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ICW CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH ANALYSIS

It was in January of 2001 in Queens, NY that ICW made it’s debut and a big part of that event were all three ICW Championship Match participants.

ICW Champion DAN MAFF and his then partner Monsta Mack were already well established as Da Hit Squad back then. They were also known as the hardest hitting team in the area and they proved it when they made their ICW debut that night against The Natural Born Killers (Damian Dragon & Boogalou) and The Boogie Knights (Danny Drake & Mike Tobin) in a wild Three Way Tables Match that was so intense it cleared the ringside area of all photographers and staff.

AMAZING RED made his legal pro debut that night. When he first came through the curtain to face Chris Divine, his opponent in the Northeastern Title tournament, Red was laughed at because of his youth and size. Red not only won that match with his blinding speed, he won over the fans as well. By the time he came out for his second match against Joel Maximo, the crowd was cheering for him like he was a veteran superstar. Needless to say, a star was born.

DANNY DEMANTO was also on hand that night, but as part of the ring crew and as a photographer. It wouldn’t be until June of 2001 that Demanto would make his ICW debut in a short match against El Gringo.

Dan Maff would continue to tear through the competition and win titles as one half of a tag team and then on his own in solo competition. Amazing Red would be doing the same, even winning the ICW Championship that Dan Maff now holds. Both Red and Maff’s matches would be on the latter half of the card and often in the main event. Meanwhile Danny Demanto would be wrestling very early on the show, mostly against inferior opponents. Danny also had to endure a hazing period that all new wrestlers have to go through in order to be excepted by their more experience peers. Demanto had to prove time and time again that he belonged in the locker room, Demanto had to endure a lot, and many times from Dan Maff himself as the senior wrestler. but Red did not. Red was the proverbial “Golden Child” and was instantly excepted, and Demanto has always hated him for that. But It was that period of time during his career that fueled Danny Demanto’s fire and he has developed into a fierce competitor. He’s climbed his way to the top of the ladder and is now on the same level as Dan Maff and Amazing Red.

Danny Demanto has developed into a fierce competitor and a master of the psychological “mind-f**k”. Danny is not above stooping to underhanded tactics to win matches, but not physical, mental. If Danny Demanto can get into his opponent’s head, as witnessed during his matches with Jerry Lynn and Sami Callihan, he can get them to react the way he wants them to and be able to steal a victory.

Dan Maff has the best win/lose record in ICW and obviously has the advantage in size and power but Amazing Red has the advantage in speed and agility and has the most experience in multi-person matches and Danny Demanto is the master of the “mind game”. Dan Maff is the current ICW Champion and wants to keep it that way. Amazing Red wants to add “2 time champion” to his ICW resume but for Danny Demanto it would be the proverbial “boyhood dream come true” if he wins this match. He will be the top wrestler in the company he started in. Demanto will have started at the very at the bottom and climbed the ladder, one rung at a time, to the very top. Three men with one goal, but only one of them will walk out of the Elks Lodge on October 29th as ICW Champion.