Mid 20th Century
148-493: The Thomaselli Brothers are the professional wrestling stable that consists of real life brothers Pauly Thomaselli (Brandon Thomas), Vito Thomaselli (Kent Thomas), and storyline brother Sal Thomaselli (Sal Takavoli). Kent Thomas and Sal Takavoli are now retired. They formerly worked for the American promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling , as well as occasionally for other various independent promotions . Before forming
296-435: A bona fide athletic contest or competition. Professional wrestling is not a combative sport. Wrestling constituting bona fide athletic contests and competitions, which may be professional or amateur combative sport, shall not be deemed professional wrestling under this Part. Professional wrestling as used in this Part shall not depend on whether the individual wrestlers are paid or have been paid for their performance in
444-658: A disc jockey made on the air. The police used several squad cars to detain Bruce, Utsler, and two associates a few miles from a venue where the group had completed a concert. Bruce was transferred to St. Louis the following day and released on bail without charge on June 18. The face of the sixth Joker's Card is "The Wraith", a personification of Death . The card features two "exhibits", Shangri-La and Hell's Pit , each of which would be given its own album. On November 5, 2002, Insane Clown Posse released their eighth studio album, The Wraith: Shangri-La , which debuted at No. 15 on
592-552: A panic attack during a performance and was carried off stage. Bruce, who later recalled being completely "out of it", found scissors and cut off his dreadlocks . After suffering another panic attack once he returned home, Bruce opted to spend three days in a Michigan mental health program. Insane Clown Posse later cancelled the last two weeks' worth of dates on its United States tour, but subsequently launched their first European tour. By late 1998 over one million copies of The Great Milenko had been sold, and Insane Clown Posse
740-415: A performing art evolved from the common practice of match-fixing among American wrestlers in the 19th century, who later sought to make matches shorter, more entertaining, and less physically taxing. As the public gradually realized and accepted that matches were predetermined, wrestlers responded by increasingly adding melodrama, gimmickry, and outlandish stunt work to their performances to further enhance
888-415: A professional wrestling exhibition. All engagements of professional wrestling shall be referred to as exhibitions, and not as matches. In the industry's slang, a fixed match is referred to as a worked match, derived from the slang word for manipulation, as in "working the crowd". A shoot match is a genuine contest where both wrestlers fight to win and are therefore "straight shooters", which comes from
1036-499: A "superstar"; Bruce had recently begun to collect Esham's albums, as he had done with other local rappers; by the time he had discovered Esham, the rapper had released two full-length albums and three EPs. Bruce met Esham for the first time at the station and praised him. Esham wished Bruce well and Bruce gave the rapper a copy of Dog Beats ; this began the friendship and professional relationship between Psychopathic Records and Esham's label, Reel Life Productions . Growing popularity in
1184-413: A background in authentic wrestling no longer mattered. After this time, matches became more outlandish and gimmicky and any semblance professional wrestling had to catch wrestling faded. The personas of the wrestlers likewise grew more outlandish. Gorgeous George , who performed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, was the first wrestler whose entrance into the arena was accompanied by a theme song played over
1332-573: A brief feud with the heroic tag team The Ring Rydas . Later that year, Brandon and Vito took part in the "Slam TV Tour 2008." The brothers participated in the "JCW Tag Team Tournament" for the company's vacant JCW Tag Team Championship , but were eliminated in the first round. At Bloodymania II , The Outsiders ( Scott Hall and Kevin Nash ) defeated the Thomaselli Brothers (Sal and Vito). That December at Big Ballas X-Mas Party '08 ,
1480-801: A car audio store in Royal Oak , Michigan. Eminem pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for two years probation and a $ 10,000 fine. In July 2000, Bruce and Utsler staged the first annual Gathering of the Juggalos at the Novi Expo Center in Novi, Michigan . Described by Bruce as a "Juggalo Woodstock", the Gathering of the Juggalos was a three-day music festival that featured wrestling, games, seminars, contests, sideshows , and performances by all Psychopathic Records' artists. Also featured at
1628-621: A career as a single competitor. On May 26, 2007, The Iron Saints won their third IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship by winning the 2007 Candido Cup. The duo held the championship for 280 days, becoming the longest reigning tag team champions in IWA Mid-South history. At Pro Wrestling Unplugged's Pride, Pain, & Punishment event on May 19, 2007, Brandon, Sal, and Vito formed the stable the Thomaselli Brothers. That July, The Iron Saints debuted in Elite Pro Wrestling and won
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#17327904742701776-532: A carny term for a shooting gallery gun whose sights were not deliberately misaligned. Wrestling in the United States blossomed in popularity after the Civil War , with catch wrestling eventually becoming the most popular style. At first, professional wrestlers were genuine competitive fighters, but they struggled to draw audiences because Americans did not find real wrestling to be very entertaining, so
1924-519: A central authority. Nor could any of them stomach the idea of leaving the NWA themselves to compete directly with McMahon, for that would mean their territories would become fair game for the other NWA members. McMahon also had a creative flair for TV that his rivals lacked. For instance, the AWA's TV productions during the 1980s were amateurish, low-budget, and out-of-touch with contemporary culture, which lead to
2072-585: A champion that Curley put forth: Dick Shikat . The National Wrestling Association shut down in 1980. In 1948, a number of promoters from across the country came together to form the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). The NWA recognized one "world champion", voted on by its members, but allowed member promoters to crown their own local champions in their territories. If a member poached wrestlers from another member, or held matches in another member's territory, they risked being ejected from
2220-461: A concert in Albuquerque, New Mexico . Bruce was held for four hours before being released on $ 5,000 bail. The January 1998 issue of Spin magazine ran a four-page cartoon lampooning Insane Clown Posse and Juggalos, claiming that the group was offensive "not for their obscenity, but for their stupidity". Spin likened Insane Clown Posse's stage act to "a sort of circus karaoke " and portrayed
2368-472: A contract with a major record label. The duo eventually signed a contract with the short-lived Jive Records sub-label Battery Records , which released the group's third studio album, Riddle Box , on October 10, 1995. After Battery/Jive Records showed little interest in promoting the album, Insane Clown Posse funded the promotion of Riddle Box independently. This effort led the group to Dallas, Texas , where it persuaded several music retail stores to stock
2516-438: A crime boss and Utsler portrayed a police detective. The stage crew members, who showed their dislike for Insane Clown Posse, were a source of contention. Despite the crew striking twice, the movie was filmed in two months. While on "The Asylum In-store Tour", Bruce and Utsler were informed by Abbiss that they were offered $ 100,000 to perform at Woodstock '99 . They were excited about the offer, as it indicated their impact on
2664-400: A degree. Vince Russo, the boss of WCW in 2000, completely disregarded kayfabe by routinely discussing business matters and office politics in public, which alienated fans. I watch championship wrestling from Florida with wrestling commentator Gordon Solie . Is this all "fake"? If so, they deserve an Oscar . Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse , often abbreviated as ICP ,
