By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “The People vs. GCW”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
January 19, 2025 in New York, New York at Hammerstein Ballroom
Obviously, AEW just ran this building. GCW has sold just under 1,800 tickets for this show, according to Wrestletix on Twitter. Veda Scott, Dave Prazak, Nick Maniwa, and Jordan Castle provided commentary. So great to have Prazak back for the first time in at least a month!
* The pre-show opened with some video highlight packages from key events over the past year. (I incorrectly assumed that two announced pre-show matches were beginning right away, but the fans were just starting to file in as this kicked off at 5:30 p.m. CST.
* It is worth pointing out that with TNA running tonight, it means Masha Slamovich isn’t available, and Mike Bailey has taken a hiatus for the past month and also isn’t here.
* The building was fairly full as the two pre-show matches got underway.
1. Mr. Danger vs. Marcus Mathers vs. Fuego Del Sol vs. Rich Swann vs. Blake Christian vs. 1 Called Manders in a scramble. This is Manders’ last U.S. match until at least March as he’s headed to Germany. Manders and Mr. Danger immediately brawled to the floor. WWE ID prospect Mathers battled Fuego in the ring. Danger hit an impressive dropkick on Mathers. Blake hit a Lionsault Press on Danger. Swann hit a spin kick. Blake hit a spear on Swann at 3:00 and was booed. Blake hit a powerslam. Several guys hit superkicks on Manders.
Three guys then hit superkicks on Blake. Mathers dove onto Swann. Blake hit a spear on Danger on the ring apron at 5:00, then a Fosbury Flop onto several guys on the floor. Danger hit a top-rope Asai Moonsault onto everyone on the floor. In the ring, Blake hit a top-rope Spanish Fly on Danger at 6:30. Manders hit a powerbomb out of the corner. Fuego hit a coast-to-coast dropkick on Manders and suddenly everyone was down! Fuego hit a tornado DDT on Blake, but Christian rolled to the floor. Danger hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Mathers hit a heel hook kick to Danger’s face, then a modified Death Valley Driver for a nearfall.
Blake superkicked Manders, and he hit a 450 doublestomp on Manders’ chest! Swann hit a Lethal Injection on Manders for a nearfall. Blake hit a 450 on Swann. Danger hit a Phoenix Splash but Fuego hit a 630 Splash! Mathers hit a Canadian Destroyer on Fuego at 10:30 and that popped the crowd. Marcus hit a running knee on Manders, but Manders hit a Bulldog Powerslam, then a decapitating clothesline to pin Marcus! That was a blast and a near-perfect scramble; it got the crowd hot and going.
1 Called Manders defeated Mr. Danger, Marcus Mathers, Fuego Del Sol, Rich Swann, and Blake Christian in a scramble at 11:02.
* In pre-taped backstage segments, Veda Scott interviewed Allie Katch, and Jordan Castle interviewed Effy.
2. A 25ish-person battle royal. We know Zayda Steel is in this match but I don’t think anyone else was announced in advance. They called it a “Rumble” but maybe 15-20 people are already in the ring as the camera returns to the venue. People in the ring include: Brayden Toon, Drew Blood, Facade, Bobby Flaco, Sleepy Ed, Bam Sullivan, Titus Alexander, Rob Shit, Ariel Van Go, and Jeffrey John. There were multiple others in the ring that I didn’t know or they vanished too quickly for me to see who they were.
Crowbar came out and he hit several guys with a pipe (so we have a few Rumble-style entrances). There is WWE ID prospect Zayda Steel entering at 1:30. Starboy Charlie got in and he got a big pop. No one has been eliminated. 2 Tuff Tony (w/Violent J) and the New Backseat Boys got in at 3:00. The massive Sam Stackhouse entered. The muscular Shane Mercer entered at 4:30. Brooke Havok entered as our second woman in the match. The familiar sounds of Shania Twain means CPA is the next man in the ring and he got a huge pop. Big Vin entered at 6:30. PCO entered; oh yes, he was announced in advance, too. (Surprised he’s not at TNA!) The commentators said he is the final entrant.
