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{{short description|American professional wrestler}} {{Short description|American professional wrestler (1969–2007)}}
{{redirect|The Eliminator|other uses|Eliminator (disambiguation)}} {{redirect|The Eliminator|other uses|Eliminator (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler {{Infobox professional wrestler
|name=John Kronus |name=John Kronus
|image= |image= John Kronus.jpg
|image_size=200px |image_size=200px
|caption= Kronus in 1995
|birth_name = George B. Caiazzo |birth_name = George B. Caiazzo
|names=The Eliminator<ref name="Truitt"/><br />John Kronus<ref name="Truitt"/> |names=The Eliminator<ref name="Truitt"/><br />John Kronus<ref name="Truitt"/>
|height={{height|ft=6|in=4}}<ref name="pwi1997"/> |height={{height|ft=6|in=4}}<ref name="pwi1997"/>
|weight={{convert|256|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name="pwi1997"/> |weight={{convert|256|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name="pwi1997"/>
|birth_date={{Birth date|1969|7|27|mf=y}}<ref name="Caiazzo"/> |birth_date={{Birth date|1969|1|13|mf=y}}<ref name="Caiazzo"/>
|birth_place=]<ref name="Caiazzo"/> |birth_place=]<ref name="Caiazzo"/>
|death_date ={{death date and age|2007|7|18|1969|1|13}}<ref name="Mooneyham"/> |death_date ={{death date and age|2007|7|18|1969|1|13}}<ref name="Mooneyham"/>
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|retired=2005<ref name="Mooneyham"/> |retired=2005<ref name="Mooneyham"/>
}} }}
'''George B. Caiazzo''' (January 13, 1969 – July 18, 2007) was an ] ], better known by his ], '''John Kronus''', and later simply '''Kronus'''. Caiazzo worked for ], the ] and ]. He was perhaps best known as one-half of the ] ''']''' with ].<ref name="Caiazzo" /><ref name="Mooneyham" /><ref name="AP" /><ref name="Citizen">{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070730/CITIZEN_03/107300214/-1/citizen0101|title=George Caiazzo|publisher=]|accessdate=July 31, 2007|date=July 30, 2007|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184140/http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070730%2FCITIZEN_03%2F107300214%2F-1%2Fcitizen0101|archivedate=September 27, 2007}}</ref> '''George B. Caiazzo''' (January 13, 1969 – July 18, 2007) was an American ], better known by his ], '''John Kronus''', and later simply '''Kronus'''. Caiazzo worked for ], the ] and ]. He was perhaps best known as one-half of the ] ''']''' with ].<ref name="Caiazzo" /><ref name="Mooneyham" /><ref name="AP" /><ref name="Citizen">{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070730/CITIZEN_03/107300214/-1/citizen0101|title=George Caiazzo|publisher=]|access-date=July 31, 2007|date=July 30, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184140/http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070730%2FCITIZEN_03%2F107300214%2F-1%2Fcitizen0101|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref>


==Early life== ==Early life==
Caiazzo's father, George Caiazzo, Sr., played ] with the ] before suffering an ].<ref name="Cunningham"/> Caiazzo's father, George Caiazzo Sr., played ] with the ] before suffering an ].<ref name="Cunningham"/>