2812-404: A distinct vernacular . It has achieved mainstream success and influence within popular culture , with many terms, tropes , and concepts being referenced in everyday language as well as in film , music , television , and video games . Likewise, numerous professional wrestlers have become national or international icons with recognition by the broader public. In the United States, wrestling
2960-552: A dream in which "spirits in a traveling carnival appeared to him" – an image that would become the basis for the Dark Carnival mythology detailed in the group's Joker's Cards series. The group began recording their debut album, Carnival of Carnage , with producer Chuck Miller. After recording only three songs for $ 6,000 with Miller, Alex Abbiss made his first major managerial move by finding another producer, Mike E. Clark . The group finished recording
3108-410: A fee, a visitor could challenge the wrestler to a quick match. If the challenger defeated the champion in a short time frame, usually 15 minutes, he won a prize. To encourage challenges, the carnival operators staged rigged matches in which an accomplice posing as a visitor challenged the champion and won, giving the audience the impression that the champion was easy to beat. This practice taught wrestlers
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#17327904742703256-653: A flyer advertising the release party for the Slim Shady EP . The flyer read, "Featuring appearances by Esham, Kid Rock, and ICP (maybe)". Bruce asked why Eminem was promoting a possible Insane Clown Posse appearance without first contacting the group. Bruce said that Eminem explained, "It says 'maybe.' Maybe you will be there; I don't know. That's why I'm asking you right now. You guys comin' to my release party, or what?" Bruce, upset over not being consulted, responded, "Fuck no , I ain't coming to your party. We might have, if you would've asked us first, before putting us on
3404-530: A gay bar in New Bedford, Massachusetts , with a handgun and a hatchet—a weapon featured in the logo of the group's record label, Psychopathic Records. Robida had a swastika tattoo and flaunted Nazi insignias and paraphernalia on his website. On February 5, Robida shot and killed a traffic officer during a routine stop. When police pulled Robida over during a later stop, he killed his girlfriend, Jennifer Bailey of Charleston, West Virginia , then opened fire on
3552-663: A joke or stunt. Allmusic writer Bradley Torreano wrote that "Even if it is a joke, it isn't a funny one, or even a clever one." In September 2003, Insane Clown Posse was voted the worst band of any musical genre in Blender , with The Wraith: Shangri-La named as the group's worst album. However, the magazine also gave the album a positive review for its "charming, good-natured idiocy". According to Bruce, Some people might've been upset [by spiritual themes in The Wraith: Shangri-La ], but through our eyes all we did
3700-583: A larger audience. Beverly Kills 50187 featured Greez-E, a fan that the ICP met earlier that year, as a replacement for John Kickjazz. During a live performance of the song "The Juggla", Bruce addressed the audience as Juggalos , and the positive response resulted in the group using the word thereafter. Greez-E left the band after the EP was released. The word has been the subject of criticism from both Ben Sisario of Rolling Stone and Allmusic's Erlewine, who suggested
3848-596: A lawsuit against the group after being struck by an unopened two-liter of Faygo during a performance at the Fargo nightclub The Hub, formerly known as Playmakers. Antonelli is seeking at least $ 50,000 in damages. The lawsuit also names the venue, Playmakers, as a defendant. An attorney for Playmakers states that only Bruce should be held liable. Filming of Big Money Rustlas , a Western spoof, began in January 2009, and concluded on February 24, 2009. The tenth Gathering of
3996-405: A legitimate sport. Firstly, wrestling was more entertaining when it was faked, whereas fakery did not make boxing any more entertaining. Secondly, in a rigged boxing match, the designated loser must take a real beating for his "defeat" to be convincing, but wrestling holds can be faked convincingly without inflicting injury. This meant that boxers were less willing to "take dives"; they wanted to have
4144-744: A match against Gus Sonnenberg in January 1929. Bowser then broke away from the trust to form his own cartel, the American Wrestling Association (AWA), in September 1930, and he declared Sonnenberg to be the AWA champion. This AWA should not be confused with Wally Kadbo's AWA founded in 1960. Curley reacted to this move by convincing the National Boxing Association to form the National Wrestling Association , which in turn crowned
4292-424: A more literal meaning in those places. A notable example is India's Pro Wrestling League . In numerous American states, professional wrestling is legally defined as a non-sport. For instance, New York defines professional wrestling as: Professional wrestling means an activity in which participants struggle hand-in-hand primarily for the purpose of providing entertainment to spectators and which does not comprise
4440-440: A new city, attendance was high because there was a waiting fanbase cultivated in advance by the cable TV shows. The NWA's traditional anti-competitive tricks were no match for this. The NWA attempted to centralize and create their own national cable television shows to counter McMahon's rogue promotion, but it failed in part because the members of the NWA, ever protective of their territories, could not stomach submitting themselves to
4588-634: A number of other connections he had made in Southwest Detroit. Bruce was jailed for ninety days in 1989–1990 for death threats, robbery, and violating probation ; this experience convinced him to reduce his involvement in gang life. Bruce began his professional wrestling career after getting out of jail, and it was at his first show that he met Rob Van Dam and Sabu , two other first-timers with whom he became very good friends. During this time Bruce brought Utsler backstage with him, and all four became close friends. Bruce became frustrated with
Thomaselli Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
4736-504: A performance at the House of Blues in Chicago and was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital . He was diagnosed with flu-related symptoms and abnormally low blood sugar . As a result of the incident, the following week's concert dates were rescheduled. In June 2000, Eminem physically attacked Douglas Dail, an Insane Clown Posse affiliate, threatening him with a gun in the parking lot of
4884-610: A personal favor. Shockumentary helped increase album sales from 17,000 to 50,000 copies per week. Island also rereleased the group's first two albums, as well as a 2-CD compilation album composed of rare songs and demos titled " Forgotten Freshness Vol. 1 ". Two days after the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) program, Insane Clown Posse began its rescheduled nationwide tour with House of Krazees and Myzery. Their first concert, held in Orlando, Florida ,
5032-660: A row of concertgoers who were giving them the finger . After receiving a positive response, Bruce and Utsler have since continued to spray Faygo onto audiences. A subsequent national tour increased sales of the album, earning Ringmaster a gold certification . The group's second EP, The Terror Wheel , was released on August 5, 1994. One of the songs from the EP, "Dead Body Man", received considerable local radio play. The same year marked their first "Hallowicked" concert, which has since continued annually on Halloween night in Detroit. In 1995, Bruce and Utsler attempted to obtain
5180-503: A typical American household only received four national channels by antenna, and ten to twelve local channels via UHF broadcasting . But cable television could carry a much larger selection of channels and therefore had room for niche interests. The WWF started with a show called All-American Wrestling airing on the USA Network in September 1983. McMahon's TV shows made his wrestlers national celebrities, so when he held matches in
5328-586: A victory for all the pain to which they subjected themselves. In the 1910s, promotional cartels for professional wrestling emerged in the East Coast (outside its traditional heartland in the Midwest ). These promoters sought to make long-term plans with their wrestlers, and to ensure their more charismatic and crowd-pleasing wrestlers received championships, further entrenching the desire for worked matches. The primary rationale for shoot matches at this point
