Whattup Horsey-holics. I've just returned from the 2001 King Of The Death Match tournament with my little buddy Killer Kyle. Did I win the tournament? Unfortunately I did not. But I did have a good showing and hopefully will be invited back next year. The winner of the 2001 King Of The Death Match Tournament was Ian Rotten. Now, I was going to write this column in character and tell you all how Axl Rotten and I took it to each other like two sharks fighting over the last fish. But after being there and experiencing the tournament live and in person, I simply cannot. So I am gonna shoot with this column and tell you what my KOTDM experience was like.

WOW!!!.--- That's how I describe this weekend. I saw a lot of things. I saw hatred and despise. I saw determination and trust. I saw camaraderie and kindness. I saw a super hero in the form of a Japanese wrestler named Hido. I saw 24 men with a look in their eye like I've never seen before. All wanting to give 110% and prove that they belong. I honestly believe that most of us did just that. The King Of The Death Match Tournament was an experience that I'll never forget. It was some of the most violent Hardcore wrestling I have ever experienced, and I personally give a standing "O" to every single one of the competitors that put it on the line for the fans. The 2001 King Of The Death Match tournament video is expected to be out soon. I'll keep you posted. They also shot an Ian Rotten shoot interview too. I arrived at the building at 4:30 and they were still shooting it. They worked on it from 1:30 til about 5:00 or so. So it should be about 3 hours long or so. I just caught the last half-hour or so, but from what I heard it's definitely a must see. The tournament and shoot video will both be on sale at Smart Mark Video. Keep your eyes open and pick them up when they come out. I'm definitely going to.

Some of the crazy stuff I witnessed this weekend was Hido from FMW in Japan, coming off the ropes and breaking his arm at the elbow. Even after he broke his arm, he still got up, finished the match and won. After the match he stood in the center of the ring and went to all 4 sides of the ring with his good arm in the air, acknowledging the fans. After he got back to the locker room he cut two promos and let them film his broken arm before he was taken to the hospital. (SIDE NOTE: After going to the hospital, he was diagnosed as having a severely separated elbow and bone chips or small break. He is expected to be out 2 to 4 months but he claims to return in 7 to 10 DAYS.)And he never once showed any kind of pain or sold the broken arm. That man has a set of brass balls the size of the Grand Canyon and he will forever have my total respect. Some other insane stuff was Suicide Kid jumping from the rafters of the building and hitting a legdrop through a barbwire table onto Mark Wolfe, Ian Rotten shooting on Peter B. Beautiful and beating him to a bloody pulp,"The Rugby Thug" Trent Baker getting a dollar bill stapled to his forehead by Rollin Hard, Ian Rotten hiptossing "Sick" Nick Mondo off of the balcony through a table covered with light tubes, "Mean" Mitch Page tigerbombing Corporal Robinson off of the balcony through 6 tables, Ian Rotten setting a table on fire and powerbombing Necro Butcher through it, and the light tube log cabin finale were Rollin Hard and "Mean" Mitch Page hit Ian Rotten with god knows how many light tubes cutting his back, chest, head, and face severely, and Rollin Hard setting his own BARE hand on fire and chopping Ian and Mitch in the head with it.Yeah, that's right. Ian was on his game this weekend and was a bad mother f 'er to say the least.

The official results from the 2001 King Of The Death Match Tournament:

First Round Results:

1. Suicide Kid def. Richard X - barb wire bat match
2. Mark Wolf def. Uncle Honkey - barb wire board match
3. Rollin Hard def. Deranged - barb wire board match
4. Rugby Thug Trent Baker def. Tower of Doom - thumbtack match
5. Corporal Robinson def. Chris Hero - thumbtack match
6. Hido def. Bull Pain - barb wire bat match - Hido injured his elbow. no updates on his condition at this time
7. Axl Rotten def. Shank Dorsey - barbed wire salt match
8. Mean Mitch Page def. Paul E. Smooth - barbed wire salt match
9. Too Tuff Tony def. Mr. Insanity - four corners of pain match
10. Necro Butcher def. American Kickboxer - four corners of pain match - Kickboxer returned earlier in the night to confront Chris Hero. Hero piledrove him on the floor. Hero interfered in this matchup throwing salt into Kickboxer's eyes allowing Necro Butcher to superbomb him through light tubes for the pin.
11. Ian Rotten destroyed Peter B. Beautiful - fans bring the weapons
12. Sick Nick Mondo def. Cash Flo - fans bring the weapons

Second Round and Finals Results:

Barbed Wire Tables
1. Suicide Kid def. Mark Wolf
   -Kid beat Wolf with a legdrop out of the rafters through a barbed wire table.

Staple Gun Match
2. Rollin Hard def. Rugby Thug Trent Baker

Taipei Death
3. Mean Mitch Page def. Axl Rotten
   -Mitch won with a Vader bomb onto a barbed wire shovel.

Staple Gun
4. Necro Butcher def. Too Tuff Tony
   -Necro won with a suplex from the inside of the ring all the way to the floor.

Fans Bring the Weapons
5. Ian Rotten def. Sick Nick Mondo
   -Ian won with a reverse Irish Whip off the balcony through a table filled with lighttubes