GCW Drop Dead: Mega Bastards vs. The Second Gear Crew vs. Los Macizos 

October 23, 2022 Jon Pine NEWS, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: GCW

GCW: Drop Dead
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Detroit, Michigan, Harpo’s Concert Theatre

Spoiler Free Match Recommendations:
Gringo Loco vs. Nick Wayne vs. Komander vs. ASF
Jordan Oliver vs. Shiho
Shane Mercer vs. Tommy Vendetta
Hoodfoot vs. Jimmy Lloyd
Los Macizos vs. Second Gear Crew vs. Mega Bastards

GCW Fight Club (Night 1)

Commentary: Dave Prazak and Emil J

Singles Match: Jordan Oliver vs. Shiho 

After completing their first major overseas tour with stops in England, Japan, and Mexico, the Mastermind behind GCW, Brett Lauderdale mentioned this week to expect more international dates in 2023; Joey Janela has been on an overseas tour working for DDT in Japan and Pro Wrestling Society in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and he is currently in Milano, Italy working for SAJ, so his schedule provides a good preview of what is to come for GCW. 

Shiho founded Pro Wrestling Society in 2018, they held their first show, PWS First Show, on January 20, 2018, U.S. Army Garrison Camp Humphreys is located close to PWS’s warehouse in Pyeongtaek which allows them to run monthly shows for the U.S. Army personnel and families. On April 1, 2022, after more than two years away, PWS made their return to Seoul with Pub Brawl. Shiho was interviewed by Jon Dunbar of the Korea Times and had the following to say about his vision of Pro Wrestling: 

“Giving people new perceptions of pro wrestling as an art form is my biggest vision, not as a bloodthirsty sport, as many people think,” he told The Korea Times. “People can laugh at it, but to me, pro wrestling is art. It is one of the most mixed art forms that has elements of theater, musical, combat sports, and music. People feel catharsis with the mixture of action, music, storytelling, and passion. We express our pain, joy, sorrow, pleasure, and all different kinds of emotions. This is my life and art, and I think it isn’t so different from any of the other art forms, like theater, music performance, burlesque, or drag.”

Ever since the promotion launched they have always had a mix of homegrown talent and foreigners work their shows. Long Story Short, since they couldn’t run shows during the pandemic, they focused more on training their homegrown talents such as JD Lee, Im Hyeon-bin, and Choi Du-eok. Shiho hopes to establish Pro Wrestling as a major entertainment form in Korea:

“My ultimate goal is the establishment of pro wrestling in Korea as one of the major entertainment forms that people can just casually enjoy in their daily life, like going to a movie theater ― and the task is still ongoing,”

The match started with a feeling-out process which consisted of headlock takeovers and a series of arm drags, they wrestled to a stalemate as neither one of them was able to get the advantage. Shiho secured the momentum as he sent Oliver to the floor with head scissors then took him out with a dive to the floor; back inside the ring, the two men exchanged a flurry of forearms and knife-edge chops with Jordan Oliver getting the best of the situation. Oliver attempted an Acid kick but Shiho ducked and took Oliver out with a running forearm followed by a top rope hurricanrana that resulted in a two count. Shiho landed a superkick but Oliver responded with a lariat followed by an exploder suplex, Oliver attempted his sit-out powerbomb but Shiho was able to reverse it for a two count. Shiho hit a slingshot cutter followed by a German suplex for a near fall, he went to the top rope and hit a top rope cutter but he took too much time when going for the cover and Olier kicked out at 2. That’s When Oliver fired back up and took Shiho out with an Acid Kick followed by a sit-out powerbomb and a cloutcutter for the victory. There was a slight Glitch when Oliver went for the cloutcutter as his foot slipped on the second rope. 

Jordan Oliver Defeated Shiho

Singles Match: Blake Christian vs. Cole Radrick

We Begin Again with Christian vs. Radrick. The match started with both men going for quick pin-falls with Cole Radrick getting the advantage with a series of belly-to-back suplex and forearms. Cole’s momentum was cut off with a kick from Christian followed by body scissors. Cole went for the one-inch punch but Christian cut him off with a moonsault body press for a near-fall; Cole briefly fired back up hitting the one-inch punch followed by two springboard cutters and a Lionsault for a two count. Cole went for a Doctor Bomb but Blake took him out with a series of slaps across the face. He appeared Untouchable. Cole briefly fired back up and hit Lil Sebastian’s curse but Christian kicked out. Christian went to the apron and teased going for a springboard, Cole bought it and jumped up as if he was going for a cutter, this allowed Christian to hit a 450 for another close near fall. Blake hit a one-man Spanish fly followed by another springboard 450 for the victory.

