This weekend (starting Friday the 29th at 8PM EST), Game Changer Wrestling is putting on a show that is gaining a lot of buzz, not just in the professional wrestling world, but across all forms of sports media. GCW’s Fight Forever is a 24-hour, non-stop event, that will host some of the biggest names from the independent pro wrestling scene, and some signed All Elite Wrestling talent as well. Oh, and did I mention that it’s going to stream for FREE!
The independent wrestling scene was arguably the most popular it had ever been at the end of 2019 – fans were expecting even bigger things in 2020, but then as we all know, the global pandemic changed everything…
It is no secret that the entire world has been affected by the pandemic, and independent wrestling promoters and performers were no exception. While bigger, more established companies such as WWE, AEW and NJPW, to name a few, barely took any time off and in some cases, didn’t even miss a show. The same can’t be said for the independent scene who’s main source of revenue is not from television, but tickets sold to shows. In addition, the wrestlers depend on merchandise sales at the in-person events. With the inability to gather, these events were impossible with the pandemic.
A lot of these un-signed wrestlers have had little to no action meaning no income, since the pandemic started. That’s where GCW comes in.
The Fight Forever event is being constructed as a telethon of sorts, where anyone can donate to the show and all donations are going to the wrestlers. Brett Lauderdale has said that his goal is to raise $50,000 for this event and that the time of writing this, they’ve just surpassed the $41,000 mark and the event hasn’t even started yet!
What I find especially cool about this event (besides that it’s 24 HR STRAIGHT!) is the fact that GCW has split the event into 1-2 hour blocks that will represent different styles of wrestling. This means that whatever type of match style you’re into, there will be something that will peak your interest on this card.
My Picks for the Weekend
Obviously, with a 24HR event card their will be an abundant amount of matches to choose from and I will list below just a few that may peak your interest.
Wind of God Block (January 29th @ 8PM)
Lio Rush vs Blake Christian, 2 out of 3 falls
Blake Christian is coming off a great Super X cup showing in Impact Wrestling where he would make it all the way to the finals before just coming up short against Ace Austin. Some of the things Christian can do in the ring you have to see to believe and he’s only getting better. Lio Rush has been on a tear after recently being released by WWE. Rush has already become the new MLW Middleweight Champion and he’s put on some insane matches in 2020 (the one with Joey Janela being my personal favourite).
So Rush vs Christian has all the ingredients to be a crazy show of athleticism.
Speaking of Joey Janela…
Wind of God Block (January 29th @ 8PM)
Joey Janela vs Treehouse Lee
Joey Janela has had a quiet 2021 so far, not having wrestled once for AEW but Fight Forever can be his breakout party this year. One of the most charismatic wrestlers today, Janela forced his way into the spotlight with jaw dropping spots and always creative vignettes. Treehouse Lee will catch your eye immediately, probably because of the colorful facial hair, but it’ll be his flipping dropkick that’ll keep your attention. This one should be very entertaining when these two interesting personalities square off in block 1.
Jimmy Lloyd’s Up All Night (January 30th @ 1-3AM)
Jimmy Llyod vs Starboy Charlie
This block is being considered as showcasing younger talent, and you’ll have a tough time finding anyone younger than Starboy Charlie. Charlie is only 17 years old, (this makes me feel ancient) and has already been wrestling for years! He started training at 11, which is wild in itself, so I’m excited to be seeing a full match of his for the first time.
44OH Hour (January 30th @ 4-5PM)
44 OH! Vs The Mortons
It’ll be a very difficult task to find a more hated faction on the indies right now then Ohio boys “44 OH!”. Led by current GCW Champion Rickey Shane Page, these guys can’t go anywhere with being followed by chants of “ F*** Ohio”. They will be taking on the father/son duo of Ricky and Kerry Morton. Yes, Ricky Morton who made his debut in 1978, and is one half of the legendary tag team, you may of heard of them, the “Rock N’ Roll Express”, is still going at the age of 64! He is now teaming with his son Kerry, to try and take the fight to 44OH!
For those wondering if Ricky Morton can still go, please enjoy this video of him hitting a Canadian Destroyer:
Those four matches are just a taste of all the action that will go down this weekend as there are plenty of other talent that you have to keep your eye on for the future of professional wrestling. The Iron Man Match between Jordan Oliver and Tony Deppen is guaranteed to tear the house down and there will be other big names to appear on the show like Calvin Tankman (Must See!), Juicy Finau, Atticus Cogar, Allie Kat, Erick Redbeard (Erick Rowan), Rohit Raju, A J Gray, Wheeler Yuta and many, MANY more!
This is a great idea from GCW to try to help some of the very talented men and women in the world of professional wrestling who may be struggling, or who just miss practicing their craft. You can catch all 24 hours of this event on GCW’s Youtube and Fite.tv
There is still time to donate and possibly even sponsor a match or a block of the show. Click this link to visit the website if you want to know more about how to donate.
As always, check out the newest NSFW podcast where the boys are talking NFL, MLB and Conor Mcgregor.