GCW “Homecoming” results (9/20): Vetter’s review of Frankie Kazarian vs. Jordan Oliver, Matt Cardona vs. Man Like DeReiss, Mance Warner vs. Bear Bronson, Shotzi Blackheart’s appearance

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

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GCW “Homecoming”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
September 20, 2025, in Los Angeles, California, at the Ukranian Culture Center

This is one of the best venues on the GCW schedule; it’s a gorgeous room with a high ceiling, and they always draw 600-700. Jordan Castle is back on commentary, and I’ve always compared him to a boisterous Don West, and yes, I do mean it as a compliment. John Mosely joined Castle on commentary. Due to injuries, we know that Effy, Bad Dude Tito, and Shotzi Blackheart are off the show, but Shotzi will still be present.

* A video package aired with highlights from Friday’s show in Arizona, plus some great highlights from this room in the past.

* We head to the venue, and one smart thing GCW does is they have a cage match FIRST. The cage is already set up, rather than take a long break mid-show to erect it. I’ve always endorsed that if an indy has a cage match, it should be first. This is a mesh steel, like a fence in a yard, not like the blue WWF cages that have metal rods forming the cage. A video package aired of the feud that led to this cage match; this has played out over several months.

1. KJ Orso vs. Sam Stackhouse in a steel cage match. Again, Sam is maybe 400 pounds. Orso is the former Fuego Del Sol; he came to the ring first, and he superkicked Emil Jay during ring introductions! He opened the cage door and hit Sam as Sam approached the ring, and we’re underway! He dove off the cage onto Sam and several security guards on the floor! We’re starting out hot! Sam threw several doors into the ring. They both got in the ring, and Sam threw Orso repeatedly into the cage walls. Orso had a trickle of blood coming down his forehead. Sam hit a guillotine leg drop at 6:00.

Sam went for a rolling cannonball, but KJ moved, and Sam crashed into a chair in the corner. KJ hit some running knee strikes in the corner. He repeatedly punched Stackhouse, and the crowd was all over Orso. Sam picked up KJ and powerbombed him against the cage wall (which really didn’t look like it hurt at all; there is so much ‘give’ in this mesh fencing.) Sam was now bleeding from the forehead. KJ hit some RVD-style dropkicks while holding a chair that he was kicking onto Sam. He set up a board in the corner at 10:00. KJ tried to leave through the door; Castle said it was “the coward’s way” to escape.

Sam splashed into him against the cage wall at 12:00. He got a small bag of thumbtacks and dumped it on the mat. (Nowhere near the number Mark Briscoe dumped a few hours ago!) KJ hit a DDT, but of course, it pushed a lot of tacks into his own back! Sam nailed a rolling cannonball on KJ, sending them both crashing through the door in the corner at 14:30. Sam missed a second-rope moonsault, and they were both down. KJ crawled over to the cage door, but Emil Jay slammed the door onto Orso’s head at 16:30! Emil locked the door! Orso picked up door shards and slammed them over Sam’s head. Sam got the debris and hit Sam with it.

Sam again climbed the ropes, but Orso hit a low blow uppercut. They fought on the ropes, and Orso hit a second-rope Crucifix Driver! He hit a doublestomp to the upper back for a believable nearfall at 19:00. Orso set up a door bridge. He hit a second-rope doublestomp to the upper back, sending Stackhouse through the door bridge for a believable nearfall. KJ threw a chair at Sam’s head at 21:00, and he hit a headscissors takedown, spiking Sam’s head onto the mat, for another nearfall. Another door bridge was erected. KJ climbed to the top of the cage, but Sam threw a chair at KJ’s face. Sam hit a second-rope piledriver through the door bridge at 23:00, and the door exploded, earning a “holy shit!” chant. Sam got a two-count, but he pulled KJ up before the pin!

Stackhouse got a roll of duct tape and tied KJ’s right wrist to the middle rope. Someone opened the door and handed Sam a hard, wooden chair. Sam repeatedly jabbed a wood shard into KJ’s forehead! Someone tossed the Fuego Del Sol mask into the ring! Sam put it over KJ’s head, and KJ shook his head, trying to remove it. Sam cracked a chair over Orso’s head at 26:30. Sam left the cage to win the match. A violent match, but this feud has built to this level of violence, so I’m more okay with it.

Sam Stackhouse defeated KJ Orso in a steel cage match at 27:04.

