5 Biggest takeaways from GCW Fight Club

GCW has slowly but surely become the unquestionably hottest independent wrestling promotion in the world today. Game Changer Wrestling has seen many huge moments in 2021, but they built up their latest major event, "Fight Club," as the biggest of the year for the company.

The FITE TV pay-per-view in was headlined by the highly anticipated main event, with Jon Moxley defending the GCW World Championship against Nick Gage.

The two rivals hadn't gone one-on-one in well over a decade since their death matches in CZW before Moxley's WWE run. Hardcore legend Mick Foley was in attendance and wanted to be involved in this huge show in some way as well.

With this historic event from the Showboat in Atlantic City in the books, it has truly left a mark on Game Changer Wrestling as well as the entire wrestling world.

The moments, matches and announcements have firmly established the promotion's place in wrestling today. In this article, let's take a look at the five biggest takeaways from GCW Fight Club.

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#5 Thunder Rosa makes her GCW debut - GCW Fight Club

GCW has etched their name into the consciousness of the wrestling community by having a perfect balance when it comes to their roster. They have established names that fans will find familiar from other promotions, while also giving a platform for the up-and-comers in the business. The promotion also knows when to have a big surprise that gets a huge reaction from their fanbase.

The latest established talent to pop up at Game Changer Wrestling was Thunder Rosa. The AEW star has been one of the standout members of the Women's Division after a successful run in the National Wrestling Alliance. Rosa made a cameo at GCW's last event in Los Angeles, but she made her in-ring debut in the six-man scramble match to make it a seven-person contest.

This scramble showed the versality that is usually on display for the talent in GCW. Calvin Tankman stood out for his hard-hitting style and the agility he possesses for his size.

Tankman, along with Grinco Loco, both represent MLW. ASF, Brayden Lee and Dante Leon are all athletic and exceptional high flyers. Jimmy Lloyd is a deceptive performer who has become an expert in these scramble matches.

Thunder Rosa looked like an absolute star. She showed that no matter what promotion it is, she stands out. Despite Rosa not taking the win, this hopefully means that fans will see her more in GCW and more women's matches for the promotion overall.

#4 Chelsea Green debuts to help Matt Cardona regain the Internet Championship and save his GCW career

Matt Cardona is someone that has brought a lot of eyes to GCW since arriving. The former GCW World Champion has continued to be the top heel in the promotion despite losing the title. He lost the Internet Championship after a 10-year run with the title to Effy at GCW Get Lost A lot in New York. Cardona decided to put his career in the company on the line in the rematch at this event.

Matt Cardona interrupted GCW Promoter Brett Lauderdale's major announcement to get under the skin of the Atlantic City fans. He further garnered more heat by insulting Mick Foley and Jon Moxley.

Effy came out with his Bussy tag team partner Allie Katch and firmly had the crowd in his corner.

It was a well-wrestled bout with stiff steel chair shots and physicality that went around the ringside area. The conclusion saw Cardona run into the referee, taking him out. Just when it looked like Allie would help Effy retain and end Matt's GCW career, Cardona ducked, and Effy took out Katch.

The masked woman then came into play and lowblowed Effy, allowing Cardona to hit the Sack Ryder off the top rope to regain the Internet Championship and save his GCW career.

The woman unmasked to reveal herself as Chelsea Green, the fiance of Matt Cardona. It looks as if Cardona's successful heel run in Game Changer Wrestling will continue with the love of his life by his side.

#3 The Briscoes arrive to challenge SGC - GCW Fight Club

The GCW tag team scene has been revitalized as of recently with the Second Gear Crew as the champions. Mance Warner and Matthew Justice have taken on all challengers, while tag teams have been created up and down the card.

The SGC teamed up with AJ Gray in a six-man tag team match against Alex Colon, G-Raver and the debuting Akira.

The Second Gear Crew won in a hardcore multi-man brawl, but the night wasn't over for the GCW World Tag Team Champions. Warner and Justice proclaimed that they were the best tag team in the promotion and challenged anyone to step up to face them. The Atlantic City crowd was stunned to hear the familiar sounds of "Give Me Back My Bullets," which was the old theme for a huge tag team.

