Combat Zone Wrestling
Encyclopedia
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig
and four of his students, Ric Blade
, Lobo
, Nick Gage
and Justice Pain
began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey
and Delaware
, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling
dubbed as "ultraviolence
". Ladder
s, tables
, thumbtack
s, barbed wire
, light tubes
and fire
are common elements of "ultraviolent" wrestling matches in CZW. The company filled a niche
for hardcore wrestling fans that had been left open by the folding of Extreme Championship Wrestling
(ECW). CZW found fame in the ECW Arena with their Cage of Death 3 show in 2001, the year ECW folded.
Their homegrown roster helped establish what became a top independent promotion in later years. Although they are most commonly known for their 'ultraviolent' style, rarely do their shows feature more than one or two ultraviolent matches. Their annual Tournament of Death show emphasizes the ultraviolent style of CZW and usually takes place in Delaware
.
All of their shows are taped and distributed by Pancoast Productions, Inc., who releases the shows on DVD and Pay-Per-Stream via their website. CZW was broadcast on TWC Fight! to viewers in Great Britain
and Ireland
as part of the "Bloodbath" program until TWC Fight! closed in 2008. CZW continues to run on a monthly basis in The Arena. Aside from their monthly shows, they also run shows outside of Philadelphia, where the promotion is based.
by John Zandig
in 1998. After training the classes alone, Zandig enlisted the help of Jon Dahmer, who helped train with Zandig for the next three classes. The first student trained was Lobo
, who worked with Zandig before their wrestling careers. Nick Gage
and Justice Pain
were the next two students to be trained by Zandig, and it was only in the forthcoming years that they were unveiled as brothers, Justice Pain being the older of the two. The fourth student and fifth student trained was TCK and Ric Blade
, who already had a background in martial arts. The academy then relocated to The Arena in Philadelphia, PA. and briefly merged with the Chikara Wrestle Factory. Shortly after the second class, the Academy separated from the Chikara Wrestle factory and moved it's operation back to New Jersey. Not long after moving back to Jersey, head trainers D.J. Hyde and Jon Dahmer moved the school back to Philadelphia. Currently, Sabian
joins D.J. Hyde as head trainers of the academy, with members of the CZW locker room joining them every session. The school is still active as of today with free tryouts.
orientated company Big Japan Pro Wrestling
, a successor to the Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
organization, credited to have popularized the death match wrestling style that CZW continued to emphasize in the United States
, though, dubbed as "Ultraviolence." Both promotions traded talent throughout 2000 and 2001, the company vs company feud was primarily based in Japan. The "CZW warriors" in BJW included Wifebeater
, Nick Gage
, Trent Acid
, Justice Pain
, Johnny Kashmere
, Nate Hatred
, Ruckus
, Nick Berk
, as well as John Zandig
as the leader.
Notable incidents included Zandig turning face
in Japan and Jun Kasai
joining Zandig as part of his Big Dealz stable in CZW. Kasai competed in a match which was later dubbed "Un F'N Believable," in reference to the shows name. During the match, Kasai was crucifix bombed over the top rope into lightubes, barbed wire and tables, causing Kasai's elbow bone to pop out of his skin, he continued the match after having his elbow taped up.
During 2001 in Japan
, the Wifebeater and Ryuji Yamakawa faced off in a match which ended Yamakawa's career after the Wifebeater chokensteined him off the ring apron through a table set up on the outside. In a 'shoot interview' Wifebeater stated communication difficulties between the two was a major factor which led to the incident. Wifebeater pleaded that they should not execute the maneuver, though the move went on and saw Yamakawa's head slam against the concrete. Both wrestlers have stated that it was half of each others fault when Yamakawa did not take the move as it should be performed; back first, though some even blame the Japanese tables, which are smaller, more sturdy and harder to break, the table in this incident did not break and simply slipped from underneath of Yamakawa thus only connecting with his legs, causing his head to take the impact on the concrete.
The reason for the collapse of the inter-promotional deal is uncertain. After a controversial exploding panes of glass match, between Zandig and Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in Japan, 2001, Zandig left BJW with the BJW death match title belt. Many wrestlers of both promotions at the time were confused about the collapse between the two.
to Delaware
, though mainly in the Champs Soccer Arena, in Sewell.
A Pay-Per-View taping for the June 25, 2000 show, was put in place. The event was scheduled to be main evented by Terry Funk
and Atsushi Onita
in an explosion match. The deal fell through when Onita canceled. Although the show took place and was main evented by Nick Gage
and the Wifebeater
in the first ever 200 lightubes match in the United States, the show was later called 'They Said it Couldn't be Done'.
On June 8, 2001, the company secured a TV taping for the show 'Take 1.' During the main event as part of a dual 20 ft balcony dive, Ric Blade suffered a broken leg after landing on Justice Pain
, who laid upon two stacked tables, Nick Gage was to attempt the second dive with Lobo
a few meters away, unfortunately Nick Gage slipped and fell from atop the balcony to the ground; fortunately Gage was able to continue, unlike Blade who had to be stretchered out. The spot was cut from TV. The TV tapings aired on WGTW-48
, as apart of CZW's very own show Fake You TV, which was available in many northeastern states
in the US. After many business changes by the WGTW-48 production team over the years, including a time slot change from Saturdays at 9.00PM to a weeknight at midnight slot, to compete with other promotions, this idea was a failure and Fake You TV continued to strive. CZW continued to endure every business decision that WGTW-48 formulated and executed until the channel decided not to air the June 18, 2004 episode due to its content, through negative affects on the fans and after much consideration, CZW decided to withdraw the show indefinitely.
, and hundreds were turned away from the biggest show in the promotions history.
Several promotions competed for the Northeast fan base that had been left behind by ECW in what became known as the 'Indy Wars." CZW, XPW, and 3PW were the key promotions which revolved around Viking Hall. XPW were given the lease to the arena in very late 2002 after Rob Black offered around $60,000. On December 12, 2002, as part of a triple header of wrestling in Philadelphia Ring of Honor
ran shows in conjunction with CZW and 3PW in what was to be the latter two promotions last events in the arena. During CZW's event, Zandig publicly stated that they had offered $32,000 to stay in the arena, but also stating that with the $10,000 a month XPW would need to pay for the building, the lease would not last long.
Accompanied by incidents relating to Extreme Associates
, XPW later folded in 2003. CZW made their return to the arena on March 8, 2003.
On October 25, 2003, the promotion made their debut in Italy, later on March 27, 2004, the company returned for another event which featured Sabu in a tables match.
(IWA-MS) invaded CZW as part of a kayfabe
angle which led to an inter-promotional feud throughout most of 2003. During the night of the initial invasion, the crowd was so riled up that they began hurling chairs into the ring at Ian Rotten, Corporal Robinson, and J.C. Bailey of IWA-MS. The Delaware wrestling commissioner, who was in the ring at the time, was struck in the side of the head. The feud was based in both promotions and a major part led into CZW's Tournament of Death 2, five IWA-MS wrestlers and three CZW wrestlers entered into the 8-man single elimination tournament. The semi-final saw two CZW wrestlers John Zandig
and Nick Mondo
compete in a 2 out of 3 lightube log cabin match, a match which is said to have ended Nick Mondo's career (However, In Mondo's shoot interview he stated that T.O.D 2 was going to be his last appearance anyways). Towards the end of the match Zandig Mother F'N Bombed Nick Mondo off a 40 ft rooftop as both Zandig and Mondo crashed into tables and a lightube log cabin contraption. He continued the Tournament with 3 broken bones in his wrist and won the tournament after defeating Ian Rotten
in a 200 lightubes final.
's feud with heel stable the Hi-5, Zandig was suspended in the middle of the ring by meat hooks from the roof of the arena. The incident led into the setup of the main event at Cage of Death 2003, where a cage was suspended from the roof, the event was called 'Cage of Death 5: Suspended'. The company remained successful that year and had a sold out crowd for their annual Cage of Death
show.
and Mike Quackenbush. During 2007, CZW departed from the training school to form their own, much like their older school.
The company remained strong in the forthcoming years with new booker, Mike Burns, who was responsible for one of the best runs in the promotion's history, especially in 2005. Pancoast Productions, a company which for many years was responsible for a lot of the company's media logo and Titan Tron work, among other things, briefly departed from the company in late 2005 after an altercation between Pancoast Productions owner Mike Pancoast and John Zandig
.
At their Cage of Death 7 show at the end of 2005, former CZW Ironman Champion
Chris Hero
cut a promo challenging American Dragon Bryan Danielson
to a match at the next show, backstage, Zandig was furious. Zandig did not know about the deal that CZW booker, Mike Burns arranged with Ring of Honor
(ROH) Booker, Gabe Sapolsky
. The news of CZW working with ROH made Zandig go into a frenzy. Zandig was approached backstage by Mike Pancoast, Zandig told him not to raise his voice at him, after a very vocal argument Zandig pushed him down a flight of stairs, one worker quoted Zandig saying, "Make sure to grab the rail on your way down."
Zandig was mad at Mike Burns for setting up a deal with ROH, without telling him first, this led to the departure of Burns, it is not known if Burns quit CZW or was relieved of his duties by Zandig. Smart Mark Video still continues to tape their shows, along with Pancoast Productions who are all still actively working together.
are mainly from CZW. The MBA LLC has provided services for some of the top names in the wrestling business such as Ring of Honor
(ROH), World Xtreme Wrestling
(WXW), World Sumo League (WSL), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
(TNA).
In 2007 saw CZW had short lived feud with the MBA, who's been running amok in CZW for the past few months with the power mad Bentley abusing his authority. Maven Bentley "hired" a few of CZW's own wrestlers to help him take over the company. Those wrestlers included Diehard Dustin Lee, Scotty Vortekz, Brain Damage, & DJ Hyde. Bentley himself as he was scheduled to face Lobo in a lumberjack strap match, which he yet lost at Cage of Death 9. The MBA had returned to the CZW Arena for its "Economic Crisis" event on January 31, 2009.
Inactive
) in the heights of the 1980s, now left to drive from town to town for cheap pickup bouts and the rigorous dangers of leagues like CZW.
On December 8, 2007, Scott Franklin
, Darren Aronofsky
and Mickey Rourke visited CZW's Cage of Death IX in December and committed to the venue. On February 9, 2008, as a part of CZW's regular February event, filming took place in the New Alhambra Arena for the upcoming movie which included many CZW alumni, along with the Necro Butcher
, who wrestles Rourke's character "Randy 'The Ram' Robinson" in an ultraviolent hardcore match.
Zandig's hope was that The Wrestler, along with CZW's first worldwide distribution deal for its DVDs (through LocoMotion Films) will take the ultra-violent sport to the next level.
's TV Show G4 Underground
. It shows Danny Havoc
getting ready for his match at Total Havoc against Thumbtack Jack
in which he did win.
's Time Warp
program debuted April 22, 2009 as part of a special 60-minute episode. The program included footage of Combat Zone's top stars Zandig
, and Nick Gage
at the Discovery Channel studios in Boston.
, table
s, light tube
s, glass
, thumbtacks, baseball bats, and barbed-wire
have been used in it. Matches always include high risk wrestling bumps. The Cage of Death also has different formats and stipulations: singles, tag team, or gauntlet.
, weed whacker
s, light tubes, and other weapons. Previous winners include Wifebeater
(TOD 1 and 3), Nick Mondo
(TOD 2), Necro Butcher
(TOD 4), Nick Gage
(TOD 5), Drake Younger
(TOD 6), Danny Havoc
(TOD 7), and John Zandig who gave the trophy over to Thumbtack Jack who lost the Tournament of Death trophy at Best of the Best to DJ Hyde (TOD 8). Due to the incidents at TOD 8 another Event named TOD 8.5 Rewind took place in the same year which was won by Thumbtack Jack. Scotty Vortekz won TOD 9. Masada won TOD X.
, B-Boy, Sonjay Dutt
, Mike Quackenbush, Ruckus
, Joker
, Sabian
, Egotistico Fantastico
, and Adam Cole
in that order.
" Bauman title "Down with a Sickness" after Chri$ Ca$h's theme song from the band Disturbed. The show originally started as a double header afternoon show, with another CZW event taking place later in the evening. Many former CZW trainees have made appearances on past events, including longtime friend GQ, who has wrestled on all of the events.
based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Employees in CZW consist of professional wrestlers
(the ring name
of the employees are written to the left, while the employee's real name
is written to the right; employees without an alias, will only have their real name appearing), managers
, play-by-play and color commentator
s, announcer
s, interview
ers, referees
, trainers
, script
writers and various other positions. Executives and board of directors
are also listed. This list is organized alphabetically by the wrestlers' real last names. This is a list of professional wrestlers
who are Combat Zone Wrestling employees, and a list of former employees of the professional wrestling promotion
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). In the early days of the company, talent often only appeared a couple of times before disappearing, or wrestlers accepted bookings with other companies, resulting in extended absences from CZW.
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
and four of his students, Ric Blade
Ric Blade
Ric Blade is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a one time Junior Heavyweight Champion and a one time World Tag Team Champion with Nick Mondo. Blade has wrestled in such companies such as Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Big Japan...
, Lobo
Lobo (wrestler)
Joe Eubanks is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Lobo. He wrestled primarily in Combat Zone Wrestling , where he won every major championship and was the first inductee into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2004...
, Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
and Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
dubbed as "ultraviolence
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
". Ladder
Ladder
A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...
s, tables
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
, thumbtack
Thumbtack
A drawing pin , thumbtack , or push pin is a short nail or pin with a circular, sometimes domed, head, used to fasten items such as documents to a wall or board for display. Various designs and names are used. They are inserted and removed by hand, hence the terms "thumbtack" and "push pin"...
s, barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
, light tubes
Fluorescent lamp
A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...
and fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
are common elements of "ultraviolent" wrestling matches in CZW. The company filled a niche
Niche market
A niche market is the subset of the market on which a specific product is focusing; therefore the market niche defines the specific product features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price range, production quality and the demographics that is intended to impact...
for hardcore wrestling fans that had been left open by the folding of Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
(ECW). CZW found fame in the ECW Arena with their Cage of Death 3 show in 2001, the year ECW folded.
Their homegrown roster helped establish what became a top independent promotion in later years. Although they are most commonly known for their 'ultraviolent' style, rarely do their shows feature more than one or two ultraviolent matches. Their annual Tournament of Death show emphasizes the ultraviolent style of CZW and usually takes place in Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
.
All of their shows are taped and distributed by Pancoast Productions, Inc., who releases the shows on DVD and Pay-Per-Stream via their website. CZW was broadcast on TWC Fight! to viewers in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as part of the "Bloodbath" program until TWC Fight! closed in 2008. CZW continues to run on a monthly basis in The Arena. Aside from their monthly shows, they also run shows outside of Philadelphia, where the promotion is based.
Pro Wrestling Academy
The Combat Zone Wrestling's Pro Wrestling Academy was founded in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
by John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
in 1998. After training the classes alone, Zandig enlisted the help of Jon Dahmer, who helped train with Zandig for the next three classes. The first student trained was Lobo
Lobo (wrestler)
Joe Eubanks is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Lobo. He wrestled primarily in Combat Zone Wrestling , where he won every major championship and was the first inductee into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2004...
, who worked with Zandig before their wrestling careers. Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
and Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
were the next two students to be trained by Zandig, and it was only in the forthcoming years that they were unveiled as brothers, Justice Pain being the older of the two. The fourth student and fifth student trained was TCK and Ric Blade
Ric Blade
Ric Blade is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a one time Junior Heavyweight Champion and a one time World Tag Team Champion with Nick Mondo. Blade has wrestled in such companies such as Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Big Japan...
, who already had a background in martial arts. The academy then relocated to The Arena in Philadelphia, PA. and briefly merged with the Chikara Wrestle Factory. Shortly after the second class, the Academy separated from the Chikara Wrestle factory and moved it's operation back to New Jersey. Not long after moving back to Jersey, head trainers D.J. Hyde and Jon Dahmer moved the school back to Philadelphia. Currently, Sabian
Sabian (wrestler)
Sabian is an American professional wrestler, currently performing for Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a founding member of The Blackout / BLKOUT with Ruckus. In addition to CZW, he also competes for several other American independent promotions, most notably Chikara.-Debut:Born in...
joins D.J. Hyde as head trainers of the academy, with members of the CZW locker room joining them every session. The school is still active as of today with free tryouts.
Japan connection
Early 2000 saw CZW establish a connection with the death match wrestlingHardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
orientated company Big Japan Pro Wrestling
Big Japan Pro Wrestling
Big Japan Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1995. It is most famous for its deathmatch style contests.-History:...
, a successor to the Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989 by Atsushi Onita that specialized in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their first show on October 6, 1989...
organization, credited to have popularized the death match wrestling style that CZW continued to emphasize in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, though, dubbed as "Ultraviolence." Both promotions traded talent throughout 2000 and 2001, the company vs company feud was primarily based in Japan. The "CZW warriors" in BJW included Wifebeater
Matt Prince
Matt Prince, better known as ring name Wifebeater, is a former Marine and a semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling from 1999 to 2004...
, Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
, Trent Acid
Trent Acid
Michael Verdi was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Trent Acid. Verdi had worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashmere, in several independent promotions in America, including Combat Zone Wrestling,...
, Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
, Johnny Kashmere
Johnny Kashmere
Johnny Kashmere is an American professional wrestler, best known as one half of The Backseat Boyz, along with the late Trent Acid...
, Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his current tenure in the Philadelphia-based hardcore wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a member of the H8 Club...
, Ruckus
Claude Marrow
Claude Marrow is an American independent professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ruckus. Marrow current performs in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Chikara and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
, Nick Berk
Nick Berk
Nicholas K. "Nick" Berk , also known by his ring name Nicky Benz, is an American independent professional wrestler, best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he is a former CZW World Heavyweight and Iron Man Champion....
, as well as John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
as the leader.
Notable incidents included Zandig turning face
Face (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
in Japan and Jun Kasai
Jun Kasai
is a Japanese professional wrestler, primarily competing for Big Japan Pro Wrestling. Dubbed the Crazy Monkey for his violent and oftentimes self-harmful style of hardcore wrestling, Kasai is considered a breakthrough talent in Japanese wrestling, able to work both hardcore and technical styles...
joining Zandig as part of his Big Dealz stable in CZW. Kasai competed in a match which was later dubbed "Un F'N Believable," in reference to the shows name. During the match, Kasai was crucifix bombed over the top rope into lightubes, barbed wire and tables, causing Kasai's elbow bone to pop out of his skin, he continued the match after having his elbow taped up.
During 2001 in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Wifebeater and Ryuji Yamakawa faced off in a match which ended Yamakawa's career after the Wifebeater chokensteined him off the ring apron through a table set up on the outside. In a 'shoot interview' Wifebeater stated communication difficulties between the two was a major factor which led to the incident. Wifebeater pleaded that they should not execute the maneuver, though the move went on and saw Yamakawa's head slam against the concrete. Both wrestlers have stated that it was half of each others fault when Yamakawa did not take the move as it should be performed; back first, though some even blame the Japanese tables, which are smaller, more sturdy and harder to break, the table in this incident did not break and simply slipped from underneath of Yamakawa thus only connecting with his legs, causing his head to take the impact on the concrete.
The reason for the collapse of the inter-promotional deal is uncertain. After a controversial exploding panes of glass match, between Zandig and Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in Japan, 2001, Zandig left BJW with the BJW death match title belt. Many wrestlers of both promotions at the time were confused about the collapse between the two.
Champs Arena, PPV, and Fake You TV
Early 2000 saw the company branch out from New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, though mainly in the Champs Soccer Arena, in Sewell.
A Pay-Per-View taping for the June 25, 2000 show, was put in place. The event was scheduled to be main evented by Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Atsushi Onita
Atsushi Onita
Atsushi Onita is a Japanese former politician and active professional wrestler best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling...
in an explosion match. The deal fell through when Onita canceled. Although the show took place and was main evented by Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
and the Wifebeater
Matt Prince
Matt Prince, better known as ring name Wifebeater, is a former Marine and a semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling from 1999 to 2004...
in the first ever 200 lightubes match in the United States, the show was later called 'They Said it Couldn't be Done'.
On June 8, 2001, the company secured a TV taping for the show 'Take 1.' During the main event as part of a dual 20 ft balcony dive, Ric Blade suffered a broken leg after landing on Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
, who laid upon two stacked tables, Nick Gage was to attempt the second dive with Lobo
Lobo (wrestler)
Joe Eubanks is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Lobo. He wrestled primarily in Combat Zone Wrestling , where he won every major championship and was the first inductee into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2004...
a few meters away, unfortunately Nick Gage slipped and fell from atop the balcony to the ground; fortunately Gage was able to continue, unlike Blade who had to be stretchered out. The spot was cut from TV. The TV tapings aired on WGTW-48
WGTW-TV
WGTW-TV, digital channel 27, is a Trinity Broadcasting Network-owned and operated television station licensed to Burlington, New Jersey, and serving the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area...
, as apart of CZW's very own show Fake You TV, which was available in many northeastern states
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
in the US. After many business changes by the WGTW-48 production team over the years, including a time slot change from Saturdays at 9.00PM to a weeknight at midnight slot, to compete with other promotions, this idea was a failure and Fake You TV continued to strive. CZW continued to endure every business decision that WGTW-48 formulated and executed until the channel decided not to air the June 18, 2004 episode due to its content, through negative affects on the fans and after much consideration, CZW decided to withdraw the show indefinitely.
Viking Hall debut and Indy Wars
Due to their upcoming annual Cage Of Death 3 (COD) show at the end of 2001, the company needed a bigger venue and made their debut in the ECW Arena, formerly Viking Hall and currently The Arena. The venue was the first sellout in the building since the era of ECWExtreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, and hundreds were turned away from the biggest show in the promotions history.
Several promotions competed for the Northeast fan base that had been left behind by ECW in what became known as the 'Indy Wars." CZW, XPW, and 3PW were the key promotions which revolved around Viking Hall. XPW were given the lease to the arena in very late 2002 after Rob Black offered around $60,000. On December 12, 2002, as part of a triple header of wrestling in Philadelphia Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
ran shows in conjunction with CZW and 3PW in what was to be the latter two promotions last events in the arena. During CZW's event, Zandig publicly stated that they had offered $32,000 to stay in the arena, but also stating that with the $10,000 a month XPW would need to pay for the building, the lease would not last long.
Accompanied by incidents relating to Extreme Associates
Extreme Associates
Extreme Associates, formerly known as Extreme and Extreme 2.0, is a pornographic film producer, featuring a catalog of DVD titles and Internet content. It is owned by Rob Zicari and his wife Janet Romano . The studio's material is controversial, with its films often featuring erotic humiliation...
, XPW later folded in 2003. CZW made their return to the arena on March 8, 2003.
Italy and ECW tribute
Shortly after their return to the arena, on May 10, 2003, the company promoted a show entitled "Then & Now: A Decade of Defiance." The event was a tribute to the last ten years of wrestling in the New Alhambra Arena, or at the time; Viking Hall.On October 25, 2003, the promotion made their debut in Italy, later on March 27, 2004, the company returned for another event which featured Sabu in a tables match.
IWA-MS Invasion
On June 14, 2003, mid-south based promotion Independent Wrestling Association Mid-SouthIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
(IWA-MS) invaded CZW as part of a kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
angle which led to an inter-promotional feud throughout most of 2003. During the night of the initial invasion, the crowd was so riled up that they began hurling chairs into the ring at Ian Rotten, Corporal Robinson, and J.C. Bailey of IWA-MS. The Delaware wrestling commissioner, who was in the ring at the time, was struck in the side of the head. The feud was based in both promotions and a major part led into CZW's Tournament of Death 2, five IWA-MS wrestlers and three CZW wrestlers entered into the 8-man single elimination tournament. The semi-final saw two CZW wrestlers John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
and Nick Mondo
Nick Mondo
Matthew "Matt" Burns better known by his ring name "Sick" Nick Mondo is a retired American professional wrestler. Burns is best known for his appearances with Combat Zone Wrestling...
compete in a 2 out of 3 lightube log cabin match, a match which is said to have ended Nick Mondo's career (However, In Mondo's shoot interview he stated that T.O.D 2 was going to be his last appearance anyways). Towards the end of the match Zandig Mother F'N Bombed Nick Mondo off a 40 ft rooftop as both Zandig and Mondo crashed into tables and a lightube log cabin contraption. He continued the Tournament with 3 broken bones in his wrist and won the tournament after defeating Ian Rotten
Ian Rotten
John Benson Williams is an American professional Wrestler better known by his ring name Ian Rotten. He has wrestled in Global Wrestling Federation , Extreme Championship Wrestling , and his own wrestling promotion IWA: Mid-South.-Early career:After becoming a fan of Dusty Rhodes and "Superstar"...
in a 200 lightubes final.
Zandig hanging incident
During John ZandigJohn Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
's feud with heel stable the Hi-5, Zandig was suspended in the middle of the ring by meat hooks from the roof of the arena. The incident led into the setup of the main event at Cage of Death 2003, where a cage was suspended from the roof, the event was called 'Cage of Death 5: Suspended'. The company remained successful that year and had a sold out crowd for their annual Cage of Death
CZW Cage of Death
The Cage of Death is Combat Zone Wrestling 's biggest show since 1999. It always features the Cage of Death match, a steel cage with various weapons and objects. Electrified cage walls, cacti, tables, light tubes, glass, thumbtacks, baseball bats, and barbed wire have been used in it. The Cage of...
show.
Later years
During 2005, CZW established a connection with local promotion Chikara, which established into a joint training school known as 'The Wrestle Factory' in the New Alhambra Arena, with head trainers Chris HeroChris Hero
Chris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
and Mike Quackenbush. During 2007, CZW departed from the training school to form their own, much like their older school.
The company remained strong in the forthcoming years with new booker, Mike Burns, who was responsible for one of the best runs in the promotion's history, especially in 2005. Pancoast Productions, a company which for many years was responsible for a lot of the company's media logo and Titan Tron work, among other things, briefly departed from the company in late 2005 after an altercation between Pancoast Productions owner Mike Pancoast and John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
.
At their Cage of Death 7 show at the end of 2005, former CZW Ironman Champion
CZW Iron Man Championship
The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with Derek Domino as the first champion. Despite the name, the Iron Man title is not exclusively defended in...
Chris Hero
Chris Hero
Chris Spradlin is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chris Hero. He is a mainstay of many independent wrestling promotions, including Ring of Honor, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as well as Pro Wrestling Noah in Japan...
cut a promo challenging American Dragon Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson
Bryan Danielson is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE where he wrestles on its SmackDown brand as Daniel Bryan, and currently holds the SmackDown Money in the Bank briefcase, which enables him to have a World Heavyweight Championship match at any time of his choosing...
to a match at the next show, backstage, Zandig was furious. Zandig did not know about the deal that CZW booker, Mike Burns arranged with Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH) Booker, Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky
Gabe Sapolsky is a wrestling personality, the current vice president of Dragon Gate USA and owner of Evolve, and the former booker for Ring of Honor and Full Impact Pro.-Early life:...
. The news of CZW working with ROH made Zandig go into a frenzy. Zandig was approached backstage by Mike Pancoast, Zandig told him not to raise his voice at him, after a very vocal argument Zandig pushed him down a flight of stairs, one worker quoted Zandig saying, "Make sure to grab the rail on your way down."
Zandig was mad at Mike Burns for setting up a deal with ROH, without telling him first, this led to the departure of Burns, it is not known if Burns quit CZW or was relieved of his duties by Zandig. Smart Mark Video still continues to tape their shows, along with Pancoast Productions who are all still actively working together.
D.J. Hyde ownership
Wrestler D.J. purchased CZW from Zandig in 2009,And The First Show Booked By DJ Hyde Was Tangled Web 2. Since then, CZW has held its first shows in Germany, Massachusetts , and Indiana, and has brought back previous stars like Homicide, The Briscoe Brothers, and BJ Whitmer.Maven Bentley Association
The Maven Bentley Association (MBA) is Combat Zone Wrestling's sister company run by Maven Bentley. The MBA LLC is the sole owner of the Maven Bentley character. It provides promoter services to independent wrestling companies as well as the character Maven Bentley for acting and other entertainment endeavors. As well half of the rosterRoster
A roster is a list of names of people involved with an organization of some kind.A roster can be a list of people and the times when they are required to work or a list of students in a classroom....
are mainly from CZW. The MBA LLC has provided services for some of the top names in the wrestling business such as Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor
Ring of Honor ' is an American professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2002 by Rob Feinstein and Gabe Sapolsky. From 2004 to 2011, the promotion was under the ownership of Cary Silkin before being sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group in May 2011...
(ROH), World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling
World Xtreme Wrestling is a Northeastern-based independent professional wrestling promotion which has held events across the United States and have toured in Japan, the Middle East and South Pacific region including American Samoa and Guam....
(WXW), World Sumo League (WSL), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
(TNA).
In 2007 saw CZW had short lived feud with the MBA, who's been running amok in CZW for the past few months with the power mad Bentley abusing his authority. Maven Bentley "hired" a few of CZW's own wrestlers to help him take over the company. Those wrestlers included Diehard Dustin Lee, Scotty Vortekz, Brain Damage, & DJ Hyde. Bentley himself as he was scheduled to face Lobo in a lumberjack strap match, which he yet lost at Cage of Death 9. The MBA had returned to the CZW Arena for its "Economic Crisis" event on January 31, 2009.
Current Championships
Active| Championship: | Champion(s): | Defeated: | Date Won: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBA Heavyweight Championship | Andy Sumner | DJ Hyde | June 6, 2008 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| MBA Tag Team Championship | BLKOUT (Eddie Kingston Eddie Kingston Edward "Eddie" Moore is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston. He is best known for competing in Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South and Ring of Honor... & Sabian) |
Cory Kastle and Jon Dahmer | June 21, 2006 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Inactive
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Defeated: | Date Won: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MBA A-Maven-Can Idol Heavyweight Championship | Daunte Sweet | Derek Frazier | April 16, 2005 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
The Wrestler
The Wrestler is a 2008 movie based around a fictional, once-prominent pro-wrestler (played by Mickey RourkeMickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
) in the heights of the 1980s, now left to drive from town to town for cheap pickup bouts and the rigorous dangers of leagues like CZW.
On December 8, 2007, Scott Franklin
Scott Franklin
Scott Franklin , is a Canadian rugby union player who plays rugby for the Prairie Wolf Pack in Canada, and for the Canadian national team. Franklin is a prop.- Career :...
, Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
and Mickey Rourke visited CZW's Cage of Death IX in December and committed to the venue. On February 9, 2008, as a part of CZW's regular February event, filming took place in the New Alhambra Arena for the upcoming movie which included many CZW alumni, along with the Necro Butcher
Necro Butcher
Dylan Keith Summers is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Necro Butcher. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Beyond Wrestling, Firestormpro, Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA-Mid South, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Big Japan Pro Wrestling,...
, who wrestles Rourke's character "Randy 'The Ram' Robinson" in an ultraviolent hardcore match.
Zandig's hope was that The Wrestler, along with CZW's first worldwide distribution deal for its DVDs (through LocoMotion Films) will take the ultra-violent sport to the next level.
G4 Underground
CZW was featured on G4G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
's TV Show G4 Underground
G4 Underground
G4 Underground is a cable television newsmagazine series airing on G4 hosted by Morgan Webb. "G4 Underground" is described as having a similar format of ABC's 20/20, except it takes a look at many topics that most major news programs don't cover such as Porn 2.0, Urban Spelunking and Salvia...
. It shows Danny Havoc
Danny Havoc
Danny Havoc is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, and IWA Deep-South, where he is known as a hardcore wrestler.-Career:...
getting ready for his match at Total Havoc against Thumbtack Jack
Thumbtack Jack
Alexander Bedranowsky , better known by his ring name Thumbtack Jack and its abbreviation TJ, is a retired German professional wrestler, best known for his work in westside Xtreme wrestling, Combat Zone Wrestling and IWA East Coast. He is well known for his hardcore style of wrestling.He held the...
in which he did win.
Time Warp
CZW's appearance on the Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Time Warp
Time Warp (TV series)
Time Warp was a popular science-themed television program produced for the Discovery Channel in the United States, in which Jeff Lieberman, an MIT scientist, teacher, and artist, along with high speed camera expert Matt Kearney, turn their high speed camera on everyday occurrences and singular...
program debuted April 22, 2009 as part of a special 60-minute episode. The program included footage of Combat Zone's top stars Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
, and Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
at the Discovery Channel studios in Boston.
Annual events
| Event | Year (s) Active | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CZW Cage of Death CZW Cage of Death The Cage of Death is Combat Zone Wrestling 's biggest show since 1999. It always features the Cage of Death match, a steel cage with various weapons and objects. Electrified cage walls, cacti, tables, light tubes, glass, thumbtacks, baseball bats, and barbed wire have been used in it. The Cage of... |
1999 | Cage Match Gimmick |
| CZW Best of the Best CZW Best of the Best Combat Zone Wrestling's Best of the Best is a professional wrestling tournament and supershow held in the CZW promotion. The annual Best of The Best was originally a junior heavyweight tournament, which in 2005 was repurposed as an all weight tournament.... |
2001 | Junior Heavyweight Tournament |
| CZW Tournament of Death CZW Tournament of Death The Tournament of Death is an annual professional wrestling tournament organised by Combat Zone Wrestling since 2002, during which a number of wrestlers compete in various deathmatches in a single-elimination tournament which is similar to World Wrestling Entertainment's King of the Ring tournament... |
2002 | Ultraviolent Tournament |
| Night of Infamy | 2002 | Event |
| Down With a Sickness | 2005 | Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show |
| A Tangled Web | 2008 | Barbed wire "Spiderweb" deathmatch main event |
Cage of Death
Combat Zone Wrestling's biggest show is the year-end Cage of Death. It always features the "Cage of Death" match, a steel cage with various weapons and objects. Electrified cage walls, cactiCacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
, table
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
s, light tube
Light tube
Light tubes or light pipes are used for transporting or distributing natural or artificial light. In their application to daylighting, they are also often called sun pipes, sun scopes, solar light pipes, sky lights or daylight pipes.Generally speaking, a light pipe or light tube may refer to:* a...
s, glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, thumbtacks, baseball bats, and barbed-wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
have been used in it. Matches always include high risk wrestling bumps. The Cage of Death also has different formats and stipulations: singles, tag team, or gauntlet.
Tournament of Death
Combat Zone Wrestling 's yearly death-match tournament features the use of fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
, weed whacker
String trimmer
A string trimmer, also known as a strimmer, line trimmer, weed whacker, weed whip, weed eater, weedy, or whipper snipper, is a powered handheld device that uses a flexible monofilament line instead of a blade for cutting grass and other plants near objects...
s, light tubes, and other weapons. Previous winners include Wifebeater
Matt Prince
Matt Prince, better known as ring name Wifebeater, is a former Marine and a semi-retired professional wrestler best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling from 1999 to 2004...
(TOD 1 and 3), Nick Mondo
Nick Mondo
Matthew "Matt" Burns better known by his ring name "Sick" Nick Mondo is a retired American professional wrestler. Burns is best known for his appearances with Combat Zone Wrestling...
(TOD 2), Necro Butcher
Necro Butcher
Dylan Keith Summers is an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Necro Butcher. Throughout the years he has worked for various promotions, including Beyond Wrestling, Firestormpro, Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro, IWA-Mid South, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Big Japan Pro Wrestling,...
(TOD 4), Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
(TOD 5), Drake Younger
Drake Younger
Drake Wuertz is an American professional wrestler known by his ring name Drake Younger. He has worked for a number of major independent promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South and Chikara...
(TOD 6), Danny Havoc
Danny Havoc
Danny Havoc is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, and IWA Deep-South, where he is known as a hardcore wrestler.-Career:...
(TOD 7), and John Zandig who gave the trophy over to Thumbtack Jack who lost the Tournament of Death trophy at Best of the Best to DJ Hyde (TOD 8). Due to the incidents at TOD 8 another Event named TOD 8.5 Rewind took place in the same year which was won by Thumbtack Jack. Scotty Vortekz won TOD 9. Masada won TOD X.
Best of the Best
Combat Zone Wrestling's yearly tournament that differs from other CZW events in how it emphasizes athleticism more than the use of weapons. The Best of the Best tournament is, by design, a Junior Heavyweight Tournament. In 2005, however, the tournament was formatted as an open weight tournament. The next year, it returned to its original format. Previous winners include Winger, Trent AcidTrent Acid
Michael Verdi was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Trent Acid. Verdi had worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashmere, in several independent promotions in America, including Combat Zone Wrestling,...
, B-Boy, Sonjay Dutt
Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla is an American professional wrestler of Indian Punjabi descent, better known by his ring name, Sonjay Dutt. He is best known working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and is also known for his stints with Combat Zone Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and other various independent...
, Mike Quackenbush, Ruckus
Claude Marrow
Claude Marrow is an American independent professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ruckus. Marrow current performs in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Chikara and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
, Joker
Joker (wrestler)
Joker is an American independent professional wrestler who works for the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion, IWA Mid-South, Chikara and UWA Hardcore Wrestling.-Career:...
, Sabian
Sabian (wrestler)
Sabian is an American professional wrestler, currently performing for Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a founding member of The Blackout / BLKOUT with Ruckus. In addition to CZW, he also competes for several other American independent promotions, most notably Chikara.-Debut:Born in...
, Egotistico Fantastico
Robert Anthony
Robert Anthony is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He currently performs for various independent promotions, most notably Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former World Junior Heavyweight...
, and Adam Cole
Adam Cole
Austin Jenkins is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Adam Cole. He competes for several independent promotions, including Combat Zone Wrestling, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Northeast Wrestling and Ring of Honor....
in that order.
Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show
As of 2005 Combat Zone Wrestling annually run a memorial tribute event to Christopher "Chri$ Ca$hChristopher Bauman
Christopher J. Bauman, Jr. was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Chri$ Ca$h. Bauman wrestled in many independent promotions, but is known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a former CZW World Tag Team Champion...
" Bauman title "Down with a Sickness" after Chri$ Ca$h's theme song from the band Disturbed. The show originally started as a double header afternoon show, with another CZW event taking place later in the evening. Many former CZW trainees have made appearances on past events, including longtime friend GQ, who has wrestled on all of the events.
A Tangled Web
The most previous event was held on August 13, 2011. This year there were 2 rings, 1 ring which was covered in a barbed wire spider web needing to be seen to be believed. There was also a scaffold which was used numerous times. Drake Younger and Scotty Vortekz ended their year-long feud in what could easily be considered the most violent match in 2011. Every year since 2008, CZW has held this event in which a barbed-wire "spiderweb" is used.Roster
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is a professional wrestling promotionProfessional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Employees in CZW consist of professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
(the ring name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
of the employees are written to the left, while the employee's real name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
is written to the right; employees without an alias, will only have their real name appearing), managers
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
, play-by-play and color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
s, announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
s, interview
Interview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
ers, referees
Referee (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling referee is the official figure that makes sure that wrestling matches move smoothly in an attempt to maintain kayfabe. The referee also has the ultimate power in the ring...
, trainers
Athletic trainer
An athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
, script
Teleplay
A teleplay is a television play, a comedy or drama written or adapted for television. The term surfaced during the 1950s with wide usage to distinguish a television plays from stage plays for the theater and screenplays written for films...
writers and various other positions. Executives and board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
are also listed. This list is organized alphabetically by the wrestlers' real last names. This is a list of professional wrestlers
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
who are Combat Zone Wrestling employees, and a list of former employees of the professional wrestling promotion
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW). In the early days of the company, talent often only appeared a couple of times before disappearing, or wrestlers accepted bookings with other companies, resulting in extended absences from CZW.
Current champions
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Defeated: | Date Won: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZW World Heavyweight Championship CZW World Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship owned and copyrighted by the professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was created and debuted on March 27, 1999 at CZW's The Staple Gun event.The championship is generally contested... |
Devon Moore | Robert Anthony Robert Anthony Robert Anthony is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He currently performs for various independent promotions, most notably Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former World Junior Heavyweight... |
April 9, 2011 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship The CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling , designed for junior heavyweights; wrestlers under . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with The Sensational One as the first champion... |
Sami Callihan Sami Callihan Sam Johnston is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "The New Horror" Sami Callihan. He competes for promotions including Combat Zone Wrestling, Dragon Gate USA, NWA Force One Pro Wrestling, EVOLVE Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Absolute Intense Wrestling, and Insanity Pro... |
Adam Cole Adam Cole Austin Jenkins is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Adam Cole. He competes for several independent promotions, including Combat Zone Wrestling, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Northeast Wrestling and Ring of Honor.... |
November 12, 2011 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW World Tag Team Championship CZW World Tag Team Championship The CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on February 13, 1999 at CZW's Opening Night event, where Jon Dahmer... |
Azrieal & Bandido Jr. | Philly's Most Wanted (Joker Joker (wrestler) Joker is an American independent professional wrestler who works for the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion, IWA Mid-South, Chikara and UWA Hardcore Wrestling.-Career:... and Sabian Sabian (wrestler) Sabian is an American professional wrestler, currently performing for Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a founding member of The Blackout / BLKOUT with Ruckus. In addition to CZW, he also competes for several other American independent promotions, most notably Chikara.-Debut:Born in... ) |
November 12, 2011 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW Wired TV Championship CZW Wired TV Championship The CZW Wired TV Championship is a championship contested in Combat Zone Wrestling .Being a professional wrestling championship, it is not won via direct competition; it is instead won via a predetermined ending to a match or awarded to a wrestler because of wrestling skill. There have been three... |
Jake Crist | A.R. Fox | July 9, 2011 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship The CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship is a professional wrestling hardcore wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on February 5, 2005 at CZW's Only the Strong event.... |
Masada Masada Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE... |
Danny Havoc Danny Havoc Danny Havoc is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, and IWA Deep-South, where he is known as a hardcore wrestler.-Career:... |
July 9, 2011 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Defunct championships
| Championship: | Final Champion(s) | Date Won: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|
| CZW Death Match Championship CZW Death Match Championship The CZW Death Match Championship was a title contested for in the North American independent professional wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . The title belt was known as the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Death Match Championship until John Zandig defeated Mitsuhiro Matsunaga on December 2, 2001... |
Nick Gage Nick Gage Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone... |
August 9, 2003 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW Interpromotional Hardcore Championship | Lobo Lobo (wrestler) Joe Eubanks is an American professional wrestler best known by the ring name Lobo. He wrestled primarily in Combat Zone Wrestling , where he won every major championship and was the first inductee into the CZW Hall of Fame in 2004... |
June 5, 2000 | Sewell, New Jersey Sewell, New Jersey Sewell is an unincorporated area within Mantua Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. Sewell also refers to part of Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, which is not part of Mantua Township. Locals refer to the Sewell part of Mantua as Old Sewell... |
| CZW Iron Man Championship CZW Iron Man Championship The CZW Iron Man Championship was a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with Derek Domino as the first champion. Despite the name, the Iron Man title is not exclusively defended in... |
Egotistico Fantastico Robert Anthony Robert Anthony is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Egotistico Fantastico. He currently performs for various independent promotions, most notably Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a former CZW World Heavyweight Champion, as well as a former World Junior Heavyweight... |
July 11, 2009 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
See also
- Combat Zone Wrestling rosterCombat Zone Wrestling rosterCombat Zone Wrestling is a professional wrestling promotion based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Employees in CZW consist of professional wrestlers , managers, play-by-play and color commentators,...
- Big Japan Pro WrestlingBig Japan Pro WrestlingBig Japan Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1995. It is most famous for its deathmatch style contests.-History:...
- Westside Xtreme WrestlingWestside Xtreme WrestlingWestside Xtreme Wrestling, officially stylized as westside Xtreme wrestling «wXw», is a professional wrestling promotion based in Oberhausen, Germany...
- IWA-MSIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-SouthIndependent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
- Independent Wrestling