Recap and Review of GCW vs. Horror Slam
If you were to look at the history of pro wrestling, you would often notice there have been times where bigger companies have worked with smaller companies and they always create magic. In the 90’s, WWE worked with ECW. In the early 2000s, Impact Wrestling worked with the NWA. At one point, WWE also worked with Ohio Valley Wrestling, Midsouth Wrestling, and Florida Championship Wrestling. All were better off when they were working with WWE. The same thing can be said when bigger independent wrestling promotions work with the smaller promotions. Game Changer Wrestling has been around since 1999, when it was known as Jersey Championship Wrestling. Since 2015, they have been one of the leaders in the resurgence of Deathmatch Wrestling in the United States. They have traveled all over the country and have worked with many promotions in various states. Tonight, they were in my home state of Michigan with one of the most unique promotions the state has seen in quite some time. Horror Slam, which is based out of Detroit Michigan has been going since 2017. They have continued to grow and have continued to put the Deathmatch Wrestling World on notice. With momentum, growth, and great talent, fans of the Michigan independent wrestling scene were excited for this event and to see what was going to happen. In case you decided to not watch it, let me take you through exactly what happened.
JASON HOTCH VS AJ GRAY
These are two names you should absolutely be familiar with if you follow independent wrestling. Hotch has made several appearances in AEW and Impact Wrestling. AJ Gray is being featured on every major independent pro wrestling promotion in the country. Both men have very bright futures in the industry and become of that, this match was a lot of fun to watch. Two completely different personalities and two different styles made for one hell of a match. I would absolutely love to see these two guys go head-to-head in the ring again.
WINNER: Jason Hotch
SAM BEALE VS. SOLO VS. RIC CAURDIEA VS. KYLER COLEMAN
This match was absolutely fast and furious and any man could have won this match. Sam Beale has been a mainstay on Impact Wrestling with Brian Myers. Ric Caurdiea is a veteran on the independent scene, but the unknowns to many were Solo and Kyler Coleman. Solo and Coleman have had very fast starts since their careers started. They are in the early stages of their careers and both of them are only going to get better as they continue their strides. This match did not slow down at all and you couldn’t take your eye of the action. The lessons from Myers must be paying off because Beale came out on top.
WINNER: Sam Beale
GREGORY IRON VS. JOSH RAYMOND
This match has been fueling up for quite some time now. Both exchanged words on social media and Gregory Iron then showed up to Josh Raymond’s home promotion of Independence Pro Wrestling and it got physical in the ring and in the locker room. You could feel the bad blood during this match because they didn’t even wait for the bell. Raymond brought the fight to Iron, but it was interference from Eric Ryan that helped pay off for Iron. Raymond took a violent dive outside that both Iron and Ryan avoided which allowed Iron to get the victory. Both of these men are veterans of the industry and they both are still proving they have a lot left in the tank.
WINNER: Gregory Iron
HORROR SLAM UNDENIABLE CHAMPIONSHIP: CHINSTRAP JESUS W/ JOHN E BRAVO VS ATLAS HYTOWER VS. SATU JINN VS. JUSTIN DREAM VS. SEAN LAWHORN VS. ACE AUSTIN
Tonight, Horror Slam debuted a new championship which to their organization and it’s called the Undeniable Championship. These six men fought their hearts for this newly established championship. The funny part of this match for me was Chinstrap Jesus Kyle Barrett. He was avoiding the fight at first with his shenanigans but once he got going, he started to shine. Barrett also had the benefit of having John E. Bravo in his corner guiding him. Everyone had a chance to win this belt, and I have a feeling a lot of people are going to be after Barrett after he snuck his way into a championship victory. I also feel like Ace Austin and Chinstrap Jesus need go one on one after how that match ended.
