By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
GCW “Fight Club (Night 1) – The Art of War Games”
October 10, 2026, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at The Showboat Hotel
Streamed live on TrillerTV+
GCW returned to the ugly, gray, former bus barn. The lights were on, making it easy to see. The crowd was maybe 350. Veda Scott and John Moseley provided commentary.
* Emil Jay opened in the ring with a tribute to deathmatch specialist Jeff Cannonball, who died Thursday of ALS. He was 39. There was a 10-bell salute in his honor, then a video package played with highlights of his career.
1. Austin Luke vs. Katrina Creed vs. Kavron Kanyon vs. Devious Cass vs. Vinny Talotta. Luke was out of the ring nearly all year with an injury; he just returned on an Expect the Unexpected show I reviewed recently. I’ve only seen the big Cavron a few times. Cass hit a flip dive to the floor. Kanyon set up for a dive, but Katrina threw a chair into his face. She hit a running knee to the side of his head at 1:30. Kanyon hit a stiff kick to her spine, but Katrina caught him and hit a Samoan Drop! Vinny scooped her up, did some deep squats, and bodyslammed Katrina for a nearfall at 3:00. Luke clotheslined Talotta.
Creed hit a double stunner. Cass hit a double clothesline and a double missile dropkick, and he was fired up. Cavron hit a springboard flip dive to the floor at 4:30. He got a nearfall on Creed in the ring, but Luke threw a chair at him to break it up. Talotta was on the bottom of a Tower of Doom, but everyone rolled to the floor so he couldn’t go for any pins! Creed jumped in and hit a tornado DDT on Talotta! Cass hit a spinning Tombstone Piledriver on Creed at 6:30. Luke hit a Go To Sleep on Cass. Kavron hit a package knee strike on Luke. Talotta hit a piledriver to pin Creed. Fast-paced. The crowd hated that finish.
Vinny Talotta defeated Austin Luke, Katrina Creed, Cavron Kanyon, and Devious Cass at 7:15.
* We saw new footage from “earlier today” of Ryan O’Neill approaching Jordan Oliver, Alec Price, and Juni Underwood. Ryan apologized to them. It appears they forgive him but don’t trust him.
2. Terry Yaki vs. Juni Underwood. An intense lockup to open, and Terry tied up the left arm. They traded rollups. Yaki hit a dropkick and a slingshot senton for a nearfall at 2:30. Juni hit a corner plancha to the floor. Juni slammed him back-first on the apron, rolled him into the ring, and got a nearfall at 4:30. Terry hit a spinning Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. They hit stereo Mafia Kicks and were both down at 6:30.
Juni hit some suplexes, a dropkick into the corner, and a spinning neckbreaker for a nearfall. Terry hit a top-rope superplex, but Juni held on and suplexed Terry into the opposite corner, and they were both down at 9:30. They got to their knees and traded chops. The crowd was behind Yaki as they got to their feet and traded more blows. Juni hit a series of kicks and a German Suplex, but Terry popped up and hit a Poison Rana! Juni hit a DDT onto the ring apron, but Yaki hit an Asai Moonsault at 11:00!
They got back into the ring. Terry hit a leaping enzuigiri and a DDT out of the corner for a nearfall. Juni hit a second-rope, double-underhook twisting neckbreaker to the mat for a nearfall at 13:30! Juni hit a running knee, and he set up for the Flamingo Driver, but Yaki rolled through it and got a nearfall. Juni hit a spin kick to the head. He again set up for the Flamingo Driver, but Terry escaped and hit a Canadian Destroyer, then a Cradle Shock for the pin. A sharp match, and the crowd gave them a nice ovation.
Terry Yaki defeated Juni Underwood at 14:48.
* Footage aired of Joseph Sawyer suffering an injury a few weeks ago (again, I think he pulled a hamstring, but I’ve not seen an official diagnosis).
* Due to travel issues, Charles Mason is not in the next match! Who will be Slade’s teammate? (Travel issues? Mason competed in New York City on Friday! He couldn’t find a ride for a two-hour drive to Atlantic City?) Amy Rose came out to talk to Slade. Jeffrey John came out to volunteer to be Slade’s tag partner.
