GCW Gringo Loco’s the WRLD on Lucha 2026 (4.17.26) review 

 

April 17, 2026 

 

WRESTLEMANIA WEEK REVIEW #18 

 

We’re in the Horseshoe. I remember this being live and I couldn’t bring myself to watch it, instead opting for an obscure women’s show from a smaller venue.  

 

Rafael Quintero vs. Resplandor vs. Dulce Tormenta vs. Devon Monroe vs. Jimmy Lloyd vs. KJ Orso  

I read “Resplandor” as “Mansplainer” the first time and what a gimmick that would be. I don’t need to look at the screen to know what’s happening. You can tell the moves from all the thigh slaps. KJ Orso and Jimmy Lloyd do a really good job of slotting into the work here. Their spots seem more impactful than the lightweight lucha styles around them. Mansplainer hits an SSP to the floor, after explaining to Dulce Tormenta that she needs to catch him on this spot. KJ Orso steals a pin on Tormenta, and I like that he’s looking around on the pin to see if anyone is going to break it up. ** 

 

Julissa Mexa vs. Thunder Rosa 

Mexa, under the name “Yulisa Leon”, was in WWE for a few years, but it didn’t work out. Mexa’s mat work at the start here is very tidy.  

It’s in the standing switches where she’s less convincing. We go to the floor to brawl across the front row. There are people who’d pay good money for that kind of action, Veda.  

Thunder Rosa has some questionable offence here. Like smashing Mexa in the face with her vagina multiple times. I guess the pelvic bone is as hard as any other bone. Definitely more padded than an elbow or a knee though, hence it’s lack of use in conventional fighting and modern MMA. This does feel like a very strong performance from Mexa with only the odd shortcoming. Her fallaway slam moonsault should really finish, and Rosa just hits her standard finish right afterwards for the duke. *** 

 

I really liked this match from Mexa. I can see why the fed passed on her, but I think she’s going to prove them wrong based on this. I’m kinda shocked this is the first show I’m seeing her on as well. Shotzi was on nine shows.  

 

Rey Horus, Latigo & Toxin vs. Briyante Jr, Noisy Boy & Spider Fly 

This is very messy. Lots of sloppy half-assed, badly timed stuff with the odd move that’s wild and cool. Spider Fly has a shocker. Half his spots are blown. When lucha goes wrong, there’s nothing worse because it already looks fake. There’s a spot where one guy (Rey Horus) slides outside just so he’s in position for a moonsault to the floor. It’s a fucking mess, lads. Horus picks up the win. Briyante Jr was arguably the best performance out here, but generally this was bad. * 

 

A few years ago, Rey Horus was in all these great matches with the likes of Penta and company. Everyone got signed but him. Based on this match, I can see why.  

 

Galeno del Mal vs. Jack Cartwheel 

Cartwheel here plays the role of the little yappy dog who barks at a dog twice his size. GDL occassionally annoys me by slapping his thigh here. You’re a large man, just do large man things. Cartwheel cartwheels around the ring steps in a fun spot. Cartwheel’s aerial ability versus GDL’s size makes for a really fun contest. And then Cartwheel attempts a springboard flippydo and lands so hard on his elbow he’s finished. I think his foot slipped on the ropes. It’s a shame this got cut short by injury because it was shaping up to be a good match. N/R. Get well soon, Jack. 

 

Arez, Vengadore & Gringo Loco vs. Kzy, Hyo & Yuki Yoshioka 

On paper, apart from Gringo Loco, this looks like it should be hot shit. Predictably, during the opening exchanges, only Loco flubs his lines.  

Then again, as we step up a gear, Loco flubs his spot again. Maybe he’s distracted because Jack Cartwheel just got hurt. I know it would bother me. We get some more complicated spots, and Gringo flubs his spot again. Some credit where it’s due. Hyo has done good character work this weekend and the same is true here. Arez is good here, as he always is, although his thigh slapping continues to frustrate. As a fad, it’s dead, but the Mexicans can’t let it go. It’s a shame because Arez does great chops, and doing thigh slaps lessens the reaction of a spot that actually hurts. The match is really long, pushing twenty minutes, and while it gets good at times, it’s not consistently there.  