5476-436: Is a form of athletic theater that combines mock combat with drama , with the premise that the performers are competitive wrestlers. Professional wrestling is distinguished by its scripted outcomes and emphasis on entertainment and showmanship . The staged nature of matches is an open secret , with both wrestlers and spectators nonetheless maintaining the pretense that performances are bona fide competitions, which
5624-410: Is a true sport. Wrestlers would at all times flatly deny allegations that they fixed their matches, and they often remained in-character in public even when not performing. When in public, wrestlers would sometimes say the word kayfabe to each other as a coded signal that there were fans present and they needed to be in character. Professional wrestlers in the past strongly believed that if they admitted
5772-413: Is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan ,
5920-427: Is generally practiced in an amateur context. No professional league for competitive wrestling exists due to a lack of popularity. For example, Real Pro Wrestling , an American professional freestyle wrestling league, dissolved in 2007 after just two seasons. In other countries, such as Iran and India , wrestling enjoys widespread popularity as a genuine sport, and the phrase "professional wrestling" therefore has
6068-470: Is likened to the suspension of disbelief employed when engaging with fiction . Professional wrestlers perform as characters and usually maintain a " gimmick " consisting of a specific persona , stage name , entrance theme , and other distinguishing traits. Matches are the primary vehicle for advancing storylines, which typically center on interpersonal conflicts, or feuds , between heroic " faces " and villainous " heels ". A wrestling ring , akin to
Thomaselli Brothers - Misplaced Pages Continue
6216-475: The Big Money Rustlas trailer was screened twice. An infomercial for the event was released online by Psychopathic Records. After the event, a friend of Esham's handed Bruce a copy of his album I Ain't Cha Homey , which depicted a clown committing suicide with a gun on the front cover. Bruce listened to the album and saw it as a diss towards Insane Clown Posse. While Esham claimed that the album
6364-664: The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The album was notable for its explicit acknowledgment of ICP's belief in God . Ben Sisario criticized the album in the Rolling Stone Album Guide , writing that "the whole thing was some bland divine plan" and asking, "Is this man's final dis of God, or His of us?" Some critics perceived the spiritual element of the storyline to be
6512-525: The Dark Carnival , a metaphoric limbo in which the lives of the dead are judged by one of several entities. The Dark Carnival is elaborated through a series of stories called Joker's Cards, each of which offers a specific lesson designed to change the "evil ways" of listeners before "the end consumes us all". Joseph Bruce (Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (Shaggy 2 Dope) met in Oak Park , a suburb on
6660-624: The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board that professional wrestling is not a real sport because its matches have predetermined outcomes. Shortly thereafter, New Jersey deregulated professional wrestling. The WWF then rebranded itself as a " sports entertainment " company. In the early years of the 20th century, the style of wrestling used in professional wrestling matches was catch wrestling . Promoters wanted their matches to look realistic and so preferred to recruit wrestlers with real grappling skills. In
6808-571: The Psychopathic Records record label with the group in 1991. Later that year the group released the self-produced EP entitled Dog Beats . According to Alex Abbiss Chris Mclellan, then programming director of WJLB , declined to play the EP's single "Dog Beats" because Inner City Posse's members were white. While trying to get stations to play the single, Bruce learned that one of the stations he and Abbiss visited would be interviewing local rapper Esham , who Bruce considered to be
6956-505: The TRL studio window, all with signs supporting the duo. Thirty minutes before the show began, Viacom security guards and New York City police officers were dispatched to remove all the fans from the sidewalk. When some fans, including Robert Bruce, refused to move because it was a public street and no other individuals were asked to move, they were assaulted. All telephone requests for the video to be played were ignored, and Insane Clown Posse
7104-557: The independent circuit , to internationally broadcast events at major arenas. The largest and most influential promotions are in the United States , Mexico , Japan , and northwest Europe (the United Kingdom , Germany/Austria and France ), which have each developed distinct styles, traditions, and subgenres within professional wrestling. Professional wrestling has developed its own culture and community , including
7252-431: The spectacle . By at least the early 20th century, professional wrestling had diverged from the competitive sport to become an artform and genre of sports entertainment . Professional wrestling is performed around the world through various " promotions ", which are roughly analogous to production companies or sports leagues . Promotions vary considerably in size, scope, and creative approach, ranging from local shows on
7400-661: The "Rock for Darfur " campaign to raise awareness of the War in Darfur and funds for the region's aid. On March 20, 2007, Insane Clown Posse released their tenth studio album, The Tempest , which debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 and sold nearly 33,000 copies in its first week. In 2008, Bruce and Utsler starred in the Knyrim-directed film Death Racers . It was released direct-to-video on September 16, 2008, by The Asylum . In December 2008, John Antonelli filed
7548-584: The 1920s, a group of wrestlers and promoters known as the Gold Dust Trio introduced moves which have since become staples of the mock combat of professional wrestling, such as body slams, suplexes , punches, finishing moves, and out-of-ring count-outs. By the early 1930s, most wrestlers had adopted personas to generate public interest. These personas could broadly be characterized as either faces (likeable) or heels (villainous). Native Americans, cowboys, and English aristocrats were staple characters in
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#17327904742707696-400: The 1930s and 1940s. Before the age of television, some wrestlers played different personas depending on the region they were performing in. This eventually came to an end in the age of national television wrestling shows, which forced wrestlers to stick to one persona. Wrestlers also often used some sort of gimmick, such as a finishing move, eccentric mannerisms, or out-of-control behavior (in
7844-509: The 1990s, WCW became a credible rival to the WWF, but by end it suffered from a series of creative missteps that led to its failure and purchase by the WWF. One of its mistakes was that it diminished the glamor of its World Heavyweight Championship . Between January 2000 and March 2001, the title changed hands eighteen times, which sapped fan enthusiasm, particularly for the climactic pay-per-view matches. In professional wrestling, two factors decide
7992-571: The 75-date "Shangri-La World Tour", where they performed across the United States, Australia , and Europe . While in Australia, customs confiscated all the group's Faygo , assuming that they were bringing it for commercial purposes. Insane Clown Posse tried to explain that they are performers and that the soda was part of their act, but were still unable to use the Faygo and forced to use a different form of soda for their Australian tour. Following
8140-653: The Atlantic Athletic Corporation (AAC). The AAC shut down in 1960. In 1958, Omaha promoter and NWA member Joe Dusek recognized Verne Gagne as the world champion without the approval of the NWA. Gagne asked for a match against the recognized NWA champion Pat O'Connor. The NWA refused to honor the request, so Gagne and Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo established the American Wrestling Association in 1960. This AWA should not be confused with Paul Bowser's AWA, which ceased operations just two months prior. Gagne's AWA operated out of Minnesota . Unlike
8288-590: The EPW Tag Team Championship. Vito betrayed and attacked Sal later that September, leading to the two brothers feuding with each other for several weeks. On November 3, The Iron Saints lost the EPW Tag Team Championship to Team W.A.R. All three Thomaselli brothers debuted in Juggalo Championship Wrestling on December 21, 2007 at that year's Big Ballas' X-Mas Party . In early 2008, Brandon and Vito became involved in
