Csonka’s GCW Matt Riddle’s Bloodsport Review

Csonka’s GCW Matt Riddle’s Bloodsport Review

– Dominic Garrini defeated KTB @ 3:33 via submission [*]
– Eddie Kingston defeated Tracy Williams @ 6:10 via KO [**]
– MASADA defeated Martin Stone @ 5:20 via KO [DUD]
– WALTER defeated Tom Lawlor @ 7:00 via Submission [***½]
– Dan Severn defeated Chris Dickinson @ 8:55 via submission [**½]
– Nick Gage defeated Timothy Thatcher @ 7:45 via KO [***¼]
– Minoru Suzuki defeated Matt Riddle @ 8:11 via submission [***½]

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– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– All matches are no ropes and decided by KO or submission.

Dominic Garrini vs. KTB: Garrini works some leg kicks, but KTB gets an early takedown. Garrini escapes, and he gets a takedown and looks for an arm bar. KTB counters out, lays in grounded elbows, but Garrini lays in knee strikes. KTB takes the back of Garrini, but Garrini slips out. KTB with standing knee strikes, and a big rights drops Garrini. Garrini locks in a triangle and KTB taps. Dominic Garrini defeated KTB @ 3:33 via pin [*] This was a match, KTB was extremely out of his element here, it wasn’t good at all, and this was also not the best of match ups to start things off.

Eddie Kingston vs. Tracy Williams: Kingston looks to work leg kicks and strikes, Williams grounds things, but Kingston gets back to his feet. Williams lays in slaps as Kingston dares him to hit him. He fires back with knee strikes, and locks on a guillotine. Williams escapes, grounds him and lays in kicks. He looks for a kimura, and then transitions into a knee bar. Kingston fights, but Williams keeps him grounded. Kingston fires back with strikes and about kills Williams with a sleeper suplex. He follows with a sketchy looking head and arm choke, Williams escapes and Williams hits a Saito suplex. The arm bar follows, and Kingston rolls and powerbombs out. He lays in a spinning back fist and the ref stops it. Eddie Kingston defeated Tracy Williams @ 6:10 via KO [**] This was ok, and an improvement over the opener, as it had a solid sense of urgency.

Martin Stone vs. MASADA: Stone grounds things right away, MASADA actually looks for submissions, but Stone escapes. He takes control, and works for a rear naked choke. MASADA manages to counter out, but Stone counters out and they break. MASADA with a single leg takedown, but MASADA takes top control and lays in knee strikes. They work to their feet and trade strikes. Stone follows with a German, and takes mount and lays in strikes. MASADA manages to escapes and hits knee strikes and looks for a sloppy triangle. He lays in elbows and the ref stops it MASADA defeated Martin Stine @ 5:20 via KO [DUD] This wasn’t good, it was actually actively bad; the stoppage was horrible looking and MASADA was way out of his element here. Watching him try to actually wrestle was painful.

Tom Lawlor vs. WALTER: Lawlor looks to work strikes and leg kicks, WALTER grounds him and they break. Lawlor works leg kicks, but WALTER starts to lay in the big time chops. Lawlor locks on a sleeper, but WALTER powers out and starts attacking the previously broken arm of Lawlor. WALTER overpowers him, and hits a gut wrench suplex. WALTER goes back to the arm, ripping off his brace and stomping away at it. WALTER keeps things grounded, dominating and working an STF variation. WALTER now lays in more chops, taking Lawlor down. Lawlor lays in chops, and then jabs but WALTER cuts him off and is not amused. The suplex follows as WALTER does WALTER things. The feed freezes. WALTER then gets the choke and that was that. WALTER defeated Tom Lawlor @ 7:00 via Submission [***½] This was going really well until the stream crapped out, and was easily the best of the bunch so far. It was a really good example of how to work the “worked shoot fight,” and an overall very good match.

