#the people vs. gcw

[blueonwrestling]

aw man thats awful to hear AND SEE Allie Katch just straight up break her ankle at the GCW, you can see the photo below but warning her foot is legitmately backwards.

Yeah that shit sucks man poor gal.

[wrestlingisfake]

The People vs. GCW preview

Mance Warner vs. EFFY or Allie Katch - This is essentially a two-part main event--Effy and Katch will wrestle one-on-one, to determine which of them will challenge Warner later in the show, for the GCW world championship. Katch is seeking to become the second woman to hold the title.

Anything goes in a GCW ring, which doesn't mean every GCW match will become a blood-soaked battlefield strewn with broken glass and barbed wire, but when it comes to these three, you can count on it. I would not be shocked if these two matches go back-to-back, blending seamlessly together. I would also not be shocked if the first match ends in a non-finish, and the title bout becomes a three-way.

Effy and Mance were teammates in the Second Gear Crew, until Warner turned on Effy in December 2023. Over the next six months, Effy went 2-1-2 in a series of grudge matches, but ol' Mancer got the last laugh by winning the world title in June. In October they met in a four-on-four double cage match; Effy's team lost after Allie ran in to turn on him. In November, Effy finally challenged Warner for the world title, but Katch ran in again, laying out both men for a no-contest.

GCW does two things well. One is crazy deathmatch spots, but the undercard is probably going to give us our fill of that. The other is ridiculously overbooked clusterfucks in the main event. I sometimes reference an old HOT NEWZ~! column from 20+ years ago that predicted a WWF show would end with a zillion run-ins, and everybody would take their shirts off to reveal a different shirt before they turned face/heel. That's what it feels like when I casually check in on GCW once in a while. These two matches are literally about all of Effy's friends crawling out of the woodwork to stab him in the back, and I'm pretty sure more will show up to keep doing it. And we're at the point where I'd buy it if Mance's heel allies turned on him for no reason, just to keep it fair.

It would be pretty cool to see Allie win the big one, and I'm pretty sure the crowd would chant "you deserve it" even though she's basically been a heel for years. It would also make sense if Warner stands tall at the end, to firmly establish him as the face of the promotion going forward and the man to beat. But I guess I'm an old softie, and I think it's overdue for Effy to get his flowers. With Nick Gage gone, this guy is Mister GCW, and even when Nick was around, Effy was the franchise player. The theme of this show is that it's a do-over of their first Hammerstein Ballroom show in 2022, but this time they're going to get it right. I can't think of a better way to do that than for Effy to go out with the gold.

Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku vs. Alec Price & Cole Radrick - Violence is Forever (Garrini and Ku) are defending the GCW tag team title. I watched the official hype video for this and I could barely tell any of these guys apart, so there's not really a convoluted backstory or anything. It's just two teams I don't know, going at it to prove who's the best, and also the champs are heels. That would be perfectly acceptable on a New Japan show in the US, so I'm sure it'll be good here too. I could see this going either way, but I'll pick the Gahbage Daddies (Price and Radrick) to get the sentimental title change.

El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem - Akeem is probably best known from his WWE run as Reginald, where he was Carmella's sommelier until Vince McMahon figured out that gimmick sucks, and then he was just "Reggie," the guy who can do cool flips but nobody takes him seriously because the sommelier gimmick was death. Anyway, he's reinvented himself on the indies somewhat, and I've seen him in ROH a couple of times. He wanted to prove himself against the best high-flyer on this show. Well, Vikingo fits the bill. This should be a good showing for Akeem to establish him at this level, but I have to think Vikingo will win.

Maki Itoh vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Matthew Justice vs. Rina Yamashita vs. Matt Tremont vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Dr. Redacted vs. Drew Parker - This match is for both the GCW ultraviolent title (which is currently vacant) and the GCW extreme title (Itoh is the defending champion). It's billed as a "doors, ladders, and chairs match," which basically just means it's a ladder match but they're bringing extra junk to the ring for the wrestlers to fight with. Both belts will be hung above the ring, and the first participant to climb a ladder to retrieve them will win the match and both championships, which are apparently going to be unified.

