GCW Cage of Survival Report: John Wayne Murdoch vs. Alex Colon

June 6, 2022 Jon Pine NEWS, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: GCW

GCW Cage of Survival
Sunday, June 5, 2022,
Carousel Room, Showboat Hotel
Atlantic City, New Jersey

By: Jon Pine

I thought a lot about the Hall of Fame Ceremony on my ride back to Rhode Island this afternoon. What stuck with me is how unintentionally all of these inductees and inductors told the story of a Deathmatch Wrestler and what this business does to one’s body. The theme that capped off the night was knowing when it’s the time to walk away and secure a healthy future for yourselves. 

The show opened with Mad Man Pondo eulogizing JC Bailey who at the young age of 27 died due to addiction issues. There were multiple times throughout the speech where Pondo lost his place and said openly, “work with me here I got hit in the head a lot.” Being in the business killed JC Bailey and has crippled Pondo both physically and brain-wise. Deranged induction speech was tough to watch, he had immense trouble getting in and out of the ring due to his broken body and 400lbs plus frame. Much like Pondo, Deranged had to stop many times, sometimes for at least a minute to try and find his words, there were transposed sentences, repeated phrases, and silence. It broke my heart. Toby is a success story within the confines of Deathmatch wrestling, like many of the early 2000’s guys he developed a crippling addiction and substance abuse problem that almost cost him his life, he was hooked on opiates and heroin. Until he met his current wife who he credited for saving his life, he is now 9 years sober, has no involvement in the wrestling business, and works as an addiction and substance abuse counselor within his community. As they say in political campaigning, he closed his speech with a field pitch, imploring the audience both in the room and at home to reach out to him if they know someone who is struggling both in the business and outside of it. There were many people, myself included, who were greatly moved by this truly humble and empathetic ask. I gained even more respect for Toby Klein last night. Dewey Donovan isn’t a wrestler but he was in the locker rooms throughout the years, he has been friends with Nick Gage for over 20 years and he has a well-documented history of substance abuse. Dewey talked about how he kept to himself in locker rooms most of the time as everyone else did their thing, he was able to escape that and only be tangentially tied in with all of the backstage antics. It was what Nick Mondo said about Wifebeater that made me take a step back. Mondo retired at the age of 23 after realizing the serious toll this style was having on his body and wanted a better life for himself. Wifebeater’s retirement took Mondo by surprise as it resonated with him ‘If the toughest guy in the locker room, the real-life terminator knows when it’s time to call it a career maybe I should as well. Mondo and Beater got out of the business at young ages after only a handful of years in it, the toll that those years took on their bodies was significant enough that they knew this wasn’t going to last forever, and securing a future for themselves was a major priority. 

Dewey Donovan has a whole other life outside of the wrestling world, I don’t want to know what he does in real life because kayfabe is still cool. Wifebeater was there with his family and two sons and is a utility lineman for the county. Toby Klein was there with his family and children and is an addiction counselor, Nick Mondo works in the film industry as a screenwriter, cinematographer, and part-time stuntman. He has no wrestling-related health issues and leads a happy and healthy life. JC Bailey is dead, Mad Man Pondo is badly hobbled and single and still takes bookings because he was never able to get out of wrestling and Deranged is suffering from his litany of wrestling attributed issues. 

I hope that the young guys who are competing take what Mondo said, what Wifebeater did, and Toby’s transformation to heart, especially when juxtaposed with Pondo, Bailey, and Deranged. It comes down to knowing when to quit, knowing when the ride is over, and setting up something outside of wrestling that will satiate that adrenaline rush they get from Wrestling. This journey doesn’t last forever and the miles you put on your body from competing in deathmatches take their toll and we saw every stage of that toll last night at the Hall of Fame. 

I highly recommend checking out Nick Mondo’s speech. 

Spoiler Free Recommendations: 

Joey Janela vs. Sawyer Wreck
Toru Sugiura and Rina Yamashita vs. Meido Extremo and Ciclope
John Wayne Murdoch vs. Alex Colon
Ironbeasts vs. SGC

Cage of Survival Results:

Extreme Title Championship Scramble: Cole Radrick vs. Mike Bailey vs. Jordan Oliver vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Nick Wayne vs. AKIRA vs. AJ Gray (champion)

