GCW Gringo Loco’s The Wrld on Lucha 2
April 1, 2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center
Los Angeles, California

Watch: FITE+

Six-Man Scramble
Jack Cartwheel def. El Mago, Willie Mack, Bobby Flaco, Jimmy Lloyd & Shane Mercer

One more GCW scramble before I can act like a normal person this weekend. We’ve got a packed and enthusiastic UCC for the venue’s last show of the weekend. Some cool selections in this one: Dragongate alum El Mago, AAA semi-regulars Jack Cartwheel and Willie Mack, and Jimmy Lloyd, I guess, too. 

Everyone did dives, Mercer threw people, Flaco was the MVP, Cartwheel pinned Mago with a Sky Twister. Once they were done dancing, this felt crisper than the majority of scramble matches this weekend. As scrambles go, thumbs up. 

Dulce Tormenta def. Sexy Star

*ahem*

Not THAT Sexy Star. 

I don’t know a lot about Dulce Tormenta. She’s done some AEW Darks and floated around Texas indies.  This is one of those matches where you go in with low expectations, and it has to kick ass for a while before you think, “Wait, this might be really good.” 

They went for it right out the gate. Exchanges in the ring were fairly crisp, followed by dives to the outside that sent both women flying into rows of wooden chairs. Dulce went through a door in the corner, and Sexy Star started pouring thumbtacks on the mat. Soon they were just wailing on each other with stiff elbows. I’m completely wrestling exhausted, this match went way longer than it had any business going, and I kept loving it. 

If you didn’t watch the match, you might not believe me, and I don’t blame you, but this was one of my favorite matches on a non-major show all weekend. Fuck it, we’re all friends here, right? Four stars. ****

Aramis, Rey Horus & Komander def. Black Taurus, Arez & Latigo

Latigo’s partner in Los Vipers, Toxin, was originally in this match before he went down with an injury. Rey Horus replaced him, and the teams were slightly reconfigured.

GCW has developed a reputation for their lucha six-man tags. Show-stealing multi-man matches at shows like 2 Cups Stuffed, rSpring Break, and The Wrld on GCW are why we have this Gringo Loco show. Talent-wise, this has to be the most stacked iteration of this match format they’ve rolled out to date. 

How do you write about this? All six men are total killers. Everything was going a mile-a-minute until Taurus hit the ring and started cleaning house. The match briefly slowed for some mask-ripping, establishing the Taurus, Arez, and Latigo team as the rudos for the evening. Komander fought out of a 3-on-1 and leaped off his teammates’ shoulders for a crazy dive to the outside. Back in the ring, chaos ensued in a sequence that left all six men on the mat and the entire crowd on their feet. 

As we moved toward the climax, the tecnicos made space to put the spotlight on Komander, who wrapped up a tremendous breakout weekend. He scored the winning pinfall on a breathtaking ropewalk moonsault. Immediately, money came flying into the ring. Well deserved, fellas. ****¼ 

Los Macizos (Ciclope & Miedo Extremo) def. Familia de Tijuana (Bestia 666 & Damian 666)

It took a little while for this to get going, but once it did, it was an alright time. Bestia dropped the Macizos boys on their heads, Ciclope and Extremo used tandem offense to put folks through doors, everything you’d expect. This just went too long, and that didn’t work for its placement on the show or Damian’s current day in-ring abilities. 

The veteran was game, though. He came off the top a few times and took a tremendous elevated bump through a table for the finish. In the post-match, Los Macizos dropped to their knees to pay their respects to Damian, a forefather of theirs in the cross section of lucha and deathmatch. It was a sweet moment to cap off the show’s first misstep. 

Negro Casas def. Tony Deppen

I’ve been excited for this one. Deppen is a nerd for llaveo guys and has spoken about his reverence for wrestlers like Negro Navarro and Skayde. On paper, he’s a perfect opponent for Casas, who is a physical marvel in the ring for a 63-year-old. 

I described Casas’ earlier match this weekend with Ultimo Dragon as a “warm, cozy sweater of a match.” This came in a little under that. Deppen sold like crazy for everything Casas did. You could tell he was stoked to be in there. Eventually, Deppen got caught in a Casita for the pin. 

Interestingly, Casa requested a mic after the match and said something to the effect of, “Thank God I changed companies, so I can come here and fight wrestlers with heart, like this one.” 

Falls Count Anywhere
Psycho Clown def. Gringo Loco

Gringo Loco has booked the hell out of GCW’s lucha programming; another singles match with Psycho Clown is a well-deserved reward. 

Game Changer audiences are always super-receptive to Psycho Clown, but really, how could you not be? Gringo set the tone early by threatening a small child that Psycho brought to the ring, and we were off. 

The initial crowd brawling was good stuff, in part due to Psycho’s willingness to bash Gringo Loco with anything a fan handed him. Things slowed down while Gringo teared at Psycho’s mask, leaning in as the rudo. The crowd came back to life when Psycho plunged Gringo through a door, bashed his grounded form with a chair, and did a split-legged moonsault onto the mess he’d made. By the time the match returned to the floor, Gringo Loco was absolutely gushing from his forehead.

The match was getting pretty long-winded, but the finish might have compensated for that. In, perhaps, the craziest spot I saw all weekend, Psycho gave Gringo a Spanish Fly onto the cinder blocks. Then things got a little strange — Gringo immediately shuffled over and snared Psycho in a crucifix for the win. Psycho looked pretty roughed up and needed to be helped out of the ring, so it might have been an audible called on the fly. 

This match swung for the fences, but its length and awkward finish hindered it.

Hijo de Vikingo def. Laredo Kid 

This weekend has pretty much belonged to Vikingo, but this was our first glimpse at Laredo since the excellent six-man tag (“The One With Galeno Del Mal”) at the Mark Hitchcock Supershow. Laredo’s a little better at piecing together a cohesive match than some of his more GIF-able peers, and he has very well-established chemistry with the AAA Mega Champ. 

These two more than made up for the somewhat languid pace of the two matches that preceded it. Both guys had their feet on the gas pedal, but more importantly, both guys were executing everything pristinely. 

After some wild exchanges outside the ring, Laredo took control on the inside. He battered Vikingo with fists and knees in the corner until he connected with a Laredo Fly. Vikingo kicked out, but I’m still glad the live audiences got to see Laredo’s finisher — it’s a beauty of a move. 

Laredo went for a second Laredo Fly, but was countered by Vikingo’s top-rope single arm slam, a corner Meteora, and a 630 for the win. 

If you’ve been following Vikingo this weekend and you’re looking for a comparison, this match didn’t reach for the heights of Vikingo/Komander at Supercard of Honor, but it probably outdid that match in terms of execution. Laredo is such a pro, and he’s so great at providing the connective tissue to Hijo de Vikingo’s style of match. Go out of your way for this. ****¼

Final Thoughts

I’m over the moon at the idea of going to sleep. Watch this show. It was better than the vast majority of things that happened this weekend. 

Recommended Matches:

Aramis, Rey Horus & Komander vs. Black Taurus, Arez & Latigo

Hijo del Vikingo vs. Laredo Kid

Dulce Tormenta vs. Sexy Star (you just gotta believe me on this one)