REVIEW: TNT Extreme Wrestling/GCW Weekender

Arguably one of the biggest set of shows in recent British wrestling history; not one, not two, but THREE shows from the TNT Extreme gang, with a dangerous dose of Game Changer Wrestling sprinkled in.

There was plenty to look forward to, and it did not disappoint.

DAY ONE - TNT Supreme Extreme

The three-day special began with TNT Supreme Extreme and there was already an exciting atmosphere just from the anticipation of the shows to follow

TNT Champion Dan Moloney vs Nick Wayne

Definitely not the match I expected to open the show, but a very welcome surprise. Given his enormous main event to come in just two days, it made sense for Drilla to kick things off with a wrestler who I consider to be one of the sure-fire future stars of the industry, Nick Wayne.

The young high-flyer gave Moloney a run for his money, showing that he could quite easily be a title contender in the future should he return to the UK and TNT down the line.

He repeatedly putting his body on the line for high-risk moves, Wayne absolutely puts respect on his lineage and no doubt makes his family proud.

Unfortunately for him though, Dan Moloney was on top form and was able to seal the deal with the devastating Drilla Killa after catching Nick in mid-air.

The pair showed respect after the match and the crowd was already electric just one match down into the show.

The She-Wolves vs The Liverbirds - TNT Extreme Women’s Tag Teams Championship Match

It’s been a long time coming and finally the She-Wolves got their chance at capturing the TNT Women’s Tag Team Championships.

Clearly the fan favourites, Molly Spartan and Kasey Owens had the Liverpool crowd behind them heading into this one, with Lizzy Evo and Angel Hayze getting the expected response but giving just as much back as always.

These two teams do work so well together and it’s also great to see Lizzy back on home turf with a new motivation since the closure of NXT UK. More Lizzy Evo is good for everyone.

Saying that, it wasn’t The Liverbirds’ night as they lost the titles to The She-Wolves, finally suffering defeat after a Spear from Spartan, and a Frog Splash from Owens.

Congratulations to the Champs!

Jordan Oliver vs Tate Mayfairs

Not entirely sure if this will make the review, but the only phrase that can accompany this match is “Mayfairs is a wanker”.

But seriously, two young talents who are still looking to make a name for themselves in their respective countries and also around the world.

Jordan Oliver is a phenomenal talent and has come so far in the last few years from a skinny kid wrestling in backyards to an international star with little to no limits on his abilities.

Tate Mayfairs is a character that you absolutely love to hate, coupled with his wrestling ability, you can’t deny his skill. The Liverpool crowd expressed their disdain for Tate throughout the match, and it was Oliver who came out victorious with a very low Boston Crab that looked extremely painful.

The crowd were completely behind this young GCW star and continued to follow him in his chants of “Young, dumb and broke”. Great match.

Clint Margera vs Alex Colon – Ladder Match, TNT Extreme Division Championship

Everyone expected this to be crazy and it certainly was. The first Ladder Match I have seen in person, and definitely the first one to include light tubes and doors. Oh well, this is TNT!

Right from the word go there were light tubes, and things quickly descended into chaos with the inclusion of doors, with Clint Margera sending Alex Colon through one in the corner with a huge powerbomb.

What these guys have done for this division is crazy, because while they are barbaric and dangerous, they can still tell a story and connect with the crowd, and that’s exactly what they did.

After brawling to the outside, Colon brought in a literal pane of glass in hopes of using it to his advantage. However, the tables turned, Clint delivered a Death Valley Driver straight through it and climbed the ladder to regain the Extreme Division Championship.

These guys are built different, there’s no doubt.

Kings of the North (Bonesaw and Corvin) vs Close Personal Friends (Joe Lando and Callum Newman)

Returning from interval we get the former TNT Tag Team Champions, Kings of the North, who are definitely one of the most dominant teams on the scene but need to be way more places than they currently are.

And speaking of needing to be more places, Close Personal Friends are a group of four of the most talented guys around and it was Joe Lando and Callum Newman who took to the ring for CPF at Supreme Extreme.

Unfortunately, this match was tainted slightly by Joe suffering a concussion early on, hitting the mat hard. But he powered on and unbelievable continued the match as if nothing had happened. Joe Lando is unreal.

