GCW Can I Trust You?- August 4, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from House of Independents in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Cagematch estimates attendance at 300, everyone is squeezed into a small room. Veda Scott and Dave Prazak are on commentary.
CPF (Danny Black and Joe Lando) vs. Alec Price and Marcus Mathers
Mathers has time to flex while overwhelming Black early on. Tags are made, Price uses a one handed cartwheel to give Lando a rana. Springboard crossbody by Price, Lando answers with a dropkick. CPF overwhelm Price with tandem offense. Price almost comes back, but CPF hit a missile dropkick/suplex combo for 2. Price hits a double blockbuster, Mathers gets the hot tag and hits CPF with a springboard crossbody. Flying stunner, German suplex, and shellshock by Mathers only gets 2. Price slams Lando into the buckles for 2. The fans chant “f*** you” while CPF double team Mathers, Price saves the match. “This is awesome!” chant. They get cute blocking clotheslines, CPF botch some tandem offense too rapidly for me to describe what happened. Everyone goes down, they've lost the crowd so no ovation. They stumble up, Lando gets double teamed and eats Mathers' leaping Destroyer. Price gives Lando a blockbuster and then soars outside onto Black. Mathers finishes Lando with a 450 splash at 10:16. Fans pop for the outcome. They were having an average opener until things went sideways, *¾.Winners: Marcus Mathers and Alec Price
Griffin McCoy vs. Tony Deppen
Both guys are heels, but the fans side with Deppen. They admire one another for their evil ways. Deppen takes over with a leg sweep and slingshot senton. McCoy recovers with a sequence of dropkicks, including one against the wall. The offense turns stiff as tempers begin to flare. Deppen uppercuts the neck for 2. McCoy answers with a thrust kick and powerbomb for 2. Deppen hits an enziguri, but McCoy uses a leg sweep to set up a slingshot plancha outside. Deppen quickly recovers to hit a tope. McCoy springboards into Deppen's knee strike. They stumble up for a slapfest. Deppen blasts a belly to belly suplex, then misses a flying double stomp. Deppen tries again, hitting the double stomp for only 2. McCoy delivers a springboard enziguri and flexes while pinning Deppen at 10:55. I'm super disappointed that they had a standard MOVES!!!! match instead of seeing who could out-cheat one another, **¼.Winner: Griffin McCoy
Rich and Powerful (Charles Mason and Richard Holliday) vs. Fuego Del Sol and Sam Stackhouse
Mason demands that ring announcer Emil Jay introduce him as the New East Coast Ace, because he tore Jordan Oliver's ACL. Parrow ambushes Stackhouse before the bell, leaving Del Sol in a 2 on 1 situation. Del Sol survives with a rana on Mason and rolls Holliday up for 2. Mason sprays water into Del Sol's face and hits an Air Raid Crash. Rich and Powerful settle in to work Del Sol over like it's a handicap match. Mason tries to unmask Fuego, which fires up the luchador. Stackhouse returns for a hot tag and runs wild through the bad guys. Del Sol fixes his mask and double stomps Mason's head. Stackhouse splashes Mason, Holliday powerbombs Del Sol onto them to break the pin. Holliday foolishly tries to chokeslam Stackhouse and gets reversed. Sam's shirt comes off, but Parrow distracts long enough to mess up the Vader Bomb. Holliday manages to chokeslam Stackhouse! Mason hits the Froggy Elbow but Sam kicks out! Parrow breaks up a double chokeslam and tosses Stackhouse into the post. Del Sol returns, Mason sprays water into Holliday's face, giving Del Sol a nearfall. Mason hits a sleeper suplex and unmasks Del Sol! Fuego hides under a t-shirt but still spears Mason outside. Holliday is easy pickings for Stackhouse's Black Hole Slam and eats a pinfall at 9:19! This had a hot crowd and satisfying finish, good sports entertainment, ***.Winners: Fuego Del Sol and Sam Stackhouse
Mane Aerial SAT (Jay Lyon, Aerial Van Go, and Jose Maximo, with Skill the Great and The Spot Monkey) vs. Los Desperados (Gringo Loco, Arez, and Jack Cartwheel)
Arez and Lyon start with some grappling. They flip around for wrist control, Lyon nails a shoulder tackle. Lyon roars like a lion, slips in a tightrope attempt, but still hits an armdrag. Gringo flips Lyon off and eats a rana. Van Go enters with rapid, sharp flying attacks. Jack and Van Go cartwheel around for position but reach a stalemate. They both show off their strength hanging in the ropes, but Jose breaks up Jack's dive. Jack and Arez get piled for a flurry of attacks. Gringo gets the hot tag, and Lyon ends up on the receiving end of a 3 on 1 flurry. Van Go gets his mask ripped up while Arez picks him apart. Gringo throws Jack up to give Jose an avalanche rana! They move on to the sequence of dives, easily landing in the front row since the fans are packed in so close to the ring. Van Go uses Jack's shoulder to hit a pendulum dive, Jack finishes the sequence with the Sasuke special. Los Desperados manage to swarm Van Go, Jose and Lyonthen isolate Cartwheel for a tandem facebuster. Jose and Lyon prepare a Spanish Fly, Arez breaks it. Gringo gives Lyon an inverted superplex! Van Go makes the save but Gringo gives him an avalanche base bomb! Cartwheel takes Jose out with a moonsault while Arez double stomps Van Go to win at 13:10! Hearty lucha stunt show to strengthen the card, ***½.Winners: Los Desperados
