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Fireworks Over the Golden Age – GCW “Rock n Roll Forever” & “Backyard Wrestling 4” – Review

ByJohn Dinsdale

Jul 6, 2022 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

WARNING: STRONG VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE AHEAD

The GCW road trip comes to its close with another double bill of state hopping shows as the tour takes them to Indiana for Rock n Roll Forever then to a non-descript backyard for some 4th of July Backyard Wrestling. it was a double bill of celebration as the company looked to celebrate the past, present, and future of wrestling… and everyone’s backyard days. Never forget, some of your favourites wouldn’t exist without the power of the backyard. First up, Rock n Roll Forever brought us Jordan Oliver vs Calvin Tankman, Tony Deppen vs Kerry Morton, SGC vs the Bloodfighters and more leading to the last ever match of the Rock n Roll Express. Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton were teaming up one final time to take on the Rejects. Then, all the gloves were off in the backyard as anything and anyone could appear. We had GCW favourites bringing out the backyarder personas alongside a load of fireworks and other assorted weaponry to spice up the chaos. Anything can happen in the backyard.

Rock-N-Roll Forever

Jordan Oliver defeated Calvin Tankman via Clout Cutter

The show was kicking off with the East Coast Ace looking to climb another mountain. Jordan Oliver was in for a mammoth task as he had to go one-on-one with Calvin Tankman. We know Oliver is as resourceful as they get but was, he going to be able to overcome someone as versatile and powerful as Tankman? As expected, Oliver had to stay fast and smart or Tankman would obliterate him. This was what we saw and both guys were left sore as their opponent did what they did best. It was a fun opening match with some horrific shots and creativity from Tankman as he beat the life out of Oliver. He was having fun in this one and kept inviting back punishment as he laughed off what Oliver hit him with. That changed as Oliver started getting more licks and moves in and eventually took over the match. After several minutes of WTF moments, Oliver finally got the win with the Clout Cutter after failing to land it multiple times throughout the match. Tankman looked incredible here and helped elevate Oliver to even higher heights as he climbs the ranks. This kicked things off right with both setting the crowd alight with their incredibly vicious fight.

Tony Deppen defeated Kerry Morton via Leverage Pin

The Gatekeeper was back in action and was about to make another wrestler’s life hell. This time, it was going to be Kerry Morton, the son of Ricky Morton. On a night dedicated to the Rock n Roll Express was Morton’s son going to pick up a win too? Not if Deppen had anything to do with it. As per usual, Deppen was his usual sour self and looked to demean and lock down Morton whilst throwing out a barrage of insults. Morton remained unphased and gave Deppen everything he had, giving the gatekeeper a large dose of Hell. Unfortunately for him, it never resulted in a three-count and Deppen kept finding ways to regain control and put the hurt on Morton, all while his father watched on. It was a very Deppen match which meant it was equal measures technically accomplished and hilarious as Deppen tried to piss everyone off. This was another enjoyable match and a nice win for Deppen as he keeps rebuilding his momentum after his title fight. There was something extra nasty about the fact Deppen had to cheat to win this one. Kerry Morton could hang with the Gatekeeper even if it wasn’t in a winning effort.

Nick Wayne defeated Axton Ray via Clout Cutter

The energy was about to pick up as we had Nick Wayne enter the building to take on one of the new favourites of the company, Axton Ray. We had two accomplished grapplers, high-flyers, and innovators in the ring. This was going to be an interesting one to watch. What we saw was Wayne use speed and surprises whilst Ray brought his power advantage into play and bludgeoned his opponent down. Both fighters looked great and had the fans in the palms of their hands as they just unloaded on each other for the match’s runtime. It was all very dynamic, very fun, and pretty gripping as Wayne found himself as the underdog once again. Ray continues pulling out all sorts of interesting and unique moves and Wayne keeps proving that he can adapt to any foe and almost always find a way to win. This show was keeping up an incredibly high standard and these two kept that standard going. To think, a few weeks ago, I had no idea who Axton Ray was, now I’m excited whenever I see his name on the match card.

