A rivalry that was set to be reborn will have to wait a bit longer as Tiger Mask will no longer appear as part of this Friday’s GCW Jersey J-Cup action.
Tiger Mask was set to face the new “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington in Jersey City, New Jersey, in a revival of the legendary feud between the original Tiger Mask and the original Thomas Billington.
However, “due to a personal emergency, Tiger Mask will no longer be able to travel to the US for the GCW/JCW Jersey J-Cup. We will be doing everything in our power to reschedule his match with Tommy Billington as soon as possible on a GCW/JCW event in the region.”
Billington will now face Black Tiger IV (Rocky Romero) on Friday while Billington will team with Joey Janela against Gabe Kidd and Mad Dog Connelly on Saturday.
Yoshihiro Yamazaki — who has portrayed Tiger Mask since 1995 — is set to retire from the ring in July 2026. Originally played by Satoru Sayama, the character debuted in 1981 with a victory over Billington’s uncle and the original Dynamite Kid, Thomas Billington. The two then had a series of matches and a feud that set a new standard for wrestling.
“We apologize for this unavoidable change and are dedicating to presenting the best show possible,” the promotion wrote.
*Important J-Cup Update*
Due to a personal emergency, Tiger Mask will no longer be able to travel to the US for the GCW/JCW Jersey J-Cup.
We will be doing everything in our power to reschedule his match with Tommy Billington as soon as possible on a GCW/JCW event in the region.… pic.twitter.com/lpG6kiIoWH
It was announced on Sunday that the former AEW wrestler would be saying goodbye at GCW’s event on March 14 at the Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
*breaking*
MARKO STUNT returns to GCW for one more night as he says farewell to pro wrestling..
Stunt started wrestling in 2015 and by 2019, had joined AEW. He is best known for his run with Jack Perry and Luchasaurus as a member of Jurassic Express. He was released in 2022 but returned briefly two years later in a losing effort against Jack Perry, who had issued an open challenge for the TNT Championship on an episode of Collision. He retired from pro wrestling later that year, but returned a few months ago as an on-screen talent and mentor for Memphis Wrestling.
It was also announced that Hayabusa would be appearing at Joey Janela’s Spring Break X on April 17. This will be the second incarnation of the persona who has been wrestling in Pro Wrestling Zero1 for the last year.
After MJF defended the AEW World Championship at an indie event in Lewiston, Maine, tonight, he revealed AEW was offering contracts to his opponent, Alec Price, and Price’s tag team partner, Jordan Oliver.
After defeating Price at Limitless Wrestling’s Limitless Rumble show, MJF cut a promo asking the fans if they wanted Price and Oliver to be pro wrestlers or sports entertainers. He then declared that as World champion, he had a lot of say in AEW.
“So my boss called me, and he said ‘Max, I want you to put Alec Price to the test, and see if he deserves to be elite,” Friedman explained. “He said Max, I want you to watch Jordan Oliver, and let me know if he has what it takes to be elite. Boys, are you ready to be part of AEW or f*cking what?”
In an uncharacteristic move, Friedman approached the two and shook their hands and embraced them … and then immediately reminded viewers that he is still MJF.
“But let me make something very clear to you, you piece of sh*t,” he warned. “Let me make something clear to both of you. Do not mistake my kindness for weakness. If you [inaudible] my championship ever again, I will kill you where you stand” before delivering his usual catchphrase.
Price, 27, is an eight-year pro from Boston, Massachusetts; Oliver, 26, is from Newburgh, New York, and has been wrestling for nine years. Most of their matches have been with GCW, but they have wrestled as a team three times in Ring of Honor in recent months, losing to The Swirl, the Death Riders, and CRU.
Matt Cardona is back in WWE now, but he’ll always be one of the most important figures in Game Changer Wrestling history.
GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale tweeted out a thread yesterday thanking Cardona for the impact he had on the indie company. Looking back on Cardona vs. Nick Gage from 2021, Lauderdale called it a masterpiece that cemented GCW as the “most influential indie of all time.”
