GCW With My Family
Reviewing GCW’s Drop Dead from Harpos in Detroit.
(Credit: GCW)
Some time has gone by and Brett Lauderdale has brought GCW back to Detroit, and more importantly brought the traveling circus back to Harpos! Last time they showed up in the historic venue I fell in love with the beauty of what used to be that has battled the test of time and survived years and years of Disco and Heavy Metal. I knew I would be going again after I saw the Briscoes and Second Gear Crew fly off the scaffolding threw tables down to the ring, Harpos history set the perfect scene for a GCW show.
However, I didn’t think the next time I would be showing up I would be in attendance with my family. The last Harpos show coincided with a trip my parents took down to Indiana to see family, in which my cousin turned on GCW, “The Old Me” on for all to watch! To their surprise, they found out I was there live in the flesh as the wrestlers spilled their flesh all over the Harpos pit and stage. 6 months later and here I am back at Harpos with my Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Cousin watching GCW “Drop Dead.” A card that didn’t draw as much fandom as the last but ended up being a fun show to attend and left us wanting more shows to come to in the future.
The Fite TV stream was a bit behind, and as imaginable, a GCW show started a bit late, but for recompense they gave us a dark match to get the blood moving. I couldn’t tell you who it was it but I can tell you it was a quick bout ending in a Gargano Escape looking submission.
Jordan Oliver def. Shiho Hong: ★
Fun match to get things moving, action to the outside but some repetitive sequences took me out a little bit. A slip up didn’t stop Jordan Oliver from correcting his leaping cutter and securing the victory over “Your True Korean Idol” Shiho Hong. A subtle build to the fast-paced matches we would see in beginning of this show, was enough to get some engagement from my dad that never has watched wrestling, let alone attend live.
Blake Christian def. Cole Radrick: **
The “Raddy Daddy” Cole Radrick got some love being an Indiana man with my family in town from Indiana as well, but he really delivered in the ring. Blake Christian is a name I have heard on other podcasts from some Indy promotions but not one I’ve seen live and this was a great showing. High flying off the questionably loose ring ropes was eye popping but the biggest crowd pleaser of the match was when Radrick attempted the One Inch Punch multiple times in the match. With not a lot of big names to the irregular GCW fan, this is what you needed to get the night going in a right direction. Fans were into the match, high flying and effortless counters.
Nick Wayne def. ASF, Komander, & Gringo Loco: ★★★
Match of the night, match of the week, best spots of the night all go to this match. Originally not the scheduled match, this turned out to be so fast paced and high flying that even my family were captivated by these four wrestlers. Lucha Libre style brings out so much energy, not only in the wrestlers but the fans themselves when they’re so close to the action. Every wrestler came flying in the direction in our seats garnered collective “WOW's” from my parents. Gringo Loco oozes heel heat in his look and actions but is impossible to not enjoy in a match. ASF and Komander put on a clinic in Hurricanranas and walking the ropes respectively. The real star of it all, Nick Wayne, was incredible! For such a young kid he is putting on fantastic matches before he is able to work for the bigger promotions. This kid can sell and draw you in till he lets off an incredible aerial assault; I look forward to seeing Wayne continue through the Indy’s till he’s of age and can made it to the bigger promotions.
Jonathon Gresham def. YAMATO: ★★
The pacing set by the first three matches came to an abrupt halt once we got to this match. As you would imagine in any Gresham match, this was a very technical showing full of grappling, locks, and holds. The biggest turn off to this match was the absence of Jonathon Gresham’s octopus mask, huge bummer! A near fall for YAMATO led to some bickering between both sides if the match should be over yet or not, but it would be Gresham rolling up and gaining a neck bridging pin victory over the Japanese wrestler.
Bussy def. Chase Burnett and MM3: ★★
The best outcome of this match happened—not one family member asked me the meaning of “Bussy.” The “Too Gay Power Trip” took it to the makeshift team of local MM3 and Uncle Chase Burnett who had a fun aging wrestler gimmick with a cane and bad joints. Allie Katch did not give a damn if Uncle Chase was old or not, barking orders to EFFY to “Get His Ass!” over and over from the corner. Eventually they would land their powerbomb leg drop combo finisher on MM3 and win the match.
