By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “Ashes to Ashes”
March 14, 2026, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at The Showboat
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
They were in the drab, gray old bus barn. The lighting was good, and the attendance was maybe 400. It’s been a few months since they’ve been back in their home! John Mosely and Emil Jay provided commentary. Emil said there are four deathmatches on this eight-match show, which means a lot of fast-forwarding for me.
* The show opened with footage of Marko Stunt’s debut here six years ago. Tonight, Marko “says goodbye” to pro wrestling. Again, he previously announced he is already retired and no longer wrestling. We’ll see…
1. Blake Christian vs. Marcus Mathers. Blake had just one or two GCW appearances last year (he’s really cut back on his non-ROH/AEW schedule) and he got LOUDLY booed. For me, THIS is the main event — this is the match I tuned in for. (I like that if you’re not going on last, you’re going on first. Set the tempo of the show.) I’ll reiterate that Mathers JUST returned from a six-week Japan excursion, where he had 20 matches for Dragon Gate. Standing switches to open. Emil got on commentary and noted this “could be a main event anywhere in the country.”
Quick reversals, and Blake relaxed in the corner. I see Blake is 2-0 in prior singles matches between them. Mathers hit a running kick in the corner, and a mule kick at 2:00, and Blake rolled to the floor. So, Mathers hit a baseball slide dropkick onto him, and they fought at ringside. In the ring, Blake hit a dropkick, and he dove through the ropes onto Mathers. The crowd chanted expletives at Blake. Blake whipped Marcus into rows of chairs. They got back into the ring, and Blake was in charge, choking Mathers in the ropes.
Mathers hit a flip dive to the floor at 4:30, crashing onto Blake. Blake hit a Dragon Suplex on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Christian was in charge and kept Marcus grounded. He hit a half-nelson suplex in the ring, then a second one at 7:30, then a Dragon Suplex for a nearfall. Blake set up for a Dragon Suplex on the floor, but Mathers blocked it. Mathers hit a Canadian Destroyer onto a horizontal door on the floor, and they were both down at 9:30. In the ring, Mathers hit his corner fadeaway stunner, then a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall.
Mathers hit a swinging faceplant for a nearfall at 11:00; Emil called it a “Bozo Buster.” Blake hit a Pele Kick; Marcus hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick to the jaw. Mathers caught Blake and hit a German Suplex, but Blake hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly. Mathers hit a Poison Rana and another corner fadeaway stunner. Blake grabbed the ref and hit a Davey Bang-style Spears Tower on Mathers! The crowd went nuts for that spot. They were both down at 13:00. They sat up and traded chops while on their knees, then while standing.
Blake hit a superkick and a Lethal Injection. He set up for a dive, but Blake hit him with a door. Blake dove through the door anyway, pushing the door into Mathers. In the ring, Blake hit his step-up stomp to the head for a believable nearfall at 16:00. They traded rollups. Mathers hit a dropkick. Blake went for a handspring move, but Mathers dropkicked him. Blake got a hammerlock, rolled him up, and scored a flash, clean pin! Yeah, that was awesome.
Blake Christian defeated Marcus Mathers at 16:52.
* A video aired of Effy’s latest misadventures, as he has repeatedly lost his cool of late after losing matches. Footage aired of Effy arriving at the building, but he was informed he was not supposed to be here today! Ref Scarlett Donovan told him to take a break. Parrow escorted him from the building.
2. Alec Price vs. Gary Jay. I know Price’s tag partner, Jordan Oliver, is at Awesome Championship Wrestling, so he’s not here to accompany Alec. Some fast-paced standing switches and a standoff. Gary dove onto Alec on the floor at 2:30. In the ring, Gary hit a short-arm clothesline for a one-count. He hit some chops and was in charge, and he kept Alec grounded. Alec nailed a Rebound Lariat at 5:30, and they were both down. Price hit a top-rope double stomp for a nearfall.
Gary hit a swinging Flatliner for a nearfall. Price came off the ropes, but Gary caught him with a forearm strike. Gary hit a DVD into the corner for a nearfall at 7:30. They traded forearm strikes on the ring apron. Price hit a powerbomb on the apron, then a dive through the ropes onto Gary. In the ring, Price hit his springboard Blockbuster for the pin. Really good action.
Alec Price defeated Gary Jay at 9:15.
* A long break as they set up for the first of FOUR deathmatches. (Seriously, one is fine, two should be the max.) Light tube structures were set up in each corner. Yeah, I’m out.
3. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Vipress in a deathmatch. I fast-forwarded. Murdoch hit a brainbuster onto an open chair for the pin. They were both covered in blood, and the ring was covered in light tube shards.
John Wayne Murdoch defeated Vipress at 13:08.
4. Don Freeze vs. Logan Cavazos vs. Anakin Murphy vs. Ray Jaz vs. Terry Yaki vs. Juni Underwood in a scramble. Logan is a young kid with short blond hair; he was on the Midwest shows last week. They all tried a dropkick early on. Effy came to the ring and jumped in at 1:00; the crowd chanted “Let him fight!” Security pulled Effy from the ring and escorted him to the back. “It’s just getting hard to watch,” Mosely said. The action in the ring continued. Juni and Logan hit stereo dives through the ropes. Yaki hit a double-missile dropkick on both guys back in the ring, then a tornado DDT on Juni at 3:00.
