ICW: No Holds Barred brings the Pit Fighter concept to WrestleMania weekend. Pit Fighter X will be a two-show tournament featuring 16 of the toughest competitors in the United States locked in an MMA-style cage. This tournament takes place across two shows on April 9th at 8 PM and midnight EST. Let’s take a look at the competitors taking part in Pit Fighter X.
JD Drake
Recent All Elite Wrestling debutant, JD Drake, kicked this tournament lineup off in style as the first entrant. Drake is as tough as they come. The former WWN Champion and EVOLVE Tag Team Champion has shown his pedigree time and again in his seven-year career and will be tough to beat.
SHLAK
SHLAK is mostly known for his deathmatch work which is among some of the craziest on the scene. He has appeared in three previous Pit Fighter matches and only has one win which doesn’t bode well for his chances in the cage this time around.
Brett Ison
With a nickname like “The Human Shotgun” you just know Brett Ison is one of the hardest-hitting brawlers on the scene today. He is a relative newcomer to ICW:NHB but has competed in the pit before where he defeated Alex Ocean. While Ison is new to ICW, he has been a regular in a number of southern indies like ACTION Wrestling and S.U.P – where he is a former Bonestorm champion- and has even competed for Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) in the past.
Kevin Ku
Kevin Ku is one of the perfect wrestlers for this setting. The Violence Is Forever member is a purveyor of violence and has learned from Dominic Garrini and Tom Lawlor in Major League Wrestling to excel as an all-arounder with Team Filthy‘s realistic influences rubbing off on him. While the majority of Ku’s success has come as a tag team wrestler he has held singles gold in the past, Pit Fighter X presents a chance for him to prove himself on his own
Reed Bentley
Reed Bentley is no stranger to violence as he spent years competing primarily in IWA: Mid-South where he is a three-time world champion. In recent times, Bentley has been successful in tag team action as part of The Rejects alongside John Wayne Murdoch. Bentley has a winning record in Pit Fighter as he is 3-2 inside the cage.
Nolan Edward
Nolan Edward is a rising star on the U.S. indie scene and is no stranger to the pit fighter cage. Edward has yet to get a win in a pit fighter match which will put him at a disadvantage going into this tournament.
Calvin Tankman
The MLW star, Calvin Tankman is an absolute physical specimen who should excel in the pit fighter environment. Tankman has competed at Bloodsport and as part of Paradigm Pro Wrestling‘s UWF-I rules matches, which means he will feel at home in the cage at Pit Fighter X. With his experience and physical attributes, Tankman may be unstoppable.
Dom Garrini
MLW star and member of Violence Is Forever, Dominic Garrini has a background in Brazilian ju-jitsu. He has put that background to use in the Pit Fighter setting on three previous occasions and has walked away with the win each time. With a background and undefeated track record like his, the former SUP Bonestorm champion has to walk into this tournament as one of the favorites.
Daniel Garcia
“Red Death” Daniel Garcia returns to ICW: NHB at Pit Fighter X. He has previously competed in the pit twice, losing on both occasions. Mostly making his name across the border in Canada, Daniel Garcia has a lot of eyes on him as he has competed for both AEW and WWE in the past 12 months. There was some speculation that he had signed for WWE recently following a trademark filing. The young Garcia is clearly talented but this has not yet translated to the Pir Fighter environment.
Gary Jay
Gary Jay is a veteran if there ever was one. In his 16-year career, he has competed all over the indies for a variety of promotions like IWA-MS, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), GCW, Beyond Wrestling, and many others. Despite this experience, Jay has yet to win in a Pit Fighter match and we will likely see that streak continue here.
Jon Davis
Jon Davis is another veteran and another tough SOB who will be right at home in the Pit Fighter ring. This powerhouse is a very decorated performer who has held gold in a number of companies over the years. This is his debut in the pit but we’re sure he will excel in this environment regardless.
Dan Maff
Dan Maff is a bad, bad man with two decades of experience under his belt. He’s made a career of being a wreckless brute willing to take pain as much as he dishes it out. We have already seen what he can do in the pit as he defeated Nolan Edward in his Pit Fighter debut. There are few people who will be more at home in a pit fighter match than Dan Maff and that makes him a dangerous competitor in this tournament.
Justin Kyle
Justin Kyle is a rising star on the U.S. indie scene and a physical specimen to boot. He is no stranger to pit fighter matches with a 3-1 record in this style of match. His only defeat came to Bruce Santee. Justin Kyle is an instant favorite to win this tournament but even if he doesn’t, he might walk out of WrestleMania weekend as one of the hottest names in all of the independent scene.
AKIRA
Update April 5th: AKIRA has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this event)
AKIRA was a breakout star in the deathmatch scene in 2020 as he not only became a regular for ICW:NHB but he had some huge matches, and wins, against various deathmatch legends. He is no stranger to this environment as Pit Fighter X will mark his seventh appearance in the pit. He currently has a 3-3 record in pit fighter matches and will be looking to put that extensive experience to use in this tournament.
AKIRA’s Replacement is 6 foot 5 eight-year veteran Ruben Steel
Bruce Santee
Bruce Santee is a rugged veteran who personifies everything Pit Fighter is about. He uses his fists first and asks questions later. As evidenced in his matches with Justin Kyle in the pit, he has some of the most lethal hands in all of independent wrestling and can knock any competitor out cold.
John Wayne Murdoch
It just wouldn’t be an ICW:NHB show without deathmatch icon John Wayne Murdoch. The former King Of The Death Matches winner is a four-time IWA Mid-South Heavyweight Champion who is currently undefeated in pit fighter matches with five wins and one no contest to his name. Years of violence have molded Murdoch into an absolute machine and that makes him a dangerous customer and one of the favorites for this tournament.
Where To Watch Pit Fighter X Battle Of The Tough Guys
This show will air LIVE on IWTV. You can get five free days of an IWTV subscription using the code ICWNHB.
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