I certainly can’t tell them apart. Matt opened. A Hughes brother mockingly did a Hardy-style dance. The Hardys hit some quick team offense. The Hugheses began working over Jeff in their corner. Matt got in and hit a side effect at 5:30. The Hardys hit their stunner-and-neckbeaker combo and peeled off their shirts. Jeff hit a Swanton Bomb and Matt made the cover for the pin. Fairly paint-by-numbers tag match but the crowd liked it.
Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy defeated Terrell Hughes and Terrence Hughes to retain the 4th Rope Tag Team Titles at 7:09.
* There was a backstage segment with Hollyhood Haley J, Joe Alonzo and Vix Crowe (f/k/a Alicia Fox). It was bad theater.
4. Mike Santana vs. Raj Dhesi (f/k/a Jinder Mahal). Raj has a bigger physique. A basic feeling-out process early on. Santana knocked him down with a leaping shoulder tackle at 2:30. They traded chops. Santana clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor, then hit a plancha onto Raj at 4:00, and he hit some chops on Raj as they fought at ringside. Back in the ring, Raj hid behind the rer before striking Santana. Raj hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall at 6:00, and he tied up Mike on the mat.
They got to their feet and traded forearm strikes. Santana hit a stunner for a nearfall at 7:30. Raj slammed him for a nearfall and applied a Cobra Clutch, but Santana escaped. Raj accidentally kicked the ref; he immediately hit a low blow punt kick on Santana and was loudly booed. Raj got a chair but out of the back came John Bradshaw Layfield! Layfield clocked Raj with a lariat that popped the crowd. (I had not heard he appeared!) Layfield left. Santana hit his Spin the Block (discus clothesline) and got the pin. Fun match with a nice surprise.
Mike Santana defeated Raj Dhesi at 10:36.
5. Masha Slamovich and Alexis Littlefoot vs. HollyHood Haley J and Vix Crow. Again, Vix is the former Alicia Fox. Masha tackled Haley at the bell, then hit a spin kick for a nearfall just seconds in! Haley immediately tagged out. Vix was hesitant to get in! Vix and Alexis finally locked up. Haley went to the floor and danced, and got some bills from fans. Alexis rolled up Vix out of nowhere for the pin. Wow, that was ugly and disjointed. Vix wasn’t happy that Haley wasn’t in the corner for her.
Masha Slamovich and Alexis Littlefoot defeated HollyHood Haley J and Vix Crow at 3:16.
6. “Culture Inc.” Malik Bosede and Eli Knight vs. “The Infantry” Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean (w/Trish Adora) in a Las Vegas Street Fight. I’m a big fan of Florida’s Culture Inc. All four immediately brawled at the bell, and it went to ringside. Carlie hit a running boot on someone seated in a chair on the floor. Culture Inc. were thrown back into the ring; they were wearing denim jeans because this is a fight, not a wrestling match. They hit stereo dives to the floor on the Infantry at 2:30 and they again fought on the floor. In the ring, Culture Inc. hit some quick team moves. They slammed Bravo onto a chair and got a nearfall at 5:00.
The cameras missed Shawn Dean hitting a dive that popped the crowd. (A rare production miscue here; the commentators had to tell me what I couldn’t see.) They brawled through the crowd, where it was harder to see. One of the Culture Inc. guys then did a dive that ALSO was missed by the cameras, and this was missed by the commentators, too, who openly asked why the crowd was chanting “holy shit!” They returned to the ring at 8:30. The Infantry stomped Eli’s head into a folded chair and got the pin. Good of what I could see… but I can’t believe the production team missed two big spots.
Malik Bosede and Eli Knight defeated Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean at 9:01.
7. Tiara James vs. Maya World. Texas-based Maya had several matches over the weekend. They are similar in size; Maya is a bit thicker. The commentators drooled over Tiara. Standing switches early, and Maya dropped her with a discus forearm for a nearfall at 1:30. Tiara hit a Lungblower to the back for the pin! Really? That’s just too short.
Tiara James defeated Maya World at 1:50.
