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The History of the International Wrestling Syndicate
Dawson Wrestling Federation
In April of 1998, Eddy Dorozowsky aka Sexxxy Eddy organized the Dawson Wrestling Federation to perform outdoor shows on the grounds of Dawson college in Montreal. He became the federation’s first champion. After a show on April 23, 1999, live wrestling was permanently banned from being performed on Dawson College property.
World Wrestling Syndicate
Eddy joined with Manny Elefthriou aka PCP Crazy F’N Manny and Nick Patterson aka Nixon Stratus to form the World Wrestling Syndicate. Manny had noticed that a local bar called Wally’s had four large concrete pillars approximately eighteen feet apart. He realized that by attaching ropes to the pillars and laying down mats, he could have a make-shift wrestling ring without having to pay to build one. The WWS had their first show, Blood, Sweat & Beers 1999 at Wally’s on June 17th, 1999. Nick Patterson’s brother Mike, later a minor celebrity in Montreal for his kid’s show and his commercials, became the WWS’ first ring announcer “Iron” Mike Patterson.
The WWS quickly gained a reputation in Quebec for putting on fast-paced entertaining shows. They also developed a reputation for hardcore wrestling inspired by Japanese death matches and by ECW. Some Quebec wrestling critics nick-named the WWS, “le fed Canadian Tire”, because of the hardware used during the matches.
Wally’s closed in 2000. The last WWS show at Wally’s, Praise the Violence 2000, was in April 2000.
Internet Wrestling Syndicate
One after the other, Sexxxy Eddy and Nixon Stratus decided to leave the management of the company to Manny and concentrate on their wrestling. At about the same time, Manny entered into a partnership with Wild Rose Productions, a Montreal-based Internet porn company owned by Carol Cox. They renamed the company the Internet Wrestling Syndicate.
The IWS presented Change at the Just For Laughs Cabaret on November 10, 2000. It held the first of its soon to be famous Medley shows, Praise the Violence 2001, in downtown Montreal on March 31st, 2001. David “the Crow” Loiseau of the UFC was the special guest referee of the main event. Hardcore Ninja Number Two began an IWS Medley tradition by diving off the second story balcony on to the Green Phantom.
May 25, 2001, with Know Your Enemies 2001, the IWS began putting on shows at Le Skratch in Chomedey, Laval. Le Skratch would be the home base of the IWS for the next two years. During this period, the IWS became even more aggressive with its hardcore matches. The IWS is credited, by some, for being the first wrestling federation in Canada to use light tubes, June 3rd, 2001, during Tournament of the Icons 2 in a match held at the Olympia Arena in Deux Montagnes. This how also featured the guest appearances of Jake “the Snake” Roberts and Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart.
The IWS had its first “Fans Bring the Weapons Match” July 14th, 2001, at Le Skratch, during Un F’N Sanctioned 2001, which became an almost-annual bloody tradition of the promotion. Many wrestling observers believe that the IWS set a record here for most light tubes used in a match.
During the Summer of 2001, the IWS added to its hardcore reputation in an unexpected way. While presenting an outdoor show on rue St-Laurent, “the Main”, as part of the Fringe Festival, one of the spectators suffered a heart attack and had to be taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital.
The IWS’ second Medley show, Born to Bleed 2001 was held November 10th, 2001. The then CZW champion, Justice Pain, was the special guest. Notably in attendance were Neil Felzenstein aka Beef Wellington and Dylan Joffre aka Kid Kamikaze. The two young Rougeau students decided on the spot to leave Rougeau and join the IWS. Continuing the balcony dive tradition, Sexxxy Eddy won the main event by doing a leaping frog splash off the balcony and on to PCP Crazy F’N Manny.
On November 24th, 2001, at Payback’s a Bitch 2001 Carl XL Leduc was scheduled to face the then IWS champion Sexxxy Eddy for the IWS title. Carl, the son of Quebec wrestling legend Paul Leduc, is most famous for beating John "Bradshaw" Layfield under his Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw gimmick during a WWF dark match in Montreal, and for being the wrestler being stretched by Stu Hart during the documentary Wrestling With Shadows. Carl suddenly refused to job to Eddy in the main event and then went out to the ring, mixing kayfabe with reality in a hysterical rant where he told the fans that he refused to job to a man who was probably sick with AIDS, referring to Eddy’s gimmick as a porn star. Carl menaced the fans at ring side and took several swings at them until Manny came to the ring and paid Carl for a match he did not do and had IWS security throw him out of the building..
At this point, the IWS had been renting their ring from the FLQ, the Leduc’s wrestling promotion. Carl Leduc’s melt-down left the IWS without a ring. The IWS reached an agreement with Serge and Ludger Proulx’s ICW promotion to rent their ring, but correctly fearing that that relationship would not last long, Manny hired local wrestler Iceberg to build the IWS a ring of its own.
In 2002, the IWS announced a tournament to crown IWS tag team champions. TNT of the team “Heavy Explosives” and Hardcore Ninja Number Two were both injured during the tournament, so their partners, Heavy Maxx Fury and Hardcore Ninja Number One formed an alliance of convenience to win the Extreme Dream tournament on March 16th, 2002. At Know Your Enemies 2002, April 20th, 2002, Maxx Fury chose the team of “Green Drugs” the Green Phantom and PCP Crazy F’N Manny to defend his half of the IWS tag team titles. The Hardcore Ninjaz won the match and the titles.
