Nick Gage Invitational NGI6 Preview

On Saturday, November 13, GCW will be hosting the Nick Gage Invitational NGI6 live from Summit, Illinois. Every year since 2016, Game Changer Wrestling has held their “Nick Gage Invitational,” an eight-man tournament that sees each participant take part in a series of deathmatches until a winner is crowned. Additionally, some non-tournament exhibition matches take place throughout the event. This year’s card features some of deathmatch wrestling’s hottest stars, all of whom are no strangers to the hardcore style associated with the event’s titular wrestler, Nick Gage.

Previous tournament winners include Masada, Matt Tremont, Masashi Takeda, Nick Gage, and Mance Warner. Will Takeda become the first-ever two-time Nick Gage Invitational tournament winner? Do 44OH partners Eric Ryan and Atticus Cogar need to face each other in the ring? Will Alex Colon win his fourth GCW deathmatch tournament? Find out this Saturday at the sixth annual Nick Gage Invitational tournament.

Nick Gage Invitational NGI6
Masashi Takeda vs. Eric Ryan

The first tournament match announced for NGI6 sees BJW deathmatch veteran and GCW Ultraviolent Champion Masashi Takeda up against Eric Ryan of the detested and sadistic 44OH stable. Takeda has made sporadic appearances on American soil since his professional wrestling debut in 2007. His last appearance in GCW was in March 2020, where he competed in a losing effort against Orin Veidt at the promotions “Live Fast, Die Young” event.

Ryan, a GCW regular, last wrestled in the promotion at the acclaimed War Games match between 44OH and team MDK earlier this year. He and 44OH have made a significant splash in the deathmatch world this year, competing in a number of promotions including Atsushi Onita’s FMWE, IWA Mid-South and Matt Tremont’s Hardcore Hustle Organization.

Both men’s hardcore accolades will surely make for an entertaining and brutal bout. Though the crowd will surely be wholeheartedly behind Takeda, the current trajectory of 44OH, and Eric Ryan in particular, may mean a competitive bout, even against the Japanese deathmatch legend.

Nick Gage Invitational NGI6
AKIRA vs. Alex Colon

NGI6’s second announced bout revealed a dream match in GCW legend Alex Colon vs. “The Death Samurai” Akira. Since 2007, Colon has collected hundreds of scars due to routine deathmatches, granting him fan-favorite status. The “three-peat” Tournament of Survival winner has made GCW his home over the last five years, amassing an impressive win/loss ratio, and totaling 105 days with the GCW Ultraviolent Championship. AKIRA on the other hand is not as decorated.

The Bringhurst native only made his in-ring debut in 2018, yet in the last three years, he has captured the eyes of both fans and promoters alike. His deathmatch style is only complimented by his technical abilities, as showcased in his many matches in independent powerhouses like ICW: No Holds Barred and IWA Mid-South. Akira’s first and only match in GCW so far was coincidentally in a tag team with Alex Colon.

The two teamed with G-Raver against AJ Gray and the Second Gear Crew. The former partners will undoubtedly demonstrate their already evident chemistry on Saturday in an environment where they are most comfortable; a deathmatch!

Nick Gage Invitational NGI6
Atticus Cogar vs. Rina Yamashita

The only intergender match of the evening is met with high expectations, as 44OH’s “Silver Teeth Satan” Atticus Cogar goes one on one with Ice Ribbon star and current FantastICE Champion, Rina Yamashita. Cogar, a GCW regular, is quickly becoming one of hardcore wrestling’s hottest and most fearsome stars. As 44OH’s assassin, Cogar has become famous for his trademark green skewers, which he enthusiastically lodges into the heads of his opponents.

We will inevitably see some skewers at NGI6, but in what capacity and how successfully? Since her 2013 debut, Rina Yamashita has never shied away from using weapons to her advantage. Her strong-style-esque strikes along with her affinity for steel chairs and light tubes may pose a challenge for Cogar, who is often on the offensive side of deathmatches.

What we do know for sure is that neither competitor is afraid to draw blood, whether that be their own or their opponents. Whoever wins this bout will surely leave with as many scars as their fellow combatant.

Nick Gage Invitational NGI6
Kit Osbourne vs. ???

What else to expect:

Non-tournament exhibition matches.

*card subject to change

You can order GCW: NGI6 live on FITE TV at 5 pm EST and 4 pm CST. Replays are available after the show once purchased.

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