By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “Amerikaz Most Wanted 2026”
June 27, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, at Ukrainian Culture Center
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
This is one of GCW’s top-drawing venues; it’s at or near a sellout of about 600-700 fans. This is an ornate room with a really high ceiling. (They’ve also had numerous problems here with fans throwing debris into the ring, but it’s gotten better in recent shows.) Jordan Castle and John Mosely provided commentary. Emil Jay also joined in for small stretches.
* On paper, this is a pretty top-notch lineup. It opened with footage of Hook vs. Joey Janela from June 19; (I would contend this is the best singles match of Hook’s career). Hook then had a face-to-face confrontation with GCW champion Atticus Cogar.
1. KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse vs. “Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire. Orso and Stackhouse competed at the New Texas Pro show in Houston on Friday, then made the 22-hour drive here. (Orso told me that they left at 9 p.m. CST and, accounting for the two-hour time change, expected to arrive in Los Angeles at 5 p.m.) Orso got on the mic and was booed. The crowd chanted profanities at Orso and called him “Fuego.” KJ and Manders opened, and Manders shoved him to the mat. Manders hit a shoulder tackle, so Orso tagged out. Manders also tagged out.
Shire and Stackhouse entered at 1:30 and traded shoulder blocks. Cowboy Way knocked Stackhouse to the floor. KJ hit a top-rope corkscrew press onto all three on the floor at 3:30. All four brawled on the floor. Back in the ring, the heels worked over Manders. They poked his eyes at 6:30 and got boos. Orso hit a crossbody block into the corner, then a basement dropkick for a nearfall. Manders dropped KJ gut-first on the top rope.
Shire got a hot tag at 8:30, and he gave Orso an Airplane Spine for a nearfall. Orso hit a DDT. Stackhouse and Manders tagged back in, and they traded forearm strikes. The 400+ pound Stackhouse nailed his spinning heel kick to Manders’ jaw! In a cool spot, Orso flipped Manders into the air, where Stackhouse caught him with a Samoan Drop at 10:00. Sam missed a cannonball in the corner.
Orso went for the “Character Assassination” double stomp on Shire, but Manders caught him with a clothesline! Nice! Suddenly, all four were down. All four got up and traded forearm strikes. Manders nearly hit the ref but pulled up. However, it allowed Orso to hit a low blow on Shire, then the Character Assassination double stomp to the back of the head for the pin. The crowd loudly booed that outcome.
KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse defeated “Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire at 12:37.
* Orso got on the mic and said he’s tired of “TV stars” canceling off shows. He vowed that they would win the tag titles in Dallas on July 18 from Alec Price and Jordan Castle. (NOTE: Orso is now flying overnight to New York for a Sunday show. The life of a top-tier indy talent is crazy!)
* Footage aired of the new feud between Joey Janela and Marko Stunt. They will square off on August 15!
2. Joey Janela vs. Haley J (w/her dog, Stormy). Castle said this is Haley’s GCW debut. (He’s wrong; she was in the GCW ClusterF in Mania weekend.) Janela has taken on nearly every woman on the GCW roster in recent months. Of course, he’s taller and visibly stronger. She danced for him, but he grabbed her and hit a release German Suplex! He backed her into a corner and hit some chops. Castle said that Janela is struggling right now and has been since he lost to 14-year-old Brodie Lee Jr. at Spring Break in April.
Haley dove to the floor, but Joey powerbombed her onto the ring apron at 2:30. In the ring, he hit a diving European Uppercut, and he was in control and kept her grounded. Haley hit a top-rope crossbody block at 4:30. She fired up and hit some forearm strikes. Haley hit a knee lift to his jaw in the corner, then a running Facewash kick and an STO uranage for a nearfall. Janela hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 6:00.
They again fought to the floor. Joey stood on a chair and soaked in the boos. Haley stood up, and she was heavily bleeding from her forehead. Janela dragged her into the ring and punched at the cut. Her hair is so blonde it’s almost white, so it was quickly turning red. They traded punches, and she was suddenly really bloody. Haley hit a Power Slap to the face and a superkick for a nearfall at 8:30. Janela hit a decapitating clothesline. He put her across his shoulders, but she hit a DDT.
Haley J dove off the top rope and hit a crossbody block to the floor, but I’m pretty sure her face hit one of the wooden chairs. (No metal folding chairs here.) They fought on the ropes in the corner. He looked demonic in his eyes as he hit a sideslam onto the apron. The crowd chanted, “You sick f—!” at him. He slammed her for a nearfall. He hit a brainbuster and a piledriver, but Haley kicked out at one at 11:00! He hit a few more forearm strikes, and they traded chops.
