Game Changer Wrestling, arguably the hottest independent wrestling promotion in the entire by God United States of America, made the trip to Tennessee for two shows over the weekend.
Up first, we had the return of The Invisible Man’s promotion from the early 90s, W.O.M.B.A.T., on Saturday in Tullahoma. We all know “the incident” closed W.O.M.B.A.T.’s doors all that time ago, so it felt extra special to be able to see old friends and gather in that parking lot again, reminiscing about the Doug Gilbert-Mance Warner blood feud from the 80s.
First time we’ve been able to tailgate for WOMBAT since “the incident” pic.twitter.com/CvEHZqO83I
— Wrasslin’ on SoBros Network (@SoBrosWrasslin) July 20, 2019
Plus, the last time I got laid was W.O.M.B.A.T. in ’93, so I was super eager to get things going. If I wasn’t so dadgum tired, that waitress at the Waffle House woulda made me 2/2, but I told her, “honey, if I don’t get back home to Gladeville as soon as possible, I may never go back. I gotta be careful not to leave my heart in Tullahoma.”
Anyway, the next day, we had to catch our bearings and head back to Nashville…East Nashville, to be specific. At the stomping grounds of our “home promotion,” Southern Underground Pro: The Basement East. Lights Out offered one hell of a way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
I’ll say, this weekend felt a lot like the culmination of years of work coming together to create something special. We saw the mythical aura surround Nick Gage as he did his thing against guys we’ve watched do their thing around here for years (Cabana Man Dan, Uncle Byff, and Marko Stunt). Though he couldn’t wrestle, Joey Janela found ways to remind us of why he is the star that he is (Editor’s Note: Joey also apologized to me for stepping on my foot on Sunday, so I don’t want to hear another cross word about him). We saw the classic brand of violence that GCW specializes in. And, we saw some of the hottest names on the independent wrestling scene.
Folks, it ain’t always been like that – people have been sleeping on some of the talent to come out of the Volunteer State for a long time. Hopefully, with GCW putting that magnifying glass on some of our local guys, things will continue on the upward trajectory that they’re on right now.
*raises a glass*
So, with that in mind, let’s hit my list of the best matches of the weekend, when GCW came to Tennessee.
*Image comes courtesy of our man Mouse.
Big Natural’s Top 10 Matches from GCW in TN
10. The Rejects vs. Effy Juice (W.O.M.B.A.T.) – The Rejects HAVE to be considered among the unsung heroes of this weekend. Getting the win over Effy Juice was incredibly impressive given how well Effy and Juicy Jimmy worked together -AND- had the homefield advantage with the crowd eating out of the palms of their hands. Very happy to see that Effy made it out of Tullahoma without being stabbed.
9. Blindfold Match: J.J. Garrett vs. Jimmy Lloyd (W.O.M.B.A.T.) – We found the only Waffle House in Tullahoma after the W.O.M.B.A.T. show, and as we scarfed down our breakfast as midnight approached, we were chit chatting about what we did and didn’t like from the show. I felt cautious to admit it, but I spoke up and said, “guys, I really liked the blindfold match…” to which our good buddy Steven McCash replied, “that match was much better than it had any business being.” Jimmy Lloyd had an underrated weekend.
8. Tony Deppen vs. Rich Swann (Lights Out) – Deppen could very well be the MVP of the weekend, and I’m saying that even though he told me directly to my face to suck his dick at W.O.M.B.A.T.. But, this match was a lot of fun – how could it not be when the bout started off with a dance party in the crowd? Props for bringing in the Bird scooter, too – that’s what we call “relevant.” Excellent contest with excellent content.
7. W.O.M.B.A.T. Hardcore Championship Ladder Match: GQ vs. Grease Lightning (W.O.M.B.A.T.) – This match felt like a fucking fever dream more than any other match of the weekend. The crowd was red hot the entire time, and the blood was flowing early. I felt like I was watching a blood feud boil over in Memphis during the 70s for this one. Shout out to GQ for being the fucking man.
6. The Carnies vs. The Rejects vs. Violence Is Forever (Lights Out) – I’m not usually a “let’s watch a man staple another man’s head repeatedly” type of guy, but this match was just the right amount of brutal for me. Plus, I was incredibly stoked to see our guys Violence Is Forever and The Carnies put on such a war for the GCW crowd. I think you can make the argument that both of those teams belong on Tennessee’s Mount Rushmore of wrestling, and they showed exactly why in this match. The Rejects seemed like a natural fit in The Basement East – I’d love to see them in the SUP ring at some point. Excellent brawl.
