Tournament of Survival 7
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Carousel Room, Showboat Hotel
Atlantic City, New Jersey
By: Jon Pine
The biggest Deathmatch Tournament in America returned with a vengeance, coming off of last year’s spectacular tournament, Game Changer Wrestling, and the performers once again outdid themselves. Every competitor left it all in the ring while they engaged in beautiful wrestling violence. It was an amazing atmosphere inside the Carousel Room, similar to the electricity and vibe of last year’s installment. This show had so many incredible matches and spots.
Tournament of Survival Champions:
Danny Havok (2016), Nick Gage (2017), Ciclope (2018), Alex Colon (2019), Alex Colon (2020), Alex Colon (2021)
Tournament of Survival 6 Results:
First Round:
Atticus Cogar Defeated 1 Called Mander in a Bunkhouse Deathmatch
Nolan Edward Defeated Orin Veidt in a Towers of Terror Deathmatch
Alex Colon Defeated Bam Sullivan in a Bundles of Hate Deathmatch
G-Raver Defeated EFFY in a Fuckery Boards Deathmatch
Non-Tournament Match: Ninja Mack won the 6-way Scramble Match, defeating Dante Leon, Dyln McKay, Jack Cartwheel, Starboy Charlie, and Calvin Tankman
Semi-Finals:
Atticus Cogar Defeated G-Raver in a Gusset Plates and Lightube Deathmatch
Alex Colon Defeated Nolan Edward in a Taipei Panes of Glass Deathmatch
Non-Tournament Deathmatch: AJ Gray Defeated Kit Osbourne
Finals:
Alex Colon Defeated Atticus Cogar in a No Canvas 200 Lightube Deathmatch to win the Tournament of Survival for the 3rd time in a row.
Spoiler Free Match Recommendations:
The whole tournament.
Tournament of Survival 7 Results:
The show started off hot as Nick Gage’s music hit which sent all of the fans running to the entranceway. He was accompanied by 2022 Deathmatch Hall of Fame inductee Dewey Donovan. The room sang along to Gage’s theme song as we waited for Emil J to go through his introduction of Nick Gage. Gage took the mic and mentioned that he doesn’t know how many matches he has left or if his body can even hold up anymore and told the crowd that he does this shit for all of us. He put over all of the competitors in the back and ended with his MDK call and response.
First Round Matches:
Deathmatch: Rina Yamashita vs. Hoodfoot
Both competitors came out to massive ovations, and the crowd was evenly split between the two competitors as the match started. The place was buzzing, even the first light tube being held up got a pop. The two battled over control of the two with Rina winning that battle as she headbutted a tube into Hoodfoot’s head. Rina took a back bump on the tubes which riled the crowd up even more, she invited Hoodfoot to do the same, which he gladly did but Rina went for the pin. Foot suplexed Rina on the broken glass and hit her twice with the tube and proceeded to carve her up. Foot went into the corner and picked up a Kenzan and hammer-fisted but Rina was able to get it out of his hands and hammer-fisted it into Hoodfoot’s skull; it didn’t really stick so she hit him with a bundle of tubes instead. Rina attempted to send Foot into one of the light tube towers that were set up in the corners, they struggled for a little bit but she eventually was able to send Hoodfoot crashing into the light tube tower. Hoodfoot returned the favor by slamming the other tube tower onto Rina and planting her with a high angle suplex for a very close near-fall. Rina powered back and hit a flurry of Rich Strikes to Hoodfoot but it wasn’t enough to put him away. Rina grabbed a bunch of tubes and placed them in the center of the ring and got the much larger Hoodfoot up on the middle rope. She sent him crashing to the canvas with a Razor’s Edge onto the bundle of tubes for the victory. The crowd was hot for every single moment of this match, as both competitors bled a good amount and put on a great opening match.
