MY FIRST ARTICLE - HISTORY OF CHAZZ MENDEL - 2/25/05
On February 25, 2005, I was a confused 19 year old kid, trying to figure out life. I remember having dropped out of college (for the first time), working at Target, and trying to figure out my life.
The only thing that appeased me was professional wrestling. Wrestling was my escape, my passion, my (sad to say it) reason to live some days.
Whether it be pro wrestling, backyard wrestling, or going to shows, wrestling was it. However, fantasy wrestling was the pinnacle of all of this jazz.
E-wrestling was another level of fun. I was able to create characters and make them an extension of my personality. Nothing was greater for me in 2004 than being in Platinum Wrestling Revolution, or PWR.
I created a wrestling character called El Rapper Enmascarado, Spanish for the Masked Rapper. With him came all the bells and whistles. Somehow, as a performer from the Mean Streets of Spain, El Rapper became a color commentator, holder of the Global Rap Cup, befriended the owner of PWR and won the Tag Team Titles with Eric “Cazzo” Van Zandt as the Caz and Rap Connection, and hung around an actual mascot - the Mountain Dew Can. Furthermore, he had an agent, DJ Jazzy Joe.
And that’s where this story begins.
Despite the sweet Vanilla Ice avatar, DJ Jazzy Joe was created to be a sort of column writer for the PWR website. Of course, as a lot of things went for me during that time period, I bit off a little more than I could chew. However, when motivated, I could come up with some decent stuff.
On one night in early 2005, on my ex-girlfriend’s computer, I started on this project, based around one of the e-fedders, Chazz Mendel, who was handled by one of the RPers, Karl. Karl and I had become AOL Instant Messenger buddies because of PWR, and I decided to work on a piece to highlight who Chazz was. I got a lot of questions answers by almost all of the roleplayers, and within a month, I pieced together this bit.
I actually had this posted on the old TheJonHarder.com website, but once that went defunct, I decided to wait a little and repost this on Hardway HQ.
I truly believe that if not for this column, I wouldn't attempt to write years later for 411mania or SnapMare.com or even this website. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to try Project: Diverge. This piece, as silly as it is years later, really inspired me to write more.
For all the PWR e-fedders who come across this just like they did years ago at the old site, this is for you. And Karl, I wish you the best and continued success with life. Proud of you man and hope to talk to you soon.
—
History of Chazz Mendel Column
25 Feb 2005 by DJ Jazzy Joe
Villain. When you think of the word Villain, you think of Venom. Sideshow Bob. John Rocker. But the Villain I am talking about isn't about any ordinary bad guy. He is the Villain of the YEAR. The Villain of EVERY year. He is also the most deserving PWR champion in the game today, as well as pound for pound the best wrestler BAR NONE in wrestling history. He is the one and only Chazz Mendel.
From every obstacle that people have put in front of him, Chazz has overcome every single one of them. Whether it's from being the greatest thing that ever came from IWF, to unifying two of the most important championships in IWF, to Anarchy and finally to overcoming all the odds to become the PWR World champion, Mendel has done it with pure skill, combined with his villain-like tendencies to be an awesome competitor in the world of wrestling. If chess was the wrestling industry, Chazz Mendel would be the King of the board.
But no matter how big or how cocky Mr. Villain might get, he always remembers his past and where he came from. "I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia...I'm an East Coast kid, but my family moved when I was three to Vancouver, British Columbia, so I call Vancouver my home." When he thinks of the sport of wrestling, there is only one man he ever found as his favorite that got him extremely interested in the sport. "I got hooked on wrestling watching old Hart Foundation matches that a buddy of mine had that were just f***ing awesome. I mean come on! Bret Hart! The Hitman rules!"
With the Hitman being his major inspiration in the sport, he decided to go professional on the independent circuit. "I started wrestling professionally around 1999," Chazz recollects. When asked about how many organizations he was part of before hitting the big time, he smiles and then thinks a moment for answering. "I've been in too many promotions to even answer that question...I mean, I was working wherever they would pay me. I've worked in some pretty sh*tty places...Yeah, that'll be my answer. A lot of sh*tty places."