3. “Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire vs. Slade and Jeffrey John (w/Amy Rose). Cowboy Way just returned from competing for wXw in Germany last week! Manders and John opened. Some comedy early on, and Jeffrey hit a bulldog. Shire jumped in and hit a jumping knee on John. Jeffrey hit a double bulldog. Slade tagged in at 2:00, and he immediately traded forearm strikes and chops with Manders — no feeling-out process here! John hit a stunner on Shire at 3:30, and he pulled off a babushka (of course, he had another one on). John handed it to Slade, who teased that he was going to put it on, but he instead choked Manders with it! I’m amused.
Manders and Slade fought on the floor, with Slade choking him. Slade whipped him into rows of chairs, and he bit Manders on top of his head! John hit a crossbody block to the floor. John and Slade argued. Shire whipped Slade into rows of chairs at 7:30. In the ring, Manders slammed John for a nearfall. John hit a rolling Koppo Kick to knock Shire off the apron to the floor, then he hit a Death Valley Driver on Manders, slamming him through a door in the corner for a nearfall.
Shire scooped up John, put him across his shoulders, and executed an airplane spin at 9:00. Cowboy Way picked up the door shards and slammed them over the top of Slade’s head. Gross. Slade was bleeding. Rose got in the ring and hit Slade over the head with a garbage can lid, but she did it to fire him up! However, Manders nailed a decapitating clothesline to pin Slade. The crowd loves Slade, so they booed this finish.
“Cowboy Way” 1 Called Manders and Thomas Shire defeated Slade and Jeffrey John at 10:28.
* Backstage and “earlier today,” Otis Cogar and Vipress were present with Emil Jay for the ceremonial coin flip for the Art of War Games match. No surprise, the heel VNDL 48 faction won, and it was likely due to cheating by heel ref Max Recon.
4. Jimmy Lloyd vs. “Pitbull” Gary Wolfe in a death match. Weapons were placed at ringside. They immediately brawled to the floor, and Jimmy whipped him into the rows of chairs. Wolfe flipped Lloyd off the apron and onto several open chairs on the floor. In the ring, Lloyd hit a DVD through a door in the corner for a nearfall. Wolfe cracked light tubes over Jimmy’s head and hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall! Lloyd threw Wolfe through a door in the corner. Lloyd (and ref Scarlett!) set up a glass pane bridge. However, Wolfe powerbombed Lloyd through the glass. He speared Jimmy through a barbed-wire board in the corner and got the pin.
Gary Wolfe defeated Jimmy Lloyd at 7:14.
5. KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse vs. “Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver for the GCW Tag Team Titles. The crowd chanted profanities at Orso before the bell. Alec wore a Fuego Del Sol mask, and that angered KJ! Price immediately hit a huracanrana and an armdrag on Orso. KJ peeled off the mask, but Price hit a short-arm clothesline. Oliver (who just returned from his European excursion) got in at 1:30. B&tB hit some team moves on KJ, with Alec getting a nearfall. Price hit some snap suplexes.
From the apron, Stackhouse hit a clothesline to Oliver’s back at 3:00. Sam tagged in and hit some shoulder thrusts to Oliver’s ribs in the corner. The champs worked over Jordan, with Sam hitting a big elbow drop for a nearfall at 6:00. KJ applied a Cobra Clutch sleeper. Price finally got a hot tag at 8:00, and he hit a decapitating clothesline on Orso, then a dive through the ropes onto Stackhouse! In the ring, he hit a running crossbody block on Orso. B&tB hit stereo kicks in the corner on Orso. Price hit a frog splash for a nearfall. However, Orso hit a snap Regalplex on Price, and he got a nearfall at 10:00.
Stackhouse hit a splash into the corner on Oliver. Price hit a flying leg drop. Price missed a frog splash! Orso immediately rolled him up for a nearfall. Sam hit a spinning heel kick on Price for a nearfall. Oliver got a tag at 12:00 and hit a basement dropkick on KJ. Price hit a plancha to the floor on Stackhouse. In the ring, B&tB hit the Super Acid Bomb on Orso for a nearfall! They set up for the team Styles Clash, but KJ escaped. Seconds later, they hit the team Styles Clash for a visual pin, but Stackhouse pulled the ref to the floor!
