The one thing you should watch if you loved Jackass Forever

Recently, I went to a theater to watch Jackass Forever, and I loved it. But while I was watching the movie with my friend Mike, I had a realization. Anyone who loves Jackass, and enjoyed watching Jackass Forever, should probably watch GCW (which streams live on Fite). I turned to Mike to confirm my suspicion, and that I should write an article about this, and he agreed. 

And now, I'm sure the above paragraph has divided readers into two camps. Those who know about Game Changer Wrestling (and are nodding their heads) and those who have no idea what I'm talking about. But as I watched Preston Lacey's body take hit after hit, and Chris Pontius and Steve-O's bodies suffer repeatedly, I could not stop thinking about GCW.

For those who are a bit annoyed that I'm telling them to watch wrestling? Well, first off, I have an alternate recommendation. But know that GCW isn't the WWF or WWE you might know about. While its audiences do have the intense energy that the crowds during the boom period of the 1990's did, its performers are far more physically different and intense.

I've got a free sample of GCW's brand of bat-guano wild content, but first allow me to give an Explicit Content Warning: Below this point lies some content you won't want to watch with kids in the room. Do not try this at home, because as the Jackass intro states, the following YouTube clip features stunts performed either by professionals or under the supervision of professionals.

GCW is the Jackass of pro wrestling

So, as you've seen above, the performers of Game Changer Wrestling are a lot like the men (and woman) seen in Jackass Forever. They're working together in a state of constantly moving chaos to provide physical stunts that entertain.

The only difference, though, is that GCW doesn't use Jackass' skit-based format, instead using pro wrestling's pre-determined combat sport fights. So, the downside is you don't often get the loving joy that you see between the Jackass guys (which can turn to anger when "Danger" Ehren McGhehey's taken one too many hits below the belt). But you often do see a show of respect between foes, and love between performers.

But know that most of the time, these performers are friendly behind the scenes. They'd have to be, with the amount of trust they put in one another.

And if you want more proof that Jackass is pro wrestling, look no further than the extracurricular activities of one Johnny Knoxville. To promote Jackass Forever, Knoxville actually wrestled in the WWE Royal Rumble this year (and all signs point to him wrestling again at WrestleMania). 

Just like Jackass, the GCW performers risk their bodies for entertainment, and no such moment is more memorable in recent history than the time AJ Gray attempted to do a jumping attack off of a very tall ladder and accidentally fell onto another ladder and onto the ring. The sequence really looked like it hurt, but just like Jackass, I couldn't turn away.

And for those who love how the Jackass guys embrace the homoerotic (Knoxville himself has referred to the show as a Pride parade)? Well, meet Effy, who enters the arena to Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," wrapped in a pink leather jacket and fishnets, and he's an utter fan favorite. Effy's brand is so strong that GCW gives him an annual Big Gay Brunch event that he makes a must-see. Check it out for yourself:

And just like how Jackass eventually introduced its first woman (Rachel Wolfson) to its ranks, GCW also has a few women who kick ass. The biggest fan favorite is Allie Katch, whose love of Lady Gaga inspired her recent entrance.

Bonus: The other thing that Jackass fans should watch

So, I promised you something extra. Something else for those who want more than pro wrestling. And that show is Impractical Jokers, which has 9 seasons on HBO Max ($14.99 per month without ads, $9.99 per month with ads).

This series has less of the bodily harm, more of the humiliation, making it a less painful Jackass. In it, four longtime friends (one of whom just left the show) watching each other perform funny dares. But someone is always deemed the "loser" and has to take a punishment at the end.

So, if you've watched all the Jackass movies and episodes, and want something new? You've got two new choices, both of which prove that no show or event can truly compare to Jackass. Both take halves of the Jackass coin can be found elsewhere, but nobody else does it like them.