Game Changer Wrestling
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| Acronym | GCW |
|---|---|
| Founded |
|
| Style | |
| Headquarters | New Jersey, U.S. |
| Founder | Ricky Otazu |
| Owner(s) | Ricky Otazu (1999–2004, 2013–2015)Brett Lauderdale and Danny Demanto (2015–2019)Brett Lauderdale (2019–present) |
| Formerly | Jersey Championship Wrestling (1999–2015) |
| Website | Official website |
Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), formerly known as Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW),[a] is an American independentprofessional wrestlingpromotion based in New Jersey. The promotion was originally founded by Ricky Otazu in 1999; it was rebranded under its current name in 2015, after a sale to Danny Demanto and current owner Brett Lauderdale. The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling, as well as mixed martial arts–inspired shoot style matches.
GCW has grown from running shows based in New Jersey, to holding events across the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Germany, France, and Mexico. Annual GCW events include Backyard Wrestling, Bloodsport, Joey Janela's Spring Break, the NGI, and the Tournament of Survival.
History
As Jersey Championship Wrestling
Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW) was founded by independent wrestler Ricky Otazu, also known by his ring name of Ricky O,[1] in January 1999 in New Jersey.[2][3] JCW ran their first show on January 29, 2000, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.[4] Later that year, JCW hosted the inaugural Jersey J-Cup, which featured many of the top independent wrestlers of that period.[5] They would continue to host the tournament until 2004, when JCW was sold to rival company National Wrestling Superstars (NWS).[6]
The promotion would remain dormant for nearly a decade until September 2013 when, after the closure of National Wrestling Superstars,[7] Otazu reclaimed the rights to JCW and reopened the promotion.[6] In April 2014, JCW opened its own training school in North Bergen.[8] Later that year, JCW would return to hosting the Jersey J-Cup.[9]
2015–present: Rebranding as Game Changer Wrestling
In June 2015, Jersey Championship Wrestling rebranded itself to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW)[3] after being purchased by Brett Lauderdale and Danny Demanto.[10] Since the buyout, GCW began to predominantly feature hardcore wrestling and continued to enjoy success in the New Jersey wrestling scene. GCW became known for producing several tournaments featuring independent wrestlers; including the Nick Gage Invitational Ultraviolent Tournament,[11] the Tournament of Survival[12] and the Acid Cup.[13]
In March 2017, GCW produced Joey Janela's Spring Break show in Fern Park, Florida.[14] This would become an annual tradition for the company.[15] GCW would begin to expand throughout the United States and hosted its first show in Los Angeles in November 2018, titled Joey Janela's LA Confidential.[16] In April 2018, GCW partnered with Matt Riddle to produce Matt Riddle's Bloodsport, a show that fused professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.[17] Bloodsport would take place twice more in 2019, this time with the partnership of Josh Barnett.[18][19][20][21] In August 2019, GCW embarked on a two-day tour of Japan.[22]
In August 2018, GCW began simulcasting their events on both IWTV and Triller TV, then in December 2020, GCW moved to end their partnership with streaming platform Independent Wrestling TV (IWTV), later moving their content exclusively to Triller TV. In 2021, IWTV sued GCW for breach of contract.[23][24] An out of court settlement was reached that involved GCW producing a series of 8 events exclusively on IWTV, dubbed the "Settlement Series", they were primarily afternoon events held prior to major JCW and GCW shows, and featuring younger low card talent.
In May 2021, Lauderdale relaunched the JCW name as a separate brand, holding smaller events in the afternoon of major GCW shows, and utilizing more younger and unknown talent that have not yet debuted for GCW.
On January 23, 2022, GCW held the sold out The Wrld on GCW event, their debut at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The event marked the first GCW event to air on traditional pay-per-view outlets.[25][26]
On February 7, 2022, GCW signed Nick Gage to a contract, which was referred to as "the first and only contract that GCW will offer". GCW owner Brett Lauderdale said of the contract, "This is a major milestone moment for both Nick and GCW. I have always been against the idea of contracts in GCW but there are exceptions to every rule. From day 1, Nick has put his body, and literally his life on the line for the fans inside the squared circle. He deserves, and has earned the right to be rewarded for 20+ years of hard work and sacrifice. This historic contract will do just that, allowing him to continue his in-ring career at a pace that is beneficial to his health, while beginning to focus on opportunities that take him towards the next phase of his career. GCW would not have achieved the level of success it has without Nick F'N Gage, and we are proud to be able to say that GCW will remain Nick's home for the rest of his career".[27]
In October 2022, Lauderdale signed a guaranteed rights deal with Triller TV to become a part of Triller's new subscription based service "Triller TV+", moving GCW events from a PPV business model to a monthly subscription based model. The promotion became the most prominent wrestling company to be featured on Triller TV+.