Crowbar was tossed. Zayda was tossed. There are maybe 15 people in the ring. Mercer tossed 2 Tuff Tony and he was booed. Mercer ‘skinned the cat’ back in. Facade walked the top rope and was pushed to the floor. With Facade’s elimination, I’m seeing seven left. Ariel and Brooke fought on the top rope, and she hit a huracanrana to the mat. Stackhouse hit a leg lariat that eliminated Van Go. Tony clotheslined Titus Alexander over the top rope, and Mercer eliminated 2 Tuff Tony.
So, I’m seeing PCO, Brooke Havok, Sam Stackhouse and Shane Mercer left. Brooke hit some blows to Stackhouse’s chest that he no-sold. She did a huracanrana that eliminated Stackhouse! Mercer did a gorilla press, tossing Brooke four rows deep onto several guys who caught her, so it was just PCO vs. Mercer! They fought on the apron. PCO chokeslammed him to the floor to win the match.
PCO won a Rumble match at 15:47.
* Emil Jay got in the ring and interviewed PCO. He seemed to indicate he has quit TNA. He vented about selling more merchandise than others. He got a TNA belt and hit it with a sledgehammer repeatedly!
* Promoter Brett Lauderdale got in the ring and talked about the growth of GCW in recent years. He vowed he isn’t stopping until GCW has held shows in all 50 states! He noted that they accomplished all of this without TV or billion-dollar backers.
* NOTE: Brandon Kirk announced this week that he is retiring after this match. His wife, Kasey Catal, also recently stepped away from in-ring action. Fans pelted him with streamers; the word is definitely out about him stepping away. It should be noted that the reason the Ultraviolent Title is vacant is because Sawyer Wreck won it and retired. (Hardcore matches unsurprisingly lead to shortened in-ring careers.) SO, we have two belts suspended from the ceiling, as they are unifying two belts!
3. Ciclope vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Matthew Justice vs. Dr. Redacted vs. Rina Yamashita vs. Matt Tremont vs. Maki Itoh vs. Drew Parker vs. John Wayne Murdoch in a nine-person ladder match for the vacant Ultraviolent Title and the Extreme Title. Murdoch got on the mic and said Maki doesn’t belong in this match, and it made her cry, and the crowd booed him, so everyone jumped on Murdoch to get us underway! Maki put a ladder over her head and swung it to hit several guys. Everyone started hitting each other over the head with unprotected chairshots and I just hate that. Ciclope hit a spinebuster on Rina at 3:00. Ciclope hit an Asai Moonsault to the floor onto everyone. (Nice camera shot here panning the crowd. This looks very ‘big league’ tonight. Lauderdale and crew should be proud.)
Murdoch pushed a ladder into Itoh’s stomach in the corner and was booed; she hit a DDT on him. Kirk set up for a Psycho Driver, but Itoh turned it into a DDT at 6:30. Nice. Itoh hit a crossbody block onto several guys on the floor below. Dr. Redacted slammed a ladder onto Tremont; that one seemed reckless and dangerous. Redacted and Rina stood on opposite top turnbuckles, each put a trash can over their head, and leapt onto opponents on the mat at 9:30. Rina and Ciclope fought on top of a ladder, and he forcefully kissed her, then suplexed them both onto several tables set up on the floor at 12:30! Drew Parker climbed and stood on top of the ladder and hit a Swanton Bomb onto Murdoch on a table below.
Justice and Dr. Redacted fought on a horizontal ladder, and Justice hit a DVD through a table set up on the floor! Some pretty insane bumps here! Parker and Kirk fought on the horizontal ladder, which was even with the top rope, and Kirk hit the Psycho Driver onto the ladder, and it crumbled, earning a “holy shit!” chant, at 14:30. Kirk climbed the ladder, but Murdoch pushed him onto a horizontal ladder. Tremont and Murdoch fought on top of the ladder, and Tremont repeatedly stabbed him with a fork! Murdoch fell to the mat, and Tremont pulled down the belts. This didn’t get gross at all; outside of the chairshots to the head, I approve very much of this action.
