Joseph Sawyer, formerly known as Joe Gacy in WWE, captured the GCW World Championship on Saturday at Homecoming 2026 Night 1, held at the Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Sawyer defeated Atticus Cogar in the main event to end one of the most dominant title reigns in recent GCW history. Cogar had held the championship since November 22, 2025, racking up 25 successful defenses before dropping the belt.
The match saw outside interference down the stretch. Max Recon ran in to help Cogar, but former WWE referee Drake Wuertz, also known as Drake Younger, intervened and prevented Recon from completing a count. Sawyer then hit a Sister Abigail and scored the pinfall.
After the title change, Sawyer summed it up for the crowd:
“What a f—ing Homecoming.”
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4:07 AM · Aug 16, 2026The win gives Sawyer his first reign as GCW World Champion. The result carries added weight considering it was his first match in the promotion since 2020, before his lengthy WWE run.
Sawyer has been on a tear since leaving WWE in April alongside the rest of the Wyatt Sicks. Just one week earlier, on August 8, he defeated Anthony Gangone to capture the Xcite Wrestling Heavyweight Championship.
During his time in WWE, Gacy’s top accomplishment was winning the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Dexter Lumis.