WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE AND VIOLENCE AHEAD
Welcome to GCW Fight Forever! An event I’ve both looked forward to and feared since its announcement. 24 hours of non-stop wrestling joy coming to you for free through the power of YouTube and Fite TV with Orange Crush and so many others stepping up to sponsor the life out of the event. Plus, importantly, it’s a fundraiser for all the wrestlers on the show. Whilst I’m watching all 24 hours live, I’m chronicling the events and splitting it right down the middle. Part 1 will cover all the shows between 1 am and 1 pm UK time. Let’s get into the first part of wrestling fun!
GCW: “The Wind of God”
The company decided to go big for the first two hours of Fight Forever with The Wind of God and presented a hell of matches variety.
Blackheart Lio Rush defeated Blake Christian – 2 out of 3 Black Pool match via Coffin Choke-Out – First fall anything goes, second fall Red Doors rules, third fall, lock your opponent in a coffin. We got frantic action as Rush introduced some unique weaponry and took the first fall. It only got wilder and more painful until both guys went through the red door and Rush choked out Christian. This went long and got convoluted at times but it definitely delivered on spots and story. Unfortunately, atmosphere and audio issues derailed it a bit.
1 Called Manders defeated Spyder Nate Webb via Chair Lariat – Next up was Manders vs Nate Webb. Would strength or experience win here? This turned into a fun brawl as brawn met plunder and Manders took the scariest fall of the show. Some very scary moments in this one and a brutal ender.
Myron Reed (w/his young boy) defeated Braydon Lee via Fold-Up Pin – This was going to be ridiculously fast. Braydon Lee and Myron Reed are two of the fastest guys on the show and would offer something fun. Reed decided to keep things slow and beat down Braydon but Lee’s speed would not be denied. Things got super-heated and Reed took the pin with a clever fold-up pin.
Matthew Justice defeated KTB via Superfly Splash – Well all that order the last match had restored was about to go flying out the window. Two chaotic forces were about to collide and only one would survive. This was total madness as doors, aerial assaults, and brawling galore all entered the fray. Absolutely awesome to watch.
Joey Janela defeated Treehouse Lee via Boston Crab Stoppage – Last but not least, the main event would see Treehouse Lee battle GCW’s bad boy Joey Janela. This one was going to rock as Lee is a wrestling work of art and Janela is Janela. Lee was his usual dynamic as hell self but Janela had brought a vicious edge with him tonight. He was all business, no fun brutalising Lee. After a drag-out war, Janela was finally able to get the win. This was the match of the block but it definitely struggled under constant audio issues.
GCW: “For the Culture”
Up next was another edition of AJ Gray’s For the Culture. Once again it would provide a celebration for a whole host of athletes of colour in a whole host of insane matches.
Kings of the District (Jordan Blade & Eel Oneil) defeated Mike Outlaw & Camaro Jackson via submission – So anyone who has read my Paradigm reviews will know I am a massive fan of Jordan Blade. Now, I’d see their team in action against the imposing duo of Mike Outlaw and Camaro Jackson. The action was there but as was the common theme, there was an audio issue distracting from the match.
Calvin Tankman defeated PB Smooth via Indestructible Driver – Next up was a proper big man battle. It would be PB Smooth vs Calvin Tankman in a scrap of the titans. This was absolutely insane. PB Smooth was busting out the technical wizardry whilst Tankman hit like an absolute tank. This rocked, 100% must-watch.
The Rep (Nate Carter & Dave McCall) defeated Thick N Juicy (Faye Jackson & Willow Nightingale) via Pop-Up Flatliner – Up next was more tag action as The Rep collided with Thick N Juicy. Could the Rep handle Jackson and Nightingale? Carter tried to be respectful but in the end, the match became equal opportunity destruction against the Creep Squad. This was fun and Nate Carter’s reactions to Faye Jackson’s antics were priceless.
AJ Gray defeated HoodFoot Mo Atlas via Diving Seated Crossbody – Oh boy things were going to get heavy. Are you ready for two of the heaviest hitters in the game smashing the hell out of each other? I don’t think I was as this was next-level. Mat wrestling met horrendously hard strikes and monstrous power moves to give us one of the best matches of the marathon. Gray and Hoodfoot tried to kill each other and it was glorious to watch.
