By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “The Score”
September 26, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 20th Century Theater
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
* Footage aired from the deathmatches that concluded the Friday night show in the poorly-lit Harpos Nightclub in Detroit. The footage I just saw reminded me why I skipped those matches entirely. Yuck.
* To the venue! This is a well-lit auditorium with warm blue walls. Six wrestlers were already in the ring! John Moseley and Emil Jay provided commentary. The crowd was maybe 200. The lighting couldn’t be better! A night-and-day difference from the awful lighting at Harpos. I’m sure this is a great venue to watch a play or musical.
1. Hunter Drake vs. Logan Cavazos vs. Blizzy Blake vs. Malcolm Monroe III vs. Jay Lucas vs. Juni Underwood. I haven’t seen Blake before, but he has a cannabis-themed gimmick. Everyone fought at the bell. Juni and Hunter traded offense while the others were on the floor. Drake hit a running Shooting Star Press. Logan hit a back suplex on Hunter at 1:30. Emil confirmed this was Blake’s GCW debut. He hit a stunner and made a hand motion, as if he was smoking a joint. Lucas hit a double stomp on Blake’s back. MM3 hit a springboard stunner.
Juni hit a plancha to the floor at 3:00. MM3 hit a dive to the floor on Juni. Blake hit a dive. Drake and Lucas hit stereo flip dives to the floor on everyone. Cavazos hit a springboard moonsault. MM3 hit a top-rope corkscrew dive onto everyone, and all six were down on the floor, and we got a “GCW!” chant. Cavazos and Blake hit stereo dives. Those two got back in and traded kicks. MM3 and Drake hit stereo 450 Splashes. Juni and Lucas got up and traded chops at 6:30. Lucas hit an enzuigiri. Underwood hit a running kick.
Cavazos hit a Crucifix Driver, then a piledriver. Blake hit a Tiger Driver. MM3 hit a sideslam. Lucas hit a clothesline on Hunter, then a swinging powerbomb for a believable nearfall at 8:00. Drake hit a sunset flip bomb out of the corner. Juni hit a neckbreaker over his knee on Logan, an enzuigiri, then the Bailey-style Flamingo Driver on Cavazos for the pin. A fun scramble; it sets the tone and gets the crowd into the show. Moseley noted, “What a year Juni is having!”
Juni Underwood defeated Hunter Drake, Logan Cavazos, Blizzy Blake, Malcolm Monroe III, and Jay Lucas at 9:36.
* Footage aired of Ryan O’Neill siding with Joey Janela. Joey has become a father figure to the teenage O’Neill, leading him down the wrong path!
2. Terry Yaki vs. Corinne Joy in an intergender match. I’m a huge fan of both competitors, but I just don’t see how this benefits either of them. In one month, teenage star Joy debuted in GCW, NWA, MLW, and also appeared ringside in AEW to take a selfie with Andrade El Idolo. However, she’s 5’2″ and maybe 125 pounds! A clean tie-up to open, and she twisted his left arm. He flipped her to the mat and applied a headlock. She tried a headscissors takedown, but he flipped and landed on his feet. She hit a satellite headscissors takedown. She hit a running kick that sent Yaki falling to the floor at 2:30.
Corinne dove onto him, but he caught her and hit a running piledriver onto a chair in the front row! Terry was in charge back in the ring. He hit a bodyslam for a nearfall, then another. She hit a series of blows to Terry’s back, then rolled him up for a nearfall at 5:00. She hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall! Joy hit a series of forearm strikes and a clothesline, then a running neckbreaker. She again dove through the ropes and this time turned it into a tornado DDT onto the floor at 6:30! Corinne rolled him back into the ring and got a creative rollup using her legs for a nearfall.
Yaki caught her and slammed Joy to the mat for a nearfall. She slapped him in the face; he hit a Helluva Kick. She got underneath him in the corner and hit a powerbomb, then a running knee for a nearfall at 8:00. She hit the Joy Ride stunner for a nearfall, but Yaki got a foot on the ropes, and the crowd booed that! She again tried a Joy Ride, but he rolled her up for a nearfall. He hit a DDT out of the ropes and a spinning Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 9:30. She got a rollup. Yaki hit a spin kick to her head. She hit a Canadian Destroyer, but he hit a clothesline. He hit another Michinoku Driver for the pin! Fun match. The crowd loudly booed the outcome.
