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GCW Reviews US

The Full Collective Remix 2021 – Day 1 Review

ByJohn Dinsdale

Apr 9, 2021 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s that time of year again. Wrestling’s biggest weekend was back in force and this year all the indies were in Tampa to participate alongside it. GCW had done what they do best and given the reins to their regulars and some of their indie company friends to make another star-studded three-day agreement of frantic actions and top-tier shows. We here at SteelChair are ready to bring you all the results and all the action from this maniac weekend starting with our first day of shows featuring Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F, the first day of the Acid Cup, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport and ending the day would be For the Culture. Let’s dissect some shows.

GCW “Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F”

The first show of the whole event was Jimmy Lloyd’s show for all the young and hand hungry out there. This year he’d brought back some familiar faces and brought in a whole bunch of new faces for The Collective. This was going to start the weekend with a bang. Let’s see what went down.

Scramble-Fest: Ninja Mack defeated Conan Lycan, Gabriel Skye, American Beetle, Levi Everett & Hunter Drake via Phoenix WTF Leg Drop on Everett – the show opened with a signature scramble featuring some of the indies rising stars and icons in training. This was beautiful chaos as Ninja Mack flipped like a madman, American Beetle had the world’s most creative chair shot and Drake hit a destroyer off the top onto a body pile. Things just continued to escalate as Lycan killed off Beetle with a Razor’s Edge out the ring and got killed by a Spanish Fly off a wall through a door/chair plunder pile. Everyone showed out to open the show and gave us one of the best scrambles if deadliest yet.

Billie Starkz defeated Skye Blue & Rok-C via Bridging German on Blue – Next up was the women tearing it up in a three-way bout. Billie Starkz has exploded on the scene but this was going to be an excellent showcase for Skye Blue and Rok-C. Much like the last match, this went hard as everyone went full-force. Rok-C and Skye Blue brought out some creative and hard-hitting offence but, in the end, it was Starkz that got the win.

FSW Tag Title: The Unguided (Matt Vandagriff & Damian Drake) defeated YDNB (Charlie Tiger & Ellis Taylor w/Griffin McCoy) via Guillotine Death Drop on Tiger – It was time for tag action as Young Dumb N Broke looked to take the FSW tag titles off The Unguided. This was going to get ugly. It ended up being a competitive tag bout that let The Unguided show off what they could do against an established team. Great fun and a nice little title defence.

JJ Garrett defeated Marcus Mathers via Frog Splash – This was a pleasant surprise, one of H2O’s stand-outs, Marcus Mathers was getting his big GCW singles debut against the master of the headlock JJ Garrett. This was going to be a fun one. Mathers made the most of the spotlight as we got an excellent back and forth bout of attitude and ability. This better not be Mathers only appearance in GCW.

El Hijo de Canis Lupis defeated Gino Medina via ref stoppage – Time for the battle of the second-generation superstars. Gino Medina is an untouchable superstar and he was about to battle El Hijo de Canis Lupis in what should be a Lucha Libre spectacle. This match went everywhere as Lupis unleashed some devastating dives and Medina showed off some more hybrid offence. There was a scary moment where Medina seemed out of it but Lupis was a sportsman and tried to let Medina fight but the refs called the match off. it’s a shame it ended how it did but safety comes first. What we got was great so maybe we’ll get it another time.

Atticus Cogar defeated Tre Lamar via Brain Haemorrhage – Cogar was back again and he was without his deathmatch tools. This time he was here to prove he could fight by besting Tre Lamar without any blood. The pair put on a competitive as hell match and Cogar ended up trying to skewer Lamar, succeeding on a second attempt. Lamar kicked the hell out of Cogar but he fell to the skewers and the Brain Haemorrhage.

Jordan Oliver defeated Everett Connors via Clout Cutter – it was time to get stylish. Everett Connors was in the parking lot and he was looking fashionable. After his stand-out performance at Fight Forever, he was pack against Jordan Oliver. Connors was really pushed to the limit as he tried to prove against Oliver that his big win was no fluke. Oliver was merciless and both guys had the life beaten out of them, Connors even busted out a suicide DDT onto the concrete. Oliver won with a reversal Clout Cutter out of nowhere but it hadn’t been easy. Jordan Oliver continues to be a star killer.

