Originally published at Ron McDonald details issues with Brett Lauderdale, talks GCW fake COVID tests allegations
Ron McDonald speaks on the record about the situation.
This past May, California-based promoter ‘Dirty’ Ron McDonald made allegations against Game Changer Wrestling promoter Brett Lauderdale. He shared that Lauderdale was in contact with him about obtaining fake COVID-19 test results so that Lauderdale could continue running shows in the midst of the pandemic.
At the time, McDonald described Lauderdale as “cheap” and claimed that some talents working GCW events were getting $50-$100 pay days along with paying for their own hotels and rental cars. Those claims were disputed by the likes of Tony Deppen, Jordan Oliver, Joey Janela and Cole Radrick who commented on their experiences working with Lauderdale and describing the COVID protocols that were in place for GCW events.
In a new interview with Piers Austin, McDonald spoke in-depth about the situation at hand and detailed how his issues with Lauderdale began. McDonald said he co-promoted shows with GCW and helped them book flights and got Brett’s talent booked in the San Diego area as he had been only flying talent out to do one show in Los Angeles.
As McDonald and Lauderdale were co-promoting the events, at one point, he asked Lauderdale could he take care of the flights and he would pay for the live stream and they’ll put it up on the GCW YouTube page. The ripple in their working relationship began when McDonald flew GCW talent out and heard that Lauderdale had been calling him cheap and stating that he was “trying to get one over” on him. McDonald said those comments were relayed to him from wrestlers who are not in “first gear” or “third gear”, alluding to the Second Gear Crew.
Whole story, I helped Brett Lauderdale and GCW get their first venue here in L.A. I believe in 2018 when they did their first show in L.A. in that big warehouse where all the walls were white. I facilitated getting that. Why? Because I wanted to help Game Changer Wrestling build a market, not only in Los Angeles but also San Diego because I know that would benefit me. Fast forward, I do five co-promoted events with them where I help with flights, help bring their guys out, got ‘em booked down here in San Diego. Even on shows where I barely made money. Why? Again, I’m helping them build a market out here in L.A. and in San Diego so they can have a double shot out here. Otherwise, he’s flying all these guys out here for one show and they’re dipping back. Following me so far? So I do this co-promoted show with him September last year and basically there was a trade where he was already, like I said, flying his guys here and back. So I said, ‘Hey, could you pay for the flights? I will pay for the live stream and we’ll put it on the GCW YouTube page.’ That was the deal, he said yes. We got like 25,000 people watching that sh*t live because it’s free on the GCW YouTube page. So, anyway, that’s what it was. So then I brought his guys back here in December and all of a sudden, I got wrestlers from GCW saying that Brett says I’m cheap, Brett saying that I’m trying to get one over on him. I’m hearing this from some of the boys and I’m like, where the f*ck is this coming from? Nick Gage is my friend, and I’m like, ‘Nick, where is this coming from?’ And you know, Nick didn’t really have too much of an opinion but like, some of my boys. Some of the boys might be, you know, not in first gear, not in third gear, I’ll let you fill in the blanks. Out here whispering to me about how a bunch of sh*t is being talked about me so I’m like, what the f*ck? So, blah, blah, blah, that happens. I’m like, I ain’t f*cking — I ain’t worried about this guy anymore. There’s no reason to.
In the fall of 2021, Game Changer Wrestling announced the launch of their L.A. Fights subsidiary promotion. McDonald claims that Brett started to book talents that he (McDonald) already had scheduled for shows and said talents would cancel to go wrestle for GCW. McDonald stated that he eventually became fed up with it and questioned how it could not be personal.
He claims there was a time before a show began that Lauderdale publicly asked if there was anyone who knew how to do photoshop. An individual stepped forward and offered their services. The GCW promoter was not aware that this individual was a friend of Ron’s and that’s when he claims the distributing of fake COVID tests began, adding that he did not find out about it until later and played the middle man in the situation.
