Steve Rizzono
Encyclopedia
Steve Coombs is a former professional wrestler best known for his stint in Xtreme Pro Wrestling
. Coombs competed primarily as "The Gigolo" Steve Rizzono. At one time, Rizzono was also a bouncer and a personal trainer
.
at All Pro Wrestling
's school and made his debut on March 29, 1995, teaming with Mike Modest against Robert Thompson and Mike Diamond. While competing in APW, he captured the APW Tag Team titles with Mike Modest and Tony Jones
. He also won a famous three-way dance that featured Vic Grimes
and Erin O' Grady
. On January 22, 1996 in Stockton, CA, Rizzono made his World Wrestling Federation
debut in a losing effort to Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
. The following night in Oakland, Rizzono jobbed
to Duke "The Dumpster" Droese in a match that was featured on the WWF Superstars
TV program.
On the weekend of ECW’s November to Remember 1997 pay-per-view, Rizzono had a match with Robert Thompson on an APW show. Wrestling Observer journalist Dave Meltzer
attended both shows. A few weeks later, Meltzer wrote in the observer that Rizzono's match with Thompson was better than almost anything he saw on the ECW event. In between his APW stint and his early 2000 entrance into XPW, Rizzono wrestled in the United States Wrestling Association
and for independent promotions
based in the Portland
area. In Portland
, Rizzono was managed by Jonny Fairplay.
Upon joining XPW, Rizzono initially had a partnership with Kid Kaos
, but it quickly escalated into a bitter rivalry. At one point, Rizzono was managed
by "Playboy" Buddy Rose
, in an unsuccessful journey after the XPW World Heavyweight Championship
. During his early tenure, he had matches against Public Enemy
, John Kronus
, and Juventud Guerrera
. He was a member of The Black Army, and (following his banishment from the Army) founded The Enterprise with manager and porn star Veronica Caine, in order to avenge the rejection from his former teammates. Besides feuding with the Black Army, Rizzono feuded heavily with Pogo the Clown, as Rizzono was usually privy to receiving harsh beatings from Pogo. Their feud was featured in two (2001 and 2002) of XPW's annual King of the Deathmatch Tournaments, as both matches began as singles matches, but soon turned into triple threat matches midway through. In both bouts, Rizzono fell victim to brutal and memorable beatings from his arch nemesis, which resulted in Rizzono savagely losing in both of his appearances. Rizzono departed from XPW in mid-2002 when XPW relocated its operations to the Pennsylvania area on the East Coast.
Rizzono returned to APW on November 8, 2002
as a trainer, a commentator, and a manager before leaving the business. He currently resides in California and he has health problems due to the severe injuries he incurred in XPW, including multiple concussions and broken noses as a result of death matches
in which he participated. On July 18, 2007, Steve received spinal surgery in which two ligaments were removed from his spine.
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,...
. Coombs competed primarily as "The Gigolo" Steve Rizzono. At one time, Rizzono was also a bouncer and a personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
.
Career
Steve Rizzono trained alongside Spike DudleyMatt Hyson
Matthew "Matt" Hyson is a retired American professional wrestler, best known for his performances in Extreme Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Spike Dudley and in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling under the ring name Brother Runt.In ECW, he was a two-time...
at All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling
All Pro Wrestling Gym Wars is a professional wrestling television program produced by APW which originally aired weekly on Saturday mornings on KFTY Channel 50 in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning December 5, 2009. The series features the professional wrestlers of All Pro Wrestling competing in...
's school and made his debut on March 29, 1995, teaming with Mike Modest against Robert Thompson and Mike Diamond. While competing in APW, he captured the APW Tag Team titles with Mike Modest and Tony Jones
Tony Jones (wrestler)
Anthony "Tony" Jones is an American professional wrestler who competes in North American independent promotions, specifically California-based All-Pro Wrestling, Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Xtreme Pro Wrestling....
. He also won a famous three-way dance that featured Vic Grimes
Vic Grimes
Victor "Vic" Grimes is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with Extreme Championship Wrestling, Xtreme Pro Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation.-All Pro Wrestling:...
and Erin O' Grady
Mike Lockwood
Michael John "Mike" Lockwood was an American professional wrestler best known for his time with World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment under the ring name Crash Holly....
. On January 22, 1996 in Stockton, CA, Rizzono made his World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
debut in a losing effort to Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw
John Layfield
John Charles Layfield is a former American professional wrestler, a former commentator/host for mixed martial arts promotion Vyper Fight League and financial analyst for Fox News...
