Chad Slivenski

Chad Slivenski (born September 15, 1972) is a semi-retired American professional wrestler, known by his ringname Chad Bowman, who competed in East Coast and Mid-Atlantic independent promotions during the 1990s and 2000s.

Early in his career, Slivenski spent time in regional promotions such as the United States Wrestling Association and Smoky Mountain Wrestling before their close in the mid-1990s, and made occasional appearances as a preliminary wrestler in World Wrestling Entertainment.

Slivenski also wrestles under the name "Stone Cold" Chad Austin, an in-ring persona he originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling, and continued in other Philadelphia-based "hardcore" wrestling promotions such as Combat Zone Wrestling and IWA Mid-South.

While in ECW, Austin was subject to a real-life "shoot" when New Jack intentionally broke his leg with a steel chair.

In later shoot interviews, New Jack has credited Austin for inadvertently inspiring his 187 finishing move, a top rope dive onto an opponent with a steel chair, which he had first used to injure him.

Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, Chad Slivenski trained under Don Owens and made his wrestling debut on September 11, 1991.

He spent two years on the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic "indy circuit", as well as stints in the United States Wrestling Association and Smokey Mountain Wrestling, prior to joining Tod Gordon and Eastern Championship Wrestling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in late 1993.

Slivenski made his ECW debut as Chad Austin on its third major show, the two-day NWA Bloodfest, at the ECW Arena on October 1, 1993.

On both nights, he wrestled The Bad Breed (Ian and Axl Rotten) with Todd Shaw and Don E. Allen respectively, as well as losing to Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.

These matches were later broadcast on the first episodes of ECW Hardcore TV during the next few weeks.

On November 14, 1993, Austin was the sole survivor of a six-man elimination tag team match with Watsumi the Rising Sun and Joe College against the American Ninja, Johnny Paradise and The Comet at Kenwood High School in Essex, Maryland.

Slivenski was part of two other memorable Hardcore TV moments that year.

On December 13, he was scheduled to face Mr. Hughes but the lights unexpectedly went out, and when they came back on again, the entire ECW locker room was engaged in a brawl in the ring.

A week later, Slivenski was brought out by Terry Funk as a mock Sabu impersonator and attacked by Funk.

When Sabu's then manager Paul E. Dangerously confronted Funk, he was chased off.

In front of a sold-out crowd at the ECW Arena, Slivenski scored an upset victory over Pitbull #1 in his ECW debut at Holiday Hell 1993 on December 26, 1993.

When his opponent continued attacking him after the match, The Sandman came to his rescue.

This match aired on Hardcore TV three days later.

Slivenski continued to be a regular at the ECW Arena during the next year.

On February 5, 1994, he lost to 911 in the opening match of ECW's The Night the Line Was Crossed.

In the first half of 1994, he also faced The Public Enemy (Rocco Rock & Johnny Grunge), Johnny Hotbody, The Sandman, Hack Meyers and Shane Douglas.

On April 9, he challenged Ricky Blues at the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation's Kenwood Khaos in Essex.

That summer, he appeared on three major ECW shows.

On June 24, his match against Don E. Allen at Hostile City Showdown 1994 ended in a no-contest when 911 interfered and incapacitated both men with a chokeslam.

A month later at Heat Wave 1994, Slivenski was disqualified in his match against ECW Television Champion Mikey Whipwreck as well as their rematch in Wildwood, New Jersey a week later.

Five days later in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, he teamed with Rockin' Rebel and Jason Knight in a six-man tag team match to defeat Don E. Allen, Dino Sendoff and Hack Meyers.

On August 13, he defeated "Ironman" Tommy Cairo at Hardcore Heaven 1994.

He also wrestled Mr. Hughes, Sabu, Damien Stone, Steve Richards, Rockin' Rebel and Chris Benoit on Hardcore TV over the summer.

On November 22, he and Hack Meyers lost to Stevie Richards and JT Smith in a tag team match and, the following week, wrestled Shane Douglas for the ECW Heavyweight Championship.

On December 24, 1994, Slivenski participated in a battle royal at the ECW Arena.

He was the event's first entrant and, upon entering the ring, announced he was quitting ECW and had bought a house in Atlanta claiming he was soon heading to World Championship Wrestling adding that "ECW was small time".

Upon hearing this, everyone in the battle royal immediately entered the ring to go after Slivenski and threw him out.

Led by Shane Douglas, the wrestlers forced him to say "ECW is number one!"

in the house microphone.

This resulted in Tod Gordon coming out and ordering everyone to the back, with the exception of Axl Rotten and Pitbull #2, and reenter the ring under Royal Rumble-style rules.

The event was later included as part of ECW Extreme Warfare, Vol. 1.

On January 7, 1995, Slivenski lost to JT Smith at the ECW Arena and to The Tazmaniac at the Big Apple Dinner Theater in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania on February 24.

The following night at ECW's Return of the Funker, he and Joel Hartgood lost to The Pitbulls (Pitbull #1 and Pitbull #2) in front of 1,150 fans.

A mainstay of the Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (MEWF) and Maryland Championship Wrestling (MCW), he and kayfabe brother Chip Bowman were members of the "heel" stable Total Quality Management with MCW Heavyweight Champion "Wiseguy" Jimmy Cicero and MCW Tag Team Champions Cueball Carmichael & Dino Devine from 2000 until their breakup in 2002.

He and Devine later began teaming together as The Slackers and won both the MEWF and MCW Tag Team titles.