WARNING: STRONG VIOLENCE AHEAD
Welcome back to GCW and to the conclusion of the last weekend of events before Hammerstein. The company was in Chicago Illinois and ready for another round of high-impact, fast as hell, and high stakes bouts before its biggest event ever. On the cards tonight, we had another high-speed scramble, Tony Deppen vs “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Allie Katch vs Smiley Kylie Rae, AJ Gray vs PCO, Jonathan Gresham vs 2 Cold Scorpio for the ROH Title and so much more leading to the main event tag title match between the Rejects and the Briscoes. Plus, there was an added bonus match added as a post-show as the company added a 666 Tribute Deathmatch between Jimmy Lloyd, Alex Colon, and Spyder Nate Webb. Let’s get into the action.
Scramble: Gringo Loco defeated Dante Leon, Dark Sheik, Ninja Mack, Nick Wayne & Alex Zayne via Top Rope Based Bomb on Mack
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. @AlexZayneSauce @darksheikftf @nickwayne21 @GringoLocoOG @NinjaMack1 @EndseekerLeon #GCWSayYouWill @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/xkF6Fsly1j pic.twitter.com/9liiqQ1FqX— Rob (@HeyyImRob) January 16, 2022
The show opened again with another fast and furious Lucha and flying-infused scramble. There were no surprise entrants this time as Dark Sheik found herself amongst some of the best and brightest hight-flyers around. Sheik was no stranger to the high side of wrestling so she’d fit right in. Much like the night before, this was a rapid-fire spotlight-stealing showcase for all involved. The scramble had a slew of WTF moments as everyone flew and fought with reckless abandon. We saw super elevated Doomsday Devices to the floor, nasty landings, and even more Ninja Mack madness as he outright threw himself into his offence. Sheik fit right in, picking her moments and using her experience to single out certain opponents for dick punches and other innovative attacks. GCW always kills it with scrambles and it would seem that Gringo Loco is finally starting to rack them wins up as the Base God is becoming the Scramble God. As per usual, this was an absolute blast to watch and opened the show in style. Wayne, Mack, Zayne, and Leon have all flourished lately in scrambles but now it’s Loco’s time to get that recognition, taking the win over the former scramble god, Ninja Mack.
Tony Deppen defeated Speedball Mike Bailey via Roll-up
Welcome back, Mike Bailey. It had been a long time since the Speedball had gotten to roll into GCW and now he was making his grand return against the gatekeeper of the company, Tony Deppen. We know Deppen can mesh with anyone so this was going to be incredible. Bailey was looking to impress in his grand return and Deppen was determined to upset that. It started with slugs and just descended from there. Deppen and Bailey threw all caution to the wind as they flew at their foes and outright beat the hell out of each other. Bailey had tried to be nice but that was thrown right out the window once he learned Deppen wouldn’t do the same. They both had love from the fans and just kept getting more as they delivered lethal shots to each other and just kept on going. This was Big Match Deppen taking on Big Match Bailey in a fight where they were both clearly having fun. The action was crisp, the intensity was there and we saw both guys survive certain doom, especially Deppen who managed to kick out of the Flamingo Driver. This was very much a test your mettle match with Bailey going all-out in his first match back. As is often the case with Deppen matches, he found a way to win and successfully spoiled the big moment with a roll-up before Bailey could kick his head off. However, we did get the rare sign of respect as Deppen recognised the grind Bailey had put in and gave him the real Deppen rub. This match kicked ass and I hope we see the pair lock up again.
