History Main / GarbageWrestler

* [[Wrestling/JimFullington The Sandman]] is a classic example of this trope. For the majority of his career, he used very few wrestling moves, relying on punching his opponent and hitting him with a variety of objects. Only later would he add some actual pro wrestling moves to his arsenal, such as the "Rolling Rock" (a moonsault onto a ladder laid atop a prone opponent), the "White Russian Legsweep" (a russian legsweep using a singapore cane), and the "Heineken-rana" (a hurricanrana).[[note]]Sandman's [[TheGimmick gimmick]] involved drinking beer on his way to the ring and smashing the beer cans against his own head to make himself bleed before the match even started, so many of his big moves had alcohol-related names.[[/note]] And they usually looked like shit. Of note, when Wrestling/{{WCW}} hired The Sandman, they learned from their experiences with The Public Enemy (see below), and kept him exclusively in their hardcore division, so to downplay his weaknesses.

* [[Wrestling/{{TPE}} The Public Enemy]] ("Flyboy" Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge), a tag team from ECW, also qualifies. They were famous for their garbage matches and their use of tables in ECW. They became so famous that they were hired by WCW... where the WCW bookers found out that without the garbage wrestling, the team didn't really bring anything unique to the table and came across as [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy Pretty Fly for White Guys]]. Grunge wasn't even particularly good in the ring. Rock was decent, but no better than decent.

* The entire purpose of the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-hc.html WWE Hardcore Title]] was to house garbage matches, though it became less so after the "24/7" rule was inducted. The rules of the Hardcore Title were matches were no-DQ, no-countout and falls count anywhere. The "24/7 rule" meant that the belt was ALWAYS on the line and title changes could happen anywhere at any time so long as the other guy ([[Wrestling/TrishStratus or]] [[Wrestling/MollyHolly girl]]) had a referee on hand. The most famous champion from this time period was Crash Holly, who earned the RedBaron "The [[Creator/HarryHoudini Houdini]] of Hardcore" because of his ability to escape situations where he might lose the title.

* The UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}ese promotion Wrestling/DramaticDreamTeam, which, in its sheer wackiness and creativity and originality, is like Wrestling/{{CHIKARA}} UpToEleven, created their [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/ddt/ironman-hm.html Ironman Heavymetalweight Title]] as a parody of the WWE Hardcore Title, with the title being defended ANYWHERE, even in non-title or tag matches, under 24/7 rules. Cameramen, people from the audience, the chief chef from the Yakeyama Springs Inn, a female newscaster, "three elementary school girls," "a Bolivian boy" and even a ''miniature dachsund'' have "won" the title. On January 31, 2003, a ladder fell on champion Yoshihiro Sakai during a match with Mikami, and the referee ''counted the fall.'' Sakai promptly pinned the ''ladder'' to regain the title.

* JustifiedTrope?: In his autobiography ''Have a Nice Day'', Wrestling/MickFoley (aka "Cactus Jack", "Dude Love" and "Mankind") described his "peanut butter scale"--insisting that while he ''did'' have a reasonable grounding in 'real' wrestling moves (indeed, his first trainer insisted on "no punch-kick"), he'd found that use of "garbage" wrestling meant more money, and fewer meals of peanut butter sandwiches he'd have to live on in the next month.

* Rip Saber from ''[[VideoGame/SaturdayNightSlamMasters Ring of Destruction: Slam Masters II]]''. Of course, in a wrestling federation where people generate electricity and turn into falling meteors (to name two examples), he needs to use more powerful weapons, including ''grenades''.

-->Tommy Dreamer:"You guys were hardcore before hardcore was cool."

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': In "Tiger Millionaire", Steven's eponymous wrestling persona has the gimmick of hitting people with various props related to his jungle/sleazy businessman theme, from coconuts to a [[BriefCaseFullOfMoney briefcase full of play money]] to a giant cardboard cell-phone.

The term Garbage Wrestler was inspired by Giant Baba, Japanese pro wrestler and owner of Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, who once famously referred to rival promotion Wrestling/{{FMW}}, which employed this style with alarming regularity, as "garbage". Despite this, it is not necessarily a derogatory term in today's fanbase.

!!! Some related tropes could include:

* Another Puerto Rican organization, WWL, which Carlito has also worked for, has gone DeliberatelyMonochrome in the event of heavy blood loss on its TV program, sometimes. It has its own "extreme" title dedicated to garbage wrestling and haven't been afraid to show wrestlers bleeding in matches for it, so the odd instances of squeamishness seem to be a circumstantial thing.

