WARNING: STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD
Welcome back to GCW and to the start of the deathmatch season. Deathmatches can be enjoyed all year round but something just hits differently about Halloween and the Summer of Blood. As it’s now June, it’s time to kick off Bloody Ghoul Summer. Kicking us off is GCW and the 7th Tournament of Survival. Eight Competitors have received their invitation to Mortal Kombat and were about to fight to the death. Matt Tremont, Slade, Hoodfoot, Cole Radrick, and Shane Mercer had all fought through qualifiers and would-be qualifiers to join the international bloodletters, Rina Yamashita, Toru Sugiura, and Drew Parker. It was a stacked tournament and everyone was ready to get down to some violence. Let’s waste no more time and get into the carnage.
Round 1: Rina Yamashita defeated HoodFoot via Splash Mountain
The show was kicking off big a display for the trophy and an address from “The King” Nick Gage alongside Deathmatch Hall of Famer Dewey Donovan. With the openings made, it was time for the violence. Two tube towers loomed as we prepared for an Amazonian Deathmatch between the HoodFoot Mo Atlas and the Deathmatch Amazon Rina Yamashita. These two were about to beat the shit out of each other. Both are huge, creative, and masters of taking and dealing out punishment. This rocked. They started out with hard strikes and gave us a buffet of power games, tube shots, and even some groin claws as Yamashita tried to take the fan’s advice of “grab his dick and twist it.” This was pure power and death with some creative tricks and traps from Yamashita as she tried to navigate the power of brutality of HoodFoot. Things got bloody fast as the glass started doing its work and HoodFoot’s back became another maze of cuts as he met a tower. Yamashita got the same treatment as HoodFoot dumped a tower on her and both were left bloody messes. It was exceptionally nasty and incredibly fun as these two took the opening spotlight and ran with it. Yamashita got the win but HoodFoot looked tough as hell in his first ToS. This was an incredible opening contest with both looking great despite the mess they’d made of each other. Advancing: Rina Yamashita
Round 1: Matt Tremont defeated SLADE via Bundle Bat DVD
The bats and fans were coming out for this next one as two brawlers prepared for a scrap. SLADE was about to make his ToS debut against a tournament favourite, the Bulldozer Matt Tremont. It would be Rikers Style meeting the brutal handles and DVDs of Tremont. This was going to get violent fast. There were no frills on this one, it was just a back-and-forth brawl mixed with blunt force trauma from tubes and wiffleball bats covered in fuckery. Tacks flew everywhere and got embedded in foreheads as the pair just continued to brutalise each other. It was a nightmarish sprint of a match with the pair throwing formalities to the wind in favour of just smacking each other with whatever was there. It wasn’t pretty but it was sick as fuck to watch. Tremont will always make you care and he made SLADE seem like the biggest threat on the planet. Both guys were in their element and we saw SLADE show off inhuman strength and resilience to the very end. It was a very different type of deathmatch but no less impactful. Tremont got the win but much like HoodFoot in the match before, we’re seeing so much potential in deathmatch’s future. Advancing: Matt Tremont
Round 1: Toru Sugiura defeated Shane Mercer via Flail-Powered Tube Cylinder Forearm
We’d had bruisers and brawlers, now it was time for the powerhouses. Toru Sugiura remains one of the greatest ever King of FREEDOMS champions and now he was going to take GCW by storm. He’s bested some of the best in Japan but now he was going to have to cope with the Iron Demon Shane Mercer. It doesn’t matter how big you are, Mercer will throw you around like you’re nothing. Gage had come to see this show as Sugiura started off with some taunts. He quickly found out Mercer was no joke as he was taken down and overpowered. The fighting spirit burned brighter and we ended up with a ridiculous showcase of strength and grit. Sugiura never likes to be outdone but even he was unprepared for the sheer power of Mercer as he was tossed around and brained with tubes. Mercer continued to innovate and blew minds with the things he could do with tubes and throws, forcing Sugiura to up the ante continuously. I doubt you’ve ever seen a Glass to the Ass Plex before. This was another hyper-competitive one as these two power players did exactly what you’d want them to. Mercer was the monster whilst Sugiura used speed and flying to keep things level. It didn’t all work perfectly but that didn’t stop them from trying. They went all-out on the spectacle with Sugiura cheating death on many occasions to come back and take the win, even using a chair as a shield to avoid a flailing. Mercer looked unstoppable but Sugiura was able to dig deep and come back, breaking every possible tube to keep the Iron Demon down. One day, Mercer is going to dominate one of these tournaments. Advancing: Toru Sugiura