* Footage aired of the Matt Cardona-Shotzi Blackheart feud. Cardona came to the ring as the last pieces of the cage and the reassembly of the ring were taking place. “All hail the deathmatch king! Show me some respect,” Cardona said. Cardona made fun of Effy for not being here because of a sore knee, and he called Effy “a f—en pu$$y.” He said promoter Brett Lauderdale should hand him the GCW Title because he never got a title rematch. “I am going to squash Man Like DeReiss quicker than Brock Lesnar just squashed John Cena at Wrestlepalooza!” he said.

2. Matt Cardona vs. Man Like DeReiss. I’ll reiterate that Brit star DeReiss just made his ROH TV debut on Thursday. He wore his Progress World Title around his neck. DeReiss had his never-ending intro, so Cardona finally attacked him from behind, and we’re underway! Cardona nailed the Radio Silence (leaping Fame-asser), then two more, for a nearfall at 1:30. DeReiss hit his kip-up stunner and a 619, then a top-rope 450 Splash for the pin! “Oh my god!” Castle exclaimed. Just seconds earlier, he noted, “This hasn’t been Matt Cardona’s month.” DeReiss ‘crowd-surfed’ out of the ring. “They are carrying him off like it’s the end of ‘Rudy,'” Mosely said. FUNNY.

Man Like DeReiss defeated Matt Cardona at 1:56. 

* Footage aired of the excellent Oro (Mensah)-Marcus Mathers match in Mesa, Ariz., from 24 hours ago.

3. Jack Cartwheel vs. Oro (Mensah) Annan. Both men were in the top two matches of the Friday show, but both lost. They shook hands before the bell. An intense lockup to open and friendly reversals, as both are babyfaces. Jack targeted the left arm. He hit a headscissors takedown and a cartwheel-into-a-kneedrop to the chest at 2:00. Oro hit a springboard dropkick for a nearfall. Oro hit a twisting uranage off the ropes at 4:00. Oro hit a rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall, and he tied Jack in a bodyscissors lock around the waist. He mockingly did a cartwheel and kicked Jack in the chest at 6:30. Jack hit a running neckbreaker and his cartwheel powerslam, then a Crucifix Driver for a nearfall.

Oro hit a spin kick to the cheek and a clothesline for a nearfall. They traded Dragon Suplexes, and Oro hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall at 8:30. Jack hit a German Suplex. Oro hit a T-Bone Suplex into the corner, and they were both down. Jack hit a cartwheel doublestomp for a nearfall at 10:30. Oro dove through the ropes onto Jack. In the ring, Oro hit a running spinning leg lariat in the corner for a nearfall, and he was frustrated that he didn’t win there. Jack hit his rolling Death Valley Driver on the ring apron at 12:30, then a dive to the floor (my picture froze a bit during this spot.) In the ring, Jack hit a top-rope moonsault Phoenix Splash for the pin. Awesome finish to a very good match.

Jack Cartwheel defeated Oro Annan at 13:07.

* Shotzi Blackheart came to the ring in street clothes. She has a soft, black cast over her left wrist now. She was disappointed that she couldn’t face Effy for the GCW title tonight. She wants Effy to be fully healthy when they face (my issue keeps freezing, and sure enough, as I started to type this sentence, we lost the signal from the building. Ugh. It’s been a while since Triller TV has had an issue like this.) It came back on within a minute or so. Atticus Cogar was in the ring and was berating her, saying how unfair it was that she could just walk into GCW and get a world title shot, just like that. “Unlike these people, Shotzi, I see through you,” Cogar said. “And you’re only here because even the Fed saw through your bullshit.” She slapped him, so he grabbed her. Vipress ran into the ring for the save, and our next match is underway!

4. Vipress vs. Atticus Cogar in an intergender match. I started the stopwatch on first contact. She hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor on him, then whipped Atticus into the crowd. He got a door and shoved it into the ring, and some chairs. She got a trash can and hit him over the head at 2:30. She went to the back and came back on a bicycle and rammed it into the trash can over Cogar’s head. They got in the ring for the first time, and she got a nearfall. (We never did get a bell; this is why I start the stopwatch at first contact!) He got out his cooking skewers, but she stole them and jabbed them into his head. She hit a second-rope Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall.

Atticus placed her head on an open chair and hit a running kick on it for a nearfall at 5:00. Vipress put him on her shoulders and hit a forward Finlay Roll into the corner. She missed a frogsplash and crashed through a door bridge. He hit an Air Raid Crash onto the horizontal door for a nearfall, then the Brain Hemorrhage (LA Knight-style snapmare driver) onto the horizontal door for the pin. Okay action.

Atticus Cogar defeated Vipress at 6:53.

Shotzi jumped in the ring, but he jabbed the cooking skewers into her forehead! Out of the back came Krule! I don’t recall him in GCW before. He hit his full nelson faceplant on Cogar.

