By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Cage of Survival 3”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
June 2, 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey at The Showboat
The crowd was in the 600 to 800 range, which is great for a Sunday afternoon show. Dave Prazak and Veda Scott provided commentary. NOTABLE that Blake Christian was stripped of the GCW Title despite 40 successful defenses in less than a year. Blake is in Japan as part of the Best of Super Juniors tournament, where he finished 5-4.
* The show opened with two masked goons attacking Joey Janela in his hotel room! Will he make it to Tournament of Survival? To the arena, where the cage is already set up. (I whole-heartedly support this; open the show with the cage match, as it’s so much easier to tear down than set up.) This cage has just THREE walls; no wall on the side closest to the hard camera. That’s unusual. Where the fourth wall is, it is lying horizontal with two chains holding it up, like a medieval drawbridge.
1. Effy vs. Mance Warner in a cage match at 26:04. These two have been feuding for months and it is culminating here. They were both wearing jeans and were ready to fight. Effy hit a TKO at 6:00. Several light tubes were placed in the ring, and Effy slammed them on Mance’s head and gouged his forehead with it. Pretty soon, both men were bleeding. Mance hit a suplex onto the horizontal cage wall, and they were both down at 8:00. A board bridge was set up in the ring, and Mane sprayed lighter fluid on it. He slammed Effy (who was wearing a Blue Meanie-style half-shirt!) onto the flaming board and got a nearfall at 12:00.
They got up and traded punches. Effy tossed light tubes into Mance’s hands, then he speared Mance with the tubes exploding. In a cool visual, Effy speared Mance and the wall gave way, with them crashing on a barbed wire pad on the floor. (This “pad” was clearly there so they wouldn’t land on the cement floor.) Effy hit a piledriver onto the barbed-wire pad at 15:30. They got back in the ring and Effy got a nearfall. Effy powerbombed Mance through a glass pane bridge for a believable nearfall at 18:30. Mance hit a hard clothesline and they both collapsed; this crowd was HOT and into this bloody action. Effy broke multiple light tubes over Mance’s back at 21:30. Mance hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Effy hit a second-rope suplex through a glass pane and a double door bridge for the pin.
* Violent and this crowd loved it. Allie Katch, Alec Price and 1 Called Manders came to the ring to celebrate with Effy and to help him to the back. I can’t stress enough how bloody both men are. There was a LONG break so they could clean all the glass and debris out of the ring.
2. Megan Bayne defeated Mike Bailey in an intergender match at 14:39. Megan might be taller than Bailey. They shook hands before locking up. She hit a Stinger Splash, then a double-underhook suplex for a nearfall at 3:00. They went to the floor and she picked him up for a delayed vertical suplex and walked halfway around the ring before he escaped. He kicked her in the face, then hit a triangle moonsault to the floor at 4:30, and he applied a cross-armbreaker on the floor. Bailey snapped her left arm against the ring apron. They got back in the ring and he targeted the arm, hitting a knee drop on the elbow. She hit a fallaway slam at 7:30, showing her power. Bailey fired back with a series of kicks, but he missed a running Shooting Star Press.
Bailey also missed a moonsault double knee drop on the apron. She hit a back suplex. She hit a clothesline and they were both down at 9:30. Megan hit some bodyslams; he hit some spin kicks. He applied a crossarm breaker, and he switched to a triangle choke; she escaped by nailing a Buckle Bomb at 12:00! He hit a powerbomb in the corner, then a top-rope Shooting Star Press for a believable nearfall. Bailey set up for a Flamingo Driver but she escaped and hit a powerbomb. He hit a superkick to the jaw; he went for the Tornado Kick but she hit a clothesline, a chokeslam, and a Tombstone piledriver for the pin. I’m not a fan of intergender matches, but Bailey always makes the women shine.