Death Match:
1 Called Manders vs. Matt Tremont
Time for some violence for the hell of it. Manders wins a chopfest and sticks a gusset plate into Tremont's forehead for a sickening chairshot. Tremont has a gross open wound on his forehead and Manders jabs a fork into it. Tremont pulls another fork from his boot and gleefully stabs Manders' forehead. They trade fork shots and take turns throwing each other through doors. Fans chant “GCW!” They trade broken door shots to the head until they both collapse for an ovation. They brawl back to their feet, Tremont nails a DVD through another door. Tremont builds a door bridge but Manders hits an avalanche powerslam through it! Tremont kicks out, so Manders blasts a lariat to win at 9:24. They hug it out after the bell. Lively grossness, **½.Winner: 1 Called Manders
“GCW World Championship:”
Blake Christian © vs. Masha Slamovich
Matt Cardona previously stripped Blake of the title, but he disagrees and here we are. Masha is a surprise challenger and dominates with a clothesline, snapmares, and mean kicks. Blake retreats and takes a tope into the front row. Blake answers with a superkick and German suplex. Masha blocks a step up suplex but Blake improvises with a shotgun tope. Blake gets nasty with a dropkick to the knee and guillotine leg drop. Blake misses a 450, Masha double stomps his chest and blasts a clothesline. Masha rallies with a sequence of kicks but can't gain a pinfall. Blake answers with a powerslam and Lionsault for only 2. They brawl to their feet, and trade potential KO blows. Shining Wizard by Masha gets 2. Blake escapes a rear naked choke and nails a twisting back superplex! Masha kicks out and blocks a belt shot with a spin kick. Masha goes back to the rear naked choke, Blake escapes with a back drop onto the belt. Step up curb stomp by Blake scores the pinfall at 11:24. Good match, they did well making this feel personal, ***.Winner and still one of many GCW World Champions: Blake Christian
GCW Extreme Championship:
Maki Itoh © vs. Allie Katch
They both flex muscles before locking up. Allie throws some casual shoulder blocks, Maki pretends to cry. Allie feels bad and pretends to offer a cover, only to bounce up for a leg drop. Itoh delivers corner punches, but Allie pulls her into a head kick. Allie uses Maki's pigtails against her and hits a corner splash for 2. Allie bonks Itoh into three different turnbuckles, Maki hulks up but quickly eats a big boot. Allie misses a hip attack into the post and injures her keister. Maki nails a DDT onto the ring frame! High crossbody by Itoh gets 2, so she suplexes Allie into position for a face wash. Northern Lights suplex by Allie gets a nearfall, Maki reverses a piledriver into rapid pin attempts. Body slam by Allie gets a casual 2 count. Allie's piledriver is blocked again, Itoh pins her with the Mouse Trap at 8:35. About as average as it gets, **½.Winner and still GCW Extreme Champion: Maki Itoh
Handicap Match:
Megan Bayne vs. Broski Jimmy and GCW World Champion Mance Warner
Joey Janela is out with injury, so Megan has to go it alone. She's also sporting an eye patch but doesn't appear intimidated at the bell. In fact, she stares Mance down so badly, he immediately tags out. Bayne hits a shoulder block, but Mance interferes from the apron to gain control. He smashes her with a chair. Just when all hope is lost, Joey Janela runs in, still wearing his hospital gown! Mance takes a chair to Joey's bad ribcage. Just like that, Joey is stuck getting worked over while Megan waits for a hot tag. Janela gives Jimmy a Destroyer and makes the hot tag much sooner than I expected. Bayne had enough time to recover and runs wild. Mance sets up a door, but Bayne gives Jimmy a released German suplex. Joey hits an overly telegraphed crossbody outside. Mance spears Joey through a door but is slow to realize Bayne is behind him. She removes the eye patch and throws him around like he owes her money. Jimmy smashes a broken door over her head. Megan takes a Broski Boot and Con-chair-to, Joey breaks the pin. Match breaks down with rapid finishers until Mance lariats Megan. Mance misses a chairshot, it ricochets into his face, and Janela nails a DVD. Joey powerboms Jimmy, Megan helps with a spear. They bury Jimmy under a door bridge for Joey's swanton bomb for the win at 14:39. This was decent, but I feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities to maximize the drama, especially if they'd waited longer for Joey's arrival. This still worked, **¼.Winners: Joey Janela and Megan Bayne
Mance is a sore loser and attacks with a screwdriver. He and Janela disappear through the curtain, leaving Bayne behind for an ambush from Black Christian. He curb stomps her stands tall with his title belt.
