By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, MLW, ROH, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to dotnetjason@gmail.com
GCW “How High 2024”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
April 20, 2024 in Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center
This is the seventh consecutive sellout for GCW in this building. This venue holds maybe 600-700 fans. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
* Wrestlers were already in the ring as the show began for our show-opening scramble!
1. Mr. Danger defeated Eli Everfly, Brayden Toon, Hunter Drake, Bodhi Young Prodigy, Rico Gonzalez, and Jordan Cruz in a seven-way scramble at 12:27. A lot of Alabama/Georgia guys here in LA! Mr. Danger hit a springboard legdrop. Drake hit a springboard moonsault. Brayden hit a running Shooting Star Press at 1:30. Everfly hit a stunner on Toon. Bodhi hit a dropkick; I think he is still just 16 or 17. Cruz and Toon, the bigger men in the match, traded blows, and Cruz hit a German Suplex at 3:30. Rico hit a top-rope doublestomp on Cruz. Everfly hit a Sliced Bread on the ring apron. Bodhi hit a missile dropkick, then a top-rope corkscrew press to the floor on everyone at 5:30. Cruz and Drake hit moonsaults to the floor. Danger hit a springboard corkscrew dive onto everyone.
In the ring, Toon hit a twisting powerbomb on Danger. Drake hit a Code Red on Toon. Bodhi hit a pump-handle powerbomb on Rico at 8:00, but he missed a Swanton Bomb. Bodhi hit a pop-up stunner. Cruz hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Everfly hit a huracanrana off the ropes on Cruz. Cruz powerbombed Eli over the ropes onto everyone on the floor, then Cruz hit a flip dive to the floor on everyone! Quite a move for a man his size. Cruz and Eli each slid doors into the ring. The ref helped set up door bridges. Toon suplexed Cruz through a door bridge at 12:00. Drake hit a Spanish Fly on Rico, with them both crashing through a door bridge. Mr. Danger hit his top-rope 450 Splash to pin Eli. Good high-flying action.
* Jordan Castle joined Prazak for commentary.
2. “Bussy” Effy and Allie Katch defeated Rick Scott Stoner and Scott Rick Stoner at 11:39. This is the GCW debut for the Stoner brothers, and they were smoking weed as they walked to ringside. Rick has head gear on; these are the worst-looking Steiner brother gimmicks ever. He is MUCH bigger than Allie and he easily shoved her to the mat. I just don’t find her believable at all against bigger men. They started going slow motion for some comedy. She hit a low blow kick at 3:00, then a DDT. Rick hit a powerslam. The Stoners tossed her across the ring and she landed high on her neck.
Bussy hit their lewd humor offense on Scott. Effy tied him in a Tarantula in the ropes at 6:00. Effy hit his Helluva Kicks. She hit her running butt bumps and cannonball for a nearfall on Rick at 9:00. Scott hit a Stinger Splash on Effy, and the Stoners beat up Allie. Effy hit a double noggin’ knocker and a double clothesline. Rick hit a rolling cannonball on Allie. Effy hit a top-rope flying leg lariat on Rick for the pin. I didn’t care for this; the Stoners just didn’t do anything for me. It seems like an act you only trot out for a 4/20-themed show.
3. Jordan Oliver defeated Lio Rush at 12:31. Lio is dressed in his normal clothes as he strutted to the ring; no voodoo “Black Heart” character like he did last week in Prestige Wrestling. Oliver has the significant height and weight advantage. They shook hands and Lio immediately did his misdirection offense, but Oliver caught him with a boot to the chest. Lio hit his spin kick to the head at 1:30. They brawled to the floor. Back in the ring, Oliver hit chops in the corner and was in charge.
Lio hit an axe kick to the back of the neck for a nearfall, and he applied a sleeper on the mat at 4:00. Oliver hit a dropkick and some punches. He hit a DDT for a nearfall at 6:00. He set up for the Acid Bomb but Lio escaped. Lio nailed a dive through the ropes onto Oliver. He nailed another hard dive through the ropes and they crashed into the rows of chairs. In the ring, Lio hit a stunner for a nearfall at 8:30. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick and a Helluva Kick, then the Acid Bomb for a believable nearfall.
Lio fired back with a clothesline. Oliver hit a German Suplex and an Acid Kick. Lio hit another clothesline, then a swinging neckbreaker for a believable nearfall at 10:30. Lio began selling pain in his abdomen but he got to the top rope. However, he climbed back down and vanished under the ring! Lio came back out but he is sick, as black ooze is dripping from his mouth. I guess he is the “Black Heart” character today after all. Oliver grabbed him, rolled him up from behind, and pinned him. Disappointing “sports entertainment finish” to what had been a really good, competitive match. Now we know why this match — which could have been a headliner — went on third.