Rina Yamashita defeated Hoodfoot
Deathmatch: Matt Tremont vs. SLADE
The crowd was once again going crazy for both of the competitors in the matchup, as they soaked in the adulation of the crowd before getting to work. They started trading forearms in the center of the ring with each man landing a couple of significant strikes. SLADE and Tremont both picked up a thumbtack bat and started unloading on each other, so much so that the duct tape fell off the bat; Tremont wound up and hit SLADE right in the jaw which sent him to the floor. Both men had numerous thumbtacks stuck on the top of their heads and shoulders. They continued their battle on the floor, SLADE picked up a gusset plate and punched it into Tremont’s head, Tremont returned the favor by beating SLADE with a chair. They got back into the ring and SLADE hit Tremont with an unprotected chair shot to the head; by far the worst and most unnecessary spots. At the Hall of Fame, we saw firsthand what the lasting effects of that spot have on a person. SLADE picked up a gusset plate and hammer fisted it into Matt Tremont’s head; he followed that up by hitting Tremont with a light tube fan but Tremont kicked out at one. Tremont was chokeslammed on a chair but still managed to kick out. Tremont powered back up and hit SLADE with two consecutive AA’s followed by a DVD onto a pile of chairs for the victory. SLADE is the man, a very underrated talent that I hope we get to see more of in the future. Tremont had a great performance, bled a lot, and put over SLADE perfectly.
Matt Tremont defeated SLADE
The ring crew cleaned up and brought numerous bundles of tubes into the ring and a set of hula hoops with tubes around them.
Deathmatch: Toru Sugiura vs. Shane Mercer
Toru was greeted with a standing ovation from the Game Changer Wrestling crowd, this is his first time ever out of the continent of Asia; Drew Parker has compared Toru to a young Ryuji Ito. Toru was really selling then the strength of Mercer to start off the match. They traded forearms, Mercer got the better of the exchange and tossed Toru across the ring with a german suplex. Mercer grabbed a tube and broke it over Turo’s head which busted him open but Toru fired back with his own flurry of tube shots that eventually grounded Mercer in the corner. With Mercer in the corner, Toru used it as an opportunity to hit a tube-assisted cannonball. Mercer went to the floor and Toru wiped him out with a flip dive, Mercer got back up on his feet and powerbombed Toru on the ring apron and then swung him into the first row of chairs. Back in the ring, Mercer had Toru up with a one-handed military press, and in his other hand he had a bundle of tubes; he dropped Toru but the tubes didn’t break so Mercer broke them over Toru anyways. Mercer strung a door up in the ropes which were to be used later in the match. Mercer went into the corner and retrieved a steel whip, he went to hit Toru with it but Toru was able to get a chair up. Mercer dropped the weapon, Toru picked it up and started choking Mercer with it, and hit Mercer with a Russian leg sweep for a 2 count. Mercer placed tubes in the back of Toru’s trunks and suplexed him over, shattering the tubes on Toru’s back for a near fall. The crowd energy kind of dipped during this match because there were a couple of spots that didn’t go right. Mercer set Toru up on the top rope and hit a moonsault press, he held on to Toru and attempted a second one but Toru snuck out of it and hit Mercer with a bundle and followed that up with a Spanish fly but Mercer kicked out at one. Toru blasted Mercer over the head consecutively with two bundles of tubes. Toru with a bundle followed but another one, Toru set Mercer up inside the tube sphere and punched through it for the victory. This was another excellent opening-round matchup; the crowd was not completely sold on Toru but he won them over easily by the end of the matchup.
Toru Sugiura defeated Shane Mercer
Mad Man Pondo and Wifebeater were watching the action from the scaffolding that was used in the tournament finals. Beater is wearing one of the original Nick Gage H8 club t-shirts from CZW.
Multiple ladders are brought to the ring along with a bunch of tubes.
Deathmatch: Cole Radrick vs. Drew Parker
The crowd came unglued for both of these men as they made their way to the ring; Drew Parker needed 10 internal and 12 external stitches on a cut he got last week but that did not prevent him from competing in the biggest Deathmatch tournament in the world.
Parker came to the ring with two crutches with Lightubes attached to them. Massive “Let’s go Parker” and daddy chants to start off the match as both men circled each other in the ring and eventually shook hands.