Lauderdale gave his thoughts on the matter during his early June appearance on ‘The Business of the Business’ podcast, but noted that he did not want to dive too deeply into the allegations because of the legal ramifications that could come with it. McDonald’s main talking point is that Lauderdale had those fake COVID tests made without the wrestlers knowing.
Then, this is December last year so then we get to May of this year and his L.A. Fights shows, he uses a lot of the same guys that I do and this is the third time in like four months that he would hit up guys I had booked for months. Hit them up the night before his show and go, ‘Hey, come do my show’ and they would cancel their booking on me which is, you know, sh*t happens. But eventually, I got tired of it and I was like, ‘All right man. How does this not feel personal? Now a bunch of your boys are telling me that rumors are going around that I’m cheap, that I’m trying to get one over or some sh*t’ which is, again, I have no idea where that’s coming from. ‘You know who I got booked on my shows and you’re taking them and asking them to be on your shows’ and they’re taking it, you know? I can’t be mad at them. It’s an opportunity to wrestle in front of 40 people at an L.A. Fights show to 17 people watching a live stream. It’s an opportunity, let me tell ya’. So, I got pissed off and I was like, you know what? F*ck this motherf*cker. I got dirt. I got dirt on this motherf*cker. You know what? And I don’t give a sh*t because the promoter code, you don’t do that sh*t. You don’t book other people’s dudes. So, here’s what I knew and here’s the first time I’m telling anybody exactly what the f*ck happened. Okay, I was at a show, October 2020, at this ranch in Orange County out here in California. There was a GCW show. I brought Sabu in to do these podcasts I did with him. So Brett was like, ‘Oh, can I use Sabu?’ Brett didn’t give me no f*cking money for a flight, didn’t give me no money for a hotel. I paid for all that sh*t for Sabu, all right? Anyway, so, I’m at that show and I have somebody with me in my crew, okay, that is a photoshop genius. So, I find out at the show that Brett said aloud, ‘Hey, does anybody know how to do photoshop?’ And the person in my crew said, ‘I’m a f*cking gangster at that sh*t.’ So unbeknownst to me, Brett has this person make these things, whatever. I find out about it, right? And I’m like… okay and here’s what I know for a fact, I know whatever wrestlers did in fact have fake COVID tests made for them, they didn’t have them made for them. Brett, unbeknownst to those wrestlers had them made because those wrestlers didn’t have them and instead of not booking these wrestlers he had already flown out there, Brett took it upon himself to do some shady ass sh*t and get somebody to do that. That person, I know. I know that person. I have no idea how to do photoshop. I’ve never made no f*cking nothing, nothing. So, I knew all this sh*t and when Brett needed that again, Brett hit me up because he doesn’t have a direct connection to this person. Ah, you know, so I made that connection again for Brett. Again, never made an anything, never touched a photoshop file a day in my life. Here’s the thing too man, he’s out here painting himself as a f*cking, oh, I’m an outlaw. How the f*ck can you be an outlaw when you’re backstage at WrestleMania sucking Stephanie McMahon’s dick on some comps she gave you? You ain’t no f*cking outlaw. You are the mainstream now Brett. Whatever. I worked with them, it didn’t end up going well and I’d still love to hear what the f*ck I did. I still don’t know. But, I just got sick of it and I was like, you know what? F*ck this dude. He’s gonna book my guys and they’re gonna cancel on me last minute. I have five matches. You take three of my guys, now I gotta find some three dudes that are not booked on a Saturday last minute that are good? Come on dude. So, you know, I just got sick and tired of that sh*t and I called him out. Of course he had nothing to say about it because he’s f*cking guilty, guilty. I watch enough Law & Order, I know. Well first of all, I know the truth. I have access to all the files so, you know, whatever. He’s somebody that takes advantage of people. He did the same sh*t to the guys that run one of these new deathmatch promotions out there. Look at all the guys that don’t work there anymore. Look at all the deathmatch guys that don’t work there anymore. I don’t know, so, you know what? Proof’s in the pudding. Brett Lauderdale’s a f*cking cocksucker. Whatever, but you know, again, I stood up for myself and I wasn’t gonna let this f*cking asshole push me around. I thought, you know what? F*ck him and it was really weird because it seemed like the internet really took his side when clearly, everything I said had something to back it up.
