GCW: Wasted Time
Saturday, December 3, 2022, Pop’s Night Club, Sauget, IL
Commentary: Dave Prazak and Nick Maniwa
It was great hearing the old IWA MidSouth commentary team again and what made it even better is that the promoter won’t stiff them on pay.
Singles Match: Starboy Charlie vs. Jack Cartwheel
The match started off with some chain wrestling, and eventually, Starboy was able to ground Cartwheel and locked in the Muta Lock. Cartwheel was able to escape the hold as the two reset in the center of the ring. Both of these men can fly but they decided to take a slower approach to the match. Starboy took control of Cartwheel with an armbar after a series of Ricky Steamboat-esque arm drags, Cartwheel repeatedly tried to get out of the hold but Starboy wrenched the hold in even more. Cartwheel planted Starboy with a suplex followed by a modified stretch muffler. Starboy was able to use his leg strength to get of out the hold as both men got back up to their feet. Cartwheel sent Starboy to the floor and attempted a dive but Charlie cut him off with a series of dropkicks followed by a Poisonrana. With Cartwheel on the mat, Starboy attempted a double foot stomp but Cartwheel was able to get out of the way and dumped Charlie on his head with a deadlift German suplex. Starboy locked in another submission hold but again Cartwheel was able to make it to the ropes, Cartwheel swept Starboy’s legs and hit him with a hesitation elbow drop. Starboy went to the floor but Cartwheel took him out with a Sasuke Special followed by a twisting shooting star press. Charlie got his knees up and locked in the crossface which he transitioned into the rings of Saturn for the victory.
Starboy Charlie Defeated Jack Cartwheel
Tag Team Match: Bang Bros (Davey Bang and August Mathews) vs. Shane Mercer and Axton Ray
The contrast between the two teams is fairly evident from the beginning as Mercer and Ray have a significant size and strength advantage over the debuting Bang Bros. Ray and Matthews started the match off, Matthews attempted a Code Red but Ray used his strength to block it. They had a couple of more exchanges before eventually wrestling to a stalemate, Ray and Mathews tagged in their partner and the crowd was chanting ‘over here’ at Mercer indicating they wanted to see Davey Bang thrown into the stands. Davey Bang tried his best to land some significant strikes on Mercer but they had no effect, Mercer proceed to throw Bang halfway across the ring. The Bang Bros tried to double-team Mercer but again it had no effect as Mercer threw Bang into his partner via a fallaway slam. The action spilled to the floor with the Bang Bros taking out their opponents with a series of moonsaults. The Bang Bros worked over Axton Ray in the ring while Mercer was recovering on the floor; once Mercer made it back to the ring the two larger men tossed the Bang Bros around the ring with various power moves. Mercer and Ray secured the victory with an assisted Moonsault and Battery. A very impressive first outing for the team of Shane Mercer and Axton Ray.
Shane Mercer and Axton Ray Defeated The Bang Bros
Deathmatch: Sawyer Wreck vs. Mad Man Pondo
Sawyer drew the short straw and had to carry the broken-down legend Mad Man Pondo through a Deathmatch. Pondo is great, and a very nice man, it’s just sad to see him still doing this when you can tell his body is screaming at him. Pondo set up two chairs in the center of the ring and invited Sawyer to sit down and trade punches and forearms, Pondo got the ‘best’ of the situation and attempted to suplex Sawyer onto the chair, but Sawyer reversed and sent Pondo through the chair with a ‘belly to back’ suplex. The back of Pondo’s head hit the chair and he bailed to the floor, Pondo sent Sawyer into a trash can, she quickly regained her wits and sent Pondo into the ring post. Sawyer grabbed the saw bat and kicked it into Pondo’s head, she shoved a chair into his balls and hit that chair with another chair. Pondo started bleeding from the saw blade kick, Sawyer took Pondo to every corner and started to ‘carve’ away at Pondo’s head with the saw blade. Pondo grabbed a staple gun and attempted to staple Wreck but she kicked it out of his hands and started to staple dollar bills to Pondo’s head and face. Pondo eventually returned the favor and then grabbed a shank from his boot and started to carve away at Sawyer’s head. Pondo continued to inflict punishment via a stop sign and the saw blade, Pondo set Sawyer up on a chair and climbed to the top rope, he went for a side senton but Sawyer got out of the way and chokeslammed Pondo onto the broken chair for the victory.
