By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
We are looking for reports on all WWE, AEW, NXT, TNA, MLW, GCW, and other notable live events. If you attend a show, you are encouraged to send a report or even basic results to [email protected]
Jersey Championship Wrestling “Flowers”
Replay available via YouTube.com
May 11, 2025, in Asbury Park, New Jersey at House of Independents
The lighting was good. The attendance was maybe 200. There are at least two top-notch matches I’m really interested in here.
* The show opened with a video tribute to Sabu. We then went to the venue, where Joey Janela was in the ring, wearing dark sunglasses. He talked about how much Sabu meant to him, calling him “an innovator and a legend,” and said Sabu “changed professional wrestling forever.” He talked about how the match with Sabu came together, and how bad of shape Sabu was in going into their match just a month ago. “We lost a real one. He really changed the business forever,” Janela said. We concluded with the 10-bell salute.
* Video aired of Alec Price and surprise tag partner Jordan Oliver winning the GCW Tag Team Titles from Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini at the Joey Janela Spring Break show (the same show where Sabu fought Joey Janela.) Emil Jay then gave us a proper, uplifting intro to get us going. Veda Scott and Nick Knowledge provided commentary.
1. Alec Price and Jordan Oliver vs. Griffin McCoy and Jackson Drake for the GCW Tag Team Titles. Regular teammates and foes Oliver and McCoy opened; I’ve seen them fight multiple times now. Oliver hit a dropkick at 2:00. McCoy hit a roundhouse kick to the chest. WWE ID prospect Drake tagged in and the heels worked over Oliver’s left arm. Price entered at 3:30 and traded offense with Drake. Price hit an axe kick on Drake, and Oliver immediately hit a kick to the forehead. They brawled to the floor at 6:00. Back in the ring, McCoy hit a back suplex on Price, and the heels worked over Alec. Drake hit a senton.
Oliver got a hot tag at 7:30 and hit a hip-toss on Drake and his twisting crossbody block on McCoy. Drake hit a powerslam on Oliver for a nearfall at 9:00, then a Lethal Injection, and suddenly all four were down. Drake had a cut below his left eye and the crowd taunted him. Drake went for a backflip but Price caught him with a kick. Oliver and McCoy traded forearm strikes. Price got a hot tag at 12:30 and hit a huracanrana, then his springboard Blockbuster and a dive to the floor onto McCoy. Oliver hit an Acid Drop. Price hit a tornado DDT on McCoy; both champs jumped on McCoy for the pin. A really good match.
Alec Price and Jordan Oliver defeated Griffin McCoy and Jackson Drake to retain the GCW Tag Team Titles at 13:43.
* Footage aired of Fuego Del Sol returning, only to turn on his long-time friend Sam Stackhouse. Fuego has renamed himself as KJ Orso.
2. Tony Deppen vs. Matt Mako. Matt Makowski has shortened his name recently; again, he is perhaps best known for facing some WWE guys at the Bloodsport events. Reversals on the mat early on, and Mako went for a cross-armbreaker. They got up and traded forearm strikes at 3:00, and Deppen rolled to the floor to regroup. Mako hit a somersault flip off the apron onto Deppen. In the ring, Matt kicked out the left elbow and targeted it. He went for a double armbar, but Deppen escaped. Tony tied up Matt’s arms behind the back. Matt hit a spinning heel kick for a nearall at 7:00.
Matt re-applied a cross-armbreaker and the fans taunted Deppen to tap out, but Tony reached the ropes. Deppen locked in a Rings of Saturn double armbar, but Mako got a foot on the ropes at 9:00. Deppen hit a Meteora in the corner, then a top-rope doublestomp to the chest for a nearfall. Mako hit a superplex, then a flipping powerbomb for a nearfall at 11:00. Matt applied a sharpshooter; Deppen tried to get to the ropes, but Mako pulled him to the middle of the ring, and Tony tapped out. Really good mat-based match.
Matt Mako defeated Tony Deppen at 12:59.
* A bizarre video aired with a mask on the screen straight out of “V is for Vendetta.” This person has placed some sort of bounty on Masha Slamovich!!
