Another trip to GCW, and we dip into their Homecoming weekender for another look at Calvin Tankman.
Chris Dickinson’s been dubbed one of the most consistent of the current crop of indie wrestlers – I’d dare say that’s underselling him. This one comes from the Garden Pier on the Atlantic City Boardwalk…
Quick Result
Chris Dickinson pinned Calvin Tankman in 10:50 (***½)
Chris Dickinson vs. Calvin Tankman
Ahem. HOSS FIGHT. They don’t exactly shoot out of the gates here, as we start with Tankman backing Dickinson into the corner from a lock-up… but he misses on a chop, as Dickinson tries to trap him in the corner with some of his own.
They barely register… and Dickinson ends up flying with a German suplex as he was left stunned in the opposite corner. Dickinson tries to keep Tankman close with a side headlock, but he’s shoved off… and the resulting shoulder tackle also doesn’t register, as Tankman’s built like a tank, man. Dickinson ducks a clothesline but ends up eating a POUNCE… then tried his luck with kicks. Nope.
Tankman stays a step ahead with a chop before a spinning pendulum backbreaker left the Dirty Daddy down… ahead of a clothesline that drew a two-count. More chops from Tankman empty Dickinson’s tank, as did a forearm, as Tankman was simply having his way against the much more experienced foe. A second spinning backbreaker gets a near-fall, before he began to trade shots with Dickinson, chopping him THROUGH THE ROPES to the outside.
Dickinson takes a breather on the boardwalk, hyping himself up as he began to swap chops with Tankman… and finally he was finding a way through. Tankman chains together a flurry of shots, but was left stunned with an enziguiri as Dickinson leapt up top for a missile dropkick that helped to turn the tide. Running elbows keep Tankman in the corner, before clotheslines kept chipping away at the big lad… who eventually left his feet as Dickinson hauled him up for a running death valley driver!
That’s enough for a near-fall, but Dickinson ends up running into a spinebuster before a backfist from Tankman got him right back in the thick of it. A powerbomb comes to nought, as Dickinson flips out and hits a tornado DDT out of the corner for a near-fall, before he set up Calvin for a Saito suplex… but it’s elbowed free. A clash of heads staggers Dickinson as he ends up BOUNCING to a sit-out powerbomb for a near-fall, before Tankman went to the top rope… and came up short on a moonsault!
Dickinson capitalises with a Saito suplex, folding Tankman inside out before he hit the ropes for an Axe bomber-style lariat… and that’s enough for the win. My God, Tankman more than held his own here and came pretty close to getting the upset – but then again, it’s very early days for him in GCW. Keep an eye on that name: I’m pretty sure you’ll be getting a lot more hoss fights out of Tankman in the months and years ahead. ***½