Welcome back to GCW and their trip to San Francisco. They had taken their brand of chaos to a new city but it hadn’t been quite a smooth sailing. They had had to alter the card a fair bit because travel sucks but they were still coming out swinging with a big card of intriguing matches. On the cards tonight, EFFY was issuing an open challenge, Kidd Bandit returned to fight Allie Katch, Masha Slamovich looked to kill Jimmy Lloyd, Jordan Oliver broke the internet, Dark Sheik unleashed her wrath on Joey Janela, and much much more leading to the main event where we got the first-time meeting between Minoru Suzuki and “Speedball“ Mike Bailey. It was going to get anarchic in San Francisco tonight. Let’s get into the action.
EFFY defeated Nick Wayne via Door Landing Inverted DDT
The show opened with Pollo Del Mar and EFFY taking over the ring to issue the open challenge. EFFY had been calling out Jeff Jarrett and tonight was the night for him to appear if he had the guts. It seemed tonight was not the night but EFFY did have someone accepting the challenge, Nick Wayne. Since Bandido hadn’t shown, he’d been left without a match so he was stepping up to the new tag champ. EFFY had reservations about fighting a child but damn well he was going to do it. He kept it clean and kept it mean as he bullied Wayne and put on a pure wrestling beatdown, forcing Wayne to come back. Wayne introduced the doors and almost took the win with a Spanish Fly but EFFY wasn’t going down that easily. He caught Wayne out of a Cutter and ended Wayne with an Inverted DDT. It had been a clinical match but EFFY was happy to be in the ring with someone under 50 and had enjoyed the challenge. It wasn’t Jarrett though and that was a demon EFFY needed to exorcise. He would wait but if it took too long, EFFY knew where he lived and it wouldn’t be pretty.
Jordan Oliver defeated Jack Cartwheel via Rope Bounce Orange Crush
.@TheJordanOIiver with a rope-assisted Orange Crush!#GCWDevil @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/YEnK3MtNel pic.twitter.com/bLS8LTgl2J— Rob (@HeyyImRob) April 11, 2022
Next up was a young blood battle. Jack Cartwheel and Jordan Oliver are two of the rapidly-rising stars within the company as their work rate is insane. They can wrestle and fly with ease and now, it was time to pit them against each other to see who’d come out on top. Would it be Cartwheel shit or Big Breakfast shit winning the day? People were going wild for the cartwheels and kept getting more manic as the two went to work. These guys got stiff as the match went on, hitting hard and going wild for the fan’s approval. They never slacked on the quality wrestling either. It was all very fun to watch, very crisp, and ridiculously athletic. These two knew what they wanted to do and executed that plan perfectly. It was flashy and clever with the pair remaining competitive to the end. They both had counters for days and the big finish was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen as Oliver bounced Cartwheel off the ropes for the Orange Crush. That kind of innovation gets people noticed and these two are exceptional at innovation. That finish went viral so the world will be watching even closer the next time they enter a ring. This rocked and showed how seamlessly these two can mix their flash and their wrestling ability.
Allie Katch defeated Kidd Bandit via Pendulum Pussy Piledriver
Do not adjust your monitors the protagonist of pro-wrestling was coming through. After lighting it up at the Big Gay Brunch, Kidd Bandit was back and they were in for the fight of their lives against the Allie Katch. They were starting their GCW arc and it could get very ugly if Katch brought the pain. For a lot of people, this could be the first exposure they were getting to Bandit and they were in for a treat. Once the fangirling phase was over, Bandit brought everyone to their feet through their innovative wrestling, comedic touches, and ridiculous athleticism. Bandit showed out and proved they deserved their spot at the GCW table. Katch didn’t quite have the easy night she expected as Bandit brought out simp fingers, headbutts, and stunners amongst an arsenal of unique kicks and shots throughout. They seemed to be able to steal momentum on a dime and Katch found herself adapting to it. It led to a really fun match full of really fun moments. Bandit has taken off like wildfire and it was nice to see them given a proper welcome, even if it was Katch dropping them on their head. GCW gained a new waifu in San Francisco.
