CZW Tournament of Death 2 Preview

[Guest Sandman9000]

I wrote up a massive TOD review/TOD2 preview and sent it to Dames, hoping to get it on the site. Hearing nothing, I'll post the preview here and save the review for another time.

 

I wrote this back when I was still going, so I haven't taken the time to edit any of that stuff out. I wrote this last weekend/Monday, so if anything's changed in that time period, blame someone else.

 

It's not as big as my BOTB3 preview, if that makes anyone happy. The TOD review, on the other hand, set some time aside for that one.

 

Note: The mini-bios for Zandig, Mondo, Necro, and Gage were done up for the TOD review, so if stuff seems really out of place, that's why. Ian, Bailey, Corp., and Webb's bios are fine. Yes they are.

 

 

The storyline to this event is that during CZW’s June Viking Hall event, Truth or Consequences, Ian Rotten, Corporal Robinson, and JC Bailey, from IWA Mid-South, interfered in the Zandig/Rockin’ Rebel I Quit Strap Match. The three attacked Zandig, stapling dollar bills to his body and face before threatening Zandig’s wife, which finally caused Zandig to say I quit. With HI-V (Messiah, B-Boy, Nate Hatred, Backseat Boys, Dewey Donovan) watching from the stage, Zandig returned to the back, only to find the locker room boarded up.

 

Zandig challenged the three IWA-MS’ers to come to the Extreme 8 show, which was to serve as a qualifier for TOD2. There would be four deathmatches, with the four winners advancing to TOD2. Ian agreed, saying that he would bring a fourth member of IWA-MS to the Extreme 8.

 

The competitors for the Extreme 8 were originally the three IWA-MS’ers, Necro Butcher, Deranged, Bishop Slade, and “Mr. Insanity” Toby Klein. Ian brought in Axl Rotten and “Spyder” Nate Webb in, while Van Hughes and “Lowlife” Louie Ramos were added, making it an Extreme 11. In addition, Zandig and “Hardcore” Nick Gage took on Messiah and Nate Hatred, with the two winners advancing to TOD2.

 

The results from the Extreme 8

 

Corporal Robinson d. Deranged in a Barbed Wire Boards & Barbed Wire Table Deathmatch.

Necro Bucher d. Bishop Slade, Van Hughes, Axl Rotten, & “Spyder” Nate Webb in a Five Man Fans Bring The Weapons Deathmatch Gauntlet.

JC Bailey d. “Mr. Insanity” Toby Klein in an Unlucky 13 Staple Gun Deathmatch. (First person to staple 13 dollar bills to their opponent wins.)

Ian Rotten d. “Lowlife” Louie Ramos in a Barbed Wire Baseball Bat & Thumbtack Bat Deathmatch.

Zandig & “Hardcore” Nick Gage d. Messiah & Nate Hatred in a Barbed Wire Wrapped Ropes and Barbed Wire Boards Deathmatch.

 

During the event, Zandig called out Necro Butcher and offered him a full-time spot in CZW. Necro accepted and the two had a male bonding moment. At the end of E8, however, the IWA-MS crew came and did a second beatdown of Zandig. Necro came out for the save, but turned on Zandig and rejoined IWA-MS, being added to their KODM.

 

That qualified Ian Rotten, Corporal Robinsion, JC Bailey, Necro Butcher, Zandig, & Nick Gage for TOD2. Nick Mondo was automatically entered, and after Ian Rotten defeated Zandig in a Taipei Deathmatch at Déjà Vu 2, he was allowed to choose the 8th participant in TOD2, which is “Spyder” Nate Webb.

The brackets for TOD2:

 

Deathmatch stipulations already announced:

2 out of 3 Lighttube Log Cabin Match, No Shirts Allowed

Fans Bring The Weapons Deathmatch

200 Lighttubes Deathmatch

 

It’s looking like the first two will be the semi-final deathmatches, with the 200 lighttubes deathmatch being the final.

 

A look at the competitors for TOD2

 

Zandig

 

The real life owner of CZW, Zandig had lost control of the company to Lobo back at This Time It’s Personal in the storylines. Despite that loss, it didn’t stop Zandig from showing up at Viking Hall every month and attacking Lobo, including facing Lobo in a brutal No Rope Barbed Wire match at Déjà Vu in June of 2002. Some security CZW has. Anyway, Zandig set this show up as a way to get back at Lobo. The former ICON (an Ultimate Warrior ripoff gimmick, yeah, yeah I know), Zandig has changed over to a deathmatch worker. He’s certainly physically strong, but his best days are behind him, and his ever expanding muscle gut proves it. Still, Zandig is able to withstand inhuman amounts of pain, such as his torture at Stretched In Symrna back in 2001, where hot wax was dripped into his wounds. He’s also the Big Japan Deathmatch champion at the time of TOD, which was placed on the line for the tournament, and a winner of the World Extreme Cup, a deathmatch tournament which Big Japan holds. He also happened to be Big Japan’s booker at that time. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