5. Tullahoma Two-Step Street Fight: Dangerous Doug Gilbert vs. Mance Warner (W.O.M.B.A.T.) – That bastard Doug Gilbert called me ugly, and all I did was call him out and hold him accountable for CHEATIN’ against Ol’ Mancer. I know it was a street fight, but if you gotta kick a man in the dick just to level the playing field, you ain’t worth a gotdamn shit. He pulled one over on Mance, and I, for one, would like to see a rematch so Mance can get his revenge.
4. The Carnies vs. The Smokin’ Budz (W.O.M.B.A.T.) – We’re all very well aware of how consistent The Carnies are, but I’m happy to see The Smokin’ Budz (Cody and David Morton) getting some love. This match was awesome, and literally brought the house down when The Carnies drove the Budz through the barricade. For anyone who thought W.O.M.B.A.T. was just going to be a comedy show, this match served as a wake up call.
3. Blake Christian vs. KTB (Lights Out) – I watched Christian tear down the house with Alex Zayne and Shawn Hoodrich in a community center in Gladeville a few weeks ago. Mose told me not to sleep on this dude, and hot damn – he was right. This one marked Christian’s GCW debut, and it really couldn’t have gone any better. These guys brought the energy and tempo in spades. They set the tone for the entire show and put on a match that no one saw coming.
2. Orange Cassidy vs. Effy (Lights Out) – Anyone who knows me knows this was a veritable dream match for me. But, considering there might be a larger footprint than just Nashville, Tennessee for this piece, I’ll explain myself a little further. Seeing Cassidy in person during WrestleMania week changed my entire opinion of wrestling. He is an elite strategist, and while many label him as a “comedy” wrestler, I appreciate the true genius of his being able to put an opponent’s mind in a pretzel.
Similarly, Effy is known for a highly cerebral wrestling prowess. You might not know this, but he actually won the 2018 SUP Match of the Year honors (alongside Nick Iggy) during the 2018 SoBros Network Awards. Very prestigious, I know – but the truth is that he’s shown a propensity for the age old wrestling tool known as “mind games.”
So, lazy fans might have seen this as a comedy match. But, in reality, this was a classic showdown between two of the most gifted tacticians in the entire wrestling world. The quintessential wrestling chess match, if you will. It absolutely delivered.
1. Brett Ison vs. Matthew Justice vs. Mance Warner (Lights Out) – It didn’t feel right to have professional wrestling in The Basement East without “The Pitbull.” Getting to see Nashville’s champion, Brett Ison, crash the party and insert himself into this match made for the most personally satisfying moment of the entire weekend.
I’ve been going to SUP shows at The Basement East for two years now, and I’ve never heard the building as loud as it was when Ison stepped out from behind that curtain. It may not seem like it to the national audience, but that was a huge moment for Nashville. I won’t name names because we’re all tough as fucking nails (MDK), but there may have even been a tear or two shed in that building on Sunday. What a show of respect.
But, beyond that moment, this match was as complete as you’ll see. Hard-hitting, nice tempo, big shit, and entertaining as all get out. The German suplex superplex what-have-you through the structure of doors that Justice constructed was insane. You had Ison no-selling the door shots from both guys. People jumping off stages. Plus, the finish was *chef’s kiss* – Ison hitting Street Justice on Justice only for Ol’ Mancer to drive his knee into Ison’s head and clean up his dirty work, pinning Justice to get the win. It was an emotional roller coaster for a lot of us, but I was ecstatic to see that the match delivered and was so well-received by the larger wrestling community.
That’s a long-winded way of me saying, “this was good, good shit.”
Plus, hearing Joey Janela absolutely gush over all three of these guys on commentary, how hard they work, and how they’re pushing the future of independent wrestling was pretty fuckin’ cool. We know Ison will be back in that building on 8/4 for SUP’s All Hell Breaks Loose, but I’d love to see Justice back in SUP some time, and it’s always a pleasure catching up with Ol’ Mancer.
Gotta commend GCW for really taking care of Tennessee this weekend and giving Nashville hell. From the moment I stepped into the Gypsy Joe Arena…err….the White Claw Arena on Saturday to the moment I walked into Five Points Pizza and killed a couple of slices after Lights Out on Sunday, I was never NOT entertained. I hope you boys saddle up and head back down here again some time.
Happy trails ’til we meet again.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Subscribe to our Patreon. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Listen on SoundCloud. Watch on YouTube.
