By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “Ransom”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
March 8, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, at Thalia Hall
This venue has become a regular stop for GCW, and the lighting is pretty good. The attendance was maybe 400. Dave Prazak and John Mosely provided commentary. I miss Prazak on commentary, so it’s always good to hear him when they are in Chicago.
* Due to travel issues, Bear Bronson announced once again that he was unable to make it. Not trying to discuss a political discussion here, but the longer Congress goes without passing funding for the Department of Homeland Security, the more problems like this we are going to see — a lack of TSA employees at airports is going to lead to more and more cancellations. Obviously, this isn’t just an issue for wrestlers trying to make shows — it’s going to start affecting anyone who travels.
* Like on GCW’s shows on Friday and Saturday, it opened with a video of teenager Brodie Lee Jr. challenging Joey Janela to a match, and Janela responding by beating him up. Joey Janela came to the ring and again cut a heel promo. Finally, local favorite Chico Suave came to the ring; he is a regular at Chicago’s Freelance Wrestling.
1. Joey Janela vs. Chico Suave. Chico charged into the ring, and they immediately brawled. Joey put him in a Camel Clutch at 2:00 and cranked back on Chico’s head. Chico did a Scotty 2 Hotty Worm. Joey got a chair and brought it into the ring. Chico hit a drop-toe-hold onto an open chair at 5:00. He did an Old School tightrope walk (the least-cool move in pro wrestling), but Joey grabbed him off the ropes and hit a Death Valley Driver onto an open chair for a believable nearfall.
Chico dove through the ropes and barreled onto Janela. In the ring, Joey hit a superkick for a nearfall. Chico hit an Angle Slam for a nearfall at 7:00, but he missed a moonsault. Janela nailed a discus clothesline for a nearfall, but he pulled Chico up at the two-count and was booed. He put Chico in a Sharpshooter, and Chico tapped out. Joey kept it locked in, and the crowd booed. “There is no need for any of this!” Prazak shouted. Ref Dan Perch informed the ringside attendant that he had reversed the decision and awarded the win to Chico!
Chico Suave defeated Joey Janela via DQ at 8:37.
* Janela attacked Chico after the bell and jabbed a piece of a chair in Chico’s mouth!
* Footage aired of the VNDL 48 vs. Second Gear Crew match on Saturday, which featured the return of Mance Warner and Steph De Lander. Effy didn’t let the match end because he wanted to keep beating down the heels, and it backfired, and they lost. This keeps the storyline going that everything Effy is trying to accomplish is backfiring.
2. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini vs.”The Brothers of Funstruction” Yabo the Clown and Ruffo the Clown. I had it on in the background, but I didn’t watch. They used cotton candy, popcorn, and rubber chickens — the usual cartoonish of the BoF matches. ViF hit the Chasing the Dragon (spin kick-and-brainbuster combo) for the pin.
“Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated “The Brothers of Funstruction” Yabo the Clown and Ruffo the Clown at 9:09.
3. Gavin Ash vs. Ryan O’Neill vs. Jack Cartwheel vs. Terry Yaki vs. Marcus Mathers vs. Bobby Flaco. I wrote their names in order of introduction, with the arm-pumping dork Flaco coming out last. He hit a missile dropkick to enter the ring, and we’re underway! A lot of talent in here, including two WWE ID prospects. Yaki and Flaco — who have teamed the last two nights — traded offense. Teenager Ash hit a rolling cannonball on Yaki. Mathers hit a dropkick on Ash at 1:30 and a step-up mule kick. Mathers and Cartwheel traded some quick reversals.
Jack hit his slingshot elbow drop for a nearfall. O’Neill hit a crossbody block and a stunner on Mathers for a nearfall. Jack set up for his Sasuke Special, but Yaki cut him off. Flaco stomped on Yaki in the corner. Yaki hit his Canadian Destroyer out of the ropes on Flaco for a nearfall at 4:00. Jack and Marcus traded chops. Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick. Jack hit a huracanrana. This has been an awesome sprint, and we got a “GCW!” chant.
O’Neill hit a stunner on Yaki. Mathers hit a stunner. Ash hit an Os Cutter on Mathers. Jack did a cartwheel-into-a-stunner. Referee Dan Perch hit a stunner on Bobby Flaco to turn babyface — loud ovation for that silliness. Suddenly, everyone was down. Flaco, Mathers, and Cartwheel traded chops. Everyone hit superkicks on Flaco at 7:30. Yaki and O’Neill hit stereo dives to the floor on everyone else. In the ring, Mathers hit a Spanish Fly from one corner, and Jack hit one from the opposite corner.
