John Kronus
Encyclopedia
George B. Caiazzo was an American
professional wrestler
, better known by his ring name
, John Kronus and later "Kronus". Caiazzo worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
, the United States Wrestling Association
and Xtreme Pro Wrestling
. He was perhaps best known as one-half of the tag team
The Eliminators
with Perry Saturn.
with the New York Giants
before suffering an injury
.
In the late 1980s, Caiazzo met professional wrestler Perry Saturn when he began working as a bouncer
in a Boston nightclub
managed by Saturn. Caiazzo expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler to Saturn, who responded by directing Caiazzo to a professional wrestling school operated by Killer Kowalski. Caiazzo debuted in 1989, briefly wrestling as "The Eliminator".
In the early 1990s, Saturn offered to form a tag team
with Caiazzo. The Greek
equivalent of the Roman
deity
Saturn
was Cronus
, so Saturn chose the ring name "John Kronus" for Caiazzo. As Saturn and Kronus were their civilizations' respective harvest
deities, Saturn proposed that the tag team be known as "The Harvesters of Sorrow". After promoter
Jerry Lawler
advised Saturn that the significance of the name would not be evident to many fans, Saturn named the team "The Eliminators
".
The Eliminators wrestled their first match together at a United States Wrestling Association
house show
in 1993. They were hired at a starting salary of $40 a week (they later negotiated a 100% pay raise), and shared an apartment with four other wrestlers. On May 2, 1994, The Eliminators defeated Brian Christopher
and Eddie Gilbert for the USWA Tag Team Championship
. They held the USWA World Tag Team Championship until June 13, 1994, when they were defeated by PG-13
.
In 1994 and 1995, The Eliminators wrestled in Japan
for the WAR
promotion.
The Eliminators debuted in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
-based Extreme Championship Wrestling
promotion in 1995, jobbing
to the Steiner Brothers. ECW promoter Paul Heyman
quickly abandoned plans to give them a sadism and masochism
gimmick and instead booked them as an unstoppable force in the ECW tag team division. Managed
by Jason
, The Eliminators won the ECW Tag Team Championship
on three occasions between 1996 and 1997, feuding
with teams such as the Dudley Boyz
, The Gangstas
, The Pitbulls
, Sabu and Rob Van Dam
and the Steiner Brothers.
On May 31, 1997, Saturn tore his anterior cruciate ligament
during a match. After intense reconstructive surgery, he was given a recovery time of up to a year. Kronus briefly defended the ECW Tag Team Championship single-handedly before losing to the Dudley Boyz. In late 1997, Saturn left ECW for World Championship Wrestling
. Kronus competed in the singles division before forming a new tag team, "The Gangstanators
", with New Jack
. The Gangstanators won the ECW Tag Team Championship in 1997.
Kronus left ECW in early 1999, joining the California
-based Xtreme Pro Wrestling
promotion. In 2000, Kronus aligned himself with the "Black Army" faction. He remained with XPW until leaving in 2001. During this period, Kronus appeared in the 2000 softcore bondage film Violence on Violence.
Kronus also helped develop and promote local Philadelphia, PA company Dangerously Intense Wrestling. During his time as champion he feuded with G.O.D.D., Method and The Sickness. Kronus held both the DIW World Heavyweight Title and Inner City Title.
In 2002, Kronus retired from professional wrestling, relocating to the Lakes Region in Sanbornton, New Hampshire
. He temporarily came out of retirement in 2005, making two appearances with the ECW reunion promotion Hardcore Homecoming
.
on July 18, 2007, several days after he had undergone knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep, with his death subsequently attributed to heart failure resulting from an enlarged heart
. He was survived by his nine-year-old son, Gage Christian Caiazzo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, better known by his ring name
Ring name
A ring name is a stage name used by a professional wrestler, martial artist, or boxer. While some ring names may have a fictitious first name and surname, others may simply be a nickname, such as The Undertaker.-Wrestling:...
