By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “TJPW vs. DDT vs. GCW”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
April 19, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Pearl Theater at Palms Casino
This was the 12th show of the 13-event Collective, featuring promotions from quite literally across the world. This began at 2:30 p.m. local time and was the second show of Saturday’s three-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. Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary, and Veda said this is one of her favorite shows of the week. Prazak said all nine matches are multi-person tag matches; no singles matches tonight.
* Emil Jay opened the show by shouting, “I’m still in Las Vegas!” (Later in the show, Dave Prazak noted how worn-out Emil’s voice was from announcing show after show all weekend.)
1. Hyper Misao, Jada Stone, Mizuki, Raku, and Yuki Aino vs. Arisu Endo, Suzume, Miu Watanabe, Shino Suzuki, and Yuki Arai in a 10-woman tag. Misao is the Hurricane Helms-style superhero, and she spoke in English before the bell. They all have such colorful outfits, and I don’t remember who is whom. Some fun comedy stuff with all of them, as one of them does a sleepy gimmick (like babyface Wendy Choo.) Hyper hit a top-rope crossbody block at 4:00. Watanabe (in pink) hit a backbreaker over her knee on blonde Aino, and she did her Castagnoli-style Giant Swing for a nearfall. Aino hit a gut-wrench suplex.
Mizuki (think AEW’s Riho in style and ring gear) hit a flying kick against the ropes. Endo hit a dropkick and a full-nelson backbreaker on Mizuki at 8:00. Hyper hit an Eye of the Hurricane. Jada hit her backflip-into-a-stunner. Watanabe picked up two women and bodyslammed them both! Mizuki hit her twisting crossbody block that got a pop. She then hit her fallaway slam with a high bridge for the pin. (It looks to me like the human body shouldn’t be able to bend like that!) Really good action; this was non-stop — we didn’t have an extended beatdown of anyone.
Hyper Misao, Jada Stone, Mizuki, Raku, and Yuki Aino defeated Arisu Endo, Suzume, Miu Watanabe, Shino Suzuki, and Yuki Arai at 10:14
2. Kidd Bandit and Shota vs. Rika Tatsumi and Antonio Honda. Honda is older and bald; he lost to Santana Jackson a day earlier. Rika and Bandit opened, and the crowd was behind the trans star Bandit. The men got in at 1:30 but they both did some comedy stuff. Bandit re-entered and kicked Honda and got a nearfall. Rika beat up Shota. Bandit picked up Rika, spun her and slammed her for a nearfall at 6:30. Honda ‘tripped’ getting in the ring, then ‘tripped’ over Bandit and was in pain. He got on the mic and said “my retirement is near. I cannot do this anymore.” He has a story to tell them. They continued fighting. Bandit hit a flying leg lock, rolled up Honda, and pinned him. Not my type of match but the crowd enjoyed it.
Kidd Bandit and Shota defeated Rika Tatsumi and Antonio Honda at 10:00 even.
3.Yuni and Starboy Charlie vs. “Los Desperados” Arez and Gringo Loco. Charlie and Loco opened and this crowd was hot. Quick lucha reversals and Loco danced. Arez and Yuni tied up at 2:00 and traded quick reversals. Again, Yuni is the high-schooler who wears a private school uniform and brings a backpack to the ring. Loco hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall on Yuni at 3:30. Loco hit a flipping axe kick to the neck. Arez hit a flying DDT on Charlie at 5:30, and LD worked Charlie over. Arez ran up Charlie’s back. Loco hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall. Arez unbuttoned Yuni’s shirt to bare his chest and hit a LOUD chop at 7:00.
Charlie hit a top-rope headscissors takedown on Loco at 8:30. Yuni and Loco climbed the same turnbuckle and hit moonsaults to the floor in opposite directions. Cool spot. In the ring, the kids hit stereo standing Shooting Star Presses on Arez. Charlie hit a double Pele Kick and he peeled down the strap of his overalls. He hit a Poison Rana. Yuni hit a huracanrana on Loco for a believable nearfall. Charlie went for a Shooting Starboy Press, but Arez got his knees up. Loco hit his Base Bomb (swinging powerbomb) on Yuni, while Arez hit a pumphandle powerbomb on Charlie, and LD got stereo pins. Good action.