Blake Christian Defeated Cole Radrick

Four Way: Nick Wayne vs. ASF vs. Komander vs. Gringo Loco 

Komander attacked Nick Wayne before the match as Gringo and Komander teamed together to take out ASF. ASF and Nick Wayne squared off with neither man able to take the other off of their feet, Komander took Gringo out with head scissors followed by an attempted Tijeras by Gringo Loco landed on his feet. ASF sent Gringo to the floor with a beautiful tilt-a-whirl head scissors, he took out Nick Wayne with a Rana followed by an arm drag. 

Gringo returned to the ring and kicked ASF in the face. Komander and Gringo Loco paired off and attempted to gain the advantage with various Lucha maneuvers, Nick Wayne hit a moonsault and took everyone out on the floor, and ASF hit a tornillo. Komander started walking the ropes hitting a shooting star press onto Gringo Loco followed by a 450 to Nick Wayne. 

Komander landed right on Nick Wayne’s head which was kind of scary. Nick Wayne recovered and took everyone out on the floor with a flip dive; not to be outdone, Komander walked the ropes and hit a springboard moonsault taking out all of the competitors on the floor. Komander walked on Gringo Loco and ASF’s shoulders which allowed him to hit Nick Wayne with a Rana.

Gringo hit a double jump splash onto ASF but Komander was able to return to the ring and break up the pinfall, Gringo hit his double jump Spanish fly but the pin attempt was again broken up by ASF who ran over Gringo’s back and hit Nick Wayne with a destroyer. 

Nick Wayne pinned ASF with a clout cutter to secure the victory. Another Fearless performance by all four of these men. 

Nick Wayne Defeated Gringo Loco, ASF, and Komander 

Singles Match: Jonathan Gresham vs. YAMATO

The two engaged in some chain wrestling to start which saw neither man able to get the advantage, Gresham tied YAMATO up with a bow and arrow but YAMATO slinked out and got a near fall on Jonathan. They locked back up and engaged in a Greco-Roman knuckle lock which saw Gresham powering YAMATO down on his feet and synched in a headlock followed by body scissors. They traded shoulder blocks followed by an exchange of chops in the center of the ring. This match was a Great War. YAMATO locked in an ankle lock for a minute or so and wore down Gresham who finally broke the hold when he reached the ropes. They once again traded chops in the center of the ring, followed by a series of stiff forearm shots, YAMATO and Gresham tried to pin each other with a sequence of leverage pinfalls, each man got upset with the referee’s counting skills and they started to trade enzuigiri’s, followed by Gresham tying up YAMATO’s legs for the victory. 

Jonathan Gresham Defeated YAMATO

Tag Team Match: MM3 and Chase Burnett vs. BUSSY

EFFY and Chase started the match by fighting over Chase’s cane, Chase was able to make the tag to his tag team partner who landed some offense on EFFY. Katch was tagged in and faced off with MM3, the two traded a series of reversals before MM3 sent Katch to the floor and took her and EFFY out with a tope con Hilo much to the delight of the fans in attendance. The crowd willed Chase to dive into his own, Chase gingerly climbed to the top rope and hit an ugly-looking dive onto BUSSY. I don’t understand Chase’s old-man gimmick but he does look like Paul Hargus so that kind of makes up for it. BUSSY isolated Chase in their corner and continued to beat him down, they hit the two gay power trip (pedigree and stunner combo) onto Burnett and MM3 but it only resulted in a near-fall. EFFY went for the Sack Ryder but MM3 avoided it and Chase hit a hip toss into a Code Red for another close near-fall. EFFY kissed MM3, Allie asked for a Last Kiss of her own but they just kicked her in the head. EFFY ran wild on Burnett hitting the under the rainbow followed by a piledriver from Katch. BUSSY set MM3 up on the top rope and hit a super Sack Ryder for the victory.

BUSSY Defeated MM3 and Chase Burnett 

Deathmatch: Shane Mercer vs. Tommy Vendetta 

For some reason, Mercer randomly posed in the center of the ring before the match started which allowed Tommy Vendetta to jump him and lay in some offense. Mercer quickly recovered and attempted a dive but a tube was smashed over his head as he attempted to leave the ring. Vendetta continued to beat Mercer down on the floor, he attempted a moonsault off the side of the balcony but Mercer caught him. Mercer walked Vendetta around the building and drove him into the wall repeatedly, Mercer brought Vendetta back into the ring and hit a vicious powerslam. Mercer placed Vendetta up on the top rope but he slinked through and blasted Mercer over the head with another tube; Vendetta set a door up in the corner which allowed Mercer time to recover. They traded some forearms but Vendetta eventually jacked Mercer up on his shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver through the door. Vendetta set up two doors on the floor but was sent head-first into a bundle of tubes by an angry Shane Mercer. Mercer brought Vendetta up on the stage and military pressed him off the 20-foot stage through the tables. I’ve seen Tommy Vendetta compete in ICW No Holds Barred numerous times and I can confidently say that this was Tommy Vendetta’s best match I’ve seen and it’s not even close. Mercer blasted Tommy with a series of tubes and hit the moonsault and battery for the victory. End Game.

