By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “Crime Wave”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
June 29, 2024 in Dallas, Texas at Gilley’s
GCW has been to this tavern before. The room is dark but the ring is fairly well lit. Dave Prazak and Emil Jay provided commentary.
1. Blake Christian defeated Sam Stackhouse to retain “The Real GCW Title” at 8:45. Blake came out holding his GCW World title (that he never lost) and he got on the mic, pointing out that Emil didn’t announce him as the champion. He said he’s “picking up where I left off” and declared his “real” title is on the line! Blake immediately grabbed the left leg but he couldn’t move the 340-pounder. Sam hit a Stinger Splash and an axe kick or a nearfall at 1:30. Blake hit a flip dive to the floor on Sam. In the ring, Blake put Sam’s arm in a folded chair and stomped on it to ‘Pillmanize it.’ He hit a kick on the arm and hit a Helluva Kick at 5:00.
Sam hit some clotheslines and a spin kick but he was selling the pain in his arm. Blake hit a mid-ring Sliced Bread for a nearfall and the crowd chanted “Stackhouse!” Sam hit a Rikishi Driver piledriver for a believable nearfall at 7:30. He peeled down the straps of his singlet, but he missed a moonsault. Blake immediately hit a springboard 450 Splash for a nearfall. Blake applied a Fujiwara Armbar and cranked back on the arm until Sam tapped out. Decent opener; so good to have Blake back in the GCW mix. Post-match, Blake stomped Sam’s face onto the title belt.
2. Allie Katch defeated Dulce Tormenta at 9:49. Tormenta beat Jimmy Lloyd a day ago at GCW’s Houston show, while Katch lost tag titles a day ago in Chicago. Tormenta is in pink singlet and mask, and she hit a huracanrana that sent Allie to the floor, then a dive through the ropes onto Allie. They brawled on the floor and traded chops, and Allie hit a crossbody block onto a seated Tormenta at 2:30. In the ring, Tormenta hit a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. Tormenta hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 5:00.
Tormenta trapped Allie’s head in the corner and kicked her face, then she hit a running double knees in the corner for a nearfall. Allie hit her splash in the corner, her butt bump, and rolling cannonball for a nearfall at 7:30. They traded rollups. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Allie hit a spin kick to the side of the head. Tormenta hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Allie nailed her piledriver for the pin. Okay action.
* A video package aired showing Jordan Oliver saving Fuego Del Sol from a beatdown by Charles Mason. Oliver then challenged Mason to a match next week. Will Mason interfere in Oliver’s match tonight?
3. Jordan Oliver defeated John Wayne Murdoch at 9:44. Murdoch cut a heel promo. They traded punches early on. The commentators again pointed out Oliver is somewhat hobbled by a knee injury. They brawled on the floor. In the ring, Murdoch jabbed a chair into the knee at 2:30, then he slammed the chair onto the knee as the knee was wrapped in the ropes. Murdoch grabbed Oliver in the groin, then licked his fingers, rightfully getting a “you sick f—!” chant at 5:00. He slammed the chair some more on the damaged knee. Oliver got up and they traded punches. Murdoch hit a piledriver for a nearfall at 8:00. Oliver hit a Shellshock face plant through a door leaning against the ropes and scored the pin. Decent brawl.
* A video package aired of Jack Cartwheel vs. Sidney Akeem (f/k/a Reggie/Scrypts) from a recent show. Seriously, this match topped all expectations.
4. Sidney Akeem defeated Ninja Mack at 13:14. Like Blake Christian, Mack just returned from competing in NJPW’s Best of Super Juniors tournament. Quick reversals with superhero landings and a standoff. Mack worked the left arm, and they traded reversals and escaped waist locks. Mack did some cartwheels on the floor to escape a hold. They traded offense on the ring apron. Mack went for a sunset bomb to the floor but Sidney held on. Sidney dove through the ropes and crashed onto Mack at 5:30; he landed hard on some steps leading to a stage, too. They looped the ring on the floor as they traded chops. They went onto the stage (right next to the hard camera).
Mack tossed Sidney off the stage but Sidney rolled through it. Mack then dove off the stage onto Sidney at 8:30! Back in the ring, Sidney hit a top-rope 360 splash onto a standing Mack for a nearfall. Sidney hit a deep armdrag and a crossbody block and a standing neckbreaker for a nearfall at 10:00. Mack missed a top-rope Phoenix 630. Sidney did a cartwheel but Mack caught him and applied a rear-naked choke. Sidney stood on Mack’s shoulders but fell; not sure what they had planned there. Sidney immediately hit a cartwheel, caught Mack’s head, and hit a stunner for the pin. Good match; not as good as the Cartwheel match, but still very good. GCW has picked some good opponents that match Akeem’s style.