* Joe Hendry came out with his TNA Title belt over his shoulder. He said he’s here and he wants “some action.” Some familiar notes hit and the crowd knew it… it’s “The Godfather,” wearing a blue pimp suit, and he had six ladies with him! He got in the ring and told the crowd it was time to get on the Hooooo Train! He got the crowd to chant “Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy.’ He asked Hendry if he likes ho’s. Hendry asked the crowd if they approved of this behavior, and the fans chanted yes. Hendry said maybe we don’t need to use the ‘h word’ to describe the ladies. Hendry wanted the crowd to chant “lovely ladies,” but they responded with “ho! ho!” Funny. Hendry and Godfather ‘spun to the camera’ together. Fun segment that had me smiling.
* In a backstage segment, Cha Cha Charlie was confident he was going to win the upcoming battle royal. Haley J ran past him; she is being chased by Masha and Alexis Littlefoot.
8. A Royal Rumble to become the inaugural Flyweight Champion. They called it a “battle royal” but it had Rumble-style intervals. Real1 (Enzo Amore) drew No. 1 and he got on the mic and did his same schtick he’s done for a decade. No. 2. was Joe Alonzo, who is equally unlikable. Mo Jabari was No. 3 just seconds later. Alonzo and Real1 worked together to flip Jabari. That was quick. Sidney Akeem was No. 4 at 3:00, and he hit his backflip-into-a-stunner on Alonzo. However, Real1 tossed Akeem. Richard Holliday got on the stage as No. 5 and he had a mic; the crowd shouted profanities at him before he even spoke. He told Real1 and Alonzo he wants in their group; “Steiner Math says if they work together, they have a 100% chance of winning!” However, Alonzo and Real1 tossed him, too.
John Wayne Murdoch was No. 6 at 6:00. Mance Warner was No. 7, so the two GCW guys worked together to fight Alonzo and Real1. The crowd popped for Cha Cha Charlie, who was No. 8 at 9:00, who climbed the ropes, hit a frogsplash on Alonzo, then tossed him to the floor, so we are still at four in the ring. Rich Swann was No. 9. Swann and Cha Cha Charlie danced, then Charlie attacked him. “What did you think was gonna happen, Rich?” a commentator said. AJ Francis was No. 10, and he immediately tossed Murdoch. Bryan Keith was No. 11 at 13:30. Tommy Dreamer was No. 12 and he popped the crowd. Kevin Blackwood was No. 13 and he hit a brainbuster on Bryan Keith.
I think we have eight in the ring. AJ Gray was No. 14; I haven’t seen him lately. Hometown hero Kenny King was No. 15 at 19:30. Oddyssey (Jones) was No. 16 and wow he is a BIG man. He knocked everyone down he saw. However, he stupidly went to the second rope! AJ Francis got Oddyssey on his shoulders and tossed him to the floor! Isaiah Broner was No. 17 at 22:30. and he hit some F5s. A guitar strummed to bring Elijah to the ring as No. 18. He brought a guitar into the ring and hit several guys with it and tossed a few, including AJ Gray. It appears Blackwood was the other one tossed. Elijah tossed Dreamer, too. AJ Francis tossed Kenny King, then Rich Swann. Kevin Knight was No. 19 at 26:30. We have maybe 6 or 7 in the ring.
Knight hit a splash and the commentators talked about his great stretch in AEW. Nic Nemeth was No. 20. (Ryan Nemeth was in a suit and came out with Nic.) Nic got in the ring and hit a series of superkicks. Nemeth superkicked Francis to eliminate him, and that got a pop. I see seven in the ring. EJ Nduka was No. 21 (the commentator said he’s 20th, but they clearly have 21 guys, not 20.) Nduka powerbombed Knight, then he hit one on Real1. Yes, we have EIGHT left. Nduka hit a flying crossbody block that eliminated himself, Knight and someone else. Mance was tossed. SO, our final four are Nemeth, Cha Cha Charlie, Elijah and Real1. Ryan Nemeth pulled Elijah off the apron, but it also caused Nic to fall off the apron! So, it’s just Charie vs. Real1 remaining. Real1 tossed him to win!
