WSW
CONFIDENTIAL SPOTLIGHT......
HCM
BRUNO
For the past
4 years, Bruno has been a major player on the Northeast PA area's
wrestling circuit. As a part of the notorius Underground regieme,
he brought anger, brutality, and sheer strength to the table during
his blood soaked feud with the founders of the Underground; Halo,
Khufu, and Aries.
When the state
athletic commission ended the notorius Underground circuit, Bruno
was given the opportunity to make a bold step forward into independent
wrestling.
This is his
story.
"Watching
the WWF and NWA on Saturday mornings in my grandparents' house and
then having my grandfather take me to the Catholic Youth Center
to see the WWF growing up was what hooked me."
As is the case
with many current stars, Bruno was a childhood fan who found wrestling
as his escape from reality. His dream world. And like many other
current independent stars, ECW was his salvation.
"I found
ECW, and every other company seemed meaningless. The day I knew
this business was my destiny was when I saw a tape of the infamous
Shane Douglas "throw down" of the NWA Title. That was
it for me, every chance I got to watch wrestling after that I did."
Bruno would
spend the next few years as an ECW junkie and student of the extreme.
But what he saw in ECW could not even begin to prepare him for the
abuse that awaited him in Valley Championship Wrestling -- the home
of NEPA Underground.
"Then in
Sept of 1999, I went to a VCW event and after the show I spoke with
Lars Morris, the next 2 years are a blur."
Most fans will
recall his infamous bloody massacre with Khufu in March of 2000.
Khufu had used a fork, a machete, and barbed wire to carve Bruno
into pieces. Other fans will remember him for the immensely brutal
6 man tag team match between the HCM (Bruno, Joey Davino, and Frankie
Angelini) and the Foundation (Halo, Khufu, and Aries). Some diehard
fans will recall Bruno's intense feud with Halo and his eventual
title win. Or his domination of the tag team scene with his partner
in crime, Joey Davino. Regardless, those two years plus of Underground
Wrestling brought on some very memorable experiences for all those
involved.
Although Underground
was unsanctioned by the state of Pennsylvania and highly illegal,
with most wrestlers receiving nominal training and numerous injuries,
Bruno feels that the Underground scene was his chance to take the
next step towards his dreams of becoming a world renowned athlete.
But at what
costs? Bruno is now scarred and disfigured and has been living under
the scrutiny of his pants in many locker rooms around the East Coast.
"I could
have had a professional career but I would have had to have paid
a large sum of money for it. Would I have gotten anywhere? Maybe,
but I doubt it ... I think joining VCW and being a large part of
the Underground Movement has made my career, along with other peoples
careers, take off. It gave us a sense of being a local celebrity,
but at the same time.. even though we weren't professionally trained
it gave us some sort of knowledge for when the time came to get
trained."
It was after
an that had incident occurred between Bruno and Black Magik that
VCW was unable to continue without threats of exposure to the PA-SAC.
The promoter also needed major time off and VCW closed its doors
in February of 2001. And then, Bruno, and 6 of his friends, took
the next step.
"Professional
wrestling training stumbled onto US! Phil Stamper moved up to NEPA
from Maryland and was looking for somewhere to work out and he found
VCW. He soon realized that we weren't trained but that we had the
determination to be pros. He knew guys that had a ring in Allentown
and he took some of us down there 2-3 times a week and it was drills
and (stuff) from Phil. Soon it just became 2nd nature to bump correctly
and work correctly."
But Bruno could
tell the difference. And it wasn't just the way things happened,
it was the whole atmosphere.
"The biggest
difference I see is the level of hardcore. VCW gave it to you up
front, you expected blood to be split if you came to a VCW. You
expected someone to get dumped huge on their head. On the indies
its very hard to get away with ANY of the blood. Another difference
i see are the fans. VCW had rabid fans that knew everyone and all
the story lines, they were sick."
Bruno made his
professional debut in front of an almost hometown crowd in Plymouth,
PA for VCW -- the newly LEGAL version. It opened his eyes to the
possibilities and brought on the newest challenge, the next step,
to take towards the dream. But the upcoming months would not be
easy as Brad and Joey would face the ultimate challenge -- finding
employment.
"Back in
May of 2001 Lars Morris ran an indy show and he had a ton of big
names on that show and he put his boys over the names. We were grateful
but unworthy. After that it took Joey and I a while to get more
work, true we were still training and working out but we couldn't
get booked. We finally got an in up in the Mass fed of Big East
Wrestling."
Big East Wrestling
was so pleased with the HCM, that they were given a tag team title
shot on their first BEW appearance. The HCM took the titles with
relative ease and continued to hold them for over 8 months. But
the boys of the HCM were still not content. Until a new door was
opened for them.