They held their own against the experienced team of KOTN, but it came down to Corvin’s decapitating clothesline which shouting, British commentator, DJ King eloquently declared as “OFF WITH HIS F***ING HEAD!”. Fitting.

Dean Allmark vs Blake Christian

It will be running theme throughout these three days of reviews, but Blake Christian is a STAR. His talents are endless, and on this show, he had the opportunity to hang with one of the best wrestlers on the planet, Dean Allmark.

Sure, Blake can fly high, but he held his own against Allmark, going hold for hold. Deano has been on top of his game for the longest time, extremely under-appreciated for what he’s capable of, and will always go out of my way to make sure people know that.

After a high-flying and technical bout, Allmark pulled out the ace in the hold – a top rope Ruby Cutter to finish All Heart off! A fantastic match, probably my match of the night in all honesty.

As I said, Blake is phenomenal and Allmark is simply fantastic.

Allie Katch vs Session Moth Martina

You ever seen someone pull a knife in a wrestling match? Well Allie Katch did! Starting off with a very entertaining argument over their favourite drinks, with Allie Katch fighting for Team WKD, while Martina obviously fought for Team Beer.

But it didn’t stay fun and games for long. Not sure what happened to the rules in this one, but I’m going to put it down to the fact that nothing is really by the book when Session Moth is involved.

Martina pulled out a beer can kendo stick from beneath the ring and used it to beat Katch repeatedly. But the GCW star battled back and ended up pulling her own surprise out from her boot – a knife!

She carved into Martina’s skull and opened her up to everyone’s shock. And then was able to close the match with a Bussy Driver.

Despite the horror, Allie and Martina celebrated together, pretty much confirming that anything is possible with Session Moth.

Matt Cardona vs Man Like Dereiss - Internet Championship

One of the biggest matches in Dereiss’ career, the Lyrical Dragon entered Liverpool essentially as the home crowd favourite as he went up against Matt Cardona with the Internet Championship on the line.

On the subject of Matt Cardona for a second, this man has reinvented himself completely. Zack Ryder is basically a thing of a past. Some wrestlers do seem to hold on to their previous personas, but Cardona has totally rebuilt himself to become an international megastar and I am here for it.

Onto the match, with the crowd behind him, Dereiss absolutely held his own, proving that he too can go with the stars across the world. He is one of the most obvious choices for future headliners and will no doubt be a mainstay for years to come.

A controversial finish saw Dereiss almost pick up the victory if it wasn’t for a last-minute foot on the rope that luckily (or unluckily) referee James Greenwood caught.

Greenwood took a title to the head, referee LK replaced him, and Cardona used her as a human shield, only to deliver a low blow and followed it up with Radio Silence from the middle rope to claim the win.

This match did everything it needed to. It set Cardona up for his main event bout with Dan Moloney at TNT vs GCW, and it showed the world just how much of a star Dereiss is and why he is the next headline act in British wrestling.

Show Summary

A fantastic show to kick off a jam-packed weekender! Some of the GCW talent were able to get their first taste of the Liverpool crowd and it was great to see how much the fans were behind them.

International independent stars can sometimes fall flat with crowds outside their own country, but this wasn’t the case here, and it showed just how popular GCW can be.

The following night for the GCW Liverpool show was an even greater example, and I can’t wait to write my review for that next.

Summarised point – Blake Christian as a diamond in the rough; Man Like Dereiss is THE next main event talent; “Mayfairs is a wanker”; and always check Allie Katch’s boots for foreign objects before you go anywhere with her. Jeez.

Day TWO - GCW Liverpool

Jordan Oliver vs Blake Christian

After seeing both these men live for the first time the night before, I knew this was going to be an insane contest. And I was right. These two young stars went back and forth and sometimes it was even difficult to keep track of them they were moving that fast!

Jordan Oliver was able to secure the victory after a series of pinfalls back and forth which he eventually got the upper hand with, pinning Blake Christian’s shoulders to the mat for the three. A brilliant match, and there’s absolutely no question that both of these guys are the future.

Allie Katch vs Millie McKenzie

Our very own Millie McKenzie made her GCW debut here and got to showcase her ability in front of a whole new audience and she didn’t disappoint.