Nevertheless, during the early days of Chazz Mendel, professional wrestler, he started to show off some of his aerial display. One move in particular stole a lot of fans' hearts and their eyes as well. The move is simply known as the Fated Circle. Some might call it a Shooting Star Press, but it is more than simply a forward moonsault. It is probably the most graceful manuever that most fans have ever seen. It is like poetry in motion for some of the wrestling fans and possibly the greatest version that anyone has possibly seen. But when he was asked about how he developed the move, it was certainly unique on how he did so: "Swimming Pool Diving Boards." It has also been rumored that he invented the 630 on those same boards, but no footage has been recovered of that happening. After being asked about how he felt about other competitors using his finisher as a secondary move, like a Ricky Chambers, he got really frustrated. "Quite frankly, it pisses me off. First off, their form is f***ing terrible. Each and every single person in the PWR that's using my move can't even do it right, so they shouldn't even be trying it. I wasn't aware of Ricky Chambers trying to do my move, but he's not worth a sh*t anyway. I hope all of those f***ing imitators fall on their damn heads the next time they try it."
During this time frame, he was a little lighter than he is now, holding Cruiserweight style championships in IWL and ROWL, but also a Tag Team championship in ROWL as well. But according to Chazz, those were only the recorded titles that people know about. "Hell, there's more than that, but I don't want to brag, ya know?" We know, Chazz. We know.
But these recorded championship reigns and his improving talent immediately opened up an opportunity for Mr. Mendel. The Icon Wrestling Federation, IWF for short, came calling to give Chazz a shot to see if he could become a big time player. He became possibly the top dog in the IWF in a short time and became the top dog during the rest of stay there. "The IWF definitely had its ups and downs, but I never would trade these experiences for anything. There were more good times than bad, so it's all good like that. But as for feeling like the top dog," Chazz explains, "HELL, I WAS THE TOP DOG! I was the reason why the IWF was even around for the merger of EWCL. I held that fed together for months before there was even a thought about it. If I wasn't putting asses in the seats, who the Hell would have? Besides me, who was IWF's big star at the time?"
After being told by myself "I don't know," he continued on with the topic. "That's exactly what mean! I put the company on my shoulders and I ran with it. The place was filled with hacks and I had to do everything in my power to keep that leaky boat afloat. There were people jumping ships at every turn, but I stayed true in the dark times. And do you think I got any credit for it? No, I got sweet f*** all for it. But all of that doesn't matter now. It's all in the past."
Many critics have told me that when you thought Icon Wrestling Federation, you thought Chazz Mendel. He was a part of several memorable angles and held several championships as well. He was a IWF Tag Team, Rising Star, Icon, World, and then unified them to become the first ever IWF Undisputed World Heavyweight champion, a honor he holds with deep regard. But as he had his enemies, and there were PLENTY of enemies, he had his fair share of allies, just like a man familiar to some IWF fans, Joe Johnson. "There is a reason why he's nicknamed the Villain of the Year and in that reason was my reasoning for teaming up with the man in the Lost Souls and in Anarchy. If I ever come back and there's ever a man to side with, it is Chazz Mendel."
But one ally, there was a lot of enemies. Yet out of all the foes Chazz Mendel has, one has always stuck out beyond the rest like a hot chick in between nerds. His name is Marco and that man was always a troublemaker in and out of wrestling. "Well, to be honest, it wasn't a rivalry at all," Chazz explains after being asked about the Mendel/Marco feud. "To be a rival, you have to be someone's equal and be in competition with each other. And let's face it, Marco was, is, and always will be nowhere f***ing close to being my equal. That's really the answer. When asked about if this feud will ever end, Mendel had no real reservations. "Marco isn't in PWR anymore, so there really isn't what you call a rivalry between he and I anymore. But do I still hate that miserable piece of sh*t? Yeah I do."
Also in IWF, he was known to be a drug addict, but not to a major narcotic. "A few years ago, it was the thing to have in the wrestling business, that being an addiction. So one day I thought to myself, 'I should jump on the damn bandwagon.' But I wasn't going to do stupid pu$$y-assed sh*t like coke or ludes, I was going to go for the good sh*t...NyQuil. Have you ever drank a bottle of NyQuil before?" After being telling Chazz "No, but I believe in hard tequila, but the answer for you is no," he smirks and did a callous laugh. "Well, I'll tell ya, you're missing out! You can take one swig and go right into a f***ing coma! It's unbelievable!" When asked if he ever broke the addiction, he went into typical Chazz mode. "Well, that sh*t went out of style, so just like everybody else, I dropped that sh*t cold turkey."
