The night’s opening contest also provided some fabulous entertainment as Echo’s Elite (Chris Echo, Rupert Holmes, Benson Richards and Dylan Roberts) secured a win over Alan’s All Stars (“Iron” Mike Holmes, “Mega Star” Kev Noir and Lethal Dose, Cyanide and Toxic) with Captain Chris Echo and Rupert Holmes left standing. With Kev Noir, Cyanide and Toxic all making their GPW debuts, it was interesting to see how this match would pan out. The contest began intensely with all eight men brawling in the ring before the All Stars were beaten to the outside and the brawling continued near the GPW fans.

The enthusiastic Echo, the only man left in the ring, dived on everyone else to cap a thrilling opening to the match. Kev Noir’s GPW debut was short, however, as he was soon sunset flipped and eliminated by Benson Richards. Richards, who has appeared briefly in GPW this year, didn’t last much longer as he was the victim of a Lethal Dose Back Senton Double Team manoeuvre to level the team numbers right back up again. Despite being the target of ‘belly’s gonna get ya chants’, Cyanide stood tall against Dylan Roberts, the next Elite member to enter the ring. Trying to force the much heavier Cyanide down with shoves to the chest was not a great strategy where Roberts was concerned and he was made to pay when Cyanide caught him in a scintillating power slam to send him packing.

But Roberts’ team members wasted no time in pursuing Cyanide. After Rupert Holmes, undeterred by the fact his brother was captaining the All Stars, hit his bigger foe with a cross body, himself and Echo piled on top of Cyanide to eliminate one half of the Lethal Dose tandem. Truly on fire, Holmes struck both Jack Toxic and manager Tasker in a 619 type move and while the referee was distracted by the chaos, Echo nailed Mike Holmes with a huge german suplex, before hitting a Reverse DDT Driver to see off the captain of the All Stars. Looking somewhat scared of facing Holmes and Echo, Jack Toxic shot to the outside with Tasker and threatened to leave. Echo, however, was having none of it. After he threw Toxic back in to the ring, the on form Rupert eliminated Toxic with his patented Crucifix Bomb to win the match for his team.

“Echo, Echo, Echo”, the crowd and Holmes screamed.
“Oy, Oy, Oy” Echo shouted back.

“I do enjoy winning, it was fun. I think me and Mike are going to go at it again.” Rupert told me after the match.
Brother Mike threatened Rupert post show, at least with his voice.
“I don’t like my brother much, I’m gonna tell his mum and get him back.” he said.
Debutant Jack Toxic wasn’t happy how the match played out.
“Somehow they cheated and that’s not in my contract with Alan Alan Alan Tasker. The geeky one with the big teeth dropped me and he cheated.”
Don’t be surprised to hear people say ‘Only The Strong Survive’ was the best GPW show yet. Somehow this company keeps topping what it has offered the previous month and this card was no exception. Once again, GPW fans jammed the Monaco Ballroom for an enthralling night of wrestling action which will live long in their memory.