After successfully invading Japan last year for three nights in Tokyo, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) is returning next week for another three nights of mayhem, as some of GCW’s regular warriors enter into combat with some Japanese deathmatch veterans. Those three shows last year were a fantastic mesh of the American hardcore/Japanese deathmatch scene and this year looks to carry on a fantastic new tradition.
Danny Havoc, Matt Tremont & Isami Kodaka vs. Drew Parker, Toshiyuki Sakuda & Jimmy Lloyd
A huge 6-man tag match that sees two American hardcore legends. Danny Havoc is widely considered one of the most influential deathmatch wrestlers in history, a mainstay of Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) who retired in 2017. He made his return to the ring last fall with Hardcore Hustle Organization (H20) and now he’s heading to Japan with GCW. He’s teaming up with one of the top US hardcore specialists of the past decade, in former CZW & GCW World Champion “The Bulldozer” Matt Tremont. The two American legends pair up with the “Deathmatch Samurai” Isami Kodaka, a veteran of wars in Big Japan Wrestling (BJW) and DDT Pro, where he’s a 2x BJW Deathmatch Champion and former DDT Pro KO-D Openweight Champion. On the other side, UK deathmatch specialist Drew Parker returns for another GCW tour of Japan. Parker went through the UK indies before heading to Japan on a more regular basis in 2019, where he’s become a staple in the Japan deathmatch circle with BJW and FREEDOMS. Joining Parker is GCW’s Prince of Hardcore, “The Different Boy” Jimmy Lloyd. A GCW staple, Lloyd has really come into his own in the past year and looks to be the face of GCW for years to come. Toshiyuko Sakuda has emerged as one of the rising young stars with BJW and FREEDOMS, and he’s proven to be a cold-blooded rival in the deathmatch ring.
Matthew Justice vs. SHLAK
Matthew Justice is going on his first Japan tour with GCW, where the big man should find himself a warm welcome. Justice is a long-time vet from the Midwest, but in the last few years with Absolute Intense Wrestling (AIW), where he’s the reigning AIW Absolute Champion and 2x AIW Intense Champion, and GCW, has really seen his career reach new peaks. He’s facing off against the GCW regular who became the biggest star in Japan last year, in the monster known as SHLAK. His disregard for his own body – combined with a sadistic disregard for his opponents – made him a crowd favorite in Tokyo last year.
Toru Sugiura & Takashi Sasaki vs. Kikutaro & KTB
Reigning King of FREEDOMS Champion Toru Sugiura will be starting off his GCW tour in tag action. The 9-year veteran of FREEDOMS is pairing up with a legend in Takashi Sasaki, whose 24-year career has seen him a regular fighter for DDT Pro, BJW and FREEDOMS. Sasaki has quite a resume as a former King of FREEDOMS Champion, KO-D Openweight Champion, and 2x BJW Deathmatch Champion. The two are facing a tandem lead by another legend in comedic wrestler Kikutaro. Kikutaro isn’t quite known for his imposing presence, but his partner sure is – he’s teaming with former GCW World Champion KTB, who was another standout last year in GCW’s tour of Japan.
Masashi Takeda vs. Orin Veidt
Masashi Takeda is a familiar name to the GCW crowds. Most notably beating Johnathan Gresham at Bloodsport and main eventing Joey Janela’s Spring Break 3 Part One against Jimmy Lloyd in a deathmatch last year. If he wasn’t a familiar name he should be by the time the show is around. He’s also a popular name among the Japanese Deathmatch crowd having held gold in Big Japan Wrestling (BJW), FREEDOMS, and many other companies. He’s facing another of GCW’s discovery projects in Orin Veidt. A star on the rise, the 25-year old made his GCW debut earlier last year and has been impressive taking on many hardcore veterans.
Alex Colon vs. Violento Jack
Alex Colon is the guard-dog of GCW. He takes on all intruders in the yard and won’t stay down until he’s unconscious. He won the 2018 GCW Tournament of Survival, showing that the gritty former regular with Rockstar Pro and CZW could get as dangerous as the next man. He’s facing a mad man from Mexico in Violento Jack. Jack is a 15-year veteran of Mexico (and he’s only 30), but he’s carved out quite a reputation of violence working with Mexico’s Desastre Total Ultraviolento (DTU) and The Crash Lucha, before heading to Japan in 2016 to work with FREEDOMS.
Chris Dickinson vs. Yuji Okabayashi
Last year saw “Dirty Daddy” Chris Dickinson emerge as one of the top wrestlers in the US indies, thanks to impressive work with Beyond Wrestling and GCW, amongst others. Always a respected brawler throughout his 18-year career, but he’s skyrocketed in the past 365 days. He’ll be heading into war against a tough Japan legend in Yuji Okabayashi. A fixture in BJW, All-Japan Pro Wrestling and DDT Pro, Okabayashi is a former 3x BJW Strong World Heavyweight Champion, and a highly decorated tag team champion with his teacher, Daisuke Sekimoto, in Strong BJ, as 3x AJPW World Tag Team Champions, 2x AJPW All Asia Tag Team Champions, and 3x BJW Tag Team Champions.
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. You can catch all the GCW in Japan events on a day delay at FITE.tv, either individually or part of a three-night package.
