Global Force Wrestling is a peculiar nut to crack. Announced by Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett in 2014 and suspected to be funded primarily by Toby Keith, GFW has taken the road of patience in creating its wrestling product.
For months we heard about the Jarrett’s trying to acquire a television deal, supported by the creator of The Biggest Loser in David Broome and his 25/7 Productions. Pushing all of the television networks, things haven’t really developed into a TV deal anywhere. Despite this, GFW still co-promoted New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 9, giving us English commentary provided by Matt Striker and the legendary Jim Ross. Announcing over a dozen “international partnerships” and even announcing live event tapings to take place in Las Vegas starting in July, we have yet to hear about any actual talent on the roster.
Jeff Jarrett has made a concerted effort to look at wrestling talent all over the world, including tryouts in Pennsylvania and Ontario. We might see tons of free agent talent from all over the world that haven’t had a shot to make their name in any of the current promotions. That’s great, but it doesn’t have the sizzle of a name talent coming in. With reports coming that the roster will start being announced tomorrow, here’s some talents I’d like to see Global Force Wrestling.
Shad Gaspard and JTG: Crime Time
You need a strong tag division if you plan to go anywhere in the wrestling business. You can actually see that the weak points of any wrestling promotion tend to be when they ignore their tag division. There isn’t too many available teams out there that don’t have members under the age of 40, which means Global Force Wrestling is going to have to create some new teams themselves. Two men who are still young and can still go with name recognition? Shad and JTG of Crime Time (spelling changed).
While Shad was released before JTG from WWE, Shad has impressed me with some of his acting ability, revealing on a YouTube tape that he’s a Shakespearean trained actor and more than the ignorant stereotype gimmick slapped onto him in the WWE. I have no doubts JTG is more than just the grill bearing survivor of many WWE cuts that it became a common joke. But the Crime Time gimmick is popular and how they are known. What you could do is change the direction of it. How about instead of being petty criminals riffing off an old In Living Color sketch, you turn them into law enforcement? Crime Time is now what they serve to their opponents, instead of being what they are supposed to be avoiding.
Global Force Wrestling is also an opportunity for Shad to show just how talented he is an actor, which would be a major benefit to the roster.
Ethan Page
Page, who worked very briefly in Ring of Honor as Ethan Gabriel Owen (E.G.O.) has recently been working in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla with Monster Mafia tag partner Josh Alexander. Alexander is likely to get the call from ROH for a full-time contract and ROH makes sense for him. Page seems to be done with Ring of Honor, which is unfortunate because he’s more charismatic than most of the roster.
While not a major name and still just an independent talent, Page possesses far more charisma and creativity than most indie talent. Instead of just trying to grow a thick beard or wear a wifebeater like so many independent talents are currently doing to jump with the times, Page goes “ALL EGO” to be the white Canadian version of Kanye West. He can work the mic, he can get under your finger nails and he can get the crowd behind him better than most out there. Working the mic is becoming a lost art and Ethan Page has it in spades.
It seems like he rubs a lot of people the wrong way and that’s unfortunate. Ethan Page has the size and skill to be a top talent anywhere. Jeff Jarrett needs to see that and bring him in for Global Force Wrestling.
Chris Hero
Once thought to be a can’t miss independent talent, Hero seems to have fallen on hard times since his release from the WWE. The one time Kassius Ohno has found himself floundering around the independents and gaining weight, looking more and more like an out of shape lumberjack. It isn’t an appealing look and makes you wonder why he isn’t putting the time in the gym he should.
At 35, Hero doesn’t have that many more years before he has to think about putting up the boots but at 6’4” and being an excellent wrestler, Hero can still make a comeback. That comeback should happen in Global Force Wrestling. With a little motivation, Jarrett can get Hero back in wrestling shape and immediately make him one of his top talents.
It’s time to see Chris Hero: Championship Edition in GFW.
Roderick Strong from Ring of Honor
Roderick Strong is only 31 years old. This blows my mind, as I remember him as an 18 year old rookie in Ring of Honor and making some enhancement talent appearances in the WWE. With exception to a short stint in TNA Wrestling, Strong has been in ROH for so long he could claim himself a member of The Decade. He’s done absolutely everything one could do in Ring of Honor.
Despite being a talented guy, it’s pretty clear he needs to move elsewhere and not just work more in PWG. Strong is stale and needs a new environment. He needs a new atmosphere to thrive in, and Global Force Wrestling is a perfect location. At only 31, he has more than enough time to re-invent himself and get over with a brand new fanbase, becoming one of the top mechanics of GFW. If it doesn’t work out? He goes back to Ring of Honor where he’s finally fresh again. A few years off from ROH will do him a world of good. Strong needs to be out of his comfort zone if he wants to go as a performer, and leaving ROH for Global Force is the right way to go.
Bobby Roode from TNA Wrestling
What a get that would be. Roode has been one of the most consistent and strong performers in TNA Wrestling, as well as being one of their greatest homegrown talents and great World Heavyweight champions of all time. He’s one of the biggest stars in a company starting to run out of top name talent. With seemingly no interest from the WWE, it might be time for Roode to instead make a jump with Jeff Jarrett.
It only makes sense. Roode in GFW means a reunion with Border City Wrestling owner Scott D’Amore, who has been working backstage with Jarrett. Roode has done everything in TNA and more, and if paycheques are late, I’m sure Toby Keith can promise him some guaranteed money to come to Las Vegas. Even just one year in Global Force will make him fresh for anywhere he wants to go afterwards, unless he plans to stay and grow the company.
There isn’t much money in wrestling these days. If you can jump to another company and make a big pay-out from it, you need to do it before you have to retire to running a gym or wrestling school. Bobby Roode has that kind of value right now, and he has it only with Global Force Wrestling. It might hurt TNA, but Bobby is the leader of the selfish generation. Time to make a selfish decision for himself.
Zack Ryder from World Wrestling Entertainment
Few talents have been wasted in the WWE quite like Zack Ryder. Getting himself over with YouTube videos and properly using social media, Ryder made himself a WWE superstar, only for the WWE to work like clockwork to destroy every bit of his reputation as a wrestling performer. With over one million followers on Twitter, Ryder is doing absolutely nothing of consequence in the WWE. It makes no sense to waste such a smart talent.
I don’t know Ryder’s contract status, but if it’s up soon? He needs to drop the WWE dream and become a high profile signing for Global Force Wrestling. He’d instantly be a main eventer, with the social media following to bring with him to GFW. He’d have to change his name but that’s not a problem. He’ll still keep his Twitter account, telling WWE fans to check out Global Force Wrestling.
If WCW still existed, Ryder would have already made the jump. Or maybe he truly believes he’ll one day get back in the good graces of the WWE. Hopefully he doesn’t and does what’s right for his career. All of his Broski’s want to see him be a superstar, and it’s not happening in WWE. Time to become the global star of Global Force.
Who else should make the jump to Global Force Wrestling?
I didn’t mention any women despite there being dozens of great female talents all over the world, from Cheerleader Melissa to Courtney Rush. I don’t know if GFW plans to have a women’s division, but they could certainly do no harm adding one.
TNA Wrestling made its name on their X Division, something Jeff Jarrett had a part in. Sonjay Dutt is also helping with talent acquisitions and probably knows where to find some of the best cruiserweight talent in the world. Scooping up ACH from Ring of Honor or Prince Puma/Ricochet from Lucha Underground would be fantastic, not to mention other names like Chris Sabin and Matt Sydal.
Who should make the Global Force Wrestling roster? Feel free to add some names to the comments.
