Christopher Bauman
Encyclopedia
Christopher J. Bauman, Jr. (July 13, 1982 – August 18, 2005) was an American professional wrestler
, better known by his ring name Chri$ Ca$h. Bauman wrestled in many independent
promotions
, but is known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling
, where he was a former CZW World Tag Team Champion
. On August 18, 2005, Bauman was killed in a motorcycle accident.
(CZW) in 2001, after being trained at their training academy by Jon Dahmer. He made his debut, as "Chri$ Ca$h", at September Slam on September 8, 2001, in a three-way dance with GQ and Ian Knoxx, which Knoxx won. At They Said It Couldn't Be Done... Again on September 22, the three wrestlers were involved in a rematch, which Ca$h won. In another rematch a week later at Enough is Enough, GQ won. At And Justice For All in October, Ca$h teamed
with GQ to defeat Knoxx and Chris Stylez in a tag team match
. He began regularly teaming with GQ as "The New School", including an appearance at Cage of Death III when they competed in a three-way tag team match, which also included Knoxx and Stylez, and was won by VD (Jon Dahmer and Eddie Valentine).
, trading victories. Their third match at Out With Old In With The New in March went to a no contest, and afterwards, neither Ca$h nor GQ appeared for CZW for over four months. When they returned on July 13 at Deja Vu, it was as a team, defeating the teams of VD, Ian Knoxx and A.J. Styles
, and Hurricane Kid and Towel Boy to earn a match for the CZW World Tag Team Championship
later that night, which they lost to the defending champions, H8 Club
. They continued teaming over the next few months, facing teams including Sonjay Dutt
and Derek Frazier
, The Backseat Boyz
, and the Softcore Connection. On September 28 at Sanctioned in Blood, Ca$h defeated Ruckus
and Sonjay Dutt in a ladder match
. This signalled Ca$h's first major foray into singles competition, taking on Ruckus, Dutt and Jody Fleisch
in both singles and three-way matches. At the end of 2002, Ca$h won the CZW award for finshing move of the year.
, losing to Dutt in a number one contenders match in January. In Dutt's match for the championship against Ruckus, however, Ca$h was the special referee, and he attakced both wrestlers, before decclaring the match a no contest. A match Ca$h then had with Ruckus then ended in a double disqualification, before he competed in the Best of the Best 3 tournament, where he was eliminated in the first round. On May 10, Ca$h unsuccessfully challenged Ruckus for the Junior Heavyweight Championship, before returning to his feud with GQ, that saw Ca$h lose a singles match to GQ, before eliminating him from a gauntlet match. On October 4 at Pain in the Rain 2, Ca$h attempted to help Nick Gage
, who was being attacked by Nate Hatred
and Trent Acid
, but ended up being powerbomb
ed over the ring ropes through a table
to the floor. Ca$h then took a hiatus from CZW, returning at Cage of Death V in December, to face Joker
in a ladder match, which he lost. The match, which was originally supposed to be a tag team match also involving Deranged and Azriael but was changed as Deranged and Azireal were not at the arena in time, was later described as "absolutely psychotic", and it was the match that began to get Ca$h mainstream attention.
, and in which Joker and Ruckus also particpiated. After the match, Sabian and Ruckus attacked Ca$h and Joker, setting up a tag team match for the next show. Ca$h and Joker lost the match after Joker turned on Ca$h and attacked him until Jimmy Jacobs
and Dutt saved him. This resulted in a six-man tag team elimination tables match at Overdrive in March, which Ruckus, Joker and Sabian won after eliminating all the members of the other team, Ca$h, Jacobs and Dutt. Ca$h continued competing for CZW during the summer, alternately teaming with or facing GQ. He also competed in the Best of the Best IV tournament, but was eliminated in the first round. At Tournament of Death Ca$h competed in his first deathmatch, losing to JC Bailey. In September, Ca$h won a match allowing him to pick the members of a team for Cage of Death VI. This was followed by CZW owner John Zandig
that Ca$h would be the captain of one of the team in the Cage of Death match, and Ca$h chose Bailey as his first team member. At the following show, Breaking Point: Let the Kaos Begin, Ca$h and Bailey won a CZW World Tag Team Championship match against The Blackout after winning a tag team gauntlet match. They originally won the match, but the decision was reversed once it was determined that Ca$h, who had made the pin, was not the legal man. At Cage of Death VI, Team Ca$h, consisting of Ca$h, Bailey, Nate Webb, and Sexxxy Eddy
, defeated Team Blackout, which consisted of Ruckus, Sabian, Eddie Kingston
, and Jack Evans
, to win CZW World Tag Team Championship. The match contained a number of spots which were later described as "the psychotic daredevil spots for which Cash was known throughout his all-too-short career", including a spot where Ca$h performed his finishing move on Sabian off of the scaffolding surrounding the cage through four tables to land in the second row of the audience.