Shane Mercer Defeated Tommy Vendetta 

Deathmatch: Jimmy Lloyd vs. Hoodfoot

The two traded forearms before Hoodfoot was sent through a pane of glass in the corner. Jimmy Lloyd busted a tube over Hoodfoot’s head and started to carve away at Hoodfoot’s forehead with the jagged edge of the broken tube. Hoodfoot blocked an incoming tube shot with some palm strikes but Jimmy wasn’t phased and broke a tube over the head of Hoodfoot. While Hoodfoot was recovering from the last onslaught Jimmy Lloyd set up a barbed wire pane of glass between two chairs, he attempted to send Hoodfoot through it but Hoodfoot reversed it and sidewalk slammed Jimmy Lloyd through the pane of glass. The ring has a black canvas which accentuates the broken pieces of glass and makes it look like Snow on a Beach. 

The barbed wire got stuck in Jimmy Lloyd’s hair, the ref had to yank it out of his head, which is my least favorite thing to watch occur in a deathmatch. Hoodfoot set up a pane of glass between two chairs but he took too long and Jimmy Lloyd scooped him up and hit him with a Death Valley Driver for a two count. 

There is some Bad Blood between these two as they continued to unload on each other with panes of glass. Jimmy Lloyd climbed to the top rope, Hoodfoot broke a tube over Lloyd’s head and proceeded to light the pane of glass on fire, and slammed Jimmy Lloyd through the flaming pane of glass, but Lloyd still kicked out at 2. 

Hoodfoot set Lloyd up under a pane of glass, and propped one up in the corner; Hoodfoot climbed to the second rope and dropped an elbow through the glass onto Jimmy Lloyd, Lloyd kicked out at one but was suplexed through the pane of glass in the corner and Hoodfoot pinned him for the victory. Lloyd succumbed to a Death By A Thousand Cuts. 

Hoodfoot Defeated Jimmy Lloyd 

GCW Tag Team Championship Match: Doors, Ladders, and Chairs: Mega Bastards (Champions) vs. The Second Gear Crew vs. Los Macizos 

Los Macizos took out all of the opponents with a series of dives to start the match, and they all continued to brawl on the floor.

 Miedo set up a ladder on the floor while Mance Warner beat up Alex Colon and Ciclope on the other side of the ring. Warner dragged some barbed wire across the forehead of John Wayne Murdoch which only fired him up; there were multiple-door bridges built while they continued to brawl on the floor, Miedo ate a chairshot to the head from Matthew Justice but it didn’t deter him from finishing setting up the double stack of doors on the floor. Ciclope and Murdoch started to exchange some blows before Ciclope went to look for more weaponry to use, SGC dragged Colon up on the stage, and Ciclope reappeared and took control, Miedo was waiting on a ladder so when Ciclope punched Colon he landed on Miedo’s shoulders who then sent Colon through the stack of doors with a Death Valley Driver. SGC set up a double stack of doors in the center of the ring and Los Macizos did the same thing on the floor. SGC hit Murdoch with the Power and Glory through the double stack of doors but Ciclope broke the pin up with a chairshot to Mance Warner’s head. The Mega Bastards brought out a box full of tubes but they were cut off by Los Macizos who hit them with broken pieces of doors. They placed Colon up on the top rope and attempted to superplex him off the top but Colon slinked through and a powerbomb while Murdoch hit Ciclope with a destroyer through the double stack of doors on the floor. SGC hit Colon with a chokeslam through a pair of chairs but Miedo broke the pin up with a kick to Justice’s head. The Mega Bastards hit Justice with a flapjack through a door in the corner. They emptied a box of tubes and started to break them over each other’s heads. SGC was placed in the corner with tubes in their faces, Miedo and Ciclope hit dueling boot scrapes but Murdoch broke the pin up with a light tube over Ciclope’s head. SGC had Murdoch alone in the ring and hit him with a tube-assisted spear but the pin was broken up by Miedo who threw a bundle of tubes at SGC’s head, Mance responded with a tube-assisted knee strike but they couldn’t get the victory as Ciclope saved his partner and hit Justice with some more tubes. Miedo and Ciclope threw more bundles at Mance Warner and placed more across the body of Matthew Justice, Ciclope came off the top rope with a splash but Justice kicked out at one. Miedo planted Justice with a piledriver and was pinned. 

New GCW Tag Team Champions Los Macizos 

About Jon Pine 174 Articles
Living in Providence, Rhode Island; when Jon isn’t watching AEW or GCW with his dogs Dakota and Aurora, he’s probably watching the CSPAN feed of the Senate floor or listening to Bennington on SiriusXM.