By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
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GCW “ID Showcase”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
August 1, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at Williams Center
This show began at 4 p.m. EST. Veda Scott and Emil Jay provided commentary. I’ve seen GCW use this venue before. It is a two-level ballroom and an attractive space for pro wrestling. The crowd was maybe 250.
* WWE ID announced early in the day that Jordan Oasis wasn’t going to make it to the show. I guess the Greyhound bus he takes from town to town must have broken down!
1. Ice Williams vs. Bobby Orlando. Bobby is not an ID prospect, but of course, he’s a regular in the Northeast. Ice is now a heel, and he kept Bobby grounded early on. He hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 4:30. Bobby hit a missile dropkick, and they were both down. Orlando hit some clotheslines and a standing neckbreaker at 6:30. He hit a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Ice hit a Divorce Court armbreaker, and he locked in a modified STF, but Bobby got to the ropes at 8:00. Ice snapped Bobby’s arm over the top rope, then he hit a top-rope elbow to the back of the neck, then a superkick for the pin. The crowd booed this outcome.
Ice Williams defeated Bobby Orlando at 9:22.
2. “The Vanity Project” Bryce Donovan, Ricky Smokes, and Brad Baylor vs. Alec Price, Jordan Oliver, and Marcus Mathers. This could be quite a barnburner! Smokes and Baylor just competed on the Wrestling Open show 20 hours earlier. Price and Oliver wore their GCW Tag Team Titles; Swipe Right did not have their Wrestling Open Tag Team Title belts. Bryce just beat Mathers on Wednesday’s edition of WWE Evolve, and I noted in that review it was only the fourth time they had ever squared off. Also worth noting that Price and Oliver (and ref Scarlette Donovan for that matter!) were competing in Japan just 60 or so hours earlier. Baylor once again has a harness/brace on his left shoulder.
Oliver and Smokes opened with quick reversals and some pinfall attempts. Bryce tagged in, so Mathers got in and they locked up at 1:30, with Donovan knocking him down with a shoulder block, and he hit a bodyslam. Baylor and Price now got in, with Alec hitting a springboard crossbody block. Veda just noted the return from Japan. The babyfaces pulled Baylor into their corner. Bryce bodyslammed Oliver onto Smokes’ knees at 4:00, and the heels began working over Jordan in their corner. Mathers got a hot tag at 6:00 and hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Baylor. The heels now began working over Mathers and kept him grounded.
Bryce applied a half-crab at 8:30, and he taunted Oliver and Price. Price got a hot tag and hit a top-rope flying doublestomp. Smokes hit a spear on Price for a nearfall at 10:30. Bryce hit a chokeslam on Price for a nearfall, but Mathers made the save. Marcus hit a twisting suplex into the corner on Smokes. Oliver hit a dropkick on Bryce. Price hit a jumping knee on Baylor; Baylor hit a German Suplex on Alec; Alec hit a Rebound Lariat, and suddenly everyone was down at 12:30, and we got a “this is awesome!” chant. Bryce and Mathers got up and traded forearm strikes. All six got up and traded punches as Scarlette had lost control!
The babyfaces hit stereo superkicks at 14:30. Baylor hit a Shotgun Dropkick on Price. Smokes hit a dropkick on Oliver. Bryce hit a Mafia Kick on Mathers. Price hit a Rebound Lariat on Bryce. Jordan and Mathers clotheslined Bryce to the floor. Alec dove over the ropes onto the heels at 16:00. In the ring, Marcus climbed the ropes, but Jackson Drake came out of nowhere to trip Mathers. Bryce immediately hit a Death Valley Driver to pin Mathers. The match was a blast and non-stop action.
“The Vanity Project” Bryce Donovan, Ricky Smokes, and Brad Baylor defeated Alec Price, Jordan Oliver, and Marcus Mathers at 16:26.
* In pre-taped segments, some of the ID prospects talked about who would win the WWE ID title matches later.
