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 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

GCW returning to Hammerstein Ballroom in January 2025

Three years after debuting at the venue, Game Changer Wrestling is returning to the Hammerstein Ballroom.

The promotion confirmed today that “The People vs. GCW” will take place from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Sunday, January 19, 2025. Plans for the event were first reported by Dave Meltzer last week in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

When GCW first ran the Hammerstein Ballroom in January 2022, the show received mixed-to-negative reviews, in part because outsiders like Jeff Jarrett and Ruby Soho defeated established GCW talent in Effy and Allie Katch. Those negative reviews — with a theme of wanting to re-write history — were referenced in GCW’s announcement video for this event.

A ticket pre-sale begins on GCW’s Patreon at 5 p.m. Eastern time tonight with tickets then going on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. tomorrow (October 18). No matches for the show have been announced yet.

Starting with ECW holding shows at the venue, the Hammerstein Ballroom has been a popular destination for pro wrestling in New York City over the past couple of decades. It’s also hosted ROH events and was the venue for WWE’s ECW One Night Stand pay-per-views in both 2005 and 2006.