GCW returned to Japan in September 2022 with 3 sold out shows in conjunction with Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS, they returned again in 2023 for 2 tours, and debuted in Korakuen Hall on October 12, 2023 with "The Wrld on GCW 2023", streaming the event live on Triller TV, GCW thus became the first American wrestling company to ever broadcast live from Korakuen Hall. Subsequent Japan events have been held in conjunction with DDT Pro-Wrestling, including a return to Korakuen Hall on July 30, 2025.
On April 12, 2023, GCW announced a working relationship with Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), which saw GCW hold their inaugural events in Germany as part of wXw's 2023 World Tag Team Festival weekend.[28]
On October 29, 2024, Nick Gage, GCW's sole contracted wrestler, announced that he was departing GCW.[29]
Roster
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Wrestlers
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Called Manders | Steve Manders | |
| Alex Zayne | Alex Brandenburg | |
| Allie Katch | Allison Woodard | Inactive; leg injury[30][31] |
| Atticus Cogar | Unknown | World Champion |
| August Matthews | Unknown | |
| Bam Sullivan | Unknown | |
| Billie Starkz | Lilian Bridget | JCW World Champion |
| Bobby Flaco | Unknown | |
| Bodhi Young Prodigy | Unknown | |
| Brayden Toon | Unknown | |
| Brooke Havok | Savannah Ruiz | |
| Charles Mason | Unknown | |
| Charlie Tiger | Unknown | |
| Ciclope | Jhonny Serrano Yedra | |
| Cole Radrick | Joey Hodge | |
| CPA | Unknown | |
| Dan The Dad | Unknown | |
| Dante Leon | Marcos Meza | |
| Dark Sheik | Sam Khandaghabadi | |
| Davey Bang | Unknown | |
| Dominic Garrini | Dominic Garrini | |
| Dyln McKay | Unknown | |
| Effy | Taylor Gibson | |
| KJ Orso | KJ ORSO | |
| Grim Reefer | Kevin Corcoran | |
| Gringo Loco | Charles Santos | |
| Hunter Drake | Unknown | |
| Jack Cartwheel | Jack Summit | WWE ID prospect |
| Jeffrey John | Unknown | |
| Jimmy Lloyd | James Marchese | |
| Joey Janela | Joseph Janela | |
| John Wayne Murdoch | Unknown | |
| Josh Barnett | Joshua Lawrence Barnett | |
| Kevin Ku | Kevin Ku | |
| Látigo | Unknown | |
| LuFisto | Genevieve Goulet | |
| Maki Itoh | Maki Itoh | |
| Mance Warner | Unknown | |
| Marcus Mathers | Unknown | WWE ID prospect |
| Matt Makowski | Unknown | |
| Matt Tremont | Matthew Tremont | Ultraviolent ChampionDeathmatch Hall of Famer |
| Microman | Unknown | |
| Miedo Extremo | Jonathan Uriel Gijon Perez | |
| Mr. Danger | Unknown | |
| Otis Cogar | Unknown | |
| Parrow | Mike Parrow | |
| Reed Bentley | Unknown | |
| Richard Holliday | Joe Zimbardi | |
| Rico Gonzalez | Unknown | |
| Rina Yamashita | Rina Yamashita | |
| Sam Stackhouse | Sam Moore | |
| Santana Jackson | Unknown | |
| Sidney Akeem | Sidney Bateman | |
| Shane Mercer | Shane Goode | |
| Starboy Charlie | Charlie Hilder | |
| Steph De Lander | Stephanie De Landre | |
| Titus Alexander | Titus Jimenez | |
| Tony Deppen | Anthony Deppen | |
| Yoya | Unknown |
Referees
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Gault | Adam Gault | Senior referee |
| Chad Rico | Chad Rico | |
| Dan Perch | Dan Perch | |
| Max Recon | AJ Kissinger | |
| Scarlette Donovan | Scarlette Donovan |
Broadcast team
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dave Prazak | Dave Prazak | CommentatorIndie Wrestling Hall of Famer |
| Emil Jay | Emil Hibian | CommentatorRing announcer |
