GCW Die for This
Saturday, January 1, 2022
Showboat Hotel
Atlantic City, New Jersey
By: Jon Pine
Coming off last night’s show, GCW looks to come out of the gates hot and continue moving like a tremendous machine. On Tuesday night, it was announced that there would be a Battle Royal to determine the Number one contender for the GCW World Championship at the Hammerstein Ballroom. This match features some of the top names in Game Changer Wrestling and this also means that Jon Moxley might be returning sooner than we all thought. This show also featured the battle for Deathmatch supremacy between John Wayne Murdoch and Alex Colon; there was a lot of anticipation leading into this match as it’s been built for over 2 years. These two men executed a flawless Deathmatch that left the fans wanting even more.
The Number 1 Contender Battle Royal wasn’t anything special but it did further cement Atticus Cogar as one of the crowd’s favorites, a shocking end to the match but that’s what makes GCW great.
GCW Til Infinity Results:
Jack Cartwheel Defeats Nick Wayne, Allie Katch Defeats Charli Evans, Atticus Cogar Defeats Everett Connors, Second Gear Crew Defeats Young Dumb and Broke, Christian and Zayne Defeat Ninja Mack and Dante Leon. Calvin Tankman wins the scramble, G-Raver Defeats AKIRA
Spoiler Free Match Recommendations:
- Briscoes vs. Zayne and Christian
- John Wayne Murdoch vs. Alex Colon
Commentary: Dave Prazak and Kevin Gill
GCW Tag Team Title Match: The Briscoes (Champions) vs. Alex Zayne and Blake Christian
The Briscoes are starting off the year with stiff competition in the form of Alex Zayne and Blake Christian, having defeated other tag teams within the division. Zayne and Christian step up to take on the 12 time Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions.
This match up features a clash of styles as Blake and Zayne are more high-flying based compared to the brawling style of the Briscoes. Blake and Mark Briscoe start the match as they go right into a headlock takeover reversal situation, the two end up avoiding each other’s early offense as they regroup in the corner. Mark Briscoe starts laying in the chops as the Brothers start taking over the match, tagging in Jay who continues the beat down on Christian. Zayne tries to save his partner but it isn’t enough as the Briscoes are also able to take out Zayne as the action spills to the floor. Jay and Zayne head back into the ring as the Briscoes continue to get the heat on their opponent, laying in stiff shots across the chest. Mark Briscoe starts engaging in redneck kung fu only for a short time as Blake Christian is able to escape some of the shots eventually hitting one man Spanish fly for a two count. Jay Briscoe sets up a door on the outside of the ring and maneuvers Zayne on the apron, Mark Briscoe hits a blockbuster to Zayne through the door, they throw Zayne back into the ring and go for the cover but it’s broken up from Christian who hit a 450. The advantage does last long as the Brothers are able to hit a splash mountain neck breaker combo for the victory.
The Briscoe Brothers Retain the GCW Tag Team Championship
Singles Match: Yoya vs. Calvin Tankman
Other than last night, we haven’t seen Calvin Tankman compete in a GCW ring since The Aftermath which took place October 10, 2021, in Atlantic City, where he defeated the up and coming highflier ASF in 14:07. Calvin Tankman competed against JR Kratos in a losing effort at Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 7. Calvin Tankman was supposed to face Tracy Williams but he is unable to appear so taking his place is Yoya. I enjoy that Yoya comes to the ring wearing his glasses. As the match begins Tankman toys with his much smaller opponent, but Yoya is able to evade most of the hard strikes that Tankman throws his way. The story of the match is Yoya trying to get the advantage over the much bigger Calvin Tankman while Tankman isn’t taking Yoya seriously. Tankman executes various power moves onto Yoya for a majority of the match as the crowd looks on, yearning for Yoya to fire back up. Yoya hits a cutter to the floor through a door and follows that up by sliced bread #2. Calvin Tankman catches Yoya and hits the Tankman driver for the victory.
Calvin Tankman Defeats Yoya
Singles Match: Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Joey Janela
After Drew Parker couldn’t make it to the United States due to Japan’s COVID restrictions, Joey Janela put out the bat signal for an opponent at Die 4 This; recently released Coach/Trainer and Former WWE superstar Scotty 2 Hotty stepped up to the plate and answered Joey’s challenge. This should be a fun match between these two veterans.
Both men come out to a hero’s welcome. They start off the match by putting on their sunglasses to the delight of the crowd who break into a Too Cool Chant. They then swap Sunglasses and shake hands as the match gets underway with some chain wrestling. Each man plays to the crowd leading the crowd in various clapping chants, Scotty is doing his repertoire from his too cool days. Janela extends his hand and sucker punches Scotty as he takes control over the match, gloating to the crowd. Kevin Gill notes that WWE wouldn’t clear Scotty to take bumps in the ring. Janela paint brushes Scotty Too Hotty which only fires up the veteran, Scotty is able to string along some impressive offense but Janela keeps getting the advantage. Joey hits a massive topé taking out Scotty on the floor, as he’s sent back into the ring for a two count.
