GCW owner addresses potential Hammerstein return: ‘We’ll see what the future holds’

While there are no firm plans in place, Game Changer Wrestling would like to return to the Hammerstein Ballroom one day.

GCW ran the legendary New York City venue for the second time with The People vs. GCW taking place this past Sunday. After the show, GCW owner Brett Lauderdale appeared on Game Changer Weekly and addressed whether his promotion will be returning to the Hammerstein in the future.

“Are there plans to go back to Hammerstein? I don’t have a contract right now for another date, but there’s no plan not to go back to Hammerstein,” he responded. “I think it’s just going to be a matter of if there’s a right time, right moment scenario that pops up again. You know, I still really love that place. It’s a special place for me. It’s a special place in wrestling, in my mind anyways. And, yeah, I don’t know. I would like to go back there someday, but whatever. We’ll see what the future holds.”

The Hammerstein Ballroom earned its reputation as a historic wrestling venue by hosting events from promotions like ECW and ROH. It was the location for the first two ECW One Night Stand shows in 2005 and 2006. In December 2024, AEW made its Hammerstein debut with three nights of action.

Sunday’s event was GCW’s first time back at the Hammerstein since 2022. The theme was that GCW was looking for redemption after that first show received mixed-to-negative reviews.

The promotion encountered some bad luck with Allie Katch suffering a broken leg in the second match of Sunday’s show, which affected the story for the rest of the night. Effy defeated Katch by referee stoppage and advanced to the main event, defeating Mance Warner to become the new GCW World Champion.

Lauderdale said he thought this was a good show overall but not perfect. He would rate it a 7 or 7.5 out of 10.

PCO returning to GCW for Hammerstein Ballroom show

PCO is returning to Game Changer Wrestling to take part in the promotion’s Hammerstein Ballroom event.

For the first time in three years, PCO will compete in a GCW ring on Sunday, January 19. His opponent has not been announced yet. The show — named The People vs. GCW — is taking place from New York City and will stream live on TrillerTV+.

PCO was also on the card when GCW ran the Hammerstein Ballroom in January 2022, wrestling in a multi-man ladder match. This is the first time GCW has been back to the Hammerstein since that night. The theme is that GCW has a chance at redemption after its first show at the legendary venue received negative-to-mixed reviews from fans.

Competing for GCW was critical to PCO’s late-career resurgence, with his match against WALTER (WWE star Gunther) from Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2 in 2018 drawing strong reviews. He’s a former Extreme Champion for GCW.

PCO is also a former ROH World Champion and is currently with TNA Wrestling.

Here is the updated lineup for The People vs. GCW:

  • GCW World Champion Mance Warner defends against Effy or Allie Katch
  • Effy vs. Allie Katch (winner challenges Mance Warner later in the night)
  • GCW Tag Team Champions Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku defend against Cole Radrick & Alec Price
  • Doors, Ladders & Chairs match for the vacant GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Matt Tremont vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Drew Parker vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Matthew Justice vs. Dr. Redacted
  • Super Crazy, Tajiri & Little Guido vs. Arez, Gringo Loco & Jack Cartwheel
  • Masato Tanaka vs. Joey Janela
  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem
  • Bloodsport match: Josh Barnett vs. TBA
  • Steel cage match: Charles Mason vs. Richard Holliday
  • Megan Bayne vs. Atticus Cogar
  • NYC OGs (Homicide, Grim Reefer, and a mystery partner) vs. Tony Deppen, Kerry Morton & Griffin McCoy
  • Matt Cardona, PCO, Maki Itoh, Amazing Red, and more set to compete

ECW legends teaming up at GCW Hammerstein Ballroom show

Three ECW legends are teaming up for Game Changer Wrestling’s Hammerstein Ballroom event.

GCW has announced that Super Crazy, Tajiri & Little Guido (Nunzio) vs. Arez, Gringo Loco & Jack Cartwheel will take place at the Sunday, January 19 show. It’s streaming live on TrillerTV+ and marks the second time GCW has ever held an event at the Hammerstein Ballroom.

The storied venue’s wrestling history includes playing host to ECW cards in the past. It was also the site of WWE’s ECW One Night Stand shows in both 2005 and 2006. Super Crazy defeated Tajiri and Little Guido in a three-way dance the first year. The second year then saw Little Guido & Tony Mamaluke defeat Super Crazy & Tajiri.

GCW first ran the Hammerstein Ballroom in January 2022. After that show received mixed-to-negative reviews, the theme this time is that GCW has a chance at redemption.

