Why do people watch GCW?
This was a question on my mind as I sat in a Toronto streetcar last week on my way to the promotion’s second-ever trip up North of the U.S. border. The question was not an insult, but instead a genuine curiosity. GCW is, in many ways, like the hundreds of other independent promotions across America that present shows in 300-capacity venues throughout the year. But the brand’s clout that has provided them ties to WWE, allowed them to host more shows than nearly anybody else in the scene and made them the go-to hub for indy events during Wrestlemania weekend.
Following my short trip on the 504B streetcar, I had further proof of GCW’s success right in front of my eyes. On a night when the massive Scotiabank Arena provided the go-home episode of WWE Smackdown before this year’s Money In The Bank PLE, a couple of hundred fans instead opted to pack themselves into The Opera House for “Worst Behavior 2024.”
For all its prestige in the music world, the century-old venue likely wasn’t designed with wrestling events in mind. Those alongside me in the general admission spent the next three hours twisting and turning so they could catch the action through the gaps of the heads standing in front of them. The ring canvas wasn’t always visible, and you were out of luck if a brawl went to ringside. But whether or not I or other fans could see every moment, it sounded like there wasn’t a soul in the room who wasn’t living and dying with every move in the ring.
This was clear: GCW has carved out a niche that has made them one of, if not the biggest independent promotion in America. But the question that caused me to travel through humid Toronto weather and step into an almost-just-as-humid venue hadn’t been answered yet. How did they get to this level? As someone attending a GCW event in person for the first time, I tried to put myself in the shoes of their thousands of fans and figure out why their brand is so interesting.
When GCW first landed on the radar of many a few years back, it was easy to understand the demand it fed in the market. Led by Nick Gage, a still-present wrestler in the promotion, they became a top brand in the U.S. deathmatch scene. Light tubes, thumbtacks, and other blood-unleashing weapons weren’t a rarity to see in the ring as they set up shop around New Jersey, Illinois, and Philadelphia.
But things changed as time progressed. The promotion somewhat shifted away from deathmatches. Shows like last weekend only went as far as one skewer spot (which admittedly is still more hardcore than most promotions). Deathmatches still occur, but they are no longer what defines their shows. This is not to say they lost their edge, as the events still have enough four-letter f-bombs to jam a censor button.
Along with the changes, GCW started to up its output beyond what basically anyone else on the independent scene could match. The promotion has hosted more than 70 events per year since 2021, still hitting new locations for the first time while remaining active in their usual markets.
The identity of GCW from a few years back is certainly different from what it is now, and that’s not a bad thing. But as these changes likely drove away some fans and replaced them with others, I wondered what it is about the promotion now that makes them such a smash hit.
The answers started to become clear once Worst Behavior—named after a hit song from Drake before the Toronto rapper massively fell out of favor in the rap community—kicked off last weekend. I saw Jack Cartwheel, Megan Bayne, Gringo Loco, and Mike Bailey, all within the first hour of the show. Gabe Kidd, Masha Slamovich, and Joey Janela turned up later as well.
The card also featured many names who have stellar talent but might not have the same big-time wrestling clout, like 22-year-old Galeno Del Mal, or the tag team of Dominic Garrini and Kevin Ku known as “Violence Is Forever.” GCW has an eye for booking names who are hot in the scene, while also finding less popular figures who have the potential to be built up further with their platform.
GCW cards are full of wrestlers who could be placed in the main event of any local show as the top star. Apart from a few other brands in America—like a DPW or West Coast Pro—the talent pool of GCW feels unmatched. It’s like seeing the stacked indie lineup of a modern ROH TV taping, but without the time constraints that cause matches to be as short as three minutes.
The lineups alone aren’t what sells GCW to a wider audience. At the end of the day, a lot of promotions have great lineups. The promotion is competing for eyeballs not just against other independent brands but also the big names like AEW and WWE. On any given Friday or Saturday evening, GCW’s live streams might go head-to-head with a top wrestling show available via television. So clearly, it’s not just the cards that are giving them eyeballs.
GCW strikes an intriguing contrast: While presenting some of the best lineups in the indies, they remain true to the local, low-budget look. Whether intentional or not, GCW has protected its underground image while growing over the years. They make the best of small and sometimes awkward venues. The lighting and audio aren’t always flawless. The ring apron has wrinkles and the canvas has dried blood from a past event. These might be details that some would dislike, and I’ve actually seen complaints about the production being a gripe for some online in the past. But it’s hard to deny that this look is a major part of the promotion’s vibe, giving it an edgy feel.
The best of the best in wrestling compete in the promotion. Wrestlers who appear under the bright lights of NJPW, AEW, and even WWE have stepped into the GCW ring and performed in a setting that is so un-glamorous that it loops back around to be flattering. GCW’s grimy aesthetic tells fans that while they are growing and bigger than everyone else, they aren’t going to abandon the brand that they have always presented. Even as they have grown, they will continue to not grow out of the underdog spot that fans probably like to see the promotion present itself in. To me at least, this vibe paired with the lineups they present make them a must-see product.
GCW is a refined version of something we’re all quite familiar with. The New Jersey-based promotion pulls off the trick of setting themselves apart from the pack while doing a lot of the same things that others present. It isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If you aren’t too huge on violence, swearing, watching broadcasts of less-than-ideal quality, or getting on your tippy-toes to watch from a standing-room-only section, it might not be for you. But as seen on Friday, it’s clearly for a lot of folks, and I definitely understand why it works.