Blake Christian defeated Shane Mercer via Door Breaker Head Stomp

The pace wasn’t slowing down any time soon as Blake Christian was in action next. He has been running through opponents on his route to the GCW World Title match with Jon Moxley, incorporating his moves and trying to get under the skin of the champ. That might not work this time though as he was facing the Iron Demon Shane Mercer. Respect may have been shown but once that bell rang, Mercer was going to be looking to throw bodies around the ring. Goddamn, this went hard. Christian’s original strategy fell through as Mercer kept catching him and launching him, despite the cuts across his shoulder. With a bit of ingenuity and a lot of Blackpool Combat Club style striking, Christian got into the fight and started making Mercer suffer. Both fought their hearts out but Christian walked out the winner after one of the nastiest stomps he’s delivered to date, smashing Mercer’s head through a door. Christian is relentless now and seems more motivated than ever for this match with Mox. No one can stop him now.

SGC (Mance Warner, Matthew Justice & 1 Called Manders) defeated The Bloodfighters (Alex Colon, AKIRA & Dale Patricks) via SGC Stampede on AKIRA

Crank up the Pantera and prepare for blood as SGC were in the building and ready to get down and dirty with the Blood Fighters. AKIRA, Alex Colon, and Dale Patricks were stepping into the SGC Thunderdome and we were going to see Manders, Justice, and Mancer bring the doors, chairs, and balcony dives to the Evansville Coliseum. Shit was about to be kicked up several notches. This was pure fucking anarchy. It started wild and never slowed down as all six of these brawling hardcore superstars all teed off on each other for the blood-thirsty crowd. The whole venue became a warzone as the stage, balcony, fan area, merch and more all felt the rush of the action. Since there was a 25ft high balcony, Matthew Justice dived off it and stole the show. The Bloodfighters were just as into it and brought the fight with both teams going hell for leather until the bitter end. This was a fucking riot and one of the most fun matches I’ve seen from SGC and they’ve been putting on a lot of them as of late. Holy shit was this an adrenaline shot to the crowd as everyone was losing their mind as this one played out. Can’t say I blame them, I was too.

Scramble: Spyder Nate Webb defeated Yoya, Larry D, Jimmy Lloyd, Alec Price & Carter Gray via Chair Sault on Yoya

The action returned with a post-intermission scramble. The hometown hero Spyder Nate Webb was joined by a who’s who of wrestling talent as Carter Gray and Larry D made their entry into GCW alongside Yoya, Alec Price, Jimmy Lloyd, and Yoya. This was going to be an absolute clusterfuck. Larry D was one to be feared as the powerhouse amongst the high flyers. GCW love their scrambles and everyone in this one had gotten the assignment. Yoya thrived here even if he spent a lot of time thrown around, Price made himself public enemy number one by earning Webb’s ire and cutting off Wheatus, Larry D and Carter Gray got a lot of time to show their stuff off and Lloyd did what he did best, fill in the gaps and keep shit going. It was all a good time and a nice way to return to the show. Scrambles are hard to write up as you know they’re going to be hectic, full of spots, and often showcase some great talent making full use of the spotlight. This one was no different with Webb getting the win as the hometown favourite. What a monster of a scramble.

Cole Radrick defeated Joey Janela via Lil Sebastian’s Curse

It wouldn’t be an Indiana show without Cole Radrick. The Wild-hearted King of Wreck Shit Mountain has been on a roll as of late and as such had drawn the attention of Joey Janela. These two were meant to team at DOA but it hadn’t happened so this was going to be the first interaction they got of the tour. In that time, Radrick had wrestled two deathmatches and was wearing the wounds of it as he fought with a heavily wrapped up arm. Was he going to get one over on Janela? Since Janela wasn’t the most popular man in the room, he was extra surly in his treatment of Radrick. It was a slow burn match full of high-impact spots, bad boy attitude, and Radrick trying to defend his wounded arm and get back into things. You can’t keep Radrick down and he kept getting up, kicking out, and coming back at Janela but couldn’t work at the frantic pace he usually would as he had to keep checking on his arm. The crowd never gave up on him no matter how much pain Janela put him through. This was the perfect chance for Radrick to remind people that long before the deathmatches ever started, he was still going wild in matches. He managed to beat Janela after twenty minutes of hard-hitting action and had the crowd cheering for him the whole time. He might have been bleeding, hurting, and fighting wounded but he had done it. Once again, Janela couldn’t help but give his respect to Radrick and got surprised by an ovation from the crowd for his birthday.