5. Marcus Mathers vs. 1 Called Manders. I’ll reiterate this is the seventh Mathers’ match I’ve seen in nine days; yes, the Evolve match was taped, but he’s keeping an insane schedule. Both men won their respective matches on Friday. They shook hands before locking up, and Manders backed him into a corner. Mathers hit some chops and a flying forearm, then a dropkick at 1:30. Marcus hit a top-rope twisting crossbody block and a mule kick to the jaw. Manders dropped him with one hard chop; Marcus got up and Manders hit another chop to knock him back down. Marcus hit a series of chops. Marcus shoved him shoulder-first into the corner at 5:00, and Manders immediately sold pain in his arm.

Mathers hit a second-rope fadeaway stunner, then a deadlift German Suplex for a nearfall. Manders hit a clothesline into the corner and an Oklahoma Stamped (bulldog powerslam) for a nearfall at 7:00. Marcus hit a Lungblower move on the right arm, and he went for a Fujiwara Armbar. Manders hit a clothesline. He charged but fell through the ropes to the floor. Marcus nailed a flip dive over the ropes onto Manders. They got back into the ring, and Marcus hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 9:00. Manders hit a second-rope Oklahoma Stampede for a nearfall! Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw, then a spin kick to the head, then another. Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline, then a second one, for the pin. Awesome match.

1 Called Manders defeated Marcus Mathers at 11:48.

6. Frankie Kazarian vs. Jordan Oliver. A nice video package aired before the ring introductions. Kazarian has appeared on a few past LA shows. A nice pop for both men. Jordan was clearly fired up, and they opened in an intense lockup. Oliver is a bit taller, but my guess is Kazarian has a slight weight advantage. They traded armdrags and had a standoff at 2:00. Oliver hit a basement dropkick. Emil noted Kazarian has been in AEW, TNA, and even a handful of WWF Velocity matches (yes, I remember that!) Kazarian hit some chops and punches. Oliver hit his twisting crossbody block at 4:00.

Oliver sat on the top turnbuckle, but Kazarian pushed him to the floor. He brought Oliver back into the ring and was in charge. He hit a hard clothesline that dropped Oliver at 7:00. He tied up Jordan on the mat. Oliver hit his own clothesline for a nearfall. He hit a double-chop and was fired up, hitting a discus clothesline and a buzzsaw kick for a nearfall at 9:30. Kazarian hit a springboard leg drop for a nearfall. Oliver hit a Falcon Arrow, then a German Suplex for a nearfall at 12:00. Frankie hit a guillotine leg drop in the ropes and got a nearfall. He flipped Oliver into the ring and hit a slingshot stunner for a nearfall, and he went for a crossface chickenwing! However, Oliver did the Bret Hart-Roddy Piper finish, pushing off the turnbuckles, flipped over Kazarian, and got the pin.

Jordan Oliver defeated Frankie Kazarian at 13:47.

* Oliver got on the mic and said, “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for professional wrestling.” He thanked Kazarian for making “seven-hour flights” to put this town on the map. (What takes seven hours? Going to England? I checked… Mexico City to Toronto for MJF was only five hours!) Kazarian then got on the mic and thanked the fans.

7. Bear Bronson vs. Mance Warner. This is Bronson’s debut in this venue; he’s only appeared on GCW’s shows on the East Coast. The ref got knocked down! They immediately started brawling, and Bear dove through the ropes onto him. Bear started to drink a beer, but Mance struck him, and they continued fighting on the floor. Bear had fans hold Mance’s arms while he punched Warner in the forehead. Warner hit a chairshot to the back at 3:00, then threw the chair at him; I really hate that. (The picture started freezing again; as far as production goes, this is the worst streaming show GCW has had this year.) The ref got in the ring, too, and we had a bell at 4:39 to “officially begin!”

Bronson hit some chair shots on Mance. Mance hit a top-rope superplex across four open chairs for a nearfall at 7:00. Mance hit a spear, sending Bear through a door in the corner, but Bronson popped to his feet, and he hit a spear, sending Mance through another door! Mance popped to his feet and they traded chops. Bronson hit a clothesline and a Bulldog Powerslam on an open chair for a nearfall, and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. They traded punches while on their knees. They took turns hitting each other over the head with door shards.

Mance hit a HARD unprotected chair shot to the top of the head. “What are we doing here?” Jordan shouted. (I entirely agree, but for an entirely different reason. That was just gross.) The crowd chanted, “Fight forever!” Mance threw another chair at his head, then a tornado DDT through a door in the corner at 12:30, then a running knee to the chin for a nearfall. Bronson hit a sit-out piledriver but only got a one-count. Bear hit a Black Hole Slam, then a Choke Bomb, for the clean pin! That was a good, hard-hitting match, but we really did NOT need those unprotected blows to the head. They drank beers together, and Castle said it’s how Mance shows a sign of respect.