1 Called Manders defeated Juicy Finau via Moonsault – time for a hoss fight. Juicy Finau, the breakout of the last Collective was back and he was ready for another spotlight. Big Toko was in for a fight though as he was against the Cornbelt Cowboy, Manders. Finau had a new look and he was busting out all the power moves. It might have been his most dominant performance to date and only lost because he missed a moonsault. Manders took advantage with a moonsault of his own and took the win. If you wanted a hybrid Hoss fight, you got your wish here.

Dante Leon defeated Myron Reed via Shooting Star Cutter – who wants some flipping innovation? You were about to get it as Dante Leon and Myron Reed, two of the best high-flyers around were about to blow some minds. This kicked off instantly as Leon nearly scored the win with a flipping cutter and brought the fire quickly. From there, it was a total madcap match of epic proportions. Leon got the big win in his GCW debut but Reed made him work for it. What a match.

Nolan Edward defeated Daniel Garcia via Liability Headbutt – Well, this one was going to hurt. Daniel Garcia and Nolan Edward are heavy hitters. One likes to make people quit, the other has no quit. Garcia tries to kill people and Edward spends more time trying to kill himself. Who would succeed here and what would be left of them? This was gritty, physical and violent as hell. Both guys had no give and both tried to murder the other throughout. It took a ridiculously self-destructive move to end things as Edward took the win with the Liability headbutt. This was the vicious sprint you totally wanted between the pair.

Starboy Charlie defeated Jimmy Lloyd via Roll-up – last but not least the main event. Jimmy Lloyd taking on one of the young wrestling prodigies, Starboy Charlie. Both men here can pull off whatever style they want so this could basically be any type of match. This felt like a physical chess match. The pair had each other well-scouted and kept countering and catching the other out. That trend ran through the whole match as flips, powerbombs and power moves ended in Charlie getting the win with a roll-up. It was a nice way to end one hell of a show. Definitely opening the Collective with a bang, even if there were a couple of sad road bumps.

GCW “Acid Cup 3 Day 1”

The Acid Cup is back again. in honour of Trent Acid, this two-day tournament will showcase some of the best on the scene slugging it out against each other in a gruelling tournament to win that cup. The last winner was Chris Dickinson before the world shut down, who from the 16-person field will hold the honours this year? There was a whole wealth of potential winners as GCW had stacked the playing field with some of the indie’s most talented. Let’s see who progressed.

Calvin Tankman defeated Colby Corino via Tankman Driver – The Show opened with a massive styles clash. It would be the hybrid juggernaut taking on the death-defying high-flyer Colby Corino. Who would claim that first second-round spot? It turned out to be Tankman after an excellent opening bout of speed and power meeting horrific striking.

Laredo Kid defeated Brayden Lee via Inverted Top Rope Spanish Fly – It was time to get brazy. Brayden Lee was in the parking lot and he was taking on one of Mexico’s best Luchadors, Laredo Kid. This was going to be one hell of a challenge for Lee, could he overcome it? Sadly, he could not, but bloody hell did this match kick ass. All the powerful, flippy and straight WTF offence you could want. No one lost here as Brayden Lee proved he can hang with the best.

Dragon Bane defeated KTB via Shooting Star Press – So, time for my first experience with Dragon Bane. I’ve heard great things but I hope he’s prepared to deal with the hybrid beast, KTB. The answer was yes. These two went move for move and Dragon Bane really proved he could go with a whole range of swift kicks, strikes and flying. This match kicked ass and both guys looked godamn good.

Jordan Oliver defeated Edith Surreal via Verti-kick – Welcome to the hardest match to call in this tournament. Edith Surreal is the tournament killer. She has won most tournaments thrown at her but could she keep that streak alive against the star killer Jordan Oliver? This was a massive change of pace as it was more mat-based and technical than previous bouts as Oliver paid homage in attire and execution to Trent Acid. Oliver continues to play star killer.