Matt Tremont defeated Ciclope, Brandon Kirk, Matthew Justice, Dr. Redacted, Rina Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Drew Parker, and John Wayne Murdoch to win the Ultraviolent Title and the Extreme Title at 15:52.
* Everyone took turns hugging Kirk, and the crowd chanted, “Thank you, Brandon!”
4. Allie Katch vs. Effy to earn a shot at the GCW Championship later in the show against Mance Warner. I have written multiple times this should end in a quick draw so the main event is just a three-way. They immediately brawled. She dove through the ropes onto him at 1:00. She didn’t get up and the ref waved for backstage help. This came to a complete stop and the cameras have pulled back, indicating that she’s legit injured. Mance Warner stormed to the ring at 3:30 and he attacked Effy. Mance chokeslammed Effy onto a table on the floor. He got in the ring and celebrated. Brett Lauderdale came to commentary and proclaimed that Allie is LEGIT injured and the match is over. (I later watched the replay and it looks like she may have snapped her leg, a la Sid Vicious in WCW, upon landing).
Effy defeated Allie Katch via ref stoppage at 4:32.
5. Homicide, Grim Reefer, and Amazing Red (w/Julius Smokes) vs. Griffin McCoy, Kerry Morton, and Tony Deppen. The heels came out first; Kerry got on the mic and boasted that they are the future of GCW. The babyfaces came out and Julius Smokes got the crowd fired up. Kerry again got on the mic and said marijuana has no place in this ring, and of course was booed. The match is delayed because of Allie’s injury, which apparently was legit after all. (Prazak explained that an ambulance took Allie to a hospital, and per N.Y. athletic commission rules, the next match could not begin until another ambulance had arrived.) So, we finally got underway with Homicide and Deppen in the ring. The crowd was dead as we began; I think many, including myself, thought Allie’s injury was all storyline but it’s now clear this was a serious injury.
Red got in and battled Deppen, but Griffin attacked Red from behind. Reefer entered and hit a clothesline on McCoy at 4:00. The heels began working over Reefer. He lit a joint and hit a somersault dive to the floor onto the heels at 8:30. Kerry pulled out a fork! Ricky Morton got in the ring, took the fork away from Kerry, and hit a Canadian Destroyer on his son! Red hit a Code Red on McCoy, and Homicide hit a Cop Killah (backslide driver) on Deppen for the pin. A flat match but that is due to the injury, and I don’t blame anyone here; they were in a tough position.
Homicide, Grim Reefer, and Amazing Red defeated Griffin McCoy, Kerry Morton, and Tony Deppen at 11:05.
* Nick Maniwa replaced Veda Scott on commentary. Emil Jay surprised Amazing Red by giving him a plaque, and he is the first inductee into the 2025 Indy Hall of Fame! He got a nice applause and a “You deserve it!” chant.
6. “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini vs. “Gahbage Daddies” Alec Price and Cole Radrick for the GCW Tag Team Titles. ViF have been champs for more than a yea. Ku and Radrick opened and immediately traded chops. Garrini and Price also got in and traded punches. All four fought on the floor. The heels hit a brainbuster on Price. In the ring, ViF began working over Cole in their corner. Price finally got a hot tag at 5:30 and he hit a pop-up dropkick on Ku, then his springboard Blockbuster on Garrini. He hit the Emergency legdrop on Ku, then a frogsplash on Garrini for a nearfall at 7:00. The crowd started chanting “new champs!” Ku hit some forearm strikes to drop Garrini.
Price and Garrini traded punches; they hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Cole tagged back in and he traded punches with Ku. Ku and Cole each hit a German Suplex, then they went back to trading forearm strikes. Ku hit a superkick at 9:30. Price went for a springboard move, but Garrini caught him and applied a sleeper on the mat. Cole hit an Air Raid Crash on them to break it up. ViF hit Chasing the Dragon on Cole, but Price hit a Swanton Bomb to break up a pin at 11:00. Ku hit a spike piledriver and made a lazy cover and only got a nearfall; he was shocked when Cole kicked out.