Kirk has announced that--win, lose, or draw--he is retiring after this match. He lost the ultraviolent belt to Sawyer Wreck, on the night of her retirement, which is why the title is vacant. So there's a chance Kirk could end the vacancy and then immediately create a new one. Parker, Murdoch, and Yamashita are also former ultraviolent champions. I don't know who the hell Redacted is, and I'm pretty sure I forgot who Justice is.

This one match should have the highest concentration of light tubes and glass panes and shit, on top of crazy ladder spots. That could be a problem, considering Maki Itoh is a tiny little Japanese idol girl out there with a bunch of big mean guys. Yeah, I don't know what those chumps are gonna do about my girl Maki, so I'm picking her to win.

Megan Bayne vs. Atticus Cogar - Bayne won a battle royale last month to earn future GCW world title match. Cogar is mad that she eliminated him in said match. This would be pretty basic except Bayne looks like Wonder Woman and Cogar is a skeevy indie wrestling mega dick heel, so he's being a creepy weirdo about it.

I expect this will mainly be interesting because earlier this week Bayne reportedly signed with AEW, and I would imagine the GCW faithful aren't really happy with AEW lately. So even though Cogar is one of the most reviled guys in the promotion, Megan might end up being public enemy number one. Assuming Bayne is really All Elite now, she should probably finish up with GCW tonight, and that should probably mean doing the job on the way out.

Joey Janela vs. Masato Tanaka - So I remember the rivalry in ECW between Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka, but every time Tanaka comes back for a nostalgia spot I realize I don't remember anything about him, specifically. He's 51 now, and I'm sure he's here mainly so the Hammerstein Ballroom gets to see an ECW legend. It feels like I only hear about Janela anymore when he's wrestling an old-timer to prove he can make anybody look good. I'm not sure it matters to anyone which guys wins, so I could see this going either way.

Matt Cardona vs. ??? - Cardona issued an open challenge for this show, claiming that GCW had several different matchups planned for him that fell through. I was under the impression he'd be facing Ricky Starks here, before Effy provoked Tony Khan into pulling all AEW/ROH talent from GCW. I'd like to think GCW found somebody good, but if it was somebody really good, I think the would have advertised them before the show. So I'm expecting somebody who can get a good pop but not a needle-mover. Cardona could win or lose this, depending on who they get.

Josh Barnett vs. Tom Pestock - This match will be contested under the rules that GCW uses in the Josh Barnett's Bloodsport shows. Which is kind of weird, since on those shows the ring is set up without any ropes or turnbuckles, which sounds like a headache for the ring crew to do for this one match. I'm actually not sure the rules are that different--it's just that on Bloodsport shows, the wrestlers stop pretending that flips, throws, and haymakers make sense in an actual fight. The idea is to more closely simulate a legit grappling contest, with an emphasis on defending against holds and staying out from under one's opponent.

Pestock is best known from his 12-year WWE run as Baron Corbin; as far as I know this is his first match since they let his contract run out. They're hyping this up like Pestock has legit fighting credentials, and I don't doubt that's why Barnett wants the match. But it's going to be touch to erase the stench of some truly awful heel gimmicks that WWE gave to Corbin throughout his tenure. I think Barnett won't have a problem jobbing to Pestock to make him look good, but I expect it'll go over about as well as Ernest Miller jumped from WCW to ECW to tap out Taz in the Hammerstein.

Richard Holliday vs. Charles Mason - This is a steel cage match, so the ring will be surrounded by a metal structure to keep the participants locked inside, and everyone else locked out, until one man scores a fall.

I only know Holliday as the other guy from the Dynasty, a stable in MLW that included MJF and Alexander Hammerstone. I guess about a year ago Holliday turned on Hammersone and aligned with Mason. Then in August Holliday turned on Mason and, in an impressive twist, produced evidence that Mason is a serial killer, and had him arrested. As best I can tell the story is that Mason escaped from prison in November, and nobody in GCW gives a shit because they're letting him have this cage match. So yeah, I'm never buying an MJF storyline from Temu again.

The whole "escaped convict" thing is particularly silly in GCW, because I can't pretend they're above or beneath the law, considering the first Nick Gage Invitational almost got screwed up because Nick Gage had a legit parole violation. As far as the match itself, it'd be pretty dumb if Mason went to all this trouble just to get beat with a cheap heel finish by Holliday, so I bet that's what will happen.