They locked up with Collar and elbow tie up and started with a series of quick reversals and counters; Drew got the better of it and sent Cole flying into the tubes in the corner. Cole fired back up and sent Drew into the corner, sending him crashing into bundles of tubes. The fight went to the floor, Cole head-butted Drew with a light tube and then set Drew up on a chair and hit a tube-assisted cannonball that cut up Drew’s shoulder pretty decently. Cole was taken off his feet and dragged on the broken glass that was on the outside of the ring. Cole hit a 619 that shattered a bundle of tubes on Drew’s back, Drew responded with a DVD onto a ladder and then started playing darts on Cole’s back. As Drew Parker was throwing the darts into Cole’s back the crowd was chanting ‘Over Here’ and ‘You sick fuck. It’s such a simple and disgusting spot that had the crowd yelling. Cole broke a tube into Drew’s mouth, followed by another tube shot for a very close near-fall. Drew Parker was bleeding from the mouth as Cole set up a ladder bridge in the center of the ring. Cole smashed Parker with an STO onto the ladder and hit a lionsault for another close near-fall. Cole broke a tube over his head and got the crowd fired back up. Drew set up two ladders and strung tubes across the gap and put Cole up on the top rope. Cole escaped and hit Parker, sending him crashing through the tubes for another very close near-fall. The crowd was going crazy as they watched feature legends battle it out in the first round of Tournament of Survival. Drew climbed the tall ladder, Cole met him up there but was sent crashing through the tubes and door bridge. Drew hit a Swanton off the ladder for the victory. By far the best match of the opening round. The crowd was electric for this match, everyone was standing on their feet at the end of this match and were met with both these guys chanting.
Best match of the opening round
Extreme Title Scramble Match
Nick Wayne vs. Yoya vs. Jordan Oliver vs. Lindsay Snow vs. Sawyer Wreck and AJ Gray (champion)
Sawyer got the biggest consistent reaction throughout the entire match. She had a couple of great sequences with both AJ Gray and Jordan Oliver. This was your usual scramble match with each competitor getting the chance to dominate at least one portion of the match. Jordan Oliver and Nick Wayne had some very impressive double-team moves and have really grown as a tag team. At one point Nick Wayne took a seat in the crowd as Oliver and AJ started fighting in the ring, Oliver was able to cut off Gray’s momentum with a big boot but AJ was still able to get the best of Oliver with a second rope powerbomb to retain the Extreme Championship. There were massive Sawyer chants as she left.
AJ Gray Retained the Extreme Title
Semi-Finals:
Next AC show August 13th and 14th for Homecoming weekend
Airhorns at a deathmatch show are the worst things in the world and should’ve been left in the early 2000s.
Deathmatch: Matt Tremont vs Toru Sugiura
Both men came to the ring still bloody from their previous match-ups, some asshole tried to start a USA chant and was quickly heckled by the entire crowd. Right away they sent each other into the carpet strip bundles that were set up in the corners of the ring. Toru threw a barbed wire board at Tremont, and grounded him in the corner, he was going to hit the cannonball into the corner but Toru decided that he wanted to take the barbed wire instead so he turned the board around and hit a cannonball on Tremont. Toru was wrapped up in the barbed wire and had to be helped out of it by the ref. Toru drop-kicked a gusset plate board into Tremont’s body for a near fall. The two men hammered gussets into their heads which got a big ovation, that alone wasn’t enough as they started to hit each other with carpet strips as well. They exchanged hard headbutts in the center of the ring with the gusset plates still in their foreheads. Both men were leaking by this point of the match with both men donning crimson masks. Tremont was planted with a neck breaker onto a barbed wire board for a very near fall. Tremont connected with a massive tube-assisted lariat that woke the crowd up, Toru and Tremont then proceeded to punch through a bundle of tubes. Toru brought a razor board into the center of the ring along with the barbed wire board. Tremont hit Toru with a DVD onto the boards, pinning Toru and securing his spot in the finals. The crowd went wild for the finish, this was by far the bloodiest match of the tournament.
Matt Tremont def Toru Sugiura
Toru received a standing ovation and a “please come back” chant.
