By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW and Banger Zone Wrestling “Now Or Never”
May 23, 2026, in Bapaume, France, at Espace Isabelle de Hainaut
Released May 29, 2026, on TrillerTV+
I truly don’t know any of the matches on the show and have avoided spoilers. This is a good-sized room. It’s packed with maybe 500 fans. Lighting over the ring is good. The canvas is clean and looks professional.
* The ring announcer spoke in French, but we do have Rob Sanderson providing English commentary. Before I even looked it up, Rob mentioned that this venue is 90 minutes north of Paris, near the Belgian border.
1. 1 Called Manders vs. Connor Mills. I’ve often compared UK star Mills to recently-retired indy star Kevin Blackwood in looks and style, but without all the tattoos. Rob said Mills won their only prior singles match. They immediately traded chops, and Manders is visibly thicker and stronger. Mills switched to roundhouse kicks to the chest. They rolled to the floor and traded chops. In the ring, Mills hit some knee drops on the right arm and got a nearfall at 4:30. Mills hit a Mafia Kick. Manders hit a leaping clothesline from his knees, and they were both down. Manders hit a Tiger Driver (flipping powerbomb) for a nearfall at 6:30.
Mills hit running knees and a hesitation dropkick in the corner for a nearfall. Mills hit a series of kicks to the chest, and he applied an ankle lock at 8:30. Manders hit a DVD with Mills’ feet striking the turnbuckles, and they were both down. They traded slaps to the face. Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline for a nearfall at 10:30. They hit stereo clotheslines, and Mills hit a Nigel-style rebound lariat out of the ropes. He tied Manders in a Rings of Saturn, and Manders submitted! I’ll call that a huge upset, based on Manders’ trajectory in GCW.
Connor Mills defeated 1 Called Manders at 11:11.
2. Mao and Yoshihiko vs. Jeffrey John and Jimmy Lloyd vs. “Revality” MBM and Ultima Sombra in a three-way for the BZW Tag Team Titles. John isn’t on many GCW shows, but he joined them on the GCW tour of Japan last year, too. Revality came to the ring to “Who Let The Dogs Out,” so I hate them immediately. Mao and the lifeless mannequin Yoshihiko are the tag champions here. Again, I don’t have the funny bone in me for mannequins being treated as living people. Mao traded some quick reversals with MBM, who reminds me of balding Joey Mercury before he shaved it all off.
John got in and battled Mao. The masked Sombra hit a top-rope crossbody block on John at 2:00. Lloyd and MBM traded kicks. Jimmy traded ‘offense’ with Yoshihiko. (I will say this… the crowd plays along with the mannequin stuff.) John hit a flip dive to the floor. Mao tossed the lifeless mannequin onto everyone on the floor at 6:00. Mao went outside! Mao and Lloyd brawled in the parking lot. All five men (and the doll) battled outside. (It’s daylight there; no issues with seeing the action. Much of the crowd was now in the parking lot, watching the fight.
Mao stood on top of an SUV and hit a moonsault onto the four guys standing in the parking lot at 9:00. The doll was tossed off the top of a tall semi onto Jimmy, who was lying on a table, and the table broke. (How did they do that? I don’t think the mannequin is really that heavy!) They all went back inside and returned to the ring. They all traded punches while on their knees. Mao hit a stunner on Sombra for a nearfall. John hit an Athena-style stunner off the ropes. Sombra hit a Canadian Destroyer on Lloyd, then dived to the floor. MBM rolled up the lifeless mannequin and pinned it.
“Revality” MBM and Ultima Sombra defeated Mao and Yoshihiko, and Jeffrey John and Jimmy Lloyd in a three-way to win the BZW Tag Team Titles at 15:25.
* In a video shot previously, KJ Orso spoke about facing Ricky Sosa. He said he’s not flying ten hours to lose the match. (French subtitles were on the screen.) We saw KJ talking backstage to “TLB“, a guy who I presumed is a heel wrestler, based on the crowd reaction. (We couldn’t hear the conversation.)
3. KJ Orso vs. Ricky Sosa. This should be really good. Again, Sosa is around 6’4,” so he’s got the height advantage. They avoided each other’s big offensive moves early on. Sosa hit a second-rope missile dropkick at 2:00 and celebrated. He hit some loud chops and was in charge early on. KJ slammed him face-first into the middle turnbuckle and stomped on the left elbow at 4:00, and he took control and targeted the damaged arm. KJ hit a crossbody block into the corner at 5:30.
