The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Death Match: Horror, Wrestling, and Video Games
Here is a look into how Gun and AEW came together for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Death Match from our resident wrestling fan.
Jeff Jarrett, dazed and bloody, lies in the middle of a broken table in the aftermath of a vicious Swanton Bomb from Jeff Hardy. Surrounding him are weapons of every sort, a blood-soaked canvas, bodies lying everywhere, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre logo.
This all started way back in May. If you recognize my name from anything at Gun, it’s because I’m the graphic designer for our company but I’m also our resident wrestling fan. We all know there’s a massive crossover between horror fans and video game fans, but what you may not know is there exists a third circle overlapping the two: wrestling fans.
Horror and wrestling have a long-tenured history. So too, do wrestling and video games. This was the basis of a conversation I had with Wes and Matt in the waning moments of an early-summer work day. If done right, we could partner with a wrestling promotion and give those three overlapping circles something really fun to chew on.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) was the first company out of my mouth. Selfishly, I’ve been a fan of their content for years, but I also knew they were a perfect partner for us. Their roster is insanely talented, they seem to have a love for a variety of different personas (including horror ones like my beloved House of Black) and they also know how to think outside of the box when it comes to the squared circle.
What followed was a flurry of hard work and passion. From day 1, AEW seemed as eager as we were to collaborate, and both sides worked tirelessly and constantly to achieve the goal of bringing The Texas Chain Saw Massacre to the weird, wonderful world of wrestling.
The result of this back-and-forth exchange of ideas and hard work? TCSM-themed everything on an episode of Dynamite two days before our launch, with the crescendo of a Deathmatch (a wrestling contest filled with the same level of gore and violence true to our roots) and a first-ever crowning of a Texas Chain Saw Massacre Deathmatch Champion.
That brings us back to now. Somehow, someway, Jeff Jarrett wasn’t done after getting driven through a wooden table by the weight of an airborne man. Despite the carnage, despite the best efforts of Jeff Hardy and company, despite getting his signature guitar shattered over his head, Jarrett (with the help of his pestilent posse) was able to get the pinfall victory over Hardy and become that very champion.
The best part? This ridiculous carnage was in the name of a good cause: supporting those affected by the recent tragedy in Maui, with all proceeds going to the Maui Food Bank.
All-in-all, through the unfathomable amount of effort from countless people on both sides, a great night of wrestling, horror, and entertainment was put on in front of thousands of people in the Nashville stands and hundreds of thousands more at home.
If you would like to contribute to the Maui Food Bank, you can do so here: https://mauifoodbank.org/donate/
Thank you for reading about about The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Death Match. You can keep the conversation going on our official subreddit, r/TXChainSawGame.
