Originally published at GCW Middle of the Night: Nick Gage retains GCW title against Speedball Mike Bailey
GCW: Middle of the Night
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California
6 Person Scramble Match: Eli Everfly vs. Tony Deppen vs. Cole Radrick vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. Alec Price vs. Starboy Charlie
Everyone hit a superkick with Alec Price standing tall after the exchange, he attempted a dive but was cut off by Tony Deppen, but that didn’t phase the Massachusetts native who still managed to hit a dive, and everyone in the match hit a tope of their own. Eli Everfly and Charlie paired off with Starboy getting the best of the exchange, Starboy was then attacked from behind by Tony Deppen who sent Charlie to the floor after he connected with a series of strikes. Everfly returned to the ring and attempted a casa dora. Deppen blocked it but Eli still managed to smash Deppen’s face into the mat. Radrick entered the match next and paired off with Alec Price, Price took Radrick out of the match with a second rope leg lariat; Lloyd sent Radrick to Price to the floor but was quickly attacked by Deppen who hit him with a half nelson suplex followed by a running double knee attack. Price drove Cole’s face into the turnbuckle while Eli was perched on the top rope, Eli hit Tony Deppen with a Destroyer for a nearfall. Starboy hit a second rope bulldog on Jimmy Lloyd, Radrick and Eli fought each other with Eli getting a nearfall after another destroyer. Deppen scored the pin on Jimmy Lloyd after he hit him with a running double knee.
Tony Deppen won the Scramble
Singles Match: Matt Cardona vs. Nick Wayne
Nick Wayne went to lock up but Cardona bailed to the floor which only incited the group even more; they had a hard lock up which Matt Cardona got the best of as he used his size and strength to his advantage. Wayne fired up with a rana followed by a kick to the face that sent Cardona to the floor where Wayne took him out with a tope. Back in the ring, Cardona went for Radio Silence but Wayne blocked it, Cardona responded with a couple of straight right fists to Wayne’s face followed by a double knee to the young star’s back. Cardona hit a series of neckbreakers, Wayne fought out of the third attempt and went for the Cloutcutter but Cardona caught him and hit him with another neckbreaker. Cardona grabbed a whip and started to choke Nick Wayne with it, Wayne was able to fight out of it and connected with a kick to the side of Cardona’s head into a stunner followed by a fisherman’s suplex for a very close nearfall. Wayne climbed to the top rope but Cardona knocked the ref into the ropes causing Nick Wayne to fall. Cardona went for a boot scrape but Wayne moved out of the way and hit one of his own followed by the Rough Ryder for a 2 count. Cardona kicked Wayne in the balls and went for the pin but Wayne kicked out; he went for a leg lariat but Wayne moved out of the way and delivered a Cloutcutter but Cardona got his boot on the rope. Wayne attempted a dive but Cardona hit him over the head with a chair and started to put it to use on his back, Cardona went to hit Wayne again but Wayne moved, and the chair hit the top rope and Cardona’s head. Wayne rolled up Cardona for the victory.
Nick Wayne Defeated Matt Cardona
6-Man Tag Team Match: Gringo Loco & Los Vipers vs. Arez, Jack Cartwheel, & Mago
Arez and Toxin started off the match for their respective teams, they ran a couple of lucha spots which saw neither man gain the advantage. Toxin attempted a rollup but Arez used the ropes to escape and hit Toxin with a couple of lucha pins but Toxin kept escaping. Latigo and Mago entered the ring and picked up where their partners left off with both men showcasing their incredible lucha evasions and various pin combinations. Cartwheel and Gringo Loco made their match debut with both men initially playing to the crowd. Before locking up they started running spots of their own, Cartwheel hit a form of a Dragonrana on Loco which momentarily took him off of his feet, Cartwheel tied Gringo up in the ropes but ate two superkicks from the Los Vipers. Team Gringo Loco unloaded on Arez’s chest with chops followed by a tag team tandem neckbreaker/powerbomb combination; Los Vipers threw Arez up to the top rope where Gringo Loco hit him with a top rope sit-out powerbomb. Latigo had Mago in a vertical suplex, which then turned into a MeroSault into a Canadian Destroyer from Gringo Loco. Cartwheel broke up the pin but eventually ate a couple of kicks to the jaw from Toxin. Mago, Arez, and Cartwheel hit triple dives which took out Gringo Loco and Los Vipers, Arez then unleashed a series of chops on Toxin’s chest, and each one landed with a thud. Team Gringo returned the favor by chopping Jack Cartwheel, much to his dismay, Toxin cleared the top rope and hit Arez and Mago with a giant senton, Toxin returned to the ring and continued to punish Jack Cartwheel’s back. Cartwheel hit a space-flying tiger destroyer from the apron to the floor, he rolled Latigo back into the ring but Loco and Toxin broke up the pin attempt. Gringo Loco caught Arez and put him away with a twisting tombstone.
