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Deathmatch GCW Reviews US

Backyard Brutality – GCW Presents: P.O.R Wrestling “Hardcore Grand Prix 2” – Review

ByJohn Dinsdale

Oct 4, 2020 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WARNING STRONG VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE AND DANGEROUS STUNTS AHEAD

I imagine a lot of you will know what this show is by now. The gifs and the video clips took over Twitter and highlight a show of maddening proportions. P.O.R is the group that house JJ Escobar, the man SHLAK murdered with fireworks and a car at GCW’s Backyard Wrestling Volume 2. Now he had the reigns to produce a whole show with some of deathmatch wrestling’s finest, his own group of backyard wrestlers and so much more. Things were going to get wild and we’d see some things that would make us question the sanity of those involved as four groups battled it out in tournament action. It would be P.O.R vs Underground Wrestling Federation vs P.O.R Stunts vs some of the top deathmatch wrestlers. Let’s get into this madness.

Tournament first round: JJ Escobar defeated Craig, Vincent Cade & Khyler Vick via Bus Roof Assault Driver

The show started with the UWF champion JJ Escobar of P.O.R Wrestling taking on the debuting acrobat Craig, the Sexy Beast Vincent Cade and Khyler Vick who made his entrance by appearing on a nearby roof and disrespecting the P.O.R trophy. Escobar scaled up there, punched him in the face and threw him straight of the roof into a fuckery pile below. Craig and Cade also went up to the roof and one-upped that with a Spanish Fly through another fuckery pile from Cade to Craig. Escobar picked up the remains of Cade and launched him into a car then brought him back to the ring. He landed a “beautiful” missile dropkick and set up a chair. Cade low-blowed him and hit Escobar with a Brainbuster onto the chair. They brought the fight up to the entrance ramp school bus where Cade took Escobar’s head off with a lariat and hit a pump-handle driver onto the bus roof. Escobar answered back with a low blow and won the match with an Assault Driver on the bus roof. We’re 15 minutes in and there have already been two roof spots. What a maddening start. Going through: JJ Escobar

Tournament first round: Sinister defeated Pool Kardashian, Renegade Rebel & Lex Shadows via Scaffold Chokeslam

So, all the competitors for this one couldn’t even be announced as Sinister went right after Kardashian and threw him off the bus, into the backstage area with a Devil Driver. A trio of men in TXW shirts appeared and the match began. Kardashian’s insurance policy Shotgun tried to fight in his place but was overwhelmed by the numbers. Shotgun dumped one of the TXW guys through a car’s back window and tried to fight off two more but was dropped by a fourth man jumping off the bus onto him. A man named Lex Shadows appeared out of the shadows and started beating up the TXW guys, driving Rebel into a bell and pummelling him with a chair. His brother Psycho hit Shadow with a codebreaker and Shotgun launched more TXW guys into the bus. Shadows KO’ed Rebel with a lariat as Shotgun went for more three-on-one action with TXW and the car. Sinister was back and he was going after Rebel, trading jabs and hitting some ground and pound punches. He started a slugfest with Shadows as TXW set up some fuckery. Sinister waged a one-man war on everyone but fell to more TXW numbers games and a series of kicks. He recovered and laid Psycho out on a door, placed a bundle of tubes over him and drove another TXW guy onto him with another Devil Driver. Shadows tried to take advantage and hit a busy Sinister with a splash but he kicked out. Shotgun attacked everyone with a chair and speared Shadows through a table. Rebel tried to call out Sinister so Sinister responded by punching a bundle through Psycho and came after him. Rebel hit him with a tube cannonball and hit a traditional move combo. Rebel climbed up some nearby scaffold as Sinister set up another door. They fought up top then Sinister sent Rebel off the scaffold through the door with a chokeslam. Sinister got the win because it was declared no one but Sinister could compete. This was still utterly ridiculous but oddly compelling to watch. Going through: Sinister

First Round Match: Mike Fatality defeated Mike Anarchy, The Dishwasher Dark Falo & Browns via Glass DVD