With all the hate and NyQuil running through Chazz's body, it is amazing that he could find any room for compassion for ANY human being. But somehow, he did. In the IWF, he found a lovely young woman named Chase Martelle. The young couple were in love for quite a long time, but Chazz hates to even think about what happened in their relationship. "At one point in the IWF, yeah, we were very much one. But I f***ed that up, bad. It really sucks. If I would have known what I know now, I would have never left. I still feel like a f***ass for leaving like I did. You wouldn't believe how the prospects of wealth and fame can cloud your judgment. I was offered a lot of money and I was promised a lot to jump ship to the EWCL a couple of years ago, and instead of staying with the woman that I loved, I took the money...I should have stayed right where I was. Little did I know that I had it all right there in her." Chazz really starts to think deep and ponder about her. "I wish I could change the past and show myself the error of my ways so I don't make those mistakes." When asked because of greed and his own selfishness, he went to EWCL without her, he replied, "Yeah...and I regret doing that every single day." Chase Martelle was unavailable for comment on the topic on Chazz and her relationship, but we can only imagine that her "Bitch Epitomized" character can loosely based on her breakup with Chazz.
So by choosing the color green in money instead of the color red for love, Chazz Mendel broke up with Chase and went over to the Extreme Championship Wrestling League, also known as the EWCL. Because I didn't get much out of Chazz about his stay in EWCL, I went right to the source, the last EWCL owner, Eric "Cazzo" Van Zandt. "The first time I met Chazz Mendel, he slammed a door in my face that sent me into a coma. So you can imagine that we didn't start off on the right foot," Cazzo replied after being asked to share some moments about the Villain of the Year. "In the EWCL, I really thought that when Chazz and Nick [Dangerous] started the Rebellion Project, that they could beat the Royal Family. But I was wrong and Chazz ran back to the IWF." When asked to think of any other reasons on why Chazz might've went back to IWF so quickly, Mr. Van Zandt gave me a simple explaination. "I think that Chazz always felt that he got held back in the EWCL. He felt he could do more than be active in the Prime Time title division. I think he still holds a grudge against me."
But during his stay in the EWCL, Chazz got to work with a lot of great athletes, ranging from Scott Monroe, Nick Dangerous, and Aaron Gold to Coby Belton, MacBeth, Exile and Johnathon "the Beast" Cable. But out of all the men he had to deal with there, he felt very disappointed in a character named Logan Darkholme, who critics consider to be a Scott Monroe rip-off. "It's basically like this...everything Scott Monroe was, Logan Darkholme wants to be and fails miserably at it. It's like he stole Monroe's identity and is now butchering it. Right down to his hair style and look." When asked if he ever thought Darkholme was ever on the same par as Monroe, due to the fact that the duo fought on EWCL's last night, he responded with such passion and vigor that it literally scared the bejesus out of me. "Same par? They aren't even in the same f***ing course! Scott Monroe was probably the best that anyone's ever seen! There is no room for comparison at all."
When he finally left EWCL, he went back to IWF to dominate and defeat all the names that IWF had. I decided to finally go and ask on his proudest match, not only during these times, but in all of his other promotions. "I'm proud of pretty well all of the matches that I'm involved in. I believe that everyone should take pride in what they do, you know?" But when I asked about his least proud match, he gave out one simple sentence: "The only exception is in any and EVERY match with Marco." Figures he'd say that about his arch-rival.
But finally the time had come. The EWCL, headed by Eric Van Zandt, and the IWF, lead by John "the Iceman" Lugo, had become one. The two organizations had merged together to become Platinum Wrestling Revolution. This was also the place where Chazz REALLY went into his own. He really got into the deal early on in PWR when he, Erik Murdock, Ryne Deth and John Lugo went in and reformed a group made famous in IWF, Anarchy [the first Anarchy in PWR was formed by Chazz, Scott Monroe and Joe Johnson], during the stable wars in March and April. Some feel that they were stronger than ever, others have different feelings. "I don't think Anarchy and success are the right words to use together in the same sentence," says Nick Dangerous, resident 30 Minute Man in PWR. "The fact that the supposed "Anarchy" was led by the owner of the very promotion. This "supposed" Anarchy was taking place already contradicts the who the anarchistic process. Chazz Mendel was merely a puppet in the organization and there was no question that Chazz would eventually turn his back on Lugo, Murdock and Deth, just like he turned his back on me, just like everyone he pretends to tolerate." Mr. Dangerous was speaking out on not only behalf of the Executive and Dangerism, but also on behalf of himself, since he feels he was backstabbed by Chazz, but that's another story for another day.
