Luke Graham pinned Edouard Carpentier with the Thumb to the Throat in 0:09:09.
Rating: *** 1/2
Luke Graham will get his rematch for the United States Title on June 17th at Madison Square Garden, but tonight he had to contend with Edouard Carpentier. Graham blitzkrieged Carpentier en route to a victory. Graham has time to prepare for Antonio Inoki this time around, so it's hard to bet against him.
The Firecrackers (Antonino Rocca and Miguel Perez) defeated Johnny Valentine and Lou Albano when Rocca defeated Albano when Albano passed out in the Argentine Backbreaker in 0:04:09.
Rating: ** 1/4
Lou Albano insists on teaming with his charge Johnny Valentine, taking on Antonino Rocca & Miguel Perez. It just keeps getting worse as Albano didn't offer much resistance to the former tag team champions as Albano quickly submitted to Rocca's Backbreaker. Valentine has said he doesn't want to team with Albano anymore and wants his manager to focus on getting him title opportunities.
Ernie Ladd pinned Argentina Apollo with the Boot to the Face in 0:14:53.
Rating: ***
[Jack Davis interfered against Argentina Apollo.]
Ernie Ladd continues his winning ways, a month removed from pinning the man who would later become the World champion, Bobo Brazil. Tonight he had to contend with the speedy Argentina Apollo, but once he caught him, that was all she wrote.
Pat Patterson pinned The Crusher after hitting him with a fire extinguisher in 0:14:12.
Rating: ** 1/2
[Larry Hennig interfered against The Crusher.]
The numbers were stacked against The Crusher from the start of this singles match against Pat Patterson. Larry Hennig interfered at every stretch possible, culminating in Hennig sliding a fire extinguisher in to the masked Pretty Boy who hit The Crusher with it for the win. The Pretty Boys double teamed The Crusher and were looking to snap his arm just like they did Dick the Bruiser, but he was saved when the Bruiser himself returned to make the save! Dick the Bruiser & The Crusher are reunited, and they are pissed!
Hiro Matsuda and Jack Brisco defeated Danny Hodge and Dory Funk Jr. when Matsuda pinned D. Funk Jr. after a power bomb in 0:20:26.
Rating: *** 1/4
Dory Funk Jr. and Jack Brisco were told to pick partners for a tag match. Funk picked Danny Hodge, whereas Brisco picked the Japanese Hitman Hiro Matsuda. It's interesting to note that Matsuda was accompanied to the ring by Lou Albano, who has bought out his contract from Abdullah Farouk. A solid tag team match with both teams working well together. The end came when Matsuda had Funk up for a power bomb, but Funk was blocking it. Albano intervened and threw salt in the eyes of Funk, allowing Matsuda to hit the power bomb and get the 1-2-3.
Pedro Morales and Dominic DeNucci defeated Baron Mikel Scicluna and The Sheik when Morales defeated Scicluna when Scicluna passed out in a figure-four leglock in 0:05:25.
Rating: ** 1/4
(Pedro Morales and Dominic DeNucci retained the GCW World Tag Team Titles.)
[Abdullah Farouk interfered against Dominic DeNucci.]
Pedro Morales & Dominic DeNucci put the World Tag Team Titles on the line against Baron Mikel Scicluna & The Sheik. Abdullah Farouk told his men that they better win the titles or there was going to be hell to pay. It looks like there will be hell to pay as Scicluna got caught in Morales' figure-four leglock and couldn't escape, passing out. Scicluna has been released from his contract by Farouk, leaving the only wrestlers under his control being Gene Kiniski and The Sheik.
Chief Jay Strongbow defeated Killer Kowalski when Killer Kowalski passed out in the Indian Deathlock in 0:11:35.
Rating: ** 1/4
A solid win for Chief Jay Strongbow as his Indian Deathlock proved to be the difference against Killer Kowalski. If you can take a man the size of Kowalski off his feet, you're going to walk away with a lot of victories.
Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba defeated The Golden Grahams (Dr. Jerry Graham and Eddie Graham) when Baba pinned Dr. J. Graham with the Crush Kick in 0:06:33.
Rating: ** 3/4
Antonio Inoki picked a good partner to bring with him from Japan as he and Giant Baba solidly defeated Dr. Jerry Graham & Eddie Graham, the brothers of Luke Graham. Baba's vicious Crush Kick on Dr. Jerry brought the Japanese contingent to the winner's circle. Antonio Inoki is going to have to be at the top of his game if he wants to retain the US Title against Luke Graham next month.
Cage Match:
Bobo Brazil pinned Gene Kiniski with the Coco Butt in 0:16:25.
Rating: **
(Bobo Brazil retained the GCW World Title.)
The battles between Bobo Brazil and anyone associated with Abdullah Farouk have raged on for over 4 years, and finally it looks like the issue has been settled once and for all. Bobo Brazil defended his newly won World Title against the man he won it from, Gene Kiniski, inside the confines of a steel cage! If that wasn't pressure enough, if Brazil won, James Dudley would be reinstated into GCW! The match was as expected - vicious. These two tore at each other like animals. Brazil unleashed four years of pent up aggression on Kiniski and wasn't about to lose this match. Kiniski had him in trouble several times, but Brazil was not going to be denied. Brazil is still the World champion, and more importantly for him, James Dudley will be back at his side starting next month. He is going to need the help as he defends the title against the man who recently pinned him, Ernie Ladd.
Card rating: ** 1/2
Match observations:
Back to MSG on June 17th for our next show!
WORLD TITLE - Bobo Brazil (c) vs. Ernie Ladd
UNITED STATES TITLE - Antonio Inoki (c) vs. Luke Graham
Dick the Bruiser/The Crusher vs. The Pretty Boys
Dory Funk Jr. vs. Hiro Matsuda
Danny Hodge vs. Jack Brisco
