Travis LaCoss - You Hurt the Ones you Love

There is pro wrestling, then there is independent pro wrestling, and then there is deathmatch.

“What we do is physical and what we do is violent, and we bleed lots, and we suffer, but we suffer for that art,” says Dick Greco, a death match wrestler known as Hardcore. Deathmatch is a form of professional wrestling that uses weapons. A death match wrestler's standard gimmicks include barbed wire, light tubes, razorblades, thumbtacks, bats, gusset plates, fire, and staplers. Wrestlers always use new and more creative weapons like weed eaters, pigeon spikes, shark teeth, arrowheads, and nail guns. Anything that is gnarly or draws blood.

Deathmatch wrestling, a visceral spectacle often associated with subcultures like death metal and punk, offers a unique blend of athleticism, calculated violence, and creativity. Wrestlers frequently perform in unconventional venues, traveling long distances for little pay. Despite the extreme nature of the matches, the scene fosters a strong sense of community among wrestlers, fans, and families. "I don't know of any deathmatch wrestler that does this because they like it, they do it because it is therapy for them." Says Liz Stephenson, Known as "Mama Liz", a mother of a wrestler and fan of the sport. As Hardcore describes it, "The first time I took a light tube to my face, and I bled; it was probably the most rewarding release I have ever felt in my entire life." This encapsulates the intense and cathartic experience that drives many wrestlers to participate in this extreme sport.

deathmatch wrestler "Hardcore" Dick Greco

Will Carroll and Dick Greco traveled over eight hours to attend Death Fest in East Haven, CT on March 8, 2024.
Deathmatch is illegal in some states forcing them to travel far or wrestle in no-ring matches, that are not regulated. Here the deathmatch is taking place during the intermission of a death metal music festival "Death Fest" in the warehouse of a mico-brewery. They wrestle on the concrete floor with nothing but a tarp.

Hardcore uses a chainsaw chain on his opponent "Masty" Rosh Koch, during the Underground Wrestling Federation's Uncivilized Cup tournament in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 14, 2024.

"JC Extreme" Jeff Carpenter jumps off a car in the Profits Of Regret (POR) match against Hardcore in Timberville, VA On Aug. 11, 2024. Called "yardies" by some, the assumption is that backyard wrestlers don't know how to wrestle yet many of them have had formal training in wrestling schools.

"Kamikaze" Dylan Miller's tattoo is a version of a skull and cross bones, featuring a light tube and barbed wire bat after a match with Hardcore at Death Fest in East Haven, CT on March 8, 2024.

Justin Osterhoudt reacts to his favorite wrestler Nick Gage during The Block is Hot, a Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) promotion in Rochester, N.Y. on March 24, 2024. Osterhoudt holds up the three fingers signifying Murder, Death, and Kill, the mantra of Nick Gage. Gage established a cult following after being legally dead for 7 minutes due to an injury in a death match.

Stapling dollar bills to an opponent's body is a common gimmick used in death matches, East Haven, CT on March 8, 2024.

"The Outsider" Will Carroll sleeps on Hardcore's couch the morning before a 7-hour drive to Detroit for a match, in Buffalo, N.Y. on April 20, 2024. On the road the front left tire fell off of Will’s vehicle leaving them stranded in the town of Fremont, OH, for a day, forcing them to miss 2 booked professional wrestling shows.

"Sinister" Bob Bradburn and "Mama Liz" Liz Stephenson pray together before every match, in Timberville, VA on Oct. 6, 2024. Bob and his mother Liz were forced to leave the Church they attending because the pastor disagreed with the family doing deathmatch wrestling.

" I can just see her face if I call one day and it's like...Bob is hurt and he broke his neck," says Bob, Holly Bradburn does all of Bob's makeup before he heads to the ring on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024. Bob admits he worries about getting seriously injured during one of the matches. AJ, Bob's "bonus son", does not go to watch the matches as it makes him worry too much about him.

Damien Santiago “Obey” and Michael Taurino III “Mikey Anarchy” embrace after completing the Underground Wrestling Federation Uncivilized Cup Tournament in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 15, 2024. This is not an uncommon scene to see during Deathmatch. The community is small, welcoming, and tight-knit.

Erin Hannah with her 5 month-year-old Silas during the POR Grand Prix tournament in Timberville, VA on Oct. 6, 2024. Independent death match wrestling offers a unique and sometimes interactive experience not available at larger productions.

George Ross Zavadak counts off as Mickie Knuckles defeats the "Tarzanian Devil" Randy Christie in the finals of the POR Grand Prix tournament in Timberville, VA on Oct. 6, 2024. Mickie is a mother and nurse when not performing.

Scars across the back of Michael Taurino III “Mikey Anarchy" are from years of death match performances in Philadelphia, PA on Sept. 15, 2024.

Hardcore and Will Carroll share a room during an unplanned extended stay and a night of bar hopping in Freemont, OH, on April 21, 2024. Will refuses to leave any hotel room until the management forces him to go.

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