February 27, 1965 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY

Ray Stevens pinned The Crusher with the Bombs Away Kneedrop in 0:14:26.
Rating: *** 1/2

Ray Stevens continued his hot streak as he got a win over The Crusher in singles action, hitting him with the Bombs Away Kneedrop. After the match, the Blond Bomber had intentions to hit a second top-rope kneedrop, but DICK THE BRUISER ran to the ring to make sure that wouldn't happen. Stevens & The Bruiser will meet one-on-one next month at Boston Gardens on March 27th.

Number-One-Contenders-Match:
Bill Watts and Johnny Valentine and Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski battled to a no-contest in 0:10:06.
Rating: **

With both the teams of Gorilla Monsoon & Killer Kowalski and Bill Watts & Johnny Valentine feeling they should get the next shot at the World Tag Team Titles, they were put in a match to determine the #1 contender for those titles, currently held by Antonino Rocca & Argentina Apollo. The match itself couldn't settle this as all four men spilled into the ring and stopped listening to referee Petey Santangelo's instructions, leaving the ref no choice but to throw this one out. The Championship Committee has been consulted and determined that both teams are going to get shots at the titles - Monsoon & Kowalski next month in Boston, Watts & Valentine in April back here in New York.

Spiros Arion pinned Baron Mikel Scicluna after a sunset flip in 0:07:08.
Rating: * 1/4

We had the debut of a brand new wrestler as "The Golden Greek" Spiros Arion took Baron Mikel Scicluna. Scicluna was up to his cheating ways again - you have to be impressed by how unique his cheating methods are at least. Arion would end up getting this win though as he was trying to bring Scicluna over with a sunset flip. Scicluna regained his balance and with the roll of coins in his hand, went to punch Arion. However, the Golden Greek moved and Scicluna punched the mat. Arion pulled Scicluna over and got the 3 count. Scicluna attacked Arion after the match, but BRUNO SAMMARTINO ran down and ran the Baron off.

Boris Malenko defeated Bobo Brazil by disqualification in 0:14:15.
Rating: *
[Abdullah Farouk interfered against Bobo Brazil.]

Bobo Brazil may officially have gotten the loss in this match, but he ultimately got a huge win in the battle against Abdullah Farouk and his men. Brazil was taking on Boris Malenko, and near the end of this good back and forth match, Farouk slid Malenko's chain into the ring. However, Brazil got a hold of it and whipped Malenko across the back with it, causing the disqualification! Brazil didn't care as he became a man possessed, wrapping the chain around his fist and brutalizing Malenko's face with it. Farouk tried to do something, but with a crazed Brazil armed with a chain in the ring, that wasn't going to happen. No one could get close enough to the ring as Brazil repeatedly brought his fist across Malenko's face. Malenko had to be stretchered out after the assault, and we may never see him in a GCW ring again.

Ernie Ladd pinned Edouard Carpentier after hitting him with the title belt in 0:08:33.
Rating: ***
(Ernie Ladd retained the GCW United States Title.)
[Jack Davis interfered against Edouard Carpentier.]

I'm not sure which is worse - Ernie Ladd running away in Montreal to retain the United States Title or what he did tonight. Edouard Carpentier for all intents and purposes should be the US champion, but unfortunately he got up close and personal with the title tonight. Jack Davis jumped up on the apron after Carpentier had hit the Somersault Senton. Referee Greg Massie went over and tried to command Davis to get back on the floor. Carpentier went over and grabbed Davis by the shirt, which helped to get Davis off the ring apron. But Davis also threw the United States Title into the ring for Ladd to use. While Massie was dealing with Davis, the Big Cat clocked Carpentier in the face, busting him open and knocking him out cold. Ladd added insult to injury by pinning Carpentier with one finger.

Haystacks Calhoun pinned The Sheik when Calhoun fell on him in 0:04:34.
Rating: -3/4*

The Sheik controlled a good chunk of this match, but he suffered a fate which it'd be hard to say he didn't deserve. Referee Grizzly Jones was very liberal in letting these two go at it as there were issues to be settled, considering The Sheik threw a fireball in Calhoun's eyes a few months back. The Sheik got a hold of a pair of brass knuckles and clocked Haystacks, which knocked him out. Too bad for The Sheik that the unconscious Calhoun fell right on top of him! The Sheik couldn't wriggle out and he was pinned by Haystacks! Talk about your backfires.

The Golden Grahams (Dr. Jerry Graham, Eddie Graham and Luke Graham) defeated Argentina Apollo, Antonino Rocca and Miguel Perez when L. Graham pinned Apollo with the Thumb to the Throat in 0:09:30.
Rating: *** 1/4

Luke Graham has already paid dividends for his brothers as he showed his wrestling skill in this 6-man tag against Antonino Rocca, Argentina Apollo, & Miguel Perez. An interesting note in this match is that Perez didn't seem to want Apollo to be there, but he sucked it up and went 100%. Luke Graham is a little… off, to say the least. Where Dr. Jerry & Eddie are technicians, Luke is a bit of a crazy brawler. He showed that crazy streak and would get the pin on Apollo by nailing him with a huge Thumb to the Throat.

Bruno Sammartino made Gene Kiniski submit to the Sammartino Backbreaker in 0:15:56.
Rating: *** 1/2
[Abdullah Farouk interfered against Bruno Sammartino.]

Bruno Sammartino has a new ally, and quite frankly with the target that's always on his back, that's a good thing. Bruno was wrestling Gene Kiniski, which itself is a challenge. He also had to contend with BARON MIKEL SCICLUNA, who came down to the ring to get some revenge on Bruno for getting involved in his business earlier. This brought out SPIROS ARION, who helped to keep Scicluna & Abdullah Farouk at bay. With Arion's presence, Bruno could focus on Kiniski and locked on the Sammartino Backbreaker for the win.

Lou Thesz made Danny Hodge submit to the STF in 0:21:40.
Rating: **** 1/4
(Lou Thesz retained the GCW World Title.)

Our main event was a match between perhaps the two best pure wrestlers in GCW - Danny Hodge and World champion Lou Thesz. Nothing fancy in this one - just two wrestlers doing what they do best. Both men exchanged holds and counters for over 20 minutes before Hodge went for the Oklahoma Roll. Thesz rolled through on it and got Hodge in the STF. Hodge tried to get out, but when he realized he couldn't he had no choice but to tap out. After the match, the two grapplers shook hands in a nice show of respect.

Card rating: ** 1/2

Match observations:

The GCW train keeps rolling along as we hit the Boston Gardens on March 27th!

UNITED STATES TITLE - Ernie Ladd (c) vs. Edouard Carpentier
WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES - Antonino Rocca/Argentina Apollo (c) vs. Gorilla Monsoon/Killer Kowalski
Bruno Sammartino/Spiros Arion vs. Gene Kiniski/Baron Mikel Scicluna
Dick the Bruiser vs. Ray Stevens
Miguel Perez vs. Luke Graham

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