. The following night in Oakland, Rizzono jobbed
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 Duke "The Dumpster" Droese in a match that was featured on the WWF Superstars
WWF Superstars of Wrestling
WWF Superstars of Wrestling is a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It debuted on September 6, 1986...
TV program.
On the weekend of ECW’s November to Remember 1997 pay-per-view, Rizzono had a match with Robert Thompson on an APW show. Wrestling Observer journalist Dave Meltzer
Dave Meltzer
David A. Meltzer is the editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter . Sports Illustrated senior writer Frank Deford has praised Meltzer's work, saying that "Meltzer, I believe, is the most accomplished reporter in sports journalism." Meltzer has written for the Oakland Tribune, the Los Angeles...
attended both shows. A few weeks later, Meltzer wrote in the observer that Rizzono's match with Thompson was better than almost anything he saw on the ECW event. In between his APW stint and his early 2000 entrance into XPW, Rizzono wrestled in 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 for independent promotions
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
based in the Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
area. In Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Rizzono was managed by Jonny Fairplay.
Upon joining XPW, Rizzono initially had a partnership with Kid Kaos
Joey Munoz
Joseph "Joey" Muñoz is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name Kaos...
, but it quickly escalated into a bitter rivalry. At one point, Rizzono was 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 "Playboy" Buddy Rose
Buddy Rose
Paul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s...
, in an unsuccessful journey after the XPW World Heavyweight Championship
XPW World Heavyweight Championship
The XPW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion.XPW's first World Champion was crowned in a Battle Royal match that saw Damien Steele and John Kronus as the last two remaining wrestlers compete in a single fall...
. During his early tenure, he had matches against Public Enemy
The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)
The Public Enemy was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge. The duo competed in many promotions, including Extreme Championship Wrestling , World Championship Wrestling , National Wrestling Alliance , and the World Wrestling Federation...
, John Kronus
John Kronus
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...
, and Juventud Guerrera
Juventud Guerrera
Eduardo Aníbal González Hernández , better known as Juventud Guerrera, is a Mexican professional wrestler who is best known for his work in many wrestling promotions worldwide, including all the major American wrestling promotions, such as World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship...
. He was a member of The Black Army, and (following his banishment from the Army) founded The Enterprise with manager and porn star Veronica Caine, in order to avenge the rejection from his former teammates. Besides feuding with the Black Army, Rizzono feuded heavily with Pogo the Clown, as Rizzono was usually privy to receiving harsh beatings from Pogo. Their feud was featured in two (2001 and 2002) of XPW's annual King of the Deathmatch Tournaments, as both matches began as singles matches, but soon turned into triple threat matches midway through. In both bouts, Rizzono fell victim to brutal and memorable beatings from his arch nemesis, which resulted in Rizzono savagely losing in both of his appearances. Rizzono departed from XPW in mid-2002 when XPW relocated its operations to the Pennsylvania area on the East Coast.
Rizzono returned to APW on November 8, 2002
as a trainer, a commentator, and a manager before leaving the business. He currently resides in California and he has health problems due to the severe injuries he incurred in XPW, including multiple concussions and broken noses as a result of death matches
Hardcore wrestling
Hardcore wrestling is a form of professional wrestling that eschews traditional concepts of match rules in favor of matches that take place in unusual environments, using foreign objects that are not normally permitted...
in which he participated. On July 18, 2007, Steve received spinal surgery in which two ligaments were removed from his spine.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- One Night Stand (Inverted leg drop bulldog)
- Signature moves
- Diving pointed elbow drop
- Frankensteiner
- High knee strike
- Superplex
- 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...
- "Playboy" Buddy RoseBuddy RosePaul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s...
- Gina
- Jonny Fairplay
- Lady Brenda
- GQ MoneyRyan KatzRyan Katz is a professional wrestling personality who wrestles/performs under the name GQ Money. He became famous as part of the Xtreme Pro Wrestling promotion where he was the manager of Joey Munoz alias Kaos of The Enterprise...
- 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....
- Snowy Bear
- Veronica Caine
- "Playboy" Buddy Rose
Championships and accomplishments
- All Pro WrestlingAll Pro WrestlingAll Pro Wrestling Gym Wars is a professional wrestling television program produced by APW which originally aired weekly on Saturday mornings on KFTY Channel 50 in the San Francisco Bay Area, beginning December 5, 2009. The series features the professional wrestlers of All Pro Wrestling competing in...
- APW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Mike Modest (1) and Tony JonesTony Jones (wrestler)Anthony "Tony" Jones is an American professional wrestler who competes in North American independent promotions, specifically California-based All-Pro Wrestling, Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Xtreme Pro Wrestling....
