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GCW D.O.A. – Dead on Arrival Japan (9/27/22) – Full Card, Preview, How to Watch

GCW DOA Dead on Arrival Japan

Continuing its tour of Tokyo, Game Changer Wrestling returns to Shin-Kiba 1st RING for GCW D.O.A. – Dead on Arrival Japan. The independent wrestling powerhouse has made it a point to feature not only its most prominent stateside competitors but a number of Japanese wrestlers, some of whom have appeared for GCW in the past. Any wrestling fan that follows the scene in Japan will see many names that stick out, making D.O.A. all the more must-see. For viewers around the world, rest assured that you won’t have to take part in international travel to see the action, as it will unfold on FITE. Here’s what to expect when the show takes place on September 27.

GCW D.O.A. Japan – Full Card

  • Ryuji Ito and Abdullah Kobayashi vs. Mance Warner and Cole Radrick
  • Violento Jack, Toshiyuki Sakuda, and Drew Parker vs. Alex Colon, John Wayne Murdoch, and Rina Yamashita
  • Masato Tanaka and The Great Sasuke vs. Kikutaro and Jimmy Lloyd
  • Masashi Takeda vs. SHLAK
  • Strong Hearts (CIMA, T-Hawk, and El Lindaman) vs. Joey Janela, Jordan Oliver, and Nick Wayne
  • Jun Kasai vs. EFFY

A Duo of Legends

To call Masato Tanaka and The Great Sasuke wrestling legends would be, to many fans, something of an understatement. Not only have these men carved out careers in their home country but they became international stars, appearing for promotions all around the world. Unafraid to take brutal offense, Tanaka made a career out of putting his body on the line to win. Establishing himself in Japan with work for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, “The Enforcer” found stateside fame with Extreme Championship Wrestling, capturing the ECW World Heavyweight Champion and taking part in a hard-hitting feud with the late Mike Awesome. Tanaka continues to wrestle today for Pro Wrestling ZERO1, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and elsewhere.

Known for his aerial offense, the masked Great Sasuke’s career spans over 3 decades. During this time, he’s wrestled countless matches for Michinoku Pro Wrestling, FMW, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, just to name a few organizations. His accomplishments are worldwide as well, including the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship, and even 2 WWF Light Heavyweight Championship reigns. Those that follow Michinoku Pro will see him wrestle in said company to this day. At GCW D.O.A. – Dead on Arrival Japan, Tanaka and Sasuke team up to battle the fun-loving Kikutaro and deathmatch wrestling enthusiast Jimmy Lloyd. While this may seem like a mismatch on paper, it’ll be a tag team contest to keep an eye on.

Strong Hearts Debut in GCW

Making their Game Changer Wrestling debut at D.O.A. is the trio of CIMA, T-Hawk, and El Lindaman of the Strong Hearts faction. Fans of the early days of All Elite Wrestling will be familiar with this trio, as they competed on a number of events, including the first Double or Nothing and multiple episodes of AEW Dark. They also appeared for Major League Wrestling in 2019, facing the dominant Contra Unit in a losing effort. However, it’s on an international level that Strong Hearts is a more well-known unit, with CIMA leading the charge as its charismatic frontman. If you’re a fan of the GLEAT promotion in Japan, you have more than likely seen this group’s various members in action. From an in-ring standpoint, their work seldom fails to hold the attention of viewers.

At D.O.A., Strong Hearts will be in store for a formidable challenge. CIMA, T-Hawk, and El Lindaman are scheduled to take on Nick Wayne, Jordan Oliver, and “The Bad Boy” himself, Joey Janela. As 3 of the more prominent competitors in GCW, Wayne, Oliver, and Janela bring different elements to the table. Wayne and Oliver are two high-flying upstarts brimming with potential, aiming to achieve greater things in wrestling. Meanwhile, Janela is equal parts confident and prone to throw caution to the wind, the latter of which has helped him reach success in different organizations. Which trio will take home the victory following D.O.A.?

A Charismatic Deathmatch

One of the first matches originally announced for GCW D.O.A. – Dead on Arrival Japan is arguably the most intriguing on paper. “The Crazy Monkey” Jun Kasai will make his GCW return against one of the promotion’s most popular wrestlers, EFFY. In fact, given how much both men pride themselves on being charismatic, one would think this match isn’t as offbeat as it seems. For the uninitiated, Kasai began his in-ring career in the summer of 1998, establishing himself as not only a seasoned deathmatch competitor but a capable technical wrestler, able to utilize both styles to their fullest. Given that the deathmatch scene was experiencing a fever pitch during the late 1990s, Kasai was in the thick of things, establishing himself as a name to keep an eye on. He started working for Big Japan Pro-Wrestling before taking his talents to FMW, ZERO1, and Combat Zone Wrestling, among other promotions.

Kasai’s accomplishments over the years are nothing to scoff at, either. In addition to a CZW Tournament of Death victory in 2014, he won gold in several organizations. In addition to tag team title reigns in BJW, CZW, and Ice Ribbon, he secured gold in Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS, becoming a 5x King of FREEDOM World Champion. Despite the punishment his body has been through over the years, Kasai continues to compete at a high level and this will be no different when he returns to GCW, last competing for the company in August 2019, when he bested G-Raver in a deathmatch. Can he succeed against EFFY, who’s no slouch in his own right in regard to the more violent side of wrestling? Tune into GCW D.O.A. – Dead on Arrival Japan to find out.

GCW D.O.A. Japan will take place in Tokyo, Japan on September 27, 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 D.O.A. Japan is set to air on FITE.

Robbie Sutter

Robbie Sutter

As a fan for over 20 years, I strongly believe there's no sport better than professional wrestling. Whether it's writing about the sport I love or meeting those that have impacted it in a major way, I always enjoy myself. Outside of wrestling, I'm into writing, gaming, and tokusatsu.

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