Wrestlemania Weekend Shows
Game Changer Wrestling Joey Janela Spring Break Review
The show opens with a surreal skit in which Joey Janela finds a teapot that is supposed to be a genie’s lamp. He runs through the streets with it before settling down and opening it. A genie appears in the form of Scott Hall who offers to grant three wishes. Janela starts to wish for a scooter, Weekend At Bernie’s 2 on blu-ray and is stumped for a third wish. When The Bad Guy asks what he really wants, little Joey says he wants to wrestle Marty Jannetty at Joey Janela’s Spring Break. This sets an interesting tone for this show.
1) Sami Callihan vs Kyle the Beast- This is my first time seeing Kyle, he’s a big guy with half his face painted. As he comes to the ring Callihan hits him with a tope suicida. KTB goes in the ring and hits his own tope suicida. Callihan hits another one and Kyle responds with a tope con giro. They brawl around ringside and Callihan hits Kyle with a beach ball. Kyle chops Callihan and then goes for a powerbomb but Callihan fights out and hits a running kick on the apron. Callihan plays to the crowd and then chops away at KTB and runs him into the guardrail. Callihan hits a boot to the face at ringside and then runs around the ring but takes a boot to the face from Kyle. KTB rolls Callihan inside for a pin attempt and then hits him with a rolling shoulder-tackle. Kyle hits a slingshot senton and stays on Callihan with strikes. Kyle whips him into the corner and charges allowing Callihan to kick him in the shins. Callihan hits running kicks in the corner but Kyle comes back with a big kick. Callihan hits an air raid crash. Kyle hits a charging Callihan with a kick and then gives him a Samoan Drop. They trade kicks and forearms and Callihan throws a discus punch. Callihan hits the ropes and Kyle spears him and gives him a jackhammer. KTB takes Callihan to the top rope for a superplex but Callihan bights his ear and goes for a sunset flip powerbomb. Kyle holds onto the ropes but Callihan kicks him in the head and hits a powerbomb and transitions into a stretch muffler causing Kyle to tap out. This was a really fun opener which I wasn’t expecting, only due to never seeing KTB before. I definitely want to see him again and I hope this gets him some exposure. Callihan takes the mic and says tonight was Kyle’s chance to shine and that tonight he respects him.
2) Andy Williams and Penelope Ford vs Allie and Braxton Sutter- Williams is the guitar player for the band Every Time I Die and has been wrestling in Toronto promotion SMASH wrestling, where Sutter and Allie are also regulars. Allie taunts Williams on the mic before the match and he clotheslines her so this match is off to a horrible start for me. Sutter knocks down Ford and Williams and Sutter throw punches at each other and brawl to ringside. Allie and Ford brawl on the floor as well. Williams sets up a household door against the guardrail but Sutter starts chopping him and then goes to suplex him through the door. Williams blocks and gives Sutter a falcon arrow through the door while Allie and Ford wrestle in the ring. Allie hits a sliding a lariat in the corner and then beats her down in the corner. Ford whips her into the ropes and does a cartwheel into a clothesline and then a handspring back elbow. Ford does a bronco buster and then Sutter comes in and clotheslines Ford. Sutter and Allie are in control in the ring. Allie does an acid drop on Williams and Sutter works over Ford in the corner. Allie and Sutter hit Williams with chops against the ropes. Sutter and Williams hit a double lariat against each other and then the women do a double facebuster. Williams and Sutter criss-cross and Allie superkicks Williams only to take a stunner from Ford. Sutter tries to clothesline Ford who avoids it matrix-style and does a flying headscissors. Ford does a handspring double ace crusher on Sutter and Allie. Williams gives Sutter a chokeslam and Ford hits him with an assisted moonsault for the pin. Ford actually impressed me here and Williams is fine although I find it odd for he and Ford to use Rod Stewart music rather than Every Time I Die. Sutter and Allie are a great pair.
3) GCW Title: Matt Tremont (champion) vs Eddie Kingston- This match is announced as anything goes. They seem to get the match order confused on commentary as they start out saying this will be the clusterfuck battle royal match, and the graphic for Kingston says “Travis Gordon”. Tremont takes the mic and calls for the match to be falls-count-anywhere. They trade big chops and punches to start. Tremont does an avalanche in the corner. Tremont gets a household door and two sheets of drywall from under the ring. Kingston comes outside and brawls with Tremont, whipping him into the ringpost and busting him open. Kingston whips him into the guardrail. They return to the ring and Tremont beats Kingston with the drywall and sets it up in the corner. charges Kingston who throws him through the drywall. Kingston then jabs a fork into Tremont’s head. Kingston throws Tremont outside but Tremont gets a piece of wood and this Kingston in the head with it. They brawl through the crowd and up past the balcony. Kingston throws Tremont down the stairs and they start trading punches. Tremont suplexes Kingston through a table. They brawl back toward the ring and Tremont whips Kingston into the guardrail and grabs a board and sets it up between the ring and guardrail. Tremont clotheslines Kingston on the top rope and goes to the second rope allowing Kingston to throw him through the board. Kingston sets up a board in the corner but Tremont grabs him and gives him a death valley driver through the board for the pinfall. This was a fun brawl.
