Bruiser battled Fritz Von Erich in a best of three falls title match. Fritz won the first fall with his claw hold. The Bruiser rallied with a kangaroo kick and a jump off the top rope to even things up to the delight of the 2,307 fans in attendance.

In the third fall, Bruiser and Von Erich got tangled in the ropes with referee Connie Marker trying to break up the action to no avail. When Von Erich wouldn't release his claw hold while Bruiser was in the ropes, Wilbur Snyder entered the ring and hit Von Erich, causing him to release the claw.  Connie Marker finally called a no contest.

The other main event had The Assassins win the WWA title from Snyder and Moose Cholak in a best of three falls match. Cholak and Assassin # 1 traded the first two falls of the match. In the third fall, Snyder had Assassin #2 in an airplane spin and was tripped by the other masked man, making Snyder an easy pin. In this match, Bobby Heenan made his Ft. Wayne debut as The Assassins manager.

Mr. America Steve Stanlee beat Prince Pullins and Bobby Managoff pinned Bozo Brown in other matches on the card.

March 24, 1966 
Ft. Wayne, Indiana

In a WWA title match last night at The Coliseum, the WWA champion Assassins went to a wild double dq match against Dick the Bruiser and Wilbur Snyder. Each team had a fall each when Bobby Heenan decided to enter the ring. Referee Connie Marker had no choice but to call an end to the match which had gotten out of control.

Gene Kiniski, the new NWA champion gained a pinfall win over Moose Cholak, from Moosehead, Maine. It was a wild battle with Kiniski winning the match with some foul tactics.

Ernie Ladd made his area debut by beating Red Kelly while Angelo Poffo pinned Steve Stanlee.

All the above descriptions were taken from a Ft. Wayne newspaper according to David Mulkey.

The WWA at that time had some super talent coming in and out of the area. You had Bruiser, Snyder, Fritz Von Erich, Johny Valentine, The Assassins, Bobby Heenan, Angelo Poffo, Mitsu Arakawa, Moose Cholak, Ernie Ladd, Pat O'Connor, Gene Kiniski, former world champ Bobby Managoff and others on the cards. Of particular interest is Gene Kiniski. He had just dropped the WWA version of the world title and had just beaten Lou Thesz for the NWA title and yet here he was making a NWA defense against Moose Cholak in Ft. Wayne. I know I remember in the Chicago programs at that time that Luce kept teasing us about a NWA-AWA title match with Kiniski against Verne Gagne, but it never happened. Ft. Wayne was also the site of the turn of Cowboy Jack Lanza into Blackjack Lanza just a short while later.

NEXT MONTH:

Chicago - Summer of 1966