Joey goes to execute the worm but Scotty dropkicks Joey and locks in an STF, Janela is able to escape as they continue to battle on the apron; Janela hits a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Scotty Too Hotty hits an exploder suplex to Janela through a door, spearing him for good measure. For the first time in six years, Scotty Too Hotty hits the worm to the delight of the crowd but only for a two count. Joey Sabu’s a chair into Scotty’s head as he sets up a door between two chairs, Scotty is propped up on the door as Joey hits a massive elbow drop for only a two count. Scotty gets fired up and flips off Janela as they trade stiff shots in the center of the ring. Joey hits a piledriver for the victory.
Joey Janela Defeats Scotty Too Hotty
Emil Jay announces that GCW will be back at the Showboat on February 19 and 20, 2022.
State of Effy Address:
Memphis Desperado. #GCWDie4This @GCWrestling_ @RealJeffJarrett pic.twitter.com/XpJZQMbqz9
— Pro Wrestling Cinema (@PW_Cinema) January 2, 2022
Effy announces that Effy is fine and that he is going to win the championship at the Hammerstein Ballroom. When the lights go out, Effy gets hit with a guitar by a masked man, who is unveiled as Jeff Jarrett. Jeff Jarrett lingers in the ring for a couple of minutes and he leaves through the crowd as AJ Gray and Allie Katch help Effy to the back.
GCW World Title #1 Contender Rumble Match:
Participants: PCO, Grim Reefer, Homicide, Matthew Justice, Dark Sheik, Colby Corino, G-Raver, Shane Mercer, Billie Starkz, Atticus Cogar, Cole Radrick, Jimmy Lloyd, AJ Gray, Allie Katch, Jordan Oliver, Dante Leon, Nick Wayne, Jack Cartwheel and Ninja Mack.
The winner of this Rumble match will go on to compete for the GCW World Title at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Entrance Order: Jordan Oliver, Tony Deppen, Jack Cartwheel, Dante Leon, Ninja Mack, Atticus Cogar, Nick Wayne, Dark Sheik, Matthew Justice, Jimmy Lloyd, AJ Gray, Cole Radrick, Homicide, Shane Mercer, PCO, G-Raver, Colby Corino, Allie Katch, Billie Starkz, Grim Reefer.
The two men shake hands and start with a stiff collar and elbow tie up with Deppen eventually getting the advantage. Tony Deppen locks Oliver in various submission holds as they wait for the next competitor, who is Jack Cartwheel. Cartwheel starts working over both men with a flurry of high flying offense, Dante Leon enters the match and takes out Cartwheel focusing his efforts on Oliver and Deppen. Dante Leon has Jeff Hardy vibes in both his moveset and ring attire, following him to the ring is his tag team partner Ninja Mack. Ninja Mack does his usual high-flying offense, making it look super easy as the crowd starts chanting ‘Go Ninja Go Ninja Go’. Tony Deppen goes to eliminate Ninja Mack but Mack is able to avoid the elimination as he lands on his hands and proceeds to walk around ringside in a Kofi Kingston-type spot. Mack is still on the floor as Atticus Cogar enters the match and goes to town on all the competitors in the match. Oliver and Cogar are the only two left standing, Oliver throws Cogar over the top rope but Cogar is able to evade. Jordan Oliver eliminates Jack Cartwheel. Dante Leon is eliminated by Ninja Mack as NIck Wayne runs through all of the competitors in the ring. Wayne and Oliver team up and put the boots to Cogar, as Dark Sheik enters the match. Sheik is able to get some offense in but is cut off by Tony Deppen. Atticus Cogar eliminates Nick Wayne and Tony Deppen follows that up by eliminating Ninja Mack. Matthew Justice enters the match next and the crowd goes crazy as he takes out all the competitors in the match, Justice has the advantage until Jimmy Lloyd enters the ring. Lloyd has the advantage until AJ Gray enters and he teams up with his other member of SGC, Matthew Justice. The match goes on like a usual battle royal with the final participants being Grim Reefer, Atticus Cogar, Homicide, Tony Deppen, AJ Gray, which quickly gets whittled down to Homicide, AJ Gray and Atticus Cogar. The crowd is fully behind Atticus Cogar as Gray and Homicide choose to team up against Cogar. AJ Gray goes for a lariat but Atticus ducks and he hits Homicide, Cogar eliminates AJ Gray. Atticus Skewers Homicide but it only fires up the veteran Homicide who eliminates Atticus Cogar.
Homicide wins the #1 Contender Battle Royal.
GCW Ultraviolent Title Deathmatch: Alex Colon vs. John Wayne Murdoch
Ever since John Wayne Murdoch was crowned the ICW No Holds Barred American Deathmatch Champion and Alex Colon was crowned the GCW Ultraviolent Champion the deathmatch world has been craving for these two warriors to lock up. Throughout the Summer of 2020 and Summer of 2021, these two competitors would take potshots at each other either on Twitter or in a post-match promo. The feud was ratcheted up when ICW Promoter and former GCW Founder Danny Demanto started taking shots at Brett Lauderdale and GCW as a whole, referring to Brett as “little man” and routinely challenging Lauderdale to beat him with the pencil. A short time after that GCW captured the imagination of the wrestling world when Jon Moxley entered GCW and faced off with the New Champion, Nick Gage for the first time in over 10 years. Moxley would go on to defeat Matt Cardona at The Art of War Games for the GCW World Title and has been the champion ever since (115 days and counting).
