Ric Blade

Ric Blade is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), where he was a one time Junior Heavyweight Champion and a one time World Tag Team Champion with Nick Mondo. Blade has wrestled in such companies such as Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Pennsylvania Wrestling Federation, Liberty All-Star Wrestling and Jersey All Pro Wrestling. Blade was one of the original CZW Wrestling Academy graduates alongside Lobo, Nick Gage, Justice Pain and T.C.K.

Combat Zone Wrestling (1999-2003)
In addition to a background martial arts, Blade was trained by CZW owner John Zandig. He would feud to the likes of "Mr. Meaner" Russ Redmon, Mr. Arrogance, and Quicksilver. At CZW Down In Flames, June 19, 1999 in Mantua Township, New Jersey. Ric Blade and Reckless Youth went on a three way against Mike Quackenbush in a 3 way dance, which he lost. Ric captured his first championship - the CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship against Justice Pain at Street Fight 99 on July 19, 1999 in Mantua, NJ. At Pyramid Of Hell on August 21, 1999 in a brutal Pyramid Of Hell match, Nick Gage and Zandig defeated Lobo and Ric Blade, Ric turned on Lobo and jumped off an open roof to Lobo into the stack of tables.

Early 2000, Ric feuded with Low Ki or Mercury, retaining his CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship in both bouts. At A Night of Main Events on February 5, 2000, he would have a brutal match with Mercury, still retaining the title by leg dropping Mercury into a table below. Then lost the title to Justice Pain on CZW Winner Takes All, the  World Junior Heavyweight battle between two CZW original graduates; Ric Blade and Justice Pain was taking poll position. A stretcher match hadn't brought the hatred to an end the month before at CZW Living Hell, so it was time for both men to come through again with another insane and brutal match up to settle it once and for all; a Scaffold Cage match. At They Said It Couldn't Been Done, Blade fought Trent Acid for the CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship. During the match, Blade went for a swan dive off the top of a rental truck, but he misjudged his jump and only the top of his head made connection with his opponent. However, Blade won the match as well as the title. A few months later he teamed up with Nick Mondo and fought the Backseat Boys (Trent Acid and Johnny Kashmere), which saw Blade at the end of the match after a Senton bomb off the Champs Arena wall through two stacked tables with Acid on top, and Kashmere under. Mondo would turn on his partner.

The feud would still go on as at CZW Crushing The Competition on February 10, 2001 in Sewell, NJ, Blade would team up with Super Crazy to take on Mondo in a  Handicap 3-way ladder match. The feud would end in a "Barbed Wire Ladder Match" as well a huge swanton an off the Champs Soccer Arena wall on to Mondo through a table, As well as breaking Mondo's nose during the match. Blade was involved in a gauntlet match against Johnny Kashmere, Ruckus & The Briscoe Brothers in Destruction in Dover. At Un F'N Believable, Blade would at be in a 3-Way Dance against Trent Acid and Reckless Youth, Reckless Youth was eliminated when Z-Barr and Hurricane Kid interfered, Trent Acid and Ric Blade brawled to the parking lot where Blade did a Swanton off the truck on Acid through a table, Neither man made it back to the ring and it was declared a Double Count Out, At Stretched In Smyrna, he would be in tag match with the Briscoes and defeated The S.A.T. and Amazing Red. He competed at Best of the Best but eliminated in the first round by Amazing Red and The Winger.

Blade was injured at CZW's first TV Taping Take 1 On June 8, 2001. In the main event, a four way match between Lobo, Justice Pain, Nick Gage and Blade, Ric Blade attempted a senton from one of the walls of Champs Arena. (He has performed this move many times before of the same wall). Ric overshot the table that Pain was lying on. He landed straight on his leg, and his shin bone actually protruded through his ankle, letting out a blood curdling scream, as paramedics worked on him on the floor, fans in attendance wondered if they would ever see Blade in a wrestling ring again. The story however didn't end there as Ric Blade displayed some anger towards the man who had trained him John Zandig. He felt there was no support from the CZW owner, and took his anger out in a way that wouldn't help his case; on the internet. Ric Blade blasted Zandig, the man he had helped build CZW with, but Blade felt when he needed help there was none.

