Mike Awesome - Should have been a major player.

B.A._Baracus

Anyone else think the same?

I was a fan of Mike Awesome back in the day in ECW. Randomly watched some of his stuff today on YouTube and that man should have done more in wrestling.

Billed at 6'6 and near 300 pounds he wrestled like a cruiserweight and a big man at the same time.
Making his name in FMW in Japan as The Gladiator he would later go to ECW and get exposed to a western audience. He would be booked in the main event in ECW and winning the world title.

This is where things sadly get Shi*ty and the downfall started. While ECW champion and not getting paid by ECW, he would talk to his cousin in wcw... Horace Hogan (who in turn was nephew to Hulk Hogan)
Accordingly, after Horace went to Hulk on behalf of Awesome, the hulkster told awesome what are you doing there not getting paid. Come over to wcw as a job for you is here. Awesome accepted.

The problem was that Awesome was the current ECW champion and Awesome claimed that he had no contract with ECW while Paul Hayman claimed he did.
Heyman threatened to sue WCW so an arrangement was made where Awesome would go back to ECW to have one more match and drop the belt. But who would he have to job it too? None other than Taz.

This would mark the first, and only time, a wcw contracted wrestler would wrestle a then WWF contracted wrestler.

After loosing the title Awesome would debut in WCW against Kevin Nash but sadly shortly after get lumbered with gimmicks such as That 70s Guy and one where he would love fat chicks. Yes. That was the gimmick he would love 'fat chicks'

After WCW got sold Awesome would work for WWF but the story goes Paul Hayman, who was working for the company at that time, totally buried him. He wouldn't do much in WWE/WWF and would leave.

Sadly in 2007 after his wife said he wanted to divorce him. Mike Awesome would hang himself. He was 42.

Sad. He really should have been a WWE / WWF world champion. Anyone else feel the same?

Itssoeasy

Was it mike awesome that joey styles said at ONS 2005 that he should end his life ? If I’ve remembered that right that’s harsh as **** on mike awesome.

Sirsok

Mike Awesome absolutely blew me away when I started collecting tapes.

I remember his segment on WCW, I used to religiously watch Nitro and Thunder. At the time I hadn't the foggiest who he was.

But a few years later I got to see his exploits in ECW.

Spike Dudley was the match, and I just couldn't believe it. Then Tanaka stuff, then ONS. His performance at that should of atleast got him a WWE try out. Man would of only turning 40 at that stage.

Gutted when I heard of his passing.

His theme song in ECW regularly gets a play on my Spotify.

Also his connection with Hogan may have hindered him, as this was Russo era WCW, and Russo wasn't to high on Hogan by all accounts.

I remeber seeing Paul Burchill in FWA on the wrestling channel and being similar blown away by the dude, diving from the ring, over the ringposts and doing Backflip rock bottoms, but same issue, he was booked as a monster in the smaller feds but in the land of the giants he was just another guy that became a pirate. Mike Awesome same issue, he got lost in the alliance shuffle, and instead of being Mike Awesome, he was just Mike.

I heard it was taker who originally buried him in WWE.

Taken from what culture

"Another WCW burial that The Undertaker carried out was on Mike Awesome, but this time it was a backstage burial. He apparently went to management and badmouthed the big man, which then resulted in the former WCW / ECW star being relegated to jobs on Velocity and eventually a 2002 release. Could it have been a case of Taker playing politics and wanting to keep down a wrestler with a similar build and style to his own? It certainly looked that way. Awesome later said "Being in the WWE sucked. I hated it. You had to kiss everybody's ass... You had to be on your political toes all the time. You would not believe the backstage politics. You were getting stabbed in the back constantly. I was so happy when I was told I was gone."

B.A._Baracus

I read something earlier about Awesome and the taker but couldn't get anything on it.
That's sad. Wrestling really is a cut throat game. I like the undertaker but Awesome was a way better athlete and could do so much more.

jaykhunter

Awesome was brilliant at dishing out punishment, but I haven't seen matches where he sells half was well. Like is he good at putting the other guy over? (Tanaka being put over is via absorbing Awesome's offense, rather than Mike selling for him, if you get me).

I'm not sold on his promos, like anyone can cut a fun, snarky shoot promo, but how about a great fully-kayfabe one? I don't mean to crap on him, I'd need to be directed towards some good kayfabe promos.