Cole hit the Little Sebastian’s Curse pump-handle powerbomb for a nearfall. Ku hit a brainbuster on Price on the top turnbuckle at 13:30! Garrini hit a package piledriver. Price hit a superkick, a Rebound Lariat, and a dive to the floor on Garrini. Price then hit the top-rope doublestomp on Ku for the pin! New champions! The crowd celebrated and threw streamers into the ring. A really good match and the crowd was back.
“Gahbage Daddies” Alec Price and Cole Radrick defeated “Violence is Forever” Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini to win the GCW Tag Team Titles at 14:27.
* A short break to set up the cage. (And this is why the cage match should have opened the show!)
7. Charles Mason vs. Richard Holliday in a steel cage. Holliday came out first in a white jacket and white, brim hat. Mason had an orange jumpsuit on but he had a regular button-down shirt on underneath. The bell rang and Holliday tried to climb the walls to escape, but Mason yanked him down, and they traded punches. Mason removed his shirt and took off his belt and choked Holliday with the belt. Holliday got on the top rope, with the top of his body above the cage, but Mason met him on the ropes at 3:30 and they brawled, and Holliday fell to the mat. Mason hit a top-of-cage elbow drop! He got a nearfall as Parrow walked to ringside and got in the ring at 5:00.
Parrow slammed ref Dan Perch into the cage wall, and he chokeslammed Mason. He put Holliday on top, and Richard got a nearfall. Parrow set up for a powerbomb, but Slade hit the ring! He speared Parrow through a door in the corner of the ring, and those two fought to the floor. Meanwhile, Holliday got a chain and wrapped it around his fist. However, Mason repeatedly hit chair shots to Holliday’s back. Holliday shouted that he did indeed snitch on Mason, that he hates him, and he hit a superkick at 10:00.
Holliday hit the 2008 twisting suplex but only got a one-count! Mason applied a sleeper. Holliday hit a backbreaker over his knee. Mason reapplied a rear-naked choke in the center of the ring! Holliday grabbed the chain, but Mason wrapped it around Holliday’s throat and choked him out! Good brawl.
Charles Mason defeated Richard Holliday at 12:04.
8. Sidney Akeem vs. El Hijo Del Vikingo. Akeem came out first. A nice pop for Vikingo; we’ll see if his knee holds up, and how ambitious his move-set is. Standing switches to open. Vikingo tied up Akeem’s limbs, and they traded rollups. Jordan Castle was on commentary now and he noted that Vikingo got injured at a Progress show last month (it was cut short.) Akeem hit a twisting crossbody block from the apron to the floor at 4:00, and he was in charge in the ring. Vikingo hit a top-rope missile dropkick, then a dive through the ropes onto Akeem, and they were both down. Castle noted that Vikingo doesn’t want to risk re-injuring the knee.
In the ring, Vikingo hit a frogsplash for a nearfall at 6:30. Akeem hit a sideslam. Vikingo hit a top-rope doublestomp to the chest as Akeem was tied in the ropes. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees. Sidney went for the Final Act, but Vikingo avoided it. They hit stereo kicks and were both down at 8:30. Akeem hit the Final Act (double backflip into a stunner) for a believable nearfall; the commentators agreed that no one has kicked out of it before. Vikingo hit a Canadian Destroyer on the ring apron, and they both fell to the floor. In the ring, Akeem again hit the Final Act and this time he scored the pin. Good action. I think this makes Akeem 18-0-1 in GCW?
Sidney Akeem defeated El Hijo Del Vikingo at 10:32.