Billie Starkz defeated Dark Sheik via Roll-up

Fuck yeah, time for another super fight as Billie Starkz, Space Jesus was back in action and ready to take the fight to the High Priestess of Wrestling, Dark Sheik. We had the fastest rising star taking on one of the most innovative veterans in the game. This should be a fun one. Well, Sheik wasn’t exactly in a fun mood, aiming to break Starkz’s back with a barrage of stomps, kicks, holds, and backbreakers. It was all rather sadistic even if it was purely business. Sheik was drawing on over a decade of experience and bullied Starkz with everything she felt like throwing. Somehow though, Starkz wasn’t yielding. Starkz kept throwing shots back even if it got her more pain and punishment. Sheik was taking her lightly and mocking her at every turn. She felt she could afford to as well as no matter how much Starkz tried to come back, her back gave out again. Starkz didn’t care though and hit her Swanton onto the apron and landed the Gory Bomb. She fought through even more punishment and eventually came away with the win after winning with a roll-up. A crafty veteran move got her the win over the crafty veteran. Despite all the punishment to the back and all the pain she’d been put through, she’d fought through, picked her moment, and took the win. It was a massive win for Starkz and a bitter loss for Dark Sheik. Seriously though, what a match. Talk about overcoming the odds and bringing the intensity. I’m used to the fun-loving Sheik so seeing this sadistic veteran wreck the younger generation was quite the experience.

The Rock n Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defeated The Rejects (Reed Bentley & John Wayne Murdoch) via Destroyer on Murdoch

Last but not least, the first main event of the double bill. It was time for one last hurrah for one of wrestling’s top tag teams. The Rock n Roll Express were putting on the boots to deliver one final ass-kicking to one of the current generation’s top teams, the Rejects. Reed Bentley and John Wayne Murdoch had the honour of bringing this final Evansville fight from Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton, even if the Rejects wanted to run everyone down. They were going to take the night off when The Boys are Back in Town hit and the Rock n Roll Express came out to fight. They’d heard the shit talk and were going to smack the Rejects around. Bentley and Murdoch didn’t want this fight and did everything they could to sabotage it as the Rock n Roll Express did what they did best against a team playing classic villains. As in the classics, Morton ended up getting mobbed by the Rejects and Gibson cleaned house until the pair could rampage on the gobshites. Things got worrying when Murdoch brought out a bundle of tubes but to my joy, Morton broke them on him! We had the Rock n Roll Express doing light tubes. A Destroyer on Bentley later and the match was won. The Rock n Roll Express had won this final fight and done so in the most GCW of ways. Talk about an amazing way to celebrate one of wrestling’s greatest teams. This was a great little match mixing the new and the old-school. I don’t think this could have been any better. Murdoch and Bentley played their part perfectly and there isn’t anyone like the Rock n Roll Express.

Backyard Wrestling 4

Jordan Oliver defeated Hunter Drake via Sit-Out Powerbomb

The final show of the tour was kicking off with another Jordan Oliver spectacular. He was opening the undisclosed location bonanza with a bout against another innovative high-flying superstar, Hunter Drake. These guys were going to fire up the people of the backyard with their aerial and technical antics. This was quite the heated one and not just because they were under the blazing sun. They went through grappling sessions, hit really hard and ate some awful spots between and over the ropes. Oliver had a stranglehold on the match but Drake kept firing back and eventually managed to put the hurting on Oliver. It was an oddly technical match for the backyard but managed to fit the bill by throwing in some super indie ridiculousness and a load of fun moments throughout. Oliver racks up another win but Drake looked bloody awesome. Everyone was into this and seemed to enjoy watching this intense exchange unfold.