8436-462: The Gathering of the Juggalos infomercial . Bruce stated that he was not offended by the parody, and that he thought that the sketch was "hilarious" and "a humongous compliment". On February 17, 2010, Psychopathic Records signed a contract with Universal Music Group 's Fontana Distribution . On March 9, 2010, Insane Clown Posse were interviewed by Nightline journalist Martin Bashir . Bruce hated
8584-612: The Haters lost the JCW Tag Team Championship to The Kings of Wrestling in a four way Tag Team match that also featured the Briscoe Brothers and Ring Rydas. At Flashlight Hysteria , the Haters won their third JCW Tag Team Championship in an 8 tag team battle royal . The team lost the championship to Mad Man Pondo and Necro Butcher in a hardcore Barbed Wire , Thumbtacks , and Ladders match at
8732-467: The Juggalos took place at Hogrock in Cave-In-Rock , Illinois, from August 6 to 9. The event had the largest attendance in Gathering history with over 20,000 people. Over 120 musical artists performed at the event, including the likes of Tech N9ne , Kottonmouth Kings , Ice Cube , Gwar , Coolio , Vanilla Ice , Onyx , Scarface , The Dayton Family , Bizarre , Esham , and NATAS . At the event,
8880-465: The Moon", and "Boogie Woogie Wu" be removed. Disney also asked that the lyrics of other tracks be changed, threatening to not release the album otherwise. Bruce and Utsler complied with Disney's request, and planned to go on a national tour with House of Krazees and Myzery as their opening acts. During a music store autograph signing, Insane Clown Posse was notified that Hollywood Records had recalled
9028-408: The NWA, at which point his territory became fair game for everyone. The NWA would blacklist wrestlers who worked for independent promoters or who publicly criticized an NWA promoter or who did not throw a match on command. If an independent promoter tried to establish himself in a certain area, the NWA would send their star performers to perform for the local NWA promoter to draw the customers away from
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#17327904742709176-488: The NWA, which only allowed faces to be champions, Gagne occasionally allowed heels to win the AWA championship so that they could serve as foils for him. In August 1983, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), a promotion in the north-east , withdrew from the NWA. Vince K. McMahon then took over as its boss. No longer bound by the territorial pact of the NWA, McMahon began expanding his promotion into
9324-528: The Thomaselli Brothers (Brandon and Vito) disguised themselves as The Ring Rydas and defeated The Bump-N-Uglies to win the JCW Tag Team Championship. At Bloodymania III , Brandon and Vito lost the championship to The Weedman and Billy Bong . On October 20, 2009, Brandon Thomaselli changed his wrestling name to Pauly Thomaselli. At that year's Hallowicked After-Party , the Thomaselli Brothers (Pauly and Vito) defeated The Weedman and Billy Bong to become two time JCW Tag Team Champions. Throughout May and June 2010,
9472-470: The Thomaselli Brothers went on tour with JCW on Insane Clown Posse 's "Happy Daze Tour." The duo successfully defended their championship on numerous occasion. On June 3, as part of a storyline , the Thomaselli Brothers were renamed The Haters by Juggalo Championship Wrestling owners Insane Clown Posse due to their villainous actions. The Haters were also given masks and costumes that they are forced to wear during all of their matches. At Bloodymania IV ,
9620-586: The Top of the Hill " under the name of JJ Boys, but the group did not pursue a serious career in music. Poverty and a difficult home life drove Bruce to move in with Rudy "The Rude Boy" Hill in River Rouge , a city near the industrial southwest side of Detroit. Feeling a sense of home and belonging, Bruce formed a gang called Inner City Posse, which was composed of Joseph Utsler, Rudy Hill, other friends of Bruce, and
9768-757: The Way ", a cover of a Sly Fox song from Bizzar . MTV agreed to play "Let's Go All the Way" on their network, airing it once in the late evening. Bruce and Utsler decided to bombard Total Request Live (TRL) with requests for the video. While on their "Bizaar Bizzar Tour", Insane Clown Posse posted on its website that December 8 was the day for their fans request the video. Bruce and Utsler named that day "The Mighty Day of Lienda", meaning "The Mighty Day of All or Nothing". On December 8, Rudy Hill, Robert Bruce, Tom Dub, and six other Psychopathic Records employees and friends drove down to New York City. They were met by nearly 400 Insane Clown Posse fans standing outside in front of
9916-464: The album a B rating, describing it as "the best material the Clowns have touched since 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers ". On July 21, 2009, Tom Scharpling and Paul F. Tompkins discussed the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos infomercial at length on The Best Show on WFMU . On December 5, 2009, Saturday Night Live aired a sketch titled "Kickspit Underground Rock Festival", which parodied
10064-416: The album with Clark, who continued to work with them throughout their career. The album featured appearances from local rappers, including Esham and Kid Rock . Just weeks prior to the release of their album, John left the group because he felt that it was "taking up too much of [his] life". When Bruce and Utsler attempted to call a meeting to talk about the issues, John did not attend. Carnival of Carnage
10212-467: The album within hours of its release, despite having sold 18,000 copies and reaching No.63 on the Billboard 200 . The group was also informed that its in-store signings and nationwide tour had been canceled, and commercials for the album and the music video for "Halls of Illusions" (which had reached No. 1 on The Box video request channel) were pulled from television, and the group was dropped from
10360-547: The album, and was instead released on a later album, Psychopathics from Outer Space . To help increase their positive publicity, the group hired the Nasty Little Man publicity team. The team set up a photo shoot for Insane Clown Posse that was to appear on the cover of Alternative Press magazine in Cleveland. On the set of the photo shoot, a member of the publicity team approached Bruce and explained that in
10508-547: The album. Sales averaged 1,500 copies per week as a result. Manager Alex Abbiss negotiated a contract with the Disney -owned label Hollywood Records , which reportedly paid $ 1 million to purchase the Insane Clown Posse contract from Battery/Jive/BMG Records. The group started recording its fourth studio album, The Great Milenko , in 1996, during which Disney requested that the tracks "The Neden Game", "Under
10656-408: The albums "qualify as ICP's masterworks of both merchandising and music". Both albums were given a "three out of five stars" rating. The combined sales were around 400,000 copies, exceeding the bet placed previously with Sharon Osbourne; Osbourne did not come through with payment for having lost the bet. Two music videos were released from the albums: "Tilt-a-Whirl", from Bizaar , and " Let's Go All
10804-482: The albums, the duo had a fallout with long-time producer Mike E. Clark. Bizaar and Bizzar were the last complete albums Clark would produce with Insane Clown Posse until his return in 2007. Bruce and Utsler flew to Denver, Colorado , to add the finishing touches to the albums. Bizaar and Bizzar were released on October 31, 2000, peaking at No. 20 and No. 21, respectively, on the Billboard 200. In The New Rolling Stone Album Guide , Ben Sisario wrote that
10952-401: The arena's loudspeakers, his being Pomp and Circumstance . He also wore a costume: a robe and hairnet, which he removed after getting in the ring. He also had a pre-match ritual where his "butler" would spray the ring with perfume. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon made entrance songs, costumes, and rituals standard for his star wrestlers. For instance, McMahon's top star Hulk Hogan would delight
11100-418: The art of staging rigged matches and fostered a mentality that spectators were marks to be duped. The term kayfabe comes from carny slang. By the turn of the 20th century, most professional wrestling matches were "worked" and some journalists exposed the practice: American wrestlers are notorious for the amount of faking they do. It is because of this fact that suspicion attaches to so many bouts that