Blake Christian defeated Bandido via Hammerlock Brainbuster
.@_BlakeChristian sends Bandido into the crowd with a tope suicida!#GCWSayYouWill @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/xkF6Fsly1j pic.twitter.com/BoodCwFpzJ— Rob (@HeyyImRob) January 16, 2022
The big matches kept on rolling as Blake Christian continued his road towards Hammerstein and was looking to score one more massive win before his ROH World Title match with Jonathan Gresham. This time, he was looking to take the scalp of former ROH champion and worldwide Lucha sensation, Bandido. This would be a big test but Christian was more than ready for it. To come back and be the best, you have to beat the best. This was a very slow burn type of match. It started slow and methodical and went through several stages of showmanship and style as the pair showed their versatility alongside their athleticism and conditioning. Christian went from the aggressor to the underdog as Bandido gave Christian everything that had made him the ROH World champion. It was a multi-style, all-impact affair as Christian’s all heart refused to give out and he gave back as good as he got, regardless of how hurt he was. He wasn’t going to be denied and ended up taking the fight all around the ring. In the end, we’d seen an epic encounter between two of the future’s biggest stars. Both are still young and both have the world at their fingertips. Christian heads into Hammerstein on a wave of momentum and now, it’ll be time to take his hybrid skills to the Octopus. Here he proved he can fight whichever style he needs to; next, it’ll be Gresham’s playbook. This was great and only serves to show that when Christian says he wants to be the best, he’ll do everything to prove it. Plus, he just keeps adding new moves along the way.
ROH World Title: Jonathan Gresham defeated 2 Cold Scorpio via Rear-Naked Choke
Speaking of the Octopus, he was in action now as Jonathan Gresham put the ROH World Title on the line against a living legend. 2 Cold Scorpio has been on the run of a lifetime this past year or so, getting his flowers and showing age means shit if you can still go. He was going to bring that pioneering style to the mat technician and hopefully snag some gold doing so. Christian stuck around on commentary to scout his next opponent. This was extraordinary. Scorpio brought out that salty veteran technical style and beat the absolute hell out of Gresham. Gone was the high-flying showman and instead was a brutal, cunning master of the craft. He brought in some of his flippy moves but for the most part, this was a hold for hold, slug for slug bout of technical mastery. Gresham was no slouch but he found himself on the back foot for a lot of this as Scorpio just seemed to have his number or the strength advantage throughout. Whilst not contested under pure rules it certainly upheld the spirit of said rules as they both brought out the best in each other. This was Scorpio proving why he has lasted as long as he has and why he’s so universally beloved. Gresham got taken to the limit by Scorpio and it was a well-timed choke out that secured his victory. When it was all done, the pair shared a good old code of honour handshake and we got the standoff between Christian and Gresham.
GCW Extreme Title: AJ Gray defeated PCO via 6 Lariats
.@RichHomieJuice fucked up. @PCOisNotHuman #GCWSayYouWill @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/xkF6Fsly1j pic.twitter.com/0or9XAN4rd— Rob (@HeyyImRob) January 16, 2022
Time for my most hyped match of the night. What happens when a French-Canadian Frankenstein meets the MF’N Truth? We get an absolute war for one of the most historic titles in GCW. PCO and Gray love to hit hard and can take almost any abuse thrown their way. This was going to be a war between two absolute madmen and it would be glorious. PCO didn’t even wait for the announcements, he just instantly dived at Gray as he made his entrance. From there, we had a mauling for both fighters. PCO started strong and wrecked Gray with multiple dives and ringside impacts. Gray shifted momentum with a Spinning Wheel Kick and the pair went right into a nasty strike exchange. He brought out the plunder and we got a proper hardcore bout. It was a mix of vicious shots, plunder landings, and outright insanity as these two beat and bludgeoned each other throughout the runtime. PCO was an unstoppable force but he met the immovable object in Gray and after an absolute inhuman war, finally succumbed to the force of the MF’N Truth and his own desire to cause extra pain. Even then, he’d given Gray everything. Gray had to rely on his greatest weapons and some new little additions to take out PCO because we kept getting more examples of his inhuman tolerance for pain. Broken doors and broken chairs littered the ring as the pair had broken them with spears and landings. PCO proved to be one of Gray’s toughest challenges and certainly ate the most lariats but the MF’N Truth had prevailed and now he had some MF’N gold to put around his waist. Gray has been long due a GCW Title.
