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bob_barron

Mike Awesome dies

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weird, I was just thinking about him last night while watching the new ecw dvd( I was going to watch the match vs tanaka on the dvd but decided not to). Not realizing he had been injured at ONS, I thought to myself "wwe should sign this guy for ecw NOW". Just like I was thinking about Bam Bam right before he died. Creepy

 

I never understood why he never got a real shot In wwe. I mean he had the big man look, Vince loves, plus he could fly like a cruiserweight, and work the hardcore style.

 

Sad to hear, I dont know what sucks more, a guy dropping dead, or taking his own life. But I don;t know what had been going on in his life all that well, so I reserve judgment.

 

RIP Big Mike

 

"Most wrestlers, six feet, 300 plus pounds, don't even leave their feet anymore, BROTHER, Mike Awesome flies through the air"

 

Joey Styles

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This reminds me of the great idea I heard for a tag team in WCW, during their last years:

 

Mike Awesome and Michael Modest. Hilarity would have ensued, I tells ya.

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I also mentioned Awesome last night during the PPV, when my brother railed against ECW for having Lashley just show up one night and win the title. I said "Yeah, it's not like ECW never had anyone show up and win the world title before...cough...Mike Awesome."

 

I think Awesome didn't get much of a shot in the WWF because he had the WCW stigma against him. Most of those guys got released aside from Booker, Chavo, and Helms (Helms stayed due to his Hurricane gimmick catching on, Booker was the WCW champ, and Chavo was related to Eddie). Awesome was a big man, but not THAT big. As in he's big enough to toss Spike Dudley and the smallish ECW roster around, but once he went to WCW and stood next to Nash and others he wasn't all that huge.

 

Ironically if he'd never left ECW he could have likely gone to the WWF a year later and gotten pushed harder.

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Scott Hall and Jake Roberts outlive yet another wrestler. I'm amazed.

 

They figured out the key to not dying a long time ago. What they've done you see, is go past the point of death, so that they may live forever. They not only hit rock bottom, but they went beyond that. Only then can you live forever.

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It will be weird watching ONS in the future, hearing Joey's call of (paraphrased) "sucidie dive by Mike Awesome, a shame he didn't actually complete the move's name".

 

Styles went overboard in that match. That's easy to say in retrospect, but I thought so at the time. Yeah, Awesome jumped ship with the title, but he did so after having paychecks bounced on him. I loved ECW as much as the next fan, but what was he supposed to do? You can't have a roof over your head or feed yourself simply with the adoration of the fans.

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http://www.stormwrestling.com/022007.html

 

Mike Awesome 1965-2007

February 20, 2007

 

I can’t believe I am writing another tribute commentary about a friend no longer with us. For those of you who have not heard, Mike Awesome (Mike Alfonso) was found dead in his home in Florida, from an apparent suicide, at the age of 42.

 

I first met Mike in 1991 on my first tour of Japan for FMW. Mike was a major star for FMW and a really great guy. He was also part of the original “Team Canada” for FMW teaming with Rick Titan (the fake Razor Ramon from the WWF), Ricky Fuji, and (I believe) Dr. Luther. Mike and I only wrestled once for FMW, in a tag team match me teaming with Chris Jericho and Mike teaming with Horace Bolder (Hogan), but our paths would cross again in ECW, WCW, and WWE.

 

On March 12, 2000 Justin Credible and I regained the ECW Tag Team Titles in a match with Masato Tanaka & Tommy Dreamer, and Raven & Mike Awesome. Mike Awesome is likely best know in ECW for his departure, when he jumped to WCW with the ECW Heavy Weight Title. After a lengthy legal battle he returned to drop the title to Tazz in one of the most unique inter-promotional matches in wrestling history. In that match WCW wrestler Mike awesome defending the ECW World Heavyweight Title against WWF wrestler Tazz, on an ECW show.

 

Mike got a lot of heat for the way he left ECW, but a lot of that was unjustified. The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. I’m not sure there is anyone in the business that would have done differently.

