Tony Stetson
Encyclopedia
Tony Matteo is a semi-retired American professional wrestler, best known by his ring name "Hitman" Tony Stetson, who has competed in Northeastern independent promotions during the late 1980s and 1990s. He is best known for his appearances in the Philadelphia-based Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Extreme Championship Wrestling
.
as a teenager, he played semi-pro football before training at Larry Sharpe
's Monster Factory in Burlington County. Stetson would eventually debut in 1985 facing fellow Monster Factory alumni Bam Bam Bigelow at a World Wrestling Federation
television taping at the Mid-Hudson Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York
.
and New Jersey
from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. He employed a hardcore wrestling
style and was an early contributor to the Philadelphia wrestling scene, including his feud with Johnny Hotbody
. Stetson and Hotbody traded wins in a variety of matches, including a Taped Fist First Blood match on March 31, 1990. Several months later, Stetson defeated Hotbody in a Hair vs Hair match. On March 2, 1991, the two resumed their feud when Stetson won a Barbed wire match
. When Stetson first started in the Business, he had a manager who went by the name of "The Godfather". The Godfather, was later known as "The Equalizer" and then ended his career as "Gianni Corleone" while working with Stetson toward the end of his career in the CWC.
, along with Rockin' Rebel
, John T. Smith
, Glen Osbourne
, The Sandman
, Max Thrasher, and Jimmy Jannetty. On April 1, 1993, Tony Stetson and Larry Winters
won the ECW World Tag Team Championship
. They were the second team ever to hold the titles, after defeating The Super Destroyers in Pennsylvania
. However, they lost the titles one night later on April 2 to The Suicide Blondes (Chris Candido
and Johnny Hotbody
). On June 8, Stetson turned on Winters during a 16-man battle royal
. On June 19, Stetson defeated Winters in a First Blood match.
After feuding with Winters, Stetson defeated Tommy Cairo
on September 14 to win the ECW Pennsylvania Championship
. He was one of only two men to ever hold the title before it was disbanded. Later, Stetson began to team with Johnny Hotbody. The two won the ECW Tag titles on September 17, 1993 from Eddie Gilbert and The Dark Patriot. They held the belts for two months before losing them to the team of Tommy Dreamer
and Johnny Gunn
on November 12. They later joined Raven's
ECW incarnation of the Raven's Nest
.
In 1995, Stetson returned to the newly renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling, competing in both singles and tag team
competition. By July, he began performing under the ring name
Broad Street Bully. However, he returned to using his birth name in 1996.
for several years before joining promoter Lisa Constantino's Central Wrestling Coalition based in South Philadelphia in 1999. Teaming up with his old Manager Gianni Corleone (also known as "The Godfather" and The Equalizer early in his career), he would feud with Breaker Morant over the CWC Heavyweight Championship during the next two years in the promotion. Corleone worked both as a manager with Stetson and also in Public Relations with many wrestling promotions until his retirement with the CWC.
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
.
Early life and career
Born Tony Matteo, he grew up at 11th and Ritner in South Philadelphia and later attended St. John Neumann. A fan of Bruno SammartinoBruno Sammartino
Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino is an Italian-American former professional wrestler, best known for being the longest-running champion of the World Wide Wrestling Federation , holding the title across two reigns for over 11 years in total, as well as the longest single WWE Championship reign...
as a teenager, he played semi-pro football before training at Larry Sharpe
Larry Sharpe
Larry Weil is an American retired professional wrestler, manager and trainer better known under his ring name, "Pretty Boy" Larry Sharpe. He currently runs the Monster Factory professional wrestling school...
's Monster Factory in Burlington County. Stetson would eventually debut in 1985 facing fellow Monster Factory alumni Bam Bam Bigelow at a World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
television taping at the Mid-Hudson Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
.
Tri-State Wrestling Alliance
Tony Stetson made a name for himself wrestling in Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling Alliance as well as other promotions in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. He employed a hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
style and was an early contributor to the Philadelphia wrestling scene, including his feud with Johnny Hotbody
Johnny Weiss
Johnny Weiss is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Johnny Hotbody. He is best known for his work in the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the first ECW Triple Crown Champion.-Career:Johnny Hotbody broke into...
. Stetson and Hotbody traded wins in a variety of matches, including a Taped Fist First Blood match on March 31, 1990. Several months later, Stetson defeated Hotbody in a Hair vs Hair match. On March 2, 1991, the two resumed their feud when Stetson won a Barbed wire match
Barbed wire match
A barbed wire match is one of any number of professional wrestling matches that uses strands of barbed wire in some capacity. Simply using barbed wire in an otherwise regular hardcore match does not make the match a barbed wire match; the barbed wire must be part of the match's design.- No Rope...
. When Stetson first started in the Business, he had a manager who went by the name of "The Godfather". The Godfather, was later known as "The Equalizer" and then ended his career as "Gianni Corleone" while working with Stetson toward the end of his career in the CWC.
Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling
Stetson was among the first stars of ECWExtreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, along with Rockin' Rebel
Rockin' Rebel
Chuck Williams is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Rockin' Rebel. He is best known for his appearances on the U.S...