* Wrestling/LuchaUnderground is far from a garbage promotion and doesn't employ pure garbage wrestlers, but it does often have some brutally hardcore matches involving a great deal of weapon use and much bloodshed. The purest example was the 'Cero Miedo' match between Pentagon Jr. and the famous Vampiro, nominally the colour commentator who came out of retirement for this match, at the first ''Ultima Lucha'' event. Vampiro had always been a hardcore wrestler, but his match against Pentagon went ''ToThePain,'' with steel chairs, thumbtacks, fluorescent light tubes, and ended with Pentagon slamming Vampiro through a burning table.

* ''Toys/TheGrosseryGang'' action figures, specifically the time travelling ''Time Wars'' series, played for a literal version, turning living garbage can Trash Head into a luchador. In the webseries, he is seen in this persona on top of defeated wrestlers, with various pieces of detriment thrown in the pile as well.

Often times, particularly in {{Hardcore}} ProfessionalWrestling promotions, there are some wrestlers who really can't actually wrestle. Nor can they particularly do any high flying moves. Nor are they particularly good on the mic. But they can hit people pretty well, and they can hit people with things. So, they get [[TheGimmick a gimmick]] based around hitting people with foreign objects, and generally all-around brawling, and not particularly using any wrestling moves at all (or very few wrestling moves). Inversely, they're also known for amazingly dangerous "bumps" (professional wrestling stunts, particularly those that involve getting hit) such as Wrestling/MickFoley flying off the Hell in a Cell. Fans of their style tend to appreciate the fact that these wrestlers are willing to implement such a dangerous style simply to entertain.

The term Garbage Wrestler was inspired by Giant Baba, Japanese pro wrestler and owner of Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, who once famously referred to rival promotion Wrestling/{{FMW}}, which employed this style with alarming regularity, as "garbage". Despite this, it's not necessarily a derogatory term in today's fanbase.

* Wrestling/NewJack, another wrestler from the old ECW, certainly qualifies here. His primary talents were hitting people with stuff, and diving off of high places. Although he worked a fairly "normal" style of wrestling (by comparison) in his pre-ECW days with promotions such as [[Wrestling/{{SMW}} Smoky Mountain Wrestling]].

* Perennial Wrestling/AllJapanWomensProWrestling‎ heel Kaoru "Dump" Matsumoto. Although she was a straight-up power wrestler early in her career, she only really took off by living up to the name and utilizing various weapons, starting with a pair of scissors that she would often convincingly jam into the arms of her opponents, until she evolved into a full-on Garbage Wrestler.
* Mad Man Pondo started off as a more subdued collar and elbow style wrestler but decided he would not make any money that way, so he took to the garbage death matches of IWA Mid-South, CZW, Big Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestling/JuggaloChampionshipWrestling after seeing the shocked reactions his friends had to such (he was a little more subdued in Gateway Championship Wrestling). He also convinced 2 Tuff Tony to take up the death matches, so he could have a {{tag team}} partner.

* Necro Butcher, who became a mainstay at the aforementioned CZW and IWA Mid-South, had the privilege of representing the garbage wrestling style in the movie ''Film/TheWrestler''. His scene was filmed at a CZW event.

** Abdullah Kobayashi is a spiritual successor to the butcher in Big Japan Pro Wrestling, having been trained by him. BJPW itself has been described as a garbage promotion.

* Before FMW's revival, garbage fans in Japan in need of a fix tended to turn to Big Japan Pro Wrestling, who like to take the garbage match stipulations of other promotions and make them even more dangerous, such as replicating CZW's infamous "Cage Of Death" and then electrifying it. Before they had the budge for such structures and eye catchers like explosions, Big Japan bleeding wrestlers made Big Japan famous by torturing one another with tanks full of animals animals like piranha or scorpions. That said, over the years there was a split in the Big Japan roster between "Strong BJ" and "Hardcore BJ", with most of the garbage matches being done by the latter.

* Mad Man Pondo started off as a more subdued collar and elbow style wrestler but decided he would not make any money that way, so he took to the garbage death matches of IWA Mid-South, CZW, Big Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestling/JuggaloChampionshipWrestling after seeing the shocked reactions his friends had to such (he was a little more subdued in Gateway Championship Wrestling). He also convinced 2 Tuff Tony to take up the death matches, so he could have a tag team partner.

* During the late 1990s, when the garbage fad was around it's strongest, one of Future Of Wrestling's most popular talents was Al Bino, known for lack of regard of his body and use of ladders and chairs. The style would prove the be popular in the future, but it was [[Wrestling/MattHardy two]] [[Wrestling/JeffHardy guys]] from OMEGA who ended up being the stars.

