| |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Professional wrestling Deathmatch wrestling Lucha libre Shoot Puroresu |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Founder(s) | John Zandig Ric Blade T.C.K Lobo Nick Gage Justin Pain John Dahmer |
| Owner(s) | John Zandig (1999–2009) DJ Hyde (2009–present) James Harrison (2017–present) |
Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and five of his students, Ric Blade, T.C.K, Lobo, Nick Gage, and Justice Pain (along with trainer Jon Dahmer) began to run professional wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence". Ladders, tables, steel folding chairs, thumbtacks, barbed wire, weed whackers, light tubes, panes of glass, and fire are all common elements of "ultraviolent wrestling" 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 established themselves as the leading American hardcore wrestling promotion at 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, their shows feature almost every other style of wrestling as well. Just about any card will feature high flying, comedy, strong style, chain wrestling, and technical wrestling. Their annual Tournament of Death show emphasizes the ultraviolent style of CZW, while their annual Best of the Best emphasizes on the technical and aerial style. CZW was broadcast on The Fight Network to viewers in the UK and Ireland as part of the Bloodbath program until The Fight Network closed in 2008. CZW now runs shows on a monthly basis at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, New Jersey; They will occasionally run shows outside New Jersey.
In 2015, CZW signed a deal for pay-per-views on In Demand. In 2016 50% of the companies assets were sold to WWE owner James Harrison, who outlined plans to give the company funds and allow them to grow.
Championships[]
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held |
Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZW World Heavyweight Championship |
Rickey Shane Page | 1 | November 11, 2017 | 2620+ | Sewell, NJ | Defeated Joe Gacy at Night of Infamy. This was Page's Ultimate Opportunity Coin match. |
| CZW World Tag Team Championship |
The REP (Dave McCall and Nate Carter) |
1 | December 9, 2017 | 2592+ | Sewell, NJ | Defeated Scarlet and Graves at CZW Cage of Death 19 |
| CZW Wired Championship |
Maxwell Jacob Friedman | 2 | December 9, 2017 | 2592+ | Sewell, NJ | Defeated Joey Janela at CZW Cage of Death 19 |
| CZW Medal of Valor Championship |
Mike Del | 1 | September 29, 2017 | 2663+ | Blackwood, NJ | Defeated Kit Osbourne at Super Show 4 |
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