Round 1: Drew Parker defeated Cole Radrick via Ladder Top Swanton
The last spot in the first round had been left to the daredevils. It would be the Deathmatch Prince Drew Parker taking on the King of Wreck Shit Mountain Cole Radrick. Both guys were odds-on favourites to win the whole thing but only one could walk out the winner. Parker was still going to continue despite the shredded leg as he’d quote, “Not flown halfway around the world to sit out the biggest deathmatch tournament in the world.” He had a target on his leg but that meant nothing at this moment. We had ladders and light tubes ready to kill shit, a nod to J.C Bailey. These two knew the hype they had and were prepared to deliver. This was the most hectic one yet as the pair mixed their break-neck style of wrestling with the glass of tubes and sting of ladders. The action went everywhere as did the blood, Radrick leaving a smear across the Showboat floor as Parker dragged him across a sea of glass. it was pure hybrid violence as the pair looked to show the audience things they’d never seen before. Parker was fighting fine despite the injury and continued to fire up alongside Radrick. We got broken tubes, darts to the back and so much more across the runtime here. It was so violent and yet so fun. Radrick has such chaotic energy about him that translates so well within the realms of fuckery.
Samoan driver through tubes hung on ladder rungs from @ColeRadrick!#GCWToS7 @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/t6Hf8xxj8n pic.twitter.com/Vr1AiyGto5— Rob (@HeyyImRob) June 4, 2022
He and Parker just got it and although the tubes didn’t exactly play ball, everyone loved this. There wasn’t a quiet voice in the venue as the crowd continually cheered for both. Neither guy wanted to quit as they took the glass, the bludgeoning, and the harsh landings and kept kicking out. It took literal murder by Swanton to end things as the Raddy Daddy finally fell to Parker. This stole the packed first round as both guys showed off just what the young generation could do. Parker is a deathmatch vet and even he found himself at a loss on how to keep Radrick down. Heart trumps most things and these two have the biggest hearts around. Parker took the win but holy shit, had he and Radrick just shown the fuck out. Advancing: Drew Parker
Extreme Title Scramble: AJ Gray defeated Sawyer Wreck, Jordan Oliver, Lindsay Snow, Nick Wayne & Yoya via Super Bomb on Yoya
.@SawyerWreck with a chokeslam!#GCWToS7 @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/t6Hf8xxj8n pic.twitter.com/STbxLTNVep— Rob (@HeyyImRob) June 4, 2022
Whilst everyone recovered from the first round, we had a post-intermission scramble. AJ Gray was in the building alongside some GCW favourites so it was time for an Extreme Title Scramble. Lindsay Snow made her return to the company and joined the fray alongside Sawyer Wreck, Nick Wayne, Yoya, and Jordan Oliver for the chance to gain some GCW gold. This was another goldmine of activity as we had a clash of styles and sizes. Snow and Wreck formed an alliance against Gray whilst everyone else fought around ringside. We had high-flying, hard hits, and rough landings all colliding as Snow looked to re-establish herself as a GCW player. I’m never going to tire of seeing Sawyer Wreck knock the shit out of people and I got to see plenty of it here. This match went so hard it even broke the audio at one point. GCW loves its scrambles and this again was another example of how to do one right. It was fun, and fluid, it offered a lot of great moments for the people in it. Black Death retained his title once again as he picked his moment and broke anyone who came at him. It was Yoya that took the L but even he’d had a great match up to that point. It made for an excellent break from the bloodletting and gave Wreck a chance to still be a part of the ToS show.
