Archive for the ‘GCW’ Category

GCW: Highest In The Room Preview, Order Here

Game Changer Wrestling is back tonight, Friday, September 17th.

GCW presents Highest in the Room live from Los Angeles, California at Ukrainian Cultural Center. This pay-per-view event can be purchased now at FITE ($13.99).

Highest in the Room features the unfinished business of Alex Colon and G-Raver. They will face off to settle what could’ve been at TOS4. Also in the lineup:

  • Minoru Suzuki vs Jonathan Gresham
  • Ron Funches vs Tony Deppen
  • Chris Dickinson vs Jacob Fatu
  • Effy vs 2 Cold Scorpio
  • Atticus Cogar vs Ninja Mack
  • Alex Zayne vs Jordan Oliver
  • Second Gear Crew vs Starboy Charlie & Nick Wayne & Riley

Plus more to be announced. Order GCW: Highest In The Room now from FITE:

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Alex Shelley Joins MLW, Set for The Opera Cup (10/2)

Alex Shelley is the latest wrestler to sign with MLW. He’ll take part in the Opera Cup tournament on October 2nd when MLW presents Fightland from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

“Alex is a true fighting artist,” said Court Bauer in a press release. “He’s someone I’ve been dying to bring into MLW and the timing is perfect as the Opera Cup is the definitive stage for the grappling genius that is Alex Shelley.”

https://twitter.com/MLW/status/1438161820146098180

Already confirmed for the Opera Cup will be Tom Lawlor, Bobby Fish, Lee Moriarty Davey Richards, TJP, Matt Cross, and Calvin Tankman. Also confirmed for the October 2nd MLW Fightland show will be Tajiri.

Fightland will be MLW’s first show since Battle Riot in July. They had a scheduled event in Texas for September but it was cancelled due to rising COVID cases in the state.

This will be the 3rd time MLW has run a tournament for the Opera Cup trophy. In 2019, Davey Boy Smith Jr. won the cup that had been in the Hart family for decades. In 2020, Tom Lawlor won the trophy.

Shelley recently returned to the ring for the first time in 2021 at the GCW/Black Label Pro show on September 3rd. He dropped the BLP Midwest title to Tom Lawlor on the show.

Jon Moxley Speaks On His Oct. 9 Clash With Nick Gage

Jon Moxley is preparing for a bloodbath against Nick Gage.

Moxley shocked GCW fans with his appearance at a recent event this past Saturday night (Sept. 4). Moxley nailed Matt Cardona with Paradigm Shift and captured the GCW Title. After the match, Moxley and Gage stared down and made their match for Oct. 9 official.

GCW posted a video of Moxley reacting to his upcoming battle with Gage for the GCW gold.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1434400034066477063

“Madison Square Garden, Grand Slam Champion, all those fucking toys and posters, they don’t mean shit. Getting mugged by fans in airports and hotels and arenas, don’t mean shit, I don’t like people anyway,” said Jon Moxley in a visceral post-match promo. “It’s not the drug that I love, the drug I’ve been addicted to you for over a decade. Nicky, when you were in jail right, pacing and pacing around in a jail cell, I was pacing around in hotel rooms. I wanted that drug.

“We have unfinished business, we have a score to settle that is 10 years old and I paced those hotel rooms and I prayed to God that you would get out one day so that we could settle that score. I tried to let it go, Spring Break I really tried to let it go. I tried to let you have your moment, but I just can’t let it go. I want that drug, Nicky, the drug that only comes when me and you lock horns in the center of the ring and there’s no other ring it can take place in but GCW. The place where I am the king now. Do you think [the championship] really means anything to me? I’m going to make it mean something. If I want to go and become the greatest GCW World Champion of all time, I can do that because I’m just that good. I can make it look that easy.”

Moxley vs. Gage will be taking place inside The Showboat in Atlantic City.

AEW All Out Results: CM Punk vs. Darby Allin, Three Stars Debut, Steel Cage Match

AEW All Out aired live on PPV from the NOW Arena in Chicago. CM Punk made his return to the ring to face Darby Allin. Kenny Omega defended the AEW Championship against Christian Cage. Britt Baker defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Kris Statlander and Miro put the TNT Championship on the line against Eddie Kingston. Young Bucks and Lucha Bros battled in a Steel Cage Match for the AEW Tag Team Championships. AEW Full Gear was announced for Saturday November 13th.

All Out Results

  1. Jurassic Express, Best Friends def. Hardy Family Office & The Hybrid 2 (Buy In)
  2. Miro def. Eddie Kingston to retain the TNT Championship
  3. Jon Moxley def. Satoshi Kojima
  4. Britt Baker def. Kris Statlander via submission to retain the AEW Women’s Championship
  5. Lucha Bros def. Young Bucks to become the new AEW Tag Team Champions
  6. Ruby Soho won the Casino Battle Royale
  7. Chris Jericho def. MJF via submission
  8. CM Punk def. Darby Allin
  9. Paul Wight def. QT Marshall
  10. Kenny Omega def. Christian Cage to retain the AEW Championship

Here are the takeaways from the PPV:

Miro Retained The TNT Title

Miro put the TNT Championship on the line against Eddie Kingston in the first match of the night. Eddie controlled the action early and Miro got out of the ring to regroup. Back in the ring, Kingston remained in control and lit up Miro’s chest with some chops. The TNT Champion backed to the corner and Kingston unloaded a flurry of chops before connecting with an Exploder Suplex that sent Miro back to the outside.

Kingston followed the champion and Miro caught him with a punch to the face. Miro launched Kingston into the barricade and delivered a kick to his face. Kingston responded with a running boot to the face and went for a Crossbody off the apron but Miro countered into a massive Powerslam.

The champ slammed Eddie into the ring post a couple times before dropping him to the floor and posing for the booing crowd. Miro brought Eddie back into the ring and started biting his hand. Eddie got in some punches but Miro connected with a massive right hand and Kingston collapsed to the mat. Miro went for the cover and then applied a Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Eddie escaped but Miro connected with a Dropkick and Kingston stumbled to the corner. Miro connected with a Splash and Kingston hit a chop to the neck. Kingston and Miro had an awkward sequence in the corner before Eddie threw the champion out of the ring.

Back in the ring, Miro and Kingston traded chops to the chest. Kingston hit two Suplexes and went for the cover but Miro powered out at two. Eddie set up for the Backfist to the Future but Miro got out of the ring. Kingston leveled him with a Suicide Dive and the action returned to the ring.

Miro went for a big boot but Eddie got out of the way and hit a Northern Lights Suplex for a near fall. Eddie went for a Splash but Miro got out of the way. Miro unloaded several forearms to the back of Kingston and hit him with a German Suplex. Kingston got right up and Miro leveled him with a Machka Kick. Miro got Kingston in the Game Over in the middle of the ring but Eddie was able to reach the ropes.

The champion couldn’t believe it and Eddie hit him with the Backfist to the Future. Kingston quickly followed it up with a DDT and went for the cover but the referee was trying to put a turnbuckle pad back on.

The referee finally realized but it was too late and Miro kicked out at two. Kingston went to slam Miro’s head into the exposed turnbuckle but the referee got in the way. Miro hit Eddie with a low blow and a running kick to the face for the pinfall victory. Miro is still the TNT Champion.

Jon Moxley def. Satoshi Kojima, Minoru Suzuki Confronted Him After The Match

Jon Moxley faced Satoshi Kojima tonight at All Out. Moxley captured the GCW Championship last night and made his way to the ring in a GCW sweatshirt.

Moxley and Kojima traded strikes to start off the match. Kojima sent Jon down with a shoulder tackle and flexed in the ring. Jon rolled out of the ring and Kojima connected with a Crossbody. Moxley battled back with a Suicide Dive that sent Kojima into the barricade.

