GCW FrightFest 19


GCW Presents Jimmy Lloyd’s Halloween Frightfest
Live from The Voltage Lounge in Philadelphia, PA
Streaming on FITE.tv
October 28, 2019

GCW is live on a Monday night in Philly! This show takes place at the sold-out Voltage Lounge and is available to watch via FITE.tv. We’ve got a packed card tonight in addition to a packed house with the festivities headlined by Jimmy Lloyd, who takes on Shotzi Blackheart for the first (and perhaps last?) time ever this evening. The card also features reigning GCW World Champ Nick Gage squaring off against challenger Ruckus as well as an impressive lineup that features some of the biggest and best names of the independent wrestling scene. GCW has brought its A-game for a long time now with its loaded pay-per-views and tonight is absolutely no exception, we’re in for an evening full of fuckery with this one!

Tonight’s Commentary: Kevin Gill and G-Raver (first half), Kevin Gill and Joey Janela (second half)
Great to see G-Raver again after his serious injury at 2 Cups Stuffed a couple of months ago! It was also a nice surprise to have the Bad Boy back on commentary during the second half of the show; Janela always provides some of the funniest and most entertaining commentary you’ll hear on a show.

Match 1: Blake Christian vs. Lucky 13
It’s fun as hell watching the rise of Blake Christian as this has been a great year for him. We saw a lot of solid mat skills on display in this match mixed in with the breathtaking high flying spots from both competitors. Highlights include Lucky getting in offense with a 720 DDT from the top rope as well as a beautiful crucifix driver on Christian, but Air Blake showed off his own finesse as he hit a gorgeous step-up tope from the top rope onto the outside right on Lucky and then later taking control of the match with a stunning springboard 450 splash and then hitting a twisting splash that allowed him to score the pinfall. This opening match was just right for setting the tone for the rest of the show!

Match 2: Chris Dickinson vs. Jordan Oliver
Dirty Daddy was here to teach Jordan Oliver a lesson about being a man in the damn wrestling ring! It seems like Oliver was out to disrespect Dickinson well before the two met face to face in the ring, as we were invited to listen to messages left by Oliver on Dickinson’s phone that clearly sent a message that the young upstart was not taking this match seriously. From that point Dickinson was taking no more shit-talking; the match was on and it was BRUTAL. The Dirty Daddy put the boots and chops to Oliver relentlessly in the beginning, providing his own verbal abuse while he still held the mic during this beatdown! Dickinson beat and stretched Oliver to an intense degree here, but props should also be given to Jordan Oliver for managing to put in some of his own offense during this match (including a nice slingshot stunner to Dickinson). It wasn’t long before the plunder came out, however, and it was a Pazuzu Bomb through a door that put Oliver out for good and allowed the Filthy Father to get the pinfall victory. It may be a while before we see ANYONE talk trash about Chris Dickinson again.

Match 3: Matt Tremont vs Atticus Cogar
Originally we were scheduled to see Tremont take on Tony Deppen, but travel troubles prevented Deppen from being able to make it to the Voltage Lounge. This was the opportunity for his replacement Atticus Cogar to make a name for himself, and Cogar definitely took the opportunity and ran with it. Chairs and doors filled the ring early in the match and both men went to war without hesitation, but it was a (lucky?) dangerous chair spot taking place not long after the beginning with a rough landing that left Tremont injured enough for Cogar to score the upset victory, much to the crowd’s disdain. Here’s to Tremont for going out there and doing the damn thing; hopefully he’s all right after taking such a brutal hit that allowed Cogar to take him out.