==Professional wrestling career== ==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career=== ===Early career===
In the late 1980s, Caiazzo met professional wrestler ] when he began working as a ] in a Boston ] managed by Saturn. Caiazzo expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler to Saturn, who responded by directing Caiazzo to a ] operated by ]. Caiazzo debuted in 1989, briefly wrestling as "The Eliminator".<ref name="Truitt">{{cite web|url=http://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/article_1177.shtml|author=Truitt, B.|title=Perry Saturn Shoot Interview|publisher=TheSmartMarks.com|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2003-09-15}}</ref> In the late 1980s, Caiazzo met professional wrestler ] when he began working as a ] in a Boston ] managed by Saturn. Caiazzo expressed an interest in becoming a wrestler to Saturn, who responded by directing Caiazzo to a ] operated by ]. Caiazzo debuted in 1989, briefly wrestling as "The Eliminator".<ref name="Truitt">{{cite web|url=http://thesmartmarks.com/artman/publish/article_1177.shtml|author=Truitt, B.|title=Perry Saturn Shoot Interview|publisher=TheSmartMarks.com|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2003-09-15}}</ref> In the early 1990s, Saturn offered to form a ] with Caiazzo. The ] equivalent of the ] ] ] was ], so Saturn chose the ring name "John Kronus" for Caiazzo. As Saturn and Kronus were their civilizations' respective ] deities, Saturn proposed that the tag team be known as "The Harvesters of Sorrow". After ] ] advised Saturn that the significance of the name would not be evident to many fans, Saturn named the team "]".<ref name="Truitt"/>


⚫ The Eliminators wrestled their first match together at a ] ] 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 ] and ] for the ]. They held the USWA World Tag Team Championship until June 13, 1994, when they were defeated by ].<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/><ref name="DuncanWillUSWA">{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttuswa.html|author1=Duncan, R. |author2=Will, G.|title=USWA World Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie.org|access-date=2007-07-23|year=1998}}</ref>
In the early 1990s, Saturn offered to form a ] with Caiazzo. The ] equivalent of the ] ] ] was ], so Saturn chose the ring name "John Kronus" for Caiazzo. As Saturn and Kronus were their civilizations' respective ] deities, Saturn proposed that the tag team be known as "The Harvesters of Sorrow". After ] ] advised Saturn that the significance of the name would not be evident to many fans, Saturn named the team "]".<ref name="Truitt"/>

⚫ The Eliminators wrestled their first match together at a ] ] 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 ] and ] for the ]. They held the USWA World Tag Team Championship until June 13, 1994, when they were defeated by ].<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/><ref name="DuncanWillUSWA">{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttuswa.html|author1=Duncan, R. |author2=Will, G.|title=USWA World Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie.org|accessdate=2007-07-23|year=1998}}</ref>


===WAR (1994&ndash;1995)===
In 1994 and 1995, The Eliminators wrestled in ] for the ] promotion.<ref name="Truitt"/> In 1994 and 1995, The Eliminators wrestled in ] for the ] promotion.<ref name="Truitt"/>


===Extreme Championship Wrestling=== ===Extreme Championship Wrestling===
====The Eliminators (1995&ndash;1997)==== ====The Eliminators (1995&ndash;1997)====
{{Main|The Eliminators}}
⚫ The Eliminators debuted in the ]-based ] promotion at ] in September 1995. They were initially brought in to ] to the ] but after it became apparent that Steiners were leaving ECW, the Eliminators were ]ed to win their debut match, a ], which pitted Eliminators with ] against ] and Steiner Brothers. ECW promoter ] quickly abandoned plans to give them a ] ] and instead booked them as an unstoppable force in the ECW tag team division. They were ] by Jason. The Eliminators won the ] on three occasions between 1996 and 1997, ] with teams such as the ], ], ], ] and the Steiner Brothers.<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/><ref name="DuncanWillECW">{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttecw.html|author1=Duncan, R. |author2=Will, G.|title=ECW Tag Team Title / World Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie.org|accessdate=2007-07-23|year=2001}}</ref>
]
⚫ The Eliminators debuted in the ]-based ] promotion at ] in September 1995. They were initially brought in to ] to the ] but after it became apparent that Steiners were leaving ECW, the Eliminators were ]ed to win their debut match, a ], which pitted Eliminators with ] against ] and the Steiner Brothers. ECW promoter ] quickly abandoned plans to give them a ] ] and instead booked them as an unstoppable force in the ECW tag team division. They were ] by Jason. The Eliminators won the ] on three occasions between 1996 and 1997, ] with teams such as the ], ], ], ] and the Steiner Brothers.<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/><ref name="DuncanWillECW">{{cite web|url=http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/ttecw.html|author1=Duncan, R. |author2=Will, G.|title=ECW Tag Team Title / World Tag Team Title History|publisher=Solie.org|access-date=2007-07-23|year=2001}}</ref> On May 31, 1997, Saturn tore his ] 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 ].