11248-561: The audience by tearing his shirt off before each match. The first major promoter cartel emerged on the East Coast, although up to that point, wrestling's heartland had been in the Midwest. Notable members of this cartel included Jack Curley , Lou Daro, Paul Bowser and Tom and Tony Packs. The promoters colluded to solve a number of problems that hurt their profits. Firstly, they could force their wrestlers to perform for less money. As
11396-445: The backstage politics of the wrestling business and began searching for another career. Back on the streets, Bruce, Utsler and Utsler's brother John performed hip hop music at local nightclubs, using the stage names Violent J, 2 Dope, and John Kickjazz, under the name of their gang, Inner City Posse. Seeing a need for a manager, Bruce's brother Robert recommended his friend and record store owner Alex Abbiss, who established
11544-426: The band adapt this genre, in a bid to have Detroit represent acid rap, much as Los Angeles represented gangsta rap. The group agreed, but not to copy the style of Esham closely. Instead, they suggested using horror-themed lyrics as an emotional outlet for all their negative life experiences. They were also unanimous in deciding not to rap openly about Satan , which Esham often did. After the change in musical style,
11692-424: The cartel grew, there were fewer independent promoters where independent wrestlers could find work, and many were forced to sign a contract with the cartel to receive steady work. The contracts forbade them from performing at independent venues. A wrestler who refused to play by the cartel's rules was barred from performing at its venues. A second goal of the wrestling cartels was to establish an authority to decide who
11840-418: The case of heels). The matches could also be gimmicky sometimes, with wrestlers fighting in mud and piles of tomatoes and so forth. The most successful and enduring gimmick to emerge from the 1930s were tag-team matches. Promoters noticed that matches slowed down as the wrestlers in the ring tired, so they gave them partners to relieve them. It also gave heels another way to misbehave by double-teaming. Towards
11988-423: The character in shows must be considered fictional, wholly separate from the life of the performer. This is similar to other entertainers who perform with a persona that shares their own name. Some wrestlers also incorporate elements of their real-life personalities into their characters, even if they and their in-ring persona have different names. Kayfabe is the practice of pretending that professional wrestling
12136-512: The commission. The Commission did on very rare occasions hand out such authorizations, such as for a championship match between Jim Londos and Jim Browning in June 1934. This decree did not apply to amateur wrestling, which the commission had no authority over. Wrestling fans widely suspected that professional wrestling was fake, but they did not care as long as it entertained. In 1933, a wrestling promoter named Jack Pfefer started talking about
12284-540: The current fashion of wrestling is the universal discussion as to the honesty of the matches. And certainly the most interesting phrase of this discussion is the unanimous agreement: "Who cares if they're fixed or not—the show is good." Newspapers tended to shun professional wrestling, as journalists saw its theatrical pretense to being a legitimate sport as untruthful. Eventually promoters resorted to publishing their own magazines in order to get press coverage and communicate with fans. The first professional wrestling magazine
12432-405: The end of the 1930s, faced with declining revenues, promoters chose to focus on grooming charismatic wrestlers with no regard for their skill because it was charisma that drew the crowds, and wrestlers who were both skilled at grappling and charismatic were hard to come by. Since most of the public by this time knew and accepted that professional wrestling was fake, realism was no longer paramount and
12580-409: The entire catalog of the group had sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007 . The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands". Originally known as JJ Boyz and Inner City Posse , the group introduced supernatural and horror-themed lyrics as a means of distinguishing itself stylistically. The duo founded
12728-417: The event were Vampiro – who both wrestled and performed – Project Born , and Kottonmouth Kings . On July 18, 2000, Big Money Hustlas was released direct-to-video . After the Gathering of the Juggalos, Insane Clown Posse set out to release its sixth and seventh studio albums – Bizaar and Bizzar – as a double album . While recording
12876-603: The facade of kayfabe as best as they could. In 1989, Vince McMahon testified before the New Jersey government that professional wrestling was not a true sport and therefore should be exempted from sports-related taxes. Many wrestlers and fans resented McMahon for this, but Lou Thesz accepted it as the smart move as it gave the industry more freedom to do as it pleased, and because by that point professional wrestling no longer attempted to appear real. The demise of WCW in 2001 provided some evidence that kayfabe still mattered to
13024-534: The first place". Rolling Stone writer Barry Walters gave the album a "two out of five stars" rating, writing that "no musical sleight of hand can disguise the fact that Shaggy and J remain the ultimate wack MCs". At the same time as The Amazing Jeckel Brothers ' release, Island Records merged with Def Jam Records . It quickly became apparent to Bruce and Utsler that Def Jam Records had no interest in them. Eminem, who had begun to gain mainstream success, insulted Insane Clown Posse in interviews, tours, and
13172-470: The first place. "Double-crosses", where a wrestler agreed to lose a match but nevertheless fought to win, remained a problem in the early cartel days. At times a promoter would even award a victorious double-crosser the title of champion to preserve the facade of sport. But promoters punished such wrestlers by blacklisting them, making it quite challenging to find work. Double-crossers could also be sued for breach of contract, such as Dick Shikat in 1936. In
13320-518: The following event, Hardcore Hell . In the spring of 2011 they unsuccessfully pursued JCW Tag Team Championship losing to Mad Man Pondo and Necro Butcher in their rematch at iPPV Hatchet Attacks and later to Ring Rydas (who became champions earlier by defeating Pondo and Necro) at iPPV St. Andrews Brawl . Professional wrestling 1970s and 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s and 2020s Professional wrestling (often referred to as pro wrestling , or simply, wrestling )
13468-414: The fuckin' flyer like this." Bruce reported that Eminem attacked the group in radio interviews. Bruce and Utsler first responded by referring to Eminem's alter ego as "Slim Anus" on "85 Bucks An Hour" from Twiztid 's 1997 debut, Mostasteless , and later in 1999 released a parody of Eminem's " My Name Is " entitled "Slim Anus". Eminem later released a skit on his album The Marshall Mathers LP depicting
13616-610: The game is not popular here. Nine out of ten bouts, it has been said, are pre-arranged affairs, and it would be no surprise if the ratio of fixed matches to honest ones was really so high. The wrestler Lou Thesz recalled that between 1915 and 1920, a series of exposés in the newspapers about the integrity of professional wrestling alienated a lot of fans, sending the industry "into a tailspin". But rather than perform more shoot matches, professional wrestlers instead committed themselves wholesale to fakery. Several reasons explain why professional wrestling became fake whereas boxing endured as
13764-460: The government. They pledged to stop allocating exclusive territories to its promoters, to stop blacklisting wrestlers who worked for outsider promoters, and to admit any promoter into the Alliance. The NWA would flout many of these promises, but its power was nonetheless weakened by the lawsuit. Paul Bowser's AWA joined the NWA in 1949. The AWA withdrew from the Alliance in 1957 and renamed itself
13912-539: The group decided it needed a new name. Utsler suggested keeping the "I.C.P." initials to inform the community that Inner City Posse was not defunct. Several names were considered before Bruce recalled his dream of a clown running around in Delray, which became the inspiration for the group's new name: Insane Clown Posse . The group decided they would all don face paint due to the success of their former clown-painted hype man . Upon returning home that night, Bruce says he had