3. B3cca vs. Zayda Steel. International pop star sang her top hit, “On B3cca, On God,” on her way to the ring, but she was turning it into a rock track! Joey Janela was advertised as B3cca’s opponent but I prefer this, as I’m a big fan of Zayda. An intense lockup to open, and B3cca dropped Zayda on her face and slapped the back of Steel’s head. B3cca hit a clothesline for a nearfall at 2:00. They went to the floor, where Zayda stomped on her. Back in the ring, Zayda hit her Lungblower to the chest in the ropes. B3cca hit some chops, in and out of the ring. Back in the ring, B3cca went for a crossbody block, but Zayda hit a spin kick to the gut for a nearfall at 4:30. B3cca hit a neckbreaker over her knee for a nearfall. Zayda got a rollup with her feet on the ropes for added leverage for the pin out of nowhere!
Zayda Steel defeated B3cca at 5:57.
* Footage aired of Matt Cardona’s return to GCW last weekend in Los Angeles. JImmy Lloyd attacked Cardona to the crowd’s delight!
4. Jonathan Gresham vs. Charles Mason. Mason wrestled Friday in Chicago; he wore a black button-down suit today. Nick Knowledge said that Gresham-Zack Sabre Jr. was his favorite match of The Collective in Las Vegas, and I agree with that. Mason is taller, but Gresham is so thick, he might have the weight advantage. Mason twisted the left arm early on, and he switched to a sleeper. Gresham hit a huracanrana, then a dropkick at 2:00. He tied up Mason’s arms behind his back and tied Charles in a pretzel. Mason hit a dropkick to the side of the head at 4:30.
Mason kept Gresham grounded, hitting a back suplex for a nearfall at 4:30. Gresham fired up and hit a series of chops in the corner. Mason hit a doublestomp to the back; he still has his suit on, and he just removed the jacket. Gresham got an O’Connor Roll for a nearfall at 9:30, and he kicked out Mason’s left elbow. He twisted Mason’s arm in the ropes. Mason threatened ref Scarlette Donovan, then he hit his rolling Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Mason peeled off his button-down shirt. Gresham switched to an ankle lock at 12:30. Mason kicked the ropes to crotch Gresham. Gresham hit an enzuigiri and a German Suplex with a bridge for the pin. That was pretty good.
Jonathan Gresham defeated Charles Mason at 13:18.
* Footage aired of 1 Called Manders winning the xWx World Title in Germany.
5. 1 Called Manders vs. Tom Lawlor for the wXw World Title. Lawlor was in Chicago on Saturday for MLW. Lawlor wore denim jeans and suspenders. A feeling-out process early on. Lawlor hit some chops; Manders dropped him with a shoulder block, and Lawlor rolled to the floor at 2:00 to regroup. They brawled on the floor, and Lawlor hit some chops. Lawlor leapt off the apron and crashed onto Manders at 4:00. Manders hit some Sheamus-style blows to Lawlor’s chest, and they finally got back into the ring, but Lawlor crotched him against the ropes. Lawlor kept Manders grounded, and he hit some shoulder blocks to the gut in the corner at 7:00. Manders hit a suplex.
Manders hit his Oklahoma Stampede (bulldog powerslam). Lawlor avoided a clothesline, and he applied a rear-naked choke on the mat. Lawlor applied a Figure Four at 9:00, but Lawlor eventually reversed it, and they rolled to the floor. They got up and traded forearm strikes and ignored the ref. Lawlor pushed Manders into the ring post, and they got back in at 11:30, where he hit a running knee strike to the back of the head for a nearfall. Lawlor applied a Dragon Sleeper. Manders escaped and hit a hard clothesline for the pin. A very good match, but with the title on the line, it removed any suspense over who was winning.