After a successful title defense against Excalibur
and Super Dragon
, Team Ca$h, consisting of Ca$h and Nate Webb, lost the championship to the H8 Club (Nick Gage and Justice Pain
) at Only the Strong: Scarred for Life in February. This championship loss was his last match in CZW, as he had been scheduled to wrestle JC Bailey for the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship
in March, but was forced to pull out of the match after an automobile accident. He did not make his return to CZW before his death in August.
with his cousin, Jeremy Bauman, who was driving, when a Ford Taurus
turned in front of them from the adjoining Higgins Drive. The motorbike hit the car on the driver's side, and both Bauman and his cousin were thrown off, and died at the scene. The driver of the car later died en route to the hospital.
Bauman's memory was commemorated on September 10, 2005 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Combat Zone Wrestling
owner John Zandig
announced to close the show that they had raised $5,000 for the family. The Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show has since become an annual event.
1Ca$h defended the title with either Eddy, Webb or Bailey under the Freebird Rule.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known by his ring name Chri$ Ca$h. Bauman wrestled in many independent
Independent circuit
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indy circuit refers to the many independent promotions which are much smaller than major televised promotions. They are roughly analagous to a minor league for pro wrestling, or community or regional theatre.Specific promotions on the...
promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
, but is known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
, where he was a former CZW World Tag Team Champion
CZW World Tag Team Championship
The CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on February 13, 1999 at CZW's Opening Night event, where Jon Dahmer...
. On August 18, 2005, Bauman was killed in a motorcycle accident.
2001
Bauman began working for Combat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
(CZW) in 2001, after being trained at their training academy by Jon Dahmer. He made his debut, as "Chri$ Ca$h", at September Slam on September 8, 2001, in a three-way dance with GQ and Ian Knoxx, which Knoxx won. At They Said It Couldn't Be Done... Again on September 22, the three wrestlers were involved in a rematch, which Ca$h won. In another rematch a week later at Enough is Enough, GQ won. At And Justice For All in October, Ca$h teamed
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with GQ to defeat Knoxx and Chris Stylez in a tag team match
Professional wrestling tag team match types
Much like singles matches, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace...
. He began regularly teaming with GQ as "The New School", including an appearance at Cage of Death III when they competed in a three-way tag team match, which also included Knoxx and Stylez, and was won by VD (Jon Dahmer and Eddie Valentine).
2002
The start of 2002, however, saw Ca$h and GQ engage in a scripted rivalryFeud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
, trading victories. Their third match at Out With Old In With The New in March went to a no contest, and afterwards, neither Ca$h nor GQ appeared for CZW for over four months. When they returned on July 13 at Deja Vu, it was as a team, defeating the teams of VD, Ian Knoxx and A.J. Styles
A.J. Styles
Allen Neal Jones , better known by his ring name A.J. Styles is an American professional wrestler currently working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling...
, and Hurricane Kid and Towel Boy to earn a match for the CZW World Tag Team Championship
CZW World Tag Team Championship
The CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on February 13, 1999 at CZW's Opening Night event, where Jon Dahmer...
later that night, which they lost to the defending champions, H8 Club
H8 Club
The H8 Club is a professional wrestling tag team in Combat Zone Wrestling. The current team consists of Nick Gage and Nate Hatred.-History:The H8 Club has been around since the beginning of Combat Zone Wrestling. The original team was made up of Wifebeater, Justice Pain, Justin Kase, Ed O' Mac,...
. They continued teaming over the next few months, facing teams including Sonjay Dutt
Sonjay Dutt
Retesh Bhalla is an American professional wrestler of Indian Punjabi descent, better known by his ring name, Sonjay Dutt. He is best known working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, and is also known for his stints with Combat Zone Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and other various independent...
and Derek Frazier
Derek Frazier (wrestler)
Derek Frazier is an independent American professional wrestler, appearing frequently in Combat Zone Wrestling. Derek Frazier has also appeared in Maryland Championship Wrestling where he was their cruiserweight champion....
, The Backseat Boyz
The Backseat Boyz
The Backseat Boyz were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Johnny Kashmere and Trent Acid who competed in Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling Unplugged, Combat Zone Wrestling, Assault Championship Wrestling, the Premier Wrestling Federation, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, and Japan together...
, and the Softcore Connection. On September 28 at Sanctioned in Blood, Ca$h defeated Ruckus
Claude Marrow
Claude Marrow is an American independent professional wrestler better known by his ring name Ruckus. Marrow current performs in Combat Zone Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Maryland Championship Wrestling, Chikara and Jersey All Pro Wrestling...
and Sonjay Dutt in a ladder match
Ladder match
A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling that is most commonly used to describe a match where an item is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item...