All of the competitors exchanged fists as AJ watched as he slowly took out each competitor, leaving himself and Jordan Oliver in the ring together. Mike Bailey was able to take Oliver off of his feet with a kick to the chest, and AKIRA entered the ring taking on Mike Bailey for the first time. AKIRA vs. Bailey would be a fantastic singles match as it would give AKIRA a chance to show off his wrestling acumen. Like yesterday, Cole Radrick was super over with the crowd as he and Jimmy Lloyd exchanged strikes in the center of the ring; Nick Wayne took out all of the competitors until AJ Gray entered the ring and sent him to the floor. Jordan Oliver once again steps up to AJ Gray but was quickly dropped with a chop, AKIRA entered the ring and offered up his chest to AJ Gray who gladly obliged and took him out. Wayne and Oliver took out AJ Gray again with quick double-team maneuvers that sent AJ Gray out of the ring, which gave AKIRA a chance to reenter and take out Oliver; AKIRA was sporting the wounds from last night as he was crowned the Canadian Deathmatch Champion. Nick Wayne hit a Fosbury flop onto Jimmy Lloyd and climbed up to the top rope only to be hit with a series of headbutts from AKIRA. Cole hit a tope to the floor, Bailey hit a triangle moonsault and AKIRA hit a moonsault taking out all of the competitors on the floor. AJ Gray retained his title after turning Mike Bailey inside out with a lariat. 

AJ Gray Retained the Extreme Championship

Singles Match: LuFisto vs. Masha Slamovich

LuFisto jumped Masha from behind as they got the match underway, Lu backed Masha up in the corner and connected with a series of hard chops to the chest. Masha’s advantage didn’t last long as Masha grounded her with a series of kicks and went for a seated lariat but LuFisto ducked and once again sent Masha into the corner. LuFisto took time to jaw jack with the crowd in the Carousel Room, which at least on the video feed sounded pretty quiet. Masha fired back up and charged in and hit LuFisto with a running boot, snapmared her, and connected with a stiff kick to the back for a two count. LuFisto hit a tiger driver for a two count and she got very frustrated that she can’t put away the much younger Masha Slamovich. Masha hit a package piledriver for the victory.

Masha Slamovich Defeated LuFisto

Tag Team Match: IronBeasts (KTB & Shane Mercer) vs. Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner & Matthew Justice)

It was so great seeing KTB back in action as he is one of the original GCW wrestlers and World Champions. The crowd chanted ‘Welcome back’ to KTB who seem very touched by this sentiment. All four men stood in the center of the ring and traded forearms, Ironbeast’s sent Justice to the floor but he got back in and was powerslammed by Mercer. Mercer and KTB powered up SGC and sent them to the floor, Mercer attempted a dive but was cut off when SGC brained him with a chair. KTB bailed to the floor and was piefaced with a chair by Justice. SGC set up Ironbeasts on chairs on the floor, Justice climbed onto the apron and was tossed to the floor by his tag-team partner. The Ironbeasts moved out of the way which caused Justice to land hard on the chairs; Mercer climbed the top rope and deadlift suplexed Mance Warner back into the ring for a near fall. Ironbeasts haven’t missed a beat even though KTB has been pretty much out of action for the past couple of months. KTB tried to spear SGC through a door but they stepped out of the way and KTB went head first into the door snapping it in half. Mance Warner beat down Mercer with a piece of the door, Mercer fired back up but was cut in half by a spear. SGC both tried to pin Mercer but KTB was able to fly in for the save. KTB was elevated to the top turnbuckle, Mercer came from behind and picked up both members of SGC, and KTB hit a double blockbuster which brought the crowd to their feet. Mance powerbombed KTB through the door, followed by a splash from Justice to secure the victory.

Second Gear Crew Defeated IronBeasts

Singles Match: Sawyer Wreck vs. Joey Janela 

Sawyer once again is very over with the crowd inside the Carousel Room; the match started with a headlock from Joey but Sawyer was able to use her size advantage to her benefit and lifted Janela and threw him across the ring. Janela was able to get the much larger Sawyer down and smashed her with a chair; Sawyer returned the favor by smashing a chair into Joey’s nuts which elicited a ‘Sawyer’ chant. The match spilled to the floor with Sawyer firmly in control until Joey rammed her face into the ring post and set her up on a chair; Joey got a running start with one of the hotel trash cans and ran into the seated Sawyer. This move sent both of them flying through the chairs. Joey sent Sawyer back into the ring and laid in some kicks to the chest but it only helped Sawyer rejuvenate faster as she got right back up and leveled Joey with a straight right hand and proceeded to stomp him in the corner. There was a door placed in the corner as Sawyer got Joey up on her shoulders and sent him crashing through it and continued to stomp away at Janela’s body. Joey is a true master in the ring, everyone he faces he sells his ass off for, especially the younger up-and-coming talents. His role in GCW is essential and it was great to see Joey back into his true form and antics this weekend. I highly recommend tuning into the World of Deathmatch Podcast, if it even gets released. 