Sawyer Wreck Defeated Mad Man Pondo
GCW Tag Team Championship Match: Los Macizos (Champions) vs. Second Gear Crew vs. 2 Cold Scorpio and The Sandman
The moment Emil J said “Triple threat tag team match” the entire crowd got to their feet and lost their minds, also it needs to be noted how much Emil J’s Spanish has improved since the return of Los Macizos. As Scorpio was making his way to the ring, SGC and Macizos started to fight, SGC cleared the ring leaving only Scorpio who had to fight off both members of SGC. Scorpio sent both members of SGC to the floor and took out Los Macizos with a double clothesline followed by chair shots. SGC took out Scorpio with a couple of chair shots of their own, and SGC set up a couple of doors in the ring as Enter Sandman started playing. I was personally hoping it was going to be Mariano Rivera. Sandman made his way to the ring doing his usual shtick as grown men lined up to have him pour beer into their mouths. Sandman was able to find the one girl in the crowd. Sandman made his way into the ring and started to beat everyone up with the Singapore Cane, but he turned his back and was speared into a door that was set up in the corner. SGC set up a door bridge, and Scorpio fired up and sent Warner through the door with a moonsault. Someone should just pin The Sandman. Los Macizos returned to the ring just long enough to roll up Matthew Justice to retain their championships. Los Macizos didn’t even take off their hoodies.
Los Macizos Retained the GCW Tag Team Championships
Post Match: Macizos and 2 Cold Scorpio danced in the ring, and Scorpio was able to convince Sandman to dance.
Singles Match: Jake Lander vs. Jimmy Lloyd
Lander comes out firing early with a couple of kicks and strikes to Jimmy Lloyd, Lander took Jimmy off of his feet with a ‘rana but Lloyd was eventually able to pop Landers up and hit him with a powerbomb. Lloyd slowed the pace of the match down as he started to work over Lander. Lander hit an O’Connor roll followed by a deadlift German suplex but he was unable to attempt a pin which allowed Lloyd to retake control of the match. Lander attempted a moonsault but Lloyd caught him but Lander was able to transition that into a Poisonrana, Lander got Lloyd up in the UFO but was only able to get a two count, Lloyd took the fight to the apron where he planted Lander with a piledriver on the apron. Lloyd threw Lander up onto the stage and while his back was turned Lander hit him with a running hurricanrana taking him out on the floor. Lander hit Lloyd with a Death Valley Driver followed by a superkick and an attempted J-Driller and/or piledriver that spiked Jimmy Lloyd on his head but he was still able to kick out. Lloyd caught Lander out of mid-air with a superkick followed by a DDT Destroyer but Lander was still able to get his shoulder up at the last second. Lloyd hit Lander with the Vertibreaker and secured the victory.
Jimmy Lloyd Defeated Jake Lander
Deathmatch: John Wayne Murdoch vs. EFFY
Murdoch has had to pull out of a couple of dates due to a persistent elbow injury so it’s good to see him back in the ring. EFFY and JWM started trading forearms and chops which only fired them up even more. EFFY had the early advantage in the match as he retrieved a door and a chair from underneath the ring. EFFY locked Murdoch in the tarantula, Murdoch was able to fire up and hit EFFY with a chair-assisted sick kick, Murdoch then retrieved a couple of skewers and slammed them into EFFY’s ass cheek. Murdoch dumped a bunch of thumbtacks in the center of the ring and back-suplexed EFFY onto the tacks. He added insult to injury by placing his knee on the back of EFFY’s neck and driving his face into the tacks. EFFY fired up and hit Murdoch with a blockbuster that sent him into the tacks but EFFY wasn’t able to keep Murdoch down for three. Murdoch charged at EFFY with a chair but EFFY took out his feet with a capo kick, Murdoch got into it with the ref after Murdoch refused to release the Koji Clutch, this gave EFFY some time to recover and introduce a door into the match-up. EFFY set up a door bridge and he propped Murdoch up on the corner and attempted to send him through it, Murdoch recovered and hit EFFY with the Deep South Destroyer through the door, EFFY kicked out at 1 and hit Murdoch with the Sack Ryder but he was unable to capitalize. The two traded slaps and forearms in the center of the ring, EFFY lured Murdoch in and hit him with a TKO, Murdoch was able to move the ref out of the way and hit EFFY with a low blow followed by a brainbuster on a chair but EFFY still kicked out. Murdoch called for another Deep South Destroyer before EFFY ‘stole’ the victory with a jackknife pin.