Match 4: Effy vs Shlak
If you’ve seen GCW’s 2 Cups Stuffed show, you know by now that Effy is not to be taken lightly when it comes to deathmatches. After tonight’s show, however, Effy has solidified himself as one of THE best deathmatch wrestlers on the indie scene today. This was a bloody banger of a match where we expected violence, but leave it to both Effy and Shlak to amp up the intensity to a fever pitch. The match started early with blood as Effy used his spiked pink jacket to open up Shlak’s head, causing the crimson to flow. Shlak, of course, was all the more inflamed by this and brought the violence twofold, bringing a gusset plate-covered board into the ring and covering Effy’s head with a plastic bag before stabbing him repeatedly...only to turn on(!!) the man we love to call Daddy instead of take him out completely. Boards and chairs were pulled out from under the ring, and the fuckery only got more merciless as both men weakened each other with respective suplexes and spinebusters before Effy was able to send Shlak flying through the gusset board with a sunset bomb. Shlak returned the savagery by delivering a vicious spear to Effy right through another board...and then came the glass! Effy brought out a huge panel of plate glass that brought back memories of his match with Nick Gage at 2 Cups Stuffed; we all knew this would not end well! The climax of the match came with both men powering for position on the top rope in the attempt to send the other through the glass, set up on chairs in the center of the ring. It was Shlak who was able to send Effy through the glass, shattering it and shocking us all as he got the pinfall win over our dear Daddy, who at this point was bleeding profusely. Shlak got the win, but Effy once again proved he’s THAT FUCKING GUY when it comes to deathmatches.

Match 5: Ophidian vs. Colby Corino vs. KTB vs. Tye Hyll vs. Pinkie Sanchez vs. Matt Demorest (6-Man Scramble)
We come back from intermission with the six-man scramble already underway, and this one was an awesome and fast-paced bout that had the extra bonus of Joey Janela on commentary. Ophidian and KTB showcased a fantastic series of arm drags early in the match, and Tye Hyll showed off some impressive aerial skills as well (a highlight was his springboard spiral tap onto KTB that made Janela’s “dick tingle”). Pinkie Sanchez was also high quality in this match as all men put on a display of some crazy-ass and unheard-of maneuvers that seemed to top one another on insanity, including Colby Corino delivering a double-stomp off the top rope on a chair right on top of Demorest as well as Demorest hitting a badass gutbuster on Ophidian. The fuckery found its way back into the ring in the form of doors and chairs, and the end of the match came when KTB delivered a hell of a Death Valley Driver on Pinkie from the top rope, sending El Presidente through a door and then scoring the pinfall victory. Good on KTB for the win, but it honestly looked like Pinkie was dead and Tye Hyll somehow found himself violently busted open after flying off the top rope on to the rest of the opponents on the ringside floor. Thankfully Chris Dickinson returned to resurrect his Team Pazuzu partner, restoring him to normal - or as normal as Pinkie Sanchez could possibly get!

Match 6: Nick Gage vs Ruckus (with Robby “Illuminati” Mireno) for the GCW World Title
We all were excited to have a match tonight that had two hardcore CZW legends going head to head for the GCW World Title, and the first half of this match did not disappoint at all. Ruckus started the match fired up enough to attack Gage during the King’s well-loved introduction, and from there it was on! Both Gage and Ruckus kept the match on the mat in the beginning stages with the latter proving to us all that he definitely has not lost a step over the years with his Razzle Dazzle, and Gage getting in his own offense with a vicious spinebuster on the challenger. The plunder for this title match came out not long after, though, and so also arrived the interference from Mireno who’d accompanied Ruckus to the ring for tonight’s match. Gage wasn’t having it, sending “Illuminati” to the mat with a chokebreaker after sending Ruckus through a door and using the sharper parts of it to gouge his opponent’s eyes. The chaos was interrupted not long after when the lights in the Voltage Lounge went out, adding to the confusion of the match. Rickey Shane Page appeared in the ring after the lights were back on, allowing him enough time during the momentary disorientation to attack Gage and make a quick retreat with Gage’s GCW World Title belt in tow, causing the champ to chase after them out of the building and into the street to try and take back his stolen property. What would have been an awesome conclusion to this title match was callously interrupted, however, and ended unsatisfyingly with a victory by countout to Ruckus. When, though, will we get to see Gage take out this thorn in his side for good and get back the title belt that’s rightfully his?

