ZeeWI: The Officially Unofficial GFW Grand Championship Rankings

Before we get underway, this columnist just wanted to extend a bit of an apology for the intermittent nature of ZeeWI in recent weeks. Long story short – the day job has been busy the last couple of months, and I just haven’t been able to cover our beloved sport the way I’d like to. A repeated apology, as well as a request for continued patience likely for the rest of the summer. Thank you.

This week, I was hoping to introduce something new within the pages of ZeeWI. While you can almost always count on some in-depth coverage of Global Force Wrestling here (along with the occasional piece on WWE, Lucha Underground, or Ring of Honor), I wanted to call back to a column I wrote about three months ago, where I came up with three ideas that could, hopefully, help boost the Grand Championship division of what is now Global Force Wrestling.

My ideas were simple: non-title matches held under the same rules, different rules between non-title matches and those for the championship, and adding “specialized” wrestlers who fit the “Grand Championship style” were all suggested as ways to help the division be more than a guy with a belt facing random people who were given a title shot just for existing.

As of this writing, none of my ideas have been realized in the company. A shock, to be sure.

However, instead of griping about what a dumb company Global Force is, I’ve instead decided on a different direction. Within these confines, in these hallowed ZeeWI halls, I shall house the Officially Unofficial GFW Grand Championship Rankings. While mainly for entertainment purposes, it shall also remain our only real shot at attempting to make any sense of the division.

In ranking the contenders, the following scientific criteria shall be considered:

1. Wins / Losses in recent outings
2. Crowd Response / Interest
3. Momentum Meter (Green, Yellow, Red)
4. Megamove

As Global Force Wrestling can, at times, be the Wild West, it is always difficult to try and instill some order, and that’s understood. Still, the second most important championship needs to have a clear path for those who hope to win it, and I intend to provide it.

For this, the introductory week, we will cover only the Champion and Top 3 Contenders. Should reader response and/or GFW circumstances demand it, we will expand them.
On to the rankings! (Writer’s Note: Don’t forget – if it hasn’t aired, it isn’t official!)

Champion: Moose

In his second reign as champion, Moose has really found his groove. On top of the division since the start of March, he can count Ring of Honor World Champion Cody among his victims. His mix of speed and stamina, along with a hard-hitting style, have made him an instant force to be reckoned with since his debut last year.

He’s faced only the best that Global Force has been able to provide since showing up, and that has allowed him to gain the knowledge and experience needed to swim with the sharks. Instead of being brought up slowly, he was instead forged in the fires, and that has paid off with his incredible success at such high levels.

There could be trouble, however, as he faces Ethan Carter, III this Thursday with the championship on the line. Moose hasn’t backed down from any challengers yet, but the former World Champion may end up being just a bit too much. If not, however, a win for Moose only grows his legend exponentially.

#1 Contender: Ethan Carter, III (EC3)

The Main Man of Global Force Wrestling, Carter has been nothing but trouble (trouble trouble trouble….) for anyone on which he’s set his sights. A recent turn to a more vicious side saw him do unspeakably horrible things to James Storm and others, using a leather strap to whip them repeatedly in increasingly uncomfortable attacks. After defeating Storm at Slammiversary, Carter seemed ready to strike for a shot at the World Championship.

EC3 would instead find himself on the outside looking in as World Champion Alberto El Patrón tended to other matters. Realizing that he was in a spot where he needed to keep himself relevant, Carter has targeted the Grand Championship held by Moose.

Interrupting a recent match between Moose and Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Naomichi Marufuji, Carter served notice that no one is going to receive any respect as long as he continues to feel slighted by Bruce Prichard and company. Looking only to prove his greatness, he will be his own moral compass, and is unafraid to answer for his actions.

He seems to have all the momentum right now, and this columnist wonders if, come Thursday night, we will indeed be seeing a brand new Grand Champion crowned. It could very well happen!

#2 Contender: E_Li_Drake

Now, sure, he hasn’t had the best couple of months, but don’t get lost in the sauce – Drake is clearly set to strike when the moment is right, and that Grand Championship is not out of the view as an object he can obtain.

While his association with Chris Adonis has produced mainly an embarrassing loss at Slammiversary, Drake seems content to have someone watching his back, regardless of what the fans and other wrestlers may think. And he seems to prefer having it be someone clearly not as good as he is, as evidenced by his prior association with Tyrus. Drake likes to have backup, sure, but he doesn’t want to risk ever being double-crossed by someone actually better than him. That may leave him carrying the bag a few times while he associates with Adonis, but Drake appears to know what he’s doing.

That includes finding himself as a slight ally of Carter in his current beef with Moose, which saw Drake, Carter, and Adonis walk out the winners of a six man tag against Moose, Marufuji, and Eddie Edwards. Drake knows that simply being close to the fire can still help you shine a little brighter, and his past feud with Carter gave him the knowledge that he can hang with one of GFW’s very best.

Look for Drake to try and position himself as the new #1 contender once Moose and Carter have their match this Thursday!

#3 Contender: Matt Sydal

Matt Sydal may be the surprising choice, but the man has been on an incredible roll since joining the company, picking up big wins both in and out of the X Division. However, it’s been his recent interactions with Lashley that put him in this position, if this columnist is being honest.

Though completely outmanned, Sydal has shown zero fear in confronting Lashley on two separate occasions, even getting the better of Walking Armageddon in their most recent altercation. This, as GFW fans are aware, led to the booking of a match between the two at the upcoming Destination X live edition of Impact.

With this kind of momentum and hype behind him, especially should he find himself victorious against Lashley, Sydal may find himself a little too big for X Division, while not quite ready to be granted a shot at the belt in a crowded World Title scene. That could very well open the door for him to stake his claim at an opportunity for the Grand Championship, and deservedly so.

The rules of the Grand Championship match could also provide Sydal the opportunity to stick and move, before hitting one of his lighting fast strikes, and finishing things with the Shooting Star Press. Sydal would be wise to plan a challenge to the man holding the Grand Championship after his match with Lashley, win or lose.

Some Final GFW Impact Musings…

Ah, to see them in better times…

Something seems to be going on with Braxton Sutter, something I alluded to in the last edition of ZeeWI. What was once just a darker beard and a seemingly surly demeanor then has only gotten worse. Has Braxton lost his love for Allie? What caused the flame to burn out so fast? Am I misreading?

As someone who at first was not impressed with Sutter, only to be won over by his zero tolerance policy for BS, I had wondered if he could be a star that was created by the company, one that the people could get behind as the underdog that made good on his promise and potential.

Instead, it seems that once he got even the smallest taste of success, he became paranoid about losing it. And it seems that Allie is going to pay the price, with Sutter apparently tired of having to constantly be her defender. Which, when you consider that Sutter once prized that position more than his very own health.

Dressed all in black and sporting a mean scowl the last time we saw him, it may just be a matter of time before he breaks her heart and destroys the good will with the fans in one bad decision. Sutter seemed to finally have it all falling into place and ready to make a run, but for some reason, he is now poised to throw it all away.

One has to wonder – is this all his own doing? Or is someone else planting the seeds? Or is this writer completely off base? For some reason, I don’t think I am. Here’s hoping that Braxton and Allie can figure it out and put this ugly period behind them!