Gringo Loco and Arez defeated Starboy Charlie and Yuni at 11:20.
4. Brooke Havok and Sandra Moone vs. Wakana Uehara and Yuki Kamifuku. Moone just announced she plans to retire this summer; as I typed this sentence, Veda talked about it. Wakana, in red, opened against Havok, and Wakana hit a dropkick. Yuki, in sparkly blue-and-silver, entered and planted her foot in Havok’s throat; she is tall and lanky. Wakana hit another dropkick. Moone entered for the first time at 3:00 and hit her mule kick on Wakana for a nearfall. Yuki tied Moone in an Octopus Stretch. Sandra applied a bear hug. Yuki took Havok’s head off with a Mafia Kick to the head! Moone and Yuki traded forearm strikes. Havok hit a German Suplex at 6:00. Yuki hit an STO uranage on Moone for a nearfall, then a running leg lariat. She hit a second-rope axe kick to the back of the neck and pinned Moone. Good action; this could have gone longer.
Wakana Uehara and Yuki Kamifuku defeated Brooke Havok and Sandra Moone at 7:00 even.
5. Dark Sheik and Ilusion and Daisuke Sasaki vs. Marcus Mathers and Shoko Nakajima and Super Crazy. Again, Sasaki reminds me of Raven in mannerisms and attire. Ilusion is masked; I saw him for the first time a day ago. Sheik’s team attacked; Mathers and Ilusion fought, and Marcus was still wearing his robe. He finally got that off and hit a bodyslam at 1:30. He came off the top rope, but Ilusion caught him with a low blow kick. Ilusion then hit a missile dropkick on Marcus. Sheik entered for the first time and kicked Mathers, and Sheik’s team kept Marcus in their corner. Sheik hit a low-blow knife-edge chop at 4:00. Ouch! Marcus and Sasaki traded blows. Shoko got a hot tag and hit a running dropkick, then a clothesline into a corner, and she was fired up.
Sasaki tied her up on the mat, but she bit his hand. Sheik got back in at 6:00 and kicked Shoko in the side of the head and was booed. (Everyone loves Shoko!) Shoko hit a suplex. Sheik hit a German Suplex for a nearfall. Sheik missed a top-rope guillotine leg drop. Super Crazy entered for the first time at 7:30 and hit a twisting elbow drop on Ilusion. Mathers hit a flip dive to the floor on two guys. In the ring, Shoko hit a 619 on Ilusion. Crazy hit a sit-out powerbomb on Ilusion for a believable nearfall. Crazy tied up Ilusion’s arms and legs and bent him backwards until Ilusion submitted. Good action; this is a good way to use Crazy — He was in the ring for all of 70 seconds and never had to take a bump.
Marcus Mathers, Shoko Nakajima, and Super Crazy defeated Dark Sheik, Ilusion, and Daisuke Sasaki at 8:37.
6. 1 Called Manders and Maki Itoh vs. Microman and Yukio Naya. Itoh came out and lip-synched Bon Jovi as Manders came to the ring. I saw Yukio for the first time a day earlier; he is a tall blond, and with his gear and overall look, he looks like He-Man. Itoh and Microman opened and got a “holy shit!” chant before they had even locked up; they posed for the crowd, and Itoh was annoyed that the crowd found him cuter than her, so she finally attacked him. She hit a running Facewash and got a nearfall at 2:30. She bit a finger, too. Manders got in and also bit a finger, earning a “you sick f—!” chant. Microman hit a 619 and a back suplex that defies logic and gravity.
Yukio finally tagged in at 6:00 and hit a running splash in the corner on Manders. Manders hit a DDT. Yukio stood over Maki and roared, scaring her and making her drop to the mat… and she started to cry! “This has gone too far!” Veda said. Microman was now crying and the crowd was aghast. Naya shoved Manders, and now Manders was crying. This was FUNNY. Yuko was now crying. “Sometimes, you need to look inside yourself and realize,” Veda said. Of course, Manders and Yukio resumed trading forearm strikes. Manders and Maki put on cowboy hats and hit stereo Kokeshi falling headbutts for nearfalls. Manders accidentally clotheslined Maki! Microman hit a frogsplash on Manders. Naya tossed Microman onto Maki and pinned her. Light-hearted fun. “One for the ages,” Prazak said.