Jon stomped on Kojima’s hand and hit him with a few knees to the face. Moxley hit some punches and Kojima responded with an absurd amount of chops to the chest in the corner. Kojima followed it up with an Elbow Drop for a two count. Moxley ducked a Clothesline and hit a Belly to Back Suplex.

Moxley went for a Suplex but Kojima blocked it. Kojima perched Moxley up on the top turnbuckle and bit the top of his head before hitting a Superplex. Kojima hit a DDT for a near fall before Moxley connected with a Suplex. Jon locked in a submission hold but Kojima got his boot on the bottom rope to break it up.

Jon connected with a forearm to the face and went for the Paradigm Shift but Kojima blocked it with a boot to the midsection. Satoshi hit a Brainbuster and went for the cover but Moxley was able to kick out at two. Moxley hit a Clothesline and applied the Bulldog Choke in the middle of the ring but once again Kojima got his foot on the bottom rope. Kojima went for a Clothesline but Moxley planted him with a DDT. Moxley followed it up with the Paradigm Shift for the pinfall victory. Moxley motioned that Kojima is crazy and bowed to him.

After the match, Minoru Suzuki made his way to the ring to a great reaction. The two started talking trash before trading punches. Moxley was bleeding from his elbow and hit an elbow to Minoru’s face that left blood on him. That fired Suzuki up and locked in the rear naked choke. Suzuki followed it up with the Gotch Style Piledriver and posed over Moxley as the crowd popped. It was later announced that they will face each other on Wednesday’s Dynamite.

Britt Baker Retained The AEW Women’s Title

Britt Baker defended the AEW Women’s Championship against Kris Statlander tonight. Rebel and Jamie Hayter accompanied Britt to the ring and Orange Cassidy was in Statlander’s corner.

Baker went for the Lockjaw early but Statlander was able to escape. Statlander went for a roll-up but Britt retreated to the ropes and the referee broke it up. Statlander held up her finger for a boop and Baker went for the Lockjaw again. Britt went to do the D.M.D. pose but Statlander broke it up and connected with the boop this time. . Statlander hit a boot to the face and made her way to the top rope.

Britt punched her in the face and hit a Neckbreaker before booting Kris out of the ring. Baker stomped on Kris on the apron and then delivered a Suplex in the middle of the ring. Kris battled back with some chops in the corner and a running knee to the face.

Statlander went for a Clothesline but Baker dodged it and hit a Slingblade. Statlander hopped up and planted Baker with a Fisherman’s Buster for a two count. Baker rolled up Statlander and then hit a DDT that spiked Kris on the mat for a near fall. Statlander went for the Big Bang Theory but Britt countered into a roll-up for a two count.

Baker slammed Statlander’s face into the turnbuckle and then made her way to the middle rope. Statlander attacked her and joined the AEW Women’s Champion on the turnbuckle. Kris went for a Superplex and it looked like Britt was about to fall to the side. Statlander showed off her power and somehow still pulled off the Superplex and made her way back to the top rope.

Statlander went for a 450 Splash but Baker got out of the way. Britt went for the Lockjaw but Statlander escaped. Kris lifted Britt up in the Electric Chair and slammed her face first to the mat. Statlander followed it up with a running knee to the face and went for the cover but the champion kicked out at the last moment. Kris went for a Standing Moonsault off the apron but Britt got out of the way. Baker then delivered a stomp off the steel steps and rolled back into the ring. Orange Cassidy fired up Statlander and Kris got back into the ring to break the referee’s count.

Statlander locked in a submission but Britt escaped and hit a boot to the face. Kris fell to the corner and Britt stomped on her several times. Baker connected with the Pittsburgh Sunrise (Panama Sunrise) for a near fall. Britt hit another Stomp and then applied the Lockjaw for the submission victory.

Lucha Bros Captured The Tag Titles In An Incredible Steel Cage Match

Young Bucks defended the AEW Tag Team Championships against Lucha Bros tonight in a Steel Cage match. Matt and Nick Jackson made their up the cage early but Lucha Bros knocked them down with a couple Dropkicks. Fenix hit Nick with a Hurricanrana and then Pentagon Jr. hit a Dropkick on Matt for a two count. Lucha Bros then hit Young Bucks with a couple Superkicks to the face.

Lucha Bros continued to dominate and sent the Young Bucks face first into the steel. Young Bucks battled back and perched Pentagon Jr. on the turnbuckle. Nick hit Fenix with a Double Stomp and then quickly delivered a Backstabber to Penta in the corner. Matt Powerbombed Fenix into the steel as Nick punted Penta’s face on the apron.

Matt went for another Powerbomb but Fenix countered and sent him into the steel. Pentagon planted Nick with a Backbreaker and then Lucha Bros went for some Superkicks but wound up kicking each other. Nick hit a Cutter on Fenix and Matt delivered a Stunner to Pentagon.

Fenix hit a ridiculous double Cutter on the Young Bucks and Penta followed it up with a slam for a two count on Matt Jackson. Fenix climbed to the top rope as the crowd chanted “this is awesome”. Nick hit a rough looking German Suplex to Fenix on the ring apron but Fenix battled back with a Dropkick.

Matt hit a Swanton Bomb on Pentagon for a near fall. Young Bucks hit Fenix with two Superkicks and Nick made his way to the top rope. Young Bucks hit a Meltzer Driver/Senton combo but somehow the Lucha Bros kicked out at two.

Matt Jackson hit both Rey and Pentagon with a low blow as Don Callis cackled on commentary. Young Bucks hit Fenix with a couple Splashes but Pentagon broke up the cover at two. Young Bucks tried to rip off their masks and then launched Fenix into the cage. Cutler threw a bag into the ring and Matt took off his shoe. He then put on a shoe with thumbtacks on the bottom of it. Matt licked the shoe like a psycho and put it on. Matt set up for a Superkick on Fenix but Pentagon slid in the way. Matt hit him with the Superkick and Nick launched Fenix into the cage.

Nick shoved Penta’s face into the sneaker and hit him with a running kick as the crowd booed. Blood poured from Pentagon’s face as Fenix stumbled into the ring. Nick hit him with a Destroyer and Young Bucks followed it up with the BTE Trigger on Penta. They went for the cover but Fenix broke it up at two. Fenix hit Matt with a Hurricanrana and perched him up on the top rope. He bashed the Young Bucks with the thumbtack shoe and hit Matt with a Tiger Driver for a two count.

Penta hit Nick with a Piledriver while Matt delivered one to Fenix at the same time. Matt and Pentagon traded punches in the middle of the ring. They battled to the corner and climbed to the top turnbuckle. Pentagon connected with an avalanche Canadian Destroyer and a thunderous “holy shit!” chant broke out in the NOW Arena.

Young Bucks and Lucha Bros traded chops in the middle of the ring. All four wrestlers were stumbling around and hitting Superkicks on each other until Matt was the last standing. They then all hopped up and hit some more Superkicks and a double Clothesline until all four were back on the mat.

Lucha Bros hit Feat Factor on Matt but Nick broke up the cover at two. Fenix leaped off the top off the cage with a Crossbody. Lucha Bros planted Nick with a Piledriver for the pinfall victory. Lucha Bros are the new Tag Team Champions. The crowd went crazy and gave the Lucha Bros a great reaction.

Ruby Soho Won The Casino Battle Royale

Hikaru Shida, Skye Blue, Emi Sakura, The Bunny, and Abadon started off the Casino Battle Royale. Skye posed for the crowd and Abadon sent her to the apron. Abadon then booted her out of the ring for the elimination. The Bunny eliminated Abadon but got sent to the corner by Sakura.

Anna Jay was the next entrant and traded punches with The Bunny. Anna connected with a kick to Bunny’s face as Kiera Hogan, KiLynn King, Diamante, Nyla Rose then entered the match. Shida eliminated Sakura and Nyla eliminated Hogan. Nyla sent KiLynn King over the top rope as well.

