CZW 21st Anniversary - Hot Take

"The Blood, the Pride, Survive
You're forsaken, your bones are breakin'
Yeah!
Like the night and like the tribes, they come to battle on this night, the ring's the field, the field of war, it's where they lay the law!
Laying the law once again, prepare for war!
CZW!
An eye for an eye, to live is to die, you've been denied!
C Z W!"

For 21 years, the lyrics of Combat Zone Wrestling's theme song has been the rallying cry for a promotion that emerged in explosive fashion in 1999 and has since presented decades of violence, broken bones, bloody battles, shattered light tubes, brawls through crowds, and mayhem that would be inhuman and illegal in any other setting beyond professional wrestling.

Founded by the legendary John Zandig, CZW was designed to be a rage against the machine that was professional wrestling and now finds themselves in an unexpected position – to be one of the elder statesman of hardcore professional wrestling, a world where emotions run high and combatants are willing to submerge themselves into broken glass and shattered tables in order to achieve the ultimate victory.

CZW has never been for the faint of heart. This weekend, as the promotion celebrates its 21st Anniversary from rustic Voorhees, New Jersey will be no different. Emerging from the rubble of their 2019 Cage of Death event, the Combat Zone will once again be the nexus for some of the most violent and emotionally charged matches anywhere in the world, live on FITE!

MASADA vs. Casanova Valentine: NO ROPES BARBED WIRE MATCH

As noted, Combat Zone Wrestling is a promotion steeped in pride and violence alike and they will kick off their 2020 with the ring ropes being removed for their 21st Anniversary and replaced with barbed wire strewn around the squared circle to set the stage for the ultimate proving of one's manhood. On one side of the ring will be the globally celebrated death match star MASADA, known for his vicious penchant of stabbing BBQ skewers into his opponents' foreheads. On the other is rising death match star Casanova Valentine, who has emerged from Brooklyn bar fights and bloody wars as one of the most prominent of the new generation of fighters. CZW promises Ultraviolence and FITE viewers will stand witness to the old guard vs. the brash upstart with pride, power and victory all on the line.

AR Fox vs. KC Navarro

CZW's Cage of Death was peppered with amazing highlights, but perhaps none were as emotionally enriching for the Combat Zone faithful as the ascension of aerial assault artist AR FOX to the throne as the new CZW Wired Champion. That win brought Fox back to the center of the Combat Zone after many months of competing all over the world and bringing his awe-inspiring athleticism to the masses. That same night, KC Navarro defeated four other competitors to prove that he was the next in line to challenge for the Wired Championship and never one to wait patiently, has made it clear he is crossing the line and taking the title this weekend. In a bout with high stakes on the line, you can expect to look to the skies, believe two men can fly and expect all out insanity.

Brandon Kirk vs. John Silver

As with all combat sports, there are moments in time where competitors are on the rise while others are trying to find their way back after a monumental loss. In this case, two such fighters find themselves at the crossroads, the other an obstacle in their way. Former CZW Champion John Silver has been on a tear within the Combat Zone, most recently defeating venerated CZW stalwart Conor Claxton at the Cage of Death. That same night, Brandon Kirk was at the summit of his stardom, only to see his ultimate achievement come crashing down as he was sent through hell itself en route to a harsh loss inside CZW's signature math, the Cage of Death itself. If Kirk wishes to regain momentum and attempt to one day gain vengeance against Jimmy Lloyd, that path has to start at the 21st Anniversary show. To do so, however, means that Silver will be knocked off his own path to redemption, something he can ill afford. It's the age old story of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Each has everything to lose and everything to gain.

The Rep vs. The Skulk

CZW's Tag Team Championship has long been an attraction and a point of pride for the promotion, dating back to the days of legendary tandems like The Backseat Boyz and The H8 Club. Today, The Rep have proven to be the definitive Combat Zone Wrestling Tag Team, taking on all comers with their gritty double-team dominance. After defeating a game Bear Country at Cage of Death, they however, find themselves facing the CZW interlopers known as The Skulk, a tandem long-allied with AR Fox. Will stepping into the unknown prove to be the Rep's downfall or will it be the moment where they level up and prove their reputation yet again? The Skulk have nothing to lose as even an incredible performance against the Tag Team Champions will bring them street credibility while The Rep…their rep and their titles hang in the balance.

Gabriel Skye v. Leon Ruff

Last December at CZW's Cage of Death, Skye and Ruff soared through the stratosphere, competing in a multi-man bout while seeking to earn a future shot at the CZW Wired Championship. Their back and forth sequences during the bout were one of the primary highlights of the battle, bringing the CZW faithful to their feet. In that instant, a rivalry to prove who the better man truly is was born and with no other competitors, no other distractions in their way, FITE viewers will learn which of these upstart future stars truly is the better man.

This Saturday's event will also feature the legendary Necro Butcher being inducted into the CZW Hall of Fame. The legendary hardcore brawler has battled all over the world, including memorable appearances in CZW's infamous Tournament of Death and was even name-checked during the Academy Awards by actor James Franco when Mickey Rourke's "The Wrestler" was nominated for multiple Oscars. With a legacy carved in flesh and bone like no other, Necro Butcher takes him place in infamy forever.

As the stars of Combat Zone stand ready to wage war, FITE viewers will be able to see all the chaos theory that defines CZW's existence play out live as it happens, creating perhaps the only safe space in Combat Zone Wrestling's 21 years of madness!