Two Months Of The New York Drip
Catching up with Territory Champion Matt Vertigo.
Matt Vertigo, the “New York Drip,” is the fightingest champion in pro wrestling today.
For the past two months, the inaugural Territory Champion has been crisscrossing New Jersey and Pennsylvania, defending his title against a variety of challengers. He’s been cheered, booed, admonished, commended and above all else, victorious. The Long Island native is making history, forcing independent promotions to work together in similar fashion to what the big leagues (AEW, Impact Wrestling, NJPW, etc.) are doing.
“I’m having a blast wrestling guys I never thought I’d get the opportunity to face,” Vertigo says. “I’m putting this title on a pedestal, so more people not only want to see the Territory Champion, but so more people want to be Territory Champion.”
After winning the gold in a triple threat at the 25th annual ECWA Super 8, Vertigo’s first defense came two weeks later at UWA Elite Dangerous Uprisings. He faced someone he considers a friend: “The Diligent One” Corey Dillinger.
“That’s my boy, but I told him not to step to the champ,” Vertigo says. “We can go out after the show, but when the show is on, I’m here to retain the title – friendship or not.”
That kinship was noticeable early in the match as they traded holds, feeling each other out. But then the stocky Dillinger overpowered Vertigo, lighting a fire under the champion. Next time they collided, Vertigo smacked the challenger around. The fight was on.
Vertigo pummeled Dillinger with jabs, kicks, chops and uppercuts. Dillinger responded with forearms and a mighty blow that forced Vertigo to collapse into the ropes. It looked like his reign would be short-lived, but he kicked out before Ref Ryan slapped the mat three times. Toward the end of the match, Dillinger attempted a full nelson, but Vertigo broke free and ran toward Ref Ryan in the corner. Dillinger followed suit and with the ref cowering for safety, Vertigo low blowed his supposed friend.
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Then, he hoisted his massive challenger high above the crowd and delivered a devastating spinebuster. He continued to trash talk his kneeling challenger, who had just enough moxie left to slap the taste out of Vertigo’s mouth. Of course, that prompted the final shot – a boot to the temple that must have lowered “The Diligent One’s” IQ.
“When me and Matt were in the center of the ring, we were ready to go to war,” Dillinger says. “We both wanted this – we never had a one-on-one match before this. I put everything out there, plus some new tricks. He played dirty…DIRTY! I didn’t see it coming. I had it in my hand and lost grip. Now I know he will do anything to keep his Drip.”
Two weeks later, Vertigo returned a conquering hero to the Susquehanna Wrestling Organization for its first event with fans in eight months.
His opponent was Suicide Myers, a masked powerhouse with a build similar to Dillinger. Naturally, Vertigo used the same strategy, trading blows early on. But Myers wasted little time showcasing his strength, tossing the champion from pillar to post. Vertigo rallied back, igniting a chop fest before a pump handle powerslam took him back down.
“I never had the chance to face Suicide Myers one on one before, and he’s faster and stronger than you can even imagine,” Vertigo says.
Myers aimed for the knockout, throwing a discus closeline only for Vertigo to duck and hit his trademark spinebuster. Myers recovered quickly, going for the discus a second time and connecting. Seemingly on the verge of victory, he goozled Vertigo and lifted for the chokeslam, but Vertigo escaped. The champion blasted Myers with a knee lift to the back of the head, followed by two boots that put him away.
“It was only my second match since the return of fans; so win, lose or draw, I just wanted to leave everything out there in the ring,” Myers says. “And we did just that.”
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On June 5, Vertigo went back to The Jersey Dugout in Morganville, NJ. His opponent at ECWA Heat Stroke – Eric Martin – was supposed to be in the inaugural championship match, but pulled out after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. “Eric Martin is twice my size in terms of muscle mass,” Vertigo says. “It was definitely the most balanced match I’ve had thus far. He almost beat me, but the Territory Champ is just smarter.”
A brawl began the match, which could have ended early after Vertigo slung Martin into the ropes, nearly decapitating the ROH Dojo student. Remorseless, the 6’5 champion choked Martin with his long legs. Taking off his shirt and tossing it at his prone challenger, Vertigo showcased his cockiness, the true essence of his “New York Drip.”
But Martin summoned the strength to reverse a suplex, followed up by a Boston Crab. Vertigo made it to the ropes and then hit a spinebuster to curb Martin’s momentum. Then, the champion retrieved a steel chair, but referee Jim Molineaux yanked it before he could swing. For some reason, Martin grabbed the chair, swung and missed, allowing Vertigo to kick from behind. Martin’s throat crashed on the chair, knocking the wind out of him for the easy pin.
“That wasn’t my best night, but he’s been lucky thus far,” Martin says.