Match 7: Alex Zayne vs Rich Swann
Happy birthday to Alex Zayne! GCW gave him an awesome gift this year in the form of a banger with the great Rich Swann, and damn it both men delivered on this one. It seemed as if the two were reading each other’s minds at the beginning of this match, going for the exact same moves at the same time which looked pretty damn sweet as it played out in the ring. A lot of respect was shown mutually for Zayne and Swann as well, which was pleasing to see. It almost looked like trouble for Zayne as he set up Swann for a spot on the apron but missed as his opponent moved in the nick of time, sending the birthday boy painfully to the ringside floor, allowing Swann to capitalize with a splendid frogsplash from the top rope. Zayne recovered in time though to take control of the match, hitting his beautiful Cinnamon Twist off the ropes as well as his Baja Blast, but both maneuvers weren’t quite enough to take out the veteran Swann, who still mounted a formidable offense. Zayne comes back with the momentum, leaping into a rana that flipped Swann off the top turnbuckle - masterfully delivered! - and then hitting his signature Crunch Wrap Supreme off the top rope. It looked for a moment as if Zayne would go for a second time off the top rope, but it looked like he saved one last present for himself and for us all. Zayne headed way up top to the balcony of the Voltage Lounge, much to the surprise of the crowd, and - amid a loud “PLEASE DON’T DIE” chant - dove RIGHT OFF OF THE BALCONY and into the ring on Swann! It was THE Holy Shit(!!) moment of the night, and Zayne got the pinfall win over Swann as we all tried to recover from what we’d just seen!

Immediately after Zayne’s victory we heard from Teddy Hart, who was in attendance at tonight’s show, as he congratulated both men and lauded Zayne for his incredible talent. Zayne was then given the mic and delivered a heartfelt thanks to GCW and the crowd for their love and support, declaring GCW the fuckin’ future of wrestling. I agree one hundred percent!

Match 8: Jimmy Lloyd vs Shotzi Blackheart
Our main event had the Orlando-bound Shotzi Blackheart taking on the Different Boy Jimmy Lloyd, and Shotzi sure as hell went out with a bang at the Voltage Lounge. It’s hard not to be impressed with Shotzi’s skills as both a technical wrestler as well as a deathmatch wrestler, and she had the chance to show off both sides of her craft tonight. This was a death-defying match in every sense of the word as Shotzi took risky chances, including one highlight being a sick dive to the outside that looked VERY dangerous as Lloyd caught her and sent her through the ringside chairs with a Death Valley Driver. Then out came the plunder for our main event, and both our competitors were ready for some fuckery! Shotzi slammed a handful of wooden skewers into Lloyds head and then scattered the ring full of thumbtacks, stepping up the brutality much to the delight of the crowd. Lloyd was more than game for this, recovering enough to deliver a devastating Blue Thunder bomb to Shotzi right into the thumbtacks she’d just spread onto the mat. Undaunted, Shotzi came back calling for more plunder in the form of a weed-whacker(!!) that she quickly took to Lloyd’s midsection. Ouch...damn!! Momentum shifted back and forth amid the fuckery, but Lloyed managed to annihilate Blackheart with a huge powerbomb through a door set up in the corner of the ring, permitting him to get the 3-count on an exhausted but thoroughly badass Shotzi. Lloyd came through with the victory and took to the mic afterward to praise Blackheart for being such a notoriously brutal competitor and declare his love for her savagery. The two banged their heads together in a show of admiration and respect as the crowd thanked Shotzi, wishing her well as she goes on to NXT to bring the fire down to Florida. Damn good main event!

Post-Show Notes
I’m REALLY glad I watched GCW Frightfest instead of RAW; this was just what my Monday needed, and I’d like to see more Monday shows from GCW just to have the sweeter alternative as an option. Shout out to the guy in the crowd dressed up as Fred Flintstone, he was just as over with the live tweeters as any of the wrestlers! Next up, GCW returns to LA for Slime Language on November 8th, and then I’ll be there live in Tennessee when GCW comes to Tullahoma for W.O.M.B.A.T. and then Nashville for Long Live GCW to end out the year!

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