, John Kronus and later "Kronus". Caiazzo worked for Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
, the United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
and Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
. He was perhaps best known as one-half of the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
The Eliminators
The Eliminators
The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.-History:...
with Perry Saturn.
Career
Caiazzo's father, George Caiazzo, Sr., played footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
before suffering an injury
Injury
-By cause:*Traumatic injury, a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident*Other injuries from external physical causes, such as radiation injury, burn injury or frostbite*Injury from infection...
.
In the late 1980s, Caiazzo met professional wrestler Perry Saturn when he began working as a bouncer
Bouncer (doorman)
A bouncer is an informal term for a type of security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behavior, or attractiveness...
in a Boston nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
managed by Saturn. Caiazzo expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler to Saturn, who responded by directing Caiazzo to a professional wrestling school operated by Killer Kowalski. Caiazzo debuted in 1989, briefly wrestling as "The Eliminator".
In the early 1990s, Saturn offered to form a tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
with Caiazzo. The Greek
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
equivalent of the Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Saturn
Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
was Cronus
Cronus
In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
, so Saturn chose the ring name "John Kronus" for Caiazzo. As Saturn and Kronus were their civilizations' respective harvest
Harvest
Harvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
deities, Saturn proposed that the tag team be known as "The Harvesters of Sorrow". After promoter
Promoter (entertainment)
An entertainment promoter i.e. music, wrestling, boxing etc is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting live events such as concerts/gigs, boxing matches, sports entertainment , festivals, raves, and nightclubs.- Business model :Promoters are typically hired as independent...
Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
advised Saturn that the significance of the name would not be evident to many fans, Saturn named the team "The Eliminators
The Eliminators
The Eliminators were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of Perry Saturn and John Kronus who were best known for their time in Extreme Championship Wrestling between 1995 and 1997.-History:...
".
The Eliminators wrestled their first match together at a United States Wrestling Association
United States Wrestling Association
The United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
house show
House show
A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that they and their wrestlers receive during televised events, as well as test reactions to matches, wrestlers, and...
in 1993. They were hired at a starting salary of $40 a week (they later negotiated a 100% pay raise), and shared an apartment with four other wrestlers. On May 2, 1994, The Eliminators defeated Brian Christopher
Brian Lawler
Brian Christopher Lawler is a professional wrestler. He is the son of color commentator and professional wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler and brother of wrestling referee Kevin Christian...
and Eddie Gilbert for the USWA Tag Team Championship
USWA Tag Team Championship
The USWA World Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship in the Memphis, Tennessee-based professional wrestling promotion, the United States Wrestling Association.The title was originally known as the WCWA World Tag Team Championship....
. They held the USWA World Tag Team Championship until June 13, 1994, when they were defeated by PG-13
PG-13 (professional wrestling)
PG-13 was the tag team of J.C. Ice and Wolfie D who worked for the World Wrestling Federation and United States Wrestling Association . PG-13 briefly competed in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council in 1995 , W*ING in Japan, Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1997 and World Championship...
.
In 1994 and 1995, The Eliminators wrestled in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for the WAR
WAR (wrestling promotion)
Wrestle and Romance, and later Wrestle Association R, was a professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 2000. The promotion had very few regular contracted workers, instead most of the workers were...
promotion.
The Eliminators debuted in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
-based Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling
Extreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
promotion in 1995, jobbing
Job (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling slang, the term job describes a losing performance in a wrestling match. It is derived from the euphemism "doing one's job", which was employed to protect kayfabe. As professional wrestling is scripted, inevitably a wrestler will be required to lose to an opponent.The term...
to the Steiner Brothers. ECW promoter Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman is an American entertainment producer, best known for his career in professional wrestling as a promoter, manager, commentator and journalist. He is also an occasional actor in film....
quickly abandoned plans to give them a sadism and masochism
Sadism and masochism
Sadomasochism broadly refers to the receiving of pleasure—often sexual—from acts involving the infliction or reception of pain or humiliation. The name originates from two authors on the subject, Marquis de Sade and Leopold von Sacher-Masoch...
gimmick and instead booked them as an unstoppable force in the ECW tag team division. Managed
Manager (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
by Jason
Jason Knight
Ronald Jason Knight is an American professional wrestler and manager. He is best known for his stints in Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling, where he was a one time World Television Champion.-World Wrestling Federation :...