But Chazz's first championship gold in the PWR came during a feud he was having with the "son" of Nick Dangerous, Zachalous. Critics have claimed that the Zachalous/Chazz feud not only was the stepping-stone to the upper echelon of PWR matchmaking, but also noted for having the best one-on-one gimmick match of the year, which was the Skateboards, Ladders and X-Box match, also known as SLX. "It came about based on a feud for the Suicidal championship. After one match that Zachalous had, I came out and attacked him with my skateboard. We then argued for a bit and then combined the basic ladder match with my love for skateboards and his love for X-Box and out came the dynamic for the SLX match, which was the craziest sh*t I was ever apart of." Also, Chazz won the Suicidal championship, so that didn't hurt either. After he got suspended, he was stripped of the championship and the title was vacated and destroyed after Bluhd Raige beat MacBeth and burned the championship to a crisp. I asked Chazz and amazingly shocked me with what he said. "It didn't get a rough deal. It was a colorful way to get rid of a title. The title was technically a hardcore one. Fire setting is hardcore. Marco almost set my ass on fire once." Who is the best Suicidal champion ever? "ME, OF COURSE! I'm Chazz Mendel for crying out loud! I make everything GREAT."
The word respect doesn't come to mind to many competitors for Chazz Mendel. But to Chazz, he felt very strongly to give his opinion on people he does and does not respect and the word in general. "You know, I think that there are steps being taken in the right direction. I'm starting to think that people are finally starting to recognize that I am a major player in the company and the sport in general and that I truly deserve to be where I am," he explains. "Now whether or not anyone'll be able to admit that remains to be seen. But I know that they can't deny it much longer. Now as for the people I respect most, I totally respect Nick Dangerous because of his World title reign and defintely because of his Tag Team title reign, which is f***ing untouchable for years to come. I also respect Chase Martelle a f***ing ton. She's awesome. As for everyone else, I don't really respect them all that much."
However, there is one person in mind who respects the Hell out Chazz Mendel and amazingly, it's a man we haven't seen much around these parts. "Chazz Mendel? Let me give you a background first on my take on this guy," says Jack Union, former EXTREME World Heavyweight and NHB European champion. "When I joined NHB, I always looked upon the PWR guys with a great sense of respect. Hated the shit out of 'em, but respected them anyway. There they were, these upper tier wrestlers, their position in PWR alone proving they were some of the best in their profession. They were all great, but there was one man that stood out from all the rest. This skinny, cocky, arrogant son of a bitch who cared about no one but his own thin ass. He was always one step ahead of his opponents, willing to go that little extra bit for the win. That's why he is an automatic legend in my book, speaking from one cocky, arrogant assh*le to another. You can see why he's championship material - everyone hates him, but admires his skill, and that's the way of a true champion who will die for his name. Jack Union respects the Hell outta the guy, and the fact he hates that queer Chambers as much as me makes him even better in my book." If that ain't respect towards the Villain of the Year, I don't know what is.
Speaking of that nickname, it is time for the background of the moniker "Villain of the Year". Where did he get the nickname? Ladies and gentlemen, you are going to be in for a shock because he didn't get it from professional wrestling. "I got it from Canadian musician Matthew Good. He called himself 'Villain of the Year' because he spoke his mind about subjects he felt strongly about and got flak for it," Mendel explains. "People think he's an assh*le for speaking his mind. We are both in the same boat and are unafraid to speak our mind. On top of that, we get sh*t on for whatever we do, so that is why I feel just like Matthew Good and am the Villain of the Year." So for all of you diehard Mendel fans who are clueless on that bit of trivia, there's the answer.
But out of all the agony and disrespect he has been given throughout his entire career, he finally gained the distinction of being a real World's champion. He finally went in and defeated Nick Dangerous at PWR's Havoc pay-per-view, which coincidentally, is his favorite PPV he's ever been a part of. "Best pay-per-view? Havoc, hands down. I won the World title on that night, so that definitely is on top of my list." However, the man he beat, Nick Dangerous, feels just a tad different about the title match, mainly betrayed. "I'm simply saying he only depended on my trust until he got what he wanted. When you are a flawless, well known, world's famous legend like myself, it's hard not to believe that it's better to have me as a friend than a foe. He made nice with me only until I practically GAVE him the title that he has today." Nick went on with more verbiage that I cannot put in this History, but all I know is that PWR Havoc on September 26, 2004 will not only be a night that Nick Dangerous will never forget, but Chazz Mendel will never forget, as he became a real legend in the business by having the title World Champion always in the record books.
With all the good the PWR has been dishing out towards Chazz, there are actually some negative aspects that Chazz believes has happened in the short history of PWR. One thing he hated was the No Holds Barred developmental territory that was run by Jon Harder. "I wasn't too big on NHB to be honest. And all I think Harder did with the NHB was try to make a name for himself. Sh*t, he spent more time on PWR television than he did running his own fed, for Christ's sake! But with the limited amount of talent, which was limited to Jack Union only, I can't say that I blame him for trying to get away from that company."