* A video package aired showing the violent Zilla Fatu vs. John Wayne Murdoch street fight from a day ago. We then went to a video package showing Violence is Forever.
5. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini defeated “Los Desperados” Gringo Loco and Arez to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 15:32. The champs came out first, which is always weird to me. ViF worked over Arez in the opening seconds. Loco launched Arez, who hit a tornado DDT. Loco hit a standing moonsault on Garrini at 1:30. Loco hit a top-rope moonsault on Dominic for a nearfall. Loco hit a flipping axe kick for a nearfall at 3:30. Loco hit a doublestomp on Ku’s back and did a Swanton Bomb onto Garrini for a nearfall. Nice!
Loco hit a corkscrew elbow drop onto Garrini for a nearfall; Ku made the save. Garrini hit a backbreaker over his knee on Loco at 6:30. Ku got the hot tag and hit an enzuigiri on Arez. Ku hit a Tiger Suplex on Arez for a nearfall. They got up and traded some HARD forearms and LOUD chops. Arez hit a Tiger Driver and they were both down at 9:00. Cartwheel went for a move off the ropes but Garrini caught him and applied a rear-naked choke; Arez tossed Ku onto Garrini to break the hold.
Arez hit some kicks on Garrini. ViF hit some team kicks and Garrini hit a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall on Arez. Garrini hit a second-rope superplex. Ku went to the top rope but Gringo Loco cut him off and hit a second-rope powerbomb on Ku. Loco got a door from under the ring and slid it in. Loco powerbombed Ku through the door bridge at 14:00 for a nearfall, but Garrini made the save. Loco and Garrini traded forearms, and Loco hit him over the head with a door shard and the noise popped the crowd. Arez accidentally superkicked Loco! ViF immediately hit the Chasing the Dragon kick-and-brainbuster combo to pin Loco. Easily best match of the show so far.
6. Effy & Dark Sheik & Cole Radrick defeated Mago & Calibus & Epydemius Jr. and Shota & Chris Carter & Bobby Flaco in a three-way trios match at 7:27. Most of these guys were in action in Houston a day ago. We started with just Flaco’s team vs. the luchadors, but then Effy’s squad came out to turn it into a three-way. Prazak wondered how a referee can keep track of nine competitors. The luchadors hit superkicks on Flaco’s team, then the luchadors hit dives to the floor at 3:00. Calibus hit a 450 Splash for a nearfall. Carter hit an impressive top-rope Shooting Star Press for a nearfall at 5:30. Mago hit an inverted DDT. Calibus suplexed Carter. Sheik hit a release powerbomb on the tiny Shota. Radrick hit a stunner on Epydemius Jr. Sheik hit a top-rope legdrop to pin Epydemius Jr. A messy, disjointed match, and not in a good way this time.
* More footage of the violent Zilla Fatu-John Wayne Murdoch match from a day earlier.
7. Galeno Del Mal defeated Fuego Del Sol at 10:37. Again, I’ve compared the massive Galeno to DC’s Bane; you just don’t see luchadors of his size and thickness; he’s listed online as 6’5″ and 297 pounds. They locked up and Galeno easily shoved Fuego to the mat. Fuego tried a shoulder tackle but Galeno didn’t budge. Galeno applied a half-crab at 2:30, but Fuego quickly reached the ropes. Galeno hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. Fuego hit a jumping neckbreaker at 4:30. Fuego hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor.
In the ring, Fuego hit a Lionsault Press on a standing Galeno for a nearfall at 6:00, then a stomp to the head for a nearfall. Galeno hit a clothesline and they were both down. Fuego hit a doublestomp on the back for a nearfall at 8:30. Galeno hit a hard forearm and a pop-up sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Fuego hit a buzzsaw kick. Galeno tucked Fuego’s head like he was going to hit a DDT, but instead he hit a twisting neckbreaker for the pin. Good action; the size difference was huge and the right guy won. I see so much potential in Galeno Del Mal.
8. Microman defeated Danhausen at 5:41. Like Effy and Allie Katch, Danhausen competed in Chicago a day earlier. Danhausen challenged Microman to a ‘mask vs. mask’ match, and Danhausen put a lucha mask on his head. Allie Katch joined Prazak on commentary. Danhausen ‘cursed’ Microman but it went over his head, so Danhausen knocked him down with a boot to the chest. Danhausen immediately got a board and set it up in the corner. Danhausen applied a Boston Crab. Microman hit a 619 and some shoulder tackles, then the John Cena fist-drop. Danhausen hit a DDT.
