By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “We Still Don’t Trust You”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
May 4, 2025, in Portland, Oregon at Hawthorne Theatre
The lights were on, but the lighting over the ring was just so-so. The building was packed with about 300 standing-room-only fans. Emil Jay provided solo commentary as we began.
* I am aware of some travel issues from out East, so we’ll see if everyone made it in for this show.
1. “The Bollywood Boyz” Harv Sihra and Gurv Sihra vs. “Midnight Heat” Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl. These are two top tag teams in the Pacific Northwest in recent years, so it’s disappointing they are facing each other here — they’ve already done this dance multiple times. The crowd chanted profanities at the Heat. Harv and Gibson opened, and the BB worked Gibson over early on. Eddie accidentally did a monkey flip on Gibson. The BB applied stereo Sharpshooters at 2:30. The MH began working over Harv, and Emil noted that these two teams “are no strangers to each other.”
Gibson hit a backbreaker over his knee at 4:30 and tied Harv in a bow-and-arrow. Harv hit a DDT on Gibson, and they were both down at 7:00. Harv fired up and hit some clotheslines. Gurv was yanked off the apron so he couldn’t get a hot tag. However, Harv got an inside cradle and pinned Gibson out of nowhere! I certainly didn’t see that coming.
Harv Sihra and Gurv Sihra defeated Ricky Gibson and Eddie Pearl at 7:58.
* Video aired from Saturday’s show, when Fuego Del Sol returned, only to turn on his long-time friend, Sam Stackhouse.
* Promoter Brett Lauderdale joined commentary early into the next match.
2. Jordan Oliver vs. Randy Myers. Myers is the flamboyant character dressed like DC’s Joker and is beloved here in the Pacific Northwest. Oliver is freshly back from his ACL surgery, and he carried his GCW Tag Title belt, and this should be a face-face matchup. Oliver got on the mic and noted this is his first singles match in GCW in nine months, and we got a “both these wrestlers!” before the bell. Myers wanted a kiss; Oliver grabbed him and applied a headlock, and they did some comedy early on. Oliver hit a dropkick at 3:00.
Oliver tied up Myers on the mat, as Brett and Emil talked about Oliver’s training and recovery, and return to the ring. Oliver applied a deep Boston Crab at 5:00. Myers ‘dove’ through the ropes; it was awkward. In the ring, Myers hit a guillotine leg drop at 6:30. Oliver kissed Myers on the mouth to the delight of the crowd, and it staggered Myers. Oliver hit a modified Acid Bomb faceplant in the corner at 9:00. Myers caught Oliver on a crossbody attempt and hit a neckbreaker-bodyslam move. Myers hit a knee strike to the forehead for a nearfall. They got up and traded chops. Oliver re-applied the Boston Crab, and this time, Myers tapped out. Decent match.
Jordan Oliver defeated Randy Myers at 11:09.
3. Masha Slamovich vs. Miyu Yamashita for the JCW World Title. The crowd was hot and split at the bell; this might be the match of the show. Emil said this is their fourth singles meeting. A feeling-out process early as Masha tied up the left arm. They traded stiff kicks to the spine. Miyu nailed a series of kicks in the corner at 2:30, sending Masha to the floor. Miyu hit a running Penalty Kick on the apron, and they fought on the floor, with Miyu hitting a series of roundhouse kicks to the chest. They got back in the ring, with Miyu still in charge, hitting some kicks.
Masha hit her Helluva Kick and rolling Koppo Kick combo for a nearfall at 5:30. They got up and traded forearm strikes. They hit stereo spin kicks to the head and both collapsed at 7:30 and we got a loud “GCW!” chant. Miyu nailed a superkick. Masha hit a spin kick and a German Suplex. Miyu hit a springboard spin kick, then a Death Valley Driver for a believable nearfall at 9:00. Masha blocked a knee strike to the jaw and hit the White Knight Driver (piledriver) for the pin. Really good action but I wish this had gone longer! They shook hands afterwards.
