By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “Crushed Up”
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
January 31, 2026, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Harrah’s
This is a beige or tan room, likely in a convention center or a hotel. It’s a fairly large space, and the crowd was about 400. Emil Jay and Veda Scott provided commentary.
* The show opened with footage of Otis Cogar beating Matt Tremont to win the GCW Ultraviolent Title on the last GCW show.
1. Terry Yaki vs. “Flyin'” Ryan O’Neil vs. Jack Cartwheel vs. 1 Called Manders vs. KJ Orso vs. Man Like DeReiss in a scramble. I wrote their names in order of entrance. O’Neill wore a Philadelphia Flyers hockey jersey for the cheap pop. Jack has added some blond to his hair; I didn’t recognize him as he emerged. DeReiss rapped his way to the ring, but Orso snatched the mic from him and cut a heel promo, and was booed. Everyone started punching him, and we’re underway. Jack hit his slingshot elbow drop on DeReiss and did a series of cartwheels, then he traded quick reversals with O’Neill. KJ and Yaki traded blows. Terry hit a flip dive to the floor at 2:00.
Orso speared DeReiss in the corner, then hit a suplex for a nearfall. Jack hit a creative flipping DDT on Orso. DeReiss hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Manders at 4:00, then a Shotgun dropkick. DeReiss hit a running stunner on Jack. He grabbed Yaki in mid-air and applied a Sharpshooter. Manders chopped DeReiss to get him to break the hold. Manders began chopping everyone in the match, and he traded forearm strikes with DeReiss, then Manders clotheslined them both to the floor. Jack jumped in the ring, and he hit a Poison Rana on KJ, and those two also flipped over the ropes to the floor at 7:00. Jack and Orso traded chops in front of the fans.
Manders clotheslined Orso into the second row! Everyone continued to fight on the floor. DeReiss hit a running cannonball onto three guys at 8:30. Jack got in the ring, and he nailed the Sasuke Special onto everyone. However, he missed a top-rope Phoenix Splash in the ring. DeReiss hit a top-rope 450 Splash. O’Neill hit a Swanton Bomb. Manders grabbed O’Neill and hit a decapitating clothesline. Orso hit a “Character Assassination” (stomp to the back of the head! However, Yaki threw Orso to the floor, and he hit a Made In Japan (modified DVD) for the pin on O’Neill. He glared at Orso, who was a second too late to break up the pin! Yaki and Orso face next week in the J Cup! A really good scramble.
Terry Yaki defeated “Flyin'” Ryan O’Neil, Jack Cartwheel, 1 Called Manders, KJ Orso, and Man Like DeReiss at 10:14 in a scramble.
2. Tasha Steelz vs. Janai Kai. I don’t know if I’ve really seen Tasha outside TNA! Basic tie-up to open, and Tasha rolled to the floor to regroup. Back in the ring, Janai hit some deep armdrags. Tasha hit a neckbreaker at 2:00 and some stomps in the corner. They traded some punches, and Janai hit a Judo Throw and a snap suplex, then a sling blade for a nearfall. Tasha hit a German Suplex at 4:00. The crowd was really quiet. They fought on the ropes in the corner, and Janai hit a second-rope superplex for a nearfall. They traded forearm strikes while on their knees, then while standing.
Tasha hit a Sliced Bread out of the corner for a nearfall at 6:00. Janai slammed her for a nearfall. She went for a tornado kick, but Steelz caught her leg, and Tasha put her in a Rings of Saturn double armbar on the mat, but Janai got a foot on the ropes. Janil got a backslide for a nearfall, and they traded rollups. Janai hit some stiff kicks to the head for a nearfall, but Tasha got a foot on the ropes at 8:00. Janai hit a running knee, but Tasha caught her with a stunner for the pin. Solid match.
Tasha Steelz defeated Janai Kai at 8:38.
3. Don Freeze vs. Ruckus. Freeze looked good on GCW’s recent tour of the New England states, and I think this makes his third match here. Standing switches, and Don hit a shoulder tackle, then a dropkick. Emil said that Don reminded him of a younger Ruckus. Ruckus hit a dropkick at 1:30. He hit an enzuigiri that knocked Freeze from the apron to the floor. Don slammed Ruckus back-first on the apron. He hit a top-rope axe handle to the floor on Ruckus. They traded forearm strikes at ringside. In the ring, Ruckus hit a handspring-back-elbow into the corner, and he got a nearfall.
Ruckus missed a running Shooting Star Press, but Don hit one. Don hit a top-rope moonsault for a nearfall at 4:30. He missed a top-rope twisting splash. Ruckus missed a splash, and they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Freeze hit a kick for a nearfall at 6:30. Ruckus hit a twisting neckbreaker for a nearfall. Ruckus went for his top-rope moonsault doublestomp, but Freeze immediately rolled him up for the flash pin. Okay action; they wisely kept it to this length. They hugged afterwards.