9. Gringo Loco, Arez, and Jack Cartwheel vs. Little Guido, Super Crazy, and Tajiri. Team ECW came out first. Tajiri’s hair is white/silver. Cartwheel and Guido opened with some basic reversals and a standoff, and Guido did a cartwheel to get a “holy shit!” chant. Tajiri and Loco entered at 1:30. Nick Maniwa was now in the booth with Prazak, and he said this is a dream match for Loco. They traded some reversals, and Loco paused to dance, so Tajiri hit some kicks to the thighs and some armdrags, and they had a standoff. Crazy and Arez entered at 3:00. They traded fast-paced mat moves and rollups. All six fought in the ring. Arez hit a tornado DDT on Crazy.
Arez ran up Guido’s back at 5:30, and his team kept Guido in their corner. Cartwheel missed a top-rope Sky Twister Press. Super Crazy got the hot tag and hit some clotheslines on Loco’s team. Tajiri hit a handspring-back-double elbow at 7:00. Guido tied up Cartwheel in a Fujiwara armbar in the middle of the ring. The action spilled to the floor, over the guardrail, and into the crowd. Super Crazy got into the balcony and hit a moonsault onto everyone on the floor at 9:00. “Are you kidding me!” Prazak shouted. That’s insane. They got back to the ring and the crowd chanted “You still got it!”
Arez and Crazy each tied an opponent in a bow-and-arrow. They let go and traded punches. Arez hit a series of kicks. Loco hit a flip dive to the floor. Cartwheel hit a Sasuke Special. Arez hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor onto everyone at 11:30. (Loco took more of those blows from his teammates than anyone!) In the ring, Tajiri accidentally sprayed green mist into the ref’s eyes. Arez sprayed red mist into Tajiri’s eyes! Loco hit a split-legged moonsault and pinned Guido. That was fun.
Gringo Loco, Arez, and Jack Cartwheel defeated Little Guido, Super Crazy, and Tajiri at 12:38.
10. Josh Barnett vs. Tom Pestock (a/k/a Baron Corbin) in a Blood Sport match. Emil Jay now joined Veda on commentary, and he said this match has a 15-minute time limit. Again, the ropes are down, and the only way to win is knockout or submission. Veda listed Pestock’s fighting background credentials, and he tackled Barnett, and he grapevined Barnett’s leg. Barnett applied a headlock on the mat. Pestock went for a cross-armbreaker at 4:00. Barnett kept him tied on the mat. Barnett applied a cross-armbreaker. He mounted Pestock and hit some punches and was getting booed! Pestock rolled on top and hit some punches at 8:00 and got cheered!
They got back to their feet and Barnett hit some spin kicks to the thighs. Pestock hit several body-blows and a back suplex. Barnett went to a grapevine of the leg on the mat, and Pestock tapped out. The crowd booed the outcome. The crowd was really supportive of the former Baron Corbin. They shook hands.
Josh Barnett defeated Tom Pestock in a Blood Sport match at 9:58.
11. Megan Bayne vs. Atticus Cogar in an intergender match. Prazak and Castle now provided commentary; I’m liking the rotation of broadcasters. Megan came out first; Atticus came out dressed in gear that looks like hers; it’s very creepy. She hit a spear at the bell and a backbody drop. She hit a Stinger Suplex and a butterfly suplex for a nearfall at 2:00. They went to the floor, where he draped her over the top rope and slammed onto her back. In the ring, he hit a DDT for a nearfall at 4:30, and he kept her grounded. She hit a German Suplex; he popped up and hit his own German Suplex.
Bayne hit a fallaway slam onto an open chair for a nearfall at 8:00. Cogar hit a top-rope doublestomp onto her collarbone for a nearfall. She hit a powerbomb for a nearfall. They went to the top rope and he hit an Air Raid Crash onto the ring apron, and they both fell to the mat at 10:30. In the ring, she hit an F5 for a nearfall. She grabbed some cooking skewers, but Otis Cogar ran into the ring and attacked her at 12:30. He hit a moonsault on her; Atticus jumped onto her but only got a nearfall. A person in a hoodie appeared at ringside and sprayed a chemical into Otis’ eyes! The person in the hoodie got in the ring and it was Sawyer Wreck! She used a Taser on Atticus! Megan immediately hit a Tombstone Piledriver and pinned Atticus. A fun use of the popular (retired!) Wreck.