Masha Slamovich defeated Miyu Yamashita to retain the JCW World Title at 10:13.
* Footage aired of Matt Cardona and Jimmy Lloyd brawling a day ago.
4. Mance Warner vs. Alan Angels. An odd choice for a match as both are heels; Angels is HATED in the Pacific Northwest, with fans greeted him with an “Alan Asshole!” chant. Mance immediately caved in his chest with some chops. They brawled to the floor, where Angels accidentally chopped the ring post at 1:00. Emil got back in the booth and noted how rare it is that Mance is the more popular guy in the match. Mance got a door from under the ring and slid it into the ring. Angels dove through the ropes onto Mance and they continued to brawl at ringside. In the ring, Angels hit chairshots to the back and remained in charge, as the crowd continued to chant “Alan Asshole!”
Mance powerbombed Angels onto the ring apron at 6:00, and he regained control of the action. Angels threw a chair at Mance’s head. Mance slammed Angels across two open folding chairs and got a nearfall. Angels hit a top-rope frogsplash onto Mance on a door bridge for a nearfall at 9:00. They continued to trade punches, and Mance hit a tornado DDT through a door in the corner for the pin. A good brawl that didn’t get gross or bloody.
Mance Warner defeated Alan Angels at 10:48.
* They took a 15-minute intermission, which GCW actually rarely does, and I’m wondering if they did that to allow Joey Janela and Megan Bayne time to get to the building.
5. Brooke Havok vs. Jeffrey John in an intergender match. I don’t think this was the originally slated opponent for Brooke. He pushed her into a corner and mockingly patted her on her head, and was booed. He did it again, and Emil noted, “I don’t think you want to toy around with Brooke Havok.” She mockingly patted his head and got massive cheers. She hit a missile dropkick at 2:30. John planted his foot in her throat in the ropes and kept her grounded. They traded suplexes, then forearm strikes. She hit a German Suplex at 6:00. Brooke hit a senton for a nearfall. He hit a Blue Thunder Bomb, and he bit her fingers! Brooke hit a Cross Rhodes swinging faceplant (she was trained at the Nightmare Factory) for the pin. Decent match.
Brooke Havok defeated Jeffrey John at 8:19.
* A video aired of the former Fuego Del Sol, who set his mask and gear on fire. He said that “Fuego” died when he was released by AEW, not when he lost to Atticus Cogar two weeks ago. He vowed that “Fuego Del Sol is dead.” He will now continue wrestling as KJ Orso. “I will never answer to the dead name of Fuego Del Sol,” he said. Good, anger-filled promo.
6. “C4” Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas vs. Megan Bayne and Joey Janela. Due to flight issues, it was no guarantee Joey and Megan would get here. I really didn’t know until they walked through the door that they made it. (Joey had updated their fiasco on his Twitter page during the day.) Emil returned to the booth and noted exactly as I thought — the intermission was to give Bayne and Joey time to get here. Joey and Cody opened and traded standing switches. Megan entered and is MUCH taller than Rosas; they traded shoulder blocks at 2:00. She did a test of strength with each member of C4 and she hit a double clothesline.
C4 hit a dropkick-and-suplex combo on Joey at 4:00. Cody hit some chops and kept Janela grounded. Rosas hit a snap suplex. CF hit a team suplex at 6:30 for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope moonsault press on his standing opponents, and he finally tagged in Megan at 8:00. She hit dropkicks, clotheslines, and Stinger Splashes. She hit a big belly-to-belly release suplex on Cody, then she powerbombed Chhun onto Rosas for a nearfall. Joey and Megan hit stereo suplexes at 9:30. They hit high-low blows on Chhun for a nearfall, but Rosas made the save.