Look at them all waiting around for one guy to get his big old carcass into place for a spot. It was like this all fucking match. Hyo having to shuffle across the ring on the finish, with GL in mid-air, because he didn’t want Gringo Loco’s fat ass to hurt him says it all really. **¼. Some good spots and effort from most of the participants and one stinking awful performance dragging it all down.  

 

Lucha Extrema Death Match 

Vipress vs. El Desperado 

Harsh take, but I don’t think Vipress has had a good weekend and has probably spread herself too thin. That said; on paper this is her best match of the weekend. Or her best chance to have a great match this weekend. Despy has to walk her through some early stuff. He quite literally carries her through some spots.  

Despy spends a while arranging furniture on the floor. If you want to do this, ideally, get someone to help you. Especially in singles matches, it feels dumb when you spend ages setting something up. After spending all that time setting it up, Vipress then throws him through it.  

Despy is so nice to Vipress here. He makes her look like a million bucks, protects her an insane amount on spots where she has to take a bump and goes out of his way to try and make this a great match. Angel’s Wings on a stack of chairs finishes and that’s it. Well, this was painfully underwhelming but a solid performance from El Desperado. **½ 

 

The 411: 

A good showing from some wrestlers on this card. It did feel entirely disposable, and almost every finish felt flat with little reaction from the crowd. The one exception being the Rosa-Mexa match, which was surprisingly good. Otherwise, a total pass. GCW doesn’t do this show every year and I get the feeling they might not do it next year based on this one.  

 

Show Ranking:   

WWE Wrestlemania N2 7.8  

NJPW Death Vegas 7.5  

Wrestlecon Supershow 6.3   

HOG Culture Clash 6.1 

MLP Multiverse 5.9  

Dragon Gate USA: Gate of Sin City 5.8   

Progress 5.6   

Bloodsport 5.5  

Spring Break 5.2  

Gringo Loco’s WRLD on Lucha 5.0  

Clusterfuck 4.6  

Ladies Night Out 16 4.5   

Hybrid x PWU Midnight Xpress 4.1   

MDK Fight Club 4.0   

Wrestlemania N1 3.8  

CCW High Rollers 3.4   

Podermania~! 3.1  

Juggalos 2.2   

  

Best Matches:   

Tremont & Gage vs. Takeda & Yamashita vs. Desperado & Kasai (NJPW Death Vegas) ****¼   

Roman Reigns vs. CM Punk (Wrestlemania N2) ****¼  

Bandido vs. Amazing Red (HOG Culture Clash) **** 

Zack Sabre Jr vs. Fuminori Abe (NJPW Death Vegas) ***¾   

Mark Davis vs. Masato Tanaka (Wrestlecon Supershow) ***¾   

Man Like Dereiss vs. Michael Oku (Progress) ***½   

Tim Thatcher vs. Charlie Dempsey (Bloodsport) ***½  

Gisele Shaw vs. Persephone vs. Killer Kelly vs. Shotzi Blackheart (MLP) ***¼  

Gunther vs. Seth Rollins (Wrestlemania N1) ***¼  

Manders vs. Thomas Shire (Hybrid/PWU) ***¼   

IC ladder match (Wrestlemania N2) ***¼  

Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre (Wrestlemania N1) *** 

Bandido vs. Galeno del Mal (Wrestlecon Supershow) ***  

Hechicero vs. Jonathan Gresham (MLP) *** 

Perry & Stunt vs. Stackhouse & Orso (Spring Break) *** 

Charles Mason vs. Michael Oku (HOG Culture Clash) *** 

Ben K & Hyo vs. Aero Panther & Fight Panther Jr vs. Jordan Oliver & Alec Price (DGUSA) ***  

Fuminori Abe vs. Erick Stevens (Bloodsport) *** 

Thunder Rosa vs. Julissa Mexa (WRLD on Lucha) *** 

 

Sandman vs. Invisible Man (Spring Break) 

  

Matches watched: 139 

Number of coffees drunk; 12 

Number of Geoguessr seeds played as a welcoming distraction: 9 

Number of motivational/tactical Irn Bru’s drunk: 7