Both promotions’ commentary teams have kept this feud alive, routinely taking subtle shots at each other’s promotions and claiming that the other is low rent. This underground feud came to the forefront at the Nick Gage Invitational 6 where Alex Colon Defeated Masashi Takeda for the GCW Ultraviolent Championship and the NGI 6 crown. The first-ever Deathmatch Grand Slam was completed but before Alex could soak in his victory he was jumped from behind by John Wayne Murdoch, a scene that was very similar to NGI 5 when Rickey Shane Page jumped Nick Gage.
In his first match in GCW since 2018, John Wayne Murdoch was able to defeat Jimmy Lloyd in a Deathmatch; before Murdoch was able to celebrate his victory he was jumped by Alex Colon.
John Wayne Murdoch won the brand New Title at ICW No Holds Barred Vol. 12 in a match against Eric Ryan, since then he has gone on to defend the belt 15 different times across various promotions. John Wayne Murdoch has defeated the following wrestlers: Sadika, AKIRA, Jeff Cannonball, Eric Ryan, Dan Maff, Justin Kyle, Aeroboy, Aaron Mercer, Sadika, Tommy Vendetta, Danny Demanto, Dale Patricks, Eric Ryan, Merc, and Tank.
Alex Colon won the brand new GCW Ultraviolent Championship at GCW Planet Death in a match against Lucky 13. Over his two reigns, Alex Colon has defeated the following wrestlers: AJ Gray, Crazy King, Draco, Lunatik Extreme, Drew Parker, Masashi Takeda. Alex hasn’t had anywhere near the number of title defenses that John Wayne Murdoch has had but that doesn’t diminish his overall record as the best deathmatch wrestler in the world.
Both of these men have proven that they are fine with the impact this genre has on their bodies, they are only concerned about who is The Best in The World. On New Year’s Day we find out who can lay claim to that title: Will John Wayne Murdoch bring the GCW Ultraviolent Championship back to ICW No Holds Barred? Or will Alex Colon retain the championship and the title of Best Deathmatch Wrestler in the world?
Weapons Used: Panes of glass, light tubes, Gusset Plate 2×4
Before the entrances the camera follows John Wayne Murdoch in the back, a fun change in production style which added to the importance of the main event. The crowd is electric as we are all anticipating an all-out war between these two. The camera goes backstage again and we see the hallway lined with the GCW locker room as the blood fighter makes his way to the ring. AKIRA is at ringside.
Both men pick up a bundle of tubes and they run into each other as we are off to the races, teasing throwing each other into the ropes that are laced with light tubes. Murdoch bails to the floor but he is followed by Alex Colon who hits a tube-assisted tope and starts cutting Murdoch’s forehead with the shattered tube. Colon goes to work on Murdoch’s open wound but not for long as Murdoch cuts off Colon with a tube shot to the head and throws him back into the ring for a two count. Murdoch starts carving away on Colon’s body with a broken shard as Colon starts bleeding as well; Murdoch is in control of the match working over Colon with the tubes. Colon sends Murdoch through a pane of glass as he takes over the match, lacerating Murdoch on all sides of the ring to the delight of the blood-thirsty audience. Colon uses every bit of the tube, but Murdoch only uses it once and then tosses it outside. Colon kicks it into another gear as John Wayne Murdoch is struggling to get to his feet, Colon puts a tube inside Murdoch’s shirt and smashes it causing more bloodshed on the body of the Duke of Hardcore. Murdoch is able to cut off Colon’s momentum with a series of stiff light tube shots and a top rope dropkick.
Both men are evenly matched as we enter the late innings of the match, Colon throws the ref out of the ring as they continue to maim each other, Murdoch hits a brainbuster onto the chair for a two count. Colon grabs a drill and a 2×4 with gusset plates and rails Murdoch in the arms with them. Murdoch is LEAKING as the ref calls for the bell. AKIRA jumps in the ring to try and protect his mentor but is cut off by Alex Colon. John Wayne Murdoch gets back on his feet and tells the ref to restart the match, Colon gets a couple of more gusset plate shots in before the Duke fires back up. Murdoch is losing a lot of blood from his arm, his arm is redder than the jersey Colon is wearing. The two men stand in the center of the ring and trade fists and tube shots each looking to finally put away each other. Colon wraps up Murdoch in the camel clutch and goes out. Colon defeats the Duke.
Alex Colon retains the GCW Ultraviolent Championship
John Wayne Murdoch is squirting blood from his arm with each heartbeat. AKIRA is in the ring and tapes up Murdoch’s arm. Colon goes to the back and returns with the mic and says “this your gear bitch? Get the fuck out of my house” as he throws Murdoch’s luggage into the ring as the show goes off the air.