Tajiri & Super Crazy & Little Guido vs. Arez & Gringo Loco & Jack Cartwheel - Tajiri's team is clearly representing ECW. Arez and Loco are fixtures of "GCW is throwing a random lucha tag match in the middle of the show." Cartwheel is more of a "GCW is doing a scramble match in the opener" kind of guy. Regardless, those three should be able to bounce around to distract from the old guys' limitations. If Tajiri doesn't spit mist in someone's face, I'm not sure what we're doing here. Team ECW for the win.

Homicide & Grim Reefer & Amazing Red vs. Tony Deppen & Griffin McCoy & Kerry Morton - Deppen, McCoy, and Morton were attacking Reefer at some show when Homicide made the save. They issued a challenge for a trios match, and at some point they announced Red as their partner. Homicide and Red are living legends from the post-ECW indy scene. I don't know if Reefer is on that level, but he's old as balls and likes weed, so that'll do. I'm thinking Deppen pulls a cheapshot to steal a win from Reefer, but then the good guys clear the ring for a post-match happy ending.

[wrestlingisfake]

I love that EFFY went off on AEW and GCW was so unbothered that they put him in tonight's double main event, but when PCO starts to go off on TNA they're like "pweeze no shooty :("

This is insane and quiet the move to make. PCO destroys the GCW Digital Media championship live on GCW PPV while TNA is airing it's own PPV opposite of it. He then goes on a rant, quits TNA, and has to have his shoot be cut.

[heelbucks]

also,

i met joey & atticus they were so sweet!!

[espioakakeith]

SIDNEY AKEEM VS EL HIJO VIKINGO AT THE HAMMERSTEIN!?!?!?!?!?

[romiswired]

Cara Noir vs. Effy (GCW Live in London 2025)

Yes, I have subjected myself to this.

Effy is the worst cancer that you shall never get rid of. He is what people think a "gay" wrestler is because he has not made any effort in being good and being a good representative of the LGBT+ community in wrestling. In the past I thought he was there for the vibes, you know, as an act rather than a wrestler, but time passed, and he even decided to try and become more than what people perceived him to be. He tried to be taken seriously, but he just couldn't escape his own perception of himself. He couldn't leave the thing that made him famous and infamous for that matter: he couldn't stop *being* Effy.

And what is Effy? Notice I've said "what" and not "who" because to me Effy is no longer an act for the vibes, but the representation of what pushes down LGBT+ wrestlers to a road of mediocrity. He is everything wrong with wrestling, in the sense he's not looking for people to appreciate wrestlers in the community for more than the fetishization he brings to the table.

There are so many great examples of LGBT+ wrestlers that are fantastic or at least try to put the effort. Even if I don't particularly like some of them, in a world where Effy tries to be the norm and the thing people think IS an LGBT+ wrestler, Mike Bailey and Nyla Rose stand out to me as great examples of the opposite. As a proud member of the community, I'm sick and tired of Effy being *our* main representative in the wrestling scene because he does not represent *us* at all but what people think we can give.

When you see Effy, you can't take him seriously because he's just *gay* and that's the joke. He's weird, he's quirky, he's wicked, and he's disgusting because THAT's what gay people should be in wrestling, right? They all shall be freaks of nature, but what Effy fails to understand or does not want to recognize is that WRESTLING is a sport for the freaks. The wrestlers are not normal individuals, so there's no necessity in highlighting your wickedness only because you're a gay man if the sport welcomes even more wicked concepts.

And to be honest, what is *wicked* about a gay man? He's just gay, that's it. We have passed the need for Effy in the wrestling world because he's just a reminder of what LGBT+ wrestlers shouldn't be. They shouldn't be compiled and compressed into one-trick ponies that people can't take seriously. They should strive for more.

The worst thing about Effy is that even when being criticized by members of the community he says he represents, he can't acknowledge the damage he's doing in terms of perception and how the common public views LGBT+ wrestlers. His head is so far to his ass, he stands in the middle of the ring and acts like a moral compass of what wrestling should be.

He proudly claims he's a bold man, but you shouldn't confuse boldness with straight out ego, and an undeserving one. Effy does not understand the reason we criticize him is not because we hate him, but because he should understand the position he's in and should look for ways to make people accept LGBT+ wrestlers for more than the jokes he pulls out.