Nyla Powerbombed Hikaru Shida over the top rope for another elimination. Thunder Rosa entered the match and Nyla asked for a timeout. Rosa hit Rose with a Dropkick as Penelope Ford made her way to the ring. Riho and Jamie Hayer entered the match as well. Riho hit a 619 on The Bunny as Big Swole got in the ring.

Hayter eliminated Riho and Big Swole eliminated Diamante with a headbutt. Jamie Hayter threw Big Swole over the top rope and she battled with Diamante on the entrance ramp. Thunder Rosa hit Nyla with a Dropkick and hit another one to Hayter in the corner of the ring.

Tay Conti entered the match and went right after The Bunny. Red Velvet entered the match next and leveled Hayter with a Spear. Jade Cargill, Rebel, Leyla Hirsch entered the match as Penelope tried to eliminate Tay Conti in the corner. Coni escaped and Red Velvet eliminated Rebel. The Bunny and Anna Jay were eliminated and battled outside the ring. Jade Cargill eliminated Leyla by throwing her onto them.

Ruby Soho was revealed to be the joker (final entrant) and got an awesome pop from the crowd. Ruby rushed the ring and went after Jade. Cargill shoved Ruby away but Soho battled back with a kick to the face. Nyla went for a Backbreaker but Ruby escaped.

Jade planted Ruby with a massive slam and Soho crawled to the corner. Tay and Penelope battled in the middle of the ring as Jade eliminated Hayter. Jade eliminated Red Velvet and flexed. Nyla capitalized and sent Cargill over the top rope. Penelope perched Tay on the top turnbuckle and delivered some punches. Tay eliminated Penelope and posed on the apron. Nyla capitalized again and eliminated Tay.

Thunder Rosa, Nyla Rose, and Ruby Soho were the final three wrestlers remaining. Nyla planted Ruby with a Powerbomb and followed it up with a Samoan Drop on Thunder Rosa. Nyla got Ruby in the Tree of Woe but Thunder Rosa sent Rose to the apron. Thunder eliminated Nyla with a Dropkick and it was down to two.

Ruby Soho and Thunder Rosa made their way up in opposite corners of the ring. The crowd chanted for both of them as they started shoving each other. Thunder Rosa and Ruby traded chops in the middle of the ring as the crowd chanted “woo!”. Thunder Rosa hit an uppercut and some more chops. Ruby threw Thunder Rosa to the apron but she held on to the ropes. Thunder Rosa dragged Ruby to the apron and the two traded punches. Ruby hit Thunder Rosa with a knee to the face but she was able to hang on. Ruby hit Thunder Rosa with an overhead kick for the elimination to win the Casino Battle Royale.

Chris Jericho Tapped Out MJF

Chris Jericho faced MJF tonight at All Out. Chris Jericho’s AEW in-ring career would be over if he lost the match. MJF mocked Jericho’s entrance before the match to piss of the crowd.

MJF ripped up some Jericho signs in the crowd before locking up with Le Champion in the middle of the ring. Jericho and MJF traded shoulder tackles but neither would back down. Jericho sent MJF to the canvas but he hopped right up and they traded more punches. Chris went for the Walls of Jericho but MJF countered into a cradle for a two count. MJF connected with a Clothesline and Jericho rolled out of the ring.

Maxwell followed him to the outside and Jericho punched him in the face. Jericho then launched MJF into the barricade and threw a water battle at him. Chris beat MJF up some more in the crowd before the action returned to the ring. MJF took control and connected with a Suplex for a two count.

Jericho hit a Suplex of his own and followed it up with a Running Bulldog. Jericho connected with a Backbreaker and went for the cover but MJF kicked out at two. MJF hit Jericho with a Piledriver on the apron and Jericho fell to the floor. Chris made it back into the ring at 9 got back out of the ring. MJF went for a Moonsault but Jericho got out of the way. Jericho delivered a Pop-Up Powerbomb on the ring apron and the action returned to the ring.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1434703409479888899?s=20

Jericho leaped off the top rope but MJF countered with a Codebreaker for a two count. Jericho battled back with a Lionsault and went for the pin but MJF kicked out. Jericho went for a Hurricanrana off the top rope but MJF countered with a massive Powerbomb for a two count.

MJF and Jericho battled on the turnbuckle. Jericho shoved MJF down and connected with a Codebreaker for another near fall. Wardlow made his way down the entrance ramp but Jake Hager cut him off. Hager and Wardlow traded punches and made their way backstage. MJF grabbed Floyd the bat and hit Jericho in the face with it as referee Aubrey Edwards was distracted. MJF hit Jericho with the Judas Effect and pinned him. Aubrey didn’t realize that Jericho had his boot on the ropes and another referee reversed the decision.

Justin Roberts announced that the match will continue. MJF ducked under the Judas Effect and locked in the Salt of the Earth Armbar. Jericho escaped and applied the Walls of Jericho in the middle of the ring. MJF reached for the ropes but Jericho pulled him back into the middle of the ring. MJF tapped and Jericho’s AEW in-ring career will continue. Jericho celebrated with Inner Circle after the match.

CM Punk Picked Up His First Win In AEW

CM Punk made his return to the ring to face Darby Allin tonight at All Out.

Punk took a seat in the ring and stared at Darby who was in the corner.

The bell rang and they circled each other before locking up in the middle of the ring. Darby sent CM Punk to the mat with an Arm Drag and Punk smirked. Punk went for a Headlock but Darby broke free. CM Punk leveled Darby with a shoulder tackle and Allin retreated to the corner.

Punk and Allin circled each other again before locking up again. Punk applied a Headlock but Allin countered into a Wrist Lock. CM Punk tried to roll through but Darby maintained the hold and rolled up Punk for a one count. Punk popped up and hit Darby with an elbow to the face.

CM Punk connected with a Body Slam for not even a one count and then got Allin back in a Headlock. Darby battled to his feet and leveled Punk with a Clothesline. CM Punk also hit Allin with the GTS but Darby escaped and slid out of the ring to regroup. Allin took his time getting back into the ring and locked up with Punk again.

Allin escaped a Headlock and connected with a big Arm Drag that sent Punk to the corner. Allin sped up his attack and destroyed Punk with a couple of uppercuts in the corner. Punk sent Allin to the corner and Darby took a rough bump off the ring post before crashing to the floor.

Punk brought Darby back into the ring and went for the cover but Allin kicked out. CM Punk locked in a submission hold as the crowd chanted his name. Allin reached the ropes but Punk stomped on the injured back and followed it up with a Suplex for a near fall.

CM Punk went back to work on the injured back with another submission hold in the middle of the ring. Darby battled back with elbows to the midsection but Punk turned him inside out with a running knee to the ribs. Allin tried to battle back but Punk put a stop to that with a Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker and then back to the Headlock in the middle of the ring.

Darby escaped again and hit Punk with a Stunner. Allin hit Punk with some strikes and then a Coffin Splash. Allin countered a GTS attempt into a roll-up for a two count. Darby quickly connected with Code Red and went for the cover but Punk kicked out at the last moment.

Allin made his way to the top rope but Punk shoved him and Darby crotched himself on the turnbuckle. Punk went for a Superplex but Allin countered into a Crossbody for a near fall. Punk connected with the GTS but Darby fell through the ropes and to the outside.

Allin made it back into the ring before the count of ten and Punk smirked in the corner. CM Punk said it was over and brought Darby to his feet. Punk hit Allin with some stiff forearms to the face and then a running knee to the face. CM Punk connected with a big Clothesline and motioned that it was time for Darby to go to sleep. Punk lifted Darby up but he just fell to the mat. Punk lifted him up for the GTS but Darby hit Punk with a bunch of elbows to the head.

CM Punk fell to the canvas and rolled to the apron. Punk got out of the ring and Darby hit him with one of those dives CM Punk wanted to avoid. Allin climbed to the top rope and hit a flipping Senton onto Punk outside the ring.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1434711676230701058?s=20

Back in the ring, Allin climbed to the top rope and motioned it was time for Punk to go to sleep. Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Punk sat up and laughed. Punk went for the GTS but Allin countered with a cover for a two count. Punk hit a leg lariat and followed it up with the GTS for the pinfall victory.