Haley J hit a running double knees to the back of the head, then a Shining Wizard to his jaw for a nearfall. Joey hit a snap Dragon Suplex, then a second one, for a nearfall. They again fought on the ropes, and she hit a top-rope superplex, and they were both down at 13:30, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant. Haley hit another Power Slap and a stomp on his head for the pin! I can’t say I like all that blood loss (and I’d say that even if this was a man vs. man bout). Janela’s losing streak continues!
Haley J defeated Joey Janela at 13:51.
3. Iron Kid and Resplandor vs. “Armageddon” Gringo Loco and Vengador. Iron Kid wore green, while Resplandor wore mostly black with a splash of white. Vengador and Iron Kid opened; Vengador is much taller. They traded some lucha reversals but neither really landed a blow, and we got a “Lucha!” chant. Loco entered at 3:00, so the tiny Resplandor also tagged in. Resplandor hit a cool armdrag and a huracanrana. Loco paused to dance. Vengador hit a dropkick at 5:00. Loco slammed Iron Kid onto Resplandor.
Vengador hit a delayed vertical suplex on Resplandor, and Loco immediately hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 7:00. Armaggedon took turns hitting some chops on Resplandor. Vengador hit a Buckle Bomb. Loco hit his Split-Legged Moonsault for a nearfall. They began working over Iron Kid, with Vengador hitting another hard chop that popped the crowd. Resplandor hit a double armdrag move at 10:00.
Resplandor and Iron Kid each hit a springboard huracanrana to the floor, and that earned a “GCW!” chant. In the ring, Resplandor got a nearfall on Loco. He hit a spin kick to the ear. He leapt off Vengador’s shoulders and hit a huracanrana on Loco! Iron Kid hit a Poison Rana. Loco hit a piledriver on Iron Kid. Resplandor dove off the ropes and crashed onto Loco for a nearfall at 12:30. Iron Kid hit a Frankensteiner on Vengador.
Resplandor hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press as Iron Kid hit a twisting splash, and they got stereo nearfalls at 14:00. Iron Kid hit a springboard corkscrew press to the floor. Vengador hit a springboard flip dive onto everyone on the floor. Resplandor hit a springboard 630 Splash onto everyone! Loco hit a double-decker Base Bomb! Vengador grabbed Resplandor and hit his swinging piledriver for the pin. That was an insane final two moves to end this. A really good lucha matchup.
“Armageddon” Gringo Loco and Vengador defeated Iron Kid and Resplandor at 16:31.
4. Atticus Cogar vs. Hook for the GCW Title. I guess they are saving Gage or the tag title match for last. They are roughly the same height. Hook flipped him to the mat, so Cogar rolled to the floor to regroup. They brawled on the floor, and Atticus slammed a chair over Hook’s body. Hook whipped him into rows of chairs at 2:30. Atticus hit a plancha onto Hook’s lower back; he got a nearfall in the ring. Cogar was in charge, and he hit a drop-toe-hold onto an open chair for a nearfall at 5:30.
Hook hit a belly-to-belly suplex, and they were both down at 7:00. He hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Cogar hit a running Air Raid Crash onto an open chair in the corner for a nearfall at 8:30. Cogar set up for Brain Hemorrhage, but Hook blocked it and hit a T-Bone Suplex onto a door in the corner, but it didn’t break. So, Hook hit a second one, and this time it broke, and Hook got a nearfall at 10:30. Atticus hit a bodyslam for a nearfall.
Cogar pulled out a bundle of cooking skewers, but Hook sidestepped a flying attack, drawing a “Joe! Joe!” chant. Hook grabbed the skewers, and he jabbed them into the top of Cogar’s head. Hook hit another suplex. He applied the Redrum sleeper, but Cogar hit a low-blow mule kick to escape at 12:30. Cogar grabbed a Taser; he charged, but he hit the ref! Hook applied the Redrum sleeper, and Cogar tapped out! But of course, the ref was down. The crowd chanted, “You tapped out!” at Cogar.
KJ Orso jumped in the ring and hit a chop block on Hook! Castle pointed out that Hook’s first-ever win was over “Fuego Del Sol” (Orso). Alec Price and Jordan Oliver ran in for the save. Hook suplexed Orso. The heels scampered off. Looks like the match is over without a finish. Blah. We knew Hook wasn’t going to get pinned cleanly, but they needed this to end somehow.
Atticus Cogar vs. Hook went to a no contest at about 15:00; Cogar retains his GCW Title.
* Being as Oliver and Price are in the ring… we’re having the next match right now!
