"Hardcore" Dick Greco wrestles with a group of other wrestlers known together as Total Fucking Chaos. He does wrestle in mainstream matches but specializes in a type of wrestling known as "Deathmatch". Deathmatch wrestlers use weapons and gimmicks made by the wrestlers to inflict enough damage to make them bleed heavily as part of the show. these gimmicks typically will include, flourecent tubes, thumbpacks, razor blades, and barbed wire. These styles of matches will sometimes be performed in places outside of the typical match, including bars, backyards, parking lots, and music festivals. Deathmatch wrestling is illegal in his home state of New York, due to the graphic and dangerous nature of the sport.
One unique trait of Hardcore is that there is no different character, He is a punk in real life and he is a punk in wrestling. For most wrestlers there is a gimmick or character they step into, there is no veil in persona. It defies the typical wrestler, he is not a heel or a face, he is just hardcore and he is a punk, you can love or hate him it does not matter to his character.
Hardcore collects fluorescent light tubes that he uses in his deathmatches. The tubes are used as weapons because they pop, shatter, and cut the wrestlers. Light tubes are often taped together or formed into larger gimmicks such as crosses, swords, or attached to boards. Hardcore had a bundle of 53 light tubes broken on him at once.
Harcore uses barbed wire on his opponent Kamikaze at Death Fest, a death metal festival in Connecticut. This no-ring match happened between bands on a concrete flood with nothing but a tarp on the floor. There was no EMS personnel on-site during this match.
Wrestling Takes on many different forms. Wrestlers do it for the high, the hopes of achieving fame or money, a sense of community and some do it because it has just always been part of their life. Dick is an example of this, he comes from a place where wrestling was an integral part of his life growing up. Many of his friends and family are still involved with wrestling as either fans or participants.
A dollar bill that was stapled to the head of Kamikazee by Hardcore, then ripped off, among the blood and broken glass. The tarp is used by the venue to make the clean-up quicker and easier.
After car troubles and being stranded in Fremont Ohio, Dick checks his phone while his travel companion Will sleeps past check-out time. Will nearly refuses to leave the motel on time and waits until they kick him out of the room.
Drinking beers at the Firestone waiting for the car to be repaired. Deathmatch wrestling is illegal in New York where they live, meaning they travel out of state often to perform adding to the expense of the sport. In this case, it was compounded when they were forced to miss two booked shows because a wheel fell off the car.
Hardcore wrestles with "Dirty Ron McDonald" at a match in the Harmony House. He uses a homemade bat or "gimmick" that makes a good cracking noise but does little real damage. Feature wrestlers like Dirty Ron are added to shows to draw more people to the show.
Pieces of glass from fluorescent tubes stuck in the back of hardcore. He has pieces lodged under his skin that have healed over. Dick rarely goes to the hospital for wounds after a fight and claims to heal freakishly fast.
Exhausted, Dick waits for his partner Alyssa to find him after attending a wrestling show by GCW in Rochester New York. He came to watch this show after traveling earlier in the weekend and performing in a different show. Most wrestlers on the independent scene are fans too, and balance working shows and seeing their favorite wrestlers. When larger companies come to town independent wrestlers often take the chance to work as crew for the shows.
