By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “You Wouldn’t Understand”
Streamed on TrillerTV+
November 7, 2025, in Hartford, Connecticut, at The Webster
This was the first of three shows this weekend in the New England area, as GCW will be making their debuts in Vermont and Maine. This is a dark, packed theater. The ring was really poorly lit; it’s about as bad as I’ve ever seen from GCW. Where were all the portable lights? It was absolutely packed with maybe 600 fans (it initially doesn’t look like that many, but then you see how the seating in the auditorium is several rows deep). Veda Scott and Emil Jay provided commentary.
* The show opened with footage from their Halloween-themed show a week ago. Veda noted there are some lineup changes. (I read earlier in the day on Twitter/X that Tony Deppen hit a deer and his vehicle is out of action, so he couldn’t make it.)
Yaki got on the mic and he bad-mouthed Deppen, saying Tony “refused to wrestle me.” So, he issued an open challenge! The familiar sounds of Journey hit, and the crowd chanted “You f—ed up!” because they knew it meant that Matt Tremont was on his way to the ring!
1. Terry Yaki vs. Matt Tremont. Yaki dove onto Tremont as Matt approached the ring, and we’re underway! Tremont threw a chair that struck Yaki in the back of the head. Terry hit an Asai Moonsault at 2:00. Emil said he wasn’t told if Tremont’s Ultraviolent Title is on the line. Yaki threw a door into the ring, and they both got in. Tremont threw another chair at Yaki’s head; I just hate that.
Tremont threw Yaki from the ring and onto an adjacent stage. Yaki hit a DDT for a nearfall at 5:30, and they were both down. He hit a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall. Tremont was busted open on his forehead, so he removed a bandana that was hiding a fresh wound. They sat down across from each other on chairs at 8:00 and traded some punches. Yaki hit a DDT off the ropes for a nearfall at 9:30, and Tremont was bleeding some more. Tremont hit a vicious chokeslam through a door bridge for a believable nearfall; I thought that was it. Tremont hit a running powerbomb onto the board for the pin.
Matt Tremont defeated Terry Yaki at 11:38.
2. Anthony Greene vs. Ray Jaz. Both men are regulars in the New England area, but certainly aren’t regulars in GCW; I don’t think I’ve seen Jaz here before. They rolled around on the mat, and the crowd chanted, “Jersey sucks!” at Jaz. Greene dove through the ropes onto Jaz at 1:30. In the ring, Jaz hit a German Suplex, and he tied up Greene on the mat, and he targeted Greene’s left arm. Greene grabbed Jaz in the groin at 4:00, and that popped this crowd. Greene hit some superkicks. Greene hit a running neckbreaker and was fired up.
Greene hit his top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall. It looked like Greene was going for a Styles Clash, but Jaz escaped, put Greene across his shoulders, and hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall at 6:00. Greene hit a vicious Buckle Bomb. Greene hit the Styles Clash for a believable nearfall. Jaz hit a top-rope German Suplex; Greene rotated and landed on his stomach. Jaz applied an STF, and Greene tapped out! The crowd booed that outcome. Good action.
Ray Jaz defeated Anthony Greene at 7:43.
* Kerry Morton cut a backstage promo, noting he’s on the three-day loop of the New England area, and he’s selling out the houses. He apparently is fighting his dad again on Sunday. (I just watched the Mortons fight each other earlier this week!)
3. Kerry Morton vs. Maki Itoh in an intergender match. The crowd taunted him with a “Maki’s gonna kill you!” chant before the bell. The size and strength difference is just so vast it is absurd. He backed her into a corner and was booed. She hit some forearm strikes. She stomped on his lower back at 3:30. He kept her grounded and he spent a lot of time arguing with the fans. (Seriously, why book this? Put her in the ring with a talented woman, not a guy who has 100 pounds on her.) Maki hit a tornado DDT at 7:30 and she was fired up.
Maki hit a headbutt, then a Kokeshi falling headbutt for a nearfall. She got a pizza cutter but he took it from her. He shoved ref Scarlett to the mat! That brought out Ricky Morton, who argued with his son. Kerry pushed Ricky; Ricky pushed him back, and Maki rolled up Kerry for the flash pin. Blah. Terrible. Absolute garbage. What a waste of two talented wrestlers by putting them in this. This was intergender action at its absolute worst.
Maki Itoh defeated Kerry Morton at 10:11.
* Marcus Mathers spoke outside the building, and he’s fired up.