The return from intermission wasn’t particularly kind. First, we had an interruption from SGC and Matthew Justice as he addressed the green-clad goons that ruined his match last night. They appeared en mass as Cogar, Iron, and Beverly all appeared to beat down the one-man militia. 1 Called Manders and Jordan Oliver came to even the odds and 44OH! were sent packing. It was pure anarchy to christen the return to action
Ricky Morton defeated Matt Cardona (w/Chelsea Green) via Roll-up
With the 44OH! massacre complete it was time to return to the action. Oh, it was Matt Cardona time… yay… He had his new ECW World TV Title and dumped it in a bin as a universal fuck you sign to everyone. However, he wasn’t just here to talk bollocks, he was here to fight and he was taking on the legendary Ricky Morton. The pair had a serviceable match with Cardona overpowering and mocking the veteran. Green made sure Morton wasn’t in control for long and the “champ” continued to beat down the veteran. It was basically a handicap match and the pair still lost. Morton was too wily and took the win with a quick roll-up. Cardona had been embarrassed by a legend and Morton had racked up another GCW win. As expected, the Cardonas took the loss well and demanded to waste even more time with a microphone. Cardona tried to feign remorse and pretended to apologise to Morton and GCW but it was all a ruse so Green could hit Morton in the cock. Some apology. The pair damn near broke Morton’s leg. What a shameful display. Thankfully, Joey Janela was ready to save the day and scare the evil duo off. Come to think of it, Janela tends to be Morton’s guardian angel. You try to hurt him, Janela hurts you.
Allie Katch defeated Kylie Rae via Pussy Piledriver
Superplex followed up by a DVD through a door from @AllieKATCH!#GCWSayYouWill @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/xkF6Fsly1j pic.twitter.com/zEtxSekLPq— Rob (@HeyyImRob) January 16, 2022
The big returns continued as Allie Katch had the next big match of the night against a return MD-Kylie. Smiley Kylie Rae was back in action and ready to make up for lost time against one of the top challengers in GCW. Much like Tony Deppen, Katch has become one of the gatekeepers for the company. This again started as a slow burn affair as the pair got technical and Katch was caught off guard by Rae’s deviousness and escapology techniques. Rae seemed to have Katch’s number for a lot of the early game as Rae went from nice to nasty pretty quickly. The match opened up and the intensity rose as Katch got angry and began targeting the lower back of Rae. The pair went back-and-forth with stiff strikes and counters as Rae matched the viciousness of Katch. This could have gone either way and no one would have been disappointed. Whilst Rae embodied that GCW plunder spirit bringing out the doors and chairs, Katch relied more on her technicality until a Door-VD became vital. Katch was the overall winner but it had been a hard road to walk. They had beaten each other half to death in and around the ring and had their survivability tested. Rae had brought her A-game and the pair had the audience captivated with their match. Plus, just like Christian, she is going into her big Hammerstein match with a lot of momentum as she just beat one of the standouts from the scene. Next stop, Ruby Soho.
That fun and celebration were quickly ruined though as Jeff Jarrett made another appearance. Since EFFY was ignoring him, he’d have to strike elsewhere. What better way to EFFY than to attack BUSSY? He appeared much as he did before and brained Katch with a guitar, dragging her around the ring by her neck. Jarrett had struck again and now he’d made it personal. You see if you attack EFFY, he is fine. You attack EFFY’s family, he’ll kill you. Looks like EFFY was going to have to kill another clout vampire.
GCW Tag Team Titles: The Briscoes defeated The Rejects (John Wayne Murdoch & Reed Bentley) via Froggy Bo on Bentley
Last but not least for the main show, we had a GCW Tag Title main event. The Briscoes ain’t afraid of a challenge and now they were going to get one in the form of the Rejects, one of the independents strongest tag teams. John Wayne Murdoch was far from done with GCW and now he’d brought back Reed Bentley with him. This was going to get physical as both teams love nothing more than a brawl. Jay and Murdoch opened the match with a quick lock up and went for the tubes. Murdoch brained Jay with a bundle and Mark came out to the rescue, tanking Bentley’s Violence Party to deliver the Briscoes chair shot. It was all anarchy from there as Mark took out both Rejects with a chair-assisted tope and hardcore brawls broke out around ringside. Both teams just beat the shit out of each other around the venue. Chairs, bodies, and blood flew as the pair kept rearranging plunder and hitting each other with it. Nowhere and no one was safe here as the action just kept going everywhere, the bleachers becoming a popular launching point. The Rejects got the upper hand once the action returned to the ring as they double-teamed Mark and put Jay through a door. They all returned to the outside and used more chairs to destroy each other as Murdoch kept the plunder set up going. Both teams reached a stalemate and a four-way barfight broke out, everyone taking in a round of slug and chops.