WINNER: Chinstrap Jesus Kyle Barrett is the first ever Horror Slam Undeniable Champion
HORROR SLAM TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS: DEATH THREAT ARMY(C) VS. OVE VS. SECOND GEAR CREW VS. RHINO & NATE BOCK
Jake Crist and Madman Fulton both have prominently featured on Impact Wrestling and once ran with Sami Callihan, but tonight they took on the hottest faction in Michigan. Death Threat Army members Aaron Orion and Jack Price have taken all challengers since becoming Horror Slam Tag Team Champions. In fact, the entire faction has multiple championships across the state and they continue to take on all challengers. In a surprising and shocking twists, Mance Warner and Matthew Justice came out and put the GCW Tag Team Championships on the line. Then to make it even crazier, the team of Rhino and Nate Bock came out to make it a Fatal Four Way Match for both the GCW and Horror Slam Tag Team Championships. This match was inside the ring, outside the ring, at the bar and anywhere you can think of. You even had Madman Fulton choke slamming people on the bar. It was so hard to follow the action at time, but that’s the kind of match I like. Unpredictable and chaos always makes for a fun match. The Second Gear Crew really brought the fought to everyone in the match until Rhino gored Justice and Warner into a door that seemed unbreakable. Just when I thought Warner and Justice were out of the match, they came back and cleaned house to become the new Horror Slam Tag Team Champions. I have no doubt that Death Threat Army will be looking for a rematch.
WINNERS: The Second Gear Crew are the new Horror Slam Tag Team Champions and Still GCW Tag Team Champions.
HORROR SLAM HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: TREY MIGUEL(C) VS. TONY DEPPEN
If you follow Impact Wrestling then you know Trey Miguel and how great he is. If you follow Ring of Honor Wrestling then you know how great Tony Deppen is. Tonight, Miguel represented Horror Slam and Deppen represented GCW. This match was absolute banger. Let me say this much. Trey Miguel made a smart decision by not signing with WWE. They would have held him back and he would not be thriving and shining like he is right now. Deppen has already won the Ring of Honor Television Championship, so don’t be surprised if he wins the ROH World Championship. Trey Miguel is also a future World Champion in Impact Wrestling. I really enjoyed the mix of high flying and technical aspects of this match. Trey Miguel took Deppen’s best shots and never gave up. He kept coming back until he locked Deppen into a submission he couldn’t get out of. Miguel continues to shine where ever he goes.
WINNER: Trey Miguel retains the Horror Slam Heavyweight Champion
HOLLYWOOD OCHO VS. BRUTUS ATWELL
I have to say Hollywood Ocho did not endure himself to the Detroit crowd as he insulted the people, their city and his opponent Brutus Atwell. These two definitely have very different unique personalities, but they’re both brawler and willing to do whatever it takes to win a match. This is what you might have called a Hoss Fight. It was hard and heavy hitting match in of itself, but when they brought weapons into play it got even more intense. We even saw a Hoover Vacuum cleaner be used during the match. Brutus took a lot of punishment during this match, but he was able to secure the victory, which the fans certainly appreciated. Brutus Atwell is another Michigan talent for fans to keep their eye on in the future.
WINNER: Brutus Atwell
DETROIT CITY DEATHMATCH: BREYER WELLINGTON VS JIMMY LLOYD
Breyer Wellington has been wrestling since 1996 and is a legend when it comes pro wrestling in Michigan. Wellington is also considered a legend in the world of Deathmatch Wrestling. Tonight, he took on another Deathmatch legend in the form of Jimmy Lloyd. Jimmy has really made a name for himself these last few years and he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. While Breyer was trying to hold his own, Ronald McDonald came out and hit Brey with a light tube which ended up costing him the match. Jimmy Lloyd was not happy about McDonald interfering in his business, so a match was set up between the two for later in the evening.
Winner: Jimmy Lloyd
GRUDGE DEATHMATCH: RONALD MCDONALD VS. JIMMY LLOYD
Once we came back from intermission, Ronald McDonald and Jimmy Lloyd continued where they left off when McDonald interfered in Lloyd’s match with Breyer Wellington. There were panes of glass in each corner of the ring along with light tubes and trash cans. I cannot believe McDonald did a Canadian Destroyer from the top rope through a glass pane. I thought Lloyd was done for, but he powerbombed McDonald through a glass pane and two doors. It reminded me of an Awesome Bomb that Mike Awesome use to hit in the inside of the ring to the outside of the ring. It didn’t end there because Lloyd wanted to punish McDonald until he was ready to finish him off.