, The Eliminators won the ECW Tag Team Championship
ECW Tag Team Championship
The Extreme Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
on three occasions between 1996 and 1997, feuding
Feud (professional wrestling)
A professional wrestling feud is a staged rivalry between multiple wrestlers or alliances of wrestlers. They are integrated into ongoing storylines, particularly in events which are televised...
with teams such as the Dudley Boyz
Dudley Boyz
Team 3D was a professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Brother Ray and Brother Devon, formerly sporadically joined into a stable by Brother Runt on several intervals...
, The Gangstas
The Gangstas
The Gangstas was a professional wrestling tag team and stable, most notably consisting of New Jack and Mustafa Saed in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
, The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls
The Pitbulls were a professional wrestling tag team that consisted of "Pitbull #1" Gary Wolfe and "Pitbull #2" Anthony Durante. They were best known for their tenure in Extreme Championship Wrestling, where they were one-time World Tag Team Champions...
, Sabu and Rob Van Dam
Sabu and Rob Van Dam
Sabu and Rob Van Dam are professional wrestlers who often competed as a tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment's ECW brand. While teaming in the original ECW, the duo was managed by Bill Alfonso....
and the Steiner Brothers.
On May 31, 1997, Saturn tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
during a match. After intense reconstructive surgery, he was given a recovery time of up to a year. Kronus briefly defended the ECW Tag Team Championship single-handedly before losing to the Dudley Boyz. In late 1997, Saturn left ECW for World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
. Kronus competed in the singles division before forming a new tag team, "The Gangstanators
The Gangstanators
The Gangstanators were a professional wrestling tag team in Extreme Championship Wrestling. The team consisted of New Jack, formerly of The Gangstas, and John Kronus, formerly of The Eliminators, with "Gangstanators" being a portmanteau of the names of their respective former tag teams.-History:New...
", with New Jack
New Jack
Jerome Young is an American professional wrestler, better known by his stage name New Jack in ECW.He is known for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and "shooting" on opponents, though he is only known to shoot on opponents who...
. The Gangstanators won the ECW Tag Team Championship in 1997.
Kronus left ECW in early 1999, joining the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-based Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling
Xtreme Pro Wrestling is an independent professional wrestling promotion formerly owned by Extreme Associates CEO and director Rob Zicari, who appeared on shows under the name Rob Black. Zicari appeared on-camera as owner alongside his wife Lizzy Borden. The promotion focuses on hardcore wrestling,...
promotion. In 2000, Kronus aligned himself with the "Black Army" faction. He remained with XPW until leaving in 2001. During this period, Kronus appeared in the 2000 softcore bondage film Violence on Violence.
Kronus also helped develop and promote local Philadelphia, PA company Dangerously Intense Wrestling. During his time as champion he feuded with G.O.D.D., Method and The Sickness. Kronus held both the DIW World Heavyweight Title and Inner City Title.
In 2002, Kronus retired from professional wrestling, relocating to the Lakes Region in Sanbornton, New Hampshire
Sanbornton, New Hampshire
Sanbornton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,966 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of North Sanbornton and Gaza.-History:...
. He temporarily came out of retirement in 2005, making two appearances with the ECW reunion promotion Hardcore Homecoming
Hardcore Homecoming
Hardcore Homecoming was a series of professional wrestling events which were advertised as a reunion of talent from the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion....
.