Sting made his way to the ring after the match. Sting shook CM Punk’s hand and then they helped Darby up. Punk and Darby Allin then shook hands after the match.

Paul Wight def. QT Marshall

QT Marshall faced Paul Wight tonight at All Out. The Factory (Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto) accompanied Marshall to the ring. Wight knocked The Factory out of the ring and hit QT with a headbutt. Paul hit QT with a big chop to the chest and Marshall stumbled to the corner. The crowd wanted another chop and Paul delivered one that echoed throughout the NOW Arena. QT hit a Dropkick and some punches to Wight’s face. Marshall hit another Dropkick but Paul kicked out so hard that QT flew out of the ring. QT went for a Cutter but Paul just threw him away. Wight hit a Back Body Drop and then hit Solo with a chop to the chest. Paul hit Comoroto with a shoulder tackle and followed it up with a Chokeslam to QT for the pinfall victory.

Omega Retained, Adam Cole & Bryan Danielson Made Their AEW Debut

Kenny Omega defended the AEW Championship against Christian Cage in the main event of All Out. Omega went for the V-Trigger but Cage dodged it. Christian went for the Killswitch but Omega blocked it. Kenny hit a Hurricanrana then sent Cage out of the ring. Omega went for a Dropkick but Cage got out of the way and hit Kenny with some chops to the chest.

Christian launched Kenny into the barricade a couple times before getting back into the ring. Cage climbed to the top rope and hit Kenny with a Splash outside the ring. The AEW Champion battled back and sent Cage flying into the steel steps. Don Callis distracted the referee and Omega out a table on top of Christian. Omega delivered a Double Stomp on top of the table and then set up another table outside the ring. Kenny tried to Suplex Christian through the table but he countered with a Suplex of his own on the floor.

Omega went for a Dropkick but Cage held onto the ropes and the champion fell to the floor. Kenny hit a Clothesline and raked Cage’s eyes before applying a Headlock. Kenny shoved his boot in Cage’s face in the corner and planted him with a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count.

Kenny shoved Christian off the top turnbuckle and to the floor outside the ring. Omega went for a Moonsault off the barricade but slipped. Kenny thankfully landed on his feet and made a joke of it. Omega then connected with the Moonsault off the barricade and rolled Cage back into the ring. Kenny went for the cover but Christian kicked out at two.

Omega launched Cage into the turnbuckle and followed it up with an Ushigoroshi for a near fall. Kenny made his way to the top rope but Christian tripped him up. Cage connected with a Hurricanrana and both men fell to the mat. Christian and Omega traded punches in the middle of the ring.

Kenny went for the One Winged Angel but Cage escaped and unloaded a flurry of punches to the champion’s face in the corner. Christian went for a Cloverleaf submission but Omega booted him away. Cage planted Omega with a reverse DDT and went for the cover but Omega kicked out at two.

Omega lured Christian in and hit him with a knee to the face. Christian hopped to the middle turnbuckle and connected with a Tornado DDT for a two count. Cage set up behind Omega and went for the Killswitch but Kenny blocked it. Omega booted Christian in the face and hit a V-Trigger against the turnbuckle.

Kenny connected with a Snap Dragon Suplex and started talking to the camera. Omega connected with another Snap Dragon Suplex and sat up with a grin on his face. Omega pointed at Cage and Christian gave him the middle finger. Omega hit a third Snap Dragon Suplex and followed it up with a V-Trigger that knocked Cage to the apron.

Omega choked Cage against the bottom rope and booted him in the midsection a few times. Kenny went for a German Suplex through the table but Christian held onto the ring ropes. Kenny then set up for a Snap Dragon but Cage hit an elbow to the face. Omega went for the One Winged Angel but Cage broke free and hit a Spear off the apron and through the table. Don Callis took off his jacket and started fanning the champion after the move.

The action returned to the ring and Christian hit two more Spears but Omega somehow kicked out at two. Cage went for a Frog Splash but Omega got his knees up. Omega tried to lift Cage up but grabbed his back in pain after going through the table. Kenny went for a V-Trigger but Cage blocked it. Omega then hit two massive V-Triggers and Christian fell to the mat. Omega went for the Tiger Driver but Cage countered into the Cloverleaf submission as Don Callis waved for someone.

Karl Anderson rushed the ring and Cage kneed him in the face. Omega went for the V-Trigger but accidentally hit Luke Gallows. Omega raked Cage’s eyes and hit him with the One Winged Angel off the top rope for the pinfall victory. Kenny Omega is still the AEW Champion. The Elite made their way to the ring after the match and celebrated with Kenny Omega.

The Elite started beating down Christian and Jurassic Express rushed the ring. The numbers game caught up to them and The Elite beat them down as well. AEW Champion Kenny Omega grabbed a microphone and claimed that nobody was on his level. Omega added that it doesn’t matter where he goes, the only people that would ever have a chance to beat him are not here, retired, or already dead.

The lights went out and Adam Cole’s theme hit. Adam was sporting an “All Elite BayBay” and made his way to the ring. Cole got into the ring and posed as the crowd chanted “Adam Cole BayBay!” and then “holy shit!”. Adam Cole hit Jungle Boy with a Superkick and did a group hug with The Elite in the ring as the crowd booed. Young Bucks gave Cole a smooch on the face and Omega said Adam was one of his best friends. Cole announced that The Elite is the most dominant faction in the history of his business and there is no chance anyone is going to stop them.

Bryan Danielson then joined the party and the crowd went insane. Danielson got into the ring and stood with Christian Cage, Jurassic Express across from The Elite. A brawl broke out and Kenny Omega retreated out of the ring. Danielson planted Nick Jackson with a German Suplex and followed it up with the Running Knee. Bryan Danielson then posed as the crowd chanted “AEW!”.

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Jon Moxley Surprises Matt Cardona to Win GCW Heavyweight Title

GCW Art of War Games concluded with yet another surprise appearance by AEW star Jon Moxley. Only this time, Mox walked out as the new GCW Heavyweight champion.

Just moments before, Matt Cardona had defended his title in a short match against Frank the Clown after laying down an open challenge. However, he was soon confronted by G-Raver and several druids. Initially, nothing happened, and one by one everybody left the ring. All except for one druid. After hitting a Paradigm Shift on Cardona, Jon Moxley revealed himself to the delight of the crowd.

Mox hit a second Paradigm Shift onto some light tubes and promptly picked up the win and got his hands on the GCW title. The victory marks his first title for GCW and re-ignites a long-running feud with former champion and king of the deathmatches, Nick Gage.

Jon Moxley’s victory ended Matt Cardona’s GCW champion reign after just 42 days.  Mox is a popular figure with the GCW crowd but ending the run of Cardona cemented him as a hero in their eyes.

Jon Moxley and Nick Gage Set for October 9th in Atlantic City

After the victory, Jon Moxley was soon confronted by Nick Gage. The pair squared off nose-to-nose, reigniting the feud that began to boil earlier this year. It didn’t take long for the match to be made. October 9th at the GCW event in Atlantic City, Jon Moxley will face Nick Gage for the title.

Moxley cut an intense promo shortly after leaving the ring, which will bring chills to the arms of any wrestling fan.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1434400034066477063

Nick Gage will be eager to get his hands on Mox as well as a third title reign as the leader of GCW. Likewise, Jon Moxley will be eager to build a successful title reign in a promotion geared around his style of wrestling.

Matt Cardona’s Trolling Continues With New GCW “Spinner” Belt

Matt Cardona knows just how to get under the skin of GCW fans. After defeating Nick Gage to win the GCW Championship earlier this summer, Cardona has now unveiled a specially designed GCW “Spinner” title. Text on the belt also refers to it as the GCW “Universal” Championship.