Joey downed Sawyer and attempted a splash but she got out of the way and choke slammed him for a two count; she brought a door into the ring and set up a door bridge but Joey cut her off and set her up on the door and hit a double stomp but Sawyer kicked out at 1. Joey is shocked at what just transpired as the crowd comes unglued for Sawyer Wreck. Sawyer ate a brutal super kick but she was again able to get her shoulder up, Joey bailed to the floor looking for more plunder as Sawyer recovered in the center of the ring. Sawyer was set up on the top rope as Joey looked to superplex her through the door, Sawyer hit a top rope chokeslam through the door and pinned him. The Carousel room exploded for this finish as all of the fans rushed to pound on the ring. GCW has successfully made a new star this weekend. Joey got some crazy height from that chokeslam, a fantastic match from both of these competitors. There was a little girl who rushed the ring and made sure to hug Sawyer, I saw her do the same thing yesterday. Wrestling is awesome. 

Sawyer Wreck Defeated Joey Janela 

Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green: 

Matt Cardona is brought to the ring in a neck brace and wheelchair to a tremendous heel reaction; Matt Cardona tore his biceps last weekend in his match with Blake Christian. Chelsea told the crowd to shut the fuck up, and the crowd promptly started chanting at her. Heavy heel heat as Chelsea ran down Blake Christian as she handed off the mic to her husband who recounted how he made his GCW debut last year on June 5th and attacked Nick Gage. Giancarlo got a shoutout from Cardona. The crowd routinely cut off Cardona with Nick Gage chants as Matt Cardona asks if the fans respect him as they chanted you deserve it when he talked about his biceps tear. Cardona mentions how he’s going to be out 3-5 months which was met with a “Don’t come back chant.” Cardona runs down Blake Christian and how because of him he’s ruined all of his hopes and dreams for the Summer of Cardona Part 2. 

Blake Christian comes out and plays sorrowful but takes shots at Cardona and expresses how badly he feels about the entire situation. Blake Christian mentions how big of a Zack Ryder fan he was and how happy he was for him when he won the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania. This promo segment went too long, Blake needed to get to the point faster. Blake said that he will lay down for Matt Cardona so he can become the official number one contender for the GCW World Championship. A ref came to the ring, Christian laid down as Cardona circled him and eventually tried to pin him but Christian kicked out at 2 and started laughing in Cardona’s face. Christian ducked a chair shot from Chelsea, hit Cardona with the chair, and was super kicked by Christian. Christian told Matt Cardona ‘I’m not sorry and I don’t love you’ super kicked him and pinned him to become the number 1 contender. 

Blake Christian is the #1 Contender for the Game Changer Wrestling World Championship. 

Tag Team Deathmatch: Toru Sugiura and Rina Yamashita vs. Los Macizos (Meido Extremo and Ciclope)

 

Both teams stared each other down in the center of the ring, Meido and Ciclope picked up tubes, as did Toru and Rina, with Rina and Toru getting the best of that exchange. Ciclope and Meid take out Toru and Rina on the floor with a pair of dives which brought the crowd to their feet. Ciclope is wrestling with headphones on as he started to carve away at Toru, Rina was doing the same to Meido as well. Meido was sent into the ring post and didn’t get his heads up so his skull met solid steel, again not my favorite spot. Rina placed the headphones on Ciclope’s head and elbowed them off his skull, Rina breaks the tube over Meido’s groin which caused Nick Gage to say “I hope he had his kids already man.” Toru is isolated inside the ring as he is beaten down with tubes and strikes from the former Game Changer Wrestling Tag Team Champions. Toru took out Macizo with a reverse cross body which sent them to the floor, Rina hit top rope dive followed by a flip dive by Toru. Toru repeatedly forearmed tubes into the chest of Ciclope followed by a tube-assisted Cannonball for a two count. Toru went for a running knee but Ciclope hit him with a spinebuster onto a bundle of tubes followed by a curb stomp. Rina returned to the ring and came to the aid of her partner as she took the fight to Ciclope, but was eventually powerbombed into the broken glass followed by a tube-assisted running knee. That move didn’t affect Rina as she got Ciclope up and Samoan dropped him on the shards of glass. Ciclope set up a door bridge in the center of the ring and placed tubes on top of it, Ciclope elevated Toru up onto the top rope and hit Toru with a superplex through the door, Toru held on and sent Ciclope through a bundle of tubes that were set up in the corner. Meido and Rina traded big clotheslines with neither of them able to take the other off of their feet. Rina and Toru hit Meido with tube-assisted forearms followed by a splash off of the top rope for a two count. All four competitors bled a decent amount as the match gets even crazier. Ciclope set Toru up on the apron with tubes on his chest and hit a sliding crossbody that sent both of the men crashing to the floor.