| Jordan Castle | Jordan Cassel | Commentator |
| Mose | John Mosely | Commentator |
| Nick Maniwa | Nick Glenn | Commentator |
| Nick Knowledge | Nicholas Knowledge | JCW Commentator |
| Rob Sanderson | Robert Sanderson | Commentator |
| Veda Scott | Veda Scott | CommentatorOccasional wrestler |
Other personnel
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brett Lauderdale | Brett Hoffman | Owner / Booker |
| Chad Minnes | Chad Minnes | Operations Manager |
| Chris Huffman | Chris Huffman | Graphic Designer |
| Ivan Firejay | Ivan Firejay | Video Producer |
| Johnathan Ashe | Johnathan Ashe | EP / Head of Production |
| Matt Borruso | Matt Borruso | Production Manager |
Halls of fame
Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame
Deathmatch Hall of Fame
| Year | Ring name |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Mad Man Pondo |
| Nate Hatred | |
| Danny Havoc | |
| Matt Tremont | |
| 2021 | Supreme |
| Eugene | |
| Nick Mondo | |
| 2022 | Wifebeater |
| Toby Klein | |
| Dewey Donovan | |
| J. C. Bailey | |
| 2023 | Mike "Piss Jug Mike" Bieszck |
| Lowlife Louie | |
| John Zandig | |
| Brain Damage | |
| 2024 | Abdullah the Butcher |
| Markus Crane | |
| Gary Walter | |
| 2025 | 2 Tuff Tony |
| Jeff Cannonball | |
| Mean And Hard (Mean Mitch Page and Rollin' Hard) | |
| Scrawny Shawny |
Championships and accomplishments
Current championships
As of February 7, 2026
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Daysheld | Location | Notes | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCW World Championship |  | Atticus Cogar | 1 | November 22, 2025 | 77 | East Rutherford, NJ | Defeated defending champion Effy and Charles Mason in a three-way match at GCW Dream On. | [32] |
| JCW World Championship | .jpg/1280px-Billie_Starkz_AEW_House_Show_Corbin,_KY_(cropped).jpg) | Billie Starkz | 1 | October 26, 2025 | 104 | Ridgefield Park, NJ | Defeated Charles Mason to win the vacant title at JCW Possession.Previous champion Masha Slamovich was stripped of the title due to domestic abuse allegations made against her. | [33] |
| GCW Ultraviolent Championship | Otis Cogar | 1 | January 17, 2026 | 21 | Dallas, TX | Defeated Matt Tremont in a Deathmatch at GCW Code of the Streets, in what was Cogar's Do or Die Rumble cash-in match. | [34] | |
| GCW Tag Team Championship |  .jpg/1280px-Oliver_Jordan,_June_2023_03_(cropped).jpg) | YDNP(Alec Price and Jordan Oliver) | 2(3, 3) | October 12, 2025 | 118 | Atlantic City, NJ | Defeated The Brothers of Funstruction (Ruffo The Clown and Yabo The Clown) at Fight Club 2025. | [35] |
Former championships
| Championship | Date of entry | First champion(s) | Date retired | Final champion(s) | Years active | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GCW Extreme Championship | September 13, 2013 | Bandido Jr. | January 19, 2025 | Matt Tremont | 12 | The People vs. GCW |
| GCW Women's Championship | November 23, 2003 | April Hunter | June 3, 2016 | Deonna Purrazzo | 13 | Live event |
| JCW Light Heavyweight Championship | April 14, 2000 | Judas Young | April 10, 2004 | Kahagas | 4 | Live event |
| JCW Television Championship | April 14, 2000 | Kevin Knight | February 22, 2004 | Moondog Wenzel | 4 | Live event |
| JCW Six Man Tag Team Championship | November 4, 2000 | CJ Brock, Crazy Ivan, and Dave Greco | November 4, 2001 | CJ Brock, Crazy Ivan, and Dave Greco | 1 | Payback Time |
Notes
References
- ^"Ricky O". January 6, 2020.