Enter Cara Noir, a wrestler who even if you don't like him has made the effort to go onto something more special and unique in wrestling. His rivalry with Ilja Dragunov, while extremely melodramatic and silly, tried to be something else than what Effy does. Dragunov and Noir tried to tell you a love story by fighting and highlighting the performative art wrestling can be because of its variety.

Even if you don't stand for that perspective of wrestling, you can at least appreciate the attempt to strive for more, to live as something more than who you may think Noir is. In Noir also lied tragedy, sadness, melancholy. He was not just a Black Swan-inspired gimmick. He was not just a gimmick, or a joke. Noir existed as something else, a manifestation of what the community could strive to be in terms of how they approach wrestling.

Noir vs Dragunov even in his theatrical nature had a brutality and a sense of wickedness not brought by the idea they were kissing or showing signs of love, but because of the battles they went through. My issue with Effy lies in the idea he NEVER treats his identity as something that he should live with, but highlights it over and over and over and over to hide his most obvious mistakes.

Yes, he's gay, and yes, he's a maniac, but the idea of Effy highlights the gay part more than the maniac one, so you sit and think "oh well he's a maniac because he's gay, and gays are weeeeeeird". That's the joke, that's the punchline, there's nothing else hidden or brought by Effy that could awaken something more than cringe and disappointment, AND THAT'S WHERE THE ISSUES LIE.

If the main representative of the LGBT+ community in wrestling brings his contemporaries to a level of mediocrity so high, people constantly said he and his peers shouldn't be included in wrestling, where does that leave all the other members of the community? Why are we stuck doing 2018 Pride Parade bullshit when people of our community around the world continue to be harassed and killed? Why can't wrestling think of the LGBT+ community as more than an accessory? Why can't we have serious and heartfelt stories told by LGBT+ wrestlers?

Who said Monomoth can't be a bloody and beautiful underdog fighting for a world title? What is our end goal in wrestling if the focus of the community continues to be on someone like Effy that not only does not understand the damage he's doing, but surrounds himself around ass-kissers that will NEVER doubt anything he does? Is the LGBT+ community stuck and subject to continue doing jokes with our sexuality, or can we think and dream of a future where our own people stop receiving comments doubting the importance of LGBT+ representation in wrestling?

Because I don't know about you, but I'm tired of celebrating Effy, because I'm not proud and neither I feel represented.

[aleisters]

Would it be alright to get some recommendations on how to get into wrestling? I'm intrigued by your posting but I also have no idea where to start do I just search "most homoerotic wrestling" and go from there?

i will do my best to provide a baby starter guide … this is kind of how i got into things, but streamlined so that you dear reader can figure out what you want out of life, instead of fucking around consistently like i did

“isn’t wrestling silly and fake?”

yes. however, the unreality of wrestling and the blend between what’s real, what’s staged, and the genuine athleticism of the wrestlers makes for incredible long-term, partly improvised narratives that can happen nowhere else. you’re not watching a sports show — you’re watching a mix of theatre and gymnastics.

“is wrestling for me?”

suggestion: watch supereyepatchwolf’s video , “professional wrestling is stupid and beautiful and i love it”. it’s meant to convey the wonder and fun and joy of this silly silly thing to people who are not into wrestling or don’t understand it. if you’re still curious about wrestling when you’re done, it’s time to start watching for real.

“ok, i’m still curious. now what?”

fuck it, we ball. the beauty of wrestling is that whilst there are long term narratives, all the individual matches need to convey is the struggle of that moment. whether it’s a long term feud coming to a head, friends who have to compete or have turned on each other, someone struggling to the top of a championship mountain, or a challenger coming in to try and dethrone a champion - all that matters will be conveyed to you by the tone of the match and the commentators. so you can just pick up anywhere and dive right in. but across dozens of promotions, where do you start?

well, for you i’ll do what i did, which is pick on all elite wrestling (aew). they’re not better or worse than anyone else, but bluntly for me i think a lot of the wrestlers there are cute and they’re easy for me to find. here are a few matches off the top of my head, not in any particular order. i list their names and then what show you can find the match on. most of these can be found on the internet archive, if not all.