Blade returned at CZW Beyond The Barrier on October 12, 2002, with Nick Mondo defeating Johnny Kashmere, At CZW Cage of Death IV, in 2002 he competed in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match, vs. the Backseat Boys with Mondo as his partner. They ended up losing; with the result of The Backseat Boyz winning with Trent Acid giving the Acid Bomb with Blades' head in a ladder. Blade in early 2003 would feud with Johnny Kashmire. During the match with Ric Blade defeating GQ, Johnny Kashmere reappeared and attacked Ric Blade with a baseball bat. During the Junior Heavyweight Championship match with Ruckus defeating Trent Acid, Johnny Kashmere repeatedly interfered and eventually was banned, and dragged out by Blade. He competed in Best of the Best 3 on April 12, 2003, but was beaten by Trent Acid, on CZW Then And Now on May 10, 2003, Ric Blade defeated Sonjay Dutt to become the #1 Contender for the Junior Heavyweight Championship. His last match with Ruckus in 2003; losing to Ruckus to retain his Junior Heavyweight Championship would turn out to be his final match and left the company thereafter.

Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling (2002-2003)
Blade took part of the first ever Pro-Pain Pro Wrestling show dubbed 3PW Inaugural Show in February 2002, teaming up with Christian York and Joey Matthews to take on CM Punk, Colt Cabana and Paul E. Normus. He returned one year later at 3PW A Funkin' Classic, losing to Trent Acid on May 3, 2003.

Jersey All Pro Wrestling (2000-2003)
Blade debuted in Jersey All Pro Wrestling on September 22nd, 2000 on the September Slaughter show, defeating Mr. Motion. He won the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship in a Three Way Dance that involved Nick Berk and Reckless Youth at the The New Beginning show at the Viking Hall in Philadelphia on February 3rd, 2001. He successfully defended the championship against Nick Berk, Reckless Youth, Trent Acid (with a Swanton off a scaffold through a table), future Special K members Elax and Insane Dragon, and Abunai until the injury in June 2001.

Personal life
Blade retired in CZW in 2004, a year after his last match at CZW Truth or Consequences against Ruckus. Blade made an appearance at Cage of Death X as a guest with Wifebeater, Nick Gage, Lobo and Zandig. He had also who refereed the CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship ladder match at CZW Cage of Death X.

Media

 * Best of Ric Blade- Extreme Air Master. Perf. Ric Blade. 2001. DVD. RFVideo.com

In wrestling

 * Finishing moves
 * Crucifix dropped into a sitout facebuster
 * Edge of the Blade (Cross-legged sitout scoop slam piledriver or Fisherman suplex Lift and drop to a Powerbomb)
 * Spine Splitter/Blade Splitter (Double pumphandle wheelbarrow driver) —2003
 * Pumphandle sitout scoop slam piledriver
 * Senton bomb
 * Signature moves
 * 450° splash
 * Backbreaker rack dropped into a DDT
 * Moonsault
 * Samoan drop
 * Managers
 * Shortie
 * Nicknames
 * "F'n"
 * "The Walking Final Destination Movie"
 * Entrance themes
 * "The Edge Of The Blade" by Mystikal (CZW, 1999)
 * "My Generation" by Limp Bizkit (CZW, 2001-2003)
 * "Bawitdaba" by Kid Rock (CZW, 2000)
 * "Name of the Game" by Crystal Method (3PW, 2002)
 * "Numb" by Linkin Park (3PW, 2003)
 * "Blind" by Korn (JAPW/Independent circuit, 2000's)

Championships and accomplishments

 * Combat Zone Wrestling
 * CZW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
 * CZW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Nick Mondo
 * Jersey All Pro Wrestling
 * JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)