Danhausen got his jar of teeth, but of course he couldn’t pour them into Microman’s mouth because of the mask. Microman hit a pair of suplexes; he demanded the ref put Danhausen’s cape on him! He cursed Danhausen! Danhausen charged at Microman, but he flipped and went through the board in the corner at 5:00. Microman then hit an F5 and the Vader Bomb for the pin. He then ripped the lucha mask off Danhausen, and Danhausen ran to the back in shame. What you expect from a match between these two.
9. Megan Bayne and Joey Janela defeated “Los Macizos” Ciclope and Miedo Extremo at 10:48. Janela and Miedo opened with basic reversals. Ciclope charged at Megan, but she caught him. She hit a clothesline on Ciclope and chopped him in the corner. Ciclope hit a spinebuster on Janela at 2:30. Los Macizos hit a team Flapjack on Joey, and Miedo tied up Janela on the mat. Megn entered and she hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Miedo, then one on Ciclope. She hit a double clothesline at 5:00. All four began brawling. Miedo hit a standing neckbreaker on Joey. She hit a double back suplex and she posed.
On the floor, Miedo whipped Joey into the ring post. In the ring, Ciclope hit a Shining Wizard on Bayne for a nearfall, and they were all down at 7:00. Bayne dove through the ropes onto Miedo. In the ring, Ciclope hit a Canadian Destroyer on Janela. Ciclope got a folding chair and whipped it at Joey’s head; I really hate that. A door bridge was set up in the ring. Joey hit a top-rope summersault splash onto Ciclope on the door at 10:00. However, Blake Christian jumped in the ring and stomped on Joey! Megan speared Blake. Megan hit a double chokeslam on Los Macizos to pin them both.
* Mance Warner hit the ring with a chair in his hand. He hit Joey across the back with the chair, but then he threw the chair at her head and it did NOT look good; it clearly struck her hard in the forehead. Dante Leon and 1 Called Manders ran to the ring, and our next match was immediately under way!
10. 1 Called Manders and Dante Leon defeated Mance Warner and Jimmy Lloyd at 14:48. This match was set up with an angle a night earlier. All four brawled on the floor. Lloyd and Manders got in the ring at 4:00, with Jimmy choking him in the ropes. Manders hit a double clothesline at 6:00. Leon got a hot tag and hit some chops on Lloyd. Mance accidentally kicked Lloyd. Leon hit a flip dive to the floor on both heels. Manders got a barbed-wire door and set it up in the corner. Lloyd hit a low blow on Manders. Leon hit a top-rope Shooting Star Press on Mance, who was lying on a board bridge, at 10:00. Lloyd hit a superkick on Manders that staggered him; Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam onto an open door, then he speared Mance through the barbed-wire board in the corner!
Leon went for a top-rope flip, but Lloyd got his knees up to block it. Lloyd dropped Leon onto two open chairs. Mance hit a uranage on Leon across an open chair and got a nearfall at 12:00 but Manders made the save. Lloyd tossed a chair at Manders; Manders hit a decapitating clothesline on Lloyd for a nearfall. Mance hit a DDT on Leon for a nearfall, but he pulled Leon up! Janela and Megan Bayne ran back to the ring and took away the chairs. Megan speared Mance! Manders hit another clothesline on Lloyd. Leon hit a ‘Sol Snatcher’ flipping stunner on Lloyd for the pin.
Final Thoughts: I was really enjoying this show until Mance Warner came out and recklessly whipped a chair at a competitor. He was too close and he threw it too fast for her to get her hands up; she never stood a chance. He is a danger and reckless to himself and others. I’ve seen him strike Trey Miguel so hard that Trey was rushed to a hospital. I have a big problem with unprotected chairshots to the head. I’ve said for years that no one should throw a chair, and this was a perfect example of why it should be banned. It’s too bad this one moment in the main event has left me so soured because this was a really good show.
ViForever vs. Arez/Loco was really good for first. I’ll narrowly go with Oliver-Murdoch for second, ahead of Mack-Akeem. A really good big man/little man Galeno/Fuego match takes honorable mention. This is definitely a show worth checking out. GCW has finally ended the Mance-Effy feud and is moving forward with an intriguing storyline with Blake Christian, Megan Bayne, 1 Called Manders and Joey Janela all emerging as top challengers to Mance’s title. I love that Blake is back with his “real world title” belt.
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