Lauderdale also praised Cardona for how willing he was to help other talent. He never hesitated to put anyone over and even bought gear and boots for other wrestlers. Lauderdale wrote:
Let me tell you a little bit about Matt Cardona in GCW… From day 1 he was a team player. He believed in GCW and believed in our locker room and he wanted to be here. He waved the flag and told everyone that GCW was the place to be. (still does)
He was selfless & generous. He bought gear & boots for younger members of the roster, without seeking credit or clout.He worked w everyone and put them all over without hesitation.The memories he created will live forever and ill always be grateful & ill always be a Matt Cardona fan.
Thank you Matt
After being released from WWE in 2020, the former Zack Ryder had a five-year run on the indies that included one GCW World Championship reign. He returned to WWE in the Last Time is Now Tournament in November 2025 and is now back as a full-time member of the SmackDown roster. He has a match against Trick Williams on SmackDown this Friday where the winner qualifies for an upcoming fatal four-way number one contender’s bout, which will determine Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship challenger for Royal Rumble.
Cardona had to cancel months of indie dates upon his WWE return but has said there’s been no negativity from the promoters he was scheduled to work for.
The new issue of the Observer is up on the site today. Sorry for the delay but there were a number of things having to do with Christmas travel and the weather that basically cost me a full day. But it’s a very heavy issue with two major stories, one on AEW going forward business wise and the many key aspects of media rights and different ways it can go in 2027. The other is a story on Roland Bock, who had one of the most famous pro wrestling matches of the 70s with Antonio Inoki, the famed Stuttgart Massacre, and was one of the most intriguing and controversial pro wrestlers of that era.
*Where AEW stands today, and the key out of the ring and out of their hands challenges that will face them between now and the end of 2027
*AEW’s ratings growth outside the U.S. this past year
*AEW’s television ratings decline with the different factors involved
*Key aspects of the WBD sale and what it means to AEW
*What AEW didn’t do in 2025 as far as new deals that were talked about one year ago
*Estimating using different methods how many U.S. viewers AEW Dynamite really gets
*How things have changed greatly in the past year
*Business of AEW Worlds End
*Gambling odds for matches
*A look at AAA Guerra de Titanes, one of WWE’s best shows of the year
*Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul and business numbers and record level manipulation of numbers
*Ric Flair and Mike Tyson file lawsuit against former business partner
*The life and times of Roland Bock, one of the most intriguing pro wrestling characters of the 1970s, his famous matches with Antonio Inoki, the reality of those matches, his tough guy reputation, the legendary tough guy whose career he ended and just how different pro wrestling was back then. We go from being tortured as a child, to developing a street fighter rep, going to the Olympics in wrestling, his attempt to pioneer a promotional style that got big in Japan several years later, why his career didn’t explode in Japan and everything from wrestling bears to bulls
*Who is eligible for the 2025 Rookie of the Year award
*The most detailed look at the ratings over the past week
*Update on 2025 Arena Mexico attendance
*A look at CMLL Dream Match Night
*Ozawa talks awards
*WrestleKingdom updates
*A look at the life and career of Mark Wolf
*Rick Link goes into hospice care
*Jerry Lawler returns to WMC
*Grandson of Hawaiian pro wrestling legend is starting QB at USC, headed to a bowl game an an NFL prospect
*Ticket sales to upcoming WWE,AEW and TNA shows
*Lots of AEW news notes
*Jim Ross responds to DVon Dudley
*Updates on multiple lawsuits against TKO and judges concerns about evidence in two different cases
*WrestleMania ticket sales as well as the next two AEW PPV sales
After people pointed out Nikki Bella paid tribute to John Cena during her match on Raw, she wrote on social media: “You all kept wanting a tribute from me geeezz so here ya all go… but… that’s the Fearless Lock.”
MJF wrote on Tuesday morning that his X account was hacked: “My Twitter got hacked. If you were messaged by me that I needed money, my apologies. However if you were messaged by me and you were dumb as fuck enough to believe that. My Venmo information is below.”
