Game Changer Wrestling is set to make its Atlanta, Georgia debut with GCW Astronaut. As the name suggests, the company’s most popular wrestlers and outside talent alike will be shooting for the stars, aiming to make an impression at the legendary Center Stage. This venue is no stranger to wrestling, having hosted events for such promotions as Ring of Honor and World Championship Wrestling in years past. Since this Saturday’s event was announced, the card was slowly rolled out via the official GCW Twitter account. Take a deeper look into the action to come.
GCW Astronaut – Full Card
- Jonathan Gresham vs. Blake Christian
- AR Fox vs. Nick Wayne
- ACH vs. Tony Deppen
- Gringo Loco vs. Ninja Mack
- Allie Katch vs. Jordynne Grace
- Matt Cardona vs. “Action” Mike Jackson
- GCW Extreme Championship: AJ Gray (c) vs. EFFY
- GCW World Tag Team Championship: H8 Club (Nick Gage and Matt Tremont) (c) vs. Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner and Matthew Justice)
The People’s Choice Faces a Wrestling Prodigy
Though the world is only a few months into 2022, it would seem that this has been the year of Nick Wayne. At the age of 16, Wayne was offered a contract with All Elite Wrestling last month. For context, at DEFY Wrestling’s 5th Anniversary Show, Wayne fell short against Interim DEFY Champion Christopher Daniels. Despite this, the youngster came out a winner in his own right. Post-match, he was approached by AEW star Darby Allin who, impressed by what he saw, offered Wayne a contract with his home company. Keep in mind that, at his age, the Seattle native cannot yet officially work for the company. Until the time comes, expect to see him continually honing his skills across the independent scene.
At GCW Astronaut, Wayne goes head to head with AR Fox, who’s making his first Game Changer Wrestling appearance in nearly 6 months. The wrestling veteran was last seen at this past September’s Get Lost Alot event, where he fell short against Alex Zayne. In addition to being an accomplished indie wrestler, capturing gold in such organizations as Combat Zone Wrestling and EVOLVE Wrestling, he’s the Head Trainer at the Atlanta-based World Wrestling Alliance 4. Boasting over a decade and a half of wrestling knowledge, Fox will enter Astronaut with the experience advantage. Will it be enough to overcome Wayne and his undeniable momentum?
Matt Cardona Picks His Opponent
It can be said that when one achieves success in their given venture, they can do virtually anything they please. For proof of this in professional wrestling, look no further than the self-proclaimed “Deathmatch King,” Matt Cardona. As of this writing, he is the holder of 5 sanctioned titles across 4 promotions. Most recently, at New York Wresting Connection’s Psycho Circus event, Cardona returned to his old training ground, besting Michael Mistretta for the NYWC Heavyweight Championship. Whether due to his continued success or a degree of coaxing on his part, Cardona was allowed to handpick his opponent for GCW Astronaut.
This selection was an unorthodox one, however, as Cardona set his sights on “Action” Mike Jackson. For the uninitiated, Jackson is the definition of a wrestling veteran, having started his career in 1972. Since then, the 72-year-old Birmingham native has wrestled across countless organizations including NWA Mid-America, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and World Championship Wrestling. Though his wrestling has become less consistent with age, he can still be seen on the independent scene. In fact, he was seen at GCW and Black Label Pro’s 3 Cups Stuffed event last year, where he competed in the Scramble Match. On Saturday, Jackson has the opportunity to go one-on-one with one of the hottest names on the independent scene today. Can the living legend create a miracle at Center Stage?
Mance Warner Returns to Pursue Gold
At GCW Astronaut, Mance Warner makes his in-ring return as he teams with fellow Second Gear Crew member Matthew Justice to challenge GCW World Tag Team Champions Nick Gage and Matt Tremont, collectively known as H8 Club. This past October, Warner sustained an injury at an independent show. Warner underwent surgery shortly thereafter and it wasn’t until GCW’s The Coldest Winter event last month that he addressed his future. “Ol’ Mancer” proclaimed that he would be ready to compete by this Saturday. Warner and Justice are former GCW World Tag Team Champions in their own right, so it goes without saying that they’re set to regain the gold.
To do so won’t be an effortless venture, however, as Gage and Tremont have been dominant since winning the tag team titles at The WRLD on GCW this past January. They most recently successfully defended the belts against The Rejects at Don’t Tell Me What to Do and have been prepping for their next opponents. Despite being largely singles stars, especially in the case of Gage as a former world champion in promotions across the country, they’ve proven to be a solid tandem. Smart money would be on H8 Club walking out of Atlanta with the GCW tag team titles, but given the success Warner and Justice have seen as a team, this contest can go either way.
GCW Astronaut will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on March 12, 2022.
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 Astronaut is set to air Saturday at 8 PM PST on FITE. Tickets are also available via Ticketmaster.
