The Iron Knuckle Division, or IK Division for short, is a style of wrestling which focuses on the technical aspects of wrestling. It gives technical wrestlers a chance to shine and really showcase their talent in the ring with a unique set of rules. It is exclusive only to Underground Pro, and was created by its CEO, J. Hector Banks.
Style[]
Anyone can compete in the Iron Knuckle Division. It's influenced by MMA and Lucha Libre styles. There are no weight limits, although most of its notable competitors have been under 231 lbs. Rather than showcasing the high flying aspects of wrestling, as is done in a Cruiserweight or Lightweight Division, the Iron Knuckle division is where strong submissionists and strikers show their true ability.
The Iron Knuckle Title is quite often considered one of the main attractions for UgP and has on several occasions provided UgP with its most entertaining matches and feuds.
Rules[]
The Iron Knuckle Division's unique set of rules are the main reason to its success. Here's a list of the rules which they use.
- No victories by Pinfall
- Victory by Submission or KO only
- While the matches can have disqualifications, it's only for weapons, meaning no holds are barred from an Iron Knuckle bout
- 20 or 30 minute time limits
- No Rope Breaks
Specialty Matches[]
To date, there have only been two specialty matches in which have been considered Iron Knuckles Matches. The first of which was a non-tile Iron Knuckle Tables Match between K.O. Kidd and Meister which took place February 18, 2006 at Bloody Valentine. The match has a 60 minute time limit, has absolutely no disqualifications, and the only way to win is to smash your opponent through three tables before your opponent does. K.O. Kidd won the battle in the end.
The second was the Iron Knuckle Submission Showdown in which the title was defended between Mike Majere, the challenger, and Dave Milan, the champion, at the Clash of the Champions the 14th of June 2006. The rules of this contest are simple. Both men wrestle for five minutes, putting submission holds on each other. At the end of five minutes, the man who properly executed the most holds wins the match. Dave Milan ended up winning when his manager Steve White jumped up onto the apron to stop the referee from seeing Majere's submission hold which would have tied the match and would have caused it to enter into sudden death.
Notable UgP Iron Knuckle Division wrestlers[]
- CMK: Three-time Iron Knuckle Champion and one of the pioneers of the Iron Knuckle division.
- Dave Milan: Three-time Iron Knuckle Champion and longest reigning Iron Knuckle Champion to date. The length of Milan's reign is unknown due to lost records, but his final reign exceeded 9 months.
- Steve Palmieri: One-time Iron Knuckle Champion and also the first.
- K.O. Kidd: One-time Iron Knuckle Champion and first man to participate in an Iron Knuckle Tables Match.