Terry Yaki defeated Corinne Joy at 11:08.
3. Isaiah Broner vs. Brick Savage. Oh, I love this! Two big guys about to go to war! Texas-based Savage has had quite an impact in MLW since he debuted, including a decisive win over Matt Riddle in just four minutes. They had a staredown before finally locking up. They fought to the floor and traded chops. The commentators talked about their excitement for this match. Broner shoved Brick face-first into the ring post. In the ring, Brick hit a backbreaker over his knee and got a nearfall at 1:30. Broner popped up and hit a series of chops and forearm strikes.
Broner hit a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. They traded chops. Brick hit a massive back-body drop at 4:00. Broner hit a spear, but Brick got up. Broner hit a hard clothesline for a nearfall. Brick hit a standing powerbomb for a nearfall! Broner hit another spear, then an F5 slam for a nearfall at 5:30. “He made that look simple!” Moseley said! Brick hit a Stinger Splash and a running Meteora in the corner, then an Angle Slam for the pin. That was pretty perfect for the time given; you don’t need to give two big beasts more time than that.
Brick Savage defeated Isaiah Broner at 6:42.
4. Marko Stunt vs. Shotzi Blackheart in an intergender match. A rare match where the woman has the height and (presumably) the weight advantage. They shook hands. Marko shouted to the crowd that it’s been 10 years since they last wrestled each other. They twisted each other’s left arm and traded standing switches. Shotzi hit her 619 in the corner at 1:30, then a top-rope missile dropkick. Marko hit a spin kick to her head. She hit a Claymore Kick that sent him to the floor.
Stunt dove through the ropes and barreled onto her. He placed her on a chair and kicked her, then hit a running cannonball onto her at 4:30. Shotzi hit a DDT on the apron, and she put him on a chair and hit a running knee to his chin that knocked the chair over. She tripped him on the apron, and they got back into the ring. Stunt hit a huracanrana, but she swatted away a dropkick. He tried another dropkick and barely grazed her. She suplexed him into the turnbuckles and hit a rolling cannonball at 6:30, then she hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall.
They fought on the top rope, and he hit a Frankensteiner, then a running kick to her jaw in the corner at 8:30. Stunt got a sunset flip for a nearfall, and they traded rollups. Stunt hit a DDT in a rollup and scored the pin. More boos for that. (Just like Terry Yaki, he was a babyface, but as typically happens in intergender matches, the crowd sides with the woman.) They got up and hugged, and the crowd cheered that.
Marko Stunt defeated Shotzi Blackheart at 9:08.
* “Earlier today,” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver spoke with Ryan O’Neill. They were upset at Ryan for refusing to shake Marko Stunt’s hand. Ryan brushed them off and told them they needed to be focused on regaining the tag titles.
* Promoter Brett Lauderdale joined Moseley on commentary for the next match.
5. Ryan O’Neill and “Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver vs. Richard Holliday, Sam Stackhouse, and KJ Orso. KJ got on the mic and ripped into Cincinnati, and of course, the fans booed him. O’Neill and Orso opened. Ryan hit a springboard crossbody block and twisted KJ’s left arm. Oliver entered and hit some loud chops on Orso. Holliday entered for the first time, and he unloaded some chops on Jordan. Price entered and hit a flipping neckbreaker on Holliday for a nearfall at 3:00. Ryan made a blind tag back in, and that irritated Price, and those two argued!
The heels worked over Alec in their corner. Oliver was visibly unhappy with O’Neill in their corner. Sam hit a big headbutt on Price and stood on Alec, then bodyslammed him, and put a foot on Alec’s chest for a cocky cover at 5:30. Holliday hit a backbreaker over his knee. Price hit a huracanrana on Holliday, but he was blocked from tagging out. Price hit a tornado DDT, and he finally tagged Oliver in at 8:30. Jordan slammed KJ to the mat and was fired up!