This next contest actually started without a hitch. It would be Mike Fatality, Mike Anarchy, Dark Falo and the UWF legend Browns in four-way fuckery. Browns downed his beer and the match began with a four-way tube smash. Fatality went after Anarchy with a barbed-wire bat as Falo attacked Browns with a DDT and more tube shots. They switched and Fatality raked Browns with the bat and Falo cracked Anarchy with a shovel. Browns snapped Fatality with a rope cutter and Anarchy beat down Falo with the shovel and a tube. Fatality went back to smacking around Anarchy and pelted him with a bundle. He gave him a face-full of barbed-wire then got attacked for behind by Falo. Fatality tanked this and dumped Falo onto Anarchy with a rolling senton. He attacked both with a tube sword then got dumped on his head onto concrete with a DDT. Anarchy attached Falo with the UWF title and slugged it out with Fatality and Browns. Browns KO’ed them both and dumped Anarchy on his head with a DDT. He hit Falo with an X-Factor on the floor and Fatality hit a bundle elbow drop on Anarchy. The action spilt everywhere then Anarchy went after Fatality with a bat and choked him with a chair. Browns dumped Falo with a facebuster as Fatality choked Anarchy with a crutch. Anarchy snatched another off him and caved Fatality’s head in with a tube sword. They traded headbutts and wandered over to the bus. He attacked Anarchy with a staplegun as Falo was brutalised by Browns. The fight reached the crowd and Browns was suplexed into a fuckery pile. Falo and Fatality returned to the ring as Anarchy got a log to the head. Browns powered up off a beer and smashed the can into Falo. Fatality KO’ed him and dumped him through a fuckery door with a DVD. Anarchy made his return as he attacked Falo with flaming carpet strips. Once again everyone attacked everyone until Falo took himself and Fatality out with a Russian Leg Sweep through a fuckery table and Browns hit Air Sabu off the scaffold. Fatality was the last one standing and hammered a kenzan into Anarchy’s head with a chair shot. He then drove Anarchy through a pane of glass with a DVD and got the win. This was probably the best match so far as it was an actual match. Decent wrestling, nice spots and four guys who knew what they needed to do. This was a fun one. Going through: Mike Fatality

First Round Match: John Wayne Murdoch defeated AKIRA, Reed Bentley, Satu Djinn & Casanova Valentine via

Now for the match that sold me on this show, the deathmatch wrestlers’ bracket. The King of ICW No Holds Barred, The King of the No-Ring Deathmatch, The Death Samurai and the Abomination onto God all going to war in the backyard arena of death. Bentley came out with a power-drill so you knew shit was going to get ridiculous. Plus, we got the extra entrant of Satu Djinn, a new face to me but from the Majin Buu inspired gear, someone I was going to like. The Rejects attacked in their numbers and put Valentine and Satu through glass panes. The Rejects punched each other out then lobbed AKIRA onto Satu and Valentine. Murdoch and Bentley also dived and then AKIRA stepped over them like stepping stones to break a bundle into Valentine. Murdoch attacked AKIRA with a gusset then got one in the arm from Bentley. We got a human centipede of gusset plates then everyone went after everyone again.  we got a mix of brawling, striking and throwing as AKIRA went after Bentley, Satu and Valentine. AKIRA and Murdoch fought into the crowd where Murdoch attacked AKIRA with a pizza cutter. AKIRA snatched it off him and locked in a triangle choke with the cutter. Bentley came back hard and pelted AKIRA with a bundle whilst Murdoch and Satu traded jabs. Valentine cut up Bentley until Murdoch smacked him with a shovel. AKIRA kicked down everyone then had the ref thrown at him. We got more traded jabs then Murdoch broke a bundle over Bentley. He ran off again and came back with a weedwhacker that he planted in Bentley’s guts.

He took it to Valentine too then had a piece of plywood thrown at his face by Satu. Valentine DDT’ed Satu into the ground and got into a stabbing contest until AKIRA kicked him in the head. He drove Bentley into Satu and nailed both with a leaping double stomp. Valentine low-blowed Satu as Murdoch attacked AKIRA with a power-drill. Bentley snatched it off him and drilled Murdoch in the neck and arse. AKIRA then took it from him and drilled him in the mouth. He ran Valentine into a car but ended up meeting the hood as Valentine threw him with an overhead belly to belly. Everyone but AKIRA returned to the ring and exchanged more glass. Satu put Murdoch through a bundle with a Falcon Arrow then got smashed by one from Bentley. This woke up Valentine who jammed a gusset into Bentley with a stunner. He waited for AKIRA who caught Valentine with an enzuigiri and Bentley with a tiger feint bundle kick. He kicked down Murdoch and climbed up the scaffold. Murdoch was thrown off onto Satu and Valentine then Bentley dived onto them and AKIRA attacked everyone, including himself with fireworks. When the smoke cleared, he landed on everyone with a moonsault. He set up a glass pane on some chairs and tried to slam Murdoch through it but Murdoch reversed and put him through it with a Brainbuster. This was fucking awesome. 5 amazing wrestlers in a match full of fuckery. This was exceptional and a showcase to all the other guys on how the pros can even turn a backyard into a playground of destruction. I 100% want more Satu on my screens alongside my regular favourites. Going through: John Wayne Murdoch

