Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) is an American-based promotion, based around the 'ultraviolent' style of professional wrestling. In 1999, John Zandig and four of his students, Ric Blade, Lobo, Nick Gage and Justice Pain started to run wrestling shows in places like New Jersey and Delaware showcasing a brand of hardcore wrestling called "ultraviolent". Ladders, tables, thumbtacks, barbed wire, fluorescent light tubes and fire, are common elements of "ultraviolent" wrestling matches in CZW. The company holds shows in the New Alhambra Arena, starting with their Cage of Death 3 show in the year 2001, the year ECW folded. It has been criticized by smarks and the Internet wrestling community for showcasing "over the top" wrestling, and focusing more on the hardcore aspect than anything else.