Semi-Final: Matt Tremont defeated Toru Sugiura via Fuckery Pile DVD
It was time to get back to the crimson-soaked action of the tournament as fuckery boards were brought into the ring for Toru Sugiura vs Matt Tremont. Both guys had gone through wars in the first round and were now going to take some strips of each other with wired up and strip boards. It was hard to predict a winner in this one as both guys are as tough as it comes. This was the time for Sugiura to show his real insanity. He threw himself into barbed wire and continued to throw caution out the window as he took the fight to the Bulldozer. Once again, his speed and aerial ability became his best friend as he was able to fly around the ring and find creative ways to use the fuckery boards against Tremont. Both guys were cut up and stabbed in the head with strips, wire, and gussets whilst continuously trying to out tough-guy each other. This was deathmatch strong at its finest as the pair beat the shit out of each other with their hands and heads when taking minor breaks from the sharp shit. Sugiura had come into the match fairly clean and left covered in his own plasma. This might have been the bloodiest yet and it all came from those gussets. Sugiura remained the showman but he couldn’t quite muscle up Tremont for the finish so once the opportunity presented itself, Tremont punched his ticket to the finals with a fuckery Pile DVD. This was fucking mental with the pair shedding so much blood through their contest. Sugiura proved just why he has the hype he has and earned a whole host of “please come back” chants and the respect of the Bulldozer. I hope this isn’t the end of Sugiura in the GCW death scene. Advancing: Matt Tremont
Semi-Final: Drew Parker defeated Rina Yamashita via Glass Pane Swanton
Rina Yamashita with a superplex through a pane of glass! @wryyyyna66 #GCWToS7 @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/t6Hf8xxj8n pic.twitter.com/9fykw8cBv5— Rob (@HeyyImRob) June 4, 2022
We had our first instance of glass panes as Rina Yamashita and Drew Parker prepared to get down to business. One spot was left in the finals and it would be between the Prince and the Amazon to see who took it. These two were going to take each other out by any means as Parker had already had one war and still had the bullseye on his leg. His back quickly met a glass pane and things just escalated as Yamashita kept turning the screws, carving right into that cut-leg with glass. That wasn’t the only time she went for it though, offering an “Itadakimasu” before chowing down on the cut with her teeth. This didn’t keep Parker out of the fight as he found his rhythm and blasted her head-first through a pane. The darts came out again as Yamashita became a dart board and Parker was able to enact some revenge for targeting his leg. This glass-filled horror show just kept escalating as Parker and Yamashita kept trading, trying to find a way to end things. Again, the crowd was torn but for good reason, both fighters were next-level. The Amazon refused to buckle and the pair kept their sadistic cat and mouse game alive, launching Parker through another pane from the top. This was no holds barred combat with neither fighter giving an inch. Both were bloody and covered with glass but kept slugging as if nothing had happened. The Jig and Tonic couldn’t keep Parker down, nor could a bundle splash. Nothing could extinguish that flame. The comeback was real as Parker hit a Piledriver and ended things with a Glass Pane Swanton. Despite the targeted destruction, Parker had persevered and took the other spot in the finals. He just had to get through the Bulldozer and he’d be hoisting another top deathmatch prize. This semi-final bout had rocked. Yamashita and Parker cut each other to hell and back with both driving fans crazy. Both rounds so far had been fucking amazing and the finals promised to be just as batshit. Advancing: Drew Parker
Wifebeater with the Chokenstein to John Wayne Murdoch! #GCWToS7 @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/t6Hf8xxj8n pic.twitter.com/x2ZkmI9GWI— Rob (@HeyyImRob) June 4, 2022
As ringside clean-up got underway, we had a showcase for the night’s Deathmatch Hall of Fame proceedings. Mad Man Pondo and Deranged came out alongside the inductees Mr. Insanity Toby Klein and Wifebeater. They were given some love by Emil Jay and the fans so Pondo gave some posthumous honourable mentions for the tough motherfucker’s club, Tarzan Goto, Mr. Pogo, Spider Boodrow, Colt 45, Brain Damage, Nate Hatred, Markus Crane, and Danny Havoc. All gone too soon. This spot was all about showing respect to the fallen legends of the deathmatch arts. Of course, this wasn’t allowed to fly as John Wayne Murdoch invaded the spot to pick a fight with Wifebeater and start a turf war. Alex Colon joined him out there teasing a fight when Wifebeater intervened and hit the Chokenstein. Once again, congratulations to Wifebeater, Toby Klein, and Dewey Donovan for their spots in the hall, and a RIP to J.C Bailey who is being honoured posthumously. Even John Wayne Murdoch couldn’t spoil this ceremony of respect.