Semi-Final Flaming Wheelchair Match: JJ Escobar defeated Sinister via Flaming Wheelchair Launch

A flaming wheelchair match… just what the hell could that mean? Well, it’s like this, render your opponent immobile and strap them to a flaming wheelchair. This was going to get stupidly wild. Fire and fuckery meet in a stipulation you’d only see in the backyard. Escobar sent out a goon then got dropped on a toothpick board. He recovered and nailed Sinister with a monkey flip and frog splash. The wrestling continued with more suplexes and the goons stomping down Sinister. Escobar then hit him with a tube fan and a tube bumper sword. That was followed by a light-tube ladder and tube-pyramid being broken with Sinister’s body. A goon tased Sinister and he was locked into the wheelchair. Everyone rushed over to the site to film this, even Murdoch had his phone in hand for this moment. Sinister was tased and set alight. The wheelchair was then launched down a ramp into a pool and Sinister was declared knocked-out. JJ Escobar had another easy match to make it to the finals. This was just a stunt fest, not a match but holy fuck I was shocked at how far they went. Sinister went running after Escobar and dumped him with a Devil Driver on the bus. He tanked this and sent Sinister off the bus into the backstage area with a Superkick. Sinister was gone for good this time. Going through: JJ Escobar

Semi-Final 2: John Wayne Murdoch defeated Mike Fatality via Chair Brainbuster

This next semi-final was a tack deathmatch with John Wayne Murdoch and Mike Fatality in it so shit was going to get crazy. The ring was covered in tacks and some chain wrestling got Fatality covered in tacks. Murdoch threw him to the outside and attacked him with an antler and Fatality’s barbed-wire bat. He dropped a pane of glass on him and attacked him with a broken tube. He continued the barrage with a toothpick board and more bat shots. The fight went into the crowd where Murdoch caved Fatality’s head against an ice-box and hit him in the balls with the bat. He then stapled a dollar to his cheek then went back to the bat shots. He broke a board on Fatality’s head and when he wouldn’t stay down went off in search of more plunder. He headbutted a gusset into Fatality and threw him back into the ring. He brought in a barbed wire board and another glass pane then set them up in opposing corners. Fatality finally started to fight back and drove Murdoch through the barbed-wire board with a DVD. He then did the same with the glass pane but only got two. They traded skewers and headbutts then Murdoch set up a chair and hit the chair Brainbuster for the win. This was actually pretty good. It was a very one-sided beatdown but it got the crowd wiled up and showed that Fatality can A, take a beating and B, sell like a star. Going through: John Wayne Murdoch

POR World Championship Match: Chew the Mangler defeated JC Extreme via Dark Hollow Slam

As we braced for the final, we were treated to a POR World title match between POR standouts Chew the Mangler and JC Extreme. Extreme is considered one of POR’s best whilst Chew the Mangler has remained undefeated for four years. They started with chain wrestling until Chew chopped down Extreme in the corner and started stomping. He nailed Extreme with a Suplex and elbow drop then took an uppercut and corner punches from Extreme into a powerslam. He continued with a diving fist drop and nailed him with some chops. Chew powered up and flattened Extreme with a shoulder block, then powerbombed him into the mat. He continued to pummel Extreme and nailed another elbow. He went after Extreme’s knee and locked in a Sleeper. Extreme turned it into a cutter and went to the top rope for a single leg missile dropkick. Extreme threw Chew back into the ring and gave him a swinging neckbreaker. He went to the top again and nailed a Swanton Bomb for two. Chew locked on a choke and went back to pummelling Extreme with strikes and chops. Extreme tried to fight back but Chew KO’ed him with a headbutt and forearm. He hoisted Extreme up and planted him with the Dark Hollow Slam. Extreme kicked out so Chew destroyed him with a second and claimed the victory, retaining his title in the process. Holy shit, we got a straight wrestling match and it was something to see.

