GCW Now and Forever: Utami Hayashishita vs. LuFisto, Speedball vs. Yoshihiko

Photo Courtesy: GCW

GCW: Now and Forever
Friday, July 14, 2023
Melrose Ballroom
Queens, New York

Marcus Mathers vs. Cole Radrick vs. Alec Price vs. Braden Toon vs. Charles Mason

Everyone unloaded on Mason, but Parrow pulled him to safety. Toon and Mathers paired off; Mathers quickly took him out with a neck breaker. Radrick hit a step-up rana, followed by the hidden blade. Radrick and Toon started fighting, and Room hit a senton on Radrick, giving Price the chance to come back in and send him to the floor. Mason returned to the ring, cleared it, and barked instructions at Parrow, who brought Orice back into the ring. Mason choked Orice with his boot and lit him up with a couple of chops. Mason distracted the ref, giving Parrow the chance to choke Price on the top rope, resulting in a near fall. Mason booted Toon off the apron, sending him crashing into the guardrail. Mason choked Price, and Radrick lit Mason up with chops, only for Mason to hit him with an exploder suplex. Mathers returned to the ring and beat down Mason for a second but was quickly sent to the floor again. Mason hit Toon with a destroyer, and Price bailed him out with an elbow and head kick combination. He followed that up with a series of running boots and a leg lariat, but before he could capitalize, Toon took Orice out. Radrick hit Toon with a neck breaker into a springboard stunner, attempting to take Parrow out on the floor but was unsuccessful. Toon took to the air and hit a beautiful moonsault onto Parrow. Price lit up Mathers with a series of kicks, and as he was about to go for the pin, Parrow pulled Price to the floor, giving Mason the opening to lock in a choke for the submission victory.

Charles Mason wins the scramble 

Post Match: Parrow and Mason choked Toon and Mathers out with a chain in preparation for their double dog collar match with Janela and Sawyer Wreck at Homecoming. 

Matt Cardona (RyderTaker) and Steph De Lander vs. BUSSY

Katch and SDL locked up. Katch took her down and locked in a choke. They reset and tagged their partners. EFFY threw Cardona off and took him down again with a shoulder tackle. There was a misdirection spot that ended up with both members of their teams kissing, much to the crowd’s delight. Cardona broke it up and sent Allie to the floor. SDL beat down EFFY and hit him with a fisherman’s buster. She dragged him into their corner where Cardona continued the beatdown. EFFY fired up and took them both down with an under the rainbow, then made the hot tag to Allie, who hit a running hip attack. Katch planted Cardona with a spinning DDT and got a close near fall on SDL. BUSSY took out Cardona with their tandem offense, but Cardona sat up like The Undertaker. BUSSY kicked him in the balls, but they only got a two-count. SDL and Katch brawled on the floor as EFFY had Cardona on the top rope. SDL threw powder in his eyes, and they tried to hit Katch with the urn, but Katch ducked and Matt hit SDL instead. Cardona was still able to roll up Katch for the victory.

SDL and Matt Cardona Defeated BUSSY

Gringo Loco vs. Arez vs. Komander 

Komander took out Loco with a rana, but Arez evaded Komander and was eventually sent to the floor, followed by Gringo Loco. Loco went for a dive, but they moved out of the way. Arez paired off with Loco, and they traded Lucha exchanges. Arez kicked Komander in the head, while Loco caught Komander and tossed him across the ring with a fallaway slam. Arez tied Loco up in the ropes and choked him before lighting him up with a series of kicks. Komander returned to the ring and unleashed a series of kicks on Loco, followed by a big arm drag. Komander rope-walked and executed a beautiful moonsault to the floor. Komander and Arez traded strikes in the center of the ring, with Arez winning the exchange and hitting Komander with a brainbuster. Arez followed it up with a 450 and a dive to the floor. He climbed back into the ring and struck Komander with a giant stump off the top rope, then executed an exploder suplex on Gringo Loco for a close near fall. Arez stacked Loco up on the top rope but was hit with a double jump destroyer. Komander threw Loco to the floor and attempted to steal the pin, but Arez kicked out just in time. Loco ate a kick from Arez, but Arez was quickly lit up by Komander, who battled him on the top rope, trading chops. Arez took too long and was hit with a Spanish fly, followed by Komander hitting Arez with a rope-walk shooting star press. However, Komander was sent to the floor by Gringo, who connected with the Base Bomb for the victory.

Gringo Loco Defeated Arez and Komander 

Mance Warner vs. George South 

George egged on the crowd before they finally locked up, and Mance lit him up with punches. Mance attempted the Dusty elbow, but George bailed to the floor. They brawled on the floor, with Mance continuing to beat up George. Mance brought him back into the ring and went for his running knee, but George pulled the ref in his way and kicked Mance in the balls. George landed a couple of punches on Mance. George then attempted to hit Mance with a barbed wire bat, but the ref intervened and took it out of his hands. George started to beat up the ref, which gave Mance the opening to strike George in the gut with the bat and roll him up for the victory.

