For The Culture 2022
Friday, April 1, 2022, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas
By Jon Pine
Spoiler Free Match Recommendation:
Shane Taylor Promotions vs. The HitMakerZ
Darius Lockhart vs. AJ Gray
Hoodfoot vs. Billy Dixon
Trish Adora (champion) vs. MJ Jenkins
Commentary: AC Mack, ShugD, Faye Jackson
Ring Announcer: JRose
Impact Knockouts Title Match: Tasha Steelz (champion) vs. Big Swole
As Swole came to the ring, commentary noted that she still owed an apology from Tony Khan. Steelz said that JRose doesn’t know how to announce a champion properly and does her intro herself. Match started out fast with Swole connecting with a running double knee followed by a cutter for a near fall. They brawled on the floor with Steelz getting the best of the situation, she threw Swole back into the ring and landed a penalty kick for a two-count. Not satisfied with that outcome she started to chop away at Swole’s chest and hit her with the three amigos. Steelz locked in a straightjacket and continued to wear down Swole, Steelz went for an ace crusher but it was blocked by Swole who connected with three big chops and a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Swole connected with the dirty dancing but before she was able to cover the champion, Steelz rolled out of the ring. Swole came off the top rope and was caught with a cutter from Steelze who pinned Swole to retain her title.
Tasha Steelz Retained the Impact Knockouts Championship
Scramble Match: Keita vs. Ju Dizz vs. Trey Shaw vs. Carlie Bravo vs. Andino vs. Michael Oku vs. PB Smooth with Faye Jackson
This was my first time watching Michael Oku and he lived up to every bit of the hype that has followed him since his match with Will Ospreay. They started the match off with everyone attacking the much larger PB Smooth but that didn’t last long as he took every single competitor out. Keita and Ju Dizz paired off and started exchanging various holds and offensive maneuvers for a near fall that was broken up by Carlie Bravo who then attacked Keita. Bravo’s advantage didn’t last long as the much quicker Kieta vanquished him with a stunner which sent him to the outside of the ring. Oku then took over the match sending both Keita and Andino out to the floor; Andino took out Oku and hit a suicide dive that took out PB Smooth and Shaw. Oku returned to the ring with all of the competitors on the outside, he got the crowd fired up and hit a running Fosbury flop which took all of the men on the floor. PB Smooth returned to the center of the ring only to be drop kicked to the floor by Keita who then connected with a Tiger Driver onto Oku. Oku hit Shaw with a running knee followed by the half crab for the victory. This was what you would expect from a scramble match. All of the men got a chance to shine and show off their talents on one of the biggest stages.
Michael Oku won the Scramble Match
Tag Team Match: Shane Taylor Promotions (O’Shay Edwards and Shane Taylor) vs. HitMakerZ (AJ Francis and Tehuti Miles)
Taylor slapped Francis, Francis returned the favor stunning Taylor who then tagged in Edwards. These two giant men locked up but neither one of them could make the other budge. Francis bounced off the ropes and flattened O’Shay Edwards with a shoulder tackle which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Francis has deceptive agility as he evaded the incoming Taylor and quickly tagged in Miles. Miles and Edward ran a couple of spots that ended in MIles in a delayed vertical suplex from both O’Shay and Taylor. Taylor and Miles trade stiff shots to the face but Taylor has the size advantage and swatted away the much smaller Miles. O’Shay Edwards is an underrated talent, and Shane Taylor Promotions is an underrated team. STP continued to beat down Miles with Taylor hitting a massive clothesline for a two count. Miles made the hot tag to Francis who went to town on Big Shane Taylor but that momentum was cut off by STP as they placed Francis on the top rope and tried to connect with a superplex; but Miles made the save powerbombing STP and Francis followed that up by hitting a second rope moonsault. An incredible flurry of action from these two teams brought the crowd to their feet. Francis hit a wasteland/Samoan drop and went to pin O’Shay Edwards but he wasn’t the legal man. Miles tagged in but was immediately crushed by Shane Taylor who pinned him with a spinning piledriver. I really enjoyed this match, all four guys are incredibly talented and athletically gifted.
Shane Taylor Promotions Defeated The HitMakerZ
Post Match: Both teams stood in the center of the ring and raised their fists.
World Pan African Championship Match: Trish Adora (champion) vs. MJ Jenkins
They got to business quickly with a stiff collar and elbow tie-up with each trying to garner the advantage over the other; Adora was hung up on the ropes and Jenkins connected with a big boot to the side of Adora’s head. MJ proceeded to connect with a series of stiff overhand chops but was only able to register a two-count, MJ then landed a brutal head kick for another two-count. The crowd was firmly behind Trish Adora which only further pissed off MJ Jenkins, Adora went for a running crossbody but she was caught by Jenkins who slammed her into the turnbuckles. MJ continued to grind away on the champion with a sleeper hold but Adora was able to squat up and hit MJ with a jawbreaker who followed that offense up with a cross body and strikes, and then she hit a snap mare into a blockbuster for a two count. Trish went for the LariatTubman but it was blocked by MJ Jenkins who got off some more offense only to be caught with a deadlift sit-out atomic drop and was rolled up.