Gringo Loco and Los Vipers Defeated Arez, Jack Cartwheel, and Mago
JCW Title Match: Jordan Oliver (Champion) vs. Mance Warner
They battled for control in the early minutes of the match with Mance getting control with an arm ringer, Oliver picked up the pace and out-mat wrestled Warner who bailed to the ropes to break the oncoming onslaught. Mance locked in a cravat and delivered some Chris Hero-type knees to Oliver’s skull, Mance started to chop Jordan Oliver all around the ring. Oliver fired up but was quickly leveled with a slap across his face, Mance hit him with a clubbing blow across Oliver’s back and continued to brutalize the chest of Jordan Oliver. Mance Sabu’d a chair at Jordan Oliver’s head causing him to start bleeding. Mance threw Oliver over a guardrail but Olver used it to springboard and take Mance out with a crossbody. Oliver ran Mance head-first into the ring post which caused Mance to start bleeding as well, Oliver attacked Mance with a steel chair but Mance continued to kick out. Oliver called for a superkick but Mance blocked it, Oliver kicked him in the midsection and went for the Cloutcutter but Mance blocked it. Oliver was looking for the tiger suplex but Mance elbowed him in the head and got him down in a crossface. Oliver escaped and hit Mance with a tiger suplex followed by an Acid kick for a very close nearfall. Oliver bailed to the floor and retrieved two doors, the Los Angeles crowd, home of The Doors, lost their collective minds. Mance Sabu’d a chair at Oliver’s head after Oliver took too long setting up a door bridge; Mance set up a door in the corner and a door bridge in the other corner. Oliver attacked Mance from behind, and Mance dragged Oliver up to the second rope. Oliver fought out of it and hit Mance with a superplex through the door, Mance got his shoulder up at the last second continuing the match. Oliver sidestepped a charging Warner who sent himself through a door, Oliver followed that up with an Acid kick into a Batista Bomb but Warner kicked out. Oliver finally put Warner away with a Cloutcutter.
Jordan Oliver Retained the JCW Title
Singles Match: Allie Katch vs. Charles Mason
Charles Mason jumped Allie Katch from behind while Katch was making her entrance and started to beat her down around ringside. Mason dragged Katch across the floor by her hair and slammed her face off of the ring apron before laying in a couple of chops. Mason grabbed a chair and started to choke Katch with it, Mason tried to hit her with a running kick but Katch popped up and took the fight to the homegrown favorite. The match entered the ring where Katch continued her dominance with a top rope head-scissors which sent Mason to the floor. Katch took Mason out with a tope followed by a top rope crossbody. Mason rolled out to the apron and Katch went for her piledriver but Mason blocked it and brought her to the apron. Mason hit her with a draping DDT from the apron to the floor. Katch was busted open which only delighted Mason even more as he continued to pound away at the open cut on her forehead. Mason chopped Katch a couple of times but it only fired up Katch who hit him with some of her own followed by a swinging DDT; she followed that into her running hip attack combination into a Northern lights suplex for a close nearfall. Mason locked in a sleeper hold but Allie fought through it and drove him into the corner. She went for the hip attack again but Mason hip tossed her into the corner followed by a Death Valley Driver which Allie kicked out of. Mason slapped Katch across the face a couple of times which only fired her up and caused her to hit Mason with a Michinoku driver. Mason knocked the ref down which caused her to get the visual pinfall, this caused Parrow, Dark Sheik, and EFFY to come to the ring and brawl. EFFY took out Parrow with the Sack Ryder, Mason hit EFFY with an air raid crash. Katch rolled the ref back into the ring which gave Mason the chance to hit Katch with a spinning piledriver for the victory.
Charles Mason Defeated Allie Katch
Post Match: Allie challenged Mason to a steel cage match for Atlantic City on March 5
GCW Tag Team Championship Match: Los Macizos (Champions) vs. The Bollywood Boyz
The Bollywood Boyz jumped the champions before Emil J could finish his introduction, the Boyz grabbed steel chairs and attempted to use them but the champions had other ideas. Meido Sabu’d a chair at Harv’s head and followed that up by slingshotting an exercise band across Harv’s chest. Gurv returned to the ring and smashed Meido over the head with a chair, then drove him head-first into the ring post causing him to get busted open. CIclope was also busted open as the Bollywood Boyz continued their onslaught with steel chairs. Back inside the ring, the Boyz isolated Ciclope with a couple of tandem tag team maneuvers, Meido was able to make the save and took out the Boyz with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker followed by a giant crossbody. The champions retrieved a door from underneath the ring but the Boyz were able to dropkick the door into the champs before they could put it in the ring. The challengers then threw three doors into the ring and proceeded to set up a door bridge. Ciclope climbed to the top rope and was unceremoniously thrown off crashing through the aforementioned door bridge. Meido came to the aid of his partner and Sabu’d a chair into both Gurv and Harv’s heads and set up a door bridge of his own, they slammed the challengers through the door for the victory.