Don Freeze defeated Ruckus at 7:22.
* GCW is headed to the ECW Arena in Philly on Saturday, May 2!
4. Ric Blade vs. Joey Janela for the Trent Acid Legacy Title. I don’t think I’ve seen Blade before; he’s bald and probably late 30s or early 40s with some white whiskers. Yes, there is an actual belt to honor the former CZW star. Janela did a strut, and it took forever for them to tie up. Standing switches and they worked each other’s left arm. Blade applied a Tarantula in the ropes at 3:30. They fought to the floor, and Joey whipped him into rows of chairs at 5:00. (These are hard chairs, not metal folding chairs!) He whipped him into another row of chairs. Keys hit a corner moonsault to the floor at 7:00, and the crowd chanted “You still got it!”
Emil and Veda said Ric retired in 2002 and came back in around 2024! No wonder I’ve never heard of him. In the ring, Ric hit some punches and a neckbreaker over his knee for a nearfall. Joey hit a fisherman’s buster for a nearfall at 9:00. Joey got the first door of the night and slid it into the ring, and several folding chairs, too. Blade hit a baseball slide dropkick onto him. He hit a plancha onto Joey, who was seated on a chair on the floor at 10:30. In the ring, Joey slammed Ric onto an open chair for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope double stomp onto a chair on Blade’s chest for a nearfall.
Blade awkwardly couldn’t grab the ropes, so Joey grabbed him and hit a German Suplex at 13:00. Blade nailed a small package driver for a nearfall. This has gone too long — they missed the window for when to wrap this up. They set up a door bridge in the ring. Blade missed a Swanton Bomb and crashed through the door bridge. Joey scooped him up and hit a rolling DVD through a door in the corner, then another DVD onto an open chair for the pin! New champion. Decent, but yes, they could have made that a bit shorter.
Joey Janela defeated Ric Blade to win the Trent Acid Legacy Title at 15:00.
* Joey got on the mic. “You don’t know what this belt means to me, guys.” He put over Trent Acid for “laying the groundwork” of today’s indy scene, also mentioning Nick Gage, the Amazing Red, Low Ki, Teddy Hart, Homicide, Ruckus, and Nick Mondo. He talked about Blade’s unexpected return to the indy scene. The crowd gave him a “please come back!” chant. Joey vowed to take this belt and defend it everywhere.
* A video aired for the next Joey Janela’s Spring Break in Las Vegas over Mania weekend. Lots of footage of Sandman… he has one final match in him at Spring Break on April 17th!!!
5. Hallowicked and Frightmare and Rey Horus vs. Gringo Loco and Vengador and Samuray Del Sol. The bell rang, but all six were still in the ring. Sol, in blue, opened against Frightmare, in orange-and-black. Sol hit a springboard armdrag and a dropkick. Hallowicked entered and hit a dropkick on Sol at 3:30. Vengador (pink-and-black gear today) entered and traded quicker offense. Horus hit an armdrag on Vengador. Loco entered for the first time at 5:00, and he superkicked Horus. Sol got flipped to the floor onto his opponents. Loco hit a flip dive to the floor onto everyone. Vengador hit a springboard moonsault onto everyone on the floor!
In the ring, SD tied up Frightmare. Loco’s team tied up Hallowicked and posed at 8:30 while holding him in place. Horus hit a huracanrana on Loco at 10:00. Frightmare hit a top-rope crossbody block on Sol, then Hallowicked hit one on Sol! Rey hit some chops as they kept Sol in their corner. Horus hit a frog splash for a nearfall at 12:00. Vengador re-entered, and he dropped Frightmare face-first. Rey hit a tornado DDT on Loco. Vengador hit a stunner on Rey, then he dove to the floor. Gringo hit a split-legged moonsault on Rey for the pin; Vengador was a fraction of a second too late on the save. Merely okay; not my favorite lucha match; maybe I had the bar set too high.
Gringo Loco, Vengador, and Samuray Del Sol defeated Hallowicked, Frightmare, and Rey Horus at 14:02.
* Footage aired from their deathmatch tournament, won by Bear Bronson. One of the very few GCW shows I didn’t watch from 2025.
6. Beastman vs. Krule. Krule attacked him from behind, and we’re underway. They brawled to the floor at 1:00 and looped the ring. Krule dove through the ropes onto him. Beastman grabbed the ring bell and repeatedly hit Krule in the head with it at 3:00. He tossed some doors into the ring, and they brawled on the ring apron. Krule slammed him through five or so open chairs on the floor at 4:30. Beastman got the kitchen sink from the bar and struck Krule with it. (Everything but the kitchen sink!) Beastman got a hunting trap from under the ring!
