Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) returns this weekend for one of its big annual events, with the fourth edition of the hard-hitting, blood-letting extravaganza called Tournament of Survival. So far, we’ve seen names like Danny Havoc, Nick Gage, and Ciclope (the Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) Mexican hardcore star, not the former WCW Cruiserweight star) add their names to the winner’s circle, and this year brings together eight of the world’s deadliest wrestlers for a chance to add their name to the history books. It airs live on PPV on Fite.tv.
On Friday night, GCW is also launching the GCW Deathmatch Hall of Fame, and the first four inductees are some early stars of the genre. While the event takes place on Friday night, it will air as a PPV special at 6pm EST before TOS4.
- Wifebeater (1998 to 2006): A former 3x Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) World Heavyweight Champion, 4x CZW Iron Man Champion, and Big Japan Wrestling (BJW) and CZW Tag Team Champion with Justice Pain.
- Nate Hatred (1999 to 2018): A former CZW Iron Man Champion and 3x CZW Tag Team Champion as part of H8 Club with Nick Gage, Hatred sadly passed away last year in an automobile accident.
- Danny Havoc (2005 to 2017): IWA Mid South Deathmatch Champion, CZW Junior Heavyweight Champion, and 2x CZW Ultraviolent Underground Champion, Havoc was a pioneer of deathmatch wrestling throughout the 2000s.
- Mad Man Pondo (1989 to present): One of the absolute Godfathers of American hardcore, this 30-year deathmatch veteran has worked for just about everyone, from CZW to Juggalo Championship Wrestling (JCW), IWA Mid South to BJW, and everywhere in between.
GCW – Tournament of Survival 4: Opening Round
Great Sasuke vs. Jimmy Lloyd
It’s a case of experience versus youth, as one of Japan’s greatest legends faces the Prince of American Hardcore. Great Sasuke is no stranger to GCW events the past few years, and the 29-year veteran of Michinoku Pro Wrestling (MPW), NJPW, and countless other promotions is a former J-Crown Champion, 3x MPW Junior Heavyweight Champion, NWA World Middleweight Champion, and WWF Light Heavyweight Champion is no stranger to violence. He’s facing one of GCW’s fastest rising young stars in Jimmy Lloyd, who has shown tremendous improvement from a green youngster a few years back into one of the most entertaining hardcore wrestlers in the US.
Orin Veidt vs. Isami Kodaka
Orin Veidt is only 24-years old, but he’s come a long way since his 2015 debut. He’s built a reputation of toughness in IWA Mid South, DTU, GCW and Midwest All-Star Wrestling (MAW), and will be looking to make his mark in this year’s Tournament of Survival. He’s facing a 17-year veteran of BJW and deathmatch wrestling in Japan in Isami Kodaka, who also regularly competes for DDT Pro. Kodaka is a 2x DDT Extreme Champion, KO-D Openweight Champion (DDT’s top singles champion), 4x BJW Tag Team Champion and the reigning BJW Deathmatch Champion.
Alex Colon vs. Toshiyuki Sakuda
Alex Colon has had an impressive run in GCW the past six months, showing perseverance and toughness even in defeat. A former 5x Rockstar Pro American Luchadore Champion, DTU Alto Impacto Champion, and 2x Hardcore Hustle Organization (H2O) Heavyweight Champion, Colon is in for a fight, but is quite capable of bringing it as well. His opponent is one of BJW’s emerging new stars in 6-year pro Toshiyuki Sakuda, who has had multiple wars in both BJW and Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS.
Nick Gage vs. G-Raver
The only former TOS winner in this year’s field is the King of American Hardcore himself, Nick Gage. It won’t be easy to win his second crown, as he faces a veteran of the scene in G-Raver, who is finally breaking out as a star of the national hardcore circuit after 12-years in the business, primarily with Pennsylvania’s Renegade Wrestling Alliance (RWA) and Vicious Outcast Wrestling (VOW). But now G-Raver has become a GCW staple and is working around the country, and if there was ever a moment to shine, it would be Saturday night with a victory over Gage.