He unveiled the new belt on social media recently:

Cardona became the 20th wrestler to win the championship when he defeated Nick Gage for it at GCW Homecoming Night 1. Gage is the only person to have won the title more than once. His 2 reigns and 828 days spent with the belt are both records.

Cardona spoke with Sports Illustrated after winning the title from Gage. During the interview, Cardona talked about how it is his first world championship.

“This title is a big deal. I was fortunate in WWE to win the tag team title twice, the intercontinental title, and the United States title,” Cardona said. “But the GCW title is my first world title. So people are absolutely crazy if they don’t think I’m going to treat this as the biggest thing in the world. I took the title to Disneyland and posed in front of the castle.”

Matt Cardona Comments On Why He’s Not With AEW

GCW Champion and Pabst Blue Ribbon spokesman, Matt Cardona, was recently Chris Jericho’s guest on Talk is Jericho. During the discussion, Cardona spoke about his brief time in AEW and why it didn’t lead to something more permanent.

“AEW, it just didn’t work out at the time,” Cardona said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCo). “There’s so many people there, and there just wasn’t anything for me at the time.”

Cardona has wrestled twice for AEW. His first match was on the July 30th, 2020 episode of Dynamite when he teamed with Cody Rhodes and defeated the Dark Order’s John Silver and Alex Reynolds. He then teamed with Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, and Scorpio Sky to defeat the Dark Order at All Out 2020.

“No hard feelings, not to say I’ll never be there again because I would love to be. Obviously, there’s no doubt AEW is the place to be. It’s the talk of the wrestling business every single week. Timing is everything, and it wasn’t the right time.”

In addition to his run in GCW, Cardona is also currently active in Impact Wrestling. He defeated Rohit Raju on the Emergence show on Impact Plus last month. Cardona also teamed with his partner Chelsea Green and made it to the semi-finals of Impact’s Homecoming King and Queen tournament in July.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4tniiiK26OX0S4ZGSyWHYE

GCW Adds Minoru Suzuki To Four Shows

Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki is making the most of his return to the United States.

Suzuki has already been announced for the Sept. 25 and 26 tapings for NJPW Strong. Those cards will be taking place in Texas. His journey back to the U.S. isn’t solely with NJPW, however.

GCW has announced that Suzuki will be a part of their upcoming September shows in Los Angeles and New York City. Suzuki’s stay is also being extended into October as he’ll be featured on the Atlantic City show and another LA event.

Suzuki has been freed up for shows in the United States since he will not be participating in this year’s G1 Climax tournament. Many have been speculating about Suzuki potentially making his way to AEW. Of course, nothing has been confirmed as far as that is concerned.

GCW has been on a roll as of late. The company got a ton of attention after Matt Cordona defeated Nick Gage to capture the GCW World Championship. Fans littered the ring with garbage in a scene not common in wrestling these days like it once was. On top of that, Gage made an appearance on AEW Dynamite, losing to Chris Jericho in a No Rules match.

Renee Paquette: Watching Jon Moxley In Deathmatches Isn’t Easy

Renee Paquette admits it can be difficult to see her husband, Jon Moxley, in hardcore matches.

Moxley has been taking full advantage of the freedom afforded to him since his WWE departure. We’ve seen Moxley participate in deathmatches post-WWE. One of those deathmatches took place back in July against Lance Archer. Moxley lost the IWGP United States Title after being driven into a barbed wire table.

Paquette spoke to Wrestling Inc. and gave her reaction to Moxley’s string of violence inside the ring.

“I know how that feels to be sitting there going like ‘Oh, my God!’ It can be very stressful. Especially when it’s somebody like Nick Gage across the ring from your significant other. It’s not easy to watch.”

“When Jon and I started dating, yes we were in WWE, but I got caught up very, very quickly on who Jon Moxley was before ‘Dean Ambrose’ became a thing.”

Renee Paquette also said sometimes she’s taken aback by how Moxley can quickly transition from a traditional pro wrestling match to a deathmatch.

“Now watching Jon Moxley re-submerge into the world. I know how difficult it can be to be like, ‘Wait! I saw you wrestle this other way, and now you’re getting involved in this other chaos! What is happening?!?’”

Moxley has also dabbled into the world of GCW. He’s even confronted Nick Gage in the promotion. Gage is known for his violent matches and he even wrestled Chris Jericho on an episode of AEW Dynamite.

Do you like seeing Jon Moxley in deathmatches?

AEW Dynamite Replaces Dominos Ad With Pabst Blue Ribbon Party

Following the controversy last week during the Chris Jericho match versus Nick Gage on AEW Dynamite, Dominos has seemingly gone through with their decision to withdraw their sponsorship. However, one company’s loss is another’s gain as Pabst Blue Ribbon stepped in to claim the vacant spot.

While this is great news for AEW Dynamite, the advert itself is strange as while it is a wrestling-based advert, it doesn’t feature an AEW wrestler. Rather, Matt Cardona and his fiancée Chelsea Green. Between them, both have made sporadic appearances for AEW, but are more known for working with ROH, IMPACT, NWA and as of last month, GCW.

Pabst Blue Ribbon released a statement talking about how Matt Cardona embodied everything Pabst Stands for. This may be true; however, the unanswered question is why this was aired during an episode of AEW Dynamite.

“We are proud to support independent wrestling, and debut Pabst Blue Ribbon’s first-ever cable advert with the Michael Jordan of wrestling figure collecting and GCW world champion, Matt Cardona. Matt’s embodiment of having fun and betting on yourself is what independent wrestling and Pabst Blue Ribbon are all about. We work directly with creatives, artists, and athletes like Matt, which allows us to move quickly, like producing this commercial in-house to air within 4 days. It’s fast and furious and fun. #MajorPBR forever.”

AEW Dynamite Opened the Forbidden Door for Commercial Crossovers

In the day of brand and company crossovers, is an advert such as this a mistake or is it just a clever extension of the open-door policy of modern wrestling? AEW Dynamite is a place where anybody, from any promotion, could seemingly appear. Yet, despite this, the decision to run an advert featuring a wrestler from another company still seems a little strange.

Perhaps it was rushed, a last-minute change. It could be the original plans for the Pabst Advert were for alternate placement. After all, the goal of the ad is to make money for the beer and not AEW Dynamite. Either way, it would appear that even without Dominos, AEW will not struggle to find other sponsors.

Booker T Praises Nick Gage, Says Other Wrestlers Can Learn From Him

Nick Gage’s recent performances in GCW and AEW have gotten a lot of people talking. One of those people is Booker T. He mentioned on his Hall of Fame show recently that if more wrestlers were like Nick Gage, the industry would be better off for it.

“I’ll tell you this. Nick Gage, I have never met this dude before in my life. But I’ll tell you, if everyone in this business had the same thought process as a Nick Gage, the business would be in a much, much better place,” Booker said.

“This guy, Nick Gage, you pull up photos of this guy, and you’ll never gonna see him smiling in any of them. He’s got the same look on his face in every photo, in every picture I have ever seen him in. There is not a picture of him being happy. It’s a picture of a guy who’s getting ready to go into a deathmatch, each and every night. He’s the real deal.”

Booker T Praises Nick Gage

40-year-old Nick Gage is a 21-year pro, having first made his debut in February of 1999. He was trained by the CZW school and John Zandig. Gage is a 4x CZW World Champion and was inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2009.

“The guys in WWE, Impact Wrestling, AEW – they can learn a whole lot from Nick Gage, and that’s just my opinion. I don’t know a lot about him, but when someone sees something different about you in this business, it’s uncanny.”

Booker continued to say he’s not actually seen Gage wrestle, but that doesn’t impact his opinion. Gage feels different, serious and real, and that is what is appealing about him to Booker.

“I’ve never watched one match. But I know when you look at this dude, he isn’t the guy you’re gonna walk up on and say, ‘What about that wrestling stuff ya’ll do?’ Because he might hit you. He’s the real deal. If everybody walked along that same line and took it as serious as this guy does, it would be a much better place.”