(1) - NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship WrestlingNWA: Extreme Canadian Championship WrestlingExtreme Canadian Championship Wrestling is a Western Canadian-based professional wrestling promotion, operating as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance...
- NWA/ECCW Tag Team ChampionshipNWA/ECCW Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA/ECCW Tag Team Championship is the tag team title for the NWA: Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling wrestling promotion based out of British Columbia. It was activated in 1996. The first champions were the Glamour Order Of Discipline...
(1 time) – with Chance Beckett - NWA/ECCW Vancouver Island Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
Media
- Video and DVD appearances
- XPW: After the Fall. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Big Vision Entertainment, 2006.
- XPW: Retribution. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2003.
- XPW: Best of XPW TV, Vol. 1. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2003.
- XPW: Best of The Enterprise. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW Class-X Presents: XPW Baptized in Blood, Vol. 1 & 2. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Big Vision Entertainment, 2007.
- XPW Class-X Presents: XPW TV The Complete First Season. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Big Vision Entertainment, 2007.
- XPW: New Year's Revolution. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Blown To Hell. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
-
-
- XPW: Liberty or Death. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Baptized In Blood 2. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Baptized In Blood 3: Night of Champions. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Free Fall. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Genocide. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Best of The Black Army. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
- XPW: Damage Inc.. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2001.
- XPW: Redemption. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2001.
- XPW: Go Funk Yourself. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2001.
- XPW: We Wrestle. Perf. Steve Rizzono. VHS. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2001.
- XPW: Liberty or Death. Perf. Steve Rizzono. DVD. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, 2002.
-
- Film and television appearances
- Nash BridgesNash BridgesNash Bridges is an American television police drama created by Carlton Cuse. The show starred Don Johnson and Cheech Marin as two Inspectors with the San Francisco Police Department's Special Investigations Unit. The show ran for six seasons on CBS from March 29, 1996 to May 4, 2001 with a total of...
. CBS. Jan. 2001. - Obscenery. Executive Producer Melissa Wegman. ClearVision Media Production Group. XPWXtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme 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,...
archive footage appearance. - "PornographerRob 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....
runs for Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
mayor." Extra TVExtra (TV series)Extra is an American entertainment television news program covering events and celebrities which debuted on September 5, 1994 in syndication. It is produced at Victory Studios in Glendale, California by Telepictures Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television Distribution...
. Syndication. July 2000. "XPWXtreme Pro WrestlingXtreme 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,...
archive footage appearance."
Further reading
- Ginzburg, Evan. Steve Rizzono interview. Wrestling - Then & Now<. Issue #165.
- Goldsmith, Susan. Mortal Combat. The East Bay ExpressEast Bay ExpressThe East Bay Express is an Oakland-based weekly newspaper serving the Berkeley, Oakland, and East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
<. January 14, 2004. - Howell, Brian. One Ring Circus: Extreme Wrestling in the Minor Leagues. Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2002. ISBN 1-55152-132-6
- Hunt, Don. Pro show at Armory brings out the beast in fans. The Mail TribuneMail TribuneThe Mail Tribune is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Medford, Oregon, United States that serves Jackson County, Oregon, and adjacent areas of northern California....
July 2, 1999. - Hunt, Don. Racing will be a real drag tonight. The Mail TribuneMail TribuneThe Mail Tribune is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Medford, Oregon, United States that serves Jackson County, Oregon, and adjacent areas of northern California....
August 3, 1999. - Hunt, Don. Wrestling: tights, fights, a ringside night.The Mail TribuneMail TribuneThe Mail Tribune is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Medford, Oregon, United States that serves Jackson County, Oregon, and adjacent areas of northern California....
June 30, 1999. - Meyers, Michelle. In Pursuit of a Dream. The Alameda Times-StarAlameda Times-StarThe Alameda Times-Star was a newspaper in the town of Alameda, California. It was last owned by Bay Area News Group-East Bay , a subsidiary of MediaNews Group, who bought the paper in 1986....
, The Oakland Tribune. October 20, 2003. - Rodgers, Mike. Steve Rizzono interview. Ring Around the Northwest newsletter. 2005.
- Saito, Fumi. Article and photo gallery on XPW’s second King of the Deathmatch Tournament. Baseball Magazine Japanese languageJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
. February 2001. - Spotlight on All Pro Wrestling. The Fremont ArgusANG NewspapersBay Area News Group is the largest newspaper publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area and has corporate headquarters based in San Ramon, California with publications offices in San Jose and Walnut Creek, although the Walnut Creek location is scheduled to be closed under a 2011 restructuring.BANG...
October 19, 2003.