* Back to the venue, where Emil Jay introduce “X-Pac” Sean Waltman, and that got a pop. I highly doubt he was advertised in advance (if he was, I missed it). Veda said Sean has served as a mentor for the ID prospects. He noted that “before I was the 1-2-3 Kid, I was one of the indy darlings.” Alec Price got back into the ring and he called out Jackson Drake. We have an impromptu match!
3. Jackson Drake vs. Alec Price. Again, Jackson was supposed to face Jordan Oasis, so this is the replacement match. Quick reversals at the bell. Veda noted that Drake is fresh, compared to Price, who just wrestled and had his week of matches in Japan, too. Drake tied him up on the mat and cranked on Price’s head. Price again hit his dive over the top rope at 3:30. In the ring, Drake hit a running knee, then a kick into the corner and a gutbuster over his knees. He hit another running knee for the pin. Good while it lasted, but shockingly short.
Jackson Drake defeated Alec Price at 4:12.
4. It’s Gal vs. Aaron Roberts. Again, Roberts is the 400-pounder who is a young One Man Gang. He immediately hit a splash in the corner, then a fallaway slam. Gal tripped him, hit some knee drops on a leg, and began targeting it. Gal tried a dive to the floor at 1:30, and they brawled at ringside. In the ring, Gal hit a chop-block to the knee, and he took control. He hit some clubbing Sheamus-style blows to the chest. Gal nailed a Spinebuster.
Roberts hit a hip-toss into the corner at 4:00, and he hit some clotheslines and a running crossbody block for a nearfall. Aaron missed a Vader Bomb. Gal got his body-building medals, but Roberts hit a chokeslam at 5:30. Roberts picked up a medal, and he gave it to referee Scarlette. As she was putting it away, Gal struck Roberts in the head with a different medal and immediately covered Roberts for the tainted pin. Solid match.
It’s Gal defeated Aaron Roberts at 5:54.
5. Aaron Rourke vs. Timothy Thatcher. They immediately went to the mat and traded reversals. Thatcher twisted the left wrist and fingers, and we had a standoff at 1:30. Rourke targeted the left arm. Thatcher applied a bow-and-arrow over his knees at 4:30. He hit a gut-wrench suplex, and he twisted the left ankle. Thatcher rolled to the floor to regroup, got back in, and hit some hard knees to the ribs at 8:00. Rourke hit a back suplex and was fired up. He hit a flipping senton for a nearfall. Aaron hit a series of body blows.
Thatcher hit a belly-to-belly suplex for a nearfall at 11:00. He hit a back suplex for a nearfall. They fought back to the floor. In the ring, Thatcher went back to an ankle lock. Rourke repeatedly slammed Thatcher’s head into the mat to escape at 14:00. Rourke went for a cross-face chickenwing, but Thatcher fought it off. Rourke hit some clotheslines and a standing neckbreaker at 16:00. Rourke hit some superkicks. Thatcher dropped him with a European Uppercut, and they were both down at 17:30. Aaron went for a split-legged moonsault, but Thatcher got his knees up to block it. Thatcher immediately covered Rourke for the pin. Lame finish. Fans of this style will love it.
Timothy Thatcher defeated Aaron Rourke at 18:05.
6. Zayda Steel (w/The Vanity Project) vs. Zara Zakher vs. Kylie Rae in a Triple Threat for the WWE Women’s ID Title. All four men in TVP joined Zayda to ringside. Kylie shook Zara’s hand; she reached for Zayda, but Steel kicked the hand away, and she rolled to the floor. Zara is in her yellow-and-blue gear that always makes me think of Marvel’s Wolverine. Kylie hit some armdrags on Zara and a bodyslam. Smokes tripped Kylie and pulled her to the floor! Zayda jumped in the ring, hit a punt kick on Zara’s ribs, and worked her over. Steel tied Zakher in the Tree of Woe and hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 2:30. They all brawled in the ring. Kylie fired up and unloaded some punches on Zayda.
