GFW Amped (partially found unaired professional wrestling show; 2015)
GFW Amped was an unaired professional wrestling show. Produced by Global Force Wrestling (GFW), 16 hours of content was filmed at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas from July to October 2015, but none of it aired by the time GFW merged with Impacting Wrestling in early 2017. On 14th August, 2018, GFW owner Jeff Jarrett sued Impact Wrestling's owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment after it transpired that the latter deleted the GFW Amped master tapes.
Background
GFW was founded by Jeff and Karen Jarrett on 7th April, 2014.[1] A professional wrestler most known for his time in the WWF and WCW,[2] Jarrett was previously the owner of TNA Wrestling, founding it alongside his father Jerry.[3] After selling a controlling stake to Panda Energy in October 2002, Jarrett's influence in the organisation faded over the years.[4] Nevertheless, Jarrett was interested in starting a new promotion, and with the assistance of Dave Broome's 25/7 Productions, aimed to create a weekly professional wrestling television show.[5]
After building a roster throughout 2015, which included the likes of Scott Steiner,[6] Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson,[7] Shelton Benjamin,[8] Mickie James, and Nick Aldis among others,[9] Jarrett announced the creation of GFW Amped on 9th July.[10] Filming for the show began on 24th July, with further tapings on 21st August and 23rd October, all at the Orleans Arena.[11] By the time filming wrapped up, the Global, NEX*GEN, Tag Team and Women's champions had been crowned,[12] and 16 hours of footage, split into 16 one-hour shows, was captured.[13]
Nevertheless, GFW were seemingly unable to gain a US television deal, despite securing agreements in the UK and New Zealand.[14] On 20th April, 2017, it was announced by Karen Jarrett that Impact Wrestling (previously TNA) and GFW had merged, Jeff having already returned to the company as its chief creative officer earlier that same year.[15] This deal would later turn sour, with it ultimately being terminated on 23rd October, 2017, Jarrett also leaving the company having already taken an absence of leave months earlier.[16]
Availability
GFW Amped never aired on television as a stand-alone show, despite 16 shows having been filmed. Nevertheless, four hours of content would be televised by Impact Wrestling as part of its Impact One Night Only 2017 events.[17] Part 1 of GFW Amped Anthology would be aired on 11th August, 2017, with part 2 televised on 15th September, both parts containing matches from the 24th July, 2015 tapings.[18][19] Part 3, consisting of footage from the 21st August taping, was aired on 13th October.[20] Despite the GFW agreement having already been terminated by this point, Impact Wrestling aired part 4, containing footage from the 23rd October taping.[21] The entirety of GFW Amped Anthology would later be sold on DVD, and remains as the only publicly accessible footage of GFW Amped.
The remaining footage of GFW Amped is now considered permanently irrecoverable. On 14th August, 2018, Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment sued Anthem Sports & Entertainment over copyright infringement.[22] This caused Impact Wrestling to pull the sale of the DVDs.[23] A second lawsuit was filed by Jarrett on 19th February, 2019, accusing Impact Wrestling of having deleted the master tapes for GFW Amped. Anthem Sports & Entertainment and Impact Wrestling later admitted that they had destroyed the footage to save storage space,[24] but countersued, claiming Jarrett knew in advance that the master tapes were to be deleted.[25] The trial ultimately concluded in January 2021, with a private settlement between Jarrett and Anthem Sports & Entertainment having been reached.[26]
See Also
- Braden Walker's "Knock Knock" promo (lost original pre-tapes of WWE backstage segment; 2008)
- Bret Hart-Hulk Hogan photoshoot (lost professional wrestling promotional photos; 1993)
- Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling (lost early BBC televised professional wrestling matches; 1938-1939; 1946-1947)
- Celebrity Wrestling (partially found ITV professional wrestling reality show; 2005)
- ECW Anarchy Rulz (lost build of cancelled Nintendo 64 port of professional wrestling game; existence unconfirmed; 2000)
- ECW Hardcore TV final episodes (lost episodes of Professional Wrestling Show; 2001)
- The Game (partially found Disturbed cover of professional wrestling theme song; mid 2000s)
- Girls Gone Wild: Live from Spring Break (found WWE/Girls Gone Wild crossover special; 2003)
- Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1908)
- Gotch-Hackenschmidt Match Film (lost world championship match; 1911)
- Jake "The Snake" Roberts DDTs Hulk Hogan (lost Snake Pit segment; 1986)
- "Plane Ride From Hell" (lost photographs of drunk wrestler incidents; 2002)
- Screwed: The Bret Hart Story (lost unfinished wrestling documentary film; 2005)
- Sex University (lost WWE webshow; 2006)
- Shin Nihon Pro Wrestling Gekitou Densetsu (lost build of unreleased Virtual Boy wrestling game; 1995)
- Strange Kentucky People (lost recording of Chris Jericho "tribute"; 1994)
- TNA Impact! 2 (lost build of unfinished professional wrestling game; 2009)
- WCW 2000 (lost work on unfinished PlayStation 2 game; 2000)
- WCW Internet-only Special Events and PPVs (lost audio streams; 1997-1998)
- WCW/nWo Live (lost build of cancelled PlayStation professional wrestling game; 1998)
- WWE Brawl (lost build of cancelled fighting game based on professional wrestling; 2012)
- WWE SmackDown vs Raw Online (lost build of cancelled online professional wrestling PC game; 2010-2011)
- WWF Backlash (non-existent unfinished Nintendo 64 professional wrestling game; 2001)
- WWF In Your House 8: Beware Of Dog (partially found untelevised professional wrestling matches; 1996)
- WWF No Mercy (lost Game Boy Color games based on Nintendo 64 wrestling game; 2000)
- WWF Shotgun (partially found July to December season of syndicated wrestling show; 1997)
- WWF Xperience (found pay-per-view event footage; 1996)
References
- ↑ Fansided reporting on Jeff Jarrett announcing GFW. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ WWE's Jeff Jarrett biography. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestling News where Jarrett discussed founding TNA Wrestling. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ The Sportster detailing TNA/Impact Wrestling's ownership history. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Hollywood Reporter reporting on GFW announcing a venture with 25/7 Productions. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestling Rumors reporting on Scott Steiner joining GFW. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Still Real To Us reporting on various names joining GFW, including Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Sportskeeda reporting on Shelton Benjamin joining GFW, among others. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ WhatCulture reporting on Mickie James and Nickl Aldis joining GFW Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ SE Scoops reporting on the GFW Amped announcement. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestleview reporting on the GFW Amped tapings. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Sportskeeda reporting on the GFW champions being crowned. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestleview reporting on the 16 hours of footage captured. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestling-Edge noting the lack of progress GFW made concerning a US TV deal. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Cageside Seats reporting on the GFW-TNA merge, noting Jarrett's position in TNA creative. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestleview reporting on the GFW-Impact Wrestling deal being terminated. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestling-Online reporting on GFW Amped footage being aired as part of Impact One Night Only. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Voices of Wrestling reviewing Part 1 of GFW Amped Anthology. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Cage Match detailing Part 2 of GFW Amped Anthology. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Cage Match detailing Part 3 of GFW Amped Anthology. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Cage Match detailing Part 4 of GFW Amped Anthology. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Ringside News reporting on Jarrett and Global Force Entertainment suing Anthem Sports & Entertainment over copyright infringement. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestleview reporting on Impact Wrestling pulling the sales of the GFW Amped Anthology DVDs. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ 411 Mania reporting on Anthem Sports & Entertainment and Impact Wrestling admitting that they had destroyed the footage. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Fightful reporting on Anthem Sports & Entertainment countersuing. Retrieved 16 Dec '21
- ↑ Wrestling Inc reporting that a private settlement had been reached. Retrieved 16 Dec '21