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Combat Zone Wrestling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Combat Zone Wrestling | |
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| Details | |
| Acronym | CZW |
| Established | 1999 |
| Style | Ultraviolent wrestling Professional wrestling |
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Founder(s) | John Zandig |
| Owner(s) | John Zandig |
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American based professional wrestling promotion, based around the 'ultraviolent' style of professional wrestling.
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In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling called "ultraviolent". Ladders, tables, thumbtacks, barbed wire, fluorescent 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 fall of Extreme Championship Wrestling. CZW found fame in the New Alhambra Arena with their Cage of Death 3 show in 2001, the year ECW folded.
The biggest misconception is that the promotion only focuses on hardcore wrestling. Although they are most commonly known for their "ultraviolent" style, rarely do their shows feature more than one or two "ultraviolent" matches. In late 2002, they where forced to further tone down their style after the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission (PSAC) issued a ban on the use of fluorescent light tubes (among other things). Their annual Tournament of Death show emphasizes the "ultraviolent" style of CZW.
All of their shows are taped and distributed by Smart Mark Video, who releases the shows on DVD via their website, SmartMarkVideo.com. CZW is broadcast on TWC Fight! to viewers in Great Britain and Ireland as part of the "Bloodbath" program.
CZW'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, cacti, tables, light tubes, 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.
CZW's yearly death-match tournament features the use of fire, weed whackers, light tubes, and other weapons. T.O.D has resulted in excessive blood loss for many of the wrestlers who have participated in it. Previous winners include Wifebeater (TOD 1 and 3), Nick Mondo, Necro Butcher, Nick Gage,Drake Younger and Brain Damage who won Tournament of Death: Fast Forward for the vacant UVU Championship.
CZW'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 Acid, B-Boy, Sonjay Dutt, Mike Quackenbush, Ruckus, and Joker in that order.
| Championship: | Champion(s): | Defeated: | Date Won: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZW World Heavyweight Championship | Ruckus | Justice Pain | July 14, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW Iron Man Championship | Joker | DJ Hyde | November 10, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship | Sabian | Danny Havoc | October 13, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW World Tag Team Championship | Niles Young and Derek Frazier | Team AnDrew (Drew Gulak and Andy Sumner) |
October 13, 2007 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship | Brain Damage | Won UVU Tournament | September 15, 2007 | Smyrna, Delaware |