(Things had been all well and tame for a GCW show but that’s when they brought out the fuckery and we slid into the deathmatch section of the show... I am not giving these next 2 matches ratings as I’m not a real fan of the deathmatch style and don’t want a bias to negatively reflect what these wrestlers did.)
Shane Mercer def. Tommy Vendetta: NR
Light tubes filled the corners before these two stepped out for a deathmatch, something I’m never too fond in seeing. Shane Mercer came out looking like a juiced-up gladiator ready to spray blood everywhere whether it was his or Detroit native Tommy Vendetta. Vendetta had the early advantage but eventually Mercer was able to take control and throw Vendetta off the Hapros stage crashing through a set up door. After that, repetitive head shots with light tubes, flinging shrapnel directly into the crowd against the pit wall, set Mercer up for the win by hitting his finisher on a bed of Legos (really, like the light tube shards weren’t enough?). The most jarring sight was seeing broken tubes flying directly in the direction of the crowd with children in attendance as I had my back turned and eyes and mouth covered. Not my cup of tea but this didn’t scare off any bit of the crowd. A bunch of SICK FUCKS!
I thought that deathmatch would be enough to send my parents and aunts into cardiac arrest, but they were still alive, shocked but still alive. This match would turn out to be child’s play to what was still to come...
Hoodfoot def. Jimmy Lloyd: NR
The last time Hoodfoot was in Detroit for a GCW show, he suffered a large gash and some bad blood loss in a broken light tube fight. Clearly still with some wounds, taped up and a brace, this injury would not stop this man from doing some sick shit. Panes of glass, some wrapped in barbed wire were placed all over the ring along with more light tubes preparing us all for more violent destruction. Jimmy Lloyd was in the Halloween spirit, trying to carve up Hoodfoot’s forehead like a pumpkin with the broken tubes. Lloyd would end up going through a bunch of glass, getting caught up in the barbed wire like he stepped in a spider web. The crescendo of the match would come as Hoodfoot set a pane of glass on fire and sending Jimmy through it before splashing through more glass on top of him to take the victory. Equal amounts of glass shards in each of their backs as the amounts of “What The Fuck” that came out of my Mom’s mouth.
Shout out to the guy who offered my aunt and myself the ass end of his spliff…not the time buddy, not the time… maybe next time ;)
Los Mazisos def. Mega Bastards© and Second Gear Crew (DLC Match for GCW Tag Championship): ★★
As if the night hadn’t been filled with a ton of fuckery already, multiples doors were added to the décor ready to be destroyed along with a refill of glass panes and light tubes. Whatever way they get around music licensing be damned, hearing Pantera’s “Walk” as Second Gear Crew comes rolling to the ring can’t help but get you hyped for what you’re about to see. As the lunatics kept coming into the ring it was overfilled with weaponry and just the right people to use it all. Just like an over flowing pot of boiling water, the madness of this match quickly came out right towards us in the ringside section. Matthew Justice respectfully told us all to “Get the Fuck out of the way and take your chairs.” We all complied and watched as what was once our seating arrangements turn into a warzone of bloody bodies getting sent thru doors and beaten with the remnants of said doors. A tower of chairs and doors were set up near a ladder at the front of the stage, signaling for danger for one unlucky soul, Alex Colon ended up being exactly that eating a ‘Death Valley Driver’ from the top of the ladder by Los Mazisos. Throughout all the brutality, all the competitors made their way into the middle of the ring for a sword fight with light tubes that would make J.R.R. Tolkien turn over in his grave. Once it was all said and done Los Mazisos would win the titles off the Mega Bastards and earn their 3rd GCW Tag Title Reign.
Well, no harm was done to my family who had no idea what they were getting into and I think actually enjoyed themselves! We all shared the same sentiments of the 4-way being the match of the night and a really fun match to watch. I hope overall this provided some light into the world wrestling for my non-fan family, and that saying “Wrestling is Fake” is just untrue. whwSure, there is choreography and predetermined finishes but there is without a doubt no way you can fake the real harm each wrestler is inflicting on their opponents (Especially in GCW). And please for the love of god, remember to bring N95 masks for your whole family on your next trip when the Game Changer Wrestling circus comes to your town.
(Credit: GCW)
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