Paul Walter Hauser will face Mad Dog Connelly in a strap match at Orange Crush’s Superpower Slam event on February 1.
Dave Sahadi, who previously did work for WWE, WCW, and MLW and is now directing Real American Freestyle, told PWInsider that he can never work in “professional” wrestling again: “This is the most excited and creatively inspired I have felt about anything in television production in at least fifteen years, if not longer. And I fell my best work is yet to come. I am heartened by our initial success. Traveling o hometowns and producing ”personality profiles” with the athletes in their hometowns is fun. We do this so that the audience gets to know the person beyond the athlete, the real-life stories from childhood to career, ones many viewers can relate to. And creative compelling video packages has always been my passion, but nowadays I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes (most times, actually) with an idea and get right back at it. It’s not a job; it’s a joy.”
Nick Gage has had a shocking and remarkable turnaround over the past few months, according to his friend Brett Lauderdale.
The GCW promoter shared an update on Gage on Sunday night, expressing how proud he is of Gage for the work he’s done to better himself. It was announced in October that Gage had been in treatment for several weeks and would be there indefinitely as he worked to overcome his long-standing battle with addiction.
On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death
in less than 3 months, the turnaround is shocking & remarkable
this is what it looks like when you break free from decades of addiction and *finally* start believing in yourself
“On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death,” Lauderdale wrote. “In less than 3 months, the turnaround is shocking & remarkable. This is what it looks like when you break free from decades of addiction and finally start believing in yourself. The king is back and i couldn’t be more proud MDK.
“To the haters, grifters, enablers & bad faith ‘brothers’ who cowardly looked the other way or played dumb when you were called out, die slow, your time will come.”
Lauderdale also sent out a tweet thanking Sean “X-Pac” Waltman for helping Gage.
The 45-year-old Gage is a death match legend and was the subject of a 2021 episode of Vice TV’s Dark Side of the Ring. That year, he worked a match on national television when he faced Chris Jericho for AEW.
Game Changer Wrestling is calling back to one of pro wrestling’s greatest-ever rivalries.
The indie promotion has announced that Tiger Mask IV will debut for them in February 2026, facing off against “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington in the first round of the Jersey J-Cup. GCW and its sister promotion Jersey Championship Wrestling are presenting the two-night tournament in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 6-7, 2026.
Originally played by Satoru Sayama, the Tiger Mask character debuted in 1981 with a victory over Billington’s uncle Dynamite Kid (Thomas Billington). Sayama and Dynamite Kid had a series of matches that set a new standard for junior heavyweight wrestlers and has influenced every generation since.
Tommy Billington is under contract with AEW and competes in both AEW & ROH. His tag team partner Adam Priest is among the other Jersey J-Cup entrants, with Jonathan Gresham, Travis Williams, Judas Icarus, Jordan Oliver, Alec Price, Man Like Dereiss, and Erick Stevens also set.
White Eagle Hall in Jersey City is hosting both nights of the junior heavyweight tournament.
More details on Jonathan Gresham’s in-ring return.
It was announced on Sunday that Gresham will face Lee Moriarty in his return match on February 1 as part of the upcoming Superpower Slam charity event presented by Orange Crush, JCW, and GCW.
*SUPERPOWER SLAM UPDATE*
The returning
JON GRESHAM
vs
LEE MORIARTY
Melrose Ballroom in NYC Sunday, February 1, 2026 7 PM
Gresham, 37, revealed back in August that he was unable to use the left side of his body and struggled to talk after waking up. He was taken to the hospital where it was revealed he had suffered two strokes. He last wrestled at Josh Barnett’s Bloodspot XIV on August 2, losing to Pete Dunne.
The charity event will raise funds for the Little Oaks Center for Neurodevelopment. The center provides resources, therapies, and services for neurodivergent children and their parents. Billie Starkz, Matt Cardona, Mance Warner, and Joey Janela have been announced, and matches set include Paul Walter Hauser vs. Mad Dog Connelly and Willow Nightingale vs. Mara Sade.