GTS Invasion – Dominic Truex defeated Tony Chini, Blackstrom, Mike Swanson, Leo Zukko, Charlie Bonnifer & the POR mystery man via Murder Chokeslam

The ring was then invaded by GTS wrestling. They stomped down the champ and ran down POR. They tried to call out POR stars and had one run out and attack them with tubes. I don’t really know what to say about this. An impromptu match was made as the GTS guys all fought each other to show they could get hardcore. This basically turned into a scrap that I couldn’t 100% follow. It was just a mass of people being beaten up. The guy who tried to defend POR was smashed with a glass pane. There was a lot of people I didn’t recognise at all so I’m sorry I can’t go into more detail but nobody, even commentary had no idea who these were. Thankfully a journalist does his research and I learnt who they were. Zukko took a syringe through the nose though which was pretty cool and someone got attacked with a sickle. The biggest guy in the match, Truex, got thrown through a pane after being dominant the whole match and everyone started busting off finishers in the ring. Someone hit a DVD off the scaffold onto tubes and another nailed a vicious piledriver. The big guy finished the match by hitting a spinning chokeslam through a glass pane to the floor on the POR defender. I have no idea what I just saw but GTS Wrestling put on an impromptu hardcore title match and the crowd loved it.

Then just for good measure Tony Chini and Blackstrom got into a heated argument and kicked the crap out of each other. They put on a nice little technical bout that saw both guys show off their wrestling skills. Blackstrom especially impressed me with his submission and striking game and Chini is an excellent all-rounder. Both guys made the most of the time they had and Chini looked set to win when Sinister attacked them both. He tried to skewer Chini but got skewered and paraded over his body. Lastly, there was a short match between Shotgun and Ray Lewis. It was a nice little back and forth that saw Lewis get the win over Shotgun and Pool Kardashian’s insurance policy get a second loss of the night.

Grand Prix Final: Light-tube cabin 3 out of five falls: John Wayne Murdoch defeated JJ Escobar via Ladder Fall of Doom

Now we came to the grand finale. The Grand Prix final between JJ Escobar and John Wayne Murdoch. We’d seen fire, roof bumps, shit-tons of glass so god only knows what we’d see here. There were a whole load of contraptions left to break and a lot of glass at both men’s disposal. The stipulation meant someone had to go through three tube cabins before someone could win. We started with duelling bundles then Escobar dived onto Murdoch outside. Murdoch hit him with another bundle and dragged him into the crowd for a gusset spot. The goon tried to interfere but was useless and Murdoch dumped Escobar through the first cabin into a coffin. Escobar punched Murdoch in the balls and let the goon stomp him down. He signalled for plunder and Murdoch was hit by a car with light-tubes attached to it. That made it 1-1. He called for a ladder and dragged Murdoch to another cabin. Escobar climbed the ladder and put himself through a second cabin by missing a take a seat drop. It was 2-1 Murdoch. He used the time to recoup and bashed Escobar with more tubes. Escobar ran towards the bus with Murdoch in hot pursuit. Sinister appeared again to attack Escobar but faked everyone out and attacked Murdoch and helped Escobar put Murdoch through a cabin with an Assault Driver. It was now 2-2. They stagged towards the final cabin and with the help of the goon and Sinister put Murdoch on a table. He scaled a giant ladder to finish the match but Bentley came to Murdoch’s aid and helped tip the giant ladder and sent Escobar plummeting through the final cabin onto a barbed-wire trampoline. Escobar was dead and John Wayne Murdoch was the new king of the backyard and the winner of the Hardcore Grand Prix 2.

So, there you have it, whatever that was, reviewed for your reading pleasure. I get it okay. This show was pretty trashy and very rough but you know what it was fun. They tried to put on a PPV from a backyard with a load of Jackass-Esque spots mixed in with deathmatch wrestling. It was a bit too long and bloated but the action itself was pretty wild and the actual wrestlers in it nailed it alongside some of the lesser-known guys there. Satu was awesome alongside the deathmatch elite, Murdoch made Fatality look like a star, Sinister was pretty damn interesting to watch and JJ Escobar continues to do wild things that’ll probably kill him. It’s not for everyone and probably shouldn’t be taken too seriously but if you can sit back and revel in the absurdity of it, this is a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

All images courtesy of S.Brown, GCW Twitter, IsThisWrestling, Kayden (KVR216), Dominic Truex Twitter

By John Dinsdale

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