GCW “Bangin’ In Little Rock” results (6/20): Vetter’s review of Effy vs. Mike Jackson for the GCW Championship, Elayna Black vs. Joey Janela, Shotzi Blackheart vs. Atticus Cogar

By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)

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GCW “Bangin’ In Little Rock”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
June 20, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas, at The Hall

The venue is a live music venue and it was packed with perhaps 400-500 here; they are standing and into the show. The ring is lit well; if anything, the wrestlers are too bathed in light. (I’ll take too much over too little any day of the week.) Emil Jay provided commentary.

* GCW has booked a baffling four intergender matches for this show, passing up the opportunity to have these four talented women have a pair of dream singles matches. I will never understand indy wrestling’s current love with booking intergender matches, where the size disparity is so great, it’s hard to suspend my disbelief.

* The show opened with a recap of the deathmatch shows in New Jersey.

1. Hunter Drake vs. Brayden Toon vs. Geoffrey John vs. Fat Jitsu in a four-way. Toon is an Alabama-based New South Wrestling guy who has competed a lot in the Northeast; he’s the kid I’ve compared to a young Kevin Steen for having such agility for his size. My first time seeing Fat Jitsu; he’s a big, heavyset Black man; he might be 350-400 pounds. The bell rang and everyone attacked him! Brayden hit a flying kick on Jitsu. Drake hit a huracanrana on Toon, then a standing moonsault at 2:00. John hit a slingshot splash. Jitsu got in and hit a quick series of kicks and knife-edge chops. Jitsu teased a dive but everyone got out of the way.

Two guys dove onto Jitsu, then Toon hit an Asai Moonsault onto all three. In the ring, they did a Tower of Doom spot out of the corner at 5:00, with Jitsu on the bottom of the tower. Jitsu immediately hit an F5 Slam on Hunter for a nearfall. John hit a tornado DDT on Jitsu. Toon hit a backbreaker over his knee on John, then a Swanton Bomb. Drake hit a top-rope 450 Splash for a believable nearfall. John leapt off the top-rope and caught Hunter’s head for a stunner. Jitsu hit a big spinning kick on Toon for the pin. That was quite a debut for the big guy.

Fat Jitsu defeated Brayden Toon, Hunter Drake and Geoffrey John in a four-way at 7:37.

2. Adam Priest vs. Billie Starkz in an intergender match. I always compare Priest to Jaime Noble, and he’s a top-tier indy talent. (They could have booked Priest against Blake Christian! So many wasted opportunities in the sake of intergender bonanza.) He rolled to the floor at the bell. In the ring, they opened with standing switches. Billie got some early rollups. He raked his boot over her eyes and kept her grounded. She got up and unloaded some forearm strikes; she appears to be an inch or two taller. She dove off the apron onto him on the floor, but he caught her and powerbombed her onto the edge of the ring frame at 4:00, and she collapsed to the floor.

In the ring, Priest unloaded some blows to her back and kept Billie grounded. She got up and hit some chops, but Adam hit a backbreaker over his knee for a nearfall at 6:30. She hit a spin kick to the head, then a neckbreaker over her knee for a nearfall. They fought on the ropes, and he dropped her back-first across the top turnbuckle! Priest immediately applied a half crab and dragged her to the center of the ring, but she rolled him up for a nearfall. She dove through the ropes and barreled onto him at 8:30. They got back into the ring and she got a rollup with her head in the ropes, for the flash pin!

Billie Starkz defeated Adam Priest at 8:42.

* Billie offered a post-match handshake, but he clotheslined her and left.

* A video package aired, showing Fuego Del Sol turning on his best friend, Sam Stackhouse, and again, he has renamed himself as KJ Orso.

* Promoter Brett Lauderdale joined Emil on commentary.

3. Alec Price and Jordan Oliver vs. Rob Shit and Buck Skynyr for the GCW Tag Team Titles. Rob is the clueless 1980s rocker; he usually only is booked in the shows in California. My first time seeing Buck; he has big poofy hair. Kayfabe, how do these two get a title shot? Based on what credentials? They attacked the champs during the intros and all four immediately brawled to the floor. Price ran off a stage and dove onto the heels on the floor. They all got back in the ring, and Buck set up a door in a corner.

Price and Oliver hit stereo chops on Buck. Buck threw a chair at Price and he flipped Alec through the door in the corner at 4:00. Meanwhile, Oliver got slammed to the mat, and Buck got a nearfall on Jordan. The heels began working over Alec in their corner. Oliver got a hot tag at 6:00 and hit some hip-tosses and was fired up. He hit a Cleopatra (slingshot stunner) on Rob, then his twisting crossbody block. Rob hit a DDT. Price jumped in and hit a DDT on Rob. Price pushed a door into the ring and some chairs, and they champs set up a door bridge.

Oliver hit a huracanrana, sending Rob through the door bridge, and Price hit a Swanton Bomb on him. Buck hit a double clothesline at 9:00, then a standing neckbreaker on Price and a Flatliner move on Oliver for a nearfall. Buck tossed Rob onto Oliver for a nearfall, but Price made the save. Rob hit a Mafia Kick. Jordan hit his own Mafia Kick. Buck hit a discus forearm and everyone was down and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Oliver hit his Rebound Lariat for a nearfall. The champs hit a team running Blockbuster move to pin Rob. A rather tepid reaction to the finish and pin, which was surprising.

