#Preview: GCW Presents Jimmy Lloyd’s Halloween Frightfest

Game Changer Wrestling and Jimmy Lloyd’s Halloween Frightfest airs live on Fite.TV on October 28 from the Voltage Lounge in Philadelphia, PA.  Starting at 8 pm on Fite.TV (eastern time), you can make this your Halloween pre-party, or make it your main attraction and celebrate the holiday early. Either way, it will be a Halloween to remember, with a card full of the eye-catching and just plain weird matches that GCW is known for!

Halloween Frightfest
Photo / GCW

Nick Gage vs Ruckus – GCW Championship

Speed and aerial might versus toughness and raw violence come to mind in this matchup between Ruckus and Nick Gage for the GCW Championship at Halloween Frightfest.  Both of these wrestlers come from the same roots, having built their name and reputations in the early millennium of CZW. In fact, both of these stars had their wrestling debut in February of 1999. 

Despite two different styles, with similar wrestling origins, their paths have rarely crossed, yet both are former multiple-time CZW World Heavyweight Champions.  Ruckus and Nick Gage faced each other in a barbed wire boards match at CZW’s third deathmatch tournament, in which Ruckus lost.  Ruckus has also taken on Zandig in a barbed wire ropes match as well, later on, 2013. It can easily be said that Ruckus is not new to facing different styles, including ultraviolence.

When Ruckus first began wrestling, he was over 300 pounds.  But that did not stop him from using his incredible aerial maneuverability to flip around the ring and awe spectators.  He has since dropped around 75 pounds, but still brings crowds to their feet doing things one would not expect a man of his size to do.

At Halloween Frightfest, these two CZW legends clash, with heavyweight championship gold on the line for the first time between the two.  As always, we will not know what sort of ultraviolent stipulations will be added to the match until the bell is ready to begin.  But expect an assortment of weapons, doors and of course fluorescent lightbulbs.

Halloween Frightfest
Photo / GCW
Jimmy Lloyd vs Shotzi Blackheart

Of course, it goes without saying that with Jimmy Lloyd’s name highlighting this event, his matchup with Shotzi Blackheart is another main event caliber highlight on the card.  Will this mixed-gender matchup still bring out the ultraviolence in Jimmy Lloyd, or will he continue to prove he can stand his own ground and demonstrate his endurance for traditional wrestling?

Make no mistake: Jimmy Lloyd’s fast-paced style for a man his size, an incredible assortment of roundhouse kicks and chain wrestling abilities make him incredibly versatile in taking on Shotzi Blackheart.

Despite winning women’s championship belts from all over the country, Blackheart is no stranger to mixed-gender matchups and has certainly consolidated her fair share of wins.  She’s fast on her feet and even quicker in outsmarting her foes. Just watch her recent matchup with Matt Macintosh at Battle Club Pro to see why. Though she lost the match in the end, her ability to think on her feet and deploy an assortment of surprises, high caliber grappling and technical wrestling proves she can hold her ground against anyone.

Blackhearts matchup against Jimmy Lloyd may be one of her last bookings in independent wrestling.  It may well be one of her toughest opponents too, especially if Lloyd brings out his trademark scissors.  Blackheart was recently given an NXT developmental contract at an Evolve booking, which comes as no surprise given that she’s easily one of the best and most versatile female competitors in wrestling today.
Halloween Frightfest
Photo / GCW
Alex Zayne vs Rich Swann

Alex Zayne will put his aerial skills to the test against IMPACT superstar and former WWE wrestler Rich Swann at Halloween Frightfest.  Swann, an eleven-year wrestling veteran and well-established star in cruiserweight wrestling, will go against one of GCW’s most recent mainstays and breakout stars in Zayne.

Expect this matchup to be lightning quick in velocity.  And with some high-risk maneuverability from Zayne, who has built his reputation as of lately in taking some incredible risks both in the ring and on the outside.  This could be a breakout match for Zayne, who clearly has a thirst and desire to break out further onto the independent circuit and make a name for himself.

Lucky 13 vs. Blake Christian

The paradigm of this matchup is very similar to the previous one.  Here is another high flying cruiserweight matchup that pits recent GCW breakout star, Blake Christian, against the veteran and CZW superstar in Lucky 13.  Both these two are similar in their adaptability and openness to allowing things to get hardcore in their matchups at times. Neither is shy about risk-taking and shedding blood.  After all, it was Lucky 13 who scored an upset victory against none other than Matt Tremont at Cage of Death XV

Effy vs Shlak

Effy, coming off the heels of a tough defeat from Chris Dickinson, once again straps on his boots and risks blood, sweat and tears (and bones) against another monster in Shlak.  Perhaps this time, Effy will be better prepared and bring with him the staple gun and give Shlak a taste of his own medicine. This confrontation is a battle of beauty and the beast, but there is no romance between these two. Effy will once again face a beast at Halloween Frightfest, and the sheer hate Shlak shows everyone who he steps into the ring with.  

Chris Dickinson vs Jordan Oliver

The dirty daddy, Chris Dickinson, takes on Jordan Oliver.  But despite Oliver’s extremely small size compared to the beast that is Dickinson, this will be anything but David versus Goliath.  Take out the popcorn, because seeing the possibility of Dickinson pummeling and crushing the foul-mouthed, arrogant pipsqueak in Jordan Oliver may be where the entertainment is at here.  Make no mistake, despite Oliver’s talents, he is not a well-liked guy.

But if Oliver were to steal a victory from this matchup, however, it would not only be unprecedented, but it would be downright humiliating for a man as tough as Dickinson.  Dickinson has built his reputation on making the violence too real at times, and proving himself to be the toughest among tough guys.

Tony Deppen vs Matt Tremont

Tony Deppen may be one of the best and most underrated wrestling purests today.  His arrogant attitude has perhaps been his biggest setback, even though his name is starting to come around outside GCW.  But things have been downright weird for Deppen as of lately, having taken on the ultraviolent icon in Shlak in the last showing.  At Frightfest, Deppen once again returns to the realm of ultraviolence and steps into a paradigm shift.  He will be taking on an even bigger ultraviolent icon in former multiple time CZW World Heavyweight Champion, Matt Tremont. 

However, in this case, it will not be the first time these two have met.  At On Point Wrestling (OPW), Deppen defeated the juggernaut, Tremont, and defended his OPW Championship in 2017.  However, it was no easy testament, as the match spilled out all over the place and even went to the outside of the venue.  It included a moving vehicle as well: Deppen caught a ride on a vehicle and jumped off onto  Tremont, executing a tornado DDT. Will things get even crazier at GCW Frightfest when these two competitors collide once more?

Find out on Fite.TV when GCW Frightfest airs at 8 pm eastern time.

Micah Shapiro, a native of Seattle, a father, and a husband, holds a Master of Science degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, and is a war and history junkie with a fascination for the dramatization and narration of human conflicts (obviously, pro wrestling fits that spectrum very well). He avidly watches independent pro wrestling as an escape from the daily anxieties of life in general, and his logistics day job. Though a typical hermit, sometimes he'll actually leave his house to go to DEFY's shows. Besides pro wrestling and global conflicts, he enjoys BBQ'ing (his specialty is Turkish Aleppo-pepper chicken kabobs), playing adventure and RPG video games, board games, painting war game miniatures, and reading science fiction, horror and fantasy novels.