The Force to Join the World, Finally

Moose will be among the wrestlers breaking in GFW
Photo Credit: Scott Finkelstein

From the moment Jeff Jarrett announced Global Force Wrestling, the entire operation has been an exercise in patience. He's spent 15 months doing research, cataloging wrestlers, brokering affiliation deals, getting television tapings lined up (even with no network distribution lined up), and finally getting the first house show tour in order. All of that work has led to this weekend's inaugural GFW shows, part of that first house show tour. Minor league baseball stadiums in Jackson and Knoxville, TN will host shows this Friday and Saturday respectively.

These house shows may not end up being representative of the televised product, if it ever makes TV. I get the feeling Jeff Jarrett is riding out the death rattle of TNA before he announces that Spike TV has Joined The Force, but that is just some gut-feeling speculation on my part. Anyway, regardless of whether or not all the wrestlers and personalities seen at these baseball stadium shows show up at the Orleans for the first tapings is irrelevant. The lineups look curious at least and exciting at best. The best part is is that tickets are going to be affordable. Front row gimmicks are only $40, but the cheap seats priced at $10 is fucking awesome if you're looking to take your family to a rasslin show.

And with talent like Kongo Kong, Moose, Chris (Masters) Mordetzky, Sonjay Dutt, Chuck Taylor, Trent?, and the Bullet Club on the docket, attendees will get a good taste of established talent to go with the relative unknowns. The crowd in Knoxville will get a HOSS FIGHT of HOSS FIGHTS as Kong and Moose will do battle on the Saturday show.

I won't sugarcoat things and say that these shows are landmark or groundbreaking. If anything, they're about as low-key as GFW has been ever since it started. But at $10 a pop for the general admission tickets, people who head to these shows will get good value. At this point, when WWE's stranglehold on the American wrestling scene has limited how explosive other promotion's shows can be, providing bang for your buck might be the best way to go.