Alec Price and Jordan Oliver defeated Rob Shit and Buck Skynyr to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 12:35.

* Oliver got on the mic and put over the challengers.

* A video package aired to highlight Gary Jay. I always say he’s the red-headed version of Brodie Lee. He’s pumped for his match against Jonathan Gresham.

4. Gary Jay vs. Jonathan Gresham. The bell rang but they just glared at each other from across the ring as the fans alternated chants. They shook hands before locking up. They threw some chops and tied up again. They went to the floor and traded chops. (The fans were now seated. When the show began, I thought this was a standing room only show because everyone was on their feet for the opener!) They looped the ring and kept trading blows. Gary dove through the ropes onto Gresham, then hit two more dives at 3:00.

In the ring, they fought on the mat, and Gresham tied up the right wrist and fingers. Jonathan switched to twisting the right ankle. Jay got up and hit a series of chops in a corner at 7:30, then a tornado DDT. Gresham hit a Lionsault Press, then a dive through the ropes. In the ring, he got a rollup for a nearfall. Gresham hit a diving forearm that clocked Jay, and he got a nearfall. Jay hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 9:30. Gresham hit a clothesline. Jay hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall, and they were both down at 11:30. Gresham hit a DDT and another diving forearm for the pin. That was intense.

Jonathan Gresham defeated Gary Jay at 12:19.

* A video package aired of Stackhouse beating up KJ Orso. Sam Stackhouse now came to the ring and said he’s still trying to “get myself right mentally” after KJ attacked him in Los Angeles, and he said he really doesn’t want to fight his former best friend. He called him out! KJ Orso came to the ring. Neither man was dressed to wrestle. Sam called him “Fuego;” KJ snatched away the mic and said that’s not his name anymore.

Sam told him, “this all started when you lost your contract. I know you’re hurting; I know you think you’ve hit rock bottom, and you got to take it out on everyone.” KJ said that Fuego was pathetic and that having heart got him nowhere. He said Sam has quit on everything he’s ever done. Sam’s wife threw a chair into the ring. Sam eventually attacked Orso and hit a series of clotheslines. Stackhouse picked up the chair, ready to strike, but he paused and let Orso scamper away. A really good promo by both men. (They both have clearly put a lot of thought and time into mapping out these promos.)

5. Blake Christian vs. Miyu Yamashita in an intergender match. Miyu won a match on ROH TV this week and she is continuing quite a nationwide tour. Brett Lauderdale returned for this one; he noted it’s a lot of people’s first time wrestling in Arkansas. Standing switches to open and Blake applied a headlock, then he dropped her with a shoulder block. Emil and Brett talked about how cocky and arrogant Blake was acting. He ducked some spin kicks and they had a standoff at 2:30. He slapped her in the face, so she hit a spin kick to the gut and some stiff kicks to the spine.

Miyu hit some roundhouse kicks to the chest as Blake was in the ropes. She ran on the apron – he moved – and her knee struck the ring post. He immediately applied a modified Figure Four leglock around the ring post, and he slammed her knee against the ring post. He bit a toe for good measure at 5:00, earning a ‘you sick f—!” chant. In the ring, he slammed her knees against the mat and he jawed at the fans. Brett talked about Blake’s recent AEW run. She got up and hit a series of kicks to his chest and back and she got a nearfall at 8:00. Blake hit a backbreaker over his knee and a spear on the apron.

Blake set up for a dive to the floor, but she pulled out a door and hit him in the head with it. He dove onto her anyway, pushing the door onto her and fans in the front row! In the ring, Blake nailed his springboard 450 Splash for a nearfall and he remained in charge. They got up and traded forearm strikes. He hit a Pele kick; she hit a spin kick to the face, and they were both down at 11:30. They fought on the ropes in the corner, where she hit a headbutt. He cradled her in his arms and hit a second-rope back suplex for a nearfall. He mounted her and punched her in the forehead. He shoved Ref Scarlette Donovan; she shoved him back!

Miyu barely grazed him on a springboard spin kick. Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly. He went for a 450 Splash, but she got her knees up at 14:00, and she applied a rear-naked choke! The crowd taunted for him to tap out, but he ran back-first into the corner to break free. He hit a half-nelson suplex. He came off the top rope, but she caught him with a kick. Miyu hit a release German Suplex. Blake hit a Lethal Injection. They both got to their feet, and Miyu nailed the Skull Kick, knocking him out, and she got the pin. An excellent match. She offered a handshake; he gave her the middle finger, turned and left. However, he returned and shook her hand.

Miyu Yamashita defeated Blake Christian at 15:08.

* A video package aired of the GCW vs. JCW street fight in New Jersey.

