Steve Corino vs Homicide (Way of the Blade Art Print)

"Steve Corino vs Homicide (No Holds Barred)" - ink & digital illustration

On the way to the upcoming Way of the Blade sequel, here’s another flashback to an illustration & match that I totally love from the original (from the great guys at Hybrid Shoot, written by the rad Phil Schneider, illustrated by yours truly!).

This wonderfully hate-filled, bloody, no-holds-barred, war of attrition took place on August 16th, 2003 at Ring of Honor's 'Bitter Friends, Stiffer Enemies' event at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

So I was recently going down memory lane with Cousin Ben about the deep love & heartfelt nostalgia that I have for the promotion that was Ring of Honor. In a time where mainstream American TV Professional Wrestling was just no longer scratching that itch, Ring of Honor at this point was such an important beacon of hope for many of us. I honestly miss this incarnation of ROH so darned much in today's American Wrestling climate.

It combined some of the very best, cutting edge in-ring wrestling to be found with classic, throwback 'wrasslin' storytelling akin to wrestling's creative geniuses like Cowboy Bill Watts or Paul Heyman. Epic blood-feuds were also a key part of this magical mix. And for that part of things, it really didn't get any better than this one between the 'King of Old School' & the 'Notorious 187'.

It's hard to exclaim just how special both of these guys were at this time. You hear the term 'aura' thrown around a lot these days but these dudes had it in spades! No one was a better despicable bad-guy than Corino & no one felt quite as dangerous & crazy & 'REAL' as Homicide. The crazy, escalating intensity of this match, the totally gross use of barbed wire & THAT SLAP to Corino's ear are things that I'll never forget no matter how much wrestling I watch for the rest of my life.

This was just an amazing thing to behold. Highly recommended! They also have a totally rad 'War of the Wire' no-ropes barbed wire match later that year in Massachusetts that is absolutely required viewing.

ENJOY!!

Fancy, high quality art prints of this book illustration are now available to purchase for as little as 25 clams, FREE worldwide postage!

HQ Basic Art Prints: Printed on 189gsm, museum-quality matte paper stock, printed with high-quality multicolour, water-based inkjet printing technique. (Printing & delivery arranged by Printful).

'Premium' Art Prints: Voluptuously extra thick, textured & hand-signed! Printed on 320gsm 'Sihl Masterclass Textured Cotton Rag', French made, Cold Press style textured art paper. 1cm additional border for easy framing unless otherwise requested. High archival rating, printed with 12 colour Canon Lucia EX pigment Inks, expected life over 100 years if displayed correctly. Since I send these out myself, I'll also include a little bonus 'surprise' for you! + ALL PREMIUM PRINT PURCHASES COME WITH CHRIS THINGS ZINE VOL. 1!!

Pre-Framed Art Prints: For those who don't want to worry about the hassles of framing! Pre-framed basic art-prints printed on 189gsm, museum-quality matte paper stock, printed with high-quality multicolour, water-based inkjet printing technique. Ayous wood .75″ (1.9 cm) thick, light-weight wooden frame from renewable forests. (Printing, framing & delivery arranged by Printful).

Please don't hesitate to send me a message if you require a different size - all prints made to order.