“The Gift” Alec Smith (Alec Price) defeated The Chad (Tye Hyll), Aerial Crow (Dyln McKay) & Vampyro (Façade) via Fireball pin steal on McKay

Well, here came the chaos as we went into a four-way between some backyard staples and a whole host of insane high-flyers. Alec Price was clashing with Tye Hyll, Façade, and Dyln McKay. I hope the Gift knew what he was stepping into as this was going to go everywhere; utilise the local scenery and no doubt bring out the fire since Vampyro was coming to play. Yep, the first match was tame so this one could take the fuckery to a whole new level. These four flew, struck, and destroyed each other in and around the ring. Price was the villain as per, opportunistically striking when he could and ruining people’s fun. He even stole the win after Façade cooked McKay with a fireball. It was a lethal match and full of amazing athleticism, flippy shit, and horrifying fuckery spots. Façade and Hyll were having a blast using trees to get their moves in. This was just too damn fun and yet, I don’t need to write an essay on it. imagine a super indie match in a field with a whole lot of flips, flying and people eating shit on nasty moves. That’s this match and it was an absolute blast to watch. Go see for yourself, I imagine the gifs alone make it worth it.

Dak the Destroyer (Bradley Prescott IV) defeated Pizza Cat Jr (Billie Starkz) via 450 Splash

The next match promised to be just as hectic as Pizza Cat Jr returned to the backyard for her second outing and had brought a frozen pizza with her. Her opponent this time was Dak the Destroyer riding into battle on the back of his war brother, Adam Slade. We had our first firework sighting as Dak and Slade had brought out the firework swords. This was a first-time fight and it opened with a bang as they both fought it out with the firework swords, giving us a Star Wars-esque fight to kick things off. Pizza Cat Jr won the fight and felt the burn but refused to drop his beer in pain. Once again, the frantic fighting went around the backyard with Pizza Cat Jr taking Dak on a chopping tour of the crowd. Even Mouse the photographer gave Dak a big old chop. The same happened to Slade when he tried to save his brother. It was not a good day to be a Lost Boy as you got your soul chopped out. This was funny hell and it was great to see Bradley Prescott IV getting more shots at glory. Even the pizza got its chance to be a weapon. It’s hard not to enjoy something like this, it had charm, personality, and inventive wrestling.

Four vs Four Elimination Match: Drunk Uncles (1 Called Manders, Alex Colon, Mayday Jack (Cole Radrick) & Tony Deppen) defeated Team Yoya (Cambodian Dragon Yoya, Hello Hardbody, Mike Jannetty (Philly Mike Swanson) & Tarzanian Devil) via Death Lariat on Yoya

Well shit, the carnage counter needed upping so GCW had thrown even more bodies into the ring. We were in for a four vs four elimination match as the Drunk Uncles, Manders, Alex Colon, Cole Radrick, and Tony Deppen all looked to embarrass Team Yoya featuring Yoya, Hello Hardbody, Philly Mike Swanson, and the Tarzanian Devil. There would be no order in this, just pure anarchy. The Drunk Uncles were seriously relaxed whilst Team Yoya was fired-up and angry. Once again, this mixed the technicality with the hilarity as Manders offered everyone corn, Yoya went on a body slam rampage, Hardbody went full-on shit-talking mode and Radrick wrecked everyone from the production trailer. It was just really fun to watch, like every other match so far. There was just so much to enjoy from the match banter to the actual wrestling. Plus, I’m all for Manders wrestling in overalls more often. The Drunken Uncles got the big win but it had been a close-fought one once Yoya eliminated three fighters in one with a massive crucifix. It was down to Manders vs Yoya and the Cowboy won the day but Yoya had the fight in him too. It was nearly 20 minutes of beer-drinking chaos and kept things rolling nicely. This show was a gift that just kept on giving. Turns out Manders has one nasty lariat.