Mathers hit his second-rope Canadian Destroyer on Jack at 9:00. Ryan hit a top-rope stunner on Flaco. Jack hit a springboard Phoenix Splash, then the Sasuke Special to the floor! Ash hit a springboard Shooting Star Press to the floor onto everyone! In the ring, Ash went for a Shooting Star Press, but Yaki got his knees up to block it. Yaki immediately hit a Sabin-style Cradle Shock to pin Ash. That was an absolute blast — one of the best scrambles I’ve seen this year.
Terry Yaki defeated Gavin Ash, Ryan O’Neill, Jack Cartwheel, Marcus Mathers, and Bobby Flaco at 10:30.
4. Nate Webb vs. Dr. Redacted. “Nate Webb has been doing this a long time,” Prazak said, as Nate danced through the crowd to Wheatus’ “Teenage Dirtbag.” Webb brought a bag of McDonald’s food and placed it in the corner. The loser has to pay for dinner! They opened the bags, and it turned out they had gusset plates in them. They brawled to the floor and shared beers with fans while brawling. They got in the ring, and Webb hit a ‘chair-sault’ onto Redacted on a door bridge at 9:00. Redacted sprayed mist in Webb’s eyes, rolled him up, and scored a pin. They were in the ring for less than a minute!
Dr. Redacted defeated Nate Webb at 9:22.
* Webb got on the mic and thanked the fans, saying this weekend was his 27th anniversary as a pro wrestler. (Again, I first saw him live in 2004 in IWA Mid-South, and I knew he wasn’t a new wrestler then!)
* Footage aired of Effy snapping on multiple occasions lately. Effy came to the ring. He was slated to face Beastman, who couldn’t make it. Emil Jay suggested he take the night off, but Effy wants to fight! He made an open challenge. Security came out, but he refused to leave. Parrow, who was serving as security, grabbed him. Several guys carried Effy to the back.
5. “Bustah & The Brain” Jordan Oliver and Alec Price vs. Davey Bang and August Matthews vs. “The Outbreak” Abel Booker and Jacksyn Crowley (w/Barnabus) vs. “Unsigned & Don’t Care” Gary Jay and Anakin Murphy in a four-way for the GCW Tag Team Titles. Again, The Outbreak are zombies, looking like they are from The Walking Dead, and you can’t tell them apart. “Weirdness prevails on your screen right now,” Prazak said as the cameras focused on the zombies. Everyone was hesitant to lock up with them. The Outbreak tossed the champs to the floor. The zombies fell to the mat but got up in the spider-crawl position, and that freaked everyone out.
The Outbreak beat up Anakin. Anakin got a staple gun, but it did not affect the zombies! Gary Jay hit a swinging Flatliner at 2:30. Bang hit his Doomsday axe kick. Jordan & Oliver jumped back in and brawled with Bang & Matthews, hitting stereo clotheslines. Murphy hit a DDT on Bang. Matthews leapt onto several guys on the floor at 4:30. Davey hit a top-rope corkscrew dive onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Bang hit Spears Tower on Gary Jay for a nearfall.
Oliver hit a sideslam on the ring apron. Elsewhere, Price also hit a powerbomb on the ring apron on Gary. The Outbreak hit a Tower of Doom powerbomb and a frog splash for a nearfall. Jay and Murphy hit some team offense on Matthews and got a nearfall at 8:30. Murphy hit an enzuigiri on a zombie. The zombies hit a Team 3D on Jay! Price & Oliver hit stereo Mafia Kicks. Bang hit a double headscissors takedown on the champs. Alec and Davey traded kicks. Jordan hit a dropkick at 10:30, and he was fired up. The champs hit their wheelbarrow team slam on a zombie for the pin. Fun match.
“Bustah & The Brain” Jordan Oliver and Alec Price defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews, “The Outbreak” Abel Booker and Jacksyn Crowley, and “Unsigned & Don’t Care” Gary Jay and Anakin Murphy in a four-way to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 11:02.
6. Atticus Cogar vs. Gringo Loco for the GCW World Title. Loco is a Chicago native and got a nice pop. He threw several chairs into the ring before getting in. The crowd chanted expletives at Cogar at the bell. No teammates with Atticus at the start, we’ll see if that changes. He threw a chair at Loco at the bell. They brawled to the floor, and Loco was bleeding from that chairshot. In the ring, Cogar bit at the cut and was in charge. They again brawled at ringside. The blood was dripping into Loco’s eyes. Loco suplexed Cogar onto the entrance ramp at 4:30.
In the ring, Atticus hit a superkick and a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 7:00. Loco hit a split-legged moonsault for a nearfall. Atticus slid a chair into Loco’s knee, then he kicked the chair into Loco’s head for a nearfall at 9:30. Loco hit a Styles Clash onto some chairs for a nearfall at 11:00. Loco set up a door bridge on the floor. This took forever to set up these structures. Loco finally hit a top-rope Swanton Bomb onto Atticus, who was lying on the door bridge on the floor, at 16:30, and that earned a “GCW!” chant.