Mance Warner Defeated George South

GCW Tag Team Championship: East West Express (champions) vs. Amazing Red and Brian XL

Red and BXL jumped the champions right after the bell rang and sent them to the floor. Oliver and Wayne responded with double dives to the floor. Oliver and Wayne executed their tandem offense on BXL, who then made the tag to Amazing Red. Red delivered uppercuts and chops, but he was taken off his feet with a rana, and Oliver unleashed a series of kicks on him. They attempted to double-team Bryan, but Red made the save, and they hit Oliver with an elevated superkick for a close near fall. Bryan gained the upper hand on Oliver as he and Red made quick tags back and forth, isolating Oliver in their corner. BXL lit up Oliver with a series of chops, and then Res continued the beatdown. Oliver countered with a chin breaker on Red, but he still couldn’t make the tag to Wayne. Finally, Oliver took Red off his feet with a big lariat and made the hot tag to Nick Wayne. However, Wayne wasn’t there as he had been knocked off the apron. Oliver continued to struggle in his attempts to tag Wayne, but when he finally did, Wayne ran wild on both opponents with a series of dropkicks, followed by a handspring stunner combination for a close near fall. Oliver landed a big pump kick on Red, but he was then taken off his feet by a lariat from BXL, who was subsequently hit with a Spanish fly by Wayne. East West delivered double running back elbows, and Wayne went for the clout cutter, but Red blocked it and attempted a Desroeywe. However, Wayne flipped out of it. They tried again for the foot cutter, but Oliver was pulled to the floor. Red hit Wayne with a frog splash, but Wayne kicked out at the last second. Red and Brian continued to hit Wayne with tandem tag moves, but Wayne kept kicking out. Oliver leveled Brian with a superkick on the floor. Mane Evenr made a run-in, which distracted Red, allowing him to eat a double clout cutter for the victory.

East West Express Retained the GCW Tag Team Championship

Billie Starkz vs. Maki Itoh 

Maki took Billie down and tried to tie her up, but Billie managed to reach the ropes. They reset, but Maki stomped on Billie’s foot and took her down with a side headlock takeover. They wrestled to a stalemate again as Maki posed for the crowd, who ate it up. Billie, with a less-than-stellar reaction, also imitated Maki’s poses. Maki took the opportunity to perform her routine once more, eliciting chants of “Holy Shit” from the crowd. Maki kicked Billie in the back and ran wild on her, but her momentum was cut off with a hip toss into a penalty kick. Billie mockingly mimicked Maki’s pose, provoking a strong reaction from the crowd, and connected with a series of back elbows. They traded fists in the center of the ring, with Maki getting the upper hand. Maki executed her ten punches in the corner, followed by a boot scrape for a close near fall. Maki hit Billie with a spinning DDT, but once again, Billie managed to kick out. Billie blocked a headbutt and countered with a corner lariat. She attempted a dropkick, but Maki caught her and locked her in the Walls of Jericho. Billie reached the ropes, blocked a cutter, and executed a deadlift German suplex, but Maki countered with a DDT on the apron. Maki climbed to the top rope and came off with a headbutt, but Billie moved out of the way and kicked her in the head. Billie then went for a Swanton, but Maki had already rolled out of the way. Maki locked in a Texas Cloverleaf, causing Billie to tap out.

Maki Itoh Defeated Billie Starkz

Post Match: Nick Gage came out and celebrated with Maki Itoh and challenged Cardona and SDL to a match at Homecoming. A video played on the screen which gave Cardona and SDL the chance to jump Gage and Maki and beat them down. They accepted the challenge and the match is in for homecoming. 

Mike Bailey vs. Yoshihiko 

They locked up, with Yoshihiko backing Bailey up into the corner. Bailey worked over Yoshihiko’s arm and took him down, but Yoshihiko countered with head scissors. Bailey managed to escape as the crowd chanted for Yoshihiko. Bailey unleashed a series of chops on Yoshihiko, but Yoshihiko fired up and took Bailey out with a rana, followed by a dive off the top rope for a close near fall. Bailey rammed Yoshihiko into the corner ring post and continued to beat him up outside the ring. Bailey executed an airplane spin backbreaker, drawing boos from the crowd. Bailey locked in an abdominal stretch, which Yoshihiko reversed into a DDT. Bailey positioned Yoshihiko on the ropes and hit a shooting star press, followed by an Oscutter on the ring apron. Bailey then slammed Yoshihiko’s head into the steel guardrail and delivered a superkick for good measure. Yoshihiko emerged bloodied as Bailey continued to lay in shots in the center of the ring. Yoshihiko countered with a series of suplexes and performed the hangman spot with a flag. Yoshihiko delivered a V-Trigger on the floor as they battled on the stage. Yoshihiko hit Bailey with a spike DDT and applied an armbar, but Bailey made it back to his feet and countered with a sit-out powerbomb. Bailey hit Yoshihiko with a series of suplexes, but Yoshihiko fired up and retaliated with eight suplexes, yet Bailey still kicked out. Yoshihiko executed a dragon suplex, but Bailey fought back and kicked Yoshihiko in the face, followed by a triangle moonsault. Mao handed a screwdriver to Bailey, which halted the One Winged Angel attempt. Bailey hit the Storm Breaker, followed by a One Winged Angel, but Yoshihiko kicked out at one. They exchanged fists in the center of the ring, and Bailey landed the Hidden Blade, followed by the Tiger Driver ’91. They climbed to the top rope and delivered a super Tiger Driver, but Yoshihiko kicked out. Finally, Yoshihiko fell victim to a Storm Breaker and a Hidden Blade, leading to the three-count.