Megan Bayne defeated Atticus Cogar at 13:53.
12. Joey Janela vs. Masato Tanaka. They opened by trading shoulder blocks, and they switched to forearm strikes. Janela reiterated this is a first-time-ever matchup. Janela hit a DVD onto the ring apron, and he went to get doors from under the ring at 2:00. Tanaka put Janela on a table at ringside and hit a top-rope frogsplash onto Joey on the table. In the ring, Tanaka hit a tornado DDT onto a folded chair for a nearfall at 5:00. Joey hit a brainbuster onto a folded chair. Joey tossed Tanaka off the apron and through a table at ringside; he rolled Masato into the ring for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope superplex onto several open chairs at 8:30; that had to hurt them both equally. Ouch!
They got up and traded forearm strikes. Joey hit a hard chairshot to an unprotected head, and I just hate that, and he got a nearfall. They fell off the ropes and onto a table; it tipped over rather than break and they landed awkwardly at 10:30. Joey hit a DVD through a door in the corner. They got steel chairs and clanged them together. They dropped the chairs and traded forearm strikes. They hit simultaneous rolling elbows and were both down. Joey hit a superkick and a package piledriver for the pin; I didn’t sense that was the finish so I was a bit surprised. Really good brawl.
Joey Janela defeated Masato Tanaka at 12:34.
* Joey got on the mic and thanked the fans. He said “we had some tragedy,” but when you get to see Tanaka wrestle, you get some satisfaction, and he put over Tanaka and his career. He then switched to talking about the Collective and Spring Break over WrestleMania weekend in Las Vegas. A video package then aired for it. Sabu was in the ring with Tanaka and Janela when the video ended. Joey challenged Sabu to a match in Vegas as Sabu’s retirement match!
* We still don’t know who is the mystery opponent for Matt Cardona! Of course, for all of about a day, this match was slated for Ricky Starks. An incredible career perspective was put together. Geez this is a full-on babyface promo. The band “Voices of a Generation” played Matt Cardona’s “Always Ready!” theme song, as Cardona and Jimmy Lloyd walked to ringside. (No Steph De Lander?) “New York City, your favorite son has come home,” he said. “And whether you want to admit it or not, I’m the reason you’re in the Hammerstein Ballroom. I’ve carried GCW on my back! Show me some respect!” He doesn’t care who will be the mystery opponent. Out came… Tommy Invincible? Who? Some stupid social media guy? UGH. He’s bald, in decent shape, with lots of tattoos. I hear crickets behind his music. What a let-down.
13. Matt Cardona vs. Tommy Invincible. The music stopped and the crowd loudly booed this. Cardona hit a Radio Silence at the bell for a believable nearfall; I seriously thought it could end in five seconds. Tommy hit a jumping knee and a back suplex. The crowd chanted, “Who are you?” He did some Cena-like mannerisms for some boos. He has “Invincible” tattooed across his back. Cardona hit another Radio Silence for the pin. Please, give him another match!
Matt Cardona defeated Tommy Invincible at 1:42.
* Cardona got on the mic and he wants more competition, the biggest and baddest! Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” played, and that can only mean one thing! It’s MicroMan! Matt held his head in disbelief.
14. Matt Cardona vs. MicroMan. Glad that Castle and Prazak are on commentary here because they will sell the silliness that is about to play out. Cardona got on his knees; MicroMan slapped him. He hit a 619 and a Vader Bomb for a visual pin on Matt, but Lloyd pulled the ref from the ring. Matt hit a low blow, got a rollup, and scored the pin. The crowd booed this. I thought this would be longer.
Matt Cardona defeated MicroMan at 1:31.
* Matt got on the mic and he wants another match! Jimmy Lloyd got in the ring and he’s next! I should have seen that coming!