Jay and Mark Briscoe are probably the most underappreciated tag teams of the past two decades. They have put on classic encounters with The Young Bucks, Guerillas of Destiny and SCU among other tag teams in that time. The Briscoes have won tag team gold in every promotion they have stepped foot in, but they have never been in Game Changer Wrestling until Fight Club.

The Briscoes arrived to a massive reaction from the fans and commentary. Jay and Mark stepped up and confronted the SGC. Jay Briscoe got on the mic and said if SGC are the champs around here, then they want their shot.

The Briscoes will look to claim the GCW Tag Team Titles and will provide SGC with their biggest challenge to date. It's a showdown that has excited many fans.

#2 Mox vs. Gage lives up to the hype and leaves room for a rematch - GCW Fight Club

The main reason for GCW Fight Club being considered the biggest event in the promotion's history was the main event with Jon Moxley defending the GCW World Championship against Nick Gage in a Death Match. The two men have been building to this showdown since Moxley arrived at Spring Break during WrestleMania weekend to confront Gage following his title win over RSP.

A lot has happened since then with Matt Cardona defeating Nick Gage to win the GCW World Championship at Homecoming in July. After a two-month reign, it was Jon Moxley who reappeared in Game Changer Wrestling to unseat Cardona.

He was immediately confronted by Gage and set the stage for their highly anticipated encounter.

To add further to the big fight feel for this headliner, hardcore legend Mick Foley was here to present the title and be on commentary for this contest.

Moxley vs. Gage was everything that fans have come to expect from the GCW death match main events. Jon Moxley bled profusely almost immediately when he took a light tube shot to the head from Nick Gage.

Both men used steel chairs, barbwire doors, light tubes, pizza cutters and glass. Mox and Gage bled throughout the clash, with Jon wearing a crimson mask. The conclusion saw a glass pane set up between two chairs and Moxley gave Gage a Paradigm Shift off the top rope through the glass to retain the GCW World Championship.

The main event encounter delivered the violence, blood and carnage that has become a staple of GCW. It was surprising that Jon Moxley retained the title here, but it definitely helps the company to have a major star who is on weekly television as their top champion.

The battle was very good, but it also left the door open for an even bigger rematch between Moxley and Gage.

#1 GCW announces Hammerstein Ballroom for January 2022

GCW Promoter Brett Lauderdale promised the biggest announcement in the history of the promotion at Fight Club. Not only did this event give the fans one of the most important main events for the company, but a sensational card that offered a buffet of wrestling that Game Changer Wrestling has become known for. On top of that, they planned to have this announcement that had big expectations.

The GCW Fight Club is yet another sell-out for the company. They have shown themselves to be a successful ticket selling independent wrestling promotion with sell-outs in Los Angeles and Chicago recently. They have been riding high with major shows with this one being the biggest, but this announcement told fans that it can get bigger.

In a remarkably produced video package, GCW announced that the promotion will run an event at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom in the Manhattan Center. The video showcased the top stars of Game Changer Wrestling such as Joey Janela, Effy, Matt Cardona and Nick Gage expressing all the things fans and pundits have said to criticize them.

It was shot beautifully with the company's top stars standing inside the Hammerstein Ballroom and looking up at the gorgeous esthetic of the legendary building. The Atlantic City crowd reacted hugely to the announcement. Brett Lauderdale followed up the video with a speech about how someone once told him that there had been a million GCWs.

The Hammerstein Ballroom event will take place on January 23rd, 2022 and will mark the largest audience to watch a GCW event live. It was a wonderful way to ramp up the momentum. The fledging promotion has been firing on all cylinders whether it comes to matches, storylines or the performers they have showcased.

The Hammerstein Ballroom is the spiritual home of Extreme Championship Wrestling, with the company's final major event taking place there. The two ECW One Night Stand pay-per-views also took place in the building. The Manhattan Center has so much wrestling history with the first ever Monday Night RAW taking place there.

GCW will be entering a different straosphere by taking their promotion to this building with so much wrestling history.

Game Changer Wrestling has the opportunity to present the biggest and most important card in promotion history on January 23rd. That's why GCW in Hammerstein Ballroom is the biggest takeaway from GCW Fight Club.