14060-766: The group's fans as overweight suburbanites. On the group's website, Bruce responded to the article by stating, "I could give a fuck less". After a show in Indianapolis , Insane Clown Posse's tour bus stopped at a Waffle House in Greenfield, Indiana . When a customer began to harass Spaniolo and Bruce, a fight broke out between the customer and all of the bands' members. Months later on June 4, 1998, Bruce and Utsler pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct charges (reduced from battery ) in an Indiana court and were fined $ 200 each. Members of Twiztid, Myzery, and Psycho Realm were charged with battery. The group's tour
14208-530: The group, all members competed as singles competitors. Sal and Vito first began teaming together in 2005 as The Iron Saints. The duo won the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship three times. Brandon permanently joined his brothers in 2007, creating the stable the Thomaselli Brothers. As the Thomaselli Brothers, later renamed the Haters, Pauly and Vito are three time JCW Tag Team Champions . Vito started his pro wrestling career at
14356-403: The independent record label Psychopathic Records with Alex Abbiss as manager, and produced and starred in the feature films Big Money Hustlas and Big Money Rustlas . They formed their own professional wrestling promotion, Juggalo Championship Wrestling , and have collaborated with many hip hop and rock musicians . The songs of Insane Clown Posse center thematically on the mythology of
14504-526: The independent. By 1956, the NWA controlled 38 promotions within the United States, with more in Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The NWA's monopolistic practices became so stifling that the independents appealed to the government for help. In October 1956 the US Attorney General's office filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NWA in an Iowa federal district court. The NWA settled with
14652-480: The industry was anything but a competitive sport. The first wrestling promoter to publicly admit to routinely fixing matches was Jack Pfefer . In 1933, he started talking about the industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , resulting in a huge exposé. The exposé neither surprised nor alienated most wrestling fans, although some promoters like Jack Curley were furious and tried to restore
14800-496: The industry's inner workings to the New York Daily Mirror , maintaining no pretense that wrestling was real and passing on planned results just before the matches took place. While fans were neither surprised nor alienated, traditionalists like Jack Curley were furious, and most promoters tried to maintain the facade of kayfabe as best they could. Not the least interesting of all the minor phenomena produced by
14948-551: The label. It was later revealed that Disney was being criticized by the Southern Baptist Convention at the time because of Disney's promotion of "Gay Days" at Disneyland , in addition to presiding over the gay-themed television sitcom Ellen . The Convention accused Disney of turning its back on " family values ". Although Abbiss told the press that Disney had stopped production of The Great Milenko to avoid further controversy, Disney claimed instead that
15096-546: The local music scene turned negative for the group's gang, which became the target of growing violence. After receiving jail sentences, the group members abandoned gang life. In late 1991, the group had the problem of having spent more money on production than was covered by returns. The group decided that its gangsta rap style was the cause: most emcees at the time used similar styles, making it difficult for Inner City Posse to distinguish itself stylistically. Referring to local rapper Esham 's horrorcore style, Bruce suggested
15244-587: The lyric. In response, Bruce fired Nasty Little Man and asked its team to leave the photo shoot. The Amazing Jeckel Brothers was released on May 25, 1999, and reached No. 4 on the Billboard album charts, and has since been certified platinum by the RIAA . Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the album a "four out of five stars" rating, stating that "[Insane Clown Posse] actually delivered an album that comes close to fulfilling whatever promise their ridiculous, carnivalesque blend of hardcore hip-hop and shock-metal had in
15392-509: The members of Insane Clown Posse having sex with the fictional homosexual Ken Kaniff. In the skit, Kaniff asks Shaggy 2 Dope to "say my name." When Shaggy replies "Eminem," Kaniff is angered and leaves. Barbs between Insane Clown Posse and Eminem continued until the feud was ended in 2005 by hip hop group D12 and Psychopathic Records. One month after ICP's Strangle-Mania Live , Insane Clown Posse began their second nationwide tour, "The House of Horrors Tour", with Myzery added as one of
15540-498: The members of wrestling cartels as the champion drew big crowds wherever he performed, and this would occasionally lead to schisms. By 1925, this cartel had divided the country up into territories which were the exclusive domains of specific promoters. This system of territories endured until Vince McMahon drove the fragmented cartels out of the market in the 1980s. This cartel fractured in 1929 after one of its members, Paul Bowser , bribed Ed "Strangler" Lewis to lose his championship in
15688-546: The movie. Bruce and Utsler were contacted by John Cafiero , who said that he was a fan of Insane Clown Posse, and offered to direct the movie. Insane Clown Posse asked Mick Foley to appear in the movie as "Cactus Sac", a parody of his "Cactus Jack" persona. Cafiero retained the Misfits , Fred Berry , and, at Bruce's request, Harland Williams . The script was written by Bruce, and filmed in New York City. Bruce played
15836-780: The music industry. Some people perceived participating in Woodstock '99 was a sell-out for the group; however, Bruce and Utsler disagreed. As Bruce explains, "[Woodstock] sold out the mainstream style for us! Woodstock never came to us and asked us to change one fuckin' thing about us or our show! They wanted ICP just as ICP is, and nothing else. If that ain't fresh, then I don't know what the fuck is!". After Woodstock 1999, Insane Clown Posse began its "Amazing Jeckel Brothers Tour", along with musicians Biohazard , Krayzie Bone , Twiztid, Mindless Self Indulgence , and Coal Chamber . Biohazard, Mindless Self Indulgence, Krayzie Bone, and Twiztid were well received by audiences; however, Coal Chamber
15984-416: The north border of Detroit , Michigan . Along with Utsler's brother, John, and friend, Lacy, they wrestled in backyard rings that they had built themselves. They also listened to hip hop music , including 3rd Bass , Beastie Boys , N.W.A and local rappers like Awesome Dre. In 1989, Joseph Bruce as Jagged Joe, Joseph Utsler as Kangol Joe and John Utsler as Master J, released the single titled " Party at
16132-401: The opening acts. While searching for the second opening act, Bruce received a telephone call at his home from former House of Krazees members Jamie Spaniolo and Paul Methric , who told Bruce that the group was officially disbanded and asked to be on the tour. Spaniolo and Methric provided a demo tape containing three songs: "2nd Hand Smoke", "Diemotherfuckdie", and "How Does It Feel?" Bruce
16280-437: The platform used in boxing , serves as the main stage ; additional scenes may be recorded for television in backstage areas of the venue, in a format similar to reality television . Performers generally integrate authentic wrestling techniques and fighting styles with choreography , stunts , improvisation , and dramatic conventions designed to maximize entertainment value and audience engagement. Professional wrestling as
16428-722: The police. Robida was shot twice in the head during the shootout with the police, and later died in the hospital. On February 7, Insane Clown Posse released a statement on the Robida attacks. The group's manager Alex Abbiss extended Bruce and Utsler's condolences and prayers to the families of the victims, stating that "It's quite obvious that this guy had no clue what being a Juggalo is all about. If anyone knows anything at all about ICP, then you know that they have never, ever been down or will be down with any racist or bigotry bullshit". On October 21, 2006, Insane Clown Posse performed at one of twenty benefit shows organized by Myspace as part of