* A highlight package from “Joey Janela’s Spring Break 8” aired. The next match was supposed to be a six-man tag; the commentators didn’t explain why GCW Champion Blake Christian isn’t here but I presume he went to AEW instead. Grim Reefer and Ruckus were supposed to team with Mr. Danger, who moved into that opening scramble instead.
4. Grim Reefer and Ruckus defeated Kerry Morton and Shane Mercer at 9:34. Ruckus also was smoking a joint as he came through the curtain. Kerry took the mic and mockingly wished everyone a “happy 420, or as I call it, national drug day.” He ripped into the crowd and was booed. He explained that marijuana is a gateway drug to fentanyl. Morton was handed a cigarette but he destroyed it. Reefer and Morton opened. Reefer sat on the top rope, lit a joint, and hit a springboard summersault to the floor on everyone at 2:00. Ruckus hit a cartwheel splash on the floor. In the ring, Morton ripped the blunt out of Reefer’s mouth and threw it into the crowd!
The heels worked over Reefer, with Mercer hitting an impressive fallaway slam for a nearfall at 4:00. Ruckus finally made the hot tag and he hit a swinging neckbreaker on Mercer, then a handspring-back-elbow into the corner on Morton at 7:00. Ruckus nailed his moonsault leg drop on Morton for a believable nearfall. Mercer nailed Moonsault and Battery/second-rope fallaway slam on Reefer. The heels began shoving the ref! Ref Dan Perch grabbed Morton and hit some chops and that POPPED the building. Mercer hit an Exploder Suplex on Reefer. Mercer accidentally clotheslined Morton! Ruckus immediately hit a twisting moonsault on Morton for the pin. Fun match. Morton threw a temper tantrum in the ring afterwards.
5. “Broski” Jimmy Lloyd defeated Jack Cartwheel at 6;40. Lloyd came out to Matt Cardona’s theme song, and he has a fake title belt on his shoulder. Jack did cartwheels to avoid Jimmy early on. Jimmy has a significant weight advantage and he did push-ups while choking Jack at 2:00. Jack nailed a Poison Rana, then a clothesline, then a running neckbreaker and his impressive Crucifix Driver for a nearfall. Cartwheel nailed the Sasuke Special to the floor at 4:30, then a top-rope corkscrew Shooting Star Press for a nearfall in the ring. Lloyd nailed a Facewash kick in the corner for a nearfall. Jack did a cartwheel-into-a-Thesz Press and hit punches to the face, then his cartwheel powerslam at 6:00. He missed a top-rope cartwheel to the mat, and Jimmy immediately hit the Radio Silence flying leg lariat for the clean pin. Good for the time given.
6. Maki Itoh defeated Sandra Moone at 8:54. Itoh competed in an all-women’s show 24 hours earlier in Illinois. An intense lockup, and Moone has the height and size advantage, and she mockingly did Itoh’s ‘cute pose.’ Moone hit a sliding clothesline at 2:00, then a high back suplex for a nearfall. She chopped Itoh in the corner. Itoh hit a running DDT off the apron to the floor. In the ring, Itoh hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 4:00. Moone hit some forearm strikes and her mule kick to the jaw.
Moone hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Itoh hit a DDT on the ring apron at 6:00. Moone hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall. Moone hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall; Itoh rolled her over and got a nearfall. Moone hit a clothesline for a nearfall and they were both down at 8:00. Ito hit a headbutt and a DDT, then her Kokeshi falling headbutt. Itoh leapt off the top rope, caught Moone’s head, and hit a DDT for the pin. Good action. Itoh has a title belt; I don’t know which promotion it is from.
7. Mance Warner defeated Dark Sheik at 14:49. A short video package aired, showing Mance attacking Sheik. Mance attacked at the bell. Sheik hit a missile dropkick. Sheik got a chair and tossed it into the ring, striking Mance. In the ring, Mance threw a chair at Sheik’s head at 2:00 and I really hate that. He jabbed a chair into Sheik’s throat. Mance went under the ring and got some doors and slid those into the ring. Sheik hit some roundhouse kicks and threw a chair at Mance’s head at 4:00, then slammed a chair across Mance’s back. Sheik set up several open chairs. Sheik hit a Russian Legsweep, and they both crashed onto the open chairs at 6:00. Mance hit some chops.
Sheik hit a straight punch to his groin, then a bodyslam across an open chair. Sheik hit a German Suplex through a door set up in the corner at 8:00. Sheik leapt off a chair and slammed Mance through another door and got a nearfall. Sheik hit a top-rope flying leg drop onto a chair that was across Mance’s face at 9:30. Sheik got a joint and lit it up. Sheik shoved the lit joint onto Mance’s forehead! Sheik got a staple gun and stapled dollar bills to Mance’s arm, shoulder, and one to his groin. grabbed the staple gun and attached money to Sheik’s forehead. Sheik choked Mance. Mance hit a clothesline at 14:00. He pulled out a screwdriver! Sheik avoided it and hit a superkick. Mance hit a chairshot across the back and a leaping DDT for the pin.