Oliver hit a German Suplex on the big Stackhouse, but Sam popped to his feet and charged at Oliver, so Jordan hit a spinebuster! Holliday hit a low-blow uppercut on Oliver, then one on Ryan! Price avoided one, but seconds later, Holliday hit His Signature Move on Price, too! He accidentally hit one on Stackhouse! Oliver hit one on Holliday! Price hit a frog splash, and O’Neill hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall at 10:30, but KJ made the save. O’Neill hit a spin kick on KJ. Sam hit his big spinning heel hook kick to the jaw.
Holliday hit a Pedigree. KJ hit a springboard corkscrew press on Ryan for a nearfall. Oliver dropkicked Orso on the back of his head. Holliday hit a top-rope superplex on O’Neill, but Ryan hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Price hit a dive to the floor. Jordan hit a Slingshot DVD on KJ! Nice! Holliday hit a neckbreaker. Price hit a Rebound Lariat on Holliday. Sam hit a running body block to drop Price. Ryan hit a Poison Rana on Stackhouse, and everyone was down at 14:00! Ryan should have tagged out, but he stayed in! KJ almost immediately hit the Character Assassination double stomp to the back of the head for the pin! Moseley and Brett wondered why Ryan didn’t tag out at the end.
Richard Holliday, Sam Stackhouse, and KJ Orso defeated Ryan O’Neill and “Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver at 14:33.
* Oliver and Price were visibly frustrated with Ryan, but they helped him back to his feet. However, they left the ring without him!
6. Vipress vs. Marti Belle. This was a NON-title match. I don’t recall the last time I saw Marti in a singles match! She’s always with Allysin Kay! Marti jawed at the fans, making it clear she’s a heel. An intense lockup to open. Like Friday’s show, Marti has no interest in this being a hardcore match, as she already took a chair out of the ring. Marti threw her to the mat. Vipress hit a shotgun dropkick. Marti called for a timeout and stalled on the floor. Vipress set up for a dive, but Marti threw a chair at her to cut off the dive. They fought on the floor with Marti in charge.
Vipress hit a hard chop against the guardrail at 3:30, and they continued to loop ringside. Vipress pushed Marti onto a fan’s lap and hit more chops. Marti continued to yell at the fans, as she listed off the weapons that would not be used in this match. They got back into the ring at 6:00. Belle hit a running buttbump to the face in the corner. She dropped Vipress with a discus forearm strike at 8:00. Marti went under the ring… and she got a door! She pushed it right back under the ring and got LOUD boos! She pulled it back out (cheers!) and put it away (boos!), then she finally slid it into the ring.
Marti set up the door in the corner. She pulled out a flip-flop sandal, so Vipress removed her own belt! Vipress swatted Marti repeatedly with her belt! She hit a Death Valley Driver through the door in the corner at 10:00! Massive pop for that. Vipress hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Marti hit a Jarrett-style Stroke! Marti again went under the ring and grabbed a second door. Vipress dropkicked her onto the door, but it didn’t break. So, Vipress hit another rolling DVD through the door, then a piledriver for the pin! Fun match.
Vipress defeated Marti Belle at 12:31.
* Joseph Sawyer came to the ring, holding his GCW World Title belt. (Isn’t there a TNA taping tonight?) Sawyer made an open challenge to anyone “who has the balls” to face him! He’s a fighting god-damn champion, and he’ll beat anyone’s ass!
7. Joseph Sawyer vs. Jazzy Yang for the GCW World Title. Moseley said this is Yang’s hometown. (She wrestles predominantly in Georgia; I didn’t know she was from here.) Jazzy got on the mic and proclaimed she has the biggest balls in the locker room. Sawyer kept yelling at the crowd, establishing that he’s a heel. We got the bell and a clean lockup; of course, Sawyer has a significant height and overall size advantage over the daughter of Jimmy Yang. She hit a spinning heel kick to the jaw at 1:30. He applied a bulldog choke on the mat.