She took Allie Katch to the limit. Luckily, there were no blades involved in this one unlike the night before, but what there was, was amazing wrestling.

Katch is deceivingly skilled, and she got the chance to show more of that talent here against Millie. The Bussy member was able to claim the win in the end with a Bussy Driver for her second victory of the weekend.

Matt Cardona vs Mad Kurt - Internet Championship Match

Probably the match on this card I was most looking forward to, Mad Kurt making his GCW debut. And to say he was over is an understatement.

All character aside, I was super proud of Kurt for getting this opportunity to wrestle Cardona in this setting.

Onto the match, they only went and pulled a double swerve on us. The match began with the infamous “Fingerpoke of Doom” and it looked as though Cardona and Kurt had this all figured out. But Kurt had other ideas and rolled Cardona up, almost getting the upset!

Obviously, Cardona was having none of it and the match eventually broke down, with Kurt coming close on multiple occasions. But in the end, Cardona was able to retain his Internet Championship with a keyboard to the skull, followed by Radio Silence.

This match showcased Mad Kurt to the world and if they don’t want to get him overseas for another GCW show, they’d be crazy!

Big FN Joe vs John Wayne Murdoch vs Clint Margera vs Jimmy Lloyd

Still can’t get my head around how tough these guys are. Some of the stuff is just crazy!

The match began immediately with light tubes smashed over everyone’s heads. The thumbtacks came out shortly after and were followed by foreign objects being stabbed into everyone’s skulls. Lovely stuff. The chaos was out of control and all four men put their bodies on the line for the win in this one.

Ultimately, Big FN Joe got the win with a tombstone piledriver on Jimmy Lloyd into thumbtacks. The man had thumbtacks IN HIS KNEES! I was crying for him!

But moments after his win, he declared himself for the next Nick Gage Invitational, and he was joined by John Wayne Murdoch who also put his name into the mix.

Cole Radrick vs Just Joe Lando vs Tony Deppen vs Leon Slater - GCW Extreme Championship Match

All four of these guys should be all across the world doing what they do, they’re insane. On a personal level, seeing Leon Slater get the chance to go out there and be on a stage like this means a lot. He’s so deserving of a spot like that, and the same goes for Joe Lando who has worked his backside off to get where he is.

Cole Radrick is a standout star from this tour, and I cannot stress enough how great he is. He’s so fun and charismatic, knows exactly how to control a crowd and he’s just a joy to watch. And his one-inch punch is genius. Tony Deppen is equally as good at being that guy you love to hate.

He was able to come out with the win in the end and retain his title, but all four of these guys deserve their flowers. What a match. But the story here is Leon Slater’s big break. If this man doesn’t get invited to the US after this, I’ll be shocked as hell.

Joey Janela vs Nick Wayne

Probably my match of the night up next. Joey Janela is phenomenal and there’s no debate about it. And Nick Wayne is a star of the future as I’ve said before. The crowd were totally into it as they flew around the ring as if gravity didn’t exist.

Nick Wayne threw caution to the wind for the sake of this one as he sprung from the second-floor balcony with a moonsault onto Janela that had the entire room (especially his own mother) in absolute shock. This kid is unreal.

And to top it all off, they introduced the infamous door into the match, resulting in a spear from Janela, but even that didn’t keep Wayne down. It took a pinpoint superkick right to the jaw to put him down and bring an end to what was an unbelievable match between two amazing wrestlers.

Effy vs Session Moth Martina

Effy is an icon in so many ways. Seeing him live is an experience I would recommend to anybody who ever gets the chance.

This man has made a lifelong fan out of me, and I was lucky enough to be able to tell him that. Of course, we all know what Session Moth is capable of from the show prior to this, so this was sure to be a wild ride.

And wild it was. In a hilarious bit, Martina was somehow able to turn Effy straight by the power of her iron vagina. Yeah. I wrote that. And throughout the match, Effy occasionally appeared to be enamoured by Session Moth.

The red stripe-covered Singapore cane made another appearance and played a part in the match, but Effy hit his own version of Cardona’s Radio Silence, that I can only assume is called the Sack Ryder… for reasons. And Effy was victorious, returning to his former flamboyant self.

A brilliantly fun match between two equally charismatic performers.

Drew Parker vs Alex Colon

These two are mad.