Another thing that the Villain of the Year definitely disagrees with is the contest that PWR ran to look for new talent called "Who Wants To Be a PWR Jobber?", which conspicuously was also run by the Jonaconda. Chazz totally disagreed with that method when asked about the Jobber contest. "I don't think that the contest is the best way to get new talent, mainly because it's left up to the fans to ultimately decide who wins the thing. Let's face it, the fans are f***ing retarded and they'll never pick the person who has the most talent or will to be in the ring. They always get behind one of their fellow retards every time a contest is put on. You can't trust them to do anything right." When asked who should've won if not EmoJo, he simply stated, "It should've been a tie, that way they all lose."
Instead, Mendel believes the future of the PWR shouldn't be people who are selected by contests or who are just very charismatic. They should definitely have that certain intangible that only Chazz notices. "I see people like Victor Emmit, Jude LaMont, and Hell, even El Rapper being the future of PWR. They'll be major players one day, especially Victor. That dude is on top of his game right now. And as far as I'm concerned, he can go nowhere but up."
But on the bright side, the PWR is going nothing but up, as Mendel has solidified himself as champion here, as he went into Christmas in Hell 2004 and pulled off the biggest win of his life, successfully defending the PWR World championship against 5 men in the most insane Hell in a Cell match that people have seen in quite some time. Even Chazz is impressed. "It felt pretty damn good I must say. I think I proved a lot of people wrong that night. Because pf the controversy surrounding last year's XMAS In Hell main event, I had some serious redemption to get. And retaining the title against 5 of the biggest stars in PWR, how the Hell can you not give me props? I beat Nick, Bluhd Raige, Zachalous, El Rapper and Cazzo. Needless to say, it's awesome for me. And it sucks for them because they all said that I sucked. I hope they all f***ing choked on their words." Some of them probably did, Chazz.
But respect is finally coming Chazz's way during his whole championship reign. "I'd say that Chazz Mendel ranks as one of the best wrestlers in the business today," states John Lugo, former leader of Anarchy and current co-owner of PWR. "His attitude held him back for awhile...but he's doing better. He's the champ for a reason."
"While I'm still not a big fan," states Eric Van Zandt, "Chazz has impressed me in the PWR. His title reign is incredible, I have to give him that."
Others have found his skill to be more respected.
"Chazz is a good wrestler, I can't deny that," states wrestling legend Mr. Rich. "But he lacks the intelligence that would make him a great wrestler."
"You know, I was gonna say he stole my cool, surfer/skater gimmick," chimes Clu Phillips, wrestler with Chazz both in the IWF and PWR. "But I realized he does it a helluva lot f***ing better than I do."
Some chicks just find his sex appeal to be very attractive and respectful. "I'd f*** him," says Liz Phillips, Lightweight champion and resident sexpot.
"He is sexy though," adds Evette, Mr. Rich's wife. "I have to admit that."
"What did you say?" askes Mr. Rich.
"Just that he has a sexy look to him."
"Don't ever say that again."
Evette giggles. "Ah, are you getting jealous Richy Bear?"
"No," goes Mr. Rich. "And you promised never to call me that in public."
And one is just jealous. "Mendel is just a lucky punk who still owes me a one-on-one match for the title," states Mr. Dangerous.
But for every columnist and History segment creator, there must be a word association piece to every part. Here now are some words that was given out and Chazz gives his honest opinion on:
Eric Van Zandt: Risk taker
Grim Reaper: Steroids
Bret Hart: Wrestling
Ricky Chambers: Lucky he hasn't been injured purposely, or worse
The Fated Circle: Greatest finisher, EVER
The Jonaconda: Smart enough to jump off a sinking ship, but dumb enough to jump back on
Tag Team wrestling in PWR: Better than it's ever been
Skateboarding: Life
The PWR World Championship: Proof that I've still got a Hell of a lot left to give in this business
Chazz Mendel: Underrated
Canada: The greatest country in the world
So for all the good times: "I think it was fun when we chucked Grim Reaper into a busy highway." - Zachalous; to the bad: - "Your sarcasm isn't appreciated either, sh*tf***" - Chazz Mendel to a smark; this business is nothing but excellent to the life and career of Chazz Mendel. You could consider him to be the greatest wrestler alive or the biggest asshole in the history of the Earth, the fact is that you will always remember Chazz Mendel for being one thing and one thing only: a Villain. That's how you can only remember Chazz, as a Villain.
—
Jon Harder