Chris Dickinson vs. Dan Severn: they lock up and battle for position, Severn gets a takedown and Dickinson takes mount. He lays in some strikes, but Severn sweeps him, only for Dickinson to get a guillotine. Severn takes top control, but Dickinson counters into a leg lock. Severn counters out and looks for a rear naked choke. They separate and work to the feet, Dickinson lay in kicks and then some ground and pound. Severn sweeps and lay in elbow strikes. Dickinson hits a head kicks, Severn catches him and takes him down and works a neck crank. Back to the feet, Severn hits a Saito suplex, but Severn fights back and takes him down. Dickinson lays in strikes, Severn counters, sweeping into guard and he now lays in strikes. He locks in the rear naked choke, but Dickinson escapes and looks for a guillotine. Severn escapes and works knee strikes and elbows. Dickinson lays in repeated elbow strikes and the ref horribly breaks them up. Severn hits a rough looking German, and back to the rear naked choke and Dickinson is done. Dan Severn defeated Chris Dickinson @ 8:55 via submission [**½] This was a solid match, with a poorly officiated finish that took away from the match. Severn worked hard, but it went a bit too long and he got really tired.

– Dickinson attacks post match, but Riddle makes the save.

Nick Gage vs. Timothy Thatcher: Thatcher takes things to the ground, but gage counters out only for Thatcher to work for an arm bar. Gage escapes, and they stand off. Gage hits a jab, Thatcher takes him down and locks on a single leg crab, and then takes the back. Thatcher then looks for the arm bar, but Gage bite shim to escape. Gage follows with strike and teases a suplex to the floor, but Thatcher takes him down. Thatcher works for a kimura, and then sends Gage to the floor. Thatcher follows and they brawl. Gage chokes out Thatcher with a cable and then tosses a table onto Thatcher. Gage then hits a clothesline from the apron. Thatcher fires back with uppercuts, but Gage then suplexes him on the floor. Back in the ring we go, and they trade strikes. Thatcher hits an enziguri, but gage takes him down and lays in ground and pound. The ref stops it. Nick Gage defeated Timothy Thatcher @ 7:45 via KO [***¼] This was good and a nice break from the regular formula. Gage winning via KO is believable, as he’s just an insane brawler that will take punishment and throw wildly.

– Gage cuts a post match promo, and it’s basically inaudible.

Minoru Suzuki vs. Matt Riddle: Suzuki is replacing Low Ki, who pulled out, claiming a neck injury. They trade leg kicks to begin. Riddle takes Suzuki down and looks for an arm bar. Suzuki counters out and into a heel hook. Riddle works one of his own, and both look for control. Suzuki escapes, lays in strikes, and they trade strikes, Riddle with a takedown and starts working to side control. He looks to secure an arm bar but Suzuki counters out and locks in a rear naked choke. Riddle rolls to the floor, and lays in strikes to break. Suzuki locks on an arm bar as Riddle is on the floor. Suzuki cranks back, Riddle rolls back in and then he works for a key lock. Riddle gets a standing choke, Suzuki gets pissed and drags Riddle to the floor, and works the arm bar. He then lays the boots to Riddle and chases off the ref. Back in they go, Suzuki lays in strikes and Riddle answers back. Suzuki dares Riddle to keep hitting him, but he lights up Riddle with strikes and knees. he locks on the choke, Riddle escapes and hits a German and senton. He follows with grounded knees and strikes; Suzuki looks for the choke and locks it in. Riddle fights like crazy to escape, but starts to fade. The ref calls it off. Minoru Suzuki defeated Matt Riddle @ 8:11 via submission [***½] This was a very good main event, with the two men working a style that not only complimented each other, but played very well into he theme of the show. Suzuki was his usual insane self, and was more than willing to grapple and also absorb Riddle strikes to get to his end game.

– They hug post match.

– Post match, Riddle cuts a promo, and thanks the fans for supporting his show today.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Matt Riddle’s Bloodsport was an appreciated experiment to provide a different and unique show on a loaded weekend of live events. I wouldn’t call it a big success in terms of overall show quality, the first three matches were very rough and honestly bad, but they rebounded nicely and provided an overall fun and solid show to kick off the weekend.