Yang nailed a Shining Wizard for a nearfall, and Emil noted that was a move used by Jimmy Yang. Sawyer flipped her off the top turnbuckle to the mat and got a nearfall. He missed a senton at 3:30. He pulled a hamstring; she immediately hit a chop block on the leg. He went to the floor and sold the pain in his leg. She threw him face-first into the ring post and pushed him back into the ring. She hit a top-rope moonsault press on a standing Sawyer. It looks like she hit her jaw on that move and was holding it. She charged at him, but he hit a discus clothesline for the pin.
Joseph Sawyer defeated Jazzy Yang to retain the GCW World Title at 5:01.
* Sawyer put her over, and she left. He started to talk about an upcoming show in Alaska, but he was interrupted by Jeffrey John! He challenged Sawyer to a match! Sawyer accepted!
8. Joseph Sawyer vs. Jeffrey John for the GCW World Title. John hit a back-body drop, and Sawyer rolled to the floor. He continued to sell the pulled hamstring he suffered early in the match against Yang. He slammed John onto the apron. In the ring, Sawyer hit a Saito Suplex at 1:00. Sawyer hit a clothesline and an elbow drop for a nearfall at 2:30, and he slowed John down with a headlock. Sawyer hit a diving forearm strike to the back of the head for a nearfall. He bit John’s fingers! They got up, and Jeffrey hit some punches and chops.
John flipped Sawyer, and Joseph rolled to the ropes. Jeff hit a twisting plancha to the floor at 5:30. In the ring, John hit a bulldog for a nearfall. Sawyer hit a handspring-back-clothesline for a nearfall. John hit a running elbow drop to the sternum at 7:30, then a Low Ki-style rolling Koppo Kick into the corner! Sawyer rolled to the floor and limped as he was against the guardrail. He started to head to the exits! He got in a fan’s face and yelled at him. The action had come to a complete halt, as Sawyer refused to get back into the ring. Emil Jay left commentary and spoke to the ref and Sawyer. A graphic went up on the screen, indicating the match was over. Ugh.
Joseph Sawyer vs. Jeffrey John went to a no contest due to an injury at 11:00; Sawyer retains the GCW World Title.
* Jeffrey John got on the mic and said he’s been busting his ass for GCW for six years to get a match like this and call himself a champion. He said they’ll come back here and do it “the right way,” and next time, there will be no doubt he’s the champion.
9. Davey Bang and August Matthews vs. Nick Gage and Slade. Bang and Matthews came out first, and they dove onto their opponents as they emerged from the back. All four immediately brawled on the floor. Bang stood on the guardrail and tried a moonsault on a standing Slade, but he barely grazed him. Bang and Matthews pushed Slade into the ring and kicked him. Bang hit an axe kick to the back of the head. Gage got in the ring at 2:30 and hit a flying forearm on Bang, then a Facewash kick to the cheek.
Slade pushed a door into the ring. Slade ran Bang back-first through a door, then Gage speared Bang through a door. Bang tied Slade in the Tree of Woe and hit a double stomp on his chest at 5:00. Bang hit a frog splash on Gage, and Nick rolled to the floor. Bang hit his moonsault to the floor on Slade, while Matthews dove through the ropes onto Gage. Bang hit a superkick.
Bang and Matthews hit their team double stomp on Gage, then Bang hit the Spears Tower. Slade hit a chairshot to Bang’s back. All four got up and traded punches. Gage hit Bang over the head with door debris, then he hit a piledriver on Bang … that Davey no-sold. Gage hit a piledriver on Matthews, while Slade hit a chokeslam on Bang. Gage and Slade made stereo covers for pins. Decent brawl.
Nick Gage and Slade defeated Davey Bang and August Matthews at 8:03.
* VNDL 48 came out to confront Gage and Slade. However, Unsigned & Don’t Care ran to the ring for our main event.
10. “VNDL 48” Otis Cogar, Atticus Cogar, and Christian Napier vs. “Unsigned & Don’t Care” Aaron Williams, Anakin Murphy, and Gary Jay. U&DC got in the ring and immediately dove onto VNDL 48, and they all brawled on the floor. Aaron hit a running flip dive over the guardrail and onto the heels. Gary Jay and Otis got in the ring, and we got a bell at 1:32 to make this official. Williams hit a roundhouse kick on Atticus as they brawled on the floor. Otis powerbombed Gary over the top rope onto four guys on the floor. Scrawny emo kid Anakin hit a DDT on Otis.