Getting to see Drew Parker come back from Japan and do what he does best was an honour and a privilege. He has truly honed his craft and showed it all in there with Alex Colon. Ladders, light tubes and yes, you have heard correctly – darts.

To the sound of a packed Liverpool crowd singing Chase the Sun, Drew Parker lunged darts into the back of Colon in what is definitely up there with one of the sickest things I have ever seen anyone do. Seeing them hanging out of Colon’s skin was certainly something.

The brutality was real for this one, and it only came to an end when Drew Parker drove his knee into the skull of Alex Colon with a light tube between them. The carnage was clear, but Drew Parker’s return home to the UK had been a success.

Parker spoke to the crowd post-match and thanked them for all their support before asking a pretty silly question. Do we think GCW should come back to the UK? OF COURSE WE DO!

Show summary

Getting to see a GCW event live was a personal goal of mine that I only thought I’d get to see if I travelled the globe to the US. But here it was on my home turf.

Thank you to Brett Lauderdale and Jay Apter for allowing this 90s kid with an obsession for ECW and the extreme wrestling to witness the closest thing to a live ECW event possible.

GCW is the new extreme, and I hope we get to see it in our country more and more!

DAY THREE - TNT vs GCW

This was the finale of a fantastic trilogy of events featuring both TNT and GCW head-to-head. Obviously, from a personal perspective I had to be team TNT, but regardless, this was set to be an unreal show from both brands of wrestling.

Blake Christian vs Robbie X

Standout star of the weekend, Blake Christian went up against arguably the best cruiserweight in the world, Robbie X. “Blink and you’ll miss it” wasn’t an exaggeration.

Two guys who are the absolute best at what they do flying around the ring faster than the eye can see. No human being should be able to do the things that these guys do.

The TNT vs GCW vibe was there from the start as the duelling chants could be heard from the Liverpool crowd. Not only for the two companies, but for both these incredible guys. Lots of high-flying, almost as if they spent more time in the air than on the floor!

Blake Christian was able to pick up his first victory of the weekend with a vicious stomp. That was only the opening match and everyone was already hyped. They showed respect, and both left with their heads held high.

Kings of the North vs Jordan Oliver & Cole Radrick

I hope it sticks, because “Young, Dumb and Cole” is a brilliant name! But they had a lot more than a fancy name to get over as they took on Kings of the North who were coming off a victory of their own at Supreme Extreme.

The hard-hitters took the fight to their opponents as always, but when the action spilled out into the crowd it was the GCW lads that seemed to gain the advantage.

Jordan Oliver hit a Clout Cutter off the bar, taking out all four men. The crowd loved the interaction and even the TNT faithful fans were rooting for Oliver and Radrick, likely due to Bonesaw and Corvin being unfavourable with the fans to say the least.

In the end it was a huge lariat – or “OFF WITH HIS F***ING HEAD” – as DJ King says it, that put Oliver away, giving Kings of the North the win. It didn’t kill the spirits of Oliver and Radrick though who joined the Liverpool crowd in chants of “young, dumb and Cole”. These guys will certainly never struggle to get over with any crowd.

Man Like Dereiss vs Tony Deppen

His loss at Supreme Extreme had everyone a bit disappointed for Dereiss, but he had the chance to get some momentum back against everybody’s favourite nice guy, Tony Deppen.

That’s heavy sarcasm if you couldn’t tell. But regardless of what you think of his attitude towards the crowd, Deppen is without question one of the best that GCW has to offer. He’s unbelievably entertaining to watch.

He and Dereiss had a great back and forth match, but Dereiss was able to get one back in the win column with his unreal 450 splash. Deppen didn’t go down without a fight, but Dereiss definitely needed this, and will no doubt continue to be one of the best in the country right now.

John Wayne Murdoch, Alex Colon & Jimmy Lloyd vs Drew Parker, Big FN Joe & Clint Margera

As if we hadn’t seen enough of these crazy mf’ers already, they were back for one last dance with death. This wasn’t just any six-man tag, it was a 666-man tag as explained by Emil Jay. And satanic it certainly was.

The chaos was as you’d expect from the get go, the darts made a return courtesy of Drew Parker and the carnage even went up to the balcony.