In the ring, Loco hit a top-rope Spanish Fly for a nearfall at 18:30. Atticus cracked door debris over Loco’s head. They fought on the ropes in the corner. Atticus hit a second-rope Air Raid Crash onto the pile of debris for a nearfall at 21:00, and the crowd popped for the kickout. Atticus got some cooking skewers. He pushed cooking skewers into Loco’s head. He dragged Loco’s (wife, or girlfriend, or possibly his daughter?) into the ring and was going to push them into her head! The crowd was horrified! (Prazak only said “she” and didn’t identify the relationship.)
Loco hit a low blow to save her, and he hit a piledriver for a nearfall. Loco now pushed skewers into Cogar’s head. His wife hit a DDT on Atticus! Loco made a cover for a nearfall at 23:30. Loco went to the top rope, but Atticus pushed the woman into the middle of the ring. Loco accidentally hit a moonsault onto her! Atticus hit the Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) for the pin. It was then announced that Cogar will face Hayabusa in Las Vegas.
Atticus Cogar defeated Gringo Loco to retain the GCW World Title at 24:30.
7. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Vipress. Basic reversals to open, and Shotzi pushed her face-first into the turnbuckles and hit a 619. She hit a snap suplex on the ring apron at 1:30. They fought at ringside. Vipress dropped Shotzi face-first onto a chair on the floor, then she hit a suplex on the floor. Shotzi got up on the stage and set up for a dive, but she was attacked by Otis Cogar and Christian Napier at 4:00! Otis powerbombed Shotzi from the stage onto several people below (who safely caught her).
Shotzi Blackheart vs. Vipress went to a draw at 4:00.
* Otis got in the ring and on the mic and complained about Bear Bronson not showing up to face him. He issued a challenge to “any men” in the back. Shotzi and Vipress attacked them, and they demanded a deathmatch, right now!
8. Shotzi Blackheart and Vipress vs. Otis Cogar and Christian Napier in a deathmatch. The women threw chairs at their opponents’ faces. They placed chairs over the men’s groins and hit them with another chair. They hit stereo huracanranas that sent the heels to the floor. Someone brought a pane of glass to the ring. A ladder was already in the ring. Napier dove through the ring and hit a flip dive onto Shotzi, who was against a door at 5:00.
They all brawled at ringside. They got back into the ring, and they bodyslamed Shotzi onto a chair at 6:30. Napier hit a Bronco Buster on each woman in opposite corners. Otis had a blade, and he cut into Shotzi’s forehead as she was against the ropes at 8:30. Otis carried a barbed-wire-covered door and slid it into the ring. Otis put a woman on each shoulder, but they escaped! The women hit team spears to send Otis flying into the barbed-wire door in the corner at 10:30!
The women got staple guns, which they used on their opponents’ groins. Shotzi stapled a dollar bill on Napier’s arm at 12:00. Vipress hit a rolling DVD, sending Napier onto Otis in the corner. The men hit stereo back suplexes for nearfalls. Napier set up some glass panes in the ring. (Setting up these structures takes so long, it just kills any flow to the match.) Shotzi hit a huracanrana to flip Otis onto the glass pane bridge. It shattered, and she got a nearfall at 16:30. Vipress also slammed Christian. The men hit stereo low blows, which the women actually sold. Otis powerbombed Shotzi through a glass pane bridge for the pin.
Otis Cogar and Christian Napier defeated Shotzi Blackheart and Vipress at 17:21.
* The men continued to beat up Shotzi and Vipress. The crowd booed and threw garbage at them. Journey played, and Matt Tremont came out and beat up the heels. Napier wants a match against Tremont, and if Matt loses, he must retire!
* A final scary video was shown from a field somewhere. Slade wants a match against Effy!
Final Thoughts: First, let’s hit on an important positive — GCW ran three shows over the weekend in three different cities, and they drew good-sized crowds at each event. The Kentucky show was a new venue, but GCW seemed to match or top attendance in both Ohio and Chicago. I’ve always said that GCW has its own niche — and that includes deathmatches and intergender action to go along with some dazzling high-flying and rising stars.
The dazzling scramble was top-notch. Obviously, I’m not a fan of Flaco, but everyone else in that match is really, really good. Mathers literally just got back days ago from a six-week excursion in Japan. Cartwheel has been wrestling in Mexico. Yaki has been competing from Atlanta to New York for months.
Cogar-Loco earns second, although it could have been tighter. Maybe set up some of those structures before the bell so it doesn’t slow down the action. GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale has made Cogar as their champion, the face of the promotion. But I don’t see any other promotion using Cogar in a major role, and he’s certainly not making a lot of “guys WWE or AEW should sign” lists. Point being, to me, he’s not the guy to build around, but he is less likely to leave for a bigger promotion.
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