Bounty Hunter

He had a great look, was athletic and could wow the audience with big impactful moves. Don’t recall him being all that on the mic and do remember him being reckless with the safety of those he wrestled with. Don’t think too many top stars would want to take his powerbomb.

Also wasn’t he the fat chick thrila?

fman

Yep I remember him during that chaos towards the end of WCW. If I remember rightly too after one of his sketches Bret Hart was on his way to the ring with a mic and said something to the effect of "well done you just wiped away half of Mike Awesome's value in 5 minutes".
Was it Awesome who powerbombed one of the ICP on top of a bus and the guy just slowly slid away off the top while Awesome tried to save him?

Edit: yep it was https://youtu.be/CyF3KB7sy-w

Hammer of the Clods

In fairness there are a lot of wrestlers who could have made it big but never did for one reason or another. Looking at WWE's roster in 2002 and it was jam packed with talent (and future talent). Rock, Austin, Triple H, Jericho, Angle, Lesnar, 'Taker, and Kane all still hanging around the top of the card, that doesn't even take into account Flair and Hogan coming in, or Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, and the other WCW heads like Booker T and DDP, as well as Rob Van Dam.

As well as all of those you had Edge on the rise, Randy Orton, Batista, and John Cena getting their starts, and the beginnings of a mega push for Brock Lesnar.

Where a push for Mike Awesome would have fitted in amongst all of those is hard to spot. I'm sure he was a talented wrestler who didn't get the right luck or push when he needed it, but that highlights just how hard it is to make it as a wrestler.

The White Wolf

Awesome from what I saw was fantastic in the ring, that match at ONS sticking out in particular - but his presence always seemed lacking to me. Maybe he could of had a decent run with the right manager, but it's difficult for me to identify where his path to greatness was blocked.

Maybe he was politicked but I don't think it would made much of a difference in the grand scheme.

Sirsok

At that time of ONS a drunk JBL laughed and ridiculed the match, he was just after coming off a 8 or 10 months world title run. Big gold belt ended up on Khali, the likes of Kozlov got w world title shot , Umaga became a big player. ECW brand had started

I definately think there would of been room for such an explosive performer. He was unlike anything I ever seen at that time.

The White Wolf

That's a fair point. I don't know....perhaps if they had repackaged him including a name change I would of had more interest, but everything about how he was presented just screamed generic CAW given the moveset of a god.

briany

Hold on, hold on, now. We're talking about the Fat Chick Thrilla, here. If that doesn't say major player to you, then nothing should!

B.A._Baracus

briany wrote: »

Hold on, hold on, now. We're talking about the Fat Chick Thrilla, here. If that doesn't say major player to you, then nothing should!

He wasn't always the fat chick thrilla lol.

I've thought about awesome somewhat after making this thread and sadly there is no one thing that stopped him from becoming more. It's a collection of things... a series of unfortunate events.

- Leaving ECW was both the correct and incorrect thing to do. He wasn't getting paid. He had bills to pay. Of course he should have went. But...

- However by leaving he went to WCW where he could have never elevated himself. It was the main eventers club at the time. Sting, Hogan, Nash, Goldberg and more were not going to let another guy be king of the mountain. So many contracts with creative control. But who cares at this point. He was getting paid and I'm sure it was better than ECW ..

- But in wrestling I firmly believe you have a stock. It is a predetermined sport there for your role is selected for you. It is like a chess board. This guy is my king, these guys over there are my knights, over here is my rooks and the rest are pawns. Awesome became a pawn with no value. Fat chick thrilla after all.

- So he had the 'jobber stink' on him. When WCW was sold he became lost in the shuffle as a pawn among pawns.

- Haymen, which it should be said is some scumbag in the realm of pro wrestling buried him in WWE. That didn't help.

- If we turn back the clock and say he went to WWE instead of WCW (mid-2000) it is possible he could have become a major player. However WWE has always had a brawling, more safer main event style.
You could take away all awesomes crazy moveset (power bombs through tables) and he would still be impressive. How many big dudes do springboards or slingshot splashes today let alone in 1999!
Problem is that you had Austin and The Rock. Two of the biggest stars of all time at one time. How can you give awesome the mega push knowing these guys print money? You can't.
So maybe build awesome up as the unstoppable monster to be ultimately fed to Austin or rock. Would have worked I feel. But ... Never happened. So all what if I guess.




Too long don't read: Awesome didn't really have a chance.