Trish Adora Retained the World Pan African Championship
Singles Non-Title Match: Darius Lockhart vs. GCW Extreme Champion AJ Gray
The two fist bump as they started the match quickly with a series of headlock takeovers and arm submissions. The two scrambled for position on the mat with Lockhart capturing the arm syncing a hammerlock; without his arm, AJ is unable to use his lariat or chop at his full potential. Lockhart bobbed and weaved as AJ threw a flurry of strikes but none of them connected, Lockhart went right back to working over the arm and fingers of the Extreme Champion AJ Gray. AJ was getting solidly beaten down and worked over by Darius Lockhart but he was able to reverse an Irish whip and connected with a stiff strike. AJ Gray slapped Lockhart in the mouth and started working over Lockhart with hard chops and kicks; Lockhart hit the Ethel Johnson Crossbody counter as he transitioned to chopping the stronger AJ Gray. Lockhart hit AJ with a quick combination of a T-Bone Suplex followed by a flying soul crossbody for a two count. AJ Gray called for the lariat but Lockhart held onto his leg and slapped him in the face; he muscled AJ Gray up and hit a big brainbuster followed by a running knee. AJ Gray hit one lariat, tried to Strike Gold once again but was met with a running knee to the face, that didn’t really phase Gray as he was able to trick Lockhart who was expecting a strike but instead Gray went for the pin.
AJ Gray Defeated Darius Lockhart
Four Way: Bryan Keith vs. Mysterious Q vs. Zenshi vs. JTG
JTG left the ring as the three Texas-based wrestlers started to fight and traded quick pinfalls. Zenshi hit Q with a top rope 619 but it didn’t really phase the largest man in the match who took him down with a powerslam followed by an elbow drop. JTG and Q faced off in the center of the ring and started to trade a series of stiff strikes and chops, JTG was able to hit a backdrop into a neckbreaker for a two-count. Q, Zenshi, and Keith hit a triple-team suplex onto JTG but Zenshi and Keith broke up the pin attempt and sent Q out of the ring, and started to fight amongst themselves. Q returned to the ring and hit JTG with an airplane spin into a blue thunder bomb for a two count, JTG caught Q by surprise and hit a twirling sidewalk slam, he went for the pin but it was broken up by Bryan Keith. Keith and JTG stood in the center of the ring and started to trade punches and kicks, Keith went for the Emerald bomb but JTG blocked it and got back body dropped out of the ring. Zenshi hit a coast to coast just to take out Bryan Keith’s leg, Zenshi went for a huricanrana but JTG muscled him up and hit a buckle bomb. Keith had Zenshi on his shoulders in the corner, Q ran up the ropes and hit a satellite electric chair cutter onto Zenshi for the victory.
Mysterious Q Defeated JTG, Bryan Keith, and Zenshi
Deathmatch: Hoodfoot vs. Billy Dixon
Commentary notes that this is the first-ever all-black Deathmatch in GCW history. This is Hoodfoot’s second Deathmatch in less than 24 hours, Billy Dixon came out to the ring to Prince’s Purple Rain which is also a first for the Deathmatch world. This match got very bloody very quick as they scramble for some light tubes with Hoodfoot connecting and sending Billy to the floor. Dixon blasted a gusset plate into Hoodfoot’s back followed by another one to his skull busting him wide open, Hoodfoot was relatively unfazed as he hit Dixon with a barbed wire 2×4. “He’s bleeding like he’s Carlos Colon in ‘89.” Hoodfoot and Dixon battled on the apron trading stiff forearms which sent both of them crashing through a door on the floor, the two men struggled to get back into the ring. Hoodfoot unloads on Billy Dixon’s head with 5 or 6 lightube shots, Hoodfoot set up two tubes, crisscrossed the throat of Billy Dixon, and stomps on them for a two count. Billy Dixon placed a bundle of tubes on the mat and hit Hoodfoot with an Unprettier for a two count. Hoodfoot was caught with a pop-up spine buster but kicked out strongly at two and proceeded to break a handful of light tubes over Billy’s back. Billy returned the favor from earlier by using the jagged edges of the tubes to carve away at the scarred forehead of Hoodfoot. Billy asks for forgiveness before Hoodfoot hits a pump handle powerbomb through the door but Billy kicked out at two as the crowd goes nuts, Hoodfoot responds by breaking the rest of the light tubes over Billy’s head and locking in the Border City Stretch for the victory.
Hoodfoot Defeated Billy Dixon