⚫ ====The Gangstanators (1997&ndash;1999)====
On May 31, 1997, Saturn tore his ] 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 ].
{{Main|Gangstanators}}
⚫ Kronus competed in the singles division, losing to ] ] by submission at ] in June 1997, before forming a new tag team, "]", with ]. The Gangstanators won the ECW Tag Team Championship in September 1997 at ].<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/>


Kronus left ECW in early 1999.
⚫ ====The Gangstanators and departure (1997&ndash;1999)====
⚫ Kronus competed in the singles division, challenging ] ] at ] in June 1997, before forming a new tag team, "]", with ]. The Gangstanators won the ECW Tag Team Championship in September 1997 at ].<ref name="Truitt"/><ref name="Waldman"/> Kronus left ECW in early 1999.


===Independent circuit (2000&ndash;2002)=== ===Independent circuit (1999&ndash;2002)===
He joined the ]-based ] promotion. In 2000, Kronus aligned himself with the "Black Army" ]. He remained with XPW until leaving in 2001. During this period, Kronus appeared in the 2000 softcore bondage film ''Violence on Violence''.<ref name="Schoetz"/><ref name="Waldman"/> He joined the ]-based ] promotion. In 2000, Kronus aligned himself with the "Black Army" ]. He remained with XPW until leaving in 2001. During this period, Kronus appeared in the 2000 softcore bondage film ''Violence on Violence''.<ref name="Schoetz"/><ref name="Waldman"/> Kronus also helped develop and promote local Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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.

Kronus also helped develop and promote local Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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.


===Retirement=== ===Retirement===
In 2002, Kronus retired from professional wrestling, relocating to the Lakes Region in ]. He temporarily came out of retirement in 2005, making two appearances with the ECW reunion promotion ].<ref name="Cunningham"/><ref name="Kapur1">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/06/11/pf-1082775.html|author=Kapur, B.|title=Hardcore Homecoming a memorable night|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2005-06-11}}</ref><ref name="Kapur2">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/11/06/1295447.html|author=Kapur, B.|title=Storm interrupts November Reign|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2005-11-06}}</ref> In 2002, Kronus retired from professional wrestling, relocating to the Lakes Region in ]. He temporarily came out of retirement in 2005, making two appearances with the ECW reunion promotion ].<ref name="Cunningham"/><ref name="Kapur1">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/06/11/pf-1082775.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717130210/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/06/11/pf-1082775.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 17, 2012|author=Kapur, B.|title=Hardcore Homecoming a memorable night|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2005-06-11}}</ref><ref name="Kapur2">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/11/06/1295447.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101004753/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2005/11/06/1295447.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 1, 2013|author=Kapur, B.|title=Storm interrupts November Reign|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2005-11-06}}</ref>


