Originally scheduled to take over Florida in March as part of Wrestlemania Weekend, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) will instead host The Collective, a series of massive events featuring competitors from across All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Black Label Pro, and many other independent promotions.
Four championships will be on the line at the event with the best name of the Collective weekend, as Glory Pro Wrestling presents Are Ya Wrestling, Son? In the main event, the Crown of Glory Championship will be on the line, as AJ Gray defends against ACH in a rematch over two years in the making. Both men have already competed several times across the weekend, but this is their first match against each other and the gold will go to the winner. Also on the show, the United Glory Championships are on the line, as a trio of teams battle in a three way tag team dance, Allie Kat and Dan The Dad, Top Flight (Air Wolf and Angel Dorado) and the best named team all weekend, Gaytanic Panic (Danhausen and Effy). Not to be outdone, two of Glory Pro’s biggest competitors will do battle, as Jake Something and 1 Called Manders fight in a Bullrope Match. Also on the card, Eleyna Black and Blair Onyx compete in tag team action, Lee Moriarty and Mike Outlaw get in the ring, and Blake Christian and Alex Zayne will face off with The North, Ethan Page and Josh Alexander.
+ AJ Gray (c) vs ACH (Crown Of Glory Championship): this was really, really good, and probably the best of either man for the weekend. The strikes were sharp and sounded great, the various moves were impressive without seeming too convoluted, and the back and forth action was really engaging. I’m not sure how long this went for off the top of my head, but it was the perfect length. This was a really, really good match
+ Allie Kat & Dan The Dad vs Top Flight (Air Wolf & Angel Dorado) vs Gaytanic Panic (Danhausen & Effy) (United Glory Championships): there was some comedy in this match, mostly from Dan the Dad and Danhausen, but it was in the vast minority compared to the actual good wrestling. Top Flight has been on a tear over the last few shows, and both Effy and Danhausen were significantly better in an actual match instead of the ‘attractions’ they have been in previously
+ Hyan & Laynie Luck vs The Sisters Of Destruction (Blair Onyx & Elayna Black): Black was really impressive at D-Generation F, but I don’t think I’m familiar with any of the other women. I’m a sucker for the creepy gimmicks, so I really enjoyed Onyx. This was not a match of the year contender or anything, but it was perfectly fine
+ Jake Something vs 1 Called Manders (Bullrope Match): hot damn, look at all that meat. Jake has had a few good matches on Impact, and Manders is just great to watch at pretty much any time. There is not much to say here, except that these two big bois wailed on each other, and used the rope itself for a few really interesting spots. I liked this match
+ Alex Zayne & Blake Christian vs The North (Ethan Page & Josh Alexander): this was really good. I think I’ve put the North over in every single review they’ve been in, and both Christian and Zayne have been good on New Japan Strong and their other Collective matches lately. This was a good tag match that never outstayed its welcome like some other matches over this weekend
+ Mike Outlaw vs Lee Moriarty: this was a really good opener. Moriarty is one of the fan favourites for all of these Collective events, but Outlaw is no slouch in his own right. This was perhaps not anybody’s best match of the Collective, but damn if I wasn’t fully entertained
– Stephen Wolf vs Kody Lane vs Jody Threat vs Devon Monroe: Honestly, Monroe is not really doing it for me lately, despite appearing on many of the shows already. Stephen Wolf looked fantastic, and Lane and Threat were fine as well, but frankly this was high up on the card for a match that did nothing particularly special
– Warhorse (c) vs Zachary Wentz (IWTV Independent Wrestling Championship): this Wentz’s first appearance at the Collective, after his Rascalz teammates have had a few outings of their own. I just don’t care for Warhorse. I know it’s a throwback gimmick, and he’s even been on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) against Cody Rhodes, but he’s just not fun to watch. Give this a pass
– Hakim Zane (w/ Karam) (c) vs Kylie Rae (Midwest Territory Championship): Zane, aka Impact Wrestling‘s Rohit Raju, is still great as the slimy bad guy champ, and I am a big fan of Kylie Rae (though a few weeks later, as of November 2020 she has retired in some sad circumstances). Overall this was fine, but I just get uncomfortable in these long, intergender matches when it’s, a) not a particularly fair fight (see: Karam on the outside), and b) the female is the smaller, underdog competitor. American independent wrestling is not quite the same as lucha promotions where it is a more even playing field
Should you watch this event: I liked this show a lot, and I reckon there was something here for everyone. There was flippy stuff in the Zayne/Christian vs The North match, there was beefy men slapping their met in the Manders/Something Bullrope war, and there was a really well executed singles competition in the AJ Gray/ACH main event. This was really good.
MoshFish Reviews 