Tony Stetson

Tony Stetson
Birth name Anthony Matteo[1]
Born c.1960
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Residence New Castle, Delaware, United States
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) The Broad Street Bully
Tony Matteo[1]
Tony Stetson[1]
Billed height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Billed weight 238 lb (108 kg; 17.0 st)
Billed from South Philadelphia
Trained by Larry Sharpe[1]
Debut December 9, 1985[1]

Anthony "Tony" Matteo is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Hitman" Tony Stetson. Stetson is best known for his appearances in the Philadelphia-based promotions Tri-State Wrestling Alliance and Eastern/Extreme Championship Wrestling from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, where he held the ECW Pennsylvania Championship and the ECW Tag Team Championship.[1]

Early life

Matteo grew up on the corner of at South 11th Street and West Ritner Street in South Philadelphia. He attended Saint John Neumann High School.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

Matteo trained as a professional wrestler at Larry Sharpe's Monster Factory in Burlington County. Stetson would eventually debut in 1985 facing fellow Monster Factory alumni Bam Bam Bigelow at a World Wrestling Federation television taping at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York on December 9, 1985.[1][2] Matteo originally wrestled as "Tony Matteo", adopting the ring name "Tony Stetson" after overhearing color commentator Bruno Sammartino mispronounce his name.[1]

Tri-State Wrestling Alliance

Tony Stetson made a name for himself wrestling in Joel Goodhart's Tri-State Wrestling Alliance as well as other promotions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. He employed a hardcore wrestling style and was an early contributor to the Philadelphia wrestling scene, including his feud with Johnny Hotbody. Stetson and Hotbody traded wins in a variety of matches, including a Taped Fist First Blood match on March 31, 1990.[3] Several months later, Stetson defeated Hotbody in a Hair vs Hair match.[3] On March 2, 1991, the two resumed their feud when Stetson won a Barbed wire match.[3] When Stetson first started in the Business, he had a manager who went by the name of "The Godfather". The Godfather, was later known as "The Equalizer" and then ended his career as "Gianni Corleone" while working with Stetson toward the end of his career in the CWC.

Eastern Championship Wrestling/Extreme Championship Wrestling

Stetson was among the first stars of Eastern Championship Wrestling, along with Rockin' Rebel, J.T. Smith, Glen Osbourne, The Sandman, Max Thrasher, and Jimmy Jannetty. On April 1, 1993, Tony Stetson and Larry Winters won the ECW World Tag Team Championship.[4] They were the second team ever to hold the titles, after defeating The Super Destroyers in Pennsylvania.[4] However, they lost the titles one night later on April 2 to The Suicide Blondes (Chris Candido and Johnny Hotbody).[4] On June 8, Stetson turned on Winters during a 16-man battle royal.[5] On June 19, Stetson defeated Winters in a First Blood match.[5]

After feuding with Winters, Stetson defeated Tommy Cairo on September 14 to win the ECW Pennsylvania Championship.[5] He was one of only two men to ever hold the title before it was disbanded. Later, Stetson began to team with Johnny Hotbody. The two won the ECW Tag titles on September 17, 1993 from Eddie Gilbert and The Dark Patriot.[4] They held the belts for two months before losing them to the team of Tommy Dreamer and Johnny Gunn on November 12.[4] They later joined Raven's ECW incarnation of Raven's Nest.

In 1995, Stetson returned to the newly renamed Extreme Championship Wrestling, competing in both singles and tag team competition.[6] He was briefly renamed "The Broad Street Bully" (a reference to the Philadelphia Flyers ice hockey team) and began wearing a hockey jersey and gloves and carrying a hockey stick to the ring.[6][7] At "Barbed Wire, Hoodies and Chokeslams" in June 1995, The Broad Street Bully squashed an opponent named "The Jersey Devil", avenging the Philadelphia Flyers' upset elimination from the 1995 Stanley Cup by the New Jersey Devils.

Later career

Going into semi-retirement by the mid-1990s, Stetson worked coordinating supply distribution for Methodist Hospital. In 1999, he joined promoter Lisa Constantino's Central Wrestling Coalition based in South Philadelphia. Teaming up with his old Manager Gianni Corleone (also known as "The Godfather" and The Equalizer early in his career), he feuded with Breaker Morant over the CWC Heavyweight Championship during the next two years in the promotion.[2]

Stetson retired in 2002 after accumulating a number of nagging injuries.[1] He returned to wrestling in 2009, facing Breaker Morant at a TWA reunion show. In the same year, he served as a consultant for the production "The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity" by the InterAct Theatre Company.[1]

Personal life

Stetson is married with three children.[1] He is an Italian American.[1]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

  • WWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[9]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Zanolle, Joe (2009). "South Philadelphia's "Hitman" Tony Stetson Comes Out of Retirement for the TWA Pro Wrestling Reunion Show on October 24th in South Jersey" (PDF). TWAProWrestling.com. Tri-State Wrestling Alliance. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  2. 1 2 "Biff! Pow! Sock!; Pro wrestling's hopefuls take their dreams to the mat in South Philly.". Philadelphia Inquirer. 20 May 2001
  3. 1 2 3 "Tri-State Wrestling Supercards". ProWrestlingHistory.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-09. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "ECW Tag Team Championship History". WWE.com. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  5. 1 2 3 "ECW: 1993 Results". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  6. 1 2 "ECW: 1995 Results". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  7. ↑ "ECW: 1996 Results". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
  8. ↑ ""PWI 500": 401–500". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 2010-07-26. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
  9. 1 2 Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.

References

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