B&tB hit stereo superkicks on Orso, but Sam hit a double bulldog, and suddenly everyone was down at 14:00. Sam accidentally struck Orso! Oliver hit a Saito Suplex on Stackhouse, then a spinebuster! Oliver hit a Black Hole Slam for a nearfall, but KJ hit the Character Assassination double stomp to the head to break it up! Ref Gault got bumped! KJ immediately hit a low-blow uppercut on Price at 16:00. We got a loud “bullshit!” chant. Ryan O’Neill appeared, and he distracted KJ! Price hit a low blow on KJ. However, Ryan O’Neill got in the ring, and he struck Price and Oliver with a chair! KJ rolled up Oliver for the tainted pin. The crowd LOUDLY booed O’Neill.
KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse defeated “Bustah & The Brain” Alec Price and Jordan Oliver to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 17:06.
6. Joey Janela vs. Tony Deppen in a Jeff Cannonball tribute match. Deppen entered to Cannonball’s intro song “Because the Night” by Patti Smith, and he held a sign that read “Cannonball forever.” Deppen drank a pop in tribute to Cannonball before they eventually locked up. They avoided each other’s spin kicks and had a standoff at 2:00. Deppen hit a flip dive to the floor. They brawled to the floor, and Joey threw him face-first into the ring post, and they looped ringside. Joey hit a double stomp onto a door that was on top of Deppen at 4:00. He rolled Tony into the ring and hit a Falcon Arrow but only got a one-count.
They got up, and Tony hit a series of chops. Joey hit a swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall at 5:30. Deppen hit a series of flying forearm strikes in the corner, and he hit a rolling cannonball at 7:30, then a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. Joey hit a Dragon Suplex, then another one for a nearfall. Deppen hit a leaping DDT for a nearfall at 9:00. Joey hit a brainbuster, but Deppen held on and hit his own brainbuster. Tony hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Deppen nailed a top-rope superplex, and they were both down at 10:30. Janela hit a back suplex and got a believable nearfall.
Joey hit a superkick for a nearfall, but Deppen rolled him over and got a nearfall at 12:30. Janela hit a German Suplex. They fought on the ropes, and Tony hit a second-rope German Suplex for a nearfall. They got on the ring apron and traded forearm strikes at 15:00. Joey hit a leaping DVD off the apron and dropped Tony onto the front-row chairs, earning a ‘Holy shit!” chant, then a “Cannonball!” chant. In the ring, Joey hit a top-rope double stomp to the chest for a nearfall. Deppen hit a back suplex through a door in the corner for a nearfall at 17:30.
Janela hit a DVD onto an open chair for a nearfall. Deppen slammed Janela onto the open chair for a nearfall. Deppen hit a Burning Hammer onto the open chair, resulting in an ugly landing. Deppen got a nearfall at 19:00. They got up and traded slaps to the face. Joey hit a Cradle Piledriver for a nearfall, then a package piledriver for a believable nearfall at 21:30, and the crowd now chanted, “Tony!” Janela hit a Buzzsaw Kick and another package piledriver for the pin. A really good match. Sure, I wish Janela would ‘sell’ more, but this was a good tribute.
Joey Janela defeated Tony Deppen at 22:02.
* Janela and Deppen hugged. Tony was sobbing as the crowd chanted, “Cannonball!” Tony took off his Cannonball T-shirt, draped it over the top rope, and left it there, and the crowd again sang along to “Because The Night.” That was pretty emotional.
7. Marcus Mathers vs. Nick Gage. Doors were already set up in opposite corners. We got the bell, but Gage mockingly patted Marcus on the top of his head. (Nick is only maybe an inch taller!) Gage speared Marcus through a door in the corner in the first minute! Marcus hit a running knee and a bodyslam. The crowd chanted, “F— ID!” in reference to Mathers’ WWE ID contract expiring. Marcus picked up Nick’s pizza cutter! However, Gage scooped him up and speared him through the other door at 2:00. Gage struck Marcus across the head with the pizza cutter, and he used the pizza cutter across Mathers’ forehead. Gross. Marcus was quickly bleeding.
Gage hit a spinebuster at 4:00. He used the pizza cutter on Mathers’ back, then he hit a running Facewash Kick in the corner. Gage went for his Vader Bomb-style elbow drop, but Marcus got his knees up. Marcus went for a second-rope moonsault, but Gage got his knees up! They got up and traded forearm strikes. They hit stereo crossbody blocks at 6:00. They fought to the floor. Mathers hit a running penalty kick on the ring apron. In the ring, Mathers hit a Northern Lights Suplex, and this time he hit the second-rope moonsault for a nearfall at 8:00.