3. Alec Price and Cole Radrick defeated Yuki Ishikawa and Hideyoshi Kamitani at 6:45. I don’t know the Japanese duo at all. Ishikawa wore a black t-shirt and he opened against Price. They traded shoulder tackles and Price hit a springboard crossbody block, then a senton. Kamitani entered; he wore blue jeans and is a bit thicker, and he has scars from I presume too many death matches, and he beat up Radrick, hitting some loud chops at 2:00. Ishikawa hit a doublestomp on a board placed over Radrick’s body. Price made the hot tag and hit a springboard spin kick at 6:00 and a Rebound Lariat on Ishikawa, then a dive to the floor on Kamitani. Price hit a Surprise Kick on Yuki as Yuki sat on Cole’s shoulders, and both Cole and Alec covered Ishikawa for the pin. Good action that definitely could have gone longer.
* A video package aired showing the build-up to a gauntlet match, with the winner becoming the new GCW champion. (Again, Blake Christian was inexplicably stripped, even though he could be back in a week.)
4. Matt Tremont defeated Big F’n Joe in a death match at 6:11. Several light tubes were placed in the ring. Tremont cracked light tubes over Joe’s head and they were underway, taking turns whacking each other over the head with tubes. They used clothing hangers and gusset plates and forks and both bled. Gross. Tremont hit a Death Valley Driver through a board in the corner for the pin. At least it was short.
* Matt Cardona, Steph De Lander, and Jimmy Lloyd came to the ring. Cardona was carrying the GCW Heavyweight Title. Lloyd called himself the “Death Match Prince,” then he called SDL “the Death Match Queen,” and finally he introduced Cardona as “the Death Match General Manager.” Cardona said this match will change the course of GCW history. Cardona explained the rules of the gauntlet; this is just like a WWE gauntlet. We have EIGHT participants; that wasn’t revealed until just now. All three sat down at ringside to watch the gauntlet!
5a. John Wayne Murdoch defeated Kasey Catal in a gauntlet match at 4:36. Again, Catal routinely does death matches and fights men, but she is much shorter and just not believable against the bigger Murdoch. Murdoch hit a piledriver through a door for the pin. (Okay, Catal has barely been in GCW. Why would she be in an eight-person gauntlet for the title?)
5b. John Wayne Murdoch defeated 1 Called Manders in a gauntlet match at 6:17. Manders was at the MLW taping in Atlanta 20 hours earlier. No bell sounds; I restart my stopwatch at first contact, as Manders hit some hard chops. Prazak said he believes Joey Janela is still at a nearby hospital. Manders jabbed a chair repeatedly into JWM’s gut. Murdoch threw a chair at Manders’ unprotected head for a nearfall at 2:30; I really hate that. He hit another one across the top of the head. Gross. They sat down across from each other on chairs and traded blows. Murdoch hit a brainbuster onto a pile of wood for the pin.
5c. Microman defeated John Wayne Murdoch in a gauntlet match at 2:04. Well… Microman is undefeated in GCW, won the Clusterf— match during WrestleMania weekend, so at least he has a claim for being in this match. He bit Murdoch’s butt. Murdoch slammed a chair across a prone MM. Microman got a small package rollup for the pin.
5d. Shane Mercer defeated Microman in a gauntlet match at 1:48. Mercer also was at MLW in Atlanta about 20 or so hours ago. Again, no bell so I started my stopwatch at first contact as Shane choked MM and stomped on him. Micromman hit a 619; SDL was shown cheering Microman on. Mercer picked up Microman for a Gorilla Press and the crowd popped; he teased tossing MM into the crowd but hit a backbreaker over his knee, then the Moonsault and Battery for the pin! I could be wrong, but I think that is the first time Microman has been pinned in GCW.
5e. Jordan Oliver defeated Shane Mercer in a gauntlet match at 5:20. Oliver hit a Mafia Kick as he entered the ring. They went to the floor where Jordan hit some chops. Jordan dove through the ropes but Shane caught him, and slammed Oliver into the ring post. He hit some crossface blows, and shoved Oliver into a different ring post at 1:30. In the ring, Mercer tossed Oliver in the air, caught him, and hit a fallaway slam for a nearfall. Nice! Liver hit a superkick. Mercer hit a swinging backbreaker over his knee at 5:00. He hit a moonsault and Battery, but Oliver grabbed him, rolled him up, and scored the pin! Mercer hit Oliver after being pinned, and slammed him head-first into the ring post again.
