Interview:
Chief Jay Strongbow challenges Wahoo McDaniel.
Our return to Chicago kicked off with Chief Jay Strongbow, who is back from being attacked by Wahoo McDaniel, coming out with Billy White Wolf for a tag team match against Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher. Strongbow first grabbed the microphone and issued a challenge to his former best friend and partner Wahoo for our show on May 6 in Madison Square Garden. He said that he has never been so hurt in all of his life by Wahoo's actions and wants to make Wahoo feel the pain he did, challenging Wahoo to an Indian Strap Match! No word yet if McDaniel will answer the challenge.
Chief Jay Strongbow and Billy White Wolf defeated Crusher & Bruiser (The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser) when White Wolf defeated Bruiser by disqualification in 0:10:00.
Rating: 1/2*
[Wahoo McDaniel interfered against Chief Jay Strongbow.]
[Lou Albano interfered against Billy White Wolf.]
Well it looks like we know Wahoo McDaniel's answer to Strongbow's question. This was shaping up to be a nice little tag team contest when McDaniel became physically involved and attacked Strongbow while he was on the ring apron. To make matters worse, Wahoo grabbed the strap Strongbow had with him and whipped him senseless with it. Billy White Wolf couldn't help as he was laid out by Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher in the middle of the ring. This strap match is going to be intense. I don't think either man is going to be the same after May 6.
Ray Stevens pinned Rocky Johnson after a piledriver in 0:01:34.
Rating: **
One half of the World Tag Team champions Ray Stevens showed just how aggressive he can be when he bumrushed Rocky Johnson before their match even began. When referee Dick Kroll was finally able to restore order and call for the bell for the match to officially start, Johnson was already too far out of it. Stevens picked up a quick victory with a big piledriver for the 1-2-3.
Tony Garea defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna by disqualification in 0:02:58.
Rating: *
[Dick the Bruiser interfered against Tony Garea.]
Lou Albano set Tony Garea up in a big way. Albano knew that Garea was proud enough to take the match with Baron Mikel Scicluna, but this match was merely a means to get Garea alone in the ring so that DICK THE BRUISER & THE CRUSHER could join in on a 3-on-1 assault! Garea was getting demolished before THE HALF-TON TEAM ran in to make the save. Albano was furious that his plan was thwarted as he grabbed the microphone. Albano challenged Garea, Monsoon, & Calhoun to a 6-man tag team match at MSG. He was so set on getting back at Garea that he added the stipulation that if Garea won, he would wrestle a cage match against Garea. But if Albano's charges won, Garea would have to wrestle Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher in a handicap match! Garea agreed to the stips after consulting with the Half-Ton Team, and the match will take place at MSG.
Nick Bockwinkel and Karl Gotch battled to a double countout in 0:09:37.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Karl Gotch retained the GCW United States Title.)
Karl Gotch's undefeated streak is still in tact, but for the first time in his GCW career, the United States champion went into a match and didn't leave it with a decisive win. Gotch put his title on the line against Nick Bockwinkel, who is one half of the World Tag Team champions. Bockwinkel made a good showing for himself, but it looked like this match was going to be a countout win for Gotch. However as Gotch tried to get back in the ring, he seemed to get his foot caught on something and couldn't get back in. We then saw that it was RAY STEVENS holding his leg so he got counted out too! Stevens stayed at ringside and hid under the ring to unleash this plan on Gotch, who was not happy about it. Gotch challenged Stevens to a match at MSG, and the US Title will be on the line.
Ernie Ladd, Stan Stasiak and Wahoo McDaniel defeated The Graham Brothers (Billy Graham, Eddie Graham and Luke Graham) when Ernie Ladd pinned E. Graham with the Boot to the Face in 0:20:51.
Rating: * 1/2
[The Grand Wizard interfered against Luke Graham.]
Three Graham brothers in one ring makes for a very formidable team. The Grand Wizard's team of Ernie Ladd & Stan Stasiak, along with Wahoo McDaniel, were equally as devastating. The rulebreakers' strategy was to keep Billy Graham in the ring as they viewed him as the weak link, but with each passing month, Billy continues to improve and he more than held his own. Near the end of the match, all 6 men spilled into the ring and chaos ensued. During the commotion, Ladd blindsided Eddie Graham with the Boot to the Face and stole a victory for his team.
The Half-Ton Team (Gorilla Monsoon and Haystacks Calhoun) defeated The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Gene Anderson and Ole Anderson) when Calhoun pinned O. Anderson with the Big Splash in 0:16:33.
Rating: 1/2*
The Half-Ton Team have been impressive since Haystacks Calhoun returned, and tonight's unfortunate victims of 1000 pounds of punishment were the Minnesota Wrecking Crew. Gorilla Monsoon & Calhoun are on top of their games and many of mistakes they made their first run they have figured out counters for and look simply dominating. Gene & Ole Anderson are 2-time former tag team champions and they couldn't seem to build any momentum. The Half-Ton Team win another one. Tony Garea couldn't have asked for two better partners.
Pedro Morales made Bill Watts submit to a sleeperhold in 0:20:58.
Rating: ***
Pedro Morales' quest to get a World Title shot continued as he demanded he take on Bill Watts due to the Cowboy being a former World champion. Morales has kicked his game up in a big way. Watts made it very clear that he had no intentions on being anyone's stepping stone and took the fight right to Morales. In the end of a grueling affair, Morales put Watts to sleep with a picture perfect sleeperhold to get a huge win.
Bruno Sammartino made Johnny Valentine submit to the Sammartino Backbreaker in 0:14:58.
Rating: *** 1/2
(Bruno Sammartino retained the GCW World Title.)
(Peter Maivia no-showed.)
Our main event was scheduled to be Bruno Sammartino defending the World Title against the new public enemy #1, Peter Maivia, but when Maivia was announced, nobody came out. We learned that Maivia wasn't in the building and that a replacement had been found, who turned out to be Johnny Valentine. Valentine used the fact that Bruno had no time to prepare for him to his advantage and nearly left Chicago with the World Title on several occasions. At one point he even had Sammartino locked in the Figure-Four Leglock for over a minute, but Bruno fought his way out en route to locking on the Sammartino Backbreaker to retain the gold.
Card rating: **
Match observations:
Bruno Sammartino is convinced that Peter Maivia didn't show up tonight to play mind games with him and try to get him off his game. Sammartino said it wouldn't work and has challenged Maivia one more time for MSG, but this time, he wants it to be a cage match! The match has been signed and will take place on May 6! The card looks like this so far:
WORLD TITLE CAGE MATCH - Bruno Sammartino (c) vs. Peter Maivia
UNITED STATES TITLE - Karl Gotch (c) vs. Ray Stevens
INDIAN STRAP MATCH - Chief Jay Strongbow vs. Wahoo McDaniel
Tony Garea/The Half-Ton Team vs. Baron Mikel Scicluna/Dick the Bruiser/The Crusher