Gage hit a DDT. He hit the Vader Bomb-style elbow drop onto door debris over Mathers’ chest and got a nearfall. Nick hit some elbow drops, and he pushed his fingers into the cut on Marcus’s forehead at 10:30. Gross. Marcus hit an enzuigiri, but Gage hit a decapitating clothesline, then a chokeslam across his knee, then a piledriver for a believable nearfall. Mathers hit his Ospreay-style heel hook kick, then a Tombstone Piledriver onto two open chairs. (Nick’s head was actually between the two chairs and didn’t touch anything.) Marcus hit his top-rope Shooting Star Press, but Gage rolled him over in a tight cradle and got the pin. I’m not a big fan of Gage’s work, so this was among the better matches I’ve seen from him
Nick Gage defeated Marcus Mathers at 12:47.
* Veda listed off the matches for Sunday’s show, and said that GCW Promoter Brett Lauderdale would address the crowd about the GCW World Title, which is held by the injured Joseph Sawyer. Veda listed off all the upcoming matches, because they were setting up the double-ring War Games structure. There were numerous light tubes strapped to the cage’s walls.
8. “VNDL 48” Atticus Cogar, Otis Cogar, Christian Napier, Bobby Beverly, and Eddie Only vs. Vipress, Bear Bronson, Anakin Murphy, Conor Claxton, and Mr. Danger in an Art of War Games match. Coming out first for the heels was Atticus Cogar, while Anakin Murphy started for the babyfaces. Bobby Beverly entered at 2:00 for VNDL 48, giving the heels the two-on-one advantage. Beverly hit a twisting brainbuster. The heels hit a snap suplex onto a thumbtack-covered bat. Conor Claxton entered for the babyfaces. Christian Napier entered for VNDL 48.
Mr. Danger came out on a scissor lift and entered at 7:30. Otis entered for the heels. Otis hit a swinging uranage on Anakin at 9:30. Vipress entered to even the teams, and she hit a stunner. Eddie Only entered at 11:30 for VNDL 48. Heel ref Max Recon was with him. (Groan.) Mr. Danger tried a moonsault and came down on the top of his head. Yuck. Bear Bronson came out, carrying a bundle of light tubes, and entered at 14:30, and we got a new bell, as Emil declared that the “match beyond” is now officially underway.
They took turns whacking each other with light tubes. Meh. Mr. Danger climbed to the top of the cage and hit a top-rope Phoenix Splash onto everyone! Mr. Danger pulled off his best Elix Skipper, walking along the top of the cage and hitting a headscissors takedown to the mat. A glass pane was set in the corner, and Bev sprayed lighter fluid on it! Bear immediately pushed Bev through the glass, and the fire went out. Several guys fought on top of a fencing that covered the top of the cage.
Two guys went through the mesh fencing and crashed onto the mat below. Vipress climbed to the top, and she flipped Eddie Only through a glass pane and light tubes. Ref Recon slid some more light tubes in, and he also got in. The original ref took the light tubes and struck Recon with them. Anakin hit a stunner on Atticus, then a Coffin Drop for a nearfall. However, Atticus hit the Brain Hemorrhage (snapmare driver) on Anakin, slamming him through several light tubes for the pin. Meh.
“VNDL 48” Atticus Cogar, Otis Cogar, Christian Napier, Bobby Beverly, and Eddie Only defeated Vipress, Bear Bronson, Anakin Murphy, Conor Claxton, and Mr. Danger in an Art of War Games match at 34:25.
NOTE: Cagematch.net has the main event at 19:37, but my match time reflects when the first two competitors locked up.
Final Thoughts: A solid show with pretty much all of GCW’s best competitors today. I really liked Juni-Yaki, and that’s my surprise pick for match of the night. Deppen-Joey had a really good match that was so emotional — you can see Deppen’s heart on his sleeve — and that takes second. The screwjob finish and heel turn to end the KJ/Stackhouse tag match was obvious to everyone watching, but I’ll still rank that third.
Mathers carried Gage to a pretty watchable match, and that earns honorable mention. Too bad that the Tombstone Piledriver had a close-up that clearly showed Gage’s head was between those two open chairs, so the only contact made was Marcus’s knees on two open chairs.
I have no comment on the main event, other than to say the live crowd loved it. Some big, dangerous spots. Lots of glass and light tubes. I didn’t have a Gary Wolfe match on my 2026 bingo card.