H/T transcriptions via 411 Mania

Backstage Update On Harry Smith Returning To WWE

Harry Smith (aka Davey Boy Smith Jr. & DH Smith) returned to WWE recently in a Dark match taped before Smackdown on July 16th. He teamed with Austin Theory and defeated Odyssey Jones & Xyon Quinn. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Smith signed with WWE in April but his return has been kept quiet.

“Harry Smith, who has been working dark matches as a tag team with Austin Theory, actually signed with the company in April but everyone was told to keep it quiet until he debuted,” wrote Dave Meltzer.

Smith’s last indy appearance was at the GCW Bloodsport show on April 8th, 2021. John Laurinaitis was said to have been behind recruiting him back into the company.

The original plan had been for Smith to debut as a babyface on NXT UK. A program with WALTER over the NXT UK title was on the table but Vince McMahon reportedly wanted Smith for the Smackdown brand.

“Laurinaitis pushed hard for him to be on the main roster and Vince wanted him on Smackdown,” Meltzer continued.

In his first run with WWE, Smith won tag team gold along with Tyson Kidd twice. He held the IWGP Heavyweight tag titles along with Lance Archer 3x in NJPW. Smith, Teddy Hart, and Brian Pillman Jr. also held the tag titles in MLW.

Nick Gage On Domino’s Pizza Controversy: “Guess I’m Too Ultraviolent For TV, Oh Well”

Domino’s Pizza recently released a statement to Front Office Sports regarding the deathmatch between Chris Jericho and Nick Gage at Fight for the Fallen.

“We share the concerns expressed about this incident and the content of this TV-14 rated program, and are assessing our advertising presence on it going forward,” the pizza company’s statement reads.

Nick Gage recently took to Twitter to “apologize” to Domino’s.

“i tried to cut jerichos scalp off my bad TMZ it is what it is but yeah thanks aew and thanks all MDK gang members we showed em whats up and also sorry dominos didnt mean to offend you guess im too ultraviolent for tv oh well all my new fans come see me at GCW its MDK all fn day,” Gage Tweeted.

https://twitter.com/thekingnickgage/status/1421150941437472771

Meanwhile, Pabst Blue Ribbon seems to have really enjoyed the match. They have been posting to Twitter in the hopes of picking up Dominos’ advertising spots.

PBR seems to want to join MDK.

Gage was just the “2nd Labor of Jericho” as part of his feud with MJF. The 3rd Labor of Jericho will take place next week. Jericho is scheduled to face his former WCW rival Juventud Guerrera on the show.

Matt Cardona: “I’m The New Deathmatch King” After GCW Win

Matt Cardona picked up one of the biggest wins of his wrestling career when he defeated Nick Gage to become the new GCW world champion at Homecoming night 1.

The former WWE star recently had an interview with Sports Illustrated where he opened up about his big win and discussed what it means to him.

Cardona first commented on the wild crowd reaction to his victory. He explained that hearing the boos made him realize that they had something special, before claiming himself as the new deathmatch king:

“Tasting my own blood and hearing those boos, I knew we had something special, but it was all worth it. I’m the new deathmatch king.”

The GCW championship is the first world title of Cardona’s career. Discussing how the title win is a big deal for him, Matt Cardona said that people are crazy if they don’t think he is going to treat it as the biggest thing:

“This title is a big deal. I was fortunate in WWE to win the tag team title twice, the intercontinental title, and the United States title,

But the GCW title is my first world title. So people are absolutely crazy if they don’t think I’m going to treat this as the biggest thing in the world. I took the title to Disneyland and posed in front of the castle.”

Matt Cardona also discussed the negative crowd reaction at the Homecoming special that stemmed from his victory. He claimed that he is not trying to be a heel.

According to the former US champion, he was just being himself. He had fans in the arena too but it just happened to be that the vocal fan base there were the ones who didn’t want him to win.

Five Stars Who Need To Work International Indies Post-Pandemic

The past 18 months have had a huge impact on the professional wrestling scene internationally. Stars that would usually travel for much of the year have now had to work either local shows or be forced to semi-retire for the foreseeable future.

With the potential of the pandemic now getting to a somewhat controlled point, with vaccines being rolled out across the major hubs of independent wrestling, there’s a good chance that some of the biggest names on the indie scene will be able to work internationally once again.

Here are 5 of the names we want to see making the rounds again on the US, European and Australian scenes towards the end of the year and into 2022.

Chris Hero returns to the Indies?

Before Chris Hero re-signed with WWE back in 2017 as Kassius Ohno, he was regarded as one of the very best performers on the independent circuit. The Knockout Artist moved to NXT UK during his last stint with WWE, and he has a wealth of experience on the UK scene overall.

Chris Hero has not wrestled since March 2020 for the NXT UK brand, so a return to the UK independents, where he was a major star for PROGRESS and Rev Pro, would be more than welcome later this year.

Match we NEED to see: Chris Hero vs PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir

Chelsea Green

The former WWE NXT Superstar was released from the company earlier this year and has been extremely active on social media. Recent appearances on Ring of Honor and IMPACT have shown that she is more than ready to get back out on the circuit, and there’s a ton of fantastic independent companies that could use the talents of Green.

GCW looks like it could be a great fit for Chelsea at some point; with her fiance Matt Cardona having just won the Game Changer Wrestling title, she could be brought in as part of a ‘GCW Universe’ stable to bring even more heat to the jacked Champion.

Match we NEED to see: Chelsea Green vs Mickie James

Charli Evans

The Medusa Complex (Charli Evans and NXT UK Superstar Millie McKenzie) were one of the most intriguing acts on the UK independent scene before the pandemic. McKenzie has since signed for WWE; however, Charli Evans is still an incredible performer in her own right. The Australian star has helped build PWA Black Label, Deathmatch Down Under and Newcastle Pro Wrestling in 2021.

There’s still a wealth of opportunities for Evans on the UK circuit, with the former Pro Wrestling: EVE Tag Team Champion (along with Millie) looking like an ideal fit for the next generation of UK talents such as Lizzy Evo, Kanji, Gisele Shaw and Mercedez Blaze.

Match we NEED to see: Charli Evans vs PROGRESS Women’s Champion Kanji

Drew Parker

Drew Parker was a promising UK performer when he made the jump to Japan. That was several years ago, and the Deathmatch specialist has proven that the expectation levels were right for the current GCW Ultraviolent and BJW Death Match Heavyweight Champion.

There is a renaissance of Deathmatch wrestling across the globe (although we Deathmatch fans would say it never went away). Parker could be a mainstay with the likes of TNT Wrestling in the UK, who have a wealth of Deathmatch talent on their roster and seem to be cornering the market on the style in the United Kingdom.

Match we NEED to see: Drew Parker vs TNT Extreme Division Champion Clint Margera

Mickie James

One of the most important performers in Women’s wrestling history is back on the free market and looking to prove once again why she is up in the pantheon of greats. Not that Mickie James needs to prove anything, but the former WWE Women’s Champion could be a fantastic fit on both the European and Australian indie scenes.

With the aforementioned current crop of Women’s talent in the UK, James could be having some blow-away matches against some of the EVE, Rev Pro and PROGRESS talent. Gisele Shaw looks like she would be a top draw opponent for Mickie, with the Rev Pro Women’s Champion building herself up as the Quintessential performer on the UK circuit right now.

Match we NEED to see: Mickie James vs Revolution Pro Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw

Joey Janela & W. Morrissey (Big Cass) Say They’ve Buried The Hatchet

Joey Janela and Big Cass (aka W. Morrissey, CaZXL) were involved in a backstage altercation in late 2019 at a WrestlePro event. Cass took a little time away from wrestling after that and spent some time staying with Diamond Dallas Page as well. He was on Sean Waltman’s podcast recently and said that he and Janela have buried the hatchet.