Los Macizos (Miedo Extremo and Ciclope) vs. Legion of Rot (Hallowicked and Frightmare)
They shake hands and get right to work running the ropes and flipping around. They shake hands again and make tags for another round of frantic action. Hallowicked wrenches Ciclope from the top rope for a nearfall. Legion of Rot work Ciclope over with clever tandem attacks. Miedo gets an allegedly hot tag and runs wild, hitting a somersault senton on Hallowicked. Los Macizos work together to hit a flapjack and assisted splash. Frightmare kicks out. Hallowicked comes back with fireman's carry attacks, and Frightmare helps with a crucifix driver for a cold nearfall. Los Macizos mistime a superkick, and Hallowicked puts Miedo through a door bridge via sitout powerbomb! Frightmare gives Ciclope a standing moonsault onto a chair platform and wins at 10:46. I did not expect that outcome at all. The effort was there but this crowd gave them nothing, **.Winners: The Legion of Rot
Miedo shoves Ciclope down and storms out on his partner.
TNA X-Division Champion Mike Bailey vs. The Maharaja Raj Dhesi
Gawdammit, it's 2024 and I'm watching a Jinder Mahal main event again. The live crowd seems to feel the same way, as ring announcer, Emil Jay, has to work extra hard to pump them up for the main event. Dhesi may end up reinventing himself on the indies, but he has a lot of work ahead of him. Raj rejects a handshake and then fakes his own offer. Bailey fell for it like a chump. They lock up, Dhesi easily knocks him down. Dropkick by Bailey, but the formidable Dhesi tackles him off his feet. The fans have all kinds of rude things to chant at Dhesi. Bailey delivers flying head scissors and then a tope forearm. Dhesi answers with a simple knee to the face. Raj hits a torture rack slam for 2. Bailey teases a suplex, Dhesi stomps his feet, so he nails a crane kick. Missile dropkick by Bailey, then a standing SSP for only 1. Dhesi reverses a tornado kick into a chokeslam for a good nearfall. They trade counters until Dhesi unceremoniously throws Bailey over the ropes. Bailey responds with a leg sweep and triangle moonsault! Dhesi comes right back with an avalanche fallaway slam, Bailey kicks out! Bailey rallies again with a moonsault knee drop, and superkick for a good nearfall. Fans give them a charitable “This is awesome!” chant. Bailey hits a powerbomb and Shooting Star Press to the spine, but a rope break saves Dhesi. Bailey blocks a chairshot and lands a superkick.Tornado kick by Bailey, but the misses the moonsault knee drop. Dhesi hits a sitout powerbomb for a nice nearfall. Dhesi big boots the referee and picks Bailey apart with a chair. Dhesi knocks out a new referee and builds a door bridge, but Effy runs in and spears him through it! Dhesi leaves and the match just kind of ends at 16:30. This was perfectly acceptable wrestling that was almost something more when Bailey was making his comebacks. That doesn't make this any more main event worthy, especially at this stage in Dhesi's rebuild, **¼.No Contest
Effy grabs a mic and berates Dhesi for thinking he's better than independent wrestling. He's going to send Dhesi back where he came from.
Final Thoughts: I don't know, I found this show to be entertaining, but there's absolutely nothing that I can recommend. For the second straight event, the show was stolen by a good-but-not-great lucha sixman. With this card, GCW needed to provide some more wackiness to liven things up and they came short. Give this one a pass.
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