4) Clusterfuck battle royal: I don’t know how thorough my review of this match will be. Referee Bryce Remsberg comes out dressed for spring break. Competitors can win this match by pinfall, submission or death. The first two participants are Travis Gordon (for real this time) and Façade and this appears to be rumble-style. At one point Gordon does a ridiculous amount of kip-ups. The next contestant is John Silver, who is always entertaining. He charges in with a double clothesline and starts throwing Gordon and Façade and kicks them in the chest. Silver suplexes them both at the same time and then Veda Scott is the next contestant and she starts chopping everyone. Scott takes a superkick from Silver. Bryan Idol comes out next and backdrops Silver to the outside and then dumps Gordon out as well. Façade clotheslines Idol outside and then does a step-up 450 dive onto everyone. Facade’s valet does a rolling plancha off the top onto everyone. Crazy Boy comes out and squares off with Façade. They trade roll-ups. CB gives Façade a death valley drier. Jervis Cottonbelly comes out and Silver goes after him with a pool noodle. Jervis starts tickling all of his opponents and might be my new favorite wrestler. He has a Mr. Peanut style mask and his outfit actually has cotton on his belly. The Invisible Man then comes out and Cottonbelly and Idol take offense from him. Silver takes over and tries to suplex him but gets reversed. To be clear with any readers, either there is no one there or there is actually someone invisible. Everyone takes turns pretending to wrestle with The invisible Man. Façade takes a big DDT from him but kicks out. Jimmy Lloyd then comes out and is an actual physical human being at least and he pins Gordon for the first elimination. Lloyd squares off with Veda. Silver gives Veda a brainbuster and then goes after Idol and gives him a lariat and a Liger Bomb. Silver goes after Cottonbelly but they hug and Silver grabs Cottonbelly’s bottom causing him to faint. Remsberg counts him but he gets up and tees off on Silver. They go back-and-forth until Silver superkicks him to the floor. Arik Cannon comes out next with some beer and shares some with Silver who goes for a clothesline. Cannon avoids it and gives him a stunner and pins him for the elimination. Glacier then comes out for one of the biggest pops of the night. Glacier unloads on everyone with karate chops. He hits Crazy Boy with a big boot and pins him. Glacier and Façade then face off as the music hits for Dink The Mini-Clown. Glacier prepares to wrestle Dink but Cottonbelly hugs him from behind. Dink squares off with Veda, stomps on her foot and bites her posterior. Cannon then slaps said area but Veda hits him with strikes. It is announced “Ladies and gentlemen, Dink The Clown has left the building” as Veda hits a flying headscissors on Cannon. Ethan Page then comes out with The Gatekeepers and gives Veda a rock bottom to pin her. Page then starts trade chops with The Invisible Man who whips him into the ropes. Page sets him up and gives him a razor’s edge onto the crowd of wrestler at ringside who all collapse. Cannon and Page roll TIM back inside and Page gives him a rock bottom for the pin and elimination. Lloyd goes after Page with a chair but Page takes control of it and beats Lloyd away. Façade comes off the top rope with a kick to Page. Cottonbelly and Façade take each other on and Cottonbelly does a flying headscissors. Façade does a botched springboard Canadian Destroyer to pin Cottonbelly. Cannon then does some weird twisting slingshot to eliminate Façade. Cannon takes a shotgun dropkick from Idol but then hits him with a powerbomb and a brainbuster for the pinfall elimination. Glacier boots Cannon in the face and pins him. Page and Glacier face off and theme music for Mortal Kombat plays. Glacier gets distracted and Page rolls him up for the elimination. Page has his tights down revealing his bum-bum and gets announced as the winner but Jimmy Lloyd is still in the match. Page is in control at first but Lloyd hits an air raid crash. Page wraps a chair around Lloyd’s head and whips him into the corner. The Gatekeepers throw doors and boards into the ring and Lloyd gets hit with them. The Gatekeepers throw Lloyd through a door in the corner. The Gatekeepers do a double beel throw to Lloyd through the table and he kicks out of another pin attempt. The Gatekeepers hold a door in the middle of the ring and Page gives Lloyd an iconoclasm through it but Lloyd kicks out again. Lloyd hits a stunner on Flex but takes a rolling elbow from Blaster. Flex and Page hold Lloyd for a tope con giro from Blaster but Lloyd escapes and Blaster hits his stable-mates. Lloyd takes Page inside and hits a sit-down driver (I think it’s called that) for the pinfall to win the clusterfuck. I was determined to hate this and while it wasn’t Tsuruta vs Tenryu, it was one of the more entertaining battle royals I have seen in years outside of the rumble as they usually are a clusterfuck. I am sure that tradition will continue on Sunday.