, John T. Smith
John T. Smith
John T. "J.T." Smith is an American professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s.-Tri-State Wrestling Alliance:...
, Glen Osbourne
Glen Osbourne
Glen Osbourne is an American professional wrestler, perhaps best known for his appearances with Eastern Championship Wrestling in the early 1990s, where he was the youngest holder of the ECW World Television Championship...
, The Sandman
Jim Fullington
James "Jim" Fullington better known by his ring name Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling , where he developed into a "Hardcore Icon"...
, Max Thrasher, and Jimmy Jannetty. On April 1, 1993, Tony Stetson and Larry Winters
Larry Winters
"The Living Legend" Larry Winters is a semi-retired American professional wrestler and trainer who competed in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and East Coast independent circuit during the 1980s and 90s...
won the ECW World Tag Team Championship
ECW Tag Team Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
. They were the second team ever to hold the titles, after defeating The Super Destroyers in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. However, they lost the titles one night later on April 2 to The Suicide Blondes (Chris Candido
Chris Candido
Christopher Raul Candito was an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Chris Candido...
and Johnny Hotbody
Johnny Weiss
Johnny Weiss is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Johnny Hotbody. He is best known for his work in the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the first ECW Triple Crown Champion.-Career:Johnny Hotbody broke into...
). On June 8, Stetson turned on Winters during a 16-man battle royal
Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner...
. On June 19, Stetson defeated Winters in a First Blood match.
After feuding with Winters, Stetson defeated Tommy Cairo
Tommy Cairo
Thomas "Tommy" Cairo is an American retired professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his 1994 feud with The Sandman in Extreme Championship Wrestling. He is the former co-owner of the New Jersey-based Force One Pro Wrestling promotion and school.-Career:Cairo was a bodybuilder before...
on September 14 to win the ECW Pennsylvania Championship
ECW Pennsylvania Championship
The ECW Pennsylvania Championship was a short-lived title in ECW when it was called Eastern Championship Wrestling. It was also known as the NWA Pennsylvania Heavyweight Championship and existed in 1993.-Title history:-References:-See also:...
. He was one of only two men to ever hold the title before it was disbanded. Later, Stetson began to team with Johnny Hotbody. The two won the ECW Tag titles on September 17, 1993 from Eddie Gilbert and The Dark Patriot. They held the belts for two months before losing them to the team of Tommy Dreamer
Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James "Tom" Laughlin is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is currently working for various promotions on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time spent with Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment...
and Johnny Gunn
Tom Brandi
Tom Brandi is a professional wrestler known for his work in World Wrestling Federation as Salvatore Sincere. He is also known for his current work as The Patriot, working for such companies as Pro-Wrestling WORLD-1, National Wrestling Superstars, and other independent promotions on the East...
on November 12. They later joined Raven's
Scott Levy
Scott Anthony Levy , better known by his ring name Raven, is an American professional wrestler, wrestling producer, wrestling writer, and occasional author and actor currently working for Juggalo Championship Wrestling , where he is co-holder of the JCW Tag Team Championship, as well as other...
ECW incarnation of the Raven's Nest
Raven's Nest
Raven's Nest was a professional wrestling stable led by Raven that was present in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.Later, Raven created other incarnations of the group in World Championship Wrestling and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling .-Raven's Nest:Raven's Nest was a large...
.
In 1995, Stetson returned to the newly renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling, competing in both singles and tag team
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...
competition. By July, he began performing under the ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
Broad Street Bully. However, he returned to using his birth name in 1996.
Recent years
Going into semi-retirement by the mid-1990s, Stetson worked corordinating supply distribution for Methodist HospitalMethodist Hospital
Methodist Hospital is the name of numerous medical institutions.* The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas* Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria, Illinois* Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana...
for several years before joining promoter Lisa Constantino's Central Wrestling Coalition based in South Philadelphia in 1999. Teaming up with his old Manager Gianni Corleone (also known as "The Godfather" and The Equalizer early in his career), he would feud with Breaker Morant over the CWC Heavyweight Championship during the next two years in the promotion. Corleone worked both as a manager with Stetson and also in Public Relations with many wrestling promotions until his retirement with the CWC.
Championships and accomplishments
- Eastern Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
- ECW Pennsylvania ChampionshipECW Pennsylvania ChampionshipThe ECW Pennsylvania Championship was a short-lived title in ECW when it was called Eastern Championship Wrestling. It was also known as the NWA Pennsylvania Heavyweight Championship and existed in 1993.-Title history:-References:-See also:...
(1 time) - ECW Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Larry Winters (1) and Johnny HotbodyJohnny WeissJohnny Weiss is a retired American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Johnny Hotbody. He is best known for his work in the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Extreme Championship Wrestling where he became the first ECW Triple Crown Champion.-Career:Johnny Hotbody broke into...
(1)
- ECW Pennsylvania Championship
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him #433 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2010
- Tri-State Wrestling Alliance
- TWA Bar Wars Championship (1 time)
- World Wrestling Association
- WWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)