16576-717: The promotion's closing in 1991. In the spring of 1984, the WWF purchased Georgia Championship Wrestling (GCW), which had been ailing for some time due to financial mismanagement and internal squabbles. In the deal, the WWF acquired the GCW's timeslot on TBS . McMahon agreed to keep showing Georgia wrestling matches in that timeslot, but he was unable to get his staff to Atlanta every Saturday to fulfill this obligation, so he sold GCW and its TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). JCP started informally calling itself World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1988, Ted Turner bought JCP and formally renamed it World Championship Wrestling. During
16724-440: The record a C-minus rating: "[With] its puerile humor and intentionally ugly metal-rap tunes, the album feels oddly dated". The Great Milenko was certified platinum with over 1.7 million copies sold. One of the group's first projects with Island Records was an hour-long documentary titled Shockumentary , which aired on MTV . The station initially refused to play the documentary, but Island Records persuaded them to air it as
16872-468: The release of The Wraith: Shangri-La , Bruce admitted that he was considering not completing the production of Hell's Pit . He is quoted as describing Shangri-La as "the end of the road. It's the end of the Joker's Cards. After this I could do anything I want, for the rest of my life. The positivity was so unbelievable". On August 31, 2004, Insane Clown Posse released their ninth studio album, Hell's Pit ,
17020-561: The release of the album was an oversight by their review board, and that the album "did not fit the Disney image" because of its "inappropriate" lyrics, which they claimed were offensive to women. After the termination of the Hollywood Records contract, Insane Clown Posse signed a new contract with Island / PolyGram Records , which agreed to release the album as intended. Entertainment Weekly music critic David Browne gave
17168-588: The same activities as the first Gathering of the Juggalos, as well as guests such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony , Vanilla Ice , and Three 6 Mafia . On June 15, 2001, Bruce was arrested in Columbia, Missouri , for an outstanding warrant in St. Louis stemming from an incident in February 2001. That incident involved Insane Clown Posse allegedly attacking employees of a St. Louis radio station over disparaging remarks that
17316-415: The second exhibit of The Wraith, intended to warn listeners of the horrors of Hell . Bruce described the album as the darkest, most painful work he had ever done. Two versions of the album were released, each containing a different DVD. One release featured a live concert and a twelve-minute music video for the song "Real Underground Baby", and another featured a short film for the song "Bowling Balls", which
17464-544: The show went on air, Osbourne bet Bruce and Utsler $ 50,000 that Insane Clown Posse's next album would not even sell 200,000 copies – a bet that Bruce accepted. On air Osbourne informed Bruce and Utsler that Coal Chamber filed a lawsuit for breach of contract . Osbourne stated that her group was to receive $ 12,500 per show for a scheduled two-month package tour. Bruce reiterated that Coal Chamber's music did not appeal to Insane Clown Posse fans, and that ticket refunds decreased after Coal Chamber had been removed from
17612-589: The song "Fuck the World", the lyric that stated "Fuck the Beastie Boys and the Dalai Lama " needed to be changed. Insulted, Bruce exclaimed that his music would not be censored again—referring to Disney's previous requirement for censorship. Nasty Little Man told Bruce that the Beastie Boys were not only clients of the company but also personal friends, and the Beastie Boys told the company to make Bruce change
17760-538: The song "The Shaggy Show". Snoop Dogg also helped them contact Ol' Dirty Bastard, who was paid $ 30,000 for his appearance. Ol' Dirty Bastard recorded his track in a matter of two days; however, his recording consisted of nothing more than him rambling about "bitches". It took Bruce and Utsler a week to assemble just four rhymes out of his rambling, and had to re-record the track and title it "Bitches". Finally, Insane Clown Posse contacted Ice-T , who charged them only $ 10,000. The group felt that Ice-T's song did not belong on
17908-452: The song "Till Hell Freezes Over". On Insane Clown Posse's previous tour (The House of Horrors Tour), they had watched the movie Big Ballers . The group, as well as Twiztid, loved the video. After Insane Clown Posse finished its The Amazing Jeckel Brothers album, Bruce and Utsler decided to create their own movie, Big Money Hustlas , with the same low-budget comedy style as Big Ballers . Island Records gave them $ 250,000 to begin work on
18056-638: The spring of 2001, Insane Clown Posse's road manager William Dail was arrested in Omaha, Nebraska , for allegedly choking a man who waved an Eminem T-shirt in front of the band. Dail was charged for misdemeanor assault and battery. The charges were reduced to a $ 100 fine after he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge. The second Gathering of the Juggalos was held from July 13–15 at the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio . The event featured
18204-440: The stamina for an hours-long fight. Audiences also preferred short matches. Worked matches also carried less risk of injury, which meant shorter recovery. Altogether, worked matches proved more profitable than shoots. By the end of the 19th century, nearly all professional wrestling matches were worked. A major influence on professional wrestling was carnival culture. Wrestlers in the late 19th century worked in carnival shows. For
18352-534: The team won the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship in a Tag Team Battle Royal Tables Elimination match. One month later, the duo lost the championship to The Bad Breed . On September 10, The Iron Saints won a 4-Team Tournament to regain the championship. The duo defended their championship for six months before losing them to Ian Rotten and Mad Man Pondo on March 18, 2006. Vito and Sal began teaming with their brother Brandon, bringing him in as an occasional member of The Iron Saints. Brandon, however, focused on
18500-518: The term is similar to the racial slur jigaboo . The group's second studio album, Ringmaster , was released on March 8, 1994, and its popularity enabled the group to sell out larger nightclubs across Detroit. Because Bruce and Utsler made reference to the Detroit-produced soft drink Faygo in their songs, they "figured it would be cool to have some on stage with [them]". During a concert in 1993, Bruce threw an open bottle of Faygo at
18648-426: The territories of his former NWA peers, now his rivals. By the end of the 1980s, the WWF would become the sole national wrestling promotion in the U.S. This was in part made possible by the rapid spread of cable television in the 1980s. The national broadcast networks generally regarded professional wrestling as too niche an interest, and had not broadcast any national wrestling shows since the 1950s. Before cable TV,
18796-443: The tour because of equipment problems, but later revealed the true reason for their actions on The Howard Stern Show , which aired August 19, 1999. Bruce continued by saying, "Nobody will tell you that, because everybody's afraid of your crumpet-ass bitch manager". Later that night, Stern contacted Bruce and Utsler, asking them to appear on his show the following day to talk with Coal Chamber's manager, Sharon Osbourne . Before
18944-470: The tour. Osbourne then made public the bet with Bruce about Insane Clown Posse's next album, also stating that the duo would be subsequently dropped from their distributor. In Osbourne's words, "You're dead. Your career is over." Bruce predicted that the group's next album would sell at least 500,000 copies; however, the bet officially stood at 200,000 copies as agreed by both Bruce and Osbourne backstage. On January 10, 2000, Utsler collapsed on stage during
19092-519: The trial, witnesses testified that most of the "big matches" and all of the championship bouts were fixed. By the 1930s, with the exception of the occasional double-cross or business dispute, shoot matches were essentially nonexistent. In April 1930, the New York State Athletic Commission decreed that all professional wrestling matches held in the state had to be advertised as exhibitions unless certified as contests by
19240-471: The truth, their audiences would desert them. Today's performers don't "protect" the industry like we did, but that's primarily because they've already exposed it by relying on silly or downright ludicrous characters and gimmicks to gain popularity with the fans. It was different in my day, when our product was presented as an authentic, competitive sport. We protected it because we believed it would collapse if we ever so much as implied publicly that it