* Mance continued to attack Sheik until Effy ran in and made the save. This feud has now reached its expired due date.
8. Santana Jackson defeated Human Tornado at 8:15. I think using a Michael Jackson tribute act in 2024 is gross, disgusting and tone-deaf. (No, I don’t listen to Michael Jackson’s music, either. Just like I don’t watch re-runs of the Cosby show or Roman Polanski movies.) I haven’t seen Human Tornado in years; his body has filled out to the point he is unrecognizable. He’s not heavy; he was just so scrawny when I’d see him on PWG tapes. (Yes, video tapes. For the VCR.) Naturally, they opened with a dance-off. Tornado hit a flip dive to the floor. In the ring, he hit a face wash in the corner for a nearfall at 5:30. Santana hit his moonwalk DDT for the pin. Not much to this one.
9. Zilla Fatu and (mystery partner) Nick Gage defeated “Wolf Zaddies” Che Cabrera and Bad Dude Tito at 14:26. We started with a two-on-one attack, but Zilla hit some Stinger Splashes. Tito wore his “TMDK” gear. At 1:00, music hit and Gage came to the ring to be Zilla’s partner. Zilla hit a frogsplash. They hit a team back elbow on Che. Gage hit a brainbuster on Che for a believable nearfall at 3:30 and I really thought that was it because it looked so devastating. Gage and Zilla slid doors into the ring. Tito speared Gage through a door at 5:00. Tito nailed a dive through the ropes. In the ring, Che hit a powerslam on Gage. Che and Tito hit a team delayed vertical suplex on Zilla at 7:30. Tito nailed a sliding clothesline on Zilla, and they beat down both Fatu and Gage.
Gage clotheslined Tito to the floor. Fatu hit a Bubba Bomb on Che at 10:00, then he hit a flip dive to the floor on Che and landed hard on these wood chairs. Ouch. Gage hit a stunner on Che, then a team running neckbreaker for a nearfall. Zilla is bleeding from his face, possibly from hitting those wood chairs. Tito hit a spear on Zilla for a nearfall at 11:30. The ZD hit a team stunner on Zilla for a nearfall, but Gage made the save. Gage hit a piledriver on Che, and he pulled out a pizza cutter! Zilla hit a uranage on Tito, slamming him through a door in the corner at 13:30. Gage sold a shoulder injury, but he traded forearm strikes with Che. However, Gage popped Che up, and Zilla caught Che with a flying Samoan Spike for the pin. Good brawl.
10. 2 Cold Scorpio defeated Joey Janela at 16:45. Scorpio is now 58 and he’s a bit bloated; I always say Janela is a perfect dance partner for a wrestler in their 50s as he has a more methodical style that will help them avoid getting too winded. Standing switches to open. Janela tried a shoulder tackle but went flying, and he rolled to the floor at 3:00 to regroup. Back in the ring, Janela hit a diving forearm for a nearfall at 5:00. They traded forearm strikes. Scorpio grabbed the ropes and flipped Joey to the floor. They traded blows at ringside. In the ring, Scorpio hit a Death Valley Driver, but he missed an Arabian Press at 8:00 and landed stomach-first. Joey hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall.
They hit simultaneous clotheslines. Joey hit a suplex for a nearfall at 10:30. Scorpio hit a spinning heel kick to the jaw and they were both down. Scorpio grabbed a chair and struck Joey with it. Joey hit a forearm on the chair, pushing it onto Scorpio, for a nearfall. Scorpio hit a Frankensteiner, sending Joey onto an open chair, for a nearfall at 13:00. Joey hit a top-rope doublestomp onto a chair over Scorpio’s chest for a nearfall at 15:00. Scorpio hit a spinning kick, and he placed Joey on a door bridge. Scorpio then nailed a top-rope moonsault, crashing onto Joey on the door bridge for the clean pin. This was well laid out.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed the shows from The Collective two week ago. This one came up well short in comparison. Mike Bailey and Masha Slamovich were at TNA, Gringo Loco, 1 Called Manders and Marcus Mathers were at Dreamwave, presumably Billie Starkz and Blake Christian were at AEW. No Alec Price either. This show really needed an eye-popping Oliver-Lio Rush match, and they went with a sports entertainment finish instead. (It was really good until then, too.) I will go with Lio-Oliver for best match despite the finish, and I enjoyed Janela-Scorpio enough to give it second place. I’ll go with the show-opening scramble for third, ahead of the Zilla/Gage tag match.
Be the first to comment