 

I followed Mike to WCW not too long after that and we again got to work together. We first feuded over the US/Canadian Heavy Weight Title, and then Mike later joined my version of Team Canada. Mike and I were on the verge of capturing the WCW World Tag Team Titles when the WWF purchased WCW. Mike and I teamed together on the final Nitro broadcast.

 

In WWF/WWE Mike and I again worked together. Mike and I were involved in the first WWE vs. WCW match on RAW, where Mike and I teamed to face Kane and Chris Jericho. Mike and I again teamed facing Edge and Christian on the Invasion PPV. Mike didn’t last too long in WWE but our paths crossed again at the ECW Reunion PPV One Night Stand.

 

At the first One Night Stand PPV Mike Awesome had Masato Tanaka stole the show in what was considered by most to be the best match of the night. I talked to Mike a lot that night and was very happy for him. He seemed really happy and content with his life. He talked about how he enjoyed pushing his daughter on the swing in their back yard. He would combine doing that with doing Hindu squats by doing a squat between each push. I also remember discovering that he had been happily married longer than I had, which is a rarity in this business.

 

I have a lot of fond memories of Mike Awesome. I got to work with him in 4 different companies (FMW, ECW, WCW, WWE) as well as wrestling with or against him on 5 PPVs for 3 different companies (ECW, WCW, WWE). In addition to all the time we spend together at work Mike was one of those few guys in the business that I met that I likely would have been friends with had I met him elsewhere in life. Mike shared my love for reading and seemed to be a very happy and loyal family man. If Mike and I had lived in the same City, I’m sure our families would have become very close. I cannot express how surprised and saddened I am to hear about his death. Mike will be very missed, my condolences to his family.

 

Lance Evers

 

P.S I hope to add another commentary later in the week sharing some of the more fun times I had with Mike over the years. I seem unable to make this the touching tribute I intended; I guess I am still in a bit of shock over the news.

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Thanks so much for posting that, UndertakerHart. I had never seen that match up until this point. I hate to hear things like this. I truly wished Awesome could have been given more by the bigger companies, he sure impressed me over the years. RIP.

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I think this should sum it up for anybody thinking he was in the wrong for leaving ECW, for anyone that missed it.

 

-The true story is that Mike was owed a significant amount of money from ECW and he refused to sign his contract until he received all money due him. After repeatedly not receiving money promised him Mike accepted an offer from WCW that offered his family financial security. (Lance Storm)

 

Getting bashed in the head repeatedly with chairs can make the fans chant, can make a nice sound effect, and if a wrestler is really lucky, can lead to some dollars, but if it had anything to do with this it's just not worth it. Disappointed at this one.

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Wow.

 

Wonder what Joey Styles thinks of him now.

 

Styles has always been someone's puppet, and it wouldn't surprise me if he was fed those comments from either Heyman or Vince McMahon. The reason I say Vince is because Awesome made it no secret that he was upset over his initial WWF run during the InVasion in 2001 (in Death Of WCW, he's quoted as saying "I hated it there"). Combine that with his lasting ECW image, and it was a total burial job at ECW ONS. I'm surprised they booked him to go over Tanaka, in fact.

 

Don't know how accurate this is, but InsidePulse says Awesome was diagnosed with diabetes, which wound up sending him into a depression, culminating with the suicide.

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Good grief, my parents both have diabetes (my mom moreso) and it's hardly anything that justifies being so depressed that someone would commit suicide. Just shoot up the insulin.

 

I always assumed Heyman was the one trashing Awesome and feeding lines to Joey. Why would Vince care about Awesome leaving ECW the way he did?

 

And by the way, it was STILL bullshit the way Awesome left ECW. I understand that the guy was owed money, but so was everybody in ECW for the most part. For the world champion to attempt to ditch a promotion and take their belt with him to another promotion is just sleazy. If Awesome was frustrated with his status in ECW, he should have filed a breach of contract and jobbed the title without incident. Then he could be free to sign elsewhere with no ill feelings. The way Awesome left angered a lot of people.

 

Hell, consider the way Awesome left to the way Storm left ECW. I don't think Storm was ever owed $$ in ECW (at least according to the Rise and Fall DVD), but when he went to WCW he gave his notice to Heyman and put over his friend Justin Credible on the way out.

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