 

Necro Butcher

 

The 2002 IWA-MS King of the Deathmatch, Necro Butcher is another crazy son of a bitch. He nearly lost his arm after being suplexed through a disturbing amount of lighttubes by Madman Pondo, and came back weeks later to win the KODM tourney. His gimmick is basically that of himself, a crazy drunken bastard. TOD is his first CZW appearance, though certainly not his last. Finally, his shirt is the greatest thing I’ve seen and I want one of those bad. If you wanna help me out and pony up for it…..

 

“Hardcore” Nick Gage

 

One of the original CZW workers and the first CZW Heavyweight champion, Nick Gage had slowly made the evolution from deathmatch guy to a solid wrestler/brawler in the tag environment, as he was the other ½ of the H8 Club at the time. The real life brother of Justice Pain, Gage competed against Wifebeater in the first 200 lighttubes deathmatch at “They Said It Couldn’t Be Done” in June of 2000, as well as a No Rope Barbed Wire match in the pouring rain vs. Nick Mondo at “Who’s The Boss?” in August of 2001. Like his tag partner Hatred, Gage has only competed in TOD.

 

“Sick” Nick Mondo

 

He fears no evil and feels no pain. A cruiserweight among heavyweights, Nick Mondo uses his aerial skills in order to combat the brawling of other deathmatch workers. Mondo is also lauded for his strikes, as they are in the region between Ric Blade’s (sloppy and weak as hell) and Low-Ki’s (I think American Dragon’s gone brain-dead). Mondo had competed in the 2001 IWA-MS KODM, defeating Cash Flo in the opening round and losing to Ian Rotten in the second. Mondo has competed in some of CZW’s bloodiest matches, including UnF’nBelievable (Fans Bring the Weapons, Nick Mondo & Jun Kasai vs. Justice Pain & Johnny Kashmere) and H8 Club: Dead? (FBTW, Zandig, Wifebeater, & Mondo vs. Pain & the Backseat Boys). He’s been drug through broken glass, he’s been tossed off balconies through lighttube tables, who knows what he’ll go through to win TOD.

 

Ian Rotten

 

One man who can make a legitimate claim to being the King of Hardcore, Ian Rotten has come a long way from the guy who had the PWI Feud of the Year for 1995 with Axl Rotten. The co-owner of IWA-MS, Ian has made the transition from pure garbage wrestler to one of the better technical wrestlers on the indys today. Those of you who have only seen Ian in the Taipei Deathmatch vs. Axl on the ECW Path of Destruction DVD will be surprised at just how well Ian can wrestle. That doesn’t mean that Ian can’t get hardcore, though. The winner of the 2001 IWA-MS KODM and 2003 MAW Hardcore Cup, Ian can take punishment with the best of them. Oh yeah, he throws a real mean chairshot as well. Ask Peter B. Beautiful how Ian’s chair shot feels.

 

Corporal Robinson

 

ICP’s bodyguard, and the owner of arguably the sickest looking forehead in professional wrestling today, Corp is another deathmatch guy who can surprise you with how well he can actually wrestle. The runner-up to Ian in the 2003 MAW Hardcore Cup and a competitor in many of the IWA-MS KODM’s, Corp is as tough as they come. He’s got tons of momentum behind him in IWA-MS and could be considered the favorite to win the KODM this year, but here in CZW, it’s a whole different ballgame.

 

JC Bailey

 

You gotta love a wrestler who’s gimmick is that he’s a 19 year old kid with a deathwish. Want proof about how insane Bailey is? One of his regular spots is that he has a dollar bill stapled to his tongue, a la Necro from TOD. Want more proof? He faced Madman Pondo in the only Circus Deathmatch to take place in the U.S. (A circus deathmatch is where two men face off on a scaffold over or next to a ring with a barbed wire net stretched across it.) Where Pondo uberplexed Bailey off the 18 foot scaffold into the barbed wire net. And Bailey has said that he’d do another circus deathmatch. Yes, folks, JC Bailey is a crazy SOB. Let’s hope he lives to see his 21st birthday.