. This signalled Ca$h's first major foray into singles competition, taking on Ruckus, Dutt and Jody Fleisch
Jody Fleisch
Jerome Fleisch is an English professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jody Fleisch. He is best known for his work with the Frontier Wrestling Alliance, One Pro Wrestling and Real Quality Wrestling...
in both singles and three-way matches. At the end of 2002, Ca$h won the CZW award for finshing move of the year.
2003
In 2003, Ca$h began challenging for the CZW World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipCZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The CZW World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling title in the Philadelphia-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling , designed for junior heavyweights; wrestlers under . It was established in 1999 at CZW's first show, Opening Night with The Sensational One as the first champion...
, losing to Dutt in a number one contenders match in January. In Dutt's match for the championship against Ruckus, however, Ca$h was the special referee, and he attakced both wrestlers, before decclaring the match a no contest. A match Ca$h then had with Ruckus then ended in a double disqualification, before he competed in the Best of the Best 3 tournament, where he was eliminated in the first round. On May 10, Ca$h unsuccessfully challenged Ruckus for the Junior Heavyweight Championship, before returning to his feud with GQ, that saw Ca$h lose a singles match to GQ, before eliminating him from a gauntlet match. On October 4 at Pain in the Rain 2, Ca$h attempted to help Nick Gage
Nick Gage
Nicholas W. "Nick" Wilson is a hardcore professional wrestler best known from Combat Zone Wrestling. Along with being the first-ever CZW World Heavyweight Champion, he has wrestled at nearly every CZW show and has competed in more CZW matches than anyone...
, who was being attacked by Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred
Nate Hatred is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his current tenure in the Philadelphia-based hardcore wrestling promotion Combat Zone Wrestling where he is a member of the H8 Club...
and Trent Acid
Trent Acid
Michael Verdi was an American professional wrestler best known by his ring name Trent Acid. Verdi had worked as a tag team wrestler for most of his career, primarily as part of The Backseat Boyz with Johnny Kashmere, in several independent promotions in America, including Combat Zone Wrestling,...
, but ended up being powerbomb
Powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
ed over the ring ropes through a table
Table (furniture)
A table is a form of furniture with a flat and satisfactory horizontal upper surface used to support objects of interest, for storage, show, and/or manipulation...
to the floor. Ca$h then took a hiatus from CZW, returning at Cage of Death V in December, to face Joker
Joker (wrestler)
Joker is an American independent professional wrestler who works for the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion, IWA Mid-South, Chikara and UWA Hardcore Wrestling.-Career:...
in a ladder match, which he lost. The match, which was originally supposed to be a tag team match also involving Deranged and Azriael but was changed as Deranged and Azireal were not at the arena in time, was later described as "absolutely psychotic", and it was the match that began to get Ca$h mainstream attention.
2004-2005
In 2004 began with a loss for Ca$h in a four-way tables and ladders match at the Street Fight 2K4 show, which was won by SabianSabian (wrestler)
Sabian is an American professional wrestler, currently performing for Combat Zone Wrestling, where he was a founding member of The Blackout / BLKOUT with Ruckus. In addition to CZW, he also competes for several other American independent promotions, most notably Chikara.-Debut:Born in...
, and in which Joker and Ruckus also particpiated. After the match, Sabian and Ruckus attacked Ca$h and Joker, setting up a tag team match for the next show. Ca$h and Joker lost the match after Joker turned on Ca$h and attacked him until Jimmy Jacobs
Jimmy Jacobs
Chris Scobille is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jimmy Jacobs. He is best known for his time in Ring of Honor , where he is a four-time World Tag Team Champion...
and Dutt saved him. This resulted in a six-man tag team elimination tables match at Overdrive in March, which Ruckus, Joker and Sabian won after eliminating all the members of the other team, Ca$h, Jacobs and Dutt. Ca$h continued competing for CZW during the summer, alternately teaming with or facing GQ. He also competed in the Best of the Best IV tournament, but was eliminated in the first round. At Tournament of Death Ca$h competed in his first deathmatch, losing to JC Bailey. In September, Ca$h won a match allowing him to pick the members of a team for Cage of Death VI. This was followed by CZW owner John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
that Ca$h would be the captain of one of the team in the Cage of Death match, and Ca$h chose Bailey as his first team member. At the following show, Breaking Point: Let the Kaos Begin, Ca$h and Bailey won a CZW World Tag Team Championship match against The Blackout after winning a tag team gauntlet match. They originally won the match, but the decision was reversed once it was determined that Ca$h, who had made the pin, was not the legal man. At Cage of Death VI, Team Ca$h, consisting of Ca$h, Bailey, Nate Webb, and Sexxxy Eddy
Eddy Dorozowsky
Eddy Dorozowsky is a Canadian professional wrestler and former promoter, best known by his ring name SeXXXy Eddy. He has competed several in North American independent promotions including Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Northern Championship Wrestling, Pro...
