By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
I simply won’t have time to watch both the ACW show from upstate New York or the GCW show from suburban St. Louis from Saturday night, so here are the top matches from both shows.
Awesome Championship Wrestling “Reckoning” in Poughkeepsie, New York, at the MJN Convention Center on May 16, 2026 (Triller+)
They always draw well here, and I won’t contest their claim of 1,300 here. Lighting is just so-so. In matches I didn’t watch, Crowbar, “The Righteous” Dutch and Vincent, and Zack Clayton were in action.
A scramble gauntlet match for the No. 1 contendership. Not sure the rules here; we know it’s five men, including one mystery participant. Brian Cage came out first and Alexander Hammerstone came out second. What physiques! They took turns flexing. “There is so much genetic freakism in the ring right now,” a commentator said. I didn’t hear a bell; Hammerstone attacked from behind, and they traded shoulder blocks as we got the “meat!” chants. Cruiserweight and ROH vet Flip Gordon was No. 3. He hit a springboard Sling Blade on Cage, then a springboard dropkick on Hammerstone. Flip tried chopping Cage, who just made his chest shake.
Mance Warner was No. 4 at 3:00. So as expected, the mystery man is last. Mance hit some jab punches on Cage. A commentator just confirmed this is a one-fall match. Hammerstone came up well short on a Mafia Kick on Warner, so he instead hit a series of clotheslines in the corner. (Good on the commentators for saying “Mance backed up” rather than pretending that kick landed.) Joe Clean (he looks like the Mr. Clean bottle) was No. 5. NOPE, the lights went out, so he’s a ruse. The mystery man is Matt Taven! That’s two surprise appearances in two days! He entered the ring at 6:00 and hit a spin kick on Hammerstone.
Matt hit the Just The Tip Of The Knee, then a Lionsault. Cage hit a second-rope superplex. Gordon hit a missile dropkick. Hammerstone hit a standing powerbomb on Flip for a nearfall at 8:00. Mance hit a snapmare driver. Cage flipped Taven and slammed him face-first to the mat. Flip hit an enzuigiri on Cage and a springboard stunner for a nearfall, but Mance hit Flip with a chair. No DQs in a five-way! Mance jabbed the chair onto others, too. Cage hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Mance onto an open chair! Hammerstone hit his pendulum swing slam on Cage! Taven clotheslined himself and Hammerstone to the floor. Flip hit a rolling DVD and a second-rope moonsault on Mance. Flip hit a top-rope moonsault on Mance for the pin! That was all-out action and a good way to use so many big guys.
Flip Gordon defeated Alexander Hammerstone, Matt Taven, Brian Cage, and Mance Warner at 10:58.
* J-Rod, wearing her American Gladiator outfit, came to the ring, and she’s the “special guest timekeeper” for the next match. (I’m sure she won’t get involved at all, right?)
Indi Hartwell and Steph De Lander vs. Vicious Vicki Venuto and Lady Frost. The former NXT duo reunites! SDL is champ here, but of course, the belt isn’t on the line in a tag match. I’ve seen Vicki a few times in recent weeks; her long brown hair goes down to her butt. Frost is SO much shorter than the other three in there. She attacked Indi, and we’re underway! Indi and SDL hit a double clothesline. Steph hit a suplex. Indi planted her foot in Vicki’s throat. Frost and Indi fought on the floor. In the ring, Frost put her in a modified Camel Clutch at 3:00 and threw Indi into her corner. Frost and Vicki worked over Indi.
Frost yanked Steph off the apron so she wasn’t there for a hot tag. Steph finally got a hot tag at 6:00, and she hit some clotheslines on both opponents. She hit a fallaway slam on Frost. De Lander hit an F5, but J-Rod pulled the ref out of the ring! J-Rod struck Steph in the head with the title belt! Lady Frost hit her top-rope corkscrew press for a nearfall. HOWEVER, Vicki pushed teammate Frost off of Steph and stole the pin!
Lady Frost and Vicious Vicki Venuto defeated Indi Hartwell and Steph De Lander at 8:16.
* Shotzi Blackheart appeared on the video screen; she’s actually in Australia right now. She said they all want to be the ACW Women’s champion. She suggested a battle royal on July 18, with the winner becoming the No. 1 contender.
Richard Holliday (w/Ben Bishop) vs. Andrade El Idolo. Andrade wore a “WKC” title belt; I don’t know what that is. An intense lockup to open and a feeling-out process. Andrade snapped Holliday’s arm over his shoulder. Andrade hit a top-rope crossbody block at 4:00, then he clotheslined Holliday to the floor. They fought to the floor. Andrade suplexed Holliday onto the thin mat at ringside at 7:00. He rolled Richard in and got a nearfall. Andrade hit a bodyslam.