Alex Colon launched himself from the second floor down into a sea of wrestlers and ring crew that had the entire building going nuts. And then just to top it off, Parker threw his own body from the balcony for another unreal moment.

It was a brainbuster into a steel chair from JWM that finished Clint Margera off and gave team GCW the win. They always leave it all on the line and this was no different.

I know deathmatch wrestling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but as a hardcore fan of the old ECW and CZW, this stuff is incredible to me. JWM even grabbed hold of Clint’s Extreme Championship after the match before handing it back over to him and all 6 men celebrating. Could there be another encounter in the near future?

Lizzy Evo vs Allie Katch

The weekend didn’t start off great for Lizzy when she lost the TNT Women’s Tag Team Championships along with Angel Hayze to the She-Wolves. But she was hoping to end the weekend on a better note. Allie Katch had already picked up wins over Session Moth and Millie McKenzie though so it was not in Evo’s favour.

But in true Liverbird fashion, Lizzy overcame the odds and defeated Katch in front of her home crowd. It was pretty surreal to hear the fans rallying behind Evo, but absolutely deserved.

She is without a doubt one of the best female wrestlers in the country, and while she isn’t always a favourite of the fans, she’s always got the skills to back it up.

She was able to put Allie Katch away with her signature knee and celebrated with the Liverpool crowd, picking up a win for team TNT. Whatever your opinion is of her, Lizzy Evo is a superstar.

Joey Janela vs Gene Munny

The battle of Good Boi versus Bad Boy!

Joey already impressed me so much in his last match with Nick Wayne. Seeing him on TV doesn’t do it justice as to how good he really is. Going up against Gene Munny though who is a favourite wherever he goes would prove to be a tough challenge.

Both men gave everything they had in this one, and it even took a bit of an extreme turn, clearly playing on the GCW rules of the evening, as Janela introduced a steel guardrail. Last time we saw one of those in TNT, we nearly witnessed the end of Dean Allmark!

Despite being the one to bring it in, it was Janela that suffered the guardrail and an Ainsley Lariat. But even that wasn’t enough to put him way. Joey found a way back into the match and beat Munny with a diving foot stomp using a steel chair.

Janela once again leaves to a standing ovation, and rightly so. What a talent.

Che Monet vs Effy vs Visage

This was supposed to be a one-on-one encounter between Effy and Che Monet, but Visage made a shocking return and made this a triple threat bout instead!

Just on a personal note, this match meant the world to me. Mark Adams getting the opportunity to be the ring announcer for this had my little heart full from the get go, but getting to see Effy yet again, and against two more strong LGBTQ characters is just everything the community could ask for.

The match was even more hard-hitting than I expected and all three put on one of the best matches of the weekend in my opinion. Shockingly, Che Monet picked up the win which I was not expecting whatsoever, but was pleasantly surprised! Che is very underrated, and it’s about time he got the recognition he deserves.

Visage and Effy had a celebration of their own after the match and made this moment even more special.

TNT World Champion Dan Moloney vs Matt Cardona - TNT World Championship Match

This had such a big fight feel to it. It truly was TNT versus GCW. And the crowd was deafening through the whole thing. Easily the best atmosphere I have ever been a part of and I’m certain others will attest to that.

Cardona started the match trying to talk his way out of it. Classic Cardona, suggesting that they don’t have to fight. But they do. This is TNT vs GCW. And the Drilla is ready to put a hurt on Cardona!

Eventually, the match was able to get underway and there were many moments where it looked like Cardona was going to walk away with the TNT Championship, and you’d have totally believed it if he did. I was personally half expecting him to commit the ultimate heist, but Moloney pulled through.

The Drilla did what he does best and planted Cardona with the Drilla Killa for the victory in what was a really heartwarming moment. TNT had triumphed. Dan Moloney was victorious. This moment will no doubt live forever in the history of British wrestling and that’s so cool to have been a part of it.

Show summary

As expected, both TNT and GCW pulled out all the stops and put on an incredible show to end the weekend. It was one of the best weekends of wrestling I’ve ever witnessed, and makes me proud to be a fan of TNT and British wrestling in general. Being a small part of it is something I will cherish forever, and if you don’t watch GCW, get watching on FITE! If you’ve never been to a TNT show, get your tickets booked!

This is the future of wrestling.

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