5. “Bustah and The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver vs. The Butcher and The Blade for the GCW Tag Team Titles. Price and Blade opened, and they worked each other’s left arms. Price hit a springboard crossbody block at 1:30. The champs hit stereo leg drops on Blade. Butcher jumped in and hit some clotheslines. Butcher and Oliver stood nose-to-nose, then they traded shoulder blocks. Butcher hit a backbreaker over his knee on Price, then a powerslam for a nearfall at 4:00. Blade and Oliver got back in. Jordan hit a flying back elbow in the corner, then a dropkick on Blade.
Butcher and Blade rolled to the floor, found some metal chairs, and pushed them into the ring. However, the champs flipped them to the floor and were booed! Blade hit a powerslam on Oliver at 6:30. Butcher flipped Oliver in the air, and Blade caught him with a knee strike. Butcher hit a hard clothesline. Blade and Price fought on the floor. Butcher and Blade continued to work over Oliver in the ring. Blade and Oliver hit stereo clotheslines, and they were both down at 10:00.
Butcher entered and hit some chops. Oliver fired back with his own chops. Butcher bit Jordan’s forehead! Price entered, ran the ropes to pick up speed, and dropped Butcher with a clothesline. The champs hit stereo kicks in the corner on Butcher. Price hit a Blockbuster on Butcher for a nearfall. Price hit a crossbody block onto Blade. He hit a springboard frog splash onto Blade for a nearfall at 12:30. On the floor, Blade threw a chair at Price (no good reason for that), then he cracked it over Alec’s back.
Butcher and Oliver were also brawling on the floor. In the ring, Butcher and Blade each powerbombed a champ through a door in the corners at 14:30, and they got a nearfall on Price. Oliver shoved Blade, and they both fell through the ropes to the floor. Meanwhile, Price rolled up Butcher and flipped his body over him for added leverage to score the clean pin. (Price’s feet got a bit tangled in the ropes, but he clearly wasn’t trying to cheat.) The crowd gave Butcher and Blade a hearty “Please come back!” chant.
“Bustah and The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver defeated The Butcher and The Blade to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 15:26.
* Footage aired of the Otis Cogar-Anakin Murphy hardcore match from last week. I skipped that, and the highlight reel convinced me I made the right decision.
6. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Lio Rush. Jordan Castle noted that Lio’s current gimmick is dubbed “The Blackheart,” so this is a “family reunion.” Lio’s mouth was a lime green color. Crowds are totally into what Rush is doing, too. He had his ROH TV Title belt. The crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Blackheart.” (Because it was SO funny when the AEW fans chanted “Let’s go Kyle!” when Fletcher faced O’Reilly. Eye roll.) Lio scooped her up in his arms, and it appeared they were leaving? The ref ordered them back into the ring. She wanted to lock up, but Lio sat down and clutched at his head as if he was in pain.
She lightly slapped his face at 3:00, then she finally hit a hard slap. Shotzi bit Lio’s fingers. She did Lio’s misdirection offense of running the ropes! He was perplexed at seeing someone do his schtick! The ref pulled Lio off her, and Lio choked the ref! He hit his spin kick while on his hip on the mat. Shotzi dove through the ropes and crashed onto him at 5:30. He whipped Shotzi into the rows of wood chairs. He got back into the ring and hit his rolling Koppo Kick. He crawled on the mat and dove onto her on the floor at 7:30.
In the ring, Lio hit a spear for a nearfall. Shotzi crashed head-first into a chair wedged in the corner, and Lio hit a clothesline at 9:00. He dropped Shotzi’s head across an open chair, and he got a nearfall. He tried to jab a chair leg into her eyes at 10:30, but she was able to push him away. Shotzi got up and hit a series of kicks, then a snap suplex into the turnbuckles. She hit a rolling cannonball into the corner for a nearfall. Shotzi hit a senton, then a bottom-rope senton. She put a chair over Lio’s chest and hit a second-rope senton. She set up for a top-rope senton, but Lio rolled away.
Lio hit a stunner at 13:00. Lio put the chair over her chest, but she got up and threw it at him. Lio bit her and hit a pop-up powerbomb for a nearfall. He hit another stunner. Shotzi hit a shotgun dropkick that sent him flying backward into a chair wedged in the corner. Lio hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall at 15:30. Lio grabbed the ref by his shirt. The ref signaled to the back. Someone brought a red door to the ring, and Lio set it in the corner. He was going to powerbomb her through the door, but she blocked it and got a rollup for a nearfall.