Lee Moriarty defeated JJ Garrett via ref stoppage – This was originally meant to be Lee Moriarty vs Treehouse Lee but transport can mess us all over so we were no seeing TAIGASTYLE locking horns with the master of the headlock. This match seemed to be picking up steam but once again, the heat may have claimed another victim as JJ Garrett wasn’t able to keep going. This was another unfortunate early stoppage.

Arez defeated Aramis via Bridging Northern Lights – Time for more Lucha violence as two of Lucha’s best were about to burn the already roasted Tampa parking lot down. This was pure Technicos wrestling as Arez and Aramis went to war. Everyone was in awe and the fast and furious technicality on display. This hit hard looked amazing as hell and didn’t fall victim to the sun. An absolute must-watch from the Acid Cup. The absolute match of the show.

Cole Radrick defeated Jimmy Lloyd & Ellis Taylor via WTF Driver to Taylor – more transport issues had kept Tony Deppen from making the show so Cole Radrick issued an open challenge. He wasn’t taking a buy in the tournament; he wanted a fight and Jimmy Lloyd came out to give him one. So did Ellis Taylor of YDNB. As you can expect, this became a very smash-mouth and mental triple-threat. It went by pretty quickly and Radrick doubly cemented his place by beating two opponents.

AJ Gray defeated Nate Webb via Blue-eyes White Dragon – Last but not least, the main event. AJ Gray, the ace of GCW was going to have the final first-round match against GCW’s heart, Spyder Nate Webb. Nate was paying tribute to B-Boy but could he punch his ticket to the next round through the master of the lariat, AJ Gray? This one got scrappy as Webb tried every trick in the book to keep Gray down. We got our first door in this match as Gray was speared through it and plenty more hardcore spots. Webb took a beating but the Blue-Eyes White Dragon snuffed out that competitive fire. What a way to end the first round, with one of the most likely winners taking his spot in the second round. Once again, despite the heat issues and unfortunate match problems, this delivered some real high-quality matches. Hopefully though, for this time tomorrow, I can talk about them implementing a tent or something to prevent any more issues.

GCW “Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6”

Bloodsport was back again and this time Josh Barnett might have just amassed his biggest card yet. He was finally getting his chance to fight Jon Moxley and he too was bringing in a plethora of new faces to the event as well as putting some of the GCW regulars through their paces with his brand of no-rope shoot fight violence. Between technical masterclasses and killer rematches, we were about to see who’d step up and who’d get knocked out.

KZT defeated Janai Kai via Armbar – The show opened with a roll call and then we had our opening bout the Baddest Black Belt Janai Kai taking on the Grappler KZT. Both are proficient martial artists so this was going to be an electric opening contest. This bloody rocked. Kai used every chance to land strikes and kicks when she could and worked around KZT’s grapples until finally falling short to an armbar. Both fighters put on a technical masterclass here. An excellent opening bout.

Matt Makowski defeated Heddi Karaoui via Armbar Suplex hold – Next up was Bloodsport regular Matt Makowski taking on Bloodsport newcomer and French grappling extraordinaire Heddi Karaoui. Karaoui was bringing his own style of Lucha Submission to Makowski but would it be enough to score a win? It was not but Karaoui pushed Makowski beyond the limit as Karaoui had Makowski in knots and seemed to be an escape artist. Makowski utilised his striking game and won the match with his parented Armbar Suplex hold.

Bad Dude Tito defeated Victor Benjamin (w/Lady Frost) via Heel Hook – Time for a bad guy battle. It would be the Savage Gentleman Victor Benjamin going one-on-one with Bad Dude Tito, a standout from the last set of Bloodsport events. This was going to get intense since both have great MMA skills and Benjamin is trained in boxing. Benjamin was in control for a lot of this fight through a superior striking game and more than competent defence until he made one wrong move and Tito made him pay with a Heel Hook. It was an excellent debut for Benjamin but an even bigger win for Tito.