5) Lio Rush vs Keith Lee- There is quite a size difference between these two but Rush trades punches with Lee right away. Lee charges Rush but falls to the outside. Rush does a tope sucida but Lee catches him. Rush tries a hurracanrana but Lee powerbombs him on the apron. They go inside and Rush fights back with kicks. Rush goes for a headscissors but gets powerbombed. Lee throws Rush in the corner and Rush goes outside. Rush returns to the ring and throws forearms and punches. Rush hits a kick to Lee’s chest and then tries to pick him up on his shoulders but Lee press slams him with one hand. Lee goes to the top and tries to suplex Rush who escapes. Rush throws a high kick but Lee overhand chops him o the mat. Lee plays to the crowd and Rush gets up and kicks him. Rush is then quite impressive in giving Lee a death valley driver followed by a frog splash. Lee does a big kick-out. Rush kicks Lee in the chest and does a hook-kick. Bryce Remsberg gets knocked down and Lee hits a big spirit bomb but Remsberg is late doing the count. Lee goes to the second rope but Rush gets to the apron and kicks him in the head. Rush goes to the top rope and attempts a sunset flip powerbomb but Lee fights him off. Rush then manages to give him a powerbomb. Rush brings Lee to his feet and chops and kicks him. Lee strikes back and goes to the top rope with Rush and goes for an avalanche spirit bomb but Rush does a hurracanrana. Rush then does three frog splashes to get the pin. This was a really good match. I’ve seen it described as the best of the night but it is a tough call for me with Callihan vs Kyle which is not meant to detract from this as there is lots to like.
6) Joey Janela vs Marty Jannetty- It’s awesome to see Jannetty come out to the old Rockers theme music. There is lots of stalling and then Jannetty goes for a handshake and Janela punches him. Janela takes him outside and bounces his head off the ring steps. Janela sits Jannetty on a chair at ringside then runs around the ring and kicks him in the face. Janela does it a second time. He tries a third time but Jannetty hiptosses him onto the chair. They run each other’s heads into the ringpost. Janela throws a chair into Jannetty’s leg and continues to beat him with the chair. Janela rolls him inside and works the leg. Janela goes for the sweet chin music but hits referee Bryce Remsberg. Janela puts Jannetty in the sharpshooter and several referees come out and get laid out by Janela. Earl Hebner comes out as Janela puts Jannetty in the sharpshooter again. Hebner and Janela get in a shoving match and then a masked man comes out and beats up Janela. Jannetty pulls the mask off and it is Virgil. Jannetty gives Janela a Canadian Destroyer. Jannetty takes Janela to the top rope but Janela knocks him off and hits him with a big splash off the top. Janela goes outside and starts throwing chairs inside. They set up a chair and trade punches. Janela seats Jannetty on the chair and does a swanton onto the chair as Jannetty gets out of the way. Jannetty then gives him a rocker dropper onto the chair. They trade punches and Janela hits a superkick and gets the pinfall to end the night’s true clusterfuck.
7) Matt Riddle vs Dan Severn- Riddle is accompanied by David Starr while Severn is accompanied by several wrestlers carrying his old title belts. Severn takes the mic and says to Riddle “I hear you’re going to kick my ass. Well here I am.” They wrestle to the mat and maneuver into Severn trying for an armbar. Severn suplexes Riddle who then gets his back. Severn continues going for the armbar and Riddle gets his back and they’re stood up after getting tied up in the ropes. Riddle goes for a kick but Severn catches him. Severn grabs a knee-bar but Riddle gets the ropes. Riddle misses a punch and Severn gives him a German suplex and a shoulder-throw. Riddle goes outside for a break and comes back in and they trade chops. Severn does a belly-to-belly suplex and delivers knees to the gut and a gutwrench suplex. Severn knees him in the kidney and goes for a dragon sleeper but Riddle escapes. Severn takes him to the mat but Riddle goes for a cross armbreaker. Severn rolls him into a pin attempt. Riddle starts slapping Severn and takes him down with strikes to the head and goes for an armbar. Severn floats over and Riddle is trying for a cross armbreaker. Severn gets to his feet and the square off with Severn punching Riddle to the mat. They jockey for position and Riddle misses a kick. Severn gives him a German suplex. Riddle tries for a suplex but Severn gets another German. Riddle is not fazed and comes back with his own German. They clinch and Severn knees him in the back and applies a dragon sleeper. Riddle looks to be in danger but he rolls out and hits elbows to Severn’s head and applies the Bromission with Severn tapping out. This was my favorite match of the night, easily. Riddle was awesome as always but I can definitely say Severn far exceeded my expectations. I’d be interested in seeing more of him and whether he can have a great match with someone other than Riddle. After the match, Riddle says he hopes one day he can be half the man Severn is and he says he can’t thank him enough for being here and working with him.
This was actually a fun show that I think people should check out. The battle royal was great entertainment and there are three matches that make this really worth watching. And Janela vs Jannetty is also very entertaining.