Rosas hit a powerbomb on Joey for a nearfall. Megan hit a spear on Cody. Megan dove through the ropes and landed on Rosas deep into the crowd at 11:00. Cody hit a flip dive onto all three on the floor. Joey and Megan each hit back suplexes back in the ring. They hit a Doomsday Device clothesline, with Megan pinning Cody. That was really good. They all shook hands, and that also got a pop.
Megan Bayne and Joey Janela defeated Cody Chhun and Guillermo Rosas at 12:51.
7. Atticus Cogar vs. Mr. Danger. Danger is a thin high-flyer but he recently had some hardcore matches against John Wayne Murdoch. Atticus attacked before the bell. Danger hit a dropkick. Cogar threw a ladder from the ring onto Danger on the floor. In the ring, Atticus hit a running knee onto a chair where Danger’s head was resting. He did a slingshot that sent Danger’s head into some cooking skewers. Gross. Skewers were shoved into Danger’s mouth, too. Danger hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor at 6:00. In the ring, Danger hit an impressive Swanton Bomb, getting some great height. Atticus kept stabbing Danger with skewers. Suddenly, Joey Janela jumped in the ring and attacked Atticus, and we had a (rare!) bell to end the match. Cogar scampered to the back.
Atticus Cogar defeated Mr. Danger via DQ at 10:00.
* Janela got on the mic and said everyone knows there are no disqualifications in GCW and he demanded to know who rang the bell. He berated Atticus Cogar and he put over Mr. Danger. It will be Janela & Mr. Danger vs. Otis Cogar & Atticus Cogar on May 17.
8. Effy vs. Maki Itoh for the GCW World Title. I’ve noted this multiple times, but Effy is surprisingly big and thick, and he towers over the tiny Itoh. The bell rang, but Effy took the mic and serenaded her. He scooped her up at 1:30, but she escaped and hit a low blow, and she twisted his nipples. She hit a crossbody block from the apron to the floor. In the ring, he pulled on her ponytails and was booed. He hit a backbreaker over his knee at 4:30, then a gutbuster over his knee. Itoh hit a chokeslam on an open chair that defied gravity and logic. She hit a tornado DDT.
Itoh jumped on his back and locked in a sleeper, but he was able to turn it into a TKO stunner off his shoulders for a nearfall at 7:30. He hit a spear for a nearfall. Itoh hit a Kokeshi falling headbutt, and she got her pizza cutter and used it across his forehead, and he was bleeding. Gross. She hit a running Facewash kick in the corner for a nearfall at 11:00. Effy hit a spinning Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. Decent match; I’ve never been a big fan of comedy in the main event.
Effy defeated Maki Itoh to retain the GCW World Title at 12:08.
9. Matt Tremont vs. Jimmy Lloyd for the GCW Ultraviolent Title. Late in the match, Lloyd shoved a fork into Tremont’s forehead. Gross. Tremont hit a Death Valley Driver through a door in the corner. Tremont powerbombed Lloyd through a glass pane bridge for the pin.
Matt Tremont defeated Jimmy Lloyd to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 12:40.
Final Thoughts: The show on Saturday in Los Angeles was an ‘A show,’ with a big angle involving Fuego Del Sol, the return of Cardona, and some marquee matches — it is arguably the best GCW show of 2025, even better than the heavily promoted Hammerstein show in New York and the shows in Las Vegas. In comparison, this felt like a ‘B show’ in front of a smaller crowd, worse lighting, and without a top-tier commentator. (Emil does a fine job but he’s not on the level of a Dave Prazak or a Veda Scott).
As expected, Masha-Miyu was the standout match and if you only have time to watch one match from this event, that’s the one. Janela/Bayne vs. C4 was really good and my guess is they really didn’t have a lot of time to plot it out with the late arrival of the duo. While not my preferred style, Angels-Mance was a good brawl and takes third.
>>A good brawl that didn’t get gross or bloody.<>Late in the match, Lloyd shoved a fork into Tremont’s forehead. Gross.<<
Jesus, society really is weak nowadays, isn't it….