MJF vs CM PUNK (Revolution 2022) — dog collar match. they’re collared and chained to each other. mjf hits cm punk over the back with the chain and it leaves very real, visible marks. extremely sexy if you’re into that sort of thing.

DARBY ALLIN vs JON MOXLEY (Dynamite 08/05/2020) — i’ll be real this one awakened something in me it’s just very. um. it’s just very. umm. uhhh. 😓

DARBY ALLIN & STING vs TEAM TAZ (Revolution 2021) — this is fun because it’s filmed in a warehouse location and more cinematically. it’s goofy, but has some intense stunts too. i love this match. bonus points because sting literally picks darby up and throws him.

BRYAN DANIELSON vs KAZUCHIKA OKADA (Forbidden Door 2023) — so fair warning, bryan breaks his arm for real in this match. you can’t really tell except for how he stops using his right arm for the last 10-15 mins of the match, but i love this match. bryan and okada are just both great and very intense. (btw okada broke bryan’s orbital socket last month, please help)

MJF vs KENNY OMEGA (Collision 28/10/2023) i wanted a kenny match on this list and this one is recent but great, in part because of the respect the two men show each other, rather than being an outright feud. my heart grows three sizes whenever matches end in a cuddle.

i also recommend AEW ALL IN 2023, which was a ppv at wembley and literally every match is incredible and a banger. fucking rules.

“i watched those and they sucked!”

i dunno man try wwe or npjw or gcw idk or maybe you just don’t like wrestling

“i watched those and they RULED!”

congrats! now look into aew’s weekly shows or their numerous PPV shows, and start looking at shows from other promotions like wwe, njpw, and gcw! search the names of wrestlers you enjoyed to find more matches that they’re in! be free, and let the half naked sweaty men consume your brain 💜

i hope this helped 🥹

[sithwitch13]

AEW Dynamite 10/2/24

Aaaa starting with BCC giving me life and drama

"We have big plans for you, Yuta." Cult shit, I am so here for cult shit

Taz news? Is Taz ok?!

Yay Nigel though!

Yooooo Ricochet vs Ospreay to start!

That look from Takeshita aaaaaaa

Yaaaaay not having to use Fite any more, though I may still keep it for GCW.

LOL NIGEL SAYING HE TRICKED DANIELSON I WILL DIE

Wtf

Okay thank you for making them both look strong without having a dumbass draw finish

SOUP NO

At least it's a finish we're meant to hate

Mercedes and Kamille and Renee look so pretty omg

Mercedes is such a fun obnoxious villain, I can't help but love her

YOOOO MVP ALLYING WITH MERCEDES

AEW is full of cunty little brats and i love that so much for us all. I want to see them all together at a bitchy Regency tea party.

HANGMAN VS THE GUNNS YOOOO

Oh christ the elementary school play trees are back

Conglomeration my loves

Please move on from this feud, it has been so many months

Biiiiiitch

Darby open challenge? Hmmm.

HANGMAN TIME

His pants keep tricking me into thinking he's back to the panties but it's never true

Angry Cowboy Murders Literal Muppet

HANGMAN DON'T YELL AT AUBREY

Oh, they're writing Taz off so he can get knee surgery, got it

"It was a great match. That you lost." God I love Bitchy Schiavone.

Oh shit he's hanging people again

THE KNIFE PERVERT IS BACK!!!

JACK PERRY VS SHIBATA GIMME IT

I hate that the women's match is the one I'm looking forward to least but I just can't with Serena Deeb

Not the hugest Britt fan either but I do have a soft spot for her. The "chubby Whataburger faces" promo was my first ever live show and I do in fact love (and miss) Whataburger.

Mariah! Also lol at Nigel

Yay Queen Aminata!

Angry Hook

CHRISTIAN

Willoooooooow!!!

Yay Private Party! Yay Iron Savages!

That Bucks/Private Party match was the first ever match I saw on AEW. Good memory.

Aww my fancy gremlin boys!

Matthew is growing ever closer to that one drawing of him I did

YOOOOOOO SHELTON BENJAMIN

I love them antagonizing Nana specifically

Oh god Brodie Lee I am going to cry

DANIELSON VS OKADA HERE WE FUCKING GO

I love Nigel so much.