Masha Slamovich defeated Jimmy Lloyd via White Night Driver
Things were about to get hardcore. Masha Slamovich was originally meant to fight Biff Busick but due to flights sucking, he couldn’t make it so she needed someone new to fight. That someone was the different boy, Jimmy F’N Lloyd. GCW’s most dependable hand was about to step into the arena with the Russian Dynamite. Violence was all but guaranteed. To add yet another layer of punk to the proceedings, Lars Fredrikson was joining commentary for this one. He’d already given his voice through a new song and now it was going to call some action. This was a brutal one. It started with heavy hands and just got nastier as the plunder came out. They beat the hell out of each other breaking chairs, doors, and trashcans as they warred around the ring. This is the most alive Lloyd has been in some time, showing his skills outside of the scramble and one-sided deathmatches. Slamovich continued to personify the Russian Deathwish and we ended up with a very nasty bout that blew everyone away. Slamovich has her first GCW show victory and had two of the most memorable matches of the weekend. This rocked and both fighters should be applauded for making this on the fly. Normally murders require a lot more planning. This is must-watch madness.
Titus Alexander defeated Midas Kreed via Sit-out Driver
.@MidasAllhail with the Midas Touch!#GCWDevil @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/YEnK3MtNel pic.twitter.com/6fa3Dqq12E— Rob (@HeyyImRob) April 11, 2022
When in the area, book the talents. It was time for an LA Fights showcase match with two of the company’s stars, Titus Alexander and Midas Kreed stepping up to enjoy the spotlight. They had an excellent opportunity here to go beyond their brand and show the hell out. Alexander wasn’t playing nice and went right on the attack, spurning the fans and focusing on victory. Alexander is propped to be the face of the company and he wasn’t going to let Kreed stop that ascent. I don’t know the ins and outs of LA Fights but these two bloody killed it. This was an intense match with a lot of high-speed and high-impact offences littered throughout. It made for a welcome return from intermission and re-ignited a hot crowd. Both guys looked like stars and I hope to see more appearances from both whenever GCW hits the area and beyond. They made the most of their time and definitely sparked my interest.
SGC (AJ Gray, Matthew Justice & Mance Warner) defeated The South Pacific Savages (Journey Fatu & Juicy Finau) & D-Rogue) via SGC Super Combo
The SGC (@RichHomieJuice @ThrashJustice @ManceWarner) tower of doom superplex Juicy Finau through a door!#GCWDevil @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/YEnK3MtNel pic.twitter.com/6yYDR2aLT7— Rob (@HeyyImRob) April 11, 2022
The flight issues continued but where there was trouble, there was opportunity and the South Pacific Savages were being joined by D-Rogue as Jacob Fatu couldn’t make it. He was in strong company as he was joining Journey Fatu and Big Toko Juicy Finau. It was about to get anarchic as these monsters were taking on the SGC. AJ Gray, Mance Warner, and Matthew Justice were here to spread chaos and fight. This was going to get fucking wild. Yeah, this rocked. Six heavy-hitters just unleashed on each other. The SPS were actually doing as much damage as SGC so we had an anarchic but even six-man war of attrition between two devastating units. The plunder came out and things just got even more out of hand. The front-row fans were getting way more action than they could have hoped for. The cameras and commentary were having a hard time keeping up as bodies and chairs kept flying. We saw doors explode, Finau hit more of his unique splashes, and Mance refused to catch shit as he already had a robot leg. There was too much to keep track of throughout this one but trust me. It was worth the watch, it was wild as hell, gave us a whole lot of blood and broken plunder and as always, reminded everyone not to mess with the SGC. Goddamn, this was so good. It’s rare you find a unit as deadly as SGC but the SPS matched them and then some.
