It was an announcement many expected would come and one that became all but inevitable after WWE announced their Performance Center WrestleMania. Game Changer Wrestling was forced to postpone its wildly popular GCW The Collective set of shows for WrestleMania Week.
In a tweet sent out Monday night regarding the fate of the Collective, GCW spoke from the heart:
“We have long dreaded this announcement but also known it was inevitable, just not in this form. The 2020 Collective is officially *Postponed.* These events will be rescheduled together on a Date(s) TBD as soon as possible.
Today’s developments signal an equally devastating blow for our organization, our performers, our partners, and also our fans. It presents significant challenges to both our immediate and long term futures, but with it brings hope in the face of overwhelming support we have received from the wrestling community. We are presented with an opportunity to make history on the other side of this crushing global pandemic.”
The tweet went on to address plans for how tickets would be handled. For those interested in a refund, that opportunity would be made available and would be open indefinitely, meaning people did not have to decide right away. To this end, GCW is hopeful fans will be interested in keeping their Collective tickets, which will be honored for the new date, to be determined, along with other special benefits that will be added.
On behalf of The Collective: pic.twitter.com/vIkgOvqZ0R
— TheCollective2024 (@collective2024) March 17, 2020
“We are not asking to keep your money for nothing,” the tweet continued. “We are asking you to invest in the future of Independent wrestling. We are asking you to believe in us, The Collective: GCW and all it’s amazing partners as we endeavor to finish what we started…The Collective and all its partners are determined to see this through to the finish line. *When* the Collective happens, it will be authentic and true, and take place in front of real fans. You will get everything you expect from the Collective, from the heart, because that’s what you deserve.
Thank you for believing in us, because we believe in INDEPENDENT wrestling.”
Independent wrestling has suffered some brutal and gutting blows due to the coronavirus threat, but thanks to the loyal support of the fanbase, it seems that damage won’t be irreparable. The support of indie wrestling will be vital at this time however, and so many promotions and more established wrestlers are stepping up and answering the call. Freelance Wrestling, IWTV and Pro Wrestling are set to put on an empty arena benefit show, WrestleTalk and Will Ospreay just held one on Monday and Black Label Pro is planning the same for the end of March. Fundraisers, Go Fund Mes, Indie gogos have all been set up and a focus on buying wrestlers’ merch may be more important than ever.
GCW’s The Collective represented a pivotal moment for indie wrestling as for the second year in a row, the company was bringing together wrestlers holding their own shows and a variety of different promotions from around the country. The full list of events originally scheduled were Jimmy Lloyd’s D-Generation F, Texas is Forever, Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport, AIW Thunder in Paradise, For the Culture, Pizza Party Wrestling, Joey Janela’s Spring Break 4, BLP Threat Level Midnight, Effy’s Big Gay Brunch, Glory Pro, FREEDOMS, Warhausen’s Wrestlevania and Suburban Fight. Non-wrestling events included a Wrestling Observer Q&A with Dave Meltzer, live podcast of the Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana, the Wrestling Soup 10th Anniversary Show and so much more.
As we continue to get updates on how the coronavirus will affect wrestling companies such as WrestleCon and Beyond, both for WrestleMania Week and beyond, stay tuned to 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.