Sosa went for a move off the ropes, but Orso caught the arm and applied a cross-armbreaker on the mat. Sosa hit a spin kick to the head and a German Suplex at 8:30, then some flying European Uppercuts in the corner. He hit an impressive jump-up Frankensteiner, then a moonsault press on a standing Orso for a nearfall. Sosa dove over the top rope onto KJ on the floor. He hit a corner fadeaway stunner in the ring for a nearfall at 10:00. Sosa hit a side slam for a nearfall. KJ hit a jumping knee, but he missed the Character Assassination double stomp to the back of the head.
Orso had a cut by his left ear, and he was bleeding as they were both down. They got up and traded forearm strikes. Orso again slammed him into a turnbuckle at 13:00. Sosa hit an impressive jump-up Poison Rana out of the corner for a nearfall. KJ hit a huracanrana for a nearfall, then a back suplex and a leaping piledriver for a nearfall at 15:00, and he immediately locked in a crossface. Sosa hit a Styles Clash, and he was fired up, and the crowd came alive, chanting and singing! TLB, the guy who KJ talked to earlier, came to ringside! Orso rolled up Sosa with his feet on the ropes for the tainted pin. TLB helped KJ keep his feet on the ropes.
KJ Orso defeated Ricky Sosa at 16:57.
* A barbed wire board was pushed into the ring. Looks like it’s time for an ultraviolent match!
4. Atticus Cogar vs. Drew Parker vs. Vipress in a three-way for the GCW Title. Parker has a death match title belt. I am burned out on death matches, so I’m passing. I stopped ten minutes into the match, and the ring was covered in debris, like cooking skewers. Cogar hit a Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) on Vipress onto glass for the pin. Not for me.
Atticus Cogar defeated Vipress and Drew Parker in a three-way to retain the GCW Title at 11:49.
5. Shotzi Blackheart vs. Cory Zero. I am not sure if I’ve seen Cory (a woman!) before; she has long, straight black hair and wore mostly black with some gold trim on her top and shorts. (I’d like to think I’d remember seeing a woman who goes by “Cory.”) Cagematch.net says she’s 23 and has 112 total matches dating back to a single match in December 2022. Shotzi hit a huracanrana and a 619 in the corner, then a top-rope crossbody block for a nearfall at 1:30. Zero snapped some fingers and got a nearfall. Shotzi suplexed her into the turnbuckles, then she hit a rolling cannonball at 3:30.
Shotzi hit a rolling cannonball from the apron onto Cory on the floor. They fought on the floor and vanished a bit into the shadows. Shotzi hit some chops. The French crowd knows how to chant “One more time!” Cory hit her own chops across Shotzi’s chest. Shotzi hit a running double knees to the chin as Zero was seated on a chair at 5:30. They got back into the ring and traded blows. Shotzi hit a rolling Koppo Kick. Zero hit a spear from the apron into the ring, then a Dragon Suplex at 7:00.
Shotzi hit a DDT for a nearfall. Zero hit a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Shotzi hit a dive through the ropes and barreled onto Zero at 9:00, and she got a nearfall in the ring. Zero hit a neckbreaker out of the corner. She set up for a Styles Clash but instead turned it into a powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:30. She hit a moonsault for a nearfall, but Shotzi got her feet on the ropes! Shotzi hit her top-rope flying senton splash for the pin. I really enjoyed that.
Shotzi Blackheart defeated Cory Zero at 11:37.
6. Kazumi Sumi vs. Leedz Lewis vs. Gringo Loco in a three-way for the DDT Universal Title. My first time seeing Lewis; he’s white with curly black hair and a thin mustache. He has a pretty good physique and carries himself like a legit fighter. I doubt I’ve seen Sumi before; he’s young with blond hair, and he wore a yellow jacket to the ring. Loco was knocked into a corner, and the other two brawled. Sumi hit a huracanrana on Loco at 2:00. Sanderson said Sumi is just a three-year pro and Leedz is just a rookie.