No-Rope Barbed Wire Final: Drew Parker defeated Matt Tremont via Tube Breaker Knee
Last but not least, we had the main event. It was Deathmatch Prince vs The Bulldozer. Matt Tremont had fought off SLADE and Toru Sugiura so he entered this one covered in crimson. Drew Parker had bested Cole Radrick and Rina Yamashita, wearing glass cuts and tape around that damaged leg. There were no ropes, barbed wire and tubes everywhere, and even a scaffold to fight atop. These two had gone through hell twice and were about to enter the flames a third time to claim that trophy. Journey had battled Enter Shikari and it was time to watch these two unbeatable monsters fight for one of the deathmatch’s top prizes. This was one of the only prizes Tremont didn’t hold, now was his chance to get it. Safe to say, both were fired the fuck up. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tremont this focused. He was in business mode as he methodically took out Parker, even busting out rare moves we don’t see too often. He was the first to send someone into the wire and the first to break tubes. That’s how much this meant to him. Parker didn’t go down easily though and after a side-step, bust the match wide open. Both started breaking tubes and duelling. It was as honourable as it can be, with no cheap shots just back-and-forth ghoulish violence. Parker tried to bring the darts out for the third time but Tremont cut off its flight path and stabbed it into his cheek. Parker still continued to fight on, acting like the dart was just a facial piercing. The inevitable happened as the action went up to the scaffold and Parker finally yanked the dart out and stabbed it into Tremont’s horn. Tremont was stunned and got thrown off the scaffold, hitting the hard canvas and glass below. Parker followed down with a Swanton but it got a one-count. Tremont followed up with the DVD and only got two.
.@drewparker341 shoves Tremont off the scaffold!#GCWToS7 @GCWrestling_
▶️https://t.co/t6Hf8xxj8n pic.twitter.com/oXkmYXd6hp— Rob (@HeyyImRob) June 4, 2022
No one wanted this to end. Tremont tried to hold on and remained defiant until Parker lined tubes by his head and smashed them with a knee. He had won with the move that had injured him but he’d needed to, Tremont wouldn’t fall to anything else. This was a world-class main event. Both guys gave it everything with Tremont clinging to the dream until Parker turned off the lights. It was an amazing journey and an amazing story but it didn’t have the storybook ending. Parker earned his win, fighting through injury to climb the GCW deathmatch mountain. He is the present and future of deathmatch and with that win, he has a GCW Title shot now… Though for now, let’s focus on the here and now. This was one the best fucking tournaments I’ve watched to date. The matches all delivered, the wrestlers brought their best and Drew Parker fought like hell to add his name to the winner’s list. Congratulations Drew, you topped one of the best tournaments to date. Your Winner: Drew Parker
All images courtesy of GCW, Chris Grasso, FITE, HeyyImRob