When asked about the potential legalities of the situation, McDonald said he has not spoken with a lawyer in a formal manner. He went on to say that he incriminated himself by openly admitting to being associated in the distribution of fake COVID tests but does not think anyone is going to come after him for it.
He spoke to friends of his who he says are lawyers and they expressed that they’d be surprised if legal troubles actually arose. Ron said out of everyone, Brett Lauderdale is the person who wants this to progress to that level the least.
F*ck no … I incriminated myself. Nobody’s coming after that sh*t. I didn’t give a f*ck. I didn’t give a f*ck. Have you smoked weed somewhere where you don’t supposed to smoke weed? Have you ever jaywalked? F*ck yeah. We break the rules all the time, like, suck a dick. After the fact, I did talk to a couple of my friend-lawyers and they were like, ‘If somebody comes after you for that, I’ll give you a million dollars.’ Nobody’s coming after me. Nobody is, okay? Nobody is and you know what? You know who doesn’t want anybody to come out about this more than anybody? Brett Lauderdale.
It’s dead. Nobody gave a sh*t. He said nothing. Joey Janela and a couple other of his f*cking little butt boys came out and said, ‘Oh, he never did that for me.’ Hey, hmm, well, all those documents I put out, why didn’t anybody ask any of those guys? But here’s the thing, I’m telling you right now, it’s a fact. None of those wrestlers knew fake COVID tests were being made for ‘em. None of ‘em, none of ‘em. Brett did it by himself, you see what I’m saying? Brett was like, yo, I need this show to happen. I flew these guys in, I need to do something. ‘Who knows how to do photoshop? Hey guys, don’t worry about it. You’re on the show.’ Why are they gonna ask? They ain’t gonna ask what’s going on.
Later in the interview, McDonald addressed those who thinks he’s erratic and wild. He said everything he does is premediated and calculated. McDonald added that if anyone thinks he did not weigh the pros and cons and make lists to decide if he should share the information or not, then they’re sadly mistaken.
Let me tell you this too, I learned early on the power of persuasion and the power to manipulate people’s emotions early on and if anybody thinks that — here’s a little secret, if anybody ever thinks when I popped off on Brett or when I said this or did that, that-that wasn’t calculated, thought about, pros and cons lists were made, you’re out of your mind. Everything I do is premeditated and I learned early on to understand the probability and the possibilities of most outcomes for every action I have because every action has a reaction, right? But to think that I’m wild, crazy, uncalculated, unhinged person, you don’t know me motherf*cker. Everything I do is very calculated. I realized the effect I have on people and if you got-got, if you ever expressed emotion for something I did or said, I got you motherf*cker.
McDonald has been in the wrestling business since the early 2000s. He brought up CM Punk’s name and recounted Punk looking down on him and his friend group for smoking while they were working for IWA Mid-South together. He said Punk has always been the way he is and that’s why people do not like being around him.
If you’re cool to be around and you’re talented enough, you’ll make it in entertainment. That’s another thing that I figured out. Nobody told me that. You just gotta be talented enough, but, what’s more important is that you’re cool to be around . Straight up. That’s why nobody likes CM Punk because he’s a f*cking douchebag. He’s been a whiny cunt, he’s always been a whiny cunt because we all smoked weed so he was back in the IWA Mid-South days looking down on us. I mean obviously, he never talked directly to me but, the rest of all my buddies and he was just a f*cking cunt all the time. What a twat.
Game Changer Wrestling is set to head to Japan in two weeks for a string of events starting September 26th.
If the quotes in this article are used, please credit Piers Austin with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcriptions.