Swiss Money Holding
Encyclopedia
The Swiss Money Holding is a professional wrestling
tag team
originally composed of Ares
and Claudio Castagnoli
, and later joined by Marc Roudin in late-2004. Their in-ring personas parodied Swiss bankers
from the United Bank of Switzerland. The team first worked for westside Xtreme wrestling
in Essen, Germany for much of their early career and later competed in promotions throughout the continent. Within a few years, $MH were considered one of the top tag teams in Europe having won titles in Germany
, the United Kingdom
and Switzerland
.
They are regarded as one of the most dominant tag teams in the history of International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
having held the promotion's tag team titles
for a record 12 months, and have been acknowledged by Britain's UK Pitbulls
and visiting American wrestlers such as Chris Hero
and Colt Cabana
At the invitation of Hero, Ares and Castagnoli eventually traveled to the United States where they wrestled in several major independent promotions, most notably, IWA Mid-South and Chikara. After their return to Europe in 2004, Castagnoli went back to the US wrestle full-time for Chikara while Ares remained to Europe to carry on with Marc Roudin. Though Castagnoli would continue to team with Ares from time to time, they would not reunite until Ares' surprise appearance at Chikara's “Three-Fisted Tales” show in 2009. Becoming part of the BDK
, they would go on to win the 2010 King of Trios with Tursas.
. From 2001 to 2003, Don Heavy, a trainee of Ares' and Castagnoli's, would also occasionally team with the duo as the third member of the team. The team would eventually win the wXw Tag Team Championship a record 3-times by the end of 2002, and Castagnoli won the wXw Heavyweight title from Jimmy Jacobs
at the end of 2003. That same year, they also won a "tag team turmoil match" against Fighting Spirit, Louis Van Eden and Luchadore Sitoci, Z Shooting Star Sick and Steve Douglas, Darksoul and Alex Pain and Murat Bosporus and Thomas Blase to become the first tag team champions for German Stampede Wrestling.
They soon began wrestling in other German promotions, such as Athletik Club Wrestling, European Wrestling Fighters, and the New Alliance of Wrestling Athletes, as well as outside the country. Among these were Austria
's Riotgas Wrestling Alliance and Wrestling Warriors Austria, and Freestyle Championship Wrestling in the Netherlands. Ares and Castagnoli faced each other in singles matches during this time and, on April 18, 2003, they participated in a 4 Way Dance against American wrestlers Chris Hero
and Mike Quackenbush at the 2-day wXw supercard "Gott Eggs?". They also faced Hero and Quackenbush in a tag team match, and Hero in singles matches throughout the year.
and Midwestern United States
. On July 4, 2003, Ares and Castagnoli made their first US appearance for IWA Mid South
defeating Chris Hero and Mark Wolf at the "We Are Family" supercard in Clarksville, Indiana
. The following night in Allentown, Pennsylvania
, Swiss Money Holding made their Chikara debuts at the 2003 Tag World Grand Prix. They defeated Senior Assault Team (Melvin Snodgrass and Lester Crabtree) in the first round but were eliminated after drawing with the SuperFriends (Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush).
Following a second appearance at the IWA Arena, Ares and Castagnoli took part in a third supercard, "X-treme Combat III", held by Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling in Warren, Michigan
on July 13, 2003. They wrestled in the main event, a 3 Way Dance, against Jaimy CoxXx and Alex Shelley
and XICW Tag Team Champions Gavin Starr and Jimmy Jacobs
.
, saw Roudin making up the bulk of appearances with Ares for the next few years.
In early-2004, Swiss Money Holding began wrestling in France
for Force Francophone de Catch and the International Catch Wrestling Alliance. On June 19, Castagnoli regained the wXw Heavyweight Championship from Ian Rotten
in Wein, Austria
. A month later, Castagnoli participated in the 2004 Ted Petty Invitational for IWA Mid-South while Ares faced Colt Cabana in his Germany debut. Ares would also win the wXw Heavyweight title the following year and, together with Roudin, also regained the GSW Tag Team Championship from Eric Schwarz and Michael Kovac on April 9, 2005.
On September 23, 2005, Swiss Money Holding was scheduled to appear for Italian Championship Wrestling's "Pandemonium IV" in Sondrio, Italy
to face its tag team champions the Party Boyz (Ace and Andres Diamond). When Ares showed up without a partner, there was some confusion as to which team member would be joining him. While conducting an in-ring interview with the Party Boyz, General Manager Amarillo attacked both men revealing himself to be Ares' secret partner. In their title match later that night, Amarillo was pinned by Andres Diamond.
On December 10, 2006, Ares and Castagnoli made their debut in International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
where they unexpectedly defeated IPW: UK Tag Team Champions
Dragon Phoenix and Bubblegum, the latter substituting for injured co-champion Spud
, in Colchester, England. Taking the titles back to Germany, Swiss Money Holding legitimized their claim on the belts by beating former champions The Dragon Hearts (Phoenix & Spud) in a rematch at the Orpington Halls upon their return to IPW: UK. Ares and Marc Roudin successfully defended the titles in Orpington against Team NOAH (Doug Williams
and Go Shiozaki
) on April 22, and The Dragon Hearts at the "A Taste Of IPW" show a week later. Ares and Castagnoli also entered the 2007 King Of Europe Cup
with Trent Acid
at the Olympia
in Liverpool but were eliminated by the team of Atsushi Aoki
, El Generico
and Martin Stone
.
In the first half of 2007, Ares and Roudin won both the ROE Switzerland and Fighting Spirit Federation tag team titles. Over the summer, they then feuded with The Kartel
(Sha Samuels and Terry Frazier) and eventually lost the IPW: UK titles to them in August.
Ares also made a US appearance on November 7, teaming with Allison Danger in a mixed tag team match against Mr. Wrestling 3
and Shark Girl at the Carolina Wrestling Association's "All Or Nothing II" in York, South Carolina
. Becky Bayless was the special guest referee. A month later, Swiss Money Holdind defeated SigMasta Rappo and British Stallion at "Winter Heat" for Swiss Championship Wrestling on December 15, 2007.
On January 19, 2008, Ares and Castagnoli faced fellow stablemate Marc Roudin and Chris Hero for the wXw Tag Team titles. Roudin and Hero had won them from AbLas (Absolute Andy and Steve Douglas) in Oberhausen, Germany
the previous November. At "IPW: UK vs. The World", Swiss Money Holding once more attempted to win back the IPW: UK titles from The Kartel at Broxbourne Civic Hall on March 15 but failed to defeat them. This was their last appearance in the promotion.
At the end of the year, Castagnoli and Roudin entered the 2008 Tag World Grand Prix in Oberhausen, Germany on November 4, 2008. They were eliminated in the first round by The UnStable (Vin Gerard
and STIGMA
) when Gerard pinned Roudin.
By early-2009, Ares was also wrestling in the United States full-time following his marriage to Allison Danger. On January 29, he and Castagnoli took on the Carolina Wrestling Federation's Team Maction ("Krazy K" Kirby Mack
and T.J. Mack
) at the Carolina Sports Arena in Burlington, North Carolina
. Kirby Mack sprained his right elbow during this match.
on November 22, 2009. When Ares revealed himself as the masked man who had been stalking UltraMantis Black
, Castagnoli turned heel
and attacked ally Mike Quackenbush. After beating the entire face
roster Castagnoli aligned himself with Ares, Tursas, Pinkie Sanchez, Tim Donst
, Sara Del Rey
and Daizee Haze
to form the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
.
After picking up the three points needed in order to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas
in just one weekend, Castagnoli and Ares defeated The Colony
(Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) on March 20, 2010, to win the titles, making Castagnoli the first two-time Campeon de Parejas in Chikara history. In April Castagnoli, Ares and Tursas defeated the teams of The Osirian Portal
(Amasis and Ophidian) and Sara Del Rey, Team Perros del Mal (El Alebrije
, Cuije and El Orientál), Team Big Japan Wrestling (Daisuke Sekimoto
, Kankuro Hoshino and Yuji Okabayashi) and The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Green Ant) over a three day tournament to win the 2010 King of Trios. The team was broken up again in September 2011, when Castagnoli signed with WWE.
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...
tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
originally composed of Ares
Marco Jaggi
Marco Jaggi is a Swiss professional wrestler and wrestling trainer, known by his ring name Ares , who primarily competes in European and American independent promotions. For much of his career, Jaggi teamed with Claudio Castagnoli and Marc Roudin as part of Swiss Money Holding...
and Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli is a Swiss professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, working in its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling under the ring name Antonio Cesaro...
, and later joined by Marc Roudin in late-2004. Their in-ring personas parodied Swiss bankers
Banking in Switzerland
All banks in Switzerland are regulated by Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority , which derives its authority from a series of federal statutes...
from the United Bank of Switzerland. The team first worked for westside Xtreme wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling
Westside Xtreme Wrestling, officially stylized as westside Xtreme wrestling «wXw», is a professional wrestling promotion based in Oberhausen, Germany...
in Essen, Germany for much of their early career and later competed in promotions throughout the continent. Within a few years, $MH were considered one of the top tag teams in Europe having won titles in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
They are regarded as one of the most dominant tag teams in the history of International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom is a British professional wrestling promotion. Daniel Edler is the majority owner, chairman and founder of the company. The company was established in 2004 and since their foundation they have held monthly shows in Orpington, Kent...
having held the promotion's tag team titles
IPW:UK Tag Team Championship
The British Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and copyrighted by International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom and Real Quality Wrestling. The IPW:UK title was established in 2005 and the RQW title was established in 2007...
for a record 12 months, and have been acknowledged by Britain's UK Pitbulls
UK Pitbulls
The UK Pitbulls were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of brothers Bulk and Big Dave . Their motto was "if we don't beat you, we eat you!". They held a number of titles in the United Kingdom, notably in their own promotion and in some minor United States promotions...
and visiting American wrestlers such as 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...
and Colt Cabana
At the invitation of Hero, Ares and Castagnoli eventually traveled to the United States where they wrestled in several major independent promotions, most notably, IWA Mid-South and Chikara. After their return to Europe in 2004, Castagnoli went back to the US wrestle full-time for Chikara while Ares remained to Europe to carry on with Marc Roudin. Though Castagnoli would continue to team with Ares from time to time, they would not reunite until Ares' surprise appearance at Chikara's “Three-Fisted Tales” show in 2009. Becoming part of the BDK
Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes is a professional wrestling stable in the Chikara promotion.-Background :...
, they would go on to win the 2010 King of Trios with Tursas.
Westside Xtreme wrestling (2001–2003)
Swiss Money Holding was formed in 2001 when wXw promoter Hate and wrestler SigMasta Rappo, their trainer, decided to pair the two Swiss wrestlers as a tag team. Their first match together was against Euro Threat (HATE and SigMasta Rappo) at the "Taste It Twice" supercard on May 13, 2001. Both had only very recently joined the German promotion, however their similar personalities and ring style proved immediately popular with fans. Wrestling as "heels", their in-ring personae were parodies of Swiss bankersBanking in Switzerland
All banks in Switzerland are regulated by Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority , which derives its authority from a series of federal statutes...
. From 2001 to 2003, Don Heavy, a trainee of Ares' and Castagnoli's, would also occasionally team with the duo as the third member of the team. The team would eventually win the wXw Tag Team Championship a record 3-times by the end of 2002, and Castagnoli won the wXw Heavyweight title from Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
at the end of 2003. That same year, they also won a "tag team turmoil match" against Fighting Spirit, Louis Van Eden and Luchadore Sitoci, Z Shooting Star Sick and Steve Douglas, Darksoul and Alex Pain and Murat Bosporus and Thomas Blase to become the first tag team champions for German Stampede Wrestling.
They soon began wrestling in other German promotions, such as Athletik Club Wrestling, European Wrestling Fighters, and the New Alliance of Wrestling Athletes, as well as outside the country. Among these were Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
's Riotgas Wrestling Alliance and Wrestling Warriors Austria, and Freestyle Championship Wrestling in the Netherlands. Ares and Castagnoli faced each other in singles matches during this time and, on April 18, 2003, they participated in a 4 Way Dance against American wrestlers 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...
and Mike Quackenbush at the 2-day wXw supercard "Gott Eggs?". They also faced Hero and Quackenbush in a tag team match, and Hero in singles matches throughout the year.
Touring the United States (2003)
Hero was so impressed by their performance, he invited them to perform in the United States. They soon embarked on a summer tour of the US competing in a number of independent promotions on the East CoastEast Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and Midwestern United States
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
. On July 4, 2003, Ares and Castagnoli made their first US appearance for IWA Mid South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South
Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South is an independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky.- History :...
defeating Chris Hero and Mark Wolf at the "We Are Family" supercard in Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville, Indiana
Clarksville is a town in Clark County, Indiana, United States, along the Ohio River as a part of the Louisville Metropolitan area. The population was 21,724 at the 2010 census. The town, once a home site to George Rogers Clark, was founded in 1783 and is the oldest American town in the Northwest...
. The following night in Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, Swiss Money Holding made their Chikara debuts at the 2003 Tag World Grand Prix. They defeated Senior Assault Team (Melvin Snodgrass and Lester Crabtree) in the first round but were eliminated after drawing with the SuperFriends (Chris Hero and Mike Quackenbush).
Following a second appearance at the IWA Arena, Ares and Castagnoli took part in a third supercard, "X-treme Combat III", held by Xtreme Intense Championship Wrestling in Warren, Michigan
Warren, Michigan
Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census places the city's population at 134,056, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb....
on July 13, 2003. They wrestled in the main event, a 3 Way Dance, against Jaimy CoxXx and Alex Shelley
Alex Shelley
Patrick Martin , is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Alex Shelley. He wrestles for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he currently teams with Chris Sabin as The Motor City Machine Guns. He previously gained fame on the independent circuit, working most notably for...
and XICW Tag Team Champions Gavin Starr and Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
.
Introduction of Marc Roudin (2003–2009)
After their return to Europe, Castagnoli wanted to return to the United States so he could wrestle full-time for Chikara. As a result, Marc Roudin was brought in to replace him. Castagnoli would return to team with Ares on occasion, and while the trio were billed as a 3-man team, all three members were rarely seen together. Castagnoli's growing involvement with Chikara, and later Ring of HonorRing 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...
, saw Roudin making up the bulk of appearances with Ares for the next few years.
In early-2004, Swiss Money Holding began wrestling in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for Force Francophone de Catch and the International Catch Wrestling Alliance. On June 19, Castagnoli regained the wXw Heavyweight Championship from 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 Wein, Austria
Wien
Wien is the German language name for Vienna, the city and federal state in Austria.* Wien , in Vienna, Austria* Theater an der Wien, a theater in Vienna located at the former river WienWien may also refer to:...
. A month later, Castagnoli participated in the 2004 Ted Petty Invitational for IWA Mid-South while Ares faced Colt Cabana in his Germany debut. Ares would also win the wXw Heavyweight title the following year and, together with Roudin, also regained the GSW Tag Team Championship from Eric Schwarz and Michael Kovac on April 9, 2005.
On September 23, 2005, Swiss Money Holding was scheduled to appear for Italian Championship Wrestling's "Pandemonium IV" in Sondrio, Italy
Sondrio
Sondrio is an Italian town and comune located in the heart of the Valtellina. Sondrio counts approximately 22,000 inhabitants and it is the administrative centre for the Lombard Province of Sondrio.- History :...
to face its tag team champions the Party Boyz (Ace and Andres Diamond). When Ares showed up without a partner, there was some confusion as to which team member would be joining him. While conducting an in-ring interview with the Party Boyz, General Manager Amarillo attacked both men revealing himself to be Ares' secret partner. In their title match later that night, Amarillo was pinned by Andres Diamond.
On December 10, 2006, Ares and Castagnoli made their debut in International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom
International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom is a British professional wrestling promotion. Daniel Edler is the majority owner, chairman and founder of the company. The company was established in 2004 and since their foundation they have held monthly shows in Orpington, Kent...
where they unexpectedly defeated IPW: UK Tag Team Champions
IPW:UK Tag Team Championship
The British Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and copyrighted by International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom and Real Quality Wrestling. The IPW:UK title was established in 2005 and the RQW title was established in 2007...
Dragon Phoenix and Bubblegum, the latter substituting for injured co-champion Spud
James Curtin
James Curtin , better known by his ring name Spud, is a British professional wrestler. Curtin, known for his small stature, is considered the smallest mainstream wrestler in the United Kingdom....
, in Colchester, England. Taking the titles back to Germany, Swiss Money Holding legitimized their claim on the belts by beating former champions The Dragon Hearts (Phoenix & Spud) in a rematch at the Orpington Halls upon their return to IPW: UK. Ares and Marc Roudin successfully defended the titles in Orpington against Team NOAH (Doug Williams
Doug Williams (wrestler)
Douglas Clayton Durdle is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Doug Williams. He is currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Douglas Williams...
and Go Shiozaki
Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is the current GHC Heavyweight Champion. In addition to Noah, he has previously worked in the American-based promotion Ring of Honor and its former sister promotion Full Impact Pro, where he won the latter's...
) on April 22, and The Dragon Hearts at the "A Taste Of IPW" show a week later. Ares and Castagnoli also entered the 2007 King Of Europe Cup
King of Europe Cup
The King of Europe Cup is a European professional wrestling tournament in the style of the "King of Indies" and "Super 8" tournaments of the United States....
with 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,...
at the Olympia
Liverpool Olympia
The Liverpool Olympia is situated next to The Grafton Ballroom on West Derby Road, Liverpool, England.-History:The Liverpool Olympia was built in 1905 For Moss Empires Ltd by architect Frank Matcham as a purpose built indoor circus and variety theatre...
in Liverpool but were eliminated by the team of Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki
Atsushi Aoki is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese wrestling promotion Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is one half of the reigning GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Aoki made his professional wrestling debut in 2005 and has worked primarily for NOAH where he was part...
, El Generico
El Generico
Rami Sebei is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name El Generico. Sebei uses the gimmick of a luchador from Mexico...
and Martin Stone
Martin Stone (wrestler)
Martin Harris, better known by his ring name Martin Stone is a British professional wrestler. He is best known for wrestling under Frontier Wrestling Alliance , International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom , Real Quality Wrestling and various other promotions throughout the United Kingdom,...
.
In the first half of 2007, Ares and Roudin won both the ROE Switzerland and Fighting Spirit Federation tag team titles. Over the summer, they then feuded with The Kartel
The Kartel
The Kartel is a professional wrestling tag team made up of Terry Frazier and Sha Samuels. They are best known their work on the independent circuit mainly within the United Kingdom.-Professional wrestling career:...
(Sha Samuels and Terry Frazier) and eventually lost the IPW: UK titles to them in August.
Ares also made a US appearance on November 7, teaming with Allison Danger in a mixed tag team match against Mr. Wrestling 3
Steve Corino
Steven Eugene "Steve" Corino is a Canadian professional wrestler, who currently works for Pro Wrestling Zero1, Ring of Honor and numerous other independent promotions. Corino is a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and ECW World Heavyweight Champion.-Early years :Corino began wrestling in 1994...
and Shark Girl at the Carolina Wrestling Association's "All Or Nothing II" in York, South Carolina
York, South Carolina
York is a small city in York County, South Carolina, United States. The city of York is also the county seat of York County. The population was approximately 6,985 at the 2000 census and the 2009 population estimate for the city...
. Becky Bayless was the special guest referee. A month later, Swiss Money Holdind defeated SigMasta Rappo and British Stallion at "Winter Heat" for Swiss Championship Wrestling on December 15, 2007.
On January 19, 2008, Ares and Castagnoli faced fellow stablemate Marc Roudin and Chris Hero for the wXw Tag Team titles. Roudin and Hero had won them from AbLas (Absolute Andy and Steve Douglas) in Oberhausen, Germany
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is a city on the river Emscher in the Ruhr Area, Germany, located between Duisburg and Essen . The city hosts the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen and its Gasometer Oberhausen is an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It is also well known for the...
the previous November. At "IPW: UK vs. The World", Swiss Money Holding once more attempted to win back the IPW: UK titles from The Kartel at Broxbourne Civic Hall on March 15 but failed to defeat them. This was their last appearance in the promotion.
At the end of the year, Castagnoli and Roudin entered the 2008 Tag World Grand Prix in Oberhausen, Germany on November 4, 2008. They were eliminated in the first round by The UnStable (Vin Gerard
Vin Gerard
Vince "Vin" Gerard Durling is an American professional wrestler currently competing in the American-based promotion Chikara.-Equinox:...
and STIGMA
Stigma (wrestler)
Stigma is an American professional wrestler, best known for his work in the Chikara professional wrestling promotion, where he is a former Young Lions Cup Champion and King of Trios winner...
) when Gerard pinned Roudin.
By early-2009, Ares was also wrestling in the United States full-time following his marriage to Allison Danger. On January 29, he and Castagnoli took on the Carolina Wrestling Federation's Team Maction ("Krazy K" Kirby Mack
Kirby Mack
Kirby Mack is an American professional wrestler. He currently wrestles on the independent circuit. He has also wrestled for mainstream promotions such as World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling....
and T.J. Mack
T.J. Mack
T.J. Mack , is an American professional wrestler. He currently wrestles for Wrestling Superstars Live and various other independent promotions. He has also wrestled for mainstream promotions such as World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honor and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
) at the Carolina Sports Arena in Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
. Kirby Mack sprained his right elbow during this match.
Reunion in Chikara (2009–2011)
After six years, the official SMH reunion between Ares and Castagnoli took place at the end of Chikara's “Three-Fisted Tales” show in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, 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,...
on November 22, 2009. When Ares revealed himself as the masked man who had been stalking UltraMantis Black
UltraMantis Black
UltraMantis Black is a professional wrestler, who performs primarily in the Chikara professional wrestling promotion, where he is the leader of the Order of the Neo–Solar Temple, while also regularly commentating on matches in which he is not competing...
, Castagnoli turned heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
and attacked ally Mike Quackenbush. After beating the entire 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...
roster Castagnoli aligned himself with Ares, Tursas, Pinkie Sanchez, Tim Donst
Tim Donst
Timothy "Tim" Donst is an American professional wrestler, performing primarily in Chikara, where he is a former Young Lions Cup holder. He is known for his amateur wrestling background, which became the focal point of his persona....
, Sara Del Rey
Sara Del Rey
Sara Amato is an American professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Sara Del Rey. She is a mainstay for Chikara and Shimmer Women Athletes. She has also appeared for many other independent promotions in the United States, including Ring of Honor, IWA Mid-South, All Pro Wrestling, as...
and Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze
Daizee Haze is an American professional wrestler. Whilst wrestling for many companies Daizee Haze is also the head trainer for the Shimmer Women Athletes promotion.-Training and Gateway Championship Wrestling:...
to form the Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Bruderschaft des Kreuzes
Die Bruderschaft des Kreuzes is a professional wrestling stable in the Chikara promotion.-Background :...
.
After picking up the three points needed in order to challenge for the Campeonatos de Parejas
Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas
The Campeonatos de Parejas is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based promotion Chikara.-History:The Campeonatos de Parejas were introduced in February 2006...
in just one weekend, Castagnoli and Ares defeated The Colony
The Colony (professional wrestling)
The Colony is a professional wrestling stable wrestling for Chikara. Their gimmick is, as their name suggests, a colony of ants.-Debut:After being trained by both Mike Quackenbush and Chris Hero, Fire Ant and Soldier Ant debuted as Team Colony at the 2006 Tag World Grand Prix, where they lost in...
(Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) on March 20, 2010, to win the titles, making Castagnoli the first two-time Campeon de Parejas in Chikara history. In April Castagnoli, Ares and Tursas defeated the teams of The Osirian Portal
The Osirian Portal
The Osirian Portal was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Amasis and Ophidian. The team mainly competed in Chikara, where they held the Campeonatos de Parejas, and Combat Zone Wrestling . They have also made appearances in Ring of Honor and several other independent promotions based...
(Amasis and Ophidian) and Sara Del Rey, Team Perros del Mal (El Alebrije
El Alebrije (wrestler)
El Alebrije is a Mexican Luchador enmascarado, or masked professional wrestler, working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre as part of the group called Los Invasores. He best known for his work in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he worked for 12 years as El Alebrije, along with his...
, Cuije and El Orientál), Team Big Japan Wrestling (Daisuke Sekimoto
Daisuke Sekimoto
is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Big Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX. He is a former six-time BJW Tag Team Champion, as well as a former NWA United National Heavyweight Champion in ZERO1-MAX...
, Kankuro Hoshino and Yuji Okabayashi) and The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant and Green Ant) over a three day tournament to win the 2010 King of Trios. The team was broken up again in September 2011, when Castagnoli signed with WWE.
In wrestling
- Finishing tag team moves
- Diving European uppercut (Castagnoli) / electric chair drop (Ares) combinationDoomsday DeviceDoomsday Device, often shortened to Device, is a term used in professional wrestling to reference a tandem move in which one wrestler hoists the opponent on their shoulders so that they are facing in the same direction in what is known as the electric chair position, while another wrestler climbs...
- Diving European uppercut (Castagnoli) / electric chair drop (Ares) combination
Championships and accomplishments
- Chikara
- Chikara Campeonatos de ParejasChikara Campeonatos de ParejasThe Campeonatos de Parejas is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based promotion Chikara.-History:The Campeonatos de Parejas were introduced in February 2006...
(1 times) – Ares and Castagnoli - King of TriosKing of TriosKing of Trios is a three-night tournament promoted by the Chikara wrestling promotion. The tournament is a different take on the Tag World Grand Prix event that the company is known for annually promoting; in King of Trios, instead of tag teams, there are trios that will compete in six-man tag team...
(2010) – Ares, Castagnoli and Tursas
- Chikara Campeonatos de Parejas
- German Stampede Wrestling
- GSW World Heavyweight Championship - Ares
- GSW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Ares, Castagnoli, Heavy and Roudin (1), Ares and Roudin (1)
- International Pro Wrestling: United KingdomInternational Pro Wrestling: United KingdomInternational Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom is a British professional wrestling promotion. Daniel Edler is the majority owner, chairman and founder of the company. The company was established in 2004 and since their foundation they have held monthly shows in Orpington, Kent...
- IPW:UK Tag Team ChampionshipIPW:UK Tag Team ChampionshipThe British Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and copyrighted by International Pro Wrestling: United Kingdom and Real Quality Wrestling. The IPW:UK title was established in 2005 and the RQW title was established in 2007...
(1 time) – Ares, Castagnoli and Roudin
- IPW:UK Tag Team Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked Ares # 122 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2007
- PWI ranked Claudio Castagnoli # 67 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2007
- Swiss Wrestling Federation
- SWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time) - Ares
- SWF Powerhouse Championship (3 times) - Castagnoli (2) and Heavy (1)
- SWF Light Heavyweight Champion (1 time) - Roudin
- SWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Ares and Castagnoli
- westside Xtreme wrestlingWestside Xtreme WrestlingWestside Xtreme Wrestling, officially stylized as westside Xtreme wrestling «wXw», is a professional wrestling promotion based in Oberhausen, Germany...
- wXw World Heavyweight Championship (4 times) – Ares (2) and Castagnoli (2)
- wXw Tag Team Championship (3 times) – Ares and Castagnoli