The Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South King of the Deathmatch is an annual professional wrestling tournament running since 1997 in which a number of wrestlers compete in various deathmatches, in (for the most part) a single-elimination tournament which is similar to World Wrestling Entertainment's King of the Ring tournament. These tournaments include the typical weapons used in hardcore wrestling such as barbed wire, nails, thumbtacks, fire, and light tubes, and are known for their large amount of blood loss.
Notable entrants in the King of the Deathmatch tournaments have included Ian Rotten, Toothpick Jones, Axl Rotten, Necro Butcher, Mad Man Pondo, Chris Hero, Balls Mahoney, Nick Mondo, Viper and Mickie Knuckles. Many of the cards have also included non-tournament matches featuring top indy wrestlers such as Nigel McGuinness, Colt Cabana, CM Punk, Tracy Smothers, Homicide, Jerry Lynn, Jimmy Jacobs, Alex Shelley, Sonjay Dutt, B.J. Whitmer, Matt Sydal, Delirious, Arik Cannon, Ray Gordy, Low Ki, Daizee Haze and MsChif.
In 2006, IWA Mid-South introduced the concept of The Royal Weekend of Death, featuring the King of the Deathmatch tournament, as well as two new tournaments, the Queen of the Deathmatch and the Double Death Tag Team Tournaments. The 2006 & 2007 tournaments for Queen and Double Death happened in November on back to back nights, while the 2008 Queen of the Deathmatches took place on the afternoon of night 2 of King of the Deathmatches, with Double Death taking part on October 17 and 18.
Famous quotes containing the word king:
“The one-eyed man will be King in the country of the blind only if he arrives there in full possession of his partial faculties—that is, providing he is perfectly aware of the precise nature of sight and does not confuse it with second sight ... nor with madness.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)