GCW Highest in the Room
Ukrainian Culture Center
Los Angeles, CA
By: Jon Pine
In an amazing main event, Minoru Suzuki def Jonathan Gresham and was challenged by Nick Gage to a match next time GCW is in Los Angeles on October 23rd.
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GCW returns to the Ukrainian Culture Center in Los Angeles presenting “Highest in the Room”. This is GCW’s second straight sell-out show and they are looking to continue the momentum from “The Art of War Games” which saw Team MDK def. 440H in War Games and Jon Moxley def. Matt Cardona for the GCW World Title. Like all GCW shows, tonight’s installment featured a menagerie of styles of top-tier wrestling. Suzuki and Gresham put on an all-time classic match, Atticus Cogar showcased his non-deathmatch wrestling abilities and the return of Alex Zayne.
Scramble Match- ASF vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Eli Everfly vs. Gringo Loco vs. Arez vs. Everett Connors
This was your typical scramble match with each man showcasing their biggest moves and fun tandem offense. These are always great matches to start the show as it gets the crowd really fired up.
ASF wins
Effy vs. 2 Cold Scorpio
This is the first-ever match-up between Effy and 2 Cold. The match started off with a dance-off with both men breakdancing. They proceeded to have a very fun standard pro wrestling match with some comedy spots sprinkled in. It’s truly amazing how Scorpio can still go and hit his high-flying moves at the age of 55.
2 Cold Scorpio def. Effy
Jordan Oliver vs. Alex Zayne
Jordan Oliver is going to be a megastar in this business and tonight’s performance only added to that theory. This is Alex Zayne’s return to GCW after his cup of coffee in NXT. It’s really amazing that WWE would let a talent like this go, he’s so smooth and makes it look effortless. Great back and forth match that saw both men hitting their biggest moves and subsequently kicking out. Zayne catches Oliver with the crunch wrap Supreme followed by a cradle powerbomb maneuver for the win.
A little clunky at times but a very fun match and it was great to see Alex back in a GCW ring.
Alex Zayne def. Jordan Oliver
Ninja Mack vs. Atticus Cogar
After the loss at “The Art of War Games”, Atticus released a video stating he is no longer going to be following RSP’s lead in GCW. This match was a complete departure from what we are accustomed to seeing from Cogar. He kept up with the technical wrestling and had solid counters to Mack’s high-flying offense.
At one point, Cogar tried to introduce the skewers into the match but Ninja Mack kicked them out of his hand. Ninja Mack went for 630, got caught by Atticus who removed his mask, got skewered, and then hit with the headlock driver. It was a lot of fun seeing Atticus showing off his full potential and reminding everyone that he is more than just a deathmatch wrestler. Ninja Mack is an unbelievable athlete and much like Zayne makes it look effortless, he will take PWG by storm.
Atticus Cogar def. Ninja Mack
Deathmatch-G-Raver vs. Alex Colon
This match is two years in the making as it was originally the finals for Tournament of Survival 4. During the opening sequence of that match, Alex Colon Irish whips G-Raver into the barbed wire ropes but crashes through the wire and smashes the back of his head on the floor of the Showboat. He’s then taken out of the match and replaced by Jimmy Lloyd and Shlak. Alex Colon ends up winning that match which was his first of 3 straight Tournament of Survival crowns. There are multiple ladders with light tubes attached to them, along with a smattering of loose tubes.
When it comes to tube work and full utilization of a tube, there is no one better than Alex Colon.
Alex Colon hits Raver with a double stomp off a ladder in the ring, and through a door on the floor. Raver hits a top rope ‘rana sending Colon crashing through a light tube ladder. Raver hits Colon with a top rope Meteora onto tube bundle, Colon kicked out at one he fired up on Raver eventually getting him in the camel clutch where Raver passes out.
Alex Colon def. G-Raver
Chris Dickinson vs. Jacob Fatu
The first-ever match-up between these two and my first time seeing a Jacob Fatu match. Solid feeling out process to start the match before they both start laying in strikes. Fatu is very agile for his size hitting a beautiful BME for a near fall. Fatu loses his temper and busts open Dickinson. Fatu hits Dickinson with a wrench causing a DQ. Fatu takes out the ref and GCW staff and continues to beat down Dickinson. Starboy Charlie comes to Dickinson’s rescue hitting Fatu with a head scissors into a tornado kick but gets caught and is hit with a Popup Samoan Drop.
Juicy Finau hits the ring and turns on Dickinson, continuing the beat down with Fatu. GCW locker room runs out to separate Fatu and Finau from Dickinson.
No Contest
Ron Funches vs. Tony Deppen
Deppen is the best person to guide someone like Funches through a match and make it entertaining, that being said this match wasn’t good. The crowd did their best as well, going nuts for all of Funches’offense.
Funches hits a sloppy arm drag, Deppen catches him in a sleeper. Deppen continues to beat down Funches, Danhausen, making his 2nd ever GCW appearance comes to Funches’ aide which elicits a holy shit chant.
Funches recovers, pulls down Deppen’s trunks and hits an inverted atomic drop, and then a Canadian destroyer on Deppen for 2.
Deppen low blows Funches and gets the pin.
Deppen def. Ron Funches
Minoru Suzuki vs. Jonathan Gresham
This match was everything you would want from a match-up of this caliber. They put on an absolute clinic in what is one of the best matches of the year. They exchanged brutal chops, Gresham had Suzuki in a modified figure-four for close to five minutes as Suzuki kept firing up but Gresham worked the hold even harder. Suzuki was able to break free and the two men continued brawling. Suzuki catches Gresham in a sleeper, transitions it into the gotch piledriver for the win.
Minoru Suzuki def. Jonathan Gresham
Kaze Ni Nare is playing, Dave Prazak is signing off for the night, Kaze Ni Nare is cut, and out comes Nick Gage. The crowd is going nuts as the two men exchanged forearms. Gage swipes at Suzuki with the pizza cutter but Suzuki bails. Gage grabs the mic, runs down Minoru, and challenges him for the next GCW show in Los Angeles on October 23rd.
Another very solid GCW show with solid action. The main event was an all-time classic that you should definitely seek out. Even in defeat, Ninja Mack continues to impress, Colon and G-Raver had a very creative Deathmatch and lived up to the hype.
GCW makes their return to New York City next week with two shows, Emo Night on Thursday, September 23rd, and Get Lost A Lot on Friday, September 24th.