After Superpower Slam, Gresham is also booked for JCW’s 2026 Jersey J-Cup on February 6 & 7 in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Years after leaving the promotion, Atticus Cogar now finds himself as the GCW World Champion after the events of Saturday’s Dream On.
Cogar picked up the win after hitting his Brain Hemorrhage finisher, ending the 307-day run of Effy that began this past January. Cogar and Charles Mason were competing in a number one contender’s match when Effy chose to jump in the fray and make the match a three-way for the title instead.
Several other wrestlers got involved during the bout that included the returning Sawyer Wreck, AJ Gray, Slade, Otis Cogar, Matthew Justice, Krule and VNDL 48.
It’s the first GCW title for Cogar who debuted in GCW back in October 2019, departing due to differences with owner Brett Lauderdale. He made his surprise return to the company in December 2024.
The show also saw TNA Hall of Famer Gail Kim make her promotional debut, aligning with KJ Orso (the former Fuego Del Sol). Kim was a heel and admonished the fans for supporting GCW. Joey Janela interrupted her (continuing an angle that began on social media) and defeated Orso after Kim’s interference backfired.
Game Changer Wrestling is capitalizing on a social media controversy by bringing in Gail Kim for one of its events.
Back in September, GCW owner Brett Lauderdale and Kim got into it on social media after Kim called a death match spot “pure trash.” The indie promotion has now announced that Kim will be in East Rutherford, New Jersey this Saturday (November 22) for an appearance at its Fan Slam convention.
SURPRISE 🙌🏼 My one and only appearance this year and I’ll be in East Rutherford NJ at the @GCWrestling_ Fan Slam Convention this Saturday Nov 22nd from 12-2pm pic.twitter.com/NXoaYMhBeO
The convention is taking place in conjunction with GCW’s Dream On event at the American Dream mall. It looks like Kim will be at the show itself as well, with her getting into a back and forth with Joey Janela to set up the appearance.
The irony? Of me coming to a fan convention? ….. I wasn’t planning on coming to the show but since you insist on calling someone out who’s forgotten more than you know about wrestling a match, I’ll be happy to stop by and say a few words…. You’re welcome. See you there… https://t.co/XJn6igMaIH
“The irony? Of me coming to a fan convention? ….. I wasn’t planning on coming to the show but since you insist on calling someone out who’s forgotten more than you know about wrestling a match, I’ll be happy to stop by and say a few words,” Kim tweeted after Janela called her convention booking ironic. “You’re welcome. See you there Saturday.”
The exchange continued from there with Kim and Janela continuing to trade insults:
I would love to meet @meganbayne some day! Hopefully you haven’t given her any wrestling advice aka brain rot while she is working with you. I’ll be sure to not bring anything food related to you especially from my husband since maybe you should focus on looking the part of… https://t.co/lviOLg7sKz
Dream On is one of GCW’s signature annual events. Janela is facing KJ Orso at the show, which has a start time of 2 p.m. Eastern. The convention begins at 10 a.m. and will run until show time. Killer Kross, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Rhino, and Tommy Dreamer are among the other convention guests.
A benefit show highlighting the neurodivergent community will take place next year.
Orange Crush announced on Tuesday that a benefit show highlighting the community called Superpower Slam will take place at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City on February 1. Tickets will go on sale at noon on Tuesday. Additional information can be found here.
“SUPERPOWER SLAM will bring together top names from art, entertainment, and professional wrestling to help raise funds for New York City’s first comprehensive resource hub and digital portal for neurodiverse children and their families, a place where families can access therapies, resources, and community support,” the press release reads.
In addition to ticket sales and live donations, Orange Crush will organize an exclusive art and experience sale featuring ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty’s first print edition in collaboration with EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. The show is being organized by Game Changer Wrestling, Jersey Championship Wrestling, and the Little Oaks Center for Neurodevelopment. It will stream live on GCW’s YouTube channel.
Wrestlers confirmed for the event include Paul Walter Hauser, Matt Cardona, Effy, Joey Janela, Mad Dog Connelly, Manders & Thomas Shire, Jordan Oliver & Alec Price, and Allie Katch.