1 Called Manders defeated Tom Lawlor to retain the wXw World Title at 13:05.
6. Marcus Mathers vs. Lee Moriarty. Lee wore his ROH Pure Title. They shook hands, and we got a “both these guys!” chant. A feeling-out process early on, and Lee tied up the left arm. Marcus hit an armdrag at 4:30. Lee tied him in an Alex Shelley-style Border City Stretch. They got up and shoved each other, and the friendly reversals just turned serious. Mathers hit a shotgun dropkick into the corner at 6:30 and a mule kick. Lee did a Sabre-style snap of the neck between his ankles at 8:00, then a snap suplex, and he kept Mathers grounded with a hammerlock. Lee hit a sling blade at 11:30. They got up and traded punches. Mathers slammed him to the mat and applied a crossface move on the mat at 15:00. They traded rollups, and Lee got the pin! A very good match.
Lee Moriarty defeated Marcus Mathers at 16:21.
7. Beast Man and Mad Dog Connolly vs. Matt Tremont and Bam Sullivan. They all immediately brawled to the floor. Unsurprisingly, Tremont was quickly bleeding from the forehead. They all got back into the ring at 3:30, all with chairs. They whacked Beast Man over the head with chairs, and Bam threw a chair at his head; I hate that. Connelly and Tremont traded blows. Bam hit some discus punches on Beast Man at 6:00, who no-sold them. Beast Man hit a doublestomp on Bam in the corner at 7:30. Tremont got a hot tag, and he stabbed his opponents in the forehead with scissors. Bam got a fork and he stabbed Beast Man with it. Gross. Connelly hit a gut-wrench suplex. He choked Bam with a chain; when the ref tried to save Bam, Connelly shoved the ref to the mat, and he called for the bell. This was officially ruled a no-contest. Beast Man dove through the ropes onto all three guys. Blah; not my thing.
Beast Man and Mad Dog Connolly vs. Matt Tremont and Bam Sullivan went to a no contest at 11:52.
8. Masha Slamovich vs. Timothy Thatcher for the JCW World Title. Thatcher is much taller and visibly thicker and stronger, and he quickly tied her up on the mat, applying a hammerlock. She hit a clothesline at 2:30 and a running penalty kick. Thatcher grabbed an ankle and again tied her up on the mat. He hit some knee strikes to the side of her ribs. Masha hit a running penalty kick on the ring apron. However, he scooped her up in his arms and threw her hard on two open chairs in the front row at 6:00. In the ring, Timothy hit a European Uppercut that dropped her, and he kicked her in the spine at 7:30.
Thatcher tied her in a half-crab, but she reached the ropes. He hit a gut-wrench suplex for a nearfall. Masha fired up and hit a spinning back fist. Thatcher hit a piledriver at 10:00. Masha hit a running knee in the corner, then her rolling Koppo Kick for a nearfall at 11:30. Thatcher slapped her across the face a couple times. Masha hit some spinning kicks and her White Knight Driver (piledriver). She locked in a rear-naked choke on the mat, and he passed out!
Masha Slamovich defeated Timothy Thatcher at 13:31 to retain the JCW Championship.
Final Thoughts: This was a very good free show. Every wrestler on the card is a well known indy-worker on the East Coast. I’ll go with Mathers-Moriarty for best match, the tag title opener for second, and a strong Mathers-Lawlor match for third. Gresham-Mason was really good, too. I think the first six matches of this show were really good… then the wheels fell off.
I didn’t like the brawl in the seventh match. I don’t like the blood, and even worse, I hate the blows to the head, and whipping a chair at someone’s head when they are just four or five feet away. It is beyond necessary to have that type of violence. Haven’t we learned anything about CTE? I have so much respect for both Thatcher and Slamovich, but I hated that match. Yes, I hated it. Thatcher is back in Evolve, helping out with a lot of the WWE ID prospects. Don’t expect to see him tie up a woman in knots like that on WWE TV, then hit open-hand slaps to her face. The ‘soccer moms’ and advertisers would reject this type of match in a heartbeat. Masha is so talented, but this one… it just wasn’t believable. He brutalized her to the point it was uncomfortable to watch, regardless of the fact that she won in the end. Did he legit hurt her? Of course not. He’s a great talent, and I’m sure she was well protected. But the visual of it… it didn’t work for me at all.
Be the first to comment