UWA Elite has obtained fan cam footage of the altercation that took place between Territory Champion Matt Vertigo and Eric Corvis from this past Saturday’s @ECWA1967 event.
— UWA Elite (@UWAElite) June 8, 2021
The UWA Elite 20th Anniversary Show takes place this Saturday, Tickets now on https://t.co/ogdF9zzl8D pic.twitter.com/PWoU40wUAS
The action wasn’t over, though. Eric Corvis came to ECWA Heat Stroke to do color commentary, but his true agenda was to scout Vertigo. Tension has been brewing for years, heating up after Corvis defeated Vertigo for the UWA Elite iChampionship in 2019. At Dangerous Uprisings, Corvis won a fatal four way to earn a Territory Championship match at UWA Elite’s 20th Anniversary Show. Well, Vertigo wasn’t pleased with Corvis following him around the indie circuit, so things got physical. Unfortunately for the champion, Corvis got the upper hand and left him lying.
“I don’t like to cuss, but Eric Corvis is just an ass,” Vertigo says. “I’ve known him for over 10 years. My one problem is that he sticks his nose in business that’s not his. He tries to politic his way into title matches, and I told him ‘I don’t respect you for that.’ He feels he’s earned it. But at the end of the day, if Eric Corvis steps to me, he’s going to get squashed.”
One week after the confrontation at ECWA, they returned to UWA Elite for a street fight. Vertigo’s most violent defense to date, they brawled outside the South River VFW. Corvis beat him with a bag of popcorn. Vertigo choked him with Bob Culture’s drumsticks. Corvis German suplexed him onto the steel barricade. Vertigo spinebustered him onto a table of chairs.
Somehow, someway, Vertigo emerged with his hand raised.
Now that @MattVertigo has defeated @EricCorvis to retain the Territory Championship, his next defense is against the @ringofhonor TV champion @Tony_Deppen, as @swoprowrestling also celebrates it’s 20th Anniversary as well this Saturday, June 19th in Seven Valleys, PA. pic.twitter.com/cz7phx8YKX
— UWA Elite (@UWAElite) June 18, 2021
“The Matt Vertigo I wrestled at the UWA Elite 20th Anniversary Show was unlike any Matt Vertigo I’ve ever competed against before,” Corvis says. “This is a man that’s gone beyond ego and arrogance into an arena where everything he’s ever said has come to fruition. Every word backed up with a successful action. I thought I was ready, I thought I was prepared and I still feel I was, but in a street fight, with that many variables, against a competitor with the momentum of Vertigo, I just didn’t have the tools to put him down in that moment.
I hate to admit it, but he deserves that championship, and with the role he’s on, I don’t see who’s primed to take it from him.”
Vertigo’s latest defense came on June 19 at sWo’s 20th Anniversary Show. It was a rare champion vs. champion match, as he took on the Ring of Honor Television Champion Tony Deppen for the first time. “My favorite match of the year thus far,” Vertigo says. “Before the match, he told me his mission was to blow me up and outwork me. And he did. But hey, he made the wrong mistake at the wrong time and he got knocked out.”
Deppen locked up while wearing sunglasses, clearly not taking the Territory Champion seriously. He quickly changed his tune after getting powered and then eating a knuckle sandwich, a couple of closelines and a powerslam. Deppen’s agility saved him from further abuse, as he hit a springboard dropkick that sent Vertigo to the floor and followed up by soaring through the ropes.
Gouging the eyes, Deppen mocked the champ while jaw-jacking with the fans. The intensity ramped up in the closing moments, as Deppen clubbed Vertigo from behind, dropping him with a brainbuster and a superkick for good measure. He went for the cover, but Vertigo kicked out in the nick of time. Getting back to his feet, Vertigo caught Deppen in a spinebuster and then a sit-out powerbomb, yet he only got a two count, too.
With both competitors weary, Deppen charged the corner, but got tripped, crashing face first into the turnbuckle. Before he could turn around, Vertigo charged in with his signature big boot, the DOI – Dead on Impact. As you’ve learned in this article, nobody gets up from that.
Vertigo’s next defense will be on July 24 at UWA Elite Livin On The Edge, as he meets up-and-comer Boom Harden.
“Great kid, puts in the work and very humble,” Vertigo says. “But when he won the number-one contender’s match, I told him he’s in for a rude awakening. I come from the concrete jungle. New York Drip don’t die.”
@MattVertigo can go. Someone give the kid a chance to show everyone https://t.co/NCjxeOqwjC
— Tony Deppen (@Tony_Deppen) June 20, 2021
UWA Elite Livin On The Edge takes place June 24 at the South River VFW in South River, NJ.
For tickets and more information, visit https://www.uwaelite.
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