Mox beats Gage in title deathmatch, and GCW is headed to Hammerstein

Game Changer Wrestling kicked off a big weekend in Atlantic City with a big announcement. The promotion, which in the Forbidden Door era has established itself as the “cool” indie, is headed to Manhattan and a venue made famous by ECW and Ring of Honor. GCW is running a show in the Hammerstein Ballroom on Jan. 23, 2022.

The 2,000+ seat space in The Manhattan Center center is a step up in capacity from GCW’s usual venues, and a sizable investment for owner Brett Lauderdale. But with sold out gates & streaming revenue for shows featuring stars from AEW, Impact & ROH running angles that generate a ton of internet buzz - it seems like a pretty safe bet.

Case in point - this weekend’s two GCW shows from Atlantic City. During Fight Club on Saturday night (Oct. 9), Jon Moxley retain the company’s World title - in a Deathmatch with Nick Gage that they’ve been building to all year, which featured an appearance by WWE Hall of Famer & hardcore legend Mick Foley...

... and featuring action that made Renee Paquette very uncomfortable...

A Paradigm Shift off the top rope onto the glass-covered canvas allowed Mox to retain. Gage promised the MDK crew he’d win back the belt, so whether it’s against Renee’s hubby or someone else, he’s still coming.

Fight Club also featured ROH’s Briscoe Brothers. Jay & Mark showed up after current GCW Tag champs Matthew Justice & Mance Warner were victorious in six-man action, then declared their were no teams in wrestling who could touch them. No date for that one yet, but Jan. 23 seems likely.

Saturday also featured appearances by two women signed to other companies. Chelsea Green helped her fiancé Matt Cardona regain his Internet title from Effy, and Thunder Rosa showed up as the surprise entrant to turn a seven person scramble into an intergender affair. She didn’t get the win, but factored into the finish with one of several big spots she hit during the match.

Last night’s The Aftermath wasn’t quite as newsworthy, but did feature a fun Minoru Suzuki/Joey Janela match. The Japanese icon won, and I don’t think we’ll see Janela in Suzuki-Gun any time soon...

Think GCW is ready for the next step?