Simon Grimm defeated Alexander James via Double Wrist Lock – Who wants a grappler bout? Simon Grimm and Alexander James are both fans of limb trapping torture and both were due to another big win. Would Grimm pick up a win or would the Pain Prince have him tapping out? We went from submission battles to strike fights as both guys took each other to the limit. We even saw Grimm escape a hold with headbutts. The win came Grimm’s way as he hit a Butterfly Suplex and locked in a double wrist-lock. This was one hell of a chess game and vicious as all hell.

Alex Coughlin defeated Royce Isaacs via Heel Hook Crab – These two seem like natural enemies. After beating the hell out of each other at Bloodsport 5, they were going for round two. It was NWA vs NJPW in a no-rope battle of dominance. Isaacs won the first one, would he win the second? No, he wouldn’t as Coughlin was wise to Isaacs’ tricks and managed to withstand the holds and hard striking to pick up the win with a vicious crab variant. They’re 1-1, there needs to be a rubber match now.

SHLAK defeated Superbeast via DQ – Oh dear god this was going to be a massacre. Two beasts were about to get into a smashing contest. Superbeast is one hell of a hybrid powerhouse and SHLAK is SHLAK, deathmatch god, brawler superior and SHLAK Sabre Jr. This was going to be insane. SHLAK now holds a world record as he’s the first person to get DQ’ed in Bloodsport as he bit into Super Beast’s heel. He had to be dragged away from a bloody, rabid mess after one hell of a brawl. Superbeast used disciplined striking and technical superiority to keep SHLAK under wraps until the biting. Sadly, there was no SHLAK Sabre Jr this time but we got the perfect fight from the two. Give me round 2 anytime.

Allysin Kay defeated Masha Slamovich via Triangle Striking – Time for another tough one to call. Allysin Kay is an MMA expert and Bloodsport veteran but Masha Slamovich might just be one of the deadliest on the scene right now. This was going to be extremely interesting. We got another intense hybrid fight as Slamovich found herself defending against Kay’s grappling holds and trying to do the counterwork. They both traded bombs too but in the end, Slamovich got trapped in a Triangle and struck into submission. Slamovich feels like a natural fit for Bloodsport so she needs to come back for another fight.

Lio Rush defeated Yoya via Cobra Clutch – it’s Shooterweight time. Yoya is one hell of a fighter and has been taking the MMA and UWFI world by storm and now he was ready for his biggest showcase yet against the Man of the Hour Lio Rush. We rarely get to appreciate Rush’s technical work so this was going to be an excellent chance for him to show off against someone deadly. My god, this was incredible. Yoya took Rush to the limit through speed, striking and submission capability but Rush was more than happy to match him with amateur skill and eventually got the win after some horrific spills. We have another must-watch from this show.

Davey Boy Smith Jr defeated KTB via Sit-Out Powerbomb – Bulldog vs Beast was ahead of us. KTB was back in Bloodsport and he was mixing it up with one of the brands top dogs. The master of the Crippler Crossface Davey Boy Smith Jr was about to enter the woods. This was a one-sided affair as KTB was resilient as hell but he could barely get any licks in as Smith had him locked up and beaten down from the get-go. Smith showed sportsmanship and we ended this fight on a nice note.

Chavo Guerrero Jr defeated Rocky Romero via ref stoppage – This was going to be ugly. These two have a very heated hatred for one another and have tried to kill each other multiple times. Now, they were taking it to Bloodsport. Once again, it was another chess game of a match. Both guys have so much experience, they could counter each other for days. Chavo was vicious in his attacks on Romero and Romero went all-out on his counter holds. In the end, Chavo knocked Rocky out with a horrendous barrage of ground and pound strikes and a deadly slam. Romero was out and Chavo was declared the winner. What a fight and another chapter in this book of blood feuding.