Zayda hit a jumping knee in the corner on Zara, then one on Kyle at 5:00. Zara hit a German Suplex on Steel, then a discus clothesline on Kylie, then a Spinebuster on Steel for a nearfall. Zara went to the top rope, but Bryce pushed her off the top turnbuckle to the mat. Veda reiterated that because this is a triple-threat, it’s no DQ. Kylie and Zara hit stereo superkicks on Zayda at 7:30. Kylie and Zara hit stereo dives onto TVP at ringside! However, those two were shoved into the ring post. In the ring, Zayda hit a tornado DDT on Zara, then an Unprettier faceplant, but Kylie made the save. Kylie hit a Russian Leg Sweep and she applied a crossface on Zayda and cranked back on her head! Zayda tapped out! That was really good.
Kylie Rae defeated Zayda Steel and Zara Zakher in a Triple Threat to become the inaugural WWE Women’s ID Champion at 9:22.
* Several of the male ID prospects came to ringside to hug and congratulate her, and Thatcher handed Kylie the belt.
7. Cappuccino Jones vs. Jack Cartwheel for the WWE Men’s ID Title. Again, these two have been teammates of late in Evolve, and they shook hands at the bell before locking up. Jones went for a headscissors takedown, but Jack just cartwheeled out of it. They sped it up and had a standoff at 2:00. Jack did his Flagpole Leg Sweep, and he hit a clothesline, and Jones rolled to the floor to regroup at 4:00. Jones got back in the ring and hit an impressive dropkick, and he did his own cartwheel before applying a headlock on the mat and keeping Jack grounded. Jones flipped him to the floor, then he chopped Jack at ringside at 6:30.
Back in the ring, Jones hit a splash to the mat for a nearfall. He bent Jack backward and applied a modified Dragon Sleeper at 8:00; Emil said, “The human body is not supposed to be bent like that.” Jones missed a dropkick into the corner. Jack hit a handspring-back-elbow and a standing moonsault for a nearfall. He hit a powerslam for a nearfall at 10:00. Jack hit his unique cartwheel Dragonscrew Legwhip, and he applied a Muta Lock and cranked on Jones’ head. Jones hit some clotheslines and a Michinoku Driver at 12:00. He hit a top-rope Froggy Brew elbow drop for a believable nearfall, and we got a “This is awesome!” chant.
Jack hit a superkick. Jones hit a rolling Death Valley Driver (Jack’s move!) for a believable nearfall. Jones hit a pair of dropkicks into the corner. Jack hit an impressive dropkick. He went for a springboard move, but Jones caught him with a Superman Punch. They fought on the top rope, and Jack hit a Spanish Fly, then a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall at 15:00. Jack hit his rolling DVD, then his top-rope corkscrew press for a believable nearfall. Jack hit a cartwheel kick. Jones hit a Mafia Kick.
Jack hit a rolling Burning Hammer for a believable nearfall at 17:00. He nailed the Sasuke Special to the floor. Jones hit a flip dive to the floor onto Jack. They got back into the ring, where Jack got a rollup for a nearfall, and they traded rollups. Jones hit a dropkick as Jack was mid-cartwheel. Jack hit a suplex into the corner at 19:00. Jones hit a second-rope release suplex, then the Decaffinator swinging neckbreaker for the pin! A very good match and a fun show, top to bottom. Waltman presented Jones with the title.
Cappuccino Jones defeated Jack Cartwheel to win the inaugural WWE Men’s ID Title at 19:26.
Final Thoughts: I am an unabashed fan of the ID wrestlers. A really good main event takes best of the show, ahead of the six-man tag. The women’s three-way takes third. I have to admit I’m disappointed that Drake beat Price so quickly, even with Price having just wrestled. Roberts-Gal was fine, but nothing noteworthy. Rourke-Thatcher will have its fans, but I thought it went a bit too long.
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