Freeze missed a moonsault, but he hit a spinning back suplex on Yaki. The crowd popped for the agility of the 300+ pounder Freeze. (He is going to dazzle crowds the first time they see him.) Juni put Logan in the Tree of Woe and dropkicked him. Jaz hit a German Suplex on Anakin and a few other guys. He hit a German Suplex on Freeze at 5:00! Jaz hit a running somersault off the apron onto several guys on the floor. Juni hit a Doomsday double crossbody block at 6:30. Anakin grabbed a gusset plate and jabbed it into his own head. (Why????)
Murphy used a staple gun on Juni’s cheek! He stapled Jaz in the groin. He used the staple gun on everyone else, too. He hit a second-rope Trustfall onto everyone on the floor. Logan hit a flip dive to the floor onto everyone at 8:30. Freeze hit a springboard dive onto everyone. In the ring, Logan hit a piledriver on Yaki. Freeze hit a moonsault! Jaz scooped up Freeze and hit a DVD at 10:00. Murphy hit a stunner. Juni hit a superkick on Anakin and spun him to the mat for a nearfall. Juni hit a half-nelson suplex on Logan. Yaki hit a Canadian Destroyer on Juni, then a DVD on Logan for the pin. Good action.
Terry Yaki defeated Don Freeze, Logan Cavazos, Anakin Murphy, Ray Jaz, and Juni Underwood at 10:57 in a scramble.
5. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Mr. Danger in a deathmatch. Danger brought a ladder wrapped in barbed wire with him to the ring. Both bled a lot. Mr. Danger hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash onto a bundle of light tubes on Lloyd’s chest for the pin.
Mr. Danger defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 9:45.
* Marko Stunt came to the ring for his retirement ceremony, with his wrestling boots tied around his neck. A longer video package aired of his career. He got on the mic, and he talked about receiving a message from GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale, asking him to come to a show, and how that changed his life. “I went from traveling around in the South to traveling 17 hours to New York. From that night, I was able to be paid to live my dream. And that never, ever would have happened if it weren’t for GCW.” He noted that GCW is making “the stars of tomorrow.”
Stunt talked about his back, neck, and hips being messed up. “As much as I wish this was a ruse, I legitimately can’t do this anymore,” he said. Marko thanked Lauderdale, then Joey Janela. He went to set down his boots in the ring. Emil Jay handed a huge, oversized card to Marko, and they hugged. KJ Orso stormed to the ring and hugged Marko; the crowd booed him. Orso got on the mic and said, “This isn’t about me; this is about Marko Stunt.” KJ said Marko has been a friend to him for years.
Orso said, “It’s a damn shame you aren’t finishing your career the way you want to, kicking ass in front of all these people.” Orso said it has also been great to see him become a father. They hugged again. Orso left the ring, and Stunt set his boots in the ring. However, Orso raced back into the ring and hit a stomp to the back of Stunt’s head!
Sam Stackhouse ran to the ring; he threw KJ against the ropes, and KJ bailed to the floor. Stackhouse helped Stunt to his feet, but then he hit a sit-out piledriver on him! “I can’t believe what I just saw,” Emil said. KJ ripped up Stunt’s card and threw the pieces at him. Stackhouse and Orso hugged! (How? After the fighting over the past year?) The crowd chanted profanities at them.
6. Atticus Cogar vs. Slade in a deathmatch for the GCW World Title. Doors were set up in the corners of the ring. Cogar pushed cooking skewers into Slade’s head. Slade pushed some into his own head. Cogar hit a Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) for the pin.
Atticus Cogar defeated Slade in a deathmatch to retain the GCW World Title at 12:07.
* Joey Janela came to the ring. He wants to sign a contract with 14-year-old Brodie Lee Jr. for their match in Las Vegas.
7. Otis Cogar vs. Conor Claxton in a deathmatch for the Ultraviolent Title. Bundles of light tubes were already set up all over the ring. The ref wore goggles, as the glass will undoubtedly be flying. Otis clocked him over the head with an unprotected chairshot to win the match.
Otis Cogar defeated Conor Claxton in a death match to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 16:49.
* Matt Tremont came to the ring and confronted the Cogars. Christian Napier attacked Tremont from behind and the heels beat him up. John Wayne Murdoch and Vipress ran to the ring to chase them off.
Final Thoughts: The matches I tuned in for — Blake-Mathers, Jay-Price, and the scramble — were all really good, and I’d rank them in that order. Mathers looks like he’s bulked up a bit, and he’s on top of his game. A standout match. The Stunt-Orso angle was well done. I’m not sure if that is leading to one final match for Marko, or if it’s just another means of getting heat on Orso. Stackhouse reuniting with Orso makes no sense, but everyone knows they are good friends and travel buddies.
I didn’t watch much of the four deathmatches, so I won’t comment on them. GCW is back in action here on Sunday afternoon.
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