Chris Dickinson defeated Shane Mercer via Judo Throw Cross Armbreaker – Oh boy, this one had a whole lot of hype. The Iron Demon, Shane Mercer is a powerhouse, a high-flyer and an MMA-fused powerlifter. He was coming in with a lot behind him but his debut was going to be a tough one. He was dealing with the Dirty Daddy, Chris Dickinson. Mercer had proven to be a tough challenger for Dickinson as his power game really forced Dickinson to re-think some of his tools as Mercer would just power out or throw him away. The pair struck hard and Dickinson eventually got the win with a Judo throw into an arm breaker. Dickinson won in pretty quick fashion but it hadn’t been easy. The match was just a sprint.

Josh Barnett defeated Jon Moxley via Head Stomp Stoppage – Last but not least, the main event. Jon Moxley was back in the main event spot and he was taking the fight to the booker, the Warmaster himself, Josh Barnett. It would be a battle of disciplined brutality against unpredictability and chaos. This was a bloodbath. It started technical and went into a savage, brutal and bloody battle of wits, elbows and fists. Barnett was taken well past his limit with Mox even hitting a flying knee and literally relied on a DVD and a series of stomps to knock Mox loopy so the ref would stop the match. This was a huge fight and both guys respected the hell out of each other in the end. I hope there is a round two between these two. Bloodsport 7, is going to be even more mental than this one. What a show, what a series of fights and what a treat for all those watching. Bloodsport is still one of my favourite events and always will be.

GCW “For the Culture”

Last but not least, to close out day one, we had the return of For the Culture. AJ Gray was once again at the helm of another show celebrating all the POC talent out there and showing how much ass they can kick. Last year’s Collective showed how important representation is and now, Gray was going to do the same again for a second year. Let’s see if they ended day one in style, shall we?

Troy Hollywood defeated D-Rogue, Alpha Zo, Robert Martyr, Mysterious Q, AC Mack via Super Gutbuster to Q – We started our final show of the night with another good ol’ scramble match. It would be six of the indie’s best and underrated taking to the ring in a battle for the spotlight. Of course, AC Mack was a dick and stole the mic for his entrance so everyone kicked his ass. From there we got all the chaotic fun of a scramble with D-Rogue and Mysterious Q really stealing the show. Robert Martyr went after everyone but it often did him no good. In the end, Hollywood proved to be the craftiest and picked the best moment to take out Mysterious Q and claim the win. An excellent way to open.

Impact Knockouts Tag Team Titles: Fire ‘N Flava (Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz) defeated Thick ‘N Juicy 2.0 (Brooke Valentine & Willow Nightingale w/Faye Jackson) vs via Crucifix Bridging Neckbreaker on Nightingale – next up was some tag team action. It was Thick & Juicy 2.0, Willow Nightingale and Brooke Valentine fighting in Faye Jackson’s place against the dominant Impact Knockout tag champs Kiera Hogan and Tasha Steelz, Fire ‘N Flava. We were up for one hell of a styles clash. For the second time tonight, we got trash-talking and once again the trash talkers got their ass beat trying to attack early. Thick ‘N Juicy used their power advantage to great effect as Valentine and Nightingale worked incredibly well together. Fire ‘N Flava had to get dirty to take the match back and there, the match became the back-and-forth bout you wanted. Clever tactics saw them retain their titles and score a big win over tough competition.

Jon Davis defeated PB Smooth via Grown Man Driver (thank you, Suge D) – You ready for a fight? This was going to get heavy as PB Smooth, one of the biggest playboys in the game was about to go toe-to-toe with that dude Jon Davis, one of the hardest-hitting veterans out there. Davis really made Smooth work and because of that, we got an extra intense and painful affair. Both guys got nasty as Davis tanked it all to deliver the kill with what Suge D so accurately named the Grown Man Driver. What a fight.

Calvin Tankman defeated Myron Reed, Frontman Jah-C & Andy Brown via Tankman Driver on Brown – It’s time for more multi-man madness as Myron Reed, Calvin Tankman, Frontman Jah-C and Uptown Andy Brown all went to war in a four-way slugfest. As with every other multi-person match, this rocked. Everyone brought it and everyone contributed positively to the match. It was also an excellent introduction to Jah-C and Andy Brown who I wasn’t all that familiar. Tankman was the monster of the match as everyone either fought with or around him to steal the spotlight. After being kept at bay, he re-took the match by any means and took the win. This show was just pumping out bangers.