Real1 (Enzo Amore) won a 21-man Royal Rumble (even though they call it a 20-man battle royal) to become the Flyweight Champion at 34:16.
* Madusa presented him with the belt.
* Justin Roberts introduced Chris Bey, who got a massive pop. He wore an Evanescence T-Shirt. “It’s 3 in the morning. Why are you here?” Bey said and that made the crowd laugh. He thanked the crowd for supporting him. Not much to what he said but it’s always great to see him.
9. Gabe Kidd vs. Matt Riddle. Kidd wore his black trunks with the NJPW logo. Riddle tossed him to the mat to open. They tied up each other’s legs on the mat. They stood up at 1:30 and traded forearm strikes. They fought to the floor and battled in front of the fans. Gabe shoved Riddle face-first into the ring post, and the commentators pointed out that Matt’s chest was bleeding from those hard chops. They got back into the ring at 3:30, where Riddle got a small package for a nearfall. Gabe hit a superplex for a nearfall. Kidd hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 5:30. Riddle hit a top-rope corkscrew senton for a nearfall, then a running knee to the chin for a nearfall. Kidd avoided an RKO, got a rollup, and got the flash pin! Riddle was shocked! Good while it lasted. They hugged, but then Riddle hit an RKO to get his heat back.
Gabe Kidd defeated Matt Riddle at 6:53.
* Even though it was around 3 a.m. local time, they had a live hip-hop performance while the cage was erected. This is the shortest cage I’ve ever seen… it only goes maybe three feet above the top rope.
10. Zilla Fatu vs. Josh Bishop in a steel cage match for the 4th Rope Title. Bishop just returned after nearly a year off from an arm injury; he’s the guy who looks a lot like a young Sid Vicious. They immediately traded punches. Bishop was busted open almost immediately, and the commentators made the Sid Vicious comparison. He hit a fallaway slam, tossing Zilla into the cage wall, then a dropkick into the cage for a nearfall at 3:00. Ernest Miller revealed he was never in a cage match in his career.
Bishop hit a second-rope superplex; his blond curly hair was really red now. He hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall at 6:30. Zilla hit a DDT, then a top-rope frogsplash for a nearfall. I must again reiterate how much blood Bishop was losing, as that is just not my thing. They both stood on the top rope, and Zilla put Bishop on his back and hit a Samoan Drop to the mat. Zilla then ran the ropes and hit a flying Samoan Spike to the throat and got the pin. A deeply satisfying cage match; sure, more blood loss than I prefer, but this is how a cage match should look.
Zilla Fatu defeated Josh Bishop to retain the 4th Rope Title at 10:03.
* Several big guys from Reality of Wrestling entered the cage and all beat up Zilla Fatu! The commentators were shocked at what they were seeing. On the screen, Booker T berated Zilla. “This is just the beginning! Fourth Rope, you are on notice!” A commentator said that “Reality of Wrestling has just declared war on Fourth Rope!”
Final Thoughts: A long show that was 3 1/2 hours… even if you are like me and skipped the music, it was a long show. I would have trimmed out a couple of the really short matches. No must-see matches but some fun stuff. The cage match was hard-hitting, and I’ll go with that for best match. The Culture Inc.-Infantry match takes second, and even though it was super-short, I’ll go with that three-way opener for third. Kidd-Riddle was intense and takes honorable mention. The show had some fun “moments” … the Hurt Business early on, Joe Hendry’s interaction with the Godfather, and the appearance of Chris Bey. So, it made the show fairly satisfying, even if I can’t point to a must-see match.
I wonder if Culture Inc. and Infantry will watch their match back and see how poorly it was filmed by this production team. Again, one of them did a big dive in the crowd that I missed, and the commentators missed. I like those two teams and hope they have more matches, and maybe next time, it is caught better on video.
I guess I was hoping EJ Nduka was injured, as he has been pulled out of a pairing with Lee Johnson, as Lee has moved over to teaming with Blake Christian. That seems ominous for EJ’s AEW future if he is healthy but unused. That Rumble was fine, but nothing worth going out of your way to see, either. The women’s tag was just bad; don’t blame Masha; she was only in it for the first 30 or so seconds.
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