4. Marcus Mathers and Joey Janela vs. KJ Orso and Griffin McCoy. I’ll reiterate that McCoy recently returned from a European excursion, and Oros is the former Fuego Del Sol. Marcus and Griffin opened, and it’s the first time the poor lighting in here is really an issue — when I am not 100% sure who was in the ring because it’s so dark, that’s a problem! KJ and Joey fought at 2:30. Griffin jumped in and stomped on Janela. Marcus got in and hit a top-rope double crossbody block at 5:30. He hit a fadeaway stunner on Orso, then his Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Joey and Marcus nailed stereo dives through the ropes onto the heels.
Back in the ring, KJ hit a Doomsday Doublestomp for a nearfall. Griffin hit a Tombstone Piledriver on the ring apron, while another one was hit on the floor. (Who hit it on the floor? Nobody knows? It was in the shadows!) In the ring, Mathers flipped Griffin head-first onto the mat at 9:30. KJ tripped Joey on the ring apron. Joey hit a Dragon Suplex on Griffin. Joey hit a top-rope superplex on Orso, and Mathers hit a Last Ride-style powerbomb on KJ, but McCoy made the save at 11:00. Marcus and Joey hit stereo superkicks.
They started brawling on the stage. Marcus hit a running Canadian Destroyer in the ring on McCoy. Joey hit a top-rope doublestomp on McCoy for a nearfall, but Orso made the save, and everyone was down at 13:00. This has been insanely good; too bad it’s so hard to see it. They all got up and traded punches. Oros hit a low blow punt kick on Joey. Marcus hit his kip-up stunner on Griffin. Orso went for a low blow kick, but Marcus caught the foot! KJ hit a DDT. KJ got a rollup, leaned forward, and grabbed the ropes as well as McCoy’s hands for added leverage and got the cheap pin on Marcus. A really good match with a lame finish.
KJ Orso and Griffin McCoy defeated Marcus Mathers and Joey Janela at 14:27.
5. Priscilla Kelly vs. Danhausen in an intergender match. I’m expecting this to be more comedy. The bell rang, and she shoved her hand into her pants, pulled it out, and offered a handshake; he passed. She attacked him from behind, and we’re underway. Danhausen cursed her and hit a suplex at 1:30. He got his jar of teeth, but she blocked that. She hit a huracanrana and a basement dropkick as he was against the ropes. They went to the floor, where she laid in some loud chops. He accidentally chopped the ring post at 4:00.
In the ring, he pulled her forward into the turnbuckles, then he hit a clothesline in the corner, and another. He got himself winded running back and forth to clothesline her in the corner. The crowd enjoyed the comedy. Kelly fired back with her sliding German Suplex at 6:00 and some clotheslines, then an STO Uranage for a nearfall. She hit a DDT for a nearfall. Danhausen hit a German Suplex, and he was fired up. He got his jar of teeth, dumped them in her mouth, then kicked them out and got the pin. Entertaining; certainly watchable.
Danhausen defeated Priscilla Kelly at 7:44.
6. Ricky Morton and “YDNP” Jordan Oliver and Alec Price vs. “VNDL 48” Atticus Cogar, Otis Cogar, and Christian Napier. As I noted earlier this week… if you are going to book 69-year-old Morton, at least put him in a multi-man match so he isn’t asked to carry the entire match. Jordan and Napier opened; Oliver is taller and visibly thicker/stronger. Price entered at 2:30 to face Atticus, and Alec hit a huracanrana, then a springboard crossbody block. Ricky tagged in and hit a few blows on Napier. Atticus planted his foot in Morton’s throat. Otis entered at 5:30 and hit some blows to Morton’s gut, then a suplex. (Why is Morton taking a suplex?)
Price and Oliver got the hot tag, both jumped in, and hit stereo clotheslines. They slammed Napier for a nearfall, but Otis made the save. Everyone started brawling. Slade came to ringside! Charles Mason ran down the aisle on the stage and dove into the ring, and they beat up VNDL 48. Oliver and Price dove to the floor on their opponents, Slade, and Mason. Everyone brawled away from the ring except Ricky, who was along in the ring. They fought into the crowd, and it was quite difficult to see at times. In the ring, Morton hit a Canadian Destroyer on Atticus at 10:00. Kerry Morton jumped in the ring and hit a low-blow uppercut on his dad. Atticus hit the Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) and pinned Ricky. Okay.
Atticus Cogar, Otis Cogar, and Christian Napier defeated Ricky Morton, Jordan Oliver, and Alec Price at 10:25.
