Top indie star Nick Gage has faced significant challenges in 2025. He lost his partner, Sondra Culbertson, in April. A few months later, Gage entered treatment for addiction, and he had his last professional wrestling match on September 20. Since then, he has not been seen and has not provided any updates on his health.
GCW owner Brett Lauderdale took to his Twitter (X) account to share an update on his longtime friend and deathmatch veteran Nick Gage. Lauderdale also directed a message to the critics and opportunists, while expressing gratitude to wrestling legend Sean Waltman for his support.
This is what Brett Lauderdale wrote, “On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death
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”
Gage has been competing in wrestling since 1999. He was an early participant in Combat Zone Wrestling and became one of the promotion’s most reliable performers. After taking some time off due to legal issues, Gage returned to compete for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) and other independent promotions. In 2021, he appeared on an episode of AEW Dynamite, where he faced Chris Jericho in a match.
On oct 1st, this guy was face to face with death
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
— brett lauderdale (@Lauderdale11) December 29, 2025