15. Matt Cardona vs. Jimmy Lloyd. Lloyd ripped off the silly headband, and he hit some Broski Boots. He shouted “I’m not your Broski!” He hit a Buzzsaw Kik and a piledriver and scored the pin!
Jimmy Lloyd defeated Matt Cardona at 1:06.
16. Mance Warner vs. Effy for the GCW World Title. Mance took his time coming to the ring, even though it is now 12:09 EST! I do have to wonder what the plan was here before Allie’s injury; I really did think Allie and Effy were going to have a short match that led to them both being in this main event. Effy immediately hit some punches to the gut and a Helluva Kick. They went to the floor and traded chops. Effy hit a suplex onto the thin mat at 2:00. They got back into the ring and traded punches. Effy went for a somersault flip off the ropes, but Mance moved, and Effy crashed onto an open chair at 4:00. Mance hit some chairshots to the back and was booed.
Effy hit a TKO onto open chairs, then a tombstone piledriver onto an open chair for a nearfall at 6:30. They fought so many times in 2024 that this match feels cold. Mance leapt off a chair but Effy caught him and slammed him through a board in the corner. Effy hit a Stomp for a nearfall at 9:00. Mance hit a piledriver off the apron onto a table, but it didn’t break, and Effy crashed to the floor. Ugh. They got back in the ring and Mance stomped on him; I can hear crickets. This isn’t quite a disaster but it’s pretty close to it. Mance hit a DDT off the second rope onto a door bridge for a nearfall at 13:30, and Effy rolled to the floor to recover.
Effy got in, but Mance tossed him back to the floor and celebrated. The unrest from the crowd is noticeable now. Mance hit several hard chair shots to the back. Mance hit a running knee for a nearfall, and the crowd woke up for the kickout at 15:30. Mance grabbed a screwdriver. Effy hit a spear, and he grabbed the screwdriver and hit Mance with it. He hit a Razor’s Edge onto a door in the corner, and he repeatedly stabbed Mance in the forehead with it. Mance hit a DDT for a nearfall. Who would have thought the crowd would be so dead for the main event? Mance went over to the stage and grabbed a guitar from Cardona’s entrance band. Cole Radrick jumped in and took the guitar. He unbuttoned his jacket at 18:30 and he has the brass ring around his neck. Will he cash it in? Nope! Radrick handed the guitar to Effy and he left. Effy cracked it over Mance’s head, hit the flying Fameasser, and scored the pin. New champion!
Effy defeated Mance Warner to win the GCW World Title at 19:04.
* The show went off the air almost immediately, as it was now 12:33 EST; some people will have a long work-day on Monday!
Final Thoughts: Between some of the matches (there were long breaks to set up and tear down the cage, then remove ropes and put them back), I went on Twitter/X and saw some of the footage from in the venue of Allie Katch being placed on a stretcher. I also rewatched her landing and saw her leg bent the wrong way, yes, just like Sid Vicious in WCW. It’s really unfortunate for her, and it happened so early not just in their match, but early in the show. I don’t blame the wrestlers in the six-man afterwards; they worked hard to win the crowd back, but everyone was clearly deflated by the injury. And unless Lauderdale reveals his booking plans, I will just assume we were supposed to have a three-way main event that would have been a lot hotter than what played out. Effy and Mance sure tried hard, but the match had a ‘been there, done that’ vibe to it, as they fought SO MUCH in 2024, and it just felt like a piece of this match was missing.
I did NOT expect going into this that the ladder match would be my favorite of the night, but it was. Because it was in New York, they didn’t use the disgusting weapons and we didn’t have the disgusting blood loss. Some big spots and it went off quite well. Price/Cole winning the tag belts earns second, and Tanaka-Janela was really good for third. I’ll go with the Gringo Loco six-man tag for honorable mention.
Too bad about that Allie Katch injury because Lauderdale and everyone involved should be proud of this night. The crowd was large. Most of the matches had a storyline and this was built nicely over the past two months. The action was good, and yes, while it was a long show, none of the matches felt short-changed; okay maybe the Rumble was cut short by piling so many guys in the ring to begin.
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