Los Macizos Retained the GCW Tag Team Championships
Singles Match: Lio Rush vs. Komander
The match began with a feeling-out process which saw neither man gain the advantage, Komander decided to do some rope walking which impressed the smaller Lio Rush. Lio then attempted to do some of his own rope walking but much like most of his repertoire, someone else can do the spot better than him. Lio did his spiderman evasion then flipped off Komander and took the fight to him, it didn’t last long as Komander was able to take him down to the mat and locked him in a hammerlock submission hold. Lio dodged Komander who spilled to the floor Lio tried for a tope but Komander moved out of the way and hit Lio with one of his own. There was some lady ringside who distracted Komander which allowed Lio to hit Komander with a tope that sent him into the third row. The lady gave Lio some advice and returned to the ring and kicked Komander in the chest with a sickening thud, Lio connected with some lightning-quick strikes before he went to the top rope. Kommander rolled to the opposite side of the ring negating Lio’s next move, Komander drove Lio into the corner and hit him with a couple of shoulder blocks and chops. Komander hit Lio with a leaping forearm in the corner followed by a close nearfall. Komander took to the ropes and attempted a rope walk 450 but Lio moved out of the way. Lio connected with a spin kick followed by a huge spear but Komandder was still able to get his shoulder up. Komander walked the top rope and hit his textbook twisting splash and followed that up with a gutbuster; Komander climbed back up to the top rope and went for a shooting star press but Lio moved which allowed him to hit two consecutive stunners followed by a frog splash for the victory.
Lio Rush Defeated Komander
Singles Match: Willie Mack vs. Blake Christian
Mack tried to lock up a couple of times but Blake kept avoiding physical contact which only got the crowd more upset with Blake. The pace picked up as each man tried to avoid the other’s offense as best as they could, Willie slapped Christian across the face as the two took off running. Willie took Christian off of his feet with a series of arm drags followed by a hip toss driver, he connected with a flying knee strike but for some reason didn’t go for the pin attempt. Blake moved out of the way of a big chop and proceeded to kick him in the face twice followed by a beautiful moonsault press that sent Mack to the floor. Christian took Mack out with a Fosbury Flop which sent Mack crashing to the hardwood floor; Blake smashed Mack’s head onto the ring apron and ring post in an attempt to bust the big man open. Later on in the match, Christian hit another tope but Mack caught him out of mid-air and powerbombed him on the edge of the ring, Willie followed that up with a giant lariat and a leg lariat. Mack hit Blake with a standing moonsault but Christian again kicked out and hit Willie with a springboard dropkick but Mack kicked out. Mack was spiked with a destroyer and hit with a springboard 450 but again Mack was able to kick out. Christian was caught with a stunner followed by an attempted big splash but he put on the brakes before he collided with the ref; Blake hit Mack with a low blow followed by a curb stomp for the victory.
Blake Christian Defeated Willie Mack
GCW World Championship Match: Nick Gage (Champion) vs. Mike Bailey
The match began with two stiff lockups into a shoving match that Nick Gage won handily, Speedball gained control of Gage with a wrist lock but Gage was able to roll out of it as they reset and locked up again. Speedball unloaded with several forearms followed by an attempted shoulder tackle but Gage didn’t budge so he took him down with an STO instead. Gage responded with a swinging neckbreaker and took the fight to the floor, Gage sent Bailey head first into the ring post and retrieved a door from underneath the ring. Before Gage could put the door in the ring Bailey kicked it into his face and delivered a double knee onto the door which was on Gage. Bailey put the door on Gage’s back and connected with an axe kick, Bailey brought Gage back into the ring and started to go to work on the arm of the champion. Bailey hit Gage with a standing shooting star press but Gage was again able to kick out; Speedball continued to work over Nick Gage’s arm but Gage fired up and delivered a spinebuster followed by a boot scrape. Gage got Bailey up in a delayed vertical suplex but was caught in a cross-arm breaker from Bailey, Gage was able to stack Bailey up for a quick pin attempt which forced Bailey to break the hold. Gage spiked Bailey on his head with a short piledriver but instead of going for the pin, Gage retrieved a door. The two exchanged hard forearm shots in the center of the ring, Gage ate a couple of kicks from Bailey and the moonsault double knee. Bailey connected with a kick right to the back of Nick Gage’s head but he was still able to get his shoulder up. Speedball hit his tornado kicks followed by the shooting star double knee to the back for a very close nearfall, Bailey stacked Gage up for the Flamingo Driver but Gage was able to escape to the apron where Gage connected with a jumping piledriver on the ring frame. Gage set up a door bridge on the floor while Bailey was still trying to regain his bearings, The two climbed up onto the top rope and went crashing through two doors on the floor after an avalanche press. Back in the ring, Gage was locked in an arm bar but was able to get to the ropes, Bailey connected with his triangle moonsault to the floor followed by a moonsault double knee on the apron. Bailey went for a shooting star double knee but Gage moved out of the way and hit two consecutive piledrivers followed by the choke breaker for the victory.
Nick Gage Retained The GCW World Championship