Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), formerly known as Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW), is an American independentprofessional wrestlingpromotion based in New Jersey. The promotion was originally founded by Ricky Otazu in 1999; it was rebranded under its current name in 2015, after a sale to Danny Demanto and current owner Brett Lauderdale. The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling, as well as mixed martial arts–inspired shoot style matches.
Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW) was founded by independent wrestler Ricky Otazu, also known by his ring name of Ricky O, in January 1999 in New Jersey. JCW ran their first show on January 29, 2000, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Later that year, JCW hosted the inaugural Jersey J-Cup, which featured many of the top independent wrestlers of that period. They would continue to host the tournament until 2004, when JCW was sold to rival company National Wrestling Superstars (NWS).
The promotion would remain dormant for nearly a decade until September 2013 when, after the closure of National Wrestling Superstars, Otazu reclaimed the rights to JCW and reopened the promotion. In April 2014, JCW opened its own training school in North Bergen. Later that year, JCW would return to hosting the Jersey J-Cup.
2015–present: Rebranding as Game Changer Wrestling
In June 2015, Jersey Championship Wrestling rebranded itself to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) after being purchased by Brett Lauderdale and Danny Demanto. Since the buyout, GCW began to predominantly feature hardcore wrestling and continued to enjoy success in the New Jersey wrestling scene. GCW became known for producing several tournaments featuring independent wrestlers; including the Nick Gage Invitational Ultraviolent Tournament, the Tournament of Survival and the Acid Cup.
In March 2017, GCW produced Joey Janela's Spring Break show in Fern Park, Florida. This would become an annual tradition for the company. GCW would begin to expand throughout the United States and hosted its first show in Los Angeles in November 2018, titled Joey Janela's LA Confidential. In April 2018, GCW partnered with Matt Riddle to produce Matt Riddle's Bloodsport, a show that fused professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Bloodsport would take place twice more in 2019, this time with the partnership of Josh Barnett. In August 2019, GCW embarked on a two-day tour of Japan.
In August 2018, GCW began simulcasting their events on both IndependentWrestling.tv (IWTV) and Triller TV, then in December 2020, GCW moved to end their partnership with IWTV, later moving their content exclusively to Triller TV. In 2021, IWTV sued GCW for breach of contract. An out of court settlement was reached that involved GCW producing a series of 8 events exclusively on IWTV, dubbed the "Settlement Series", they were primarily afternoon events held prior to major JCW and GCW shows, and featuring younger low card talent.
In May 2021, Lauderdale relaunched the JCW name as a separate brand, holding smaller events in the afternoon of major GCW shows, and utilizing more younger and unknown talent that have not yet debuted for GCW.
Current logo for Jersey Championship WrestlingLogo for LA Fights
On October 14, 2021, GCW announced that they would be launching a west coast companion brand called "LA Fights" and confirmed that they would hold the first event under the brand on November 28, 2021.
On January 23, 2022, GCW held the sold out The Wrld on GCW event, their debut at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The event marked the first GCW event to air on traditional pay-per-view outlets.
On February 7, 2022, GCW signed Nick Gage to a contract, which was referred to as "the first and only contract that GCW will offer". GCW owner Brett Lauderdale said of the contract, "This is a major milestone moment for both Nick and GCW. I have always been against the idea of contracts in GCW but there are exceptions to every rule. From day 1, Nick has put his body, and literally his life on the line for the fans inside the squared circle. He deserves, and has earned the right to be rewarded for 20+ years of hard work and sacrifice. This historic contract will do just that, allowing him to continue his in-ring career at a pace that is beneficial to his health, while beginning to focus on opportunities that take him towards the next phase of his career. GCW would not have achieved the level of success it has without Nick F'N Gage, and we are proud to be able to say that GCW will remain Nick's home for the rest of his career".
In October 2022, Lauderdale signed a guaranteed rights deal with Triller TV to become a part of Triller's new subscription based service "Triller TV+", moving GCW events from a PPV business model to a monthly subscription based model. The promotion became the most prominent wrestling company to be featured on Triller TV+.
GCW returned to Japan in September 2022 with 3 sold out shows in conjunction with Pro Wrestling FREEDOMS, they returned again in 2023 for 2 tours, and debuted in Korakuen Hall on October 12, 2023 with "The Wrld on GCW 2023", streaming the event live on Triller TV, GCW thus became the first American wrestling company to ever broadcast live from Korakuen Hall. Subsequent Japan events have been held in conjunction with DDT Pro-Wrestling, including a return to Korakuen Hall on July 30, 2025.
On April 12, 2023, GCW announced a working relationship with Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), which saw GCW hold their inaugural events in Germany as part of wXw's 2023 World Tag Team Festival weekend.
On October 29, 2024, Nick Gage, GCW's sole contracted wrestler, announced that he was departing GCW. Nick returned to GCW on May 2, 2026 at their "One Night Only" event at the 2300 Arena.
↑The Jersey Championship Wrestling (JCW) name is currently used by GCW as the name of their secondary brand. The modern JCW promotion runs a series of streaming events on YouTube under GCW.
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