Thursday, May 7, 2015

11 Join the Force

Mordetzky is one of the first names added to the GFW roster
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Via Global Force Site

The first 11 members of the Global Force Wrestling roster have been revealed, ten wrestlers and one "analyst," in a press conference in Las Vegas, NV yesterday. The group is an eclectic mix of former WWE and TNA talent, and it includes some wrestlers with great upsides. The list is behind the jump:


  • Chris (Masters) Mordetzky - Mordetzky was criminally underutilized in WWE in his second stint, when he proved that sometimes, huge lumps of clay can be formed into something beautiful. He's mostly bounced back and forth between Northern California and the United Kingdom, out of the major public eye, but he's still a welcomed sight for sore eyes.
  • PJ Black (Justin Gabriel) - Another grossly mistreated talent from WWE, Black will bring his 450 splash and "Darewolf" attitude to Global Force. Currently, he's warming up for the gig touring EVOLVE and other local indies. He didn't get to show a whole lot after his FCW run, so it'll be interesting to where he can soar.
  • Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows (hail Hydra) - Their inclusion makes sense since GFW has a working agreement with New Japan Pro Wrestling, and they're the white dude faces of the Bullet Club right now. They're not my cup of tea, but the Club is hot right now.
  • The Killer Elite Squad of Lance Hoyt and Davey Boy Smith, JR. - Smith and Hoyt, like Anderson and Gallows, are members of a larger stable in NJPW, Suzuki-Gun. However, their act feels a bit fresher to me. It'll be interesting to see what Hoyt does when he doesn't have Brandon Stroud to kick around...
  • Seiya Sanada - Sanada came to America and TNA as an emissary of Wrestle-1, but he morphed into a star all his own. He was bonkers at King of Trios last year as well. Sadly, TNA let him go, but that company's loss is GFW's gain. Sanada should be a fantastic player in any light heavyweight or cruiserweight division.
  • Moose - This signing's the big shock, as he's been a regular on Ring of Honor television. Of course, of all the agreements that GFW has signed with other promotions, none of them have been based in America, and GFW is also trying to get itself on TV. Moose is still scheduled to wrestle for ROH during Global Wars, so who knows what his situation is. However, he has grown exponentially in the ring during his tenure even with his current state of rawness. With the right cultivation, he could be a megastar.
  • Lei'D Tapa - Barbarian's daughter spent a lot of time dicking around in Ohio Valley Wrestling after her Gut Check stint with TNA went nowhere. She seems like a great basis for the women's division, a big, tough, strong wrestler who can work well with smaller women cycling in and out.
  • Thea Trinidad (Rosita) - Trinidad didn't really spend a whole lot of time in the wrestling spotlight after her release from TNA, but she always seemed to be a satellite around the industry if her Twitter is any indication. It'll be something to see whether she wrestles or if she's a managerial type.
  • Chael Sonnen - Sonnen is the aforementioned analyst brought aboard. He's known for his gift of gab in MMA circles, and he's also a huge pro wrestling fan, so he could be a decent hire here. Or he'll just end up being annoying and shitty, which is also his rep. Who knows.
I imagine more names will be added as GFW gets closer and closer to launch. Of course, all the names in the world will mean nothing if Jim Cornette's role with the company is anything greater than novelty on-screen personality. It also needs to find a TV outlet, especially with taping dates set in stone through October. However, it's great that it finally has some talent to show for all the planning. It's not a whiz-bang, dazzling display of starpower by any means, but the names announced are at least solid hands who can do some heavy lifting during shows, which means a lot for any company, televised or not.