EFFY Defeated John Wayne Murdoch
Singles Match: Tony Deppen vs. Jordan Oliver
The two engaged in some chain wrestling during the opening minutes of the match, and neither man was able to get the advantage over the other. They eventually reset and started trading standing switches, Oliver went for the Cleopatra but Deppen was able to avoid it as the two went back to fighting for leverage which led them to a stalemate. During the 24-hour wrestling show, Deppen and Oliver faced each other in an hour long Iron Man match so the stalemate between the two is not unexpected given how well they know each other. Deppen went to the floor to try and dictate the pace of the match, to just show how much of a dick Tony is, he drank Oliver’s water which drew ire from the crowd. Deppen regained control of Oliver with an armbar, Oliver got back to his feet and took Deppen down with a series of dropkicks, and went right back to a headlock. Deppen got back up to his feet but Oliver still had control of his arms and stretched him out with his feet to Deppen’s back. Deppen was able to break free and sent Oliver into the corner with an exploder suplex followed by a couple of stomps and knees to Oliver’s head. Deppen tied up Oliver and returned the favor by stretching Oliver in a similar fashion that he was stretched. The two men traded chops in the center of the ring with Oliver getting the best of the exchange. Oliver attempted a powerbomb but Deppen continued to target Jordan’s arms with a double stomp and kicks to the injured arm. Deppen hammer-locked Oliver’s arm with his leg and snapped back on it, Deppen went to the floor and wrung Oliver’s arm around the ring posts. Back inside the ring, Deppen continued to target the arm as he stomped away on Oliver’s hands. Deppen attempted a running double knee, Oliver caught Deppen out of mid-air with a running side slam, and Oliver hit Deppen with an exploder followed by a leaping forearm strike for only a two count. Oliver locked in a Boston Crab but he was unable to hold onto one of Deppen’s legs due to his injured arm. Deppen broke the hold as Oliver tried to readjust his arm with the ring ropes. Oliver continued to work over Deppen’s back and chest with a series of strikes and kicks. Oliver hit Cleopatra, he rushed in again but Deppen took his legs out, Oliver responded with a one-man Spanish fly. They continued trading back and forth offense, Deppen attempted a crossface chicken wing, and locked the body scissors in as Oliver went to his feet. Oliver fired back up and drove Tony into the turnbuckle, Tony went for it again but Oliver sent him to the floor which broke the hold. Oliver and Deppen were trading strikes on the apron, Oliver caught Deppen with a high kick, Deppen responded with his own but Oliver caught him with a superkick and a piledriver followed by a cloutcutter but Tony kicked out at 2. Oliver locked in a Boston Crab once again but he still wasn’t able to secure it properly due to his injured arm. Deppen took advantage of Oliver’s hesitation and locked in the crossface but after a long struggle, Oliver was able to force the break by making it to the bottom rope. Oliver hit Deppen with an Acid Kick followed by a powerbomb but Deppen again kicked out at 2, Deppen hit a ripcord knee, and Oliver went for the cloutcutter but Deppen caught him with the crossface chicken wing which he transitioned back into a crossface and finished him off with hammerfists. This was a fantastic match, these two are incredible together.
Tony Deppen Defeated Jordan Oliver
GCW World Championship Deathmatch: Nick Gage (Champion) vs. Cole Radrick
Before Gage made it into the ring, Cole slid out to try and jump the King but Gage promptly broke a bundle of tubes over the challenger’s head, causing the crowd to go crazy. Cole and Gage each retrieved a pizza cutter and went after each other but Cole caught the Champion in the head with a single tube to the head which caused Gage to start bleeding. Cole started to carve away at Gage’s forehead with his own pizza cutter, the crowd did not react kindly to this at first but they quickly started chanting ‘over here.’ Cole hit a tube-assisted lariat but Gage kicked out at 2; Gage shattered a tube over the legs of Cole and followed that up with a tube-assisted drop kick. Gage dumped a bunch of pizza cutters onto Radrick and hit his twist-back elbow for a two-count. Gage takes one of the cutters and started to drag it across the forehead of Cole Radrick, Gage grabbed a bundle of tubes and broke them over Cole’s head. Gage continued to slice away with the pizza cutter as the MDK Gang continued to get fired up by their leader. Gage broke a tube over his knee and hit Cole with a German Suplex and placed a bundle of tubes across Cole’s head and hit a tube-assisted boot scrap… Easily one of my favorite moves. Cole fired up and hit Gage with a springboard stunner, he placed a bundle across the champion’s chest and climbed to the top, and hit a Swanton Bomb onto Gage for a two count. Gage DDT’d Cole through a pane of glass but Cole was still able to kick out at 2; they traded shots in the center of the ring with Gage getting the best of the situation and planting Cole with a Faloln arrow, Gage hit a jumping piledriver. He attempted a second one but Cole rolled him up with a small package for a two-count. Cole hit Gage with another tube and set up a pane of glass bridge, Gage broke a bundle over Cole’s head and hit a second rope piledriver through the pane for the victory.
Nick Gage Retained the GCW World Championship
