In 1996, Insane Clown Posse released a VHS entitled ICP's Strangle-Mania, which featured a compilation of death matches from the Outrageously Violent Wrestling From Japan video collection, overdubbed with their own humorous commentary. Following the release, the duo, along with local Detroit booker Dan Curtis, hosted the event ICP's Strangle-Mania Live in 1997 at the sold out St. Andrew's Hall. One year later, Curtis and the group coordinated another Strangle-Mania Live type show called Hellfire Wrestling, which would be followed by an eighty-city Hellfire Wrestling tour. Curtis booked the talent and wrote the scripts. "Hellfire Wrestling" sold out the Majestic Theater in Detroit. Two days after the show, Curtis was found dead in his apartment, due to a sudden diabetic problem. The Hellfire Wrestling tour was subsequently canceled.
In April and May 2000, Gorie booked a 15-city Strangle-Mania Live Tour, spanning from Detroit to Denver. The tour focused less on older wrestlers and featured more younger talent such as Chris Hero and Mad Man Pondo. JCW Vol. 2 was filmed during tour stops in both Cleveland and Milwaukee, and was released on July 23, 2001. The video charted as high as number 8 on the Billboard Sports and Recreation Top Sellers list. The promotion later held several matches at the first annual Gathering of the Juggalos, which it has continued to do ever since. Brian Gorie left the company shortly after, and Bruce and Utsler took full control of booking the events themselves.
