By Owen Russell
New York is often referred to as a pro-wrestling holy land. The WWE has used Madison Square Garden since the company’s foundation, and have run some of the greatest shows from the Big Apple. On Saturday Mar. 18, I attended the most recent chapter in NYC’s iconic wrestling storybook, but it wasn’t what most people would expect. Game Changer Wrestling, commonly known as GCW, stormed into New York with its brand of independent wrestling that has taken the world by storm. GCW hosted “Eye for an Eye” from the Melrose Ballroom in Astoria, Queens.
Gone are the glory days of the WWF (WWE prior to 2002), where bodybuilders jacked up on steroids ran around in bright neon spandex waving the American flag. Wrestling has diversified since the late 90s, creating space for smaller promotions to captivate dedicated fan bases. Perhaps no promotion represents the independent surge more than GCW. What started as a local New Jersey based company running shows in backyards, has grown into an international sensation. New York, Los Angeles, Canada, and Japan are just some of the places GCW has sold out shows in the past year. It travels the globe with an eclectic roster, showcasing an array of unique styles.
Like I said, pro-wrestling has changed since Hulk Hogan ruled over the ring. GCW has been known to push the boundaries, specifically with their deathmatch style. Deathmatch wrestling usually involves sharp objects and a lot of blood. And while pro-wrestling is predetermined, the injuries are real, and often quite gnarly. You have to be some type of sick to enjoy a deathmatch… but I think they’re great. If you’re squeamish don’t worry, GCW is much more than blood and guts.
There’s a law in New York prohibiting deathmatch wrestling. It’s odd but true, New York won’t allow any blood in the wrestling ring, much to the chagrin of extreme GCW fans. However, due to the limitations, GCW flexed their creativity this past Saturday. Some of the world’s greatest wrestlers faced off against GCW originals.
No better example of this was the second to last match of the night: a tag team bout. In one corner, GCW favorites Jordan Oliver, a 23-year-old whiz kid from Newburgh, NY, and Speedball Mike Bailey, a popular Canadian pro-wrestler with an MMA background. In the other corner, the TimeSplitters — Alex Shelley and Kushida, who formed as a duo back in 2013 while competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where they won the tag team championships. Both Shelley and Kushida have held championships across the globe, appeared in WWE, and have built reputations as some of the top pro-wrestlers around.
The match highlighted the teams, as Kushida and Shelley went back and forth with Oliver and Bailey. Both teams exhibited high-flying offense, diving outside of the ring. The TimeSplitters won, but Oliver and Bailey performed well in defeat. As a fan, it is special to see superstars as big as Shelley and Kushida in a smaller venue rather than on TV, especially when they’re elevating their opponents.
Oliver and Bailey vs. TimeSplitters wasn’t the only notable match on the card. My favorite match of the night happened between two independent wrestling legends. Joey Janela has become a household name for most wrestling fans. He became viral in the 2010s for falling off of roofs and jumping from chandeliers. He signed with AEW, the world’s second largest pro-wrestling company, when the promotion formed in 2019. He has since left AEW to resume a hall of fame worthy independent wrestling career. Janela’s opponent is noticeably less known. Grim Reefer hails from East New York; he’s been an NYC wrestling icon since the early 2000s, and as his name suggests… he loves smoking weed.
Reefer vs. Janela opened comedically. Reefer lit a joint and smoked it while trading blows with Janela. The two took turns fighting for the joint, stealing it from one another. Then the intensity picked up. The match spiraled outside of the ring, Janela suplexed Reefer onto the ring apron. The crowd went ballistic when Reefer got up and dove to the outside. He crashed into Janela. Both men hit the floor. When Reefer arose, the joint laid perfectly between his lips. The crowd loved it. Despite ricocheting Janela’s head into a chair from a springboard position (absolutely incredible by the way), Reefer could not pick up the win. Janela won the match, but grabbed a microphone giving props to Reefer as an NYC legend. The crowd applauded, giving Reefer the flowers he rightfully earned.
The night ended with GCW crowning a new world champion. Masha Slamovich defeated Nick Gage for the world title, becoming the first woman to hold the GCW World Championship. Slamovich, a native New Yorker, had her parents in the front row. After successfully choking out Nick Gage, a reformed felon who has earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous men in pro-wrestling, she celebrated in the ring with her parents. Gage, a man who once died from blood loss during a match only to be revived in a helicopter on the way to the hospital (very real and very absurd), congratulated Slamovich and embraced her.
My girlfriend Julia, not a massive wrestling fan, attended the show with me. When Gage rose Slamaovich’s hand calling her “the realest MFer in the locker,” allowing Masha to celebrate with her mom and dad, Julia cried. Wrestling can be funny like that.
I don’t want to leave anything out, so I just wanted to shout out a few more wrestlers who put on a great show. Bandido, Gringo Loco, Effy, Allie Katch, Sawyer Wreck, Rina Yamashita, Los Macizos, Tony Deppen, and Willie Mack all crushed it.
GCW proved once again that wrestling continues to evolve. You cannot pin it down, and label it as “simply this” or “just that.” The roster features wrestlers from around the world, of different genders, races, and sexualities. Even if you’re not the biggest wrestling fan, I suggest popping out for a GCW show. It’s practically one big party.