7. Effy vs. Shotzi Blackheart for the GCW World Title. Shotzi was wearing a skeleton one-piece, looking like it’s still Halloween. She tried a shoulder block that only staggered him. (I’ve noted before … Effy is deceptively big; he’s 6’2″ and 230 pounds.) She slapped him a few times. She wishboned his legs and hit a leg drop to the groin at 2:00. Shotzi hit a tornado DDT, and she dove to the floor on him. She got a pink staple gun and stapled bills to his forehead, then his back at 4:30. She just attached one to his cheek! They kept working their way through the crowd, and people were giving her dollar bills to staple on him. (Not a bad way to add to your payday!)
Effy bodyslammed her across an open chair at 6:30. He got a cigarette from a fan, lit it, took a puff, then put it out on her tongue, earning a ‘You sick f—!” chant. She hit a crossbody block off a short wall onto him, and they finally got back in the ring at 8:00. She hit a top-rope flying body block for a nearfall. He whipped her into a corner, with her head hitting an open chair. He hit a Helluva Kick, used his leg to drag her to the mat, and got a nearfall at 10:30. Effy hit a TKO stunner and applied a Dragon Sleeper. She applied a Cattle Mutilation! The crowd taunted him to tap out, but she let go. Effy hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall, then a spear for a nearfall.
Effy went under the ring and got a door. She hit a top-rope crossbody block onto the door. She pushed the door into the ring and draped it over Effy. He stood up and threw it at her; this door was so flimsy and had fallen apart, it was hard to pretend it was hurting. It appeared he sensed this as he got a shard from another door and hit her with it. She hit a top-rope Sliced Bread, sending him through a door bridge for a believable nearfall at 15:00. She hit a top-rope senton. He hit a leaping Fameasser leg drop and scored the pin. Entertaining brawl. He helped her up, and they hugged.
Effy defeated Shotzi Blackheart to retain the GCW World Title at 15:37.
(I watched the first half live, and these final two matches Saturday morning. It allowed me to zip through the cleanup between death matches.)
8. Slade vs. Dr. Redacted in a deathmatch. Slade came out first; he attacked Redacted on the floor, and they brawled through the crowd. Redacted hit a flip dive off a short wall. Redacted pushed a gusset plate into Slade’s forehead; Slade bodyslammed Redacted on an upside-down chair, then broke a light tube over his head at 5:00. Slade suplexed Redacted onto light tubes, and they took turns whacking each other over the head with light tubes. Yeah, this isn’t for me. Slade chokeslammed Redacted on a garbage can, then again onto the glass in the ring, for the pin. Blah.
Slade defeated Dr. Redacted in a deathmatch at 8:02.
9. Bear Bronson vs. Ciclope in a deathmatch. We have more weapons set up in the corners, including glass panes and light tubes. I already watched one deathmatch, so I fast-forwarded to the 10-minute mark. They were covered in blood, and the ring was full of glass. They took turns whacking each other over the head with the light tubes. Bronson hit a Fire Thunder Driver (piledriver) onto an open chair for the pin.
Bear Bronson defeated Ciclope in a deathmatch at 15:38.
Final Thoughts: A very uneven show. The lighting was really disappointing, and that hurts the overall ‘viewability’ of the event. When I’m not 100 percent sure who is even in the ring, that’s a problem. That said, the Mathers/Janela tag match was easily the best here and the match to tune in for. I don’t think I can really endorse a second match here, although the Kelly-Danhausen comedy was amusing. The VNDL 48 match ended the way everyone knew it would — with Kerry Morton interfering to cost Ricky Morton the match.
GCW has blazed a path by being different than WWE and AEW. Two death matches here, and three intergender matches. I get it … Shotzi and Priscilla are probably tired of fighting each other… but why not put one of them into the ring with Maki Itoh, and let them tear down the house? Instead, we had three separate intergender matches that are just not believable. Maki Itoh is maybe 110 pounds. Kerry Morton is probably 225. Putting them in the ring against each other… I just can’t suspend my disbelief enough to believe she could hurt him at all, let alone win, even with his father shoving him. Watching a man brutalize a woman half his size (even if it is a scripted fight and she wasn’t actually hurt at all) just makes me uncomfortable.
well you know what i always say” nothing quite like a little death match wrestling to go with your morning breakfast-LOL”(just kidding) I’m not a huge death match person myself so I don’t blame you for putting those matches off and or skipping ahead. Just never was my cup of tea, but to those who love it more power to you….thanks as always for the excellent review.