Indie legend Nick Gage is “currently in treatment” and is being pulled off any future dates according to longtime friend and GCW founder Brett Lauderdale.
Lauderdale took to X Wednesday to set the record straight after he wrote that he saw some speculation online about the 45-year-old.
He wrote in two posts, “Nick Gage will not be attending any shows for the foreseeable future. He is currently in treatment (and has been for several weeks) and plans to stay indefinitely. Any promoters that have made deposits for shows coming up that he will not be able to attend will be made whole as soon as possible. Expect an update directly from the man himself when the time is right… in the meantime, thanks to all who have been supportive, MDK all fn day”
It was in August 2024 that Gage said was moving on from GCW but that it would always be his home and that Lauderdale would always be his friend. He added that he was looking into doing podcasts, blogs and more media things.
Gage confirmed he had a stay in rehab around the time he missed the 2024 GCW Homecoming show with Lauderdale saying prior to that that he was lured out of rehab. Gage said no one made him leave and that he did so because he felt good.
AEW wrestler Anthony Ogogo now has an opponent for his Bloodsport debut.
Ogogo vs. UK Indie wrestler Brett Semtex has been added to the card for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: London, which will take place this Sunday. For both competitors, it’s their Bloodsport and Game Changer Wrestling debuts.
Two more heavy hitters set for Josh Barnett's: Bloodsport – London.
The show is taking place at the Electric Ballroom in London and will air on TrillerTV+.
Though it’s been more than a year since Ogogo last wrestled for AEW, he is still listed on the company’s roster page and sent out a tweet last weekend promoting AEW’s All Out pay-per-view. He is a former boxer who represented England in the 2012 Olympics.
Five matches have now been announced for Bloodsport: London, with the card mostly featuring talent from the UK.
Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: London (Sunday, September 28) —
Josh Barnett vs. Oli Thompson
Heddi Karaoui vs. Kevin Lloyd
Ryan Davies vs. James Pharrell
Lou Nixon vs. Chris Bungard
Anthony Ogogo vs. Brett Semtex
Catch wrestling match: John Hathaway vs. Taylor McCann
Roy Wood of Snake Pit Wigan will receive a lifetime achievement award
Josh Barnett is set to face off against a fellow MMA veteran at his next Bloodsport event.
It was announced today that Barnett vs. Oli Thompson will be part of the card for Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport: London on September 28. The show — which is the latest MMA-inspired pro wrestling event from Game Changer Wrestling and Barnett — is taking place at the Electric Ballroom and will air live on TrillerTV+.
Thompson is making his Bloodsport debut in the match. Nicknamed “The Spartan,” he is from the United Kingdom and has competed in MMA for the UFC, Bellator, KSW, and more. He is also a former strongman champion.
The power of two massive heavyweights meeting toe to toe threatens to crack the foundation of Camden Town.
One a former World's Strongest Man competitor and MMA fighter.
The other, the youngest UFC Heavyweight champion of all time and a Catch Wrestler trained by Billy Robinson… pic.twitter.com/A18OOvX8UY
In a match between Shotzi Blackheart and Matt Cardona, Nick Gage made his return to GCW after being gone for over a year. Originally, Tommy Invincible had come out dressed as Gage and came out to his music wearing Gage’s attire. But he was then laid out by the real deal, handing Shotzi a pizza slicer as she carved up Cardona’s forehead.
Back at GCW’s Homecoming event last year, owner Brett Lauderdale announced that Gage would not be able to attend the show and was unsure when he would be back in the ring. In the time since, Gage has wrestled for other independent shows but not in GCW.
The match also saw Karrion Kross and Scarlett make their GCW returns, futher helping Shotzi. Multiple druids had attempted to assist Cardona, but the final two ended up being the former WWE stars, with Scarlett low blowing Cardona. Kross put Cardona through a door, allowing Shotzi to hit a senton for the win.
Kross and Scarlett left WWE on August 10 after their contracts expired, but continue to make headlines due to the way they made their exit, with some speculating it could be a WWE storyline.
