CZW Wired Championship

The CZW Wired Championship is a professional wrestling television title in the Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) promotion, originally established on December 12, 2009, as the CZW Wired TV Championship before being shortened to its current name in 2014.^[1] It was created to highlight skilled, technically proficient wrestlers from CZW's dojo system, often featuring high-flying and submission-based matches amid the promotion's signature ultraviolent style, and defended in events across the United States.^[1] The championship was deactivated in 2021 following the reign of K.C. Navarro, who won it on February 8, 2020, from A.R. Fox at CZW's 21st Anniversary show in Voorhees Township, New Jersey; its return was announced in December 2024, with a number one contendership super scramble at Cage of Death 22 on December 21, 2024, won by Juni Underwood, though as of November 2025 no defenses have occurred and the title status remains pending.^[1][2][3] Tyler Veritas became the inaugural champion on December 12, 2009, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by defeating Adam Cole in a tournament final, marking the start of a lineage that emphasized emerging talent from CZW's training programs.^[1] Over its initial run through 2021, the title saw 27 reigns across 20 wrestlers, with notable highlights including Joey Janela's three reigns (totaling 392 days), A.R. Fox's three reigns (463 days combined), the longest single reign of 427 days by Jordan Oliver (October 13, 2018, to December 14, 2019), and Drew Gulak's 419-day reign (April 10, 2010, to June 3, 2011).^[1] The shortest reign belonged to Ace Austin, who held it for one day from September 7 to 8, 2018, after defeating Zachary Wentz in Dayton, Ohio.^[1] Key defenses often occurred at major CZW events like Cage of Death and Best of the Best, blending athletic showcases with occasional barbed wire and weapon elements true to the promotion's deathmatch roots, while champions such as Shane Strickland (later known as Isaiah Scott in WWE) and Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF, now an AEW star) used the title to launch mainstream careers.^[1] Following its 2021 deactivation amid CZW's restructuring and merger influences with Game Changer Wrestling, the championship's revival plans continue to unfold as of November 2025.^[4]

Background and Establishment

Origins and Creation

Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW), founded in 1999 by John Zandig in Philadelphia, positioned itself in the independent wrestling landscape as a direct successor to Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), which had popularized hardcore and ultraviolent styles before its bankruptcy in 2001.^[5] Zandig, a former ECW performer, established CZW to preserve and evolve the deathmatch wrestling tradition, featuring extreme stipulations involving weapons like barbed wire, glass, and light tubes to appeal to fans seeking intense, boundary-pushing spectacles beyond mainstream promotions.^[5] This focus on deathmatch elements distinguished CZW within the indie scene, where it built a reputation for nurturing talent in high-risk, physical contests while competing with other hardcore groups during the early 2000s "Indy Wars."^[6] As CZW expanded its programming in the late 2000s, the promotion introduced the Wired Championship to showcase skilled, technically proficient and high-flying wrestlers in shorter, more intense matches suited for television airing, complementing its world heavyweight championship and broadening its reach through Wired TV broadcasts.^[7][1] The title debuted as the CZW Wired TV Championship on December 12, 2009, explicitly designed for defenses on CZW's Wired TV programming to highlight rapid, high-stakes action under standard rules.^[7] Over time, its nomenclature evolved: it became the CZW World Wired Championship around 2017, reflecting an emphasis on its global aspirations within the indie circuit, before simplifying to the CZW Wired Championship by the late 2010s to streamline branding.^[1][8] This progression underscored CZW's adaptation to changing promotional needs while maintaining ties to its foundational hardcore identity.^[1]

Inaugural Tournament

The inaugural CZW Wired Championship was determined through a single-elimination tournament spanning multiple events in late 2009, featuring prominent independent wrestlers of the era such as Adam Cole, Drew Gulak, Rich Swann, and Tyler Veritas.^[9] The first round occurred across two shows. On September 12 at the Chris Cash Memorial Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Tyler Veritas defeated L.J. Cruz, while Drew Gulak defeated Ryan Slater.^[9] On October 10 at Severed Ties in Philadelphia, Adam Cole defeated Alex Colon, and Rich Swann defeated Joe Gacy.^[9][10] Note that while CZW events often incorporated hardcore wrestling elements, the tournament matches were contested under standard singles rules to align with the title's intended television-style focus.^[9] In the semifinals on November 14 at Night of Infamy in Philadelphia, Veritas advanced by defeating Gulak, and Cole advanced by defeating Swann.^[9][11] The tournament concluded on December 12 at Cage of Death XI in Philadelphia, where Tyler Veritas defeated Adam Cole in the final to become the inaugural champion; the match was held as a dark match under standard singles stipulation.^[9][12] Veritas' victory marked the official establishment of the title, leading into his initial defenses on CZW's Wired TV programming.^[9]

