GCW promoter gives Nick Gage update: ‘Shocking’ and ‘remarkable’ turnaround
Nick Gage has had a shocking and remarkable turnaround over the past few months, according to his friend Brett Lauderdale.
The GCW promoter shared an update on Gage on Sunday night, expressing how proud he is of Gage for the work he’s done to better himself. It was announced in October that Gage had been in treatment for several weeks and would be there indefinitely as he worked to overcome his long-standing battle with addiction.
On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death
— brett lauderdale (@Lauderdale11) December 29, 2025
in less than 3 months, the turnaround is shocking & remarkable
this is what it looks like when you break free from decades of addiction and *finally* start believing in yourself
the king is back and i couldn't be more proud MDK pic.twitter.com/mSfX0s1Y0V
“On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death,” Lauderdale wrote. “In less than 3 months, the turnaround is shocking & remarkable. This is what it looks like when you break free from decades of addiction and finally start believing in yourself. The king is back and i couldn’t be more proud MDK.
“To the haters, grifters, enablers & bad faith ‘brothers’ who cowardly looked the other way or played dumb when you were called out, die slow, your time will come.”
Lauderdale also sent out a tweet thanking Sean “X-Pac” Waltman for helping Gage.
The 45-year-old Gage is a death match legend and was the subject of a 2021 episode of Vice TV’s Dark Side of the Ring. That year, he worked a match on national television when he faced Chris Jericho for AEW.
2025 was a difficult year for Gage with his wife Sondra Culbertson — described as a passionate and fierce supporter of his — passing away in April.
What’s next for Gage in pro wrestling remains to be seen.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.