Saieve Al Sabah defeated Lee Moriarty & Ken Broadway via Diving Twisting Blockbuster on Broadway – The main event of this block was a massive triple-threat featuring one of the best in the business in Lee Moriarty and two underrated gems in Ken Broadway and Saieve Al Sabah. There was an extra stipulation added as whoever won here would become the number one contender to Trish Adora’s Pan-Afrikan World Diaspora Championship. What followed was an exceptional bout of clashing styles. It would be strength, speed, and smarts all mixing until Al Sabah used a few dirty tricks to soften up his opponents and win with a diving twisting blockbuster. Total high-impact excellence.
GCW: “UV 60”
After that, it was time for some blood and violence. It was the Deathmatch Hour and it was going to be sixty minutes of ultraviolence. Plus, we got more great Nick Gage commentary.
Homicide defeated EFFY via Top Rope Gringo Cutter – Originally it was meant to be Lowlife Louie vs Homicide but a personal reason kept Louie away and someone stepped up to fill that void, EFFY. Not quite the match anyone was prepared for and not the most ultraviolent on the card but we got fork violence and Homicide at his best. This was a proper unexpected treat.
Mad Man Pondo defeated Jeff Cannonball via Stop Sign to the Head – Next up was the first fuckery bout. A cross-generational bout of violence between King Ugly Jeff Cannonball and Mad Man Pondo, the deathmatch legend. This was a bell to bell weapons-based carnage with both guys bleeding buckets. This was a car crash match but unbelievably fun to watch. Also, big up to the Soda Review mid-match.
SHLAK defeated Orin Veidt via Submission – The main event for this hour of insanity was Public Animal number SHLAK taking on the Wizard King Orin Veidt. Both guys aren’t afraid of getting violent and GCW was giving them all the glass to round out the bloodletting hour. This was just that, violent, bloody, and full of broken tubes. Both guys lost pints and cut each other to hell with the glass tubes of death. Fucking next-level violence. We even got a flaming elbow pad that didn’t go out after 2 seconds.
GCW: “Jimmy Lloyd’s Up All Night”
Following the clean-up, we went into the next block Jimmy Lloyd’s Up All Night. The Different Boy was given the booking reigns once again and had presented his unique mass of matches.
Scramble: Brayden Lee defeated Matt Vandergriff, Lucky 13, JJ Garrett, Braydon Lee, Eli Everfly & Lucas Riley via 630 Senton to Vandergriff – To open this block we had the ceremonial scramble. It would be mostly younger competitors taking on the veteran Lucky 13 in a six-way fuckfest. It was exactly what you’d want with everyone flying, showing off and showing out until Braydon Lee picked up the big win with a 630.
Nolan Edward defeated Wheeler Yuta via Sliding Headbutt – Next up was a dream match between No Flinch Nolan Edward and Wheeler Yuta. Both have no give; this was going to be a war. What played out was a cleverly-paced technical war with both guys going for limbs. It got very physical and very submission heavy as the pair put on a masterclass in the middle of the night. I do hope GCW bring Nolan Back.
Young Dumb n Broke (Jordan Oliver, Charlie Tiger & Ellis Taylor) defeated The Ugly Ducklings (Lance Lude, Rob Killjoy & Colby Corino) via Super Clout Cutter on Killjoy – How about some frantic six-man tag action? That was up next as two wrestling factions collided in-ring. As expected, this was another high-end match with both factions bringing their A-game. A lot of fun to watch with a lot of things happening. To describe this match would ruin its magic, just go watch it.
Ken Broadway defeated Charles Mason via PK – Money makes the world go around. That’s what this bout would be, a fight of old and new money. Mason is the modern-day Bond Villain whilst Broadway is an athletic monster with money on his mind. Broadway wasted no time in putting that athleticism to good use but Mason could go too and used some unorthodox methods to hurt Broadway. They put their history of animosity to good use and hit some truly horrifying head drops on each other. This kicked ass. Charles Mason wasn’t on my radar before, he certainly is now.
Jimmy Lloyd defeated Yoya via Fuck You Driver – Our main event of the block was Yoya, the Shooterweight taking on the man of the block, Jimmy Lloyd. It was shooter gear all-around so here was to hoping for something vicious. Yoya brought out the best in Lloyd as the pair went hell for leather as they threw, locked up and struck each other. Yoya got to show off his unique brand of offence as Lloyd slowly built up to breaking point and busted out some of his own weird and wonderful offence. Lloyd wouldn’t get to relax though as G-Raver haunted him like a spectre. Thankfully, the distraction wasn’t fatal and Lloyd was still able to win his main event. I need more Yoya in GCW and more of Lloyd vs Raver.