It looked like Ciclope landed right on his head. Rina fired up and fought through Meido’s tube-based offense but she couldn’t overcome a seated tube-assisted tombstone. Fantastic match that had some even more brutal spots than the previous night’s action. All four competitors come off the top rope and back bump onto the broken glass in the ring as the crowd chanted please come back. 

Ciclope and Medio Extremo Defeated Rina Yamashita and Toru Sugiura 

GCW Ultraviolent Title Cage of Survival Match: John Wayne Murdoch (champion) vs. Alex Colon 

There was a scaffold set up outside of the cage with a walkway adjoining either side of the cage, this was a three-sided cage with the fourth side splayed out with panes of glass on it, multiple tubes are lining the ropes, and a structure of some sort in the corner. Earlier in the morning, I saw them go through a test run of the cage set up, sans weapons. It is extraordinary what Big Vin, legendary Deathmatch Weapons expert Tommy, and the living Legend Gene can do to capture and create what these wrestlers draw up. You cannot have a deathmatch without weapons and for over 20 years these men have provided various tools of destruction for the locker room. For Game Changer Wrestlings’ first iteration of the Cage of Survival, just on the setup, they nailed it. There is a winerack full of light tubes, a board with gusset plates, and so much plunder both inside and outside of the ring. Both men came to the ring to massive ovations as the hot crowd was very eager to get the match started. Much like airhorns, Streamers should also be left in the 2000s, they are a pain in the ass to clean up and they add nothing to the entrances. The John Wayne Pussy schtick is the same thing that Rickey Shane Page did at the start of his amazing run with the GCW Title in 2019. 

Alex Colon climbed to the top of the cage and walked the plank on top of the cage, John Wayne Murdoch followed him up as they started to do battle on the top of the cage, both men fell off the side of the cage which sent Alex Colon crashing through the light tube wine rack.

Colon had to throw himself off the cage as Murdoch lost his grip and fell on his own. Despite that shaky start Colon set Murdoch up on a chair and hit a running clothesline which dumped JWM onto the floor. One side of the cage is just barbed wire which Murdoch used to his advantage as he pierced open Colon. Back in the cage, Murdoch broke a bundle over Colon and started to carve away on Colon’s forehead and upper arm. “I like how Murdoch is working the body with light tubes”-Nick Gage. Nick Gage shouted out Ole Anderson. Colon broke a tube over the shoulder of John Wayne Murdoch but the momentum didn’t last long as Murdoch was able to hit Colon in the groin with a tube. Murdoch was sent through a thing of tubes face first and got caught up in the barbed wire in that corner of the ring; Colon hit a tube-assisted double knee for the first near fall of the matchup. The crowd is behind both of these men, chanting their names throughout the entirety of the matchup. Murdoch continued to pick apart Colon as he backdropped Colon over the top rope onto the splayed-out piece of the cage that was covered in panes of glass.

This was a nasty-looking bump as there wasn’t much there to break his fall, back inside the cage Murdoch teased climbing the cage but got right down and flipped off the crowd much to their dismay. Murdoch is taking too much time jaw-jacking with the fans and allowing Alex Colon to recover for a little bit but Colon was still unable to connect with any significant strikes or weapons. 

Colon was able to wear Murdoch down and hit him with a couple of tube shots but was caught with a short-armed lariat from Murdoch who once again took control of the match. Multiple doors are brought into the ring as Murdoch smashes a bundle on Colon’s legs, giving Murdoch enough time to set up a door bridge; he placed Alex on it but he quickly got off and climbed up to the top of the cage as the fans chant ‘please don’t die’. Murdoch hit a swinging neck breaker off of the platform through a pane of glass that was suspended and through a door bridge in the center of the ring.

Both men BOUNCED off of the ring, I cannot imagine how much that hurts. Murdoch is pretty cut up at this point in the match as he set up a glass bridge in the ring, placing Colon underneath the pane. Murdoch once again climbs up to the top of the cage platform, Colon escaped again and pulled Murdoch off the top of the cage through the pane of glass, he placed a bundle of tubes onto the chest of JWM and climbed to the top of the cage and hit a double stomp.

Murdoch kicked out at 1, Colon locked in the camel clutch and John Wayne Murdoch submitted. This match was perfectly paced and peaked at the exact right moment and was an incredible spectacle. 

Alex Colon defeated John Wayne Murdoch to win the Game Changer Wrestling Ultraviolent Championship. 

The refs taped up John Wayne Murdoch’s immediately,  the two shook hands and Murdoch handed the belt to Colon as a bloodied Colon celebrated in the center of the ring.

About Jon Pine 155 Articles
Living in Providence, Rhode Island; when Jon isn’t watching AEW or GCW with his dogs Dakota and Aurora, he’s probably watching the CSPAN feed of the Senate floor or listening to Bennington on SiriusXM.