Game Changer Wrestling has been on its latest tour of Japan, and on October 4, it comes to a conclusion with GCW War Ready. As has been the case with the recent Planet Death and Dead on Arrival events, GCW promises to bring together both its stalwart performers and a number of notable fighters across “The Land of the Rising Sun.” This is evident by the matches scheduled for this upcoming card, including two major title defenses. Stateside fans may not be able to attend this event set to take place in Tokyo, though it can be watched in full courtesy of FITE. Without any further delay, here’s a closer look at the card to ensure GCW leaves Japan with a bang.
GCW War Ready Japan – Full Card
- Jordan Oliver and Nick Wayne vs. Drew Parker and Jimmy Lloyd
- Kikutaro vs. EFFY
- Yuko Miyamoto and Daisuke Sasaki vs. Cole Radrick and Toru Sugiura
- DDT Extreme Championship: Joey Janela (c) vs. Toshiyuki Sakuda
- GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Rina Yamashita (c) vs. SHLAK
- GCW Tag Team Championship: The Mega Bastards (Alex Colon and John Wayne Murdoch) vs. Masashi Takeda and Jun Kasai
Joey Janela Defends the DDT Extreme Title
Considered to be one of the most recognizable wrestlers in not only Game Changer Wrestling but independent wrestling at large, Joey Janela will defend the DDT Extreme Championship at GCW War Ready Japan. Janela captured this particular title on August 14, besting Akito at a DDT Pro-Wrestling event. This isn’t to say that “The Bad Boy” has relegated himself to DDT or Japan, as he defended the Extreme title stateside last month. His latest title defense will take place at War Ready and it would appear that he’s prepared for anything. Given Janela’s mindset that seems to be laser focused on winning at all costs, this should come as little surprise. However, it’s his opponent that may make the task of leaving Tokyo with the DDT Extreme Championship a tall task.
Standing at 5’1”, Toshiyuki Sakuda has adopted the moniker of “The World’s Smallest Deathmatch Wrestler.” Having trained under the roof of Big Japan Pro-Wrestling, Sakuda made his professional debut in the summer of 2014, bringing deathmatch and technical wrestling into one unique package. In BJW, Sakuda is a former 8x Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Champion, winning the gold alongside his 3rd Generation Chimidoro Brothers. However, as of this writing, he has yet to win singles gold. On the 14th of October, this deathmatch fighter will bring his A game as he challenges Joey Janela for the DDT Extreme Championship. Between Janela’s unpredictability and Sakuda’s deathmatch penchant, this may be the most unique match on the card.
https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1573617043101732865?s=20&t=oHakCEtUXZuuGK3LDj_Jow
A Tag Team Title Defense with Deathmatch Consequences
Also set to be defended at War Ready Japan is the GCW Tag Team Championship, which is currently held by The Mega Bastards, Alex Colon and John Wayne Murdoch. These rivals turned allies have seemed to find common ground in violence, inflicting pain on others with light tubes, glass panes, and anything else at their disposal. As a result, Colon and Murdoch became an effective tag team, ultimately capturing the GCW tag team titles at last month’s The Art of War in a hellacious War Games contest. The Mega Bastards have been successful independent on one another, whether it’s been Colon’s 3 GCW Ultraviolent Championship reigns and Tournament of Survival victories or Murdoch’s ample success as a tag team titleholder across numerous promotions. At War Ready, The Mega Bastards put the GCW Tag Team Championship on the line against fellow deathmatch specialists Masashi Takeda and Jun Kasai.
Longtime GCW fans will be familiar with Masashi Takeda, as “The Crazy Kid” has been making appearances for the promotion as far back as 2019. However, it was last year when he saw his first taste of major success associated with the promotion, winning the GCW Ultraviolent Championship from Drew Parker at a BJW event in October. The following month, Takeda took a major risk by defending the title throughout the Nick Gage Invitational 6 tournament, ultimately losing the title in the finals to Colon. Meanwhile, “The Charisma of Deathmatch” Kasai boasts major accolades throughout the deathmatch scene, including the CZW Tag Team Championship and 5 King of FREEDOM World Championship reigns. Not unlike The Mega Bastards, Takeda and Kasai are heated rivals turned partners, the latter being the case at least for War Ready. Can they be the ones to end the GCW Tag Team Champions’ reign before it has a chance to truly begin?
GCW War Ready Japan will take place in Tokyo, Japan on October 4, 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 War Ready Japan is set to air on FITE.