Napier tossed Anakin like a lawn dart into the middle turnbuckle. Anakin pulled out his cooking skewers, but Williams kicked them away. Atticus hit a German Suplex on Anakin. Atticus pushed the cooking skewers into the top of Gary’s head and hit a Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) at 4:30. VNDL 48 began working over Anakin in their corner. (I’ve never understood this about GCW — if every match is no DQ, why are Gary and Aaron waiting patiently on the apron for a tag? Why don’t they just attack the heels?)
Otis twisted Anakin’s fingers and tossed him back into the VNDL 48 corner. Atticus hit a snap suplex. Napier stomped on the elbow at 7:30. Otis hit a bodyslam for a nearfall on Anakin. Napier hit a crossbody block on an upside-down Murphy for a nearfall. Atticus hit a suplex into the corner at 9:30. Williams finally got a hot tag, and he hit a double clothesline on Napier and Atticus. He nailed a superkick on Otis. Williams hit a top-rope dive to the floor on the three heels.
In the ring, Aaron hit some quick kicks on Atticus. He hit a DDT on Napier, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall at 11:30. Atticus missed a Lionsault. Gary immediately hit a Flatliner on Atticus. Gary hit a double stomp to the back of Atticus’s head. Former ref Max Recon came out and said his 30-day suspension is up. He declared he will be refereeing this match now. VNDL 48 hit a Shield-style team powerbomb and pinned Gary Jay, with Recon making the three-count. A flat finish to a decent brawl.
“VNDL 48” Otis Cogar, Atticus Cogar, and Christian Napier defeated “Unsigned & Don’t Care” Aaron Williams, Anakin Murphy, and Gary Jay at 13:39.
* The Bev and Eddie Ollie jumped in the ring and beat up U&DC. I don’t know these two guys at all — I recall that The Bev did a deathmatch show, but I didn’t watch his match. Emil Jay said these two must be new members of VNDL 48. So, those five will be a team at an upcoming War Games match.
Final Thoughts: I liked this show more than Friday’s, as it had better lighting and no death matches. Heck, no one even bled — when does that happen on a GCW show? The six-man tag match featured some great action and earned best match of the show. Holliday had a really sharp match, and O’Neill being hot-headed and refusing to tag out was both predictable and the right call for the story they are telling. Despite all my misgivings about intergender matches, Corinne Joy and Yaki sure put together one heckuva entertaining match. I’ll note that he never punched her, either. Even though it was short, Brick-Broner earns third place.
The wheels fell off a bit as the show concluded. The Sawyer injury was unfortunate, and I presume a legit pulled hamstring. Over my time as a runner, I completed 18 marathons and quite literally 200 or so timed races; I have the T-shirt collection to prove it! Anyhow, I get the feeling of that pulled hamstring. It’s something you feel like you can tough out. I finished the final mile of a 10K with a pulled hamstring (actually the only race injury I ever suffered). So I get why Sawyer thought he could grit his teeth and get through those two matches… but ultimately had to stop. (Update: Gacy wrote on social media that he suffered a knee injury, but he was already walking better on Sunday.)
* VNDL 48 does nothing for me. Having a heel ref in their group does nothing for me. Two guys I didn’t recognize jumping babyfaces at the end of the show did nothing for me. It’s baffling that GCW let such a mediocre wrestler, Atticus Cogar, lead the promotion as champion for most of this year. I would be totally fine if the faction went away tomorrow and was never heard from again.
One thing about the Slade/Gage vs. Bang/Matthews match… I just don’t get Bang no-selling a piledriver. And I really like Bang and his style, but that match has to be sold like it nearly killed you, not something you just shrug off. Selling matters.
I’ll reiterate that I love that Tony Khan is letting contracted talent wrestle on shows, even when it’s opposite an AEW PPV just over five hours away. Not the best GCW show, certainly not the worst, but it was far easier to watch and enjoy than Friday’s shadowfest.
