WARNING STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

Welcome back to 31 Days of Deathmatches Volume 2. The second edition of the annual deathmatch advent calendar put together by yours truly. Each day we will open another bloody door on the calendar and explore another deathmatch until we hit Halloween. We’re going to explore a ton of different companies, wrestlers, and stipulations as the days go on with a few surprises here and there. So, strap in as we prepare for another round of blood, broken glass, and barbed-wire on our road of deathmatches

As we reach the climax of the 31 days calendar, it’s time to start looking at the biggest and best. Whilst I have dotted around a lot of the best deathmatches as time has gone on, it’s time to look at one of 2020’s best. Before the world shut down, we were in the midst of one of the best deathmatch feuds of modern times. GCW had been a warzone between 44OH!, Rickey Shane Page’s gaggle of Ohio goons, and Team MDK, the cheated GCW originals rallying behind Nick Gage. RSP had stolen the title and this match was Gage finally getting his chance to reclaim it. The problem was it was one vs four as Page had Eddy Only, Atticus Cogar, and Gregory Iron at his side.

With a ring full of violent plunder, a fired-up Gage, and a nonchalant RSP, we began what would be one hell of a match. RSP walked through enemy territory without so much of a worry, he smirked at the crowd’s hatred for him. RSP tried to stall but his goons got kicked out and Gage brawled with him around the ring, throwing him into copious amounts of fan chairs. Back in-ring RSP took control with a fireman’s carry slam and put Gage in a chin lock. RSP continued to show off his technical skills, trapping Gage on the mat. He broke the first tube on Gage and continued to assault him with tubes, even breaking one in his mouth. RSP continued to dominate Gage at his own pace without a care in the world. Gage returned fire with his own barrage of tubes and hit him with a corkscrew elbow drop through a glass pane contraption. Gage had control and was going for the pizza cutter when the 44OH! goons appeared and beatdown Gage. They put him through a glass pane with a Shield bomb and continued to stomp him down. The GCW locker room all rushed out to the rescue and fought off the Ohio goons.

With the ring cleared, Gage hit a slam dunk with a tube bundle and got put in a choke. RSP rolled Gage around the ring in a rear-naked choke when a returning face appeared, G-Raver. He wasn’t even cleared to compete and he swung out at RSP. He got a few licks in then was KO’ed with a bundle to the head. Gage fired-up and accidentally caught the ref as he was taking out Page. He dropped Page with a DDT and smashed another bundle in his face with a face wash. RSP fought back with a step-up enzuigiri and threw Gage onto some upright chairs. He set up another pane of glass and went to the top but Gage chased him up and drove him through it with a superplex. The ref was nowhere to be seen and the replacement was too slow so he took him out and walked into a chokebreaker from Page. Another ref was taking out with a bitch slap and RSP brought in a log cabin. RSP tenderised Gage with tubes and went to the top again. Yet again, Gage caught him up there and put him through the cabin with the Pain Thriller. Brett Lauderdale came out to ref as 44OH! returned to the ring. Raver and a returning Eric Ryan stood up to them then the biggest shock of all happened. Ryan turned on Gage, took out Raver and Gage, and helped RSP win the match. They set up a final glass contraption and RSP put Gage through it with a massive slam. Lauderdale refused to count so he was KO’ed and RSP won with a chokebreaker on the tubes.

JESUS! Avalanche Pain Thriller through a light tube log cabin from @thekingnickgage!#GCW #RunRickeyRun @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/cmeh14eBJi pic.twitter.com/Wlo3HR9ny3

— Rob (@HeyyImRob) February 16, 2020

This match fucking ruled. It was the making of the 44OH! we know today. Ryan shocked the world when he shifted sides and joined the Ohio goon squad. The GCW locker room came out again to save Gage from further punishment. The fans were rioting and we saw a force that united everyone against 44OH! This was one of the last shows before COVID struck so I’m glad to see it was a good one. The war has only ever continued with 44OH! making enemies in so many different companies now. This match truly cemented the power of deathmatch wrestling as it presented one of the strongest stories in wrestling right now. Come back tomorrow for the final guest-spot deathmatch delight.

All images courtesy of FITE, GCW Twitter, HeyyImRob, Earl Gardner Photography,