Judd Nelson Driver from The Rejects! (@TheDukeJWM @TheReedBentley)#GCWSayYouWill @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/xkF6Fsly1j pic.twitter.com/SM11iEhGGa— Rob (@HeyyImRob) January 16, 2022
Everyone collapsed and met in the ring for another exchange of heavy shots. The Briscoes began taking control again with clotheslines and a Razor’s Neckbreaker but couldn’t keep Murdoch down. Jay was targeted for double forearms and the Rejects began formulating another vicious plan. Another door was set up and Mark was sent to hell with a duo of Suplexes into the Judd Nelson Driver through the door. Jay made the save and Murdoch was thrown through a tube door outside. Jay hit the Jay Driller and Bentley ate the Froggy Bo for the win. It had been a hard-fought whirlwind of horror that spanned the whole venue but the Briscoes managed to maintain the GCW Tag Titles heading into Hammerstein. The Rejects gave them hell and it was awesome to see the Briscoes doing tubes. Everyone shook hands because everyone knew they’d just made something fucking awesome. They ended the FITE portion of the show by issuing an open challenge, go fight them if you think you’re hard enough.
Markus Crane 666 Tribute Deathmatch: Jimmy Lloyd defeated Alex Colon & Spyder Nate Webb via Super Bundle Destroyer on Colon
We kept the extreme theme going with the Markus Crane 666 Tribute deathmatch. Spyder Nate Webb had stepped in to take SHLAK’s spot in this violent memorial and prepared to duke it out in light tube heaven with Alex Colon and Jimmy Lloyd. Each opponent had brought their own tribute weapon, Colon had a giant tube fan, Lloyd the demon’s big red dick bundle, and Webb, Crane’s iconic tube riot shield. It was going to be something special. It opened with a tube fist bump and three-way tube duel as all three men went after the other with tube shots to the head. Webb and Lloyd both pelted Colon but he quickly came back into the fight with a cartwheel tube kick on Webb. The Tube Dive followed as Colon got fired up. Lloyd cut him off and set up the big red dick bundle to superkick Colon through it. Webb flew in with a spin kick and kept the fuckery flowing. Webb grew to regret this as Colon caused a domino-effect German suplex through the door contraption. Colon glassed them both with more tubes and nearly took the win with a bridging Northern Lights. Webb had a horrifying landing off of a Dragon Suplex and Colon met a similar fate as Lloyd dropped them both. Webb rolled away and the remaining two slugged it out. Colon went up top, prepared to fly but Lloyd shunted him off with the tube shield and Colon crashed into a glass and door contraption below.
Lloyd dragged him back into the ring and Colon thanked him by breaking the tube fan on him. He quickly followed up with a razor board double knees and Lloyd made him pay with a Package Piledriver onto a bundle. They both fought to the top and Lloyd scored another killing blow with a bundle super destroyer. That got the win and Jimmy Lloyd had won the 666 Tribute. This was awesome. It was a glassy affair with some of Crane’s closest shedding some blood in his honour. It was a nice touch to bring his signature weaponry back into play and I hope someone keeps on carrying that riot shield to keep the memory alive. This was a fitting way to end the action as GCW remembers the deathmatch fighters that helped bring it to the top spot. Now, it’s all systems go to Hammerstein and whatever madness awaits us all there.
All images courtesy of GCW, Robert Starkz-Bellamy (Mouse), HeyyImRob, Video courtesy of GCW YouTube