Winner: Jimmy Lloyd
INTERGENDER TAG TEAM MATCH: EFFY, NICK GAGE, AND ALLIE KATCH VS. MM3, ALEX WEIR AND JODY THREAT W/ JEREMIAH GOLDMAIN
Before I begin the actually match, let me just say that Jeremiah Goldmain is one of the best managers to come into the independent wrestling scene in a very long time. He’s unique, colorful, and puts himself out there in just about everyway possible. Originally it was supposed to be a two on two but each team added a member to make it a six-person intergender tag match. Alex Weir and Nick Gage were excellent additions to the match. If you don’t know about Alex Weir, he is a legit Black Belt Martial Artist who is having one of the best years of career. MM3 is part of a dynasty that includes his grandfather “Sweet Daddy” Malcom Monroe and DBA. The Monroe Family has been a staple in Detroit Wrestling for many years. Effy and Allie Kat are two of the most colorful personalities in pro wrestling right now. They make shows fun and exciting to watch. This was another wild and crazy match that just all over the place with nonstop action. It was great seeing the men fight the women and the women fight men. If you’re not familiar with Jody Threat, do yourself and check her work out. She is incredible and is one tough woman. At one point, Jermiah Goldmain got involved and got punished by Nick Gage for his troubles. Nick didn’t waste anymore time with Alex Weir and MM3, which took the team to victory.
Winners: Effy, Nick Gage, and Allie Katch
#1 CONTENDERS MATCH FOR THE HORROR SLAM DEATH MATCH CHAMPIONSHIP: JEFF KING VS. CHUCK STEIN
If you know anything about Deathmatch Wrestling in Detroit, you know about Jeff King and Chuck Stein. Jeff King has been away from Horror Slam for over a year and the fans gave him a warm and welcome greeting in his return. Even after a year away, he didn’t show any signs of rust. Jeff King and Chuck Stein have a long-storied history, so expectations are always high when they meet. Both men took some -heavy punishment in the match. I didn’t think Stein was getting up after the superplex through the weapons. Whoever the champion is when Stein gets to them better be prepared.
Winner: Chuck Stein is the new #1 Contender to the Horror Slam Deathmatch Championship
HORROR SLAM DEATHMATCH CHAMPIONSHIP: Tommy Vendetta(C) VS ERIC RYAN VS. JOHN WAYNE MURDOCH
The Main Event was a match that was much anticipated because of how crazy everyone is that was in the match. John Wayne Murdoch is a veteran and legend of Deathmatch Wrestling. Eric Ryan has become known for his amazing Deathmatches. Tommy Vendetta has a fast rise on the independent wrestling scene as a member of the Death Threat Army. I mean just look at his nickname. He’s the “Loveable Psychopath.” He is willing to do anything and everything to win a fight. There were a lot of light tubes used and we even saw drill-bit being used during the match. Vendetta introduced Legos into the match but it backfired on him. He was put through a table with Legos on top of it by John Wayne Murdoch, which allowed The Duke of Hardcore to become the new Horror Slam Deathmatch Champion
Winner: John Wayne Murdoch is the new Horror Slam Death Match Champion
This was an amazing show that a little bit of everything. I love that the bigger promotions are willing and open to do business with local promotions that have a strong following. You’ve seen AEW setup a wonderful model with AAA Mexico, Impact Wrestling, NJPW, and NWA going on. GCW is also starting to work with many promotions around the country, which is a great thing for the industry as a whole. A lot of great talent from Michigan was showcased tonight and that’s not even all the great talent that they have. The state of Michigan is very underrated and overlooked when it comes to pro wrestling talent. Horror Slam and GCW did a great job getting a lot of future talent some much needed and deserved exposure. I look forward to more events and more promotions collaborating with promotions in Michigan. I also want to acknowledge how great the commentators were during this event. They were knowledgeable about everyone and their history. It made the show much more enjoyable. I give GCW v. Horror Slam an 8.5 out of 10.