19388-535: The way of proceedings: the "in-show" happenings, presented through the shows; and real-life happenings outside the work that have implications, such as performer contracts, legitimate injuries, etc. Because actual life events are often co-opted by writers for incorporation into storylines of performers, the lines between real life and fictional life are often blurred and become confused. Special discern must be taken with people who perform under their own name (such as Kurt Angle and his fictional persona ). The actions of
19536-420: The wrestlers quietly began faking their matches so that they could give their audiences a satisfying spectacle. Fixing matches was also convenient for scheduling. A real ("shoot") match could sometimes last hours, whereas a fixed ("worked") match can be made short, which was convenient for wrestlers on tour who needed to keep appointments or share venues. It also suited wrestlers who were aging and therefore lacked
19684-664: The young age of 18. After moving out to California and becoming the head trainer alongside Ric Thompson, Vito's first student was Sal Tavakoli (Thomaselli). Sal and Vito first began teaming together in 2003 as The Iron Saints. The duo won the IWA Mid-South Tag Team Championship three times. Following several years of singles competition, Sal and Vito began teaming together in Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South in 2005 as The Iron Saints. On June 11,
19832-425: Was Wrestling As You Like It , which printed its first issue in 1946. These magazines were faithful to kayfabe . Before the advent of television, professional wrestling's fanbase largely consisted of children, the elderly, blue-collar workers and minorities. When television arose in the 1940s, professional wrestling got national exposure on prime-time television and gained widespread popularity. Professional wrestling
19980-520: Was briefly derailed in January 1998, when their tour bus drifted off a highway and down an embankment, leaving Frank Moreno of Psycho Realm with a concussion. As a result of the accident, Insane Clown Posse postponed two shows scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio , on January 22 and 23, but honored their promise to perform on January 25 and 26. They face a lawsuit over alleged sexual harassment. On April 19, 1998, in Minneapolis, Minnesota , Bruce suffered
20128-488: Was challenges from independent wrestlers. But a cartelized wrestler, if challenged, could credibly use his contractual obligations to his promoter as an excuse to refuse the challenge. Promotions would sometimes respond to challenges with "policemen": powerful wrestlers who lacked the charisma to become stars, but could defeat and often seriously injure any challenger in a shoot match. As the industry trend continued, there were fewer independent wrestlers to make such challenges in
20276-457: Was extremely impressed, and immediately had a contract drafted with Psychopathic Records for the new group to sign. Bruce, Spaniolo, and Methric agreed on the band name Twiztid . The House of Horrors Tour thus featured Insane Clown Posse, with opening groups Twiztid, Myzery, and Psycho Realm . On November 16, 1997, Bruce was arrested on an aggravated battery charge after allegedly striking an audience member thirty times with his microphone at
20424-576: Was hand-picked by Insane Clown Posse and free to the public. Halfway through the tour, Brian Jones of House of Krazees had a falling out with his band members. Jones left the group, forcing House of Krazees to quit the tour. The success of the tour enabled Bruce and Utsler to purchase new houses both for each other and for their families. Bruce even told his mother to quit her job because he would pay her expenses. In late 1997, Bruce took Myzery to St. Andrew's Hall. Eminem , then an unknown local emcee, approached Bruce and, according to Bruce, handed him
20572-459: Was never mentioned during the show. MTV later informed Island Records that the heads of the network must choose the band first before it can become eligible to be featured on TRL . Bruce and Utsler left Island Records, signing a contract with D3 Entertainment to distribute every release on Psychopathic Records, which would remain independently funded, produced, and recorded. Insane Clown Posse had their own studio built, called "The Lotus Pod". In
20720-523: Was not a diss in his podcast , the album strained the relationship between Bruce and Esham. Insane Clown Posse's eleventh studio album, Bang! Pow! Boom! , was released on September 1, 2009. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album was later revealed to be the first of a "second deck" of Joker's Cards. The Detroit News music critic Adam Graham gave
20868-417: Was not. Insane Clown Posse fans were not purchasing tickets, as they did not like Coal Chamber. For the three shows that Coal Chamber played, there were multiple ticket refunds. Bruce and his brother, Rob, made the decision to eliminate Coal Chamber from the tour. After doing so, there were no tickets returned for the remainder of the tour dates. Bruce and Utsler claimed that Coal Chamber had been removed from
21016-650: Was previously considered a niche interest, but the TV networks at the time were short on content and thus were willing to try some wrestling shows. In the 1960s, however, the networks moved on to more mainstream interests such as baseball, and professional wrestling was dropped. The core audience then shrunk back to a profile similar to that of the 1930s. In 1989, Vince McMahon was looking to exempt his promotion (the World Wrestling Federation ) from sports licensing fees. To achieve this, he testified before
21164-524: Was ready for its fifth album, The Amazing Jeckel Brothers . Working with Mike E. Clark and Rich " Legz Diamond " Murrell, Bruce and Utsler developed their album with the highest of hopes. The group was known nationally, but were not taken very seriously. Hoping to receive the respect Bruce and Utsler felt they deserved, they planned to feature well-known, respected rappers on their album. Bruce stated outright that he wanted to involve Snoop Dogg and Ol' Dirty Bastard . They paid Snoop Dogg $ 40,000 to appear on
21312-465: Was released on October 18, 1992, with distribution within a 120-mile (190-kilometer) radius of Detroit. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine compared the group's performance on the album to "a third-rate Beastie Boys supported by a cut-rate Faith No More , all tempered with the sensibility that made Gwar cult heroes—only with...more sexism and jokes that...wind up sounding racist". The follow-up EP, Beverly Kills 50187 , sold well and gained
21460-415: Was something other than what it appeared to be. I'm not sure now the fear was ever justified given the fact that the industry is still in existence today, but the point is no one questioned the need then. "Protecting the business" in the face of criticism and skepticism was the first and most important rule a pro wrestler learned. No matter how aggressive or informed the questioner, you never admitted
21608-417: Was the "world champion". Before the cartels, there were multiple wrestlers in the U.S. simultaneously calling themselves the "world champion", and this sapped public enthusiasm for professional wrestling. Likewise, the cartel could agree on a common set of match rules that the fans could keep track of. The issue over who got to be the champion and who controlled said champion was a major point of contention among
21756-553: Was the first 3-D film shot in high-definition video . Also in 2004, music by Insane Clown Posse was featured in the film Demons at the Door , directed by Roy Knyrim . In 2005, D12 and Insane Clown Posse ended their feud, with the help of member Proof . Attempts to officially end the feud between Eminem and Insane Clown Posse have been unsuccessful, but Bruce states that the rivalry has ended. On February 1, 2006, Insane Clown Posse fan Jacob D. Robida attacked individuals in
21904-485: Was touch a lot of people. We definitely wanted it to be something everlasting. Maybe a 19-year-old might not understand or like that ending now. But later, when he has four kids, he might think, "That was the shit." Following the release of The Wraith: Shangri-La , Bruce and Utsler signed a new contract with Sony BMG 's RED Distribution and launched the Psychopathic Europe record label. The duo went on
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