“I spoke to Joey the weekend of WrestleMania. At GCW, I did a show. I spoke with Joey, and we’re really cool, man. We buried the hatchet,” Cass said (transcriptions via WrestlingNewsCO). “That was one that I really, genuinely needed to apologize to the guy in person. I like to do things face to face.”

Cass continued to talk about speaking with Janela backstage at the GCW show.

“I happened to walk in, we started talking right away, and I was super happy about that.  He’s cool as can be, and I appreciate him being super understanding.”

Not long after, Janela took to Twitter to comment on the conversation the two had over WrestleMania weekend as well. Janela also mentioned he’d hoped to book Cass for GCW over the summer. Cass is wrestling for both Impact and SWE at the moment, however.

“I saw that Cass talked about our convo, he’s really awesome! I’m happy to see him doing so well, tried to get him in the fold at GCW this summer but he’s become a busy guy! Hope I can make something happen sometime because that 7 foot dude slamming guys through doors would rule!” Janela Tweeted.

GCW Homecoming Beats UFC and Olympics to Top Twitter Trending Spot

The shock result at GCW Homecoming night 1 not only saw a new heavyweight champion crowned, but it saw the promotion take the number one trending spot on Twitter.

It is not uncommon for the larger, more widely followed companies to hit the trending boards, often claiming the top spot. However, for a smaller promotion, with a more niche fanbase to hit the top spot is quite an achievement. The feud between Cardona and Gage saw a lot of social media exchanges between the pair. This undoubtedly helped get more eyes on the product.

What makes the results for GCW Homecoming even more impressive is that it occurred at the same time as the Olympics and UFC (Fight Night 192). Both of these events have an arguably bigger draw yet failed to get the world talking.

This is despite a few shocking gold medals being claimed in Tokyo. GCW Homecoming shocked the social media world.

Matt Hardy was quick to congratulate both Matt Cardona and GCW for their Homecoming success. While the finish to the match brought the ire of fans, many wrestling names have congratulated Cardona for his success

Matt Cardona the Unlikely Winner at GCW Homecoming Night 1

Matt Cardona is the epitome of the sports entertainment side of wrestling. Nick Gage and many of the other GCW stars play a much darker, more violent game. The meeting of the two at GCW Homecoming turned on its head when Matt Cardona picked up the win.

The instant reaction from the fans told enough. You need to question whether it was the manner of the victory or the fact that it was a previously clean-cut sports entertainment man who took the belt from their hardcore hero.

Regardless of what the fans thought, social media loved GCW Homecoming. It’s not easy to pick up the top trending spot, but they did it. How much of that can be attributed to Matt Cardona may never be known. However, he is certainly a marquee name who is now the face of GCW, for a little while at least.

It remains to be seen who his next challenger will be, but Nick Gage will surely want revenge. One thing is for sure, it will not be a friendly affair. First, however, Gage will need to shake off his GCQ Homecoming loss and prepare for his match with Chis Jericho on AEW this week.

Matt Cardona Becomes New GCW Champion At Homecoming: Night 1

Former WWE star Matt Cardona shocked everyone and became the new GCW world heavyweight champion by defeating Nick Gage during tonight’s GCW: Homecoming night 1.

The main event of the show saw Gage defending his title against the former Zack Ryder in a brutal match that left both the competitors bloodied.

Nick Gage was in control for the majority of the match. He used multiple light tubes and a pizza cutter among other things on Cardona during the bout.

Chris Jericho’s Judas theme played at one point in the match. While the hooded figure that showed up, ended up not being Jericho, the distractions continued even after that.

The 44OH! faction came out and attacked Gage not long after this. Former GCW champion RSP came out in Gage’s aid and the two managed to fight off the attackers.

Though this alliance was short-lived as RSP ended up low-blowing Nick Gage. This allowed Matt Cardona to hit a Rough Ryder on his opponent and win the match.

Fans started throwing trash in the ring immediately after the bout ended. Cardona ran off the arena to save himself, leaving Cage in disbelief.

This ends Nick Gage’s 100+ days long championship reign with the title. Now it would be interesting to see what the promotion has planned for Cardona’s title reign.

Nick Gage Reveals What Stipulation He Wants For Kenny Omega Match

Game Changer Wrestling Champion Nick Gage recently appeared on the Wrestling Delorean Podcast. The ‘Deathmatch King’ discussed several topics whilst appearing on the podcast, including what it would take for him to have a match with AEW Champion Kenny Omega.

Nick Gage made a shocking appearance during this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite. Gage was revealed as the 2nd Labor of Jericho by MJF, with Gage now getting a No DQ match against ‘Le Champion’ next week on the show.

“Oh, I have no problem facing Kenny Omega, but it would be in a deathmatch,” Nick Gage began on the podcast, revealing the stipulations it would take for him to have a match with the AEW Champion.

Nick Gage vs Kenny Omega

“It wouldn’t be a regular match, ya know? Does he say he is the King of the Deathmatch? Well, let’s go with real glass and real barbwire. Do you know what I mean? Let’s go,” Gage continued, referring to the Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch between Omega and Jon Moxley, where Omega proclaimed himself the King of The Deathmatch.

“I seen clips of it,” Gage revealed, talking about the contest from AEW Revolution. “I thought it was ok. Something happened at the end. Are you talking about that exploding barbwire one? I don’t know what happened there, man, I don’t know, man.”

“I just feel like they are using Hollywood glass, and they are snipping the barbwire because any barbwire I been in or get hit with it, I always get stuck in it”, the GCW Champion added.

“So I always start bleeding, and any glass I land in, my back starts slicing up, bleeding really bad. So for them not to have no blood on them, or blood just on their forehead, makes me second guess what they are using, ya know what I mean?” Nick Gage would conclude.

Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship this weekend against former WWE Superstar Matt Cardona.

Alex Shelley’s Return To Wrestling Announced By GCW

Alex Shelley will be returning to wrestling for the first time in 2021 next month. GCW has announced him for their September 3rd show in Chicago.

Shelley was forced to withdraw from Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill event back in January. He had been scheduled to team with Chris Sabin and Rich Swann to face Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers.

“There are certain things in life that are just out of our control and unfortunately, my ability to compete at Hard to Kill has been dropped into that bucket,” Shelley said regarding having to withdraw from the event. “So, on that note, I owe an apology to Chris Sabin. I owe one to Rich Swann, I owe one to the fans. And I owe a receipt to the Good Brothers and Kenny Omega.”

Shelley would clarify a couple of weeks later that he would be unable to wrestle until a COVID-19 vaccine became available.

“I am a physical therapy clinician,” Shelley stated. “Physio is my livelihood and career. Wrestling is my livelihood and passion project. At my company, due to the volume of sick and injured patients we are in care of, we modify our COVID-19 mandates as needed. As numbers went up, so did restrictiveness.”

“To circumvent the topic, I could not be at Hard To Kill due to my career. I respect the decisions made by our company surgeons and doctors: I look to them for advice and guidance. I am unable to travel and wrestle until I am vaccinated.”

It is not yet clear if Shelley will be returning to Impact Wrestling.

Nick Gage Makes Shocking AEW Debut as the Second Labor of Jericho

On a night of crazy happenings at Fyter Fest, the biggest shock of them all was undoubtedly the debut of GCW champion Nick Gage. Moreover, the manner in which is made his debut.

Much has been publicized about Gage’s feud with Jon Moxley. However, it was best MJF that the hardcore hero made his entrance. Nick Gage will be the second step in the Labors of Jericho.

jericho gage

The debut came just after Chris Jericho had defeated Shawn Spears. The stipulation of that match being Spears could use a chair, while Jericho could not.

The match between Jericho and Nick Gage has already been set for AEW’s Fight for the Fallen. Jericho has already responded to the news that it will be a no disqualification match but promising to resurrect his Painmaker persona.