Dark Sheik (w/Pollo Del Mar) defeated Joey Janela via Chair Platform Tumble
Here we go. If there was one woman who could stop the murder spree of Joey Janela, it was going to be the Mother of Hoodslam, Dark Sheik. With Pollo del Mar by her side, she was ready to fight. The Bad Boy has been on a rampage lately, demanding his flowers and murdering anyone who gets in his way. No one knew what depths Janela could sink to here in his destruction of a West Coast favourite. Janela lashed out at Pollo so Sheik lashed out at him. What followed was a back-and-forth bout of high spots and wrestling IQ. Del Mar got their revenge against Janela later in the match by powerbombing him through a door, in heels no less, and aided Sheik as she needed it. Janela was no slouch either as the pair just bludgeoned, slammed, and smashed each other around the venue. We had great wrestling, plunder galore and an intense story burning throughout as Sheik fought to avoid being one of Janela’s victims. This was a fight for survival against a narcissistic sadist and it was told so damn well. Everyone was rooting for Sheik and she delivered. The underdog clawed her way back from the brink on a multitude of occasions, tanked inhuman amounts of damage, and just wouldn’t give. Janela exhausted every option he had but couldn’t keep Sheik down. She wouldn’t be stopped. Everyone popped for the Cage Split Punch as Sheik gave Janela the testicular trauma they all thought he deserved. Even then, they were still slugging and striking til the very end. It took a tumble from the top through a chair platform to put this one to bed. Sheik had won, repped her area in triumph, and stopped the hate train of Janela right in its tracks. This was bloody awesome. Sheik came through and got the ovation she deserved. These two killed it. Janela always makes stars, even if he has to be an asshole to do so. That attitude made for one of the biggest moments of the show.
Minoru Suzuki defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey via Gotch-Style Piledriver
Last but not least, the main event. A first-time-ever international super fight between Minoru Suzuki and “Speedball” Mike Bailey. We had two fighting experts colliding in a match no one knew they needed until they saw it on paper. Bailey is one of the most unique hybrid athletes on the scene but he was going against the King. Suzuki suffers no fools and was going to force Bailey into his style of fight. They opened with head games and quickly started testing the other’s reactions. This was going to be a kicking contest and neither wanted to give an inch. They began grappling and Suzuki started to get his hooks into the match. That didn’t last long as the strikes and kicks came back out and Bailey forced Suzuki outside, only to get caught in the over-the-ropes armbar. Things got nasty around ringside, even dragging the fans into their fighting as Suzuki used one as a base for a submission hold and Bailey tried to use him to escape. The ref, Scarlette Donovan couldn’t keep control as Suzuki just kept shushing her as she tried to usher them back. Suzuki was putting that fighting spirit to the test and it was not pretty. Bailey was taking an absolute beating. Back in the ring, there was no escape as Suzuki began locking up limbs and finding whatever hold he could lock on. Murder Grandpa was very much out for blood tonight. Bailey was able to kick back into the match and pulled out his unique arsenal of moves, landing Bart’s Comet and more stiff kicks. Even then, Suzuki stayed one step ahead. He kept willing Bailey back into the fight just to break him down again.
Bailey fought through and found his fire, landing the Buzzsaw and pushing him outside for the Triangle Moonsault. He threw that advantage away though by engaging in another ill-judged slugging contest with Suzuki. Even Suzuki questioned his judgement before uncorking more nightmarish forearms. Even then, Bailey was coming back harder and kicked his way to the Moonsault Double Knees and another Buzzsaw. He missed the Perfect Weapon though and the Gotch-Style Piledriver connected. Suzuki had put away another challenger but it had been far from easy. Bailey had the fire and force to push Suzuki to the limit and it had made for a wonderous match. This was a main-event worthy fight with Bailey getting the rare sign of approval from Suzuki. That’s how you know you’ve impressed. That ended a pretty sick weekend in California. GCW nailed this duo of indie spectacle shows and gave us more cool moments. This match might have stolen the whole weekend though. Suzuki and Bailey need more fights.
This guy is definitely getting his money's worth right now. #GCWDevil @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/YEnK3MtNel pic.twitter.com/GhnNL2Ript— Rob (@HeyyImRob) April 11, 2022
All imagery courtesy of GCW, FREEBIRDS_Shop, HeyyImRob