Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence". Ladders, tables, thumbtacks, barbed wire, 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 folding of Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). CZW found fame in 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, rarely do their shows feature more than one or two ultraviolent matches. Their annual Tournament of Death show emphasizes the ultraviolent style of CZW and usually takes place in Delaware.
All of their shows are taped and distributed by Pancoast Productions, Inc., who releases the shows on DVD and Pay-Per-Stream via their website. CZW was broadcast on TWC Fight! to viewers in Great Britain and Ireland as part of the "Bloodbath" program until TWC Fight! closed in 2008. CZW continues to run on a monthly basis in The Arena. Aside from their monthly shows, they also run shows outside of Philadelphia, where the promotion is based.
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