Jericho is the G.O.A.T, and he is no stranger to hellacious matches. However, he would not have been the first name on the list of potential Nick Gage opponents in AEW.

Nick Gage Versus Chris Jericho Will Be Bowling Shoe Ugly

It seems only fitting to quote Jim Ross by saying the upcoming match between Gage and Jericho will be bowling shoe ugly. Nick Gage is a fighter. He’s the master of the hardcore, deathmatch style. Jericho is a warrior, there is no doubt about it. Just don’t expect to see a fight built around technical finesse and headlocks.

If Jericho wants to get his hands on MJF, then Nick Gage is certainly going to make him work for it.

The appearance on AEW made its mark on Nick Gage, who has not had an easy life both in and out of the ring. His episode of Dark Side of the Ring did a lot to educate people on the well-known indie wrestler. Love him or hate him, Gage is tough as a two-dollar steak. There’s a good chance, AEW will never be the same again by the time he is done.

Gage is the current GCW champion. Besides a feud with Moxley, is also preparing to take on former AEW wrestler Matt Cardona. That fight is set for the GCQ world title this coming Saturday at the GCW Homecoming Part 1 event.

At the time of writing, it’s not known if Nick Gage’s appearance for AEW is a once-off affair. With Jon Moxley and Kenny Omega both recently being linked to Gage, there is scope for a longer run.

GCW Invite Kenny Omega To Homecoming for Nick Gage Match

AEW Champion Kenny Omega appeared in the main event of the IMPACT Slammiversary PPV this weekend against Sami Callihan.

Omega successfully retained his IMPACT World Championship at the show, and IMPACT seemed to push the ‘forbidden door’ angle even further with a tease of AAA, AEW, IMPACT and NJPW all being represented at the upcoming Bound For Glory PPV event.

During the Slammiversary event, Don Callis would say that Omega was ‘tougher’ than GCW Champion and Deathmath King, Nick Gage. After hearing this on the broadcast, Game Changer Wrestling would invite Kenny Omega to take part in their Homecoming event next weekend.

“GCW tweeted, “Omega “tougher” than Gage? @TheDonCallis what are you smoking pal?” The promotion responded.

Kenny Omega vs Nick Gage

“You and Kenny are welcome to come and prove it but you have to get in line & the line starts this Saturday at #GCWHomecoming Weekend in AC… Saturday: GAGE vs CARDONA Sunday: GAGE vs OMEGA??? See ya there???” GCW added.

It is not confirmed if this is part of the ongoing forbidden door angle, or if Game Changer Wrestling are attempting to just get some more buzz for the PPV shows next weekend.

GCW Homecoming Night 1 (July 24) and Night 2 (July 25) takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Nick Gage will be defending his GCW Championship against Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder on night 1. Both shows will be available to view on FITE TV.

Rickey Shane Page Announced for AEW Dark

Deathmatch legend and leader of 44.OH Rickey Shane Page has been announced for this week’s episode of AEW Dark. The tenured GCW star has been with Game Changer Wrestling since 2018, and Page has worked with AEW star Joey Janela in the past.

RSP will be facing Dark standout Dante Martin on this week’s episode of the show, following his recent Dynamite match against Matt Sydal.

Rickey Shane Page held the Game Changer Wrestling title for 488 days until he was defeated by the Deathmatch King Nick Gage at GCW rSpring Break on April 9 of this year.

Rickey Shane Page in AEW

RSP has also held several titles from the independent scene, racking up an impressive resume that includes the likes of the AAW Heritage, IWA King of The Deathmatch and the CZW World Heavyweight Championship. Page also won the fabled CZW Tournament of Death in 2016.

Here’s the full confirmed lineup for this week’s episode of AEW Dark:

  • Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) vs. Papadon & Sean Maluta
  • Brian Cage vs. Foxx Vinyer
  • Matt Hardy vs. Jah-C
  • Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson vs. Mark Davidson & Aaron Frye
  • Penelope Ford vs. Robyn Renegade
  • The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. Derek Pisaturo & Roman Rozell
  • Dante Martin vs. Rickey Shane Page
  • Gunn Club (Billy & Colten Gunn) vs. The Wingmen (Cezar Bononi & JD Drake)
  • Diamante vs. Harlow O’Hara

Cara Noir vs Jody Fleisch Announced for PROGRESS Chapter 115

PROGRESS World Champion Cara Noir will be defending his title against British pro wrestling legend Jody Fleisch this weekend at the Chapter 115: For The Hearts That Never Played In Tune show.

Noir has defended his title since the return of the company in 2021, defeating the likes of Dan Moloney, Natural Progression Series winner Luke Jacobs, Kid Lykos and ELIJAH.

Jody Fleisch has been a staple on the UK independent wrestling scene since the early 2000s, as well as being one of the top high-flyers in the world during his illustrious career.

Fleisch has appeared for the likes of GCW, Ring of Honor and PWG, where he appeared as part of the BOLA tournament in 2018.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jody Fleisch said that he is looking forward to facing the reigning Champion.

“I’m really looking forward to my match with Cara. I’m on a good run of form for progress. I know I’m faster. I know I’m stronger. He’s a strange cat and he uses that to his advantage when he gets the chance but there really isn’t much in wrestling that haven’t seen and dealt with. Bring it on.”

PROGRESS Chapter 115

Here’s the currently confirmed card for PROGRESS Chapter 115 – For The Hearts Who Never Played In Tune:

  • PROGRESS World Championship Match – Cara Noir (c) vs Jody Fleisch
  • Big Money Gun Dogs vs Lykos Gym – Dog House Rules Match
  • Malik (w/Kosta K) vs Ethan Allen (w/Luke Jacobs)
  • Greedy Souls vs Sunshine Machine
  • Mercedez Blaze (w/Taonga) vs Roxxy Hellz Belle
  • Nick Riley vs Charlie Sterling – PROGRESS Championship #1 Contender’s Match

Matt Cardona Reflects on Six Months with IMPACT Wrestling

Matt Cardona is a wrestler making headlines these days, going after GCW champion Nick Gage. He is also celebrating his first six months with IMPACT wrestling. A lot can happen in such a short time, and Matt was all too happy to talk with Steel Chair about his change in fortunes.

“It’s been a lot of fun, I’ve got a lot of opportunities, and I thank the Impact Wrestling management for those opportunities. That’s why I came to Impact Wrestling.”

Matt Cardona is known primarily from his days in WWE, and many might feel he was never allowed to reach his full potential. His Wrestlemania moment was kept to just that, dropping the title the very next day. If any run could summarize a career with WWE, then that would be it.

However, Cardona is looking to the future, and he has his eyes firmly set on the big prize. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Kenny or Sami Callihan or Moose. It doesn’t matter to me, if you have that Impact title, I want it.”

When asked about who he would love to wrestle on the IMPACT roster, Matt Cardona wasted no time in reeling off two names. “Tommy Dreamer, who’s still around. I thought I retired him over 10 years ago (December 2009 in WWE), but he’s still kicking. If I need to retire him for good, one last hardcore match, I would love to do that. Eddie Edwards, I’ve teamed with, but I’ve never wrestled him. I love his style, I love what he’s done with himself over the past couple of years, more violent style and again. Someone I’d love to get in the ring with, maybe a hardcore match with him.”

Matt Cardona Enjoys the Creative Freedom Offered by IMPACT

After working in an environment that took creative control away from its talent, Matt Cardona is relishing the creativity afforded to him by IMPACT.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRFf4OYKT0X/

“We’re all artists, and we have this blank canvas now to just draw whatever we want, and that’s the best part about Impact, all this creative freedom and all these opportunities, and I think the sky is the limit with Impact. I think it’s on the up and up. All the wrestlers there in that locker room are hungry, they all want Impact to keep getting better and better.”

Matt Cardona is only 36 years old. He has a long future ahead of him. His recent change in attitude including his feud with Nick Gage has made him one of the stars to watch.