Penn. State Athletic Comm. Lays Down New Rules

[Guest Nevermortal]

At a meeting in Philadelphia on 11/16, Greg Sirb of the Pennsylvania state athletic commission laid out new, more stringent rules regarding the use of weapons in "death matches".

 

Sirb told a gathering of promoters that barbed wire and light tubes are now banned from use. He also said fighting into the crowd was outlawed, and if anyone did so while bleeding, not only would the promoter have his license pulled, but the city health board would be notified and wrestlers would have to be tested for HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases.

 

Sirb mentioned that he wanted to see a cutback in excessive blood as well. Technically, blading is illegal in Pennsylvania, as one of the provisions in the athletic commission guidelines says "self-mutilation" is not allowed. However, it has not typically been strictly enforced.

 

The problems with blood in Philadelphia indies stem from the 8/31 XPW debut show at the ECW Arena. Angel, who was bleeding, went into the women's bathroom and got blood on the daughter of a judge who was in attendance. The judge is a friend of Ron Greenley of the commission. There was a complaint after that show about "too much blood", as well as "excessive nudity" from a post-main event angle with Lizzy Borden.

 

Also mentioned at the meeting was the weedwhacker and the overuse of the light tubes during the Zandig-Wifebeater match for CZW on 11/9.

 

CZW is still planning to promote a Cage of Death match at their 12/14 Philadelphia show, though now it will be without barbed wire or light tubes. They are working on putting together surprises for the match that will stay within the rules and keep it from being a disappointment.

 

Supreme at the XPW show later that night cut a promo blaming the new rules on Zandig and CZW.

 

So, in reality, XPW was the one who started the controversy. Good call there, Supreme.

[Guest EMAXSAUN]

sheesh it wasnt only xpw,

 

czw complained about xpw after XPW's 1st show, and because of that, the commission started to pay more attention to what was happeneing at shows, and because of the last CZW show, where Wifebeater used the weedwhacker on Zandig and then poured fucking salt into his open wounds, made frank talent change the rules. xpw had a violent match at hostille takeover, true, but czw was the one complaining about them being there, and then went on to have an even more violent match.

[Guest Sandman9000]

Looks like both CZW and XPW are fucked.

 

Fighting in the crowd and barbed wire banned? Shit, those have been in Philly since friggin '95!

 

I'm hoping that some of these rules will be like the "no self-mutiliation" rule that really isn't enforced. It just isn't Philly wrestling without crowd brawling and barbed wire.

 

CZW can just save the big ultraviolent brawls for Delaware, though. And I can live without seeing someone take a weedwhacker ever again.