Diablo (Shane Mercer) defeated Fourth of July Blunt Guy (Steve Sanders) via Trailer Toss door drop

Post-intermission, we came back to one unfortunate mismatch. Diablo was back and ready to throw some bodies around the backyard. This year, his chosen victim was none other than the Fourth of July Blunt Guy, Steve Sanders. Something told me this wasn’t going to be a smooth match for Sanders as the Iron Demon was bigger, stronger, and probably meaner. This could be an absolute massacre. Sanders seemed to know this too and struck first but quickly found himself being thrown around the backyard and introduced to all manner of painful objects. It didn’t matter if they were rocks, gravel, tents, stakes, or whatever, Mercer picked them up and used them or slammed Sanders onto them. Sanders would get some shots in but more often than not he was eating shit from hard landings and more throws. Even the other wrestlers got in on Sanders’ pain as Mercer invited them up for chops. It was another spectacle-fest of a match with Diablo living up to his name as he burned through Sanders. The ending was pretty grim though as Sanders fell a long way and landed right on his tailbone. I hope he’s alright after that.

Skinripper (Masha Slamovich) defeated The Great AKIRA via Tiger Driver

Couples who fight together can often kill each other too. That is what we were about to see as The Skinripper, Masha Slamovich prepared to tangle in the backyard with The Great AKIRA. The Death Samurai will fight all comers and were no doubt about to see some very stiff and scrappy action from these two. Goddamn, these two just beat the shit out of each other. It was exactly the type of match you’d expect from these two with just a little bit of backyarder fun thrown in with some trampoline fighting. It was a physical, demanding bout with both threatening to send each other to the shadow realm on multiple occasions. It was all really damn fun to watch and the pair seemed to be having fun wrecking each other. They were all fine at the end and though AKIRA had taken another L, he was fine losing to Masha. At least this encounter hadn’t featured a Sawzall…

Joey Janela defeated Kung-fu Donnie Janela via Door Crush Double Stomp

You gotta love it when one fighter isn’t ready for their match. Joey Janela had been enjoying life by the pool when it turned out he had a match. He was fighting the second Janela, Donnie the Kung-fu master in what was sure to be the culmination of backyard fuckery. These two were going to outdo everyone and take it to the limit in the time they had. Donnie was caught off-guard by just how unprofessional it had all become and refused to wrestle New Jack style when Joey wanted to wrestle the holy match with Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA playing the whole time. This was fucking hilarious. I laughed out loud way more times than I’d like to admit as these two tried to have the most painful slapstick match of all time. There was some Cody impersonation with weight belts, blunt force trauma, record-breaking Suplex runs, chair shots and so much more across the marathon runtime. We even saw a child’s Jeep toy enter the fray as Joey hijacked it to run over his cousin. It was all very ridiculous and at times scary but overall became the ultimate backyard match of this show. If you have the time to spare and need your mood to be lifting, there was a Party in the USA with your name on it.

Emanon (Jimmy Lloyd) defeated Darc Angel (Marcus Mathers) via Fire Door Assault Driver

Last but not least, the main event. How do you top what we just saw? By letting Darc Angel and Emanon go nuts in the main event spotlight. Mathers and Lloyd were about to take their kamikaze styles of fighting to the trampolines and bring us one last gasp of ridiculous wrestling glory. These two seemed to have the Pandora’s Box of fuckery as they kept reaching into a trashcan and pulling out more and more weaponry. We started with forks and saw gussets, darts, and lighter fluid as well as using the trashcan itself. It was another fun backyarder bout with both cutting up, stabbing, and smashing each other with whatever was at hand. There was something so fun about seeing Mathers get a full-on camping chair thrown at him. It wasn’t the most substantial match but it offered some nice shocks and surprises and delivered the big send-off spot of the show with Mathers burning up on a fire door. Mathers, Lloyd, and everyone watching were definitely having fun and ended this GCW road trip with a bang. Just as a final note, in my opinion, the Gill and Gage commentary was adding to the atmosphere nicely because they were both putting something fun into it. Kevin’s energetic reactions mixed with Gage’s funny comments mixed with the special commentary guests kept things fresh and helped add to the party atmosphere. Backyard Wrestling is always GCW’s party show and everything combined nicely to keep it that way.

All images courtesy of GCW, HeyyImRob

By John Dinsdale

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