They got into the ring, and Beastman hit a splash in the corner, then a rolling cannonball at 7:30. Beastman hit a powerbomb for a nearfall, then a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall. Krule hit a chokeslam. Beastman speared him through a door in the corner at 9:00. They fought on the ropes, and Krule tossed Beastman through a door bridge. Krule threw a punch, but his hand went into the hunting trap at 11:00. Krule ignored it and leapt onto Beastman’s back and choked him. They fell to the mat, and Beastman passed out from the chokehold. Solid.
Krule defeated Beastman at 11:33.
7. Effy vs. Charles Mason. To recap, Effy has gone a bit crazy since he lost his title. Mason wore a black jacket with no shirt or suit today. They immediately brawled and traded chops. Effy hit a big boot to the face at 2:00. They hit stereo shoulder tackles, and both went down. Mason hit a Shellshock swinging faceplant. Mason fish-hooked the mouth and hit a discus clothesline at 5:00. Effy hit a spear for a nearfall at 7:00, then a second-rope Blockbuster and a Helluva Kick in the corner, and he used his leg to drag Mason to the mat for a nearfall. Mason hit a shotgun dropkick and his rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall.
They got up and traded punches. Mason applied a front guillotine choke. Effy escaped and repeatedly punched Charles. Effy tied up Mason’s legs and hit a Stomp for a nearfall at 10:00. Effy hit a Fameasser, then a second one, and a Doctor Bomb. He went for a move off the ropes, but Mason threw him to the mat, then Charles hit a piledriver, then a Tombstone Piledriver for the clean pin! I’m a bit shocked Mason won clean!
Charles Mason defeated Effy at 11:38.
* Effy began shouting at the timekeeper. Allie Katch came out of the back and calmed Effy down, and he stormed to the back.
8. “VNDL 48” Otis Cogar and Atticus Cogar (w/Christian Napier) vs. Matt Tremont and Bear Bronson. No one has bled tonight; this venue has the carpet you’d expect in a casino or convention center. Point being, I don’t know how violent this one will get. Bear came out first. As Tremont emerged through the curtain, he was attacked from behind. VNDL 48 headed to the ring and stomped on both of them, and we’re underway! Slade appeared, and he threw a chair at Napier! Everyone brawled out of the ring and around this large room. Emil announced this was NOW a three-on-three match. Slade hit a snap suplex onto the carpet at 2:30.
Bear bodyslammed someone onto a garbage can as all six continued to fight on the floor, and there was quite a mess from the garbage on the carpet. All six sat down on chairs across from each other and traded punches. Napier got in the ring but hit a dive through the ropes at 7:00. The heels whipped Tremont into rows of chairs. In the ring, Bear hit a bodyslam, then Slade hit a bodyslam. Bear hit an elbow drop on Otis for a nearfall at 9:00. Atticus hit a moonsault on Bear for a nearfall. Slade hit a double clothesline at 10:30. Bear hit a piledriver on Napier, dropping him onto Otis’ chest. Tremont got a barbed-wire board and pushed it into the ring at 12:00. Bear dropped Christian with forearm strikes. Napier hit a Poison Rana on Bear!
Tremont got back in and hit punches on all the heels, then a uranage on Otis. He got a fork, but Atticus grabbed it and stabbed Tremont, then they pushed Tremont through the barbed-wire board in the corner at 14:00. Slade jumped back in and hit a chokeslam on Atticus. Bear hit a Black Hole Slam on Napier. Suddenly, it was just Otis and Bear, and they removed shirts and traded chops on their bare chests. Bear slammed a garbage can over Otis’ head and hit a Choke Bomb. However, Atticus hit a top-rope flying knees onto Bear. Napier and Bronson fought on the ropes in the corner, and Bear hit a Cradle Shock slam on Napier, slamming him through a door bridge for the pin. Good brawl. I don’t think anyone bled, either!
Matt Tremont, Bear Bronson, and Slade defeated Atticus Cogar, Otis Cogar, and Christian Napier at 18:15.
Final Thoughts: No Jordan Oliver or Alec Price. No Marcus Mathers. No Mike Bailey or Billie Starkz or Masha Slamovich, or Nick Wayne. Most of the names who carried this promotion since I started watching it weren’t here tonight (and in Masha’s and Nick’s cases, are inactive.) A promotion like GCW is always going to be turning over its roster and finding new guys to replace those scooped up by AEW or WWE. This show… just felt a bit light on star power.
That star-studded opening six-man scramble earns my pick for best match — an above-average scramble with some top stars. While I didn’t love the Gringo Loco six-man tag, I’ll still give that second. It certainly wasn’t bad — it just won’t be a “top 20 lucha match in GCW” by the end of the year. Effy-Mason takes third; a serious, crazed Effy really works for me. The crowd loved that main event brawl. While it’s not my preferred style, I’ll point out that it was good action without needing light tubes, glass panes, staplers, gusset plates, weedwhackers, etc. I could do without seeing Ric Blade or Ruckus. I know some fans love those guys, but I’d rather see those spots be given to younger rising names instead.
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