Darius Lockhart defeated Bryan Keith via Assata Driver – Darius Lockhart was finally back in a wrestling ring. The Revolutionary was going to bring his brand of wrestling to For the Culture against the Bounty Hunter Bryan Keith. This would be a special match. It became a slow-burn, intense battle of attrition as Keith and Lockhart locked each other up, kicked the souls out of one another as Keith took control and punished Lockhart for fighting him. Lockhart fought back and battled through the pain and dubious tactics of Keith to take that win and light the fuse on what should become a wrestling revolution. Lockhart is back and the world has better be ready to listen. Keith and Lockhart ended things with a sign of the revolution and a proper sign of respect.

Tre Lamar defeated Eli Knight via Lion Tamer – Confidence is a must for any wrestler. These two had that in spades. Tre Lamar and Eli Knight were all ready to go and make a name at the other’s expense. Culture Inc was going against 40 Acres here. We got a game of high-flying cat and mouse and both traded cockiness with their covers and their moves. Lamar tried to play it smart and keep Knight grounded but all plans fail eventually. The match got even more competitive as the two really tried to kill each other. Tre Lamar dodged death and brutally ended Knight with a Lion Tamer. Both guys made the most of this time and definitely earned their spot on the card. Knight and Lamar both have bright futures ahead of them.

AJ Gray defeated JTG via Death by Lariat – Time for the booker to have his match. It was the MF’N Truth, the new King of the indies taking on Jay Tha God, JTG. Who would win in this clash of the titans? Within the first couple of minutes, we had a murder by Lariat and watched JTG try to come back from it. That’s just what he did giving Gray his own hard strikes. We saw Gray pushed to his limits and even break out the moonsault. Things got very heavy, very vicious and I loved it. Billy Dixon spoiled the moment by smashing Gray in the back with a chair and making sure people knew he was fighting Gray at the Big Gay Brunch. Dixon was still pissed because AJ Gray slept through last year’s Big Gay Brunch and felt he’d disrespected that culture.

Lee Moriarty defeated Lio Rush via Roll-Up – Okay, it’s time for another dream match. TAIGASTYLE meets the M.O.T.H. This was a styles’ clash for the ages as the best wrestler on the indies right now met one of the guys burning bright in resurgence. This could be the show-stealer right here. It would be ego vs humble and intense vs explosive. Moriarty was working with rib tape so he’d given Rush a target to go for. However, he seemed prepared and went after Rush’s arm. This got time to breathe and both men used it to tell an excellent story with a whole lot of nail-biting near-falls. Moriarty took a sneak win in the end, tanking Rush Hour and stealing the win with a roll-up. He fought through hell all day and now he’d bested Rush. It definitely lived up to its hype.

Rich Swann defeated 2 Cold Scorpio via Phoenix Splash – Last but not least, our main event. Impact World Heavyweight Champion was going to keep the party going for one last match with an absolutely legendary dance partner, 2 Cold Scorpio. Both guys love to have fun but we all know both can go once that bell rings. This was amazing fun, we got equal parts chain and technical wrestling mixed with dance-offs and attitude. The generational divide was there but both guys were right there with each other. Both guys brought that main event fire as the intensity rose throughout the fight. Scorpio once again gave us all the greatest hits as he really put the hurting on Swann. No matter what Scorpio through though, Swann would kick out. Swann eventually got the win with the Phoenix Splash but it had been a tough fight. Scorpio and Swann brought the night one party to an end in style and man was it fun to watch. This whole event ruled. When great matches are made from great talent, this is the result. These wrestlers should be everywhere. With that night one was over, it had been a rocky start but the shows held strong and most matches hit their mark. Come back soon for more coverage from the Collective!

All images courtesy of GCW, Rob Starkz Bellamy (Mouse), HeyyImRob, IsThisWrestling, Earl Gardner Photography, 

By John Dinsdale

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