5f. Charles Mason defeated Jordan Oliver in a gauntlet match at 8:42. Mason mounted a prone Oliver and hit some punches, then he hit a suplex for a nearfall at 1:00. Oliver went for a Clout Cutter but Mason caught him with a sleeper on the mat; Oliver reached the ropes at 3:00. Mason leapt off the ropes, but Oliver caught him and nailed a stunner. Oliver then hit the Clout Cutter for a believable nearfall at 6:30. Oliver hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. In the ring, Oliver hit a Mafia Kick, then a Helluva Kick in the corner. Mason choked Oliver with a belt, then he hit a piledriver for the pin! That was unexpected.
* Joey Janela had secured the final slot in the tournament! His music played but he didn’t come out. Cardona hopped in the ring and gave him until 10 to get to the ring. However, the countdown was interrupted by Nick Gage! Gage is taking Janela’s spot?
5g. Nick Gage defeated Charles Mason in a gauntlet match at 1:29. Gage hit a piledriver for a believable nearfall just seconds into the match. Gage pulled out a pizza cutter and used it on Mason’s forehead. Gage hit a chokeslam backbreaker for the pin! Gage celebrated with the title belt!
* “HOLD ON!” Cardona shouted. “You are not the general manager; I’m the general manager. Only I can say who is next!”
5h. Jimmy Lloyd defeated Nick Gage in a gauntlet match at 5:09. Lloyd hit a belt-shot to the head for a nearfall, he hit Gage on the head with a chair. Gage hit a running boot on a chair over Lloyd’s face in the corner or a nearfall at 2:30. They traded chairshots to the head, and I just hate those. Gage hit a piledriver through a board bridge for a believable nearfall, but Cardona pulled Nick to the floor! SDL hit Gage. Lloyd hit a flying leg drop for a believable nearfall. Lloyd speared him through a board in the corner, then hit another Radio Silence flying leg drop for the pin. Cardona declared Jimmy was the champ! Fans pelted Lloyd, Cardona and SDL with debris. Gage hit a post-match piledriver on Lloyd. Prazak went to sign off and the graphic went on the screen … but Joey Janela stumbled to the ring!
5i. Joey Janela defeated Jimmy Lloyd in a gauntlet match at 00:49. Joey’s ribs were taped. He hit Jimmy with the belt to the face. He hit a top-rope doublestomp for the pin! Joey celebrated with the belt, as Prazak said he finally won the GCW title. BUT WAIT…
* Cole Radrick came to the ring and the crowd popped! Radrick has the brass ring around his neck and he was going to cash it in, but SDL speared him to stop him from cashing in! So, once again it looked like we were going to sign off with Janela as champion. BUT WAIT…
5j. Mance Warner defeated Joey Janela to win the gauntlet and win the GCW Heavyweight Title at 00:37. Mance snuck in the ring behind Janela and hit a chairshot to the back. He cashed in his “Do or Die Rumble” contract. He hit an implant DDT onto the title belt for the pin! Mance Warner is the new champion! SDL gave Mance a big hug. Mance posed in the ring with SDL, Lloyd and Cardona as the show finally went off the air.
Final Thoughts: Well that was one heckuva finishing sequence. As much as I hated stripping Blake Christian of the belt, that sure was an entertaining angle that kept going and going to conclude the match, and I’m not sure anyone saw it coming that Mance would conclude the night with the belt. I personally enjoyed Bailey-Megan for best match, but collectively, the way the entire gauntlet was laid out, was really good, really compelling, pro wrestling TV. Sure, Microman wasn’t going to end the night as champion, but I certainly saw it possible that Gage would win. Or that Janela would win. But in the end, it was trickery and Mance with the belt.
>>This cage has just THREE walls; no wall on the side closest to the hard camera. That’s unusual. <<
Just my opinion, that's not "unusual", its idiotic.
And it's so tiresome to read GCW reviews where the person that VOLUNTARILY went to the show HAS to say, "Oh wow, I hate the ridiculous violence." It's like going to a rock concert and complaining because they played music there.