Thank You, Matt Tremont
The Bulldozer’s retirement match is at H20 Wrestling’s The Last Extravaganza.
Matt Tremont has reached Nirvana.
After 13 years of barbed wire and broken glass, the deathmatch legend will wrestle his final match this weekend as part of H20 Wrestling’s The Last Extravaganza. Since Sept. 7, Tremont has embarked on a retirement tour, facing his students from the H20 Wrestling Academy, teaming with a mystery partner against Team Tremendous and main eventing Joey Janela’s Spring Break Forever against Alex Colon. Fittingly, his last dance will be on mischief night, as he battles GCW World Champion Rickey Shane Page.
It’s going to be an emotional night, and I regrettably won’t be able to experience it. But I must pay tribute to The Bulldozer, the man responsible for my love of independent wrestling.
That may sound odd considering I’ve only caught the tail end of his career. I missed out on the deathmatch tournaments, his early years as Matt Justice, his nearly 400-day reign as CZW World Heavyweight Champion and all the ultraviolence. Sure, I had heard about him from friends and seen his name on Twitter, but my first taste of Matt Tremont was the hype video for his match with Atsushi Onita.
In the past three years of watching him wrestle throughout the tri-state area, interviewing him numerous times and even setting up shop at his flea market, I’ve learned who Matt Tremont truly is.
He’s a fighter. A dreamer. A hustler.
He’s a lifelong fan who wrestled in the backyard with his little brother. He’s a high school dropout who refused to wait any longer to pursue his goal. He’s a student of the game, seeking out veteran “Pryme Tyme” Amy Lee to prepare him for action in the ring and how to conduct business behind the scenes.
He’s a visionary unwilling to compromise his beliefs, leading to the creation of his own promotion – H20 Wrestling – rooted in the styles of Memphis, World Class, early ECW and early CZW. He’s an entrepreneur, opening a wrestling merchandise stand (Bulldozer’s Collectibles) before becoming a promoter. He’s an opportunist, taking over OTW’s facility in Williamstown, NJ, selling all of his tournament trophies and memorabilia to cover the first month’s rent, last month’s rent and security deposit totaling $5,500.
He’s a teacher with almost 30 students who he’s brought with him on the road and has provided a biweekly platform for them to hone their craft in front of an audience. He’s a loyal friend who never forgot how Danny Havoc got him into CZW and then helped build H20 Wrestling into the successful operation it is today. Havoc, who died in May only a few weeks after his wife’s passing, was the first inductee into the H20 Wrestling Center Hall of Fame in August and has a 17-man hardcore title tournament named after him as part of The Last Extravaganza.
I lost my best friend. My big brother. I love ya man. pic.twitter.com/fkWiI1LK0f
— Bulldozer Matt Tremont (@TremontH2O) June 1, 2020
February 2020
— Bulldozer Matt Tremont (@TremontH2O) June 1, 2020
We both returned to Japan, this trip meant more because we were together. I wouldn’t have went to Japan or have done anything in wrestling if it wasent him & everything you did for myself and everyone you encountered in life.
I wish i could rewind to this pic.twitter.com/a0lTlEuSY9
If you haven’t realized by now, Matt Tremont is also a great pro wrestler. He has an iconic look: scraggly beard, potbelly and scarred forehead covered by his ubiquitous bandana. His entrance theme “Separate Ways” (also the name of his farewell tour) instantly riles up the audience, who clap along to the rhythm, building to the crescendo of his entrance right before Steve Perry belts out “Someday!” Tremont incorporates the crowd into his entire performance, barking at them as soon as he bursts through the curtain and often bringing the mayhem into their laps.
He’s also a helluva storyteller, as evidenced by this farewell tour. His promos talk you into the building, even Onita was convinced to work with him after watching Tremont pour his heart out. He raises his voice only when necessary, and he always tells the truth. He’s raw, he’s genuine. He’s believable.
My brother and I have followed Matt Tremont since he won the Synergy Championship. We were shocked when a masked man screwed him out of the title and were overjoyed when Tremont got revenge. We also enjoyed the Bavarian brutality he brought to Pretzel Mania, pummeling Travis Lee in the first pretzel deathmatch. My girlfriend and I watched him form a dream team with New Jack, beating the shit out of CW Anderson and DJ Hyde with a trash can, crutch, cookie sheet, vacuum and even a rubber chicken. Unfortunately, I was all alone when he was revealed as Bobby Dempsey’s mystery challenger, shocking the 50 some-odd folks inside the Ruba Club as he turned heel and joined a three-on-one assault on the PWE Champion.
It all comes to an end tomorrow night https://t.co/w1uLNCLSDS
— Bulldozer Matt Tremont (@TremontH2O) October 29, 2020
Thankfully, my brother and I went to one of the stops on his tour, somewhere even Tremont couldn’t believe he ended up – the Super 8. Replacing Jake Something, the brawler stuck out like a severed thumb in the field of grapplers. Relying on what brought him to the dance, Tremont exchanged fisticuffs with Rockwell into the crowd, even asking fans to lift their feet so he could ram Rockwell’s face into them. Surprising the WORLD-1 Champion with a death valley driver to advance into the semifinals, Tremont’s improbable journey to the Super 8 trophy ended when he tapped out to KTB. Witnessing our warrior actually give up was jaw-dropping, but another sign that he was ready to hang up his thumb tacked boots.
And now we’ll go our separate ways. Tremont will rock the house one more time on Friday, giving the masked fans their money’s worth, as well as all those watching live on IWTV. He’s going out on his own terms with his credibility intact. Sure, he probably wishes he got that Cody match he always wanted, or maybe a shot at Nick Aldis and the Ten Pounds of Gold.
But then again, his legacy is secure. He redefined what it means to be hardcore, inspiring a generation and ushering in the future of the industry.
Thank you, Bulldozer, for all the bloodshed, goosebumps and memories.
About Author
I raise my hand in a salute to Matt Tremont. Matt gave his heart and soul to his promotion. Always the consummate, professional, it was his guidance and hardcore wisdom that grew his company making it a true legend in southern New Jersey. Matt’s anatomy bears the indelible scars of the hardcore, pro wrestling genre. His quest was to build a legion of loyal customers (“fans”) and in that endeavor, he succeeded. Plain-and-simply said – – Matt Tremont lived his dream.
Well Done, Matt!!!