During the second Fans Bring the Weapons match, August 17th, 2002 at Un F’N Sanctioned 2002 then CZW owner Lobo made a guest appearance, first teaming with Manny against Steve Royds and the Green Phantom and then turning on Manny to make the match a three on one beat down. The IWS broke the record for most light tubes used in a match that they had set the year before. Also during that show, Rodney Kellman aka Dru Onyx was declared the Number One Contender for the IWS title beginning a long, bloody feud with the Green Phantom for the title. Many IWS fans consider this the best feud in the promotion’s history.
A month before Un F’N Sanctioned 2002 at Scarred For Life 2002, July 14th, 2002, the IWS saw the debut of El Generico. Intended as a one-time joke, El Generico became so popular with the fans after one match that he became a permanent fixture, replacing PCP Crazy F’N Manny as the promotion’s most beloved hero. In fact, El Generico beat Manny in a retirement match at Blood, Sweat and Beers 2002, September 21st, 2002. Manny has made sporadic returns to the ring, but his time as a full-time wrestler was over.
Also changing his role in the company was long-time ring announcer “Iron” Mike Patterson, who became the manager for Hardcore Ninja Number Two after he turned on his brother at Payback’s A Bitch 2002. Patterson renamed Hardcore Ninja Number Two, the Evil Ninja. Taking Patterson’s place as ring announcer was Brian Stolovitch aka Brian the Guppie.
2003 saw the IWS beginning to build a name for itself over the internet with its then weekly live Bloodstream broadcasts. A dramatic photo of IWS wrestler Viking being put through an exploding, flaming table by Iceberg and FOD at Freedom to Fight 2003, April 12th, 2003, also brought the promotion attention. Viking established his backstage reputation as a tough guy and a passionate wrestling fan, when after being bandaged at the hospital for his burns, he checked himself out against his doctor’s advice so that he could return for the main event of Freedom to Fight 2003, the Ninja vs. Ninja, Brother vs. Brother, Flesh vs. Steel, No Ropes Barbed Wire match.
Body Count 2003, May 17th, 2003, saw the formation of the IWS' most famous stable, le Syndicat de Lutte Internet, a group of French Quebec seperatists led by Fred la Merveille. Damian and Viking were Fred's first recruits, but he went on to add Quebec wrestling legend and trainer Marc le Grizzly as well as Beef Wellington's former girlfriend Elsa Bangz. The SLI were heels to English fans, but heroes to French fans. Their addition greatly increased the IWS' visibility and popularity amongst French Quebec wrestling fans.
Kevin Steen and Pierre Carl Ouellet made their IWS debuts at Born to Bleed 2003, August 16th, 2003, both to help promote their participation upcoming Medley show Un F’N Sanctioned 2003, September 20th, 2003. This show is considered by IWS fans to be one of the IWS very best shows. The record for most light tubes used in match set at Un F’N Sanctioned 2003 still stands to this day. One of those light tubes was used to take out the Hardcore Ninjaz manager, “Iron” Mike Patterson who promptly retired from wrestling. Continuing the balcony dive tradition, the then IWS champion the Arsenal gave El Generico a Death Valley Driver off the balcony and through five tables. This was voted one of the top ten bumps in North America for 2003.
Many wrestling fans consider the three-way dance between El Generico, Kevin Steen and PCO at Blood, Sweat and Beers 2003, October 18th, 2003, to be amongst the very best that the IWS has ever done. It is certainly one of the most important. This is the match that caused IWS fans to nicjname Kevin Steen "Mr. Wrestling". A fan cam of this match given to Don Callis got PCO a run in NWA-TNA as the masked "X". He won the first X division Battle Royal. It also got IWS a pay-per-view deal with Aaron Weiss' Pro-Wrestling Superstars.
The last Skratch show was held December 13th, 2003, Season's Beatings 2003. This lead to a period of wandering for the IWS that resulted in the IWS presenting seven consecutive shows in seven different locations. Quebec wrestling observers noted that some Quebec wrestling federations move once and lose half their audience, while the IWS kept their audience throughout their travels. Nonetheless, it was a relief to settle down at Unison to finish 2004.The first Unison show was Praise the Violence 2004, January 17th, 2004. PCO won the IWS title from the Arsenal and the SLI won the tag team titles from Quebec City's Extreme Revolution, Nightmare Manson and Crazy Crusher. Unfortunately, a conflict with the Saint-Laurent municipality kept the IWS from returning to Unison until September.
As 2004 started, IWS' Bloodstream had shifted from a live weekly show to a monthly show taped to be downloaded on the internet and played before the shows. US interest in the promotion increased dramatically and led to the IWS being invited to send representatives to CZW's annual Tournament of Death. The Arsenal, the Evil Ninja, the Green Phantom and Sexxxy Eddy were chosen to represent the IWS. The Green Phantom was heavily praised for his vicious brawl with Necro Butcher, but it was Sexxxy Eddy who stole the show qualifying for the finals despite wrestling the entire tournament in his trademark, red bow-tie, wrestling boots and gold lame thong and nothing else. In a famous moment during his match against the Arsenal, Eddy discovered that he was bleeding from the bicep. To the delight of the blood-thirsty CZW fans, Eddy flexed his bicep and squirted blood into his mouth. Unfortunately, Eddy's injuries prevented him from participating in the finals of the Tournament of Death as the on-site doctors sent him to the hospital as soon as his match with the Arsenal was finished, but that was almost to Eddy's benefit as all anyone could talk about after the show was the Crazy Canuck who drunk his own blood.
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