Death
Caiazzo was found dead in his fiancée Brandy Laundry's home in Laconia, New HampshireLaconia, New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,411 people, 6,724 households, and 4,168 families residing in the city. The population density was 809.3 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 421.8 per square mile...
on July 18, 2007, several days after he had undergone knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep, with his death subsequently attributed to heart failure resulting from an enlarged heart
Cardiomegaly
Cardiomegaly is a medical condition wherein the heart is enlarged. It is generally categorized in the following manner:* Cardiomegaly due to dilation* Cardiomegaly due to ventricular hypertrophy** Left ventricular hypertrophy...
. He was survived by his nine-year-old son, Gage Christian Caiazzo.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Kronus Driver (Sitout pumphandle slam)
- Kronus Driver II (Overhead gutwrench backbreaker rack twisted and dropped into a sitout scoop slam piledriver)
- Multiple 450° splash variations
- Diving
- Imploding
- Standing
- Signature moves
- Air Kronus (Diving elbow drop to an opponent outside of the ring)
- Hurricane Kronus (handspring back elbow)
- Modified dragon sleeper
- Missile dropkick
- PowerbombPowerbombA powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...
- Springboard leg drop
- Superplex
- Release Dragon suplex
- Swinging cradle suplex
- With Perry SaturnPerry SatulloPerry Arthur Satullo is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action .-Early career:Satullo enlisted...
- Total Elimination
- Elevated crossbody
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Rob BlackRob ZicariRobert D. Zicari a.k.a. Rob Black is an American pornographer and former professional wrestling promoter. Together with his wife Janet Romano he owns the porn company Extreme Associates....
- Lizzy BordenJanet RomanoJanet Romano-Zicari, better known as Lizzy Borden, is an American former pornographic actress and professional wrestling valet...
- FrancineFrancine FournierFrancine Fournier , known simply as Francine, is an American former professional wrestling valet most known for her work in Extreme Championship Wrestling.-Extreme Championship Wrestling:...
- JasonJason KnightRonald Jason Knight is an American professional wrestler and manager. He is best known for his stints in Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling, where he was a one time World Television Champion.-World Wrestling Federation :...
- Cassy Strayter
- Rob Black
- Entrance musicMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "No Remorse" by MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
- "Real Solution 9" by White Zombie
- "Total Elimination" by Harry Slash and the Slashtones
- "Wait and Bleed" by Slipknot (XPW)
- "No Remorse" by Metallica
Championships and accomplishments
- Dangerously Intense Wrestling
- DIW Heavyweight Champion (1 time)
- DIW Inner City Champion (1 time)
- Extreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship WrestlingExtreme Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion that was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992 by Tod Gordon and closed when his successor, Paul Heyman, declared bankruptcy in April 2001...
- ECW World Tag Team ChampionshipECW Tag Team ChampionshipThe Extreme Championship Wrestling World Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling world tag team championship in Extreme Championship Wrestling...
(4 times) - with New JackNew JackJerome Young is an American professional wrestler, better known by his stage name New Jack in ECW.He is known for his willingness to take dangerous bumps and his stiff hardcore wrestling style, often taking high risks and "shooting" on opponents, though he is only known to shoot on opponents who...
(1) and Perry SaturnPerry SatulloPerry Arthur Satullo is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Perry Saturn. Since debuting in 1990, Saturn wrestled for Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , World Wrestling Federation and Total Nonstop Action .-Early career:Satullo enlisted...
(3)
- ECW World Tag Team Championship
- Mayhem Independent Wrestling
- MIW Hardcore Championship (1 time, last)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI ranked him # 382 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003
- PWI ranked him # 89 of the 100 best tag teams of the PWI Years in 2003 with Perry Saturn
- United States Wrestling AssociationUnited States Wrestling AssociationThe United States Wrestling Association or USWA was a professional wrestling promotion based in Memphis, Tennessee. It was founded by former CWA owner Jerry Jarrett.-Foundation:...
- USWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Perry Saturn