No Peace Underground: “Odium”
Time for the masters of no-ring and now ringed deathmatch fun, No Peace Underground! We join SHLAK and Joey Janela on commentary for an hour of deathmatches and doom!
The End (Parrow & Odinson) defeated IronBeast (KTB & Shane Mercer) via European Doomsday Device – The hour kicked off the most insane tag match of the marathon. Two monster teams were going to collide in a ring of plunder for maximum destruction. This was a proper monster-sized tag team deathmatch with all four monsters manhandling each other like they were nothing. Both teams were evenly matched and took turns doing ridiculous feats of strength and athleticism. IronBeast suffered their first loss courtesy of The End, doing something no team has ever managed before.
Matthew Justice defeated Orin Veidt via Ladder Trapped Stage Dive – Orin Veidt was back after taking part in that massacre to end UV 60. He was now battling someone who might be potentially crazier than SHLAK in Matthew Justice. Could Veidt really handle a second match after all that glass? This fight went everywhere as Justice wanted to fully show off what No Peace was all about. It was a complete brawl from start to finish as the pair travelled everywhere and killed each other with plunder. It looked scrappy and dangerous as fuck but it was a blast to watch.
Atticus Cogar defeated Bam Sullivan via Dirty Schoolboy Pin – The main event for No Peace was Bam Sullivan, the H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Champion taking on 44OH!’s Atticus Cogar. This one wasn’t the deathmatch it could have been and instead played like a hardcore technical bout as Cogar continues to try and prove he doesn’t need plunder whilst also continuing to use luminous green skewers. As always with Cogar, the match rocked and Bam was more than willing to play ball with him. More and more deathmatch fuckery bled into the match and both guys started to bleed. Cogar did the worst thing possible and won with a roll-up when there was a perfectly good fuckery pile to break. A great match was once again spoiled by 44OH! taking all the air out of another deathmatch.
“Fight Forever: After Dark”
It was time for some wrestling after dark. This block had another nice variety of matches to aid the US audience as the night went on and the morning crept on in the UK.
Solo Darling defeated Billie Starkz via Apron Draping DDT – First up was Billie Starkz, the face of the Big Starkz brand taking on Solo Darling in what could be a sleeper hit of the marathon. It would be experience vs energy as Darling tried to show off the submission repertoire she’d built up. The intensity picked up and hits got heavier until Solo Darling pulled out the win with a lethal DDT on the apron. This was a fun way to open the block.
Kerry Awful defeated Philly Mike Swanson via Crux Shoulder Breaker – Up next was the debut of Philly Mike Swanson taking on the former gargoyle now businessman Kerry Awful. He couldn’t stop trash-talking Swanson and made Swanson work to prove himself to the GCW audience. This match also managed to break light on the Performance Centre bar. It was a very heated performance from Awful who truly lived up to his name as he did awful things to Swanson.
YDNB (Charlie Tiger & Ellis Taylor) defeated Milk Chocolate (Randy Summers & Brandon Watts via Kneedrop Samoan Driver on Summers – Time for more tag team action from Young Dumb n Broke as they had their second match of the marathon against Milk Chocolate. Milk Chocolate were new to me but I’d heard good things and they worked quickly to take the fight to YDNB. Milk Chocolate exploited all the injuries from YDNB’s previous match and worked in tandem to isolate Tiger, often breaking the rules in the process. Taylor was the hot tag and wrecked shop until YDMB and Milk Chocolate had killed each other and Summers was softened enough to take a devastating double-team finisher.
Catalyst Wrestling Title: Colby Corino defeated Cheeseburger & Lucky 13 via Crucifix Bomb on Cheeseburger – The main event of the block was a triple-threat title match for the Catalyst Wrestling title. Colby Corino would face veteran Lucky 13 and world-famous ROH star Cheeseburger. Yet again, it proved to be an exciting multi-man match as all three did what they do best. Whilst battling a stream that wanted to die. It wasn’t easy to make out the action at times but what could be seen was really damn good.
“Fight Forever: After Hours”
The late-night wrestling continued with After Hours. The variety continued with more unusual match-ups and exciting bouts to keep the audience going.
Façade defeated Dani Mo via Jackhammer Piledriver – First up was a friendly fight between the Neon Blondes. Façade and Dani Mo would take each other on in a battle to see who was better. The best of allies often makes the most bitter of enemies. This was exemplified through the breaking of porcelain and using kitchen utensils. They beat the hell out of each other until Façade finally got the win with a unique looking piledriver. Once again, a block opened with a brilliant match.
