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It was an eventful Thursday evening for Great Championship Wrestling at the Gr8 Sk8 Plex in Phenix City. The friction between GCW owner Diane Hewes and Quentin Michaels Esq. turned physical, and we have a new GCW Interstate Champion.
It’s another world since they moved to Thursday nights at the start of the year. Crowds of 200-300 every week and the fans are into the characters like GCW’s glory days in Columbus,
The promotion is starting on an 8 week build to the War Games on April 24 with rock solid booking - logical, uncomplicated stories given time to seep into the common man’s brain – and just enough action in the ring to keep people coming back for more. They’re careful about not giving them too much too soon.
(1) Bull Buchanan beat Orion Bishop in 8:17 with the claw slam. This match rocked. The middle turnbuckle popped off on the first big move of the match and Buchanan went over the top. It’s a frequent problem here. I wonder if it has something to do with the six-sided ring. Buchanan sold it to where referee Jeff McGowan asked if he could continue. Buchanan took punishment like his left side was half-paralyzed, and Bishop has the power game to make it believable against a guy that big, no small feat. I don’t know for a fact that Buchanan called an audible. If so, it was genius born from experience. In any case, it was a great way to work around the broken ring.
Rob Russo, the former Deep South referee/ring announcer tried to rev the crowd up about the War Games. Dead silence. I guess the gimmick itself doesn’t mean much here until the fans know who is in the match. One can only speculate.
(2) Mason Cutter beat Skinny Jimmy in 3:23. Jimmy, announced as 146 and that may be pushing it, got off to a fast start. Mason double stomped his ass to take over. Crowd was into Mason’s offense. The finish looked devastating – Mason drilled him with a piledriver out of a vertical suplex.
(3) Cru Jones (with Quentin Michaels) beat A. J. Steele (with the Intern) in 13:12 to win the GCW Interstate Title. Not a good match, but you wouldn’t have known it from the crowd response. Great pop for Steele. Michaels told Russo he was the worst ring announcer ever and told him to stand in the corner while he introed Jones as “Every Woman’s Wildest Fantasy.†The Intern was mocking Michaels’ behind his back. Match was very slow paced with tons of showboating by Cru, but it was getting heat. Fans cranked up the “weasel†chant on Michaels. Steele did a Thesz Press that must have had Lou rolling in his grave. Steele blows hot and cold, and this was one of those nights when his stuff looked bad. Jones started pounded away and used a hangman neckbreaker and a snap suplex for near falls. A punch in the face woke Steele up. A phantom double lariat left both men down. While Steele was making his comeback, Michaels slugged the Intern and strangled him. Steele chased Michaels, who crawled into the ring. Jones caught Steele with a hanging DDT (Todd Sexton’s Gamebreaker) for the pin. Shaun Banks, Jones’ partner in Hot Like Lava, ran down to the ring to join the celebration.
(4) Zero Tolerance (with Quentin Michaels) semi-squashed Scottie Beach in 4:42. Wow. Gutsy decision booking Zero to squash one of the most over babyfaces they have. Huge response for Beach’s ley throwing intro. Zero’s overwhelmed Beach with sheer power, Zero destroyed Beach’s back. There was a inexplicable moment in which Russo came to ringside and jawed at Michaels. Beach got an inconsequential comeback. Not even a near fall. Zero pinned Beach with an Alabama Slam.
(5) Sonny Siaki beat Devin Cutter (with brother Mason) at 7:51. Siaki looked swole without a shirt. He ordered ring announcer Taylor McKnight to introduce Devin as Mason’s lover. Hooligans equal heat. Siaki owned Devin until Mason interfered. They had a spirited exchange of chops that fired up the crowd. Devin ended it by digging his thurmbs into Siaki’s eyes. Finish saw Mason poised to interfere again, Siaki clocked him, knocking Mason to the floor. Devin capitalized on the distraction with a DDT, Siaki popped up and smoked Devin with a superkick for the 1-2-3.
(6) J-Rod & Tex Monroe beat Randall Johnson & Michael Cook to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles in 12:33. Entertaining match. J-Rod is ridiculously over as a babyface. Monroe has come into his own since I saw him three months ago. He physically looks like a different wrestler. Cook’s distinguishing feature is this amazing Brillo pad hairdo. Johnson and Cook jumped the champs before the bell but not for long. The crowd got some laughs at the heels’ expense. J-Rod gave Johnson a killer monkey flip to set up a diving headbutt to the nuts by Monroe. J-Rod made Cook flap his arms like a chicken. Johnson took a nose dive into the mat on a double flapjack. Cook tripped up Monroe to distract, and Johnson got him from behind to start the heat. At one point, Monroe went for a sunset flip and Johnson grabbed Cook’s hair in an attempt to block it. Neckbreaker counter by Monroe to get to the hot tag. His work has gotten way crisper. J-Rod cleaned house. Cook sold an atomic drop like he was Rick Rude. Pretty cool finisher. J-Rod did a reverse DVD on Johnson and Monroe caught him in midair with a neckbreaker.
THE MONSTER ANGLE. GCW Owner Diane Hewes wanted to address Michaels face-to-face regarding his heinous behavior. Quentin came out surrounded by Michaels Inc. (Johnny Swinger, Zero and Hot Like Lave (Cru Jones & Shaun Banks) Michaels smartened Hewes up to the facts – it was GCW Heavyweight Champion Johnny Swinger and Michaels that were in control. With that, Hewes turned her back. Michaels got physical and wrestled Miss Diane to the mat. He was threatening to slap her when the primo level babyfaces (Siaki, J-Rod,,Monroe, Buchanan and David Young) made the save. In all likelihood, this was the first glimpse of the teams for War Games.
McKnight was serious as a heart attack about Miss Diane’s condition. He said she was shaken up but OK, and fans could send get well e-mails to www.gcwactiontv.com.
(7) Disco Inferno & David Young beat Johnny Swinger & Shaun Banks in 16:02 when Disco pinned the GCW Heavyweight Champion Swinger. OK main event. It didn’t have the heat of matches 3 through 6. Disco did his Saturday Night Fever moves to all six sides of the ring. Young verbally abused Banks about his gimmick. “If you put that whole thing in a hotel room. It’s wrong.†Banks was a bumping machine. Terrific stuff. Disco forced Swinger to tag in. Disco and Young played ping pong with Swinger’s face. Disco gave him the Village People’s Elbow. Young took major heat. Michaels Inc. did a number on his injured wrist. The injury occurred a while back when Swinger gave Young a conchairto to the wrist. Swinger mocked Disco. He got pissed but that only made things worse for Young. The crowd got behind Young…spinebuster on Banks…enzuirgiri on Swinger…hot tag. Swinging neckbreaker on Swinger, and Banks made the save. It broke down to four-way action. Michaels Inc. tried to double on Disco, but Young pulled Banks out. Disco pinned Swinger after a stunner. Banks cried like a baby.
NOTES: Buchanan and Ron West will be the guests on Peach State Pandemonium this Saturday at 11 am. Buchanan was recently named Georgia’s 2007 Wrestler of the Year. One of the topics will be the return of West’s United Wrestling League with Buchanan as one of the top stars. You can tune in at www.blogtalkradio.com/PSP…The GCW television show recently expanded to 60 minutes. Michaels and McKnight are doing the commentary…It looks like GCW is going to stick to running Phenix City for the near future…Scrappy McGowan has gone back to his former role of senior referee after a stint as heel commissioner.