Deathmatch: Drew Parker vs Rina Yamashita
They traded forearms in the center, Rina rammed Parker into the pane of glass and broke tubes on his recently injured leg, she continued her attack by biting at the bandages causing Parker to scream in pain. Rina started to carve at the wound, causing the crowd to chant ‘you sick fuck’ which only led her to bite on the glass. Parker sent Rina into a pane of glass in the corner and started to throw the darts in her back. He missed with the third dart so he blasted her with a bundle of tubes instead and hit a brainbuster for a near fall. The crowd was going crazy throughout the match, the crowd was equally behind both of these competitors.
Parker set up a pane of glass between two chairs and placed Rina under it, she was able to escape and suplexed Drew Parker through the pane of glass. They got back up to their feet and started to trade forearms in the center of the ring, they upped the ante by putting glass in each other’s mouths and slapping it out of their mouths. Rina grounded Drew and splashed him with a couple of tubes for a very close near-fall. The dueling chants continued as the match reached the 9th inning. Rina set up a glass bridge in the center of the ring, Drew cut her off with a powerbomb and put her underneath the glass again. Drew hit the Swanton onto the glass for the victory.
Drew Parker defeated Rina Yamashita
The crowd gave Rina a standing ovation and chanted please come back.
Hall of Fame Spotlight
Pondo, Wifebeater, Toby Klein, and Deranged all came to the ring to massive ovations. Pondo ran down a couple of names of Deathmatch wrestlers who have passed away. John Wayne Murdoch came out and ran down all of the legends, as Emil J instructed the crowd not to chant John Wayne Pussy. Murdoch says that he doesn’t care about the other guys in the ring, he only cares about Wifebeater and challenged him to a fight. The two squared up as Alex Colon came into the ring shit-talking Murdoch which distracted him long enough for Wifebeater to hit the Chokenstein. They all shared a beer in the center of the ring as we went to break so they could set up for the main event.
Watching Gene and Tom, the original Deathmatch Weapons directors, set up the barbed wire was extremely fun to watch. They did it so fast and fluently, true craftsmen and unsung heroes.
Tournament of Survival 7 Finals: No Rope Barbed Wire Deathmatch: Matt Tremont vs. Drew Parker
‘Sick’ Nick Mondo came to the ring with the TOS trophy and was greeted with a massive reaction from the capacity crowd. Alex Colon joined Mondo in the ring as well. Tremont and Parker came out still bleeding from the prior round. Emil J lists both men’s accomplishments and Deathmatch tournament wins. Drew Parker didn’t take his eyes off of Tremont throughout the entire ring introductions. Tremont sent Parker into the wire and smashed a bundle over his head. Tremont backdropped Parker onto a bundle of tubes. Parker headbutted a couple of tubes into Tremont’s head as he was tied up in the barbed wire. Drew smashed multiple bundles onto Tremont’s head, and both competitors fell to their knees and unloaded on each other with a series of tube shots that sent glass flying into the crowd and to their feet as well. Parker went for the darts but Tremont was able to get them out of Drew’s hands and stuck one through Drew’s cheek. It would remain there for the remainder of the matchup. They again traded tube shots until they both were down as the crowd was chanting ‘GCW’. Both men climbed the scaffold that was set up outside the ring. They traded a series of forearms, Parker ripped the dart out of his mouth, stabbed Tremont in the head with it, and sent him off the scaffolding. Tremont didn’t have anything to break his fall and landed HARD on his hip. Drew hit a Swanton off of the scaffolding but Tremont kicked out at one as the crowd came unglued. Parker sent Tremont into a pane of glass that was set up in the corner, put Tremont on his knees, and broke a bundle of tubes into Tremont’s face for the victory. A very solid main event and a fantastic showing for Drew Parker. It felt like the match was cut short, Tremont came to the ring with a barbed wire baseball bat but it wasn’t used in the match at all. The landing from that scaffold bump wasn’t good and might have had something to do with it.
Drew Parker Defeated Matt Tremont to win Tournament of Survival 7
