Tremont will take part in a dream match when WildKat Sports and Entertainment returns to Philadelphia.
Matt Tremont has done it all.
When he was younger, Tremont was a huge professional wrestling fan. He would watch it whenever it was on TV, and then he started going to the events at the ECW Arena in South Philadelphia. There, he became even more inspired by the sport, so he decided to become a wrestler.
The fan favorite dubbed “Bulldozer” went from the bleachers to the ring for Combat Zone Wrestling, a promotion that was based in Philadelphia. He started from the ground floor and eventually became the promotion’s champion.
As he grew as a wrestler, he also learned the ins and outs of promoting, and two years ago he started his own promotion, Hardcore Hustle Organization, where he wears every hat from wrestling to booking the shows and setting everything up, including finding the talent, collecting the tickets and booking the arena.
He also opened Bulldozer Collectibles at the Berlin (New Jersey) Farmers Market, where he and his girlfriend sell all kinds of wrestling merchandise and collectibles.
“We are there four days a week and we have everything,” Tremont said. “A lot of people come in and they are WWE fans, they don’t know anything about independent wrestling. They’ll come in and I’ll have my matches on TV there, and they’ll put it together.
“We sell tickets to our shows there, H2O. Plus, it’s a chance for wrestling fans to come in and look around. If they can learn about what we do, that’s just a plus. The independent wrestling in this area, in the Tri-State area, is the best and it’s very good right now.”
On June 2, Tremont will take part in a dream match when WildKat Sports and Entertainment returns to the Philadelphia area for the second year in a row. Tremont will wrestle in a three-way match against Wildkat star Danny Flamingo and former ECW star Sabu. It all takes place at the 2300 Arena, also known as the ECW Arena.
Hardcore wrestling fans are excited because it’s a chance to watch Sabu, who was one of the biggest daredevils during ECW’s days, against Tremont, who is now the king of hardcore wrestling in the Philadelphia area. Throw in the talented Flamingo, and you have a match that could steal the show.
Also on the show will be Northeast grad Rory Gulak going up against PJ Hawx, the son of Wildkat promoter Luke Hawx, and an appearance by Lincoln grad Stevie Richards.
Hawx has also challenged ECW star Shane Douglas to a grudge match in a feud that has been percolating for many years in the Philadelphia area.
“Luke knows what he’s doing, he puts a lot into his brand, so I’m excited to be there,” Tremont said. “I’m really excited because this will be the first time I’ve ever wrestled Sabu, and I’ll be doing it in his building. I don’t know a lot about Danny Flamingo, but if he wasn’t a great wrestler, Luke wouldn’t have him on his show. But if he doesn’t like hardcore wrestling, he could be in trouble.
“This is my first time wrestling in Wildkat, but I pay attention to them and it’s good. They have great wrestlers, they draw great crowds and people love it. When I saw who was going to be on the show, I was hoping I’d get to wrestle Sabu, so I’m happy that’s what I’m doing.”
Tremont has a reputation for being very violent. Although he’s a good guy (he tried to be a bad guy, but the fans wouldn’t accept it and still cheered him), he’s been through wild wars while wrestling for CZW and various other promotions across the world.
But a special match in October may have been his finest and most violent yet.
Tremont went all the way to Japan to take part in an exploding barb wire match against Japanese legend Atsuhi Onita.
“I got blown up and wrestled in barb wire, but I felt great after,” Tremont said. “The only Americans who ever did that were me and Terry Funk. That’s incredible company to be with. It was something I really wanted to do. It was definitely a bucket list item.”
Since sitting in the ECW Arena as a fan, Tremont has done it all. And he wants to continue wearing as many hats as possible so he can enjoy a long career.
“In the past year, I’ve slowed down my (wrestling schedule) as much as possible so I can stay healthy and focus on the other things,” Tremont said. “I still wrestle every weekend, but I don’t do (two matches) every weekend. I’m trying to stay as healthy as I can while still doing the other type of things I love. We also have DoubleStomp Video, a production company that handles a lot of other wrestling shows, their videos.”
And while Tremont is a one-man wrecking crew in and out of the ring, he has help from his girlfriend, Crissy Scafiro.
“I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for her, and I mean that,” Tremont said. “Not only is she the nurse who helps take care of the wrestlers, she helps me in everything I do. When I’m on the road, she works the store. She handles everything. I couldn’t do any of this without her.”
For tickets to Wildkat’s return to Philadelphia, visit www.wildkatwrestling.com/
For more on Tremont’s store, visit facebook.com/BulldozersCollectibles/