Bear Bronson defeated Mance Warner at 13:46/official time of 9:07.

8. Starboy Charlie vs. Joey Janela. Fast reversals to open with neither man getting an advantage.  Charlie hit a dropkick at 1:30 and a plancha to the floor. Joey dove through the ropes onto Charlie. Charlie hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor on Joey. In the ring, Joey hit a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. Joey hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall and a diving elbow to the spine at 4:00. Charlie hit some leaping clotheslines and a headscissors takedown. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver at 7:00, and he slid a door into the ring. Charlie hit a uranage and a standing Cosmic Swirl for a nearfall.

Janela hit an F5, got to his feet, and hopped back and forth (a la Lesnar.) He hit another F5, and the crowd began booing as he hit a third and fourth. The commentators talked about the Cena-Lesnar match, but they hadn’t seen it yet. Joey finally got a nearfall at 9:30. Charlie hit a shotgun dropkick that sent Joey backwards through a door in the corner. Charlie hit a top-rope Cosmic Swirl splash for a nearfall. Charlie missed a Shooting Starboy Press but landed on his feet, and he hit a Pele Kick. Joey went for a package piledriver, but Charlie escaped. Joey hit a superkick. Charlie hit a Poison Rana; Joey hit a German Suplex at 11:30, and they were both down.

Charlie got up and hit a series of chops. Joey hit a rolling forearm strike that dropped Charlie. Charlie hit a flip dive to the floor, but Joey caught him and hit a powerbomb onto the ring apron, then a piledriver on the hard floor at 13:30! They got back into the ring. Joey put a door over Charlie and hit a top-rope kneedrop onto the door for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope superplex; Charlie hit a huracanrana, and he pulled down the straps of his bib overalls. Charlie hit some spin kicks to Joey’s head. Joey hit a superkick. Charlie hit a Sliced Bread out of the corner, then the Shooting Starboy Press for the pin. (We once again had some screen freezing issues right as this match was wrapping up.)

Starboy Charlie defeated Joey Janela at 15:58. 

9. Matt Tremont vs. Dr. Redacted for the GCW Ultraviolent Title. We have garbage cans, glass panes, and other weapons in the ring before the bell. Tremont immediately shoved a gusset plate into Redacted’s head. He whipped Redacted into a glass pane in the corner at 1:30, and it shattered everywhere, and Redacted was dripping blood. Gross. They brawled to the floor, where Redacted hit a running cannonball onto a seated Tremont at 4:00. Redacted hit a flying elbow drop to the back as Tremont was on a door bridge. They got into the ring, where Redacted hit a kick that sent Tremont through a glass pane at 6:30. Redacted then hit an elbow drop for a nearfall.

Redacted got a barbed-wire-covered box, but Tremont slammed Redacted onto it. Tremont speared Redacted through a door, but Tremont hit a DVD through a door. Tremont’s head was entirely covered in blood. Just gross. He set up a large glass pane in the corner and wiped his blood on it. Redacted put a plastic bag over Tremont’s head, but Tremont still ran backwards into the glass pane, sending Redacted into the glass. Tremont hit another Death Valley Driver. He hit a second-rope frogsplash onto a glass pane over Redacted’s chest for the pin. Violent and bloody… and this crowd loved it.

Matt Tremont defeated Dr. Redacted to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 11:20. 

Final Thoughts: A LOT to like here. I give Oro-Cartwheel best match, then Oliver-Kazarian, then Mathers-Manders, with Charlie-Janela earning honorable mention. But I can totally see someone who loves the deathmatch and hardcore style saying Bronson-Warner was best, Tremont-Redacted second, and the cage match third. Point being, there was quite a variety of wrestling on this show to please just about everyone. That said, notably missing was a high-flying multi-man lucha match that has often been a staple of these LA shows.

I don’t know if anyone is making an “indy feud of the year” list, but Stackhouse-Orso would be a top contender. Each chapter of the feud has built on the prior chapter, as it has ramped up to the payoff of this violent cage match here. Give them all the credit for putting so much time into planning and the character work to make this feud shine.

I will never understand the blows to the head when we have learned so much about concussions and long-term problems later in life, but I’ll move on today. So, the biggest drawback of this show was a persistent problem with the stream freezing; this isn’t a problem on my end, either. There were key moments late in two matches that were deeply interrupted by a less-than-stellar video stream.