Leedz hit a Sling Blade on Sumi. Loco hit some loud chops on Leedz, then an F5-style faceplant for a nearfall at 4:00. Sumi hit a huracanrana on Loco. Leedz hit an enzuigiri. Loco hit a sit-out powerbomb on Sumi for a nearfall. Loco hit his split-legged moonsault on Sumi for a nearfall at 6:00. He placed both opponents side-by-side, but he missed a top-rope moonsault. Both Sumi and Leedz hit basement dropkicks on Loco, then those two traded forearm strikes.
Sumi and Loco fought on the top rope, and Sumi hit a Frankensteiner at 8:00! Leedz tried to steal a cover on Sumi, and all three were down. We got a “Fight forever!” chant. They all got up and traded chops and forearm strikes. Leedz hit some spin kicks. He hit a spin kick in the corner on Loco. Sumi hit a tornado DDT on Leedz. Leedz hit a Poison Rana on Loco. Leedz hit a Canadian Destroyer on Sumi for a nearfall at 10:30!
Sumi hit a suplex on Leedz. They all fought onto the top rope and did a Spanish Fly with all three crashing to the mat! Loco got a nearfall at 12:30. Sumi dove through the ropes onto Loco. Leedz hit a corner moonsault to the floor onto them. Sumi leapt off the top rope, and hit a headscissors takedown on Loco on the floor! Sumi stood up and had a cut near his right eye. He hit a top-rope inverted 450 Splash onto Leedz for the pin! That’s a cool finisher. I really liked that match.
Kazumi Sumi defeated Leedz Lewis and Gringo Loco in a three-way to retain the DDT Universal Title at 14:18.
7. Trent Seven vs. Joey Janela for the BZW Title. Janela previously held this belt a few years ago. A clean lockup to open, and Trent backed Joey into a corner. Joey knocked him down with a shoulder tackle at 3:00. Seven hit a bodyslam. Janela hit a flying shoulder tackle. They went to the floor and traded chops in front of the fans. Trent accidentally chopped the ring post. He tripped Joey on the apron at 5:30 and slammed him back-first on the apron, and Joey collapsed to the floor.
They got into the ring, and Trent hit some double-chops to the back and got a nearfall. Seven hit a bodyslam at 7:00 and stomped on Janela’s legs and hit a DDT. Janela hit a diving European Uppercut Michinoku Driver for a nearfall at 10:00. Seven hit a swinging sideslam for a nearfall. Janela hit a top-rope moonsault press on a standing Seven. Trent dove through the ropes onto Janela at 12:00, and he was fired up! In the ring, Joey hit a snap Dragon Suplex, and they were both down.
They got up and traded chops. Joey dropped Trent with a discus punch at 14:30. Trent got up and hit a jab punch and a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, then a piledriver for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope superplex for a nearfall at 16:30. Trent tied him in a Figure Four, but Joey quickly got to the ropes. Trent hit a swinging sidewalk slam for a nearfall. Joey hit a top-rope double stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Trent hit a second-rope scoop bodyslam and a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, then a DVD for a nearfall at 20:30.
Janela hit a Dragon Suplex, but Seven popped up and hit a Dragon Suplex. They hit stereo clotheslines and were both down. Janela hit a Dragon Suplex with a high bridge for a believable nearfall, and they were both down at 22:30. Joey hit a superkick and collapsed on Trent, but Trent rolled him over for a nearfall. Seven applied a Figure Four, and he pounded on Joey’s knees. Trent snapped Joey’s fingers. Joey hit a short-arm clothesline for a nearfall, then a DVD for a one-count, and the crowd popped for the quick kickout. Joey hit a second DVD for a nearfall at 26:30. Trent hit two Burning Hammers for the pin. Good match.
Trent Seven defeated Joey Janela to retain the BZW Title at 27:28.
Final Thoughts: A good show with a nice mix of GCW’s top stars making the overseas trek. I will narrowly go with the Gringo Loco three-way for best match, ahead of Sosa-Orso. A good main event takes third. Shotzi continues to have a good run everywhere since leaving WWE. Manders-Mills was hard-hitting, and I was surprised by the finish.
No, I don’t get into matches involving a mannequin. By and large, the crowd enjoys it, so that’s all that matters, regardless of my opinion. The handful of seconds I caught of the Atticus match while skipping to the end confirmed I made the right decision.
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