Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) is returning to Los Angeles on Friday for what may be the final Joey Janela Presents event, with Joey Janela’s Escape From LA. For years now, Joey Janela has had a successful run of special events under the GCW banner, from his iconic Joey Janela’s Spring Break over WrestleMania Week, to Joey Janela’s Lost in New York, to Joey Janela’s LA Confidential. With Janela moving exclusively to All Elite Wrestling in October, it may be some time before we see Janela on the indies again after his Curtain Call with GCW on September 30. Joey Janela’s Escape From LA airs live on Fite.tv.
Preview: GCW – Joey Janela’s Escape From LA (8/9/19)
Alex Zayne vs. Blake Christian
Alex Zayne has gone from relative unknown backyard wrestler to the indie’s current viral sensation, all thanks to taking part in GCW’s Backyard Wrestling event on July 4th. Since then, he’s worked multiple GCW shows, events with Beyond Wrestling, Southern Underground Pro (SUP), Freelance Wrestling, as well as entering the Rey de Voladores tournament on King of Trios weekend with CHIKARA. He’s facing a rising star from the South in Blake Christian, who debuted at GCW Lights Up and has worked GCW ever since. Two breakout stars looking to shine, this will be a fun match.
Jungle Boy vs. Jimmy Lloyd
Another indie star heading full-time to AEW in October is the West Coast’s Jungle Boy. The high flyer was a West Coast rising star when he appeared for GCW last year at LA Confidential, and his star exploded. He’s facing off against the Prince of American Hardcore in the “Different Boy” Jimmy Lloyd, who has quietly become one of GCW’s most dependable workers. He moves well for a bigger wrestler, but still maintains the intensity of a big man, going toe to toe in any style.
Kris Statlander vs. Chris Dickinson
One of 2019’s biggest breakouts has been that of Kris Statlander. She’s only been wrestling since 2017, but she’s already one of the brightest new stars in the game. She’s become a superstar thanks to her recent work with Beyond Wrestling this year, from her steel cage match at Americanrana ’19 against Kimber Lee, to classic matches with AR Fox, Solo Darling, and Joey Janela. She’s also had some great matches with the likes of Jordynne Grace, Mercedes Martinez, and Allysin Kay. She’s heading into intergender waters again this Friday and she’s facing one of Beyond’s absolute machines in “Dirty Daddy” Chris Dickinson. Tough as nails and a technical sharpshooter, Dickinson is the real deal and a complete package. This could be Statlander’s breakout performance, in much the same way Tessa Blanchard‘s WrestleCircus classic against Brian Cage was for her.
Masato Tanaka vs. Tony Deppen
Former ECW World Heavyweight Champion Masato Tanaka is still as tough and methodical now as he was back in the late 1990s when he was battling the likes of Mike Awesome. Since leaving ECW in 2000, Tanaka has returned to Japan. And while he’s worked several events for NJPW, All Japan, Pro Wrestling NOAH and others, he’s spent the bulk of the last 18-years with Pro Wrestling ZERO1, where he’s a 4x ZERO1 World Champion. He’s facing off against one of GCW’s best pure grapplers in Tony Deppen. Deppen has had an incredible year, split mostly between GCW and CHIKARA, and it’s been rewarded with his first invitation to Pro Wrestling Guerrilla‘s prestigious Battle of Los Angeles next month.
Joey Janela vs. Dustin Thomas
Joey Janela is obviously working his own event in Los Angeles on Friday, and his opponent is another indie star who became a viral sensation thanks to GCW, in Dustin Thomas. After debuting last year, the bilateral amputee gained national and international attention following his appearance at Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3 this spring, and subsequent appearance in the Casino Battle Royale for AEW’s Double or Nothing.
GCW World Championship: Nick Gage (c) vs. Jimmy Havoc
Nick Gage‘s World Championship run in GCW has been a reign of dominance and terror. On Friday night, he’ll have held the title for over 600 days, after defeating Matt Tremont at Ready to Die in December of 2017. Since then, Gage has fought some of the world’s most dangerous men to retain his title – such as Homicide, Rickey Shane Page, Mance Warner, Sabu, Brody King, SHLAK and Eric Ryan – as well as some of the strangest (such as Orange Cassidy, Teddy Hart, and David Arquette). But on Friday he faces another AEW roster member and one of the most lethal men to come from the UK indie scene in Jimmy Havoc. While Havoc isn’t as physically imposing as someone like Tremont, SHLAK or KTB, his penchant for violence is far more cerebral. He’s used his twisted form of wrestling prowess to hold some lengthy title reigns in Britain, such as a 609-day reign as PROGRESS World Champion and 770-days as the International Pro Wrestling (IPW) World Championship. Havoc is the perfect blend of intellect and sado-masochism that he may become the first man to defeat Gage for the belt in nearly two years.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. GCW presents Joey Janela’s Escape from LA is airing live on Fite.tv this Friday night at 11pm EST.