Andrade went to the top rope, but Holliday pushed the ref into the ropes, causing Andrade to fall and crash to the mat at 8:30. Holliday took over and stomped on Andrade’s legs. He hit a backbreaker over his knee at 10:30. Holliday put Andrade in a Figure Four leg lock. Andrade fired up and hit a flying forearm at 12:30. He missed a Meteora in the corner, and Holliday immediately hit a back suplex. Seven-footer Ben Bishop snuck in and hit a chokeslam! Holliday hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall at 14:00.
Andrade hit the Three Amigos (rolling suplexes) for a nearfall. He couldn’t land his double moonsault move, but he hit a split-legged moonsault for a nearfall, then a running Meteora for a nearfall at 17:30, but Bishop put Richard’s foot on the ropes. Andrade hit a plancha onto Bishop! Bishop tripped Andrade, but the ref saw it, and he ejected Bishop. Holliday and Andrade traded forearm strikes. Andrade hit his hard back elbow for a believable nearfall, then he hit the double-underhook twisting suplex for the pin. A really strong match.
Andrade El Idolo defeated Richard Holliday at 20:09.
Game Changer Wrestling “Gateway to the Death 3” in Sauget, Illinois, at Pop’s Nightclub, on May 16, 2026 (Triller+)
As the show’s name implies, two deathmatches closed out the event. There were also two other matches featuring deathmatch wrestlers who are in their upcoming “tournament of death” event. I skipped those four matches entirely and watched the other five. Lighting in this nightclub is pretty decent, and the crowd was maybe 300. John Mosely and Emil Jay again provided commentary.
Juni Underwood vs. Terry Yaki vs. Gavin Ash vs. Logan Cavazos vs. Victor Analog vs. Hunter Drake in a scramble. Several of these guys were in a six-man tag on Friday, and like that match, this one opened the show. I’ll reiterate that both Gavin and Logan are scrawny kids; Logan could be in his 20s, but I presume they are both teens. Those two traded some quick reversals, and Ash hit a running Shooting Star Press. Yaki hit a piledriver on Ash. Analog hit a running knee to Yaki’s jaw at 2:00, and he kicked Terry to the floor. Juni tried a triangle crossbody block to the floor but came up a bit short. Juni hit a dive to the floor. Logan hit a top-rope moonsault onto all five guys at 3:30.
Ash hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press to the floor, coming straight down on his head! Luckily, everyone caught him, but it still earned a “Holy Shit!” chant and caused me to jump. In the ring, Juni and Terry hit stereo powerbombs. Hunter flipped three guys from the corner onto two other guys at 5:30 — it was a fun spot, but it defied logic and gravity. Yaki slammed Ash onto the apron. Analog and Logan brawled. Ash hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press while Juni hit a 450 Splash! All six guys now climbed into the ring and brawled. Ash hit a shotgun dropkick. Yaki hit a superkick on Juni. Hunter hit his “Purple Haze” (modified Code Red). Analog hit a brainbuster. Ash hit a superplex on Logan. However, Yaki grabbed Logan, hit a Sabin-style Cradle Shock, and scored the pin. I love GCW scrambles — they are high-energy and get the crowd rolling.
Terry Yaki defeated Juni Underwood, Gavin Ash, Logan Cavazos, Victor Analog, and Hunter Drake at 9:07.
Nixi XS vs. Shazza McKenzie. Both are regulars in the St. Louis-Chicago-Twin Cities triangle; I’ve seen them both wrestle live, and both have been on AEW/ROH TV. They locked up, and Nixi slapped her in the face, then pushed Shaza’s face across her breasts, drawing quite a reaction. Shazza rolled to the floor and got some chairs. She went to swing, but Nixi screamed, so Shazza stopped. Nixi kicked Shazza in the gut and stomped on her. Nixi removed a wrap from her arm and slapped Shazza with it at 2:30. Nixi hit some hard forearm strikes. Shazza hit a running Facewash and got a nearfall.
Shazza hit a suplex for a nearfall at 5:00. She set up some chairs in the ring, but Nixi tossed them aside and got booed! Funny. Nixi hit a Lungblower to the chest for a nearfall, then a DDT for a nearfall at 6:30. Shazza tied her in the ropes and hit some Yes Kicks to the chest as the crowd counted along. Shazza nailed a powerbomb out of the corner for a nearfall. They fought over a chair, and it accidentally hit Nixi across her forehead. Nixi hit a DDT for the pin. A fun match; their familiarity really comes through.
Nixi XS defeated Shazza McKenzie at 8:33.