- ^"Jersey Championship Wrestling - History". Jersey Championship Wrestling. Retrieved January 6, 2020 – via Wix.com.
- ^ ab"Game Changer Wrestling (GCW)". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"JCW @ Lyndhurst - January 29, 2000". Wrestlingdata. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^Tanabe, Hisaharu. "2000 Jersey J-Cup". NYProWrestling.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ ab"Jersey Championship Wrestling is back!". Jersey Championship Wrestling. September 14, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2020 – via Wix.com.
- ^"National Wrestling Superstars". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"JCW Wrestling school opens in April". Jersey Championship Wrestling. March 14, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2020 – via Wix.com.
- ^"2014 Jersey J-Cup". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^Greer, Jamie (August 11, 2018). "Game Changer Wrestling Continues to Change The Game". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"Nick Gage Invitational Ultraviolent Tournament". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"Tournament of Survival". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"Acid Cup". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"GCW Joey Janela's Spring Break". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^Peeples, Jeremy (April 5, 2019). "JOEY JANELA'S SPRING BREAK 3, PT. 1 LIVE RESULTS". Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ^Andrew (February 9, 2018). "Game Changer Wrestling to debut in Los Angeles in November". SoCalUncensored.com. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"Matt Riddle's Bloodsport results: Matt Riddle vs. Minoru Suzuki". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. April 5, 2018.
- ^"Josh Barnett's Bloodsport results: Minoru Suzuki vs. Barnett". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. April 4, 2019.
- ^Benjamin, Andrew (April 2, 2019). "Josh Barnett's Bloodsport Preview and Predictions". Mma Sucka.
- ^"Frank Mir making pro wrestling debut at Josh Barnett's Bloodsport". WON/F4W - WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. January 11, 2019.
- ^"GCW Josh Barnett's Bloodsport 2". Cagematch.net. September 9, 2019.
- ^"GCW Worst Behavior 2019". Cagematch.net. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^"GCW Requests To Be Released From IWTV Contract, Promoter Brett Lauderdale Comments". Mandatory. December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^"GCW's Brett Lauderdale Explains Why They Moved To FITE Rather Than Stay With IWTV". Mandatory. June 8, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^Currier, Joseph (November 26, 2021). "GCW sells out tickets for Hammerstein Ballroom show". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^Lambert, Jeremy (January 12, 2021). "The WRLD On GCW To Air On Traditional PPV". Fightful. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
- ^Ross Sapp, Sean (February 7, 2022). "Game Changer Wrestling Signs Nick Gage To Exclusive, Multi-Year Contract". Fightful. Sean Ross Sapp. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^Tessier, Colin (April 12, 2023). "GCW Announces Germany Debut, Teams Up With wXw For World Tag Team Festival Weekend 2023". Fightful. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
- ^Lambert, Jeremy (October 29, 2024). "Nick Gage Confirms He Was In Rehab, Says He's Moved On From GCW". Fightful. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^Lee, Joseph (January 25, 2025). "Brett Lauderdale Says Allie Katch Is In 'Good Spirits' After Surgery, Reveals How Long Injury Delayed GCW Event". 411Mania.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^Tessier, Colin (January 20, 2025). "Allie Katch Undergoes Surgery For Broken Leg". WrestleZone.com. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
- ^Chris, Vetter (November 23, 2025). "GCW "Dream On" results (11/22): Vetter's review of Gail Kim mocking Joey Janela and deathmatches, Effy defending GCW Championship against the winner of Atticus Cogar vs. Charles Mason". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^Chris, Vatter (February 10, 2024). "GCW "Jersey J-Cup, Night 2" results (2/10): Vetter's review of the conclusion of the annual Jersey J-Cup tournament". Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^Vetter, Chris (January 18, 2026). "GCW "Code of the Streets" results (1/17): Vetter's review of Matt Tremont vs. Otis Cogar for the GCW Ultraviolent Title, Atticus Cogar vs. 1 Called Manders for the GCW Title, Megan Bayne vs. Priscilla Kelly". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ^Hetfield, James (October 12, 2025). "GCW Fight Club Night Two Results – October 12, 2025". pwmania.com. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
External links