, defeated Team Blackout, which consisted of Ruckus, Sabian, Eddie Kingston
Eddie Kingston
Edward "Eddie" Moore is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Eddie Kingston. He is best known for competing in Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South and Ring of Honor...
, and Jack Evans
Jack Evans
Jack Edward Miller is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Jack Evans. He currently performs for the Mexican-based promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración, where he is the current World Cruiserweight Champion and a former World Tag Team Champion. He is the cousin...
, to win CZW World Tag Team Championship. The match contained a number of spots which were later described as "the psychotic daredevil spots for which Cash was known throughout his all-too-short career", including a spot where Ca$h performed his finishing move on Sabian off of the scaffolding surrounding the cage through four tables to land in the second row of the audience.
After a successful title defense against Excalibur
Excalibur (wrestler)
Marc Letzmann is a former American professional wrestler, best known under his ring name Excalibur. Letzmann is one of the six founders of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, where he continues to work as the company's "Liaison to the Board of Directors"...
and Super Dragon
Super Dragon
Daniel Lyon , better known by his ring name Super Dragon, is an American professional wrestler. Beginning his career in 1997, he has competed in companies such as All Pro Wrestling, Revolution Pro, Combat Zone Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor...
, Team Ca$h, consisting of Ca$h and Nate Webb, lost the championship to the H8 Club (Nick Gage and Justice Pain
Justice Pain
Christopher Wilson is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Justice Pain. Pain is best known for his time in Combat Zone Wrestling, as well as Xtreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Unplugged...
) at Only the Strong: Scarred for Life in February. This championship loss was his last match in CZW, as he had been scheduled to wrestle JC Bailey for the CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship
CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship
The CZW Ultraviolent Underground Championship is a professional wrestling hardcore wrestling championship owned by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion. The title was introduced on February 5, 2005 at CZW's Only the Strong event....
in March, but was forced to pull out of the match after an automobile accident. He did not make his return to CZW before his death in August.
Death
Bauman died in a motorcycle accident near his home in New Jersey on August 18, 2005, at the age of 23. He was on the motorbike on Ellis Street in Glassboro, New JerseyGlassboro, New Jersey
Glassboro is a borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 19,068....
with his cousin, Jeremy Bauman, who was driving, when a Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
turned in front of them from the adjoining Higgins Drive. The motorbike hit the car on the driver's side, and both Bauman and his cousin were thrown off, and died at the scene. The driver of the car later died en route to the hospital.
Bauman's memory was commemorated on September 10, 2005 at the ECW Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling
Combat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
owner John Zandig
John Zandig
John Corson was an American professional wrestler and promoter, better known by his ring name, John Zandig. He is the founder and former owner of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based promotion Combat Zone Wrestling .-Biography:...
announced to close the show that they had raised $5,000 for the family. The Chri$ Ca$h Memorial Show has since become an annual event.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- The Cash Flow (Inverted Death Valley driver)
- Signature moves
- Bionic elbow
- Hurricanrana
- Spingboard leg drop
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "Down with the SicknessDown with the Sickness"Down with the Sickness" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The song was recorded in 1999 and was released as the second single from their debut studio album, The Sickness. The song is one of Disturbed's best-known songs and is a concert staple, usually played as the last song...
" by Disturbed
- "Down with the Sickness
Championships and accomplishments
- Combat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone WrestlingCombat Zone Wrestling is a independent wrestling promotion. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain began to run backyard wrestling shows in New Jersey and Delaware, showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling dubbed as "ultraviolence"...
- CZW World Tag Team ChampionshipCZW World Tag Team ChampionshipThe CZW World Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling world tag team championship owned and copyrighted by the Combat Zone Wrestling promotion; it is contested for in their tag team division. It was created and debuted on February 13, 1999 at CZW's Opening Night event, where Jon Dahmer...
(1 time)1 – with Sexxxy EddyEddy DorozowskyEddy Dorozowsky is a Canadian professional wrestler and former promoter, best known by his ring name SeXXXy Eddy. He has competed several in North American independent promotions including Chikara, Combat Zone Wrestling, IWA Mid-South, Jersey All Pro Wrestling, Northern Championship Wrestling, Pro...
, Nate WebbNate WebbNathan "Nate" Webb is an American professional wrestler and semi-pro football player, best known for his appearances in Combat Zone Wrestling, Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South, Ring of Honor and MTV's Wrestling Society X. On April 22, 2008, Webb was notified that he had made the roster...
and J.C. Bailey
- CZW World Tag Team Championship
1Ca$h defended the title with either Eddy, Webb or Bailey under the Freebird Rule.