==Death== ==Death==
Caiazzo was found dead in his fiancée Brandy Laundry's home in ] on July 18, 2007, several days after undergoing knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep. His death was subsequently attributed to heart failure resulting from an ]. He was survived by his nine-year-old son, Gage Christian Caiazzo. Former tag team partner New Jack was the only ECW alumnus to attend his funeral.<ref name="Caiazzo">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=20243|author=Caiazzo, J.|title=Statement by family of John Kronus|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-22}}</ref><ref name="Mooneyham">{{cite web|url=http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/19/pro_wrestler_kronus_found_dead10917/|author=Mooneyham, M.|title=Pro wrestler Kronus found dead|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-19|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114232323/http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/19/pro_wrestler_kronus_found_dead10917/|archivedate=2007-11-14}}</ref><ref name="AP">{{cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/57389/Latest-On-The-Death-of-John-Kronus.htm|author=]|title=Latest On The Death of John Kronus|publisher=411mania.com|accessdate=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007073325/http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/57389/Latest-On-The-Death-of-John-Kronus.htm|archive-date=2007-10-07|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Schoetz">{{cite web|url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=3397651&page=1|author=Schoetz, D.|title=Another Wrestler's 'Untimely' Death|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-20}}</ref><ref name="Citizen"/><ref name="Cunningham">{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/CITIZEN_01/107200348&SearchID=73287975025579|author=Cunningham Jr., G.|title=Family mourns wrestler's death|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-20|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184213/http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070720%2FCITIZEN_01%2F107200348&SearchID=73287975025579|archivedate=2007-09-27}}</ref><ref name="Waldman">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/07/18/4350742.html|author=Waldman, J.|title=Former ECW tag champ Kronus found dead|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-18}}</ref> Caiazzo was found dead in his fiancée Brandy Laundry's home in ] on July 18, 2007, several days after undergoing knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep. According to an autopsy, his death was attributed to heart failure resulting from an ]. He was survived by his nine-year-old son, Gage Christian Caiazzo. His family stated that Kronus had a history of heart problems and that he knew he could die at any time. Former tag team partner ] was the only ECW alumnus to attend his funeral.<ref name="Caiazzo">{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/wo/news/headlines/default.asp?aID=20243|author=Caiazzo, J.|title=Statement by family of John Kronus|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-22}}</ref><ref name="Mooneyham">{{cite web|url=http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/19/pro_wrestler_kronus_found_dead10917/|author=Mooneyham, M.|title=Pro wrestler Kronus found dead|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-19|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071114232323/http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/19/pro_wrestler_kronus_found_dead10917/|archive-date=2007-11-14}}</ref><ref name="AP">{{cite web|url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/57389/Latest-On-The-Death-of-John-Kronus.htm|agency=Associated Press|title=Latest On The Death of John Kronus|publisher=411mania.com|access-date=2007-07-22|date=2007-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007073325/http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/news/57389/Latest-On-The-Death-of-John-Kronus.htm|archive-date=2007-10-07|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Schoetz">{{cite web|url=http://www.abcnews.go.com/Sports/story?id=3397651&page=1|author=Schoetz, D.|title=Another Wrestler's 'Untimely' Death|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-20}}</ref><ref name="Citizen"/><ref name="Cunningham">{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070720/CITIZEN_01/107200348&SearchID=73287975025579|author=Cunningham Jr., G.|title=Family mourns wrestler's death|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-20|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927184213/http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070720%2FCITIZEN_01%2F107200348&SearchID=73287975025579|archive-date=2007-09-27}}</ref><ref name="Waldman">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/07/18/4350742.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724064735/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2007/07/18/4350742.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 24, 2012|author=Waldman, J.|title=Former ECW tag champ Kronus found dead|publisher=]|access-date=2007-07-23|date=2007-07-18}}</ref>


== Championships and accomplishments == == Championships and accomplishments ==
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**MIW Hardcore Championship (1 time, last)<ref name="Titles">{{cite book |author1=Royal Duncan |author2=Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref> **MIW Hardcore Championship (1 time, last)<ref name="Titles">{{cite book |author1=Royal Duncan |author2=Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref>
*''''']''''' *''''']'''''
**PWI ranked him No. 73 of the top 500 wrestlers of the year in the ] in 1997<ref name="pwi1997">{{cite journal|date=1997|title=The PWI 500|url=|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=17|issue=13|pages=29}}</ref> **PWI ranked him No. 73 of the top 500 wrestlers of the year in the ] in 1997<ref name="pwi1997">{{cite journal|date=1997|title=The PWI 500|journal=]|publisher=]|volume=17|issue=13|pages=29}}</ref>
**PWI ranked him No. 382 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the ] in 2003 **PWI ranked him No. 382 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the ] in 2003
**PWI ranked him No. 89 of the 100 best tag teams of the PWI Years in 2003 with Perry Saturn **PWI ranked him No. 89 of the 100 best tag teams of the PWI Years in 2003 with Perry Saturn
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==See also== ==See also==
* ] *]