2Hot Steve Scott defeated Donnie Kung-Fu Janela via Running Knee – Next up was the return of 2Hot Steve Scott and he was going to do battle with Donnie Janela, the kung-fu member of the Janela family. This match decided to blend in a bit of comedy and gave us a phone smashing sequence and a Mortal Kombat themed martial arts sequence. Amongst that though, was an excellent blend of high-impact and technical wrestling. Scott seemed possessed to kill Janela by the end and won the match with an apron Dudebuster into a running knee. This was the semi-goofy thing you needed at this point.
Conan Lycan, Frankie Ministry Pickard & Diego Hill defeated Jeffery John, Solomon Tupu & Alpha Zo via The Last Breath on John – The main event was a six-man tag featuring a ton of talent from New Wave Pro, H2O, and other indies in a special match. It was a great showcase for a lot of the guys here as their shows tend to go under the radar. The match hadn’t been announced so these faces made a pleasant surprise and a pleasant match. All of these guys deserve the GCW recognition.
Freelance Wrestling/Freelance Underground: Fight Forever
It was time for another company showcase. This time it would be Freelance and Freelance Underground taking the reigns to present a series of matches spotlighting the future of Freelance.
August Matthews defeated Koda Hernandez & Angel Escalera via Shooting Star Senton on Escalera – Freelance sent their academy students in to bring some new energy to the early American morning. They were hyper, hungry, and ready to prove they deserved this spot. Hernandez brought in some foreign objects, making him my favourite since I root for villains. Matthews became the underdog of the match and pulled out the big win with some impressive combo offence into the finish. Genuinely impressive work from the students.
Storm Grayson defeated Darius Latrell via Running Knee – Next up was another future bout with Darius Latrell and Storm Grayson locking horns. Grayson tried to show off his agility whilst Latrell made him eat dirt with power plays. Grayson came back strong and finally started to get the better of the big man. Latrell made him pay for this with interest but Grayson found the great equaliser and the win through a series of running knees. These two had excellent chemistry and put on a great little match.
Davey Bang defeated Jacob Dean & Trevor Outlaw via Frog Splash on Outlaw – Finally, we ended the block with another action-packed triple threat. Davey Bang, Jacob Dean, and Trevor Outlaw were all about to give the people a match to remember. Davey Bang really represented the audience at this time as I imagine a lot of us (especially me) were at least one energy drink in. Dean and Outlaw worked together to knock about Bang until that alliance fizzled and the match opened up.
Glory Pro: Fight Forever
As the marathon reached the halfway point, Glory Pro took control of the performance centre to bring us more of their style of pro-wrestling.
Karam (w/Hakim Zane) defeated Juicy Finau via Sit-out Spinebuster – Glory Pro started with a battle of monsters. It would be Big Toko Juicy Finau taking on Karam. Finau would have to not only tackle Karam but also the antics of Zane who was lurking on the outside. These two gave each other their worst and Finau fought through a bloody nose to batter Karam. In the end, though, he fell to a sit-out Spinebuster and gave Karam the win. This was a fun match to watch and once again, it’s great seeing guys get spots they deserve. Zane is right about Karam, he’s ready for TV.
Midwest Territory Championship: Hakim Zane (w/Karam) defeated 1 Called Manders via Running Knee Barrage – Oh, I wouldn’t want to be Hakim Zane right now. Manders might be banged up from that match earlier but he was going to dish out the punishment here. Zane would have to rely on his technique here as he wasn’t going to overpower Manders. Instead, Zane ran away and used Karam as a distraction. Manders had to fight a damaged arm and threw caution to the wind to put on one hell of a title match with Zane. Karam caused a distraction and Manders ate an absolute ton of knees before finally laying down for the three. Excellent bloody match.
Crown of Glory Championship: AJ Gray defeated Mike Outlaw via Blue-Eyes White Dragon – The main event for Glory Pro was AJ Gray defending the Crown of Glory Championship against Mike Outlaw. We’d already seen both men in one match tonight, now they’d go against each other with a title on the line. What a match it was. This was an ultra-competitive fight between two classically-charged wrestlers looking to beat the hell out of each other. Both showed respect when it was over but oh man, this one must have hurt.
All images courtesy of GCW Twitter