The People vs. GCW is the name of this event. Here’s everything that has been announced so far:

  • GCW World Champion Mance Warner defends against Effy or Allie Katch
  • Effy vs. Allie Katch (winner challenges Mance Warner later in the night)
  • GCW Tag Team Champions Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku defend against Cole Radrick & Alec Price
  • Doors, Ladders & Chairs match for the vacant GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Matt Tremont vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Drew Parker vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. Matthew Justice vs. TBA
  • Super Crazy, Tajiri & Little Guido vs. Arez, Gringo Loco & Jack Cartwheel
  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem
  • Bloodsport match: Josh Barnett vs. TBA
  • Masato Tanaka, Maki Itoh, Homicide, Amazing Red, Ricky Morton, and more set to compete

ECW legends set for GCW Hammerstein Ballroom show

Four ECW legends have been booked for Game Changer Wrestling’s return to the Hammerstein Ballroom.

Masato Tanaka, Tajiri, Super Crazy, and Little Guido (Nunzio) are all set to compete at The People vs. GCW, though their matches have not been announced yet. The show is taking place from New York City and will air live on TrillerTV+.

Returning to the Hammerstein Ballroom — where ECW once staged events — holds special meaning for Tanaka. His last-ever match against the late Mike Awesome took place at ECW One Night Stand 2005 at the Hammerstein. In a tweet this morning, Tanaka reflected on the moment and said he never thought it would be the last match of their legendary rivalry.

One Night Stand 2005 also featured a three-way dance with familiar opponents Super Crazy, Tajiri, and Little Guido. Super Crazy got the win that night.

This is GCW’s second time ever running the Hammerstein Ballroom. The theme of the show is that — after their first event at the venue in January 2022 received mixed-to-negative reviews — GCW gets a chance at redemption this time.

Here’s what has been announced for the card so far:

  • El Hijo del Vikingo vs. Sidney Akeem
  • GCW Tag Team Champions Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku defend against Cole Radrick & Alec Price
  • Doors, Ladders & Chairs match for the vacant GCW Ultraviolent Championship: Matt Tremont vs. Brandon Kirk vs. Drew Parker vs. John Wayne Murdoch vs. TBA vs. TBA
  • Masato Tanaka, Tajiri, Super Crazy, Little Guido, Josh Barnett, and more set to compete

Speak Now: The Wrld on GCW review with Denise & Marc Raimondi

Join on-air personality Denise Salcedo and her special guest, ESPN’s very own Marc Raimondi as they review Game Changer Wrestling’s The WRLD on GCW! A lot of crazy stuff happened on the show, hear all about it! 

Topics Rundown:

  • Overall thoughts 
  • A crazy grab the brass ring ladder match 
  • Match of the night: Team Gringo vs. Team Bandido
  • Lio Rush wrestles Blake Christian
  • A LOT happened During Matt Cardona vs. Joey Janela– multiple appearances
  • Mance Warner returns
  • Ruby Soho defeats Allie Katch
  • Effy vs. Jeff Jarrett
  • Jon Moxley retains the GCW World Championship
  • Nick Gage steps into the Hammerstein Ballroom

Right Click Save As 

GCW sells out tickets for Hammerstein Ballroom show

Tickets for Game Changer Wrestling’s Hammerstein Ballroom debut have officially sold out.

GCW announced the sellout overnight, noting that it will be the biggest crowd to ever attend a pro wrestling event at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom: “H I S T O R Y #TheWrldOnGCW is officially: *SOLD OUT* The biggest crowd to ever witness wrestling in the Hammerstein Ballroom awaits. Long. Live. GCW.”

The show, which is titled “The Wrld on GCW,” is taking place on Sunday, January 23. It will also be available via Fite TV. No matches have been announced for the show yet.

GCW revealed yesterday that AEW’s Eddie Kingston will be in action on the show.

The night before the show, GCW will be presenting an induction ceremony for the inaugural class of its Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame. The ceremony will be held at The Cutting Room in New York City. Jerry Lynn (inducted by Sean “X-Pac” Waltman), Homicide (inducted by Chris Dickinson), and Ruckus (inducted by Sonjay Dutt) are the first three members of the Hall of Fame class.

Dave Meltzer wrote about GCW’s Hammerstein Ballroom sellout in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

They sold 1,828 tickets out of 2,025 on the first day tickets went on sale to the public and it was the New York market so they were expensive tickets. After the second day, which was Thanksgiving, it was completely sold out. They claimed it will be the largest crowd ever in the building but the building sold out many times for ECW, WWE (which used it as the home arena for their ECW revival) and there was a time when ROH sold it out regularly. When ROH was hot and would run the building, they were able to put 1,800 in so they aren’t going to have as elaborate a setup. ROH did some very quick sellouts of that building before they went down but I don’t know if they did first day sellouts. The biggest names announced for the show are Eddie Kingston and the Briscoes. Between the scarcity of tickets left and general interest in the show, the secondary market get-in price is $90, which is the highest of any pro wrestling show where tickets are on sale right now. The Toronto WWE Christmas week show is $79 Canadian, Day One PPV from WWE is $62, AEW Winter is Coming is at $59, while Royal Rumble is $40 and the two day of WrestleMania are $35 and $40.