The People vs. GCW notes: Baron Corbin/Tom Pestock debuts, new champions crowned
GCW’s anticipated return to New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom for Sunday’s The People vs. GCW saw several new champions crowned as well as the first post-WWE match for the former Baron Corbin.
Corbin, going by his real name of Tom Pestock, took on Josh Barnett in a Bloodsport rules match during the show. Pestock tapped to a leg lock to take the loss, his first action since a WWE SmackDown dark match last October. Pestock’s contract wasn’t renewed by WWE, announced in November.
GCW has a new World Champion as Effy took home the title for the first time after defeating rival Mance Warner in the main event.
Effy earned the shot by virtue of winning a no. 1 contender’s match earlier in the night with Allie Katch — a bout that had to be stopped after just a few minutes when Katch injured her leg after a dive to the outside of the ring. The win ends the 232-day reign of Warner.
New GCW Tag Team Champions were crowned as the Gahbage Daddies (Alec Price & Cole Radrick) defeated Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku) to win the gold for the first time, ending the champions’ 400+ day title reign.
Matt Tremont is now the unified GCW Extreme/Ultraviolent Champion after winning a unification bout featuring Maki Itoh, Matthew Justice, Ciclope, Rina Yamashita, John Wayne Murdoch, Brandon Kirk, Dr. Redacted, and Drew Parker. Itoh came into the match as the Extreme champion while the other title was vacant.