6. Elayna Black (f/k/a Cora Jade) vs. Joey Janela in an intergender match. A nice pop for Elayna, who held a foot-long toy coffin. (My brother sent me something like that when I turned 30!) What’s inside it? The size difference is more pronounced in this one than the first two intergender matches of the night. The bell rang and they played to the crowd before locking up. The crowd chanted “welcome back!” at her. Brett again returned to commentary and talked about how it’s been four years since Elayna has wrestled in a GCW ring. She did a snapmare and hit a basement dropkick.

Janela tied her arms up on the mat. She fired up and hit a series of forearm strikes in the corner, then a jumping knee to the chin at 5:00. Elayna hit a gut-wrench suplex that defied logic and believability. She hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver onto the ring apron. In the ring, he hit a running powerbomb for a nearfall at 7:00 and a bulldog. Janela made a “Go To Sleep” motion, but she countered it with a Poison Rana. He hit a brainbuster. They got up and traded forearm strikes then superkicks. He hit a piledriver along his back for a nearfall at 10:00.

Joey got a door from under the ring and set up a bridge in the ring. Joey hit a top-rope brainbuster onto the door bridge, but he only got a nearfall at 12:00. She got up and hit him with door shards. He threw a chair at her head and I hate that; he did the Sabu pose. She got a chair and struck him in the upper back. He set up for a package piledriver but she escaped. He hit a Death Valley Driver onto a chair in the corner but only got a believable nearfall. He immediately hit the Package Piledriver onto the folded chair for the pin. A hard-hitting match; Elayna sure brought the fight to her indy return.

Joey Janela defeated Elayna Black at 14:36. 

* Janela got on the mic and thanked the Little Rock fans and said the city is “an A-Town.” He then put over Elayna.

7. Effy vs. Mike Jackson for the GCW World title. I think Mike is now 75, possibly 76? Effy’s title run has been so deeply disappointing because he’s been taking on so many B-list guys. (He had one really good match against Manders, but that’s been it in his five-month reign.) Anyhow, I get no pleasure out of watching a man older than my dad compete in the ring. Mike twisted the left arm and did an armdrag. Emil and Brett talked about Mike’s age. Mike dove through the ropes onto Effy at 3:30, and that popped the crowd.

In the ring, Mike did the Old School tightrope walk. Effy hit a stunner and he choked Mike in the ropes. Effy hit an Earthquake-style butt splash to the chest for a nearfall at 6:30. Jackson avoided a brainbuster and got an inside cradle for a nearfall. Effy hit a spear for a believable nearfall. Mike blocked a superplex and hit a tornado DDT and some clotheslines and a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall. Effy blocked a sunset flip, sat down on Jackson’s chest, and got the pin. Decent. The fact that Mike can do this at his age should all give us hope we will be able to do this when we’re his age.

Effy defeated Mike Jackson to retain the GCW World Title at 9:07. 

* Effy got on the mic and put over Mike.

* A video package aired of Shotzi Blackheart making a surprise appearance in the GCW Tournament of Survival and losing a three-way death match.

8. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Atticus Cogar in an intergender match. Shotzi declared after the ToS match that she had “retired” from death matches, but I think she is about to be pulled back in. She came out first and got a massive pop. She hit a Tiger Suplex early on and a Canadian Destroyer. She went to dive through the ropes, but he threw a chair at her head at 1:30; I just hate that. They brawled away from the ring, and he hit her with a plastic ‘wet floor’ sign. He put her on a bar, but she hit a crossbody block, leaping off the bar onto him on the floor. They returned to ringside and she got some chairs.

Atticus set up a door bridge on the floor; the action has just come to a halt. He got more doors. They fought on the stage, and Atticus hit an Air Raid Crash off the stage and through the door bridges on the floor at 8:00. (He clearly took the brunt of that fall.) He rolled her into the ring and got a nearfall. Atticus jabbed cooking skewers into her head at 10:30. She hit a Frankensteiner, sending Atticus crashing onto an open chair. She hit a rolling cannonball in the corner and a Sliced Bread for a nearfall.

Shotzi left the ring and returned with a pane of glass and she set it up in the corner. He hit a running knee on her head, which was resting on an open chair. She hit some kicks and a discus forearm. He caught her and nailed an Air Raid Crash into the pane of glass, but he only got a nearfall. He immediately hit the Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) for the pin. A decent hardcore match; give Shotzi credit for doing another match like this. Emil said Atticus is focused on going for Effy’s world title.

Atticus Cogar defeated Shotzi Blackheart at 13:37.

Final Thoughts: A really strong show in their Arkansas debut. I liked Blake-Miyu ahead of Billie-Priest, and I’ll go with Janela-Elayna for third. All that said… I just think the show would have been better without intergender matches. Billie Starkz vs. Elayna Black. Adam Priest vs. Blake Christian. Miyu vs. Shotzi. Janela vs. Atticus. These are all matches that could have been on this show. These are all very good wrestlers… I just would prefer a lineup like I’ve suggested above. I’m definitely hopeful that GCW continues to use Shotzi and Elayna to shore up their roster.

Not a bad match here at all; my biggest issues with the show are using a 75-year-old man in a top match and all those completely unnecessary chairshots to heads. You can have a violent match without them.