Championship Characteristics

Defense Rules

The CZW Wired Championship is typically defended in standard professional wrestling matches, though some bouts have incorporated elements of Combat Zone Wrestling's hardcore style, such as no disqualifications and weapons.^[1] Unlike the promotion's World Heavyweight Championship, which emphasizes ultraviolent matches, the Wired Championship has no mandated stipulation for weapons like barbed wire or extreme elements, focusing instead on athletic competitions.^[7] Referees maintain oversight for safety, with matches concluding via pinfall or submission, and occasional variations occur to fit storylines. The Tag Team Championship, by contrast, centers on team-based contests without the same emphasis on individual hardcore defenses.^[7]

Significance in CZW

The CZW Wired Championship serves as a proving ground for emerging talent from Combat Zone Wrestling's dojo system, highlighting technical skill, high-flying, and submissions within the promotion's overall style.^[1] Established in 2009 to feature proficient wrestlers, it has helped elevate careers, such as Drew Gulak's long reign from 2010 to 2011, which contributed to his WWE signing and later Cruiserweight Championship success.^[13] Titleholders like Lio Rush, a two-time champion, used their reigns to gain exposure leading to WWE.^[14] The championship integrates into major storylines and feuds, often spanning events like Best of the Best, and has featured wrestlers like A.R. Fox and Joey Janela in multiple reigns that advanced CZW narratives.^[1] It embodies CZW's ethos by balancing athleticism with occasional intensity, fostering resilience and innovation among competitors. This role has positioned the title as a key element in the promotion's identity, especially with its reactivation in late 2024 for defenses starting in 2025.^[4]

Reigns and Records

Individual Reigns

The CZW Wired Championship was contested in 30 reigns among 20 wrestlers from its inception on December 12, 2009, until its deactivation on January 1, 2021.^[15]

Combined Reigns and Statistics

As of the title's original run from 2009 to 2021, the CZW Wired Championship was held by 20 unique wrestlers across 30 individual reigns (excluding one vacancy), totaling approximately 3,682 days.^[15] The average reign length was about 127 days, reflecting a mix of long-term titleholders and shorter transitional reigns that emphasized the championship's role in showcasing technical and high-flying talent within Combat Zone Wrestling.^[15] The following table summarizes combined reigns for each champion, including total number of reigns, cumulative days as champion, and the duration of their longest single reign: A. R. Fox holds the record for most combined days as champion during the original era at 455 days, while Drew Gulak and Jordan Oliver share the mark for the longest individual reign at 427 days each.^[15] Joey Janela captured the most reigns with four.^[15] Notable unique facts include Ace Austin's one-day reign, the shortest in title history tied with Joe Gacy's 3rd, and a single vacancy in April 2018 following Maxwell Jacob Friedman's misconduct. K.C. Navarro's final reign of the original era, lasting 328 days from February 2020 until the title's deactivation on January 1, 2021, is not included in these aggregates due to its status at retirement.^[15]

Deactivation and Revival

Retirement in 2021

The CZW Wired Championship was vacated and subsequently retired on January 1, 2021, after reigning champion KC Navarro left the promotion. Navarro had captured the title from A.R. Fox on February 8, 2020, at CZW's 21st Anniversary show in Voorhees, New Jersey, marking his sole successful defense as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic drastically curtailed live events following a single additional card on March 21, 2020.^[1][16][17] The deactivation stemmed from CZW's operational challenges during the pandemic recovery, including prolonged event cancellations that limited title activity, alongside a strategic pivot away from the promotion's signature ultraviolent style—retaining hardcore elements only for the annual Tournament of Death—to focus on more conventional wrestling formats upon resuming shows in October 2021. This streamlining effort reduced the active championships, effectively shelving the Wired title, which had emphasized frequent defenses in intense stipulations.^[18][7] The retirement left a noticeable gap in CZW's midcard structure, where the Wired Championship had served as a key vehicle for showcasing emerging talent in hardcore-oriented bouts, resulting in a reorientation toward standard rules matches and reliance on other divisions like the World Heavyweight and Tag Team titles for event programming in the immediate post-return period.^[19]

Return in 2025

The CZW Wired Championship was officially revived as part of Combat Zone Wrestling's push leading into its 26th anniversary celebrations, with the announcement made on December 7, 2024, via the promotion's social media channels.^[20] The reveal highlighted a Gauntlet-Scramble match scheduled for the Cage of Death 22 pre-show on December 21, 2024, to determine the inaugural challenger for the reactivated title, signaling CZW's intent to reintegrate the championship into its hardcore wrestling lineup following its 2021 deactivation.^[21] The post-revival era began with the Gauntlet-Scramble, which Juni Underwood won on December 21, 2024, earning her status as the number one contender.^[22] This victory positioned Underwood for a high-profile #1 contender's match against Samwell Thompson—accompanied by Valerie Verman—at the CZW 26th Anniversary Show on February 22, 2025, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Underwood emerged victorious in a 7:02 bout.^[23][24] As of November 2025, the Wired Championship remains active within CZW's roster of titles, with ongoing contender developments, though no inaugural champion or defenses have been publicly detailed following the reactivation. No high-stakes defenses occurred at Ante Up on May 24, 2025, or Tournament of Death 22 on September 6, 2025.^[25][26]