Joseph Sawyer: New Name, Same Fight 

Joseph Sawyer’s career is exactly the kind of wrestling journey I love. Nothing has been handed to him; nothing has been straight forwarded and every time one chapter has ended, he has found a way to make the next one matter.  

Long before WWE, Sawyer had already spent years earning his reputation on the independent scene. He debuted in 2006 and became a major name in CZW, where he was a 3x CZW World Heavyweight Champion. This wasn’t somebody learning how to be a wrestler when WWE signed him. By that point, he’d already been through the grind.  

His history with GCW makes where he is today even more special. Back in 2016, Sawyer competed against Kyle the Beast, Joey Janela and Pink Sanchez in the match to crown GCW’s inaugural champion. He didn’t win that night but ten years later that story has come full circle in the best possible way. On Wrestling Pedigree Podcast, Sawyer discussed a fun story with wrestling Joey Janela. Sawyer vs. Janela in GCW were performing in their match and one spot was a porta-potty was close to them and Janela climbed on top of the porta-potty, made a few dents on roof of it. He dived off the roof onto Sawyer, after this Jake “The Snake” Roberts came out of porta-potty and just smiled at both wrestlers and left.  

EVOLVE became an important stepping stone towards WWE. As part of The Unwanted, Sawyer teamed with Eddie Kingston and defeated The Street Profits for the EVOLVE Tag Team Championship in 2019. When WWE acquired EVOLVE in 2020, Sawyer finally got the opportunity he’s spent more than a decade working towards.  

Schism Showed the Way 

For me, Sawyer really found his identity in NXT with Schism. Alongside Jagger Reid, Rip Fowler and eventually Ava, Sawyer became this unsettling leader who preached togetherness and acceptance while clearly having something much darker underneath. “Four roots, one tree.” 

I genuinely think Schism had more potential than WWE ever fully explored. The group looked different, sounded different and had an identity. Most importantly, Sawyer committed completely to the character.  Unfortunately, the group disbanded due to Gritted Young Veterans requesting their releases from WWE. His NXT championship rivalry with the champ Bron Breakker also proved he could be trusted in a major programme. Sawyer never won the title, but he showed he belonged at that level. 

When Schism ended, Sawyer reinvented himself again. His increasingly chaotic character, particularly during his rivalry with Dijak, eventually made his move into the Wyatt Sicks (6) feel completely natural. Sawyer didn’t look out of place in that world. If anything, his years of playing strange, uncomfortable characters made him one of the most obvious fits in the group. Then came a deserved reward. 

In 2025, Sawyer and Dexter Lumis defeated The Street Profits to become WWE Tag Team champions. There was some brilliant history there too. Years earlier, Sawyer and Eddie Kingston had beaten the same team for EVOLVE Tag Titles. I love those little full circle moments in wrestling.  

Joseph Sawyer Comes Home 

After his WWE run ended in 2026, Sawyer returned to the independents as Joseph Sawyer. This is where his story gets even better. At GCW Homecoming on August 15th, 2026, Sawyer defeated Atticus Cogar to become GCW World Champion. Ten years after failing to win that inaugural championship match, he came back and finally won the title. That’s why this victory means something. After hearing Sawyer discuss his journey on the Wrestling Pedigree Podcast, what stands out to me is the persistence behind the career. Wrestling hasn’t always given him the easiest route, but he has continued to evolve rather than allowing one character, company or setback to define him. That’s why I'm genuinely excited about his GCW World Championship reign. Joseph Sawyer gets to remind fans just how good he is and ten years after missing out on GCW’s biggest prize, he’s finally the man holding it. Well freaking deserved.