* JustifiedTrope?: In his autobiography ''Have a Nice Day'', Mick Foley (aka "Cactus Jack", "Dude Love" and "Mankind") described his "peanut butter scale"--insisting that while he ''did'' have a reasonable grounding in 'real' wrestling moves (indeed, his first trainer insisted on "no punch-kick"), he'd found that use of "garbage" wrestling meant more money, and fewer meals of peanut butter sandwiches he'd have to live on in the next month.

* New Jack, another wrestler from the old ECW, certainly qualifies here. His primary talents were hitting people with stuff, and diving off of high places. Although he worked a fairly "normal" style of wrestling (by comparison) in his pre-ECW days with promotions such as [[Wrestling/{{SMW}} Smoky Mountain Wrestling]].

* During the late 1990s, when the garbage fad was around it's strongest, one of Future Of Wrestling's most popular talents was Albino, known for lack of regard of his body and use of ladders and chairs. The style would prove the be popular in the future, but it was [[Wrestling/MattHardy two]] [[Wrestling/JeffHardy guys]] from OMEGA who ended up being the stars.

* Abyss during his run in Wrestling/{{TNA}} gradually became more known for thumbtacks, his signature weapon "Janice", a two by four with spikes protruding out of it and his specialty match the "monster's ball", which often adds barbed wire boards. [[spoiler:His time as Joseph Park has not been a case of this trope, as it is in his opponents best interest not to make Chris bleed. Prince Justice was likewise not an example.]]

* The entire purpose of the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwf-hc.html WWE Hardcore Title]] was to house garbage matches, though it became less so after the "24/7" rule was inducted. The rules of the Hardcore Title were matches were no-DQ, no-countout and falls count anywhere. The "24/7 rule" meant that the belt was ALWAYS on the line and title changes could happen anywhere at any time so long as the other guy ([[Wrestling/TrishStratus or]] [[Wrestling/MollyHolly girl]]) had a referee on hand. The most famous champion from this time period was Crash Holly, who earned the RedBaron "The [[HarryHoudini Houdini]] of Hardcore" because of his ability to escape situations where he might lose the title.

* During FMW's first run, its two main rivals were Wrestling International New Generation and International Wrestling Association Japan. While W*ING did have fire and nails, it's death matches were slightly less extreme and less frequent than FMW, instead trying to compete through use of more surreal angles and gimmicks like The Crypt Keeper and cross promotion with WWC in Puerto Rico and UWA in Mexico. IWA rose out of W*ING's ashes when this approach failed, still looking to distinguish itself with much of the W*ING talent and partnering with foreign bodies like the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA but also by applying more garbage wrestling in more unique ways, such as The King Of The Death Match {{Tournament|Arc}}. They also failed, though stayed active much longer thanks in part to a Puerto Rican branch.

** Likewise, IWA-MS, founded by garbage wrestler Ian Rotten. Though this isn't really true of IWA-MS anymore and hasn't been for a good while; they still do deathmatch stuff, but their list of alumni also boasts the likes of Wrestling/CMPunk, Wrestling/ChrisHero, Wrestling/ColtCabana, Ace Steel, [[Wrestling/HunterJohnston Delirious]], and [[Wrestling/EvanBourne Matt "Evan Bourne" Sydal]].

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'' parodied this during [[http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail183.html a Strong Bad email about wrestling.]] Strong Bad has had several gimmicks, but really made a name for himself in a tag team with Strong Mad... although there were some misfires, such as their "Foreign Object Bros." gimmick, where they apparently solely made use of the various foreign objects on their costumes, including a ''gun'' shoved down Strong Mad's singlet.
** The same episode had Strong Sad as [[BrickJoke Gardenboy]], with a watering can that shoots fire.

* During FMW's first run, its two main rivals were Wrestling International New Generation and International Wrestling Association Japan. While W*ING did have fire and nails, it couldn't it's death matches were slightly less extreme and less frequent than FMW, instead trying to compete through use of more surreal angles and gimmicks like the crypt keeper and cross promotion with WWC in Puerto Rico and UWA in Mexico. IWA rose out of W*ING's ashes when this approach failed, still looking to distinguish itself with much of the W*ING talent and partnering with foreign bodies like the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA but also by applying more garbage wrestling in more unique ways, such as The King Of The Death Match Tournament. They also failed, though enjoyed brand stayed active much longer thanks in part to a Puerto Rican branch.