Microman and Yukio Naya defeated 1 Called Manders and Maki Itoh at 11:26.
7. Shunma Katsumata and Mance Warner vs. Matt Tremont and John Wayne Murdoch in a hardcore match. We have chairs and doors in the corners of the ring before it began. Shunma and Murdoch opened. Shunman pulled out cooking skewers and immediately jabbed them in his OWN head, so Murdoch put skewers in his OWN head, then they traded punches. Yeah, this action isn’t for me. Tremont and Mance got in and traded punches, and Veda reminded us how bloody Mance got a day earlier at TNA. They sat down on folding chairs in the ring and traded punches. Tremont hit a Death Valley Driver and pinned Shunma. Pretty tame by GCW hardcore standards, actually.
Matt Tremont and John Wayne Murdoch defeated Shunma Katsumata and Mance Warner at 9:34.
8. Masha Slamovich and Konosuke Takeshita vs. Miyu Yamashita and Shinya Aoki. Masha and the lanky Aoki opened and immediately tied each other up on the mat. Shinya and Takeshita traded holds on the mat. They got back to their feet at 4:30 and traded standing switches. Takeshita has a clear size and muscle mass advantage. Yamashita tagged in and tried some forearm strikes on Takeshita but they had no effect, so she switched to roundhouse kicks at 6:30. Takeshita swung wildly and missed, as Miyu ducked, and it allowed Shinya to grab Takeshita and apply a cross-armbreaker.
Miyu nailed several stiff roundhouse kicks on Takeshita, then the Skull Kick, and they were both down. Masha tagged back in at 8:30 and she traded blows with Miyu. They traded German Suplexes. Aoki dove through the ropes, but Takeshita caught him and hit a brainbuster onto the cement floor at 10:30! In the ring, the women traded more kicks. Masha couldn’t hit the White Knight Driver, but Miyu nailed a Death Valley Driver. Takeshita hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Miyu! Masha immediately hit the White Knight Driver (piledriver) on Miyu for the pin. That was a really good, believable intergender tag match.
Masha Slamovich and Konosuke Takeshita defeated Miyu Yamashita and Shinya Aoki at 11:09.
9. Alec Price and Jimmy Lloyd vs. Mao and Yoshihiko vs. Jack Cartwheel and Kazuma Sumi for the BZW Tag Team Titles. Again… Yoshihiko is a lifeless mannequin, so this is silliness as the doll opened against both Cartwheel and Jimmy Lloyd and we got a “this is wrestling!” chant as the doll ‘hit’ some moves. Sumi hit a huracanrana on Mao at 2:30. Mao hit a huracanrana on Cartwheel. He hit cannonballs on Cartwheel, then on Lloyd. Price and Lloyd tossed the mannequin deep into the crowd at 4:30 to the aghast of the crowd.
Mao and Price traded forearm strikes at 6:30 while shouting profanities at each other. Mao hit a spinning heel kick to Sumi’s head. The doll ‘got a hot tag and hit huracanranas on everyone,’ and the crowd gave it a “this is awesome!” chant. Sumi hit a tornado DDT on Lloyd at 9:00. They did a tower spot out of the corner with the doll on the bottom of the tower. Mao hit a frogsplash and everyone was down at 11:30. The doll hit superkicks on everyone. Mao hit an Asai Moonsault. Price dove over the top rope to the floor on Mao. Cartwheel nailed the Sasuke Special to the floor on Price and Lloyd. In the ring, Mao and Sumi fought on the second rope, and Mao flipped him and slammed him face-first to the mat for the pin. Humorous with some good athleticism, too.
Mao and Yoshihiko defeated Jimmy Lloyd and Alec Price, and Jack Cartwheel and Kazuma Sumi to retain the BZW Tag Team Titles at 13:47.
Final Thoughts: Takeshita and Masha’s tag match was intense and the best action here. Manders and Itoh was just silly fun. While it was a bit light on in-ring action, it had me smiling and left an impression, so that earns second. I’ll take the Gringo Loco tag match for third, ahead of the light-hearted main event. The 10-woman tag to open was really good, too. While the Yoshihiko stuff isn’t really my thing, I again must commend and applaud Veda and Prazak for throwing all their support and committing to calling this silliness, and likewise, the crowd for having such fun with it.
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