 

”Spyder” Nate Webb

 

‘Cause I’m just-a teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenage dirttttttttttbag bab….sorry. If you’ve never seen Spyder-Man in action before, you’re in for a treat. Like Bailey and Mondo, Webb is another high-flying, big bumping crazy mofo. Signature moves from Webb include a moonsault with either a chair, ladder, or anything else he can get his hands on, as well as a Moonsault Van Terminator called The Fang. The runner up to Necro in the 2002 IWA-MS KODM and a participant in the 2003 MAW Hardcore Cup, Webb is also one of the funniest wrestlers you will ever see when it comes to entrances. From dancing with a box of lighttubes to sprinting frantically around the crowd, Webb makes sure that every fan is paying attention when the match starts, and lets his skill keep their attention for the rest of the match.

 

 

 

Predictions for TOD2

 

Zandig vs. “Spyder” Nate Webb

 

While the obvious logic would be to have Zandig go over Webb for revenge against IWA, I don’t see it happening that way. I see Ian and crew costing Zandig this match, for two reasons. Uno) To set up something big for later on down the road, and 2) Because Mondo/Webb in a deathmatch environment is a dream match for IWA-MS/CZW/deathmatch fans.

Winner: “Spyder” Nate Webb

 

Sick” Nick Mondo vs. JC Bailey

 

I originally had this match for the finals, but it’s a first round match instead. Ah well. Both men are equally capable wrestlers, high flyers, brawlers, bleeders, and bumpers, though Bailey will do the majority of that in this match. Odds are that Bailey will have a dollar bill stapled to his tongue again, and Mondo will go over, providing the first defeat of an IWA-MSer in CZW.

 

Winner: Nick Mondo

 

Corporal Robinson vs. Necro Butcher

 

Why we have IWA vs. IWA, I dunno. Either way, like Beater/Necro from last year, this is another dream match for deathmatch fans. Even though both are in this year’s KODM, I see Corp going to the finals (actually, Corp winning the whole thing), so he’ll need to be less banged up then Necro. Necro over Corp then, and I am so going to mark out for this match.

 

Winner: Necro Butcher

 

Ian Rotten vs. “Hardcore” Nick Gage

 

The owner of IWA-MS vs. the franchise of CZW. Again, both men are in KODM as well, though I don’t see Gage going far in that. Nevertheless, Zandig gets his payback from earlier tonight by helping Gage eliminate Ian. Since there have only been 15 names announced for KODM, and Zandig has been rumored for that 16th spot, if they’re going to make him official for KODM, here’s the perfect opportunity.

 

Winner: Nick Gage

 

Sick” Nick Mondo vs. “Spyder” Nate Webb

Fans Bring The Weapons Deathmatch

 

They’ve wrestled in IWA under normal rules, as well as a TLC match. Webb has won all of their contests, including finishing off Mondo during the TLC match at IWA-MS’ 300th show with a legdrop off the announcers position (8 feet in the air, renamed the Spyder’s Nest, now called the Bailey’s nest) through Mondo and two stacked tables. However, these two have never met in a deathmatch environment. I’m so looking forward to this match, however, I see Mondo beating Webb and going on to the finals.

 

Winner: Nick Mondo

 

Necro Butcher vs. “Hardcore” Nick Gage

No Shirts 2/3 Lighttube Log Cabins Deathmatch

 

Never seen Nick Gage wrestle without a shirt on, much less bump onto glass bareback. Should be a fun new experience for him. If Nick Gage is putting the BJW deathmatch belt on the line, he’ll go over here. But since I’ve heard nothing about it, no rumors, no announcements, I’ll assume that he’s not. And if he isn’t, then Necro goes over.

 

Winner: Necro Butcher

 

Sick” Nick Mondo vs. Necro Butcher

200 Lighttubes Deathmatch

 

a.k.a. My wildest dream. Necro is easily my favorite wrestler in the tourney, and I have a soft spot for Mondo as well. Don’t know how they’re going to top last year’s final, unless they break out the weedwhacker again (and I hope to Satan they don’t), so who knows. Mondo wins as payment for his suffering last year, and I cry myself to sleep that night. Not just over Necro’s loss, but that I’ll have to go to work in 8 hours. Ah well, if I get to hug Necro sometime that night, I’ll be a happy bloodmark.

 

Winner: Nick Mondo

 

 

 

That’s the article, I know it was a long read, but hopefully you enjoyed it. Again, order Tournament of Death from Smart Mark Videoand attend Tournament of Death 2, Saturday July 26th, from Racks in Dover, DE. For ticket information and instructions, go to czwwrestling.com,and for information on TOD2 itself, visit www.uvtod.com.

 

All photos linked to in this article were taken by WHACKS. Visit his site at whacks.bizland.com.

[Guest Jimmy Saint]

I would have liked to see Zandig vs Ian Rotten AND Nate Webb vs Nick Mondo.

 

 

I think Nick is gonna win this though and he deserves it. Hope he doesent die in the process.