"I think
the biggest turning point so far was when we contacted Johnny Glitter
about coming to WSW. Ever since our 1st show with them back in April
of 2k2, he has treated us like sons. I and Joey go to the training
center twice a week and work out and Johnny will tell us what's
up and what we need to know. So far WSW has been our big break.
I hope that the fed takes off in NEPA and I know that Joey and I
are planning to be a big part of it."
Since joining
the ranks of WSW, the HCM have had several wins over many main players
and regional stars. WSW also sent the HCM to Hanover, PA for a satellite
show which saw the HCM take on the 15 year ring veterans, The Tokyo
Terrors.
The HCM and
the Terrors pummeled each other and the Terrors ripped the chest
of Joey Davino open with a barrage of chops. Joey was quick to fire
back and many fans and wrestlers felt as if a fight was to break
out between the two teams.
"It was
just a brutal match in which Joey and I both got lit up and brutalized.
True, we gave it back a bit but not enough. There will come a time
when the Terrors will step into our ring and I guarantee the roles
will be reversed."
Within this
past week, WSW Confidential got word that the HCM will face off
against the Tokyo Terrors in a brutal rematch in Moosic, PA. But
this time, the HCM are ready. and willing, to show the Terrors a
little NEPA hardcore hospitality.
"The HCM
vs the Terrors on the 17th. Revenge.. yeah.. that's the word for
it. Gruesome photo.. nah, F-that.. Joey has SCARS across his chest
as a permanent reminder of that nite. Are we looking for revenge?
A bit. But what we are really looking to do is show the Terrors
that we ain't some nickle and dime tag team. We are the FUTURE of
this Sport and believe me after the 17th the Terrors and everyone
else in Moosic will know that."
This brutal
attitude is growing into an epidemic in WSW and is a primary reason
why WSW head honcho, Johnny Glitter, has put together the new Underground
Division. With VCW/UWF gone from the Underground scene, many fans
have been searching for a substitute. While WSW is readily available,
the Underground fans were looking for a more aggressive and violent
sport to watch. WSW's Underground Division should fill that void
nicely while exposing fans to the tried and true traditional style
of professional wrestling as well.
"It appears
that WSW has done its homework on the history of this area and is
planning to bring back at least SOME of the old school ways. I know
im excited about it, I cant wait to hear what some of the plans
are for it. Should be fun, I just hope that the news of the division
gets out to the old school fans so they can not only relive, but
also see what new twist WSW can put on it. Ill say this too: If
you took a select group of undy guys.. trained them to be pro wrestlers
and LET them wrestle the undy style.. you are ASKING for amazing
matches."
While Bruno
and partner Joey Davino are a card carrying veterans of the Underground,
it is hard to tell if they will be placed in the division yet or
not. As one of WSW's top tag teams, they may be too busy to venture
back to the Underground, WSW style; but that doesn't mean that the
HCM, Bruno in particular, does not want to.
"True,
Joey and I have loyalties to the Underground. We helped make it
so huge so it would be, if I can be so harsh to say, Un-Holy for
us NOT to be involved. Hell, I _STILL_ carry the moniker of the
Franchise of Undeground Wrestling. But on the other hand Joey and
I spent 3 years, spilled pints and pints of blood, broken bones
etc.. and we would like to stay with the other side of WSW as well.
I hope that there is room for us on both sides of the coin."
Several other
non-vets of the Underground scene have expressed interest in joining
the ranks of the new division. Draven Blaze has spent time doing
no holds barred shoot fights and bloody hardcore battles in EGW;
Brother Rosh had a brief Underground stint as Ashe, the masked man
of destruction; Chris Stylz has battled in the Combat Zone and could
easily lay claim to belonging -- but do these guys stand a chance
in the Underground" Do they deserve it?
"I'm daring
anyone from WSW to step into the Underground. Brother Rosh did his
tour of duty and I guarantee he has the scars and war stories to
prove it. Just ask him. Its a different world completely. If Blaze,
Stylz, Brass.. anyone wanted to come into the Undergound I would
be more than happy to have them step into that world. But I'm not
sure any of them would like what they saw or felt.
"What I'm
really saying is: It takes a special kind of person to step into
an Underground match. Some have it and some don't, some will like
it and some wont. HELL, some may not want to leave once they are
inside."
That special
something is what keeps the HCM and Bruno at the top of the game
with World Star Wrestling. With the added pressures of upholding
the Underground reputation for barbaricism, and dealing with old
school vets, the HCM look to have a rough few months coming up.
But if their past experiences have proven anything, survival by
abusive means if necessary, is a way of life.
"We both
feel that WSW is our new home, and we will do everything in our
power to make it take off. I would love to have the tag team division
in WSW take off as well. Its an almost forgotten art and it can
come back again and Joey and I plan to make that happen."
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