Mad Dog Connelly vs. Gary Jay. Connelly had his dog collar chain with him. Connelly came out first; he dove onto Gary as Jay approached the ring, and we’re underway! They brawled on the floor. Connelly slammed him against the edge of the ring frame, and he hit some chops. They continued to brawl as they looped the ring. They got into the ring at 3:00 — I don’t know if we ever had a bell, but ref Scarlett Donovan should have called for one here. Connelly hit some gutwrench suplexes. Gary hit a leaping, twisting Flatliner at 6:00.
They again brawled to the floor. Connelly again slammed Gary against the edge of the ring frame. They got back into the ring and Connelly nailed a Gotch-style piledriver for a nearfall at 8:00. They traded forearm strikes. Connelly got his chain. However, Gary hit a double stomp to the back of the head for the pin. AND THIS is why I start the stopwatch at first contact, because I’m fairly certain we never had a bell to officially start. A really good brawl.
Gary Jay defeated Mad Dog Connelly at 9:16.
Slade and a mystery partner vs. Davey Bang and August Matthews. This started as a handicap match, with Slade not having a partner. Bang and Matthews both attacked him, but at 00:30, Bear Bronson emerged from the back to join the match! Bang and Matthews are talented and among the best tag teams in the Midwest, but they look scrawny next to Bronson! They all brawled on the floor. Slade has a bandage near his kidney; I didn’t see his match from Friday, so I’m not sure about the injury there. Slade and Matthews brawled over by the bar, and those two finally got into the ring. Matthews hit his Trevor Lee-style Cave-In stomp to Slade’s chest at 5:00. Bear hit a double clothesline.
Bang hit a moonsault onto Bear on the floor at 6:30 while Matthews dove onto Slade. In the ring, Bang and Matthews hit some quick team moves on Bronson. Slade threw a chair at Bang as he was on the top turnbuckle, and Bang fell from the top rope and through a door bridge on the floor! In the ring, Bronson got a nearfall on Matthews. Matthews unloaded some kicks on both guys, but Bear caught him and hit a Black Hole Slam, then a Choke Bomb for a nearfall! Bear and Slade slammed Matthews across two open chairs for a nearfall at 10:30, but Bang made the save! Slade had a bandage on his arm that had come loose, and that was really bloody. Disgusting. Bang hit a tornado DDT on Bear.
Matthews threw a chair at Slade, then Bang threw one! Gross. Bang and Matthews hit their team double stomps to Slade’s back, and Bang nailed the Spears Tower for a nearfall! Bronson made the save at 12:30. Slade had a lot of blood on his forehead, as well as from the cut on his arm. Bear slid a thick board into the ring. Bang and Matthews put Bear across their shoulders and slammed him through the board in the corner! Bear hopped up, and that popped the crowd. Bang and Matthews slammed the door debris over Bronson’s head at 15:00. Bang again went for the Spears Tower, but Slade CLOCKED him in the head with a chairshot. Bronson hit a piledriver on Matthews onto Bang’s chest, and they both pinned Matthews. Wild brawl.
Slade and Bear Bronson defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews at 15:38.
“Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire vs. “VNDL 48” Atticus Cogar and Otis Cogar. Again, Manders is getting his title shot Sunday against Atticus. Cowboy Way came out first; the Cogars jumped in the ring, and they all immediately brawled. Manders chopped Atticus on the floor while Shire fought Otis in the ring. In the ring, the Cogars worked over Manders on the mat and kept him in their corner. Atticus wrapped Manders’s left arm in the ropes. Atticus hit a superkick for a nearfall at 5:00. Manders hit an Oklahoma Stampede (Bulldog Powerslam), but Shire was down on the floor, so he couldn’t tag in.
Shire entered and brawled with the Cogars. Atticus hit a top-rope double stomp to Shire’s chest at 9:30. All four brawled in the ring. Atticus hit the Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) Shire hit an Airplane Spin on Atticus. Manders hit a hard clothesline to pin Atticus! Emil wondered if that was a preview of Sunday’s match. Good brawl. Otis began throwing chairs at both Manders and Shire. They put Manders’s right arm in a chair and “Pillmanized” his arm by stomping on the chair. “They are going to break his damn arm!” Jay shouted. Several guys from the locker room entered to make the save. Emil wondered if we’ll even have a title match on Sunday.
“Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire defeated “VNDL 48” Atticus Cogar and Otis Cogar at 11:59.
Final Thoughts: Some really good matches here. Bear and Slade vs. Bang and Matthews was just a wild brawl. Andrade vs. Holliday was really good. That five-way ACW scramble was really star-studded. These were eight pretty good matches across the two shows.
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