==References== ==References==
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== External links == == External links ==
* {{IMDb name|id=0472224|name=John Kronus}} *{{IMDb name|id=0472224|name=John Kronus}}
* {{Professional wrestling profiles}} *{{Professional wrestling profiles}}

{{Navboxes|
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{{ECW World Tag Team Championship}} {{ECW World Tag Team Championship}}
{{USWA World Tag Team Championship}}
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Kronus, John}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Kronus, John}}
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Latest revision as of 01:15, 25 December 2024

American professional wrestler (1969–2007) "The Eliminator" redirects here. For other uses, see Eliminator (disambiguation).

John Kronus
Kronus in 1995
Birth nameGeorge B. Caiazzo
Born(1969-01-13)January 13, 1969
Everett, Massachusetts
DiedJuly 18, 2007(2007-07-18) (aged 38)
Laconia, New Hampshire
Cause of deathHeart failure
Children1
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)The Eliminator
John Kronus
Billed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Billed weight256 lb (116 kg)
Billed fromBoston, Massachusetts
Trained byKiller Kowalski
Debut1989
Retired2005

George B. Caiazzo (January 13, 1969 – July 18, 2007) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, John Kronus, and later simply 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.

Early life

Caiazzo's father, George Caiazzo Sr., played football with the New York Giants before suffering an injury.

Professional wrestling career

Early career

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.

WAR (1994–1995)

In 1994 and 1995, The Eliminators wrestled in Japan for the WAR promotion.

Extreme Championship Wrestling

The Eliminators (1995–1997)

Main article: The Eliminators
Kronus and Perry Saturn with a fan

The Eliminators debuted in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion at Gangstas Paradise in September 1995. They were initially brought in to job to the Steiner Brothers but after it became apparent that Steiners were leaving ECW, the Eliminators were booked to win their debut match, a six-man tag team match, which pitted Eliminators with Jason against Taz and the Steiner Brothers. ECW promoter Paul Heyman quickly abandoned plans to give them a sadism and masochism character and instead booked them as an unstoppable force in the ECW tag team division. They were 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.

The Gangstanators (1997–1999)

Main article: Gangstanators

Kronus competed in the singles division, losing to ECW World Television Champion Taz by submission at Orgy of Violence in June 1997, before forming a new tag team, "the Gangstanators", with New Jack. The Gangstanators won the ECW Tag Team Championship in September 1997 at As Good as It Gets.

Kronus left ECW in early 1999.

Independent circuit (1999–2002)

He joined 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, Pennsylvania 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.

Retirement

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.

Death

Caiazzo was found dead in his fiancée Brandy Laundry's home in Laconia, New Hampshire on July 18, 2007, several days after undergoing knee surgery. He was 38 years old. Caiazzo died in his sleep. According to an autopsy, his death was attributed to heart failure resulting from an enlarged heart. He was survived by his nine-year-old son, Gage Christian Caiazzo. His family stated that Kronus had a history of heart problems and that he knew he could die at any time. Former tag team partner New Jack was the only ECW alumnus to attend his funeral.

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

  1. ^ Caiazzo, J. (July 22, 2007). "Statement by family of John Kronus". Wrestling Observer. Retrieved July 22, 2007.
  2. ^ Mooneyham, M. (July 19, 2007). "Pro wrestler Kronus found dead". The Post and Courier. Archived from the original on November 14, 2007. Retrieved July 22, 2007.
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External links

Links to related articles
ECW World Tag Team Champions
1990s
2000s
USWA World Tag Team Champions
1980s
1990s
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