Shotzi hopped on his back and applied a sleeper, and they fell to the mat. He powered to his feet and charged at the door, turning his body, and they both crashed through it at 18:30. Shotzi hit a running stunner. She went to the top rope, but her stomach started convulsing, and she had black goo coming out of her mouth! She now looked crazy, too! Lio hit a Rush Hour stunner, bouncing out of the ropes, and he locked in his modified Muta Lock. She held on for a bit but tapped out. “What the hell have we just witnessed?” Jordan Castle asked.
Lio Rush defeated Shotzi Blackheart at 21:27.
7. Nick Gage vs. Starboy Charlie. Yeah, they aren’t calling him by his WWE name of “Chazz Hall.” (No WWE ID Title belt; he lost it to Max Abrams at an event the other night.) Two doors were placed in the corners before they came out. As always, the fans mobbed Gage as he approached the ring. Castle said it’s been two-and-a-half years since Gage was last in this venue. Gage attacked as Emil was finishing the long, unique intro. Charlie hit a Sasuke Special dive to the floor, and he whipped Gage into the rows of chairs. In the ring, Gage hit a DDT at 1:30.
Nick hit a splash into the corner. Charlie hit a Pele Kick onto a chair in Gage’s arms, then he hit the Cosmic Swirl (standing corkscrew press) for a nearfall. Gage hit a spinebuster at 3:00. He nailed a backbreaker over his knee, pulled out a pizza cutter, and raked it across Charlie’s forehead. Charlie was quickly bleeding. Charlie hit an enzuigiri at 5:30, and he threw a chair at Gage. (The crowd didn’t react to it at all; it was needlessly reckless to do so.) Charlie hit an RVD-style dropkick onto a chair over Gage’s face.
Charlie put Gage on a door bridge. Gage got up, and they fought on the ropes in the corner. Charlie hit a powerbomb to the mat; the door bridge collapsed, so it didn’t break, and Charlie got a nearfall at 8:30. Charlie missed a top-rope Shooting Star Press. Gage hit a backbreaker over his knee and a piledriver for the pin. That wrapped up suddenly. Nick helped him to his feet and raised Starboy’s arm as a show of respect.
Nick Gage defeated Starboy Charlie at 9:17.
8. Otis Cogar vs. JKM vs. Slade vs. Mr. Danger vs. Vipress vs. Anakin Murphy in a death match for the GCW Ultraviolent Title. Chairs, doors, and other weapons were already in the ring before they each came out. I’ve seen enough blood loss tonight, so I’m skipping this one. Otis got on the mic and complained that he had beaten them all before. He feels disrespected by GCW. He handed the title to the ref, turned, and left! (Is he really vacating the belt?) I fast-forwarded to the end. Otis was in the ring, and he powerbombed Vipress through glass in the corner and scored the pin. Once again, fans pelted debris into the ring; GCW really needs to stop this.
Otis Cogar defeated JKM, Slade, Mr. Danger, Vipress, and Anakin Murphy in a death match to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Title at 10:34.
Final thoughts: A fun show. We’ve only seen Resplandor a couple of times; he’s undersized, but he sure is talented. That lucha tag was my favorite of the show and is highly rewatchable. Bustah and the Brain vs. Butcher and Blade earns second, and I’ll go with Cowboy Way vs. Orso and Stackhouse for third. Hook had his second straight good showing here, but the non-finish didn’t go over well with the live crowd or me.
I know the modern wrestling fans seem to love their implausible intergender matches, but they could have booked Lio Rush vs. Joey Janela and Shotzi Blackheart vs. Haley J, and I would contend those would be better matches. One of the (many) reasons I don’t assign star ratings is a match like Lio-Shotzi. It was highly watchable. The crowd was totally into it. But it certainly wasn’t a “mat classic,” either. They had a lot of fun with it, and I was sports-entertained. All that said, if I were given this roster and told to book the lineup, I would put Lio Rush against Starboy Charlie.
Sure, Haley won a scripted match, but we also had a lot of scripted man-on-woman violence where Joey beat and bloodied her, and that will never be okay with me. Sure, he legit protected her and probably barely laid a finger on her. But that was real blood, and it left me uncomfortable watching it. You’ll never see a match that looks like that on WWE TV. (Which of course, is part of the point, as GCW strives for that niche of being something you don’t find in mainstream wrestling.)
When I traveled with indy wrestlers for a few years in my pre-wife, pre-kids era… I remember feeling exhausted as we pulled into eastern Indiana after about 10 hours in the car from the Twin Cities. (NO, I didn’t have to wrestle. I just had to get us there, battling around the Chicago traffic!) So, I just tip my hat and have incredible admiration for two guys who drove 22 hours to make a show. (And yes, go to Google Maps — it is a legit 22-hour drive from Houston to Los Angeles.)
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