Mike Bailey Defeated Yoshihiko

Homicide, Grim Reefer, and Matt Tremont vs. Los Macizos and Jimmy Lloyd

Los Macizos and Lloyd were hit with a flurry of kicks. Homicide tried to go for a dive, but Miedo grabbed his ankle. Tremont also attempted a dive, but his ankle was also targeted, giving Reefer and Homicide the opening to take everyone out on the floor with their dives. Tremont and Lloyd battled on the stage, with Tremont ultimately slamming Lloyd with a scoop slam on the stage.

Homicide tried to choke out Ciclope, but Miedo came to his rescue, and together they hit Homicide with a combination of kicks. Homicide attempted to execute the three amigos on Ciclope, but Miedo intervened before Homicide could complete the move. Meanwhile, Lloyd tried to overpower Tremont, but Tremont countered with a powerful lariat, securing a close near fall.

Tremont retrieved a door from underneath the ring and set it up as a bridge. However, Lloyd struck him on the head with a chair, followed by a flap jack from Los Macizos. Miedo positioned a door between the apron and the barricade, but it broke when he was on it. Reefer set up another door, but as he was in the air, it also broke, resulting in both of them crashing to the floor in an anticlimactic manner. I should have brought those sturdy doors from Henny’s house like I did last Saturday in Hartford.

Lloyd and Ciclope tossed Reefer through a door, and they also struck Homicide and Tremont with chairs. Tremont powerbombed Ciclope through a door and then hit Miedo with a rolling Death Valley Driver. Finally, Homicide executed the Vertebreaker on Lloyd to secure the victory.

Homicide, Grim Reefer, and Matt Tremont Defeated Jimmy Lloyd and Los Macizos

Game Changer Wrestling World Championship: Blake Christian (Champion) vs. MAO 

Blake Christian jumped MAO from behind, but MAO managed to break free and retaliated with a jumping superkick, followed by a spinning leg lariat. MAO executed a beautiful moonsault to the floor, taking out Christian. He rolled Christian back into the ring, but Christian caught him with a shoulder to the gut, followed by a swinging kick. A springboard knee strike leveled MAO and went to the floor, where Christian led him up onto the stage and delivered a powerful body slam.

Standing tall on the stage, Blake Christian watched as MAO tried to recover. MAO was eventually thrown back into the ring, and Christian went for a cover, but MAO managed to bridge out of it. MAO attempted a scoop, but Christian slipped out and locked in a sleeper hold. Blake broke the hold, connecting with a kick to the back of MAO’s head, but MAO still kicked out. MAO fired up and unleashed a leg lariat, followed by a palm strike into a dropkick. He then connected with a knee strike to Christian’s temple and delivered a top-rope split leg moonsault, yet Christian still kicked out.

MAO ascended to the top rope once more, hitting Christian with a jumping knee, followed by a cobra stretch. They engaged in a heated exchange of strikes and near falls, both landing head kicks before collapsing to the mat. Blake was the first to his feet and launched a flurry of strikes, culminating in a big springboard 450, but MAO managed to kick out. In a last-ditch effort, MAO executed a crucifix bomb, yet it still wasn’t enough to put the champion away. Seizing an opportunity, Blake struck MAO with a low blow and then delivered a Death Valley Driver, finishing him off with a stomp for the victory.

Blake Christian Retains the GCW World Championship

International Dream Match: LuFisto vs. Utami Hayashihita 

They began the match with a feeling-out process, during which LuFisto used her strength to her advantage, holding her ground after a shoulder tackle exchange. Utami fought back, taking LuFisto down with a shoulder tackle of her own and following up with a series of strikes. However, LuFisto halted her momentum momentarily with a headbutt. LuFisto then delivered a running knee and a Samoan drop, taking control of the match. She continued to wear down Utami with relentless boots and strikes to her body.

A brutal kick from LuFisto sent Utami flying backward. LuFisto seized the opportunity and locked in a chokehold, wrenching back on Utami’s back while delivering an overhand chop. Utami rallied and countered with a back elbow, attempting to toss LuFisto, but the veteran wrestler fought her way out and responded with an Alabama Slam, followed by a sliding lariat that resulted in a close near fall.

Both competitors traded a flurry of strikes in the center of the ring. LuFisto was struck with a dropkick to the mouth, followed by a sliding lariat, but she managed to kick out at two. Utami executed a torture rack on LuFisto, delivering a series of forearms, but LuFisto fired up and retaliated with a Tornado Cyclone Suplex. Utami responded with a massive forearm strike, followed by an Air Raid Crash.

Utami unleashed a barrage of release German suplexes, elevating LuFisto to the second rope and hitting her with an avalanche bomb for the victory

Utami Hayashihita Defeated LuFisto

About Jon Pine 157 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.