Schiavone like "I am so tired of your shit, Nigel"

One of my shoulders hasn't been sitting right this week and I wish someone would do that shoulder thing to me

Okada's flip off zoom-out still pops me

RRRRRAAAAHHH DOING EACH OTHERS' MOVES

Aaa BCC looking on

Is it me or does Claudio look proud?

Aaaaaaaaa

AAAAAAAA

YOOTS

I am so stressed

I'm gonna die

I AM GONNA DIE

Oh thank god Yuta is a good boy

[xsunfoxx]

two of my favs, going at it.

Jon Moxley vs Blake Christian, The People vs GCW, 07/29/22

[aawwrestling0009]

The People Vs. GCW, January 19 2025

[cavenewstimes]

TNA Wrestling Star Claims He

Emma Mcintyre/Getty Images After now-former TNA star PCO unexpectedly destroyed the TNA Digital Media Champion at The People vs. GCW on Sunday, the talent has taken to social media to make some bold claims. PCO posted a photo of a wrestling news YouTube video about his off-script actions at the GCW event, seemingly confirming that he went into business for himself when he smashed the belt. PCO…

[wrestlingisfake]

Brett Lauderdale is giving a speech during the GCW pre-show and geez everybody makes fun of Tony Khan but at least he wraps up in like 90 seconds while the cameras are off.

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

Everyone please send prayers and good vibes to Allie Katch ! She was injured during her match with Effy at The People vs GCW! I did see the video and I will not post it here out of respect for her .

[heelbucks]

after talking with @nickswayne & seeing the people vs gcw in person i fear that

a). we are SO back

b). i am going to start writing for the gcw babes

[brxdyking]

if u aren’t watching the people vs gcw. buy it now

[romiswired]

Masha Slamovich vs. Shayna Baszler (GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport X)

This is the Shayna we've been missing.

Beyond the flashing lights of the World Wrestling Federation lies a dim soul who wishes to get in the ring and fight. Her opponent is none other than Masha Slamovich, a wrestler whose resume speaks for itself. A wrestler whose style is influenced by two things: Violence and technique. Masha is the perfect opponent for this dim soul I'm talking about, as she can awaken to her rival's instincts and can undoubtedly give her the fight she's looking to have since god knows when. Said dim soul knows the mastermind behind it all, and in what presumably is a new era in the company she works for (and has sadly given her the middle finger with inconsistent booking) Shayna Baszler comes to Bloodsport with one idea in her mind: Prove to people she will still kick ass whenever she has the chance, and Triple H be damned if this monster of a wrestler didn't do that here.

Shayna's booking is not a secret to the people that know what she's capable of doing. One of the biggest sins in modern WWE (and there's a lot) is not giving such a credible competitor a booking worthy of her capabilities as a performer. Shayna's run in NXT was fantastic because Hunter understood what she needed to do. Wrestle.

Shayna's whole character was bringing violence to the table and bone-breaking action at its finest. We were talking about a wrestler who was experienced in MMA and had traveled the world before signing with WWE. There was no way to fuck it up. And when you put Shayna in front of another wrestler whose bookers simply don't get her (Dakota Kai) the dynamic was told since Day 1. Everything that I said here was not taken into consideration when Shayna debuted in the Main Roster and became...whatever the hell she is now.

The good thing is that WWE's version of Shayna is not in this match, and it shouldn't by any means because this match MEANS something for both competitors. This match was more about the fight than it was about WWE and GCW working together. Bloodsport is known as the hardest-hitting event in wrestling. Therefore, the competitors are meant to hit hard and use every tool in their arsenal to survive and be victorious. The ring has no ropes. It's just the mat. The mat that has the blood of many engrained into it. The mat that has sweat, tears, and passion engrained into it.

Shayna's home is the mat, and by facing Slamovich in this fantastic and severely underrated bout she proves to be an insane competitor still. She steps into Masha's territory, and while Slamovich has her number for the most part of the match, Shayna is willing to do so and embraces the fact she's getting to WRESTLE. Shayna still has that grit and violence in her, and this match awakens a long-forgotten side of Shayna that fans have been accustomed to forget/ignore because it's better to have her being a vampire or whatever the fuck. An underrated piece of work from the sickos' Wrestlemania.